By Summer's End (Christian Fiction)

by Rosemarie Naramore

  He had forced himself to assume his father’s image and had lost himself in the process. Ben understood this and urged him to take the trip that had been planned a year prior. Ryan had objected to the idea of leaving, but Ben had pressed. Perhaps he knew in his heart that Ryan would be changed from his travels and perhaps realize he needed to make some major life changes. Ben had been determined to see Ryan happy and secure in life.

  If Ben knew that Ryan had turned his back on a relationship with God, he would be devastated. It was killing Annabelle as well.

  “Aren’t you going to say something?” Ryan demanded.

  Annabelle sighed. “Ryan, I think you have feelings for Holly, and I think you know it. But that makes it all the more important that you tell her the truth.”

  “But she’ll…”

  “She’ll what?”

  “She’ll leave.”

  Annabelle blew out a breath, as understanding dawned. Obviously Ryan cared about Holly, since he couldn’t bear the thought of her leaving.

  “Tell her that, Ryan. Just what you told me. She’ll understand.”

  Ryan shook his head. Effective communication wasn’t his strong suit. He’d learned to wall off his emotions, just as their father had done. And he was so determined to be like their father, to follow in his footsteps, despite the fact that he wasn’t anything like the man.

  Annabelle recalled her father in her mind’s eye. Tall, powerfully built, and stern, he could cause both her and Ryan to quake in their shoes with a look in their direction. Despite the fact that Ryan hadn’t really wanted to follow his father into the family business, he had done so, determined to please a man who was frankly, impossible to please. And nothing Ryan had done had ever pleased him, right up until he passed away.

  Annabelle remembered her father, on his deathbed, giving Ryan his marching orders as to how to conduct business. He’d accused him of being weak and soft, and had charged him to harden his heart to the reality of their line of work—the reality that good people were routinely left devastated by the loss of jobs or pension, courtesy of advice from the McGraw firm.

  Sadly, in recent years, Ryan had become much like their father. It was this realization on his part that had led him on a quest, of sorts. He’d taken the extended trip as a means to gain some clarity about himself and his chosen occupation. He had become hard and Ben hadn’t hesitated to tell him so.

  “What do I do?” he groaned.

  “You tell Holly the truth, plain and simple.”

  “Or, we could just…”

  “What?”

  “Give her the property. Deed it over to her.”

  Annabelle’s eyes widened in shock. “Who are you and what have you done with my brother?” She smiled softly. “Oh, my goodness. You don’t just care about her. You love her, Ryan.”

  He ignored her. “Maybe we could allow her to live there as long as she chooses, as long as she understands the property reverts back to us in the event she leaves for whatever reason.”

  Annabelle shrugged. “It’s fine by me. The truth is, I really like both Holly and Brianna. Brianna’s going to be a real help to me, and later, you…”

  He arched his brows. “How is she going to be a help to me?”

  Annabelle took a deep, steadying breath. “I…” She breathed deeply again and forced a smile. “I’m leaving, Ryan. For awhile, anyway.”

  “Wha—?” He sat up in the chair and searched her face. “What do you mean, you’re leaving?”

  “Harrison and I plan to get married by summer’s end…”

  “Wait a minute. I know you, sis. That won’t give you time to plan the kind of wedding you’ve always dreamed of.” He gave a brittle laugh. “You need to stop messing with me. You almost had me fooled.”

  “Ryan, I’m telling you the truth. We’re getting married as soon as we can arrange a small ceremony at church. After, I’m leaving with Harrison. He’s being stationed on the East Coast. We’ll live there together for four months, and then he’ll be deployed for three.” She took a breath and prayed for his safety. “And … when he comes back, we’ll have a few more months before he’s discharged. If all goes as planned—and God willing it will—we’ll come back here.”

  Annabelle cringed when she saw the devastation on her brother’s face. She hadn’t expected him to take it so hard.

  “For how long?”

  She shook her head, confused.

  “How long will you be gone? What about the house?” He made a sweeping gesture with his hands. “What about the property? Your horses?”

  She sighed. “As I said, we’ll be gone a year or so. He’d considered making the military his career, but then…” She smiled. “He met me. And the truth is, he’s as drawn to this land as I am. He knows my plans for developing it into an equine arena and horse boarding farm, and he thinks it’s a great idea. He grew up on a farm, you know.”

  Ryan scowled. “You won’t be here, so how exactly are you going to develop this horse paradise of yours?”

  “We were hoping you could stay here, hold down the fort, start the process, and when Harrison and I move home, we’ll take over.” She sought his eyes. “Ryan, I know it’s a lot to ask. I know you have little to no interest in staying in this area, but this house, this land, it means everything to me.”

  “So, don’t go. It’s only a year. Harrison will be back here soon enough…”

  She shook her head. “I just… I need to go with him—to be with him every minute I possibly can. If something happens…”

  Ryan sighed loudly and ran a hand through his hair. If life wasn’t complicated enough, it had just become much more so. If he was still a praying man, he might be dropping to his knees about now. But no, he wasn’t bowing to anyone or anything. His father had taught him that much.

  “Ryan, please… I know this has come as a shock…”

  “No, I suspected you’d be going. I just didn’t think it would be this soon.”

  “But look on the bright side,” she said happily. “I’ll be back.”

  Chapter Twenty-two

  “I bet the store closes early on Sunday,” Brianna speculated. “Do you think we have time to stop by?”

  “Sure. If we leave right now, we should make it.”

  The two hurriedly closed up the house and headed out front. They were about to climb into Holly’s car when Ryan pulled up behind them. He dropped out of his truck and offered a wave and a self-conscious smile as he approached. “Hi,” he said awkwardly. “Looks like I’ve caught you as you’re about to leave.”

  “We’re going to the western wear store in town,” Brianna volunteered. “I’m getting a pair of cowboy boots.” She winced. “Well, provided they don’t cost too much.”

  Holly struggled to hide her frustration with Brianna. The girl was far too forthcoming with information. She blanked her face, but resolved to have a conversation with her sister later about matters of privacy.

  Ryan checked his watch. “Not much time till the store closes up,” he mused, but perked up. “Why don’t I drive you? If we leave right now, we should have a half hour or so to shop.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Holly said.

  “Actually, I’d like to. I was wondering if I could take you both to dinner after?”

  Brianna’s eyes widened eagerly. “Really?”

  He nodded and directed his attention to Holly. “Absolutely. There’s something you and I need to talk about.”

  “Well … okay,” she said. “That sounds … fine.”

  As he helped her into his truck, and Brianna after, she couldn’t help but wonder why Ryan had asked them to dinner. He said he had something to discuss with them. What could that possibly be?

  On the drive to town, Holly found herself pressed close to Ryan. As he shifted the truck into reverse, and then drive, she felt the warmth of his arm against her leg. She felt a shiver travel up her thigh and felt embarrassment that an innocent touch could elicit such a response from her. Had
it been so long since she’d been near a man that her body was compelled to respond?

  No, there was more to the story. She knew full well that she felt something for Ryan—though she couldn’t discern exactly what that was. She was attracted to him, of course. With his dark good looks, who wouldn’t be? But there was more to the man—any man—than his looks. Ryan seemed like a terrific guy, but there was some undercurrent of concern—something amiss she couldn’t quite understand or identify. Sometimes, he looked at her with anguished eyes, which made her heart tug, and made her feel as if something worrisome was looming…

  “I like your truck, Ryan,” Brianna said, interrupting Holly’s thoughts. She was glad for the distraction.

  “Thanks,” he said, with a quick smile in her direction. “We country boys like our trucks.”

  “Someday I’m going to buy a big Ford and paint it pink,” Brianna said with a chuckle.

  Ryan laughed. “Well, we’ll definitely see you coming.”

  “That’s the point,” Brianna said. “And of course, it’ll have to be big enough to pull a horse trailer.” She paused, tipping her head in thought. “It’ll have to be an extended cab too, so I’ll have room for all my dogs.”

  “I do believe you are country girl, Brianna,” Ryan observed. He angled a glance at Holly. “How ‘bout you, Holly? Are you a country girl?”

  She smiled. “I think I might be, but apparently I won’t know for certain if I’m a die-hard Washingtonian until I’ve spent a couple gray winters here and have come out the other side in one smiling piece.”

  He laughed ruefully. “Ain’t that the truth,” he said. “Heavy on the gray.”

  “Do you get much snow here?” Brianna asked.

  He shook his head. “Some years more than others, but not much as compared to the Midwest or New England. We’ll have the occasional snowstorm that’ll stick around for a few days—maybe a week or two. Mostly, we get rain.”

  Brianna gave an unconcerned shrug. “As long as I have a horse to ride, the gray weather won’t bother me.”

  “Annabelle’s going to be glad to hear…” His words trailed off. He suddenly remembered that Annabelle intended to leave the area by summer’s end. His heart twisted at the thought. Aside from Ben, she was the only constant source of support in his life. He’d lost Ben, and now it seemed, she was leaving him too.

  “Are you all right, Ryan?” Brianna asked.

  Holly too watched him with concern, having detected the shift in his manner from light-hearted to melancholy.

  He gave himself a shake and attempted to restore his upbeat mood. “Well, I learned today that my sister is leaving Washington for a year or so.”

  “When?” Brianna asked, aghast. “Why?”

  “She’s getting married,” he said. “Apparently Harrison is being stationed somewhere out east, but will be discharged in a year or so. Annabelle tells me that he’ll be deployed for a period somewhere mid-way through the year. She’s determined to go with him, but intends to return when he’s no longer in the service.”

  “So … she’s coming back to Washington?”

  “That’s what I understand,” he said with a forced smile.

  “You guys are close, huh?” Brianna observed.

  “Yes.”

  Brianna was silent for a moment. “I always wanted a brother,” she mused.

  “Hey!” Holly cried, in mock indignation. “I thought you always wanted a sister.”

  “I did,” she said, chuckling. “And I couldn’t ask for a greater big sister, but I wish we had a brother too.” She turned serious. “Maybe Holly and I can be your sisters while Annabelle is gone. We’ll help you around your place whenever you need it.”

  Ryan turned and caught Holly’s eyes. His expression was mischievous. “So I can count on you?”

  She laughed lightly. “Of course.”

  A silent communication passed between them. Brianna caught the sudden tension and glanced from one to the other, curiously. “We’re here,” she said after a beat, spotting the western wear store just ahead.

  “That we are,” Ryan said, as he steered his truck along the curb and parked in front of the store. “Let’s hurry,” he urged. “I know the manager, and he closes up on the dot.”

  He followed the women inside. A cheerful salesgirl asked if she could help them and Brianna asked for directions to the women’s cowboy boots. “Right over there,” she said.

  Brianna hurried across the store to the boots. The selection was large and varied. Uncertain which boot to choose, she glanced at Holly. “I don’t know where to begin,” she admitted. “There are so many to choose from.”

  Fortunately, Ryan stepped in and began instructing her on the benefits of each boot. Finally, they decided on a mid-priced brand, known for durability. Holly was proud of Brianna, since she herself had actually been drawn to a pink pair with lovely floral stitching. Ryan caught her admiring the expensive boots.

  “Do you like them?” he asked.

  Her face infused with warmth and she knew her cheeks had gone red. “I do,” she said with a wince. “But I doubt these are made for general outdoor wear.”

  “You should get them,” he urged. “That’s actually a good boot and it’ll hold up well, despite the frilly adornments.”

  “Ah, I don’t need them. Besides, I have a good pair of rain boots that will serve my purposes.”

  “Your purposes?”

  “Gardening, general lawn maintenance, checking the mail in the rain, etcetera.”

  “Etcetera,” he repeated with a laugh. “Hey, if you’re going to be a surrogate for Annabelle, along with Brianna, you’re going to need cowboy boots.”

  “I’m not a cowgirl,” she whispered, almost apologetically. “I just don’t think I’d be much good on a horse farm.”

  Ryan reached for her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. He followed by reaching for the boots. “You should get them. Really.”

  She gingerly took them from him and put them back on the shelf. “Maybe I’ll get them later. I tend not to make impromptu purchases if I can help it.”

  He realized she couldn’t afford the boots. She wasn’t in a position to splurge on what would be a big-ticket item considering her personal finances. He felt horrible for pushing her to get them.

  He met her gaze and shuffled awkwardly, wishing he hadn’t been so insensitive. He was relieved when the salesgirl joined them. “Have you decided on a pair of boots?” she asked, directing her attention to Brianna.

  “Yes. Thank you.”

  Brianna followed her toward the registers. Holly fell into step behind her, and Ryan brought up the rear. He was still kicking himself for his stupidity as the clerk rang up the boots. “One hundred eighty-nine dollars,” she said.

  Holly was about to pass the girl cash, when Ryan quickly passed her his credit card. “I’ve got it,” he said.

  “Thank you!” Brianna cried, and turned to Holly, mouth agape with surprise.

  Holly shook her head vehemently. “Ryan, that’s very thoughtful of you, but no. I can’t allow you to…”

  “Look. Brianna needs the boots because she’s helping out at my place. They’re an essential part of her uniform, so to speak. It’s only fair Annabelle and I…”

  Holly continued shaking her head. “It’s not necessary. Besides, Brianna will probably wear them most places since…”

  “I’m a bona fide cowgirl,” she cut in with a grin.

  “I’m buying them,” he said in a tone that defied argument. “Please,” he added, smiling winningly in Holly’s direction. “Let me do this.”

  Holly felt helpless to resist, particularly since the clerk had already run his credit card through the machine and passed him the receipt, which he promptly signed.

  “I’ll pay you back,” she said with a sigh, and pulled out a small notebook.

  “What are you doing?” he asked with interest.

  “Writing down that I owe you for the boots,” she said. “I don’t want to
forget.”

  “You don’t owe me for the boots,” he insisted, as he took her elbow and led her out of the store.

  “Thank you so much, Ryan,” Brianna said eagerly, as she practically bounced to the truck. “I can’t wait to wear them.” She grinned. “I’m going to put them on right now.”

  “You’re going to want to break them in slowly,” he told her. “Be sure to wear a thick pair of socks until they fit comfortably. You don’t want blisters on your feet.”

  Inside the truck, Holly felt numb. She felt wholly uncomfortable accepting an expensive gift from a veritable stranger. The gift was for Brianna, but still… The teenager was her responsibility and as such, it was her job to provide for her.

  Ryan sensed her discomfiture. “Holly, please don’t worry about the boots. Honestly, she needs them in order to help out with my horses,” he said, emphasizing the ‘my.’

  Holly was about to respond, when she was suddenly thrust against Ryan’s side. Brianna, beside her, had shifted in the seat. She’d contorted her upper body in order to lift her leg to pull on the first boot. When she began tugging on the second, her elbow diced into Holly’s side, causing her to gasp with pain.

  “Oh, sorry, sorry,” Brianna said contritely, as she continued struggling to tug on the boot.

  Still pressed against Ryan, Holly lifted her eyes and found him staring into her face. His eyes lingered and once again, she reddened. He offered a reassuring smile as he waited patiently for Brianna to put her boots on.

  Finally, she declared cheerfully, “Done,” and lifted her feet, planting them on the dash in front of her. She continued admiring her boots.

  “Brianna, get your feet down,” Holly insisted.

  “Oh, sorry,” she said, giggling. “My feet just look so good!” She settled into her seat once again, which enabled Holly to move to her right and thereby give Ryan more room.

  He shifted comfortably into the driver’s seat and started up the truck. “I hope you girls like Chinese food,” he said. “I’ve been craving it.”