Cade Coulter's Return

by Lois Faye Dyer

  “Asa.” Cade stood, taking Asa’s gnarled hand in his. Despite his age, Asa’s grip was firm and strong. “Ben, Wayne.” He shook their hands, as well. “It’s good to see you.”

  “Where the hell have you been, boy?” Asa demanded. “I was starting to wonder if you’d been killed.”

  “Nah,” Cade said with a grin. “I’m too mean to die.”

  Ben snorted. “You’ve been saying that since you were five years old and broke your arm when you fell off the barn roof. I still don’t believe it.”

  “I heard you joined the Marines and went overseas, Cade. Is that where the attorney found you?” Wayne’s shrewd blue gaze scanned Cade’s features.

  “I was in the Marine Corps and spent a lot of time overseas during the last ten years,” Cade confirmed. “But I’ve been a civilian for a while and was working in Mexico when I got the letter from Ned Anderson.” He gestured at the bench opposite him. “Can I buy you all a cup of coffee?”

  “Sure.” Asa slid onto the seat with Wayne while Ben pulled up a chair from a nearby table.

  “Hey, Mariah.” Ben caught her attention as she turned from the young couple. “Can we have our coffee over here?”

  “Sure.” She gave him an affectionate smile.

  Cade couldn’t help but register the difference between the warmth in her voice as she answered Ben and the polite but reserved tone she’d used earlier with him. He didn’t like it. And even acknowledging that he cared one way or the other was unusual enough to make him uncomfortable. He’d had good-looking women working for him in the past and he’d never cared whether or not they liked him.

  “How are things out at the Triple C?” Wayne asked.

  “I haven’t had a chance to check things out in any detail,” Cade told him. “I’ve only been here since yesterday—but my first impression is that it needs a lot of work.”

  “I’m not surprised.” Wayne nodded sagely. “We haven’t been out there in years. Your dad pretty much turned into a hermit when you boys left. About a week after you were gone, he ran us off with a shotgun when we tried to check on him. We hated doing it but we stayed away since then.” Wayne’s face turned somber. “Then we heard he stopped drinking over the last years and we drove out to the ranch but couldn’t get past the porch. He never asked us inside the house.”

  “Yeah,” Ben agreed, shaking his head. “He wasn’t the same Joseph we’d known for so long.”

  “He changed after Mom died,” Cade said noncommittally. “I’m surprised to hear he stopped drinking.”

  “Too damn bad he didn’t stop hitting the bottle before you boys left,” Asa said bluntly. “Maybe you wouldn’t have gone.”

  Cade shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “What are your brothers doing?” Asa asked, his voice curious.

  “I’m not sure what they’re up to right now,” Cade said. “I haven’t talked to any of them for several months.”

  “They travelin’ around, are they?” Ben asked, his dark eyes curious.

  “None of us have spent a lot of time in one place since we left Indian Springs,” Cade confirmed. “Zach works out of an office in San Francisco but he’s rarely there so we stay in touch by cell phone.”

  “What about Brodie and Eli?” Wayne queried.

  “Brodie’s always moved around, following the rodeo circuit. Last I heard from Eli, he was in Santa Fe.”

  “Are they on their way home to Montana?” Asa asked.

  “Not as far as I know.”

  “You mean you don’t know where they are now?” Wayne put in, surprise coloring his cigarette-gravelly voice.

  “Nope.” Cade rarely talked about his brothers but the curiosity on the three weathered faces, coupled with their obvious expectation that he’d fill them in and their longtime friendship with his mother, compelled him into speech. “No one’s answering their cell phones. I’ve left messages asking them to call as soon as they can but so far, no replies.”

  “Well, I’ll be damned.” Asa shook his head. “Never heard of a family that couldn’t get in touch when something happened to one of them.”

  Mariah, clearing a recently vacated table only a few feet away, glanced up in time to see the slow smile that curved Cade’s mouth and spread to his eyes. Amusement turned his stern face from handsome to irresistible. Her breath caught.

  “Hell, Asa,” Cade drawled. “Our mother was Melanie Coulter. What made you think any of us would do what normal families do?”

  Asa laughed, a deep chuckle of amusement. “You’re right, boy. Melanie would be rolling her eyes and laughing at me if she were here.”

  Mariah tarried at the nearby table as long as she could, fascinated by the interaction between Cade and the three old cowboys. The four clearly shared a history, and just as clearly, a deep affection ran between them, strong and sure despite their long separation.

  Reluctantly, she finished clearing the table and moved on to the next, disappointed that she could no longer hear the conversation between the four. A burst of laughter came from the booth and she glanced over her shoulder. The four lounged easily in their seats, laughing as Asa waved his hands in emphasis as he talked.

  Ten minutes later, she neared the booth once more to set a hot plate holding a cheeseburger and french fries on the table in front of Cade.

  “More coffee?” she asked all four men, receiving nods of confirmation.

  “What time do you finish here today?” Cade asked as she poured coffee into his nearly empty mug.

  She glanced at her watch. “Sally needs me to stay till one-thirty.” She steeled herself for the slam of attraction that hit her each time her eyes met his and looked back at him. Faint lines radiated from the corners of his eyes, paler against the tanned skin and testimony to long hours spent outside, squinting against the sun’s rays. His lips were relaxed, slightly curved in a half smile as if still amused at Asa. Mariah couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be kissed by Cade. A faint shiver at the thought shook her, making her realize she hadn’t really answered his earlier question. “I should be home by two o’clock. Will that work for you?”

  He nodded. “I’ll either be at the house or down at the machine shop with Pete.”

  “I suppose he’s working on the hay baler—he mentioned it last night before dinner.”

  “Yes—that and the backhoe. He said it needs brakes.”

  “Are you helping him repair it?” she asked, curious.

  “I’m a fair mechanic,” he said, answering what he guessed was her unvoiced question. “If you knew Joseph well, you know he could take an engine apart and put it back together blindfolded. He insisted all of his sons do the same.”

  A small, affectionate smile curved her mouth. “I knew Joseph was an amazing mechanic, but I hadn’t heard his sons were, as well. That’s sure to come in handy.”

  “If the equipment is as run-down as what I’ve seen so far of the rest of the Triple C, I’m sure it will,” he said drily.

  Her smile faded. “Yes, well…Joseph was ill for some time. None of us could keep up with all the maintenance the Triple C needs.”

  “I doubt even Joseph expected a crew of three to stay up with all the work necessary to keep the place in order,” he told her.

  “Perhaps not,” she agreed, the coolness returning to her voice.

  “Mariah—order up,” someone called.

  “I have to go—I’ll be ready to go over the books with you at two.” She turned, moving quickly.

  Cade’s gaze followed her as she skirted the tables to collect a tray of food from the pass-through window into the kitchen, located behind the counter.

  “She’s a good woman, Cade. She took care of Joseph when he fell sick. Pete and J.T. helped, but Mariah’s the one the hospice nurse worked with.” Asa’s voice was quiet, but Cade caught the warning edge.

  “Yeah?” Cade’s gaze noted the solemn, confirming nods from Ben and Wayne. “How long did she know him?” He was curious and although he was skeptical o
f all things connected to Joseph Coulter, he trusted these three men to be truthful.

  “About four years, give or take,” Ben said. “Summer-time, I think it was. She was driving through the county, got sick and passed out, ran her car into the ditch on the highway just past the Triple C arch. Pete found her and took her to the main house. After she was better, she got a job at the café and she’s been here ever since.”

  “Living out at the Triple C?” Cade found it hard to believe his father had let her stay on the ranch when Asa had said earlier that Joseph had avoided them and nearly become a hermit.

  “Not at first,” Asa told him. “She had an apartment here in town, over on Elm Street. But the building burned down a year later and that’s when Joseph offered her housing out at the ranch.”

  “I see.” Cade didn’t see, not really, but he let it slide.

  The burger was the best he’d had since returning to the States from Mexico. Cade demolished it with remarkable speed while listening as the three old cowboys related the highlights of events in Indian Springs over the last thirteen years. They lingered over coffee until Cade glanced at his watch and realized it was growing late.

  “Much as I hate to, I’d better get going,” he said.

  Asa nodded. “It’s gonna take a while to get a handle on the situation at the Triple C,” he said with surety. “Let us know if we can do anything. In fact…” his face brightened. “Maybe we’ll just head out your way for a visit later this week.”

  “Sounds good. I look forward to it.” Cade shook hands all around and left the booth, pausing at the register just inside the door to the street.

  The older blonde he’d seen behind the counter earlier was manning the register. The blue-and-white letters on the name tag clipped to her shirt pocket spelled out her name—Sally.

  “You’re Joseph Coulter’s son, aren’t you.”

  It wasn’t a question. Cade guessed the news of his return had been passed along the gossip grapevine at the speed of light. More than likely, most of the residents of Indian Springs knew he’d returned.

  “I am,” he said calmly, handing her the café check and a twenty dollar bill. “Did you know Joseph?” The question was purely to distract her from asking any personal questions.

  “Oh, yes. He came in for lunch at least once a week, sometimes more often.” She rang up his bill and counted out change. “Not that I can say I knew him well—he was pretty quiet, kept to himself, you know.” She leaned a bit closer over the glass-topped counter. “Except for Mariah. Those two were as close as father and daughter. I don’t know what he would have done without her when he got sick.” She dropped the change due in his hand. “I hope you and your brothers will look out for her, just like your dad did. She doesn’t have any other family, you know. In fact, I suspect that’s why she and Joseph were so close.”

  “I appreciate her kindness to our family, ma’am. And I’m sure my brothers and I will return it in kind.” He touched the brim of his hat in farewell, shoving the cash into his jeans pocket as he left the café.

  He hadn’t lied, he thought. Not exactly. If the woman interpreted his reply to mean he planned to indulge Mariah Jones, so what? It seemed clear Mariah was well-liked and firmly entrenched in the Indian Springs community. He wasn’t convinced the beautiful blonde didn’t have an ulterior motive in cultivating Joseph’s friendship, but clearly the situation merited further investigation.

  The prospect of “investigating” Mariah was too damned appealing, he thought. He needed to focus on the Triple C and its problems—not on Mariah Jones.

  Chapter Four

  Mariah watched surreptitiously as Sally rang up Cade’s tab before he left the café, the door closing firmly behind his tall, broad-shouldered form. A moment later, he strode past the large plate glass windows and then disappeared from sight.

  She realized she’d been holding her breath, staring after him, and quickly turned back to stuffing napkins into a dispenser.

  She had to stop being fascinated by Cade Coulter. He clearly suspected she’d somehow tricked Joseph into leaving her the cabin.

  The man thinks you’re unethical and a liar, she told herself sternly. How are you going to convince him he’s wrong? There’s zero possibility he’s going to change his mind.

  Which meant she would never know what it felt like to kiss him. Disappointment, unwelcome and unwanted, followed the thought and Mariah frowned, cramming napkins into an empty dispenser with unnecessary force.

  Not for the first time, she wished Joseph was still here—then he could deal with his son.

  She wondered what the other three Coulter brothers were like. If they were all as unyielding as Cade, she wasn’t sure she was ready to deal with four of them coming home.

  She finished her shift early and returned home in time for a quick shower, pulling on jeans and a warm sweater before heading back outside. It was just before two o’clock when she walked from her house to the main buildings. Cade’s big truck was parked outside the machine shop and she angled toward it, going through the smaller door to reach the interior.

  The tap of hammer on metal rang in the building, the deep murmur of male voices reaching her as she stepped inside, the space redolent with the smell of machine oil. A fire roared in the squat black stove in one corner and Mariah unzipped her coat. Pete and Cade were in their shirtsleeves, hands black with grease as they worked on the hay baler. Tools and metal parts lay scattered on the counter behind them.

  “Hello,” she called as she walked toward them.

  “Hey, Mariah,” Pete responded as both men looked up and saw her. “When did you get home?”

  “Not long ago.” She gestured at the equipment they worked on. “How’s it going?”

  “We’re done,” Cade said, wiping his hands on a towel already black with grease. “It’ll take me a few minutes to put tools away and scrub. Why don’t you go on up to the house and I’ll be there as soon as I’m finished.”

  “All right.” Mariah retraced her steps, pausing in the doorway to look back. “It’s your turn to cook tonight, Pete—can I swap turns with you? I need to be off tomorrow.”

  “Sure,” the older man responded with alacrity. “Got a hot date tomorrow night?”

  “Of course.” She laughed at the surprise that flashed across his features. “With my book club,” she explained with a grin. “It’s our monthly dinner meeting.” She waggled her fingers at him and went outside.

  She’d been inside the main ranch house dozens, if not hundreds, of times over the last four years but as she stepped over the threshold, she realized that this time was different.

  Frowning, she glanced around but saw no obvious changes. There was no visible evidence of Cade’s presence, not even the magazines on the coffee table seemed disturbed. Nevertheless, she thought, something was different.

  The faint aroma of coffee grew stronger as she reached the office. Dropping her coat on the scarred leather sofa, she took a seat in one of the chairs facing the desk.

  The living room had been void of signs of Cade’s presence, but the office was filled with him. The current year’s ledger that she’d left carefully centered on the desktop now topped a stack of similar hardback account books on one side. A sleek, silver laptop computer was in its place, a small pile of what looked like legal documents lying beside it. A coffee mug rested on the other side of the computer, together with a folded newspaper.

  She breathed deeply, drawing in the scents in the room.

  This is what’s different, she realized abruptly. The subtle scent of Cade’s aftershave, mingled with the aroma of brewed coffee, tantalized her senses. Cade’s presence had chased away the mustiness of a house too long without an occupant. Before Cade’s arrival, the house had gradually taken on the chemical smells of medical supplies, prescriptions and disinfectants used during Joseph’s illness.

  But in one short day, the house had lost its air of waiting and seemed to reflect the energy and leashed power of its new o
ccupant.

  Mariah was stunned. If Cade Coulter had this much impact on an inanimate building, what kind of effect would he have on the rest of the Triple C, especially the humans?

  Before she could wonder longer, the front door opened and closed, followed by the sound of boots moving down the hallway.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting,” Cade said as he entered the office. “That took longer than I thought it would.”

  “Another problem with the hay baler?” she asked, managing to keep her voice calm. If the empty office had felt subtly charged by Cade’s energy, his actual presence seemed to shrink the space. Each breath she drew pulled in the faint scent of subtle male aftershave and a slight hint of fresh cold air that seemed to cling to him.

  “Just a small one but we fixed it. Pete’s moved on to replacing the brakes on the backhoe.” He tossed his coat on the end of the sofa next to hers before rounding the desk. He shifted the laptop to one side and settled into the heavy swivel chair. “I have a few questions about some of the entries,” he began, taking the top ledger from the stack and flipping it open.

  Mariah sat forward, leaning her forearms on the edge of the desk in order to see the page.

  “Everything seems fairly clear,” he commented. “But I want to verify a few things. There haven’t been any withdrawals from the ranch’s checking account since Dad died, is that right?”

  Mariah nodded. “No one had the authority to write checks on the account.”

  “But the debit sheet shows the bills have continued to be paid over the last few months.” He leaned back in his chair, his gaze narrowed over her. “How were you paying them?”

  She was prepared for the blunt question. “I used my salary and tips from my job at the café.”

  He stared at her for a long moment, his green eyes inscrutable. “Did you tell the estate attorney you were doing this? Did he okay it?”

  “I talked to Ned Anderson. He was aware of the immediate cash flow problem we had,” Mariah said. “But he told me that he didn’t have the power to promise repayment from the estate.”