Wes drew in a ragged breath and hitched his hands upon his narrow hips. “Yes, she is.” He told her what had transpired since his mother had come from the hospital. “Right now, she’s in her bedroom sleeping.”
“I don’t blame her,” Kam said sympathetically. “She must be so sleep-deprived from her watch over her husband.” She knew Wes never referred to Dan Sheridan as his father. Still, Kam trod lightly, not wanting to add to his pain. Sooner or later, Wes would have to deal with his father’s death, his anger against him, the years of hurt. Reaching out, she squeezed Wes’s hand and released it.
“What can I do around here?”
Wes raised the hat off his head, wiped his brow and then settled it back down. “I can use all the help you can give me. Can you cook?”
“Sure, I love to cook. What else can I do? Have you contacted the mortuary?”
“Yes, I have. But I need to talk to the cemetery.”
“I can take care of those details.”
“That would help.” Wes looked toward the barn. “We’ve got a thousand head of newborn calves that need to be vet-checked. We’ve got four hundred six-month-old Hereford calves that need branding. I’m up to my hocks in work right now. This came at a really bad time.”
Kam understood enough about cattle ranching to know some of his pressures. “Okay, I’m not so good with a lariat,” she teased with a grin, “but I can do phone calls, send out notices, cook, clean and wash.”
Wes smiled back. “That sounds great, Kam. Thank you. My mother is…well…you’ll see. Just give her space, okay? She’s not herself right now.”
“Grief has its own way with us,” Kam said, following him through the gate and down the cobblestone walk of colorful cream, red and black stones that led to the ranch-house porch.
“My mother will probably sleep until noon.”
“I’ll have lunch ready for the three of us,” Kam said briskly, opening the screen door and walking into the house. The hall was dark, unlike that at the Elkhorn. She saw a lot of dust, some spiderwebs in the corners, and the floor needing a good sweeping and mopping. Soon they were in the kitchen.
Unlike the hall, the kitchen was large and airy. Kam turned to Wes. “My home away from home.”
“I’m glad you’re here,” he told her quietly, his voice gritty. “I’ll get your luggage and take it to the third door on the left down the hall. That’s my sister’s old bedroom. You can make yourself at home in there.”
Heat coursed through Kam over the veiled intimacy in Wes’s tone. “That’s fine. Just drop my one bag in there and get me the cemetery info. You can go help your hands with the branding.” She saw the banked desire in his gray eyes and felt needy. Her mouth tingled wildly over their kiss. From his darkly tanned face to his tall, straight form, Kam wanted Wes in every way.
“Sounds good.” Wes reached out and touched Kam’s reddened cheek. “I know this isn’t the time or place, but we need to talk when this funeral is behind us.”
The trailing caress of his finger sent wild sensations across her flesh. “Yes, we need to talk.”
Nodding, Wes went into the other room and gathered up the information on the cemetery. He placed the file on the square wooden kitchen table. He was relieved not to deal with the details of his father’s death. The sooner this was over, the better.
Wes left to go help his men with the branding duties.
THREE HOURS later, Kam had lunch ready for Wes. Fresh from her nap, this mother was sitting at the table, drinking coffee. The two women had chatted amiably while Kam fixed them a lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches, three-bean salad and potato chips. Kam was just finishing up when he walked in.
“You’re up,” Wes greeted his mother at the kitchen entrance. He hung up his dusty hat on a nearby wooden peg, then went over to kiss his mother’s forehead.
“I am.” Anne smiled at her son who sat opposite her. “And I met Kam, who is a dear.”
Wes poured himself some coffee from a percolator sitting on a hot plate. “She’s all that and more,” he agreed. “Kam, this smells wonderful. Thanks for fixing lunch for us.”
Heat coursed across Kam’s cheeks. “You’re welcome.” After placing a sandwich on Anne’s plate, Kam retrieved the other two for Wes and herself. Once everyone was served, she took a breath and sat down. Right off, she noticed Wes was still sweating from his work outdoors. At noon, the temperature was plenty high and made branding dusty work, hard and hot. She saw that he’d tried to brush off most of the dust from his clothes before entering the house. Before she got too caught up in him, she handed Anne the bowl of chips. “If this isn’t enough to eat, let me know.”
“Oh, this is fine,” Wes said as he heaped the three-bean salad onto his plate. “What do you think, Mother? You okay with this lunch?”
Anne smiled but it was filled with sadness. “What a wonderful meal, Kam. Thank you so much for coming here and helping us out. I’m afraid I’m not much use right now.”
Reaching out, Kam touched Anne’s hand. “Under the circumstances, don’t be hard on yourself. I love to cook. I’m a little rusty at it, but I don’t think I’ll poison any of us.”
Anne laughed a little and picked at the food.
It was obvious the woman was too upset to eat. Wes, on the other hand, ate voraciously. The work of the cowboy was physical, and Kam knew these men built up huge appetites. Anne gave her son half her sandwich and he thanked her.
“How’s branding going?” Kam asked.
“Good. The boys know what they’re doing and that means everything,” Wes told her between bites. He finished off the salad and put another huge helping on his plate.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Anne said in a low voice to her son. “With Dan gone, there’s no one to run the ranch.”
“I can stay and help,” Wes told her. “I think the best thing to do is hire a foreman, Mother. You need someone who can run this operation while you continue to teach.”
Nodding, Anne wiped her mouth on a paper napkin and returned it to her plate. “Do you know how to go about doing that?”
“Yes, I do,” he said. “In fact, we have someone over at the Elkhorn Ranch, Braidy Adams, who is wanting to stretch his wings and get out from under Chappy. He’s more than capable of handling this ranch, Mother. Do you want to speak with him?”
Anne’s brow wrinkled. “Oh, honey, I wouldn’t know what to ask.” She gave Wes a pleading look. “Couldn’t you do that? Bring Braidy over here and see if he’s interested in managing this place?”
Wes smiled. “Not a problem. I’ll do it early next week after the funeral is over.”
Kam saw Anne’s eyes turn grief-stricken. Tears gathered and she sniffed. “Anne? Would you like to sit in the living room for a while? I could bring you some coffee or tea.”
“No, no,” the woman said, trying to smile but failing. “You two young ones sit here and finish your lunch. I’m just a little overemotional. I think I’ll go for a walk outside and see how my flowers are getting along.”
Wes stood up and pulled his mother’s chair away from the table. When Anne rose, she glanced over at Kam. “I think after I go for a short walk, I’m going to go back and lie down. I’m still very tired.”
“Of course,” Kam said. “I’ll take care of everything here so don’t worry.” Anne seemed like a ghost with deep, dark circles beneath her gray eyes. Her face had once been beautiful, no doubt, but now, it was obvious that a lifetime of stress had aged her. Kam began to understand why Wes felt the way he did. She saw the worry in his eyes.
They ate in silence for a few moments before Kam spoke up. “All the funeral arrangements are in order. Your brother and sister will be there, along with Rudd.”
Wes gave her a warm, grateful look. “I can’t do without you, Kam. You’ve taken a major load off my mother.”
“She looks so worn-down and fragile.”
“She is,” Wes growled, finishing off his sandwich. “Dan made her that way. You stu
ck around him and that’s what he did to you—bled you dry emotionally and then destroyed you.”
Kam couldn’t respond. What was there to say? Right now was not the time to delve into the wounds his father had created in him. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, meaning it.
“Pretty soon, it will be over. All I want to do is get my mother the help she needs and then go back to the Elkhorn.”
“Really?” Kam raised her head and stared at Wes. For whatever reason, she had thought he might remain in Cody and leave his job at the Elkhorn.
Shrugging, Wes said bitterly, “There’s nothing here for me. My mother now owns the ranch. I don’t want to stay here. I want my own life.”
“I see….”
Wes cleared his throat and added, “Besides, you live at the Elkhorn now.”
A feeling of warmth flowed through Kam and she clung to his narrowed gaze. “I’m glad you’re coming home,” she whispered.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“WELCOME BACK,” Rudd told Kam as she entered the ranch office. The sun slanted brightly behind her as she came through the screen door. It was Thursday and the funeral had taken place yesterday. Giving Rudd a hug, Kam smiled tiredly.
“Glad to be back.”
He released her and went around the counter to his desk. Piles of paperwork waited for him. “The funeral went well yesterday. Kinda sad that Anne’s two young ones came only to support her, not say goodbye to their father, but I do understand.” He hooked his hat on a wooden wall peg and sat down.
Leaning against the counter, Kam saw the group of dudes in the corral mounting horses for a morning ride. “I hope in time they’ll deal with their anger with their father.”
Rudd nodded. “In a situation like that, we can’t know how a person feels. The fact they didn’t cry or show any emotions tells me they’re pretty well injured by the family dynamic.”
Grimacing, Kam agreed. “Where’s Iris? I need to go take her blood pressure and see how she’s doing.”
“Out in the greenhouse as usual,” Rudd said, turning on the computer at the desk.
Kam took advantage of the quiet moment. Usually, someone was coming or going from the office. She leaned her elbows on the counter. “Rudd, would you be offended if I started taking my dinner out with Wes in the dining hall?” Wes was going to give Braidy Adams a chance to be foreman for a month to see if he was a good fit. That allowed Wes to return to the Elkhorn Ranch.
Brows arching, Rudd glanced up. The corners of his mouth hitched slightly upward. “Wes will be back in about an hour. I’m glad he’s coming here. So,” he murmured, giving Kam a intent look, “you and this young man have some kind of feelings for one another?”
“Yes, we do,” Kam hesitantly admitted. She peered down the hall toward the main family area. The suite doors were open sometimes and she didn’t want to be caught talking about this matter within earshot of Allison or her children. “I don’t want to cause trouble by not being at dinner at night but—”
“That’s good news. Wes is a fine man, a hard worker. Why not invite Wes to our family dinner, then?”
“Rudd, things are tense enough at dinner right now with me at the table with your family.”
“Our family, Kam. And yes, I’m aware my wife and my son and daughter aren’t exactly pleasant, but I think with time, that will dissolve. I’ve talked with Allison several times about it. She’s promised to try and be more civil.”
Kam appreciated Rudd’s efforts but knew Allison ran all over him. It was Rudd’s nature to try and please his wife and although he was a good manager with people, he was a pushover with her. “I don’t want to add fuel to the fire, Rudd. Thanks for offering to let Wes join us, but for now, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Rudd shrugged. “I don’t disagree. And I do understand. Go eat with Wes over at the dining hall. I’ll miss you.” He smiled fondly at her.
“I’ll miss you, too, but I get to see you all day long everywhere else,” she said, relieved.
“Iris won’t be happy about this.”
“I know,” Kam said, frustrated. “I’ll go talk to her about it.”
“She’ll deal with it. She’s a tough ol’ buzzard.” Rudd chuckled.
“No question. I’ll get started on my daily activities unless you have something else you want me to do.”
“Nope,” Rudd said. “As soon as Judy relieves me here at the desk, I’m out with a group of my hands working on that riding trail over in the Twin Hills area.”
Kam was familiar with the Twin Hills, basically two large mounds of earth rising up out of the green pastures. The trail between them had been partially washed out by recent thunderstorms and needed repair. Rudd and his men had been working to widen it, fill in the deep trenches where the horses had plodded over it for years. It would make riding smoother and more of an enjoyment for dudes. A number of horses had stumbled on the weathered trail, and Rudd didn’t want any accidents. This type of work, she discovered, went on constantly at the ranch.
Lifting her hand, she said, “I’ll see you at lunch.” She would still spend two times a day at the family dinner table. Luckily, Allison didn’t always come to the 8:30 a.m. breakfast and Zach never showed up for it. Regan did come fairly often, but she simply gave Kam the silent treatment, which was fine with her.
As she went to the screen door, Rudd called, “I’ll let Wes know that you’re joining him at dinner.”
Kam grinned back at her father. “Thank you, Rudd. I’m glad you understand.”
Rudd winked. “He’s a fine young man.”
“Thanks, I think so, too.” Kam’s heart lifted as she skipped down the wooden steps. The sun was peeking over the mountains in the east and shining brightly. The morning was a clear, clean blue and the Wyoming sky seemed to go on forever.
Wes had asked her to eat with him at night. During the day they were so busy at the ranch, they wouldn’t get to see much of one another. This way, he told her, they’d have a sit-down dinner during which to chat about the day together. Kam thought it was a wonderful idea. As she walked toward the greenhouse, Kam’s steps were light. She felt as if she were floating on air.
“Well, there you are!” Iris crowed with a smile as Kam entered the greenhouse. “I sure missed you! How are you?”
Kam saw Iris was sitting at her baker’s table with several flowers floating in transparent custard dishes. These were new flowers that had just bloomed and she was making fresh mother tincture for the coming year. There would be many orders for them. Taking a green apron, Kam pulled it over her head and tied the sash around her waist. “I’m fine. A little tired from all the tension over at Anne’s ranch.”
“It’s hard but rewarding work,” Iris said. She wiped her hands on her own green apron, worn today over pink slacks. “That was a nice funeral for Dan. Too bad his kids were so grim-looking. But I can understand their feelings toward their father. I’m just happy they were there for their mother.”
Sitting down at the end of the baker’s table, Kam pulled out her stethoscope and blood-pressure cuff from the metal locker against the wall. She rolled up Iris’s left sleeve.
“Dan Sheridan was a messed-up person, Iris. Wes told me his brother and sister just couldn’t deal with him or what he’d done to them over the years. At least they came to be with Anne.” Kam wrapped the cuff around Iris’s arm and listed for the heartbeats. She was pleased and removed the cuff. “You’re normal.”
Iris grinned and pulled down her sleeve. “Of course.”
“You’ll live to be over a hundred,” Kam teased.
“With you around, I know I will.” Iris pushed some silver strands away from her face and frowned. “About the Sheridan children. Parents can either make or break you. Those kids have a lot of hurt to work through over time. Wes is hurting.”
“Yes, he is,” Kam agreed, her heart breaking over the whole situation. She relayed how she and Wes would be sharing the dining hall instead of the family table. A sly smile crept onto I
ris’s lips
“Why that smile?” Kam asked with a laugh.
“Oh,” Iris said, mixing fruit brandy with some of the mother essence. “From the moment I saw Wes give you that look, I knew.”
Kam flushed. “What look?”
Iris wrote the name of the flower, along with its Latin name on a white label and stuck it on the bottle. “A look a man gives a woman that he’s falling in love with.” She looked straight at Kam. “That look.”
“Oh…” Kam was at a loss for words.
“Well, you do have feelings for him, don’t you?” Iris demanded archly.
“I guess I do…”
“Why so hesitant? You haven’t talked about any past relationships. As you’re my granddaughter, I need to know all.” She reached over and patted Kam’s cheek.
It was so easy to talk with Iris, though Kam was still adjusting to having a grandmother. She was truly blessed.
“I just—well—the men I met as a stringer photographer kicking around the world, I wouldn’t give you two cents for. I wanted a man like…my adopted father, Morgan Trayhern. Someone who was steady, loyal, loved his family, worked hard and tried to do the right thing.” She shrugged. “No one is perfect. That I know. But Morgan brought integrity to the way he leads his life. That’s the kind of man I wanted to marry.”
“Rudd’s that kind of gent, as well,” Iris said, twisting the black plastic lid onto the amber bottle and setting it aside. “He’s of strong moral fiber, knows right from wrong and, like Morgan, tries to do the right thing. He doesn’t always, but who among us does?” Her eyes twinkled. “That’s what makes us painfully and wonderfully human—the mistakes we all make all the time.” She reached for another custard dish and placed a funnel over an eight-ounce amber bottle. Picking up a clean square of muslin, she poked it down inside the funnel. “Rudd and Morgan sound an awful lot alike.”
“They are,” Kam said eagerly. “And I hope that soon my adoptive parents will come out here to meet you and Rudd. That would be a dream come true. I really think you’d like them.”
“I’m sure I would. Look at you.” Iris carefully poured the mother essence from the custard dish into the funnel and muslin. “Wes is from that same cut of cloth. But I don’t have to tell you that.” She slid Kam an arch look that said it all.
Shadows from the Past Page 19