Second Chance Ranch

by Jenna Hendricks

  She smiled and answered her phone. It was another ranch calling about their cattle. They had a few of their own heifers who seemed to have caught something. They were worried about the disease that was supposedly running rampart through all the ranches.

  Elizabeth knew they were going to have to issue some sort of statement to the county ranches, letting them know that the local gossip was wrong.

  She stopped walking when she hung up with Mr. Mendez.

  The Diner Divas. She knew how the gossip had spread, and how to fix it. She turned around and began to walk back to the diner to get those nosy women to fix this mess.

  After looking at cows and steer from seven different ranches this week, she and Milton knew there weren’t any other cases of shipping fever. The gossip had caused so much ruckus for nothing.

  Sure, her practice was going to make a lot of money this month from all the exams she and Milton had to conduct, but that wasn’t nearly as important as calming down the ranch owners. She would much rather have a slow month than a month of upset and worried cattle owners.

  When she walked back into the diner, the divas looked at her and smiled in unison.

  Uh-oh. They were up to something, and Elizabeth knew it had to do with her.

  Chapter 22

  “Finally! It’s about time the gossip died down, and my schedule as well.” Elizabeth sat having lunch with her twin sister almost a week after she had a nice heart to heart with the Diner Divas about the latest round of gossip and asked them to fix it.

  She knew their hearts were in the right place, but they did need something to keep them busy. The small town of Beacon Creek was just too small for a group of elderly, retired, single ladies to sit around with nothing but time on their hands.

  “Does this mean you’re going to help Logan and Leah?” Chloe had heard from Leah about Logan’s offer to join them for the Christmas prep at the store. Since then, she hadn’t stopped bugging Elizabeth about it.

  “Are you going to finally tell me about your new job?” Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. She felt it was time her sister come clean about her future. If Chloe was going to leave town, her family deserved to know about it beforehand.

  Ignoring her sister’s question, Chloe asked, “So are you going to help them out? I know how much you love Christmas and doing the reset at the store. I think it’s time you help them again.”

  “Chloe.” Elizabeth’s voice took a deep tone, and she narrowed her eyes. “I don’t want to hear about you moving out from the divas. I think I have a right to know if you accepted an offer and will be moving away. Why won’t you tell me about this?”

  It was starting to really grate on Elizabeth’s nerves. She wondered if Chloe didn’t trust her enough to tell her about the offer, but that didn’t make any sense. They had always told each other everything, and if something needed to stay quiet, then Elizabeth kept her mouth shut.

  Chloe sighed and twirled the spoon in her coffee mug. Then she picked up a few fries and dunked them in ketchup before eating them slowly.

  Elizabeth sat there waiting. If Chloe wasn’t going to tell her anything, then she wasn’t going to talk, either.

  “Fine.” Chloe’s shoulders slumped. “I did get an offer, but before I could tell you about it, they rescinded the offer.”

  “What? Why didn’t you tell me? That had to hurt. I would have been here for you. You know that, right?” Elizabeth’s hand moved across the table to take her sister’s.

  Chloe nodded. “I know, but I was just so embarrassed. I had told one person, and then that night I got the call about them reneging on their offer.” She waved her hand over her plate. “I don’t know, I guess I thought I had jinxed it by saying something to even one person. So I kept my mouth shut and waited to hear back from the other offices.”

  “Well, did you?”

  A small smile crept across Chloe’s face. “Yes, actually, I did. Just last week.”

  “And?”

  “And I accepted. I start October 1.” Chloe squeezed her sister’s hand.

  Elizabeth pulled her hand back and started to clap and squeal in her seat. “Oh, this is fantastic! Tell me about the job. Where is it? How far away will you be?”

  Elizabeth didn’t want her twin and best friend leaving town, but she knew her sister wanted to live in a larger city. She always had. Even though her sister was going to move away and they wouldn’t be able to see each other every day if they wished, she was very happy for her. It wasn’t easy leaving home or going after your dream. Chloe had done just that, and she was proud of her.

  “Shhh.” Chloe looked around the diner and slumped in her seat when she saw the Diner Divas looking at her and whispering amongst themselves. “The gossipmongers are watching.”

  “Oh, don’t pay them no mind. Everyone is going to find out anyway when you move. Actually, the moment you quit your current job everyone will know.” She waved her hand in front of her face, not the least bit worried about this gossip getting around.

  Chloe sat up straight. “Okay, I guess you’re right. It’s been a week and they haven’t rescinded their offer, so it must still be good, right?” She sounded as though she was worried about losing out on this job as well.

  “Hey, don’t worry about it. Remember, God is in control. He obviously didn’t want you to have the other job. He must have known this one was going to come through, and this is the one He wanted for you. Just remember that.”

  Chloe shook her head. “You’re right. And I should have been up front with you from the beginning.”

  “So, tell me. What’s the job and where is it?” Elizabeth hoped it was close by and would be an easy drive for a weekend trip on a regular basis. She knew her entire family would want to see Chloe as much as possible.

  Chloe cleared her throat. “You’re looking at the new administrator for the Lolo Regional Medical Clinic in Frenchtown, Montana.” She kept her voice low so as not to be overheard by anyone.

  Elizabeth guessed Chloe didn’t want her parents to hear the news secondhand before she had a chance to tell them. Something she wholeheartedly supported. Her parents would have a fit if they heard from the gossip mill and not from their own daughter that she was moving so far away.

  She leaned in and whispered back to her sister, “Congratulations. We’ll have to have a party to celebrate on Sunday after church.” She smiled and knew she really was happy for her sister. Elizabeth bit her lip, calculating about how long it would take to get to Frenchtown, and realized it wasn’t too bad. It would be about four hours each way, depending on weather.

  Since there really wasn’t much in the way of traffic in Montana, she really only had to worry about snow. However, the majority of the trip would be along the I-90, so it shouldn’t be too bad. That freeway was maintained enough during the winter to keep traffic flowing. Well, as long there wasn’t a blizzard.

  The next day, Elizabeth headed to the general store. She knew it was high time she had a long talk with Logan. If she could just find out why he left her the way he did, she might be able to move past it and be friends with him again. Everyone knew he was home to stay. And since she wasn’t going anywhere, ever, she needed to be able to see him and not have her heart ache so much.

  It wasn’t that she wanted to rekindle their flame—far from it. She needed closure. That was something she’d never gotten. Of course, it was her fault. He had tried in the first few years to apologize to her when she saw him in town during his few visits, but she always managed to avoid him, or ignore him. Now she realized that was a mistake that only hurt her more.

  She had listened to the sermon on forgiveness multiple times, and spent time in the Word and prayer. God had convinced her she needed to forgive and move on. God didn’t want us to hold grudges against anyone. In fact, His scripture commands us to mend fences before we even give our tithes and gifts—something Elizabeth hadn’t heeded all these years. She had tithed even though she still felt anger and resentment toward Logan.

 
The one thing that stood out the most for her through all her studies was a book on forgiveness. The reading was a bit dry, but the one thing that hit her the most was the concept of forgiveness being about the person who was wronged—her. The book stated that forgiving someone wasn’t about letting them off the hook, or even saying what they did was alright. It was actually an act needed for the person who was wronged to put it all behind them and move forward with healing.

  She didn’t need to tell him she forgave him—she just needed to do it in her heart. However, the book did say it was rather cathartic to tell the person you forgave them. The psychological impact it had on the forgiver was much more powerful than just forgiving someone in your heart.

  The book, combined with her Bible readings in Mark 11:25, Matthew 18:21-22 and so many more, convinced her it was time.

  And if she was honest with herself, she did want to help with the Christmas set-up at the general store. That one event always signaled the beginning of the season for her. Christmas was the best time of year; people were always so much happier and more giving. Not that she wanted to receive—just the opposite. She loved to give of her time and talents. Christmas gave her the opportunity to help others who normally wouldn’t accept help. Giving, rather than receiving, always filled her spirit with joy.

  When Elizabeth walked into the general store, her heart skipped a beat, just as it always did when she saw Logan. He really was a handsome man. Even more so now that he was all grown up. Whenever she allowed herself to remember him, it was always the teenaged version of him with a sly smile or a glint in his eyes that was only for her.

  He turned his head, and that special smile that she knew was always for her spread across his face. Even the glint had returned to his eyes. Oh boy. She knew she was in trouble.

  “Elizabeth.” Logan turned from Leah and walked toward her. “It’s good to see you. How can I help you?”

  She took a deep breath. This was going to be harder than she’d thought. “Do you have a few minutes to talk?” She bit the inside of her cheek, hoping he didn’t see how nervous she really was.

  Her voice had sounded a little bit ragged, and she knew her pulse was running ragged. If she wasn’t careful, her cheeks would heat up soon and he’d know exactly what she was feeling. He always did know what she was thinking and feeling. Once, he told her she wore her emotions on her sleeve, and in her eyes.

  At the last moment, she diverted her eyes and looked around the store. They had moved a few pieces of the large equipment out—either that or they sold it—and there were a couple empty shelves along the front where they would most likely put up the Christmas decorations.

  Once she got her breathing back in line and her pulse slowed down enough that she no longer felt queasy, she turned her gaze back to him and smiled.

  “Sure,” he said. “Let me grab my hat and let Leah know we’re going for a walk.” He turned to leave, but she put a hand to his shoulder.

  “Wait, can we go in the back and talk? I’d rather not have the entire town gossiping about us.” She raised one brow and knew that he’d get what she was saying.

  He chuckled. “Of course, come on back and we can talk in the office. I’d rather not be the topic of discussion for the divas, either.”

  Once they were in the back office, he shut the door and motioned for her to sit down before taking his seat on the other side of the desk. “What can I do for you?”

  She cleared her throat. “Well, I’ve been doing a lot of praying and thinking.” She put a finger in her collar and pulled it loose a bit. For some reason, she felt like it was choking her.

  He nodded, not wanting to interrupt her.

  She looked down at her hands in her lap. “When our sisters locked us in the storage closet, you wanted to tell me why you had left me the way you did. I wasn’t ready to hear it then, but I am now.”

  When she looked up at him, his smile had vanished, and sadness filled his eyes. Her heart began pounding so hard, all she could hear was the blood rushing through her veins.

  A heavy sigh escaped his lips and he sat back in his chair. “I’m so sorry for that day.”

  “Which one? When were locked in the room together? Or the day you broke my heart?” She winced, not intending to sound so gruff or accusatory.

  “That’s fair.” He nodded. “And I meant both. My sister never should have done that to you. I hope you know I had nothing to do with it.”

  “I know.” She knew it was her sister and Leah who had concocted the stupid plan. It was strange how she had forgiven them both so easily, but still held such animosity for Logan.

  Animosity was probably too harsh a word. But she was definitely hurt by his actions, and angered. She was still hurt by his actions and words from ten years ago, but her heart was ready to hear the truth. Finally, she wanted to get this all behind her and move forward. They had been such great friends her entire childhood. His friendship was something she’d mourned for the past ten years.

  Of course, she also missed the romantic part of their relationship and all the plans they’d both had. Those plans would never come to fruition, but maybe, just maybe they could get their friendship back. She wasn’t sure if they could ever be as close as they once were, but she wanted to try. It would probably take years for her to trust him again, but she could work on it.

  Well, at least until he married. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of him marrying someone else. She knew it would happen one day, and she didn’t want to think about it. First thing’s first, she told herself, get our friendship back on track. Let God worry about his wife.

  If she was lucky, she’d get married first.

  “But you want to know about the breakup, don’t you?” he quietly asked.

  Words couldn’t form, so she only nodded. Then tried to clear her throat.

  “Well, looking back on it now, I was a stupid kid who thought he knew everything.” He shook his head. “When I got to the university, my roommate had left a girlfriend behind.”

  She looked at him with confusion in her eyes and she wrinkled her forehead.

  “I know it sounds weird, but Tom—that’s my old roommate—he and Sheila had a similar story to ours. They were childhood friends who turned into high school sweethearts. He went away to college and she stayed back on her family farm.” He stood up and turned back to look at the wall behind his desk.

  Logan knew he was stupid. Tom and Sheila had a different relationship than he and Lizzie had. Besides, they would have been at the same college, together.

  “I’m sorry, Logan, but I’m confused. No offense, but what does your college roommate have to do with you breaking up with me?” She ran a hand over her face to move the stray hairs from her eyes.

  He stood up and began to pace along the small area behind his desk with his hands behind his back. When he stopped and looked up, he saw the confusion painted on her face and knew he was doing this all wrong, just like last time.

  “Let me start over.” He turned to face her straight on. “I saw a lot of couples break up during their first year of college. Most of them broke up because they wouldn’t let go of their past. Some of the guys I knew wanted to date other girls but didn’t want to break up with their girls back home.”

  Elizabeth interrupted. “Wait, are you saying you wanted to date other girls? Is that why you dumped me?”

  He could see the anger in her eyes and knew he was still doing it all wrong.

  “No!” He held his hands up in front of her. “Geesh, I’m messing this is all up again.” He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “I thought you might want to date others when you got to college. I didn’t want to hold you back. I had no desire at all to date anyone else.”

  “But Logan, we would have been at the same school. Our story was different than the other kids’.” She shook her head and confusion made its way back to her face. Her forehead crinkled, and her eyes narrowed.

  The way she slowly shook her head made him want to hold h
er and tell her how sorry he was for what he had done, but he knew she wouldn’t want him to touch her.

  Without even thinking about it, he walked to her side and picked up one of her hands. “I was so stupid, Lizzie. I thought I was putting your best interests first.”

  “How is breaking my heart putting me first?” She pulled her hand out of his and sat back in her chair.

  Logan leaned against the desk and licked his lips. “I also spoke to a few professors about your goals.” He stopped and winced.

  She turned her head slightly to the right and pursed her lips. But she stayed quiet, waiting to hear what he’d say next.

  He stood up straight again and moved back behind the desk. “They didn’t have a pre-vet program. Sure, there were a lot of classes you could have taken, but in the end, it wasn’t the best program for you. I knew trying to get you to go to a different school would have been pointless, but it was what was best for your career.”

  There, he’d said it. He hoped she would understand and that he hadn’t made a complete mess of things. His heart was pounding, and he could feel sweat beginning to form on his brow.

  When he rubbed his hand over his jaw, he realized he needed a shave. The stubble rubbed against the new calluses forming on his hands from the manual labor he had done lately. Back in California he never did manual labor, and his hands had lost their calluses over the years.

  Elizabeth sat there staring at him. He wondered what she was thinking and hoped she would forgive him.

  She stood up, and he thought she was going to leave. Instead she walked toward him, her eyes piercing him to core. Her hand came up and slapped him upside the head. Not so hard that it hurt, just enough to catch his attention.

  “You are so stupid, Logan Hayes!” She threw her hands in the air and walked back to the door. She put her hands on it as though she was going to open it, then turned around.