by Leann Harris
“Putting out fires and lifting tractors wasn’t something I imagined doing when I came to spend a little time with Joel and Gramps.” His grin punctuated his words.
“Does that mean you’re going to desert us?” She tried to force as much lightness as she could into the words, but they sounded desperate to her ears.
His expression lost all humor. “No. I promised you I’d help, and I keep my promises.”
Instantly, she knew this man had been let down by someone he trusted and would not break his word.
“Have you changed your mind about working as the pick-up rider?”
“No. But I could recommend someone.”
“I’ll take you up on that offer.” She paused, wanting to find the right words. “Thank you for not saying anything to Joel and Gramps about what happened out there in the storm.” She swallowed. “That lightning strike was so much like... I heard the boom and felt that pressure and sizzle and suddenly...”
“You don’t have to explain.”
Kaye closed her eyes and nodded, shamed by her weakness. And she wasn’t ready to talk to anyone about her memories.
Razor butted her shoulder, throwing her off balance. Caleb caught her. She looked up into his face, and for an instant there was that connection again. Their moment was spoiled when Razor butted her once more. The horse’s persistence made her smile. “Is he always so contrary?”
“I warned you about him.”
She picked up the curry brush, walked into the stall and began brushing him.
Caleb laughed. “You, my friend,” he addressed Razor, “know how to manipulate folks.”
“No, he’s not a manipulator. Razor is honest in what he wants, unlike my ex-husband.” The words were out of her mouth before she thought about them. Her loose lips shocked her. Well, she certainly was airing all her dirty laundry today, wasn’t she?
Caleb continued to stroke Razor’s nose. “You’re right. Razor’s honest in what he wants and doesn’t choose to hurt others to satisfy his own needs.”
Ah, he’d been hurt, too.
Kaye continued to brush the horse but refused to look at him again, knowing that they’d both said too much.
After several minutes of silence, she looked up. Caleb was nowhere to be seen. She didn’t know how to feel. How was she going to face him tomorrow?
* * *
By the time she walked into the kitchen at eight in the morning, Caleb and Joel were long gone. Someone had taken down the old coffeepot that her grandmother used, plugged it in and there was coffee. She’d spent the night fighting different nightmares. Finally, around four o’clock, she started praying and the last thing she remembered was singing “Amazing Grace” in her mind.
“’Bout time you hauled yourself outta bed,” Gramps mumbled as he walked into the kitchen. “You army folks get up this late?”
“Good morning to you, too.” She brushed a kiss across his purplish cheek. “I’m glad you found Grandma’s coffeepot.”
His eyes took on a faraway look. “I remember the first time she made coffee in that pot. Your ma was only a teenager.” He shook off the sad feeling. “Your brother and Caleb made coffee and peanut-butter sandwiches and left.”
The blown toaster sitting beside the coffeepot had belonged to Grandma, too. After pouring herself a cup of coffee, she sat at the table and slowly looked around the kitchen, taking in her mother’s stove and refrigerator. The blender and expensive freestanding mixer had thankfully survived since they weren’t plugged in. Mom had saved for six months to get that mixer.
Gramps put the bread and peanut butter on the table. “You might as well make yourself a sandwich.” He sat down beside her. “You okay, girl?”
Her head snapped up. “Why would you ask?”
Gramps grabbed her hand. “’Cause my face looks better than yours.”
She winced and opened her mouth to argue, but she understood what Gramps was saying. “The stove, refrigerator—they were all picked out by Mom and Grandma.”
Gramps folded his hand over hers. “They’re just things.”
“But there’s memories,” she whispered, her throat closing up.
“True, and to be sure they’re good ones, Brenda Lynn, but they are only things. We needed to replace half those things before nature took care of that. You should cherish those memories, girl, but you gotta make peace with them.”
His point hit too close to home. She slathered the peanut butter on a piece of bread and took a bite. With her mouth full, she didn’t have to respond.
Before Gramps could say more, there was a knock at the front door. She sprang to her feet, eager to leave the conversation, and saw an old schoolmate through the glass in the door. She opened the door. “Bryan?”
“Hey, Brenda. Long time, no see.”
She’d gone through all twelve years of school with Bryan Danvers. “It has been a few years. What are you doing here?”
“I’m your insurance agent.” He pointed to the embroidered shirt pocket with the name of the insurance company. “You had a lightning strike?” He looked down at his clipboard.
“We did, and all the males in this house are mourning the death of that sixty-inch TV.”
He clutched his chest. “Ouch. I can understand their grief. Why don’t you show me where this crime occurred?”
So male. “Follow me.”
* * *
Caleb rode slowly up to the stand of trees where Kaye and he’d taken shelter yesterday. A section of grass close to the river was blackened where the lightning had touched down.
Razor’s head came up.
“It’s okay.” Caleb patted his mount’s neck. “I know this place makes you nervous, but there’s nothing here now.”
He’d lain awake last night going over in his head Kaye’s limited confession. Flashbacks were normal, and that was what worried him if he got back in the arena with bucking horses—he might freeze up, leaving the cowboy hanging. He worked in tandem with another pick-up rider, but moments made the difference in saving a cowboy and him being hurt.
When the sound of another rider pierced his brain, he turned in his saddle and saw Joel riding toward him. “Any cattle down here?”
Shaking off the memories, Caleb answered, “I haven’t looked yet.”
Joel’s brow knitted into a frown. He scanned the area and saw the blackened spot down by the stream. “Is this where you and my sister took shelter?”
“No, it was in the stand of trees there.” He pointed.
Leaning on the saddle horn, Joel asked, “Did something else happen here? Sis kinda looked panicked when I asked where you two were.”
Caleb knew Kaye didn’t want her brother to know about her flashback, but Joel’s friendship meant a great deal to him. And Caleb knew if his brother had a need, he would want to know. “Let’s say that you should pray for your sister.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I know you know how to pray, and you might pray for me, too.”
Joel sat up, ready to press more questions.
“Let’s see if there are any strays down here.” Before Joel could comment, Caleb headed down to the river. If his friend questioned him too much, he just might guess what happened, and Caleb wouldn’t do that to Kaye.
* * *
Anything that was electronic in the house was fried. They documented every appliance and lamp. Thankfully, Joel’s laptop hadn’t been charging or they would’ve lost all the rodeo information, too. As Bryan took pictures of the damage, he updated Kaye on nearly all the sixty kids who’d been in their graduating class. Bryan took pictures of the porch and had Kaye sign the report.
“Can we start the cleanup of the porch?” Kaye asked, Gramps standing behind her. The charred smell brought too many memories.
> “Yes, since I’ve got everything documented here. And those cell phone pictures, you can email them to me. By Friday, I should have the check for you, so do you need anything before then?”
“You going to be delivering dinner for us?” Gramps asked.
Bryan looked like he’d run into a wall but quickly recovered. “You were always a teaser, weren’t you, Mr. Kaye?”
Gramps scowled. “I wasn’t teasing. We’ve got no way to keep anything cold, and peanut-butter sandwiches aren’t on my list—”
Kaye touched Gramps’s arm. “You should probably get another cup of coffee, Gramps. I’ll hash things out with Bryan.”
With his lips pursed in a straight line, Gramps eyed the insurance adjuster and walked away.
“Did your grandfather get those bruises when the lightning strike happened?”
“No.” She explained about the accident. “I’m sorry, Bryan, Gramps is a little off his stride.”
“I understand. If a tractor fell on me and all the appliances in my house got fried, I’d be a little out of sorts, too.” He walked to his car, opened his trunk and pulled two hundred dollars out of a cash box. “This is for immediate expenses. If you need anything else, call.”
After Bryan finished, Kaye walked around the house and made a list of what needed to be replaced. Joel called, telling Kaye fences were down and cattle scattered. They needed to round them up. Kaye took pity on him and told him they couldn’t get the insurance money until Friday, so they’d shop on Saturday after the meeting.
That night, Cheryl, Bryan’s wife, drove up to the house and delivered a pot of stew and biscuits.
Kaye hugged Cheryl, thanking her.
“That’s what neighbors are for. I’m glad to see you home.”
When they sat down for dinner, Kaye nailed Gramps with a look. “Did you thank Cheryl?”
Both Joel’s and Caleb’s eyes widened and they exchanged panicked looks.
Gramps put down his spoon. “I did. I thanked her and told her to thank her husband for the help. Sometimes I’m a cranky old man. Cheryl laughed and kissed my cheek.”
“Good for you, Gramps.”
* * *
After dinner, Joel, Caleb and Kaye worked on cleaning the porch. Gramps wanted to help, but Kaye convinced him if he sat in the kitchen chair on the porch and directed the work, it would be better.
Caleb could only marvel at Kaye’s ability to change Gramps’s mind.
“She’s good,” Caleb whispered as Joel handed Caleb a push broom.
“That’s why I wanted her to do the rodeo.” Joel looked over his shoulder as Kaye settled Gramps into the chair.
“Okay, can you see from there, Gramps?” Kaye asked.
“I can, but y’all need to get moving. Sun’s going down and we don’t have light.”
Caleb wanted to laugh. Kaye didn’t take offense. The three of them worked together. Joel got on a ladder and looked at the roof. He took a broom with him and from his perch pushed debris through the remains of the roof. Caleb picked up the large shingles and pieces of wood. Kaye swept the floor.
Caleb caught Kaye pausing, and he watched her struggle with her emotions. When she looked up, there weren’t tears in her eyes as he expected, but determination. She finished sweeping, and if he hadn’t seen her “moment” he never would’ve known how she felt. Joel and Gramps didn’t see it, but he did and somehow, some way, she touched his heart in a way he didn’t understand, leaving him confused and wary.
* * *
The whirlwind of more insurance adjusters, repairmen and visits to the local hardware store became a blessing for Kaye over the next two days because the instant she stopped, she’d see something her mother or grandmother loved and the memories assaulted her, bruising her heart. They were heartaches and feelings she wasn’t ready to deal with.
Kaye made trips to the store for ice, where she discovered their neighbor to the north, John Burkett, had also had a lightning strike. It had hit a tree, and the tree had taken out the corner of their house, but other than Burkett Ranch, every other rancher had escaped damage from the storm.
At nine o’clock Saturday morning, Joel, Gramps, Caleb and Kaye walked into the Country Kitchen Café in downtown Peaster. Nan White, Mike Johnson and Laurie Benson sat at a table in the back. The little café was one of the few buildings that hadn’t changed. The town had doubled in size. There was a big chain hardware store and a new building called Marten Orchards, which boasted the best peaches in the county. Kaye felt like an outsider in her own hometown.
Mike waved to the group. As Joel passed the waitress, he said, “Annie, we need four cups of coffee and some of those famous sticky rolls you got here.”
Those rolls Kaye remembered with great anticipation.
The waitress nodded and walked away. Someone else she didn’t know.
They scooted into the long red vinyl bench at the back of the restaurant. Sandwiched between Caleb and her brother, Kaye felt every inch of Caleb beside her. She frowned at him.
“Is something wrong?”
“No.” Feeling stupid, she admitted to herself she hadn’t been this aware of another male since the first night she went for coffee with her now-ex after their class.
Joel made the introductions. “And this is Laurie Benson. She and her husband bought the Blanchard Ranch the year after you graduated.”
Once coffee and rolls were delivered, Joel started the meeting. “My sister has volunteered to take over for me as the chairman of this rodeo. When she was in the army, she did this kind of thing all the time and was good.”
He laid it on thick, but her brother’s praise warmed Kaye’s heart.
Every eye focused on her. She especially felt Caleb’s gaze, but the vibes of the other three board members were doubtful.
Oddly enough, Nan went to bat for her. “When Kaye called me the other morning, we talked. She had some good ideas on how to organize this thing. I was getting nervous about what my job was and how we were going to get things done.”
Joel drew back as if insulted.
Nan’s spine stiffened. “Well, you haven’t done anything yet. Charm can only get you so far.”
Kaye choked on her coffee. Caleb patted her on the back.
“Sorry,” she mumbled.
“Anyway,” Nan continued. “I liked her ideas. You need to hear them.”
Kaye felt in her element, comfortable organizing an event and welcomed the chance to put her skills to work. “I’ve gone over everything and wanted to get your input. I thought we would organize things this morning, assign tasks and set out deadlines.”
The other members agreed and for the next three hours they hashed out details, chores, set dates and organized a charity rodeo, much to the satisfaction of all the board members.
* * *
Caleb stood back and watched in awe as Kaye finished negotiating the final deal on the new sixty-inch TV. When the middle-aged salesman had first approached her, his attitude had been “let’s appease the little lady.” When he’d addressed his questions about buying the matched washer/dryer set to Joel, Kaye had stepped in and corrected him. She didn’t use harsh words but firmly let the salesman know she made the final decision. The salesman had quickly changed his tune. Caleb nearly laughed out loud at the man’s expression.
“Yes, ma’am. We’ll have it out to your ranch Monday,” the man said.
“Thank you, Morgan.” She’d learned the man’s name and used it liberally.
Her skill in handling the salesman startled Caleb. She was a force unto herself, which clashed with the woman he’d held in his arms during that storm. This was no indecisive woman. No, this was a woman who meant business. As if he needed another demonstration of Kaye’s skill after the morning meeting at the café.
“She continues to
amaze me,” Joel whispered. “When we were growing up, I saw some flashes of that strong will, but I could still get my way or fool her.”
“I wouldn’t try it now.”
Joel rubbed his chin. “No, I’m still going to challenge her. That’s what big brothers do.”
“I’ll give you that. My brother may have graduated with his masters, but I’m still the oldest.”
“You understand. Still, I’m amazed by her and how she’s fought back against the odds.”
Caleb understood his friend’s feelings.
“I worried, praying that she didn’t get buried in what happened to her. Everything seemed good until you asked me to pray. You got me worried again.” He rubbed his hand behind his neck. “Growing up, I tried to protect her—” He fell silent.
Caleb knew how hard it was to see a sibling hurt. He remembered seeing his brother sporting bruises their mom’s latest boyfriend had given Sawyer while Caleb had been gone, working his shift at the feed store after school.
Joel took a deep breath. “I’m glad to have her home.” His chest puffed out. “She’s a fighter.”
Yes, the woman was a fighter, which made what had happened in the thunderstorm all that more heart wrenching.
She glanced at Caleb and smiled. He gave her a thumbs-up.
“Brenda?”
Kaye stiffened.
“Brenda Lynn Kaye.” A woman darted around several TV stands. “Is that you?” she squealed, enveloping Kaye in a big hug.
When the stranger pulled back, Kaye said, “Billye Ludwig?”
“It’s Zimmerman now. Of course, after the divorce I should go back to Ludwig.” The woman shook off her frown. “What are you doing here?” She looked Kaye up and down. “You still in the army?”
“No. I’m a civilian now.”
“When did that happen? I thought you were a lifer.”
Before Kaye could respond, a little girl about five and a boy, seven or eight, walked up to the women. Billye wrapped her arms around both kids.