by Zoe Matthews
These thoughts and concerns continued to grow in Stella’s mind, and all of her self-doubts and own demons began to surface. When the pilot announced they were beginning their descent, she was relieved to have something else to think about.
She exited the plane, pulling her carry-on bag behind her and joined the flow of people trying to reach the exit. She’d texted the attorney her flight time, and as she waited for the shuttle to arrive that would take the passengers over to the baggage claim area and the passenger pickup area, she felt her phone start to vibrate.
She’d turned it back on before leaving the plane to check the time, and she quickly pulled it from her pocket and swiped her thumb across the screen to answer it. “Hello?”
“Stella?”
“Cade! Hey, I’m sorry I didn’t get to tell you I was leaving. Things happened in such a hurry…”
“Stop, Stella. I just wanted to call and see if you were alright.”
Stella released the tension in her shoulders and wished she’d been able to see Cade before leaving. He’d become very important to her in the few months he’d been on the ranch, and hearing his voice made her realize he might be more than just a friend.
“I’m okay. I’ll be better once I see Misty.” She’d didn’t have to explain who Misty was, as Cade knew all about her and Jenny. Cade knew a lot about Stella, and she realized she knew quite a bit about him as well.
Sheridan had hired Cade Jenson to manage the cattle side of the ranch. Spencer had originally been tasked with the job, but everyone knew how much he hated working with the cattle and getting his hands dirty. It wasn’t that he was lazy, he just didn’t enjoy being out on the back of a horse all day, rounding up wandering cows!
Stella had celebrated with him the night after Sheridan had introduced Cade to everyone by making his favorite meal and dessert. Spencer had been so relieved to be rid of the responsibility; he’d eagerly accepted the job of marketing, advertising, and billing for the ranch.
“What’s going to happen to Misty?” Cade asked.
“Misty is coming home with me to the Majestic Mountain Ranch. Jenny left everything to me, including her daughter.”
A poignant silence ensued and Stella closed her eyes, seeing the possibility of exploring more than a friendship with Cade dissolve. When he spoke next, she found herself smiling and her heart softening towards the man on the other end of the phone line.
“I think that’s a marvelous idea. You love that little girl and she knows you. I can’t think of anyone more suited to helping her recover from the loss of her mother, than someone who’s been there. You’ll be great together.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” she told him. “I’m not so sure about the coping thing. I haven’t done such a great job of it myself.”
“You’ve done fine. Take my advice and don’t worry too much about the long-term future right now. Get through the next few days and then just take each moment as it comes. Some will be good, some will be bad.” He paused and then told her, “And Stella?”
“Yes?”
“I’ll be here to give you any help or assistance I can. I mean that. Even if you just need a shoulder to cry on for a minute, I’m here for you. I’ve been trying to find a way to talk to you, but it’s been so busy around here…I just want you to know that I care for you.” Cade’s voice had become quieter as he talked.
Stella felt her heart do a little flip and couldn’t resist asking, “As a friend?”
“As a friend. Hopefully, as something more. But, I know you have a lot on your mind right now. When things settle down, I’d like to see if maybe there’s more.”
Stella’s heart skipped a beat at his words. She opened her mouth to express her feelings to him, but the shuttle train suddenly arrived and Stella knew she only had a few seconds left on the call. “Cade, I’d like that, too. I really like you and you don’t know how much it means to me that you called to check on me.”
“I couldn’t not call.”
Stella smiled. “Thank you. The shuttle is here to take me over to the passenger pickup area so I need to go. I’ll see you in a few days?”
“You can count on it,” he promised her. “Call if you need anything.”
“I will. Bye.” Stella disconnected the call and stepped onto the shuttle, feeling a warm sensation in the pit of her stomach that was comforting and helped counteract some of the dread she had over the upcoming hours. She steeled her spine and resolved to deal with whatever happened, on a case by case basis, and not to worry about next week or next month. She’d take care of today, and that would be enough. She would be enough. Jenny had entrusted her daughter to Stella, and she wasn’t going to let her down.
Chapter 5
Five days later…
“Misty, it’s time to get off the plane,” Stella whispered softly to the young girl sitting next to her on the plane.
Misty dutifully stood up and then preceded Stella down the aisle of the 747 that had just brought them from California, back to Colorado.
Stella had arrived in California the same afternoon she’d found out about Jenny’s accident, and her heart continued to break on a daily basis at the drastic change that had occurred with Misty.
The little girl had run into her arms when she’d walked into the attorney’s office, sobbing against her chest as Stella had gathered her into her arms and cried along with her. But other than sharing her tears, Misty’s words had almost completely dried up.
Stella had dealt with the legal side of things and had overseen the packing up of Jenny’s and Misty’s belongings, but as each day had progressed, Misty had grown quieter and quieter.
Stella knew the little girl had never been on an airplane before, and had hoped that the trip would cause her to find her voice. While Misty had been polite, answering questions when they were posed directly to her, she had stopped volunteering information or asking questions.
Stella reached down and took Misty’s hand. “My brother should be waiting outside for us. His name is Spencer. He’s my twin.” She watched Misty’s face as they walked through the terminal, hoping something would catch the little girl’s interest and put a smile upon her face. The deep sadness that emanated from her little body was heartbreaking.
Stella retrieved the two suitcases from the baggage carousel, and then started for the passenger pickup area. “Stick close to me, okay? There’s a lot of people out here and I don’t want to lose you.”
Misty immediately reached up and grabbed hold of Stella’s sleeve. Stella gave her an encouraging smile and then slowed her pace so the little girl could easily stay right beside her.
Stella guided Misty out to the passenger pickup, expecting to find Spencer or one of her sisters waiting for her, but instead she found Cade leaning against the bed of his red pickup truck.
“Cade! I didn’t know you were coming to pick us up,” Stella told him with a big smile of welcome. He stepped towards her and Stella wondered if he was going to hug her because he held his arms out, but at the last second he instead squatted down to greet Misty. She felt a distinct disappointment that he hadn’t followed through on a hug. She could use one right about now, especially one from him.
“Hey there, sweetheart. You must be Misty.”
Stella laid a comforting hand on Misty’s shoulder when Cade stretched out a hand to shake and the little girl shied away from him. She looked at him with an apologetic half-smile. “Sorry. She’s a little shy and it’s been a hard few days.”
Cade shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. She’s been through a lot in the last few days. How about we get you ladies loaded up and set out?”
“Okay. I thought Spencer was flying in to get us?” Stella asked after helping Misty into the back of the extended cab truck and making sure she buckled her seatbelt.
“He had a scheduled guide trip and wasn’t sure if he could get here in time, so I volunteered to come pick you up myself,” Cade explained.
“That was nice of you,”
Stella commented, wondering if there’d been another reason he’d been the one to make the drive. “So, how are things going at the ranch?”
Cade smiled at her. “Fine. The food hasn’t been quite up to your standards, but to my knowledge there haven’t been any complaints.”
Stella blushed at the hidden compliment. “I’ll have to see what I can do about that.” She turned in her seat to see Misty’s eyes closed and her body already relaxing in sleep. She was glad to see the girl relax. Misty hadn’t been able to sleep very well since she had learned of her mother’s death.
She was worried about the little girl, and said as much to Cade. “I hope she’s going to be okay.”
“What do you mean?” Cade asked, glancing in his rearview mirror at the sleeping child.
“She’s not been herself yet. She hardly smiles, and each day she talks less and less. She isn’t eating well, and has a hard time sleeping,” Stella said, trying to explain her concerns.
“She just lost her mother. I imagine that has a lot to do with it,” Cade said with sympathy.
“I’m sure that has everything to do with it. I just don’t know how to make things better for her,” Stella said softly.
Cade reached over and took her hand. “Just be you. Her mother trusted you to care for her. Trust yourself a little bit.”
Stella nodded her head at his words of advice. “I’ll try.”
“What about her father?” Cade asked, hoping Stella wasn’t going to have to fight to keep Misty with her.
“He’s been out of the picture since before Misty was born. Jenny had Misty when she was seventeen. From what she told me, the boy was a few years older than she was and adamantly denied being the one to father her child. Jenny was raised in the foster care system and didn’t have much in the way of support. She managed to finish high school, and was content to raise Misty on her own.”
“That’s awfully young to become a mother. She didn’t have any siblings or extended family she could ask for help?”
“No one. Jenny’s father was never in her life, and her mother was a drug addict. She was taken into the foster care system when she was eight and never saw her mother again.” Stella paused, and then said, “I may not have had my mother, but I always had one of my siblings around.” Not that I was all that friendly to them.
Stella knew she had been the source of many fights between her siblings. Her anger and self-inflicted guilt over her mother’s death, always seemed to impact her familial relationships during her childhood. Maybe it was time to let those feelings go?
“So, what is your plan for her?” Cade asked.
“Well, I have temporary custody of her. The attorney that is handling everything said there will be a hearing in six months’ time to finalize my guardianship of Misty.”
Cade glanced at her. “Are they afraid you might change your mind?”
“I’m not really sure why there is a waiting period. I think maybe they just want to make sure the situation is working for everyone.”
Cade nodded his head. “Are you going to enroll her in school?”
Stella looked thoughtful. “I don’t think she’s ready for that kind of pressure. She would have to ride the bus into Pinedale and it’s an hour-and-a-half to and from school. I thought maybe I’d talk with Sierra about homeschooling her, at least for this school year.”
“That might work. There’s certainly enough people around the ranch these days to help with whatever subjects you’re not comfortable with,” Cade agreed.
Stella nodded. “I guess right now I just want to see her smile again. I know she misses her mom. I miss her mom. Jenny was my best friend, and I really can’t believe she’s gone.” Tears blurred her vision and she reached up a hand to brush them aside and encountered Cade’s on a track to do the same.
“Sorry,” she muttered. She knew she would need to get her emotions under control before Misty woke up. She needed to be strong for the child.
“Don’t be. Don’t apologize for your emotions. They’re part of who you are.” Cade smiled at her and then took her hand. “How about we change the subject?”
“Okay,” Stella nodded, feeling relieved that Cade was beside her. “What shall we talk about?”
Cade winked at her. “Babies.”
Chapter 6
“Babies?!” Stella stuttered, looking at Cade with wide open eyes and shaking her head at him in shock. “Babies?!”
“Yep! Babies,” he said with a mischievous grin.
Stella looked at him and then narrowed her eyes. He was trying to hide his smirk and she knew he was messing with her. “Cade, what kind of babies are we talking about?”
Cade lost his battle with his smile and laughed softly, quieting down when the little girl asleep in the backseat stirred. “The four-legged, furry kind. What kind of babies did you think I meant?”
Stella slapped him lightly on the shoulder, shaking her head at him. “You knew exactly how I would take that statement.” She sighed and then laughed. “So how are Trixie’s babies?”
“Full of energy. I had to move them into one of the horse stalls because they kept climbing over each other and jumping out of the crate.”
Trixie was one of Cade’s prize border collies. Cade had arrived at the ranch with four of them, all trained to work with the cattle and help herd them from pasture to pasture and more. Only one of the animals was female and Cade had announced to the ranch family at large one night five weeks earlier, that Trixie had given birth to seven puppies that day.
“So, have you decided what you’re going to do with them?” Stella asked, guessing he would probably keep most of them to train.
“I’m thinking about keeping a few of them, but the others are up for sale. One of the families visiting the ranch this week has offered to purchase one of the females.”
“Did you agree to sell the puppy to them?” Stella asked.
“I did. They live up in Wyoming and are leaving later this week. The puppies aren’t quite weaned yet, so they’ve agreed to come back in a few weeks and pick her up.”
“I can’t wait to see how big they’ve grown.” Stella always had loved dogs and puppies especially.
“Aunt Stella?” a soft voice came from the back seat.
Stella turned around with a smile. “Hey sleepyhead. What’s up?”
Misty looked at Cade nervously and then whispered, “I need a bathroom.”
Stella saw Misty’s hesitant look and rushed to assure her it was okay. “You know I was just thinking the same thing. Hang tight.” Stella turned around and raised her voice a bit. “Do you think we could pull over at the next rest stop?” she asked Cade.
“Sure. There’s one coming up in about three miles,” Cade agreed.
“Great!” Stella turned around and winked at Misty over her shoulder.
Cade pulled off the highway and then turned the engine off. “I think I’ll stretch my legs a bit as well.”
Stella waited until he was out of the car before she turned around. “Ready?” When Misty nodded, Stella got out of the truck and then helped the little girl climb down as well. “Why don’t you go first? I’ll be waiting right here for you?”
She urged the little girl towards the women’s side of the roadside outhouse, but Misty dug her feet in and refused to move towards it. “What’s wrong, sweetie?”
“I don’t want to go in there by myself,” she whispered, looking down at the graveled path.
Stella felt dumb for having even suggested Misty go inside by herself. “How about I go with you. We’ll check it out together and if needed, I can stand right outside the door?”
Misty nodded her head and waited until Stella was even with her before she started walking again.
They checked out the bathroom and Stella was pleasantly surprised to find it contained three stalls, three sinks, and was very clean and tidy. “Not quite like home, but this will do.” She pointed the little girl towards one of the stalls and then washed her hands while she wait
ed for Misty to re-emerge.
Moments later, Misty came out, dutifully washed her hands and then Stella walked back with her to the truck. She didn’t say anything, not even when Stella pointed out the pair of bald eagles sitting high in the tree tops above the rest stop. “Aren’t they beautiful?”
Misty’s eyes followed Stella’s pointing arm, but her expression never changed and she immediately looked back down and kept walking. After she climbed into the truck, Stella looked up to see Cade watching her from the front of the bumper.
She joined him for a minute. “Did you see the eagles?”
Cade nodded his head. “I did, and so did she. She’s hurting right now. Don’t take her silence personally. I’m sure she’s not doing it intentionally.”
Stella nodded her head. “Let’s go home. Maybe a few days on the ranch will help her open up once again.”
Chapter 7
Three days later, and things hadn’t gotten any better where Misty was concerned. Stella had gotten into a small routine with her new charge. She’d check on her before leaving their rooms at 4:30 in the morning, and then after ensuring breakfast was ready for their guests, she would return upstairs and wake the little girl up and lay out some clean clothes for her to put on.
Sierra would stop by half an hour later and bring Misty down with the twins to eat breakfast and then take all three girls out with her for the morning activity. Sierra had a whole slew of things lined up for the guests’ children to participate in, and the children living on the ranch were always welcomed to join in.
Stella pulled the last pan of biscuits from the oven and set them to cool, wiping her hands on the apron tied around her waist and then untying it and draping it over a nearby chair. She had the gravy made and in the server, the bacon was cooked, as were the eggs and pancakes. Now all she needed were hungry guests and ranch hands to arrive.