Her Cowboy Inheritance

by Danica Favorite

  Once again, she sent a quick prayer to the God she wasn’t sure cared about her, and hoped that somehow He would see fit to answer her prayers that she wasn’t making a mistake.

  “All right. You’ve got a deal.” She kept her voice firm, hoping she didn’t sound as doubtful as she felt.

  Harold smiled. “You won’t regret it. I know that this is going to be the start of a wonderful life for you and your family.”

  He stuck out his hand, but then his cell phone rang, and he looked down at it. “Excuse me.”

  As he answered the call, he stepped away. From the expression on his face, she could tell that it wasn’t good news. She waited for him to finish the call, and then he returned to her. “My mother has taken a turn for the worse. I’m going to drive to Denver and get on the next flight. As soon as I’m able, I’ll be in touch with paperwork and transfer information.”

  Before Leah could answer, he turned and walked down the street to a truck. Whatever was wrong with his mother, she hoped she’d be all right. She sent another prayer for the woman, hoping she hadn’t already asked God for too much. She didn’t know what to pray for, but she hoped that He would know what to do.

  Before she could head back to her car, Shane approached. “Hi, Leah. I saw you talking to Harold. I take it you told him you weren’t going to be buying his cattle.”

  Just the person she didn’t want to see. Not only was she going to have to tell him she agreed to buy the cows, but she was dreading having to discuss what had happened at his house. She’d thought that Dylan was beyond his tantrums and games. Because of an incident at a previous school, he learned that if he claimed an adult hurt him, the attention for his wrongdoing was gone, and the adult got in trouble. At least temporarily.

  She’d hoped that by reassuring Shane that she wasn’t going to call the authorities on him, he would understand and everything would be all right.

  Instead, he kept calling and leaving messages for her. And she didn’t want to talk to him. Not about that. Especially if it meant confessing how bad their lives had been leading up to Jason’s death and during the aftermath. People didn’t understand the shame, and everyone wanted to blame her for not doing enough, not being enough, and for allowing it to happen.

  For now, she’d choose the easier of the two conversations.

  “Actually, I’ve accepted his offer,” she said.

  Still a difficult conversation, but at least this one wasn’t as painful and personal as the other one.

  “You did what?” He shook his head. “I don’t think you understand what you’re getting into. The cost of testing, putting down sick cattle, feeding cattle you may have to eventually put down and not being able to sell them. I know you’re eager to get started, but you have no idea what a mistake you’re making.”

  Arguments she already had made with herself. “He said it was only one cow. It was months ago. The likelihood of it being his whole herd is slim. And he offered me a better price. This is the best opportunity I have for starting my ranch, and I’m going to take it.”

  Maybe Shane didn’t understand what it was like to be so desperate. At least if they got the cattle, she could take care of them, and then, when they were allowed to sell them, they would have an income to show for it. She could contribute to the family in a meaningful way. No one in this small town was hiring, and those who were weren’t interested in someone who couldn’t give them much time.

  “It will be worth the risk,” she said. “I’ve been reading up on cow diseases, and we can handle it. Besides, the price for the cows is ridiculously low, well beneath market price.”

  “And so it should be,” Shane said. “Anyone buying those cows is taking a huge risk. I know you aren’t from around here, and you have no ranching experience. But please, Leah, reconsider. Don’t buy those cows.”

  Tears stung the backs of her eyes. He didn’t get it. He didn’t understand the importance of the situation.

  “I have to do something. My sisters both have jobs. But what is there for me, with children to raise? I have to bring in income for the family. I know it’s not instant money, but at least it will be something in the future.”

  The gentle look he gave her was almost too much to bear. “I can understand that. But this isn’t a guaranteed long-term plan. Ranching at its best is a risk, but this is insanity.”

  He acted like she was a child who didn’t know her own mind. But if this endeavor was successful, the profit margin wouldn’t just keep the family afloat, but would give her the much-needed funds for Dylan to go back to therapy. He’d been making progress with his last therapist, but with finances what they were, she couldn’t keep paying for it. And after what had happened at Shane’s house, her son obviously needed more.

  “I know you’re trying to help,” she said, letting out an audible sigh. “I don’t think you understand how desperate I am.”

  He shook his head slowly. “I understand more than you think. But what will you do when your plan fails?”

  She refused to consider that option. She would find a way to make this work. She had to.

  “Maybe, if you weren’t so discouraging about my plans, I could find a way.”

  He stared at her for a moment, looking her up and down. “Are you serious about wanting to be a rancher?”

  “Isn’t that what I’ve been trying to tell you?”

  “You’d be amazed at how many people move out here, thinking it would be fun to have a ranch, and then realize they’re not up for the work. I’d like to propose another solution. Wait to get the cows. Come work for me. I’ll teach you what you need to know. At least give it the summer. In the fall, you can buy a herd of your own.”

  It sounded good. Maybe she had been too hasty in judging him. If he helped her, she could learn what she needed to do with her herd. Even if these other cows turned out to be diseased, the loss wouldn’t be as devastating with income from a job to fall back on.

  “What would the hours be? My biggest problem is finding childcare for the boys. None of the jobs around here pay enough for me to be able to afford day care, and both my sisters are working now.”

  Shane looked thoughtful for a moment. “Most ranchers work with their children running around. It’s how I learned. But...”

  He hesitated, and she knew what was coming next.

  “We need to get the behavior under control. What happened the other day at my house—”

  “I told you, I’m not calling the authorities. There’s no need.”

  Shane made a noise. “That’s the problem. You say you’re not going to tell the authorities. About what? You didn’t even hear me out. I can’t stand accused of wrongdoing when I don’t even get to defend myself.”

  It hadn’t occurred to her that he would think that she thought him guilty. She’d been so busy trying to defuse the situation with Dylan that she hadn’t considered how Shane was interpreting her words.

  “I’m sorry. It was my way of telling you that I wasn’t agreeing with Dylan’s accusations, without riling him up further. Things got bad...” She hesitated. How much was safe to share with him?

  Leah took a deep breath. “Things were bad with my late husband, and I didn’t realize how it had affected Dylan until it was too late. He’s got some behavior issues that we’re working on, but it’s not always easy in an unfamiliar place.”

  Though Shane gave her an encouraging smile, there wasn’t anything for her to smile about, not standing in the middle of the street along the tiny line of buildings that made up downtown Columbine Springs.

  “I’m trying not to judge you. But you make it hard when you close yourself off. If we’re working together and you’re bringing the boys, you’ve got to level with me.”

  Level with me. An easy enough request, but she’d been burned before.

  Shane gestured at the café. “Why don’t I buy you a cup of c
offee and we can talk about it? Or, if you want more privacy...” He looked around.

  She gave him a half-hearted smile. “I wonder if Della has any bear claws left.”

  Shane grinned. “There’s only one way to find out.”

  They walked over to the café, and once they were seated with their coffees and pastries, Shane looked at her. “Your comments about the authorities make me think there’s something terribly wrong. I want to understand. Not just for our working relationship, but because you’re part of this community. You shouldn’t live in fear of the situation with your son. But if people don’t understand, they will call in the authorities. I want to help you. Helen would want me to help you.”

  Leah took a deep breath as she picked at her pastry. She’d hoped that the sweetness would make the conversation easier, but it only made her feel nauseated.

  “Their father was a drug addict. For a long time, I didn’t realize it, because it started out as a painkiller addiction. He’d been injured in a skiing accident and had legitimate pain. However, over time, it turned into an addiction, which made him use worse drugs to get the same relief.”

  Looking back, she wished she’d understood the signs of drug addiction. People wondered why she didn’t trust others. Maybe it was because of all the times the man she thought she could trust looked her in the eyes and lied.

  She took a sip of her coffee. “He ended up losing his job because of his addiction, so I worked while he watched the kids. However, being a father was too much for him. Especially with his need for the drugs. When Dylan misbehaved, he would physically harm him. I didn’t know. He would explain away Dylan’s injuries as being normal kid stuff. I had no reason to doubt my husband, and Dylan always agreed with his father’s story.”

  Even now as she opened up to Shane, she tried to think back to anything that would have clued her in sooner. How could she have protected the boys better?

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “That must have been difficult for you. What did you do?”

  The sympathy on his face made her want to trust him. But how many times had she fallen for that same look from others? She looked Shane directly in the eye. “The first time, I believed him when he said he accidentally took too much. But something about it didn’t feel right, so I was more watchful. By the time I figured out my husband had a problem, I was pregnant with Ryan, doing the best I could to take care of Dylan, hold down a job and deal with my husband’s drug addiction.”

  “Why didn’t you leave him?”

  Leah sighed. It was so easy for people to judge her situation and her marriage and make it as simple as that.

  “Where would we have gone? Even though it sounds like everything was horrible, he tried to get clean. Things were only bad when he relapsed. I always thought that if I tried harder, worked harder and did more, he would beat it. Before the drugs, he was a good man. He helped put Erin and Nicole through college. He was there for us when no one else was. I couldn’t abandon him.”

  Remembering the good times made her feel disloyal for speaking against him. Yes, he had had his faults, but to completely paint him a monster wasn’t an accurate depiction. At his best, he was a great father. At his worst...

  “I struggle with how much I trusted him. Especially with the boys. I never imagined that their father would have hurt them. Once I found out, he was never alone with the boys. But the damage had been done.”

  The look on Shane’s face made her feel even worse. No matter how many times she’d been assured she’d done the best she could under the circumstances, people on the outside couldn’t understand how hard she’d tried to keep it together for the kids and how much therapy her family had been through.

  But even what she’d told him seemed like too much.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “That’s a lot to dump on you. Too much to explain, except to say that I spent years trying to do the right thing by my family. Unfortunately, because of the circumstances with his father, Dylan learned some inappropriate behaviors. We were in counseling when we lived in Denver, but the program lost its funding, and I couldn’t afford to pay for it on my own. Having income wouldn’t just help me pay my way with my sisters, but it would give me the ability to put Dylan back in counseling.”

  Shane looked thoughtful, like he was trying to understand but couldn’t quite figure out what to make of her troubled little boy.

  “I know it’s tempting to want a shortcut,” he said slowly. “But you need to understand, if you buy those cows and something goes wrong, any rancher would have a hard time climbing out of it.”

  Once again, they were back to this. She supposed she could understand his desire to want to keep her from being hurt. But is this what he would advise a fellow rancher? Someone with years of experience?

  He leaned forward. “I appreciate you wanting to pull your own weight. I meant what I said earlier about helping you. If you’re as fast a learner as you say you are, you’ll have what you need by fall.”

  She only half listened as he outlined the job, responsibilities and payment. She could do any work. It wasn’t that she was afraid of hard work or that she didn’t want to do a particular job. He named his wage and it was a fair one, and that was all that mattered.

  “I accept,” she said. “I’m eager to learn about ranching. I know I won’t find a better deal, and the terms you’re offering sound fair.”

  He looked relieved as he sat back against the chair, like maybe she was doing him a bigger favor than she’d thought. Maybe she’d underestimated him as a man. Once again, she couldn’t help thinking that she’d put him in a box that he didn’t belong in.

  When they’d finished their coffee, Shane had Leah follow him back to his ranch so he could show her around. At least she was starting to show signs of having trust. He wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, and he was trying to give her time to come around. But every time he thought she was opening up, the guarded expression returned to her face, and something changed between them. How long would this détente last?

  He’d like to do more to help her, but he was like every other rancher in town. Money was tight, and they were all doing the best they could with what they had. In a way, that’s what Leah was doing. When they pulled up to his barn, he got out of the truck and went to open Leah’s door. But by the time he got there, she was already stepping out of her car.

  “Why are you people so eager to rush to open other people’s doors?”

  He sighed. She really didn’t understand the life out here.

  “Because it’s what we do,” he said. He could see the confusion on her face, and he wasn’t sure how to make her feel better. He’d hoped that in her time here, she would have started to learn that people were here to help each other.

  “The reason we’re here on this earth is to look out for each other. I can understand why you’d be afraid. It sounds like you’ve been hurt a lot. But I’m here to help you. Helen loved you. Every time I talked to her, all I heard was how much she loved you and your sisters. You three were everything to her. Helen was like family to me. How can I not help you?”

  She still looked suspicious of him. “I understand that you think you’re doing it for Helen. But why is everyone else so nice to us? What do they have to gain?”

  He thought about her questions for a moment, wondering how she could have gotten so hurt in life that she would make so many assumptions about him. About the world. She might be going to their church, but she clearly didn’t know God.

  “Didn’t you understand the sermon on Sunday? Pastor Jeff talked about loving our neighbors. You’re our neighbor. Of course we would love you.”

  “I’ve been to enough churches to know that loving your neighbor is just an excuse for prying into their business.”

  The familiar defensive stance returned to her body, like she was once again readying for a fight. “One of my church neighbors reported
us to social services. Yes, Dylan had a huge bruise on his face. But that one was legitimately gained by his own stupidity. He’d been at the playground with some other kids and was running and didn’t notice that he’d gotten too close to the swings. Another kid hit him, and bam! Giant bruise on the face.”

  He couldn’t help smiling at her motion as she recreated the scene. Knowing kids, he could definitely see it happening. Only Leah wasn’t smiling.

  “Our lives were turned upside down for months. The irony of it was that it was during one of Jason’s sober periods, so when they investigated, they found nothing wrong.”

  The pain in her voice was evident. He wished he could do something to make her feel better. But she wasn’t through.

  “The stress of the investigation made Jason relapse for the final time. We hadn’t done anything wrong, but it led to a lot of bad things. One of them was that Dylan learned that threatening to call child services was often enough to get him what he wanted.”

  She shook her head slowly. He couldn’t imagine how hard that must have been.

  “The church people were fast enough to call the authorities, but not one of them were there when I tried getting help for my husband. Or when he died.”

  Ouch. He couldn’t explain their behavior, but he hated that they had left such a sour taste in her mouth. Hopefully, being here would help her see the church in a new light.

  “Not all Christians are like that. I’m sorry you had a bad experience. You’ll find that the friendship and helpfulness you’re receiving in this community is genuine.”

  She lifted her chin with a challenging stare. “So even Harold has my best interests in mind?”

  She had to bring that up, didn’t she? “I don’t think Harold is trying to hurt you. I’m sure he believes that everything will be all right with his cattle. He doesn’t have much experience as a rancher. He hired a ranch manager who took care of all that for him. But his ranch manager moved on, leaving Harold to take care of things himself. That’s when I noticed things starting to go downhill with his operation. If it were a more experienced rancher taking on his herd, I wouldn’t be as concerned. Most of us understand the essentials of biosecurity and how to keep our herd safe.”