Dale held the back door open for everyone.
“And,” Catherine continued without skipping a beat, “I’ve already done handwritten invitations to the donor list you gave me.”
“Donor list?” Hannah must’ve missed something.
“Yes. It was Grace’s idea. We’re going to turn the games into a fundraising luncheon. A big barbecue with prizes and lots of fun. What better way to give people everywhere a chance to see what we can do up close and personal.”
Hannah stared at the flyers that Catherine spread across the table. One by one the rest of the Farradays circled around the table, passing the flyers around, oohing and aahing. Within a few minutes all were gabbing excitedly. They were really going to pull this off.
Catherine looked to Dale. “I do hope you’ll be able to stay with us?”
His face washed with surprise. “Well, I can certainly help the rest of this week.”
“If we’re going to have more students involved besides Melody and Clark, we’re going to need a few volunteers.” Catherine looked to Aunt Eileen. “And I was thinking the Ladies Afternoon Social Club might be a good place to start.”
Aunt Eileen rubbed her hands together. “Oh, I think that will be so much fun. And I bet the sisters would have fun helping too. They might have to take turns, but I bet they’d love it.”
From the corner of her eye, Hannah caught DJ staring pointedly at Dale. All their hard work hiding Dale at the ranch would be shot to hell if half the town volunteered. Wasn’t this a fun little predicament?
CHAPTER TWENTY
“Is it my turn to shuffle?” Ruth Ann looked left then right. “Who just dealt?”
“I did.” Meg tossed her cards to Dorothy. “Aunt Eileen deals and Dorothy shuffles. You’re next.”
“Got it.”
“Woman,” Dorothy chuckled, “you’d think you hadn’t played cards in a year instead of a week.”
“Hey,” Ruth Ann shrugged, “with every new gray hair I lose a few brain cells. Besides, it’s been ages since we’ve gone from Saturday to Saturday without a weekday card game. Doesn’t take long to get out of practice.”
“Ha,” Eileen barked, “that’ll be the day.”
This time when Ruth Ann shrugged, there was an impish twinkle in her eye. The woman never could bluff.
“Whoa,” Nora whistled softly. “Did someone win the lottery in town and not tell us?”
All heads turned to watch the white Lincoln Continental park. By the time the woman appeared from the backseat, every eye in the place was on her.
“As if the car hadn’t been a giveaway, but that woman is most definitely not from any place close to around here.” Sally May tracked the woman’s every move.
“Jeez,” Nora whispered, “that’s a Prada handbag.”
“Probably real,” Meg volunteered.
Eileen looked at the contemporary black purse. “You sure?”
“It’s impossible to tell without looking inside, but my guess is anyone who can afford either side of 75k for a car and rides in the backseat, doesn’t need to be buying knock offs from Ebay.”
The woman in question came to her feet, removed a jacket, and handed it to the driver. A few words were exchanged and then she glided over the walkway to the front door.
“Definitely a real handbag,” Meg agreed.
Sally May squinted at the woman’s back as she walked away. “How can you tell from here?”
“Because she’s wearing a St. John’s suit.”
Ruth Ann set her cards down and crossed her arms. “Someone want to tell me in plain English what all this talk means?”
“It means,” Sally May turned to her friend, “that woman’s outfit costs more than a prize bull.”
Ruth Ann let out a whistle an octave louder than Nora had.
“Wonder what the heck she’s doing here?” Eileen couldn’t imagine this lady was a tourist interested in visiting local ghost towns.
“Do you think it has anything to do with Joanna’s book?” Dorothy asked.
Eileen shook her head. “She’s in Dallas finalizing the wedding of the century. Surely anyone she works with would know that.”
“Besides,” Meg chimed in, “from what Joanna says, her editor sounds like a nice average woman about our age. This lady looks like she’s the winner of a Jackie Onassis lookalike contest.”
The moment the bell over the restaurant door jingled, Eileen and the rest of the Ladies Afternoon Social Club scrambled to spread their cards, toss chips, and look like they hadn’t been staring at the stranger. Eileen and Meg were the only two facing the door. When Meg kicked her, she peeked over the edge of her cards in time to see Abbie the café owner talking to the newcomer and pointing to the back. The only table in the back with people at it was theirs.
“She’s coming this way,” Nora mumbled through clenched teeth and a phony smile.
“Excuse me,” the soft voice nothing like what Eileen expected said. “Which of you nice ladies would be Margaret Farraday?”
“That would be me.” Meg stood.
“Oh good. I stopped at your establishment and the note said you could be found here.”
“Yes. Are you looking for a room?”
The woman smiled as if there was a private joke between them. “You could say that. I have a reservation.”
“Reservation?” Meg pushed away from the table and pulled out her phone. “I’m terribly sorry, I don’t remember any…” She circled the table to stand beside her guest. “What is your name?”
“Marie Stewart.”
Meg’s head shot up. “Oh, dear. I have you down as coming in for the Capaill horse show and games in two weeks.”
A deep frown drew the woman’s brows together as she too pulled out her phone and began tapping away. “Excuse me a moment.” Taking two steps from the table and turning her back, she spoke into her phone. “Audrey, what’s on your calendar for today? … Uh huh… I see… And in two weeks? Okay, you’d better call Herb and Nancy and tell them I won’t be making it to dinner this evening. Send them a little something for my apologies.”
Meg looked to her aunt, and Eileen realized immediately what her concerns were. If this lady was here for the equine games, she had to be one of the donors, and the stables were woefully unprepared for a show.
****
“Excellent, Melody. Very well.” Hannah had to admit the girl’s huge grins at the smallest accomplishment were enough to make anyone’s day. “That’s it for today.”
Melody’s mom stood on the other side of the arena gate, smiling proudly at her daughter. “She is doing so well with you.”
“Thank you. That’s nice to hear.” Pushing the latch on the gate, Hannah held it open for Dale to lead Melody back to the mounting blocks. “She’s so very excited about the horse show too.”
“Yes, she is. I can’t thank you enough for putting all this together.”
“My pleasure.” And it truly was.
Melody came hurrying down the wooden ramp. “Patience is a good horse, Mama.”
“Yes, she is.”
“Miss Catherine has your snack for you at the tables inside.” Hannah pointed to the lounge area by the offices. The other day at one of Melody’s lessons, Catherine noticed Melody looking at the granola bar on Catherine’s desk and now post-lesson treats were the norm for all students if they wanted. Melody wanted.
“I’ll take care of Patience.” Dale smiled down at her.
The last few days working together with the horses and the new students had been an incredible high for Hannah, but having Dale around was simply icing on the cake. The guy had a great sense of humor, and even though he seemed to need to keep secrets, especially about his recent past, she’d loved all his stories growing up with a military strict dad and a card-carrying hippy mom. Some were a little heart wrenching, but most were just plain funny, like the time when he was about three and got away from his mom, running up the aisle calling “Daddy” in the middle of a formal promoti
on ceremony.
“We’ve got time till Clark gets here.” She scratched behind the horse’s ear. “I’ll help.”
Her reward was another bright smile and a chirping phone. “Hello.” Hannah put the call on speaker.
“We’ve got to move fast,” Aunt Eileen said on the other end of the line.
Hannah stopped in her tracks. “What?”
“Listen. This lady, Marie Stewart, was on her way to the ranch—”
“What?” Hannah spun around and scanned the stables.
“I said listen. She got her dates confused. We figured from the way this lady is dressed she’s got to be one of those donors y’all are courting.”
That was an understatement. Hannah hurried to catch up with Dale and Patience.
“So, I’ve put in some phone calls. Meg is buying us some time by taking Marie back to the B&B for mid-morning tea and scones.”
Hannah set the phone on the rail and reached for a brush. “Scones?”
“Biscuits. Whatever!” Aunt Eileen’s frustration rang loud and clear. “Will you stop interrupting?”
“Sorry.” She rolled her eyes skyward, wishing her aunt would skip a chapter or two and get to the epilogue.
Dale stopped picking out the horse’s hoof and straightening beside her, placed a sweet kiss on her cheek, then whispered, “Sorry. You’re hard to resist when you make those cute faces.”
Holding back a big grin, she brushed the horse’s rump and tried to focus on her aunt’s call.
“Are you there?” Aunt Eileen asked.
“Yes, sorry. You were saying.”
“The ladies club is on their way to the stables. Frank is doing a few miracle briskets and Abbie will bring them over later with his mustard potato salad. Toni is packing up all the cake balls she has—the ones with booze—to hand out. People don’t hold their checkbook closed so tightly when they’ve had a nip or two.”
Ever since the incident with Toni’s late husband, the idea of the boozed cake balls tended to rattle the Farraday brothers. Hannah hadn’t made up her mind yet. But from the sounds of it, she was about to get her chance to decide for herself.
“I’ve put out the word we need to work fast. My next call is to Catherine. I don’t know how many of your students we can get here on short notice—”
“For what?”
“I’m getting there.” She could almost hear her aunt tapping her foot. “We’re going to put on that horse show. Y’all are going to set up as best as possible. I’ve told Finn and Connor to bring the bleachers we use for the ranchathon. Folks are chipping in more food, and the sisters closed the store and are bringing out decorations.”
“Aunt Eileen, slow down.”
“There’s no time!” Her aunt huffed loud enough to be heard in East Jerusalem. “We can do this. Have Dale help with the bleachers. Catherine will take care of the phone calls. The Brady boys and a couple of the Rankin kids and Stacey will fill in for bodies where we’re short participants.”
If any other person in the world had told her this plan, Hannah would have given them a psychiatric evaluation, but from her aunt Eileen, Hannah’s mind was already rolling forward. “I’ll ask Melody to stay. I bet she’ll love the chance, and Clark is coming in an hour or so. I bet he’ll do it.”
“See!” Aunt Eileen’s enthusiasm was contagious. “We’re going to wow this woman’s socks off and then she’ll be throwing money at us.”
That or torpedo the entire business plan in an afternoon.
Dale slipped the pick into a nearby bucket and hovered beside Hannah. She was finding it harder and harder to think when he stood this close to her.
“That’s it,” Aunt Eileen said, her voice more calm. “You get chopping. Love you, little girl.”
“Love you too.” Hannah reached for the phone and placed it in her pocket.
“It sounds like we’ve got our work cut out for us.” Dale didn’t touch her and yet the fire in his eyes had her warming from the inside out.
She bobbed her head. “I’ll finish up here. You’d better go help Uncle Sean and Finn. We’ve got a little less than an hour before you’ll have to make yourself scarce.”
Pressing his lips tightly together, Dale’s thoughts were almost too easy to read. He didn’t like having to hide out. She still didn’t know what from, but she’d learned enough about him to know it had to be something considerably more serious than a few outstanding parking tickets.
“It’s okay. Go,” she said.
Dale hesitated a moment before nodding and trotting out the main door.
What Hannah didn’t know was how easy would it be to say go when she knew he wouldn’t be coming back?
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The whole idea was insane and yet damned if the Farradays didn’t seem to be pulling it off. The portable bleachers were loaded on a flatbed in no time at all.
“How’s the leg?” Finn asked.
Dale actually glanced down. He’d forgotten all about it. As a matter of fact, after a week on the ranch, he’d forgotten that not so very long ago he was in a hospital bed in the ICU fighting for his life. “Right as rain.”
Both Connor and Finn flashed a thumbs up.
“Let’s get moving with this. We can use the extra manpower unloading but people should be crawling around here like ants pretty soon.”
Sooner than any of them had thought. The truck pulled up to the rear side of the arena and there already had to be ten or fifteen women inside scurrying around like, well, a colony of ants. The good thing was that everyone seemed so focused on their jobs that no one noticed an extra man in jeans and boots. Of course, the hat probably helped shield his face.
Keeping his head down, they managed to unload the truck in a fraction of the time it had taken to load.
“Yoo hoo.” A short and stout blonde with a hairdo as high as it was wide and a grin the size of her face, waving and calling at them, ran across the arena as quickly as her little legs could carry her.
Dale figured he’d draw more attention to himself if he ran for the hills, so instead he spun about, grabbed hold of the tool box and crouching, tightened the lugs and bolts on the first set of bleachers.
“We’ve got some banners and we need a couple of you strong handsome type to climb up on the ladder.” The woman sucked in a few deep breaths between words.
“Of course, Sister.” Sean gestured to his sons. “Why don’t you two help Sister and we’ll finish off over here.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Sister,” another female voice called out.
“Yes, Sissy?”
Sissy? Dale had to turn and take a peek.
A tall slender redhead, cupping her hands around her mouth, yelled from halfway across the arena. “Ask them if they have a stapler. I forgot ours.”
“Okie dokie, Sissy.”
Tools in hand, Dale buried his head under the bleachers. Sister and Sissy. He wasn’t at all sure if he wanted to know more about that or not. For the next hour he ducked out of doors, took the long route around buildings to help gather supplies, and did his best to remain helpful but unseen. When DJ’s pregnant sister-in-law put her fingers to her lips and blew a whistle that could have alerted the Dallas PD and announced. “incoming fifteen minutes,” Dale knew it was time to make himself seriously scarce. “I’ll be in the stables now if anyone needs me.”
“Thanks, man.” Finn slapped him on the shoulder. “One of us will be in to help shortly.”
“No problem. I can start pulling the saddles and other tack.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Dale paused a moment to look around at the arena. The place looked like a poster for Americana gone wild. It looked fantastic. “Amazing,” he muttered.
“Yeah,” Finn smiled and nodded. “You should see the town in a real crisis.”
“I can only imagine.”
“They’re here,” sounded from in the distance and bodies started running every which way. A couple of teens came walking past
him leading horses already saddled and ready to ride. Turning the other way Dale spotted the trailer in the back. He’d been so engrossed in watching the town come together, he never noticed the horse trailers pulling up and the teens working as hard as the adults to help out.
It wasn’t just the Farradays who were material for a mid-century sitcom. The whole bloody town could have been characters in one of those barnyard musical movies. What Dale didn’t get was, if this was how DJ grew up, why the heck had the man bothered at all with a major metropolitan police force. Any fool could see he belonged here.
A few more car doors slammed and Dale took another second to look up. White Lincoln. That had to be the money bags that had everyone throwing this little charity shindig together at the last minute. He couldn’t see the woman’s face, but he recognized money fifty yards out and this woman reeked of it.
Bypassing the incoming crowd, Dale slipped out the side door to go the long way into the stables. “Let the show begin.”
****
“Marie.” Mrs. Hampton threw her arms around her friend. “So good to see you.”
Chuckling, the potential donor hugged her friend then stepped back, shaking her head. “I can’t believe I got the dates crisscrossed.”
“Well, at least you’re going to see Clark in action and some of the work these folks can do.”
“Yes,” Marie Stewart nodded. “I know Hannah here is great.” The woman glanced around the arena then up at the rafters and cocking her head, back toward the pastures. “And it looks like she found a place worthy of her talents.”
Linked elbow to elbow, the two women marched off chatting and laughing to the VIP seating area.
“She’s really very nice.” Meg leaned in closer.
“Oh, yeah. You should see her with children. She must sit on the board of every children’s and woman’s charity in North Texas. She’s always chairing some committee or other, or hosting a gala or auction. I see her name in the papers all the time. Great lady.” Hannah had been a little nervous the very first time she’d met Mrs. Stewart. Her reputation proceeded her and with Hannah being one hundred percent country girl and this lady obviously big city society, she had been more than nervous. But from the first how do you, Mrs. Stewart had made her feel totally at ease.
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