A Cowboy for Christmas (15 page)

“Don’t even think about that now. I’m here.”

“Yes, you are, and there’s so much I have to tell you—so much you have to learn if you’re going to take over running things around here.”

“You want me to take over the ranch?” She was shocked.

“Penny—”

She looked up at him in confusion and saw his deadly serious expression.

“When I die, the Lazy Ace will be yours.”

“Mine . . .” Thinking of him dying brought tears to her eyes.

“Yes.”

“Maybe your doctor is wrong. Maybe, you’ll get better again.”

“Penny.” He spoke more sternly, wanting her to fully understand that he’d accepted what fate had dealt him. “I know the doc’s right. I also know I don’t have a lot of time left, and there’s a lot I have to tell you.”

“Why don’t you just sell the ranch and come back to St. Louis with me? Maybe there’s a doctor in the city who could help you there.”

“I’ve worked too long and too hard to build this ranch into what it is today. The Lazy Ace is
not for sale, so don’t you even think about selling. You’re going to take over running this ranch, and you’re going to do me proud.”

The fierce power of the flare of his emotions suddenly drained away, and what little strength he’d had was gone. Jack knew he had to get upstairs and lie down.

“We’ll talk more later.”

“Papa, are you all right?” Penny was confused.

“No, darling.” He paused and looked straight at her. “I’m dying.”

His words struck her like a physical blow, and she blanched under his regard.

Wearily, he got up and stood looking down at her for a moment. The look in his eyes said it all as he turned and left the room.

She got up and almost went after him, but remembering the look he’d just given her, she stayed where she was. Despite the illness that was draining his life from him, deep within him, her father was still the same commanding, proud man he’d been all those years ago.

Penny went to stare out the window, thinking of how quickly her whole life had changed all those years ago. In her mind’s eye, she remembered her mother’s surprising insistence that they leave on that certain day and how she’d cried when her mother had forced her into the stagecoach in town as they’d started the trip back to St. Louis. Her mother had told her she would let her come back to visit, but it had never happened.
Everything her mother had said to her had been lies—all lies.

Penny searched deep within her heart for the spirit of the young girl who’d so loved the ranch and life there, but right then she felt only emptiness and confusion inside her.

She needed someone to talk to.

Someone who would listen.

Penny left the parlor and went upstairs to softly knock on her chaperone’s door.

Dwylah looked at Penny with open sympathy as they sat in Dwylah’s bedroom talking. Having just heard what her father had told her, she could well imagine how distraught the girl was. “You have to decide what you want to do.”

“I don’t know anymore.” Penny lifted her troubled gaze to her friend. “I thought I would come here for a visit to see my father and then probably go back to the city. I never thought Papa would want me to stay and take over the ranch. This is all so confusing. I don’t know that I could go back to live with my aunt after what she did with the letters.”

“Your aunt Matilda was only carrying out your mother’s wishes,” Dwylah told her.

“But she had to know it was wrong. Why else would she have had so much trouble being honest with me when Dan confronted her?”

“Penny, I know that hurt you deeply, but truly, it doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is figuring out who you are and what you want.”

“That’s the trouble—everything’s so complicated. I don’t know who I am.”

“There’s no rush. You’ve got time. Stay here with your father and help him. That’s the most
important thing for right now. You can make your decision about running the ranch when the time comes.”

“It will be good to get to know the ranch again,” Penny said.

“Make the most of this time with your father. Get to know him again, and get to know yourself again, too. I think you may be surprised by what you discover.”

Dwylah’s words of wisdom touched Penny deeply. “Will you stay here with me for a while?”

“I’ll be here as long as you need me.”

Impulsively, Penny hugged her, appreciating her insight and wisdom. “Thank you.”

Penny was feeling better as she left Dwylah and returned to her own room.

When she opened the bedroom door and discovered her room was much the way she’d left it all those years ago, she gasped in surprise. The pictures she remembered were still on the walls, the furniture was the same—the four-poster bed, dresser, and large wardrobe, and even the rug was the same. Entranced, Penny went over and spread the curtains to look out. There before her was the magnificent view of the endless miles of the Lazy Ace land that she had always loved, and she stood there for a long moment enthralled by the scene and the memories it evoked.

As she went to put her dresses in the wardrobe, she saw the shirts, riding skirts, and pants that she’d worn as a child still stored there. Her
mother had refused to let her take them with her when they’d left, and her father must have kept them ever since, believing that she really was going to return someday.

Penny threw the dresses on the bed and quickly took out one of the shirts and a riding skirt. She realized that over the next few days, she was going to have to go back into town and see about getting some clothes more appropriate for ranch life. Her gowns were lovely but hardly practical.

Penny rearranged things in the wardrobe and then finished unpacking. She was going to be there for a while, so she wanted to get organized and settled in. When that was done, she lay down on her bed just to relax for a little while. The mattress and linens were new, but lying in the same four-poster bed she’d slept in growing up left her smiling up at the ceiling. In spite of all the changes in her life, some things were still the same. She closed her eyes and savored the moment.

Penny and Dwylah joined Jack for dinner in the small dining room, and Penny was glad to see that her father seemed to have gotten a bit of his strength back. They all enjoyed the meal and the conversation. Exhausted from all the hard traveling, Dwylah retired a short time later.

When the chaperone had gone upstairs, Jack looked over at his daughter.

“We need to have a talk,” Jack dictated as he
pushed his chair back from the table. “Let’s go in the study.”

His mood had been cordial during the meal, but Penny could tell he had far more serious things on his mind now. She followed him into the room and sat down in the chair in front of his desk while he sat down at the desk.

“There are a few things you need to know,” Jack began as he took out a hidden key and opened a locked desk drawer. He carefully took out some papers and placed them on the desktop. “This is my will, and everything I have I’m leaving to you.”

Penny didn’t say a word. She waited, knowing just by his expression that he wasn’t done explaining things to her.

“There is one problem.”

“What do you need, Papa? How can I help?” She was earnest in her offer.

Jack fixed his gaze on her as he began to explain, “I had meant to take care of this myself, but my health failed so quickly there was no time. I’m going to have to leave it to you to go—”

“Go where?”

“To go get my money.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I didn’t think you would, and that’s why I wanted you to be here so I could explain everything.” Jack got up and walked to look out the window. After a moment, he turned back to Penny and said, “I’ve never trusted bankers. I’ve seen what can happen to people when the bank they’d
put their money in fails, and I vowed a long time ago I was never going to let that happen to me. I’ve always wanted my money right where I knew it would be, for whenever I needed it. That’s why I’ve always kept my money here on the ranch, safely hidden where nobody could ever find it—nobody except me.” Jack looked her in the eye. “Are you ready for a hard ride?”

“I guess.” She was still a bit stunned by what he was telling her.

“We have to get this taken care of quickly, since I don’t know how much longer I have.” He picked up a sealed envelope and handed it to her. “I’ve written down directions to the sites where I buried the money. It won’t be easy, but I’m certain you’ll be able to find them.”

“I’m not sure I remember the ranch as well as I used to.”

“That’s all right. Dan will be going with you.”

Penny was surprised. “Does he know about this?”

“Not yet.”

“How soon do you think I should leave?” she asked.

“As soon as possible. It’s going to take you the better part of a week.”

“And you trust me alone with Dan for all that time?”

Jack met her gaze straight on. “I do. He saved my life some years back, and he brought you here from St. Louis. You’ll be safe with him.”

“All right, but I’ll need to go to town first thing in the morning to get some more suitable clothes. The clothes you kept for me upstairs are too small.”

“I know,” he said a bit sadly, knowing she was a woman full grown now. “You’re not my ‘little girl’ anymore.”

His words touched her and Penny got up and went to him, giving him a warm hug. “I’ll always be your ‘little girl,’ Papa.”

Jack was deeply touched by her tender embrace. He kissed her on the forehead as they moved apart. “I love you, Penny.”

“I love you, too, Papa, and I’m sorry all this happened to us.”

“So am I, girl. So am I. Wait here while I go get Dan.”

Penny was worried about him walking all the way out to the bunkhouse, but she didn’t say anything. He was determined to do it, and she wasn’t about to try to stop him.

Jack checked at the small separate house that was for the foreman, but Dan wasn’t there, so he made his way over to the bunkhouse. Jack walked in to find Dan sitting at the table playing cards with a few of the other hands.

“You winning or losing?” Jack joked, looking at him.

“Losing so far, but this is only my third hand.”

“Cut your losses. I need you up at the house for a time.”

“I’m out.” Dan quickly threw in his hand and got up to leave with the boss. “I’ll see you boys later.”

“Hurry back,” Lou called. “I like taking your money.”

“I know,” Dan laughed.

Jack and Dan left the bunkhouse and started up to the main house.

“I need your help, Dan.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Jack said, glancing quickly around, wanting to make sure no one was anywhere close to them. “There’s something I need you to do for me.”

“Sure. What is it?”

“I need you to take Penny up to the box canyon.”

That news did surprise him. He had no idea why he would want them to go there, and he doubted seriously that Penny was enough of a horsewoman to make the difficult ride. “Why?”

“I’ll explain everything when we get inside with Penny,” he told him.

They said no more as they reached the house and went into the study, where she was waiting for them.

“Evenin’, Penny,” Dan said as he pulled up a chair to sit beside her. “Are you all settled in?”

“Just about,” she answered.

Jack went to sit back down at his desk and then looked up at the both of them. “I’ve already
explained this to Penny, but you need to hear it, too, Dan,” he began. “I’ve always believed in keeping my money safe.”

Dan knew that was true. Jack was a very smart businessman and rancher.

“I’ve put a small amount in the bank in town over the years, just so nobody would suspect anything, but most of my money I’ve hidden, Dan, and I want you to take Penny to find it and bring it back.”

“You hid your money?” Dan had had no idea.

“That’s right. Up in the canyon, and I’ve got the map right here, showing where I put it.” He pulled out his hand-drawn map and handed it to him. “Penny’s going to need the money to keep the ranch going.”

Dan studied his map, trying to recognize the markings he’d made. “I can go alone. It shouldn’t take too long.”

“No. I want Penny to go with you,” Jack dictated.

When he used that tone of voice, Dan knew better than to contradict him. Still, he wondered why. Jack trusted him, and the girl would only slow him down. “All right. How soon do you want us to ride out?”

“Tomorrow afternoon,” he told him. “Right, Penny?”

“I should be ready by then,” she answered.

“Do you remember how to ride astride?” Jack challenged her.

“It’ll come back to me,” Penny countered, not wanting him to be disappointed in her.

Dan didn’t breathe a word as he waited to see what Jack would say next.

“All right. You heard her, Dan. She’ll be ready to go in the afternoon.”

Dan handed him back the map. “I’ll be ready, too.”

“I want you to hurry. The weather could change at any time—and Christmas is coming.” He gave his daughter a loving look. “We’re going to spend Christmas together this year.”

“Yes, Papa. We are.

“I’d better get upstairs and get some rest,” Penny said. She had a feeling the two men needed to talk business for a while, so she went to kiss her father on the cheek and then left them alone.

When she’d disappeared upstairs, Jack looked back at his foreman. “I know this won’t be easy for you, but you’re the only one I can trust with her. There’s no way she can make the ride up to the canyon on her own.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to go alone? I can probably get back quicker without her. You heard what she said—she hasn’t really ridden much, living in the city.”

Jack met his gaze straight on. His expression was serious, but Dan saw a glimmer of something else in his eyes.

“That’s why she has to go. I want to be sure she can make the ride. The daughter I raised was
feisty and brave. She was capable of handling just about anything—or anybody. I don’t know what’s happened to her these last years living away from here with her mother. But I have to make sure my Penny is still there.”