A Father's Stake (7 page)

Once in the Jeep, Jack took a minute to think. She had a child. John had told him as part of his background check of Grace. It didn’t seem real though, not until now.

He never thought about children anymore. He and Robyn had both wanted them badly, but since then, he’d wondered if he only wanted them because Robyn had.

He abruptly started the engine. That was a moot point. There never would be any children with Robyn. He backed out, drove away from the school and over to his office. The reception area was totally empty when he walked in but a moment later, Maureen, his assistant, rushed through the door. A buxom, fifty-something woman with unnaturally bright red hair and an efficiency that would put anyone to shame, she was breathing hard when she got to him. “I’ve been...looking for you.”

He put both hands out at his sides. “You found me. Now, breathe.”

She was flushed, and held up a hand, then finally shook her head. “Okay, okay. I went to Oscar’s store and he said that Grace Evans was in there earlier and she was asking about the school. I thought you should know right away.”

“I already know.”

She ran a hand over her face. “Great, Oscar could have told me he had told you. It would have saved me from racing over here when I saw you!”

“Oscar didn’t tell me.” He saw the question in her eyes. “I saw Ms. Evans at the school when I took Rodney the insurance readout.”

“Oh, okay.” She swiped at her face. “So much for good gossip.” Going around the large front desk in the wood paneled room, she dropped down in her chair. “So, what did Ms. Evans say?”

“Nothing much.”

“You talked, and you, the great attorney, didn’t get any information out of her?” she quizzed him.

Jack started toward his office in the rear, then stopped and came back.

Giving Maureen an evasive answer to a question never worked. She was all about details, and over the ten years she’d been sitting in that chair, he’d never gotten away with it. “I found out that she really is leaving tomorrow morning, and that she’s coming back soon, probably within a week or so, I’d guess.”

“See, did that hurt telling me that?” she asked with smile.

“It always does. But, you know what? I’d love to know if she’s just coming back to see about selling, or if that means she’s planning on making a move to the ranch.”

“Ask John, he’s the one with all the databases to get answers for you.”

“I’d rather you figured this one out. No need to call him in again, unless we have to.

“It’s your call, boss.”

“Wait a few days. Then try and find out if she’s releasing her rental in L.A., and whether her daughter’s registered at the school here.”

“You’re not asking much, are you?”

“Not for you. You could do that in your sleep.”

“What are you going to do when I leave?”

He frowned, thinking about her resignation sitting on his desk. In a month, she was quitting to open a business with her husband, a turquoise jewelry exchange in town. She’d promised to come back off and on to help him out, but having her full-time would be a thing of the past at the end of September. “I wish I could talk you into staying until the end of the year.”

She shook her head. “Can’t. Would if I could, but can’t. Bruce needs me full time to get the business ready for the busy season when skiing starts up.”

“I know. Just remember, if or when you decide you need to get away from Bruce, I’m here.”

She grinned. “Of course.” Then she turned to her computer. “I’ll find out what I can about your Ms. Evans.”

* * *

A
N
HOUR
LATER
, Grace was headed back to the ranch. The visit to the school had been great. She’d had a tour of the campus, the recreational facility in the back, the computer center, art center; and she’d had a chance to meet the first grade teacher. The school seemed like heaven compared with the one Lilly was going to.

She wondered what Jack had been doing at the school. Maybe he had kids there and was taking in some paperwork? She knew he was married—from the gold band he wore, but she hadn’t thought about children. There could be a few “little Jacks” running around playing cowboy. The thought made her smile as she put away her few groceries. She just bet he was a terrific father.

Her smile faded. She wished Lilly had a terrific father. She so didn’t want her daughter following in her footsteps.

Grace put on her new boots, not sure if she was supposed to wear socks with them or bare feet. Since she had no socks with her, the decision was made. She quickly made a peanut butter sandwich, grabbed a bottle of water and went out on the front step.

An engine sounded in the distance, then came closer as the old, oxidized pickup truck appeared on the rise. Parrish waved to her as he swung toward the stables and brought the truck to a stop by the double doors. When he got out, he turned and headed toward her. “I see you got to town, huh?” he asked, smiling at her boots.

She lifted the half-eaten sandwich. “The boots and this are a dead giveaway, I guess.”

“Not that. I was just there, too, and I heard all about you.”

The sandwich stopped halfway to her mouth. “You what?”

“Yeah, the town’s buzzing about the new lady out here on the Wolf land. How the father double-dealt his son right out of this place.”

“Oh, my gosh,” she said softly. “They’re upset about me being here.”

He shook his head. “Nah, they’re upset with the old man, the dad, losing it like he did. They take land around here seriously. And Wolf land, apparently, is right up there with the most important in the area.” He grinned at her. “Small towns have some of the best grapevines.”

She couldn’t smile at what she knew was supposed to be a joke. “So it seems.”

“Hey, don’t let it get you down. Everyone seems to think you’re darn nice, despite the situation.”

Now she could smile a bit. “Well, that’s a plus. Nice. It’s nice to be nice.”

He chuckled, “It sure don’t hurt.”

“I’m going to get things set up in the house, then leave early in the morning to catch my flight back to L.A.”

“How soon you coming back?”

She took another bite from her sandwich, chewed, then said, “Probably in a week. Although if I decide to move here, it might take longer to get things tied up.”

“You got a lot to settle?”

She chuckled. “Not really. But with a six-year-old, things can get complicated.”

He cocked his head to one side. “So, you’ve got kids.”

“One, a daughter, Lilly Joy.”

“Dang, she’ll love it around here. What little girl doesn’t want to ride a horse and pretend to be a cowgirl?”

Grace liked Parrish. He seemed to always say the right thing to help her get focused. Yes, Lilly would love this place, she’d embrace it. “You’re right. Do you have kids?”

“I’ve got a son in Tennessee, but he’s still trying to figure out how to give me grandkids.”

“Kind of slow in that area?” she asked, smiling.

“Seems to be,” he said. “When you’ve got time, come on down to the stables and I’ll show you what’s what.”

She stood, putting the last of her sandwich in her mouth, then took a drink of cool water. “How about now?”

He nodded and led the way. Recently cleaned stalls lined half of the long building on one side. At the end was a tack room, with precious little tack in it, and a kind of storage room that doubled as a place for a ranch hand to sleep. A small cot had been neatly made, and a pair of work boots sat beside it, along with a stack of books, most of them mysteries.

“I live in here for now,” Parrish said.

“It’s pretty small.” She motioned around the tight space.

“Nice and cozy, and it’s got everything I need.”

“Good, I’m glad it works for you,” she said as she started back down the aisle. “How much do you think a horse would cost? A nice, gentle horse that a child could ride, if we move in?”

“Don’t know, but I can ask around, if you want.”

“Yes, please, if you would. Lilly’s always loved toy horses.”

“Big jump from toy to real.”

“Yes, it is. I’d have to get her riding lessons, so she could do it right.”

“And boots,” he said, thinking the same way as Jack.

“Absolutely,” she agreed.

They stepped out into the warmth of the sun, both just looking around. “I can see it’s getting to you,” Parrish said in a low voice.

She glanced at him. It had already gotten to her. She just wanted to make very sure that this would work for everyone. “I do like it here,” she said, a great understatement.

Parrish nodded. “Good, good. I’ll check about the horse for you. No pony, right?”

She thought about it. “No, just a horse. A calm one.”

He tugged at his cap, and with a, “See ya,” went to his truck and rumbled down the driveway.

Grace spent the rest of the day going through the storage room. She found two more bed frames, a small chest for Lilly and a plain white dresser for her mother. Putting furniture in each of the bedrooms gave a semblance of order to the house. After another peanut butter sandwich for dinner, she sat in the great room facing an empty hearth.

She probably should have told Jack that she wouldn’t sell. But she’d had too many disappointments in her life to count her chickens before they hatched. Her plans to become a great artist, her marriage. Maybe when she got everyone on the ranch, things wouldn’t work out the way she thought. What then?

One thing she’d learned from her mother through the years was that you always had to have a backup plan. Things very seldom turned out the way you thought they would, and you had to be prepared. Jack’s offer to buy the land would be her backup plan. The thought made her feel a whole lot better.

CHAPTER SEVEN

G
RACE
STARED
INTO
the empty hearth and wondered what Jack’s wife thought of him wanting to buy the place. Did she plan on them moving here? Or was his desire for the land all about getting it back in the family? She shrugged those thoughts off and was heading to bed when her cell phone rang.

“Hi, Mom,” she said, glad to hear her voice.

“Just wanted to know how things have gone?”

“I went to the school and it’s remarkable. I think Lilly would love it there.”

“That’s so good to hear.” She paused, then asked, “What do you think? What do you really think about us all moving there to live?”

She bit her lip hard, wanting to say, “Let’s just do it.” Instead, she said, “I like it, really like it, but it’s very different here. It’s well water and huge skies and no neighbors within spitting distance.”

Her mother laughed softly. “Actually, that sounds wonderful. Especially the neighbor part. And the school...I love that, too.”

“I asked the caretaker to look for a horse for Lilly, a nice gentle horse.”

“Oh, my, that’s...I don’t know. Isn’t she awfully young to be on a horse?”

“No, not really, but I’d get her lessons. I’m not sure we can even afford a horse in the first place, though.”

“I have to ask you something, and it’s crazy, but it’s bothering me.”

“About Lilly?” she asked immediately.

“No, no. Just something that happened a few minutes ago. The landlord came by and wanted to see if we were moving.”

“How could he know about that?”

“My thoughts exactly. Not even Lilly knows we’re considering it. He said that he wanted to know if the apartment was going to be available by the end of this month.”

“I don’t understand.” She sank down on the edge of the bed. “Why would he ask that?”

“He said there’d been an inquiry about this apartment to find out if it would be available anytime soon.”

That almost made Grace laugh. “Why would anyone be interested in it? It was empty for four months before we moved in.”

“That’s what didn’t add up, but I guess it’s just some strange coincidence.”

“What did you tell him?”

“I said I’d be in contact with him if we ever decided to move.”

“That’s fine.” Grace fell back on the soft bed she’d made up earlier with the linens and pillows she’d found in a wardrobe. The beams crisscrossed overhead, shadows gathered in the corners of the room. “I wish I knew that we could do this, but there’s so much to running a ranch. Just the water supply gets complicated, and then there’s windmills and drainage and livestock.”

“Who have you been talking to that’s put all of that in your head?”

She closed her eyes. “Jack Carson, the son of the man who owned this land. He wants it back, and asked how much I would take for it.”

“What did you tell him?”

“That I hadn’t made up my mind, but I promised to give him first dibs if I decide to sell.”

“Is Mr. Carson pressuring you? I don’t like that idea at all.”

“No, no. He walked me around part of the property, told me some things I needed to know, and said if I was going to sell it, to give him first chance at it.”

“Don’t let him sway you one way or the other,” her mother said seriously.

“I won’t.” But his words had made an impact for sure. Jack had lived here all his life, and knew the land like the back of his hand. What did she know about a ranch? She shook off her doubts, realizing her mother had given the phone to Lilly.

She promised her daughter she’d be home by lunch tomorrow, and almost ended the call. But she found herself telling Lilly they would be taking a trip for a bit. Hearing how excited Lilly was, she acted impulsively. “Let me speak to Grandma again, sweetie?”

Her mother took the phone. “Yes?”

“Get things ready and we’ll figure out what we have to do to make this move work for us. If it doesn’t, I can sell the property later and with the money we can move wherever we want. Tell the landlord we’ll be out in two weeks.”

A soft sigh came down the line. “Good thinking. Let’s do it.”

“Yes,” Grace said, opening her eyes and peering at the ceiling above her. “Let’s do it.”

* * *

J
ACK
WAITED
AS
long as he could, almost a week, before heading over to the old ranch to see if Grace was there, or if Parrish knew what was going on. He found the older man on the roof of the house. He parked his Jeep by the porch and looked up as Parrish walked to the edge.

“Can I help you?” he asked.

“I just wanted to know if Grace is back yet?”

“Nope.”

“Do you have any idea when she’ll be coming?”

He shrugged, his eyes narrowed in the late afternoon sun. “Nope.”

Single answers drove him crazy, both in everyday life and in court. This man seemed to be a master of them. “She didn’t give you any indication?”

He started to say, “Nope,” again, Jack was sure of it, then seemed to reconsider. “She said she’d be back, maybe a week or two, and that I should look around for a safe horse for her little girl.”

Jack tried to keep his face neutral, but he felt his heart catch a bit. Getting a horse sounded permanent. “Any luck?” he asked.

“Yeah, there’s a little bay that’s up for sale, real nice, calm. But, then, I don’t know much about horses, so I could be wrong.”

“Is it Bingo Sage’s horse?”

“How’d you know?”

“He’s been trying to unload that horse for about a year. She’s a biter. Nice and calm and sweet, then she swings her head and tries to bite anyone she can, most likely whoever is on her back.”

Parrish rubbed his chin. “Good information.”

“I’ll tell you who to talk to if you want a good child’s horse. You know the owner of the General Store, Oscar?”

“We met a few times.”

“He’s got grandkids and they’re getting too big for their horses. In fact, he’s got a really nice little Paint mare. Tell him I sent you, and he might let you take it for a trial, to make sure the child and the horse match temperaments.”

Parrish walked to the side of the roof, beyond the porch and turned to lower himself down. He jumped the last six feet, landing solidly on the dried earth. Coming toward Jack, he said, “I’ll contact Oscar and go take a look.”

“Do you have tack here?”

“There’s a few pieces in the stables.”

“What about the hay barn?”

“It’s too unsteady, needs to be redone to secure it. I don’t go in there. Sure don’t want a kid to.”

Jack had forgotten about that. “I’ve got extra tack if you find you need some.”

“Thanks for that,” Parrish said.

“Let me know when Grace is coming back?”

Parrish shook his head. “Tell you what, I’m thinking maybe you’d do better asking Grace about her plans, rather than getting them secondhand. Just wait here.” Parrish took off for the stables at a jog, and when he came back, he was carrying a piece of paper. “Here you go.”

Jack saw a phone number printed on it. “Thank you,” he said. “It’s appreciated.”

“The info on the horse is appreciated. Not that she said she was for sure buying, but she’s interested.”

“Either way,” he said, holding up the paper, “this helps a lot.”

“Good luck,” Parrish said, turning to leave.

“Parrish?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s wrong with the roof?”

“Nothing. For its age, it’s darn near perfect.”

“What were you up there for?”

“Checking the chimney to make sure no critters made nests in it while the house has been empty.”

“Any problems?”

“Let’s put it this way, there’s going to be a few ticked-off bats if they ever try to get back in there to nest. I put wire over the opening and a spark suppressor, too.

“Grandpa had a huge barn owl get down there, and come out in the great room. He just opened the door and let the thing go out.”

Parrish smiled. “He sounds like he was a cool old guy.”

“He was, very cool,” Jack murmured and headed for his truck, paper in hand.

* * *

G
RACE
SANK
DOWN
on the drab sofa in the living room of the apartment and slowly rotated her neck to ease the soreness there. Her last shift at work had been two days ago, and ever since, she’d been packing. Finally the boxes were all in order for the moving company to pick up tomorrow. Once they were gone, all she had to do was get the suitcases in the car, along with Lilly and her mother, and they’d drive away from this place forever.

That thought made her feel so good. Being away from the land for almost two weeks had been too long for her.

Her phone vibrated in the pocket of her slacks and she pulled it out. The screen showed a number she didn’t recognize. Nine o’clock at night. She cautiously hit the answer button. “Yes?”

“Grace?” The voice shocked her. Jack.

“Yes,” she said a bit cautiously.

“Sorry to call out of the blue, but Parrish gave me your number.” She recognized Jack’s voice. “I hope that’s okay.”

“Why did he give it to you?” She hadn’t meant to be so blunt, and she immediately regretted her words.

“He thought firsthand beat secondhand.” Before she could ask what he meant, he said, “Have you figured out when you’re coming back this way?”

“Actually, yes. We’re leaving here the day after tomorrow.”

“Flying?”

“No, driving.”

“It’s a nice drive coming in from the west.”

“I bet it is,” she said, but thought of all the desert area in Arizona her maps had shown. She wanted to just ask,
“What’s the real reason you’re calling?”

Then he told her. “Have you made any decision about the ranch?”

She felt like saying, “I’m staying,” but didn’t want to make that commitment yet. Just in case. “I’m still considering everything,” she finally said.

“When you get back, we can do boundary rides.”

“What’s that?”

“We’ll ride and follow the boundary of the ranch so you can see everything, get a grasp of the size and how it has to be handled.”

“Thank you,” she said, “But I told you there are no horses at the ranch, and I—”

“I’ll bring one for you.”

That surprised her. “Oh, no, you don’t have to—”

“No, I don’t, but I will. I wouldn’t mind riding the boundaries myself. It’s been a long time since I did.”

“We’ll talk when I get back,” she said, but thought she’d rather not get on a horse again in this life. Her two experiences as a kid had been less than fun. She didn’t want to repeat them. She should have told him that when he’d asked if she rode or not. “Okay, then, you have a good trip,” he said, and the line went dead.

She slowly closed her phone, and sank back on the sofa. Her mother came out of the bathroom and crossed to sit down beside her. “Making a call?”

“No, I just got a call from Jack Carson.”

“What did he want?”

“To find out if I’d decided about the ranch or not.”

“How did that go?”

She shook her head. “It didn’t, because I didn’t tell him. I said I still needed to figure some things out.”

Her mother turned toward her. “Why?”

“I just don’t want to put him off if it turns out we have to sell. Maybe he’s the kind who gives up easily. I need to know that, if this venture fails, we still have an out.”

Her mother shook her head. “I’m afraid I taught you too well about covering your back.”

“No, you taught me to be smart and careful, to not go off on some tangent and to ignore the future.” She didn’t add,
“Like my father always did.”
Both women already knew that.

* * *

W
HEN
G
RACE
, L
ILLY
and Gabriella finally drove between the stone entry posts at Wolf Ranch, Grace felt as if she’d come home. Just two days at the place, and it felt right to be there. Her mother quietly took everything in and Lilly, in her navy overalls and yellow T-shirt, her hair up in twin ponytails, didn’t stop talking.

“Look, Mama, it’s smoking behind us!”

Grace glanced in the rearview mirror. “No, sweetie, that’s dust, dirt going up in the air.”

The child had already turned to something else that amazed her. “Oh, look, a bird!”

A covey of small birds burst out of the tangle of dead weeds, rocks and dried grass. They flew with squawks up into the air and out of sight. Lilly laughed. Then she spotted the stable. “Is that the house?”

“No, it’s the stables. That’s the place where the horses and chickens can stay.”

“Oh!” she gasped, and Grace watched her eyes widen with wonder. “Horses?” she whispered.

“No, maybe a horse,” Grace corrected, slowing the car to a crawl so her mother could see the house as they approached it.

“Oh, Gracie, it’s nice.” Gabriella’s voice held almost as much wonder as Lilly’s. “Really nice and big.”

“Yes, it is,” Grace agreed and pulled to a stop by the porch steps. “We’re here,” she said, and Lilly quickly undid her seatbelt and pulled her door open. She was out in a flash, running across the dusty ground, heading for the porch. She took the single stone step at a run, then turned to Grace, who was just getting out of the car.

“Hurry! Hurry, Mama,” she called, motioning with her tiny hands for Grace to catch up.

The air was warm, but not oppressive, and the house did look welcoming. Parrish had tamed the dead weeds in the front and had come up with a few chairs to put on the porch. “I’m coming,” Grace said, leaving everything in the car to go to her daughter. She took out the key and handed it to Lilly. “Open the door,” she said. Lilly managed to get the key in the slot and Grace helped her turn it until the lock clicked open.

The door swung back and the little girl suddenly became very still. Her large bright eyes peered into the great room, then finally she looked up at her mother. “Can I?” she asked hesitantly.

“Of course,” Grace said, then added, “It’s all yours.”

With that, Lilly was off, darting here and there in the great room, all smiles and squeals. She disappeared into the hallway, doors opened and closed, then she was back, grinning ear to ear. “Can I go outside?” she asked, almost skidding to a stop by Grace.