Her Big Sky Cowboy
Page 9
Curious, Trinity examined Lesley’s face. For someone who wasn’t sure if she had any photos she’d located them quickly. Expression solemn, Lesley sat the box on the table.
“Let’s eat before we look at these, shall we?”
Her curiosity growing, Trinity ate and waited until Lesley was ready to reveal whatever was in the box.
Lesley carried their empty plates to the sink. When she sat at the table, she drew the box toward her and rested her hands on the top.
“Before we look at them, I need to explain a few things.”
Trinity nodded. She’d never heard Lesley so serious.
“Zane’s mother, Clara, was my best friend. I was short, round and a bookworm. She was tall and beautiful. She also was sweet, loyal and hated injustice. So when kids would poke fun at how I looked or when I’d read, she’d stand up for me. When I was left out, she’d made sure I was included. My childhood would have been an unhappy place if it wasn’t for Clara Ashton’s kindness and acceptance.”
Lesley stopped, emotion shining in her faded hazel eyes.
Trinity touched her hand. “She sounds both a good friend as well as a good person.”
“She was.”
“So how did someone like Clara end up with someone like Zane’s father? No one has described him as being anything but a hard man.”
“You can add cruel and abusive to Harold’s resume. He made Clara’s life hell.” Anger pinched Lesley’s mouth. “Clara’s mother died when she was young and so she had no one in her corner when her brothers and father saw it as her family duty to marry Harold. The Ashtons were another old pioneering family and through marriage I guess they hoped to unite the two ranches. As the crow flies, Hollyhock Creek isn’t far from Fire Weed Ranch.”
“And Harold was happy with an arranged marriage?”
“Yes. He was having an affair with a married woman in town and saw marriage to Clara as a perfect smokescreen. He also needed heirs to get his own father off his back.”
Trinity pressed her lips closed in disgust. Clara had no control over her life and had been a pawn in her family’s and Harold’s schemes.
Lesley continued. “Clara knew about Harold’s mistress but she was happy to fulfill her duty and to settle for a respectful friendship. She always saw the best in everyone and every situation.” Lesley sighed. “When things got … rough … she’d always say that when she gave Harold a child he’d be happy being married to her.”
“Let me guess, he wasn’t?”
“No. Not even after two sons. It got worse. He had what he wanted and no longer had any use for her.”
Trinity rubbed her bare arms as a cold chill gripped her. “So what happened? How did he force Clara to leave her boys?”
“Nowadays they call it post-natal depression but back then it was seen as mental instability. I knew she was struggling but Harold refused to let her leave the ranch or receive help. Instead he had her incarcerated in some sort of mental institution. He wasted no time hiring a flash city lawyer to prove she was an unfit mother, to get sole custody of the boys and to stop her from seeing them.”
Trinity shook her head, words failing her.
“Clara fought for her boys but it was of no use. Harold had cut her out of their lives.” Tears welled in Lesley’s eyes. “She was so … broken. I arranged for her to live with my sister in Australia. Every chance I could get I’d send her photos.”
Lesley released the tight grip she held on the box and slid it toward Trinity. “I kept all the duplicates.”
Trinity carefully prized open the lid. In the narrow box index cards were dated and thick wads of photos tucked in behind them. Fingers trembling, she took out the first group of photos.
She swallowed. The love the beautiful and smiling woman had in her eyes as she cuddled a baby was heart breaking. She flipped the photo over and saw a date and Zane’s name. Carefully she placed the photo on the table and looked through the rest of the pile. As Zane grew into a toddler and then a small boy it became obvious he loved his mother as much as she loved him. He also shared both her smile and her high cheekbones.
Trinity returned the photos to the box and removed the pile behind the second index card. This time the photographs were of Russ. A thought struck her. The number of index cards indicated Lesley had taken photographs of Zane and his brother way beyond their childhood.
Trinity lifted the lid free from the box and ran her eyes over the dates on the last index cards. Breath shaky, she removed the photos dated from June a year ago. They all were of Finn. A wide-eyed and gaunt Finn when he must have arrived to live with Zane. Finn with a shy smile as he held a book toward the camera. Finn hugging Zane as they laughed together in the bookstore.
Trinity’s gaze flew to Lesley’s. There was only one reason Lesley continued to take photos of the family of her dear friend.
She spoke in a whisper. “Zane’s father lied didn’t he?”
Lesley slowly nodded. “Yes. He did.”
*
Laughter sounded from around the back of the ranch house. Zane hesitated and altered his path. Riding Diablo could wait. He needed to see Trinity. Ever since their kiss two days ago they’d hadn’t been in the same room for longer than five minutes.
Yesterday, she’d left for Marietta early and then his and Finn’s appointment in Bozeman had run late. When they’d finally made it home, Zane had a conversation to have with the blond cowboy who continued to disrespect Hank.
Zane had eaten late at the bunkhouse and then come inside to a dark house. Finn was asleep, Cricket in the mudroom and there’d been no sign of Trinity. The library was empty and no light shone from beneath her bedroom door.
He scraped a hand over his face. Even though she’d said their kiss was no big deal, he didn’t blame her for avoiding him. The intensity of what had happened when their mouths had met had unnerved him, and he had feelings for her. He could only imagine how she’d feel. She might be attracted to him but she only stayed because of Finn and not because of anything she felt for him.
He sighed. He couldn’t ruin the summer for Finn or give the woman he loved a reason to leave by letting her know their kiss was a big deal for him. He had to hang on to each day with her because she’d soon be gone. It wasn’t an option to trust her with his heart and ask her to stay. As hard as it would be, he needed to reassure her that things were okay between them. And he’d start now.
He walked around the corner of the ranch house and into chaos. The back yard was strewn with wood, pieces of cardboard and tools. Finn held onto a sheet of paper that Cricket tugged. Trinity dropped the wood she held to rescue the paper. A rip sounded just as she reached Finn’s side. Shaking her head, she collected the torn paper before it could blow away or Cricket’s teeth could shred it into smaller pieces.
“Need a hand?” he asked as he bent to pick up the cardboard that had been a box before Cricket had destroyed it.
For a second, her expression was almost … sad and then she smiled.
“Yes, please, because now we don’t have any instructions. Cricket is determined to spend his life in the mudroom. He’s making it impossible to build his kennel.”
Zane stopped beside Finn and he moved in close for a hug. “Unfortunately for Cricket, Finn and I are experts at putting things together, aren’t we?”
“Yep.”
Zane soon sorted the wood into some sort of order and with Finn’s help, assembled the kennel using the screws provided. While they worked Trinity roamed the yard collecting the windblown cardboard and keeping Cricket busy.
With Cricket in her arms, she stood beside them and examined the completed kennel.
“Great job. Now all we need to do is to paint it. But …” She tickled Cricket’s chin. “You, you little trouble maker, are not going to be anywhere near us when we do.”
Zane tightened the final screw and stood. He glanced at Trinity and caught her looking at him. This time he couldn’t miss the sadness dimming the light in her gaze. He sw
allowed. As he’d feared their kiss had rattled her. His stomach clenched. Maybe she’d made the decision to leave and was worried about how Finn would react?
But when she spoke her voice was its usual cheerful tone. “I think building a kennel in the summer sun calls for some ice tea.”
Zane opened his mouth to say he didn’t need a cool drink when Trinity shot him a sharp look. A look that said ‘I need to talk to you.’
He swallowed. ‘Sounds great.”
As they walked across to the house, Trinity bent and whispered in Finn’s ear. He grinned and looked at her. She returned his smile and nodded. He stopped to take Cricket from her arms before heading around to the front of the ranch house.
Zane flexed his shoulders to disperse his tension. Trinity had gotten rid of Finn on purpose. Their talk wasn’t going to go well.
“It’s so hot I said Finn and Cricket could cool off under the sprinkler out front,” she explained, as he opened the kitchen door for her.
“Listen, Trinity …” he said as he followed her inside, “about the other night …”
But Trinity gave no sign she heard him. She moved to the kitchen table and pulled out a chair, her chin at an ominous angle. “Take a seat. I’ll get the ice tea.”
He sat.
She joined him at the table. Ice clinked as she passed him a tall glass. “Zane, we need to talk.”
“Yes. We do.” He paused to examine her eyes. No longer clear green, they were clouded with concern. But before he could continue, she slid a blue and black striped box toward him.
Glad of a diversion, he drew the box closer to him. “What’s this?”
“Photos.”
He searched her face. Trinity hadn’t brought him in here to talk about their kiss, after all. Something else was up. “From Lesley?”
“Yes.”
He went to open the box and she reached over to hold the lid closed.
Their eyes met. She bit her lip and lifted her hand. “Sorry. Look first and then I’ll explain.”
He carefully lifted the lid and removed the first group of photos.
All sound faded as he gazed into the face of his mother. His hand trembled. Memories, torn and faded, unfurled into precious life. He did remember what she looked like.
His forefinger traced the side of her face. He remembered her smile, her laughter and the softness of her kiss on his cheek when she’d tuck him into bed each night.
He flicked through the photographs desperate to see more. But gradually he took longer to examine each shot. The happiness in his mother’s eyes had faded. Her smile wasn’t as bright. Strain pinched her face.
He sat the photos on the table and glanced at Trinity. Expression troubled, she waited for him to speak.
“Lesley’s had these the whole time?” His words were low and strained.
“Yes, and she has had her reasons for not showing them to you. At first, it was your father. She knew what he’d do to you if you started asking questions about your mother.”
Zane again stared at the first photograph of him as a newborn.
“She loved you, Zane.” Trinity’s voice was hushed. “She was forced to leave.”
Zane slid the pile of photos toward the box. “It’s all in the past. It’s too late. I can’t go back.”
“It’s not too late. You can go back.”
“How?” Frustration, grief, anguish growled in his voice. “She’s dead.”
Trinity reached over and grasped his hand. He could feel her tremble.
“There was no hit and run. Your mother’s … alive … and living in Australia.”
Chapter Ten
‡
“Sonny, you’re not only a greedy guts, you’re also a puffer fish. Breathe out.”
Trinity pulled the cinch strap tighter to the hole she knew the cinch should sit when the grey pony wasn’t holding his breath. The buckle slid home but her tension didn’t ease.
She glanced over the saddle to where Zane was sitting on a glossy bay gelding and was talking to a cowboy on a placid chestnut. Zane may appear relaxed as he sat in the saddle but the tense set of his jaw hadn’t lessened in the past days. The shock of his father’s deceit and his mother being alive continued to consume him. He still spent time with Finn but it was as though he’d withdrawn to a place where only pain and anger resided. He’d worked hard to appear normal, but the sensitive five-year-old knew something was bothering his father. Finn watched him a little more closely and constantly wanted to know where he was.
Sonny turned his head and pushed her with his nose. She patted his thick pony neck. “I know. You want me to hurry up. You want to move Spirit and his mares.”
She finished saddling Sonny. Finn skipped over and at seeing his happy smile her tension ebbed. He was looking forward to the mini horse drive. Hopefully moving the mare band would bring a smile to Zane’s face too.
“Ready to go?” she asked.
“Yep.”
“Okay, let’s get you in the saddle and you can go and wait with your dad while I saddle Toffee.”
Trinity hung her arm over Toffee’s neck and watched to make sure Finn had no trouble riding over to Zane. Sonny was bomb proof but it was the other horses she couldn’t guarantee would behave. Zane’s smile flashed as Finn halted Sonny beside him. Her throat ached. Despite the pain his dysfunctional childhood continued to bring him, Zane continued to be the best father he could to Finn.
“Don’t worry about him.” Hank’s quiet voice sounded to her left. “He’s been through worse than this.”
Trinity turned, not attempting to hide her concern for Zane. It was too late to mask her worry. Hank’s perceptive gaze didn’t miss a thing.
“Will he? He’s returned to being the strong and silent type. I’m flat out getting three words from him.”
Hank grinned and ran his hand over Toffee’s withers. “Three words are better than the grunts he’s been giving me.” His brown eyes briefly met hers. “Don’t give up on him just yet.”
“I won’t. It’s my unofficial summer-mission to encourage both Finn and Zane to talk more.”
The twinkle in Hank’s eyes said they both knew that’s not what he’d asked her not to give up on.
“He needs time. His father was a hard man, but he was still his father and someone who he thought he could trust.”
“Just like he thought he could trust his brother and Marlisa?”
Hank sighed and looked over at Finn and Zane. “I won’t speak ill of the dead but it was a bad day for us all when Russ got caught in Marlisa’s web.”
Hank suddenly turned, eyes earnest. “Clara’s a good woman. She’ll find her way back. There’ll be an end to this mess yet.”
Trinity searched his gaze. “You knew she was alive.”
“Not for sure. But I … hoped.”
She nodded and he swung away but not before she caught a flicker of deep emotion. Hank had made Hollyhock Creek Ranch his home not because of any loyalty to the brand. Hank had loved Clara and had devoted his life to raising her sons and now her grandson.
Lost in thought, she saddled Toffee. When she glanced up she saw Hank leading a group of cowboys toward the creek. Only Zane and Finn remained in front of the stables.
She quickly swung into Toffee’s saddle. “Sorry,” she said, settling her cowgirl hat more firmly on her head as she rode toward them.
“It’s fine.” A smile lightened Zane’s eyes but disappeared as quickly as it appeared. “Sonny’s little legs won’t keep up so Hank and the boys will round up Spirit, the mares and foals. We’ll then help push them to their new pasture.”
Trinity eyed off the bullwhip Zane held. “I thought you said Spirit was harmless?”
Zane nudged his big bay forward. “He is. But I still don’t trust him.”
Trinity’s gaze clung to the width of his shoulders as he led the way to the creek. He didn’t need to say the words that he didn’t completely trust anything … or anyone … anymore.
*
With two cowboys leading the way, the horses spilled through the gate and settled into a steady lope along the track. Trinity stayed with Finn as they trailed behind. Zane kept a close eye on Spirit but every so often would ride over to check they were doing okay.
The sun warm on her back, Trinity relaxed in the saddle. Beside her Finn gazed around with bright and interested eyes. Sonny’s white ears pointed forward, his stride swinging as he walked. Trinity patted Toffee’s velvet-brown neck. The good-natured mare made it easy for Sonny to keep up. Finn pointed and Trinity gazed over to where three elk leapt over the fence and disappeared into the pine trees.
All too soon they arrived at the spring-fed meadow. The horses streamed onto their new pasture, manes and tails flying. Spirit stopped, looked back, and then galloped off to join his herd.
Hank gave her and Finn a wave and headed off toward the ranch with the cowboys. Zane stopped before them. As she’d hoped the ride had removed the shadows from his eyes and erased the tension from his jaw.
He grinned at Finn who grinned back. “Had fun?”
“Yep.”
“Shall we ahead back a different way, buddy?”
“Yep.”
Sonny fell into step beside Zane’s larger horse. The white pony appeared so small beside the long-legged bay. Over the years Finn would grow and so too would the size of his mounts until he’d ride beside Zane on a horse the same size.
Sadness filtered through her. She wouldn’t be around to see it. All she could ask for was one short summer being a part of Finn’s and Zane’s lives before reality returned. That had to be enough.