“I didn’t come back here for him,” Addie insisted. “I came back for you. And because I had nowhere else to go.”
“But you did come back. I have enough faith in God to know that he likes to break people into pieces, then reshape them into what he wants them to be.”
Recalling that she hadn’t been to church in a very long time, Addie wondered if Callie was right. I certainly have been broken into pieces. But am I being remolded, reshaped? Not the potter, but the potter’s clay? “You might be right,” Addie admitted. “I certainly feel as though I’ve been busted into a thousand pieces, but I sure am not reshaped.”
Callie snorted. “You don’t know that. How arrogant to think you know the mind of God.”
Chastened, silent, Addie stared out at the peaceful neighborhood, then up at the stars. “Eric used to make fun of me when I went to services,” she mused. “He never said so, but I think he was an atheist.”
“I’m sure the Lord will set him straight one day,” Callie commented. “When was the last time you went to church?”
“After I split with him,” Addie answered. “A church in Houston. It never felt right, though.”
“Maybe you just need to come home, and be welcomed back in the place where you belong.”
“You think it’s that easy?”
Callie eyed her sidelong. “You don’t?”
Addie sighed. “I don’t know anything anymore.”
“It’ll come to you.”
Addie spent the next day, a Saturday, in her office conducting research. Google became her best friend as she looked into irrigation laws, the Clean Water Act, and what the EPA inspector would look for. She knew that Travis would not want to see her after their horseback ride, and his chilly cold shoulder still gave her the shivers. The not very nice kind.
Jotting down notes, Addie planned to write up a full report on her findings, and send it by courier to Travis at the ranch. “I know he won’t want to see me.”
Do I want to see him?
Addie felt torn on that score. Part of her did. That part wanted to gaze up into his eyes, to see his handsome face, to ride a horse beside him. The other part shuddered, and suspected the next time she saw him, she’d suffer frostbite in the West Texas heat.
“Courier it is,” she muttered, typing her report on the computer. “I like my fingers and toes healthy, thank you.”
Though it was a Saturday, she put in a call to the lab in Odessa. Though she expected to connect to a machine, she got a real human on the line. “What are you doing there?” she asked, startled.
Though her question was abrupt, and she braced herself for a reprimand, she received a good-natured laugh. “We’re behind, ma’am,” the young man replied with the powerful Lubbock accent. “I’m catching up.”
“I’m in Honey Creek,” she said, “about one hundred fifty miles south of Odessa.”
“Yes, ma’am, I have friends in Honey Creek.”
“Oh, good. Listen. I need some water tested on a cattle ranch down here,” she said. “Can you arrange to have someone come out?”
The voice hemmed and hawed, then she heard paper rustling. “I reckon it’ll be me,” he finally replied. “I’m on the schedule. How about Tuesday? Say, around two in the afternoon?”
Addie gaped. “You’re incredible.”
“No, ma’am, I’m Sammy. Incredible comes on tonight.”
“I could just hug you, Sammy.”
“While I like hugs, ma’am, the company frowns on employees collecting tips.”
“I’m an attorney representing the Hamilton Ranch,” Addie explained, grinning, “and the EPA is doing an inspection in a couple of weeks.”
“Gotcha, ma’am. What’s the address, though I could probably find it on my own.”
Addie gave him the address, then added, “I really appreciate this, Sammy.”
His accent deepened. “Aw, shucks, ma’am, ‘twern’t nuthin.’”
Laughing, she said, “I’ll see you on Tuesday, two in the afternoon.”
“You have yourself a great weekend, Ms. Attorney.”
“Addie Baker, Sammy.”
“The same to you, Ms. Baker.”
Chuckling, Addie hung up the phone. Cheered, she finished her report, then printed it off. “If the lab report comes back clear, then there won’t be much for Travis to do,” she mumbled to herself.
A quick glance at the clock on the computer showed her the time neared three in the afternoon. As the day proved sunny and warm, Addie thought Callie might like to barbeque on the grill for supper. Unless she had other plans.
She clicked Callie’s cell number, and listened absently as it rang on the other end. “Hey, sis.”
“Callie, I just thought to call and ask if you had dinner plans already.”
“Are you asking me out on a date?”
Addie laughed. “Yeah, to the backyard. I thought I’d go pick something up from the store we can grill.”
“That sounds much better than the casserole idea I was kicking around.’
“Okay, I’ll run to the store, then I’ll be home.”
“Listen, Addie, I’m glad you called. You have a message.”
Addie frowned, thinking fleetingly of Travis. But he has my cell number. “From who?”
“An attorney. Says he wants you to call him.”
“Oh. He might represent Parnell. What’s the number?”
Callie read it out. “Thanks. I’ll be home soon.”
“See you.”
After clicking off, Addie plugged in the number Callie gave her, half wondering why the dude called her on a Saturday. A gruff male voice answered with a brisk, “Hello?”
“This is Addie Baker.”
“Ah, thank you for returning my call. I’m John Gladstone, and I represent Mr. Parnell in his suit against the Hamilton Ranch. I apologize for calling your home, but no one seemed to know any other number.”
“It’s no trouble, Mr. Gladstone. What can I do for you?”
“My client wants his day in court,” Gladstone replied. “We saw your request for dismissal, but I spoke to the judge. The hearing will commence in two weeks as scheduled.”
“That’s fine, sir,” Addie replied, wondering if Gladstone had some ace up his sleeve. “I hope your client realizes that should he lose, and he will, he will be required to pay court costs, your costs, and my cost in addition to any out-of-pocket expenses my client spends due to his need to show up for this hearing. That includes loss of wages.”
“My client assures me he is in the right here, Ms. Baker.”
Addie couldn’t help it. She laughed. “Uh, huh. Well, my client assures me that the land survey in his possession is accurate, and that he built his fence along his own property.”
“What land survey?”
What kind of attorney doesn’t do his homework? Good grief!
“The survey that indicates my client’s fence is on his property. I might also suggest that your client reconsider on the grounds that he might find himself the subject of a counter suit. One that includes the request for punitive damages due to harassment, vandalism, false accusation and simply being an annoying neighbor.”
“Vandalism? What is this?”
“Under the law, it means to destroy property that one doesn’t own. I thought you were an attorney. Thank you for calling, and I’ll be pleased to see you in court.”
Addie clicked the phone off, then muttered, “Where did that guy get his law degree? A Cracker Jack box?”
Turning off her computer, Addie put the report away in a drawer to deliver to Travis on Monday, then closed and locked her office. As she walked from the office to the downtown area, Addie crossed the street and strolled down the sidewalk toward the supermarket. Her mind on the case and the so-called attorney, she smiled absently at a few folks she recognized.
Browsing the meat section, Addie admired a package of steaks, and pondered them with baked potatoes and salad. She picked them up from the cooler, turned and almost slammed h
eadlong into a tall, broad-shouldered cowboy.
“Excu – oh.”
Travis thumbed his hat back, gazing down at her with amusement glinting in his eyes, a half smile curving his lips. “Steaks? Are we celebrating something?”
Her nerve endings tingling at his closeness, at the lack of his former icy demeanor, Addie sheepishly grinned. “Not yet. But I believe we will be.”
“Oh? You look suspiciously pleased with yourself.”
“I am. I just had a chat with Parnell’s lawyer.”
Travis’s eyes widened. “On a Saturday?”
“He called me. Parnell wants to fight, but his lawyer had no idea there was a land survey involved. Plus I think I shook him with a threat of a counter suit.”
“You certainly have been busy today. You charging overtime?”
“Hardly. I’ll have a report delivered to you Monday, and on Tuesday Sammy from the lab in Odessa will come test the water.”
His smile widened. “I suspect I should be buying those steaks for you.”
Concealing her delight at his pleasant and even happy to see her attitude, Addie shrugged. “Just doing my job.”
“If everyone did what they said they were going to do,” Travis replied, his brow arched, “there’d be far fewer problems in this world.”
His eyes twinkled as he smiled at her. She felt her pulse quicken a bit just standing so close to him. It felt exciting to feel his gaze on her. It felt good.
And was Travis flirting with her?
Chapter 9
Like a ghostly echo, Colton’s words returned to his mind. You have a second chance here. Don’t blow it. Despite his mistrust, his pain, Travis knew he was glad to see Addie, felt his attraction to her rekindle from coals he wished were long dead. Do I really wish they were dead? There she stood – beautiful, intelligent, competent – and everything he had ever wanted.
Addie’s grin never wavered, and he wondered if she was glad to see him, too. “I got lucky with the lab, that’s all,” she replied, “Sammy was in, and had an open schedule for two o’clock on Tuesday.”
“Even so, for you to be working for us on a Saturday, that’s like a bonus to us.”
“Had I known I’d run into you, I’d have brought that report.”
“Monday is soon enough.” Travis hesitated, then went on. No guts, no glory. “Brady, Colton and I did a little investigating on our own, and went poking around.”
Her smile faded. “Please say you didn’t trespass on anyone’s property.”
“Okay, I won’t.” He grinned. “But we discovered holes in a certain neighbor’s fence, tracks at the irrigation canal and excessive amounts of manure that just might be leaking into the water.”
Addie stared toward the chips and snacks aisle, her frown deepening as she thought hard and fast. “We dare not take photos or a video, as that would be evidence of trespassing,” she muttered. “When the water is tested, it’ll show the bacteria, but if the EPA guy sees your place is clean, maybe he can be persuaded to inspect the mystery source.”
Folding his arms across his chest, Travis leaned his hip against the meat cooler. “That’s what we were thinking. It occurred to us that maybe this unnamed neighbor deliberately let his cattle pollute the water in order to get us into trouble.”
Addie looked back at him, her lips pursed. “When it can be so easily turned against him? That doesn’t make sense. Unless this neighbor doesn’t think that far ahead.”
“Who knows what could be in that man’s mind. But we’ve worked to reinforce our fence, and added sand near the tank to act as a filter for the water to flow through.”
“Those were exactly some of the suggestions I put into my report.”
“Brady did some research on his own.”
“Then it sounds like you’re almost ready for the inspector to come. Once he sees what you have done to keep the water clean, you can suggest he work his way up the canal.”
“Right. And if this particular neighbor hasn’t made his own repairs, he could face some steep fines.” Travis smiled slightly. “I hope he can afford them.”
Addie shrugged. “It’s not a very Christian attitude, but the man gets what he deserves. He brought it on himself, Travis. You reap what you sow sort of thing.”
“Karma, in other words.”
“Exactly. I want to feel bad for him, but we can’t truly let ourselves worry about him. We have enough of our own problems to deal with.”
“I suppose that’s true enough. Will you be at services tomorrow?”
“I’m planning on it.” Addie nibbled her lower lip. “A little concerned about my reception, though.”
“By God?”
She chuckled. “No. By the other attendees.”
“Why would you be concerned about them?”
“I never really fit into this town, Travis. I still feel that way, that I don’t belong.”
You do, more than you realize. “In my opinion?” he said. “You are as much a fixture in Honey Creek as anyone. Agree or not, you do belong here.”
She stared into his eyes as though expecting to find, or searching for, a lie. “Well, thanks. Look, I better be going.”
“Okay. I guess I’ll see you.”
Travis watched her leave, also observing the few people she passed offer her quick smiles, and greetings. Yes, she may not see it, but she is liked and wanted in this town. As she vanished, he forced himself to ask the question – did he want her around? He already knew the answer to that before he asked himself.
Yes, he did. And perhaps it was time for him to drop the defensive posture he’d taken since she got back, and maybe see the changes in her that the years had wrought. He absently inspected the steaks for himself, Brady, Riley and Colton for that night, thinking about second chances.
As they usually did, Travis, Brady with his daughter in her car seat, and Colton, drove to church together the following morning. He had informed his brothers about what Addie had done and learned the previous day, and now Colton commented from the seat beside him, “We should have Addie look into any criminal penalties for deliberately poisoning the irrigation water.”
Travis eyed him sidelong in surprise. “You really want to see the old man in jail?”
“Colton’s right, Trav,” Brady added from the back seat. “Criminal prosecution doesn’t always mean jail time, Trav. But charges like that might curb the old ninny’s enthusiasm for troublemaking.”
Travis rubbed his chin as he drove. “You boys make a good point. I’m not keen on seeing him in jail, but made to answer to a judge, well, that’s a different story.”
“Proving it might be harder than it looks, though,” Colton went on. “He could say that he had no idea his cattle had ripped the fencing down.”
“Even so,” Brady said, “the threat of it becoming a criminal investigation might be enough to make him mind his own business.”
“And I suppose that’s all we really want,” Travis replied, glancing at Brady.
“As far as I’m concerned, yeah.”
“If the EPA discovers him at fault, the fines could cripple him.”
Travis glanced at Colton. “Karma.”
“He might even be forced to sell his land.” Colton looked back at him, his expression bland.
“What are you getting at?”
“We have the money to buy him out, big brother,” Colton answered. “Get rid of an annoying neighbor while expanding our property.”
“Don’t you think we have enough work, Colt?” Brady asked. “It’s all we three can handle as it is.”
“I played with some numbers, is all,” Colton commented, looking out his window. “With the current market value, we can buy his land, and get that back in two years with the added amount of cattle running on it. We’d raise our profit levels by ten, maybe fifteen, percent.”
“Provided all goes our way,” Brady commented dryly.
“Parnell might sell to anyone except us,” Travis added. “He’s that mean
minded.”
“When the bank knocks on his door,” Colton said, “he may not care who he sells to.”
“I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves,” Travis interjected. “Let’s get through this EPA problem and the lawsuit, then we’ll see what state Parnell is in.”
“The state of Texas,” Brady answered. “Not like that old geezer’d run off to California.”
Travis shook his head in resignation. “Ha ha,” he muttered.
The church parking lot was nearly full when Travis parked the truck. Folks wearing their Sunday best crossed the asphalt and streamed into the church. He couldn’t halt the impulse to look around for Addie, thinking she’d be with Callie and the baby. He didn’t see her until he nearly reached the doors with his brothers and his niece.
She stood with her purse clasped in both hands in front of her, wearing a light blue blouse and a matching flowered skirt that billowed around her legs in the wafting breeze. Smiling slightly, Addie faced a few cowboys Travis recognized from neighboring ranches who were talking to her, and he felt a jolt of jealousy like an electric shock.
“Looks like you now have competition,” Colton muttered from his side.
“Best grab that girl while you can,” Brady added from his other, “and hold on with both hands.”
“Knock it off, you clowns,” Travis snapped, half under his breath.
He knew they were right. Addie was a very attractive lady, and of course she’d be noticed. Travis walked toward her, and the movement caught her attention. His jealousy dissolved like salt in water at the sight of her smile.
The sweet and warm one meant just for him.
The cowboys turned to see who she smiled at, then their own grins faded. One by one they felt the call to church, bade her farewell, and joined the stream heading inside.
“Hi,” Addie said as Travis walked up to her. Her gaze found Colton and Brady. “Hi, guys.”
“Hi, yourself. Where’s Callie and the baby?”
“A group of ladies felt the powerful need to gush over Gus,” she replied, smiling at Riley. “I lost track of her in the melee.” She gracefully knelt to put herself at the child’s level.
Cowboy Billionaire's Second Chance Page 6
