by Irene Brand
“You see,” Derek explained, “many out-of-state people have moved into the county over the past few years, and the Blaines and the Morgans are outnumbered now.” He chuckled and added, “But some of the old-timers still remember what a fracas it caused when Kenneth Blaine and Grace Morgan got married.” With a wry grin, Kennedy said, “My parents! They stayed here until Dad finished college, but they didn’t want to raise me in a hostile atmosphere, so they left Nebraska. They both liked California and felt at home there. Mother never came back, although Dad did when his parents died. A few Blaines came to visit us, but I’ve never met any of the Morgan family.”
“Several of your relatives still live in the county, including your grandfather, Gabriel Morgan, who must be around ninety,” Derek said. He added with a grin,
“Several of your relatives still live in the county, including your grandfather, Gabriel Morgan, who must be around ninety,” Derek said. He added with a grin,
“But he’s still as ornery as he always was.”
“Derek!” June scolded.
A smile curved the corners of his mouth. “I’m sure I didn’t say anything that Kennedy hasn’t heard before,” he said.
Hearing her name spoken with warmth and gentleness in his deep, rich voice caused Kennedy’s pulse to leap. A wave of heat spread upward from her body, and she was glad that June misunderstood the reason for her red face.
“Now look what you’ve done! You’ve offended her.”
Mastering her emotions, Kennedy said as calmly as she could, “No, not at all. Mother seldom mentioned her father, but Dad had plenty to say about him. He never forgave him for disinheriting Mother, and it wasn’t because of the money involved. To be separated from her family was a wound she carried all of her life.”
“Mom’s right, though. I shouldn’t put down your grandfather. I’m sorry,” Derek apologized. “He’s never done anything to me, so I shouldn’t judge him.” Standing, he asked, “Do you want to look at Riverside now?”
“I’d like to, but I think I’d better reserve a room at a motel first.”
“We have only two bedrooms, Kennedy, but you can have Derek’s room,” June invited. “He won’t mind sleeping in the bunkhouse with the other men.”
“That’s okay by me,” Derek readily agreed.
Kennedy rejected the offer with a wave of her hand. She was too much aware of Derek Sterling now—she didn’t want to sleep in his room, either. “I won’t put you to that trouble. I don’t know how long I’ll stay, and it’s only a short distance to town.” When she started to stand, Derek quickly moved to pull back her chair.
“Then we’ll see you tomorrow,” June said, “and I’ll fix a real dinner for you.” Impulsively, Kennedy hugged June. “I consider this a wonderful meal. Thanks so much.”
“There are several good motels in Valentine,” Derek said. “Let’s go to my office, and you can call from there.” They left the house through the back door and walked toward a small building, with the dog frolicking around them, apparently accepting Kennedy as Derek and June had done. Kennedy looked upward to the cloudless blue May sky and heard the soft gentle whir of the windmill behind the barn.
Derek unlocked the door and stepped aside to let Kennedy enter. He flipped a switch, and several strips of florescent lights revealed a neat, modern office. A workstation with a computer, a large flat-screen monitor, a copier, a fax machine, and several metal filing cabinets were located behind an old wooden desk, a vivid contrast to the modern office equipment.
“I’m impressed,” Kennedy remarked.
“You should be,” Derek said, mirth shimmering from his large brown eyes. “Your money paid for most of it. The desk belonged to Dad.” He looked up the number of the Holiday Inn in Valentine, and when the line rang busy, he said, “While we wait, I’ll explain a bit about the way the ranch business is handled. Dad wouldn’t consider using a computer, and he did everything the hard way. After I became the manager I talked to Smith about it, and he readily agreed that the ranch records should be computerized. I set up a program to make my reports to him online. It saves both of us a lot of time.”
“That’s neat and interesting,” Kennedy said, taking another look at Derek. Behind the cowboy facade he affected so well, the ranch manager obviously possessed tons of wisdom and knew when to use it.
Kennedy tried the motel number again and shook her head when the line was still busy.
“Let’s go on to the family home,” Derek said, “and we can use my cell to call from there. A storm two days ago messed up the phone lines, so we may not be able to get through.”
“Then maybe I should go into town before it gets dark. I don’t know these roads at all, and I could easily get lost. Besides, there may not be any vacancies if I wait much longer.”
Derek shrugged his shoulders, and Kennedy breathlessly watched the way his muscles moved beneath his shirt. She looked away quickly.
“You make the decision. But if you don’t get a motel room, you can have my room and I’ll sleep in the bunkhouse with the other cowhands.” He sliced a grin toward her as he put emphasis on the last word.
Kennedy covered her face with her hands and peered at him from one eye. “Don’t remind me of that. It’s not my habit to be so nasty. I’m really sorry.”
“I was just joshin’ you,” he drawled. “I take all the blame for us getting off on the wrong foot. I thought you were a spoiled city girl at first, but I’m changing my mind mighty quick.”
She turned away when the warmth of his smile reached her. With a deep intake of breath, she said, “I won’t take time to look inside the house tonight since I want to reach town before dark, but I would like to see where it’s located. I’ll go into Valentine and come back tomorrow to check out the house by myself so I won’t be bothering you.”
He took a ring of keys from a hook beside the door, saying, “There’s a gate across the road, which we keep locked.” He closed the door behind them. “Let’s go in my truck.”
“Okay. Wait until I lock my car.”
“You don’t have to do that. Nobody around here bothers anything.”
She activated the locks from the keypad. “I’ve lived in the city too long—I never leave my car without securing it. Besides, this is a rental car and I feel even more responsible for it.”
He opened the truck’s passenger door and held her arm as she stretched to reach the running board and get into the truck. He whistled to the dog. “Let’s go, Wilson.” With a flying leap, the dog landed in the truck bed.
Derek motioned to a graveled road to the left of the one that Kennedy had followed to the ranch. “This is a private road,” he said. As he accessed the road, Derek lifted his hand to greet two men who were lounging on the porch of a long, wooden building. “We only have two men, Al and Sam, who live on the ranch, but one other full-time man, Joel, is married and lives in town. That’s the bunkhouse, but we don’t have any housing for families. We hire others to help during roundup time and the haying season.”
“I’m ashamed to show how ignorant I am about the ranch, but Dad didn’t discuss his business affairs with Mother and me. He probably would have, but I’ve been busy with college and taking care of the household management after Mother died, and I didn’t have time to take on anything else. As it is, the last two months have been terrible. Not only have I missed my father, but I didn’t have a clue as to how to settle the estate. I had to depend on his lawyer, who’s thankfully an old family friend. So you’ll understand why I ask so many questions.”
“Did your mother die recently?” Derek asked softly.
“No, she died five years ago,” Kennedy answered. Because the loss of her mother still hurt, she changed the subject. “How big is the ranch?”
“Roughly twenty thousand acres. I’ll tell you everything I can, but Smith will have more answers than I do.” They followed the narrow road until they came to a steel gate. From there, the road veered to the right along a river. Derek jumped down fr
om the truck and unlocked the gate, and when he sat in the cab again, he pointed to a nearby tree-lined river.
“That’s the Niobrara River,” Derek explained. “It’s a long stream and winds through the Circle Cross’s range. It’s spring-fed, and even in the driest season, there’s enough water for irrigation and watering livestock. That’s what makes the ranch so profitable.” there’s enough water for irrigation and watering livestock. That’s what makes the ranch so profitable.” Kennedy didn’t want to cause any waves, but she was sure that her dad had commented on the decrease in income from the ranch, and she hadn’t been interested enough to pay attention. Still, she’d come to Valentine to gain information, so she said slowly, “I seem to remember Dad complaining the past year or so that the ranch was losing money.”
Derek glanced sharply at her. “What? We’ve had several good seasons. We haven’t lost any money since I’ve been the manager, and I have the records to prove it.”
“I must have been mistaken then,” Kennedy replied quickly. “Dad had several investments, and I didn’t pay much attention to what they were. After his sudden death, I wish I had listened to him. As far as I knew, he was in perfect health until he had that massive heart attack.”
“As the owner, you should know what’s going on here at the ranch,” Derek agreed. “And I hope you’ll take the time to let me show you the records I’ve kept since I’ve been manager.”
“I suppose it won’t make much difference if I sell the place.”
“No, I guess not,” Derek said slowly, “but you’re welcome to check out anything you want to.” They rounded a sharp curve, and directly in front of them stood Kennedy’s ancestral home. A knot formed in her throat, for it looked just like the picture hanging in her father’s office.
Derek shifted into a lower gear, and the truck crept toward the house. Built by Kennedy’s great-grandfather in the latter part of the nineteenth century, the white-framed, two-story dwelling was one of Queen Anne architecture. A veranda with banisters spread across the first floor from the gazebo on the left to a driveway on the right. A similar veranda wrapped around the second floor, and a round corner tower with a conical roof was located behind the gazebo. Six stone steps led to the front door that included an ornate window in the upper half and a transom of stained glass above that. Staring silently at the house, Kennedy wondered how her life would have differed if she’d grown up in this environment. Tears filled her eyes, and she swiped them away.
When Derek stopped the truck and exited the cab, Wilson jumped to the ground and tagged at Derek’s heels as he rounded the truck to open the door for Kennedy.
Once she stood beside Derek, sniffling, she said, “You must think I’m a crybaby, but today is the first time I’ve cried since Dad’s funeral.” Slanting a timid smile toward Derek, she continued, “I know I’m assuming a lot on such short acquaintance, but this is a difficult experience for me. Do you mind if I hang on to you for support?”
He didn’t answer, but when he reached out quickly and wrapped his large warm fingers around her hand, she knew he didn’t mind. They walked slowly around the house, and occasionally Kennedy touched places in the old siding where the paint had peeled. When they returned to the front of the house, she sat on the edge of the porch facing the river a mile away. Derek dropped down on the first step and turned to face her.
They enjoyed a comfortable silence for several minutes before Kennedy said, “Growing up as I did in Los Angeles without any of my extended family around me, I’ve always felt rootless, looking for something out of my reach. Today I feel as if I’ve finally come home.”
“This is your home, Kennedy, and I hope you’ll stay around long enough to get to know the country. The roots of the Blaines and the Morgans dip deep into Nebraska history. This is your home,” he repeated.
Chapter Two
Leaning against a porch post, Kennedy observed her surroundings with a rapt expression on her face. Derek hesitated to break into her reverie, but dusk was settling over the valley. If she intended to spend the night in Valentine, she should be heading that way.
When the dusk-to-dawn light came on, Derek said, “Kennedy.” She jumped slightly, and he apologized for startling her. “Do you want to call the motel now?”
“Will you do it for me?”
He took a phone from his shirt pocket and punched in the number.
“I’m still getting a busy signal, so the line is probably out of order. Let me call Mom and tell her to fix my room for you.” Looking appealingly at him, she said, “Why can’t I stay here? I’ve understood that the house is still like it was before my grandparents died.”
“Yes, I suppose it is. Mom comes every two or three months to clean and dust everything.” Derek didn’t like the idea of her staying alone in the house. Anyone coming by car had to drive past ranch headquarters and the locked gate. But there was nothing to keep people from coming across the river in the few shallow places. There wasn’t much crime in Cherry County, but remembering his childhood, Derek was always alert to any possibility of trouble.
“Have you ever been totally in the dark, Kennedy?”
“At Carlsbad Caverns once. It was crazy!”
Pointing to the pole lamp, he said, “That lights the area close to the house but nothing else. And if the power should go off, you’d be completely in the dark. I don’t even have a flashlight in the truck to leave with you. I can’t tell you what to do, but I wish you’d spend the night with Mom. I’ll bring you here first thing in the morning.”
“I’d rather not impose on your mother, but I suppose you’re right. This is a nostalgic place for me, and to be honest about it, I’d rather not be alone.”
“It won’t be any trouble.” He dialed his phone again and explained to his mother that Kennedy would be staying overnight. “She said to tell you that she changed the bed linens today, so the room is ready for you.”
As they drove away, Kennedy kept looking back at the house. Derek didn’t like the tormented look on her face. She was too quiet to suit him, and he said, “I’ve always wondered why your parents moved away.”
“As I understand it, Grandfather Blaine wasn’t as antagonistic toward the Morgans as they were against him. He welcomed Mother into the family, but she was very unhappy living at Riverside. Not only had she been cut off from her family, but her friends didn’t stick by her, either. Back then, Gabriel Morgan was so influential that everybody was afraid to cross him. He made it plain that Mother was no longer his daughter. As soon as Dad finished college, they moved to California.”
Kennedy twisted a few strands of her hair with trembling fingers. Derek figured that was a nervous gesture she did unconsciously when she was stressed.
In a monotone, Kennedy continued, “When I was born, not even my grandmother came to see me, and that hurt Mother more than anything her father had done.
She told me once that she couldn’t have lived with his rejection without her deep faith in God.” Sympathetically, Derek said, “And you’ve suffered for it, too.”
“Yeah, big time! My grandfather’s unforgiving spirit ruined the complete happiness my parents could have had. And I paid for it, too, when I grew up without an extended family. As a child, I felt left out when my friends had big family gatherings.” They passed through a copse of trees and, except for the headlights of the truck, darkness surrounded them as they traveled.
“Whoa! Now I know what you mean by darkness.”
Derek stopped the truck and turned off the headlights, and Kennedy scooted across the seat until their shoulders touched. “I feel as if I’m in a cave.”
“I kind of like total darkness,” Derek said thoughtfully. “It’s great to be out on the range during roundup when it’s dark. I lie on my back and watch the stars spread across the sky—and when a full moon rises over the plains, it’s awesome.” He rolled down the window, and a myriad of insect sounds filtered into the truck.
“People think it’s quiet at night, too, but it
rarely is.”
A hoarse howl sounded in the distance, and Wilson, behind them in the cab, belted out a long response. His clamorous barking pierced the quietness of the night.
“What’s that?” Kennedy asked, clutching Derek’s arm.
“It’s a coyote. Wilson, shut up!” The barking stopped immediately, but when Derek started the engine again, Wilson gave one low growl.
“Derek.”
“Yeah.”
“Thanks for talking me out of staying at the house. I think I’d have been scared out of my wits before morning,” Kennedy admitted.
“Probably so. And you’d have been lonesome as well as scared.”
June rustled to the door when they arrived, and her pleasure in having Kennedy in their home was so apparent that Kennedy was glad she had agreed to stay at the ranch. Derek put Kennedy’s bag in his bedroom, and June invited her to sit with them. Kennedy glanced quickly around the living room. A massive fireplace dominated one wall. An elk head with a wide rack of antlers was mounted above the mantel.
“Where should I sit?” she asked. “I don’t want to take someone’s favorite chair.” With a humorous look toward her son, June pointed to a large, leather lounge chair that had seen better days. “Sit anyplace except in that chair. My husband had it for years, and Derek took it over after his daddy died. The chair’s a disgrace, but I’m not allowed to get rid of it.” Kennedy sat on the couch, and Derek grinned sheepishly as he sat down, lifted his feet, and relaxed in his favorite chair. June chatted with Kennedy about her impressions of Riverside until Kennedy yawned widely.
Embarrassed, Kennedy said, “I’m sorry, but I’ve had a long day. Do you mind if I go to bed shortly?”
“Not at all,” June assured her. “But if you aren’t too sleepy, you can share my evening devotions. My husband always read a chapter in the Bible and had prayer before bedtime, and I’ve continued it since his death.”
“I’m not too sleepy for that. I read the Bible before I go to sleep, too.” She settled into the couch and waited while June took a well-worn Bible from the coffee table. She opened the Bible, saying, “I’m reading in the book of Hebrews now, beginning with chapter 13.” Glancing at the text, a kind smile spread over her face.
