Love Finds You in Valentine, Nebraska

by Irene Brand

  After they climbed the bank on the other side, Derek stopped and said, “You’re doing great with your riding.” His eyes lighted mischievously. “Just shows you were born to be a rancher.”

  “Maybe. But there’s more to ranching than riding a horse.”

  “Maybe. But there’s more to ranching than riding a horse.”

  He pointed upstream to a secluded area where numerous trees extended well-foliaged limbs above the water to form a canopy over a wide sandy area.

  “This will be a good place for the kids to swim. There aren’t any deep holes, the sandbars make a good beach, and it’s in walking distance of the campground I have in mind. I haven’t asked, but I assume you have a waiver so you won’t be responsible for any accidents with the kids.” Kennedy nodded. “Yes, before I told Tony to go ahead and invite them, I contacted Mr. Talbot, and he forwarded forms that have to be signed by the children’s guardians and the supervisor of the community center. Mr. Talbot called yesterday to tell me that he’s received proof that the center carries adequate liability insurance. Individual waiver documents for each child and adult have to be in his hands a week before the children arrive.”

  “Good. I hadn’t thought about it until right now,” he said, and she saw laughter in his dark eyes when he added, “but I should have known that you would.” She knew he was kidding, but she said, “And don’t call me Gabriel Morgan, or I’ll…”

  “Or you’ll what?”

  “I don’t know yet, but it will be something terrible.”

  He lifted the reins and said, “Let’s go.”

  The campground Derek had chosen was in a grove of cottonwood trees on the west bank of the Niobrara near the unfinished conference building on the West Eighty.

  “I’ve arranged for sanitary facilities and bottled water to be brought from town,” he explained, “but otherwise the kids will be roughing it. That means their baths will be in the river or as sponge baths. They’ll be sleeping in bedrolls in tents, and their food will be cooked on a campfire. I’ve worked this out with Tony, and he’s relayed all of the information to Omaha.”

  “I like your plans, and I trust your judgment. As I told you, I’ve never camped, so I don’t have any suggestions. Can we look inside the building while we’re here? It seems a waste for such a sturdy building to stay unused.”

  “Oh, we store grain and hay here to feed cattle that range on this side of the river, but I agree that it should be put to better use.” The two-story brick building with one-story wings faced the river. The windows were protected by boards, and the doors were padlocked. “We don’t keep the electric power on here, but I’ll open a couple of doors so you can see inside—though there isn’t much to see. A few partitions were installed, so you can get an idea of the general layout of the building. I’ve heard that the investors went bankrupt before they could finish the building.” Kennedy followed him inside. Sacks of grain were piled in the entryway, and several pieces of farm machinery were inside. Derek pointed to the left wing. “That was supposed to be the meeting, dining, and kitchen area. And the other wing was for guest rooms.”

  “How long has the building been here?”

  “About ten years, I think. As I understand it, your grandfather leased the land to the contractors, but when their plans failed, the building became his.”

  “Surely it could be utilized for a good purpose,” Kennedy speculated.

  “Yeah, I think so, too. That’s the reason I suggested you might want to sell just this part. You receive some income from it, but you’d probably make more money if you sold the property and invested the proceeds.”

  “I’ll give it some thought after we see how the camping experience works out.”

  When Derek went to the back door, he said in astonishment, “Well, would you look at this!”

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “Somebody’s been in this building. Come here,” Derek called, “but watch your step.” She could see his shadow in the distance, and she walked slowly in that direction.

  A McDonald’s container lay on the floor along with several aluminum cans.

  “I check this building every few weeks,” Derek said angrily, “and these things weren’t here the last time I stopped by.” A cold chill ran up her backbone, and Kennedy looked around nervously, wondering if the intruder was still in the building. A bale of hay had been broken apart and scattered to make a bed. Several empty grain sacks had been folded to make a pillow.

  “Whoever it is made himself right at home,” Derek said. “I’d better find out how he got in. Stay close beside me.” He walked outside and checked the windows. The wooden panels nailed across the window appeared to be intact, but on closer inspection Derek pointed to a window, showing Kennedy that the nails were loose. He easily removed the barrier, and they saw that the lower window sash had been removed.

  “Pretty neat,” he said. “This wasn’t just a bunch of kids snooping around. It looks like a professional job to me. I’d better call the sheriff.”

  “Oh, I hate to have the police around with the children coming in a couple of weeks.”

  “That’s the reason I think we should notify them. We must have a safe place for the kids. We have a lady sheriff, by the way. Her last name is Morgan, so she’s probably your kin.”

  This incident upset Kennedy more than she would have expected, for she had never been involved with the authorities in any way. She hadn’t gotten as much as a driving citation. It bothered her, too, because she wanted the children to have a good time. But she figured Derek was right—the best way for them to be assured a good vacation was to keep them safe.

  After Derek called the sheriff and made an appointment to meet her at six o’clock, he locked the doors and they rode upriver. He stopped at one place, saying,

  “This is a good place to fish. The bank is low and the water is deep. I’ll arrange for at least one of the ranch hands to be with them at all times. If I don’t sleep here, I’ll ask either Al or Sam to stay.”

  After they’d ridden over two short trails where he proposed they take the campers, Kennedy said, “Your plans are wonderful, Derek, and I appreciate the time you’ve taken to make this happen. But I’m getting tired.”

  “I’m sorry. I haven’t been very considerate. That break-in distracted me. I’ll go home with you and still have time to come back before the sheriff arrives. You don’t want to talk to her?”

  “No. I want to go home and spend the rest of the evening in the gazebo. I’m not as good a cowgirl as you thought.” Derek didn’t dismount when they returned to Riverside but promised to stop by and tell her what he learned from the sheriff and loped away. Kennedy went inside and filled a glass with ice and Coke and picked up the mail that Derek had brought earlier from the mailbox near the highway. She stretched out on the lounge and took a drink of the beverage. The fact that Derek was calling in the authorities about the break-in also indicated that he was worried about the warnings she’d received as well as the trespassings on the West Eighty and earlier at the ranch. Momentarily she wished they hadn’t invited the young people to the ranch. It was causing more work for Derek, and he already had enough to do.

  Idly glancing through the mail, Kennedy opened a letter postmarked at Omaha without a return address. She immediately recognized the bold, printed letters of the warnings that she’d first seen several weeks ago.

  YOU’RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME.

  “God,” she whispered, “how much more of this can I take? Am I foolish to stay here?”

  “God,” she whispered, “how much more of this can I take? Am I foolish to stay here?” She lay with her eyes closed while fear and anger twisted around her heart. With trembling fingers, she folded the message and put it in the envelope. Should she tell the police about these warnings as Miranda advised her to? Would the harassment stop if she returned to California? Probably not, if she left without selling the ranch, since that seemed to be the problem in the first place.

  As
she often had, Kennedy tried to sort out the major reason she didn’t want to leave the Circle Cross. Was it stubbornness—not wanting to be told what to do?

  Was it reluctance to give up Riverside? Although those things contributed to her determination to stay put, she knew these issues were only secondary. Honestly searching her heart, she knew she didn’t want to be separated from Derek. But remaining in Valentine could easily result in her death or a broken heart, and at this moment, she couldn’t decide which she dreaded more.

  Chapter Eleven

  Darkness was rapidly settling over the Niobrara Valley when Derek rode into Riverside’s yard. Kennedy met him at the door, and he immediately noted her worried expression.

  “Come in,” she said, unlocking the screen door. “I’ll put a frozen pizza in the oven.”

  “No thanks. I called Mom to tell her I’d be late, and she has my supper ready to heat in the microwave. I wanted to tell you what I found out. Let’s sit on the steps. I’m too dusty to sit on your furniture.”

  “What did you learn?” she asked languidly as if she really didn’t care.

  “The sheriff had a detective with her, and they checked out the place. But there weren’t any fingerprints on that window except mine, so whoever pulled the job was a professional. Or someone wearing gloves.”

  “So what now?”

  “The sheriff said to leave the window as it is and watch the place to see if this was just a one-time thing—somebody passing through and looking for shelter to sleep. She also says they’ll patrol day and night while the kids are here from Omaha.” Kennedy didn’t answer, and her silence disturbed Derek. He’d been sitting two steps below her so he could watch her face as they talked, but spontaneously he moved to sit beside her. Taking her hand, he said softly, “What’s happened?”

  “I got another warning. It was in the mail today. It’s apparently from the same source, but this was a new message—‘You’re running out of time.’” Anger almost choked Derek. How could he find out the origin of these letters?

  “Where was it mailed from?”

  “Omaha.”

  “Now that the sheriff is involved in this break-in, it might be time to clue her in on these warnings. I’ll do anything I can to help you; you know that.”

  “I could use a hug more than anything else,” she said quietly. “I feel so alone.” Derek didn’t need a second invitation. He drew her into the circle of his arms, and she put her head on his shoulder. He rubbed her back and kissed her hair softly, hoping she wasn’t aware of his caress. More than anything else, he wanted to protect Kennedy from whoever was badgering her—but above all, he had to protect her from himself.

  Her body was stiff with tension, which gradually lessened as he rocked her gently. Against his cheek, she whispered, “Go on home, Derek, and eat your supper.

  I’m always imposing on you. Miranda will be here soon.”

  “I’ll stay until she comes.”

  Except for the dusk-to-dawn lamps, the glade was completely dark when Derek heard Miranda’s pickup approaching. He released Kennedy, stood, and pulled her upward beside him. Before she stepped away from him, she stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

  When they didn’t discover any more evidence of a vagrant on the West Eighty, Kennedy believed things would turn out well for the campers. That is, until Tony called the night before the campers arrived on July 20.

  “Hi, Kennedy,” he said. “I’ve run into a problem. One of our church members has been airlifted to Omaha in critical condition. I’m leaving right away to take his wife to the hospital to be with him. Their children live out-of-state and can’t get here for a couple of days, so I’ll have to stay until one of them arrives.”

  “But, Tony, you won’t be here when the campers come tomorrow.”

  “I know, coz, but I have to look after my congregation when they’re in trouble. I feel badly about it because I was sort of responsible for bringing the kids here.” Kennedy had grown to like Tony very much, and he seemed almost like a brother. She knew that the welfare of the members of his church should be his first responsibility. She respected him for his dedication, but it put more responsibility on Derek and her.

  “Oh, I understand, of course. But that leaves me to greet them and make them feel welcome. I’ve never had much experience in that sort of thing. Since you won’t be here to stay overnight with them, do you think I’d better stay?”

  “It would make our visitors feel more at ease, I’m sure, but that’s asking quite a lot.”

  “Derek or one of his men will stay with the campers all of the time, too.”

  Since they’d tried to keep her harassment a secret, Tony didn’t know how much danger there could be, and she didn’t see any reason to tell him about their trouble. He had enough stress with his pastoral responsibilities. He was just as well off not to know why Derek was keeping constant vigil for the campers.

  “We’re leaving right away,” Tony said, “but I’ll keep in touch by phone.”

  “God go with you, Tony. I’ll be praying for you and the man who’s ill.”

  “Good. His name is Gerald.”

  Tony’s absence did put more responsibility on Kennedy’s shoulders, but she preferred having enough activity to occupy her time. She was beginning to wonder if she would ever find the time to study for the bar exam until she went back to California. It wouldn’t matter whether she took the exam this fall anyway, for she hadn’t even thought about applying for a job. At the present she was too involved with happenings on the ranch and settling her business affairs to study. When she returned to California, with only Rosita for company, she could go through her notes, concentrate on the exam, and look for a job.

  Derek called soon after she finished talking to Tony. “We’ve been working on the campsite all day,” he said. “Do you want to go inspect it?”

  “I’m sure it’s all right, but I’ll go with you.” She told him about Tony’s trip to Omaha, adding, “We had planned that he would stay with the campers at night and I’d be with them all day. We thought that our visitors would feel more comfortable if one of us was there all the time, so I’ll stay day and night until he gets back.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Derek said slowly. “You’re safer at home with Miranda guarding you.”

  “But if a Circle Cross man is there at night, I should be all right.”

  “I suppose so, but it’s still risky.” He paused. “I’ll pick you up in the truck right away. I want to get to town before the grain store closes.” Kennedy waited on the porch for him, for she didn’t want to delay him. It was a short drive to the campsite, and she was surprised how Derek and his men had transformed a cow pasture into a perfect campground.

  The whole area was neatly mown. Wooden benches had been built facing the river, and rocks from the creek bed had been laid in a circle to make a place for a campfire.

  “This will be where their evening services will be held,” he explained. “I went to 4-H camp when I was a kid, and that’s the way they did it.” He pointed to another set of wooden benches and tables where a tripod hung over stacked wood. “Here’s the cooking area. We’ve got a tent to put over the fire if it rains.” A

  another set of wooden benches and tables where a tripod hung over stacked wood. “Here’s the cooking area. We’ve got a tent to put over the fire if it rains.” A flatbed wagon stood nearby, and Derek said, “This wagon will be handy for the cooks to store their pans and skillets. They can put their supplies in the building.”

  “You’ve done a neat job in preparing for them,” Kennedy assured him. Glancing at the building, she said, “I see that the window is still barricaded. Has there been any more trouble?”

  “We haven’t caught anyone snooping around,” Derek said. “I’m hoping it was just a tramp looking for a dry place to stay overnight before he headed on his way.”

  Kennedy sensed that Derek really didn’t think that, but he wanted to ease her worries if she was concerned about t
he incident.

  “So you think the place is all right?” he queried as they got in the truck and headed toward Valentine.

  “I’ve never been camping, remember, but I’d rate it as super.”

  “Tony said that the campers will bring tents, cooking utensils, and all the food supplies, but when they get here, I’ll bring a couple of men to help them unload and set up their tents. The well water is pure so they won’t have to worry about that.” He pointed to a windmill on the crest of a small hill and then to a tank close to a large, weathered building. “That’s the source of their bathwater. They plan to use bottled water for drinking and cooking.”

  “Thanks for taking this on, Derek. You already had enough to do without Tony and me disrupting your summer.” He shook his head. “I wanted to do it. With my background, you know that helping these kids will be a labor of love.” As they left the ranch property and drove on the county road, Kennedy swiveled in the seat and pointed. “I’ve not seen that barn before. Is that Circle Cross land, too?”

  “Yes. That’s where the windmill is. That might be a good place for the kids to hike for a picnic while they’re here, so I’ll keep it in mind. It’s a high point with a great view of the river valley and the ranch headquarters.”

  Derek slowed down when they were almost to Valentine. “Have you seen where your grandfather lives?”

  “No,” Kennedy said coolly. “I haven’t looked for it.”

  He made a right-hand turn on a narrow paved road. “This is a county road that comes into Valentine from the north, and his home is located about a mile north of town. You might as well see the house. I suppose it’s where your mother spent her childhood.” Derek’s foot touched the brake when they came in sight of a two-story red brick house in a secluded creek valley facing south along the Niobrara River. Two wings made the house seem larger than Riverside. A grove of tall evergreens formed a shelter belt northwest of the house.