by B. J Daniels
A few weeks ago, she’d gone to her first appointment. She hadn’t thought talking about any of it would help, but was surprised when the nightmares became less frequent and finally stopped.
Cooking helped, just as it always had, but most days her heart wasn’t in it. She tried not to think about Will, telling herself that he knew where to find her. If he wanted to. She’d heard that he was at the ranch in the valley recuperating and helping his brother with calving. She hadn’t seen him and thought it was probably for the best. Seeing him would only make it hurt worse.
Poppy held on to the fact that she believed him when he’d said he was crazy about her.
“Sometimes love isn’t enough,” she’d told Kara. As much as it broke her heart.
* * *
SHERIFF SID ANDERSON stopped by Will’s hospital room on the day he was being released. The investigation would take weeks. He’d gotten testimony from each of the guests and had questioned Will at length.
“Channing’s had a change of heart,” the sheriff told him. “She’s decided to help in our investigation for clemency. Not that she’ll walk. She was involved up to her neck in the drug distribution and is an accomplice in the murder of Kirk Austin. There’s also the attempted murder of Dorothea Brand. So she’ll be going to prison but maybe not for life. With good behavior she could see freedom again in fifteen to twenty years.” Sid sounded tired. “I suppose you heard I’m not running for reelection this year.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Will said, meaning it. He liked Sid and thought he was a good, fair man. “Any idea who’s going to run?”
The sheriff shook his head. “Couple of my deputies are threatening to.” Sid got to his feet. “You take care of yourself. You can go back to your guest ranch whenever you can get back in there. We’re all done. Sorry about your buildings that burned.” He shook his head. “Bad business, drugs. The fly-fishing vest business made it pretty easy for them to distribute the cocaine. Mick and Channing were in the perfect jobs. All they needed was Kirk Austin. Sounds like he wanted out. He was worried about them getting caught.”
“Channing didn’t know about Ruby being DEA?”
The sheriff shook his head. “They were more worried about Allison. They were worried that she was onto them and going to talk. I’d say she is lucky to be alive.”
“Big Jack and Lexi Raiser weren’t so lucky.”
“No, Big Jack apparently confronted his son.” Sid shook his head. “I guess he never thought Mick would hurt him.”
“And Lexi?”
“Channing said she’d overheard something at the plant where Lexi was the head of sewing. They didn’t think she would talk. But that night, she’d followed Big Jack to the barn. Apparently she’d been worried about him, no doubt suspecting he was wising up to what was happening at his company. Channing said Mick thought Lexi saw him coming out of the barn after killing his father.”
Will shook his head. “So Ruby knew Mick was involved?”
“Suspected. He was the boss’s son. He had the run of the place so he and Lamar were the obvious suspects,” the sheriff said. “Before the retreat, Ruby hadn’t known who all was involved. Obviously a lot more people were involved than she first thought. And a lot more suspected what was going on but were afraid to say anything. Lamar told me that Allison was terrified for her life and planned to quit once they returned. She told him that she suspected drugs were going out the back door but refused to say who she thought might be involved or even knew.”
“So Ruby suspected Lamar, as well, at first.”
The sheriff nodded. “Lamar told us that Mick came back to their cabin right before he knew Lexi had been killed and his hand was skinned up and bleeding. He also had a long scratch on his neck, but Lamar didn’t believe his brother was capable of murder. He thought it was from a fight with Kirk.”
Sid picked up his Stetson from where he’d put it on the way in and started toward the door. “Well, it’s all over now. If Channing doesn’t decide to go to trial, all of it will die down. One thing is strange, though. Channing’s lawyer? Lamar footed the bill.”
“That is strange,” Will said. “But you’re sure Lamar wasn’t involved?”
The sheriff shrugged. “Got to wonder why he’d pay for her lawyer, don’t you?”
* * *
POPPY AND KARA put on a true English tea for Dorothea in a room the woman had rented for the event. They’d made finger sandwiches and served real English tea, along with dainty scones and tiny cakes and bite-size buttery cookies that melt in the mouth.
To Poppy’s surprise, the knitters were a varied bunch from a couple of wranglers and several grandmother types to some younger women and Sheriff Sid Anderson. It was hard to keep her face straight when she’d seen him nibbling at the sandwiches and drinking out of the china teacups.
“Don’t you say a word,” Dorothea instructed when she’d come into the kitchen to compliment them on the job they’d done.
Poppy shook her head. “I wouldn’t dream of it. But it is a little amusing to see you using my cooking to lure the sheriff.”
The woman shot her a warning look, but smiled. “You taught me well.”
Not well enough, Poppy thought. She hadn’t gotten her man but she hoped Dorothea did. The sheriff seemed like a nice man and it was obvious that he was interested in Dorothea.
“Will’s going through something right now,” the woman said as if Poppy had asked. “Just give him time.” With that she’d handed Poppy a check and returned to her knitting group.
“She’s the one who puts spells on people?” Kara asked, watching the woman go.
“I would imagine she’s put a whammy on the sheriff,” Poppy said and laughed. “The man looks as if he doesn’t know what’s hit him.”
* * *
LAMAR STOPPED BY the ranch to see Will before preparing to fly out. “I’m sorry I haven’t gotten by sooner,” he said. “I’ve been taking care of funeral arrangements and everything else.”
“Please don’t apologize,” Will said. “I’m the one who should be apologizing to you. I’m so sorry things turned out the way they did.”
The man let out a snort. “You couldn’t have done anything to change it. I’m just so thankful that you and Poppy are all right. Mick made his choices.” He shook his head. “I’ll never understand.”
Will thought that was probably true. “What will you do now?”
“I have to go back to California and the company. The DEA busted the place while we were in Montana. Mick was so stupid. He left evidence all over the place. I’m not sure I can save the business but I have to try. For my father’s memory and also for the employees who need the jobs.”
“How are Allison and Dean?”
Lamar laughed. “Dean says he wants nothing to do with me or On the Fly ever again. Allison might stay now that Mick is...” He looked away. “She’s dealing with knowing how close she came to becoming one of his victims. It’s funny, but she said he really seemed to like her. I guess he told her that he wanted to run away with her when the retreat was over. She thinks he meant it.”
“What about Channing? I thought she was in on it with Mick.”
Lamar looked away for a moment. “Channing was involved in the drug distribution, as she’s admitted to the sheriff.” He turned back to Will and swallowed. “But she wasn’t romantically involved with Mick. There’s something I discovered during the retreat that I didn’t tell you or anyone else. The reason my parents divorced was because my father had a lover. What we didn’t know was that the woman he was having the affair with had a child.”
“Channing,” Will said and felt goose bumps ripple over him. “She’s your half sister.”
Lamar nodded, not looking all that pleased about it. “I’m not sure when my father realized it. When I found the manila envelope with the employee files in it, I found his new phone. I
didn’t know his passcode to open it. But then I remembered seeing a number he’d written down on his airline ticket. I’d seen it when I was going through the employee files. It was Channing’s birth date.”
“So he knew his former lover was pregnant years ago?”
The man shrugged. “If he did, he deserted Channing’s mother.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s funny,” Lamar said. “Mick believed that because he and Dad shared the same blood, that our father should overlook every bad thing he did. He seemed truly disbelieving that Big Jack wasn’t going to let him get away with distributing drugs out of On the Fly.” He sighed. “But I think I understand it. Channing is...Channing. But while she is definitely damaged much like my brother, she’s the last of my blood.”
“Dorothea mentioned that Channing had told her she’d had a rough life.”
“Apparently her mother was an addict and Channing ended up being taken away after my father moved on. She was tossed from one foster home to the next for years. That’s no excuse,” Lamar added quickly. “It just is what it is.”
“The sheriff says Channing could get fifteen to twenty years,” Will said. “Not that long before she’s out again.”
Lamar nodded. “Believe me, I’ve thought about that. I’m not sure my being there for her now will change anything. Mick told me during the retreat that I’m more like my father than he was. I don’t think he meant that as a compliment.”
“She may disappoint you,” Will warned.
The man nodded. “Maybe it’s in Mick’s and Channing’s genes. Something in our blood that made them the way they are. No respect for human life. No compassion. No empathy. Or maybe they needed something along the way that they didn’t get. If so, isn’t it possible that Channing could change?”
Will had no answer for him. But he could see that Lamar was going to try because Channing was his half sister. He also knew what Lamar was really asking. How could two sons of the same blood be so different? Not to mention, could there be something dark in him since he shared their same genes?
“What about you?” Lamar asked. “You’ll rebuild, I hope.”
Will nodded.
“I don’t know about you, but while I’ll try to save the company, I’m not going to make it my first priority anymore,” the man said. “If this has taught me anything it’s that life is short. I’m going to start living more. I never want to be like my father. Or my brother. I think I need to find out who I am and then start living.”
Will understood only too well. He shook the man’s hand and wished him the best.
* * *
DOROTHEA DIDN’T MINCE words when she heard that Will had talked to a real estate agent. “What’s this I hear about you wanting to sell the guest ranch?”
“My brother and his big mouth. I’m just testing the waters. I want to keep my options open.”
“Are you serious?” she demanded.
“If we did sell it, you don’t have to worry. I would make sure that you were taken care of,” Will said.
She scoffed. “I’m not worried about me, you fool. I’ll be just fine. I’ve put away all the money I’ve made over the years. With room and board taken care of, I’m worth a small fortune. Don’t give me that look. You think I’m lying about that?”
“I’m thinking that rich or not you always have a home on one of the Sterling ranches no matter what I decide.”
Dorothea shook her head, but he could tell that she was touched by his offer. “What makes you think I won’t take some of my money and maybe take a trip around the world on one of those big ships?”
He laughed. “Because you would spend the whole time thinking about me and my brothers and worrying that we might be doing something you didn’t know about.”
She narrowed her gaze at him. “You mean like I am right now? What are you going to do about Poppy?”
He groaned. “How can I do anything about Poppy when I don’t know how I’m going to be making a living, let alone where I’ll even be living?”
Dorothea was shaking her head. “Don’t give me that. Why’d you buy that forest service cabin a few miles from the guest ranch? You bought it for her.”
He wanted to argue but couldn’t. “I just didn’t want someone to buy it and move right next door and tear down a perfectly good cabin.”
She laughed. “You are the one brother who usually doesn’t lie to himself.”
“Look, I can’t even get back up to the guest ranch until the flooding stops. If I decide to keep the guest ranch, the destroyed barn and cabin have to be rebuilt. That will take a while. I don’t see how we could open this summer. Maybe it’s best if we don’t. Let the news about the murders die down.”
Dorothea was still shaking her head. “Do you think Poppy cares about any of that?”
“Well, I do, so that’s what counts.”
“Men,” she said under her breath. “It’s all about your male ego, isn’t it? Well, keep this in mind, cowboy. You blew it with her when you were fifteen because of your ego and your immaturity. Hopefully you’ve matured. But don’t let that ego of yours keep you from the woman you love or you will—”
“Regret it the rest of my life.” He grinned at her. “Did I ever tell you that I love you?”
She blushed and dipped her head to avoid his gaze. “Now you’re just talking crazy.”
* * *
WILL KNEW HE had to go back up to the guest ranch. For a while, he made excuses for not going. But once the roads dried out and the flooding ended, there was nothing keeping him from driving up into the mountains to the isolated guest ranch.
He remembered how stark and bleak things had looked the day he’d been flown out by helicopter on his way to the hospital. His brothers had gone back in and closed everything up while he was recuperating. He suspected they knew he wasn’t up to facing the place for a while.
Just the thought of the guest ranch reminded him of all of it—the blizzard, the murders, the feeling of being helpless against an evil he couldn’t understand, let alone control. It still made him break out in a sweat to think about Mick with that gun at Poppy’s head. She had been so brave. He could still see the two of them when he closed his eyes. Poppy in his arms and Mick coming after them.
Just the thought of her made his heart ache. He hadn’t spoken to her since that day at the hospital when he’d let her know he didn’t need her to come back. He yearned to see her, but needed time. Not that he knew yet what he wanted to say.
He couldn’t go to her until he did.
Telling himself he couldn’t think about that now, he drove up the mountain. As he came up over the hill, the guest ranch came into view. He hit his brakes to stop and stare. All he’d seen in his memory was snow everywhere and cold and the blackened burned-out shell of the barn and one of the cabins. Now the aspens interspersed with the pines had begun to leaf out. Their leaves were a bright sunny green. The grass around the cabins had also begun to turn green.
It felt like a reawakening. Something rising from the ashes taking all the ugliness away. He stared at the lodge and felt his pulse slow. He’d thought he could never face this place again. It was as if everything good about it had been taken from him. But now he saw that it wasn’t true.
He shook his head, smiling. He still loved this old lodge that his grandfather had started. He loved the history. It truly was special and only Sterling’s Montana. He loved the few days he’d gotten to spend here with Poppy before they’d almost lost their lives.
As he stared at the lodge, he swallowed the lump in his throat. But did he want to keep running a guest ranch? That was the question he had to answer, wasn’t it.
But that wasn’t the big question in his heart as he drove the rest of the way up to the lodge.
* * *
POPPY SMILED AS she surveyed the beautiful pies she and Kara had made. “I
think the chamber of commerce will be quite happy with these,” she said, nodding her approval. “Now we just need to get them down to city hall.”
“Maybe I could help with that,” said an all-too-familiar voice behind her.
She spun around and couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Will Sterling standing in her catering kitchen.
She’d wished for this dozens of times since returning to Whitefish. She’d worried about him and had picked up the phone to call, but always stopped herself. He’d called a few times right afterward to make sure she was all right, but their conversation had been stilted, neither of them knowing what to say after what they’d experienced. She’d told herself that they both needed time.
But that had been a lie. She had needed Will. Still needed him.
“I hope you don’t mind,” he said. “I let myself in.”
Poppy had thought she might never see him again. She’d done her best to accept that. But her heart had never stopped hoping. “Are you in town for the chamber of commerce get-together?”
He shook his head. “But I’d be happy to help get the pies there.”
“I have it covered,” Kara said quickly as she began to box up the pies and put them on the cart they used to transport food in the downtown area. Their van was parked outside.
“This is my top assistant, Kara,” she said, introducing them. “Will Sterling.”
“I’m her only assistant,” her friend said. “And I know who you are.”
He grinned. “I wondered why my ears were burning.”
Kara reddened. “No, it wasn’t like...” She held up her hands in surrender. “I’ll be leaving with those pies now.”
Poppy smiled at her friend, who was obviously trying to get out of the way as quickly as possible. “I did make an extra pie. Field berry, if you’re interested,” she told Will as Kara left.
