A Ranch to Keep

by Claire McEwen

  “You just lived through our whole relationship, didn’t you?” Jack was leaning back against the tree. He had one knee up and was trying, and failing, to balance his beer bottle on it. “Right here, under this tree, our entire relationship, start to finish, in less than thirty seconds.”

  “I’m just organized,” she quipped. “I like to figure things out beforehand.” She tried to keep it light between them but regret had her sitting in silence. Her run-through of their possible future relationship made it clear that there was no happily ever after in sight. She could enjoy the fact that he might want her, let it be flattering and fun, but that’s all it could be.

  “Well, Frisco.” Jack looked over at her, his expression relaxed and lazy, betraying nothing. “I knew you were an amazing woman, but I didn’t know predicting the future was on your lengthy list of talents.”

  She leaned back on the tree trunk next to him, trying to get back to just enjoying the party, despite her nonfuture with Jack. In front of her a few older folks were sitting in lawn chairs watching kids blow bubbles. Off to the right, a young couple was throwing a ball across the grass for a puppy. Maybe everything about her love life was disastrous, but it was nice to just sit here quietly for a moment, watching people be happy.

  * * *

  JACK MADE HIS WAY through the crowd, stopping to talk with his friends and neighbors as he went, occasionally glancing over to make sure that Samantha was entertained. Every time he looked over she was in conversation with someone new, obviously enjoying herself. He tried not to notice that many of them were men, who seemed to be finding reasons to end up in her vicinity and introduce themselves.

  He couldn’t keep his mind off the conversation they’d just had. He knew he’d said too much, probably scared her off forever with his mention of being the guy she kept. Where had that come from anyway? Of course a big part of him wanted to be with her, but he knew it could never work out. He’d seen firsthand what went wrong when you tried to bring two worlds together. They clashed, blew up, and the aftermath wasn’t pretty. Maybe a part of him had been hoping that by bringing her to this barbecue, and introducing her to people out here, he would somehow convince her to stay in Benson.

  He meandered over to the barbecue pit to see Jed and find some food. Jed’s brothers, Dan and a few other locals were lounging around the fire, beers in hand, shooting the breeze. They looked up as he approached and he saw that they were cracking up over some story Dan was telling. He raised his beer bottle to them and said, “I can guess what he’s saying, and none of it’s true.”

  Jed looked up and slapped him on the back, his eyes streaming with tears. “I wish I could have seen the look on your face when she started giving you the cold shoulder right there in the grocery store!” He erupted with humor again and threw an arm across Jack’s shoulders. “You always did have a way with the ladies, eh, fellas?” Laughter redoubled until Jack broke in.

  “Okay, okay! I acted like a jerk and got what I deserved. Oh, and by the way, thanks, Dan. Old friend.”

  Dan let out a whoop of laughter. “You’re welcome, old friend! Couldn’t resist telling that tale.” He threw an arm around Jack’s shoulder. “So Walt told me he thinks you got it bad. Could it be that the local bachelor is considering settling down?”

  Jack shot him a look of disgust. “You and Walt are like a couple of old lady matchmakers. No, I’m not settling down and neither is she!” Even as he spoke those words he wished again that things could be different.

  “You’re a smart man, Jack.” It was Jed’s brother Hank who broke in with his deep voice. “I know a guy up in Reno, who knows that lawyer fellow, Robert Morgan. I talked to this guy last night. He says that Morgan’s saying he’s making an offer on that ranch. He’s been bragging that it’s pretty much in the bag...and that he’ll finally be bringing us that big development project he’s been trying to start for years.”

  Silence fell over the group as they all stared at Hank. “You sure about that?” Jed asked.

  Hank looked smug, clearly enjoying the audience. “Sure he’s trying to get that property. Sure he’s offering her a hell of a lot of money for it. Whether she takes it or not, I dunno. But my guess is it will be a pretty tempting offer, especially for someone like her who’s not gonna want to stay out here very much anyway.”

  Jack took a long pull of beer, trying to calm the disappointment and anger he felt churning his stomach. She was accepting an offer from Morgan and hadn’t bothered to mention it to him? Oh, sorry, Jack, I didn’t think you’d need to know that I’m about to sell the land all around your ranch to a developer. Oh, by the way, Jack, here’s an eviction notice for all your best pastures. Jeez, she hadn’t even asked him if he’d want to buy the damn land himself. Probably figured he couldn’t afford her price. He suddenly became aware of the deafening silence that had built around him and looked up, mustering what he hoped was a relaxed smile.

  “Well, fellas, I think I better be getting back home. Got a filly with a bad leg and another with a long drive ahead of her.” The men chuckled in appreciation and Jed gave him one of his paralyzing swats on the back as Jack took his leave.

  Jack walked through the crowd, blindly greeting people, frustration and worry building with each step. He found Samantha, sitting at a table with Betty and a few other local ladies, sipping a lemonade and chatting. She caught sight of him and her smile widened, then dimmed when she saw the anger and strain that he knew he couldn’t keep out of his expression.

  “Ladies?” He tried to put what he hoped was at least a somewhat charming look on his face. “I think I’ve got to take Samantha home now. She’s got a long drive to San Francisco tonight.”

  * * *

  AS SAMANTHA SAID her goodbyes and made endless promises to visit with Betty and several ladies whose names she was trying to remember, she could feel Jack glaring at her back. The tension coming off him was coiling around her like an electric current. The flirtatious man from under the pine tree was gone, and she didn’t like the look of this steel-eyed stranger who had stepped into his place.

  Well, whatever his problem was, it wasn’t her fault that he’d gotten himself into such a state, she thought as he marched briskly alongside her to the waiting truck. Anger flared. Who did he think she was? Some child to be ordered out of the party at his whim?

  “Jack, I’m not sure why you’re so upset, but why couldn’t you have just waited until we were out of here before you made a scene?” she asked.

  They’d reached the truck and he opened the door of the pickup for her.

  “What is going on?” Samantha asked. “I don’t really want to get in this truck with you until I know what’s wrong!”

  He looked away. She waited and when he finally turned back to her he was somewhat calm. “Can we just go somewhere quiet to talk? There’s a lake a mile away, and a nice view from the roadside.”

  She got in and they rode in uncomfortable silence until Jack turned the truck onto a side road. After a couple twists and turns on the dirt track, blue water unfolded before them, ringed with pines and boulders. A few fishermen were scattered on the shoreline. Jack swung the truck into a small dirt lot that overlooked the water. Shoving the gears into Park he set the brake and turned toward her. His face was grim. “So, Samantha, do you want to tell me what’s going on with Rob Morgan?”

  She couldn’t believe it. “Jack, all this drama is about Rob Morgan? It’s none of your business if I have dinner with my lawyer!” Why was he so obsessed with Rob? Was this his fatal, relationship-destroying flaw making itself known? The psychotic, jealous flaw?

  “Samantha, you’re in Benson, and out here we’re used to people being up-front and saying what they mean. So just say it. Are you selling the ranch to Rob Morgan?”

  “Jack, that was a private conversation between Rob and I! How can you know about it?” She searched her mind, trying t
o figure out how word could have gotten around. Maybe someone had overheard them talking at dinner?

  “So it’s true then.” His voice was heavy and he looked out over the lake.

  A stab of guilt flashed through her. He was obviously upset. She should have said something yesterday, but her mind had, unfortunately, been on other things. And then, once she’d thoroughly embarrassed herself, she hadn’t wanted to talk about anything.

  Out the window, bright blue water danced and crested in the rising afternoon breeze. What could she say to Jack, when she didn’t know herself what she was doing? She turned back to meet his burning glare.

  “Rob says he’s going to make an offer—I assume for a lot of money,” she offered truthfully. “It’s tempting, and it would certainly make things simple just to sell right away.”

  “Simple? Simple for who, Samantha? For you?” He looked away, drumming his fingers restlessly on the steering wheel.

  “Yes, I suppose.” Somehow she felt as if she was betraying him, which wasn’t fair since she hadn’t done anything wrong.

  “Have you thought about this, Samantha? This is a real decision, with real consequences.”

  “Of course I’m considering the consequences!” she blazed back. “Please don’t patronize me!”

  He rolled down his window and let the cooling air in. With obvious effort, he kept his voice calm. “All I’m saying is it’s not a simple equation. Do you know what that bastard will do to your ranch if he gets his hands on it?”

  “He mentioned something about a small resort. With a few rooms.”

  Jack’s laugh was bitter, mirthless. “A few rooms. Try a few hundred, honey.”

  “That’s impossible!” Samantha wondered who, at this point, she could trust. “Jack, Rob’s my lawyer! He wouldn’t lie to me! He was Grandma Ruth’s lawyer, or, at least, his father was.”

  “Exactly. His father was, and his father is an honorable man.” Jack turned in his seat and his eyes bored into hers, intent on convincing her. “Look, Samantha, trust me, I’ve been here before with Rob Morgan.”

  “What do you mean?” She looked at him in surprise.

  “He’s tried to get land around here before. He and his partners actually owned thousands of acres on the southern side of the valley a few years back. Luckily we found a few endangered species there before they could turn it into condos, hotels, a golf course, a shopping mall and a massive ski resort.” Jack must have seen the shock on her face because his expression softened. “Is that what you want for the ranch your grandparents worked so hard to preserve, Samantha?”

  Samantha was silent, trying to imagine the future Jack described, trying to reconcile it with the benign image Rob had painted for her. Jack was silent, too, watching her, waiting. Finally he spoke. “I know he’s going to offer you a lot of money. I’m sure it will be hard for you to walk away from it. You could buy yourself a lot of great stuff with all the money he’ll throw your way.”

  Did he not understand her at all? Anger and shame coursed through her. Anger at the idea that Rob had been lying to her, if what Jack said was true. And shame that Jack saw her as some bimbo who only cared about shopping. “It was my grandparent’s ranch, Jack. I grew up here, as much as I grew up anywhere. You have no idea about me, or what any of this means to me.”

  He didn’t answer and she looked out at the lake, wondering what to say next. Jack shifted in his seat and she could tell he was looking at her. “Samantha, we’ve never talked about this, but if you’re selling the ranch, I’d really like to be the one who buys it.”

  She should have been happy. Two offers on the ranch and she hadn’t even had to advertise. But instead, his words just left a sick feeling in her stomach. He wanted to buy the ranch. It all made sense now. No wonder he’d been spending so much time with her. And no wonder, after all his flirting, he’d pushed her away yesterday. He didn’t really want her, he just wanted her to sell him the ranch.

  She remembered all of his deliberately vague talk about relationships while they sat under the tree today. More flirtation. Empty talk. She should’ve seen it for what it was. She should be an expert on all that emptiness after Mark. All of yesterday’s humiliation returned and quickly mixed in with the grand humiliation that was Mark’s betrayal. “Is the ranch the real reason you’ve been spending time with me?”

  She glared at him but he was looking straight ahead, a muscle twitching at his jaw. Finally he spoke and his voice came out in clipped syllables. “There just wasn’t a good time to ask. Your grandmother had just died, and every time I saw you something else was going on. You were busy, or falling off a ladder, or hurt or sad and I felt bad for you. It just never felt like the right time to bring it up.”

  Great. He pitied her. He’d spent time with her just so he could ask about buying her land, but then she’d been so pathetic that he hadn’t been able to? This was too much to bear. This was too mortifying.

  “You felt bad for me?” Her voice was shrill and she tried to get it under control. “You spent time with me because you felt sorry for me? And you thought somehow that would be helpful? Show your pathetic new neighbor a good time and maybe get a deal on some acreage?” She glared at him but he was silent. She could feel angry tears threatening. Don’t you dare cry in front of him, she commanded herself.

  He turned to face her, but she couldn’t look at him. His voice was low and gentle now. “Samantha, I was trying to do the right thing.”

  Her heart dropped to her stomach and landed with a thud. He couldn’t even deny the accusation? So he did want the land. And he was just one more guy who’d been lying to her. Only it was almost worse than Mark or Rob, though she didn’t quite know why. A tear escaped and she brushed it off. No way would she fall apart with him watching.

  “Fine, Jack. I get it. You want to buy the ranch. I’m glad I know that now. But I’m not making any decisions today, so please take me home.”

  He didn’t answer, just gunned the engine. The truck rattled and bumped its way back to the highway. Samantha looked straight ahead at the unfolding scenery, paralyzed by the force of the silence between them.

  Why was she so clueless about men? Even after all of Mark’s lies it had never occurred to her that Rob might lie to her, too. And all that flattery and heat from Jack had come out of nowhere and yet she’d never once questioned that it might not be genuine on his part. And while she was angry with all of them, she was most furious at herself. She’d always tried so hard to be strong and independent. Lately she’d been failing miserably.

  He drove up her driveway to the farmhouse porch. “Well, it’s been enlightening, Jack.” Her voice sounded like some squeakier version of her own as she reached for the door handle.

  “Samantha, wait.” His voice was urgent.

  “Why? So you can make me feel even worse than I do now?” She stepped out the door and into the cool evening air and turned to face him one more time. “No, thank you, Jack. I’ve had enough of that for one weekend.”

  She ran into the house and grabbed her suitcase, racing upstairs to throw clothes and toiletries in, pull down shades and check that windows and doors were locked. It was five o’clock, which meant that she could be back in San Francisco by eleven tonight. She couldn’t wait to be home, safe in her cozy apartment. And she couldn’t wait to put as many miles between her and Jack Baron as she possibly could.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “I JUST CAN’T BELIEVE Rob Morgan is trying to get land around here again,” Betty said. “After what you put him through last time, Jack, you’d think he’d at least choose another part of the mountains.” She set a cup of steaming hot coffee in front of him, and a slice of the best blackberry pie known to mankind. Jack picked up his fork gratefully and took a bite. It tasted like pure summer.

  “Well, Rob’s a weasel and he sees an opportunity to take advantage
of Samantha,” Jed answered gruffly, tipping his chair back from the kitchen table. “He’s just a money-grubbing kid with more plans than sense.”

  “Oh, Jed, you know it’s not that simple.” Betty poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at her homey kitchen table. “I’ve told you before, Robby Morgan is up to his ears in debt, from what I’ve heard. His daddy has threatened to kick him out of the family law practice if he doesn’t get himself together. And not only that, my friend Erma, who knows Rob’s mother up in Reno, says that Rob’s gotten involved with some pretty shady characters and his mother is worried sick.”

  “Well, all I know is he’s going to offer Samantha a ton of money for Ruth’s ranch and it’s going to be hard for her to say no to that kind of cash.” Jack knew he sounded gloomy. He took another bite of pie and a sip of scalding coffee.

  “Samantha doesn’t seem like the kind of person who only cares about money, Jack,” Betty chided gently.

  “Well, how would I know? Apparently she’s been planning on selling the ranch right out from under me, and she didn’t even see fit to mention it.” Jack’s frustration boiled again at the thought. The barbecue was two days ago and he still hadn’t been able to calm down.

  “Jack Baron, I’m surprised at you!” Betty waved her spoon at him. “Samantha has every right to consider her options. And so far that I know, Rob Morgan’s offer is the only one she’s been given to consider!”

  Jed took a gulp of his coffee and set the cup on the table. “Jack, there’s the thing that I don’t understand. Why don’t you just make an offer? I don’t know the details, but it seems like you’re pretty well set up financially. Couldn’t you do it?”

  Jack considered carefully before he answered. “I could. And if she’s selling, I need to be the buyer. The problem is, I should’ve offered to buy it a while ago, but I didn’t.”

  “Why? I mean, we all know you’re not shy about speaking your mind.” Jed chuckled at his own joke.