Last Chance Cowboy

by Leigh Riker

  This wasn’t any fun at all.

  She couldn’t help remembering all the mornings when her aunt Jenna had watched from her porch or the front door to see her off to school. Ava would trade this for a bagged lunch any day. This summer promised to be the worst in Ava’s whole life.

  She’d expected to attend the same camp in Shawnee Mission as she had for the last few years. She knew people there; she was part of a group of girls that included her best friend, Kaitlyn. A wave of homesickness ran through her, tightening her stomach, making her hands feel sweaty.

  Everyone was staring.

  So what? They obviously didn’t like her, and she didn’t like them. She sent them a weak wave anyway, to show she wasn’t the stuck-up snob someone had accused her of being earlier in the day. Well, the girl hadn’t said it out loud, but the way she’d eyed Ava’s uniform—which was the same as everyone else’s—and the shoes Aunt Jenna had paid the earth for, had said it all.

  No one seemed friendly here, and all the activities—a morning hike through a sparse stand of trees behind the community center that never even disappeared from view, fishing for tadpoles in a creek with barely any water in it, an afternoon swim in the center’s indoor pool and the baby stuff they called art projects here were just...stupid.

  It was the only word she could come up with.

  Ava looked around for the school bus but didn’t see it coming. She tapped her foot again. The other girls glanced at her, as if she’d made some terrible noise. They murmured amongst themselves and a few of the girls giggled. Ava wanted to melt into the pavement and disappear.

  Turning aside, shoulders hunched, she pulled out her cell phone.

  To her relief, Kaitlyn answered on the first ring.

  “Hi, it’s me.”

  “Ava! How are you? Did you come home yet?”

  “No,” she said, feeling even more morose. “My mom won’t let me. And my uncle David left Aunt Jenna.” Then there was her mother. Who had that man at the door been? Ava wanted to know, but so far she hadn’t asked her mom. She was trying to avoid talking to her as much as possible. “Everyone’s all upset, and I... I miss you so much.”

  She pictured Kaitlyn, dark haired and with a pretty smile, perched on her bed while they talked. She lived two blocks from Ava and they usually saw each other every day. But that was in Shawnee Mission.

  “I miss you, too,” she said. “When can I see you, Ava?”

  “Maybe my mom would drive me some day.” She didn’t hold out much hope for that. She told Kaitlyn about the new house, how small it was and that her mother had painted the bedroom where Ava slept pink.

  “Ew,” Kaitlyn agreed. “Gross.”

  “And she drives this old red car. It’s embarrassing.”

  Ava caught the other girls at the bus stop looking at her again. One of them shook her head as if to say, she’s so weird.

  “I hate it here,” she said. “I want to come home.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  WITH HER HANDS tight on the Mustang’s steering wheel, Shadow drove out to her parents’ farm, hoping to talk to Derek. This was never her favorite thing to do, but she wanted to discuss a possible job she’d finally come up with for him.

  She wouldn’t stay long. Ava was attending her first day at the community center summer camp and she’d be home soon, though Jenna had called earlier to ask if she could spend the night with them and her voice had held a new bounce. Jenna would be there to greet Ava if Shadow was late getting home.

  She turned into the gravel driveway and paused by the mailbox, tilted on its wooden post. To her relief, she found no more bills waiting inside.

  At the house, a full garbage can spilled rotting food onto the front porch. Shadow had warned Derek about raccoons, but apparently he’d paid little attention, and her mother was gone for the day.

  To Shadow’s surprise, Wanda had taken the job at Bertie’s, and Shadow had promised to check on her chickens when she came to see her brother.

  She used her key to the house. “Derek,” she called out in the darkened living room. She hadn’t seen his car in the drive, and the drapes were pulled across the windows, another sign that he wasn’t home. He liked light and space. Had he finally moved out before being ordered to by the court?

  She strolled through the empty rooms, half tempted to set fire to the place. Amazed that Finn Donovan hadn’t been here yet to serve the eviction notice, she plucked a musty afghan off the couch and stuffed it in the washing machine on her way to the bedrooms in the back. Her father had once tried to turn a hall closet into a laundry room, but it was barely big enough to turn around in.

  At Derek’s door, she gazed into the small room. Years ago, he and Jared had joked and scuffled and fought here. Strange to realize that, in one way or another, the whole family was gone, or scattered.

  She walked back to the living room and out the front door, locking it behind her. At least Derek hadn’t left the house open.

  She went to the chicken coop. And groaned. The hens were in the yard, clucking and pecking at each other, but when Shadow approached, they chose her as their target. She was far from their favorite human being. Their empty food bowls told Shadow they hadn’t been fed.

  “Derek, I’ll...” She didn’t finish the warning. Dire threats wouldn’t help.

  But to her surprise, there he was, coming across the yard, his dark hair rumpled. “Where were you? I looked through the whole house.”

  “Out back. My Chevy’s in the shop. Calvin dropped me off a while ago, and Mama has me packing up the garage.”

  She pulled a paper from her pocket. “Here. I think I’ve found you a good job prospect. The hardware store needs another stock clerk. You’d be working with Calvin. Just call this number to set up an interview, but that’s just a formality. I’m told the job is yours if you want it.”

  He stuffed the owner’s name and contact information into his pocket with a shrug. “I’m not going back now. I was in town an hour ago. Could have talked to him then.” At first she thought he sounded less than enthusiastic. Then she realized Derek was peeved about something. “Stopped by your house with a box of your things while I was there,” he said.

  Her pulse jumped. “My house?”

  Derek hadn’t been there before; he hadn’t helped during her move. His tone sounded too casual yet cool. “I would have left the box on your porch, but Jenna was there.” He waited a moment before going on. “Someone else was home.”

  He’d emphasized the word home, and her heart took a fast ride from her chest to her navy blue flats. The only other person there would be Ava.

  He made a chiding sound. “Shame on you. You’ve been keeping secrets, Shadow. Who else knows about the girl? Or am I the only one who’s been kept in the dark—for how many years?”

  He’d seen Ava. Talked to Jenna.

  “Nine years,” she said. “Yes, she’s my daughter, Derek.”

  He didn’t hesitate. His blue gaze cooled. “Yours and Grey Wilson’s.” He must have seen the similarity in Ava’s eyes to the blue-green of Grey’s. Or maybe Jenna had told him. “The man who murdered our brother. Nice work.”

  Then he turned his back and stalked toward the house, his shoulders set.

  “Derek,” she called, but he didn’t answer and he didn’t stop.

  Shadow wanted to get back in her car, race home and make sure he hadn’t confronted Ava with his discovery. But she was shaking too hard to drive. Instead, she called home, where Jenna answered. She and Ava were baking chocolate chip cookies, but Shadow couldn’t appreciate their enjoyment of the simple task. She started to ask Jenna about Derek’s visit, but she heard Ava in the background. Jenna wouldn’t be able to fill her in right now.

  Taking a few minutes to clear her head before starting home, Shadow cleaned the henhouse, making
sure there were no eggs left in their nests to spoil, then filled the automatic waterers and feed bowls. Satisfied that the chickens were in no danger of starving or dying of thirst on the increasingly warm summer days, she cast one last look at the house in the distance and drove away.

  Grey wasn’t the only one she should have told. Much sooner.

  What would Derek do with the information?

  * * *

  SHADOW DROPPED HER keys on the kitchen table. Two trays of freshly baked cookies were cooling on the counter. With her thoughts still churning about Grey and Derek, she barely noticed the enticing aroma of chocolate chips in the air. She followed the sound of voices down the hall to her room, where Ava sat beside Jenna’s open overnight bag on the bed, happily chattering away to a smiling Jenna. Shadow stopped just inside the door.

  The suitcase contained several T-shirts, jeans, some lingerie and a pair of pajamas in a prancing deer print. Not at all her usual choices of clothing. If Shadow hadn’t been so worried about her confrontation with Derek, she would have smiled. Her sister seemed to have a new outlook on her life.

  Ava was saying, “I’m glad you came to stay with us tonight.”

  Jenna turned to Shadow. “You’re sure you don’t mind? I’ve spent too much time in that house by myself lately.” Then she clamped her lips tight, presumably to avoid saying anything more about her situation with Ava in the room.

  “Of course I don’t. You look much better, Jenna.”

  “Can I go with you when you go home?” Ava asked, peering into the bag. “I don’t want to stay here without you.”

  “You just started day camp,” Jenna reasoned.

  Ava’s mouth set. “I don’t like camp. I want to be with you.”

  Shadow and Jenna exchanged worried glances. “Sweetie, I know it’s hard, leaving your friends, your room in Shawnee Mission, Aunt Jenna...” Shadow said, feeling helpless. How could she make things better for her daughter?

  “You can come visit me anytime,” Jenna said. “I know your mom will be fine with that.” She looked to Shadow for agreement.

  “Of course,” she said.

  “But why don’t you give camp here a try first?” Jenna continued. “It can take time to settle in and feel at home in a new place.”

  Shadow wondered if Jenna was trying to convince herself, too.

  “Once you and I repaint your room,” Shadow added, “I hope you’ll like it just as much as your one at Aunt Jenna’s.”

  Ava thought that over. “Can I get another poster for the wall?”

  Her tone was grudging. Ava was nowhere near to accepting this move, but Shadow took heart. This was a small step, but possibly an important one.

  “You can have posters on all four walls if you like.” Shadow gave Ava a quick hug then cleared her throat. “Ava, I think we deserve a treat. Would you get us all a plate of cookies, please? And a glass of milk for yourself. Thank you, sweetie.”

  She waited until Ava had drifted down the hall.

  “I saw Derek at the farm, Jen.”

  “Oh, dear.” But Jenna wasn’t surprised. “He came by earlier. Ava got home right after he arrived—just as I was taking the box of your stuff he’d brought from the farm. I put that in your closet. And, by the way, that’s some shoe collection you have.”

  “My one addiction,” Shadow said. “He must have seen right away that Ava was my child. And with one look he knew she was Grey’s child, too. Or did you tell him?”

  Jenna rolled her eyes. “I did my best, Shadow, but I could hardly hide her. She was right here and full of stories about camp—not all good, as you might have guessed. But no, I didn’t tell him. He just knew.”

  “I hope Derek doesn’t try to hurt her in some way—or hurt Grey.”

  Jenna tensed. “I hadn’t thought of that. This isn’t good. You’d better warn him,” Jenna said. “Derek was so broken when Jared died—we all were—but he’s never gotten over that. He worshipped Jared.”

  “I think that has paralyzed him in a way. Embittered him, too. He still blames Grey.”

  Jenna lifted an eyebrow. “Now he has another reason to dislike him.”

  “Hate would be a better word.” Shadow added, “Derek’s angry with me, too.”

  “About Grey—you know I’m not his biggest fan and Mama isn’t either—but what’s changed between you? Something has.”

  “It’s gotten complicated. Now that he knows about Ava, things are very...different.” Shadow told her sister about the night Grey had come to the house. “We’ll need to find some balance between us for her well-being.”

  Jenna glanced toward the hallway and laid a finger across her lips. Then she couldn’t seem to help whispering, “What are you going to do?”

  “Blossom and Logan have planned a weekend in Kansas City with the wedding party. I’ll talk to Grey again then.” Shadow put an arm around Jenna’s shoulders. “What about you? How are you doing?”

  “I’m not crying all the time,” Jenna said. “I guess that’s a good sign. Even better, Shadow, I could smack David. I’m as mad as a hornet whose nest has been disturbed.”

  * * *

  THE WEDDING PARTY trip to Kansas City had loomed for Shadow like a bad appointment with the dentist. Now, a week after Jenna had stayed overnight, she dreaded it even more. Shadow had insisted on driving her Mustang to the hotel rather than riding with Logan and Blossom. But maybe, in order to talk with Grey, she should have gone with him. What would he make of Derek’s discovery? What was he planning to do about Ava?

  If this trip didn’t go well, she would retrieve her car from valet parking and head home. As soon as she chose her dress she could make her escape, and besides, she wasn’t in the mood for celebrating. Shadow was too worried about Ava’s future, and Ava was still unhappy about her move from Shawnee Mission. Wanda had agreed to stay with her while Shadow was away, but what if Derek decided to stop by again?

  When Shadow entered the soaring hotel lobby, Grey was the first person she saw. She hadn’t talked to him since the night she’d gone to Wilson Cattle, and in this neutral location she studied him in a new light. Wearing black jeans and boots, a white shirt, and carrying his black Stetson, he was more than handsome. Grey’s eyes homed in on her, as if he’d been waiting for her to arrive.

  His gaze slid over her in a similar appraisal as he brandished his key card, and a rush of warmth flowed through her. He looked freshly shaved and had used the same woodsy scent she’d always liked. For a moment, better memories assailed her along with another wave of regret.

  “Already checked in,” he said. “I’m in room 1734.” As if that night had never happened, Grey grabbed her suitcase and trailed her across the vast expanse of Oriental rugs and marble floors, past a huge round table in the center holding an enormous bouquet of flowers. He leaned against the reception desk, facing Shadow. “Unless you’ll have company, drop in anytime to enjoy the view.”

  Shadow’s pulse hitched. Apparently he was in a far different mood than that other night, and she abandoned the idea of speaking to him about Derek right now. “Company? What are you talking about?”

  “Finn Donovan.” As if that were clear and he’d been stewing about it.

  Her cheeks turned hot. Shadow handed her credit card to the desk clerk, an attractive blonde wearing a stylish black suit.

  “Why is Finn here?”

  “Logan asked him to be a groomsman. Blossom’s friend Tammy from Philadelphia will be a bridesmaid—at first she didn’t think she could make it—so they needed another guy.” Grey held her gaze. “He told me about your date.”

  Shadow lowered her voice, though she was certain the desk clerk could hear. “It wasn’t a date and it never happened.”

  His brows lowered. “He’ll probably try again.”

  What was this? He couldn’t
possibly be jealous.

  “Grey. I’m trying to check in.” With a forced smile, she took back her credit card and waited while the clerk activated her key card. She spotted Logan in another line. He sent her a quick smile then lifted an eyebrow in Grey’s direction. “I’ll see you at dinner tonight. Let’s not mention Finn again.”

  “Finnegan?” he asked in an obviously teasing tone. “Like Finnegan’s Wake?”

  Her pulse thudding, she rolled her eyes. “Just what I need. A comedian.” She turned back to the clerk. “Thank you. You’ve been very helpful.”

  “Enjoy your stay,” the clerk said.

  Shadow didn’t miss her quick once-over of Grey from his shirt, jacket and boots to the black Stetson in his hand. She had to admit he made an impressive sight—enough, despite their problems, to make her heart race. With her key in hand, she marched toward the elevators. Grey walked just behind her into the waiting car. He punched the button for his floor. “Yours?”

  She reached past him to push number ten. Unfortunately, they were the only two people in the elevator. She tried to focus on the old Hootie and the Blowfish tune piping through the speakers. It would probably remain in her head, an earworm for the whole weekend. She pressed as far back against the rear wall as she could, remembering other times when he’d teased her, made her laugh. He’d loved her then, and she’d certainly loved him back. “You should go down to the lobby again and work your charms on that woman at the desk.”

  He grinned, but it didn’t reach his eyes this time. “You think?”

  “She seemed to appreciate that you cleaned up well.” Shadow abandoned any attempt at light banter. “Grey, what is this? Last time I saw you, we—”

  “Didn’t settle everything. We will,” he said. “I haven’t forgotten about Ava.”

  “I haven’t forgotten Jared.” Or Derek, she thought with a pang of alarm.

  His gaze turned serious. “Let’s declare a truce for now, at least until after dinner. Blossom and Logan want the evening to be special, and we owe them that.” He gestured toward her pricey heels. “I like the shoes.”