by Kate Pearce
* * *
“He’s very quiet,” Ruth said as Billy drove them down the hill toward the lower gate. “And he definitely needs a haircut and a shave.”
“Cauy?” Billy chuckled. “You didn’t give him much of a chance to get a word in edgeways.”
“He certainly looked a bit shocked to see us, didn’t he?” Ruth said. “How he was expecting to live out there all by himself with no company at all, I don’t know.”
“Maybe he likes it.” Billy stopped the truck.
Rachel got out to open the gate as Billy continued to chat to Ruth and drove through. She got back in and did up her seat belt. Without his hat and coat on, Cauy Lymond had light brown hair that curled into the nape of his neck and warm brown eyes that weren’t far off level with her own. He was lean for his height and tanned like most people who worked outside year-round. Despite what Ruth thought, Rachel quite liked his stubbled chin.
“How old is he?” Billy asked.
“He’s a similar age to BB, I think, so around thirty. They were in the same year at school, but Cauy left home when he was around sixteen. His mom wasn’t very happy about that. She told me Cauy and Mark didn’t get along, and the house was a lot more peaceful without all the yelling.”
“Sixteen is still very young to leave home and go to Texas,” Billy countered. “At least my boys waited until they graduated high school before hightailing it out of here.”
“That was because I would’ve whooped their asses if they’d tried to do anything different.” Ruth smiled.
“What did he do in Texas?” Rachel joined the conversation, her curiosity overcoming her.
“He was in the oil industry, I think.” Ruth frowned. “Anita was always worrying about him, I know that.”
“It’s dangerous, dirty work,” Billy agreed. “I hated it.”
“You worked there, too?” Rachel studied the back of her father’s head from her seat in the rear.
“Yeah. The money was good, but the working conditions and hours could be killers.” He shrugged. “And I wasn’t exactly an exemplary employee. I only worked to pay for my addictions, and then moved on.”
His blunt honesty about his lost years was sometimes hard to take. But when Rachel studied her father’s lined face she saw those forgotten and desperate times etched there and in the startling blue of his eyes. Sometimes it made it hard to look at him. He’d caused so much heartache in the Morgan family and managed to not only save himself, but also come back to the family home a different man willing to face his past and apologize for it. Rachel still shied away from the complicated emotional mess that represented, and how her parents’ actions had defined and changed her life. She suspected all Billy’s children did the same.
“Maybe I’ll call Anita and tell her I’ve seen Cauy.” Ruth was speaking again. “She might be able to fill me in on a few details.”
“You are a terrible gossip, Ruth.” Billy turned onto Morgan Ranch land and the electric gate slid open.
“I just like to know what I’m up against,” Ruth replied.
“Why?” Rachel asked. “He was rude to you. Why would you care what he’s doing here?”
“He wasn’t exactly rude, Rachel. He thanked me very nicely several times.”
“Yeah, he did,” Billy chimed in.
“I thought he was rude.” Rachel sat back in her seat, arms folded over her chest. “He made it look like we were a nuisance he wanted to get rid of.”
“Maybe he’s just shy?” Ruth suggested.
Rachel snorted. “Right. That wasn’t the vibe I was getting.”
“Your grandma can be a bit overwhelming sometimes, Rachel,” Billy pointed out. “Cauy’s just got back, the ranch is in ruins, and some bossy old lady comes in, takes over his kitchen, and asks him all kinds of intrusive questions.”
Ruth laughed. “I suppose I am a bit nosy. I just wanted him to feel welcome.”
“You did a nice thing for someone who didn’t appreciate it,” Rachel said firmly. “That’s on Cauy Lymond. Not on you.”
“Wow, you’re a tough audience, Rachel.” Billy pulled up in front of the ranch. “He’s obviously got on the wrong side of you.” He winked at Ruth. “You remind me of your grandma more each day.”
“Nothing wrong with that.” Ruth opened the passenger door and stepped down onto the ground. “I’ve done pretty good with my life so far.”
Billy came around to Rachel’s side of the truck and waited until Ruth reached the house. “Are you okay? Did Cauy say anything to you after I left?”
“No, I was just telling him off for being rude,” Rachel sighed. “Maybe I overreacted.”
Billy patted her shoulder. “Just like your grandma. She was quite the firecracker back in the day. Ask Roy.”
They went up to the house and discovered Chase and his wife, January, already sitting in the kitchen chatting with Ruth.
Chase had his laptop open, and beckoned to Rachel to come and sit beside him. He was obviously still in Silicon Valley mode. It usually took him a day or so to ease back down to ranch speed.
“I got your e-mail about the mine. Can we ride up there tomorrow and take a look at the damage?”
“Sure.” Rachel accepted the mug of coffee Ruth offered her. “Did you see the pictures I took?”
“Yeah, BB passed them on to me.” Chase frowned. “It looks pretty serious. I’m wondering whether we should just fill all the mine shafts we know about and demolish the main entrance.”
“We can definitely do that, but it would be better to get some idea what’s going on below the surface before you close it up completely.” Rachel hesitated. “We don’t really know the extent of the mine works, or if there are other shafts. I’d like to do a comprehensive survey before anything else.”
“Okay, how will we do that?”
Chase’s ability to process information and move on was legendary.
“There are several ways to scope out the mine workings, but we’ll need specialized equipment, which might be expensive,” Rachel said.
“Let me worry about that. Can you deal with it yourself, or do I need to get someone else in?” Chase asked.
“I can probably handle it.” Rachel considered her options. “I have lots of friends who work in mine engineering so if I don’t know something, I’ll be able to get help.”
“Great. I’d rather keep it in the family,” Chase said. “I don’t want to scare off any potential guests. We still have guests on site for another few weeks before we close for the holidays.”
“I suspect some of the mine goes under the Lymond Ranch,” Rachel said.
Chase grimaced. “I wish that old fool Mark Lymond had sold the land to me. I made him a great offer. It would make things so much easier right now.”
“Did Ruth mention that Mark’s son is living there now?” Rachel asked. “We just got back from visiting him.”
“Jackson’s come home?” Chase raised his eyebrows. “He was always a nice guy. I wonder if it would be worth asking him if he’s interested in selling the place.”
“It’s Cauy Lymond who’s come back. I think his father left him the ranch,” Rachel sighed. “He’s not exactly Mr. Charming.”
“I don’t remember him very well.” Chase squinted at his laptop. “He left school before graduation and went to Texas.”
“So Ruth said. The place looked terrible, so I’m not sure how he’s going to live there.” Rachel took the refilled coffee mug Ruth offered her. “Billy said he couldn’t see any signs of stock in the fields either.”
“Then he’ll be in trouble.” Chase sipped his own coffee. “Maybe I should go up there and have a chat with him myself.”
“Good luck.” Rachel made a cross over her heart. “I wouldn’t rush over there too quickly. He didn’t seem very happy to see us.”
“He was just shy,” Ruth said, entering the conversation. “As Billy mentioned, I can be a little overpowering sometimes.”
“A little?” Chase grinned at his
grandma. “When you get an idea in your head you’re unstoppable.”
Ruth’s answering smile was a little smug. “Got you lot all back where you belong, didn’t I? Sometimes being as stubborn as a mule is a good thing.” She patted Chase’s arm. “Give Cauy a few days to get over us visiting him, and then go talk to him. After a week at that ranch he might just have changed his mind about staying.”
Chapter Four
“Cauy?”
Cauy turned around to find a woman with streaked black and orange hair studying him intently. He’d been forced to come into town to get some groceries and had wandered into the Western wear part of the general store where a rancher could find almost anything he or she might ever need. When he was a kid, Cauy had loved coming down to the store with his dad. Not a lot seemed to have changed.
He cocked his head to one side to study the woman who had called out to him, and drew a blank.
“You don’t remember me, do you?” she said, grinning at him.
“Nope.” Cauy wasn’t into playing games.
She pointed at her chest. “I’m Nancy Mulligan, Maureen’s daughter. We were at school together.”
He tipped his hat to her Texas style. “Er, hi, Nancy.”
“You really don’t remember me, do you?” She shook her head. “I’m devastated. I had the most horrendous crush on you for years, and you never even noticed.”
Cauy frowned. Since the accident he’d lost some of his memories. “I—”
“Okay, so I was eleven, and you were like, fifteen, but we could’ve made it work.” She frowned. “Although maybe not, seeing as your dad wasn’t exactly nice to my mom so the holidays would’ve really sucked.”
“It’s nice to meet you again,” Cauy said cautiously. “Do you still work here?”
“Not anymore. I’m just helping out while Mom’s at the wholesaler’s. I share my talents between the Morgan Ranch and the Red Dragon Bar. You should come in one evening.” She winked at him. “First drink is on me.”
“I don’t drink,” Cauy said automatically.
She wrinkled her nose at him. “Not even water?”
“I’d hardly go into a bar for water.”
“We have great local food as well.” Nancy continued speaking, “Your dad used to come in a lot.”
“I bet he did.”
Something in Cauy’s dry tone must’ve shown on his face because Nancy grimaced.
“Sorry. Not a good example at all. Is that why you don’t drink?”
He opened his mouth to explain, and then shut it again. If Nancy did work in the local bar she probably knew all the town gossip. He didn’t want his life out there again being picked over by carrions.
“Sorry, I’m terminally nosy, ask anyone,” Nancy apologized, although she didn’t sound very sorry. “It’s an acquired habit after working in a bar for five years.”
“It’s okay.” He looked around the store and made a desperate attempt to change the subject. “This place hasn’t changed much at all.”
“No, my mom hates to throw anything away so she keeps all the junk.” Nancy shrugged. “Is there anything in particular you were looking for?”
“Just work gloves.”
“Over there, beside the jeans.” She pointed to the back wall with its old posters of rodeo stars in their Wranglers. “You really should come into the bar one night just to say hi to everyone.”
Cauy didn’t reply and instead made his way over to the rack of gloves. Nancy followed him, and he had a sudden memory of a determined little girl on the blacktop at school always dogging his heels.
“Your hair is fair, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” Nancy patted her head. “I just think that’s super boring, and I got sick of all the dumb blonde jokes.”
Cauy concentrated on the selection of gloves, stripping off his own to try on a likely pair.
“Wow, what happened to your hands?” Nancy asked.
He’d lived with the scars long enough to sometimes no longer notice them. Embarrassed, he shoved his left hand back into his glove, picked up the pair he’d just tried on, and headed to the front of the store.
“These will do fine.”
Nancy followed him out and took up position at the cash register in the part of the store that catered to the tourist and local food needs.
He paid for the gloves in cash and stowed them in the pocket of his fleece-lined denim jacket. “Thanks, Nancy.”
“You’re welcome, Cauy.” She handed him his change. “It’s good to see you back. I hope you’re going to stick around this time.”
“We’ll see how it goes.” He managed a smile. “Can you tell me where the twenty-four-hour primary care place is situated?”
“Dr. Mendez’s place is at the other end of this street.” Nancy pointed. “Turn right and keep walking past the Red Dragon Bar. You’ll find it just before you reach the gas station.”
“Thanks.”
Out in the street, the wind had picked up, making Cauy button up his jacket and bury his hands in his pockets. There were very few people about so rather than drive, he took the opportunity to stroll down the raised wooden sidewalk to check out the changes in his hometown.
There were several new businesses including a double-fronted coffee shop that smelled awesome, and a florist called Daisy’s. Even the Red Dragon had been painted and freshened up. The primary care building’s exterior was redbrick, but inside it was all bright lights and sterile efficiency. Cauy breathed in the hated smell of hospitals and straightened his spine.
“Hi!” A young woman greeted him from the reception desk as he paused uncertainly by the door. “May I help you?”
“Yeah, I made an appointment to see Dr. Mendez at eleven.”
She clicked away at her keyboard and then smiled at him. “Cauy Lymond, right?”
“That’s me.” He handed her his insurance card and driver’s license, which was from the state of Texas. If he stayed, he’d have to change that.
If he stayed . . .
She handed him a clipboard with a pile of paperwork attached to it. “Thanks for coming in early to fill out your new patient forms. Bring them back to me when you’re done.”
He retreated to the far corner of the waiting room, aware of several pair of interested eyes already fastened on him. Ignoring everyone, he put his head down, took off his gloves, and started writing. With his medical history, he might be some time....
* * *
Rachel held the door open so that Mrs. Medeiros could enter the reception room.
“I’ll come back in an hour to pick you up, okay?” She had to shout as the old lady was hard of hearing and refused to admit it. “Get Julia to call me if you get out early.”
She caught the eye of the receptionist, pointed at Mrs. M., and then at herself and her ear. Julia waved and Rachel stepped back into the hallway, colliding with a hard body.
“Ouch!” She rocked on her heels as her elbow was taken in a competent grip, which finally steadied her. “I’m really sorry.”
She went down on her knees and started gathering up the boxes of drugs that had spilled onto the floor. Her gaze took in a familiar pair of muddy cowboy boots and faded jeans that fitted their owner really well. She went to get up, and he extended a hand to help her.
“Sorry about that,” Rachel repeated. “I didn’t see you behind me.”
Cauy Lymond silently took the boxes and pill containers from her hands and replaced them in his paper bag.
“Not a problem.”
“I was just dropping Mrs. Medeiros off for her checkup.”
For some reason, Rachel kept talking, determined to get more than one incomplete sentence from her surly neighbor.
“As I said. No harm done.” He tipped his hat to her. “If you’ll excuse me.”
“How about a cup of coffee?” Rachel blurted out.
He paused, his hazel eyes steady on hers. “What?”
“Would you like to have a cup of coffee with me at Yvonne’s?�
� Rachel repeated slowly. “I’ve got an hour to kill, and I was wanting to talk to you about something anyway.”
“Wanted to talk to me?”
“Yes, I realize you don’t do talking, but that’s okay. I’ll talk, and maybe you can just listen.”
He opened his mouth, and she poked him in the arm. “Come on. Don’t be a dope. I promise I won’t bite, and once you’ve tasted Yvonne’s baking you’ll thank me.”
He sighed and continued to look at her. “Okay.”
“Great!” Rachel went to the main exit, and he followed her out, striding comfortably at her shoulder as she headed for the pink-and-black-striped awnings outside Yvonne’s. “Did you like Dr. Tio? He’s really cool, isn’t he?”
“Dr. Mendez? He seems okay.”
“I often come here when I’ve got errands to run in town. Yvonne has the best Internet outside Morgan Ranch.” Rachel pushed open the door and inhaled the tantalizing smell of chocolate and coffee. “Have you met her yet?”
“No.”
Jeez, he was back to one-word answers now, and she sounded like a chatterbox. Rachel went up to the counter where Lizzie was handling the orders.
“Hey, Liz. What’s up?”
“Nothing much.” Lizzie turned away from the cappuccino machine and did a double take at Cauy. “Hey.”
He nodded once, his face again hidden in the shadow of his Stetson. For the first time Rachel wondered whether Ruth was correct, and he was just shy.
“What can I get you?” Lizzie asked.
“Cappuccino for me, please,” Rachel said, and looked at Cauy. “How about you?”
“Coffee, black, please.” He took out a battered wallet from his back pocket. “And it’s on me.”
Rachel considered arguing with him and decided she’d rather keep him sweet.
“Thank you. But I was going to have a strawberry tart as well,” Rachel confessed.
“I think I can stretch to that.”
Rachel blinked. Had Cauy just made a joke and almost smiled at her? What was happening? Maybe Yvonne’s place really was magical after all.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He handed over a twenty and then dropped the small change in the tip jar.
