Ray: Riding Hard Book 7

by Ashley Jennifer

  Mrs. Kaye shook her head. “I don’t know. Stubbornness, I guess. Pride, and young hearts. When Lonnie found out Abby was pregnant, he was ecstatic. He convinced her to marry him and quickly. You just weren’t an unwed mother in those days, especially in this town. She’d have been—what’s that word? Excoriated.”

  Drew nodded, understanding. Her grandmother had faced a difficult time.

  “Lonnie thought that once they were a happy family, settled in Riverbend, fixing up the B&B—which Abby loved, by the way—everything would be fine. But Abby still wanted to see the world, to be involved in it, if you know what I mean, while Lonnie was happy to hide himself away and be an innkeeper. Lonnie claimed you could see the world from right here, listening to all the stories the folks who came through told. But when you’re twenty and want to roam, you don’t want to hear that you’ll spend your whole life cooking and cleaning in a B&B. So after a couple years, Abby up and left.”

  Drew swallowed the lump in her throat. “They wanted different things,” she managed to say.

  “Lonnie tried to understand, to let her spread her wings,” Mrs. Kaye said. “But he was hurt she didn’t think he was good enough for her. So they fought.”

  Mr. Carew leaned forward, speaking in a quiet voice. “Lonnie was a friend. I was a bit younger than he was, and I helped out at the B&B. I want you to understand, Drew, that both your grandparents could be … well … pigheaded.” He gave her a little smile. “They argued a lot—I heard them—but at the same time, I could tell they loved each other, loved deeply. There was never anyone else for either of them. When she left, Lonnie was angry but also brokenhearted. He never got over it, never stopped trying to win her back.”

  “He never came to see her,” Drew said, torn between sorrow and anger. “I believe you when you say there was no one else for either of them—my grandmother never remarried. But if my grandfather loved her so much, why didn’t he show up on her doorstep?”

  Mr. Carew shook his head. “Lonnie was a prideful man. He was certain Abby would get her fill of the big city and run back home. He waited. But she never came.”

  “She found her own life.” Drew gently gripped Ray’s hand, letting it anchor her. “Raising her son, working at museums. She loved it. But she was lonely—I know she was. I don’t know if she ever considered returning to Riverbend. She never talked about it.”

  Mrs. Kaye cleared her throat. “Abby was coming back. She told me. She and Lonnie started communicating again in the last years of her life. He had let the B&B run down once he realized he’d lost Abby for good, but somehow they reconnected. I don’t know if she reached out or he did—she wasn’t specific. All I know is Lonnie was excited, and he started gussying up the B&B, getting it ready for her return. And then Abby passed away.”

  Drew blinked back tears. She thought of the signs of previous renovation Ray had found—new plumbing and cleaned-out walls that had been once again neglected.

  “He let it go to ruin a second time,” Drew said softly. “That was why.”

  Mrs. Kaye nodded sadly. “When Abby passed on, all the heart went out of him. Lonnie became a recluse and closed the B&B forever.”

  Mr. Carew leaned in again. “Lonnie came to me and set up the trust. He knew his son was gone, but he’d learned about you from Abby, knew you were his granddaughter and his heir. He wanted to make sure you came home to Riverbend and fixed up the house, to make it a happy place now that it was too late for him and Abby.”

  “Too late,” Drew echoed, tears trickling to her cheeks. “That’s so sad.”

  Mrs. Kaye broke in briskly. “It is sad. For them. If they’d unbent, admitted they loved each other, and worked it out …” She trailed off with a sigh. “I loved Abby, I truly did. Mr. Kaye and I tried to make her and Lonnie see reason, to show them how happy we were, but you can’t run other people’s relationships. It’s a closed door, no matter how good your intentions are.”

  “He wants the B&B to be beautiful for her,” Drew said. “He wants it to be the home he meant it to be.”

  “I believe that’s true,” Olivia said. “But he can’t make that choice for you.” She gave Drew a wry smile. “Lonnie is still trying to have his own way.”

  “I think he’s trying to make up for the happiness he lost.” Drew held more tightly to Ray’s hand, liking that he let her work through this, didn’t try to tell her what to do or feel. He simply watched her with his fine green eyes, being there for her. “This is the only way he knows how to do it.”

  Mr. Carew spread his fingers. “It is up to you, Miss Paresky. He set you a hard and expensive task. No one would blame you if you walked away. Someone else will buy the property, no harm done.”

  Mrs. Kaye didn’t agree, Drew could see, but the woman pressed her lips together and didn’t speak. Everyone in the room watched Drew, waiting to see what she’d decide.

  “I want to stay,” she said softly. “I want to do this. I never sensed my grandmother was unhappy when I grew up—we had fun. But my family never seemed complete. I’d like to complete it—for them.”

  Mrs. Kaye relaxed into a smile. “You’re a sweet young woman, dear. So much like Abby.”

  “She can’t do it alone.” Ray gazed at the collected company, a protective bulk at Drew’s side. “Mr. Paresky was still a little nuts, if y’all won’t take offense. Had grandiose ideas, am I right? So we need to help Drew with this project. Money, time, whatever we all can do. She’s one of us now.”

  “Of course she is.” Mrs. Kaye leaned down and wrapped Drew in a peppermint-scented hug. “We’ll do whatever it takes, dear. Dena can research whatever you need. Mr. Carew can help you with financial questions, Olivia is already looking after your daughter a lot, and Mabel can keep everyone in pie. Yes, you will,” Mrs. Kaye said sternly when Mrs. Ward stirred in her seat. “You and Grace can bake up a storm.”

  Mrs. Kaye loved the spotlight, Drew could see. Mrs. Kaye beamed at the group, gazed pointedly at Drew’s and Ray’s entwined hands, and gave them both a wink. “I think that B&B will be the happiest place ever, real soon.”

  * * *

  “You okay?”

  Ray glanced at Drew as he drove through the darkness to the B&B. She’d said little since they’d left the library.

  Drew came out of her reverie. “I’m fine.” Her voice was soft, whispery. “I can’t help thinking about how my grandparents let their lives get away from them. If they hadn’t given in to the drama and angst, if they’d met each other halfway … They could have had so much together.”

  “Possibly.” Ray answered with caution. “You never know, though. So many factors. I agree about the drama.” He shot her another glance. “Is that what it was like with your husband?”

  “Sort of. He was cold instead of raging, but he turned every situation into a stage for his opinions. As a way to belittle me. That got old.”

  Probably not fast enough, Ray suspected. Drew was an optimist and tended to give people a chance. Lucky for Ray she did.

  “It was drama with me and Christina too. Not really between us, but every time Grant walked into the room …” Ray shook his head. “I ceased to exist.”

  Drew didn’t answer, and Ray looked over to see her gazing at him steadily.

  “What?” he asked.

  “I’m trying to imagine how you could cease to exist for someone. I like Christina now that I’ve gotten to know her, but I have to say, she was stupid.”

  Ray tried a grin. “Well, when we broke up, she did say it was her not me.”

  “Damn right. It was entirely her.” Drew let out a breath. “I guess she was like my grandparents—there was one guy, and it was Grant.”

  “And I knew that,” Ray admitted. “Knew it going in. I wasn’t really surprised when she ended it. Not devastated either.”

  He knew he should shut up, but he wanted Drew to know he was over Christina. Had been for a long time. Over her even before they broke up.

  “I know.”

  Drew’
s quiet answer made his heart thump. She did understand—she understood him like no one else had.

  He took her hand in his. Ray didn’t know what it was about holding hands with her that was so wonderful. Sex was definitely more over-the-top and crazy. But her sliding her fingers through his made him warm all over.

  “By the way,” she said in her water-smooth voice. “Thanks for tonight. For letting Mrs. Kaye explain. I know you set that up.”

  “You deserved to know. To tell the truth, a lot of it was Mrs. Kaye’s idea. She cornered me at the feed store and said you’d been told the wrong side of the story, and what was I going to do about it?” He chuckled. “I believe her when she says she was wild back in the day.”

  Drew leaned to him and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Ray.”

  They rode in silence for the rest of the drive, and were equally quiet when they entered the empty apartment. They only broke the night’s peace with raw cries as they took each other fiercely in the comfort of Drew’s bed.

  * * *

  Drew’s life fell into a pleasant routine. A barrage of workmen would fall on the house in the early morning and labor until late afternoon. Ray worked with them on the days he didn’t tend to business at the Malory ranch.

  Drew now had school functions with Erica, who had joined the gymkhana team along with Faith. Outgoing Erica had taken well to the school and already had a large circle of friends.

  With the help of Dena, Drew did more research on the B&B and Riverbend history, digging out old photos and artifacts with which she’d decorate the house. She also found a friend in Lucy Malory, who accompanied her on buying trips to Austin, helping her pick out fabrics and furniture.

  Thanksgiving arrived, and Drew and Erica joined the Malorys, including Dr. Anna, now firmly engaged to Kyle. Grace and Carter came for dessert, bringing Faith and baby Zach with them.

  Anna and Kyle would marry in the spring. Wedding planning took up much of the talk at the Thanksgiving table, though the guys soon quietly faded from the dining room.

  Drew suggested that since the B&B was coming along so well that Anna and Kyle could have their wedding there in the spring, a week before its grand opening.

  Everyone thought this a wonderful idea, which made Drew have nervous second thoughts. She’d been caught up in wedding excitement, and so much could go wrong with the B&B between now and then. But she crossed her fingers and joined in the planning.

  Christmas saw Drew and Erica still living over the garage, but in a beautifully refurnished apartment, with a new kitchen, polished floors, and antique furniture that softened up the place. Drew feared Ray would find it too frilly for him, but he didn’t seem to mind.

  He’d also become a solid part of Drew’s life. They never talked about what they had or where they were going—he was simply there, sharing her bed and her dining room, helping work on the house, driving Erica around when Drew couldn’t.

  Every evening found him at Drew’s table with her and Erica. Either Drew would cook, or Ray would make steaks or chicken on the grill he’d bought and set up behind the garage, or he’d take them out to the diner or farther afield to restaurants in Austin or San Antonio.

  He stayed over Christmas Eve, and on Christmas morning surprised Erica with a beautiful hand-tooled leather saddle, telling her she should think about getting her own horse. It could be boarded at the Malory or Campbell ranch, no problem. Wouldn’t be an expense either, because one of the Malory horses was set to retire from roping, and that horse was very good with kids.

  Ray was like a god to Erica after that.

  For Drew, Ray had bought a bookcase and filled it with fancy bound editions of Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers mysteries.

  “Everyone told me to get you jewelry,” he said when Drew showered him with thanks and kisses. “But I know you like books.”

  “Who wouldn’t?” Drew exclaimed.

  She’d bought him a new cowboy hat—in consultation with Kyle—which he studied with admiration. Apparently the brand and style were just right.

  After the brief lull of Christmas, work on the house became more frantic, and Drew’s worry increased.

  What if she couldn’t finish in time? Would she have to forfeit the trust? And what would she do then? Jobs weren’t thick on the ground in River County, and she and Erica would need income. She might be able to work at the library in town, but Dena had told her in confidence that the county couldn’t pay much.

  Taking Erica away from Riverbend would break the girl’s heart. Drew’s too.

  The cold of January and February softened to March, spring coming early in the Hill Country. This had been Drew’s first winter without snow, which had been strange to her, but she could see where she’d quickly grow used to it.

  Most of the ground floor of the B&B had been finished by the end of March, if not furnished, but the second floor bathrooms still needed to be overhauled, not to mention every room upstairs had to be stripped down and re-painted and re-floored.

  Anna and Kyle were due to wed soon. The B&B had several downstairs bedrooms ready, though the pair were heading to Hawaii for the honeymoon—“Only place we can find any privacy,” Kyle had growled.

  Drew needed guests. That was a stipulation of the trust. What if she finished the B&B, spending every penny of the grant and more besides, and no one came to stay?

  On a windy morning with the wedding a week away, Drew glanced out the window to see two strangers climb out of a pickup below her apartment.

  No, not strangers. They looked familiar.

  Ray and the workers were busy inside the house, so Drew went down to see who they were, her heart thumping strangely. She hadn’t heard a word from Jules all winter—no Christmas card or gift for Erica this year—but she didn’t think he’d given up harassing Drew.

  As she stepped outside, a young man with blond hair and a deep tan grinned at her with very white teeth. The slightly older man with him had dark hair and dirt in the creases of his skin, but his smile was just as enthusiastic.

  “Hi there,” the blond man said, and the dark-haired one nodded.

  “Hello,” Drew responded politely. “Can I help you?”

  “Heard you had rooms to rent.”

  “Oh.” Drew started, then recovered, pretending to be businesslike. “We’re not quite open yet, but I do have a couple rooms on the ground floor and one in the basement—all recently renovated. If you want—”

  “Great!” the blond man cut her off. “We’ll take them. We can bring our gear later today and sign whatever we need to sign. We have funding, don’t worry. Credit card and everything.”

  Drew could hardly say no. “How many—”

  “Five of us. Two women and us three guys. So much better than the tents and campers we’ve been living in. Ray told us about this place and the thought of running water and a roof over our heads … We couldn’t resist.”

  “Tents?” Drew began, then realized. “Oh, you’re the archaeologists …”

  “That’s us.” The dark-haired man, whose accent put him as originating far from Texas, tipped his baseball cap. “Excavation is hot work. Don’t worry, we’ll clean ourselves up and leave our pickaxes at the dig.” His smiled widened, as though he’d made a good joke.

  “All right then,” Drew said, trying to remain businesslike and not dance a sudden jig. “The rooms are yours.”

  “Great,” the blond man bounced on his toes. “See you later.” Both turned for the truck, then the blond man swung back. “Tell Ray thanks. He’s a bud.”

  “Yes,” Drew said as the two happy young men leapt into the pickup and slammed the doors. “Yes, he is.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Anna and Kyle’s wedding day dawned, a fair and crisp April morning. Anna arrived at the B&B early, a nervous wreck, and let Drew, Grace, and Lucy fuss over her. Or, not so much let them as tolerated it.

  “You’re a beautiful bride, Anna,” Lucy said as she smoothed out the wedding gown on the hanger. “Kyle’s t
ongue will be on the floor.”

  “Eeww,” Erica declared. “He might step on it. Lucy’s right, though. You’re so pretty, Anna.”

  Anna flushed under their gazes. She did look lovely, Drew thought, giving Anna an impetuous hug. Anna’s golden hair, pulled back into a complicated knot Grace had expertly pinned, shone like sunshine.

  Lucy wistfully brushed the silk of the ivory gown. She had relaxed a long way since she’d come home, and now assisted Anna in her vet clinic when she wasn’t helping Drew put decorative touches on the B&B. She loved animals and had decided to train to be a veterinary assistant. What Anna could pay her was a far cry from what she’d made as a stockbroker in Houston, but that didn’t seem to bother her anymore.

  Drew had spied Lucy several times during the last six months in the company of Hal Jenkins. She wasn’t sure if it was serious, at least on Lucy’s part, but Hal was a nice guy, and Drew hoped the best for them.

  “This is your big day, Drew,” Anna said when Drew released her. “I don’t want to screw it up for you.”

  “Big day for me?” Drew laughed. “You’re the one getting married.”

  “Yes, but this is your debut.” Anna flushed again. “Everyone gets to see what you’ve done with the B&B. At the grand opening next week, you’ll have fulfilled the terms of your grandfather’s bequest and inherit all the money. I don’t want something stupid at the wedding to drive guests away and force you to close.”

  “First of all, you worry too much.” Drew adjusted the spray of white baby’s breath in Anna’s hair. “Second, everyone’s going to love watching you get married, no matter what happens. You just focus on hot, hot Kyle at the end of the aisle.”

  Lucy grimaced. “I’m not sure I like to think of my brother as hot, hot Kyle. I know he’s good-looking, but TMI.”

  Grace busied herself making ribbon roses. “I second that.”

  “Mom is thinking of hot, hot Ray.” Erica grinned. “She wishes she was the one getting married—to Ray.”