Their Ranch Reunion

by Mindy Obenhaus

  He glanced around. Too many struggles for him to see it that way.

  He turned back to her. Through her eyes, though, everything looked better.

  “I guess we did do a lot of walking along this path.” Of course, it wasn’t so much about where they were as it was just being with her. He focused on the river. “I was always comfortable sharing things with you. Like I could tell you anything and you’d understand.”

  Whap!

  “Hey!” He twisted to see Megan grinning at him.

  “Gotcha.” She pointed to the spot where her snowball had struck him in the arm.

  “Oh, so that’s how you want to play.” He scooped up a wad of snow and packed it into a ball before taking aim at Megan.

  “Missed me—”

  His second shot was a direct hit.

  Next thing he knew, it was every man for himself. Except he was the only man, and Carly and Megan had joined forces against him.

  As the snowballs continued to fly, he charged Carly, tackling her into a snowdrift.

  Both winded, they stared at one another as their breaths hovered in the chilly air. Holding her in his arms, their faces so close...

  “You know, we didn’t always just talk while we were out here,” he whispered.

  For a moment, her eyes searched his, as though they were lost in time. Then the redness in her cheeks deepened. She rolled to her side, and he helped her to her feet.

  “We’d better get back to the house,” she said, dusting the snow from her pants. “I don’t want to leave your father for too long.”

  Reluctantly he fired up the snowmobile. Him and his big mouth.

  When they arrived at the house, his brother Jude was pulling up.

  Still wearing his police uniform, he got out of his truck and met them on the deck. “Looks like you guys were out having some fun.”

  “It was awesome,” said Megan.

  Jude turned his attention to Carly. “You’ll be glad to know that the electricity’s back on in town.”

  “That’s excellent news.” Smiling, she glanced at her daughter first, then at Andrew. “I’ll just check on your father and we’ll be on our way.”

  So much for trying to keep her at the ranch. Now he needed to figure out why she was suddenly so eager to leave.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Carly was glad to be back home, or at least to Livie’s house, instead of under the same roof as Andrew. But by noon Saturday, she couldn’t help feeling that the ranch was where she needed to be. Though it had nothing to do with Andrew and everything to do with Clint.

  Okay, perhaps a small part of it had to do with Andrew.

  She transferred a batch of peanut butter cookies from baking sheet to cooling rack, the sweet aroma beckoning her to sample just one. Maybe two. Or ten.

  Resisting, she set the empty baking pan aside and blew out an annoyed breath. In her eagerness to get away from Andrew and the crazy notions his presence seemed to evoke, she’d practically abandoned his father. Sure, Noah and Andrew knew how to give him breathing treatments and would see to it that he took his medicine, but would they monitor him as closely as she did? Would they remember to take his temperature? And what if Andrew needed to work on her kitchen to make up for the time lost to the storm? Without her there to look after Clint, he wouldn’t be able to leave.

  Megan shuffled into the kitchen from the parlor, eyeing the cookies. “Ooo, can I have one?”

  “Help yourself.” The more Megan ate, the fewer there were to tempt her.

  Her daughter grabbed a treat before dropping into one of the faux leather swivel chairs at the table. She swung her leg back and forth. “I’m bored.”

  She wasn’t the only one.

  Grabbing a cookie for herself, Carly rounded the peninsula to join Megan at the table. “What would you like to do?”

  Megan broke off a piece of cookie. “Can we go to the ranch? I’m worried about Elsa and Anna.”

  “You don’t think Andrew and Noah can take care of them?”

  “Yeah, but it’s not the same.”

  Just like having the brothers care for Clint wasn’t the same. “You’re right. It’s not.”

  She bit into her cookie, the peanutty taste sending her taste buds into a frenzy. Hard to believe it hadn’t even been a week since Clint’s pneumonia was diagnosed. Meaning he was far from being out of the woods.

  You said you would take care of him.

  And even argued against them bringing in someone else to do so. Yet she’d bailed, all because things got a little too cozy with Andrew. If that didn’t sound like a coward, Carly wasn’t sure what did.

  She polished off her cookie and stood, dusting the crumbs from her hands. “Okay, let’s go.”

  Under a crisp blue sky, they headed north on Main Street in her SUV. Seemed the warmer temperatures had brought out all of Ouray today. The sidewalks were bustling with people. With the storm past, everyone was eager to be out and about and, no doubt, ready for spring. Herself included.

  Continuing outside of town, Carly found herself second-guessing her impromptu decision. Maybe she should have called first. After all, she’d left them high and dry. What if the Stephens men were upset with her?

  Butterflies took wing in her midsection as she pulled into the ranch. This was such a bad idea.

  No, leaving so abruptly yesterday was.

  Bumping up the long drive, she tightened her grip on the steering wheel. Too late to turn back now.

  They had barely come to a stop when Megan grabbed the container of cookies Carly had made, hopped out of the vehicle and started up the deck. Oh, no. Megan was used to following Andrew into the house. What if she walked in without knocking?

  Carly shoved her door open and planted her booted feet on the wet gravel. “Megan!”

  Her daughter stopped immediately. Looked at her.

  She sucked in a calming breath. “Wait for me, please.”

  A few moments later, the two of them knocked.

  When Andrew swung the door open, his expression was somewhere between surprise and relief. Though his smile told her he was glad to see them.

  “How’s Clint?” She stepped into the mudroom, breathing a little easier.

  “Not too good, I’m afraid.”

  Her breathing all but stopped. This was her fault. If she hadn’t run out on them...

  “He’s refusing his breathing treatments.” Exasperation creased Andrew’s forehead. “Won’t even let me take his temperature.”

  “That’s not good.” And the fact that she could hear the older man wheezing before she was halfway to the family room escalated her concern.

  Pushing up the sleeves of her light blue Henley, she knelt beside Clint’s recliner. “What’s this I hear about you not taking your breathing treatments?” She hated the annoyance in her voice, especially since it was directed more at her than him.

  He looked at her with a mischievous grin. “I was just thinking I might oughta do one.”

  Okay, now she was annoyed with him. Had he been refusing them on purpose?

  She pushed to her feet, dug her fists into her hips. “Clint, do you want to get well or not?”

  He brought his chair to an upright position. “Now, don’t go gettin’ yourself all worked up. I said I’d do one.”

  “Mmm-hmm. And what if I hadn’t shown up?”

  Despite looking somewhat pale, there was a glint in his eye as he glared at her. “Guess we’ll never know.”

  Guilt kept her quiet and had her stepping aside to ready the nebulizer.

  “You need to take your medicine, Mr. Clint, so you can come to the stables and see Elsa and Anna.” Her daughter looked very serious as she addressed the older man. “They’re getting bigger every day.”

/>   “That’s ’cause they’ve got you takin’ care of them,” he said.

  “Speaking of Elsa and Anna—” Andrew smiled down at Megan “—would you like to go see them?”

  “Uh-huh.” Her head bobbed like crazy with excitement. Then again, those horses were her main reason for wanting to come out here.

  “Where’s Noah?” Deciding she’d better take Clint’s temp before the breathing treatment, Carly retrieved the thermometer from the side table.

  “Checking horses and cattle.” Andrew was already on his way into the mudroom with a happy Megan. Carly genuinely appreciated his attentiveness to her daughter. Something Megan had rarely received from her father.

  Alone with Clint, Carly pulled the beeping thermometer from his mouth. 98.8. Not too bad. “You were being stubborn again, weren’t you?”

  “I love my sons dearly, but they don’t have your bedside manner.”

  His words pricked her heart. He wasn’t just counting on her. He trusted her.

  She shoved the thermometer back into its case, finding it tough to look him in the eye. “I’m sorry for deserting you.”

  Grabbing the nebulizer mask, she tugged on the elastic band.

  Before she could slip it over his head, he reached a hand up to stop her. “Carly, I’d like to ask you a favor.”

  Lowering her hands, she said, “What’s that?”

  “I’d like you to help me keep Andrew in Ouray.”

  Confusion narrowed her gaze. “Keep him in Ouray? For how long?”

  “Forever.”

  Her heart tripped and stuttered. Andrew in Ouray? Forever? What would that mean for her? For them? Staying away from him was challenging enough as it was.

  “But Andrew’s built a life in Denver,” she said. “He’s about to close on a new business. Besides, you give me too much credit. What could I possibly do to make Andrew want to stay in Ouray?”

  “All Denver has done is steal his joy. When he first got here, his eyes had lost their spark. But now...he looks better than ever. And you’re partly to thank for that.” He wagged a finger in her direction. “You, my dear, have far more influence over my son than you think.”

  Carly begged to differ. If anyone had influence, it was Andrew. Every time she saw him, she felt like a teenager again. He was her first kiss. Her first love.

  But he’d chosen work over her. Just like Dennis had done.

  “Mind if I think on it for a bit?”

  Lips pursed, he sent her a frustrated look. “Don’t take too long. We haven’t got much time.”

  Standing again, she slipped the mask over Clint’s face. For his sake, she might drop a few hints to Andrew if the opportunity presented itself. For her heart’s sake, though, she couldn’t help hoping they’d fall on a deaf ear. If Andrew stayed, he’d fight even harder to keep his grandmother’s house. Leaving her dreams of expanding the B and B in the dust.

  * * *

  By Tuesday, Dad was doing noticeably better. His color was back, there hadn’t been any fever spikes since the weekend, and the coughing and wheezing had subsided considerably. All because of Carly and the care she’d been giving him.

  Andrew was envious. He wished he could spend as much time with her as his father had. Because if there was one thing he’d learned since returning to Ouray, it was that life was better with Carly around.

  Lately, though, they barely crossed paths. Only when he brought Megan to the ranch after school. Even then, Carly didn’t seem to have time to stop and talk like before. Instead, she’d get dinner on the table and she and Megan would be on their way.

  Sometimes he couldn’t help wondering if she was purposely avoiding him. Ever since the blizzard, things had been different, though he didn’t have a clue why.

  He wound his truck past the red sandstone formations north of Ouray. In the last few days he’d made great strides in bringing Carly’s old home back to life. The mitigation team had completed their work over the weekend, allowing him to get started on the floors.

  He frowned. Now that the refinishing process was complete, he’d need to allow a couple of days for the floors to dry. This would be the perfect time for him to get some work done on his grandmother’s house. But with Carly and Megan living there, that was out of the question.

  Hands on the steering wheel, he eyed the open rangeland with its rapidly dwindling snowpack. He and Carly hadn’t even discussed Grandma’s place since the fire. But now that things were winding down at Granger House, leaving him only a couple of weeks before the closing on Magnum Homes, he’d need to find a way to bring it up. As a businessman, he could appreciate Carly wanting to expand the B and B. But as the great-grandson of the man who built the house in question, he refused to let it leave the family. Something Carly should understand better than anyone.

  Turning in to the ranch with Megan, he hoped that maybe tonight he could convince Carly to stay for dinner. Or that he could at least carve out a little time to talk with her before she left.

  “Are you looking forward to seeing your grandparents?” Carly’s in-laws had invited Megan to come and visit during spring break next week.

  “Uh-huh.” She craned her neck, trying to see the corral as they continued past the stable. No doubt looking for the foals. “My cousin, Mia, is going to be there. We always have fun. Who’s here?” She pointed to the unfamiliar white SUV parked beside his father’s dually.

  “I don’t know,” he said.

  He eased the pickup to a stop, surveying the dingy ranch house in front of him and the partially collapsed barn in his rearview mirror. There never had been any shortage of work around this place, but he’d never seen things look this bad, either. He supposed he could help. If he had the time. Which he didn’t. At least, not now.

  Grabbing his thermos, he exited the truck. He could hardly wait to see what kind of food Carly had waiting for them today. He really did enjoy walking into the house and being greeted with the aromas of fresh baked sweets and dinner in progress.

  When he and Megan entered the mudroom, they were met with the sound of laughter. And a voice he didn’t recognize.

  He sniffed the air. Carly had been baking, all right, but where was the savory smell of tonight’s meal?

  Disappointment wove through him, even though he knew it was wrong. It wasn’t like Carly was their maid. She was taking care of his father out of the goodness of her heart, and he had no right to expect anything more. Yet he did want more. He liked coming home to her. Liked sharing the events of his day with her.

  He supposed he’d better get used to it, though. Because once he went back to Denver, he’d have no one.

  Inside the family room, Dad sat upright in his recliner, while Carly was on the couch beside the blond-haired woman who’d stopped by Granger House right after the fire. What was her name? Hillary something.

  Dad was the first to see them. “There they are.” He held his arms out. “How’s my favorite nine-year-old?”

  Megan giggled, dropped her backpack and gave the old man a hug.

  “How was school?” Dad had become quite enamored with Megan over the past week or so. The kid had a way of bringing out the best in his old man.

  “I got a hundred on my math test.”

  “Excellent.”

  “News like that deserves a brownie.” Carly stood, eyeing Megan first, then Andrew, before continuing into the kitchen. “You remember Ms. Hillary, don’t you?”

  Megan waved. “Hi.” Seemingly shy, she remained beside his father.

  “Good to see you again, Hillary.” Andrew nodded in her direction.

  The woman studied him a moment. “Yes. We met the day of the fire, correct?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Hillary and I were in school together,” said Dad.

  “Though I was much y
ounger than your father,” she was quick to add.

  “Three years isn’t that much difference.” The old man frowned.

  Carly returned with a plate of brownies in one hand and a stack of napkins in the other. She offered a treat to Megan first, along with a napkin, then continued around the room. “Hillary brought dinner for you guys.”

  You guys? As in just him, Dad and Noah?

  “Pot roast, smashed potatoes...” Hillary waved a hand. “Celeste does so much cooking anyway, we’re never going to know when that nesting urge hits her.”

  Carly set the plate on the side table at the end of the couch. “If she’s anything like me, she’ll be cleaning everything in sight a couple days before going into labor.”

  Hillary touched a long fingernail to her lips. “Yes, I seem to recall that when I was close to delivering Celeste, too.”

  “Hillary Ward. A grandmother.” His father’s smile held a definite air of mischief. “I always thought world domination woulda been more your style.”

  “That’s Hillary Ward-Thompson.” The woman pushed to her feet. “And no, darling, not world. I prefer corporate domination.”

  “So how come you’re back in Ouray?” Dad looked up at her, one graying brow lifted in amusement.

  She tugged on the hem of her crisp white blouse. “According to my doctor, I put too much of my heart into my job and it couldn’t keep up. So, considering I have two granddaughters now and another grandchild on the way, I decided there were better ways to spend my time than jet-setting across the globe.”

  “Woman, you’re too young to retire.”

  “Who said anything about retiring?” Hillary glared at his father. “I’m merely redirecting my focus.”

  Andrew caught Carly smiling at the pair. Not that he could blame her. Watching the interaction between Hillary and his father was more entertaining than most television shows.