Fortune's Hero

by Susan Crosby

  “Part-time.”

  Emily got the baby out of her carrier. MaryAnne was awake and alert.

  “Nice to see you again,” Emily said to Garrett.

  “Same here.” He touched his hat. “I’ll leave you all to talk.”

  “We brought lunch,” Wendy said. “Enough for everyone.”

  Victoria left the decision up to him, not wanting to push him into socializing.

  “I’m sure Victoria would like to spend time just with you, but thanks.”

  “We’ll leave you a plate,” Wendy said as he strolled away. He acknowledged her words with a raised hand.

  “I can bring another chair onto the porch,” Victoria said, happy to spend time with her cousins.

  “Can’t we eat inside?” Emily asked. “What?” she said when Wendy made a noise. “I’m dying to see the place Vicki can’t seem to quit. Aren’t you?”

  “I’m curious.”

  Victoria hoped Garrett didn’t think she was taking over, making his house hers. She didn’t figure he was embarrassed or anything, but it was his personal space. People sometimes got uptight about such things.

  They moved the party inside. As Victoria got out plates for the sandwiches and coleslaw, Wendy and Emily explored.

  “Very quaint,” Emily said, passing the baby to Wendy. “Manly.”

  “It suits him,” Victoria said.

  “At least he has internet and satellite TV.”

  “A thoroughly modern man,” Victoria said, smiling.

  “Is he?”

  “About some things. Most things, actually,” she said after thinking about it.

  “Is the couch comfortable?”

  “It is.”

  “To sleep on?”

  Victoria ignored the question and took a bite of a chicken sandwich layered with pancetta, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula and parmesan shavings. “This is incredible, Wendy. Is it from Red?”

  “No. Just a recipe that looked good.”

  “Come on, Vicki. Give us a little dirt,” Emily said. “Is he good?”

  “I’m still here, aren’t I?”

  “Which is one of the things we came to tell you,” Wendy said. “We’ve been fielding calls from your mother.”

  “Really? I talk to her every day.” She took another bite as she figured out what else to say. She wanted to keep the extent of her feelings for Garrett to herself. The last thing she wanted was for people in town to change their opinion of him because of anything she said or did. “She understands why I’ve stayed. Dad, too.”

  Or so they’d said, although her mother had commented in her often cryptic way, “A mother knows every nuance of her child, Victoria. Her voice, her demeanor, even her laughter. You’ll see for yourself someday.”

  “We just thought we’d give you a heads-up,” Wendy said. “There’s also been a little talk around town. Just a little,” she added in a hurry. “Nothing bad, but even though you haven’t been flashy about it, your daily presence here has been noticed.”

  Victoria groaned. He was never going to forgive her for that. “The last thing I want is for his reputation to suffer because of me.”

  The sisters exchanged glances. “Well, actually, it’s improved because of you.”

  “Seriously? That’s good, then.” Although she couldn’t tell him that. It would sound egotistical.

  “Maybe,” Emily said hesitantly. “But maybe it’s going to cause him problems when you leave. You know, like he wasn’t a good guy, after all. There’ll be gossip.”

  Appalled, Victoria dropped her chin to her chest. Once again, her good intentions had taken a wrong turn. She shoved her plate forward a little, planted her elbows on the table and looked out the window at his property. She’d been envisioning a new structure, a huge shelter with lots of dog runs and places to train them. Several areas to quarantine new animals until they passed their vet checks. She’d been thinking maybe he could teach obedience classes, too. He had such an easy way about him.

  And now look what she’d done—wreaked havoc for him every step of the way. He would think she was a jinx, that anything she touched turned sour. How could she overcome that?

  “Um, we need to talk to you about something else,” Wendy said.

  “There’s more?”

  “Not about Garrett,” Emily said. “We need reassurance that Jordana is okay, Vicki. I know you told us a few weeks ago, but according to everyone at home, she’s been taking a lot of sick days or coming in late to work. She isn’t showing up for family events, and you know how much she loves them.”

  “Well, maybe you should finally go home and check her out for yourself,” Victoria fired back, tired of keeping Jordana’s secret. After a few seconds of shocked silence, Victoria blew out a breath and said more calmly, “She’s not sick. Does she have something on her mind? Yes. She’s at a crossroads just like I am. While I have to put up with you because I’m here, she has the luxury of privacy.” She flashed a smile.

  “I guess I understand that, but she’s never left us in the dark before,” Wendy said.

  Victoria picked up her fork and took a bite of coleslaw, but her appetite was gone. She had to figure out how not to hurt Garrett with her actions. She had to figure out how to keep Jordana’s secret when Victoria didn’t believe in keeping the pregnancy from the father. Jordana and Tanner needed to talk and reach decisions, and soon.

  “May I hold MaryAnne?” she asked Wendy, giving up on eating.

  “Not hungry?”

  “We had a big breakfast. It’s delicious. I’ll finish it later.” She lifted the baby out of Wendy’s arms and sat back in her chair again. “We can go out to the porch and rock when you’re done eating.”

  “Go now, if you want,” Wendy said. “We’ll finish up and stow the leftovers.”

  “Okay.” Victoria wanted a few minutes to herself, anyway.

  The weather was a perfect seventy-five degrees with a slight breeze, but not enough to stir up dust. MaryAnne stared at Victoria, which made her regret not having spent more time with her. After all this time, she should be seeing a familiar face, not that of a near stranger.

  She started to fuss. “No. Oh, no, don’t do that,” Victoria said, jostling her, which only turned her fussing into crying. Her cousins were probably having a big laugh at her expense about now, since neither of them bothered to come outside and help.

  “What’d you do to her?” Garrett asked, climbing the porch steps.

  She’d never been so happy to see someone. “Nothing! I was just holding her. Shh, baby. Shh.”

  “Is she hungry?”

  “How would I know?”

  “Need her diaper changed?”

  Victoria lifted her up and sniffed. “I don’t think so.”

  Garrett sat in the second rocker, enjoying seeing Victoria out of her element. Competent was usually her middle name.

  “You seem to know a lot about babies,” Victoria said, her expression one of bewilderment. “You take her.”

  “Can’t. I’ve been working with the animals too much.”

  “Go shower and change.”

  He laughed. “Try a different position. Put her on your shoulder.”

  That only made things worse.

  “Hold her in front of you, her legs against your stomach, then bounce her, using your arms,” he suggested. He’d never pictured Victoria with a baby. Himself, either, for that matter, and yet he wanted to cradle the crying infant, to soothe her.

  “It’s working,” Victoria said, relief in her voice and body language. “She’s not crying. You’re a genius.”

  “Not much different from soothing a scared animal.”

  MaryAnne turned toward Garrett, her fists tucked
under her chin. He took off his hat. She seemed to study every part of his face. She was probably used to being with women most of the time. His voice was so much deeper, like her father’s.

  “She’s a pretty little thing,” he said.

  “When she’s not crying.”

  He smiled. “You haven’t spent much time with babies, I guess.”

  “Well, I didn’t earn a merit badge in babysitting. Man. My arms are getting tired. She’s heavier than she looks.”

  “Lay her down in your lap. Maybe she’s just tired of being held. Maybe she needs a little freedom to move.”

  He watched Victoria carefully place MaryAnne on her legs, itching to pick up the baby himself. His thighs were longer, would provide a better, more secure cradle.

  He looked away then, surprised at his thoughts, which were definitely a first for him. Then a movement caught his eye. Wendy and Emily were peeking out the living room window, watching them.

  “We have an audience,” he whispered.

  Victoria jerked her head toward the window and stuck out her tongue.

  They retaliated with funny faces in return until Victoria cracked up.

  “You’ve missed them,” Garrett said, enjoying seeing this side of her.

  “We’ve always been close, but even more so as adults. Wendy’s only two years younger, so I’ve been closest to her. It’s been hard for me having her move away.”

  The sisters came out the door, laughing like kids, making him wonder what kinds of gestures they’d been making through the window after he’d turned away. He didn’t have a sibling, or even a cousin that he knew of, didn’t have that kind of relationship with anyone. He’d made a friend in the army, one who’d helped him get through the long days, made longer by never getting a letter or package from home. Then on the oil rig, an old-timer named Ned had become his mentor, not just about the job but life. Ned had died a few years back.

  Garrett only saw his mother if he went to San Antonio with the sole purpose of seeing her. She never contacted him. He’d never known what having a close family meant until he listened to Victoria talk fondly about her brothers and cousins. What would that be like, having someone who mattered for your entire life? Someone who had some of the same memories as you?

  He figured Wendy and Marcos would give MaryAnne more siblings. They each had four of their own. She would have lifelong connections. Lucky girl.

  A hand waved in front of his face. “You in there?” Emily asked. “We must be boring the heck out of you.”

  “Maybe if we’d been neighing or woofing, he would’ve been paying attention,” Wendy said, a teasing glint in her eyes. “Garrett, Marcos asked me to tell you that a man’s been asking questions about you around town. It sounds like he’s interested in your animal interests.”

  “I hope it’s not another reporter. What’d he look like, do you know?”

  “Marcos said he was short and wiry, and he wore a Resistol that was too big for his head.”

  The description screamed outsider to Garrett.

  MaryAnne started to fuss again. “Guess that’s our cue to leave. It’s too early for her to eat. Maybe riding in the car will soothe her.”

  She picked up her daughter, said goodbye then walked to the car. Victoria followed, talking to Wendy as she buckled the baby in her carrier. Emily remained behind, watching them.

  “Do you believe in destiny, Garrett?” she asked.

  Not until recently. He didn’t say the words, couldn’t trust her not to tell Victoria. Besides that, he needed to figure it out for himself. “I guess you do.”

  “I’m not sure. I only know that you happened to be in the right place at the right time to save Vicki’s life. I’ve been hoping destiny would find me, too, but now I’ve come to realize that I’m going to have to make my own destiny. I don’t have time to wait anymore.”

  “Well, that’s crystal clear.”

  “Sorry. I was mostly thinking out loud.” She touched his arm. “Enjoy your final days with my sweet cousin. All good things must come to an end, as they say.”

  Final days. Talk about bursting a bubble, which was obviously her intention. What had Victoria told her?

  After waving her cousins off, Victoria came up the porch steps. “Are you hungry? They brought great sandwiches and coleslaw.”

  “Maybe in a bit.” Final days. The words were already starting to haunt him, a countdown to liftoff and an unknown journey. This was Wednesday. They had until Saturday afternoon. How much could happen in those few days?

  Not much, he figured. Or possibly too much. He didn’t think there would be a happy medium.

  Maybe he should give it up to destiny and see where they ended up. It wasn’t like him to leave things alone to happen…

  No sooner had the women left than a pickup rumbled up the drive. Painted on the door was the name of a feed store on the outskirts of San Antonio.

  The driver hopped down, a clipboard in his hand. “Garrett Stone?”

  “That’s me.” He tried to see what was clipped to the board.

  “Got a delivery for you.”

  “I didn’t order anything.”

  “It’s okay, Garrett. I was expecting it,” Victoria said.

  “You know I use Jensen’s. It’s local.”

  The driver waited, but not patiently. He tapped his toe and sighed.

  “It’s a donation,” she said. “Just show the man where to drop the bags, please.”

  As they unloaded bags of pet food, Garrett kept glancing at Victoria, who never met his gaze. He considered how appropriate it was that they’d been brought together by a tornado, because she was a tornado. She whirled into lives and disrupted them. He cleaned things up. She instigated. He handled.

  “You’ll get a monthly donation,” she said idly as they watched the driver leave.

  “How did you manage that?”

  “Made a few phone calls. It’s something I’m good at, Garrett, getting people to donate things. It’s just the beginning.”

  He didn’t know how he felt about it. “I didn’t realize we’d already started the new venture.”

  “Not officially, but I wanted to show you a little of what I can accomplish.”

  Another vehicle was coming down the driveway. “My life was so peaceful before.”

  She had the audacity to grin. “You didn’t know what you were missing, huh?”

  A small man with a big hat approached. “Howdy. You Garrett Stone?”

  “That’s me.”

  “Been hearing about your place. Thought I’d take a look at what you’ve got, if you don’t mind.”

  “Are you interested in a particular kind of animal?”

  “I’m fond of dogs.”

  “We’ve got a few,” Garrett said, leading the way, his instincts shouting at him. If he was the same man who’d been asking questions in town, he was interested in Garrett personally, and Victoria, not the ranch animals.

  He proved it a while later when he said he’d think it over and be back.

  “He won’t be back,” Victoria said.

  “No.”

  “What do you think he really wanted?”

  “Don’t have a clue. I don’t owe any money beyond the usual debts. Nothing from my past is unresolved.” He’d memorized the license place. Maybe Cletus would do him a favor and run it.

  “I’m really sorry for all these disruptions to your life, Garrett.”

  He’d gotten kind of used to it now, but he wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction of knowing that.

  He called Cletus later, explained he was worried because of Victoria. The Fortunes had, well, a fortune. Garrett wanted to make sure she wasn’t a target of some kind. She had the protect
ion of family at home.

  “P.I. firm outta San Antonio,” Cletus said when he called back with the information.

  Garrett didn’t know whether to relax or not. A P.I. firm wasn’t going to kidnap her for a ransom, but he wasn’t comfortable, either, having someone snooping around, whether it was because of him or Victoria.

  He would step up his usual vigilance. Nothing would happen to Victoria Fortune on his watch.

  Chapter Eleven

  Victoria waited until Saturday morning to present her plan to Garrett. She could have done so a day earlier, but she didn’t want her last night with him to end up with her sleeping on the couch.

  They’d had an amazing three days. Jimmy had come to work with the horses, giving Garrett more time in his shop. She felt confident—and worried. It would be a big change for him. She didn’t think he adapted well to change, but it was exciting to think about what he could accomplish. That would be her selling point.

  Garrett was seated at the kitchen table across from her. She passed him a binder, then opened her matching one.

  “The first page shows what the ranch will look like.” She tapped her freshly manicured fingernail on the mechanical drawing of the new structure she thought would be necessary. “This would allow for the barn to be remodeled so that your workroom could be enlarged.”

  He didn’t lift his gaze from the drawing. “Why would I need that?”

  “In case you want to hire help at some point to do some of the basic work.”

  “I can’t ever picture letting someone else do work that has my name on it, Victoria. That would be lying.”

  “You could have apprentices or interns. Lots of businesses do that.”

  “Not me. My product, my name. Anything else would be dishonest.”

  “That’s fine.” She’d figured he would argue that point, so she moved on. There would be time down the road to try to change his mind.

  “You’ll need a real office space, not just a computer on top of a desk in your second bedroom. It could be set up in the new structure, where there’d be room to have a shipping and receiving station. Streamlining would save costs down the road.”