by Vivi Holt
Dalton closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “I don’t know what we’ll do. We don’t have the money to fix it, and we can’t leave it the way it is.”
Parker’s heart sank. “Yeah, Eamon mentioned that. I guess I didn’t realize it was that bad.”
Dalton sighed again. “With Hazel’s medical bills stacking up and the ranch running on fumes, we don’t have any wiggle room. I’m pretty well tapped out, and the ranch accounts aren’t fat enough to take on any major projects. I’m going to get Eamon to take a look at the books when he gets here, but from my perspective it’s not looking good.”
Parker stared at his brother, unsure how to respond.
Dalton must have noticed his shock. “Don’t worry about it too much just yet. We’ll figure it out somehow.”
Parker’s chest tightened. “But it might mean we have to sell the ranch.”
Dalton nodded. “It might.”
“But we’ve poured everything we have into this place, and it’s just starting to get going – we’ve finally got the herd we want. Rocket Peak’s beginning to get a reputation in the breeding world and is in more demand than ever. We’ve fixed everything up, painted anything standing still, installed miles of fencing – we’ve worked so hard!”
Dalton shrugged. “I know. I’m just not sure it’ll be enough. ”
* * *
Parker shifted the truck into second as it rumbled and bumped down the winding track toward the lake. Magic Eight Lake was a place he liked to go when things overwhelmed him. It gave him a chance to think, to calm his mind and to get some perspective. His psychologist had encouraged him to come up with some strategies for managing his stress, and visiting the lake with a fishing pole was one of them.
He pulled the truck onto a grassy rise and set the handbrake, then stepped out of the truck and gazed out across the lake. A flock of geese flew in formation overhead. Ducks paddled serenely on the water’s glassy surface, heads dipping between reeds near the swampy edges. He pulled his pole and tackle box from the back of the truck and hiked over to a fallen log he used as a makeshift seat, set the tackle box down and dug through it for a lure.
Before long the float on his line bobbed gently on the water, and he settled on the log and hunched his shoulders. He knew it wasn’t the right time of year or best time of day to catch anything, but that wasn’t why he was there anyway. He hoped to find some perspective, some insight that would help keep the dark cloud hanging over his thoughts at bay.
The ranch had been his dream for a fresh start. When Dalton asked him to partner in the venture, he’d jumped at the chance. Leaving the military had been the right thing to do, but it had left him with an emptiness he wasn’t sure how to fill. Mom had dragged him to church, which helped. Reconnecting with God filled the hole, but he was still left at loose ends. What to do now with his life?
So when Dalton inherited the ranch from Grandpa Joe, he and Eamon both decided they wanted to visit and help their brother out. When he called them, they’d been ready and willing to drop everything – which for Parker was really nothing at all – and head south. When he asked them to invest, they’d both agreed without hesitation. But if the ranch went under, what then? Everything he’d saved during his Ranger stint would be lost unless they got a good price, which with the current climate in real estate wasn’t a given.
The crunch of gravel signaled the arrival of another vehicle. He squinted in the afternoon light to see Bill Pullen, their neighbor and the lake’s owner pull up beside Parker’s truck. “How’s it going, Bill?” he called when Bill exited his pickup.
Bill meandered over, his hat tipped back, and smiled. “Hey there, Parker. I’m doin’ fine – how ’bout you?”
“Hanging in there.”
Bill sat on the log beside Parker, a toothpick protruding from the side of his mouth. “Heard ya had some trouble with that storm the other day.”
Parker tugged at the line and reeled it in a little, his eyebrows arching briefly. “Yep – lost part of the roof and the electricity besides. We’ve set up a generator now, so it’s not too bad. At least there’s hot water for showers again. Felt like I was back in boot camp for a while there.” He chuckled and tugged the line again.
“Sorry to hear that. Hopefully you can get it fixed before much longer.”
Parker frowned. “I hope so too, though the insurance company’s giving us grief, saying they won’t pay. And Dalton’s got all those hospital expenses …”
Bill slapped his thigh with a curse. “Now that just ain’t right.” He went quiet, and both men watched the surface of the lake, lost in their own thoughts. A dragonfly buzzed close by, dancing through the air between them and the lake before settling on a blade of grass. “What’ll you boys do?” he finally asked.
Parker shook his head. “Not sure yet. I guess we’ll think of something, but it’ll have to be soon. I don’t like the idea of living without a roof through winter, and it can’t be good for Hazel’s health.”
Bill’s eyes flashed. “Lemme see if I can sort somethin’ out. We’re neighbors, Parker, and neighbors take care of each other.”
Chapter 11
Jen shut the lid of her suitcase and jumped in place to get it to close. She zipped it up and set it on the ground beside the bed with a huff. It was time for her to move out of the ranch house. Parker was sleeping on the couch, the roof was still in disrepair, and they didn’t need extra people making things more difficult than they needed to be. Thankfully, Emily had invited her to come and stay with her and Eamon at their apartment in Tifton, so that’s what she’d do.
She hadn’t run the idea by Parker yet, since she knew from their previous conversations that he’d likely object. But it was time, and she didn’t intend to let herself be dissuaded on the subject again.
She tugged the suitcase and her purse down the narrow hallway just as Parker came in the front door, a fishing pole in one hand and a bucket in the other. “Where are you off to?” he asked with a frown.
Her cheeks warmed. “I’m going to stay with Eamon and Emily for a while. They invited me, and with the roof the way it is and the house so full … well, I just thought it was the best option. Besides, now you can sleep in my room – I washed and changed the sheets for you, so it’s all ready. You won’t have to sleep on the couch anymore.”
Parker sighed and ran a hand over his face. “Thanks Jen. You’re right, it’s probably best for now.”
She frowned. That wasn’t the reaction she was expecting. “Okay, well … I guess I’ll see you soon. I’ll still be coming over to check on Hazel. Then I may head to Alabama to see my folks once Hazel’s feeling better.”
He nodded, and she thought he looked uneasy. What was going on with him? “That sounds good,” he said as he walked into the kitchen.
Jen headed for the front door, her throat tightening. He hadn’t seemed at all concerned she was leaving, didn’t try to talk her out of it – not that she’d intended to listen to his arguments anyway, but it would’ve been nice to hear some. He didn’t even offer to help her load the car. She pushed open the door and lugged her bags down the stairs, wondering what it was that had Parker so distracted.
* * *
Jen sighed and reached for her purse. She’d eaten some toast, cleaned up, showered. Time for her to head off to work.
Eamon and Emily’s apartment was quiet and peaceful. With only two bedrooms, the guest bed shared a room with a desk covered in papers, a laptop and a multi-function printer. But while it was nice, it wasn’t the Cotton Tree. She missed the buzz of activity, the hum of conversation, the country air and the beautiful vistas.
Most of all, she missed the company. Eamon and Emily had welcomed her in, then left for work themselves a few minutes later, telling her to help herself to whatever she needed. So when Hazel insisted she return to the ranch that night for supper, she’d agreed, looking forward to seeing them all again even though she’d only been gone an hour. There was something very homey and inviting abo
ut the ranch house and the Williams family, something she didn’t want to miss out on.
Most of all, she missed Parker. She’d grown accustomed to their camaraderie and easy banter, and her heart ached at the thought that she might never get the chance to spend as much time with him again. Soon she’d likely be back in Alabama – and if her parents had anything to say about it, she’d stay there. The Cotton Tree Ranch would be just a memory and perhaps a place to visit on vacation. She sighed, and picked up her purse to head out the door, pulling it shut behind her,
* * *
Hazel frowned and laid her head back on the arm of the couch. “You know, Jen, you really don’t have to rub my feet. I feel as though I’m taking advantage of you.” She laughed and her eyes drifted shut.
Jen chuckled and kept massaging Hazel’s foot. “You might as well take advantage now. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be around.”
Hazel’s eyes flew open. “What do you mean?”
“You know I can’t stay here forever.”
She frowned. “Yes, but you said you thought you might stick around – you have a job here now and I thought you were enjoying it.”
Jen shrugged. “That’s true, I did say that. It’s just that …”
Hazel sat up straight and set her feet on the ground. “What?”
“I don’t know … I don’t really belong here, I guess. You’ve got Dalton and you’re part of the family, but I’m not. I guess I forgot that for a while, but now I’m feeling a bit out of place.”
Hazel smirked. “Does this have something to do with a certain handsome ex-Ranger?”
Jen’s cheeks burned. Of course it did. “No, of course not.”
Hazel scooted closer to Jen on the couch. “I don’t want to pressure you to stay. I want you to do what feels right for you. If going home to Birmingham will make you happy, do it. If staying here is what you want, I’m right here with you, supporting your decision. I’ll miss you if you leave, but I don’t want you to stay if you don’t feel like this is the place for you. I live here because my heart and home are here. But you can go wherever you want.”
“Thanks, Hazel – you’re a good friend. And I’ll miss you too. But I promise I’ll come and visit whenever I get a chance.”
Hazel leaned back again with a smile. “But if it did have anything to do with Parker, I’d completely understand. He’s such a great guy – I’ve really grown fond of him since I’ve been here. And Dalton says he’s doing so much better than he was.”
Jen frowned and crossed her legs on the couch. “What do you mean ‘better’?”
“Well, you know he’s had a hard time of it since he was discharged. Apparently he wasn’t doing too well at first, but he’s been seeing a psychologist and he’s adjusting to life stateside.”
Jen’s curiosity kicked into overdrive. “Did Dalton say how he could tell Parker wasn’t coping before?”
Hazel’s brow furrowed. “Um … I think he was just kind of blue all the time, and he wouldn’t talk to anyone about it. None of us know what went on with him over in Syria, because he doesn’t like to talk about it. But maybe he’s opening up to his psychologist. Either way, he seems better now. And Dalton’s really happy with how he’s doing.”
Jen frowned. “Well …”
Hazel’s eyes widened. “What is it?”
Jen shook her head. “It might be nothing. It’s just that I’ve mostly known Parker as a fun, happy guy. Yeah, he’s a bit dark and mysterious, not chatty or exuberant – he didn’t say much at your wedding. But in the time I’ve been here, he’s been friendly and open … until the last couple of days. Something is bothering him.”
Hazel chewed her lower lip. “Hmmm … I’ll pay more attention next time I see him. I wonder what it could be.”
Jen hated talking about Parker behind his back. And really, it wasn’t any of her business. Perhaps she shouldn’t have said anything, but she couldn’t help it – she cared about him and wanted to make sure he was okay. And if he wouldn’t open up to her, maybe he’d be willing to tell Hazel or Dalton what was really going on with him.
“So what’s going on with your car?” asked Hazel.
Jen grimaced. “The insurance company wants to write it off. Can you believe that? There’s nothing wrong with it, apart from pockmarks all over it. It just looks like it has acne.”
Hazel laughed. “Well, I guess you’ll be able to get a new one, then.”
Jen nodded. “I guess, but I hate to give up on it, you know? I love my car. I think I’ll keep driving it and bank the money from the insurance company to use when I’m ready to buy another vehicle.” She pouted, thinking about her little hatchback, now covered in tiny hail-shaped craters. It really was such a shame.
Parker burst through the front door in his stocking feet and froze at the sight of the two women. “Uh, hi.” His voice was low and his eyes immediately focused on the floor as he headed down the hallway to the guest room, now his bedroom.
Hazel met Jen’s gaze with arched eyebrows. “I see what you mean.”
Jen nodded slowly. “Right?”
Hazel folded her hands in her lap. “You should go talk to him.”
“Me? He isn’t likely to talk to me.”
“Uh, didn’t you hear the toast he made at Thanksgiving? You’re exactly the person he’ll talk to – you’re the one ‘showing him the light’ or something like that.” Hazel chuckled and nudged Jen in the ribs with her elbow.
Jen shied away. “Ouch! Okay, fine, I’ll go and talk to him. But I know he won’t open up. It’s just a sixth sense I have – I can tell right away when I have a connection with someone, and Parker and I have definitely lost any connection we had. You’ll see.”
Hazel smirked. “Uh-huh.”
Jen frowned and stood, still rubbing her ribs where Hazel’s bony elbow had connected. She wandered down the hallway, looking back to see Hazel still watching her progress. Hazel shooed her forward with a wave of her hand, and Jen’s eyebrows lowered. She shook her head, waved Hazel off, went down the hall to Parker’s door and knocked, hoping her friend’s eyes weren’t still boring into her back.
She heard shuffling inside, and the door creaked open. Parker stared out at her, a half-smile creeping across his face. “Hey, Jen. What’s up?”
She could feel her cheeks burning. “Um … can I come in?”
He nodded and opened the door further, waving her in. “Sorry it’s a bit of a mess. Still not unpacked.”
She nodded. “It’s fine, really.”
He cleared a pile of clothes from the end of the bed and patted the spot. She sat there and took a deep breath. This was harder than she expected – she didn’t know where to start and didn’t want to say anything that might offend him or hurt his feelings. Anything that came out of her mouth right now could be construed as nosy, insensitive and a lot of other unhelpful things.
He sat across from her on a chair he’d just cleared of T-shirts. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, forcing a smile. “Yeah, I’m fine, thanks for asking. But I came here to ask about you. If you’re okay.”
He crossed his arms and frowned. “I’m fine, I guess. Why do you ask?”
“You don’t seem yourself. Something’s on your mind – bothering you, or worrying you, or …” Her cheeks flamed further.
He shrugged. “Yeah, there’s something bothering me. I didn’t realize it showed quite so much, but I should’ve known you’d figure it out – you can read me like a book.” He grinned and leaned forward, setting his elbows on top of his knees.
She sighed with relief. “So what is it? Unless you don’t want to talk about it …”
He shook his head. “It’s fine. I don’t mind talking about it. I need to work at that, anyway – talking. Having a shrink forcing me to is probably loosening up my tongue a bit …” He chuckled, then sighed deeply. “It’s the ranch and Dalton and Hazel and everything. The insurance company’s refusing to pay for the roof and the storm damage.
Hazel’s medical bills are piling up. We might lose the ranch and everything we’ve worked so hard for so long to build …” The words tumbled out until he was done. Then he rubbed his eyes and groaned.
She frowned. No wonder he was anxious - apparently there was a lot going on at the Cotton Tree that she wasn’t aware of. She didn’t think Hazel knew about it either, though she could understand if Dalton felt she didn’t need the stress right after major surgery and while possibly still fighting for her life. They were still waiting to hear the results of her tests. “I’m sorry, Parker. That really stinks.”
“Yeah.” He ran his hands over his face again. “It does. And we don’t know what to do about it. Dalton, Eamon and I will get together and figure it out soon. Which is hard, considering we haven’t seen much of Dalton the last few weeks. Getting time to talk has become harder than finding hen’s teeth.”
She chuckled, then covered her mouth. “Sorry, it’s not funny. Really.” But she couldn’t stop laughing at the mental picture. Before long, Parker joined her and they howled together, tears streaming down their cheeks.
Finally they were both spent, and Parker leaned on Jen’s shoulder and took a long breath. “I … don’t even remember … what we were laughing about. Why is it that whenever I’m with you, Jennifer Barsby, I forget all my troubles and we can just laugh together?”
She caught his gaze and held it, feeling a warmth rising from her gut up to her head. Her scalp tickled with goosebumps and she smiled. “I don’t know. But it sure is fun.”
Still smiling, he raised a hand to her cheek and traced a line down it. “Yeah.”
“Have you seen your psychologist lately?” she asked.
His hand fell abruptly into his lap and his brow furrowed. “No.”
She faltered. “Well … um, perhaps you should. I mean, this is the type of thing they’re good for – helping you navigate life’s ups and downs, you know.”
He crossed his arms again and leaned back in his chair. “I guess so.”
