Reed

by R. C. Ryan

  “They’re mine.” In a rare display of bravado, the little boy’s eyes flashed behind the glasses. “They were my daddy’s.”

  “You keep them where they belong or you don’t see them again. They’ll be mine forever. You understand?”

  “Yes.” Kyle’s lower lip quivered as he snatched up his father’s dog tags and clutched them to his chest.

  “And don’t you dare cry like a girl.”

  Archer turned his furious gaze on Ally. “As for you, I expect the kid’s mother to handle a few simple rules. And the first one is this: pick up after yourselves.”

  “I’ll remember.” Ally nodded toward the stove, hoping to soften his temper. “Would you like some supper? I made chicken stir-fry.” She turned toward the cupboard. “I’ll get some plates.”

  Archer crossed the room and lifted the lid on a pot of cooked rice, and then on the skillet of chicken and vegetables. “This looks disgusting.”

  “Oh. Sorry. I didn’t know you don’t like stir-fry.”

  “Never tasted it. If it isn’t plain and simple, I’m not interested. I like to see what I’m eating. I can’t stomach mush.” He turned away. “You two can eat that slop. I’m heading over to Clay’s Pig Sty for some real food.”

  When Ally looked over to make a comment, the doorway was empty. Her uncle had already stormed away. Minutes later she heard the front door slam.

  Knowing she and Kyle were alone, she let out a deep sigh.

  After setting the table, she turned. “Go wash up, honey, and we’ll eat.”

  The little boy slunk out of the room.

  When he returned, the tight, pinched look of fear was wiped from his sweet face. With Archer gone, he was his sunny little self, with no thought to the earlier ugly scene.

  He climbed up onto a chair and dug into his dinner.

  “I like chicken stir-fry, Mama.”

  “Me too.” She watched as he ate the vegetables without complaint. From the time he was a toddler, she’d made sure to introduce him to a variety of foods and flavors. He was more familiar with fruits and vegetables than he was with sweets.

  “More milk?”

  He nodded, and she filled his glass.

  He drank before wiping the back of his hand across his milk mustache. “When I’m big, I’m going to drink a chocolate milk shake every day.”

  “You might want to think about one a week.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m not sure it’s healthy to have one every day.”

  He thought about it a moment. “Is it healthy to eat bananas every day?”

  “I don’t think it would hurt.”

  “Then why not milk shakes?”

  “That’s a good question.” She laughed. “I wish I had a good answer. But I just think that much ice cream every day might not be good for you.”

  “But if it is”—he finished the last of his stir-fry—“then could I have one every day?”

  Ally sighed. Why did kids seem to fixate on the very things parents would rather forget? She gave a shake of her head. “I wish Reed Malloy had never introduced you to D and B’s chocolate milk shakes.”

  “I’m glad he did. Reed’s nice.”

  “Yes, he is.”

  “Nicer than Uncle Archer.”

  Ally held her silence.

  “Think we’ll see Reed tomorrow?”

  “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.” Ally pushed away from the table and set the kettle on the stove.

  “I’m done, Mama. Can I play with my trucks?”

  “Yes. But just until I finish my tea. Then you and I are heading upstairs. We’ve both had a long day.”

  “Are you going to read the rest of the story you started yesterday?”

  “If I can stay awake long enough.”

  “That’s what you said yesterday.”

  She ruffled his hair. “I know. But you were asleep before me.”

  “I’ll stay awake tonight.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “Reed said that means—”

  She burst into laughter. “I know what Reed said. Now I’m really going to make him pay for revealing a mom secret.”

  Kyle was grinning as he returned to his trucks in the corner of the kitchen.

  As Ally poured boiling water into her cup, she studied her son, so innocent, so willing to put aside that angry scene and play, as though it had never happened.

  She stared out the window at the growing darkness. Here in Montana, far from the bustling city she’d always called home, everything seemed so different. So much open space. And the night sky. Without all the neon, it seemed bigger. Closer. The moon and stars so bright, so defined, she felt as though she could reach out and touch them.

  That ought to give her comfort, but the truth was, all this space and lack of people frightened her.

  When she’d left her former life behind, severing ties with the people she’d worked with, the neighbors she’d known for a lifetime, she’d expected to feel alone and lonely. And at times, she did. But she hadn’t expected to feel so alienated from everything that was familiar and comfortable.

  She couldn’t complain. For the most part, she’d been quickly embraced by the good people in Glacier Ridge.

  All except her uncle.

  It seemed odd that her only living relative would be the one to make her feel like an intruder.

  He had every right, she reminded herself. He’d carved out a comfortable life for himself.

  He was a respected deputy in the sheriff’s department. He had buddies to hang out with at the local saloon. And his neighbors had known him since he was a boy.

  If he seemed set in his ways, that was his right.

  She and Kyle needed to get out of his way as quickly as possible.

  She walked away and returned with the laundry basket, quickly sorting and folding their clothes. She set Archer’s things in a neat pile atop the dryer and picked up the rest. “Okay, buddy. Time to take a bath and get ready for bed. Let’s go.”

  As she trailed her little boy up the stairs, she came to a decision. Once the grand opening was out of the way, she would put as much energy as possible into cleaning out the upper floor of her shop. She wasn’t going to wait another week. She would move in within days, even if it meant doing without a few necessities for a while.

  That way, Archer would have his old way of life back. And she and Kyle could move on and make a new life.

  One, she hoped, that would be satisfying and would give them both a sense of peace going forward.

  Chapter Four

  Be still, my heart.”

  Dot Parker, wearing a red polka-dot dress with a red lace handkerchief pinned to the breast pocket, stood in the middle of the crowd milling about Ally’s Attic and began fanning herself with a printed menu of the items for sale. “All three handsome Malloy brothers in the same room. This is almost more than this old body can take.”

  “Hey, Dot.” Matt brushed a kiss over her cheek, while his wife, Vanessa, gave her a hug.

  Luke and Ingrid continued holding hands as they both greeted her warmly.

  “Where’s Barb?” Reed asked.

  “Somebody has to watch the diner. I promised her I’d only stay an hour or so, just long enough to check out all the bargains. Then I’ll go back and relieve her so she can get here before the grand opening is over.”

  Reed looked around. “This may be the most citizens of Glacier Creek I’ve ever seen in one place, except for church.”

  Dot chuckled. “That’s what I just told Ally.”

  “Where is the owner?” Ingrid looked around. “I can’t wait to meet her.”

  “She went that way.” Dot pointed toward a crowd gathered around a collection of antique dinnerware set atop a lace-covered table. In the center, turned away from them, was a trim redhead wearing an emerald-green sundress.

  “Oh, Luke.” Ingrid started inching toward the display. “We could use a set of good dishes. Let’s take a look.”

  As
they drifted away, Reed rolled his eyes. “I never thought I’d see the day my wild-and-crazy brother would waste time looking at dishes.”

  Dot patted his arm. “Don’t be too hard on him, Reed, honey. One day it may happen to you.”

  “Not a chance.” Reed began a slow circle of the room, intrigued by the variety of items Ally had managed to accumulate. Every shelf, cupboard, and display surface was filled. Yet every item was displayed with great taste.

  She’d set out a variety of musical instruments on a raised platform, resembling a stage. The piano, now sporting a fringed shawl and a SOLD sign, was surrounded by an assortment of guitars, banjos, and a violin. There were three different electronic keyboards, a drum set, and a dented trumpet. A half dozen ranchers and their children were examining the various instruments. The most popular seemed to be drums and guitars.

  Spotting Kyle’s carrot top in a corner of the shop, laughing with half a dozen boys and girls who were playing with an assortment of toys, Reed paused.

  “Hey, Kyle.”

  The little boy jumped up, holding a cast-iron soldier that was probably new a hundred years ago. “You came. I told Mama you’d be here.”

  Reed looked around. “This is a lot of stuff for your mom to keep track of. How does she do it?”

  Kyle shrugged. “I guess she likes being busy. She told me to stay here and she’d be back.” He scanned the sea of heads that towered over him. “I don’t see her. She’s wearing a green dress.”

  “I guess that shouldn’t be too hard to spot.” Reed nodded toward the cluster of children. “Are you in charge of selling to them?”

  Kyle’s eyes widened. “Am I ’posed to?”

  Reed winked. “I was teasing. I’m sure your mom is doing enough selling today for both of you.”

  As he started away, Kyle caught his arm. “When everybody leaves, you think we could share a milk shake?”

  Reed’s smile grew as he leaned down to whisper, “It’s a date. But only if it’s chocolate. And only if I can have a grilled cheese to go with it.”

  Kyle put a hand over his mouth to hide his giggles.

  Reed moved among the crowd, stopping to admire a collection of farm implements before he spotted a display case filled with electronic gadgets.

  “I figured that would get your attention, bro.” Matt was grinning as he walked up beside him. “Since you’re the family tech gadget guy.”

  “Why would somebody sell a drone?”

  “Look around you. Why would somebody sell any of this stuff?”

  Reed shrugged. “I can see stuff that’s been outgrown by a family. But this drone looks brand new.”

  “How about the farm implements?” Matt indicated the collection.

  “Probably from one of the ranchers being foreclosed.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that.” Matt moved away to study the collection more closely.

  Within minutes he was joined by Frank and Grace.

  “Hey, cowboy. You thinking of buying?” Ally sidled up beside Reed.

  “Yeah. I love gadgets. I never dreamed you’d have something like this for sale.”

  “I was told by the teen who brought it in that after a collision with his family ranch house, the barn, and a couple of cows, his father said he could sell it or it would wind up in the trash can.”

  Reed joined in her laughter before giving her a long, probing look. “Your cheeks are as red as your hair.”

  “I’m sure that’s a combination of relief and nerves. Relief that people showed up. Nerves because I hope some of them came to buy and not just to look.”

  “I don’t think you need to worry. Look at this crowd. They’re happy, and they’re checking out every display.”

  She laid a hand on his arm. “Thanks so much for coming. I wish I could stay and chat, but I have to get back to work.”

  He nodded, enjoying the quick flash of heat from her touch. He continued to watch as she made her way across the room, pausing every few steps to answer questions and share a laugh with her customers. Despite the casual look of her tousled hair, that ankle-skimming dress gave her a city chic that set her apart from everyone else in the room.

  A short time later, as she dashed back and forth between her cash register and customers, Dot stepped behind the counter and gently pushed her away. “I’ll handle the sales. You go and mingle.”

  “Oh, Dot, I should have hired someone. It never occurred to me that I’d have so many people show up.”

  “Don’t you worry about a thing, honey. Ringing up sales is what I do best. Now go sell that stuff.”

  With a laugh Ally stepped away from the counter and walked up to a group of ranchers examining her display of tools.

  Within the next hour there was a line of paying customers forming at the single register.

  Ally stepped behind a second counter to say, “If anyone is paying cash, I can handle it here. Credit cards will have to wait for Dot.”

  The line split, becoming two, and before long had thinned to a manageable number for Dot to handle alone.

  She whispered to Ally that it was time for her to relieve her sister, or Barb would have her head.

  Ally gave the woman a hard hug. “You’re my lifesaver, Dot. Thank you so much.”

  “My pleasure, honey. I’ll tell Barb to keep an eye on the crowd when she gets here. Besides handling the grill, my sister knows a thing or two about a smokin’ cash register.”

  The two women shared a laugh before Dot headed out the door and back to her diner.

  Minutes later her twin sister rushed inside the shop and made a slow circle around the room, studying with interest the variety of items for sale and the clever way they were displayed.

  She pulled Ally aside. “Dot’s been bragging on you, honey, and I have to say I thought she was exaggerating. Now I see you’re every bit as talented as she said. This business is just a grand addition to our town. It’s exactly what’s needed, and nobody thought of it until you came along.”

  Ally’s cheeks turned a deeper shade of red at her praise. “Thank you so much, Barb. You’ll never know what it means to me to hear you say that.”

  “It comes from the heart, honey.” She leaned closer to whisper, “Dot told me you got swamped. If it happens again, give me a nod and I’ll step behind the counter and lend a hand.”

  “You and Dot are my angels of mercy. Thank you.”

  As Ally moved among the crowds of people, her heart was lighter than it had been all day. The good people of Glacier Ridge were not only supporting her in her fledgling solo effort, but they were even stepping in to lend a hand so she wouldn’t feel overwhelmed.

  Ally handed the rancher a receipt. “Thanks, Will. I hope your daughter enjoys playing her new keyboard.”

  “She’s been begging for piano lessons since second grade, but the thought of buying a piano and hauling it out to our ranch just wasn’t something I’d consider. The minute she spotted that keyboard, I figured it was something we could manage.” He watched as his oldest son loaded the instrument into the back of their truck parked outside at the curb. “You just made all her wishes come true.”

  Ally was beaming as the lanky rancher tipped his hat to her before walking out the door.

  A teenage girl, who’d been standing in the middle of the room watching Ally deal with the latest sale, approached, holding the hand of a teenage boy.

  The girl, sporting bright orange spiked hair and a tie-dyed T-shirt over wide-legged pants straight out of the sixties, cleared her throat. “I saw the way Dot and Barb gave you a hand.”

  Ally dimpled. “They were my lifesavers.”

  “You look like you need some help. And I really need a job. My name is Gemma York. And this is…” She drew the boy beside her. He had shaggy hair that brushed the collar of a faded plaid shirt. His denims had more holes than Swiss cheese. “…Jeremy Clancy.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Gemma and Jeremy.” Ally turned away from the cash register to concentrate on the girl.
“Do you have any experience in retail?”

  Gemma shook her head, sending orange spikes dancing across her forehead. “But I really want to have a place of my own someday.”

  “What would you sell?”

  “Vintage clothing.”

  Ally allowed herself to study the girl’s outfit. “Like that?”

  Gemma nodded.

  “Is there a market for it in Glacier Ridge?”

  Gemma shrugged and glanced shyly at her boyfriend. “It’s all I like to wear. I bet there are others who’d like my stuff, too.”

  Ally paused for a long moment, and the girl nervously gripped her hands together.

  Seeing her nerves, Ally gave her a smile. “I do need help. But I’m not able to pay anybody yet.” She handed the girl a pen and paper. “Leave your name and a number where I can reach you. When I earn enough to hire someone, I’ll call you.”

  Gemma’s smile came quickly. “You will? Thanks. Um…” She flushed. “I don’t have a number. But if you don’t mind, I’ll just stop by every once in a while.”

  Before Ally could say a word, the girl caught Jeremy’s hand, and the two walked out the door.

  Ally watched them go before glancing at the clock on the wall. She’d run two hours over the original time she’d listed for her grand opening. But it had been time well spent.

  She looked up at the sound of laughter and spotted Kyle and Reed together in a corner of the room, their heads bent close as they studied a thick book of instructions.

  “…camera would have been here…” Reed turned the page before touching an index finger to the drone. “But it’s missing. I guess that’s why someone decided not to keep it.”

  “But it could fly?” Kyle’s eyes were wide with excitement.

  “We’ll just have to wait and see. I’ve been thinking about ordering one of these. But a bigger one that has about ten times the power and visibility of this one.”

  “What’s visi…?”

  “Visibility. The means how far the camera can film. How much it can see and record.”

  Ally paused beside them. “You’re thinking of ordering a toy?”