by R. C. Ryan
“Breakfast is ready. Get it while it’s hot.”
At Yancy’s announcement, they drifted toward the big trestle table while Grace continued her litany of purchases.
As they took their seats, Frank looked across the table at his grandson. “If your grandmother’s shopping experience was any indication, I’d say Ally’s Attic is a big success. She has to be very happy with her first day.”
Reed nodded, just as Matt and Vanessa, Luke and Ingrid, Ingrid’s little sister, Lily, and Ingrid’s ranch foreman, Mick Hinckley, stepped in from the mudroom and gathered around the table.
“Just in time,” Great One remarked. “Though I’m not surprised. You always seem to make it here just as the morning chores are finished and the meal is about to start.”
“We plan it that way, Great One.” Luke winked at his wife. “But Matt and I really intended to lend a hand with mucking the stalls.” He stared at their youngest brother. “Looks like someone got a head start on the morning.”
Reed forked an omelet onto his plate before passing the platter to Matt. “I thought I’d head to town after breakfast and give Ally a hand.”
“With her shop?” Matt nudged his wife. “Are you giving up ranching for business in town?”
Vanessa looked beyond her husband to smile at Reed. “Be sure to tell her how much we all love her new place.”
“I will. But I’m not helping with the shop. I thought I’d give her a hand cleaning the upper floor of the building so she and her son can live there.”
“Where are they living right now?” Grace asked.
“At her uncle Archer’s place.”
Luke’s smile faded. “Archer Stone is her uncle?”
Reed nodded.
“Poor thing.” Luke shared a look with the others as he held the platter for his wife. “I’m surprised he’d open his home to anyone.”
Reed kept his tone deliberately bland. “From what I saw last night, I’d say he’s already regretting the invitation.”
Frank Malloy paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. “What did you see?”
Reed shrugged. “His usual nasty temper. Ally’s convinced that he’s temperamental only because she and her son are intruding on his bachelor lifestyle. She admitted that she really wants to move out so her uncle can have his privacy back and then they’ll be one big happy family.”
Luke was frowning. “Archer doesn’t need an excuse to be nasty. His temper has been growing worse every year. A lot of the regulars at Clay’s Pig Sty have mentioned his drinking. He’s always liked his liquor, but lately it’s started taking a toll.”
Reed set down his coffee. “He’d had plenty to drink last night. Maybe that’s what loosened his tongue. He made it clear he has no love for our family.” He glanced at the others. “Anybody know why?”
Frank cleared his throat. “When Archer and Patrick were boys, they were friends. At least we all thought so. But after Patrick and Bernie married, that friendship became strained.” He glanced at his wife. “We figured it was just that Patrick had no time for his old pals. With the thousand and one ranch chores, and then the arrival of you three boys”—he looked around at Matt, Luke, and Reed—“Patrick didn’t have the time he once had for his friends. Besides, he had everything he wanted right here. There just was no need for him to go to town to hang out with his old buddies.”
Grace nodded. “I agree. Old friendships are often strained once one or the other no longer has the same goals or common interest.”
Reed set aside his empty cup. “Great breakfast, Yancy.” He glanced at the others. “Anybody interested in going to Glacier Ridge and lending a hand cleaning the upper floor of Ally’s Attic?”
Frank chuckled. “From the lack of enthusiasm, I’d say you’re on your own, sonny boy.”
Reed joined in the laughter as he sauntered from the kitchen and paused in the mudroom to retrieve his hat from a hook by the door.
“Just remember, sonny boy,” Frank called out. “You’ve got a herd depending on you and a big, fat contract that could make or break your future.”
“I haven’t forgotten, Grandpop. I’ll be up in the hills tomorrow at dawn.”
A short time later Reed’s truck was moving along the ribbon of driveway toward the highway that led to town.
Like most businesses in town, the door to Ally’s Attic was unlocked and the OPEN sign displayed.
Reed took his time studying the building Ally had bought. Though old and faded, it was sturdy enough. He seemed to remember seeing a roofing contractor working here no more than two or three years ago, when old Hampton Major owned it. After Hampton’s death, his out-of-town family was desperate to sell, and the building had fallen into disrepair. Still, with a coat of fresh paint it could be a welcoming place. He had no doubt painting it would be one of Ally’s priorities, as soon as she earned enough.
He hoped Ally had been able to buy it at a fair-market price.
Inside, a neatly typed card on the counter informed customers to ring the bell for service.
Hearing voices coming from the upper floor, Reed climbed the stairs.
A mound of broken and discarded furniture stood in one corner of the room. A sofa that had probably been new when his grandparents were young. A bookcase with warped shelving and cracked glass panels. An old-fashioned child’s wooden high chair.
The window coverings had been removed, allowing sunlight to filter through the layer of dirt and grime on the windows. Two stuffed garbage bags attested to the fact that the floors had been swept clean.
Ally was on her knees in the far corner of the big room, scrubbing the scuffed hardwood floors to a high shine.
Reed stood a moment, enjoying the way she looked. Faded skinny jeans that hugged her backside like a second skin. And a damned fine backside it was. A denim shirt, sleeves rolled above her elbows, shirttails tied at her midriff, emphasizing small, perfect breasts. Copper hair pulled back in a ponytail, with damp wisps falling soft and loose.
Kyle was the first to spot Reed. He came out of a second room hauling some sort of antique pull-toy that clack-clacked with each movement.
When he saw the tall cowboy in the doorway, his face lit with excitement. “Hey, Reed. Look what I found.”
At her son’s words, Ally sat back on her heels, eyes wide, cheeks bright pink as she turned to stare at Reed.
“Looks like fun.” Reed dropped to his knees to examine the toy. “What is it?”
The boy shrugged. “I don’t know. I never saw one like this before. Mom said I could play with it while she cleans our ’partment.”
“It looks to be hand-carved. I bet a rancher made this out of a block of wood for one of his kids.”
“Mom said she’ll sell it when I’m through playing with it.”
Reed stood and turned to Ally. “From the looks of things, you must have started before dawn.”
Ally smiled as she got wearily to her feet, pressing a hand to the small of her back. “It was still dark outside. The minute I heard my uncle leave for work, I got ready for the day.”
Reed glanced at the old-fashioned light fixture on the ceiling. “I’m glad to know the lights work.”
She nodded. “So far, everything works just fine. I checked the lights, the heat, and flushed the toilet and ran water in the sink and tub, just to be certain. When I bought the building, the agent assured me that the family selling it would be responsible to see to it that everything was in good working order. But he warned me that it would need a good cleaning.” She gave a wry smile. “He wasn’t kidding.”
Reed picked up the garbage bags. “I’ll toss these in the back of my truck and then I’ll be back to give you a hand with the rest.”
Her smile brightened. “Thanks. What about your ranch chores?”
“Like you,” he called over his shoulder, “I got an early start.”
Within minutes he returned. “How about all this junk? Want me to toss it in my truck?”
She laughed. “You fo
rget. I’m in the junk business. Or as I like to call it, hidden treasures.”
He joined in the laughter. “Sorry. What was I thinking?” He studied the ugly old sofa. “Do you really think someone will buy this?”
She arched a brow. “Trust me. In my business, there’s a perfect someone for every person’s discards.” She began removing the cushions. “Let’s get it downstairs, and I’ll figure out how best to display it.”
He glanced at the broken sections of bookshelves. “Don’t tell me you hope to sell this, too?”
She shrugged. “I think it’s beyond help. But any of those old glass panels that aren’t broken will appeal to someone refinishing something similar.”
“Okay.” He picked up an armload of cushions and hauled them down the stairs before returning to wrestle the sofa down to the shop.
When all the furniture had been disposed of, he climbed the stairs to find Ally just putting the finishing touches on the wood floor that was as shiny as brand-new.
He looked around. “What’s next?”
Ally led the way into the first of two bedrooms. In the smaller room she had a wooden bed frame already assembled. With Reed’s help she lifted a box spring and mattress atop the frame and began dressing the bed with a simple blue plaid quilt and blue pillow covers etched with a horse and rider.
“I picked those out myself,” Kyle said proudly. “They were in a box of stuff.”
“A box someone brought here overnight and left on my doorstep,” Ally explained. “I guess some folks didn’t get the word that this is a resale shop, and they thought I’m now the local junkyard.”
“You mean all this stuff was free?”
“That’s right. And it doesn’t get any better than free.”
“Do you like my bed?” Kyle asked.
“I do. You have good taste. Like your mother. You like horses?”
“Uh-huh.” The little boy flopped backward on the bed, giggling as he bounced. “I like looking at them.”
“Did you ever ride one?”
The little boy sat up, shoving his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “No. But Mom said one day I can. They look really big.” He peered at Reed. “Do you have a horse?”
“I do. In fact, we have lots of horses on our ranch. If you’d like, I’ll take you there one day and you can ride one.”
“Wow.” The little boy turned to his mother with shining eyes. “Can I, Mama?”
“We’ll see.”
The minute the words were out of her mouth, she caught Reed and Kyle looking at each other with matching grins.
“What’d I tell you?” Reed winked at the boy. “It’s what moms say every time they don’t want to commit.”
At Reed’s words she shot him a mock hairy-eyeball. “And what did I tell you about giving away mom secrets?”
Reed put an arm around Kyle’s shoulders and steered him out of the room. “Come on, partner. This is where we get busy. What do you say you and I start cleaning windows?”
The two were sharing a conspiratorial chuckle as they snatched up window cleaner, rags, and a roll of paper towels before heading toward the front room.
“I’m hungry, Mama.” Kyle stood across the room, watching Reed and Ally wrestle a small wood table through the doorway and into the kitchen.
Ally wiped a hand across her forehead. “I brought some supplies. I’ll make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in a few minutes.”
“Don’t bother.” Reed set four straight-backed wooden chairs around the table. “Kyle and I will walk down to the diner and pick up something.”
Seeing the light that came into her son’s eyes, she put her hands on her hips. “Would that something happen to include a chocolate milk shake?”
Reed turned to Kyle. “What do you think, little partner? Can you handle it?”
Kyle was already dancing toward the stairs.
“I guess I got my answer.” Reed winked. “What’ll it be? A burger with all the trimmings or something lean and healthy?”
“A juicy burger sounds heavenly.” Ally put a hand over her heart. “I’m in need of protein.”
“Me too. We’ll be back soon.”
He ambled out of the kitchen, and she paused to watch him leave before taking a breath and digging into yet another box of hand-me-down items that had been left on the doorstep.
As she pulled out some colorful chair cushions and matching place mats, she whispered a prayer of thanks for the good ranchers who had decided to use her shop as a place to dispose of unwanted household goods. This anonymous donor hadn’t left a name or a price for the items, leaving Ally a clear signal that they were the result of spring cleaning and not considered good enough for resale.
She sighed as she studied the bright, cheery additions to the aged kitchen. They were certainly good enough for her.
Beggars can’t be choosers.
She wasn’t reduced to begging. Not by a long shot. She’d had a successful career, a car with all the bells and whistles she’d bought to haul Kyle back and forth to day care, and a house that her mother had left her with no mortgage or debt. She’d been given a generous severance package when she’d left her company and a guarantee from her supervisor that she could have her old job back if things didn’t work out. She’d liquidated everything and banked all her savings to see to Kyle’s future. If her little business couldn’t earn enough to pay the bills, she could always get a job and put Kyle back into day care. Still, she hoped and prayed she wouldn’t have to make that decision, or she’d be right back where she started, except with severely limited career choices so far from a bustling city.
Unable to sit still, she picked up a rag and started viciously scrubbing the brown stains that discolored the ancient sink. While she worked, she thought again about her decision to reconnect with her uncle. At the time, she’d convinced herself that it was important to give Kyle the gift of family. But there had been another motive as well. Her timetable for leaving Virginia had been rushed by the behavior of one of her fellow employees, who’d become not only aggressive but also intolerable. Because of him, she’d gambled that a simple life in her mother’s hometown seemed a better alternative than the life she and Kyle were leading. She’d already been making plans to relocate, but one man’s determination to morph from business friend to something more had accelerated her timetable.
Now, seeing how angry and annoyed Archer was, she was more determined than ever that the move to this little apartment would make a difference in their relationship.
Archer would come around once she and Kyle were out of his house. Out of his hair. He’d had a lifetime to become set in his ways. He obviously enjoyed his bachelor existence and was now forced to put up with two strangers crowding his space. It didn’t matter that they were blood relations. She could see how a woman and child would cramp his style. Moving out of his space would put a smile on his face and love in his heart.
It had to. She’d risked everything for a gamble that she desperately needed to win.
When the sink sparkled, she walked into the bathroom and turned her energy loose on the ancient tub and toilet, both bearing the rust stains of years of neglect.
“Hello, the house.”
At Reed’s shout, Ally tossed yet another cleaning rag into a brimming bucket of rags and hurried to the kitchen, where Reed and Kyle were depositing armloads of bags and carry-out containers.
Ally’s laughter bubbled up. “What army are you planning on feeding?”
Kyle’s eyes were as big as saucers. “Wait’ll you see, Mama.”
Reed set out paper plates and napkins and plastic knives, forks, and spoons.
At Ally’s arched brow, he grinned. “Courtesy of Barb and Dot. They asked if you had any dishes, and I told them I hadn’t seen any.”
“I’ll get around to some eventually.”
“Until then”—he held up a bag filled to the brim with disposable tableware—“they sent you enough for a month or more.”
“Bless the
m.”
She watched as he opened the first of several containers to reveal thick, juicy burgers. One container was loaded with enough fries for several meals. A plastic tub held salad fixings, along with half a dozen lidded containers of dressing.
As they settled around the table, Ally gave a deep sigh. “Just looking at all this makes me realize how hungry I am.”
Reed pointed to the clock on the wall. “You realize it’s closer to supper time than lunch time?”
Ally gasped. “Where did the day go?”
Reed gave her an admiring look. “You’ve put in a full one.”
“Look, Mama.” Kyle held up a cardboard cup holder with three extra-tall containers. “Reed ordered giant-sized milk shakes.”
“For our giant-sized appetites.” Reed and the boy shared knowing smiles.
For long minutes nobody spoke as they dug into their food. When at last Ally found her voice, she was practically purring. “Oh, this all tastes like heaven.”
Reed sipped his drink. “Kyle said you didn’t take time for breakfast.”
She looked across the table at her son. “Didn’t I make you toast and peanut butter?”
The little boy nodded. “And a cup of hot chocolate. And you put a plate of cheese and fruit in the fridge for lunch, but you didn’t eat any, Mama.”
She shrugged. “I was in a hurry to get started. My mind wasn’t on food.”
Reed looked around. “Your hard work paid off. This is a really great place to live. And one good thing about living here, you’ll never be late for work.”
Ally sat back with a laugh, feeling refreshed and renewed. “Now it’s time to tackle the other bedroom.”
“I’ll give you a hand.” Reed shoved away from the table and started boxing up the leftovers. “Does the refrigerator work?”
She nodded and took the containers from his hand to set them on the refrigerator shelves. “There’s an old stove and oven that work, too.”
