The Husband She Can't Forget

by Patricia Forsythe

  HE SLIPPED THROUGH the leaning fence, being careful not to snag his skin or his clothes on the barbed wire. He pulled his bag through the opening, too, ready to pick the vegetables he needed for tomorrow.

  A low, rumbling noise, followed by three short snuffling bursts froze him in his tracks. His heart pounding, he looked around, watching for beady little eyes glowing in the dark, but he saw nothing and there was no sound of movement. Deciding that whatever had made the noise was gone now, he lifted his foot, ready to move out.

  Another rumble, then a whole series of bursts, stopped him. It was an animal. His attention fixed on a high mound of branches and twigs, he worked up the courage to step closer. Was that a bear’s den? With a bear in it? If it woke up, would it eat him?

  He didn’t intend to find out.

  At that moment, another blast of sound rumbled from the den, and it moved. A leg, and then an arm thrashed about. The leg was wearing a boot.

  He grinned. Why was someone sleeping out here? Even though this was private land, it wasn’t a place to hunt, and if this guy was hoping to get the jump on a rabbit or deer, it wasn’t going to happen with all this snoring going on.

  Picking up his bag, he started to turn away but then stopped as an idea occurred to him. Maybe this guy was out here to catch him, to stop him from getting what he needed. Fear raced through him for a second, but when another snore erupted, he relaxed. This guy wasn’t going to wake up.

  Grateful for the full moon, he dug in his pocket and pulled out a couple of items. After a few minutes he finished his preparations, grabbed his things and stole away to begin the night’s harvest.

  * * *

  LUKE BRACED HIMSELF against the window frame as he gazed out at the Dallas skyline, glittering with lights. It was an impressive city, built on oil, commerce and cattle, but he was ready to leave it behind, at least for now.

  Ever since his aunt and uncle had bought property in Reston and made themselves an integral part of the community, he’d thought about going there. Then, when he’d found out his father still owned the mineral rights to Carly’s land and was looking for a new place to sink a natural gas well, he’d known he had to do something about it. Buying the land next door had been nothing short of a miracle. Finding Shelby Wayne had been another one. Convincing his dad to let him try what he hoped would be a less invasive and destructive extraction technique had completed the trifecta of victory. The problem was that, because of delays, he now had only six months to perform a miracle.

  And at the same time, he planned to look for his next project or maybe even career. Although he hadn’t shared that information with his dad. He had been restless ever since Omi had become ill and needed his help.

  The gratitude she’d showed, her sweet thankfulness that her only grandchild was willing to take hours, even days, off from work to be with her, to take care of her, had shaken him into the realization that he was missing out on a big, important chunk of life. That’s why he had taken so much time away from the office, so he could sit and talk to her, storing up her advice, her memories of his mom and of his own childhood—though she’d revealed very little of her own.

  The busyness of his life had made him forget some of the things he had liked to do with his grandparents, like helping his grandfather build birdhouses and organize all the little jars of nuts, bolts and screws in the garage.

  In all of their talks, though, Omi had rarely mentioned Carly or brought up their brief, disastrous marriage, except to say that at some point he needed to let go of the past. She said she’d given Carly the same advice, and that both of them worked too hard.

  Omi also said he needed to forgive himself and his father. But Luke didn’t actually know what Robert had said to help drive Carly away, so how could he forgive him? Besides, his father would never change. He wasn’t greedy so much as he was determined to be in control, to make sure he got value for his dollar.

  Luke knew that money wasn’t as important as family. He was looking forward to spending time with Tom and Frances, Trent, Mia and little Max.

  With a grin, he turned away from the window and picked up his suit jacket and briefcase. He wouldn’t mind seeing Carly again, either. He remembered his promise to Lisa and Gemma, and he would do his best to keep that promise. Still, he wanted to see her. And he was heading to Reston tomorrow.

  * * *

  YAWNING AND WITH her favorite coffee cup in hand, Carly walked onto her porch and made herself comfortable on the front steps, turning slightly so that her back rested against the post that supported the railing. She tucked her robe around her legs and curled her toes into her slippers. The fall chill was only now making itself known and it would be a pleasant day for working in the garden. As her gaze drifted over her fields, she checked off the things she needed to do today and planned possible crops for next year. Lettuce always sold well, and even in rural Oklahoma, people liked variety. There were a few new varieties to consider, ones she hadn’t grown before.

  “Who on earth is that?” she whispered, sitting up suddenly. A man was stomping down the lane between her fields, seeming to list to one side as he did so.

  It was several seconds before she could take in the camouflage outfit and focus on his face, which appeared to be smudged with green, brown and black paint. He wore one boot and was carrying the other.

  Standing, she called out, “Jay? What are you doing?”

  Right then, she heard the sound of small tires skidding on gravel and saw Sheena pedaling furiously up the drive.

  The two of them met at the bottom of the porch steps and began talking at once.

  “Are you all right?” Sheena demanded, leaning her bicycle against the porch railing.

  “You were supposed to call me,” Jay insisted, patting his numerous pockets, pulling out a cell phone and flipping it open. His face fell. “Oh. I guess I turned it off.”

  “Well, I knew something was wrong because I called you every two hours and you never answered.”

  “Sorry. I guess I fell asleep.”

  Sheena crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him with fear in her eyes. “I thought maybe you were dead or something or...or got eaten by a bear.”

  “A bear? I’d like to see one try.”

  “Wait, wait, wait.” Carly held up her hands. “What’s going on? Jay, why are you dressed like that? Have you been hunting?”

  “Yeah, for turkey.”

  “What?”

  Jay reached into the boot he was carrying and pulled out a piece of paper. “I thought I could catch whoever’s been stealing your vegetables, but...I fell asleep. I was pretty tired and—”

  “Jay,” Sheena interrupted, pointing to the piece of paper. “Did the thief leave you a note?”

  “Yeah, the little creeper. Took off my boot while I slept and stuck this inside.”

  Sheena grabbed the note he was waving in the air and read the childish block letters. “‘Keep the snoring down. We’re trying to sleep.’” With a snort of laughter, she said, “It’s signed ‘The animals.’”

  Carly laughed, too, until she caught sight of Jay’s red face. She cleared her throat and tried to look concerned. “That note was either written by an adult trying to write like a kid, or a kid with a sense of humor.”

  “Some sense of humor,” Jay said scornfully. “At least now we know for sure it’s not an animal ’cause they can’t write lame-butt notes like this one.” He sat to pull on his boot.

  Sheena fought to control her laughter. “Did he untie your boot and take it off?”

  “Yeah. I guess I oughta be glad he didn’t tie my shoelaces together.”

  “I can’t believe you slept through that.”

  “Can I help it if I’m a heavy sleeper?” Jay looked sheepish. “That’s why I wanted you to call me, help me stay awake.”

  “I
t would have worked, too, if you hadn’t turned your phone off in your sleep.”

  “Yeah. I’m gonna come up with a new plan.”

  Although she wanted nothing more than to laugh at Jay’s annoyance, Carly had to be the adult voice of reason. “Jay, do your parents know where you spent the night?” The Mortons were big believers in letting their kids develop their independence, but would they condone letting Jay sleep in her fields?

  “Sure. I borrowed most of this gear from my dad. So, my new plan’s gotta be one—”

  “Where you don’t fall asleep,” Sheena teased. “And I won’t be staying awake all night to help you.” She smiled sheepishly. “Although, I may have dozed off for a few minutes, too.”

  He frowned at her. “Well, that wasn’t any help, either.”

  “Which is why you need a new plan.”

  “Don’t you have school today?” Carly asked.

  “Yeah, I guess. That was the condition my mom and dad had—I had to get to school on time. But it’s a late start today because of a teacher’s meeting.” He glanced at his cell phone to check the time. “All right, then I’ll come up with a new plan after school.” He looked at Sheena. “Can you help me get my gear from my camping spot?”

  “Sleeping spot,” she said, her eyes sparkling in delight. “Sure.”

  “Use the four-wheeler, Jay,” Carly called after him. “It will be faster.”

  Before she left, Sheena turned the piece of paper over. “Look, Carly. There are dates and numbers written on it, starting last May. I wonder what they’re for.” With a shrug, she handed the paper to Carly and followed Jay.

  Carly scanned the dates and numbers but couldn’t decipher their meaning, either. She watched her helpers detour to the shed, chuckling to herself while she finished her coffee. Whoever the thief was, he’d met a worthy adversary in Jay Morton.

  * * *

  THE NEXT FEW DAYS passed with no more vegetables going missing, but Jay was convinced the thief would strike again and he planned to be ready for him. He arrived early on Sunday morning to help Carly reset the fence posts, but the thief was all he could talk about.

  “I just can’t figure out how the little creeper gets around without leaving footprints,” he said as they drove to the boundary line above the apple orchard. “If I could see some prints, I could follow them, even set a trap—”

  “No traps,” Carly said firmly.

  Jay didn’t answer, but she knew this wasn’t the end of it. There was something about this intruder that really infuriated him. Probably because he’d been outsmarted.

  When they reached the fence line, they saw the posts that had been leaning most precariously had been freed from their barbed wire, pulled up and set aside. Tools, including a posthole digger, were scattered on the ground.

  “Whose are these?” Jay asked, indicating the equipment.

  “Not mine. They’re not even on my side of the fence line.”

  The sound of something being trundled over the crest of the hill drew them around to the sight of Luke Sanderson pushing a wheelbarrow filled with bags of cement.

  “Morning,” he called out. “Thought I’d be neighborly and reset your fence posts.”

  “Oh, that isn’t necessary,” Carly said hastily.

  “It’s a shared fence.” Luke stopped the wheelbarrow on the slope and used rocks to brace the back supports until it sat evenly.

  Carly watched him, momentarily distracted by the sure way he sorted the rocks and packed them into place. He looked very different today. A battle-scarred cowboy hat was settled on his head. He wore faded and holey jeans and a T-shirt sporting the logo of a construction company she’d never heard of.

  When he caught her gaze on him, he gave a slight smile and said, “I’ve had plenty of wheelbarrows tip over on me or start rolling, even with only one wheel.”

  “It’s nice of you to want to help, but it isn’t necessary. I know how to reset fence posts. We couldn’t get to it before, but we’ll get it fixed today.”

  “But you don’t need to do it alone. I’m here to help.”

  “Jay and I can do it,” she insisted, needing to have the last word, even though Luke was ignoring her and Jay was staring at her curiously.

  Luke began setting the bags of cement on the ground. Removing a bucket from the wheelbarrow, he walked to the stream and filled it with water.

  “I’ll reimburse you for the cement,” Carly said. “My plan was to see how great the damage was before buying supplies.”

  “No need. We had some extra bags from our project,” Luke answered with a shrug. “I’m guessing the posts were loosened in the storms and then knocked down by the wind or maybe some wild animals.”

  “Did you see some? Or a person? Or some tracks?” Jay asked eagerly.

  “Um, no. Didn’t see anything.” Luke raised an eyebrow.

  “We’ve had an intruder who has taken some produce, being very careful to pick what he thinks we won’t notice,” Carly said.

  “That’s how we know it’s not an animal,” Jay said. “It’s someone who’s too lazy to get a job or grow his own food.”

  “Maybe. Or maybe he’s just hungry,” Luke pointed out.

  “Then he could come to Carly’s house and ask for food,” Jay said, rolling his eyes. “Everyone knows she’s a soft touch for a sad story. She’s had me and Sheena taking food to Mrs. Salyer all summer.”

  “Jay,” Carly admonished, stretching out his name so he’d get the hint that he was getting too worked up about the thief, but it didn’t seem to be doing any good. Jay had started walking around the downed fence posts, looking for tracks.

  “Luke and I can work on the fence,” she said to him as she pulled on thick work gloves and took a pair of wire cutters from her pocket. “There’s no reason for three people to work on this. Why don’t you pick about four dozen melons and get them ready to take to the supermarket tomorrow?” It was a new, late-ripening dwarf variety with intense flavor and she wanted to see how well it sold.

  Jay tilted his head to one side then nodded. “Okay. But first, I’m going to take a look around and see if he’s been back.”

  He headed off and Carly turned to look at Luke. She really didn’t want to be alone with him, but there was no reason not to be. Besides, Jay was so distracted by their local thief, he might not be much help.

  Also, that old saying about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer ran through her mind as she looked at the way the ground sloped downward from his property. Not that Luke was an enemy, but she certainly wanted to know what he was doing. Another saying sprang to mind—the one about catching more flies with honey than with vinegar.

  Luke pulled out a pair of gloves and some wire cutters. “I’ll start down here,” he said, pointing toward the east end of the leaning fence. She nodded and climbed to the west side.

  When they had all the strands of barbed wire free, they rolled them up one by one and set them aside.

  Carly, who usually worked alone or with an employee she had to instruct, didn’t know what to think of having a partner who seemed to know what he was doing. It made the job easier. She frowned, thinking that she’d never before associated the word easy with Luke Sanderson.

  Once they finished with the wire, they began moving the posts, rocking them back and forth to pull them out of the ground. Then they used a short-handled sledgehammer to break off the remainder of the old concrete.

  “That’s why these fell over,” Luke said. “Not enough concrete to hold the bases in place.” He stopped and looked down the fence line. “I wonder who built this.”

  “Probably my dad,” Carly said. “I doubt he’d ever built a fence before.”

  “Oh, well. It was pretty good for a first effort.”

  Luke pulled out a pocketknife, slit open t
he top of a bag of cement and poured it into the wheelbarrow, his muscles flexing as he lifted and lowered the bag to shake out all the thick powder.

  Glancing up, he caught her watching him and couldn’t seem to help grinning as he asked, “What are you looking at?”

  She shook her head. “I honestly don’t know. You don’t look like you did three months ago, or even at the ice-cream social. Your hair is shaggy and you’ve got a week’s growth of beard going on there.” She made a vague gesture toward his jaw.

  He tossed the emptied bag on the ground and said, “I’m not working in an office anymore.”

  “But you’re not working as a carpenter. You’re not in construction.”

  “Carly, what point are you trying to make?” His eyes took on a teasing light. “Are you saying you like what you see?”

  She glanced away. “Oh, don’t be ridiculous.”

  “You used to like my hair long, and you never minded when I didn’t shave.”

  She gave him a too sweet smile. “Honestly? I hated it. It was prickly. It felt like I was kissing a toothbrush.”

  Luke burst out laughing. “Now why in the world would one look at my scruffy jaw make you think of kissing?”

  She had no answer so she tossed her head, making her ponytail swing. “Are we going to finish these fence posts or not?”

  He chuckled again. “Absolutely. Can you add water while I mix? If you can get your mind off kissing me, that is.”

  Casting him a dark look, Carly picked up the bucket of water and began pouring a steady stream while Luke used a shovel to mix the concrete to the right consistency. She found herself fascinated by the movement of the shovel, his biceps bunching and relaxing as he worked. When he looked up and grinned at what she knew must be her rapt expression, she glanced away, finding great interest in her apple trees, until he asked for her help.

  Working together, they poured the concrete and set the posts in place. Luke even had a level, which he pulled from his pocket and set atop each post to make sure it was exactly right.

  “We’ll have to string the barbed wire tomorrow. Then the fence will be secure again,” he said. “We can always put in a gate if you think we’ll need one.”