by Sylvia Nobel
“Yes, thank you very much for looking after her. Is she going to be all right?”
“She suffered a nasty concussion. I stitched the gash behind her left ear and she’s going to be favoring her left hind leg for awhile, but other than that, I expect she’ll recover.”
My mood lightened as we followed him along a narrow hallway with an uneven stone floor. As we passed several bedrooms and a bathroom in various stages of remodeling, Payton said, “You’re doing wonders with the old place, Dean.” The wistful quality of his words, coupled with the nostalgic glaze in his eyes, brought to mind his earlier remark about having lived on a ranch in another life and I wondered again about his poignant response.
“Thanks. I can only pray that those goddamn wetbacks don’t burn the rest of the place to the ground after I’ve spent the bulk of my retirement renovating it,” he griped, his forehead bunching in a scowl. “I should have thought twice about letting Twyla talk me and Henrietta into moving down here into this damned hornet’s nest.”
“I wish I could wave a magic wand and just make the problem disappear,” Payton remarked with a sigh, “but I’m sure everyone over at the big house appreciates you being here to protect the southern flank.”
Dean grunted his response and ushered me into a small, irregularly shaped room at the far end of the hall. It was crammed full of boxes, an X-Ray machine, a row of cages, a metal examining table and various other pieces of medical equipment that had obviously once resided in a veterinary hospital. In another corner stood sections of shelving packed full of more cardboard boxes, piles of books, and several more of the same types of coolers Payton used for his snake collections.
Brett rushed to one of the cages and wiggled a finger through the wire. The kitten lay at the farthest corner rolled into a tight ball. Disturbed by the noise, she stirred and cracked open brilliant green eyes. “She’s so cute! I’ll ask Mommy if we can keep her.” His expectant gaze locked onto Payton, who shook his head sadly. “Sorry, little buddy, your mom is allergic to cats, remember? That’s why you have Rascal instead.”
His face fell. “Oh. Where will the poor kitty live?” “I guess she’ll be going home with me.” The sound of my own voice amazed me. I hadn’t really made up my mind until that exact moment. I directed a questioning glance at Dean. “That is, if she’s ready to travel.”
He looked uncertain. “I wouldn’t mind having another day or so to observe her. Any chance you could pick her up on Tuesday?”
“Not really. I was planning to leave tomorrow afternoon.”
He rubbed his chin, considering my answer, then said, “Tell you what, I have to pick up my wife at the airport in Tucson tomorrow at one-thirty, but we should be back here by three at the latest.”
I did a quick calculation. If I kept my lunch date with Payton in Arivaca, that meant I’d have to double back here afterwards to pick her up. But, then, that might work to my advantage, giving me a couple of hours to check out Sasabe and Morita. After that, I could just zip up route 286 instead of returning to the Interstate. “That should work out for me.”
The two men beamed their approval, but tears of disappointment brimmed in Brett’s eyes. In an obvious effort to distract him, Payton swept the boy into his arms. “Hey, partner, what do you say we go lasso a couple of those nice, hot cookies from Inez?”
Brightening perceptively, he clamped his hands around his father’s neck and sniffed, “Okay.”
I wouldn’t have minded joining them for a few cookies myself but Payton said, “We’ll run along and give you some time to bond with your new companion.”
I thanked him and turned to Dean as he opened the cage door. “Come on over and introduce yourself.”
Bending to eye-level, I reached inside to stroke the cat’s soft fur. “Hi, there, sweetheart.” At first there was no response and then a great rattling purr filled the cage. Slowly, she rose, arched her back, yawned, and then stared up at me with questioning eyes. Her deep orange color made me think of marmalade. Yes. Marmalade would be a great name. Suddenly, I couldn’t wait to show her to Tally, but I’d have to ask Ginger if she could keep her while we were on our trip. Dean encouraged me to hold the cat so I carefully reached in and pulled her out, cradling her to my chest like a baby. As I stroked her, the vibration of her contented purrs ignited a warm glow inside me and I knew I was a goner.
“Where do you call home?” Dean asked, leaning his weight against the cluttered countertop, stuffing his hands in the front pockets of his jeans.
“Castle Valley.”
He puckered his mouth. “Nice place. Ted Parkins is the doc up your way. Good man. I went to college with him a couple of centuries ago.” He inclined his head towards the cat. “This little lady’s been on her own for quite awhile. If I were you, I’d get her in to see him right away. She’s going to need inoculations and you’re going to want to get her spayed pretty soon. I gave her a shot of antibiotics, but she should have oral medication for at least another week.”
Oh, dear. Now I’d have to inconvenience Ginger even further. “I’m leaving for California early in the morning. You don’t have any antibiotics here, do you? I’d be more than happy to pay you for them.”
He shook his head slowly, but I could see the wheels turning behind his unfocused gaze. “Tell you what I can do. I’ll stop by a colleague’s office on the way back here tomorrow and pick you up a bottle of the liquid. Will that help out?”
What a nice guy. I flashed him an appreciative grin. “More than you know.”
“Well, all right then.”
“I can’t thank you and Payton enough. Did he happen to tell you how this whole thing happened?” The kitten buried her face against my chest and I held her tighter.
His face darkened. “Yeah. Said Jason was showing off again in his new truck. Man, that kid’s got a wild streak that needs taming. But every time Champ comes down hard on him Twyla comes running to rescue his skinny hide. I’ve told my sister time and again that she’s too easy on him. That boy needs to be reined in before he gets involved in something really serious.”
I longed to tell him about the incident with Lupe and that his nephew’s cruel behavior went beyond someone having a good time, but I knew that most people weren’t too keen about receiving criticism from a stranger. “On the flip side, Payton seems like a real standup guy.”
“That’s for sure. And considering the string of bad luck the poor guy’s had in his life, not to mention the raft of crap my spoiled ass rotten niece has dished out, well, it’s amazing he even comes around anymore.”
His statement tweaked my curiosity, but the thud of footsteps outside in the hallway put my growing list of questions about this affable young man on hold.
“So, does she own you yet?” Payton asked with a merry twinkle in his eye as he ducked under the low doorway with Brett still in his arms. I cocked my head in question and he grinned. “When you get to know cats better you’ll soon find out which one of you is really calling the shots.”
Chuckling, Dean concurred as I gently placed Marmalade back in her cage. I still couldn’t believe it. I was now a pet owner and the new responsibility weighed on me. My mind spun ahead to all the things I would need to acquire for my new roommate—a litter box, food, and cat toys. Lots of cat toys.
A hazy gold and orchid twilight accented by smudges of dark, thin clouds was settling into the valley, throwing dark pockets of shadows into the deep clefts and canyons of the surrounding mountain ranges when we finally climbed into the truck. The chill wind made me wish I’d thought to bring my jacket along. Dean had declined my offer to pay for his veterinary services and as we headed back, it dawned on me that even though I’d worked out details for tomorrow, I still didn’t know where I’d be spending the night. Dog-tired didn’t even begin to describe how weary I felt. The hour-long drive to Green Valley was growing less appealing by the minute, so perhaps I’d best consider Twyla’s offer to bunk with the lady from New Jersey. On top of that, even
though the cookies kindly offered to me by Inez had taken the edge off, hunger pangs bounced around my belly, making the quest for dinner uppermost on my mind.
Brett fell asleep almost immediately and, except for exchanging a few phrases of small talk, Payton seemed preoccupied in his own thoughts, making for a quiet trip back to the main house. In the fading light, set snugly against the dark backdrop of the hills, warm light spilling from every window, the Beaumont house emitted a message of cheerful welcome. When I stole a look at Payton’s rigid jaw line, I could guess what he was thinking. Total strangers were now welcome here, but that invitation no longer extended to him. The twinge of sympathy had me thanking my lucky stars that I’d stood firm against having a child early in my marriage or I’d be facing the same heartache of being a part-time parent.
Gently, he shook Brett awake and I walked beside him as he carried the still-sleepy child up the steps and rang the doorbell as any other outsider would. “This is the hardest part,” he murmured to me, tightening his hold on the boy.
The door flew open to reveal a diminutive Chinese woman wearing a sour expression on her sallow, wrinkled face. “You bring boy late for dinner,” she admonished Payton, reaching high to pull Brett from his arms. “Everybody eat already. Watch out. Missy Bethany not happy.”
Facial muscles quivering, he relinquished his hold and then glanced at his watch. “Nice to see you too, Lin Su,” he replied mildly, ignoring her criticism. “She said to have him back by…”
“Five,” said Bethany stepping into the glow of the yellow porch light. “I distinctly told you dinner was at five.” Eyes aglitter, obviously spoiling for a fight, she looked like a fierce lion with her golden tresses tumbling around her face. As always, injustice of any kind heightened my blood pressure and I was close to jumping to his defense when Payton insisted, “You said six.” He was breathing hard through his nostrils.
“Oh, I think not,” she said with playful spite, “but I guess we’ll forgive you. Please try to be more considerate of other people next time.”
Payton opened his mouth, shut it, opened it again and then, apparently thinking better of it, turned to me. “Kendall, I’ll see you for lunch tomorrow.” With that, he wheeled around and hurried away into the darkness. What a thoroughly obnoxious family. I couldn’t begin to imagine what it was about these people Tally found so appealing that he’d go out of his way to come here and spend any amount of time. I made an instant decision not to stay the night. If I had time perhaps I’d stop by tomorrow, in hopes of speaking with Champ Beaumont about the location of the butchered animals found on his property. “Would it be possible for me to use a telephone?”
Her inquisitive gaze darted toward Payton’s retreating taillights and then back to me. I knew she was still under the impression that we were together, but I didn’t feel compelled to confirm or deny her suspicions. Let her wonder.
“In the kitchen,” she said, waving carelessly towards an open archway to my left. I felt like one of the hired help as she dismissed me with an imperious nod and vanished through another doorway before I could even thank her. Annoyed, tired and hungry, I stepped into an enormous, high-ceilinged room bustling with activity and smelling deliciously of garlic, onions and other spices. Twyla stood in front of a side-by-side refrigerator barking orders in Spanish as she pulled out pie wedges and handed them to two young Hispanic girls. Another bronze-skinned woman whose blunt features identified her as Native American scoured pots at the sink. I fished my phone card from my purse and glanced longingly at the kitchen table strewn with empty plates, the remains of a salad, half-eaten dinner rolls and the well-picked bones of a barbecued-pork roast. Yum. Bet that had been scrumptious. At the far end, a burly man with a sun-crinkled face capped by a thick shock of gray hair sat reading a newspaper, his boots propped up on another chair, seemingly oblivious to all the commotion.
Her hands filled with four pie plates, Twyla’s long skirt billowed behind her as she rushed by heading towards an open doorway where I caught a glimpse of gaily- chattering people seated at tables covered with red-checkered cloths adorned with kerosene lamps. “I’m sorry, Miss…ah…Miss ah….”
“O’Dell.”
“Right after you left with Payton this afternoon I filled that vacant bed with another guest.” She smiled a fleeting apology and hurried to feed the waiting diners, now being serenaded by someone playing a guitar and crooning a popular western tune.
Fine. I hadn’t planned to stay under any circumstances. “Excuse me,” I called to the man at the end of the long table, “is there a phone book I can use?”
The newspaper lowered enough for me to make out two eyes the same periwinkle blue as Bethany’s. “Bottom shelf on that cart right behind you.” The paper rose again, dismissing me. I shrugged. He probably assumed that I was one of the guests.
I tried several places before I found a vacancy, which I secured with my credit card. Then I called Lupe to see if she’d arrived home safely. She sounded miserable, so I didn’t try to share the news of the missing coyote with her, just told her to rest and I’d talk to her tomorrow. I was dialing Tally’s number just as Twyla returned and collapsed in a chair beside the man I assumed was her husband, Champ Beaumont. She leaned over and began speaking to him in low undertones. While I waited for someone to answer, I caught bits and pieces of her conversation that included Payton’s name and my own. He lowered the newspaper long enough to gaze at me reflectively for a few seconds before returning his attention to his reading material.
When I heard Ruth’s lackluster ‘hullo’ immediate irritation flooded my chest. What, I wondered, were the odds that Tally would get this message either? As expected, Ronda wasn’t around, so I had no choice but to deal with her again. Perhaps I’d try diplomacy. “Ruth, do you have something handy to jot down a note?”
“I don’t need to write anything down,” she snapped. “Just say what you have to say and I’ll tell him when he gets in.”
I burned to say, ‘Oh, yeah? Like the silly little game you played yesterday?’ but I bit it back. “I’m calling from the Sundog Ranch. Tell Tally I’ll be out and about all day tomorrow, but I’ll be home in the evening around seven as planned.”
“Anything else?”
“He can try my cell phone if he wants to.”
“Okay.” Click.
Nonplussed by her insolent behavior as always, I cradled the receiver and exhaled a long, calming breath before turning to thank my hosts. A little thrill of surprise rippled through me at Champ’s questioning stare. He tossed the newspaper aside, jumped to his feet and advanced on me. “Excuse me, but I couldn’t help but overhear part of your conversation,” he said, still wearing a bemused expression. “Did I hear correctly that your name is O’Dell?”
“Yes.”
“You’re not by any chance from up Castle Valley way, are you?”
“Yes, I am.”
His eyes blazed with anticipation. “And you wouldn’t happen to be acquainted with a fine young fellow by the name of Bradley Talverson?”
I grinned. “As a matter of fact, I am.”
He slapped his thigh and bellowed with laughter. “Well, why the hell didn’t you say so in the first place?” He slid a beefy arm around my shoulders and turned to his wife. “Do you know who this pretty little gal is?”
Her delicate features gathered in a frown. “Well, I assumed she was with Payton….”
He tightened his hold on me, announcing in an elated tone, “Don’t you recognize her name? This is Kendall O’Dell. You know, Tally’s girl!”
Twyla’s face flushed with confusion. “Well, my goodness, why didn’t you say something earlier?”
“The opportunity didn’t present itself until now.”
“We wouldn’t hear of you driving all the way over to Green Valley, would we?” Champ insisted, continuing eye contact with his wife. “I’m sure we can make room someplace for her to stay the night.”
; Twyla’s gaze turned inward for a few seconds before she said vaguely, “Well…all the guest rooms are filled…but I guess I could have some of the girls clean out the sewing room….”
“Please don’t go to any trouble on my account,” I interjected, sensing that he’d put her on the spot. “I’ll be fine with….”
“Problem’s solved then. You can cancel those motel reservations,” Champ said with a tone of firm conviction, squeezing my shoulder once more. “You had supper yet?”
“Well, no, but….”
“Say no more. I’m sure we can rustle you up some grub too.”
“Of course we can,” Twyla agreed, beaming me a gracious smile.
After two days of meeting people who hadn’t exactly rolled out the welcome wagon, it felt really good to bask in the glow of their concern and genuine acceptance. But the pleasant fuzzy feeling diminished when my glance strayed to Bethany standing still as a stone in the kitchen doorway. There was not the slightest hint of warmth on her face. None. In fact, her eyes, frosty as two blue glaciers, were locked on me with an expression of unadulterated resentment.
13
Hours later, after being peppered with a multitude of questions about my purpose for being in the area, and plied with liquor and more food than one person could possibly eat, I was comfortably ensconced on the second floor in the family wing of the spacious ranch house. Under Twyla’s direction, the two young Hispanic women had swiftly cleared out the ironing board, baskets of freshly laundered clothing, assorted boxes and the sewing machine to make room for my arrival. After such an excruciatingly long day, I could hardly wait to snuggle under the covers in the sofa bed for a well-earned night’s sleep. But a hot bath sounded awfully good, so I grabbed up my cosmetic bag and headed back down the long L-shaped hallway where Twyla had conducted a brief tour just minutes earlier, proudly showing off the recently remodeled master bedroom suite with its enormous bath and walk-in closets. Bethany’s ultra-cute pink and white room was located further along the hall adjacent to Brett’s bedroom that boasted one bright red wall and was decorated with cheerful blue and yellow furniture.
