A TV was playing in the lounge. Since no one was watching, Buck flipped the channel to the cartoon network for the kids. Jenny shared her pine nuts with Johnny while they laughed at the antics on screen.
Buck looked down at Alex, who’d taken a seat next to her granddaughter. “If you’ll tell me what airline you’ll be connecting with in Salt Lake, I’ll ask the employee at the counter to arrange ahead for a wheelchair at both ends.”
Her eyes were a more intense blue than usual. “That’s so thoughtful of you, Buck. It’s Skyways.”
“I’ll be right back.”
With that errand taken care of, he returned and pulled one of the seats around so they could talk. He handed her the passes. “How are you going to manage work with Jenny incapacitated?”
“My parents are coming from Lake Tahoe tomorrow to help for a while.”
He knew next to nothing about her parents. They were Jenny’s great-grandparents. Amazing. There was still so much he didn’t know about her life. And never would. He coughed. “I’m glad you’re going to have help.”
“I’ll phone her friend Mandy’s mom and see if she can’t spend some with Jenny, but I know she’s going to really miss Johnny. Tracy came over yesterday morning and we both agreed the children had a great time together. Too much of a great time, perhaps,” she said on a nervous laugh. “My granddaughter decided to show off in front of Johnny, to her peril.”
Buck cocked his head. “Things like that happen when you’re really having fun.”
“I suppose.”
The children grew bored and Johnny started pushing Jenny around in the wheelchair. “Look at them.”
She nodded. “They’re a pair, aren’t they?” After a silence, she added, “Thank heaven you were there, Buck.” It came out as a sudden torrent of words. “She’s the luckiest little girl in the world to have been rescued by you. My heart almost failed me when I saw her on top of that dam. If she’d fallen off into the current...”
“She couldn’t have. Her boot was wedged in that hole too tightly.”
“But you knew exactly what to do, while I stood there in absolute panic. You have my undying gratitude for everything you’ve done for us from the moment you picked us up here. We’ll never forget you. As for Jenny, you have a special place in her heart.” Her voice wobbled.
“That goes both ways.”
“Except for her daddy and my father, she’s never told another man she loved him. So you see, that letter from the ranch inviting us here truly did bring her great happiness despite her accident. The Daddy Dude Ranch achieved its objective. Please let Ross and Carson know that.”
It was a good thing their flight was announced right then because Buck’s endurance had worn out. He got up and went over to the children. “It’s time for you to board.”
“I wish you didn’t have to go,” Johnny said, taking hold of one of the wheelchair’s handles. Buck took the other and they rolled her to the entrance where one of the attendants took over. Other passengers had queued up. “See ya, Jenny.”
“See ya, Johnny.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Bye, Buck.”
“So long, Red.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Take care of that ankle.”
“I will.”
Alex grabbed Johnny and gave him a big hug. When she lifted her head, her wet eyes met Buck’s. “You take care of that cough.”
Twenty minutes later Buck watched the jet take off from the building site and waved. The pain in his gut was unreal.
Chapter Seven
The orthopedic surgeon reentered the examination room, smiling at Alex and Jenny. “Are you two ready for the good news?” Jenny nodded. “I’ve seen the X-ray we just took and your ankle has healed beautifully. We can take off the splint.”
Jenny beamed.
He put her up on the end of the exam table and proceeded to remove it. Then he helped her down and asked her to walk around. “Your leg’s like brand-new. No more need for crutches.”
“Can I ride my pony again?”
My pony—
Alex gasped quietly, realizing her granddaughter had been living for this day for a month. She now expected Alex to honor her promise to take them back to the Tetons. Jenny’s recovery had happened even faster than Alex had anticipated. The rapid rise of her pulse made her dizzy with excitement when she imagined seeing Buck again.
“I didn’t know you had one.”
“Her name is Mitzi.”
“Well, the answer to your question is yes. You can do everything you did before the accident.”
Alex shook his hand. “Thank you for all your help, Doctor.”
“Good luck to you.”
Jenny thanked him, too, and they left the office, but as Alex walked down the corridor, it was her legs that felt unsteady. Her granddaughter kept up as if the accident had never happened. On their way to the car, Alex turned to her. “Do you think Johnny’s back in school yet?”
It was August 23. “Probably not for a few more days.”
“Can we fly to the ranch today?”
“Sweetheart—I don’t know if we could get a flight that soon. I don’t even know if there’d be a guest cabin free when we get there.”
“Couldn’t we stay at a motel? Johnny’s grandma and grandpa stayed at one when they visited him.”
Alex couldn’t believe how much those two children had shared. But she had to admit the mention of a motel sounded like a good idea. That way they wouldn’t be putting anyone out at the ranch.
When she thought about it, she realized it was a Friday. If they went for this weekend plus another day, Jenny would only miss school today and Monday. Her job hunt wasn’t going well. There was nothing in Lake Tahoe that interested her. Four more days over a weekend before she renewed her search in the Sacramento area wouldn’t make any difference.
After they got in the car, she said, “I’ll call and see if we can get a flight.” It was nine-thirty. There’d be a lot of flights to Salt Lake before evening. Most likely one of them would have seats available. The problem was trying to connect to a flight leaving for Jackson that wouldn’t require a long layover.
Her hand actually shook as she called information for Skyways. She found out they could take a flight out at two and make a connecting flight that would put them in Jackson at 6:10 p.m. They’d need a rental car when they got there.
It meant they’d have to be at the airport in two and a half hours. If they threw a few things in one suitcase and locked up the house, they could manage it and park her car in short-term parking until they got back.
The biggest problem was finding a place to stay. After an exhaustive search of every hotel or motel in the area, she was able to reserve a room for three nights at a place called the Teton Shadows. Unfortunately it was still high season with summer rates, but she’d promised Jenny. After thinking it over, she decided this would be the best time to leave Sacramento.
If Frank broke down again and came over to see her this weekend, he wouldn’t find her home. That was a good thing. He’d taken her rejection extremely hard and still called her, begging her to reconsider. She assured him she still loved him in her own way, but she would never change her mind about marrying him.
It astounded her that she hadn’t missed him at all this past month. To her shame, her thoughts had been all about Buck. She’d had more sleepless nights than she cared to remember wondering how he spent his evenings.
Alex remembered the attractive woman at the airport counter in Jackson. She’d devoured Buck with her eyes when they’d wheeled Jenny into the terminal. Something in her look told Alex she’d been with Buck before. Wherever he went, women noticed him or went out of their way to get his attention. The poor girl at the Boot Corral....
That night at the pool, the female guests hadn’t been able take t
heir eyes off him. Alex was one of those guests. She’d been the worst.
Though they were returning to the ranch because she’d made a deal with Jenny, Alex could no longer lie to herself about Buck. She wanted to see him again and hopefully be alone with him, if only to find out if this longing was all on her part.
The trickle-down effect of Kyle’s rejection had done its damage in her early years, but that period had long since passed. She didn’t know if she could say the same thing when it came to Buck. If she learned he was already in a relationship with someone new, she might never recover and wondered if it were possible to die of jealousy.
What is wrong with you? She was a grandmother, not a starry-eyed teenager. But right now Alex didn’t feel any older than seventeen with her hormones firing on all cylinders.
She hung up the phone. “Guess what, sweetheart? It looks like we’re going to the Tetons. We’ll have to rush home and get packed.”
“I’m glad we already have Johnny’s present.”
“He’ll love it.” The first week after getting back home, they’d bought a tan T-shirt featuring a snake. It had been Jenny’s idea to have the words Fred’s Dad printed on it. So silly and funny. Just the kind of thing to make Johnny laugh. Those two found the same things amusing and were in tune with each other on a level that surprised Alex.
But she had a secret she’d kept from her granddaughter. She’d had two T-shirts made up for Jenny and Buck, both in red. On the front, the white lettering said: Teton Valley Ranch Water Fight Champions.
“I can’t wait to go back, Nana.”
“Neither can I.” Neither can I.
By a quarter to seven that evening, they’d checked in to their motel. Jenny wanted to call Johnny and surprise him. That was fine with Alex. She used the landline so the motel number would show up on the caller ID and pressed the digits for the ranch. Then she handed the receiver to Jenny.
Her eyes twinkled as she looked at Alex. “Hi—I want to speak to Johnny Lundgren.” After a pause she said, “It’s Jenny Forrester.” Another pause. “Yes. My ankle’s all better now.” One more pause. “Me, too. But don’t tell him it’s me.”
She held the receiver to her chest. “It was Willy at the desk. He said to wait just a minute.”
Alex bet Willy couldn’t believe who was calling. “Okay. Then you listen and wait.”
Jenny nodded.
Alex was so nervous, she jumped up from the side of the bed and started pacing.
* * *
THE GUYS HAD formed a line moving boxes of possessions into the Lundgrens’ new house from the last truckload for the day. Tonight, Carson’s family would be sleeping under their new roof for the first time. Not everything was done yet, but the house was ready enough for them to move in and be comfortable.
Johnny was in the kitchen with Tracy, putting the kitchen utensils away in drawers. Buck was happy for Carson’s family and secretly envious of their joy. He knew Ross was, too. But no matter how many hours of hard work Buck had put in during the past month so he wouldn’t let his mind wander, his emptiness had grown. Something had to be done about his mental state.
While he and Carson were carrying in the last heavy case of books, Carson’s cell phone rang. They lowered the box to the floor so he could answer the call.
Buck saw a surprised look cross over his friend’s face. “Hey, Johnny—the phone’s for you.”
He came running. “Is it Cory or Grandpa Baretta?”
“Neither. Willy says it’s a girl.”
He frowned. “A girl?”
The guys grinned. At this point they were all curious.
“Here.” He handed the phone to him.
“Hello?”
As he listened, there was an instant change in the boy’s expression. His brown eyes rounded before he looked up at Carson in disbelief. “It’s Jenny! Her leg’s all better. She’s in Jackson at a motel!”
Buck’s next heartbeat practically knocked him to the floor. Alex had said she didn’t want to inconvenience the staff any more than necessary. That had been a month ago. It appeared she still meant it. His thoughts spun out of control.
“Well, keep talking to her, sport,” he said, eyeing Tracy with a grin. Between them and Ross, they were trying hard not to laugh at Johnny’s excitement.
After a minute, he said, “Hey, mom—can she have a sleepover with me tonight in the loft? We’ll be good and go right to sleep.”
Carson burst into laughter because Johnny was so predictable. It spread like contagion, pulling Buck out of his shock. He joined in with the others, but in letting go like that, the guys paid the price by ending up with coughs. For a minute it sounded like their former hospital ward.
With a tender smile, Tracy walked over to her son. “Ask Jenny to put Alex on the phone, honey.”
“Okay, but please, please, please tell her she has to let Jenny come.”
Buck watched Tracy wander into the kitchen out of earshot.
“Dad—” Johnny jumped up and down holding on to his arm. “The doctor said she can ride Mitzi again. Yippee!” He was so happy, he did a little dance in front of them.
Buck knew exactly how he felt. He’d given up on ever seeing that family again. In the past month, no one on the ranch had received word from Alex. It was as if she and Jenny had disappeared off the face of the earth. The past thirty days without them had been brutal.
“How many more signals do you need?” Ross had come up behind him.
“It’s a moot point if she’s officially engaged,” Buck muttered, his body in turmoil. He was still reeling to think Alex was actually in Jackson.
Tracy came back in the room and walked over to Johnny. “Her grandma said yes. I told her we had a guest room for her to stay in, but she turned me down.” Another clap of thunder resounded in Buck’s chest. She handed the phone to Carson. “Alex has a rental car. She’ll drive them here in a few minutes.”
“Does she know I’m at my new house?”
“Yes. But I need you to keep something in mind.”
“What?”
“They can only stay until Monday.”
Johnny’s face fell like a loose shingle off a roof. “How come?” Buck could relate. They were both suffering from too much good and bad news in the same breath.
“It has to be a quick trip for them, honey. You know Alex has to work, and Jenny’s been in school since she went home. But before they left the ranch, Alex promised that once her ankle was better, she’d bring Jenny back to finish their vacation.” Alex never told Buck that! “They missed your birthday party and wanted to make sure they celebrated with you another time.”
“Hooray!”
“Evidently, the splint was just removed this morning and they decided this weekend would be the best time for them to come.”
Was that because Alex was eager to get back here, too? Or had Jenny finally accepted Frank into their lives and this was the duty visit Alex had promised her granddaughter before they got married? How soon would it happen? Until Buck had answers, his emotions would be all over the place.
“But that’s not long enough, Mom.”
You can say that again.
“By then you’ll be in school, too, honey.”
Carson reached for Johnny and hoisted him on his shoulders. “We’d better get your bed made up for her. We’ll put down the air mattress and sleeping bag for you.”
“I don’t know where that stuff is.”
“We’ll find it in one of the boxes. Let’s go.”
“I’ll help look,” Buck offered, needing to channel his energy before he jumped out of his skin waiting for Alex to get there.
* * *
THE AIR FELT a little cooler than a month ago. Jenny and Alex decided to dress in matching navy turtleneck cotton sweaters
and jeans to keep them warm. Alex left her hair loose and Jenny copied her. On their way out of town, she found the drive-through they’d been to before and picked up a dozen chocolate doughnuts with chocolate icing, the kind she knew Buck liked.
After learning Tracy and her family had been moving in to their new house all day, Alex had said she wouldn’t dream of interfering with their first night. But Tracy insisted that everyone was thrilled to know they were there and that it would make Johnny’s night to have Jenny sleep over. Alex caved and realized they’d all be hungry for a treat. It was the least she could do.
The sight of the Grand Teton ruling over the Snake River valley with the starlit sky overhead was so beautiful it hurt. What a difference from a month ago when they’d flown in with the storm. She still couldn’t believe that Buck had just been sitting a few rows behind them on the plane, but they’d had to land before he’d introduced himself. While Alex drove, Jenny talked nonstop about how he’d saved her from falling in the current. She wondered where her cowboy hat had gone and chatted about Moppy and the ponies. When they entered the dude ranch property, the feeling of coming home was so overpowering, Alex only took in a portion of what her granddaughter was saying.
Would Buck treat her the same way as before?
Of course he would.
The morning Alex and Jenny had left the ranch, he didn’t know she was going home to end her relationship with Frank. But he’d never given her a clue as to how he really felt about her. Alex’s fears didn’t stop there. He would never have feelings for her if his mind wouldn’t allow him to see her as anything but Jenny’s grandmother!
As her father would say, Buck played his cards close to the chest. So close it had given her terrible angst. Once he learned Frank was no longer part of her life, he might still treat her like the woman at the airport counter, or the girl at the Boot Corral. The thought was so crushing, Alex couldn’t bear it.
She took the last curve on the dirt road that wound through the trees. Blood hammered in her ears as they came out on the other side where the newly constructed house was all lit up. It was a masterpiece of rustic and contemporary. There were several trucks and cars parked in front.
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