Discovering Dani (River's End Ranch Book 20)

by Cindy Caldwell

  “He was in a hurry, so I have no idea. I just know he’s going to pick me up at my cabin at six.”

  “Your cabin.” Miranda smiled happily. “I’m so glad you’re living and working on the ranch, Mom. And you’re doing something you enjoy. You always hated being in real estate.”

  “I did. But I was good at it, and I was able to raise you kids. That’s what mattered at the time.”

  “Promise me that you’ll be the one to matter now!”

  Debbie smiled. “I was just telling myself that over lunch. I’m not living for you kids anymore. It’s time to live for me.”

  Miranda handed her the cookie and a bottle of water. “I’m glad.”

  Page Break

  Chapter Two

  Debbie spent the afternoon moving her things into the little cabin. It was only one bedroom, but it had a decent sized kitchen and living area. It wasn’t as big as the house where she’d raised her kids, but she didn’t need a lot of space for just her. And like it or not, it was going to be just her now. The kids no longer came back on school breaks, because they actually had lives.

  When she’d finished getting everything set up the way she wanted it, she made the drive into Riston to get some groceries. Unlike Frank, she couldn’t see herself eating two meals a day at the café. As much as she liked Bob’s cooking, she liked to have her own space more, and having her own space meant cooking for herself.

  At five-thirty, she started to get ready for her…dinner. She didn’t want to call it a date, because a date sounded so much more formal than what she expected to happen with Frank. He was a nice man, very attractive and easy to talk to. She didn’t have any friends on the ranch yet, so why not spend time with him?

  She showered and fixed her hair, but she decided to stay casual for the evening, choosing to wear a pair of jeans and a lavender blouse. She couldn’t imagine that Frank would dress up for dinner at his own house.

  When she was ready, she looked into the mirror. Her face showed the lines that came with being a single mother of two, but only around her eyes. Her blond hair was the same shade it had been at twenty, and there were no signs of gray.

  She put on a pale pink lipstick just as she heard the knock on her cabin door, hurrying over to open it. Frank was standing there, informal in blue jeans and a button up shirt, but he looked really good to her. “Hi.” She stood staring at him, not sure what else to say. It had been much too long since she’d gone out with a man. What was she thinking?

  Frank grinned at her. “Hi. Are you ready?”

  She nodded. “Just let me grab my purse.” She hurried to the kitchen counter where she’d left it after her shopping trip, dropped her phone into it, and went back to the door. “Let’s go.”

  Frank had seen the cabin a hundred times in his years at the ranch, through several different occupants. Each person had made subtle changes, but all he could see from her was a small picture frame with her, Miranda, and a young man who must be her son. “What’s your boy’s name?” he asked, closing the door tightly and waiting while she locked.

  “Scott.”

  “And he’s a college student?” He knew she’d mentioned him at lunch but with the joking about him not being a drug dealer, he couldn’t remember the real facts.

  “Yeah. He’s majoring in criminal justice. I think he’ll be heading off for the military after graduation.”

  “He’s doing it backward. Why not get the GI Bill working for him?”

  She shrugged. “Scott marches to the beat of his own drum. He’s a good kid, but all the advice in the world isn’t going to get him to change his mind once he’s decided to do something.”

  Frank led her to his pickup truck, parked in the driveway of the cabin. “I’m not on property, but I’m close.”

  Debbie nodded. “That’s fine. How long does it take to get there?”

  “Ten minutes. I’ll point out some of the local sites on the way.” As they drove, he showed her things on the ranch as they headed for the main road, and then he pointed out Kaya and Glen’s place. “They’re opening an equine therapy ranch for autistic kids. Well, Glen is. Kaya’s a romance writer.”

  “Really? I’d love to read something she’s written.”

  “I’m sure you can find her on Amazon. Do you have an eReader?”

  “Of course. I may be old, but I live in this millennium.”

  “Old?” Frank raised an eyebrow at her as they stopped at a four-way stop. “Who told you you’re old?”

  “I have a daughter who’s married, and a son whose about to finish college. I’m old.”

  “Best looking granny I’ve seen in a long time.” He pulled off onto an unpaved road, driving back beyond trees to stop at a small cabin set back in the woods. “It’s not much, but it’s home.”

  “It’s beautiful!” Debbie looked out at the small, rustic-looking cabin. “Did you build it?”

  “No, but I did design it. It’s not very big, but it works for me.” He got out of the truck and walked up to unlock the door. “I get snowed in here at times and have to salt my little road myself, but I like the seclusion. No one is bothering me here. Ever.”

  “Not even Bigfoot?” she asked, remembering what her daughter had told her about Kelsi’s obsession with Bigfoot.

  “Only place I’ve seen Bigfoot at all recently was when the women of the ranch were planning Kelsi’s baby shower.” He opened the front door.

  “You don’t lock your door here?”

  “No one even knows my place is back here, unless they’re friends. If I don’t trust someone, I don’t call them friend. So…Nope, never lock up!”

  Debbie was pleased with how neat his place was. She wasn’t sure if it was because of his military training, or if he’d taken the time to clean up since they’d talked. The smell of the food cooking had her drawing a deep breath. “That smells delicious.”

  “I threw the lasagna into the oven just before driving over to get you. I’m going to slip the garlic bread in and toss the salad. Then supper will be ready. What would you like to drink?”

  “Water.” She had no idea what he had to offer, but she preferred water over most anything anyway. “How was your tour this afternoon?”

  He shrugged. “Couple of twenty-something know-it-all kids. They were fine. At least I didn’t crash this time.”

  “Crash? Have you crashed?”

  “Just once.” He sighed. “I wasn’t injured, but my passenger was.”

  “That’s terrible! I can’t imagine how I’d feel. Is the passenger all right now?”

  Frank nodded, putting the bread into the oven. “He absconded with the head maid, and took her back to Oklahoma with him. He’s a judge there.”

  “I’m glad he’s all right. That must have been hard.”

  “It was. I felt a lot of guilt for a while, but he’s better now.” He served their salad into two bowls. “I really hope you’re hungry. I made enough to feed an army, which is why I don’t cook much. I always over cook, and there’s no one to eat leftovers.”

  “I’ll happily take leftovers for my lunch tomorrow. There’s lots to do to get the daycare up and running.”

  “Have you always worked with kids?”

  She shook her head. “No, but my degree is in early childhood education. My dream was to always work with kids, but when Dale died, I had to make more money. There’s not exactly a fortune to be made as a preschool teacher. So I got my real estate license. I never loved the job, but it was an income that provided well for my kids and me.”

  He handed her the two salad bowls and served lasagna onto two plates, adding a piece of garlic bread to each. He got them each water while she put the plates on the table as well. “So you’re moving to the ranch to be near your daughter and going back to the life you love?”

  “I hope I’ll love it as much as I remember loving it. It’s been a long time.” She took her seat across from him. “Thank you for cooking tonight. It all looks delicious.”

  “Thank you
for joining me. Even I get sick of eating at the restaurant every night. Though Thursdays and Fridays are fun. Trivia night and amateur night.” He eyes her curiously. “You don’t happen to sing, do you?”

  She shook her head. “Only where there’s a fussy baby in my arms. Why, do you sing?”

  “Sure. Loudly and off-key. I end up being a judge for amateur night a lot, because I love to listen.”

  “Sounds fun to me.” She took a bite of the lasagna, expecting it to be merely mediocre, but the man really could cook. “This is delicious.”

  “I told you I could cook.” He pointed his fork at her. “If amateur night sounds fun to you, then we should go this Friday.”

  Debbie frowned. “I don’t know. If I go out with you twice in one week, will our names be forever linked together?”

  “Possibly, but I doubt it. No one’s name is forever linked with Andrew’s, and I think he’s gone out with every single woman on the ranch at least once. Or maybe that’s only once. I’ll have to remember.”

  She laughed. “I think Miranda said she went out with him once, but there was no real chemistry or something. I think my daughter needs to have a man torment her for months and months before she’ll consider dating him.”

  Frank rolled his eyes. “Bob’s a mess, but he can cook like nobody’s business.”

  “I think that’s the only reason anyone other than Miranda puts up with him.” She took a sip of her water, watching him over the top of it. It was very strange to have a date again after all these years.

  “Bob’s really a good guy. He’s just odd, but I think that’s what makes the ranch special. It’s filled with odd people who work together to get along and create a unique place for the guests.” He tilted his head to one side. “Do you ski?”

  She shook her head adamantly. “I’m just not coordinated enough for skiing, I’m afraid. The few times I’ve tried it, I’ve ended up in a snowbank on the side of the bunny hill. I’m more of a sledder.”

  “Really? I have this lovely little hill out behind my house. You could come over and go sledding on Saturday.”

  Debbie was torn. Half of her really wanted to go sledding, because it had been years. The other half of her was wary of jumping head first into a relationship. “I’m not sure.”

  Frank sighed. “Are you worried about what people would say?”

  She shrugged. “I’m not sure that I’m ready to be half a couple. I just got here, and I need to learn the ropes, figure out my new job. I don’t think a relationship is a good idea just now.”

  “Let’s be friends then. We can just do stuff together, so you have someone to hang out with. Miranda and Bob both work Saturdays. Besides, they’re newlyweds. They don’t want Mom hanging around!”

  “You’re right. All right, let’s go sledding on Saturday, but I’m bringing the refreshments.”

  “You’re not going to get a complaint about that from me. I’m not stupid!”

  “What time?” she asked. She wanted to have some time in the afternoon to explore Riston. Miranda and Bob lived there, but she knew little else about it. Besides, she wouldn’t be able to stay in the staff cabin forever. Maybe there was a little house for sale that would suit her.

  “We could do noon and stop at the café on the way out.”

  “How about ten, and we stop at the café on our way back?” That would ensure they weren’t out too terribly long.

  He shrugged. “Sounds fine to me. I’ll dig out my old sled.”

  “You don’t have a toboggan, do you? I feel safer and more secure in a toboggan.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Sledding isn’t about feeling secure! It’s about having fun and letting gravity do its thing!”

  “Does that mean you don’t have a toboggan?”

  He sighed. “I think I do. Somewhere. But I want to let you know that I think it’s the coward’s way out.”

  “So you use a sled, and I’ll use a toboggan. Simple.”

  “I’ll race you.” His eyes lit up at the idea.

  “Really? I thought we were friends!”

  “It’ll be a friendly race! I promise.”

  “Are you hyper competitive?” she asked, frowning at him.

  He shook his head. “Oh no. Not at all. That might be why I’m not allowed to take part in trivia night anymore, but we’re just not discussing that.”

  “Oh really?” She raised an eyebrow at him. “We’re not?”

  “Nope.”

  “I’ll just ask Kelsi then. From what I can tell, she’ll tell me what I want to know.”

  Frank grumbled under his breath. “She probably would. She’ll tell anyone anything.”

  “Really?”

  “No, not really. She won’t tell any of her siblings’ secrets, but she would probably tell mine.” He shook his head. “The Weston family is very tight-knit. When you see them, and how very different you are, it’ll surprise you, but it’s true. Even the two girls are extremely close, no matter how different they look.”

  “Aren’t they twins?”

  “They are, but Kelsi’s very girly, and she keeps her hair blond and she wears dresses and make-up. Dani is more—rough and tumble, I guess is the way to put it.”

  “That makes sense.” She saw that he was finished eating, so she gathered the empty plates from the table and carried them to the sink. “Supper was wonderful. Thank you for inviting me.”

  “I’m glad you came.” He got the empty glasses. “Did you get enough? I made key lime cheesecake for dessert.”

  Debbie’s eyes widened. “I couldn’t eat another bite at the moment, but that sounds amazing!”

  He dug through a cabinet for a throw-away plastic bowl and cut her a slice, putting it into the bowl and sealing it. “Now you can have it whenever you want.”

  “You’re a good guy, aren’t you, Frank?”

  Frank shrugged. “Those words have been applied to me once or twice.”

  “Then I’m glad I get to go sledding with you on Saturday. It’s supposed to be warm tomorrow. I hope the snow doesn’t all melt on us.”

  “It won’t. It’s only supposed to get up to thirty. It’ll be great sledding weather on Saturday. I’ll dig out my old sled and find the toboggan, although I still think you’re playing it too safe.”

  “You’ve never seen me ride one, though. I can tip over on anything, including one of those discs. I’m not risking it!”

  “Fine. But you’re bringing the snack, remember?”

  “I do remember! I’ll be waiting with it.” She efficiently loaded his dishwasher, rearranging several things that were already in there.

  “Why do women do that?” he asked, puzzled.

  “Do what?”

  “Move stuff around in a dishwasher? Why is where a man puts it never good enough?”

  She shrugged. “There’s a right way to load a dishwasher and a wrong way. I make sure it’s the right way before I run it. It’s that simple.”

  “Does Miranda load the dishwasher the right way?”

  “Of course. I taught her to do it from the time she was small.”

  “What about Scott?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Scott refused to learn properly, doing it wrong every single time, until I refused to let him near my dishwasher ever again.”

  He laughed. “He did it wrong because he’s a man, right?”

  She shook her head slowly. “No, he did it wrong, because he refused to learn to do it right. It was his choice.”

  “But is there really a right? Or is right just something women make up in their heads so they can tell men they did it wrong?”

  “There’s really a right. Dishes don’t come clean the way you had it. Do you constantly have to re-run the dishwasher because dishes aren’t clean?”

  “Well, yeah, but that’s just because dishwashers aren’t as good as hand washing. I don’t think a machine ever could be.” Frank shrugged. He knew he was getting her goat, but it was kind of fun. He liked her. A lot. Sure, he’d agreed to just
be friends, but that was only because he wanted to have a chance with her. He was going to push for more the second he sensed she was ready for it.

  “Typical male logic.” She finished reloading the dishwasher properly and added soap.

  “It’s not all the way full!” he protested.

  “If I cram more dishes in there, they’ll never get clean. Do you want a lot of dishes to not get clean or a few dishes to get clean?”

  He glared at her. “I’m not even going there.”

  “Okay. You don’t have to.” She closed the dishwasher and ran it. She wasn’t sure what he wanted to do now. Would he take her home?

  “So do you want to hang out for a little while? We could play a game? Or I could take you right home so you can get ready for work tomorrow.”

  She frowned. “I should probably go straight home. I have a lot to do to get ready.”

  “All right. Maybe we can have lunch tomorrow?”

  She took her cheesecake from the counter where he’d left it. “As friends, right?”

  “Definitely as friends. I wouldn’t ask for more.” She shrugged into her coat and headed for the door, moving the cheesecake from hand to hand. She wasn’t going to risk that.

  “Sure. Let’s do lunch.” She didn’t particularly relish the idea of doing everything alone, and here was a kind man offering her friendship. She needed to accept.

  Frank smiled as he started his truck. “I’ll meet you at Kelsey’s Kafé at noon. If you get there first, get me the special.”

  “What if you don’t want the special?” Debbie asked.

  “Trust me, I want the special. So do you for that matter. Bob’s special is always worth eating. Always.”

  “All right. If I’m there first, I’ll order two specials.” Debbie figured he knew what he was talking about since he was so adamant about it.

  “You won’t regret it.” He pulled up in front of her cabin, and stopped the truck. He put his hand on his handle as if he was going to walk her to the door.

  “Don’t. It would seem like a date if you walked me to the door. Friends don’t do that for each other.”

  Frank nodded, staying in the truck. He wanted a real relationship from her, but he’d wait until she seemed ready for it. In the meantime, friendship would have to do. “Sleep well. See you at noon.”