by June Faver
Big Jim gave him a sideways glance before pulling out. He drove the few blocks to Moore’s Feed and Seed.
“I’ll take the order in,” Beau offered, his hand on the door handle.
“I’ll go with you.” Big Jim swung out of the truck, heading for the entrance. He stepped up onto the wooden deck and glanced back to see if Beau was coming.
“Sure, Dad.” Beau followed, blinking when he stepped into the unlit store from the bright sunlight.
“Hey, Pete.” Big Jim greeted the man behind the counter. “How’s it going?”
Pete gave a wide grin. “Pretty good day so far. Breck Ryan just dropped off our paychecks. Josh and me ain’t got paid for the past couple weeks.” He took a folded paper out of his breast pocket and flashed it before returning it to its place. “It’s good to have a little money in my pocket.”
Big Jim tossed a folded paper on the counter. “Order me some more of that high-grade supplement for calves. We got a bumper crop comin’ up. Have you met your new boss yet?”
Pete shrugged. “I saw her at the funeral, but other than that, I ain’t seen her since she was a feisty little teenager.”
Josh Miller raised a garage-type door in the back wall, pushing a dolly loaded with bags of mulch. He nodded at Beau and his father but continued on to a corner where bags of potting soil, compost, and mulch were piled. He jerked his head to indicate the large man following in his wake. “Got some coffee, Pete? Troy here needs caffeine bad.”
“Sure, help yourself.” Pete gestured to the coffeemaker behind the counter.
Troy glanced at the Garretts and then edged closer to Pete to fill his thermos with coffee. He screwed the top on and strolled toward the back in the direction of the loading dock.
Big Jim raised an eyebrow, but Pete just shook his head. “Truckers making deliveries. They think this is Dunkin’ Donuts.”
Big Jim heaved out a sigh. “I figured you should know about Dixie, should she decide to get herself in here.” His mouth tightened. “Vern wanted his daughter to take over the management of his ranch and his business.” Big Jim shook his head. “You two need to be aware that she should be coming in here and she has the right to, you know…inspect the books.”
Pete shrugged. “She can do that. We got nothin’ ta hide.”
“I want you to show her the business,” Big Jim said. “I mean, teach her how to run it. It’s what Vern wanted.”
Pete nodded. “I hear ya, Big Jim, but I’m not sure I know everything about the business. Vern was a good boss, but he took care of all the business stuff hisself. He always closed up the store all by hisself. I would lock up the outside doors and go home.”
Big Jim expelled a deep sigh and leaned his forearms against the counter. “Anything different about the night Vern was killed?”
Pete’s eyes opened wide. “Why, no…not that I can recall.” He stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Me an’ Josh finished our jobs, you know…closin’ down stuff.”
Big Jim nodded.
“An’ then I said g’night to Vern, and we left.” His shoulders slumped. “Then the next mornin’ when I come to work, the doors were all locked up and there was yeller plastic ribbons all around.”
“Crime scene tape?” Beau offered.
“Yeah. That stuff.” Pete’s face morphed into one of deep depression.
Big Jim clapped him on the shoulder. “I know it’s hard, but just hang in there, and I’ll bet Vern’s daughter will take a load off.”
Beau had a hard time imagining Dixie working here, but he kept his mouth shut. He watched Josh heave the bags on top of others of the same variety. Josh was a few years older, but Beau remembered him as sort of a screwup. This was probably the best job he would ever land.
His father waved him over, and they left together.
“How about it, Beau? Do you want me to go to Breck Ryan to see if you have some legal status in your daughter’s life?”
Beau shook his head. “I want to give Dixie a chance to simmer down first. I hope we can work out whatever has got her so all-fired furious with me.”
“Sure, we can give it a little time.” Big Jim heaved himself into his truck.
Beau climbed in, and they headed back to the ranch. “I don’t know why she’s so messed up. She’s got it into her head that I somehow betrayed her…and that you turned her mother away when she went to talk to you.”
“Never happened.” Big Jim smacked the heel of his hand against the steering wheel. “Believe me, I’m just as much in the dark as you are.”
Beau was oblivious to the countryside whizzing by. He didn’t see the fields or the cattle or even the few and far between vehicles on the highway. The image dancing before his eyes was of a beautiful red-haired woman with hurt in her eyes.
* * *
Dixie drove back to the Moore ranch as fast as the speed limit allowed. She stowed the groceries and settled her daughter with a bowl of ice cream in front of the television before stepping far enough away to give her mother a call in Dallas.
“Yes, my darling. Is everything all right? Are you coming home?”
Her mother’s voice infused Dixie with a sense of calm. “We—we’re okay.”
“Because if you’re rethinking your terrible decision to return to that miserable little town out in the middle of nowhere—”
“Mom, please…we’re fine.” Dixie sank onto a cushy chair and pulled her feet up under her. “I just have to ask you something.”
“Well, you know you can ask me anything. How’s my favorite granddaughter?”
Dixie chuckled. “Your only granddaughter is doing well. Please, I have to know something.”
There was silence on the other end of the line.
“Mom, something isn’t right here. Beau and his father are acting like they didn’t know a thing about me being pregnant.”
Her mother made a scoffing sound. “Of course they’re acting the innocents. Those Garretts are ashamed of the way they treated us.”
Dixie’s brow furrowed. “They sure aren’t acting like they’re ashamed of anything.”
“Well, of course not. Big Jim Garrett has always had a giant ego and a lot of gall. His sons have inherited his bad genes. Just ignore those villains, and don’t let them anywhere near our precious Ava.”
“Too late for that.”
She disconnected after listening to more of her mother’s recriminations against the whole Garrett clan. Her mother seemed to hate all of them as well as the entire town of Langston.
Dixie leaned back in the chair, staring up at the ceiling. There were cobwebs on the ceiling fan. Need to clean that.
Her mother’s words reverberated in her head. Langston wasn’t really such a bad town. She did have some good memories. Lots of them, in fact, before…before…
Dixie closed her eyes, reviewing images of her childhood. Her dad kept late hours at the store, but Sundays belonged to him. First he would make her breakfast and then take her to church. Then there were many adventures, from taking his little boat out on the lake for an afternoon of fishing to riding horses together or just taking a walk to enjoy the leaves turning colors in the fall. No, she couldn’t think about him. Too many sad memories later in their relationship.
Her thoughts drifted to Beau. They had been playmates in grade school. This natural affinity flowed into being high school sweethearts, and those feelings had led to sexual experimentation. She couldn’t regret the outcome, but she wished she hadn’t had to pay such a high price.
She had been in love with him. So deeply in love she could feel it in every molecule of her being. She’d thought he loved her too. She’d thought they would be married someday. They talked about going to college and whether they should get married before or after they graduated.
Silly girl. Naive girl. Stupid girl.
But she still couldn’
t regret their coupling when Ava had been the result.
A wave of sorrow washed over her. Better to think about her father. Better to get it all out and put it behind her. Better to move on.
The room was closing in on her. This was where she had climbed onto her father’s lap with a storybook. He seemed to have endless patience, not even rolling his eyes when she kept presenting her favorites.
She jerked upright. It was this very chair in which her father had read to her, sometimes the same stories over and over again.
In spite of her resolve, tears spangled her lashes and drooled silently down her cheeks. She let them fall, unchecked.
She jumped when her phone sounded with Scott’s ringtone. She picked up the call and greeted him.
“Hey, sweet thang. I miss you.” His voice wrapped around her like a comforting blanket. One that she needed at that precise moment.
She rubbed her tears away with the heel of her hand. “You must be clairvoyant. I really needed to hear your voice.”
“I’ll come see you Friday evening. We can have the whole weekend to hang out. If you need me to do anything, I would be happy to bring my toolbox. I’m pretty handy, you know. How does that sound?”
“Sounds great. I thought you had to work this weekend.”
“I did, but I managed to trade with a couple of guys. I gotta see my girls.”
She grinned. It was great that he and Roger loved Ava as much as they loved her. Perhaps Ava was a surrogate daughter the two men needed. Having these men around gave Ava some male influence in her life. Good to have friends.
Chapter 5
Big Jim slipped into his office and closed the door. No point in disturbing the family, especially Beau. Big Jim knew he was acting against Beau’s wishes, but he was pretty sure he was acting in his youngest son’s best interest.
He made the call he had been putting off.
“Breck? Sorry to call you at home. It’s James Garrett. I just needed a little advice.”
“Sure,” Breck said. “Whatever you need, Big Jim. You know you can always count on me.”
“Now, I want you to consider yourself on the clock. I aim to pay you for this session.”
“Forget it. Just tell me what’s up.”
“Well...” Big Jim made sure his office door was closed tight. “I wanted to talk to you about Dixie Moore. You know she is the mother of my granddaughter, Ava?”
He could hear the smile in Breck’s voice. “Yeah, I believe I heard something about that. In fact, Dixie brought her to my office the other day. Lovely little girl. Congratulations, Big Jim.”
“She’s a mighty precious little girl, but that mother of hers is a bit flighty.” He heaved a sigh. “I don’t quite know how to say this, but…I don’t trust her. You know she ran off to Dallas and Beau didn’t have any idea why?”
“Seems I heard something about that too.”
“I just want to make sure we don’t lose Ava again.” Big Jim cleared his suddenly husky throat. “I’ve taken her right to my heart, and I know Beau is so happy to be her papa. Is there anything we can do to ensure her mama don’t just take off again?”
“Of course there is,” Breck said. “But are you sure you want to set off that little box of dynamite?”
Big Jim made a noise somewhere between a groan and a growl. “Y’think it would cause trouble?”
“No, Big Jim. I think it would cause the apocalypse.” There was a long pause. “I think you should just stay cool, enjoy getting to know your granddaughter, and be nice to Dixie. If she tries to disappear again, it’s not like she will just evaporate. She’s got a base in Dallas. We’ll sue for parental rights on Beauregard’s behalf. Don’t worry about it.”
Big Jim leaned back in his chair. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure. Don’t make waves. Family rifts are hard to mend. Play nice, my friend.”
Big Jim disconnected, feeling somewhat relieved but still not trusting.
* * *
The next morning, Dixie’s phone sounded. She thought about not answering it when she saw the caller ID. Heaving a sigh, she answered. “Hello, Mr. Ryan. What do you want this time?”
There was a pause on the other end. “Miss Moore. You need to go to the feed store today. Pete Miller is going to show you the books. He’s expecting you this afternoon.”
“I don’t need to see the books,” she said. “I’m not questioning his accounting.”
Breck snorted. “Well, Pete is no accountant. He’s just been doing his best since your father died. Under the terms of your father’s will, you are to take over the day-to-day management of his businesses. His businesses are now your businesses.”
She sat down hard. This was news that she couldn’t handle on her feet. “His businesses?”
“The feed and seed store is a thriving business,” Breck said. “Every ranch in the area depends on it. The store is a part of this community, and we need it to continue to thrive. As the new owner, you need to gut up and take over the reins.”
“I don’t know how to be a store owner.”
Another snort. “I thought you had some kind of store in Dallas.”
“I have an online store. A boutique really.”
“Same thing.”
“It is most definitely not the same. My customers place orders online. I do not have store hours or have to stock shelves or wait on customers.”
Breck let out a loud and disbelieving yelp. “How the hell do you run a store and sell things without having products in stock?”
Dixie felt her face flush. “I’m in e-tail. My stores are up in the cloud.”
“Cloud?”
“I’m just the middle man. I advertise and show the products, and when someone orders, the actual seller ships it out. I make a profit off the order, but I don’t have any investment in stock or warehouse space. I just run their Visa or Mastercard, pay the seller, and put my profit in my bank account. It’s not that hard to understand.”
“Good to know that you have some sort of business acumen.”
Dixie shrugged, annoyed that this obnoxious lawyer was questioning her. “It’s not a big deal. I wanted to have income and stay at home with my daughter. I’m just a small-time entrepreneur.”
“Well, you better put on your boots and step up, girlie. Pete is expecting you. Your father’s businesses do require hands-on management.”
“What else?” she asked. “What other businesses did my dad have?” She heard a sharp intake of breath and then a slow and noisy release.
“The ranch. Your father left you the ranch. There are cattle grazing out there. There are horses. There are thousands of acres under tillage.” His voice revealed his irritation.
“Oh.”
“I’ll bet you didn’t even know that the Garretts have been making sure your animals are taken care of while you…mourn your father.”
Was that sarcasm?
Dixie was glad she had chosen to sit down. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, young lady,” he said, his voice taking on a strident tone, “every single day, the Garretts—your neighbors—they go over to make sure your horses have food and water. The cattle are grazing, but they still require some oversight. The ranch is a business, and you will learn to manage it.” He disconnected.
Dixie sighed. “My life just keeps getting better and better.”
Grappling with the idea that the Garretts had been taking care of her livestock, she came to a decision.
* * *
Beau was sitting in his father’s office, logging in some receipts for tax records, when the doorbell chimed. He wasn’t aware of any appointments his dad may have made. People rarely dropped by without calling first.
He got up and peered out the window, surprised to see Dixie’s SUV pulled up close to the house. He lost no time in getting to the doo
r and throwing it open.
“Dixie?”
She looked beautiful. Her skin was translucent. He had to fight with himself to keep from pulling her to him and kissing every inch of her. But he stood like some kind of idiot, just staring at her.
The breeze lifted a strand of hair, blowing it across her cheek.
By reflex, he reached out to smooth it away from her face. His fingers trailed along her cheek, caressing her jawline. He swallowed and dropped his hand.
“Beau, I—” She faltered.
He cleared his suddenly husky throat. “What can I do for you, Dixie?”
Heaving a sigh, she gestured to the SUV. “I brought your daughter for a visit.”
Beau looked at the car, seeing the bright-red hair in the backseat. He turned back to Dixie. “You brought her?”
“I know we have our differences, but I won’t put Ava in the middle of it.” With one backward glance at him, she strode to the vehicle to remove Ava from her car seat and lead her to where Beau stood. “Ava, this is Beau.”
He held out his hands, and Ava reached for him. He thought his chest might burst wide open. “Hey, Ava. How are you?” His voice broke as the child leaned toward him and he gathered her in his arms.
She stared at him, her eyes wide.
“Oh, man. She’s so beautiful. She looks so much like you.” He tore his gaze from his daughter to the woman he had created her with, albeit unknowingly. “Come inside?” He asked Dixie.
She nodded, stepping up onto the porch.
He gestured for her to enter and carried Ava inside. “Let’s go to the kitchen. Ava, would you like something to drink? I’m pretty sure we have some juice.” He gave himself a mental head slap. Could he think of anything dumber to say? He set her on her feet, and she scurried to Dixie’s side.
Ava gazed at him, alert and perhaps wary.
“Juice would be nice.” Dixie seated Ava at the table and took the chair beside her.
Beau removed a bottle of apple juice from the refrigerator and placed it on the table. He was aware that Dixie watched him as warily as Ava. He took two glasses out of a cabinet and returned to the table. His hand shook when he poured the amber liquid into the glasses.
