by Cora Seton
“How can you give up the Double-Bar-K?”
“The Double-Bar-K means nothing to me. Not compared to being with you.” He leaned down and kissed her and after a moment she gave up fighting him. Her anger was for Holt, not for Jake. She knew Jake loved her. Every touch of his hand and mouth told her so. Jake pulled back and looked at her, love shining in his eyes. “Now, we could stand up here kissing until they’ve got all our stuff loaded,” he said softly, “but that’s not fair to our guests. Let’s get down there and go see Carl’s house.”
“Too bad we can’t just buy it. That would solve everything,” Hannah said.
Jake just smiled.
A half-hour later, Jake helped Hannah unload their belongings while Cab took Bella and Evan on a tour of Carl’s house and property.
“Pretty swank,” Jake said as they carried their suitcases into the suite Cab had pointed them to. He’d never been farther into the Carl’s house than the large foyer. The house was different than he’d expected. Western in terms of structure and furnishings, but more like a museum when it came to decorative elements. There were statues and vases and works of art on the wall that obviously cost Carl a bundle. He’d never seen anything like this in Chance Creek.
“This room is bigger than your cabin,” Hannah agreed.
“Not quite. But pretty damn close.” With a bedroom, combination kitchen and living room and its own full bathroom, the suite was self-contained with its own separate entrance. He looked out the window and saw Cab showing the other couple the remains of the garden his brother Rob had built just months ago. Poor Carl; at that point he’d still thought he’d bring a bride home to the house soon. Jake wondered how the man was faring in California.
Pretty well, he supposed, if he was ready to get rid of his ranch. Would Bella and Evan take the bait? Would they allow Hannah and him to keep renting this part of the mansion? He sure hoped they would. He also hoped that sooner or later he and Hannah could buy into the ranch on a partnership basis, but that was down the road.
When they met up a half-hour later in Carl’s enormous living room, he could tell the deal had already been struck.
“We’re taking it,” Bella confirmed. “It’s perfect. There’s plenty of room for us to live and Evan to run his business. We’ll build a clinic twice the size of the one I have in town and a bigger animal shelter, too. When you’re a veterinarian you can join my practice.” She beamed at Hannah. “And…” She looked to Evan.
“And we hope the two of you will consider this your home, too. I know it’s not the same as having your own place, but while you’re away at school we can keep an eye on the place, and when you’re home maybe sometimes we can take off on a vacation or two.” Evan squeezed Bella. “With the rest of my family and business headquartered back in California, I should travel there frequently. Having someone else on site, even part of the time, would be a huge relief.”
Jake felt a smile spread across his face. Exactly what he’d hoped for. “It’s a deal.” He shook hands with Evan. Bella squealed and hugged Hannah. “We’ll be like sisters! I’ve never had a sister!”
“Neither have I.” To Jake’s relief, Hannah smiled.
He’d lost one family tonight but it looked like he’d gained another one. It didn’t matter if they weren’t related by blood. Friendship would have to do.
He had a feeling it would do just fine.
‡
Chapter Twenty-Three
“I guess we can change our wedding date now,” Hannah said when Bella, Evan and Cab went home. Since they hadn’t managed to eat at his parents’ place, they planned to drive into town and hit the Burger Shack. Hannah thought of Lisa’s enormous dinner sadly. She hoped someone managed to enjoy it.
She hoped Lisa was all right, as well. It must be tough to be the matriarch of a family that was comprised of five strong-willed men. She knew that Lisa must want them all to get along, but surely she knew by now that wouldn’t always happen.
Hannah assumed that one day she and Jake would patch things up with his folks. For a while things would be uncomfortable but time would pass and hurt feelings would smooth over.
She wasn’t sure about the wedding, though. Without Jake’s family there it would be a sad affair.
“I don’t want to change our wedding date. Do you?” Jake led the way out to his truck and opened the door for her.
“I don’t want to, but I also don’t want a lot of empty seats at the ceremony. Besides, it’s supposed to be at your parents’ house.”
“We can do it at the Cruz ranch.” But his voice told her he wasn’t happy with that, either.
“Maybe we should put it off until spring. By then they’ll come around, don’t you think?”
He waited until they’d both climbed in to answer. “I don’t want them just to come around. I want them to accept me how I am and to accept you, too. I don’t want to play these games. I do want to get married from home, but the Double-Bar-K isn’t my home anymore. You think Evan and Bella would mind if we used the mansion?”
“We could always ask. You’ll still invite your family though, won’t you?”
Jake frowned. “I’ll invite them.”
“Even Ned?”
He laughed humorlessly. “Especially Ned.”
She turned to him in surprise. “Why especially?”
“For all I’ve been a prisoner of Dad’s games, it’s been worse for Ned. Always second in line. Always hoping for a chance at first. Now that I’m out of there and have something else to look forward to—something even better,” he reached over and squeezed her hand, “I say let him have his chance. He deserves it.”
“Really?”
“Really.” He glanced her way. “I should have gotten out of there a lot sooner. None of this would have happened. My Dad wouldn’t have had the chance to hurt you.”
“And you and I might never have gotten together. No, as much as I despise his methods, I can’t complain about the results of your father’s evil plan.”
Jake laughed. “Glad to hear it. My home is with you now, you know. They can’t touch us anymore.”
“No. They definitely can’t touch us now. I know we’ll make a good life together.”
“I know that, too.”
Jake remembered his bold words when they ran into Ned at the Burger Shack fifteen minutes later.
“How’d you track me down?” Ned said when he caught sight of them in line behind him.
“I was about to ask you the same thing.” Jake sensed Hannah’s discomfort. “Why don’t you grab us a table, honey,” he told her. “I’ll grab the grub.”
“Okay.” She left quickly enough that he knew his instincts were right.
“I won’t change my mind,” Ned said. “It’s only fair I get a chance to manage the ranch.”
“I agree. I’m not coming back.”
Ned searched his face, suspicious. “Where will you go?”
“Carl’s place. The Mortimers are buying it. We’ll rent from them for now. Evan and I have plans.”
“Huh.” Ned shoved his hands in his pockets. He didn’t look like a man who was celebrating a victory. Was Ned disappointed?
“The Double-Bar-K is all yours.”
“Yeah. Well, good,” Ned said grudgingly.
“Want to join us?” Jake gestured to the table across the room where Hannah sat gazing back at them worriedly.
“Nah. I’ll head back home.” Ned hesitated before turning back to the counter where his turn had come to order. “Thanks. For backing off.”
“No problem.”
Ned hurried away as soon as he got his order and Jake brought his tray of food to the table Hannah had secured.
“That looked like it went okay,” she said.
“Better than I expected. I told him the Double-Bar-K was his. He said thank you.”
“Almost civilized.”
“Almost,” Jake agreed. “You think my Dad will leave it at that?”
“Are you kidding? H
e’s got two more sons to marry off. Batten down the hatches and hide your women.”
‡
Chapter Twenty-Four
The next week passed in a blur for Hannah. She spent Sunday revising her wedding plans to take into account the new location. Morgan came over and together they devised ways to use the house’s present décor to stand in for wedding decorations. With the ceremony slated for four in the afternoon, with a sit down dinner to follow, the biggest problem would be to find enough tables and chairs for all the guests. Party rental companies were overbooked, so she spent the next few nights calling everyone she knew to beg and borrow as many of them as possible. Table cloths and place settings were easier to locate and the celebration quickly took shape. Autumn had volunteered to handle the catering, with the help of several other women. Hannah accepted the offer with pleasure and knew the food would be great.
She rushed out invitations on Monday morning, and spent a hilarious evening at Ellie’s Bridals with Mia, Fila, Autumn, Rose, Morgan, Bella and Claire. The elderly proprietress regaled them with stories of wedding disasters while Hannah tried on dress after dress until Ellie pulled out just the thing.
Just the thing turned out to be an off-the-shoulder gown with a slim fitted bodice and a flowing skirt. Delicate stitchery on the bodice turned the plain dress into something spectacular, and Hannah felt like a princess in the gown. A collective sigh from her friends told her this was indeed the one, and the transaction was wrapped up quickly. It required a minimum of alteration and she received it several days before the twenty-first rolled around.
More snow fell in the meantime, making the view out the windows of Carl’s home sparkle in the lowering sun. The ceremony would be held in its enormous living room at the back of the house, where large windows would let in the last of the light. Afterward they’d set up tables and shift the rows of chairs to circle them. An awkward arrangement, but one Hannah knew wouldn’t put out her country guests one bit.
They hired a local band to play after the supper and she suspected the party would last longer than most, since she and Jake had no honeymoon to leave for. That was all right. Any night in bed with Jake was a honeymoon, she mused.
If only Jake would patch things up with his father, everything would be all right.
The night before the wedding, all of Jake’s regrets overwhelmed him. Hannah was putting up a brave front and he knew she was genuinely happy to marry him, but the rift between him and his parents was leaching all the joy out of the occasion. No matter how many times he assured her he was fine, and no matter that his parents had duly sent their reply card with the number of guests filled in with a two, she couldn’t get past the idea that she had broken up his family and he knew it would forever mar her memory of her special day.
He didn’t know what to do about it, though. He knew from past experience that one didn’t reason with Holt. You either agreed with him or you didn’t. If you didn’t, he treated you like you didn’t exist, until he had need of you again. Then he’d pick right up where he left off as if nothing had ever been wrong. If Hannah could be patient it would happen sooner or later.
He wished it would happen sooner.
When Ned called, he and Hannah were going over their lists one last time before they called it a night. Hannah was pale with tension. She was worried over all the final details. Jake had begun to wish they had put the wedding off, both so she’d have more time to arrange things and so his Dad would have more time to come around.
Why did he care so much what the old man thought, he wondered as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. All Holt did was cause trouble.
“It’s Chester,” Ned said without preamble. “He’s hurt. Thought you’d want to know. We’ve got a call in to Craig Chatham, but he’s out at another ranch and he’ll be a while. You’d better get over here.”
“Be right there.” He relayed the message to Hannah. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Don’t wait up.”
“I’m coming with you. Maybe I can help.”
One look at her face told him not to argue. He wanted to, though. If he had to put Chester down, he didn’t want her anywhere near.
He didn’t want to put Chester down, either. The horse had been with him through thick and thin. As they shut the door behind them and clattered down the porch steps to his truck, Jake kicked himself for not asking Ned what happened. He drove the short distance down the road to the Double-Bar-K as fast as he could. They bumped down the dirt lane, parked in front of the main house and got out of the truck.
“In the barn.” Ned intercepted them. He’d obviously been waiting for their arrival.
“How bad is he hurt?”
“Hard to tell. He has a pretty good gash. Looks like a nail worked loose on the wall of his stall. He must have scraped against it. He’s lost a lot of blood and needs stitches, I can tell you that much. We got him into another stall, but that’s about it.”
Jake blanched. “How soon will Craig be here?”
Luke shrugged. “As soon as he can.” He looked at Hannah. “Think we should call Bella?”
“Yes. I’ll call her.”
By the time they reached the barn, she’d phoned Bella and told her what had happened. Bella said she was on her way, but it would be fifteen minutes at least until she arrived. Inside they found Holt and Ned both doing their best to soothe Chester. The horse was sidestepping in its stall, whinnying in pain. Blood ran down its flank from an angry wound. Jake’s heart sank as the horse reared up and kicked the side of the stall. Chester was getting frantic from the pain.
“Do you have any medical supplies?” Hannah asked.
“Yes. In the storage shed.” It was Ned who spoke up. Jake had gone to Chester, murmuring to him. The horse whinnied again.
“Show me.”
Jake was dimly aware that they’d left the barn, but he was too busy trying to calm Chester to pay them much attention. “There, boy. Come on, settle down. That’s a good boy.” He kept up a stream of easy words and motioned for Holt to step back. His father did so, leaving him alone with the horse. After some long moments, Chester quieted a little. He still shuffled in his stall and whinnied now and then, but Jake kept murmuring to him, kept soothing him as best he could.
Soon Hannah was back. “I have what I need to stitch him up if you trust me. Otherwise you can wait for Bella.”
Jake glanced at Chester’s flank again. Too much blood was draining away. Chester couldn’t take much more of that.
“Do you trust me, Jake?”
“Yes.” He nodded. “Tell me what to do.”
“If you can keep him calm, I can give Chester a local anesthetic. When it kicks in I can clean the wound and stitch him up. If you think he’ll fight us, we’d better wait for Bella to sedate him.”
“I can keep him calm.” He wasn’t sure Chester could wait that long.
They worked in tandem, Jake keeping Chester as calm as possible while Hannah cleaned a patch of his hide and administered the sedative. Her movements were easy and careful, and Chester tolerated her presence well, as long as Jake kept up his monologue. Jake knew his long relationship with the animal was paying off. Chester trusted him, and Jake trusted Hannah.
Soon her lithe fingers had cleaned the wound with antiseptic from the first aid kid, threaded a needle and were suturing the gash. She worked methodically but quickly and in less time than Jake would have imagined, the work was done.
“Thank you.” His voice was gruff and he cleared his throat.
She came to touch his arm. “Of course. I know he means the world to you. I would do anything to help him.”
In that moment, Jake understood thoroughly why Hannah needed to be a vet. Caring for animals, healing them in order to heal their owners’ hearts was as much a part of her as this ranch was for him.
As this ranch had been for him. He swallowed against the raw burn in his throat, knowing that it wasn’t his ranch anymore. He had turned his back on it. He and Hannah had thrown in their lot
with the Mortimers and there was no going back now.
“That’s some first-rate stitching.”
Jake was surprised to find Holt standing beside them inspecting Hannah’s work.
“Thank you.” She stepped back.
“A veterinarian would come in handy here on the ranch.”
She gave Holt a funny look. With a last glance at Chester, she gathered her medical supplies. “I’m going to put these away. Keep him as still as you can. When Bella gets here she’ll look over the wound and then cover it up.”
Jake nodded. To his surprise Holt stayed by his side. He leaned against the doorframe to the stall. “Are you really going through with this—moving to Carl’s house?”
“It’s Evan and Bella’s house now. Besides, that’s what you wanted, right? For me to leave.”
“You know damn well that’s not true.” He shook his head. “If someone had told me that every time I got one of you boys sorted out another one would go off half-cocked, I might not have been so quick to have four of you. You’re like cockroaches when the light turns on, scurrying every which way, no sense at all. Everywhere I look, there are giant boots about to step on your heads and squash the daylights out of you.” He blew out a breath. “Not a single one of you ever thinks to look up.”
“Thanks a lot. It’s a flattering analogy.”
“Maybe it ain’t flattering, but it’s true.”
“Did you ever think we have enough brains to plot our own course?” Jake struggled to keep his voice down. He didn’t want to rile Chester. “Maybe what looks to you like blind flight is actually a carefully crafted plan.”
