A Ranch to Call Home

by Leann Harris

  “Brenda, I want you to meet my children, Amanda and Stewart. Kids, this is my best friend from high school, Brenda Kaye.”

  A fleeting expression of sorrow entered Kaye’s eyes. She quickly masked it and greeted each child, making sure she listened to them.

  “Mom, I’m hungry,” Amanda complained, pulling on her mother’s jeans.

  “Okay, kids. Let me have your number, Brenda, and let’s set up a lunch. I’d love to chat and hear about your life in the army. It had to be so much more exciting than being stuck here.”

  After exchanging numbers, Billye waved and they were gone.

  Kaye took a deep breath and turned toward them. Whatever she’d been feeling, she pushed it down. “If you’re ready, we still have some shopping to do. I know Joel needs his hair dryer, and I don’t think we can buy it here.”

  Joel frowned at her. “What are you talking about?”

  Kaye wrapped her arm around her brother’s and pulled him to the front of the store. “The hair dryer I found in your bathroom that was fried.”

  Joel swallowed any further protest.

  Caleb bit back his grin. Joel Kaye used a hair dryer. Good ammunition and Kaye used it well.

  The lady was amazing. The kind of woman he always knew he wanted to marry. He stopped the thought cold.

  What in the Sam Hill was he thinking?

  Chapter Five

  The final amen of the service rang through the church.

  “One more thing,” Pastor Tom said, holding up his hand, stopping the congregation from spilling out of the pews. “I want to welcome home Captain Brenda Kaye. She grew up in this church, and although I came after she left, I’ve heard only good things about her.”

  The congregation applauded.

  Her gaze clashed with Joel’s. He shrugged, but an impish smile curved his mouth.

  “And according to her brother, Joel, she’s taken over the charity rodeo that we’re going to hold in May. Brenda, would you like to come up here and tell the congregation a little more about it?”

  Kaye felt an uncontrollable urge to kick her brother. “You could’ve warned me,” she whispered.

  Joel’s grin just widened. She looked at Caleb. He shrugged. “You’re up to it.”

  Gramps waved her up to the dais.

  Kaye made her way to the front of the church and faced the congregation, recognizing half the people sitting in the pews. “Since I was drafted to head this event, I’ve discovered we’re going to need lots of help. When I was in the army, part of my job was to organize events, so after it was explained to me why we were holding the rodeo, I was happy to do it. I’m sure plenty of you want to help, too, and I welcome and encourage it.

  “If the pastor will allow us the use of the fellowship hall, we could meet this coming week—” She glanced at the pastor.

  “Tuesday would be good.”

  “Tuesday, and I’ll be ready to do sign ups and the other members of the board can be there, too.”

  Pastor Tom nodded. “Well, while we’re at it, why don’t we make it a potluck dinner?”

  There were several nods in the audience.

  “All right, we’ll meet at six-thirty. Bring your best dish and be ready to sign up to work.”

  The organist played the final hymn. Pastor Tom shook her hand. “I’m glad the church will get involved, because my heart’s been burdened for our ranchers and I’ve been thinking of different ways to help. And all have been praying for some way to help our ranchers. I think this may be it.”

  When Kaye walked out into the churchyard, she discovered no one had left. Excitement filled the air with people clustered in groups, talking about the rodeo. Outside a dozen people came up to her, offering their help, then sympathized with Gramps over the bruising on his face and his arm in the sling. Several high school friends reintroduced themselves to Kaye and offered suggestions on the rodeo. Most she recognized, but a few she didn’t know until they said their name.

  They decided to eat in town since they still had no stove. The First Community Church stood at the north end of Main Street while at the other end was the new municipal building, the Sweet Treats Shop and the county fairgrounds. The Country Kitchen Café occupied the building midway between the church and municipal building. They walked to the café.

  It didn’t take long for word to spread about the Tuesday meeting for sign ups, and by the end of their lunch, fifteen individuals from different congregations had stopped by their table, offering their help.

  Tuesday night, the fellowship hall at First Community Church was packed. People who were not part of their congregation showed up. Kaye’s heart overflowed as she stared at the gathering. These were ranchers from around the area, businessmen from town and city workers. The other members of the board were as amazed as Kaye. Even the manager of the county fairgrounds was there. One rancher, who was from outside of Waco, came up and introduced himself. He’d heard about the rodeo from his cousin who lived here. Kaye had to keep her jaw from going slack and shook the man’s hand.

  “Wow,” Caleb whispered. “This is quite a turnout.”

  “These are our neighbors.” Joel’s eyes scanned each face and pride radiated off him.

  “And friends. Ranchers,” Gramps added. “They all have faced hardships and are willing to help others in the same situation because they’ve faced it themselves.”

  The evening passed quickly, with everyone in the fellowship hall finding something they could do or offering to provide some service. The concession people offered to give any profit they might make to the cause of buying seed. Several of the adults who worked in Fort Worth offered to tell their coworkers about the rodeo, and Kaye set up a meeting with the fairground manager for the next day. The work the planning committee had done the previous Saturday came in handy, since they were able to divide up the volunteers among the different committees of registration, booths, housing, fairgrounds and volunteers for the two days of the event.

  As they drove back from the meeting, Kaye closed her eyes.

  “See, Sis, you’re going to have help.”

  Kaye opened one eye and stared at her brother in the driver’s seat. “Are you trying to ease over throwing me to the lions?”

  He looked into the rearview mirror. “No, but you see, everyone in this county is willing to help.”

  “So I can put you in charge of getting the stock for the different rodeo events?”

  Gramps tapped Joel on the shoulder. “She’s got you there.”

  Caleb, who was in the backseat with Kaye, shook his head.

  “Really, Caleb would be better at doing that than me,” Joel argued, “since he’s been working the rodeo for the past few years. He’s more knowledgeable, got more current connections.”

  Caleb glared at his friend. “Are you pushing things off on me?”

  “No. But you know the suppliers and have worked around them much more than I have recently.”

  “He’s got a point,” Gramps offered from the front passenger seat.

  Caleb laughed and shook his head.

  “Are you going to let him get away with that?” Kaye leaned close and whispered. That was a mistake because Caleb’s own unique scent filled her lungs. He turned his head toward her and his lips were a breath’s distance from hers.

  “I shouldn’t, but when he’s right, he’s right. I think I can arrange things with a supplier I know.”

  Joel grinned into the rearview mirror, his expression letting Kaye know he knew best.

  “You sure you want to let him railroad you, too?” she said, gazing back into Caleb’s intense green gaze.

  She remembered how it felt to be held in his arms and her heart filled with longing. She was a woman whom others depended upon, but there were times when she needed to be gathered into shelte
ring arms and given comfort. Her ex had never understood that. He’d expected her to always be strong and be there for him.

  She saw Caleb’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. The electricity in the backseat felt like the atmosphere before the lightning had struck.

  “It’s the least I can do.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

  “Hey, break it up back there,” Joel called out.

  Caleb smirked. “Mind your own business.”

  “I am,” Joel replied.

  Kaye met her brother’s gaze in the rearview mirror and glared.

  He laughed it off.

  * * *

  “I hope you’re not disappointed you lost the coin toss and had to come with me,” Kaye told Caleb as they drove to the county fairgrounds the next morning.

  “It’s probably best that I came since I’m the one arranging for the supplier to bring the stock, and the fairgrounds will have requirements they want the supplier to meet.”

  Caleb spent a lot of mornings sharing coffee with different rodeo managers, listening to the problems they were dealing with. Joel wouldn’t know the current ins and outs of the rodeo world like he did. He felt guilty for not working as her pick-up rider, but the accident had shaken him to the core and he just wasn’t ready. This, however, he could do.

  “I’ll say that turnout yesterday was impressive.”

  “True,” Kaye said. “But when I thought about it, it’s not surprising. Ranch folks are generous and willing to help.”

  “You’re right.” He knew from experience how generous ranchers were. He and his brother, Sawyer, had been at the receiving end of such generosity with the congregation in Plainview, up in the panhandle of the state.

  “Turn here,” Kaye said. “It’ll be interesting to see the county fairgrounds and how they’ve changed.”

  He turned down the gravel road. “You’ve been here before?”

  “If you grew up in this city, you came to the fairgrounds. Of course, in October, when they had the State Fair in Dallas, we drove to Fair Park and showed stock and my brother’s 4-H project.”

  “And did you have one?”

  “Of course. If you went to school in our school district, you had a 4-H project. I had a lamb.”

  “You win anything?”

  “No, but going to the fair was the highlight of the year. Corny dogs and fresh-squeezed lemonade. That was to die for.”

  He didn’t believe his ears. “You mean after all the places you’ve been with the army, corny dogs at the State Fair is your favorite food?”

  She grinned, making him catch his breath. “I do.”

  “Hard to believe.”

  He turned into the parking lot of the fairgrounds and drove to the entrance. A stadium surrounded by bleachers occupied the middle of the area. Around it, closed booths stood silent, waiting for visitors to come back. Cattle pens were on the far end of the fairgrounds.

  “Obviously you haven’t had a corny dog at the fair. We can fix that this October.”

  Her comment caught him off guard. He doubted he would be here in October, but he liked the sound of that promise.

  “’Course, you’ll get to witness our rodeo/county fair this year. Most of the ranchers’ wives come and sell something. I remember Mrs. Johnson sold her canned tomatoes and pickles. Mrs. Lions sold the blankets she knitted. And Mrs. Plasek sold her homemade Polish sausage. It was delicious. And Mrs. Rivera sold apricot empanadas.”

  They were good childhood memories, unlike his. But the folks of Plainview had filled Sawyer’s and his bellies with good home cooking. The pastor’s wife made a mean chocolate cake, and she’d taken to bringing cookies, cakes and homemade bread to the apartment behind the church for the two teenage boys.

  “I’ll be looking forward to experiencing those foods again.” She exited the truck and started toward the fair entrance. “Of course, I wonder if all those ranchers are still here. I kinda lost track.”

  He followed her into the fairgrounds and they headed toward the bleachers. “I know there used to be an office close to the stands.”

  Before they reached the office, Ken Moody called to them. They turned around and saw him coming in from the parking lot. “I’m sorry I forgot to tell you, Brenda, that my office is in town now.”

  She stiffened when Ken said her given name. “I’m used to going by Kaye. I’ll respond quicker if you use that.”

  He nodded. “I understand. It’s been a while since you’ve been here.” He shook their hands. “Let me show you around to see how we’ve changed and improved things, then we can go back to my office and work out a plan.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Forty-five minutes later, they walked into the city hall where Ken’s office was now located. People stopped them in the municipal building to add to the congratulations and give suggestions on what to include or what not to forget. Excitement and hopeful attitudes seemed to be floating in the air. The mayor joined the meeting with Ken and Kaye and Caleb.

  “I’ll call a friend of mine who is an animal supplier,” Caleb told the group. “I’ve worked with him for the past four years and asked if he could help. I think he might do this event for cost. And maybe we can get the feed donated.”

  “Since I own the sign shop in town,” Mayor Asa Kitridge added, “I’ll donate signs for the event, before and after.”

  “Can you do business cards for the rodeo?” Kaye asked. “We could hand them out and have the information people needed to either participate or just come and watch the rodeo.” Kaye looked from one man to the other.

  “I like how you think.” Asa grabbed a piece of paper off Ken’s desk and scribbled the information. “That looks good.” He glanced around the group. All nodded.

  “Good. I can have those business cards in a couple days. As a matter of fact, I’ll work up the template and send it to y’all in an email.”

  “Use Joel’s email,” Kaye supplied.

  “And I’ll notify others in the fair association what we’re doing,” Caleb added. “They can talk to members of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association and see if we can get any PRCA participants.”

  They shook hands, all buoyed by the meeting. As they were leaving, Mayor Kitridge slapped Caleb on the back. “I’m glad you’ll be working the rodeo. That accident in Albuquerque could’ve happened to anyone. How is that cowboy, by the way?”

  If Asa had chosen to stab him with a knife in his gut, the pain couldn’t have been worse. Caleb paled. “The last I heard, Taggert was doing okay, but I’m not going to work as the pick-up rider.”

  “Oh,” Asa said. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up a sore subject.”

  Gathering his wits, Caleb nodded. “There are several guys I can contact that would do it. I’ll get someone.”

  The mayor quickly made his goodbyes and walked out of the building.

  Kaye didn’t question Caleb on the ride back to the ranch. He appreciated her discretion. He still wasn’t ready to talk about the accident, but if other cowboys were coming to compete, she’d hear.

  “You’re quiet,” he started out.

  “We got a lot accomplished this morning. And I’ll let Joel know how much you are doing. He needs to start pulling his weight. He is not getting off scot-free. I’m going to keep him honest.”

  “He needs a taskmaster.” He waited for the follow-up on the mayor’s question, but she pulled out her list and went over it. She wasn’t going to push about the accident. He could breathe easier. The lady had good instincts.

  As they pulled up in front of the farmhouse, there was a truck there from the big home-improvement store, unloading their earlier purchases. Gramps stood out on the porch, a frown on his bruised face.

  “About time you showed up, missy. Come in and show the guys how you want things arrange
d. They’re having trouble and asking me what to do, like I know what to do in the kitchen. And they kept saying something about an electrician.”

  She turned to Caleb. “If any of the men under my command heard Gramps talk to me like that, I’d never live it down.” She slipped out of the truck.

  Caleb knew that those men would realize that Kaye had a grandfather who loved her and wouldn’t doubt her strength in leading. He’d seen her frightened and disoriented, but that didn’t stop this woman.

  Her strength amazed him and drew him in. She simply accepted he wouldn’t work as the pick-up rider. She didn’t cry or question or try to manipulate him. She honored his decision. Had he ever run into a woman like that? His mother had whining down to an art and would keep at a man until he gave in. After his dad died, that was how she dealt with the series of boyfriends that paraded through their lives.

  His heart protested being locked away by memories of a mother who used others and the rodeo bunnies that used the cowboys on the circuit for their own purposes. He’d retreated to the Kaye ranch to have time to think and consider his future, and suddenly this beautiful woman had shown up. He had to admit to himself he liked the feel of Kaye in his arms. Was heaven showing him a different path?

  Was his heart telling him it was time?

  He didn’t know.

  Chapter Six

  The last of the deliverymen wheeled out her mother’s old washer to his truck.

  “This was a good machine. Thirty years. My mom still has hers.” The deliveryman shook his head. “But a lightning strike will zap anything.”

  His words robbed Kaye of breath. She stared at the top-loading Maytag. She remembered her mom standing over it, feeding her dad’s jeans into that machine.

  “You the lady organizing the charity rodeo?” he asked.

  His question snapped her out of the past. “I am.”

  “What if my brother wanted to sign up for bareback ridin’?”

  Mike Johnson, one of the directors, was in charge of the website and registration. “The website should be up now and you can register online.” She gave him the web address of the charity rodeo. “Or stop by the mayor’s office or print shop. You’ll find the information there.”