A Ranch to Call Home

by Leann Harris

  “Come in. Let’s talk.”

  * * *

  Caleb sat next to Joel and Gramps, watching the horses they brought in for the auction.

  “You like that mare?” Joel pointed to the mare in the ring.

  The chestnut’s coat glowed with health, and she had white stockings on her rear legs.

  “She’s good-looking.”

  The bidding started. Caleb debated with himself if now was the time to start investing in other horses. Razor would probably get along with her.

  “Sold.”

  Gramps leaned over and in a loud whisper, he said, “You’re a little slow, son. You know, if you don’t make up your mind with women, they’re gone before you know it. Other men move in and leave you flat-footed.”

  Caleb’s eyes widened. Did Gramps mean more than the horse leaving the auction ring? Gramps’s eyebrow arched and Caleb understood the man’s words had more than one meaning.

  “That was our last horse, and now we’ll go on to the prize bulls,” the announcer informed the audience.

  The three men got up and walked out of the stands.

  “I wonder if Sis has finished at the university.” Joel led the way to the concessions outside the arena. They had just ordered some drinks when Kaye walked through the main doors to the coliseum.

  She saw them, smiled and waved, heading over.

  “Joel Kaye,” a man’s deep voice called out. “It seems like forever since I saw you. Joshua was marching around Jericho, if I recall.” The men turned and saw a tall man walking toward them. “And Caleb Jensen. What are you doing here, you old dog? Aren’t you still working the rodeo?”

  “Reverend Charlie. How are you?” Caleb stepped up and shook Charlie’s hand. Six feet plus with a full head of white hair and a rugged face that would’ve gone well in a Western movie, Charlie was a force to be reckoned with on the rodeo circuit. He didn’t mince words, but the man would give you the shirt off his back, which Caleb had seen him do one day for a homeless man. “Well, we’re here looking at stock for Joel.”

  Kaye joined the group and introductions were made.

  “So you know my brother and Caleb?” she asked.

  “I do, and I kept careful watch over their souls while they were on the circuit. I’ll say they weren’t my concern,” the Reverend Charlie said.

  “And how much did you pay him for that?” Kaye asked.

  Before either man could react, the Reverend Charlie smiled and patted Caleb on the back. “No money changed hands. If I had a problem, they were first to come to my aid.”

  “What are you doing here, Charlie?” Caleb asked.

  “I’m here to do a service in the stockyards tomorrow. Why don’t y’all come? I’ve got a young man who is a great guitar player. And I’ll know someone will be there for the service.”

  Caleb looked at the group. Kaye smiled. “I’d like that. I’ve heard how popular the cowboy church is getting, but I’ve never attended a service. I’d love to go. I’m sure our regular pastor won’t mind. And it would be an honor to have you out at the ranch for lunch afterward. Maybe you can help us with ideas for our charity rodeo.”

  “Well, I certainly can’t refuse such a wonderful invite. The service will be at eleven on Sunday down in the middle of the stockyards. There’ll be signs.”

  “Then we’ll see you Sunday.”

  Reverend Charlie nodded and walked out of the building.

  “I’ve notified the people here and they’re ready to talk to us about the charity rodeo.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  * * *

  Forty minutes later, they emerged from the business office. The staff confirmed they were on the right road and offered any help they needed.

  “Since we’re here, let’s eat at Joe T. Garcia’s for a late lunch. I mean, I’ve been home close to a week, and I’ve not had a meal at Joe T’s.”

  The trip to the restaurant only took minutes. The lunch rush looked over since they could find a place to park. As they approached the door, a group came out, a couple and another man.

  Kaye stopped, causing Caleb to run into her back. He wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her from falling. The man, whose arm was around the woman, looked up and missed a step. The woman collided with him.

  Their companion kept going for a step, then paused.

  The willowy blonde tugged on her date’s arm. “Richard, honey, what’s the—”

  Richard gave her a chilling look. She stopped midsentence and looked at the people on the walk before her.

  Joel and Gramps came up behind Kaye. Caleb didn’t release Kaye and felt every muscle in her body stiffen. “Kaye?”

  She smiled at him, but the tension in her body denied the smile.

  Who was this guy? Caleb wondered as he watched the poisonous looks Joel and the unknown man exchanged.

  The stranger’s gaze took in Kaye from her head to foot, stopping at Caleb’s arm around her waist. “You’re not in uniform.”

  Kaye’s shoulders stiffened. “It’s nice to see you, too, Richard.” She held out her hand to the woman. “I’m Kaye. And you are?”

  “I’m Ashley.” The blonde raised her hand, but Richard’s face darkened with anger. She didn’t take Kaye’s hand.

  “She’s not interested in you, Ash. She’s just a jealous ex-wife knowing that I’ve moved on since our divorce,” Richard snapped.

  The girl paled.

  This was Kaye’s ex-husband? The instant the man had opened his mouth and insulted Kaye, Caleb was ready to set him straight. What had she seen in him? From Kaye’s reaction, she wasn’t too thrilled to see him now.

  Kaye let her hand fall to her side.

  Richard’s hand clamped around Ashley’s arm and started to pull her away.

  “Ouch, you’re hurting me.”

  “I see you haven’t changed, Richard. I’m just sorry so many young women have to find out about you the hard way.”

  Richard took a step toward Kaye, then realized he was badly outnumbered. He grabbed Ashley’s arm and pulled her toward a car. “You were never worth it.”

  Caleb felt Kaye’s tremors, but she stood proudly and her silence was a bigger rebuke. Richard strode off. Ashley looked over her shoulder, her eyes soft with understanding.

  “I never liked him,” Gramps grumbled. “What you saw in that man, I’ll never know.”

  “You know, Gramps, I wonder the very same thing. Momentary insanity?”

  Caleb released Kaye and they headed into the restaurant. After they were seated and ordered their meal, Gramps patted Kaye’s hand. “I’m glad that man is no longer in your life, and if my arm wasn’t in a sling— Well, I’ve wrestled some ornery steers, and he wouldn’t have been a problem.”

  “How did your meeting at the university go?” Caleb asked, wanting to get Kaye’s mind on something else.

  The muscles in her shoulders eased. “The director of the program told me the different directions I could go and asked what level of counseling I wanted to do. But she was very supportive and gave me a contact at the VA where they need some volunteer help. She also told me about a private group of ex-military doctors and nurses working with veterans.”

  Kaye’s face changed from troubled to excited as she talked about helping other veterans. Caleb wondered how she could’ve married so obnoxious a man as they just met.

  She dipped a tortilla chip into the salsa the waiter set on the table. “So did you find any horses you wanted to buy?”

  Her question jerked Caleb back to the conversation flowing around the table. “I saw a mare I was tempted to buy, but I need to find a place before I can buy another horse. Razor might be offended if he had to share his trailer, and I know he’s not willing to do that, even if my trailer would hold a second horse.” />
  “Is that what was stopping you?” Joel frowned. “You could’ve kept that mare at the ranch. Had I known...” He shook his head.

  Before anyone could comment, the waiter arrived with lunch and all thoughts turned to food. As Caleb ate his chili relleno, he caught a hint of sadness in Kaye’s blue eyes, but when she turned to him, she hid the pain and tried to gloss over her emotions.

  Here was another example of how Kaye didn’t allow circumstances to beat her, but she fought back. Not one word of pity or poor me, but then any woman who’d made it to the rank of captain couldn’t be a clinging vine. Kaye was a woman who battled the odds and stood on her own.

  Her ex’s behavior left a bad taste in his mouth, much like eating dirt when you fell off a horse. He was surprised Joel hadn’t punched out the man. He’d certainly asked for it. But Kaye had kept her cool, which he admired. Thinking back to the exchange outside the restaurant, something bothered him about it other than the obvious. But what? What was going on?

  Kaye caught his eye again, and he felt a connection to her. He didn’t know what this feeling was, but wanted to explore it.

  Chapter Eight

  After a late evening meal of sandwiches and fresh chocolate-chip cookies that Nan White had dropped off, Joel stood. “I’m going to do evening chores.”

  Kaye caught him before he escaped out the back door. “Nope. You need to make calls for the charity rodeo that you haven’t done yet. I’ll do the chores.”

  Joel opened his mouth to protest, but she rested her hands on her hips. “Are you going to keep your word?”

  Brother and sister stared at each other. “You hit below the belt.”

  She didn’t move.

  Sighing, Joel walked into the dining room.

  Caleb laughed as he and Kaye walked to the barn. “You certainly know how to pull Joel’s chain. When Nan showed up earlier with those cookies, he looked ready to bolt like a trapped cow unwilling to be branded.”

  “But she’s done a good job with her part, which is more than Joel’s done.”

  They divided the chores and went to work.

  After mucking out the last stall, Kaye put out fresh hay for Midnight. “I did miss this.”

  Caleb stopped and looked up. “Mucking out stalls?”

  “Oddly enough, yes. I missed working with horses. Somehow, it connected me with the past.” In a safe way. Only good memories were attached with horses. “I rode while in the service, but working with the animals, caring for them, I didn’t get to do that. There’s something so soothing about the smell of a horse and the warmth of their body.” When she was in basic, she’d put all her grief and sorrow in the daily chores and routine. The chaplain had noticed her intensity and had asked what was bothering her. His observation had caught her by surprise.

  Caleb walked to the stall where she was working. “Yeah, I have good memories of working with my dad in the barn.”

  He leaned against the stall. “Sawyer and I were probably not much of a help for our dad, but it was great to listen to him tell stories about when he grew up.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

  She put up the pitchfork. “I remember following my dad out here. I wanted to help him in the barn instead of helping my mom do dishes. My mom was frustrated that I didn’t want to be in the kitchen with her when I was a little girl. She wondered if I missed the girl gene. I know I missed the housework gene.” She laughed and rested her arms on the top rail of the stall, remembering her mom’s allowing her the freedom to work with her dad.

  “You okay?” Caleb asked, looking into her face.

  “I am. Sometimes memories can bring a smile, unlike the bad ones we ran into at Joe T’s.” She noticed no one had mentioned her ex’s rude behavior at the restaurant.

  “No kidding.”

  He said it in such a deadpan way, she laughed.

  He stepped closer, leaning on the stall wall. “I thought your brother was going to punch out that man, and if he wasn’t, I was tempted. Was he always that much of a jerk?”

  Kaye hadn’t noticed. She’d been too busy trying to hold on to her temper. “No, the man could be charming.”

  Caleb gave her a look that said he didn’t believe her.

  “Really. It was only at the end of our marriage when he tried to provoke a reaction out of me. He changed once the band started achieving some success. He claimed I didn’t share his dream, but his dream only bled us of money instead of adding to it. Being practical, I wanted to eat.”

  Caleb reached out and took her hand. “Hey, don’t downplay that. Eating has a lot going for it.” He grinned and she knew he understood at a gut level.

  She wondered what had possessed her to marry Richard in the first place, a musician who lived moment to moment.

  It must’ve been temporary madness. They’d eloped and she’d brought him home once. “The only time he came home with me was the Christmas after we married, and neither Joel nor Gramps liked him. Richard returned the sentiment.”

  “I can see why they didn’t like him.”

  Her head came up, ready to challenge him. “It was that obvious, wasn’t it?”

  “Plain as the tail on my horse.”

  A grin split her face. “Yeah, well, who can account for chemistry? Makes me kinda leery to trust those feelings again. You end up doing stupid stuff.” She remembered the ugly argument she’d had with Richard the last time they were together. He’d called her a repressed old army hag who had no imagination or creativity and only knew how to follow the rules, and then he’d stormed out of the house.

  “It looks like your ex hasn’t changed.”

  Caleb didn’t offer any criticism of her erratic behavior. She wasn’t so kind to herself. She beat herself up for her poor judgment. “I feel sorry for that young woman. I don’t think she’ll leave the relationship whole.” She wanted to snatch her words back. What was it about this man that had her confessing all her weaknesses? He had to think of her as a head case.

  Embarrassed she’d revealed so much, she headed outside to bring Midnight into the barn. She waved a carrot at Midnight but got Razor instead.

  “You, I don’t need.” Razor took the carrot. Suddenly, she felt Caleb’s warmth behind her and he waved a carrot at Midnight. She came trotting up to the fence and took the carrot.

  Caleb caught Razor’s halter and led him inside. Midnight followed. Kaye took the horse into her stall and picked up the curry brush. She wanted the comfort of the mare’s warmth to settle into her soul, but instead she got Caleb’s understanding.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Caleb said and left the barn.

  As she worked on brushing her mare, Kaye lost herself in prayer. Seeing Richard was like a poke in the eye. “Lord, I don’t understand why it still hurts so bad. Why?”

  She stopped and rested her head against Midnight’s side.

  Midnight’s head turned toward Kaye. Kaye blinked away the moisture. “I love you, too.” Kaye kissed Midnight between her eyes. “Thanks, girl, for listening.”

  As she walked inside, she pushed aside the hurt. Tears would gain her nothing. She’d lost that strong Captain Brenda who faced down the enemy, driving a truck through insurgent fire. Where was that woman?

  She thought about that carrot that had appeared before her face and the man who’d thought to bring it and help her bring the horses in. He was the first man—aside from her family—who’d acted so thoughtfully toward her. It awed her and touched a heart she’d thought hardened. Maybe there was more than one reason God had brought her home.

  * * *

  Sunday morning, after the stock was cared for and a quick breakfast, they started out for Fort Worth. Caleb and Kaye rode in the backseat. The absurd idea of grabbing Kaye’s hand flashed through Caleb’s brain. It was just lack of sleep, he told himself. But though
ts of Kaye kept flashing through his brain when he closed his eyes. The shock of meeting her ex-husband had thrown Caleb off balance. Kaye seemed such a determined woman that he couldn’t see how she fell for such a con artist.

  Of course, matters of the heart were still a mystery. Wasn’t that what was said in Proverbs? Who can understand the way of a man with a maid? Well, Caleb had to agree with Solomon; this falling-in-love business was beyond understanding. When Sawyer and he ended up living at the apartment in back of the church in Plainview, he’d asked Pastor Garvey about love, because the episodic thing his mother experienced couldn’t be love.

  Pastor told them love was an action, determination not feeling. When Sawyer and he had given the pastor a blank look, he’d encouraged them to watch his congregation. And watch they had. What they’d seen had amazed them—husbands caring for their wives and children, mothers sacrificing so their sons or daughters could compete in 4-H and travel to be in the finals. Or a father, one of the church elders, using the money he’d saved for a new truck to pay for his daughter’s last year of beauty school. They’d seen and understood what the pastor had been talking about.

  Caleb had never seen such action before, but the pastor’s words took on skin and bone.

  Was that the reason he felt so drawn to Kaye? Her actions proved her heart? Or was it that she was in the middle of transition, the same as he, two souls at a crossroad? Was that why he understood her so well? When he’d held her in the thunderstorm, he’d felt her pain. She hadn’t had to explain anything afterward. He’d known. She touched something deep inside him. Both of their paths were uncertain, but more than that, his confidence in himself had been shaken. He was the man everyone depended on from the time he could remember. With the accident, that belief in himself had been shaken.

  The Fort Worth stockyards came into view. Kaye looked around the corrals. “I’m interested in seeing this cowboy church. I’ve heard that this is taking off in different places.”

  “What happens when it rains?” Gramps asked.