Rank (14 page)

A serious buyer had contacted me and wanted to meet in Calgary to see Stella. Trent agreed to let me meet the guy at the ranch. He was going to be out of town, but he said he would let the girls know I was coming. I got a haircut and took the truck through the carwash before I hit the road.

When I drove up the gravel driveway and parked in front of the Roberts’ ranch house, Lee-Anne was in the corral doing a shoulder stand at full speed on Misty. I walked over, leaned my elbows on the fence, and watched. She flipped right side up and did a few more tricks before she noticed me. “Whoa,” she said. Misty stopped immediately. “Hey, Billy Ray. What are you doing here?” She rode over to where I was standing.

“I might have a buyer for Stella.”

“That’s good since your brother owes a small fortune to Blake’s asshole dad.”

I took my hat off and ran my fingers through my hair. I’d been trying not to stress about the debt, but it wasn’t easy to ignore. “The buyer is meeting me here to take a look at her. Your dad said it would be okay.”

She nodded as if she didn’t know, but didn’t mind either. “Yeah, it’s fine. What time is he coming?”

“Around six o’clock.”

“What time is it now?”

“Four-thirty. I came early to groom her.”

“Shit. How did it get so late? Shae needs to get picked up at work.”

“I thought the doctor said it was still too soon for her to go back to work?”

“He did, but she can’t stand being cooped up. She went in for a couple hours today. She still can’t drive, so I have to chauffeur her.”

“I can put Misty away while you go pick her up if you want.”

“Actually.” Her face lit up like she had a bright idea. “I still have a couple other things I need to get done in the barn. If you don’t mind picking Shae up that would help a lot. I’ll groom Stella for you.”

She was acting as though she needed to bribe me, but I was happy to get Shae-Lynn. I was looking forward to seeing her. “Okay, what’s the address?”

“It’s the big blue church on Clark right before you get to the strip mall. The daycare is around back.” She smiled, then turned to walk Misty to the barn.

I opened the door to my truck and cleaned out all the empty drive-thru coffee cups. I threw them into the cooler in the back and wiped the dust off the dashboard with a rag. The cab still smelled like old coffee, but it looked a little neater. I stripped off the T-shirt I was wearing and put on the new button-up shirt that was hanging in the back window.

The church was a twenty-minute drive into town. I parked facing the fence that surrounded the playground area. Shae-Lynn was sitting on a bench talking to a little boy who looked as if he’d been crying. He nodded at something she said. She held his chin gently and said something else that made him smile. She tousled his hair before he got up and ran over to join some other kids who were lined up to go down the slide. After she watched him for a while, she turned her head and saw me sitting in my truck. Her expression was a mixture of surprise, confusion, and happiness.

I got out and walked over to lean my elbows on the fence. She reached for a pair of crutches resting against the bench behind her, hoisted herself up, and balanced with the crutches under her arms. She was wearing khaki shorts and a white polo shirt that had the logo for the daycare stitched on the chest. She made her way over to me and smiled in a way that made me glad Lee-Anne had sent me to pick her up.

“We discourage strange men from lurking around the outdoor play area,” she said like a teacher.

“I’m here to pick someone up.”

“Do you have some identification? We can’t release the children to just anyone.”

I pulled my wallet out of my back pocket and passed her my driver’s licence.

She nodded as she read it. “William Raymond Ryan from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. You’re a far way from home, cowboy. What is the nature of your visit? Business or personal?

“Both.”

“Do you have a criminal record?”

“Yes.”

Shocked, she looked up at my eyes to check if I was being serious. “For what?”

“Not kidnapping.”

Her expression shifted as if she just remembered something. “Did they arrest you for assaulting Tawnie’s abusive ex-boyfriend?”

Although I already assumed she would hear about that, I shook my head and pushed my hat back to pretend like I was surprised. “Did Rochelle tell you that?”

“Maybe. Don’t blame her. Tawnie’s the one who blabs everything.”

“I didn’t get arrested for that. He did.”

I could tell she was still curious about what I had been arrested for, but she let it go. “Who gave you permission to do today’s pick up?”

“Lee-Anne Roberts.”

“Why?”

“She was busy. You can call her if you don’t believe me.”

“I just might.” She stared at me for a while and smiled as if she was impressed. “Did you just get a haircut?”

“Yeah.”

“And is that a new shirt?”

“Yeah.”

Her eyes scanned down to check the rest of me out. “Nice boots.”

“Thanks. Some girl told me that my other ones were ratty.”

“They were.” She smiled, happy that I took her advice again. “Wait here a minute. I have to get my bag.” She turned and pushed off the crutches to make her way over to the door of the daycare. One of the ladies she worked with said something to her and they both looked over in my direction. Shae-Lynn nodded at something that was said and the woman waved at me. I waved back to be friendly. It seemed to embarrass Shae-Lynn. She disappeared inside and came out a different door that led directly into the parking lot.

I rushed over to the passenger side of the truck and opened the door for her. She turned and handed me the crutches. The truck was too high off the ground for her to reach the seat, so I leaned the crutches against the side and lifted her by the waist to help her in. She had to use her arms to pull her legs into the cab one at a time. Once she was settled, I closed the door and laid the crutches in the back.

“Bye Shae!” a little girl shouted and waved from the back seat of her mom’s car.

Shae-Lynn waved back as I hopped behind the wheel. The adoring way she was smiling made her look so beautiful. I was still staring at her when she turned her head to look at me. “What?”

“You seem good at your job.”

She shrugged modestly. “It’s just babysitting. It’s not that hard.”

“You make them feel special. I can tell by the way they look at you.”

Her cheeks turned pink and she stared down at her hands folded in her lap. “Thank you.” She snuck a glance at me. “What are you really doing here?”

“Kidnapping you. You should have followed through on that criminal record check.” I backed the truck out of the parking spot and turned right onto Clark to head to the strip mall. “I just have to make a quick stop.” I drove for a block and turned into the parking lot of the grocery store.

“Whose idea was this exactly?” she asked cautiously.

“I’m sort of flying by the seat of my pants.” I hopped out of the truck. “I’ll be right back. Don’t run off.”

“Ha ha.”

I pulled out my phone as I walked across the parking lot and searched everything I needed to buy. I rushed up and down the aisles, then got in line. I could see Shae-Lynn through the window. She was talking on the phone. My phone rang as I was paying the cashier. It was Tawnie, so I let it go to voicemail and turned it off. When I returned to the truck, Shae-Lynn frowned as if she wasn’t sure whether she should trust me. I put the two bags on the seat between us. She was still on the phone and said, “Okay, we’ll see you in about twenty minutes, I think.” She hung up and stared at me as I pulled back out onto Clark. “Lee-Anne said you’re in town to show Stella to a buyer.”

“Yeah. Your dad said it would be all right. I guess he forgot to tell you guys.”

“I’m sure he wrote it somewhere in the fifteen pages of notes that he left for us. They’ll be home again before I can even read through everything on it.” She glanced down at the bags to snoop. “What are the groceries for?”

“Take a look.”

She peeked in at the ingredients for lasagne and Key Lime pie. She smiled and seemed surprised that I remembered her favourite meal. “So, you think you’re staying for dinner, do you?”

“I owe you a dinner for taking care of Stella.”

“Actually, you owe me about four hundred dollars.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll pay you back when I sell her.”

“I’m just kidding. I wouldn’t charge you. She’s been a sweetie and Skeeter has decided she’s his girlfriend.”

“Skeeter better be a stand up stud. I don’t want my Stella running around with just any old stallion who’s going to break her heart.”

“Don’t you worry. He’s been a gentleman. I made sure.”

I glanced over at her for a second, then looked back at the road. “Your strength seems to be coming back.”

“Yeah, it’s been slow, but it gets better every day.”

“Have you gone riding yet?”

“No.”

“Riding would be good rehab for your leg muscles.”

She looked out the window. “I’m not ready.”

“You’re scared?”

“Yes, I am.”

“The quicker you get back in the saddle the better.”

She snapped her head to glare at me. “You did not seriously just say that?”

“Yeah, why not? It’s true.”

She reached across the cab and backhanded my shoulder. “You are such a hypocrite.”

“What are you talking about? I didn’t quit after a wreck.”

“Yes, you did. Just because it wasn’t your wreck doesn’t make a difference.”

“I can get back in the saddle any time.”

“Prove it.”

“All right.” I pointed at her to accept the challenge. “Let’s go for a ride after I show Stella.”

“I can’t ride Harley. He acts weird and rears up if he senses that a rider is scared.”

“Has he been ridden since the accident?”

“No.”

“I’ll ride him. You can ride Stella.”

She studied my face to see if I was joking. I was serious, so she said, “Fine.”

“Fine.” I laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“I just talked you into getting back in the saddle.”

She tilted her head and looked at me with a sympathetic smile. “No, stupid.” She patted my knee. “I just talked
you
into getting back in the saddle. It was really easy, actually. I wonder what else I could convince you to do.”

I smiled at the possibilities of that. “I’m pretty sure you could convince me to do almost anything.”

Her eyebrows angled together, then her cheeks turned pink again. “What makes you say that?”

“You get an expression on your face when you’re disappointed in me and I honestly don’t ever want to see it again. I’d rather just do whatever you ask me to do.”

“Really? Good to know.” She leaned over and turned the volume up on the radio because a Carrie Underwood song had come on. She sang and tried to encourage me to sing the next line, but I shook my head. “Come on. You don’t want to see my disappointed expression, do you?”

“I can’t sing.”

She started into the chorus. We both laughed when she got to the line about the guy singing off key. As we drove back to the ranch, she sang along to a couple other songs and she tried again, unsuccessfully, to get me to join her on an Eric Church song.

When we arrived, I rolled up their driveway, parked, and stared at her.

“What?”

“You have a beautiful voice. I really like listening to it.”

Although she must have known she was a good singer, she seemed flattered that I thought so. “Thank you.”

I leaned closer with the intention of stealing a kiss, and she didn’t move away, which I took as a good sign. A truck drove up the driveway behind us and distracted her.

She sat back so we weren’t within kissing distance and said, “That must be the guy who wants to see Stella. I’m going to get cleaned up while you show her.”

Disappointed that I’d missed my chance, I said, “Okay. Hold on. I’ll get your crutches out of the back.” I helped her out, then grabbed the grocery bags and followed her up onto the porch. After holding the door open for her, I put the bags on the floor inside the door. Lee-Anne had already brought Stella out of the barn tacked up with Shae-Lynn’s saddle and she was shaking hands with the guy. I went over and shook hands with him too. “Billy Ryan.”

“Paul Delorme.” He ran his hand down Stella’s front legs. “I’m looking for a good match for my daughter.”

“How old is she?”

“Twelve.”

I hooked my thumbs in my pockets and glanced at Lee-Anne. She shot me a look as if she was warning me not to say anything. I had to say something though. “She might be too fast for a green rider.”

“She’s not green. She’s been riding since she was four years old and barrel racing since she was eight.” He put his fingers in Stella’s mouth. “You said you want twenty thousand for her?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Do you normally ride her?” he asked Lee-Anne.

“No, Sir. I’m a trick rider.”

“Do you mind riding her around the ring a couple times? I want to see how she moves.”

Lee-Anne took Stella through a series of figure eights at a lope and then breezed her for a while before making her way back over to us.

“That’s a nice horse,” Paul said. “Do you mind if I bring my daughter by tomorrow morning? I’d like to have her ride Stella before I make my final decision.”

I looked up at Lee-Anne. “Is that all right with you?”

“Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll be around.”

“Okay, I’ll come by around eight.”

I shook his hand and walked him back to his truck. Lee-Anne hopped off Stella and was walking towards the barn when I hollered at her, “Keep her tacked up. Shae-Lynn and I are going for a ride.”

“Really? How’d you talk her into that?”

“I’m charming.”

She laughed, not convinced. “I guess that’s one name for it. You want to ride Misty?”

“No. I told her I’d ride Harley to shake the cobwebs off him.”

She nodded even though she didn’t seem to agree it was the best idea. After Paul drove away, I went into the house and picked up the groceries from the floor. The kitchen was at the back of the house, so I took my boots off at the front door, and crossed through the living room. There was a picture of Shae-Lynn and Lee-Anne riding together on a pony in a frame on the mantle. They were probably only about four and five years old in the shot. There was also a series of black and white photos. One was of their dad hollering and snapping the reins during a chuck race; one of Lee-Anne hanging upside down off Misty in a suicide drag; and one of Shae-Lynn coming around a barrel tight on Harley.