Suddenly Texan (3 page)

“That was a long time ago,” Clarissa said. “Who's asking about Luanna after all these years?”

“She has…
had
relatives in Arkansas. One of her second cousins is preparing a complete family chart, photographs and stories for an elderly relative's birthday celebration. Because Luanna left Texas so quickly, the family lost track of her.”

“She had two fine sons she abandoned,” Venetia added.

“Now, Venetia, you know Luanna had her problems,” Clarissa admonished.

Venetia snorted.

“I do plan to talk to her sons, but I'd rather meet with them privately and tell them what I'm doing here,” Amanda said. “I'd really appreciate it if you could keep our discussion confidential.”

“That's not always easy in a small town,” Bobbi Jean Maxwell advised. She'd been introduced as a retired schoolteacher and Amanda could certainly believe that she'd once ruled a classroom. She seemed nice, but decisive.

“Oh, sorry I'm late.” A trim, middle aged lady bustled in the door. “I had a complicated phone call at James's office right when I was leaving.”

“Hi, Caroline,” Clarissa said. “We saved you a seat. And we have a special visitor today.”

“Caroline Brody, this is Amanda. She's a genealogist. She's researching Luanna Crawford. Caroline works in her son's law office.”

“Pleased to meet you, Amanda, but really—Luanna! Why, that was at least fifteen years ago.”

“Nineteen, but who's counting except Troy and Cal,” Venetia muttered.

Amanda got the distinct impression that Venetia didn't like Luanna or what she'd done to her family. If she was that judgmental, what must the Crawford sons think? Amanda mentally shuddered at the idea of confronting her brothers. Or at least her eldest brother—the one most like their stern, unforgiving father. But it had to be done. Curtis Salter, the attorney for the generous customer at the diner where her mother had worked, would contact Luanna's heirs next Wednesday whether or not Amanda had told them they had a sister.

The waitress came by and took Caroline's drink order and delivered tea and coffee to everyone else.

“Are you a Brody as in Brody's Crossing?” Amanda asked, dipping her tea bag into the hot water.

“Yes, my husband's family was one of the town founders, along with the Crawfords and several others. They settled here about twenty years after the Civil War ended, back when it was pretty wild in Texas.”

“I'll bet you have some good family stories.” Amanda stirred a packet of sweetener into her tea.

“There's a book at our public library,” Caroline said. “A lot of the families contributed to it several years ago. Bobbi Jean edited the book and had it bound so everyone could enjoy the stories.”

“The library. I didn't know you had a library.”
And I should have thought to ask.
Public libraries and historical societies in small towns were one of the best resources a genealogy researcher had. “Where is it?”

“In a room at the community center. That's just two blocks from here, on Elm Street.”

“I'll go by there later. Thank you. Now, who knew Luanna Crawford the best?” She watched the faces of these women who had known her mother.

“Probably be Myra Hammer,” Clarissa answered.

Amanda remembered that name from the stack of letters she'd discovered in her mother's dresser after she'd passed away. They'd contained accounts of what various people in the town had done over the years, especially Troy and Cal. There were also some photos.

“Good luck talking to her,” Venetia scoffed.

“Myra can be…difficult,” Bobbi Jean said.

“That's an understatement,” Caroline added.

“Luanna came into my salon regularly and we talked,” Clarissa said. “Of course, beauticians and their clients have a kind of doctor-patient confidentiality.”

“Luanna and I used to visit while my son, James, played with Troy at the ranch,” Caroline said. “Troy, Wyatt McCall and James were good friends all through school.”

“My husband, Burl, was Troy and Cal's 4-H sponsor and their high school math teacher,” Bobbi Jean added.

Amanda hadn't expected so many connections. “I suppose everyone has stories, then.”

Caroline shook her head. “We haven't talked about Luanna in a long, long time.”

Clarissa folded her arms and leaned forward on the table. “This may take more than one lunch.”

 

O
NCE SHE GOT A PHONE NUMBER
for Myra Hammer, Amanda went to the small library at the community
center. She found some early Crawford family information, and even looked for the Casale name. No luck. Leo's family must have come to Brody's Crossing recently. She made copies of what she needed and put them in her file.

She stayed in her parking space long enough to place a call to Myra Hammer. After a few rings, a man answered.

“Myra ain't here. She's up in Oklahoma City with the grandkids, and I ain't real sure when she's getting back. Not that she cares much if the dishes and the laundry's pilin' up.”

“Um, well, I'll call back in a day or two.”

“Whatever suits you,” the gruff voice replied.

Wow, he was really an ill-tempered old coot. The lunch ladies had said Myra was “difficult,” but if that was her husband, who wouldn't be? Of course, Amanda admitted, she didn't know the whole story. Mr. Hammer could be a saint compared to Myra, which would present a whole new set of obstacles in getting information about Luanna.

After driving around the downtown area to get a better feel for Brody's Crossing, she headed south to the county seat, Graham. She wanted to see what legal papers had been filed against or by her mother.

She expected to see divorce papers, since her mother had mentioned Calvin Crawford had filed for divorce on grounds of desertion. That had been a bad day, when her mother had gotten the forwarded letter. She'd gone into a depression that had lasted almost a month, staying in her bedroom while Amanda got herself ready for school each day and fixed dinner each night. The hardest thing was that she couldn't do anything to make her mother
feel better. Eventually, though, her mom had gone to the doctor and gotten back on medication.

Amanda found the legal documents she was looking for on the second floor of the courthouse, then packed up her file and headed back to Brody's Crossing, still thinking about her mother and those sad times in Oregon.

Medication was all that had kept Luanna going some days. Venetia might have thought it was easy for Luanna to leave her sons, but it had been hard. Very hard.

Amanda wished her mother had made a different choice, to stay and stand up to her husband—insist he was her daughter's father. What a different life she would have led… But then, she would have been a different person, and she liked the independence she'd learned the hard way.

 

“H
I
, C
HRISTIE
,” L
EO SAID
into his cell phone later that afternoon. He leaned back in his office chair at the hardware store. “How was the trip to Fort Worth?”

“Very productive. We got clothes for Peter and Callie and some fabulous accessories for the family room.”

“Did Cal hold up okay with all that shopping?”

“He was a real trouper, but I had to promise him no more buying trips for a while. How are things with you?”

“I had an interesting morning. There's someone new in town. She's staying at your motel, by the way.”

“Really? What's her name?”

“Amanda Allen. She drives a Subaru with Oregon plates. Very independent and motivated.”

“Sounds like an interesting person.”

“She is, especially considering she's fairly young.
Around twenty-five, I'd guess. I gave her a ride out to the Rocking C this morning.”

Christie hesitated. “Really? Why?”

“She said she'd read about the ranch on the internet and wanted to see it. She did seem to admire what's been done with the organic ranching.” He chuckled at the memory. “She seemed fascinated by farm animals.”

“That's not so odd. We have people stop by occasionally to see the bison.”

“Yes, I know, but this was…different.”

He could imagine Christie sitting up straighter. “Different as in dangerous?”

“No, I don't think so. I'm still trying to find out what's going on. She says she does genealogy research and sells on eBay.”

“What's she doing in town, besides checking out the Rocking C?”

“Research. On who, I don't know, but I'm working on that.”

“I'm sure you are,” Christie said, a hint of humor in her voice. She did know him well.

“First, I'm going to stop by Clarissa's to see what Amanda discussed with the ladies. She was meeting them at the café at noon. Then I'm going by the motel to see if she wants to go to dinner.”

“Hmm. Good plan.”

“One more thing,” Leo said. “She only had enough money for two nights at the Sweet Dreams. She claims she'll sleep in her car if she needs to after I told her it wasn't safe to stay in the cheap motels in Graham. Now, I'm not sure why she needs to be here for several more days, or why she's fascinated by the Rocking C, but I know in my gut that they're related.”

“You really think she's okay? Not a threat?”

“I think she's determined to find out whatever she came here for, and it does have something to do with genealogy.”

There was no response from Christie for several long seconds. “You want her to stay, don't you?”

“Yes.”

“I can offer her a very reduced rate at the motel.”

“She'll be checking out tomorrow morning. She won't accept what she sees as money out of your pocket. She learned that the motel is booked up for the weekend.”

“Oh, that's right. Well…let me think.”

“I was thinking about the model condo.”

“What about it?”

“Amanda could stay there. If someone wants to view the model, we'd just make sure it was clean and get Amanda to go downstairs or…whatever.”

“Whatever as in go over to
your
condo?” Christie teased.

“I'm insulted that you suspect I have ulterior motives. Besides, I've already asked her over to my place to watch movies and she said no.”

“I'd be surprised if you
didn't
have ulterior motives.”

“Hey, it's not every day that I meet an interesting woman who is also darn cute and smart.”

“Cute and smart? Well, that's better than a beautiful airhead.”

“It's been years since I dated an airhead.”

“I'll take your word for that. Okay, let me talk to Toni. If it's okay with her, I'll offer your cute, smart new friend the model condo for the duration of her time in town.”

“Thanks, Christie. You know I'd do it myself, but she might think I had those ulterior motives in mind.”

“And she'd be right. But I'd like to meet her myself and get a sense of why she's so interested in the Rocking C.”

“I think you'll like her. She has that independent spirit, just like you.”

“Thanks, I think. I'll call you after I talk to her.”

“Just make sure she stays in town.”

“I'll do my best. Bye for now.”

“See you later, partner.”

Leo slipped his phone into his pocket and smiled. Christie would be able to convince Amanda to stay. He had a strong suspicion that as soon as Christie introduced herself as a Crawford, Amanda would agree to almost anything. Now all he had to do was figure out
why
Amanda was so interested in folks around here.

He might have a better chance of doing that when he asked her out to dinner at Dewey's tonight.

Amanda finished addressing the second “Better in Texas” postcard she'd written that afternoon. The first one was to her cousin Tammie in Arkansas, one of the few people she knew on her mother's side. Tammie was two years older but they'd played together as children, and Amanda had moved in with Tammie's family when Nana Allen died.

A few weeks later, Amanda's mother had come and gotten her. She didn't seem to realize that for Amanda, being removed from everyone she knew—her first grade classmates, her family and neighbors—was a huge upheaval. All Luanna could talk about was the new life they were starting in Oregon.

For years Amanda hadn't been able to keep in touch with her Arkansas relatives, but as adults, she and Tammie had formed a loose, comfortable family bond. Some members of the family were still angry at Luanna for what they called “poor choices” and the doctors called “manic behavior.” The Allens didn't understand that Luanna hadn't always been able to rationally consider her choices.

Amanda pushed aside the old hurts, just as she always did. There was no reason to live in the past.

But as she placed a stamp on the second postcard, she thought about the woman to whom it was addressed. Selma Strong had taken Amanda in ten years ago when her mother died and was now divorced and living in Portland. She was a good woman, a former coworker of Luanna's, but she had her own problems. She didn't have time to keep in touch with a former teenage “stray.”

Amanda wanted to stay connected with her, though. If not for Selma, she might have ended up in foster care or worse. Back then, Amanda knew that she'd been one breath away from packing up a bag and blending into the other runaway kids on the streets of some city at the end of a one-way bus ticket. She'd been angry and hurt that her mother had died and left her alone. Angry at all the injustices in her young life.

She could have taken her independent streak too far and become a statistic, but Selma and her then-husband John had welcomed her into their modest home and insisted she do well enough in school to graduate. Just in case she wanted to go to college.

Ha! As if she could afford college. Not back then, and not yet. But someday soon, if the bequest from her mother's benefactor came through, she could train for a career so she would have an actual job and real security.

A knock on the motel door interrupted her thoughts. She swung her legs off the bed and went to answer. “Who is it?”

“Christie Crawford,” a woman's voice said. “Do you have a few minutes?”

For a Crawford? Amanda's heart beat fast as she pulled open the door to meet her sister-in-law.

 

“I
CAN'T BELIEVE
I
LET YOU
talk me into dinner,” Amanda said later that night. She and Leo sat in a dark booth near the back of Dewey's Saloon and Steakhouse. The restaurant had a bar and dance floor, but there was no band tonight. Country-western music played through the speakers. Tables and booths were reasonably full for a weeknight.

“We both have to eat,” he said. “Might as well do it together.”

“That's what you said earlier, too. But it doesn't mean you need to pay for my meal.”

“I enjoy your company. And remember I told you we take our hospitality seriously. You're a guest in our town, and as of tomorrow, in our condo project.”

Amanda was trying to keep her guest status in mind so she didn't feel as if she and Leo were on an actual date. She'd turned down his invitation to watch movies and eat popcorn, but she'd given in when he insisted she should visit Dewey's while she was in town.

Besides, she was hungry and semibroke.

“Christie Crawford was as persuasive as you,” Amanda said.

“She's a woman who goes after what she wants.”

Amanda could believe that. Christie was tall, blond and beautiful. She possessed a grew-up-wealthy confidence that was rare in Amanda's world. If Christie's husband, Cal, was as impressive as his wife, Amanda would have to generate her own bravado to reveal their mother's secret.

“The model condo sounds wonderful,” she said as she reached for the menu. “I can't wait to see it tomorrow.”

“So, why are you frowning?”

She jerked her head up, realizing her thoughts about the inevitable confrontation had given Leo the impression she was upset or unhappy about something. “I didn't mean…that is, it's hard for me to accept charity, from Christie or you.”

“Don't think about it that way. Just enjoy yourself. I know you're here working on something, but there's no reason you can't have a good time, right?”

“Um, right.” No reason except the impending deadline of the attorney in Oregon and the fact she'd just met her sister-in-law, who had no idea who Amanda was or why she was here. And then there were the nerves when she thought about meeting her brothers, or at least one brother, for the first time. She reached for her water and took a big sip to hide her expression, just in case she started frowning again.

“Do you like wine?” Leo asked.

“Yes, but you don't need to—” She stopped talking when he looked away and motioned their waitress over.

“Twila, bring me a bottle of my favorite red, would you please, darlin'?”

“Sure thing, Leo.” The waitress flashed him a big smile and headed for the bar.

“You have your own wine?”

“No, just a favorite they keep in stock for me. Most people like beer or mixed drinks, but I prefer wine.” He smiled and leaned forward. “Must be my Italian heritage.”

Amanda sat back a little. “You don't look Italian.”

“My father's family is from northern Italy, near the Austrian border. They're mostly fair. My mother is Scan
dinavian.” He shrugged. “I didn't have a chance to be anything but blond and blue eyed.”

And it looks really, really good on you.
“Um, interesting. From a genealogical perspective.”

“So, what about you? Where do those cute genes of yours come from?”

That was the second time he'd said she was cute.
“Pretty boring. Just your standard English, Irish, Scottish. Nothing outstanding.”

“No Indian princesses or English dukes in your family history?”

“Not that I know of,” she said, looking down at the menu again. She didn't want to think about her own ancestry, lacking as it was in details. She didn't know any stories about the Crawfords. They were just names on census files and in county records.

“Here's your wine,” the waitress said, placing a dark green bottle on the table in front of Leo. “I had Ronnie uncork it. I still don't have the hang of that fancy opener you got me for Christmas.”

Leo removed the loosely fitted cork and poured red wine into the two glasses Twila had placed on the table. “You need to learn how to do that. Who knows? You might want to move to the big city and get a job in a fancy restaurant someday.”

The waitress laughed. “I don't see that happening anytime soon. What would you do without your favorite waitress? You enjoy that wine and I'll take your order whenever you're ready.”

“Give us just a minute,” Leo said, cupping the bowl of the glass and handing it to Amanda.

“Sure thing.” Twila left in a swirl of denim skirt and faint perfume. She seemed to be a nice person, but
Amanda got the impression Twila, like the barista in the coffee shop, would appreciate a more personal relationship with Leo. Well, what single woman wouldn't? He was handsome, witty and successful. There couldn't be too many single men around Brody's Crossing who could compete with him.

“To us, having a nice dinner with no worries,” Leo said, lifting his wine. His large, competent-looking hands cupped the fragile glass as though he'd done this many times before.

Who was this small town hardware store owner who charmed every woman he met and drank wine in a country-western place that served rattlesnake appetizers, for goodness' sakes?

“To a nice dinner,” Amanda answered, clinking her glass gently against his.

“You just can't give up your worries, can you?”

No, and not her secrets, either, she silently answered, taking a sip of the seductively smooth wine. If only she could find the answers she craved and get out of town without becoming attracted to Leo Casale.

After that, she could consider not worrying about a thing for quite a while.

 

L
EO WATCHED
A
MANDA DIG
into her steak with absolute abandon. Since their meals had been placed in front of them, she'd barely glanced up from her filet mignon and loaded baked potato. If he could put the same look on her face without food, he'd be a happy man.

She might be glad to have food to concentrate on so she didn't have to make conversation. Or more specifically, answer his questions. She was as nervous as a cat
in a room full of rocking chairs whenever he tried to steer the subject toward something personal.

He dug into his own tasty meal with a little less enthusiasm than Amanda. Didn't she realize that the more she eluded him, the more fascinating she became?

No, maybe she didn't. She seemed oblivious to the fact that he found her intriguing. She looked surprised when he complimented her or took an interest in what she was doing. Perhaps she simply thought he was nosy. That was definitely a trait that had gotten him into more than a little bit of trouble growing up. He preferred to think his interest was motivated by a desire to help Amanda. If not for his interference, she might be sleeping in her car or checking into a cheap motel. She could put herself in danger and not even think about the consequences. No telling what else she might do without him watching out for her.

Now, if he could just find out what she was really up to in their small town.

“How's your steak?” he asked when she sliced into her filet.

“It's great. It's a real treat.” She placed another bite in her mouth.

“You're in Texas. You're supposed to eat steak. Well, unless you're a vegetarian, of course. We don't have too many of them around here.”

“No, I wouldn't suppose so.”

He decided to follow up on a hunch, something that he'd wondered about ever since this morning at the Rocking C. “Especially since Troy Crawford and his wife moved back to her native New Hampshire.”

Amanda's head snapped up. “But the Crawfords
have a family ranch here. Why did Troy and his wife move?”

Ah, she was definitely interested. “Raven came to Brody's Crossing several years ago and kind of converted Troy to her way of thinking about organic food. Troy made the changes to the ranch while Cal was serving in the army in Afghanistan. When Cal returned, he got upset about the bison and all that. But that's not the reason Troy and Raven moved to her farm in New Hampshire. It was her property and someone needed to be there to take care of it. Troy okayed the move.”

“Oh.” Amanda frowned. “Their lives sound very complicated. I thought…that is, I assumed they decided to convert the ranch because they saw organic ranching as the future.”

“It was Raven who started Troy thinking that way. You'd like her.”

“Well, I'm sure I won't meet her, since they no longer live here.”

“Maybe they'll come for a visit while you're in town.”

“I'm only going to be around until next week.”

“I know you said that, but plans, like ranches, sometimes change.”

“I doubt mine will. As a matter of fact, it would practically take a miracle for me to be here after next Wednesday.”

“Why? What kind of miracle do you need, Amanda Allen?”

“I…I can't discuss that. I shouldn't have said anything.”

“I'm a trustworthy guy and a good listener.” This afternoon he'd listened to Clarissa claim that Amanda
was simply doing genealogy research for a distant cousin of Luanna Crawford's who had lost contact with Cal and Troy's mother over the years. Clarissa and the other ladies did not find that suspicious, but Amanda's interest in the ranch seemed a little excessive to Leo.

She lowered her gaze to her half eaten plate of food. “I'm sure you are, but—”

“Hey, little brother. How are you?”

Leo looked up to see his sister, Toni, and her husband standing beside the table. “I'm just fine,” he answered, placing his napkin on the table and standing up. He gave his sister a hug, then shook Wyatt's hand. “Just having dinner with someone new in town. Toni and Wyatt McCall, I'd like you to meet Amanda Allen.”

Amanda appeared surprised and a bit unsure of herself. She also put her napkin on the table and stood up, holding out her hand. “I'm pleased to meet you.”

“Welcome to Brody's Crossing,” Toni said. “Christie called me earlier. I'm glad you're staying at the condo. You can give us your impressions of the layout and the staging.”

“I'm sure it's just fine. Thank you for the offer to use the place. Leo mentioned that the three of you were partners.”

“Yes, and so far we haven't murdered each other, so I guess it's working out,” Toni replied with a big grin.

“Hey, how can you even consider being mad at me? I'm the most easygoing guy around.”

“Well, that's true. Still, you're my little brother—”

“Enough sibling rivalry,” Wyatt said in his good-natured way. He, Toni and Leo had known each other most of their lives. Leo was glad Wyatt had returned to town two Christmases ago to fulfill a long-delayed
public service sentence for painting the water tower in their school colors when he was eighteen years old.

“Christie did a marvelous job on the motel,” Amanda commented. “Does her husband get involved in the renovation projects?”

“He's a rancher through and through, and no, he doesn't get involved in the renovation work,” Toni said. “He's all about family tradition, but doesn't see the importance of saving old buildings.” She gave Leo a look that told him she was picking up on Amanda's interest in the Crawfords.