The Reluctant Rancher~Badlands (Contemporary Western Romantic Suspense) (9 page)

They climbed into the Lincoln and Cami headed for town, wondering if she should tell Breck that she was going to drive by the Jessup place later.

~*~

CHAPTER SIX

E.J. turned into the doctor’s parking lot and
switched off the ignition. He heaved a sigh, knowing that his mission would prove fruitless. He couldn’t imagine any reason why Cami would agree to accompany him to the prison to visit Eldon, but he had to try anyway. He got out and was heading to the front of the clinic when he saw the candy-apple red Lincoln pull into the parking lot with Cami at the wheel. He stood and waited for her to catch up to him.

“E.J., what can I do for you today?” She gazed up at him, smiling.

“I just dropped by for my rejection.” He grinned and took the medical bag off her shoulder.

“Surprise!
I’ve changed my mind,” she said. “I decided that I want to know whatever it is Eldon has to tell me.”

E.J. raised his brows, regarding her with astonishment. “I’m glad, but what made you change your mind?”

She took a couple of steps up to the clinic door. “Curiosity, I guess. I want to know whatever he wants to tell me.” She reached for the medical bag. “But Breck will be driving me. I didn’t want to face the fall out of telling him I was going to ride with you.”

“No problem. Thank you. The prison doctor called me to say my dad was deeply depressed and anxious. Maybe there will be something in your conver
sation that will cheer him up.”

“Maybe,” she said. “We can go up on Wednesday. It’s my half-day at the clinic and I only have a couple of patients, so we’ll leave about eleven.”

“Thanks, Cami,” he said. “I appreciate your friendship.”

She smiled and laid a hand on his shoulder. “No problem. I was glad to see you in church Sunday.”

He acknowledged her comment with a wide grin. “It was okay.”

“And glad you were with Jenna. She’s a good person.”

He nodded, not sure what to say. “I’m going to drive to the prison today. I’ll tell dad that you’ll be there Wednesday afternoon.” He took his leave and climbed back in his car, glad he could give his father some good news. He drove to the James V. Alred maximum security prison and waited for Eldon to be ushered to the other side of the thick glass. After what seemed like a long time, the door on the other side opened and his father appeared.

Eldon
looked smaller than his usual tall, robust self. He sat down and flashed a grim semblance of a smile, then reached for the telephone through which they had to communicate.

E.J. spoke into the receiver.
“Hi, Dad. How are you feeling?”

“Old,” Eldon said. Indeed his voice sounded decades older; gravely and sad. “How is my ranch?”

“The ranch is fine. Jenna sends you her best.”

Eldon looked surprised. “Jenna?
My vet?”

E.J. nodded, unable to keep from smiling when he said her name. “We’ve—uh, gone out a few times.”

“About damned time. Jenna’s a good girl, and she knows her way around the ranch. She’s a good match for you.”

“Early days, Dad…Early days.”

A cough racked Eldon’s body, and he spat into a trashcan.

“Are you okay?” E.J.
asked.

Eldon nodded and sucked in a deep breath.
“Just a cold. How are you getting along with Leon?”

“The foreman?
We get along fine, I guess.”

“I want you to get rid of him. He’s bad news, but be careful, because he’s a mean
and treacherous sum’ bitch.”

This was the last thing E.J. expected from his father. “I
thought you trusted him.”

“Not anymore,” Eldon said cryptically. “I want him gone and
be sure you get all the keys and information from him. Change all the security after he’s gone.”

E.J. had never fired anyone in his life. He considered Leon Harwell a formidable man. Grim and tough, the ranch hands answered directly to him and seemed to respect him greatly. “But, Dad…I don’t think I know how to run the ranch without him.”

Eldon scowled at him. “Hire someone else. You have that fancy MBA. Didn’t they teach you anything about hiring and firing people?”

E.J. nodded. “I know about human resources. What I don’t know much about is running a ranch.”

Eldon shook his head, sadly. “I’m to blame for that. I let your mother keep you in those snooty private schools, when I should have brought you out here to live on the land. It’s entirely my fault.”

E.J. wanted to defend his mother, but bit his tongue. “Well, I didn’t turn out so bad, did I?”
He silently cursed himself when he heard the tremor in his own voice.

Eldon regarded him with a sorrowful expression.
“No, son. You turned out fine. I’m just sorry I wasn’t there to guide you.”

“Don’t worry about it. Mom didn’t do such a bad job, and she always loved you.” E.J. watched a transformation come over his father. The thick glass partition kept him from reaching out to this usually unreachable man.

Eldon dropped his face into his hands and appeared to be weeping. “I loved your mother every day of her life, even if I wasn’t there for her. She was way too good for me.” His shoulders shook as he silently grieved. “I’m just glad she didn’t live to see me like this.”

E.J. felt powerless to help. “Dad
!...Are you all right?”

Eldon mopped at his face with the sleeve of his orange jumpsuit.
“Sorry, son. I’ve made a mess of things. I just want you to be safe and have a good life. I want to know  everything I’ve worked for my whole life has given you a place in this world.” He straightened his shoulders and regained his eagle-eyed glare. “Just don’t waste it. Manage the ranch and all the holdings. Dig in. Stop lolling around.”

“Yes sir.” E.J. knew he had let his father down by resisting an active involvement in his business, but he made a silent vow to make things right. “I won’t
disappoint you.”

Eldon nodded. “Did you get to talk to Camryn Carmichael?”

“Ryan, Dad. She married Breckenridge Ryan.” His father cringed at that. “Yes, and she said she would come up on Wednesday afternoon.”

Eldon let out a huge breath, seemingly relieved that she was coming. He nodded. “Good.” He pressed his lips together as though he might say too much if he spoke.

E.J. took his leave and drove back to Langston, his brain racing with the things his father had told him; reliving the rare display of emotion; wondering how he was going to handle the firing and replacing of Leon Harwell.

~*~

Sara Beth was having a good day at the store. Perhaps people had heard about the troubles at her home and wanted to help out. She sold that beautiful old lead crystal decanter she had gotten from the Brady estate along with the four little cordial glasses that went with it. Also a quilt she had taken on consignment from a lady who lived so far out in the country she just came to town once every couple of months. She would be happy to let her know that the quilt had found a good home and pay her for her efforts. But her customers paid with a credit card and a check. No cash in hand. It was probably just as well. She didn’t have anything in the cash box to make change anyway.

It was getting close to lunchtime. Sara Beth had brought along bottles for Cami Lynn, but hadn’t felt comfortable asking her hostess for food for herself. She usually just made a sandwich or brought some soup to heat in the ancient microwave in the storeroom…but not today.

The sheriff confiscated her emergency money, but she looked in her billfold anyway.
Three dollars and twelve cents. Maybe that will buy something at Tiny’s Diner. It won’t hurt to just look at the menu.

She flipped the open sign over to the closed side on the front door and carried the baby to the restaurant in the next block. A
clangy cowbell clanked against the glass door when she entered. Sara Beth experienced a moment of shyness when a few heads turned her way. The tantalizing aroma of food caused her stomach to growl.

“Hi, honey.
Just one?” Crystal, the heavy-set waitress greeted her. When Sara Beth nodded, she asked, “Want to sit at the counter or a table?”

“The counter is okay.” Sara Beth opted to be out of the main lanes of traffic. She sat at one end and eased Cami Lynn’s car seat o
nto the counter.

“Here, let me help you with that.” A deep masculine voice close to her ear startled her. It was one of the men who worked on Doctor Cami’s ranch. S
he had seen him the day before.

He settled the car seat securely on the counter and slid onto the stool beside her. “She’s a migh
ty cute little thing,” he said.

“Um—Thanks.” Sara Beth glanced surreptitiously at the young man beside her.

“I’m Frank Wilson. I work at the Moon Shadows ranch.”

“I’m Sara Beth Jessup and her name is Cami Lynn.”

“After the doctor?” he asked.

She nodded. “
Un huh. She delivered her…at my house.” Somehow, those words brought a stab of pain and Sara Beth’s lips quivered. “Sorry…” she mumbled reaching for a paper napkin to staunch the tears.

“I heard about your troubles,” he said. “If there’s anything I can do to help, just name it.”

She sniffled into the napkin and wiped at her eyes. “That’s mighty kind of you, Frank, but I don’t have any idea what would help.”

He reached to hand her a menu and she thanked him. Opening the menu she scanned the prices and found that she could afford a piece of pie and a glass of water.
That will have to do.

When Crystal came to take their orders, her eyes lit up when she saw the cowboy sitting beside Sara Beth and she greeted him cheerily. “Hello, Frank. How are things out at the ranch?”

“Great,” he said. “We have a bunch of new calves, so that’s been keeping me and T-Bone pretty busy.”

“How did you get to town in the middle of the day?”

“I came to pick up a part for the tractor at the post office. Thought I’d stop and have some of Tiny’s meatloaf.” He turned to Sara Beth. “You should try it. It’s the Monday special.”

“Oh, I couldn’t.”

“Sure you can. It’s outstanding.” He turned back to Crystal and ordered two of the specials. “Put them both on my check.”

“Oh, I couldn’t accept,” Sara Beth began, but he would have none of it.

“I would consider it a favor if you would have lunch with me. When is Nick going to be back in town? I haven’t seen him around in a while.”

She swallowed heavily, not su
re what to say.

Crystal returned and set small dishes of tossed salad in front of them with a choice o
f dressings in a rotating rack.

“What do you like, Sara Beth?” Frank asked.

“Ranch,” she said and he pulled the bottle off the carousel and handed it to her. “Thanks.” She didn’t know why this man was being so nice to her, but she was thankful. The first forkful of salad tasted so good on her tongue. As she chewed the crisp vegetables, she also wondered where Nick was and why she hadn’t heard from him.

Frank chatted a little during the meal and as promised, the meatloaf was delicious. After they had finished, he paid and took the car seat off the counter. “Let me carry her for you.”

Sara Beth started to protest and he interrupted.

“Boy, you sure don’t like for people to do things for you. It’s no big deal. I’m walking that way anyway.” His wide grin was disarming and Sara Beth felt a little flutter of anxiety in her chest.

She nodded. “That would be nice, Frank.”

He walked beside her back to the shop and he carried Cami Lynn inside. “Thanks for having lunch with me, Sara Beth. Tell Nick I said hey when you talk to him.” He turned and left.

Sara Beth noticed that he walked back toward the restaurant. She smiled at his retreating form.
Sure you were walking this way, Mr. Frank Wilson.

~*~

Jenna Lewis answered her cell. “Yes?”

E.J.’s rich male voice chuckled in her ear. “Yes?
I haven’t even asked you yet.”

An involuntary smile spread across her face. “Well, yes. If you want to ask me something, I’m probably agreeable.”

“That’s good to know. I wanted to have dinner with you tonight, if you’re free.”

“Let me check my imaginary social calendar…Oh, it looks like I can squeeze you in.”