A Wife in Wyoming (14 page)

The driver's door slammed, and Ford came around to join him. He grabbed the frame of the grill and pulled it toward him. “Ready?”

They set the grill on the ground and rolled it to a spot near the door. In just a few minutes the gas tank was attached and the top flipped up, inviting a barbecue. The kids stood around it, admiring the stainless-steel luxury.

Ford put the tailgate up and then glanced briefly toward the barn. “I've got to go into town,” he called. His face was set in hard lines. “Should I pick up anything?”

He waited barely ten seconds before he was in the truck, slamming the door yet again. No one could criticize the care with which he reversed and turned, but as soon as he passed the ranch house, the truck engine roared, and the vehicle disappeared in a cloud of dust.

“What the hell,” Garrett said, “was that all about?”

Chapter Nine

Hands tight on the steering wheel, Ford headed in the opposite direction from Bisons Creek, toward Kaycee and a dimly lit bar he'd stopped in occasionally over the years.

At the door, he noticed a poster tacked up at eye level on the wall for the “Kaycee Summer Rodeo,” to be held this coming Saturday. “Bronc Riding, Bull Riding, Barrel Racing! Enter at the Gate! Barn Dance Follows!” the poster advertised.

That would be the rodeo Caroline had proposed taking the kids to for a weekend adventure. Maybe they'd witness what an experienced rider could do, she'd suggested, and be inspired with their own horses. At least they'd get away from the ranch for a little while.

But if let loose at the rodeo, could they all be rounded up again? How would Caroline and the Marshalls keep track of seven stubborn kids in that crowd? The possibilities for disaster were mind-boggling.

Inside the bar, Ford ducked into a booth but ordered only a cola. He didn't really want alcohol. He wanted Caroline. And seeing her with her arms around his brother had flayed him to the bone.

“You look like you've got a heap of troubles.” The red-haired waitress set a glass in front of him. “Women, family or business?”

Ford choked a laugh. “How about all three?”

She whistled. “Which one bothers you the most?”

“That would be the problem. I don't know.”

“Whew. Sure you don't want the hard stuff? Might help you decide.”

He shook his head.

“Well, holler for a refill.” She slapped the table with a green-nailed hand and sauntered away to put a coin in the juke box. “Your Cheatin' Heart” slipped into the air.

With half his drink gone, Ford sat back and rubbed his eyes. Playing hooky from the ranch wasn't going to solve his problems. Returning to San Francisco would, though. He'd get away from Caroline and an attraction he couldn't control, get away from the troublesome teenagers monopolizing his time and rejoin the uncomplicated life he'd built for himself.

That was what he wanted. Wasn't it?

He wasn't sure anymore. He couldn't see straight down the road he'd been following for so long. There were obstacles now, Caroline being the biggest one—a huge boulder blocking his way and making him consider taking an unexpected turn.

The teenagers drove him crazy, but they also challenged him, entertained him, even touched him on an uncomfortable level. Their unpredictable nature kept him alert in ways he wasn't sure he'd experienced for years.

Then there were his brothers...starting with Garrett, who might or might not be in love with Caroline, but who needed moral support as he dealt with the town, his church and the ranch. Dylan was just starting his career as an artist, but was struggling to find more time to do that work. Another hand on the ranch would make a big difference to both of them.

And he couldn't forget Wyatt, who had borne most of the burdens for almost twenty years now. Was ranching all he wanted for himself? Being tied every single day to a piece of land and a herd of cattle, making ends meet, making repairs, making do with what he had? What did he expect out of life, anyway?

Ford finished his drink and set the glass down slowly. Those were the questions. He had no idea what the answer to even a single one of them might be.

He slid out of the booth, leaving a five on the table.

The waitress stood behind the bar. “Got all those problems rounded up?”

“Nope. But I have an idea about where to start looking for the answers.”

“Good for you, cowboy. You're halfway home.”

I hope so.
Ford climbed into the truck and headed for home.
Or else I'll be lost for good.

* * *

T
HE
DAY
HAD
BEEN
warm and, after the dust of the corral, the shade of cottonwood trees over the trickle of cool water made a nice change. Marcos, Thomas and Justino had waded into the creek in their jeans, while the girls and Nate perched on rocks nearby. Caroline sat on a boulder at a distance from the splash zone, laughing at the boys' antics.

She jumped a little when Ford suddenly appeared beside her. “This was a great idea,” he said. “They seem to be having fun. Finally.”

After his disappearing act, she wasn't sure what to say to him. “It was Dylan's suggestion. He mentioned how much he loved playing in the creek.”

Ford leaned against a nearby tree trunk, leaving plenty of space between them. “We called him ‘Tadpole' during the summers. He was down here every chance he could sneak away.”

She kept her gaze on the teenagers. “They pretend to be so tough, grown up. But they're really still children.”

“You chose the right kids. Many teens would have been a problem in this situation.”

She glanced his way. “You're thinking about someone specific?”

“I was a Big Brother in college to this boy named Lamont.” He kept his eyes on the group in the creek, as well. “Fourteen, but small for his age. Jobless mother, no dad in sight, five younger siblings. The goal was simply to get him to stay in school.”

Now she swiveled to face him. “What did you do?”

“Played ball with him, fed him, took him to movies and museums and sports events. Helped him with schoolwork, of course. Found his mother a job, which lasted for about a month, till she stopped showing up. Some nights, I fed the whole family, bathed his little brothers and put them to bed.” He shrugged a shoulder. “I liked him a lot. He was clever, with a smart mouth. He could have done something big with his life.”

But somehow it had gone wrong. “What happened?”

After a pause, Ford cleared his throat. “One night, I was coming home late from the library. I didn't live in a safe neighborhood—couldn't afford it. But that evening it was pretty quiet, the street was empty...until a guy stepped out of the alley and pulled a gun on me.”

“Ford!”

“It was Lamont. Some gang initiation thing. He took my cash, all thirty dollars of it, slammed me across the face with his pistol and ran away. I never saw him again. I went to his house but his mother wouldn't talk to me, so I gave up. A couple of years later he was killed in a gang fight.”

Caroline closed her eyes and felt tears leak onto her cheeks. No wonder he was so pessimistic about the kids.

Ford shook his head. “Don't cry. It was a lesson I had to learn. About what works. What doesn't.”

She slid off the rock and took a step toward him. Then she glanced over at the creek and stayed where she was. “That's a terrible experience to have gone through. I'm not surprised you're wary.”

“But?”

“But being disappointed with one person—even failing to save them—doesn't excuse us from attempting to help someone else. We have to keep trying. Otherwise, the world declines into chaos.”

Ford shook his head, smiling. “I hate to break it to you, but the world is already in chaos.”

“So we ought to be working to straighten things out. With enough people helping, it can be done.”

“What can be done?” Without their noticing, Dylan had joined them.

“Saving the world,” Ford explained.

Caroline nodded. “As much of it as you can reach, anyway.”

Dylan glanced from one of them to the other. “That's Garrett's job.”

She couldn't help but laugh and was glad to see Ford grin. “Maybe we should leave it to him.”

“Definitely. He's got the right connections. For now, though, he's pulled out the ice-cream maker and is expecting extra arms to help crank it. I figured there were a few down here.”

“What a terrific idea! Let's get the kids back to the house.” She started to follow Dylan toward the creek but stopped and faced Ford. “You're great with them, you know. You
are
making a difference.”

She didn't wait for an answer, and as she watched him keep himself apart for the rest of the evening, she decided he hadn't been convinced.

* * *

W
EDNESDAY
MORNING
,
TENSION
ran high as the kids got ready for their first riding lesson. Thomas camouflaged his own nerves by mocking someone else's—Lizzie, in particular—and Caroline had to reprimand him several times. The small size of the pony reassured Lizzie, however, and she climbed onto Major's back with only a little hesitation.

“He's a nice pony,” Lizzie said, with pride in her voice. “I'm glad he likes me.”

Caroline smiled at her. “Having a horse trust you is one of the best feelings in the world. We have to be careful to honor that trust. Now, just sit here while we get everybody else ready to ride.”

She brought Becky into the corral next and helped her saddle the Appaloosa. “Do you want to use the mounting block? Or do you want to pull up from the ground?”

Becky nodded in determination. “I want to get on from the ground.” With a little boost from Caroline, she did drag herself all the way into the saddle.

By the time Lena got settled, Nate, Thomas and Justino had mounted. Only Marcos remained standing.

Ford stood beside him. “Want a leg up?”

“Nah, man. I got this.” Having watched the girls get on from the ground, Marcos could do no less. “Just hold the stupid horse.” He started to lift his left foot to the stirrup.

But Ford clamped a hand on his shoulder and turned him around so fast the boy fell back against the horse's side. “No one,” he said in a stern voice, “rides an animal on this property with that kind of attitude.”

Marcos stared at him, eyes wide. “What is your problem?”

Garrett came up, pulled the reins from Ford's hand and moved the horse away. Hands on his hips, Ford took a step closer to Marcos, glaring down at him. “My problem is you. Either change your attitude and have some respect for the people and animals on this ranch, or go pack your stuff. You've got one minute to make your choice.” He raised a hand and kept his eyes on his watch.

“No problem. I'm outta here.” Marcos stomped toward the gate.

No one tried to stop him.

But when he got to the gate, he clutched the metal bars and stood without moving. Without opening the panel to leave.

“Time,” Ford called.

Another few seconds went by. Caroline held her breath.

Slowly, Marcos turned. He walked across the corral to stand in front of Ford. His shoulders lifted and fell as he stared at the dirt between their booted feet. “Sorry,” he said. “I'll...do better.” He lifted his head. “Can I ride now?”

Ford held the boy's gaze for a long moment. Finally, he nodded toward Garrett. “Get on.”

Caroline heard everybody in the corral give a sigh of relief.

With Marcos in the saddle, Dylan brought Sundance, saddled and bridled, over to Ford. The cowboy lawyer showed them all how it was done, stepping his foot into the stirrup and swinging his leg in a fluid arc across the horse to sit down lightly. Caroline made a sound of pure admiration at the sight.

“We're going to walk around the corral,” he told the kids. “I'm the leader. I'll be in front of Lizzie and Major. Your horse will probably just follow the one in front of you. If he or she is a little slow getting started, kick with both legs. Caroline, Garrett and Dylan are here in case anybody has trouble.” He checked out each kid individually and then nodded. “Let's ride.”

Without prompting, Major followed Sundance. The rest of the horses fell quietly into line and, in less than a minute, all of them were riding.

If Caroline had known a week ago that she would have tears in her eyes because a group of kids was walking horses in a small, enclosed circle, she would have laughed. She was laughing now, despite the tears. They were all working so hard, just sitting there!

Ford led them in a right-hand circle for five or six circuits. He crossed the corral and changed directions, causing a wobble or two among the kids but none among the horses—they stayed quiet and calm. Eventually he led them in figure eights, straight lines across the middle and even a serpentine pattern. Nobody complained, and some of the kids—Becky, Lena, Nate and even Marcos—started to relax and enjoy themselves.

With one last circle to the left, Ford brought them to a halt at about the same place they'd started on the corral fence. He shifted Sundance around to face them. “Great job, all of you. You stayed on, you kept in line—that's real progress from the first afternoon.”

There were grins from every direction, a couple of cautious fist pumps.

“We're going to get off for a while.” That announcement was greeted with protests. “Have some lunch? We'll go for another ride this afternoon. The horses will stay saddled, but we'll loosen the girth to give them room and put the halter on so they can eat some hay and drink. Stay in the saddle and we'll come around to help you get off.”

The dismounting process wasn't as long as getting everybody on, but more than one stomach growled before everybody's feet hit the dirt. Each kid went into the barn to get a flake of hay for their horse, hang up the bridle, put up the grooming bucket. They all walked a little stiffly to the gate, and the last one through—Nate—double-checked to be sure it was latched.

Then the excited chatter broke out. “It's a long way down!”

“I got him to turn with just a little pull...”

“She stopped right away when I asked...”

“Nobody fell off!”

Caroline stood with Garrett and Dylan, watching with a grin as the group moved away, comparing exploits and sharing their pride in what they'd just accomplished.

“Well, I'm exhausted.” Dylan took off his hat and rubbed a hand over his hair. “And all I did was stand here.”

“Watching was the hard part.” Garrett started toward the barn. “I'm grabbing a soda while they fool around for a few minutes. Want one, Caroline?”