Finally Home (6 page)

Slamming the door, Amanda crossed her arms and marched to the truck. Looking back at the jeep before she opened the truck door, she thought she heard Noah call her name. A feeling of hope flickered inside her heart as she waited, but the air was growing chilly by the moment. With haste, she climbed into the truck. Noah wasn’t coming after her. Maybe she had just heard the wind.

Starting her truck, she shifted into drive and turned the radio up. A meaningless song, that's what she needed. No words of love or rejection... just a fun unemotional beat. Flipping through the channels, she finally found an energetic dance tune. Sighing loudly to herself, she rolled her shoulders in circles and bobbed her head from side to side, trying to release some tension. She couldn’t wait to get home so she could fill her bathtub with fragrant bubbles. Then she would slip into the warm water and soak her tired body.

Yawning loudly, she glanced at the rearview mirror and noticed headlights not too far behind. It had to be Noah’s jeep. She wondered if he was racing home to get in touch with Mr. Ellinger, so he could start the sale of the ranch. The thought made her stomach churn. If the ranch was sold, she would have to sell her house too. Even though her grandparents had purchased the house from Thomas years ago, Amanda would never want to live next to a shopping mall. And she had a feeling that was exactly what cold-hearted Mr. Ellinger would be building after he bulldozed the ranch down. Angrily, she pressed her foot on the accelerator and sped up, causing the truck tires to spin against the gravel road.

After a few miles, she stomped on the brake, realizing she had missed the turn-off to Moonlight Ranch. The truck screeched to an abrupt halt, jolting Amanda’s head forward. “Aaahhh,” she groaned in irritation.

Turning the truck around, Amanda headed toward the ranch. Sighing, she pressed a hand against her aching forehead, wanting to close her eyes. It had been such an awful day... Thomas’ funeral, the tension between her and Noah, and the realization that she may lose her home! She just wanted to crumple into her bed and sleep for days. Fighting to keep her eyes open now, because of her pounding headache, she squinted at the road ahead. The arched entrance of Moonlight Ranch was only a few yards away. Such a beautiful entrance. An old friend of Thomas’ had crafted a wrought iron arch that had been welcoming family and guests for over thirty years. “Welcome to Moonlight Ranch,” Amanda read the words across the arch, her voice barely a whisper.

Suddenly, Noah swerved his jeep over the cattle guard and through the entrance, startling Amanda. She slowed down the truck, so he wouldn’t see her. Her eyes followed the jeep as it raced over the road leading to the main house. Once she drove beneath the wide arch, Noah was out of her sight. But she was still thinking about him. If only she hadn’t pulled away from him the night he kissed her at the corral! Her fear had taken control...fear of letting herself trust him. Now he would probably never be interested in her again. And now that he was grieving for his father, any comfort she showed him seemed like charity to him!

Gazing at the swaying oak trees planted in slim rows on each side of the road, she wished for a miracle. Something to give her a glimmer of hope that everything would be fine. As she turned right on the road that forked off to her house, she didn’t have to wait long. She got her miracle.

********

Hurriedly, she pulled into the skinny driveway on the side of her house and parked the truck. Smiling through tears, she rushed from the truck, leaping onto her front porch and into her grandmother’s arms.

“
Oh my sweetheart,” her grandmother crooned, smoothing down Amanda’s wild curls with her gentle hands.

Pulling from her grandmother’s warm embrace, Amanda gazed at her fondly. “Grandma, what are you doing here?”

“
Grandpa and I finally got your message yesterday evening...once we had finally turned the answering machine on. He is very upset about Thomas’ passing. Even more upset that he couldn’t make it on the flight here.”

“
Is Grandpa ok?”

“
He has a sinus infection and couldn’t fly. But I thought at least
I should
come and give support to Noah...and to you, sweetie,” her green eyes blinked away building tears. “You were just as close to Thomas as your grandpa and me. I’m sorry I missed the funeral,” she glanced over her granddaughter’s black dress.

“
It was very sad,” Amanda lowered her eyes, grabbing her grandmother’s hand. “And Noah isn’t doing too well. He’s become very distant”

“
That’s only normal, he’s grieving his father.”

Amanda attempted a smile. “I know that. But it still hurts when I try to console him and he snaps at me or pushes me away.”

A knowing glimmer appeared in the older woman’s eyes. “Since you and Noah were children, there has always been a special bond between you. I’m sure he will come around. Just give him some time to himself.”

“
Let’s go inside,” Amanda shivered, wanting to drop the subject of Noah. “A few days ago, the weather had warmed but that was only temporary, I guess. It’s freezing tonight!”

“
Not used to Texas weather yet?”

Her arm curved around her grandmother’s waist. “Nope. But hopefully I have the rest of my lifetime to get used to it.”

“
Of course you will, honey.”

Amanda grinned as she opened the creaking front door. “Good thing you kept a copy of the house key. I would hate to think of you standing out here in the cold waiting for me to get home and let you in!”

“
I thought for emergency sake, it was best to keep a key. I even have one for the main house,” she rubbed her wrinkled hands together and looked around the living area. “You’ve been here for such a short time but everything is unpacked and settled.”

Amanda’s thoughts were still on the key her grandmother had to the main house. “Um, yes, I hate living out of boxes. Grandma...uh, about that key you have...”

“
To the main house?”

“
Yes...”

“
Amanda, if you’d like, I can leave it here with you. Your grandpa and I won’t have much use for it in Florida.”

“
Thank you. I would appreciate that,” she sighed deeply. “I’d like to have it just in case.”

“
In case what?”

Amanda hesitated in voicing her fears about the ranch. But after a moment of thought, she felt her grandmother would understand. “I don’t know what will happen to the ranch. Noah has always been open about his desire to sell it. And if he does, I’d like to be able to get into the main house before its bulldozed. Sentimental reasons,” she shrugged.

“
No, Noah would never let that happen to the ranch!”

“
Come on, Grandma Kate. You’re surprised? You lived here when Barbara West died. You know the situation that the Wests were in before that happened.”

“
I never pried, darling. Your grandpa told me that there was a man interested in buying Moonlight Ranch but that Thomas was strongly against it.”

Amanda stretched her arms above her head and glanced at the oval clock above her television. “It’s already eight o’clock. Mind if we turn in early, Grandma? I don’t want to talk about the ranch anymore.”

“
The ranch--or Noah?”

“
Oh, please, let’s just get ready for bed. The guest room is all yours,” Amanda kicked off her heels and shuffled to her answering machine where she noticed a blinking red light.

“
Ok, sweetie. Actually, I think I’ll welcome turning in early. That flight, and then the taxi ride over here from the airport, just exhausted me. I’ve never been a happy traveler,” she chattered on. “I already put my suitcase in the guest room, since I arrived before you did. It’ll be funny! I’ll be staying in the guestroom that you and your mom used to use. For once,
I’m
the guest...”

Unfortunately, Amanda’s attention had shifted from her grandmother’s chatter a while back when she had noticed the message light blinking on her answering machine. She pressed a button with her finger and waited for the message to play. It was from Thomas’ attorney.

Grandma Kate walked down the hall from her room and entered the living room after her grandchild did not respond to a question she asked. “Amanda, you’re not listening to me, are you girl?”

Amanda’s brows were drawn together in confusion. She tapped a finger on the answering machine. “Sorry, Grandma--I just listened to a message from Henry Wilder.”

“
Oh how’s he doing? Before Grandpa and I left, Henry and his wife found out they were having another baby! And they’re both in their fifties!”

The serious expression on Amanda’s face caused Grandma Kate to sit down on the living room sofa.

“
Amanda, what’s wrong?”

“
I don’t think there’s anything wrong--I’m just a little confused,” she crossed her arms over her chest and moved toward her grandmother. “Mr. Wilder said that I need to attend the reading of Thomas’ will on Monday. He said it is very important.”

“
Why is that so confusing?” she patted the sofa cushion beside her. Amanda sat beside her grandmother.

“
I wasn’t expecting to be in Thomas’ will.”

“
Don’t be so shocked. You were like a daughter to him.”

“
But it seems like you and grandpa would be in the will, too.”

“
But Thomas knew that we wanted Florida to be our life after we moved. I’m sure he didn’t put us in his will because he was aware of that.”

“
Well, I guess I’ll stop...” she yawned loudly, “...analyzing. It’s nice that Thomas would even think of me.”

“
Maybe he left a piece of furniture to you. Or even better, one of the horses!”

Amanda rubbed her tired eyes. She didn’t want to think of what Thomas could have left her. His death was still too fresh in her mind. “Maybe so, Grandma.”

“
Oh my child, go take your bath and get some sleep. We can spend all day tomorrow however you want. I just want to see you happy.”

Noah’s face flashed across Amanda’s mind when her grandmother mentioned happiness. “I love you,” she kissed her grandmother’s cheek.

“
Love you, too.”

“
No waking up with the roosters tomorrow!”

“
All right, I’ll sleep ‘til at least seven,” Grandma Kate chuckled.

Amanda shook her head in defeat. “You’re one in a million, Grandma,” she stood and then smiled. “And thank you for picking me as your granddaughter.”

“
Get to bed now,” she playfully slapped Amanda’s thigh. “I don’t want a grouchy grandchild tomorrow because she didn’t get enough sleep!”

“
Ok, ok,” Amanda combed her fingers through her long hair. “See you in the morning.”

Grandma Kate stayed behind after Amanda scurried off to her room. Then she went to the answering machine and played Henry Wilder’s message. She didn’t want to tell her granddaughter about the feeling she had...the feeling that Thomas may have left Amanda more than a piece of furniture.

********

Amanda sipped her mocha latte, then placed the cup on its matching saucer. She glanced around the coffee shop but didn’t recognize anyone she knew. It was eight o’clock on Monday morning, and she was killing time until the reading of the will at eight forty-five. Henry Wilder’s office was across the street in an ancient brown building that used to be a bank.

Grandma Kate had gone back to Florida yesterday evening after staying with Amanda for two days. It had been such a wonderful visit, despite the cause. They had talked a lot about Amanda’s childhood and her summer visits to the ranch. They also talked about Thomas and Barbara and how they had always thought so highly of Amanda. And of course they talked about Noah. Grandma Kate was disappointed that Noah was not around the ranch when she wanted to offer her condolences. The ranch foreman said he had left town but Amanda sensed that wasn’t the truth. She had a feeling he had gone to his workshop and was crafting away his sorrow.

“
Black coffee,” a familiar voice interrupted Amanda’s thoughts. “No cream, no sugar.”

She twisted in her chair, peering over her shoulder. Noah was at the counter. For a brief moment, her heart ached for him. He looked so handsome in his dark suit. His hair was a bit longer, curling over his white shirt collar. And when he turned his face to her, she could see the dark circles beneath his dazzling hazel eyes. She turned away quickly, knowing he would come to her table now.

“
Do you mind if I sit for a while?”

Amanda shook her head, watching as he slid out a chair and sat opposite her. Her rapidly beating heart was still aching, but very discreetly now. She was not going to allow her feelings to show, not after he rejected her the other day. Warily, she looked at him, not willing to contribute her voice to the conversation just yet.

“
Are you meeting someone?” Noah asked quietly.

She cleared her throat, trying to dissolve the lump that had formed. “No, I‘m, um … wasting some time before the will reading.”

“
My father’s?”

She crossed her legs, then uncrossed them, suddenly uncomfortable. “Um, yes. Mr. Wilder called me last week and requested my attendance.”

He gazed at her for a while, a sparkle returning to his eyes for only a second. “Dad loved you. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that he named you in his will. I’m sure you’ll receive a nice remembrance of him.”