Finally Home (8 page)

“
Glad to meet you, Amos,” she shook his hand.

“
Guess we’ll be seein’ ya around here a lot more since ya own the ranch with Noah.”

“
How do you know about that?”

“
Ah, Noah told all of us yesterday ‘bout how you and he owns the ranch together now ‘cause of the will,” Amos noticed another cowpoke approaching on horseback. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I hafta go now. Luke’s needin’ some help with checkin’ the fence lines. See ya around.”

Amanda was still puzzled after Amos left. Puzzled as to why Noah would gather together all of the ranch hands and announce her as a new owner. That was pretty considerate of him, she thought. But as usual, it was also confusing. Around her, Noah didn’t seem very accepting of her new role at the ranch. So, why would he make a public announcement of his new partnership with her? If she could only understand him! Sighing, she kicked a rock with her shoe, rubbing her hands over the sleeves of her sweater.

She was so deep in thought about Noah, she didn’t notice Mr. Ellinger walking toward her. “Miss Brookfield, you are making a foolish decision.”

Caught off guard, Amanda stammered. “W-What do you want? Where’s N-Noah?”

“
Probably wishing he never knew you,” Mr. Ellinger hissed. “You are ruining everything for him. Not to mention, for me!”

She regained her composure, tilting her chin upward. “How dare you speak to me this way. You should leave right now.”

“
Ha, do you think you can dismiss me that easily? I get what I want, Miss Brookfield.”

“
That’s the same thing you said to your...um, financial advisor. I heard you that day in Randall’s General Store. You said you would do whatever it takes to have the ranch.”

“
You are a very nosy girl,” his beady eyes narrowed, his lips forming into a tight line.

“
No, a lucky girl … to be given this ranch. So be assured that you will never get it, Mr. Ellinger.”

Pivoting on the heel of his snakeskin boot, Mr. Ellinger turned away from Amanda, his trench coat swirling around his angular form.

She shivered and watched him go, hoping she would never see his face again.

********

Amanda’s sheets were twisted around her legs when she abruptly woke from a very light sleep. Untangling the plaid covers, she sat up in bed. Something wasn’t right. She had been thrashing and turning since she crawled into bed. Rubbing her eyes, she patted a hand on her tangled hair and moved from the bedroom into the hall. Her eyes began to adjust to the dark, as she entered the kitchen and went to the cabinet for a glass. The cool water from the faucet soothed her dry mouth, refreshing her senses. But as she placed the empty glass in the sink, she stared out the kitchen window in panic.

Her eyes widened at the sight of smoke and flames coming from the valley below her. Coming from Moonlight Ranch. Urgently, she dashed to her room to grab a housecoat and some shoes, not caring if the shoes matched.

Running through the night, down the grassy hill that led to the ranch, Amanda tried to see where the fire was located. Her worried eyes scanned the bushy oak trees and buildings, spying drifting smoke in the distance. When she reached the main house, she was relieved to find it still standing and not crumbling from lapping flames. Realizing the source of the fire must be somewhere beyond the house, she turned to continue her frantic search but bumped into a hard body.

“
Go back to your house, the fires out.”

She tilted her head upward, her heart beating madly. “What h-happened Noah? I w-woke up and saw fire...”

A large cowboy hat threw shadows over his eyes, but Amanda knew they were an angry hazel. Noah wiped his perspiring brow and sighed roughly. “The barn, by the north fence...burned to the ground.”

“
How?” she squeaked, feeling vulnerable and tired. Lack of sleep was catching up to her.

Noah moved from her, stepping onto the front porch of the house, his pace slow from exhaustion. “I don’t know,” his dirt stained hands began to unbutton his shirt.

Feeling a chill, Amanda joined him on the porch. “It just caught on fire? There has to be an explana--” she stopped. Noah was peeling off his shirt. “What are you doing?”

“
Taking off my shirt.”

Her pulse quickened. “What for?”

“
Because I’m hot,” he declared, his voice rough with annoyance.

She tried not to stare, but found her eyes wandering over Noah’s tight chest muscles and flat stomach. Averting her gaze, she waited for her breathing to return to normal, then turned back to Noah. “I was hoping you’d show me the barn.”

He hooked his thumbs through the belt loops of his jeans, then exhaled deeply. “Amanda, there’s not much left. It’s a good thing you didn’t show up when all the ruckus started. You would only have--”

“
Been in the way?”

“
I wasn’t going to say it like that.”

“
Doesn’t matter how you say it. It’s what you think.”

“
Amanda, you don’t know what I think.”

I wish I did! She wanted to shout. I wish I could read your thoughts...to understand your feelings...how you feel about me.

“
A-All I w-want to know is how the fire started,” she said nervously. He was tying her heart into knots. If she had to look at him any longer...standing there shirtless....

“
I told you, I don’t know.”

She wrapped her cotton robe snuggly around her body, feeling a sudden crisp breeze. Mr. Ellinger. Her mind raced with the possibility. Could he have started the fire...as a warning? He had been pretty upset with her yesterday when she refused to sell Moonlight Ranch.

She tapped a finger to her chin. “I have my suspicions about how that fire started, you know.”

Noah gazed at her, suddenly noticing how breathtaking she looked beneath the moonlight. But he wasn’t going to allow her to distract him, he couldn’t afford that...he needed his focus to remain on selling the ranch. His furniture business depended on it.

Rubbing his eyes, he wondered how late it was. He had been up way to long! And when he tried to focus on Amanda’s voice, he felt a sudden dizziness. “I can’t discuss this right now, Amanda. We’ll talk tomorrow,” he said. Glancing at her briefly, he made his way to the front door.

“
It
is
tomorrow,” Amanda whispered. Folding her arms over her chest, she watched him enter the house. But when she turned to walk away, Noah called her name. She twirled around to find him holding the front door open.

“
Don’t try to figure out the fire...let me handle it.”

She frowned. “You’re forgetting, we’re partners now. We’ll handle it together.”

“
Please don’t cause any trouble, there’s no proof that Mr. Ellinger started the fire--”

“
And there is no proof that he didn’t!” Amanda interjected.

“
I give up for tonight,” Noah waved his hands in submission. “Good night, Amanda.”

She turned to leave once more, wondering if he would pop his head out again and call her name. But he didn’t. Hopefully she could catch a few hours of sleep before she returned to the ranch and investigated the site of the fire. She didn’t know why, but felt almost certain that Mr. Ellinger was to blame. And maybe she could find some clue he left behind.

As she walked, she tilted her head back and stared at the moon. It was shining tonight. Showering the ranch with moonlight kisses. She wondered if Noah ever gazed at the moon, if he noticed how brilliantly it glowed. Maybe if he did, he would see things differently. Maybe he would see the ranch through her eyes.

********

Getting only four hours of sleep didn’t seem to affect Amanda’s working ability. After crumbling into bed and waking up at nine o’clock, she immediately went to her computer and began working on her latest project. Creativity struck at the strangest times. She was almost sure that she could get her current client’s web site completed by the end of the week. And then, after talking to Noah, she wanted to design a spectacular web site for Moonlight Ranch. She had already scribbled a few pages of ideas into a notebook that she felt would be great for the web site. Hopefully Noah would think they were great, too.

Thoughts of Noah propelled her toward her bedroom closet, where she slipped on a pair of jeans and pulled on a jacket. She wanted to have a look at the barn that had been destroyed by the fire last night.

Quickly, she fed Webster, and stepped outside into a chilly morning, where dew covered the grass and clung to spider webs that had formed on the porch overnight. As Amanda hurried to the gate, she noticed two cowpokes on horseback heading her way.

“
Good morning, ma’am,” one cowpoke greeted her politely. “Sorry to disturb you.”

“
Not at all, I’m on my way to the main house.”

“
We’re checkin’ the fences for breaks,” another cowpoke informed her.

Amanda recalled her conversation yesterday with the cowpoke, Amos, when he had to leave and check the fences. “I’m sorry to question you but I thought that was done yesterday.”

“
Yeh, it was, but we’re doin’ it every day now. Especially since we found a man-made hole near the barn that caught on fire last night,” the first cowpoke said.

“
Have you told Noah?” she asked with concern.

“
Yes, ma’am, Mr. West knows. He’s the one that told us to check the fences again this mornin’.”

“
Oh really,” Amanda mumbled to herself. “What isn’t he telling me?”

“
Sorry, ma’am, whaddya say?” the younger cowpoke leaned forward over his fidgety Palomino.

She smiled and closed the gate behind her. “Just talking to myself. Have a good afternoon.”

The two men watched her jog down the hill, then guided their horses along the fence line.

Amanda was fuming when she reached the main house. Noah was keeping something from her! But not for long. She was going to confront him and make sure he told her everything he knew about the fire.

She entered the main house without knocking. Heck, it was half hers now, she should be able to come and go as she pleased! Feeling angrier by the moment, she stomped across the tile entry and called for Noah. When he didn’t answer, she peeked into the library and dining room, then headed for the kitchen.

Maria was rolling out some fresh dough for tortillas. “Good morning, Miss Amanda.”

“
Hi, Maria. Do you know where Noah is?”

She wiped her brow, leaving traces of flour on her forehead. “Ahh, yes, he went into town very early.”

“
Did he tell you why?”

“
Said something about being gone all day but said not why,” she stopped and peered at Amanda with intent eyes. “What is wrong? You know where he is?”

Amanda knew that Noah had to be at his warehouse. Realizing Maria may not know about Noah’s secret passion for crafting furniture, Amanda picked her words carefully. “Maybe...he went to the general store...I’m not...sure. I’ll just talk to him later, Maria.”

“
If I see him, I tell him you looking for him,” she sprinkled more flour onto the dough she rolled out. “You and Mr. Ellinger, too.”

Amanda turned on her heels. “What did Mr. Ellinger want?”

“
He didn’t say.”

“
Maria, how well do you know Mr. Ellinger?”

Maria stopped rolling her dough and looked at Amanda. “He’s lived around here for years, Miss Amanda, but I don’t know him that well.”

“
I guess I’m trying to figure out why he wants Moonlight Ranch so desperately. There are other ranches he could buy!”

“
Oh, but not any of the others mean anything to him,” Maria’s eyes widened.

Amanda cocked her head curiously. “What do you mean?”

“
I’ve been around this ranch since Mr. West brought Mrs. West home as his bride...that’s a long time. So I probably know some things I shouldn’t.”

“
Like why Mr. Ellinger wants the ranch?”

“
Mr. Ellinger was in love with Mrs. West. He was very upset when she married,” she started chopping onions furiously.

“
So, all these years he’s been plotting to take the ranch because Barbara left him for Thomas?”

Maria wiped her teary eyes. “Yes, all these years.”

Amanda finally felt some clarity. Now she knew why Mr. Ellinger was so bitter. And why the ranch meant so much to him. He wanted to take the ranch away from the West family out of revenge. But Noah had to know this! So, why would he want to sell the ranch to Mr. Ellinger? Now she was even more confused.

“
Maria, I’ll be back. I’m going to find Noah.” And when she did find him she would get some answers this time!

CHAPTER ~ FIVE

A figure moved in front of the large corner window of the warehouse. It was Noah. Amanda sat silently in her truck for a while and watched him stretch his arms above his head, then left the window. She felt a little nervous. How would he react when she demanded answers from him? She hated the thought of widening the gap between them. But she wanted the truth!

And she was going to get it! It was for the good of the ranch. Her home now. She had to confront Noah. Who knows, maybe he would actually feel relieved to tell her everything...and then they could get on with their lives on the ranch...together. And maybe she could let go of her teenage heartache and grow to trust him again.