Two Spirit Ranch (3 page)

Thankfully, the sheriff led her directly to the driveway of the home of her late Uncle Bud.

The ranch turned out not to be what she had expected, but then she wasn't sure what she had expected to begin with.  Maybe a rustic looking cabin surrounded by a lot of thick patches of trees and fields.  Instead, she found a brightly blue colored home, nicely kept, with immaculate flower gardens in front.  She never took her Uncle Bud for the flower planting type.

She got out of her car as did the dapper sheriff in his uniform, who looked good enough to eat, or at least lick all over, and Terri
did not
have the usual weakness for men in uniform.

“Well, this is where I leave you, Terri.”

“Thanks, Sherriff,” she said.

He took off his hat and held it against his chest. 

“You can call me, Jake,” he replied.

“Thank you,
Jake
.”

She couldn't help but feel a stirring of attraction for this gallant man.

“Perhaps I'll see you around again while I'm here,” she added.

“It’s a small town. We’ll see each other. I’m sure. Just go over to Clearwater Café.  It's where most of the town spends their free time.  You must know of Sally.”

“Sally?” she asked, perplexed.  “I don't believe so.”

“Oh, I'm sorry.  Again, small town.  We assume everyone knows of everyone and with your uncle having lived here.  Bud and Sally, who owns the cafe, were a bit of...an item the past year.  She spent a good amount of time out here.  If you have any questions about the property she can probably answer them.”

That explained the flower garden, Terri thought.  She couldn't believe she had never heard that Uncle Bud had been dating someone, but then she'd been so busy the past year she didn't do a good job of keeping in touch she sadly realized.

“Well, thanks again.  I'll be sure to check out the cafe and meet Sally, too.”

“Yes, m'am,” Jake said, placing his hat back on his head.  “Take care now.”

She noticed that he appeared a little hesitant to leave, and she wondered if maybe...just maybe...he felt the same kind of attraction she did.  But then she reminded herself that after everything from the past couple of weeks, all she came here to do was clear her head and decide what to do with Uncle Bud's house.  Why complicate things?

“You, too.  Have a great evening,” she told him.

He nodded and with that he got back in his patrol car and drove off.

She decided to come back later and get her luggage.  Instead, she took the key Uncle Bud's lawyer had sent to her and went up to the house which was surrounded by lovely quiet acres of land. It was a two story wooden building with lovely detailing outside down to the white picket fence, surrounded by the flat lands but which were then circled by numerous mountain ranges. In the dim light, she could see a few cattle were grazing in the distance.

She walked up the creaky wooden steps up to the door. She inserted the key and threw open the door to the dark quiet home. The house still smelled of Uncle Bud. She ventured into the nearby living room with its rustic sofa and chair. Family pictures were scattered over the fireplace mantle, and she found a picture of herself in Central Park during a visit from her uncle not taken long after she transitioned. She positively beamed in the picture radiating happiness and a sense of self-acceptance she never had before, and it warmed her heart to see that he had framed it.  When she turned around she noticed on the opposite wall still hung a picture of
him
, Terrence.  It was the same picture she had found in her bedroom drawer the night she went to meet Tom.  He had kept this picture up, too. 

It always startled her a bit to see a picture of her former self.  The body she had lived in then had always felt like a stranger's from as far back as she remembered.  Looking at it now, the person seemed like a distant memory. Almost like the feeling of waking after a long dream. On a conscious level, she knew that was her in the photo, but it felt so unreal since she never identified with the person in that body. In fact, going through puberty was very difficult. Imagine the shock of seeing your girl friends grow breasts and wider hips while you were getting hairier and your voice started to deepen.  It was feeling like an unwelcome stranger in her own body and jealous that your friends were turning into young women while you were becoming what felt like a foreigner, a deceiver.  Only after years of therapy did “he,” Terrence, realize he was born in the wrong body.

Uncle Bud had been the only one in her family who supported her transition. A leftover hippie from the 1960s and 70s, he believed in the individual’s freedom and dignity. At one low point, he mentioned the Native American “two spirit people” he had learned of since living in Montana, individuals of the tribe who assumed the identity of the opposite gender.

“They were two-spirits and were respected by the tribe,” Uncle Bud told her during an emotional phone conversation when Terrence Lawson confessed “he” could no longer live in the body “he” possessed.  That conversation gave her some of the strength to move on with the decision. First, she started to wear women’s clothes and eventually assumed a new identity, legal name change and all. It was hard at first just becoming used to the fact that she could be true to herself that she didn't have to put on a front of being a man when she didn't feel the least bit like a man inside. The pain of the surgery had been the worst she had ever felt in her life. But looking back, the pain was the birth of the person she was always meant to be.

The sudden ring of the doorbell startled her and brought her back to the present.  She couldn't imagine who could be dropping by here in the middle of nowhere when she knew no one unless it could be the sheriff again. 
Now that would be a pleasant surprise,
she thought.  She began to be aware of a warmness that permeated her body thinking about Sheriff Jake, which surprised her since her wounds from Tom were so fresh.  Maybe Jake was right about getting back up on the horse…

She looked through the peephole and saw a dark blonde haired man at the front door wearing a brown business suit and yellow tie. He sure didn’t look like he fit in around the area, Terri thought. He looked like a city businessman.  And even more eerie was his slight resemblance to the sheriff, but the two men carried themselves in completely different ways.

She cracked open the door and said, “Yes?  May I help you?”

“Good day, ma’am. My name’s Carl Collins. I work for the Clearview Estates Resort housing development over the hill there,” the man said handing her a business card.  Something about him reminded her of an unsavory used car salesman trying to pawn a lemon off on someone.  “Word through the grapevine was that a relative of Bud's would be visiting soon, and I just happened to drive by and see a car here.”

“Well, news does travel fast around here, doesn't it, Mr. Collins?” she said, opening the door a little wider. “I’m Terri. Terri Lawson. Bud’s niece.”

He flashed a big toothy grin and continued, “Pleasure to meet you ma’am. I just wanted to welcome you to town and that if you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to ask.

“Why thank you, Mr. Collins.”

“You can call me Carl. The development I represent is looking to expand its golf course and housing units and this is a prime location for development.  If you feel like selling your property…”

She eyed him suspiciously and then said, “I haven’t given much thought to it as I just got into town. Is everyone in this town named Collins? I just met a Sheriff Collins…”

“Ah, you must have met Jake.  That boy is my cousin, ma’am.  Hope he didn't give you a ticket.  He's a stickler for speed limits.”

“Your cousin was very gracious, Mr. Collins.”

“Perhaps I could set up a meeting with the rest of the development group.  You could find out what we're offering...”

“I’m sorry Mr. Collins. I don’t think I’m interested right now. My uncle only just passed away, and I’m just trying to process that.  I...uh...appreciate your stopping by though,” Terri said while trying to shut the door.

Carl put out his hand, gently but firmly, preventing the door from being shut. “I feel your loss, Miss Lawson. Your uncle was an upstanding member of this community, a fine, fine man, and his passing was truly a sad occasion.” He cleared his throat and looked at her again. “However, I do know he did leave a lot of unpaid bills including back property taxes. My company is willing to pay the bills and offer a nice monetary package that would meet your satisfaction for everyone’s benefit,” he said nodding with a smile.

What a salesman
, Terri thought.  “Thank you for letting me know, Mr. Collins. But I don’t think I am going to sell right now.”

She noticed his face momentarily harden before breaking out into another smile.    “I understand this may a troubling time for your family.  Thank you for your time. When…err, if you change your mind, please let me know. Here's my card,” he said thrusting it towards her.

“Thank you,” she said, taking the card and trying to convey her lack of enthusiasm.  She had only just arrived.  The last thing she could think about this moment was selling her last connection to her uncle.

Carl, undeterred, continued, “I truly believe development of Clearview is the key to this area’s future success. It’s been a pleasure.” With that he walked over to his car and sped off.

She closed the door behind her, and realized that the man's presence had sent an uneasy chill through her body.  As a lawyer, Terri had developed a sixth sense in knowing when others were hiding ulterior motives, and Carl Collins reeked of it.

As Carl drove off, he thought to himself,
I think there are ways to make you change your mind, Miss Lawson.
He smiled to himself, lit a cigarette and afterwards threw out the butt onto the wide open Montana landscape.

Chapter 3

After a night of fitful sleep and dreaming of Tom and their last dinner, Teri woke up early and decided to take a drive into town to buy some groceries and supplies for her stay.  How long she was staying she was not sure. But the thought that her Uncle was nearby, even in spirit, was a comfort to her. As she drove into the small town, really a village, she marveled at how small and completely alien life there looked compared to New York.  However, she marveled at the land’s natural beauty and desolateness. Only one highway surrounded by ponderosa pine trees went through the town, and Terri noted a small supermarket, what looked to be a general store called Dollar Town, a handful of offices, a car wash, and then the Clearview Café Jake had mentioned to her.

The café was a pretty nondescript stucco box type building.  A flashing neon sign read “Clearview C fe” with the light for the “a” obviously burned out.  Despite the early hour, the parking lot already looked full. 

“Wow, must be nice to have no competition,” Terri said to herself as she pulled into the one empty parking space.  She decided she would see if she could meet this Sally that Uncle Bud had been dating and get a spot of breakfast before buying her supplies.  In the afternoon, she only planned on taking a nap, exploring the grounds of the ranch more, reading a new romance novel from her favorite writer, Madison Martin, and enjoying the peace and quiet of country life.  Her goal was to try and forget New York and take care of herself physically, emotionally and spiritually. A lofty goal, but she was determined to give it her all.

As she walked into the diner, Clearview Café, she found all eyes on her and a hush among the crowd. All the stares began to make her a little uneasy.  Obviously, this was not a place used to seeing a new face.

“Well, hon, have a seat. You visiting Clearview?” a voice asked.

Terri turned around to find a woman who appeared to be in her fifties with a large blonde 60’s style beehive hairstyle and bright red lipstick.  She wore a welcoming smile on her face and smacked a wad of gum in her mouth.  She almost looked like a sitcom cliché, but there was warmth to the woman that made her instantly likeable.  Her bright smile and twinkle in her eyes radiated a friendly charm.

“My name’s Sally. I’m the proprietress of this here fine eating establishment and I’ll be helping you today. The pancakes are good enough to make you slap your grandma down, but the waffles are only so-so.”

Sally motioned Terri to a seat at the counter and handed her a greasy menu. By this time the noise level in the café normalized and the staring had stopped.

“Thank you,” Terri said, taking the menu.

Sally studied her for a moment, and then a look of recognition showed on her face.

“You’re Terri, Bud’s niece, aren’t you?” she said in wonderment. 

“I am,” Terri said.

“Well, I’ll be,” she said, holding out dainty hand for shaking.  “It sure is good to meet you after all this time.  Your uncle sure did love you.  We were…uh…good friends.”

“I heard,” Terri replied with a friendly little wink thrown in.

Sally chuckled and said, “Small towns, I swear.”

“I can see what the fuss was all about,” Terri said genuinely.  Sally had the type of bubbly personality that would have perfectly complimented her Uncle Bud, a man who never met a stranger.

“Why thank you, honey! I must say, I saw some pictures of you, but you’re even prettier in person,” Sally said beaming.

“Sally, can we get some more coffee over her?” an older man in overalls called out to her.

“Don, can’t you see I’m welcoming this new gal in town?”  Sally scolded.  “You ain’t got anywhere to hurry off to.  Mindy will be back from her break in a sec.”

Terri marveled at her sass, but the older man just laughed and went back to talking to the other men at his table.

“Oh, Bud was a sweetheart! I sure miss him,” Sally continued, as if she had not work to be done.  “He volunteered for the Historical Society and helped raise funds for the elementary school, too.  He always did what he could to help make Clearview a better place.”

“I knew there must have been a woman in his life when I saw all those beautiful daisies and poppies planted outside.  Uncle Bud never had a green thumb,” Terri said, while Sally took it upon herself to pour Terri a cup of coffee.