Second Chance Ranch Chapter 36

Chapter THIRTY-SIX:

Kelly shoved the last of a torn magazine into the last trash bag, tied it closed, and stretched her back. “That’s it,” she said. They’d righted all the furniture. Put the mattresses back on the bed frames. Cleaned up the shredded folders and papers and books Clark had torn through.

All in all, it hadn’t taken long, though being down here in the basement still brought tears to Kelly’s eyes. She was so glad she’d left Finn at Crystal’s.

She wanted to drop into bed the moment this last trash bag hit the bin outside, but her dad took it and started up the stairs. Kelly followed him, and her mother brought up the rear. 

“Kelly,” she said as she went into the kitchen. “Come have a cup of coffee with me.”

She’d seen this strategy before, as a teenager. She settled onto a barstool and watched her mom measure grounds. “What’s up, Mom?”

She’d been shooting her furtive glances as they cleaned, then turning away as she shook her head. Since they’d returned to the house earlier this evening. Now she set the coffee to brew and faced her, fire in her own blue eyes. “Are you really going to let him walk away?”

“Who?”

“Oh, come on. Squire.”

Kelly threw up her hands in defeat. “I don’t know what you want me to do, Mom.”

“He loves you.”

Kelly knew that. She’d heard him say it. She was pretty sure she loved him too, but her life wasn’t entirely her own anymore. Did she want to go back to the college life? 

She hadn’t told her parents everything, but enough. Now, she’d have to divulge more. “He’s moving to College Station, Momma. He got into his veterinary program there. I just got a job here. I’m looking at houses. Finn deserves a stable life.”

Her mom exchanged a look with her dad as he re-entered the kitchen, and he glanced at Kelly. “We want you to be happy. And we’re glad you’re here. But if life takes you somewhere else, well, sometimes you have to be willing to get on the train.”

“Honey.” Her mom came over and covered Kelly’s hands with hers. “It doesn’t matter where you live, or what your job is. Those things change like the wind.” She tucked Kelly’s hair behind her ear. “But love like I’ve seen in that man’s eyes…. That won’t change. You could tell him you want to go to Mars, and he’d go with you.”

“It’s not just about me, Mom. Finn’s just starting to be himself again. Dad has been wonderful with him.” She’d taken a step, prayed that God would guide her. As she waited for her mother to answer, she realized that God had led her back to Three Rivers at a time when Squire was here.

God had allowed her to find the documents Squire needed. He’d made it possible for him to attend school—and to take Kelly with him.

“Finn needs a wide open space,” her mother finally said. “But he can have that here, in College Station, or on the ranch.”

“So, what? We just follow Squire to College Station?”

“Squire couldn’t be a better father for Finn,” her mom said. “You can let him go, or drive him away, if you want to. You can do anything you want to do.” She patted Kelly’s knee and turned back to the coffee pot as if it needed babysitting, leaving Kelly to her thoughts.

She’d lived in College Station before. Surely she could find a job there. She’d have to work out how to take care of Finn, but Squire would be there to help. Hopefully.

“Maybe,” she whispered to herself, not daring to go much further than that right now.

* * *

Clark’s bellowing roars and Squire’s heroic rescue haunted her dreams. By the time she got up and stepped into the shower, she was desperate to hear Squire’s calming voice, see his rugged face, feel his hand in hers.

She couldn’t call him, because her phone had been damaged in the fight. She knew she wouldn’t see him out at the ranch, and she honestly didn’t know what she’d do all day now that the thing she’d been working on had been resolved. 

Fear pricked her heart every time she thought about coming face-to-face with him, talking to him about moving, and admitting how she felt about him for she still hadn’t told him she loved him.

God, she prayed. Do I really get to have a second chance? After messing up so badly last time?

She didn’t have to wait for an answer. A flowing sense of rightness washed over her, and she knew. She had to do what Squire had done: Forgive herself and get out of her own way.

By the time she was ready for work, she felt one breath away from crying. Two away from quitting. She made it into her office with a friendly nod to Tom and a quick smile to the cowboys loitering near the assignment board. None of them seemed like they hadn’t slept for the past three nights. None of them seemed like they’d been tied up in their own homes. In fact, none of them seemed like anything about the ranch was different at all.

She closed her door behind her, half-expecting the place to be ransacked. But everything seemed exactly as she’d left it on Friday afternoon. As she opened her bottom drawer to put away her lunch and purse, a folded piece of yellow paper caught her eye.

A note. In Squire’s handwriting.

Hey Kel,

I’m staying in Amarillo for a few days to get the finances sorted out. My momma wants to talk with you when you get in today. Nothing serious. You still have a job at Three Rivers. Just wanted to let you know. I have my phone, but I’m doing a lot and can’t always answer or respond right away.

The next part of the letter looked like it had been written and erased several times. But it finally concluded with, I love you, and I hope to see you soon.

Love, Squire

She closed her eyes and pressed the paper to her heart. He loved her. And she felt it coursing from his written proclamation and into her heart.

She folded the note and placed it in her purse. Then she headed over to the house to find Heidi. Strangely, the kitchen was empty. Kelly couldn’t even smell the evidence of breakfast.

“Hello?” she called, glancing down the hall in the direction of the bedrooms. A door opened from further inside, and Heidi’s delicate footfalls came toward Kelly.

“Kelly,” she said, drawing her into a tight hug and holding on. “We don’t know how to thank you enough.”

“It’s not necessary,” she said, still being squeezed as if by a python. “Just doing my job.”

“Yes, well, Squire wanted to let you know that there’s no way we can repay you.” Heidi finally released Kelly and stepped back, her eyes moist.

“Have you found any of the money?” Kelly followed Heidi into the living room and sat down on the couch.

“Squire and Frank found some bank statements and apparently one of the deposited checks. They’ve got an account number and all of that.” She went into the kitchen. “Breakfast?”

“I’m fine,” Kelly said. “Thank you.”

“They’re meeting with the bank manager today,” she said. “Hopefully. He’s been talking to his friend in the DA’s office, and Frank’s meeting with a lawyer at ten.” She glanced at the clock on the microwave and Kelly did too. Another forty minutes to go.

“Waiting is the worst,” Kelly said. “I thought Squire said you were going to Amarillo too.”

“We wanted things on the ranch to be as normal as possible. Without Clark….” She trailed off and focused her attention out the window. “Frank almost didn’t go either, but Squire can’t be in two places at once, even if he wants to be.”

Kelly thought about the letter in her purse. He’d surely left it last night, before he’d come to collect her computer. 

“Frank will be back tonight,” she said. “He wants to be here for the boys. We’ve had a lot of changes shaking things up.” She gazed out the wall of windows to the ranch beyond. Kelly knew she’d done her best to make a family for the men and women who came to work this ranch, and Heidi cared about them as if they belonged to her. Because they did.

Heidi shook herself slightly. “Squire’s staying in the city until everything is sorted.” She produced a small smile, probably the best she could do under the circumstances. “And I’m making lunch for the cowboys today. Then I won’t have to be alone.” She turned to the fridge and pulled out a family-sized package of ground beef.

“Where is he staying?” Kelly tried to make her voice as casual as possible.

Heidi turned and pinned her with a knowing look. “Why? Thinking of going to see him?”

Kelly set her shoulders, seeing no reason to hide anything anymore. “I want to, yes.”

“Thank goodness.” Heidi tossed a green pepper onto the counter with the beef and then sagged into the island. “That man needs someone to tell him what we can all see.”

Kelly’s gut pinched. “What’s that?”

“That you’re in love with him.”

“I’m—Is it that obvious?”

Heidi smiled. “Even our most blind cowboy can see it. They keep asking if they’ll have to attend the wedding.”

Foolishness raced through Kelly. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t want to be any trouble for anyone.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Heidi said. “If I couldn’t torture my cowhands with the threat of a wedding, what fun would I have?” She laughed lightly, collected a bulb of garlic and a couple of onions and put everything on the chopping block. 

Kelly laughed with her. “So about the hotel where Squire is staying….”