The Creek Series: Complete Set: Parts I, II, & III Page 4

  I opened the door to the front porch and let him in.

  “Don’t you look like a beautiful ray of sunshine on a cold day,” he soothed. When he reached out to pull me into his arms, I recoiled.

  “Not happening. This is business, strictly business, or you can go.” My hands were on my hips, and my shoulders were tall and firm.

  “Fine,” his right hand in the air—once more. “What’s this mission I’ve so easily gotten myself into?”

  “I need manpower to fix the bridge. It’s about to go. I’ve got the lumber in the barn, just need a price for labor, and it has to be done this week, since it’s our one good shot at warmer weather before I go back to school. Also, I need to preferably borrow a brush hog and tractor, since ours is beyond repair. Do you know anyone who could let me borrow one and would be willing to bring it out? And lastly, I need to sell the back acres, and I’ve put out an ad to lease the front.”

  Stephan’s eyes searched mine. I saw sheer concern on his face. “What’s going on? Your mom would never sell that creek back there.”

  “We don’t have a choice. I’m in school with little money, and this place is broken—going down fast. I’m hoping I can get someone to lease the land for cattle.”

  “Who’s gonna fix fences and do the upkeep? Have you thought that far?”

  “No.”

  “You can’t take care of this place from Texas, Wrenn.”

  “Don’t you think I know that, asshole?”

  “I’m here to help you, and you’re already calling me names. Forget it.” The screech of his chair across the wood floor sent a chill down my spine.

  Stephan walked to the door, and I lock in on his tight jeans and pressed shirt. He always was a sight for any girl’s eyes, especially with his blond curly hair and green eyes.

  “I’m sorry. Please don’t go. I can’t do this from right here, much less Denton. I need help, and I’m frustrated.”

  “I can take care of that frustration.” His deep voice was sultry and coaxing. If anything, he’d always been sex on a stick.

  “No, you don’t, dude. Business, remember.” I shook my finger at him in a playful gesture.

  “Yeah, but then you’ll owe me.” He laughed.

  We did a little dance as we stepped around each other in my kitchen opening—him trying to come closer, me moving away.

  “That’s the part that scares me. I’m not sleeping with you, so don’t go thinking that it’s your bargaining chip.”

  We were in close proximity in the small kitchen, and I could hear his deep breaths. When he approached me, my eyes trailed to the fullness at the crotch of his jeans. I backed away from him and made myself a glass of ice water. Something he would wear to cool himself off if he decided to get any closer.

  “I’d do anything for your mom—and you, no threats needed.”

  We walked out to the bridge and observed that it was not a total loss, some of the wood could be reused. I wasn’t prepared for buying more lumber, but I had my savings if it came to it. We checked the supplies in the barn, and there was more steel pipe than I’d remembered, so the price of repair would be less than expected.

  Walking back to the house, he caught me of guard. “I’m happy you got out of here and went back to school. You’ll make a better life for yourself than what you’d find here.”

  “I got railroaded by Dr. P and Mom.”

  “Really? She finally pushed you out?”

  “So to speak.”

  He laughed. It was a sound I loved to hear. There was nothing better than his laugh when he was carefree, but when he was drinking and jealous—that was a different story.

  Back inside, I didn’t dare trust myself enough to sit with him on the sofa, so I parked his ass at the kitchen table. We looked over the list and laid out a timeline.

  “Wrenn, I’m really sorry about everything. I just want you to know that.”

  “You hurt me, Stephan. You broke my arm in a jealous rage.”

  “And you tried to shoot me.” He gave a little chuckle, trying to make light of what had happened.

  “You’re lucky that pistol in the truck wasn’t loaded. Look, I can’t rehash the past. I just can’t. I’ve forgiven you and let’s leave it at that.”

  “But I can’t forgive myself.”

  His words stunned me.

  Right about that time, I got a call that changed everything.

  “Ms. Cunningham?” the deep male voice asked.

  “Speaking.”

  “Ms. Cunningham, I’m Holt Severs, out of Fort Smith. Your ad for land just came across our fax, and my son is looking for more land for his cattle. The only problem is that he also wants to rent a place for a ranch-hand of his to stay with the herd. Would you know of a place around there?”

  “You mean a room for rent or something like that?”

  “Sure, that would be nice. Do you know of something?

  “Perhaps. Can I get your number and give you a call back tomorrow?”

  “Better yet, I’ll give you Ben’s number, and you can call him yourself.”

  After I took the notes from Holt, I sat down in pure amazement as Stephan looked on.

  “You win the lottery?”

  “Something like that.”

  Chapter 5

  I ushered Stephan away and was grateful he didn’t offer too much resistance. I needed to garner up a clear head and a stubborn streak to deal with my mother.

  The problem with the bridge repair meant that no one could come and go on our property while the repairs were going on, and it would take a full day of work to get it back to usable status again. So, the plan was to get the brush hog on the land first, and I could do that during the day each day until the weekend, and that would be when the guys would come and fix the bridge.

  When Mom got home, I had dinner prepared, but she was too tired to eat. She sat down in her recliner and closed her eyes. I observed her from the kitchen for several moments. She looked ragged and worn. The sight of her aging before my eyes depressed me.

  I wiped at the tears that trickled down my cheeks. If I allowed the emotion to creep in, we were going to be in far worse than we already were.

  “Mom, have you thought about boarding a room out to someone who wants to put their cattle here?”

  “A strange man living in my house? What would the town folk say? Are you nuts?” She turned at stared at me.

  I walked over and sat on the sofa, the end closest to her chair as her gaze followed me. The lamp light between us lit her face. She wasn’t impressed with my question.

  “No, I’m thinking logistically. Purely hypothetical at this point, but what if a young man needed to rent out a room and would be available to help out around here? That wouldn’t be bad, and I know other people have done it like the Duncans.”

  She stood from the chair abruptly. “Yes, but they were a family and rented a room. Not a single woman.” Her hands were on her hips, a clear sign she wasn’t backing down.

  I threw my hands in the air. “Fine, it was just a suggestion. I’m trying to do everything I can.”

  “And you think I’m not?” Her words flung out at me, her face tight with frustration and despair. My skin was intact, but I felt the invisible rip of my flesh. She was angry and resented my attempts to help, like I was meddling and trying to become the alpha adult.

  She went to bed, hungry and angry, not to mention slamming a door on her way. Something she rarely did. The emotional wounds left wide open, for both of us.

  I made the decision not to tell her the rest of my plans. She was tired. The argument was fresh, and we still had a couple of weeks to get it worked out, but I wasn’t giving up. There was no fighting change. Things were going to be different whether it was what we wished or not, or the bank was going to take over.

  Holt Severs gave my number to his son, Ben. When I received Ben’s call on Wednesday, I was surprised at how much he knew about our little town. Seems he’d spent quite a bit of time working land just
up the road from us. He had about seven hundred head of cattle and wished to put about four hundred on our place. Justin, his ranch hand, was only twenty-two years old and needed to stay with the herd. His family was in Oklahoma, so he wasn’t too far away, and Ben said he could provide a thorough background check and references.

  I scheduled a meeting with both Justin and Ben on Sunday, so they could meet Mom too.

  I was certain there were going to be fireworks when the subject came up, and if I had a crystal ball, I would’ve predicted Mom was going to lose her mind and her religion on me when I gave her the news. It was just a meet and greet, but I was pushing the limits, especially when she’d already said no.

  By Friday afternoon, I had the pastures in good shape and had fixed the two fences that had been in need of minor repair. Stephan had called in a few favors with some of his friends and their relatives to come help with the bridge. The worst part was going to be for the ones having to work from below in the ice cold water.

  Mom left for work early Saturday morning, and the men started showing up about fifteen minutes later. I was pleasantly surprised at how organized they were and how prepared they came, waders included.

  We used the tractor to push some of the brush close to the bridge and started a controlled burn. As they pulled the wood from the bridge, they added it to the bonfire, and it helped keep everyone warm as they worked.

  Not much in the way of conversation, it looked more like an assembly line of workers just going to and fro. By sundown, they guys had completed the bridge, and I couldn’t have been more grateful.

  I’d offered to cook for them, but they insisted on going home. I didn’t know how to thank them.

  Stephan sat with me on the porch and smoked his cigarette. A habit I never realized how much I hated until that moment.

  “I’m not sure how I can ever thank you and your friends.”

  “I know.”

  Our eyes met. It was a painful longing that never seem to go away. We had a connection from high school. I’d been a freshman, and he’d been a senior, and even though we had our ups and downs, we’d always seemed to find our way back to each other, until one day it was just over. No amount of chemistry could heal the pain of him assaulting me.

  “I can’t. Please, don’t go there.”

  “You gonna tell me you’ve forgotten how hot we are together?” He took a long drag and allowed the smoke to slowly escape his lips in small circles.

  “That’s just sex, and it’s only part of it.”

  “You’re really gonna be that cold after everything?”

  “Did you seriously just help me out so you could call in the favor for a booty call? Are you that hard up?”

  “No, I’m that much in love with you. Why can’t you give us another chance?”

  “After how many chances? The answer is no. Besides, I’m leaving in a few weeks, and I won’t be back much for at least a year. Things are different now.”

  “Maybe I could move to Dallas?”

  “Sure, there’re plenty of jobs in the area you could do. Traffic is a nightmare, but the people are nice.”

  “I don’t need anything but you.”

  I froze. His voice, the words, skidded across my heart like a leather strap striking a horse. Quick, ragged, and painful. I couldn’t have the argument at hand, but rather decided to pacify him. “We can be friends, okay?”

  Mom’s headlights coming across the bridge were the icebreaker at the perfect time, and I couldn’t have been more grateful. Stephan stood up and extinguished the third cigarette he’d had since we’d been sitting there.

  She got out of her car, squealing with excitement. “What have you done? The bridge, oh my goodness, and look at that bonfire. Stephan was this your doing?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Well, come here, son, and let me give you a hug.”

  We stepped down off the porch, and Mom ran into Stephan’s awaiting arms. He spun her around. When he looked over her head at me and smiled, I knew it was some kind of redemption for him toward me, but in a way, it was a re-bonding of sorts for the two of them as well.

  “How do I say thank you?” She patted his cheek.

  “Cookies,” he joked.

  “You got it, and I’ll make that an endless supply.” Mom turned to face the bridge, and I noticed she wiped at her eyes several times.

  I had a glimmer of hope that maybe she wouldn’t fight me when Ben and Justin showed up for lunch the next day.

  We said our gratitude and goodbyes to Stephan and went inside. That’s when the waterworks started…for both of us.

  After about twenty minutes of small talk, I decided there wasn’t going to be a perfect time to pitch my idea to her, so there was no better time than the present.

  “Mom, a man named Ben and his ranch hand Justin are coming for lunch tomorrow. They want to lease out the land, and Justin will find a room to rent in town.”

  “You go off to Dallas for a few months, and then you think you can just make all the decisions when you come home.” Her voice was terse. The invisible leather strap was back.

  “No decision has been made. It’s just a meeting and a discussion. You have all the power to say no. I only wanted you to keep an open mind. How long has it been since the land looked this good?”

  “Years.”

  “Okay then. That’s all I’m asking. Just keep an open mind.”

  She put the footrest of the recliner down without gentleness and practically marched into the kitchen. “I’m exhausted and I’m going to bed.” When I heard dishes slam down into the sink, I knew I’d pushed her beyond her stretching point.

  She was angry with me. I couldn’t remember a time in my life when my mom went to bed so upset with me, two nights in a row. Had I disappointed her that much?

  Chapter 6

  The next morning, I awoke with a sense of excitement and anticipation. I was hoping the two men were the nice, gentlemanly type I had painted them to be, and Mom would fall in love with them.

  I rushed to shower and dress and beat Mom down to start breakfast. I was piddling in the kitchen, making pancakes when she walked in from outside, all bundled up.

  I’d thought she was still asleep. “Mom, where have you been?”

  “I took a walk. I needed to think. I’m sorry, Wrenn. You’ve done everything to be helpful, and I’ve let my anger at your father get in the way.” Her face was puffy, and she’d been crying. I knew she’d been to the creek. It was where she felt close to my dad and to God.

  I rushed to her and held her in my arms as she cried. I felt her body go limp. What I hadn’t realized until that moment was how much weight she’d lost. She appeared frailer than I realized.

  She released me and took a seat at the table.

  I poured us both a cup of coffee and sat down beside her. With her hands in mine, I hoped to reach her with my words. “This stress isn’t healthy for you. I’ve only been trying to fix it, but I mistakenly added to it.”

  “No, you were right to do what you did, or it wouldn’t have gotten done. The pasture, the bridge, the pump on the well and you even cleaned out the barn.”

  “Well, with the bridge down, I couldn’t do much, except watch the fire, so I kept dragging stuff out of the barn to get rid of it. There’s still more down there.”

  “We’ve always been pack rats, haven’t we?”

  “You and Daddy, yes. Me? No.”

  She laughed and the beautiful sound put oxygen in my veins. I hadn’t heard her laugh very much, since I’d been home.

  We continued to chat, while I made pancakes. I noticed she avoided mentioning our lunch guests. As we ate, she asked me about school and what my new job was going to be like. We talked about Karina and how I’d discovered I loved sushi.

  “Remind me to put protection over the fish tank.”

  We laughed together.

  I looked over into the living room and thought about the fish tank and how long it had taken to get the thing goi
ng again. She had enjoyed it in my absence and had added several guppies to the collection, one of which looked like she was going to give birth any day.

  “Your guppies would be tasty,” I poked at her.

  “Oh, the things they teach you in big cities.”

  “But, I’m the same person inside. I belong here. I’m only on loan to the city.”

  “Don’t ever forget that. I’m going to go take a power nap before getting ready for our company. I’m leaving lunch and all the details up to you.” She appeared happier and her spirit was lighter, as if she’d made peace with the chains that were holding her back from moving forward.

  I was more hopeful about the business arrangement pending and anticipated the afternoon held promise.

  I prepared a big pot of Mexican stew and cornbread and even had a pitcher of sweet tea ready, just in case I was dealin’ with true Southern boys.

  When Ben and Justin arrived in a truck with the Severs Ranch logo on the side and matching ironed logo shirts, my first impression was of professionalism and that left me comfortable.

  Ben was a big, tall stocky man who looked to be in his late thirties, and Justin was a tall, slender guy who was baby-faced and looked about fifteen.

  They came in the house and met Mom. She was very friendly and seemed taken aback by them. After we visited for a few minutes, they asked if we could drive all of our property. When Mom jumped up ready to show them the land, I was once again feeling hope swell within my veins.

  Our tour lasted over an hour, and they walked some of the fence line. The two men discussed between themselves things about the land and the grass and even the soil. I watched them as one spoke and the other nodded and vice versa. Whatever they were discussing, it appeared important.

  When we got back around the table and started eating lunch, it was Mom who took the lead, and I was thrilled.

  “What do you think about our land, Mr. Severs?”

  “Please, call me Ben. I think your place is amazing, Mrs. Cunningham. Justin and I were impressed with how well you’ve maintained it, considering the circumstances.”