Barbara Dunlop: A Cowboy Comes Home

Caleb felt another hitch in his chest. His reaction was silly. Even if he did meet his brother after all these years, it wasn’t as if they’d be doing any team roping. Caleb was way too far out of practice. Besides, he was too old to come off a horse.

“Are you hungry?” Mandy asked.

“You don’t seriously want a corn dog.”

“I was thinking a funnel cake. Sprinkled with sugar, please.”

“How on earth do you stay so slim?” Most of the women he knew in Chicago survived on leaf lettuce and bok choy.

“Exercise and clean living,” she answered.

“So, you’re serious?”

“I never joke about funnel cake.”

Caleb shook his head in amazement, coming to his feet. “One funnel cake, coming up. You going to eat the whole thing, or will you share?”

“With you, I guess I could share.”

He gave her a wink and made his way down the worn wooden benches, meeting Travis and Seth at the bottom.

“Nice.” He nodded, shaking each of their hands in congratulations. He checked the board to find them still on top with six competitors left. “Looks like you might finish in the money.”

“Seven-hundred and fifty bucks,” Travis confirmed with a sharp nod. “That’ll pay for the trip.”

“I’m going on a funnel-cake run. Anyone interested?”

“Gads, no,” said Seth. “I don’t know how Mandy eats those things.”

“She’s got a sweet tooth,” said Travis. His level gaze stayed on Caleb for a couple of beats.

Caleb raised his brows. If Travis had something to say, he might as well spit it out.

Seth glanced between the two men.

“You heard anything from Reed?” Travis asked, surprising Caleb.

The question triggered emotions that were close to the surface today, and it took him a second to recover. He shook his head. “Not a word.”

“He still takes first in the steer wrestling every year,” said Travis.

Caleb nodded his acknowledgment but didn’t answer.

But Travis wasn’t finished yet. “Mandy thinks you should talk to him before you sell the ranch.”

The announcer’s voice became more animated over the loudspeaker as the next team of ropers left the box, stirring up a cloud of dust.

“Mandy thinks a lot of things,” said Caleb.

“I’m not sure she’s wrong on this.”

“Well, I can’t talk to him if he’s not here.” Caleb made to leave.

“You can hold off on the sale,” said Travis.

“You’re selling?” asked Seth, an obvious note of incredulity in his voice. “Why on earth would you do that?”

“Yes,” Caleb answered shortly, pivoting in the dust and starting to walk away.

“Whoa,” Seth caught up to him, but Travis, at least, had the good grace to stay behind. “What gives?”

“What gives is that I’m not explaining myself to you and Travis in the middle of a rodeo crowd.”

“Fair enough.” Seth nodded easily, keeping pace. “But what about Reed? He get a say in this?”

“Reed left town, no forwarding address, no phone number.”

“But how can you sell it without him?” Seth paused. “You know, I honestly thought he’d inherit the whole thing.”

Caleb altered his course to angle toward the concession stands. “Well, he didn’t. I did.”

“Not the whole thing.”

“Yes, the whole thing.”

“But-”

“Haven’t a clue,” Caleb preempted the obvious question.

Seth’s tone turned thoughtful. “And that’s why Reed disappeared.”

“I would think so.” They came to the lineup and joined the end.

“Are you getting a funnel cake?” Caleb asked Seth.

“Just keeping you company.”

“Not necessary.”

But Seth didn’t leave. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke up again. “Do you need the money?”

Caleb laughed darkly at that suggestion. “The money’s Reed’s. It’s going to sit in a bank account until he shows his face.”

“And the rush is?”

“Has it occurred to you that this is none of your business?”

“Absolutely.”

“Then, go away.”

“Has it occurred to you that I’m your friend?”

Caleb couldn’t form an answer to that one. He liked and respected Seth, but he was beginning to feel as if he was surrounded by kind, well-meaning, meddlers, pushing him in a direction he didn’t want to go.

“Seriously, Caleb. This is a huge decision.”

“It’s already listed.”

“Unlist it.”

“I don’t want it,” Caleb barked. “I don’t need it. And Reed’s better off without it.” He glared at Seth, while the festival swirled around them, midway rides jangling, children shrieking and the rodeo announcements blaring in the distance.

After a long minute, Seth gave a curt nod of acquiescence. And Caleb turned to the teenager in the paper hat and placed his order.

The trip to Lyndon and the rodeo day over and done with, Mandy and the local vet were working their way through a list of minor injuries and ailments in the ranch’s horses. Midafternoon, they were inside the barn looking at a quarter-horse colt who’d been limping on and off for about a week. The colt’s left fetlock felt warm, and Mandy was worried about infection.

“Mandy?” a whispered voice questioned from behind them, the person obviously being careful not to spook the colt.

Mandy smoothly rose from the colt’s leg and turned to find Robby, one of the young hands, waiting.

“There’s someone on the office phone for you,” he told her quietly. “Danielle something? She’s pretty insistent.”

“I’ll take it,” Mandy agreed, optimism rising within her. “Can you give Dr. Peters a hand while I’m gone, Robby?” She dusted her hands off on her jeans and moved from the stall to the main barn aisle.

The young man set aside his manure fork and took Mandy’s place in the stall.

Anticipation tightened Mandy’s stomach as she paced her way quickly to the small office that sat just inside the main door of the barn.

She closed the door behind her for privacy and picked up the phone. “Danielle?”

“Mandy?”

“It’s me.” Mandy forced herself to sit down on the leather chair with wheels, telling herself to stay calm. “You have news?”

“I do. Enrico found Reed.”

Mandy’s spirit soured. “Yes!” They’d found him. They’d finally found him. “Thank you.”

“Right now, he’s staying at a hotel in Helena.”

“Really?” That information surprised Mandy. “Reed is in Montana?” She’d assumed he was at least still in Colorado.

“The Bearberry Inn. He’s been there a couple of days, but there’s no way of knowing how long he’ll stay.”

“Don’t worry. I’m leaving right away.” Mandy hopped up from the chair, cataloging exactly what she’d have to do to get to the airport, get to Helena and find Reed. When she did, she was cornering him and demanding to know what the heck he thought he was doing.

Okay, maybe she wouldn’t demand. Maybe she’d just ask him. But, first, maybe she’d just hug him. After the past few weeks like he’d had, the man was going to need a hug.

“Call me when you get there,” said Danielle. “And please, please convince him to come home. Whatever it takes.”

“I will,” Mandy promised.

“If we can wrap this up by Wednesday, my life gets a whole lot easier.”

“Uh, okay.” Two days. “I’ll do my best.” Mandy signed off.

As she headed across the yard, toward the house, she remembered the Brazilian deadline was looming. That was obviously the rush. Danielle was going to do everything in her power to get Caleb to Sao Paulo in time to deal with the banking regulators.

That meant there was every chance he’d be gone before Mandy got back. As soon as Reed agreed to return, she’d have to call Danielle. Danielle would obviously call Caleb, and Caleb would have no reason to stay in Colorado, especially if his business depended on him getting to Brazil.