Brenda Mott - Ranch At River's End

“Sounds good to me.”

“Okay. It’s a date. Chris will have a great time.”

“I just wish I could help him settle in here and get adjusted.”

“Adjusted my tail.” Stella waved the thought away like a fly at their cookout. “He’s a big boy. Let him adjust on his own.”

“Aunt Stella.” Darci could hardly believe her aunt would be so callous. “He’s been through a lot.”

“And so have you. Chris is playing you as sure as he’s playing your uncle in that game of horse.”

Darci’s jaw dropped.

“You heard me. ‘Poor me. Poor Chris. Everybody hates Christopher.’ The boy made a dumb mistake, but he’s done his time, and I’m here to tell you that the sooner you get past all that and let that kid deal with things on his own, the better it will be for both of you. Hell, he’ll land on two feet. Just toss him in the air and see if I’m not right.”

Darci knew Stella’s tough-love approach hid a heart that was as big as the Colorado sky, but still she felt edgy. “I was starting to second-guess my decision to put him back in public school. I wish I could afford to quit work and homeschool him.”

“He’ll be all right. Anything happens, they’ll call you at work. Just like they do any other parent. Let go, Darci. You’re going to start meeting people through your job and through the school. Not everyone will be against you. You’ll see. Getting out there will help you and Chris become part of the community a lot quicker than if you both hide out at home.” She nudged Darci. “Chin up.”

Darci nudged her back. “Okay, Aunt Bossy.”

“Moo,” Stella said, then laughed. “Say, why don’t you leave Chris with me and Leon for a couple of days, since it’s a long weekend? He can go riding tomorrow… help Leon putter around the place a bit. School’s out till Wednesday, right? We can even take him to the fair if he wants.”

The county fair was always held over the Labor Day weekend and ran until the middle of the week. Because so many of the local students were also 4-H members who showed livestock, the kids got an extra long holiday from school.

“That would be nice,” Darci said. Chris used to love the fair and the ranch…not just riding but mending fences with his great uncle. Would he still?

Stella smiled. “We’ll have fun, plus it’ll give you a chance to settle into your house.”

Could she do this? Darci thought. Start over with her new job, a whole new set of friends? She hoped her aunt was right, that she and Christopher would eventually feel welcome here.

“All right,” she said. “Maybe I can get some more unpacking done.”

“There you go. So stop frowning.”

“Sorry. I’m still a little worried. I just wish I knew who defaced our garage. What if a kid does something to Chris at school?”

Stella bopped Darci on the head with a half-full bag of barbecue chips before clipping the rolled top shut with a clothespin. “Like I said, don’t go borrowing trouble, ’cause Lord knows it finds its way to us quick enough.”

As if on cue, a red-and-white mottled dog darted out of nowhere into the backyard and snatched a leftover burger from the plate beside the barbecue grill.

“Hey!” Chris shouted. The basketball hit him smack in the face as Leon bounced it his way, realizing too late that Chris wasn’t paying attention. His nose started to bleed, but he didn’t seem to notice. Instead, he raced off after the dog.

“Christopher!” Darci shouted. But if he heard her, he ignored her. Nothing new there.

She got up and ran down the block after him, calling his name again.

“She’s got puppies,” he said over his shoulder, as if that explained everything.

What on earth?

Feeling every one of her thirty-five years, Darci lagged behind as the mama dog scurried into a yard a few houses down.

Oh, boy.

Her pulse picked up speed.

It was Jordan’s yard, and the dog raced around to the back of the house.

Chris hesitated only a moment before turning up the front walk.

“Christopher Lee, you stop right now!”

Something in her voice must’ve told him she meant business, because Chris stopped and turned to face her, jogging impatiently in place. “Come on, Mom! She’s got pups.”

He’d been bugging her for a puppy when they lived in Northglenn, and she’d pacified him by saying they might be able to get a dog once they moved, if his behavior improved. And she’d told Stella she was considering getting a dog. But a guard dog, not a puppy.

As Darci stopped to catch her breath, Chris opened the chain-link gate and headed up the walk, clearing the porch steps then knocking on Jordan’s door.

JORDAN CHOPPED FRESH cilantro, whistling as the knife thumped against the cutting board. Tacos were his daughter’s second favorite behind pizza, and he enjoyed making them, complete with his own homemade salsa. He was glad Michaela had invited Jenny over for supper and to spend the night. It would take her mind off the earlier incident with Darci.

A knock sounded at the door and he figured it was Jenny. “Michaela!” he called, sliding the cilantro from the cutting board into a bowl.

“I know!” she hollered. She thumped down the steps to the front door and swung it open without the safety chain.

But it wasn’t Jenny’s voice Jordan heard. It was a boy. Ben? Had Jenny’s twin brother come with her for some reason? Wiping his hands on a towel, Jordan started toward the foyer.

“—puppies.”

“How do you know my dog has pups?” Michaela’s voice held a defensive note. “Were you in our yard?”

“No! Your dog stole a hamburger off our grill.”

“She wouldn’t.”

“She did.”

Jordan strode to the door as he recognized the boy’s voice.

“Hello, Christopher. What can I do for you?” He could see Darci, hanging back a few steps from the fence. She was wearing denim shorts and a pink tank top and her blond hair was tousled, as if she’d been running. He wasn’t sure he liked the way she seemed to stir something inside him, but he waved her into the yard. “Darci, what’s up?” Then he noticed Christopher’s nose was bleeding. “What happened to you?”

The kid brushed the back of his hand across the smear of blood. “Nothing. I mean, it’s no big deal. I—uh—wanted to know if I could see your puppies?”

“Well, Chewy’s a little protective of them right now. But you’re welcome to come back when they get their eyes open and start walking around. How’d you know about them?”

“I followed your dog. I could tell she’s nursing a litter.”

“Ah. Sherlock Holmes.” Jordan stepped out onto the porch.

“She came into our yard,” Darci added, standing beside Christopher now. “And she did steal a hamburger. But it’s no big deal.”

“I’m sorry,” Jordan said. “She’s a stray we adopted, so she’s not really trained.”

“So, how long before their eyes open?” Chris asked, his own eyes wide and eager. “I really want to get a dog.”

“About another week. And since you’re the first person to ask for one, I guess that means you get pick of the litter.”

Michaela scowled, and Jordan put his arm around his daughter’s shoulders, wondering what was wrong. She was never unfriendly.

“That is,” Jordan added, “if it’s all right with your mom.” He looked at Darci.

“We’ll see,” she said. “Chris, we haven’t really discussed this.”

“Please,” he begged, clasping his hands together.

“I said we’ll see. Now let’s go. Uncle Leon and Aunt Stella are probably wondering where we ran off to.” She turned to look at Jordan. “Thanks for the offer. I’ll let you know. I hope we didn’t disturb you.” She hesitantly acknowledged Michaela, no doubt remembering how she’d upset her earlier.