Echoes From The Past (Women of Character) (7 page)

"I didn’t hear you."

"So did you make a
wish?" he asked, laughing.

"Of course. No sense in
wasting a perfectly good star." She dusted the seat of her jeans.
"You must be Randy."

Randy’s brow went up as he pulled
off his hat. "You’re a step ahead of me -- I haven’t got a clue who you
are." His expression turned mock serious. "You’re a bit old to be
Hannah’s playmate. Are you a girl friend of Garrett’s?"

Christie hesitated and felt heat
seep into her cheeks. "Hardly a girlfriend. I’m going to be working in the
barns." She wondered if keeping her identity quiet extended to Garrett’s
brother. "I just got the job today."

"I didn’t realize Garrett was
looking for anybody. I don’t think I’ve seen you around town before."

"Are you asking in an official
capacity?"

He smiled, but in the dim light
from above she could see his penetrating stare. "Old habits die hard, but
if there’s something you’d like to tell me I’m all ears."

Lightly, Christie said, "The
bus I was riding on broke down and I elected not to wait beside the road. I
more or less stumbled on the farm and asked about a job."

"So you were on that bus that
held up traffic today. The other passengers were content to wait for another
bus."

"I’m not most people."

"Sounds like you’re the adventurous
type," Randy said admiringly. "If you’re going to be here any length
of time, maybe I could show you around. I’m known as a pretty good guide."

Christie laughed, recognizing
Randy as a flirt. "You don’t waste any time."

A dimple appeared in his chin.
"Life’s too short."

"I know," she said
dryly, "too many women, too little time."

"Randy." Garrett’s voice
sounded behind them. Christie turned toward the screen door as it swung open.
"I didn’t think we’d see you tonight." Garrett stood on the kitchen
threshold behind her.

"Hey Garrett," Randy
said. "I just got here. Christie and I were getting to know each
other." Randy saluted his brother casually, apparently undaunted by
Garrett’s unsmiling face. Christie wondered if Garrett disapproved of her being
out here with Randy. She backed up against the stair railing, feeling awkward
under the searching look Garrett was giving her.

Randy lifted his hand and Christie
saw he held a six-pack of soda. "How about a soda?"

Garrett’s voice sounded mild.
"Sure."

Christie knew it was time to make
an exit. "Uh, I’m going to pass, so if you’ll excuse me," she edged
toward the door and Garrett, "it’s been a long day. . .."

"Pleasure meeting you,
Christie."

Christie smiled at Randy over her
shoulder. "Same here. I’ll be around a while so we’ll meet again."

She ducked under Garrett’s arm as
he held the door, noticing his barely buttoned shirt and the dusting of hair
over a deeply muscled chest. She drew in a deep breath, fighting her curiosity
about these two brothers and a strong urge to linger. "Goodnight."

Christie moved through the house
and back to her room. The closet door stood ajar and she could see the edge of
the duffel bag. She turned on the small bedside lamp. Retrieving the duffel
bag, she reached inside and lifted out the small wooden box in the shape of a
book. Gently, she ran her fingers over the inlaid decoration, then she traced
with a fingertip the inscription, Ellen Jenkins, beloved sister and mother.

Inside was all that remained of
her sister. A tear fell onto the deep, reddish brown wood. Horrified, Christie
quickly grabbed a tissue from on top of the bureau, but the tear had already
bled into the wood, marking it.

###

Garrett watched Christie disappear
beyond the kitchen then directed his attention to his brother. "So you’re
hitting on my help again?"

"She’s staying in the house?
What do you know about her?"

"I know you’ve been using
that infamous charm," he said dryly. "Why don’t you tell me what
you’ve managed to learn about her?"

"We only talked a few
minutes. She seems like a nice person."

"She’s down on her luck and
needs a job and I’m a hand short while Kim’s out."

"Why do I get the feeling
there’s more to the story?" Randy asked in a deceptively lazy drawl.

Garrett ignored the question for
the moment and gave his brother an assessing glance. "I thought you had
plans tonight and that’s why you didn’t make it for dinner."

Randy lifted a soda and took
several gulps. "You know what they say about the best laid plans."

"Melinda stood you up?"
Garrett dropped to the top step, reaching for the can Randy held out to him.
"Or was it Maggie or Angela?"

"Melinda. She got bent out of
shape that I was running late. I didn’t even have time to change, and then I
had to stop at the office. We ended up stuck there for an hour, so she insisted
on going home."

Garrett studied Randy with
interest. "Not your usual style. I’m surprised you didn’t sweet talk her
out of her bad mood and take her dancing."

Randy bit off a short laugh.
"Yeah, well, by then the night had lost most of its charm." Leaning
against the railing post, he closed his eyes.

"I’ve never known you to be
dateless on a Saturday night." Garrett popped the soda top and took a long
swallow of the cold soda.

Randy’s expression became guarded as
he stared out into the night and unfastened the top buttons of his shirt.
"At least I go out on dates. After Judith, you stopped trying."

Instead of taking offense, Garrett
just shook his head. "Bringing along a temperamental eight-year old makes
short work of conversation. Right now it’s simpler to stay home."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself
that."

With an impatient sigh, Garrett
started to rise to his feet.

Randy gripped his arm.
"Sorry. I know how hard it’s been to keep Hannah on even ground. She’s got
to come first, and the rest of it kind of goes to hell."

"We’ll get through it."
Garrett swatted at a mosquito. "But don’t change the subject. Let’s go
inside."

Randy sat on the bottom step.
"No thanks. I think I’ll head home -- maybe I’ll catch you tomorrow."

"Come on, Randy, something’s
got you riled. I recognize the look. I figure you’re once again in the throes
of woman trouble. Come in and talk." Garrett stood and moved over to the
door, then pulled it open. Shrugging, Randy followed, taking his time closing
the kitchen door and patting the dog.

Garrett sat down at the kitchen
table and patiently waited.

Randy dropped into a chair across
from him, his shoulders slumped. "Don’t you ever get tired of being alone?
I mean -- coming home to an empty house . . . empty bed?"

"Hell yes, but somehow I
don’t think we share the same problem." Dryly, Garrett added, "I’ve
heard about your exploits too often."

"I like women, I won’t deny
it. I hate being alone. Admit it, once Hannah’s in bed, that’s it Brother,
you’re on your own."

Garrett thought of earlier that
evening when he’d let Hannah stay up late with him. "Sure, but I’m not
ready to jump into a relationship unless it feels right."

Randy lifted a brow. "What’s
right? How do you know it?"

Garrett gave a short laugh and
lowered his voice. "You’re asking me? I don’t have the best track record
in that area."

"Neither do I."

"You’ve got to learn to go
out with a woman more than once. It’s called getting to know each other."

"I know, but I just can’t
seem to help myself. There’s so many lovely women in this town."

"Like Ally."

"We’ll leave her out of
it."

"Randy, let’s cut to the
chase. Why don’t you ask Ally out? That’s what this is about, isn’t it? You’ve
been hot and heavy after Ally ever since she got rid of her husband. Hell, if
it helps, I’ll even give her time off from work."

Randy shook his head in
resignation. "She’ll tell me to get lost. She’d rather work with your
horses anyway, than go out with me."

"Have you tried just talking
to her?"

"Not in the last month. It
gets discouraging being turned down time after time."

Garrett folded his arms. "Is
it the chase that you like or the girl? I don’t want Ally hurt because you’re
just trying to scratch an itch."

"How can I know what it is?
She won’t give me a chance. How can I make her see I’m serious if she won’t
talk to me?"

"You could start showing her
by example -- like not taking out a different woman every other night."

"Come on, Garrett, can you
imagine me in a one-woman relationship?" But Randy’s scoffing didn’t wash
with Garrett.

"It does stretch the
imagination, but if it’s what you really want. . .."

Randy ran a hand over the back of
his neck. "Hell, right now I’m not sure what I want. All I know is
something’s missing." He looked at his watch. "And it’s getting late.
I’m going to head out. I know you’ve got an early day tomorrow. I missed Hannah
tonight so tell her I’ll make it up to her and stop by tomorrow." Randy
stepped over to Garrett and slapped him on the shoulder. "Thanks for listening."

"Yeah, for all the good it
did. See you tomorrow."

Randy gave him a wink. "If I
can’t get through to Ally, maybe I can get to know Christie better."

Garrett opened his mouth with a
ready retort, but saw the teasing in Randy’s face. Mockingly, he said, "I
don’t know if you’ll ever get the idea about monogamous relationships. By the
way, I need you to check into Christie Jenkins’ background."

Randy stopped cold, his expression
turning sober. "What?"

Garrett pulled out the slip of
paper Christie had given him. He held it out to Randy. "She claims she’s
Judith’s sister."

"Are you kidding? Why would
she show up now?"

"She said she didn’t know
Judith died."

Randy whistled. "So that’s
why you’re letting her stay here?"

"What could I do? At least
here I can keep an eye on her. She said all she wants is to get to know
Hannah."

"Do you believe her?"

Garrett shrugged. "Until I
find out otherwise. I told her to keep quiet for now about being Judith’s
sister or she’s out of here."

"Well, if it’s true, you
can’t keep her quiet forever."

"I know. That phone number is
her boss in New York. I have a feeling she’s telling the truth. But if she’s
anything like Judith, she’ll tire of this place and leave soon enough."

"You could be asking for
trouble, letting her stay. What if she wants Hannah?"

"She’ll be in for a hell of a
fight," Garrett said grimly, staring out into the inky black night.
"Nobody’s taking Hannah from me."

In the early afternoon of the following
day Garrett raced across the grass of the southeast pasture. The sun,
unbearably hot, caused sweat to drip down his neck. He cursed under his breath
the entire length of the paddock. A stallion had managed to get in the
broodmare paddock, something that had never happened in all the years he’d
owned horses.

He tossed a worried glance at the
usually sedate group of mares and foals who now circled wildly. Some of the
mares, already bred back to his other stallion, had tried to kick at the
stallion invading their pasture. He didn’t need a breeder’s worst nightmare, an
injured breeding stallion.

As he reached the end of the
paddock where the stallion pranced, Garrett slowed to a walk and shook the
grain pail in his hand. "Come on, Blue Boy," he called softly.
"Come on, nice and easy." He circled around the horse. However, with
the scent of the mares luring him, Blue Boy continued to move sideways, neck
arched and nostrils flared.

"I’m behind you, Boss,"
said Sam Connors, his barn foreman. Sam sounded winded. "I’ve got Miranda
and she’s in a foal heat. We’ll use her to lure him into the smaller
corral."

Sam’s plan to use the young mare
worked like a charm. Blue Boy followed the mare as Sam led her at a trot into a
smaller corral on one side of the paddock. Garrett pushed the gate closed
behind Blue Boy just as Sam and the mare exited a gate on the opposite side of
the corral. Still speaking to the stallion, Garrett approached him and snapped
a lead line on Blue Boy. He ran his palm soothingly down the horse’s trembling
neck.

Sam led the mare away from the
corral as Sue came running over. "I’ll take the mare," she said.

"Let’s get everybody
inside," Garrett said to Sue. "Have Ally help you get them back
inside."

"Sure, Boss." Sue led
the mare toward the barn.

Garrett kept a hand on Blue Boy’s
shoulder. Away from the mares, the horse had already calmed considerably.

Garrett glanced at his foreman,
taking in the sweat-streaked gray temples. "Take it easy out in this heat,
Sam." Sam was a hard worker but he was pushing seventy. Knowing Sam’s
pride might take offense, Garrett added, "I’m already sweating my ass off.
The humidity’s a killer today."

"And it’s supposed to stay
the same all week. I’ll check who put the horses out. Let’s hope no one’s
hurt," he added dourly. "I’m off for half a day and things go to
hell."

Garrett restrained a smile.
"I’m putting Blue Boy back in his stall while I check the fence. I don’t
want a repeat performance. I’ll let you know when everything’s secure."

"I’ll come with you."

"Aren’t you still off
work?"

"Not anymore."

As Garrett led the stallion back
across the pasture to the barn he looked thoughtfully at his foreman.
"Sam, I’ve been thinking if you need more personal time off, just say the
word. You’ve got a lot of vacation days stored." Sam hardly ever took time
off. If he let him, Garrett knew he’d work seven days a week.

Sam stared at him, his dark gaze
direct in his lean, tanned face. "I appreciate that Garrett. I’ve been
thinking about taking a few days." They walked in silence for several
moments before Sam cleared his throat. "You know, of course, that I’ve
been helping Ruth out since Vern died."