Sun Burnt (5 page)

“
So you knew my dad
.”
She must have if sh
e’
d worked for the Walkers since her grandfather took over the ranch when he was thirty. Her father would have been around five by then.

Tippy smiled fondly.

“
I did. I changed the bo
y’
s diapers. Your grandma and I were friends. He was a good boy. Never gave his parents any trouble. Until he decided to go off to law school that is. Your daddy went to college to learn about business and such, but he came home and decided he did
n’
t want to run the family business. He was a hell of a cowboy, but he did
n’
t have a passion for it the way his daddy did
.
”

“
Is that why they stopped speaking
?”
Finally, a reason for the split. Kesslyn really wanted to understand what had torn her family apart.

“
Well . .
.”
Tippy hesitated.

“I’
d really like to know why I never got to meet my grandparents, Tippy. Please tell me
.”

“
Okay. Yo
u’
re right. You deserve to know
.”
She took a slow breath
.“
Your granddaddy did
n’
t want your father to go to law school, but he gave in and sent him anyway. Russell figured the boy could use his knowledge of business and law to grow and protect the company. He truly believed your father would get to missing life on the ranch, come to his senses, and settle into life here in Walker Creek. It did
n’
t happen that way
.
”

“
Dad really wanted to be a lawyer
.”

“
Yes, he did, but in my opinion, that was
n’
t the reason he and your grandfather never spoke again
.
”

Kesslyn waited expectantly. She really wished sh
e’
d questionedher dad more adamantly about this part of his life. When she was younger and asked questions about her grandparents, he said h
e’
d tell her when she was older. When she got older, he would get very testy if she brought it up. So she stopped asking.

“
Your father met your mother when he was finishing up his law degree
.”

Kesslyn knew this story. They met on spring break in Daytona Beach. It was love at first sight according to the happy couple. Mom was working a job she loved as a nurse at the University of Maryland. Dad followed her back to Baltimore and asked her to marry him.

“
Your father was in love, and he wanted to go be with Lara. Your granddaddy got it into his head that this unknown young woman was a gold-digger out to capitalize on his so
n’
s soft heart, and he told your father so
.”
Tippy shook her head
.“
He gave your father an ultimatum then. Either he came home and worked for the family, or he would be cut off. No money. No help of any kind. He would be alone in the world
.
”

Kessly
n’
s mouth fell open. Her mother was not a gold-digger!

“
Do
n’
t get yourself all worked up, baby. Your granddaddy reacted in the moment and said some unkind things. It was
n’
t long before he calmed down and regretted it very much. Your father was
n’
t the kind of man who threw the L word around, and we all knew it. He said h
e’
d never be alone in the world, because he would always have his Lara by his side. He left that night, and we never saw him again
.
”

“
Never? If Granddad knew he was wrong, why did
n’
t he call? Apologize? Something
?
”

“
Tha
t’
s the thing about men, baby. The
y’
re stubborn. Russell wanted his son to apologize for walking out on the family, the business, the town. All of it. He knew he was wrong about what h
e’
d said about Lara, but the rest of it he would
n’
t budge on. He wanted your daddy to come to him first
.
”

“
My dad would never do that
.”
Kesslyn knew her father.

“
I ca
n’
t say for certain, but I believe the insult to your mother was the reason your father never returned
.
”

That Kesslyn could believe. Her parents were inseparable. The love and devotion between them was a tangible thing. She hoped to one day know a love like that.

“
I agree. I think my dad was just as stubborn. He would
n’
t have come back after being disowned. He certainly would
n’
t have overlooked the insult to Mom. He would have waited for his father to come to him
.
”

They sat quietly for a bit, contemplating what might have been if one or the other of the men had reached out over the years.

“
You stopped working here when my grandma passed away
?”
Kesslyn asked.

“
I went into retirement at your granddadd
y’
s insistence. I really should have retired much sooner, but I enjoyed the work. I like to be busy. The ranch house was always a busy place. Many of the cowboys living here in the bunk house usually ate dinner here
.”
She gestured around the room. The table was long and wide
.“
The bunk houses also have kitchens, and they have a cook, too, but some of the boys just loved my cooking. Your grandparents always welcomed everyone as long as they behaved
.
”

“
Grandma did
n’
t cook
?
”

“
She did sometimes, especially if she wanted to make something special for your granddaddy, but Claire was more of a business woman than a homemaker. She oversaw the business end of things while Russell ran that cattle. She was one smart cookie. That kept her busy most of her life. When the cancer took her, Russell just kind of gave up. He gave me a generous retirement and hired another cook to feed the cowboys out in the bunk houses. I would come by to check on him most days, but he was
n’
t interested in life anymore after Claire was gone. His foreman was running the ranch. Hodges, tha
t’
s Mr. Baird, was taking care of the business. We all hoped Russell would come around, but not even a year after Claire passed, Russell had a heart attack
.”

“
He died of a broken heart, do you think
?
”

“
Yes, baby. He did. No on
e’
s been here in months
.”
She looked around
.“
Hodges called to tell me you arrived yesterday. I left straight from church this morning to come fill the cupboards and supervise the cleaners. The
y’
ll be here soon. If
I’
d known you were coming, I would have had everything in order
.”

“
You should
n’
t come out on Sunday, Tippy. I do
n’
t know why you came, at all. Goodness, it is
n’
t even your job anymore. I would have made do. I hate to be a bother. I was really surprised Mr. Baird wanted to see me on a Sunday. Tomorrow was soon enough
.
”

“
Yes, well, yo
u’
ll find that many people are willing to go out of their way to please you, Ms. Walker
.”
There was a lot of emphasis placed on her name. Yeah, sh
e’
d already learned she would get special treatment
.“
As far as I go, i
t’
s like I said, w
e’
re family.
I’
m only doing what I know your grandma would do for one of my kids or grandkids. I have no intention of coming out of retirement to run this kitchen again, but
I’
d like to help out until we get you some permanent help hired and trained up
.”

Tippy went back to the stove to stir her pots. She made a pleased sound and added a little salt to one of the pots
.“I’
m making beef stew for supper
.”
She smiled at Kesslyn over her shoulder
.“
With high quality Walker Ranch beef
.
”

Kesslyn smiled back. She did
n’
t want to mention that she was
n’
t exactly sure sh
e’
d be needing permanent help, but the more she learned about the town and her family connection to it, the closer she got to staying. She thought of Beau again. If she stayed in Walker Creek, she might find him again. Damn. She really needed to stop thinking about that hot ass cowboy.

“
You mentioned the foreman.
I’
m supposed to be meeting him here any time now. Has he been working here as long as you
?”
She needed to get her head back in the right place, and that was not in Beau Kno
x’
s pants.

“
Oh, my, no. The current foreman has only been on the job for a few years. His grandfather was the foreman for thirty years before he retired. He passed away recently as well. I
t’
s been a sad time in Walker Creek
.”
She dabbed at her eyes
.“
Beauregard was a good man. He and his wife raised his grandson up right, too. The bo
y’
s momma and daddy both abandoned him, but he never used it as an excuse to act out. No, m
a’
am. That man learned beside his granddaddy and earned his position here on Walker Ranch. H
e’
s a young man but he works hard. Your granddaddy loved him. We watched him grow up here on the ranch, running cattle
.
”

Tippy kept talking about the new foreman. She was praising his skill and ensuring Kesslyn that her cattle were in expert hands. He was the best of foremen, and all of the cattlemen respected him and followed his direction, despite his youth. Tippy was still talking, but Kessly
n’
s mind had caught on one word. Beauregard. Why did she feel like she should know that name?

The front door opened without a knock, and the sound of heavy booted footsteps quickly approached the kitchen.

“
Here he comes now. I promise, yo
u’
ll like him. H
e’
s quite a charmer
,”
Tippy was saying as the kitchen door swung open.

The big blond man in jeans, boots, and Stetson hat was already familiar to Kesslyn. She stared at him, trying desperately not to slide out of her chair onto the floor. This was not the sexy ass man in a finely tailored suite sh
e’
d danced with at Hooligans. It was not the professional-looking panty melter who gave her first and only one-night-stand. No, this was far, far worse. This was that man dressed as a cowboy. A heart-stopping, world-rocking, denim-wearing cowboy. Kesslyn was furious.

“
Kesslyn, baby, let me introduce you to Beau Knox. H
e’
s the foreman here on the W. Tha
t’
s what yo
u’
ll hear the cattleman call it
.”
She turned slightly and gestured to Kesslyn
.“
Beau, this is Kesslyn . .
.
”

“
Kesslyn and I have already met, Tippy
.”

Beau strode over to her with that loose limb gait that made her heart stutter. He took Kessly
n’
s hand and kissed it. Her whole arm tingled, and she could
n’
t stop her hand from wrapping around his fingers.

“
The question is why you are here, Tippy? How do you know Kesslyn, and why is she here
?”
Beau never took his eyes off hers while he spoke to Tippy. He looked arrogantly pleased about finding her here. As if maybe he thought she had hunted him down
.“
As much as
I’
m dying to catch up with you, Yankee, I ca
n’
t just now.
I’
m meeting the new owner of the W. He should be here by now, actually. Why do
n’
t you go back to your room in town, and
I’
ll meet you there a little later
.”
His words combined with his beaming smile confirmed her suspicion. This arrogant jerk thought sh
e’
d followed him to his job. Beau believed she was there just for him. Him and his monster dick.