When Dreams Collide (5 page)

“Do you have a particular location in mind?”

“Location isn’t as important as finding the ideal property, but as close as possible to this part of Montana would be great.” Dusty shrugged. “All of my friends live around this area, and I’d like to keep in touch.”

Susan’s mind wandered and she couldn’t follow their conversation for several minutes while she contemplated his remark. Did he consider her one of those friends? They had certainly hit it off at the wedding; she hadn’t enjoyed herself so much in ages. And being together in the capacity of groomsman and bridesmaid, she almost felt like it was a first date.

“What’s your timeline for a closing date?” asked the realtor.

“As soon as possible. The year’s half over, and the ranch should be up and running before the snow flies in the fall.” A grin creased Dusty’s face. “Not known for my patience, I’m afraid.”

“There’s one listing I know of that would suit the purposes of an ambitious and industrious guy like you. Needs a little work, and you probably wouldn’t require a very large mortgage. But I’ve got to warn you it’s not exactly the ideal location for you.”

“Where is it?” asked Dusty.

“A few miles east of Bozeman. I haven’t viewed the place personally. But it sounds like it might be close to what you want and in your price range. It’s been on the market for almost a year. Who knows? The ranch is listed as a fixer upper at three hundred thousand dollars. The owner might be interested in lowering his price and accepting an offer.”

“Won’t hurt to take a look, I guess.” Dusty met Susan’s eyes. “Are you up for a road trip to Bozeman?”

Susan gaped. She hadn’t expected to accompany him on viewings. But she would enjoy spending more time with Dusty. Being a shameless workaholic, she certainly had enough banked time to take a day or two off.  Heck, she could easily take two months or more before using up all the time off owed her! She couldn’t remember the last time she took a vacation. “Okay. When?” she asked.

“How soon can we view the property, Graham?”

“Let me make a phone call to the realtor in Bozeman. I’ll ask if you can see the place tomorrow.”

“Make the call, please.” Dusty slumped in his chair and Graham headed out of the interview room.

Susan sat beside Dusty. After hearing the passion in his voice when he spoke about the project, she realized he wouldn’t allow anything to stand in the way of his dream. If he could consider moving so far away, she must have read him wrong. He obviously didn’t feel as strong of an attraction to her as she felt for him. Her dream of becoming a director of the Ellis Bank someday centered on her remaining in her management position at the bank in Helena. Nothing would drag her out of there until she attained her goals or died trying. She hadn’t shared her dream with Dusty. If he purchased a ranch in Bozeman or another distant part of the state, in all likelihood, they would probably never see each other once the mortgage was finalized and he took possession of the property.

If circumstances meant their individual dreams would collide, achieving their goals and pursuing a personal relationship at the same time would be impossible. Whatever their hearts wanted wouldn’t matter one iota. Their ambitions would keep them permanently apart. Mind you, she was probably counting chickens here. Dusty hadn’t voiced an interest in her except wanting to get to know her better. That statement hardly translated into a committed relationship.

Graham charged back into the office. “Well, Dusty, the earliest I could arrange for you to view the ranch is some time on Friday. Here’s the realtor’s name and his office phone number. Give him a call or email him in a day or two to finalize a time.”

Dusty leapt to his feet. “Thanks, Graham, I’ll do that.”

Susan stood and headed for the door. She wasn’t looking forward to viewing this ranch. Since she first laid eyes on Dusty, she’d secretly considered what a future together with him would be like. This trip could set those daydreams on a collision course for disaster.

Chapter 4

On Monday night, Dusty returned to the Lazy B to check on Jeremy’s bucking horses and to resume his duties at the ranch. He parked outside the foreman’s cabin that he had occupied for the last four and a half years. Had it been that long? Seemed like it was yesterday when Arthur promoted him and moved him in here after his predecessor passed suddenly from a heart attack. What a bittersweet day that had been.  He’d lost a dear friend and achieved one of his dreams in the same day.

Soon after his lottery win, he’d started to dream bigger.

Dusty climbed the two wooden steps, crossed the narrow veranda, and turned the key in the lock. He stepped inside, and a blast of hot stifling air welcomed him into the three rooms he called home. The air conditioning had been turned off in his three day absence. He flicked the ON switch on the AC and proceeded straight through the living room into his bedroom. He tossed his bag onto the double bed and reached for his cell phone, intending to call Susan. And then he reconsidered. What reason would he give for calling her?  To say he’d arrived home safely? Hell, it was July not January.

For the first time in his life, he had someone he wanted to check in with, discuss the day with. The fact he’d even considered doing such a thing scared the hell out of him. The gesture smacked of goodbye independence, hello relationship. And then he smiled. There were worse things than falling for a beautiful woman that could happen to a cowboy.

A few minutes later, he’d changed into his work clothes, charged out the door, and headed for the horse barns. He glanced at his watch. Eight thirty. All the chores would have been completed hours ago. Hopefully, Penny had retired to the bunkhouse and he wouldn’t have to deal with her silly flirtations tonight. His luck held. He inspected the stock, talked to a couple of the male hands, and headed back to his cabin for a good night’s sleep.

All day Tuesday, he practiced the speech he intended to give tomorrow night after the July Fourth Get-together at the ranch. He struggled to find the exact words he wanted to say when he broke the news to everyone that he’d be leaving his position as ranch foreman. He almost blurted out his intentions to David while they rode fence checking for a reported break, but he stopped himself in time. He caught himself smiling a dozen times throughout the day, anticipating the folks he considered family would be happy for him.

Of course, he planned to assure the Branigans that he would stay on for a few weeks until a replacement foreman could be hired or promoted from within. Besides, he’d require several weeks to locate a suitable property, arrange a mortgage, complete the purchase, and actually move onto the ranch. He climbed the steps to his cabin, dog tired from a long day’s work. Immediately, his spirits lifted, anticipating the first time he would climb the steps to his ranch house following a hard day of running his own operation. Dusty couldn’t wait.

Wednesday July the Fourth dawned clear and sunny. A good omen, he thought. All day, he practiced his speech in his head again, intending for his big announcement to go over without a hitch. Hell, he just hoped to keep his emotions under control and not start bawling like an orphaned calf.

The ladies cooked up a spread that would put royalty to shame. Nobody ever left a Branigan get-together with anything but a full belly. Soon the dishes were cleared and the men puffed on cigars or drank cold beers. A couple of fellows enjoyed a game of checkers on one of the patio tables while a few cowboys grumbled about the necessity of a horseshoe rematch.

Dusty grabbed a cold beer out of the cooler, the first of the day. He’d been racing about like a mouse trapped in a room full of cats all day, helping with the festivities, entertaining friends and neighbors.

“Could I have your attention, please?” Dusty stood and glanced about, acknowledging the remaining couple dozen guests and his co-workers circled around the giant backyard fire pit that someone had lit. “I’d like a word with you good people, if you don’t mind.”

“Go ahead,” called David Branigan, slipping into a chair beside his wife, Catherine.

“Speak your mind,” shouted one of the neighboring ranchers.

“I’ll start out by saying I couldn’t be more thankful for the Branigan family. Arthur hired me when I was at the lowest point in my life all those years ago. My future looked about as murky as the stagnant pond out back of the cattle barn. I’d likely be dead or in jail or some similar fate if Arthur hadn’t taken a chance on me. With infinite wisdom and patience, he molded that unruly, belligerent twenty-year-old into the pretty darn good foreman you see standing here today.”

“Hear, hear,” shouted David, encouraging the crowd to join him in a round of applause.

“Get to the point, boy, we don’t have all night,” added Arthur Branigan, chewing on the end of his cigar and grinning broadly at Dusty’s praise.

“Well, I won a considerable amount of money in a lottery ten years ago, and I’ve invested it wisely. It’s grown into a tidy sum. Many of you know that my Ma passed a couple months ago, and I’m expecting what the lawyer called ‘a substantial inheritance’. Now I don’t know how that translates into cash, but I expect I’ll have a few more dollars to add to the pot.”

“Sorry to hear about your ma,” offered a rancher’s wife, seated nearby.

“Thank you, ma’am. I appreciate that.” Dusty nodded, and then continued, “Anyway, I’ve been formulating a dream in my head for a few years now, and soon I’ll have the funds to make it a reality. I’d like to tender my resignation as foreman at the Lazy B, effective in a few weeks time once all the t’s are crossed and the i’s are dotted.”

“What in tarnation are you talking about?” demanded Arthur, straightening in his lawn chair.

“I’m going to purchase my own ranch, breed and board horses, give riding lessons to adults and kids...”

“What?” blurted Arthur, cutting Dusty off in mid-sentence. The old rancher rose to his feet and strode toward Dusty, covering the distance between them in no time at all.

“I’m buying my own spread, Arthur. I’m making my dream a reality.”

“The hell you say.” Arthur’s face turned an alarming shade of red. He raised his arm, waved his fist in Dusty’s face. “Get off my land you ungrateful piece of shit. Now!”

Dusty imagined his expression matched those of everyone present. David flew out of his chair and charged across the distance separating him from his father. “Dad, you can’t order Dusty off the...”

“The hell I can’t. I own this ranch. Dusty, consider yourself fired.” Arthur turned on his heel and strode toward the main house. “I’ll be back in a few minutes and you had better be gone, boy.”

David shook his head and threw up his hands. “I don’t know what to say, Dusty. I’ll go inside and talk to him.”

“Forget it,” said Dusty, waving off the suggestion. “You know your Dad. Once he makes up his mind, there’s no changing it. I’ll pack my things and go. I intended to stay on for a few more weeks, didn’t want to leave you shorthanded. But if he wants me gone, I’m out of here. I have a meeting with Susan in Helena day after tomorrow anyway.” Dusty turned and headed toward his cabin.

“Just take a couple bags, whatever you need right now,” called David. “I’ll have Rosalie pack up the rest of it and we’ll send it to you. Let us know where you’re staying in Helena.”

Dusty halted in his tracks and turned back. “Will do, David. Thanks.”

“You know this is all Dad’s doing, right? If it were up to me...” David dragged his hands through his hair. “Congratulations on pursuing your dream, and good luck with your ranch.”

“Thanks.” Dusty whipped around and continued on his way before his emotions tripped him up.

Twenty minutes later, Dusty tossed two bulging suitcases into the back of his pickup truck and slammed the tailgate closed. His big announcement hadn’t gone quite the way he’d envisioned. Turned out to be one hell of an explosive Fourth of July even before the upcoming midnight fireworks.

He crawled behind the wheel, turned the key in the ignition, and drove down the long paved driveway heading for the highway. He refused to glance back at the place he’d called home for more years than he cared to count.

Home.

What a joke.

Dusty had come to love Arthur like a father, respected him tenfold more than he had his own dad. David and Jeremy were like brothers to him. Dusty MacFarland hadn’t been anything more than an employee to Arthur Branigan, however. Dusty had done his job. Arthur had paid his wages. Nothing more than the hired help.

Why then did it feel like Dusty had just lost the only family he had left?

****

After suffering through a fitful night’s sleep at a nearby motel, Dusty pulled his pickup truck into the Ellis Bank parking lot in Helena the next morning. He climbed out of his vehicle and immediately noticed Susan’s BMW was parked in her assigned spot. Good, she’s here, he thought. No time like the present to share the latest news with her. Dusty strode across the paved parking lot and entered through the building’s front door.

“Good morning. May I help you, sir?” A familiar young woman wearing a bright pink top and short black skirt stood behind a raised counter. One dyed strip of her blonde hair matched her top. Dusty recalled Susan had called her Marie.

“Good morning, Marie, I’m here to see Ms. Sanders.” Dusty dragged his Stetson off his head.

“Do you have an appointment?” she asked, frowning.

“No, I don’t. But she’ll see me I think. Tell her Dusty MacFarland would like a word with her.” Dusty shifted onto his other foot and twirled his Stetson in his hands. Had he overstepped? Had he believed his business with Susan to be more of a priority than she would?

“Ms. Sanders insists customers make an appointment to discuss their financial matters with her. She has an opening at two o’clock if that’s...”

“Dusty!” Susan charged down the hallway, dropped a handful of files on her assistant’s desk, and stuck out her hand. “What are you doing here?”

“Apparently, I’m making an appointment to see you at two o’clock,” he answered.