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“As soon as possible.”
“What’s going on?”
He knew her sigh of irritation wasn’t directed at him. “It would save us both a lot of time if I could explain when you get here. You know I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”
Unnerving how he’d heard those same words from Grace the day before.
“I do know that. I’ll leave right now.”
He clicked off the phone and looked at Lydia. “I’m sorry. I’m going to have to ask that we postpone this conversation again. I need to head out to my grandfather’s place.”
CHAPTER FIVE (#u15f833aa-c47e-5743-b432-01c69b7ce114)
TRAVEL ALONE WOULD slice precious time out of Jon’s day. Property lines and gravel roads meant zigzagging and relatively slow-going for miles. And that was before he reached the long driveway to Big E’s house and the barns. It would be faster to ride his horse, or an ATV, but opening and closing gates, fencing and cross fencing on neighboring lands would impede him too much this time of year.
The shortest route would have him crossing Double T land. Relations between the Thompsons and the Blackwells had lately been, if not peaceful, then uneventful. But Jon wasn’t about to do anything to remind them of the victory Big E and Ben had won concerning water rights. And most importantly, Jon couldn’t pack nearly as much gear on a horse or an ATV.
Maybe Big E had given Ethan some clue as to where he was going. Busy as his brother had been with college and veterinary school for so many years, his visits were infrequent and quick. But he’d been back a couple of months ago for Sara Ashley Gardner’s wedding. Sara Ashley was Grace’s sister and Ethan’s ex. He’d stayed with Jon while he was in town and it had been great spending some real time with his brother again.
Ethan answered on the fourth ring. “Jon, hey, what’s up? Everything okay?” As expected, his brother’s voice was laced with concern. Ethan knew it was calving season. None of his brothers would expect a call from him now unless it was urgent.
“Ethan. Yep, everything is fine. I think.” He paused. “Or not. Have you talked to Big E lately?”
“Just once since I was there and that was two weeks ago. What’s going on?”
“Trying to track him down. Big E and Zoe took off in their motorhome about a week ago. The bill at Brewster’s hasn’t been paid for a while. Katie needs to order feed and supplies, and the store can’t extend any more credit.”
“Took off? Where did they go?”
“No one seems to know. Not anyone here anyhow.”
“Have you talked to anyone else?” Jon knew he meant their other three brothers.
“Not yet. I was thinking we could divide and conquer. I’ll call Tyler if you want to call Chance.”
“What about Ben? He doesn’t want to hear from me.”
“I won’t fare much better. I’m thinking we both call Ben. Maybe if we each leave him a message he’ll think it’s important enough to call one of us back. Although I doubt Ben has talked to anyone, and especially not Big E.”
Zoe had been engaged to Ben when she threw him over for Big E. Their brother was bitter. Rightly so, seeing as how Jon and Ethan had inadvertently encouraged it. Not the wedding so much, as they’d wanted Ben out of Zoe’s clutches. The whole thing had been a mess. Jon wished Ben would give them an opportunity to clear the air. Their brother had to know by now that Zoe was no good for him.
Ethan whooshed out a breath. “Okay, I’ll call them both.”
“Thanks, Ethan.”
“Big E left without paying the bill at Brewster’s?”
“Yep. You know that no one can sign on the account except for him or one of us boys.”
“Yeah. Did you, uh, talk to Grace?”
“Grace is the one who informed me. Pulled me into her office yesterday. Katie was there.”
“Did she mention me?”
“Who, Katie?”
“No, not Katie, Grace.”
“Why would Grace mention you?”
“She wouldn’t. Never mind.”
Jon hoped Ethan wasn’t torn up about Sara Ashley’s marriage. He’d thought his brother was over that relationship. He didn’t have time to ponder that or the sad state of his disconnected family. “I feel bad for Katie. Either let her run the place, or not. I swear, I don’t know why she sticks around.”
“We both know why she sticks around.”
“True.” Because the two things Katie loved more than anything in the world were at the Blackwell Ranch—her father, Lochlan, and the horses, many that she’d trained up from colts.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m on my way there now. Katie called this morning saying she needed me ASAP, which causes me extra concern.”
“This is weird. Stupid question, but you’ve called him, right? Our wayward grandfather?”
“Three times. Two messages. Even called Zoe’s phone. Texted her, too.”
“Huh. Well, let’s hope they’re just out of cell-phone range. Maybe he went to see that friend of his in New Mexico. The survivalist who lives in the adobe hut out in the middle of nowhere without power.”
“Carl Clutch. Had that same thought seeing as how they took the motorhome.”
“But why the secrecy?”
“With Big E? Who knows? I’ll let you go. Got some more calls to make before I get there. I’ll keep you posted.”
“All right. Good luck.”
“Thank you. Something tells me I’m going to need it. And Ethan?”
“Yeah?”
“It sure was nice having you back here. The girls are still talking about you. Getting a little tired of all the ‘Uncle Ethan this and Uncle Ethan that.’ Abby wants to be a vet.”
Ethan chuckled. “Thanks, brother. It was good being there. I miss my nieces. We’ll talk soon.”
Jon called Tom, briefly explained the situation and told him he’d be gone for a good while. They discussed ranch matters. Then he called Tyler and Ben. No surprise, neither one answered, so he left messages. He didn’t provide any details, just asked them to call back. It seemed too early to suggest something was amiss. He had no proof anything was wrong, other than the sour feeling in his gut, which settled deeper as he steered the pickup through the grand iron arch.
As far as Jon knew, the large metal sign had arced over the entrance forever; Blackwell Family Ranch. He crept along the lengthy drive that led to his childhood home. All around him was the land—the ranch—where six generations of Blackwells had lived. A surprising twinge of nostalgia had him wondering what his great-great-granddad had seen and thought when he first stepped foot here. Could he have had even an inkling of all the turmoil this place would witness? The births and the deaths, marriages and divorces, drought and flood, feast and famine, love and hate, and all the accompanying memories both peaceful and painful. It seemed more than any family should have to endure. And for the first time in Jon’s life, he wondered if it would be home to a seventh generation. He pondered whether it even should.
* * *
LYDIA UNZIPPED HER suitcase and dug a slip of paper out from the lining. Fingers trembling, she unfolded the list and memorized the phone number at the top. She unplugged the phone from the charger, where she’d left it the night before, and dialed.
Tanner picked up on the second ring. “Lydia! Finally! Are you okay?”
“Yes. It’s all good. I made it safe and sound. I couldn’t call last night because the phone was dead. I haven’t had a free moment until now.”
Jon had told her that Tom would drop in to take the girls for a ride in the afternoon. Abby was right; he did talk like a movie cowboy. He’d shown up after lunch with a “Howdy, ma’am” and then a “much obliged” after she’d offered him cookies she’d made. He’d collected the girls’ helmets from the mudroom and politely invited her out to watch them ride. Concern must have shown on her face because he explained that the riding they were going to be doing consisted of him leading their horses around the corral.
She’d wanted to go. Two things had stopped her, the most pressing of which was this phone call. The other would have to wait.
“That’s fine. I’m just glad you’re okay. How are things going?”
“So far, so good.”
“What do you think of Montana?”
“It’s gorgeous.” That part was true. No way would she complain about the kid mix-up or her grumpy boss, who possibly wasn’t quite as grumpy as she’d thought. “And I feel...safe. Tanner, thank you so much. I would never have been able to get this far without you.” Tanner was one of her oldest friends. They’d met through their work with Hatch House Group Home for Teens, where Lydia had once lived before eventually becoming a volunteer. Tanner was the attorney who handled all the group home’s legal needs. Clive knew how close they were. It would be one of the first places he went. Tears sprung to her eyes, catching her off guard. She blinked them away.
“We’ll get you farther, I promise.” When the dust settled, she’d be moving on, hopefully overseas. How long that took depended mainly on Clive and how hard he searched for her.
“Any news? Have you heard from Clive? Have you heard anything about the money?”
“According to my calculations, I should be hearing about both very soon.”
“What if he—?” Lydia didn’t want to say it but she was terrified of what Clive would do if he suspected Tanner knew something. Or her best friend, Meredith.
“Lydia, he knows he’d never get anything out of me. Assuming I know anything,” he joked, like the good attorney he was.
Lydia managed a shaky smile. “Okay. But what about Meredith?”
“She’ll be fine. We’ve been over this. Let’s worry about you right now. Just lay low until we figure out your next move.”
“That reminds me, I need some stuff. I forgot to pack my ranching clothes.”
“Ranching clothes,” he repeated with a laugh, and she relished the sound.
“For some reason, even when you told me I was going to a ranch, I never expected it to be this...muddy.”
She glanced at her suitcase, still open on the floor. Her boots were sitting next to it. What Jon and the girls observed was true—the buttery soft, high-heeled boots wouldn’t be good for much around here. Certainly not for a horseback ride or that barn party Abby mentioned. They wouldn’t even do for a trip out to the barn.
Lydia was dying to see the ranch. Problem was, she’d only packed two pairs of shoes besides the boots, a pair of flip-flops and some supple leather slippers with no lining or traction. The suitcase was packed weeks before she’d ever left Philadelphia. It had been stashed at Tanner’s house until the day she’d left.
Stuffing a wide variety of items inside the carry-on had seemed like a good idea at the time. Now, it seemed like a meager and odd mix, very little of which was suitable for life on a ranch. She only had one pair of jeans. Why hadn’t she thought to throw in a pair of sneakers? At least she had yoga pants and a few T-shirts.
“I’d prefer you stay out of sight for the time being. Falcon Creek is a small town and people are going to remember you, Lydia. Especially if you go around buying a new wardrobe.”
“I know. I don’t know if there’s much for shopping in Falcon Creek, anyway. And it’s a long drive to a city or even a town of any real size.”
“Is there internet?”
“Yes, thank goodness.” Smiling, she thought of how much the girls had enjoyed the TV show she’d streamed the evening before.
“Order online.”
“I don’t have a credit card anymore.”
“Inside that bundle I gave you, with the documents and the cash, there is a couple of thousand dollars in gift cards. Use those.”
“Seriously?” A current of relief flowed through her. “I can’t believe you thought of this. Have I told you lately that I love you and you’re brilliant?”
“Remember, you need to be untraceable. Speaking of that, it would be best if you only used this phone for communicating with me or for emergencies. And no calling anyone from your old life. Except me. At this number only. If you do use it, don’t store any numbers in your contacts and delete everything, every time you use it.”
Her old life. Her throat went tight. “Got it. Tanner...” The past few months, with her fear gradually increasing to full-blown terror, it hadn’t occurred to her how much she might miss her life in Philadelphia. She had no relationship with her family, she didn’t own a home and, because of her itinerant ways, she’d never been one to accumulate possessions. She’d never had any pets, probably for the same reason. Those things made moving on easier. But she loved her two best friends, Tanner being one. Meredith was the other and she couldn’t imagine not talking to her every day. They’d been roommates for years.
“Lydia, hon, I’m so sorry. It won’t be forever. I just don’t know how long it will be. In the meantime, we need to keep you safe.”
“I know.”
“How’s the nanny gig? I’m assuming you have your teenaged charge toeing the line by now?”
“Funny story. Turns out my one fourteen-year-old is two four-year-olds, who recently turned five.”
“Five-year-old twins?”
“Yep.”
“Yowza.”
“Tell me about it.”
“I know you’re good with teens but what about little ones? Do you have any experience with those?”
“Some.” Meredith had a huge family, and Lydia was an honorary member. Meredith’s sister Hailey had five kids and Lydia had helped babysit occasionally. And she’d been great with her stepsiblings for the short time she’d lived with them. Never mind that it had been more than a decade since she’d left home and she hadn’t seen them since.
“Tanner, please, don’t worry about me. I’ll figure this part out. You focus on Clive. Stay safe. Keep Meredith safe.”
* * *
JON SENSED TROUBLE as soon as he and Trout walked around the corner of the barn at the Blackwell Ranch and saw JT Brimble standing there. The man’s back was to Jon but JT’s ridiculous hair was unmistakable, even with the long blond curls tied back beneath his cowboy hat. JT oozed a sticky-sweet, good-ol’-boy charm and fancied himself a bull rider. He did odd jobs around the Blackwell Ranch for Big E, jobs that took him too long with mediocre results. Jon had warned his grandfather that the guy was trouble, but he had it on good authority that JT was friendly with Zoe.
Katie stood in front of JT, gloved hands fisted on her hips. With a disgusted shake of her head she said, “JT, I am telling you for the last time, you need to take this up with Big E. He is not here, and I don’t want you coming back ’til he personally informs you that he wants to see you.”
Of medium height, JT wasn’t a big man, but he was muscled and wiry.
“And I’m telling you, Katie—” JT took a step toward her, finger pointed way too close to her face. Jon’s blood went hot. If the man so much as touched a hair on Katie’s head, the EMTs would have to pick him off the ground with a pitchfork. “—I need to get paid what I’m owed—”
Jon interrupted as he approached, “She’s not giving you a dime, JT, or anything else for that matter.” He stopped a few feet away. “Now, I’m going to make the following suggestion one time and one time only. Back off and remove your finger from the vicinity of Katie’s face or I promise you I will break it off and a couple more appendages, too, for good measure.”
