Chapter Three
C an I stop by to discuss a matter?
The message had been waiting on her answering machine when Hayley got home. She’d called the Keller Ranch, spoke to Reed, who wasn’t forthcoming with details, then agreed to meet Spence that afternoon. She was mystified. What on earth did Spence want to discuss with her? Try as she might, she couldn’t come up with anything. Did it have something to do with her telling him that he’d never thanked her properly?
She should have lied and said, “Of course you thanked me.”
But he hadn’t, and she was surprised that it still kind of dug at her. She hadn’t liked being invisible, even if she’d been the one to make herself that way, which was why she was the opposite of invisibility now. She wore her red hair loose instead of tightly confined in braids and twists, and wore bright colors, even if those colors sometimes clashed with her hair. Red and purple were a thing, right? When people looked at her, she looked back without ducking her head, and felt good about it.
She’d overcome shyness—at least to the point where she could fake it if she did suffer an attack—but she was still a little edgy about Spence Keller’s upcoming visit. Why?
Probably because she could still recall how he had looked and smelled and filled the cab of her small truck with his presence as they roared down the highway leading to Big Sky for the championship basketball game. Remembered feeling things that she’d never experienced before.
He was your first.
Hayley gave a soft laugh at the ridiculous thought, but in a way, it was true. He was the first guy who’d ever made her feel that way. A heady mix of lust and longing and forbidden fruit. She hadn’t been confident enough back then to make the first move, but now...
Now she didn’t need to. She knew what she wanted. Two bad relationships in a row had cured her of the need for a partner thing—a lesson her mother never learned. Hayley loved her mother, but she didn’t understand her, and she didn’t want to mirror her life. On the rare occasion where Reba did not do the dumping, she’d been able to pick herself up and move on as if nothing had happened.
Hayley envied her mother that ability.
You have your own talents.
She did, at that. And she was happy living on her ranch, planning her future, and being her own boss. What more did she need?
*
Lone Tree Ranch was a welcoming place, from the whimsical H OWDY sign on the big gate at the cattle guard to the neatly cultivated garden. The Keller Ranch was well maintained, but the Lone Tree had those little touches that made the place seem well cared for and loved. Spence wasn’t certain how many people Hayley had working for her, or even what the ranch had looked like before she’d taken over, but he was nevertheless impressed.
He caught a movement in the fenced garden next to the house—it looked like she had three or four gardens—and then Hayley stood and stretched her back before turning at the sound of his truck.
Her long red hair was caught in a loose ponytail, which was partially covered by the hat resting on her back and hanging from a string around her neck. She pushed wispy tendrils of hair back from her forehead as he got out of his truck, then she headed to the garden gate, the little dog dancing at her feet.
“Hi, again,” Spence said as he approached the garden, the manila folder with the lease information in one hand. A small rototiller, meant to cultivate between rows, stood near the gate, having obviously just been used.
Hayley tossed a handful of rocks onto the driveway. “Hi,” she said, taking off her gloves and jamming the tops into her back pocket. Her gaze strayed briefly to the folder he carried, before coming back to his face. “I’m getting ready to plant. Every year I think I have all the rocks out of the bed and every year I find more.”
“Frost heaves.” Spence looked past the area where she’d been working to the two identically fenced areas. “You have a lot of gardens.”
“Two vegetable, one flower,” she said. “And the greenhouse.”
“Where?”
“Behind the barn. It’s new this year. Well, this week actually. I’m pretty excited.”
“You must really be into fresh food.”
“And farmer’s markets.”
“Yeah?”
“I was a regular in Livingston, but this year, Marietta is starting their own market, so I’ll be participating there instead.”
“It’s a little closer.”
“And I have friends there.”
“Can I see your greenhouse?”
He was buying a little time before getting down to business, but truth be told, he was curious. His mom had talked about getting a greenhouse, but most of her spare time—not that she had a lot—went toward documenting the history of the ranch and the Kellers in the area. That was how Trenna Hunt came into the picture, since archival work was her specialty, and that was how his brother became engaged to the daughter of their family’s greatest pain in the ass. Carter Hunt did not approve, but his daughter simply did not care. She loved Reed. Full stop.
What would that be like?
Spence shoved the odd thought out of his head. He and Hayley walked around the corner of the barn, past the half-finished pipe corral. Once they rounded the corner, he could see that a series of corrals had been laid out, plus an area that looked to be a loading chute.
“Big plans?”
“Dad had big plans. They slowed down when he got ill, then eventually ground to a halt. I haven’t decided what to do, yet. I mean, the corrals aren’t that far along, so maybe I should sell the pipe and continue to depend on the old wooden corrals. They work.”
He’d seen the corrals driving in. They were the only part of the Lone Tree Ranch that had a shabby look to them.
“How many cows are you running?”
“Around a hundred. I cut back after Dad passed away.”
“That’s still quite a few.”
“It keeps me busy,” she said in a noncommittal way, then pointed at the greenhouse, a prefab building that looked to be perhaps twelve feet wide and sixteen or eighteen feet long. Good sized. Made of some kind of plastic panels set in metal.
“Did you order this online?”
“I did.” She opened the door and stood back so that Spence could step inside. “A crew came and set it up for me. Next year I’m hoping to get an early start on my plants, and once I get the building anchored down, I’ll plant some of my tomatoes in here and hopefully have enough to sell at the farmer’s market toward the end of summer.”
“You’re not anchored?”
Anchors were a must on small buildings in the windy country in which they lived.
“I’ve got the cables. Vince was going to set the anchors for me.” She didn’t mention the part about him no longer being around to do that. She’d set her own anchors—that evening, if things worked out. She might have to consult YouTube, but she’d get the job done.
“Vince?”
“My ranch guy. He’s heading off to law school soon.” Like yesterday.
“Summer law school?”
“His internship starts early.”
Spence pushed his hat back. “Your ranch hand is a law student.”
“He wasn’t until a few days ago. Now he is.”
“So you need help around the place.”
“No. I have two high school kids set to start work as soon as school lets out, and I’m pretty certain I’ll get someone permanent nailed down by the end of the summer. Until then, the kids and I can handle stuff.” She pushed her hands into her back pockets. “Enough about me.”
“You want to know why I’m here.”
“You don’t appear to have found another dog.”
“I have not.”
Hayley pushed the back of her wrist over her forehead. “You want some lemonade or iced tea?”
“Sure.”
Hayley’s house reflected the same homey, yet whimsical, vibe as the rest of the property. The old cupboards were a cheery yellow, and the walls a pale aqua, giving the room a light feeling that Spence appreciated. He took a seat at the oak table, after indicating that he’d like iced tea instead of lemonade, and managed to stop his fingers from tapping out a nervous rhythm on top of the envelope he’d set on the table in front of him.
He had this. But when Hayley sat opposite him and planted her elbows on the table, obviously waiting for him to launch into the reason he’d come, he found himself at something of a loss.
Finally, he said, “Do you remember the drought of 2004?”
“I was ten, maybe? I remember issues with water, but other than that...” She made a gesture. “Why?”
“Your dad leased water to us that year. We were wondering if you would be willing to do the same. Since you have Department of Natural Resources approval, you could do it again.”
“It’s not a drought year.”
“It is if the guy above us on the canal decides to use more water than he ever has before.”
“The Hunt Ranch?”
“It’s a long story, but our water rights are junior to the Hunt property, so if they want to use all the water, they can. And, apparently, they are.”
“Why would they do that to you?”
“They want something we have.” He smiled a little. “And because of that, we want something that you have.”
“What does Carter Hunt want from you guys?”
Spence outlined the situation with Hunt wanting to build a road across their fields for access to a resort he wanted to build on the mountain.
“Does he have the permits he needs to do that?”
“The zoning is correct, so I imagine a guy like Hunt can get whatever he needs to proceed.” Spence sipped his lemonade. “He tried to take over the land through adverse possession. That situation is still brewing, and made all the more complicated because Reed is dating Trenna Hunt.”
“Wow. Soap opera stuff.”
“It is for a guy who just wants to live in peace.”
“Who’s that guy?”
“Me.”
Her laugh bubbled up and Hayley quickly pressed her fingers to her lips. “Sorry.”
Spence scowled at her. “What?”
“You were not a guy who sought out peace.”
“Maybe I was hiding that side of myself,” he said softly. “Kind of like you were hiding part of yourself.” She lifted her eyebrows and he said, “You didn’t talk. As near as I could tell, you actively worked to be invisible.”
“Good point.” But she didn’t look convinced that he was a guy in search of a peaceful existence. He was. Whereas Reed still had to fight the occasional wild impulse, Spence was happy embracing the moment.
He put the glass down on a pamphlet sitting near him on the table to avoid making a water ring with the damp glass. “What do you think about leasing water?”
Hayley’s gaze had followed his glass, but now it jerked up to his. “I need to look into the matter. See what was done in 2004, and what can be done now.”
“I have copies of the paperwork from the original deal.” He opened the envelope and pulled out a thin sheath of papers. “We’re looking at almost the exact same situation as far as amount of water and length of lease.”
Hailey scanned the top page, then looked at him from beneath her lashes. “I imagine the price has gone up.”
He smiled. “That’s something we need to talk about. Dad and I put some figures together. Just turn the page.”
Hayley did so, studying the numbers Spence had written out because Daniel’s handwriting was so atrocious, then leaned back in her chair. “Leave this and I’ll run it by my lawyer.”
“I’d appreciate it if you’d do that.” More than anything, he wanted an instant yes, but that wasn’t going to happen, nor had he expected it to. “We need the water, Hayley. Soon.”
“Ken will give me a quick answer. He’s an old friend of Dad’s.”
“Ken Willard?”
Hayley nodded, and Spence felt a whisper of relief. Ken was a Matlock-type guy, very experienced and trustworthy.
“I wish I could say yes right now, but...”
“I totally get it, Hayley.” A business needed to be run with logic, not emotions.
“Good.”
She met his gaze, looking grateful for his understanding, and Spence was momentarily distracted by the color of her eyes, moss green with gold around the irises. He’d stared into them through her glasses the night she’d rescued him and recalled how he’d been struck by the color back then too.
He picked up his glass and the pamphlet he’d set it on stuck to the damp bottom. It dropped to the table and Spence read the title. AI vs. IVF: What You Need to Know.
His first thought was that Hayley was either AI—artificially inseminating—cattle or implanting fertilized embryos in them, both of which were common practices in the beef industry. But when he glanced up and saw that her face had gone cherry red, he realized that he might have stumbled onto something more personal. A quick glance at the pamphlet cover showed a smiling woman with a baby. Not a cow in sight. Oh yeah. Definitely not a can of worms to be opened.
“Tell me about the Farmer’s Market in Marietta,” he said in a voice that sounded a tad too smooth.
Hayley smiled weakly and lifted her lemonade glass. Her cheeks were still burning.
“Saturday mornings, nine to one, starting next week. There won’t be much in the way of produce until later in the summer, so artisans and handcrafters will have to carry things until then. I’m going to sell seedlings from my greenhouse and cut flowers until my produce is ready.” She smiled down at Greta. “I can also show off my foster animals and see if anyone is interested.”
Hayley’s gaze strayed to the pamphlet as if she wished she could make it disappear.
Spence had mercy. He set the glass on the pamphlet, covering most of the title, then pushed his chair back. “I should be going.”
Hayley got to her feet. “I’ll be in touch,” she said as she walked him to the door. Her cheeks were still pink, but her expression was now impassive.
“Thanks.” He gave her a quick smile.
Hayley had recovered from her embarrassment, so there was no reason for Spence to feel self-conscious as he headed down the front walkway to his truck. But he did.
If Hayley was looking into fertility treatments, that was none of his business. For all he knew, she had a significant other and they were looking at having kids. Or perhaps she was researching the matter for other reasons.
None of his business.
*
He’s gone. Now you can curl up and die.
Hayley gave herself a mental shake. If she was going to embark on this journey of single parenthood, people were going to notice. And she, the person who still fought the occasional battle against shyness and self-consciousness despite everything, was going to have to woman-up and face it. She picked up the pamphlet from the table and after a last look—she had the information memorized—she tossed it into the trash, where it could cause her no more difficulties.
Now the water lease.
She wished her dad was there so that she could question him about what happened the last time he’d leased water. Instead, she called Ken to discuss the matter. He wasn’t in, so she left a message, then pulled the gloves from her back pocket. She had to finish turning over her garden, and then anchor her greenhouse if she wanted to keep it on the property. Winds in the area tended to move untethered buildings to new locations.
Greta danced at the door, waiting for Hayley to open it, and just outside, Remy waited in hopes of Vince magically appearing. The pig was going to miss her top ranch hand.
Hayley headed off to the garden, dog and pig following close behind. She had a decent fence, so both dog and pig stayed outside as she started the rototiller. Her cold weather plants were producing, and the tomatoes in her greenhouse were already budding, so she’d have fare for the Farmer’s Market.
She finished turning over the part of the garden she would plant tomorrow, then secured the canvas cover over the rototiller, lashing it extra tight so the wind didn’t blow it off. While she worked, she’d debated pros and cons of leasing water to the Kellers, and frankly, couldn’t come up with a con. She’d get money, and water would get used, so if there were no legal issues, she’d lease the water to the Kellers. They were good neighbors and her father had been friendly with Daniel, the patriarch of the family.
Her quiet dad hadn’t had much in common with Daniel Keller, but he had told stories about the man’s exploits when they’d gone to high school together. Reed Keller, the oldest son, had taken after his father. That said, Spence was also an adventurer, but in a quieter, less in-your-face way. Beneath that laid-back exterior was a guy looking for a good time. While Reed grabbed the bad boy spotlight, Spence managed to operate relatively unnoticed.
But Hayley had noticed.
*
The wind rattled the house, intensifying the sense of restlessness that dogged Spence during storms. He’d never done well with the wind, while his younger sister, Em, embraced it. She said it was genetic memory from their seafaring Viking ancestors. He said that she was nuts. She’d simply smiled. Em was a Viking at heart.
He was a guy who hated windstorms.
At least all the trees close enough to buildings to do serious damage had been trimmed recently, so unless one of the roofs peeled off from a building, there was no reason not to kick back, put in earplugs and continue reading.
Except that the image of Hayley Parker’s not-yet-anchored greenhouse kept creeping into his brain.
How was it faring in this wind?
He walked through the empty house—his folks were on an overnight trip to Bozeman for medical tests prior to his dad’s surgery—and grabbed the phone book from the cookbook stand. There was no listing for Hayley Parker, or even for her late father, but there was a listing for the Lone Tree Ranch.
He called the number, and it rang until a mechanical voice came onto the line, informing him that the party’s mailbox had yet to be set up.
Spence hung up the phone and stared out the window at the trees bending in the wind. It wasn’t yet twilight, although the storm had darkened the sky as if it were, so why not take a drive over and see how things were faring? If Hayley’s ranch hand was still away, and if Spence had understood her correctly, the guy should still be in Missoula, then she was dealing with the greenhouse alone—and she might be doing that right now, since she hadn’t answered. Or she might not be home at all.
Yeah. No harm in a fifteen-minute drive to make certain everything was okay. He might not have stopped by to say hello, or to have thanked her properly for saving his ass, but he could do this.
The wind lifted Spence’s hat as he stepped out the door. He caught it and then tossed it onto the truck seat a few seconds later. The lights were on in the little house where Reed lived, but Spence didn’t bother telling his brother he was taking off. He hadn’t answered to anyone except for himself and his bosses for such a long time that the idea was kind of foreign.
He drove around a tree branch that partially blocked the county road, feeling more justified in his decision to check on the woman from whom he was asking a major favor. Yes, it might look like he was kissing ass, but he’d hate it if he didn’t check, and something happened.
When Spence pulled into the driveway of the Lone Tree Ranch, the place was dark, with the exception of occasional glimmers of light from beneath the barn’s double bay doors.
No power, obviously, so the light was probably from Hayley checking things in the barn. He stopped the truck, left the headlights on, and made his way to the barn door. There was no way to make his presence known without startling the shit out of Hayley, short of sitting in his truck and waiting for her to come out, and he was debating how to announce himself when the barn door opened and Hayley poked her head out, squinting at his headlights. He got out of his truck, ducking his head against the wind that ripped at his denim jacket. Hailey stepped back to allow him into the barn, then pushed the door shut against the wind, the beam from the flashlight she held arcing over the ground near her feet. Her face was barely illuminated when she turned toward him, but he could still read confusion.
“Spence. What are you doing here?”
“I remembered that you said your greenhouse wasn’t anchored down.”
“It is now,” she said. “I got the wind advisory a few hours ago and got to work cabling it to the ground.” The wind beat on the door like a battering ram, but Hayley didn’t seem one bit bothered. “Did you drive over to check on me?”
Spence felt warmth creep up his neck at her disbelieving tone. “I was worried about the greenhouse. I called the ranch number and got no answer. I thought you could use a hand.”
“I see.” The direction of her thoughts was obvious, even in the dim light.
He shifted his weight under her scrutiny. “I know it looks like I’m being extra-attentive after asking for a massive favor.”
“Well, I have seen you three times in less than three days after not seeing you for years.”
He smiled at her justifiably wary observation.
“That does look suspicious, but I promise you that I have no ulterior motive. You’re on my radar because of the dog and the water lease, but I’m not trying to sway you.” One corner of his mouth quirked up. “I would if I could, but that wasn’t my intention.”
“So if the water issue was settled, you would be here anyway?”
“Now that I know you live alone here on the ranch, yes.” Spence wasn’t used to having neighbors, but when he did, in RV parks and trailer camps and such, he was glad to lend a hand if needed. He would have worried about the wind and the greenhouse, and he would have driven over to check.
She gave him a thoughtful look, and he found himself studying the lines of her face as he waited for her to speak. Hayley Parker had grown into one attractive woman.
“The greenhouse is cabled down, and unless a branch or a tree falls on the house, all is well here.”
“I’m dismissed?”
“I appreciate your coming over. It was... nice.” Her mouth tilted ruefully. “I didn’t mean to sound dismissive.”
“Even though I’ve been dismissed.”
“Pretty much. I have everything under control.”
“You have no electricity,” he pointed out.
“Can you fix that?” she asked innocently.
Spence had to smile, and Hayley’s lips twitched before she said, “I have candles and lanterns. I’m fine.”
She was also in command of the situation, and he was not. Interesting turn.
Hayley unlatched the door and it whipped open, slamming against the wall of the barn. She winced at the noise, then said, “You’d better get home before a tree comes down on the road.”
Spence stepped out into the wind and waited while Hayley latched the barn door, turning his head against the roar of the wind.
“I’ll be in contact,” she yelled.
He nodded and then walked around his truck and got inside, taking care not to let the wind rip the door out of his hand and damage the hinges. Hayley was already on her way to her house, the beam of the flashlight bobbing on the ground in front of her. She stopped at the gate, apparently waiting for him to drive away, which he did, masterfully missing the gatepost.
But he had to admit he really hated to go. Hated to leave her there alone.
And that might be something to think about. Was it the past or present that gave him the feeling that this new Hayley was getting under his skin?