Chapter 29Charlotte Lane
Chapter 29
Staten’s Birthday Party
Charlotte Lane
C harlotte sat in the passenger seat of Wade’s old pickup, watching the sun dip behind the horizon as they passed through the gate leading to the Double K. So much rust covered the truck, it seemed part of the paint job. She decided the Chevy was a lot like the man driving it. A bit rough on the outside but still strong, solid, and dependable.
They stepped out of Wade’s truck and followed the line of guests heading to what the Kirklands called the big house on the ranch.
The two professors had spent the past week poring over James Randall Kirkland’s journals at the school but still hadn’t found any solid clues to point them toward the cave. Now they hoped a conversation with the foreman would lead them in the right direction. It seemed the old cowboy had been here so long he’d become just as much a part of the land as the founding family.
They found Tabitha Kirkland waiting at the top of the steps to greet them. “Dr. Lane, I’m so happy you could make it. Miss Butterfield has told me so much about you. And so has Staten, of course.”
Charlotte wondered what the school secretary had said. She hadn’t talked to Miss Butterfield much except to turn in grades or paperwork for ordering supplies. “Thank you for inviting us, Mrs. Kirkland.”
“It’s my pleasure, dear.” She leaned in and lowered her voice. “We know how much you’re doing for our grandson. And we’re very grateful.”
“Well, Staten is a great student. And he’s been helping me too. Riding has become a new passion of mine.”
Mrs. Kirkland smiled. “And who is your handsome friend?”
Charlotte felt herself blush. “This is my colleague, Mr. Wade Parsons.”
Mrs. Kirkland reached out and patted Wade’s shoulder. “Ah, Mr. Parsons, I can’t thank you enough for taking over my history class so that I can stay home with my James. Though some days it’s harder taking care of one old man than a hundred students. I hope the kids aren’t giving you too hard a time.”
Wade straightened to military attention, looking like he was ready to salute his lieutenant. “No, ma’am. Most of my students are easy enough, although that Teddy . . . he can be a bit of a handful.” He shot her a wink.
Mrs. Kirkland chuckled. “Has he grown any since last year? Poor boy thinks fertilizer will help him sprout up like the weeds.”
Charlotte handed Mrs. Kirkland the banana bread she’d tucked under her arm. “This is from Miss Ollie. She couldn’t make it today. She said something about blocking the vents from the shop teacher’s room.”
She shook her head. Not a day went by that Miss Ollie didn’t complain about that man and all the noise coming from his classroom, insisting that his machinery shook the whole portable.
“Poor Miss Ollie,” Mrs. Kirkland responded, amusement in her eyes. “Mr. Brody is always driving her crazy. I swear she enjoys hating him.” She reached for the banana bread. “I hope I don’t find any misplaced notes in my baked goods this time.”
Before Charlotte could ask her what notes she’d gotten before, the mayor and his wife joined them on the porch to greet Mrs. Kirkland, and it was time for Charlotte and Wade to enter the house.
As they made their way through the crowded living room, Charlotte was surprised at how many familiar faces she saw smiling back at her. At first, the friendliness of the townsfolk had been overwhelming, but now Crossroads felt like home. Wade followed her through to a sitting room with a three-piece band playing “Tennessee Waltz.”
“Would you care to dance?” Wade nodded toward the two couples swaying offbeat to the music as if their hearing aids weren’t working. “We could show them how it’s done.”
“I thought you wanted to find your cave.” Charlotte couldn’t remember the last time she’d been invited to dance. She didn’t really know how and couldn’t exactly research that now.
“It’s been missing for over a hundred years. It can wait another five minutes.” Wade took her hand and pulled her onto the mostly empty wooden dance floor. “Come on. Live a little. Isn’t that what you came here to do?”
Charlotte resisted the urge to make a face at him. He was right that she had promised herself she would try new things. If she could coach a high school football team, she could pretend to dance.
At a loss out on the dance floor, she tried her best to mimic Wade’s outrageous moves, but she was pretty sure she just looked like a flailing balloon. On the other hand, he didn’t seem to know how to dance any better than she did.
She wasn’t sure she had ever laughed so hard or had this much fun.
As the band began a rendition of “I Walk the Line,” Charlotte spied an old cowboy with a faded black felt hat sitting in a shadowy corner of the main room, sipping a glass of whiskey.
She pulled Wade away from the couple about to two-step into him. “I think I see Jake. If you want to ask him about the cave, now’s your chance.”
The man turned as they approached, and Charlotte realized the cowboy was not Jake; he was the owner of the Double K, James Ray Kirkland.
“If you’re here because my Tabby sent you to take this drink away from me, you’re gonna have to pry it from my fingers.” Mr. Kirkland took an extra-long swig in defiance, as if to prove his point.
“No, sir.” Wade sat next to Mr. Kirkland’s chair, and Charlotte slipped into the seat beside him. “I’ll even join you if you’ve got extra.”
“Afraid you’ll have to get your own. This was all I could manage to sneak away. But I can tell you where the supply is.” He pointed to the antique cabinet by the doorway.
Wade laughed. “That’s kind of you, sir, but I’m not much of a drinking man. I’ll save the rest for you.”
Charlotte resisted the urge to ask him if going against Mrs. Kirkland was a good idea. She’d only just met the woman, but Charlotte had seen a fire in her eyes.
“Well, if you two kids aren’t over here to steal my booze, what can I do for you?” Mr. Kirkland took another sip of his drink. “Or are you just waiting for the birthday boy like everyone else?”
“Actually, sir, you are exactly who I want to see.” Wade leaned forward. Clearly he thought finding the owner was just as good or better than looking for the foreman.
Mr. Kirkland’s eyebrows lifted, and he settled back in his chair to listen. “What is it you want with me, son? I’ve already told Samuel I won’t be selling the ranch. It’s Staten’s now, and he’s more than capable of running things.”
“Oh, no, sir, I’m not interested in purchasing your land. I’m a historian. My name’s Wade Parsons. I took over your wife’s classes at the school, and I’ve been researching your ranch for months. I’m searching for a cave, a cave said to be the first settlement in the area. The place where your ancestor, James Randall Kirkland, spent the winter with his wife, Millie.”
Mr. Kirkland’s eyes widened. Charlotte couldn’t tell if Wade’s knowledge of the cave surprised the cowboy or if the whiskey was starting to kick in.
The owner of the Double K turned to look at her. “And who are you, darling? Another historian too?”
“I am Dr. Charlotte Lane. I’m teaching the high school English courses at the school.”
“Doctor, huh? Now don’t start preaching to me about the dangers of drinking. It can’t be any worse than roping a wild steer and bringing him back to pasture. And I’ve done that a thousand times.”
She laughed. “I’m not that kind of doctor. Really, we just want to hear any stories you might have about the first Kirklands. If you don’t mind us poking around.”
“Stories about my ancestors, huh?” He looked to Wade. “Sure, I’ve got plenty of stories about my ancestors, as you say.” He looked at Wade before taking another sip of his whiskey as if it would help jog his memory. “I remember my great-grandma pretty well. She was a beauty in her youth. Loved sunflowers and the old creek that used to run through the ranch. But she was also a spitfire. Loved staying angry with her husband and bossing all the ranch hands around as if she thought their floppy hats kept them from using their heads.
“I never met my great-grandpa James Randall Kirkland, but folks said he was a hard worker and always fair. He must have been real patient with my great-grandma because she didn’t even speak English when they met. But he stood by her through the years.”
Charlotte loved hearing stories about the first Kirklands. Jake had told her several, and they always took her back in time to the old pioneering days like those described in her favorite Western books. “Your foreman told me that your great-grandfather built this house with his own two hands.”
Mr. Kirkland sat back and tilted his head to the side. “Not this house, darling. The little cottage out back. He promised his new wife that he’d build their home where the first rays of the sun kissed the land. That way they could still watch the sunset over the cave where they’d survived their first winter.”
Charlotte and Wade looked at each other. She could tell they were thinking the same thing. If what Mr. Kirkland said was true, the cave Wade was searching for would be directly west of the cottage. But would it still be out there after all this time?
Wade leaned toward the owner of the Double K. “This cave sounds like it was pretty important to your great-grandparents.”
The old cowboy smiled. “Sure was. My great-grandma always said that it was good to let go of the past, but we should never forget it. Every night, as they watched the sun go down, they remembered the past they buried there, and let it melt away with the blackening sky.”
This was like the beginning of one of Charlotte’s Old West novels. “What do you mean they buried the past?”
“Well, no one knows exactly what or if they hid anything in there, but the legend goes that they left the pieces of their old lives behind, the ones they had before they found each other. James was a soldier in the Civil War. For a time, it defined his life. And Millie had been traded from tribe to tribe until my great-granddad found her. I imagine they didn’t want to carry that baggage forever.”
Wade grabbed Charlotte’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Could it be there’s some kind of treasure in the cave?”
“Well, I don’t know about that,” Mr. Kirkland said thoughtfully. “I was never able to find their cave. Ranching doesn’t leave much time for treasure hunting. But my great-grandma did tell me that she always loved bathing in the small creek twenty paces from their cave. I’ve ridden all over this land and never seen a cave along the creek bed.”
Wade wasn’t easily discouraged. “What if you just haven’t found the right creek? A lot of things can happen to the land in more than a hundred years. Creeks dry up. Rock falls cause cave-ins. It could still be out there.”
Mr. Kirkland shrugged. “You kids are more than welcome to go looking anytime. Just don’t get in the way of the bulls.”
Charlotte wished they could run out and search for the cave right now. She was ready for adventure. Ready to live out a storyline like the ones in her books.
The old man lifted his cup for another drink and his eyes locked on something behind them. “Oh, here comes Tabby. It seems she’s found me. You two better go socialize.” He motioned to Wade and whispered, “I suggest avoiding the dance floor. Your lady friend might leave you.”
Charlotte did her best to disguise her laugh as a cough.
“James Ray Kirkland.” His wife’s voice came from across the room.
Mr. Kirkland downed the rest of his drink and thrust the cup in Wade’s hand. “If she asks, this was yours.”
Charlotte and Wade stood as Mrs. Kirkland barreled over to their corner. She felt bad abandoning him to his fate, but if she’d learned anything from Jake’s stories about the fiery wives of the Kirklands, she knew the Kirkland women were not to be messed with.