Chapter Ten
Natalie finished eating and offered again to help June clean up, but she refused, encouraging her and Vaughn to go back to the guesthouse to see what she’d come up with as far as a website. Natalie set her plate in the sink and waited patiently for Vaughn to do the same. When she did, Natalie opened the kitchen door and smiled politely at Vaughn as she walked through, perching her cowboy hat back atop her head.
“Why, thank you, ma’am,” Vaughn said with a smile all her own. “Not used to doors being opened for me.” They walked slowly back toward the guesthouse.
“No?”
“Huh-uh. I’m usually the one opening them.”
“Well, maybe that should change,” Natalie said, squinting into the noonday sun. “It’s nice to have a door opened for you every once in a while.”
“Is it now?” Vaughn laughed. “I guess maybe you’re right.”
The day was turning into a scorcher, and Natalie was glad when they reached the door to the bungalow. She let them inside and led the way to her laptop on the small kitchen table. She sat and motioned for Vaughn to sit next to her. Vaughn did so and removed her hat and set it on her knee.
“Let’s see what you’ve got here,” Vaughn said, leaning toward her.
Natalie felt her breath quicken at Vaughn’s nearness. She smelled of sweat and hay and dirt, a strange elixir that seemed to meld with her pheromones. It sent Natalie’s head spinning.
“Again, it’s just a workup,” Natalie said, trying to hide her nerves. “A mock site. It’s not published, but if you like it, all it would take is a press of a key to make it live.” She woke her screen and brought up the website. The first page was a welcome page with a stock photo of a sprawling ranch along with some eye-catching font spelling out Midnight Mine Ranch. She had to admit the page was beautiful. It would really garner some attention if it went live. However, she had another idea before she wanted that to happen.
“This is a stock photo,” she said. “But I think the page would look great with a picture of your ranch.”
“Mine?”
“It’s beautiful here, Vaughn. You should show it off. Maybe a sweeping pic with some of your horses in the background. And on these subsequent pages, we could use pics of the stables and corrals as well as the horses. What do you think?”
Vaughn seemed to be deep in thought. Natalie persisted.
“We could get someone out here to take the pics. A photographer. Do it up real professional like. I have to admit I’m not much of a photographer myself, but it wouldn’t be difficult to find someone.”
“It costs though,” Vaughn said softly.
“It would, yes. But pictures of your own ranch would really sell the place and grab the interest of customers.” Natalie stammered, trying not to lose her. “We would have to pay for these stock images too, you know. So…I don’t know any other way unless you do—”
“I have some photos,” she said, staring blankly at the screen.
“You do? Of the ranch?”
Vaughn blinked. “Yes.”
“That’s great. Can I see them?”
“I’ll have to rustle them up.”
“They’re put away?”
Vaughn finally looked at her and Natalie saw pain in her eyes. Deep pain. The kind of pain that one would try hard to keep down. She knew that kind of pain and recognized it for what it was. She let the matter go.
“Okay, just bring them by when you’re ready.” She clicked on the mousepad, showing Vaughn the other pages. “As you can see here—”
“I’ll have them for you tomorrow.”
Natalie stammered. “O—kay. As I was saying—”
Vaughn stood. “Looks good.”
“But you haven’t even seen all of the pages.”
“It looks good,” she said again, securing her hat on her head. “You’re hired.” She turned to go.
“But, Vaughn.”
“Do what you have to do to get the site ready for tomorrow. I’ll get those photos to you first thing so you can add them quickly.”
Natalie chased her to the door. “Don’t you want to see some of my other work first?”
Vaughn turned to face her. “Your work looks good to me, Natalie. Real good. You seem to know what you’re doing.”
“I—thank you.”
“Keep up the good work.”
Natalie fought for words, unwilling to let her go. “What about the chores? I’m supposed to help you this afternoon.”
“I’d rather you work on the site.”
“But I need information. How to list the horses, photos of the horses, information about the horses, etc. I can’t just do this will-nilly.”
“Get what you can from June. The rest I’ll give you tonight after chores.” She pulled open the door, letting in the harsh glow of sunlight. She tipped her hat at her. “Thanks, Natalie. You’re really doing us a big favor.”
“You’re doing me a big favor,” Natalie whispered.
“Yeah, well, I guess we can call it even, eh?” She walked out the door and left Natalie standing alone.
Natalie watched her walk away, wondering what had prompted the sudden and abrupt departure. It had something to do with the photos, she was sure of it. But what, she didn’t know. She’d have to remember to tread carefully when Vaughn brought them over. She didn’t want to scare her off. If anything, she wanted her to stick around. She liked her easy company, and she found herself more than curious about her. She seemed so strait-laced and reserved, yet she was forward and assertive when she needed to be. She wasn’t someone a person could walk all over, that was for sure, and Natalie admired her for that. Natalie had always been more of a doormat. She’d had trouble telling people no and standing up for herself. She thought maybe it was because she feared rejection or upsetting people, preferring to just keep the peace instead. Because upset people did upset things. She’d learned that lesson once or twice.
She eased the door closed and made her way back into the tiny kitchen where she filled a mug with water and set it in the microwave. She heated it for two minutes and plucked it out to bob a single serving bag of vanilla tea in it. When the tea had steeped enough, she opened a jar of desert mesquite honey that June had given her when she’d brought over some groceries and scooped out a spoonful. She stirred it into the tea and returned to her seat. She sipped on the hot tea, allowing it to coat her throat as she scanned through the mock site. She had a lot to do and not much time to do it in. She decided she’d do what she could alone and call June over for the remaining information. She hated to bother her, knowing she had her own chores to do around the ranch, but Vaughn was right, this site needed to be up as quickly as possible. They needed workers as well as buyers.
“Shit.” She hadn’t even been able to show Vaughn her samples of job listings or some of the potential employees she’d found on a site already. Why had Vaughn taken off so suddenly? It only made things more difficult.
Natalie sipped her tea and stared out the front window. She could see Vaughn back in the corral, brushing down a horse. Just what secrets did she hold? Were they as deep and dark as her own? Was that even possible?
Whatever they were, they’d surfaced some today. She’d seen them firsthand, swimming in Vaughn’s eyes and they’d looked extremely painful.
“What are you hiding, Vaughn Ruger?”
She took another sip of her tea and jerked as a knock came from the door. She set down her mug and walked to pull open the door. June stood there holding a stack of leather-bound folders. “Knock, knock,” she said as she breezed inside, her wild white hair whipping around her face.
“June,” Natalie managed to breathe. “I wasn’t expecting you so soon.”
“Well, Vaughn said you needed me, so here I am.”
“Yes, well.” Natalie struggled to get her bearings and closed the door to return to her seat. She brought up the website again and went into the first page, ready to edit. “I need to know all about the horses,” she said. “Anything and everything you can tell me.”
June lifted Natalie’s cup of tea and crossed back to the kitchen. “I’ll make us both more tea then. Because we’re both going to be here a while.”
* * *
Natalie pressed first one cheek then the other cheek to her shoulders, stretching her neck. Evening was fast approaching; she could tell by the position of the sun out the window. She and June had been sitting at the table, working at the computer for hours now and her neck and shoulders were paying the price. She raised her arms in a big stretch. June stood and did the same.
“Lord, child, are we done? My eyes are about to cross from looking at that screen.”
Natalie swiped the mouse pad a few more times and saved their progress. All that was left to do now was to add the photos. “We’re done,” she said, relieved herself. She was ready for a break.
“If I drink anymore of that tea, I’ll turn into a vanilla bean,” June said. She gathered all the folders full of information about the horses and the ranch finances and headed for the door. “Guess I better go get supper started,” she said. “Or I’ll have some pissed off cowboys clamoring at my door.”
“They eat supper here too?”
“Benny and Greer get three squares a day. It’s part of their pay and part of the deal we made with their folks. ’Sides, those two, they don’t know the first thing about cooking. So if they don’t eat here, they eat junk, and they show up to work looking like strung out skeletons and performing just as bad. Doesn’t do us any good when they’re like that.”
“I guess not.”
“You come on over now when you’re ready.”
“I can help you now,” Natalie said. “If you like.”
“Why, sure, child. I’d love the company.” She opened the door. “Might as well bring that contraption with you so you can show Vaughn.”
“Right.” Natalie closed her laptop and carried it with her to the door. She and June headed out back to the main house.
“We’re having pot roast and taters for supper. I needed something to just cook in the slow cooker while we worked.”
“Sounds delicious,” Natalie said. They entered the house via the back door and she inhaled. “Smells yummy too.”
June laughed. “Yummy. You’re too cute, child.”
Natalie felt herself flush. They came to the kitchen. It was sparkling clean. June had done a good job of cleaning up after the mess of the tacos at lunch. “Uh, where should I put my computer?”
“In here.” June led them into a dimly lit living room, clad with a dark leather sofa and matching chairs. A large wooden desk sat nestled in the corner. June left the folders on the desk and turned to her. “You can leave it here,” she said motioning her over. Natalie placed the laptop on the desk and followed her back into the kitchen where they both washed their hands. June pointed to where the dishware and silverware were and Natalie set the table with cloth napkins and all. She retrieved glasses and filled them all with ice and cold brewed tea while June readied the pot roast and boiled the potatoes to mash. Soon it was time for dinner to be served and Natalie saw the boys approaching from out the kitchen window.
“I sure am excited to see what Vaughn thinks of that finished website,” June said as she poked at the roast with a large fork.
Natalie glanced over at her. “Oh, it’s not finished. I still have to add the photos.”
“Photos?”
She’d forgotten to mention the photos. That they weren’t going to use the stock ones. “Yes, of the ranch. Vaughn said she had some. She just had to find them.”
June stopped poking the meat. “She did, did she?”
“Is something wrong?” What was it about those photos?
“No, nothing’s wrong.”
“Vaughn had a similar reaction,” Natalie said. “She got up and left suddenly. So, I assumed there was something about the photos she didn’t want to discuss.”
June put the lid back on the slow cooker, but she didn’t turn to look at Natalie. Instead, she unfolded and refolded a dish towel. “Vaughn’s a photographer. Or used to be. She was a damn good one too. Won some awards and such a long time ago.”
“That’s incredible.”
“It is. It was.”
“What happened?”
She finally faced her and her wrinkled face was slack with sadness. “That’s a story for another day, Natalie dear.”
Natalie felt her pulse beat in her neck. There was definitely something about the photos. Something bad. She felt guilty for asking. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”
“It’s alright, child. You didn’t know. Just…don’t ask Vaughn, okay? When she gives you those photos, don’t ask about them. Just…it’s a big deal her giving you those.”
“I understand.”
“No, child, I’m afraid you don’t. But I don’t expect you to.”
Benny opened the door and bounded in, his face red and slick, his hat-hair mussed and sweaty. “What’s for supper, Miss June?”
“Sit your scrawny ass down and you’ll find out.” She swatted him with the dish towel and he hollered and hurried to his seat. Greer quickly followed suit, only he stopped to give June a sweaty kiss on the cheek.
She protested playfully. “Why, a sweaty kiss from a stinky young man, thank you, Greer.”
He grinned. “There’s more where that came from, Miss June.”
“Oh, I have no doubt that there is.”
Vaughn came in the door walking slowly, hand on the back of her hip. She was limping. “Smells good,” she said.
June rushed to her. “That blasted back of yours,” she said. “You sit now, you hear?”
“I hear.” Vaughn sat carefully and June took her plate and filled it full of food for her.
“Why’d you boys let her bale the hay, huh? You know she’s got a bad back.”
“She wouldn’t listen,” Greer said. “We tried to stop her.”
“Well, try harder.”
“It’s not their fault, Gram,” Vaughn said. “We’re all doing the best we can.”
Natalie sat at the table, watching the exchange. It seemed her world wasn’t the only one full of trouble. Vaughn’s seemed to be as well. With the money troubles she’d heard firsthand from June, to needing good workers, to her back, it seemed her life was chock full of trouble.
Natalie could only hope that she wasn’t adding to that.