Chapter Eleven
Dinner was a noisy, fun-loving affair, and Natalie enjoyed herself immensely. As expected, Benny and Greer were great entertainment, telling all sorts of stories about the ranch and even a few about Vaughn herself. Natalie’s favorite was the tale about Vaughn out on the trail, running to catch up with her horse, when she rolled on a small rock and fell onto the arm of a cactus, getting needles stuck in her backside. She’d had to bend over and allow Greer to pluck them out so she could get back on her horse.
Needless to say, Vaughn didn’t like the telling of that story very much, especially when Natalie was almost in tears with laughter. June had laughed too, at Vaughn’s expense, but it was all in good fun and it was nice to hear that Vaughn, just like everyone else, had the occasional mishap as well. Natalie had had her on such a pedestal, having such great respect for her, that she’d begun to think that she walked on water. So hearing that she was indeed human, and just like her in some respects, helped her to relax a little.
So, when she’d followed her into the living room after supper, and at June’s insistence, she wasn’t as nervous as she’d previously been in being so close to her.
“Supper was sure nice,” Natalie said with ease as they neared the desk.
“It was.”
Vaughn motioned for Natalie to sit in the office chair, while she pulled up a little ottoman. “I should probably go and shower first, so you don’t have to smell me,” she said as she sat beside her at the laptop.
“It’s okay,” Natalie said. “I li—er, don’t mind.”
Vaughn glanced at her in confusion, but let the matter go it seemed, because she focused on the computer screen. “Show me what you got.”
Natalie woke the screen. “Well, as you remember, we have all the stock photos up on the mock site, but you can see here that June and I added a bunch of information on the horses and the ranch itself. She went from page to page, showing Vaughn everything she and June had managed to do that afternoon.
“You did a great job. It’s really very impressive.”
“It will be even more so, after we add your photos.” Natalie said, worried she’d said too much, forgetting to heed June’s warning.
Vaughn stared at the computer for a long moment, causing Natalie’s nerves to wreak havoc on her insides.
“Right. The photos.” She stood and turned toward an oak filing cabinet nestled against the wall. “They should be in here.” She opened a deep drawer and riffled through some files before pulling out a thick one. She set it on the desk and opened it. There, in the file, were dozens of beautiful 8x10 photographs of the ranch. Natalie couldn’t help but comment.
“These are incredible, Vaughn.” She leaned forward, trying for a better look as Vaughn thumbed through them, but Vaughn closed the file before she could see most of them.
“We need the digitals though, don’t we?” Vaughn said.
Natalie was taken aback at being shut out from the photos. “Uh, yes. Digitals would be preferable. But, Vaughn, these are—” She tried to touch the file, to open it once again, but Vaughn snatched it away and slid it back into the drawer.
“—amazing,” Natalie finished, letting her voice drop off.
“I’ll get the digitals.” Vaughn opened one of the desk drawers and rummaged through it. She came up with a handful of USB drives and studied the tags attached to them. When she found the one she was looking for, she handed it to Natalie. “This should do it.”
Natalie took the drive. “Thanks.”
Vaughn let out a big breath. “Right. I’m just going to go shower now.”
“You mean…you aren’t going to help with the photos?” They’d just sat down, and even decided that Vaughn didn’t need to shower right away. What was happening?
“You choose,” she said. “You’re the one with the eye for these things.”
“But you’re the one who—” Natalie stopped speaking and the pain she’d seen earlier in Vaughn’s eyes resurfaced. She spoke again softly, hoping to rid her of that pain. “Sure, I can do it on my own, if that’s what you prefer.”
“I do,” Vaughn said. She rounded the desk and walked out of the room. Natalie sat for a moment dumbfounded.
She still had no answers and what’s worse was the awful hurt she’d seen overcome Vaughn. Just what was it about these damn photos?
She was determined to find out. She closed the laptop and slid the thumb drive into her pocket. Then she walked into the kitchen and set her computer on the clean table and joined June at the kitchen sink where she was cleaning the dishes from supper.
“Scooch over, lady,” Natalie said, nudging her with her hip.
“Well, look who’s grown a pair of ovaries all of a sudden,” June said.
Natalie laughed.
“I told you I didn’t need no help,” June said.
“I know. But it looks like you do, so you’re getting it, like it or not.”
“I’m beginning to like you,” June said, handing her a soapy plate to rinse.
“I’m beginning to like you too,” Natalie said in return.
“Things go alright with Vaughn?”
Natalie shrugged. “She gave me the photos on a flash drive and then went to shower. So, to answer your question…I have no idea.”
“I was afraid of as much. She’s a hard nut to crack, that one.”
“Seems so.”
“And when it comes to some things, well there’s just no way to get in.”
“Like the photos?” Natalie asked.
“Like the photos.”
Natalie angled her head as she dried the clean plate and stacked it with some others. “What is it about the photos, June? Why do they upset her so much?”
“I’m not sure I should say, child. Vaughn being so private and what not.”
“I understand. I just…I saw the pain in her eyes and I…I guess I just don’t want to hurt her by saying or doing the wrong thing.”
June refilled the sink with hot water, causing the soap bubbles to rise on her side of the sink. She started in on washing again.
“I reckon I can tell you a little.”
Natalie waited, breath held.
“Vaughn had a woman, some years ago, who she was in love with. Deeply in love.”
“That sounds nice,” Natalie said as butterflies began to flutter in her stomach. Vaughn liked women. She’d suspected as much but hadn’t been sure. Now she knew and it was causing those butterflies to do backflips.
“It was nice for a time. Vaughn was working the ranch and taking photos in her off time. They were real good too. Professional quality. She had people clamoring to her for photos, so much so that she started her own little side business and earned her some extra money. Times was good. She was happy. The happiest I’d ever seen her. But this woman…this no-good woman, Jeanie…she…” June shook her head. “She left. She up and left. Just took off and disappeared, leaving no word as to where she’d gone. Well, Vaughn was up in arms, convinced something had happened to her. She called the police, hired a detective, the whole nine yards. But come to find out, the woman, she’d gone off on her own. To Mexico. And not only that, but she’d taken Vaughn’s money with her, along with her identity. And what hurt Vaughn the most, was the fact that she’d had another lover waiting in the wings.”
“Oh, no.”
“Yeah. And you know what? She’d been seeing this other woman for nearly the whole time she and Vaughn had been together. Plus, she’d been the one running Vaughn’s website for the photography business. So stealing her identity as the photographer and taking all the money Vaughn had made from sales wasn’t that hard for her. Not that hard at all.”
“That’s terrible.” Natalie felt ill. As if she’d somehow done something wrong in making the mock website. No wonder Vaughn had looked so pained. She’d been the victim of someone very manipulative and dishonest.
Just like me.
“I’m so sorry, June. I had no idea.”
“Of course you didn’t, child.”
“I should’ve never offered to do a website. I should’ve—”
“Don’t be silly. We need a good website. And Vaughn, she’s had no interest in doing it. I think she’s rather traumatized from the whole thing to be honest, so she doesn’t want to do it. Which is why, you showing me a thing or two about it is a good thing. For the time being anyway.”
Natalie took the final dish from her and rinsed it. Then, in a daze, she dried it and set it with the others.
“I’m not sure what to do, June,” she confessed. “With the website and the photos. Like I said, I don’t want to hurt her. But I was hoping to have her input on which photos to choose. She’s the one with the best eye, since she’s the photographer. Besides, it’s her ranch. She should be the one to decide.”
June pulled the drain from the sink and watched in a daze as the water and soap receded. “I think you’re going to have to decide those things for yourself, Natalie. Vaughn’s just too pained. She told you as much, didn’t she?”
“She said I should choose.”
“Well, then.” She ran the faucet and rinsed out the sink. She met Natalie’s gaze. “I guess that’s what you’re gonna have to do.”
“Okay,” Natalie breathed. “I guess I will.” She dried her hands on the dish towel and handed it to June who did the same.
June hung the towel on the oven handle. “You might as well get used to it,” she said. “Vaughn’s not one to open up.”
Natalie crossed to the table and picked up her computer. She headed for the kitchen door. “I’m beginning to see that,” she said. She opened the door and bid June a good night. She stepped out into the evening air, allowing the oven-like heat to encase her, and walked quietly to the guesthouse, all the while thinking of Vaughn and her pain.