Chapter Thirteen #2
“I won’t deny I love my business. But I also love the ranch.
More importantly, I can picture myself on the Thunder Bar M when I’m forty, fifty and sixty.
I’ve had a good run in the heli-skiing business.
I think I was just waiting for the right reason to step away. And that reason is you. You and Holly.”
“Oh, Jake.” She longed to let herself believe in the future he was painting for them.
A big Montana-styled house with a home office for her, plenty of space for Holly and possibly another child at some point. Best of all, she would have Jake. A partner she could talk to and laugh with. A partner she could tease and beat at tennis and count on in times of crisis.
“I want to believe we could work together. But I’m afraid. Holly’s lost one dad. What if things didn’t work out between us? I couldn’t stand to put her through losing a second. I’m not sure I could take it either.”
“No relationship comes without risk. But we’re mature, responsible adults. I think we’ve got what it takes.”
“But I’ve got such a bad track record. The problems between me and Rod weren’t all his fault.”
This was hard to admit. But she owed Jake, and herself, complete honesty.
“I told myself it was because of Rod and his expensive tastes that I had to put so many hours into my career, but the truth is that I enjoyed my work and took satisfaction from it. It was me, not Rod, who was responsible for allowing my relationship with Holly to deteriorate. Oh, I always justified my absences by telling myself that Holly really preferred her father, anyway.”
“Maureen—”
“What Rod said to me that night before he left for South America was true, too. I was a shrew to him. I got to the point where I hardly spoke to him without nagging or finding fault. I blamed him for making me behave that way, but I had a choice, Jake. I contributed to the failure of our marriage just as much as he did.”
“Okay, you made mistakes. Now you can learn from them and go on…”
She wished that were true. But the risks were too high. “If you want to sell Grizzly Peaks and invest in the ranch, I’m all for that. I love the ranch too, and I believe in Dylan and Cathleen and what they’re trying to build there.”
“And the rest of it?”
She shook her head sadly. “I’m willing to risk my money. But I won’t gamble with our hearts.”
*
As Holly rode her scooter toward downtown she thought about her mother and Jake.
Now that she was on the watch for it, she could see all sorts of signs that they liked one another.
And it didn’t bug her anymore. She had friends with stepfathers who weren’t nearly as cool as Jake.
So she kind of hoped it worked out with the two of them.
Holly scootered around the block where Mountain View Realty was located for over an hour.
From what she could tell two Realtors were working today, Beth and a dark-haired man who looked about the same age as Holly’s mother.
At quarter after four a young couple walked into the office.
Fifteen minutes later they left with the dark-haired man, presumably to go look at properties.
Shortly after that Beth exited carrying a cardboard box, which she loaded into her trunk before driving away.
Holly contemplated following her. Then decided to hang out a little longer. Not too much later the receptionist went outside with a cup of coffee and a cigarette.
Holly checked the time. Only fifteen minutes until she was expected at home. But this was her chance. She’d take a quick look then be on her way home in a flash. Holly made sure the receptionist’s back was turned to her, then slipped into the office.
There were four doors off the reception area.
One was a small meeting room, the other three had name plates over them.
So helpful. Holly entered Beth’s office and looked around.
The room had been stripped of any personality.
No pictures or keepsakes. The only things on the desk were a jar of pens and a pad of paper.
The drawers of an adjacent cabinet were ajar.
Holly checked—they were all empty. Next to them were four more cardboard boxes like the one Beth had loaded into her car.
Holly peeked inside the boxes, found them full of files. She had no idea what she was looking for, why she was here. She’d acted on instinct and suddenly she felt kind of foolish. She was about to head back to the street where she’d left her scooter when she heard voices.
“This better be the last load,” a man said gruffly.
“Just four more boxes,” replied a woman.
Holly recognized Beth’s voice and was pretty sure the man was Max Strongman. Darn! She glanced desperately around the office. They couldn’t find her here! She slid under the desk just as she heard the office door opening.
Holly pulled out her phone and made quick adjustments, including hitting the mute button. Just her luck to get a text or a call from her mom that would give her away. She hoped they grabbed those last four boxes and got out of here fast.
“Glad to see the last of this office,” Beth said.
“As long as you’re sure,” Max replied. “After today the whole town is going to know about us.”
“We’ve got nothing to hide. My marriage to Alan has been atrophying for years. He was relieved when I told him I was moving in with you.”
“Was he? I still think we would’ve been smarter to wait until after James’s trial before taking our relationship public.”
“You know James won’t say anything. He’s so loyal to you.”
“Yeah. Not many sons would do what he did. If only he hadn’t killed Joe Beckett. I told him a superficial wound and he goes and aims straight for the heart.”
Holly could see their legs—Max in dress shoes and black wool pants, Beth in bare legs and heels. Scrunched into a ball, with her arms wrapped around her legs, she tried to keep her breath shallow and quiet, but she couldn’t do anything about her heart, which was beating like crazy.
“I hope James shows the same loyalty to me and doesn’t tell anyone I set off the firecrackers,” Beth said.
“He hasn’t so far, has he? You don’t need to worry.”
Holly heard a sound like a box being lifted. Max grunted. “What did you pack in here? Rocks?”
“Books. They’re almost as bad. We should have brought a dolly. Watch out, Max, you’re—”
Crash! The box fell and Holly watched as books tumbled around on the floor.
“Damn, Beth, you should have reinforced the bottom of this box.”
As Max and Beth dropped to their knees to collect the books Holly held her breath, closed her eyes. Please, please don’t let them look—
But her desperate prayer didn’t work.
“What the hell!” Max Strongman’s voice was loud in Holly’s ear. “Why is this girl hiding in your office, Beth?”
*
“She said no, Lewis.” Jake was on the kitchen floor with his dog. He’d flopped down there right after dragging his sorry butt from Maureen’s house, and he didn’t figure he’d be getting up soon.
Lewis nuzzled his nose against Jake’s shoulder, then gave a soft whine. It seemed he could tell Jake was in distress.
No wonder so many people loved dogs. Jake knew it would break his heart now if some stranger came around to claim Lewis. As far as Jake was concerned they were a family now. At least he’d have someone to move in with him when he built that big house on the Thunder Bar M.
Because he still planned to build the house. To sell his lodge. And invest in the ranch.
Maureen’s rejection had left him gutted, but it hadn’t changed his resolve about any of the other decisions he’d made. Oh, he felt a little bit sad about Grizzly Peaks. But he’d go back there each winter—as a guest, not an owner.
And the more he thought about partnering with Dylan, about living the rest of his days on the Thunder Bar M, the more it just sat right with him. His father had been dead a long time, but Jake knew he’d be happy to think his son was carrying on the family tradition.
Even his mother had sounded glad when he phoned to tell her the news.
Jake wondered if things might have worked out differently with Maureen if he hadn’t pulled back after her meltdown. He suspected they would. It had only taken him a few days to see what a fool he was being, but those few days had cost him so much.
The woman he loved. The chance to be a stepfather to a very cool young girl. And maybe even the opportunity to have children of his own.
Jake sighed, and to his amusement, so did Lewis.
“We can’t stay here on the floor forever, can we, buddy?”
Lewis cocked his head.
“How about we go for a walk?”
Lewis perked up. Gave a bark.
As he went to grab the leash, Jake thought how easy it was to please a dog. If only it could be that easy for people.
*
As soon as she got home from Jake’s Maureen changed into her old jeans and went into a cleaning frenzy.
She scrubbed, she vacuumed, she washed floors on her hands and knees.
She had to keep moving, to keep a tidal wave of emotions from crashing down on her.
She was so busy trying to keep her mind blank she didn’t notice when five o’clock rolled by and Holly wasn’t home.
At quarter after five Kelly phoned.
“Hey, sis, I got called to cover an evening shift so we won’t need Holly to babysit tonight. I tried texting Holly but she didn’t answer. Can you let her know for us?”
Maureen was startled to see the time. “Holly’s out with friends but she was supposed to be home by now. I’ll let her know as soon as I track her down.”
“I hope she’s okay.”
“Me too.” Holly didn’t think twice about being late for her mother, but she was usually reliable for everyone else.
After trying her daughter’s phone and getting no response either, Maureen slipped on shoes and grabbed her car keys. Once out the door she called Mads’s mother, then Adam’s. Neither mother was aware of any plans with Holly. Their kids had been otherwise occupied for the afternoon.
“Damn it, Holly. Now you’re lying to me?
” Anxiety mounting, Maureen got into her car then sat and thought for a minute.
Where could Holly have gone? Maureen reviewed the day and recalled Jake sharing some news about Beth Gibson quitting her job.
It had seemed innocuous enough, but maybe Holly had decided to play private eye again.
After the answer Maureen had given Jake this afternoon, she had no right to reach out to him for help. But with her daughter’s safety at stake, she had no choice. So she took a deep breath and placed the call. When Jake didn’t answer—and did she blame him?—she left a message.
“Jake, it’s Maureen. Have you heard from Holly? I’m afraid she’s playing private detective again, and spying on Beth and Max. I’m going to drive by the Gibsons’ house and see if she’s there lurking in the bushes. Then I guess I’ll try Mountain Realty. Let me know if you see her.”