Chapter Nineteen
T he morning had started off reasonably cool, but after a couple hours of standing under that Montana sun, lugging lumber back and forth, Josh was sweating. He took a swig from his water bottle, kneading his back. In an effort to take his mind off Amy, he’d decided to tackle the bridge repair on the eastern end of the property. It was the bridge the cattle used to cross the creek to reach the furthest pasture, and after the winter they’d had, Josh had noticed a couple of the boards rotting.
But once he’d pried up the first few, he figured he might as well just change them all, only that had turned into a bigger job than he’d anticipated. Now he was not only drenched in sweat, but his mind had started wandering, inevitably landing on Amy. All he wanted to do was call her, but something scared him off. He couldn’t shake the thought that he wasn’t good enough for her. And if she was only settling for him, then he’d always play second fiddle to Tru McCoy. Maybe these were ridiculous thoughts, but it’s what rattled through his brain with every strike of his hammer against wood.
Josh collected another board from his truck and carried it across the bridge. He carefully dropped it in place, then secured it with half a dozen nails. He was just hammering in the last one when he spotted a cloud of dust coming up the drive.
“About time!” he said as Shane drove up and parked next to the creek. He’d called in a favor when he realized the repair job had gotten away from him, and Shane had agreed to pop over to help. “I expected you an hour ago.”
“Sorry,” Shane said. “Thought we could use some more reinforcements.”
The truck doors opened, and Noah and Ryder climbed out.
“What’re you doing here?” Josh asked as they retrieved their tools from the bed of the truck.
“Heard you’d decided to remodel the property instead of dealing with your feelings,” Noah said, walking over and clapping him on the shoulder.
Josh glared at Shane. “Really?”
“Look, I didn’t tell them everything. The details are for you to disclose,” Shane reasoned. “I just needed some backup.”
“Because clearly you and Amy are having troubles,” Ryder said, “and it’s bumming you out, man.”
“It’s not bumming me out,” Josh muttered.
“You’re bummed.” Ryder took him by the cheeks and looked back at the others. “Isn’t this the face of a man who’s bummed?”
“Never seen anyone more bummed,” Noah agreed.
Josh shrugged him off. He wasn’t bummed. He was devastated, but he didn’t really want to get into that. The whole point of this job was to get his mind off Amy, not talk about her even more. “I can’t believe you brought these two fools with you,” he muttered to Shane.
“I can’t play relationship expert all by myself,” Shane told him as he grabbed a board from Josh’s truck and carried it over. “I needed someone with more experience getting rejected.” He dropped the board in place and nudged Ryder. “Right?”
Ryder scoffed. “Not funny, man.”
Shane steered Ryder in Josh’s direction. “Here is your walking, talking example of what not to do in these kinds of situations.”
“I’ll have you know, I’m happily single,” Ryder said. He gestured to Josh. “Does this man look happy to you? He’s way past my tried-and-true method of ‘get in and get out before the feelings get their hooks in you.’”
“Agreed,” Noah said, hammering nails into the board Shane had just placed. “He’s been hooked.”
Ryder set off for another board, and Shane leveled Josh with a stare. “I know this isn’t what you were expecting today,” he said, readjusting his Stetson. “But this way we get the bridge repaired faster, and maybe you’ll listen to someone else since clearly you didn’t take my brilliant advice.”
“What brilliant advice?” Josh said. “You gave me two options the other night. You said I could walk away or I could fight for her.”
Shane gave him a duh! look. “And what exactly are you doing?”
“Well, I’m… I’m…” Josh put his hands on his hips, staring off at the cattle in the distance. What the hell was he doing?
“That’s what I mean,” Shane said. “You clearly haven’t walked away from Amy. And you’re not over her. So why aren’t you out there trying to make this work?”
“Because I don’t know how to make this work,” Josh said with a grunt. He wasn’t a star-studded, high-rolling movie star, and he didn’t know how to prove to Amy that he could offer her more than Tru ever could. Tru would always be wealthier. He’d always be famous. He’d always be this baby’s biological father. And just because Amy had said that Tru walked away didn’t mean things were over between them. Tru could have a change of heart, decide he wanted to know his child, and maybe Amy would fall for that charming smile all over again.
“Look, it’s a little difficult to give you advice when I don’t know what’s going on,” Noah said.
Josh sighed. These were his best friends. And the news was bound to come out sometime. He trusted them enough to hold their tongues until it did. “She’s pregnant.”
Ryder barked a laugh, giving Josh’s shoulders a squeeze. “You two made quick work of that.”
“It’s not mine.”
“Damn,” Ryder said, his tone shifting from congratulatory to conflicted. “Sorry. I didn’t even think.”
“You don’t often before you open your mouth,” Noah said to him.
“No, it’s okay,” Josh cut in before Ryder could respond. “It was a shock to all parties involved.”
“So, that’s what this is all about, then?” Noah continued. “Why things are so complicated?”
“Exactly. I was serious about Amy. I am serious about her. But now there’s this baby and her ex, and I just don’t know where I fit into that picture.”
“So, the other guy’s still around?” Ryder said.
Josh hummed. “I mean… He was. But I’m not so sure anymore.”
“Has he asked you to back off?” Noah asked.
“No.”
“Has Amy asked you to back off?” Shane clarified.
“No,” Josh said again.
Ryder ran his hand through his hair, scratching at the back of his head. “Okay, I know I’m not exactly the person to be asking about committed relationships here, but seems to me like you want Amy, she wants you, and instead of making that happen, you’re sitting here with your cattle. Have I got that right?”
“That’s not what’s happening,” Josh said.
“That’s exactly what’s happening,” Shane muttered.
“Sounds to me like you’re feeling sorry for yourself,” Noah said. “You need to knock that off, follow your heart and go get your girl back.”
Josh huffed. Last time he’d followed his heart, Erica had stomped on it on her way out of town.
“You got company coming?” Shane asked as a car turned onto the property.
Josh whipped his phone out of his pocket and checked the time. Had the day really gotten away from him that quickly? He’d been expecting visitors, he’d just planned to be a little less sweaty when they arrived. “Yeah, actually. I’ve got a meeting.”
“Then I guess we’ll let you off the hook for now,” Ryder said, poking Josh playfully in the chest. “But next time we talk, you better have good news for us.”
“You just focus on yourself,” Josh said. “I heard you’re cycling through women so fast your mother’s stopped asking their names.”
Noah snickered, leading Ryder back to Shane’s truck.
“Call me later,” Shane said. “I’ll come out and help you finish up.”
“Thanks,” Josh said. “And thanks for this, I guess.” He wasn’t really in the mood for advice, but Shane’s heart was in the right place.
“Just sit with what we said for a while,” Shane said. “You’ll figure it out.”
“If you say so.” Josh waved as they left, then quickly packed up his tools and the excess lumber. He tossed it all into the bed of his pickup and drove over to the house. Mike Cooper had messaged him earlier in the day, asking if it was okay for Stanley Sanchez to swing by. He wanted to follow up about the conversation Mike and Josh had at the Tenacity Social Club regarding the rocks on the old Woodson property. Josh didn’t know how he’d found himself in the middle of Stanley’s investigation, and he wasn’t sure what kind of help he could be in the search for the Deroy family, but he’d agreed to talk to the man. He figured it was another way to keep his mind off Amy, though clearly his friends were determined to keep his thoughts there anyway.
He sighed, getting out of his truck.
“Hey there!” a man called, stepping out of his vehicle. He was older than Josh had expected, tufts of white hair visible under his black cowboy hat. He wore denim on denim and a leather vest.
“Hi,” Josh said. He headed over to greet him.
The man stuck out his hand. “Stanley Sanchez.”
Josh shook his hand. “Josh Aventura. Good to meet you. Mike said you’d be coming by.”
A door thudded and Josh looked up to see a woman come around the vehicle.
“This is my grandniece, Nina,” Stanley said.
Josh recognized her as the daughter of Tenacity locals Will and Nicole Sanchez. She was tall, with dark hair that reminded him of Amy. And a smile that reminded him of Amy. And…this not thinking about Amy thing was not going so well.
“Hi,” she said, smiling at him. “Hope we’re not interrupting your work.”
“No.” Josh glanced over his shoulder. “I mean, there’s always work but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t do with a break. So, Mike said you wanted to talk about what I told him?”
“Firstly we wanted to thank you for giving Mike that tip and for your part in helping us find ‘Juniper Rock,’” Stanley said.
“You found what you were looking for then?” Josh said.
Stanley tipped his head back and forth. “The people who live there now are not keen to let us on the property. I think they got spooked by the word investigation .”
“Right,” Josh said. The Stoolers weren’t the chattiest of neighbors as far as Josh was concerned, but they’d always seemed reasonable. Then again, if someone told Josh they were investigating and wanted to poke around his property, he might have gotten weirded out too. “That’s too bad.”
“We were hoping that you might be able to pave the way for us,” Nina said. “You being neighbors and all.”
“What we find there could end up having ramifications for the whole town,” Stanley added.
Ramifications for the whole town? That seemed like a good enough reason to try. Besides, what did Josh have to lose? He had no stake in the game. And if he helped a neighbor in the end… “I don’t know them well,” Josh cautioned. “They’re quiet neighbors. Mostly keep to themselves. So I’m not promising any miracles, but I’ll give it my best shot.”
Nina grinned so wide it made him think of Amy again and his chest ached. “Great!” She clapped her hands together. “You have no idea how much this means.”
Josh glanced down at his sweaty, dusty clothes. “I’m gonna change real quick. Probably better to make a good impression if they’ve already turned you down once. I’ll be right back. Then we have to make a pit stop.”
***
“We did all that for some mac and cheese? I don’t see how this is going to help,” Nina said as they arrived on the Stooler property. It hadn’t changed much since it belonged to the Woodsons from what Josh could remember. There was a large barn at the back of the property and a pair of tall silos and a long, winding drive that disappeared to a massive garage. Josh held a tray of Angela’s mac and cheese in his hands.
“This isn’t just any mac and cheese. This is the best in all of Montana,” Josh said. “Trust me. If that doesn’t convince the Stoolers to let you have a little look around the property, then nothing will. Plus I practically had to sell Angela my soul to get this.” And dodge a lot of awkward questions about where Amy was. Shane had been tight-lipped about Josh’s woes and that had just made Angela more suspicious. She’d given him the look —the same look his mother would have given him if she was in town—and Josh had felt the combined weight of Angela’s disappointment mingle with his own.
“Well,” Nina said, “let’s hope this magic dish does the trick.”
They walked up to the door, with Josh flanked by the Sanchezes, and he felt like a kid again, dragged into one of Shane’s silly schemes. Nina rang the doorbell, and they waited. Josh didn’t know why he was so nervous. A moment later, the door opened.
Mr. Stooler looked back at him, lifting the reading glasses off the end of his nose. He looked past Josh to glare at Stanley and Nina. “I thought I already told you two I wasn’t interested in having people poke around my property.”
“We don’t mean to give you any trouble,” Nina said. “Honest. I’m just trying to figure out what happened to someone I really cared a lot about.”
Mr. Stooler didn’t look convinced by her plea.
“Fifteen minutes,” Josh said. “That’s all we’re asking. Then we’ll be out of your hair. And as a thank-you, I’ve got some of Angela Corey’s mac and cheese here.” Josh lifted the tray, making his offering.
Mr. Stooler’s eyes darted to the tray. “Angela’s, huh?”
Josh bit down on his grin. This dish really was magical.
“Darrel, just let them look around already!” a woman called from inside the house. “What do you care about the rocks at the edge of the property anyway?”
Mrs. Stooler came to the door, two heads shorter than her husband, but with the attitude to make up for it. She took the tray of mac and cheese from Josh. “Thank you. This was a lovely gesture. You didn’t have to do this.” She nodded toward the driveway. “Well, go on and have a look. Take as long as you need.”
Mr. Stooler gave them all a gruff nod. “I’ll come out and join y’all in a minute.”
Stanley tipped his hat. “We’re mighty grateful. Won’t be long.”
They turned and the door closed behind them. “Let’s make it quick,” Josh whispered to Stanley. “In case Mr. Stooler changes his mind.”
They marched off down the driveway, to the very edge of the property line, where large rocks were piled up, some as tall as him. Josh remembered driving past as a kid, watching the Woodson boy climb on them.
Stanley and Nina separated, inspecting the different groupings. Josh stared after them as they started to feel around in the grooves.
“What exactly are we looking for?” he asked.
“We’ll know it when we see it,” Stanley said.
Josh laughed and shook his head. “Sure.” He wandered between the rocks, his mind drifting to Amy. He wondered what she was up to today. How she was feeling. If things with Tru were still status quo. He missed her. He wanted to hear her voice more than anything.
He reached for his phone almost without thinking.
Stanley picked up a long stick and started tapping on some of the smaller rocks, bending close to listen to the sounds.
What would he even say if he called? How are you seemed rather empty when what he really wanted to say was I miss you and I want you .
Stanley tapped along another batch of rocks and froze when one echoed back strangely.
Josh slipped his phone back into his pocket and joined him. Nina hurried over. The rock was about as high as Josh’s knee. “False bottom?” he said.
“Sounds like it.” Stanley gripped one side of the rock. “Give me a hand here.”
Together, Josh and Nina helped Stanley shove the rock over, exposing what was very clearly a false addition to the stone based on the color difference. Stanley whipped out a small pocketknife that dangled from his key ring and pried the bottom open.
The metal creaked and groaned, rusty after all that time of sitting in the wet earth.
When the bottom flew off, Nina gasped. Inside was a wadded-up roll of money and a folded-up note. She reached in and carefully unfolded the paper. She cleared her throat, reading it out loud. “‘You got the wrong man.’”
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Stanley said.
“Do you think this means Barrett didn’t do it?” Nina said. She sounded on the verge of tears.
“I think the only thing we can be sure of is that someone believed they’d accused the wrong man,” Stanley said. “And that’s enough to question everything.”
“What d’you got there?” Mr. Stooler called, walking over. He spied the roll of money in Stan’s hand. “My God.” His eyes widened. “That should be ours, now. You hear? It was found on our property.”
“We’ll have to turn the funds over to the authorities,” Stanley said. “It’s evidence. Once that’s cleared, they can decide who to allocate it to.”
Mr. Stooler huffed a bit, but he couldn’t argue that logic.
Stanley rose to his feet. “You want me to call them out to take a look or will you?”
“Suppose I’ll do it,” Mr. Stooler said. “It’s my land anyhow.” He inclined his head and he and Stanley set off for the house.
Josh smiled as Nina smothered a grin behind her hand. She was still defending Barrett after all these years. “You do know that it’s still possible that Barrett could have put the money—and that note—there himself.”
Nina solemnly shook her head. “I’ve always thought that the Deroys’ sudden departure from Tenacity made no sense. And I’m choosing to believe that this note proves Barrett never would have done something so horrible to the town. I know there’s still so much more to the investigation but—”
“All these years later, you still have that much faith in him?” Josh asked.
She tilted her head, a funny little smile coming over her face. “Yes. Do you still have faith in you and Amy?”
Josh flinched. He knew Tenacity was a small town, he just didn’t realize how fast word about him and Amy had spread. He supposed they’d been seen out together…a lot. And he’d been hanging around the feed store more than necessary. Still, he was a little surprised that Nina knew about their relationship.
“I obviously don’t know exactly what’s going on with you two, but you really do look miserable.”
Josh sighed. “Can’t deny that.”
“Why don’t you go do something about it?”
Josh laughed despite himself. “It’s that easy, huh?”
“It is that easy. Well,” she smirked, “it’s a hell of a lot easier than unearthing false-bottomed boulders on the Stoolers’ property.”
She was right about that. And about Amy. Heck, it was the same thing Shane, Ryder and Noah had tried to tell him earlier, he’d just been too stubborn and miserable to listen. But maybe he’d just needed these little nudges in the right direction to get his act together. Because if the guys were telling him to go for it and Nina was still fighting for Barrett after all this time, then he could sure as hell fight for Amy.
He excused himself from Nina, took out his phone and dialed. But it wasn’t Amy he called. Not at first. It was his mother.
“About time, Joshua!” she said when she answered the phone. “Your father’s just about eaten his weight in pickled herring and every time we stop in a port, I get an update from Iris Strom. First you and Amy are seeing each other. Then you’re not.”
“I’m hopefully about to change that,” Josh said.
“What’s going on?”
“I’ve been a fool and it’s taken me this long to screw my head on straight, but I felt like I needed to talk to you and Dad first, so you don’t think I’m jumping into something without thinking it through first.”
“That’s not like you,” his mother said. “Why would we think that?”
“Because… I want to be with Amy. I want to make a life with her.” The truth was, he wanted Amy, even if she’d chosen someone else first, even if he’d only ever be her second choice. He might not be able to hold a candle to Tru McCoy, but he wanted to take care of her and her child. He thought that she could be happy with him, and that they could have a good life together. And maybe those were all foolish things to think, and she’d reject him anyway, but he knew what his heart wanted, and he at least needed to try.
“Oh, Josh! That’s music to my ears.”
“But there’s something you should know.” Josh swallowed. There wasn’t really a delicate way to break this news. “Amy’s pregnant.”
His mother gasped.
“It’s not mine,” he rushed to say before she could get carried away. “But I… I want it to be. I know we’ve only just met, and I haven’t even introduced her to you and Dad yet, but she’s the one. I know she is. And I want to raise this baby as my own. If Amy will have me, that is.”
He stopped talking, taking in the silence on the other end of the line.
“Do you think I’m still being a fool?” he asked.
“Do you love this girl?” his mother replied.
“Yes,” Josh said. “More than anything.”
“Then that’s all that matters.”
“But do you think I’m ready to be a dad?”
His mother chuckled softly. “Josh, none of us is ever ready. Look at me and your father. You showed up later in life and we still weren’t ready. But we loved you, and we figured it out. And you and Amy will, too. Remember what your father told you? All that really matters at the end of the day is that you have good people to call home. That’s all we’ve ever wanted for you. So, if you’ve found your person, you hold on to her tight. Right?”
“Right,” he said, fighting the emotion that swirled in his chest.
“Now, you go fix things with Amy,” his mother said. “Because I want to meet my grandbaby when the time comes.”
Josh laughed, pressing his hand to his forehead. Maybe he’d only been looking for Ms. Right Now before meeting Amy, but she was Mrs. Right…his Mrs. Forever. He knew it down to his boots. She was the only one for him. And the old Josh might have let her go without a word and retreated back into his world of cattle, but it was time to risk his heart again and go after what would make him truly happy.
“Oh, I can’t wait to tell your father! He’s going to be thrilled. We both are, Josh. We love you.”
“Love you, too, Mom.”
“Call me later with good news?”
“You bet.” Josh hung up, finally ready to call Amy, adrenaline surging through him. He sure hoped he’d be calling his mother back with good news. His hands shook as he found Amy’s number in his call log. He hit Dial.
Part of him worried she might not take his call, but she answered after the second ring.
“Hi,” he said.
“Hey there, cowboy,” she answered, a mix of surprise and relief in her voice.
“Do you think we can meet up in person?” he asked. “To talk?”
There was a pause. “Where?”
“The ranch?” Josh suggested. At least there they’d have privacy.
“Okay,” Amy agreed. “I’ll see you soon.”