Suspicions and Offers #2
Taking care of the ranch made Maria think of the Montana Rider again, but she decided not to bring him up.
Nothing was worse than broadcasting who you liked.
Besides, Tim didn’t seem to have any information about the Rider.
Anonymous, indeed! There had to be some way to figure out who he was.
Maybe Maria would run into him again, and he’d eventually tell her.
When they finally had everything out of the store, Tim insisted on loading the truck. “You just wait for me,” he said, motioning Maria to the passenger seat. “I’ve got it.”
“Thanks,” Maria said, swinging herself into the truck.
Tim winked. “Least I can do.” He began pulling huge boxes out of the carts.
In just a couple minutes, he swung himself up to the driver’s seat and started the truck, backing out of the parking spot with his arm behind his seat.
“Thanks again,” Maria said. “I really appreciate all your help.”
“Anytime.” Tim shifted into drive, going out of the parking lot. “Hey, do you want to grab coffee with me before we go back? Get to know each other a little more?”
“Huh?” Maria looked at him. Was he asking her out?
Tim’s blue eyes were serious. “Just coffee. Nothing too scary.”
Even if he was just being friendly, it wasn’t a good idea. Annabelle wouldn’t be happy if she heard about it. And on the off chance that he’d become interested in Maria, she’d better nip it in the bud.
Maria rubbed her cheek. “Sorry, Tim. I should get back. And—I’m not looking for that kind of one-on-one hangout.”
Hopefully that was clear enough to give Tim the hint, without assuming he was asking her on a date.
“I see.” His mouth was set. “Well, if you ever change your mind, just let me know.”
Tim was quiet during the ride home, only talking to point out landmarks, which gave Maria an opportunity to think through his surprising question.
Had he meant a date, or just a friendly hangout?
Maria couldn’t tell, and she wasn’t going to ask.
How did she even think through her muddled feelings about guys right now?
It wasn’t like Tim was unattractive. Probably lots of girls were crazy about him.
But it would be too weird going out with the guy who had rejected Annabelle.
For one thing, Annabelle would be furious.
Even though she was going around with Neil now, it was only a few days since she’d been head over heels for Tim.
You didn’t get over somebody that quickly.
And when Maria thought about dating, her feelings were confused. Seth had hurt her horribly by his rejection. She wasn’t ready to open up to somebody who might hurt her again. The only person who appealed to her imagination—gallant and mysterious—was the Montana Rider.
Maybe Maria should have talked more about the Montana Rider after all.
That might have given Tim the hint she wasn’t interested.
Between an ordinary ranch foreman and a mysterious man in black, there was no question who would interest a woman more.
Too bad it was so hard to find out who the mystery man really was.
§
That evening, as Maria was at the ranch house with Grandma Austin and Savannah, no one talking much, she heard a commotion at the buildings below. What was going on? Maria hurried to look out the living room window, Savannah right behind her.
A horse and rider galloped up from below. It was a brown horse with a tall blonde cowboy. Tim.
As much as Maria felt awkward talking to Tim right now, she had to know what was going on.
When the knock came at the door and Savannah rushed to answer it, Maria sat on the far end of one of the living room couches and snatched a book.
She could look as though she wasn’t too interested and listen at the same time.
“What’s going on?” Savannah asked.
Maria snuck a look at Tim. He looked stern.
“More vandalism,” Tim said.
Grandma Austin sprang to her feet, her knitting rolling unheeded onto the floor. “What happened?”
“Somebody cut one of our fences. Pat, look at this.” Tim held out a piece of paper. “This note was nailed to a fence post.”
“‘It’s time for the Austins to sell the ranch,’” Grandma Austin read. “Typewritten. Just like a coward, not showing his own handwriting. Do you have any other clues?”
Tim’s mouth was tight. “The tracks disappear at the road, and of course we didn’t have a security camera there,” he said. “We’ve got one at the front gate now—probably won’t do any good, though, because this guy, or these guys, are smart enough to avoid the cameras.”
“Did we lose any cattle?” Grandma Austin asked.
“I’ve got guys counting the herd right now,” Tim said.
“Good,” Grandma Austin said. “Well, we know one thing. Whoever this is wants us to sell the ranch. Sell it to whom?”
“That’s what I’ve been thinking,” Tim said. “Do you think we’d better talk to—”
“Owen.” Grandma Austin said the name like it was a bad word. “Go get him.”
“Sure thing. You sit tight. I’ll be back before you can knit ten rows or Maria can finish reading that old Kelley Blue Book.”
Tim disappeared, and Maria put down the book with a guilty face. She’d grabbed an unfortunate book to pretend to read—only Uncle Russell would be interested in a book on car values.
Tim reappeared not long afterward with the Hollywood man and his wife. They were cheerful and smiling. Tim must not have told them Grandma Austin’s reason for wanting to talk to them.
“You wanted to see us, Mrs. Austin?” Owen strode forward, his attitude congenial. “Is there any chance you’ve reconsidered?”
“Certainly not,” Grandma Austin snapped, and the smile faded from Owen’s face.
“Then why did you want to see me?”
“To ask if you know anything about this.” Grandma Austin held out the note.
Owen read it silently. He thrust it back at Grandma Austin. “Are you suggesting that I wrote this?”
“Someone tore down a section of fence and nailed this there,” Grandma Austin said. “Deliberate sabotage. And whoever it was wants us to sell the ranch.”
“You think I would stoop to that?” Owen rocked back on his heels. “You think I’m not confident in the price I’m offering you? How insulting can you get?”
“Owen.” Vera put a hand on his sleeve.
Owen ignored her. “The only reason I’m not withdrawing my offer right now is because I really want this property. You think about that! If you want to bring in the police, you know where to find me. But they’ll just confirm I didn’t do anything.”
He and his wife departed, stiffly dignified.
Grandma Austin sat ramrod straight. “That’s exactly what I would expect him to say if he had done the sabotage,” she said. “Tim, can you kick him out?”
“Not without bad publicity,” Tim said. “I’ll keep an eye on him. Even if he didn’t do it himself, he might have paid somebody else to do it.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Grandma Austin said. “Well, thank you, Tim. I trust you to keep an eye on things.”
He bent and kissed her cheek. “Thanks, Pat,” he said, and departed, leaving Maria gaping after him.
She didn’t understand Grandma Austin, and she definitely didn’t understand Tim. How did he think her prickly grandmother was actually a teddy bear?
On the other hand, Maria found herself agreeing far more with her Grandma Austin than with anybody who wanted to sell the ranch.
This was a beautiful place, and although Grandma Austin put the ranch ahead of everybody, even her own family, it would be a shame to lose it to some Hollywood resort.
If there was some way to foil the saboteurs and save the ranch, the Austins ought to do it. Maybe Maria could help.