The Riding Lesson that Wasn’t #2
Maria wasn’t trying to listen. She was just getting a snack. But she couldn’t help hearing.
“What I want to know,” Annabelle said, “is why you keep harping on it. I know you want to sell your ranch. Can’t you list it for sale?”
“Won’t get a good price,” Neil said. “It’s a little place. Nobody cares about it except other small ranchers. The only way I’m gonna make a profit on it is if I can bundle it with somebody else’s property. And yours is the only one that’s big enough.”
What was going on here? Annabelle had mentioned Neil talking before about how Grandma Austin ought to sell the ranch, but Maria had assumed he was just worried for Annabelle.
This was a whole new angle—he wanted the Austins to sell the Rocker A so he could sell his own ranch along with it for a bigger profit.
This lowered Neil in Maria’s estimation. Instead of being a caring boyfriend, he was just a guy who wanted to make more money from the sale of his ranch. Maria had heard more than she had needed. She put one last olive on her plate and silently fled back to the room where people were playing games.
“Are we ever gonna start playing again?” Elijah asked, eating chips over the gameboard. “What happened to Annabelle and Neil?”
“They’re in the kitchen talking,” Maria said.
The voices from the kitchen were louder now and more agitated. It sounded like some kind of disagreement. Probably more stuff about the ranch.
“Should we start without them?” Maria asked Elijah.
“You think they’ll be right back?” Elijah said. “I hate to take out people in the middle of the game. It messes up my strategies.”
Annabelle came storming in. “Elijah, pack up your cards,” she said. “We’re leaving.”
“What?” Elijah said, still sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table where they had all been playing the game.
“Neil and I aren’t speaking to each other,” Annabelle said. “Come on, I’m going home, and I’m taking the truck.”
“Not without the keys,” Elijah grumbled. He followed his sister out.
Maria looked around. Neil was nowhere, and she wasn’t going to seek him out to say goodbye right after he and her cousin had had an argument. She’d better catch up with Annabelle and Elijah.
In the truck on the way back, Annabelle relayed her argument with Neil.
“He wouldn’t let up about Grandma and the ranch, even after I told him we couldn’t change her mind,” she said.
“He literally talks about it all the time. It’s so annoying that he was there when that Owen guy came through.
I don’t know. Maybe we just wanted different things. ”
“I couldn’t help overhearing some of your conversation,” Maria said. “If you don’t mind my asking—what’s this about Neil trying to bundle his ranch with ours?”
Annabelle sighed. “Apparently Neil talked to Owen that day he came to the house. Owen told Neil that if the Rocker A sold, he’d be happy to pick up Neil’s ranch along with it for a good price. But if we don’t sell, he’s not interested in such a little ranch.”
“Wow,” Maria said. “Did you know that, when he was first pushing for Grandma Austin to sell the ranch?”
“Nope.” Annabelle popped the ‘p.’ “Anyway, Grandma won’t sell if we wait till doomsday. It’ll just be too bad for Neil.”
“So did you break up?” Elijah asked.
“Of course,” Annabelle said. “All he’s done lately is pester me about Grandma selling her ranch. Besides, he didn’t even hang out with me after I did awfully at the rodeo. He just went away and did shooting games and stuff with his friends. He didn’t even bring me flowers.”
Grandma Austin would be tickled to hear it. But as much as Maria hadn’t trusted Neil, she wasn’t going to say anything to Annabelle about him now. Annabelle had made a reasonable decision, and Maria’s input wasn’t necessary.
§
It was still afternoon when they got back to the ranch.
Maria didn’t feel like hanging around all afternoon with a bored Elijah, who hadn’t gotten to finish his board game at the Baldwins’ house, and a frustrated Annabelle, who wanted to tell her mom about Neil.
This was a good time to disappear with a book.
Maria found her book, but she also found Savannah, who was bored and wanted to hang out.
So Maria offered to take Savannah for a ride around the ranch in the evening, when it wasn’t so hot.
They could go fishing or something. Maria hadn’t gone fishing in the creek or the trout pond yet, and fishing was something she had done growing up with Dad.
So that evening, Maria and Savannah set out with fishing poles and tackle from Uncle Russell—he said it was all right for the girls to use them—and headed to the place where they had picnicked before. Savannah was excited.
“Nobody ever goes fishing with me,” she said. “Dad used to take Annabelle and Elijah when they were younger, but he stopped doing it. He said it hurt his back sitting out in a boat or on a rock.”
“I wish Uncle Russell could do something about his back,” Maria said. “It sounds like it bothers him a lot.”
“Well, he has a chiropractor,” Savannah said. “But he thinks he just hurt his back doing too much ranch work.”
That was probably another reason Uncle Russell wanted to sell the ranch. He probably didn’t want to be stuck doing ranch work for the rest of his life.
It was good no big family decisions had come up since Grandma Austin offered Maria a share in the ranch, because she didn’t know what she would say.
If the family voted on something, she’d have to decide whether to give up her share—and not have a say in what happened—or to accept her share and stay out here.
She couldn’t do that to Dad and Grandma.
But it was going to be awkward refusing the share of the ranch, and it might solidify the rift that had started twenty-some years ago.
In refusing any part of the ranch, Maria would cut herself off from the Austins.
No matter what she chose, it wasn’t going to be fun.
The girls were on their way up to the hills when Savannah pointed into the distance. “What’s going on there?” she asked. “Is that smoke?”
It did look like a curl of dark smoke. “Do you think we ought to call the fire department?”
“No, we’d better call Tim,” Savannah said. “He’ll know what to do.”
Maria still didn’t have Tim’s number somehow, but thankfully Savannah did. She dialed the number while Maria strained her eyes looking toward whatever was burning, hidden behind a rise. What was out there, anyway? Maybe it was a grass fire. Hopefully it wouldn’t spread any farther.
The fire department was far away, and Maria had heard that wildfires spread rapidly. It would be horrible for a place as beautiful as the Rocker A to go up in flames. If the fire was still small, maybe Maria could do something with a bucket of water.
“He’s not answering,” Savannah said. “Let’s call my dad.”
“You call him,” Maria said. “I’m gonna go over there.”
“Maria, no.” Savannah blocked her way, hands on her hips. “What if there’s a big fire? What if you can’t get away in time?”
“I’ll be fine.” Maria put a firm hand on Savannah’s shoulder. “I’m not gonna get too close. You stay here. I’ll take the bait bucket with some water.”
She lugged a full bucket of water from the creek to the ATV and set off, driving at the quickest speed she could without bouncing the water bucket off the back. It was definitely smoke coming from behind that hill. But what was causing the smoke?
She crested the hill and instantly got her answer. A small shed was blazing from top to bottom. Her little bucket of water wouldn’t do anything. Was this more sabotage? She glanced around the area for clues.
Wait, was that someone behind a tree? It was. Some guy she didn’t know, with a bandanna tied around his face. Adrenaline pumped through her, and she felt short of breath. What should she do? He wasn’t looking her way, but he could any minute.
Maria shut off the ATV, jumped out, and flattened herself on the ground, the sharp grass biting into her. Maybe the guy hadn’t heard her over the noise of the fire. She had to get hold of somebody. This guy could set fire to more things. He had to be the saboteur.
Maybe she should run and call for help. Her little bucket of water wouldn’t put out the shed, and she couldn’t tangle with an outlaw, even if she was armed (which she wasn’t).
Better take a picture to show Tim and get out of there. Maria pulled out her phone. Rolling to a sitting position, her shaking hands fumbling with the touchscreen, she got a picture of the guy and the burning shed. But as she did, the guy turned around and saw her. He shouted.
Maybe he had a gun. Maybe he had backup someplace.
Arsonists might not stop at anything. Maria jumped up, caught her foot on a tussock, and stumbled, knocking her glasses off.
She didn’t stop to see where they had fallen.
She jumped into the ATV, started it, and roared out of there just as the man ran up the hill behind her.
She crouched low in the ATV. Better not make herself a target for bullets.
Not that she could see now whether the man had a gun.
Maria was near-sighted enough that everything around her was a blur.
Her stupid glasses! Why did they have to fall off?
She’d have to come back for her glasses later.
But right now she just wanted to get distance between her and the guy.
Going at the ATV’s top speed, Maria fumbled with her phone. She’d better call Uncle Russell. But his line was busy. She couldn’t stop to send a text. Hopefully Savannah was telling him about the fire, and he’d get somebody to come, even if it was only the fire station.
Someone loomed up in the distance on a dark horse. Maria squinted, but couldn’t see the person clearly. Maybe it was another outlaw. Now she had somebody behind her and somebody ahead of her. Just great. Maybe she was dead. Maria steered away from the newcomer.
A male voice shouted. “Maria, wait!”
The voice was deep and compelling. And how would the outlaws know her name? Maria slowed.