Chapter 18 Taylor
“How are things going?” Alice asked, sliding into the booth across from her daughter.
Taylor shrugged and said, “Alright, I guess.”
She tried not to look around because she felt like everyone was staring at her.
“Anthony had told everyone in town that we had faked our engagement, and now had even gone as far as to insinuate that I had made the whole thing up. After all, everyone knows that I’m just the poor widow woman who wanted my ranch back. He told everyone that he figured that I had done it to scam Lane. After all, why would a handsome billionaire want to be engaged to a widowed woman like me,” Taylor said bitterly.
“Everyone knows that you two were an item way before this fake engagement happened,” Alice said. “I wouldn’t worry about it too much. It’ll blow over soon enough.”
“I guess so,” Taylor said. “I just won’t come to town for a while. Even though Lane bought the ranch and turned it over to me, right now it’s just a piece of land with a house, some barns, and corrals on it. I still have to keep working to make enough money to buy stock. I’ll just hide out on the Johnson’s ranch and avoid town for a while.”
“Poor Baby. You’ve gone through some really rough times lately, haven’t you?”
“It’s been a struggle, that’s for sure.”
“Just let ’em look,” Alice said. “If their lives are so boring that they have nothing better to do than to focus on you, then that’s on them.”
“I suppose so,” Taylor replied.
Melissa told her about the same thing on the phone that night. “Since when do you care what people think about you? Do they pay your bills?”
“True enough.”
Regardless of the support, Taylor was still embarrassed. “How am I going to show my face in church Sunday? Everyone knows my sin.”
Then, Jesus’ words popped into her mind. He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.
Even though other people’s sins weren’t public knowledge, they still owned their own sins, since no man was perfect.
That made Taylor feel a lot better.
Lane came back from the meeting the next morning.
“It looks like the bill is going to go in our favor. When I pointed out that even the environmentalists liked to eat, they decided that a lot of compromises would be possible,” Lane said. “The farmers and ranchers explained that it was hard enough to stay in business as it is. Between all the government regulations and corporate farming, independent farmers and ranchers were fighting to keep their heads above water.”
“That’s why it was good that you went,” Colton said. “You have a way of opening people’s eyes to the real issues.”
“It wasn’t just me. There were a lot of us present.”
After breakfast, Lane handed out assignments. Taylor was happy that she got range duty this time, although she had to do it alone. Sam and Robert were going to be helping to rebuild the barn. Several others in the vicinity were coming over to lend a hand.
“I’m going to be busy today trying to feed everyone,” Franny said. “But with all neighbors coming over to help without asking for anything in return, it’s the least I can do.”
Lane distractedly hugged Taylor as she walked out the door to load the truck.
He’s got a lot on his mind,Taylor told herself. He has people coming to rebuild the barn and a lot of other work to take care of. Just because he didn’t fawn all over you doesn’t mean his feelings have changed.
Even though she tried to comfort herself, a part of her wondered if he was feeling the fallout from their deception and had decided to distance himself from her.
Taylor got the first couple of pastures fed and came back in for lunch. Everyone was sitting outside at different picnic tables since there wasn’t enough room at the dining table.
Lane joked around with everyone and didn’t even look her way. She grabbed her food and sat with Franny and Della.
“I don’t know how you did it. This is absolutely delicious,” Taylor said. “I bet the pies are homemade, too.”
“They are, but I’ll tell you a secret. I made them a month ago and froze them.”
“She has all kinds of frozen goodies that she whips out for special occasions,” Della said.
“Now, don’t go giving away all my secrets,” Franny scolded.
Taylor finished her food and took her dishes into the kitchen. Lane still didn’t look her way.
He’s busy with company. Don’t overthink things,she told herself. Of course, he could at least look at me and smile, just to let me know that I’m still important to him.
A cloud of depression settled around Taylor.
“No. Not going to do this to myself,” she said.
She wiped the single tear that dripped from her eye and headed back out to the last pasture she needed to feed. Taylor noticed the same area of fence that the bull had busted down and fixed it, acknowledging that she was just trying to find a way to keep herself busy, so she didn’t have to go back and face Lane and the others.
Everyone had gone when she got back. It was about time for dinner, so she went into the house to wash up.
Lane and Rachel were standing in the middle of the living room.
“I knew that the engagement was fake. There is no way that you would marry someone like her. You know that we were meant to be together,” she said.
Rachel pulled him close to her and pressed her lips to his. He was still for a second and then put his hands on her shoulder. Taylor left, her heart shattering into a million pieces. She didn’t need to see any more.
Taylor went back to the cabin. Her appetite was gone. With tears streaming uncontrollably down her face, she called Michelle.
“Lane has been distant since he got back. I thought it was because he was distracted and busy, but I saw them together,” Taylor said. “She kissed him in the middle of the living room, and he started to put his arms around her.”
“You really think that he would get involved with someone like her?”
“I didn’t think so, but what do I know. I guess I just saw a big, hot man who was nice to me and paid some attention to me. I fell in love, knowing that I needed to put myself in check.”
“I’m so sorry,” Melissa said. “What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. The utilities aren’t on at the ranch yet. I was going to do that next week. I can stay there, though. I’ll pay to have Diablo delivered as soon as possible, and just start over.”
“Stay with me until you get everything taken care of. We’ll hang out and make a plan,” Melissa said.
“Yeah, I guess so,” Taylor said. “I’ll be there tonight.”
Taylor thought about just leaving but decided to leave a note.
Lane,
Thank you for giving me a chance as a ranch hand. Not a lot of people would have.
I can’t stay, with things being the way they are between us. It’s time for me to move on.
Please make arrangements to have Diablo delivered to the ranch as soon as possible. I will, of course, pay for transporting him. Please send me a text to let me know when he will be moved.
I wish you all the love and happiness in the world.
Taylor
She dropped the note on the table and loaded her bag into the truck. Taylor stopped by the bunkhouse on her way out to talk to Robert and Sam.
“Things have just got to be too much for me here. You guys have been great, but I need to go,” Taylor said.
“You’re one of us,” Robert said. “You can’t leave.”
“I don’t want to, but between the gossip going around and… and well some other things going on, I can’t stay. I hope you guys will visit when I get my ranch up and running, and we’ll have drinks before then. You have my number.”
“I’ll miss you,” Sam said.
“I’ll miss you too. Will you take care of my horse for me until we can get him to my ranch?”
“You know we will,” Sam said. “He’ll be so spoiled that he won’t want to leave.”
“Thank you,” Taylor said and quickly left before they could see the tears in her eyes.
She stopped by Diablo’s stall and wrapped her arms around the horse. “I have to go for a few days, but we’ll be back together again soon. I love you, so much.”
Taylor hugged her horse for a while, crying against his neck. Then, with a kiss on his nose, she left.