Читать книгу The Rancher's Reunion - Tina Radcliffe - Страница 11

Will sat in the rocking chair with one boot propped on the railing and the other on the porch.

Alone with the stars. The time of day he liked best. It was quiet enough to hear an occasional car out on the service road a mile away. The soft night breeze brought only a rustle from the trees and a whinny from the stable.

He used to come out here at night mad and frustrated, trying to make sense of life. Now, after years of tangling with his demons, he’d finally found an uncertain peace. He imagined his father sitting in the same beat-up rocker and coming to similar conclusions.

Seeing Annie again brought all the conflicting thoughts back. Vibrant and alive, she had a future that was hers to take.

For only brief seconds did he despair his own destiny. Then he pushed the negative thoughts away. He wouldn’t allow them to control his life ever again.

He’d gone to the wall and back with God on this.

Huntington’s.

There was a fifty-fifty chance he had the disease that slowly destroyed his father.

A mere toss of the coin.

Those odds were what had kept him awake at night when he was younger. He’d been haunted day and night after his father’s death. Every tremor, every stumbled step reminded Will of the deterioration that forced his father into a wheelchair and then to the bed that became his final prison.

Huntington’s was the Sullivan family secret. Only Rose knew, and she’d honored Will’s privacy.

The first time they’d discussed the subject she’d begged him to be tested.

He couldn’t do that, even for Rose.

If he was negative, sure, the anxiety would be over. But if he was positive, he’d spend every moment of every day anticipating symptoms, seeing even more demons around every corner.

There was no medical advantage to being tested. A positive test result couldn’t tell when he’d actually develop the disease or to what degree. It only meant he was positive for the gene. There would be even more unanswered questions. Another can of worms to deal with.

It was about the time Annie left he realized he had two choices: walk away from God or walk with Him. He’d chosen the latter, knowing there was no way he could make this journey alone.

Will planned to savor each day, appreciating what was set before him. He had the ranch and his friends. Life was pretty darn good. Yes, his was an uncertain peace. But peace, nonetheless.

On his terms.

Just the way he liked things.

He stared out at the land. Even in the darkness he recognized every landmark on the property, from the maple trees in front of the house to the horse barn rising to the right, to the silhouette of the peach orchard far to the north.

Sullivan Ranch. His legacy.

But could he hold on to that legacy?

Will’s ears perked at a sound from in the house. He stopped the easy motion of the chair and listened. The screen creaked and pushed open.

He tipped back his head to look.

Annie wore Rose’s plaid flannel robe, twisted, with the collar tucked in. Her hair stood up around her head, like some sort of wayward angel.

“Who’ve you been wrestling?”

“That silly bed, of course. It has more lumps than I remembered.”

“Hey, princess, Rose replaced that mattress as soon as she found out you were coming back.”

“Really? Then I guess I have more lumps than I remembered.” She rubbed her hip.

He chuckled and got to his feet. “Here, sit down.” As she limped past he pulled out the collar of her robe. “You look like you stuck your finger in a light socket.”

“Flatterer.” With nimble fingers she smoothed down her hair and pushed the strands away from her face.

“What are you doing up, Will?”

“A lot on my mind.”

“Me, too.” Easing into the chair, she glanced at him, dark eyes sparkling with mischief. “I guess it’s a bit early for breakfast.”

“A bit.” He glanced at the luminous dial of his watch, then gave her a wink. “But not too early for a midnight snack.”

“Blackberry pie.” They said the words together and laughed.

Will stood. “What do you want to drink?”

“Milk,” she said, using her good leg to gently rock the chair. “And thanks so much, Will.”

He returned moments later, their snacks on a tray, which he set on the rail of the porch. “You know, it’s getting mighty annoying the way you thank me for every single thing.”

“But.” She swallowed hard and blinked furiously. “I mean, it’s not like I live here anymore. I don’t want to mess up your schedule and be a bother.”

So that was what this was all about.

“Annie, we’re your family. This is your home.”

“No.” She reached out a hand to touch his arm and he stepped back.

Annie cleared her throat. “I’m—I’m grateful you and Rose took me in. You certainly didn’t need another mouth to feed, and I’m so appreciative that you put up with me all those years. But, Will, Sullivan Ranch is your home. Not mine.”

“I don’t want your gratitude.” He paused and stared at her. Understanding suddenly broke through the emotions crowding his mind. “Is that why you didn’t come back after college?”

“I did come back.”

“For less than a year.”

She clasped and unclasped her hands.

“Why did you go to Kenya?” He wanted to understand. Needed to understand.

“I had to find my own life, my own place in this world. I honestly felt called to medical missions. Besides, I was itching to get out and see the world.” She tightened the belt on the robe. “They needed me over there, and there wasn’t a good reason not to stay.”

“Even though the situation was tense?” He ran his fingers through his hair. The thought of Annie putting herself at risk chilled him through and through.

“It wasn’t really. Not at first. When they attacked the clinic—” She hitched in a breath. “For the first time in my life I was faced with my own mortality. I realized I might never see the ranch again. The next thing I knew, the embassy was pulling us out. I wasn’t sure where I would go.” She met his gaze. “The timing. Your phone call.”

“You wouldn’t have called?” He turned away and stared out into the night, frozen for a moment by the shock delivered by the truth.

“I know none of this makes any sense to you, Will.”

He shook his head and glanced down at her. “Sure it does. Finally everything is making sense. And I could wring your neck.”

“Good,” she interrupted. “Then nothing’s changed, because you’re always wanting to wring my neck.” She smiled sweetly.

He refused to give in to her humor. Instead, he demanded, “How could you question where you would go?”

She shrugged and bit her lip. “I’m sorry, but the longer I stayed away the harder it was to come back.”

Crouching down, he took her hands in his. They were small and soft, the skin chilled. “Tell me what happened.”

Taking a large breath, she stared ahead, her gaze a million miles away. “I can’t. I wish I could but I seem to have blocked it out. Sometimes at night it starts to come back to me and then—” her gaze connected with his “—nothing. I don’t think I’m ready to remember anything but what they’ve told me.”

Will shook his head.

Annie’s gaze shifted and she stared over his shoulder. “Look,” she said. “The moon.”

He glanced behind him. Sure enough, it was a full moon, unusually bright with a luminescent glow.

“And the way those stars are scattered across the sky,” Annie said. “It’s like diamonds on velvet.”

“I don’t think I could ever leave this place,” he said, leaning against the rail.

“You don’t have to,” she whispered.

Annie scrunched the pillow over her face to block out the annoying sunlight streaming through the lace curtains. At some point in the night her body finally adjusted, and gave in to the luxury of a mattress over the familiar cot she’d been sleeping on for the past two years. She ushered a thank-you to God for the few hours of real rest she’d gotten last night.

A yelp of pain escaped when she sat up. Her leg was painfully stiff from being in the same position so long. The stitches pulled against her skin. She ran a hand over the area. Thankfully, it remained cool to her touch, with no signs of infection peeking out from the gauze. Today she’d remove the dressing and let the incision air.

Annie glanced around. Her room. Except for dusting, everything had remained untouched. When the breeze from the open window whispered past, she could smell the familiar fragrance of lavender mingled with furniture polish. Rose had tucked handmade lavender sachets into every drawer.

The bedroom truly was the only substantial thing Annie had ever called her own. Of course it wasn’t really hers. But a young girl could pretend it was her very own room and pretend she had a real family.

The small space had been a nondescript guest room when Annie had arrived. Over the next year or two Rose had very quietly transformed everything, enjoying every minute of painting the walls, sewing the curtains and picking out colors for a quilt.

Annie fingered the soft, gently worn fabric of the hand-pieced and machine-sewn quilt. “Around The World,” Rose called the pattern. Colors of peach and cream blended together into a soothing patchwork design, with a pale green border.

Around the world. Well, she had certainly done that. All her life, it seemed. She had traveled from town to town with her gypsy mother until being brought to the ranch to stay with Rose.

Why Rose? She’d often asked the question during those first years, trying to make sense of everything.

“Your mother and I were neighbors when we were children. We grew up together. She spent a lot of time at my house,” Rose explained.

“But what about my grandparents?” Annie asked.

“Leanne always told me her papa was in the navy and her momma was restless.”

“Restless.” Annie said the words aloud to the empty room. Was that her legacy? Restless.

As promised, Leanne returned six months later, once she and her husband were settled. When her new stepfather began to take notice of Annie, Leanne was quick to return her daughter to the ranch with the necessary papers for Rose to share guardianship.

Annie wondered if Rose had heard from her mother recently. While Leanne sent the occasional birthday card, the last real contact had been a quick, unexpected phone call when Annie turned seventeen, to let her know her mother was again divorced. At the time Annie feared Leanne would come and take her away. But no, she was headed to California to follow a “get rich quick” scheme.

Wiggling her toes and stretching her arms, Annie reached for the flannel robe she’d tossed on the end of the four-poster bed. Frustrating as it was, she would have to use the cane until her leg limbered up.

Her stomach growled, and she was both surprised and thankful. It seemed her appetite was back with a vengeance. Coffee and more pie sounded like a wonderful way to start the day. With any luck, Will hadn’t already finished off both.

She fished in her tapestry bags for her hairbrush then headed for the private bathroom, throwing water on her face and brushing her teeth, before grabbing the cane. Voices reached her as she hobbled carefully down the oak floor of the hallway.

Annie paused in the kitchen entry and discovered there was a guest at the table. Will sat across from a sophisticated blonde in a cream linen suit who gestured in conversation.

She inched back out of the room.

“About time you got up. We were debating whether or not to wake you for dinner,” Will called. A hint of a smile played on his strong mouth.

“Dinner? What are you talking about?” She glanced at the black, wrought-iron rooster clock on the wall. Three o’clock? “I slept over twelve hours.”

“You needed that sleep,” he said.

“Apparently,” Annie admitted. “I missed church.”

“Are you kidding me?” Will laughed.

Rose pulled out a chair. “Come sit down, honey.”

“Oh, no, no.” Annie shook her head. “You have a guest. I don’t want to interrupt. Besides, I’m not dressed.”

“Don’t be silly. This is just Mrs. Reilly,” Rose said, dismissing Annie’s concerns with a wave of her hand. “Now sit yourself down.” She pulled out a chair. “I’ve got a fresh pot of coffee brewing.”

The woman seated at the table raised a perfectly arched brow at Rose’s remark.

“That sounds wonderful,” Annie admitted. She carefully lowered herself into a ladder-backed chair.

“Annie, this is Margaret Reilly,” Will said. “She and her husband, Ed, are involved in a joint venture with Sullivan Ranch.”

Annie offered the woman her hand. The blonde’s grip was strong and businesslike as her assessing gaze met Annie’s head-on. A second glance at the woman’s polished features and Annie realized Margaret was her own mother’s age.

“Call me Margaret. I’m delighted to finally meet Will’s little sister.”

Little sister? Her glance darted to Will, who had suddenly become preoccupied with the floor tile.

Well, why was she surprised? The words only verified what she knew all along.

“I understand you’re a nurse,” Margaret said. “I don’t know how you do it. That sort of work definitely has to be a calling.”

“Annie is called. Did you know she had a full-ride academic scholarship to the University of Tulsa?” Rose spoke with pride. As she talked, she filled a mug with steaming coffee and set it on the table in front of Annie.

“TU? I’m impressed. So, what are your plans now that you’re back? How long are you visiting?”

“Visiting?” Rose interrupted, her voice taking on an edge. “Why, Annie is family.”

Margaret gave a small, tight smile. “So you’ll probably be looking for a job, and I know they’re desperate for nurses in Oklahoma City. I have a colleague who is on the board of several hospitals. I’d be happy to give her your name.”

“OK City is too far,” Rose said. “They’re hiring right here in T-town.”

“I’m not really sure what I’ll do once the doctor releases me,” Annie answered. “But thank you for thinking of me.”

“Oh, yes. Will mentioned your accident. You were overseas.”

“But she’s not going back. Right, Annie?” Rose asked with concern.

Annie reached out to put her hand over Rose’s. The conversation was spiraling out of control.

Will cleared his throat.

Annie recognized the pained expression on his face as a desperate plea to change the subject.

“Have we got any fruit in the house?” he asked, with a quick glance around.

“Fruit?” Rose asked, distracted. “What on earth are you talking about? There’s fruit in the basket, where it always is.” She grabbed the willow basket off the counter and dropped it squarely in front of Will.

Margaret stood. “I must get back to the house. We’re hosting that big charity buffet tonight.” She paused to give Will her complete attention. “I can still count on you to be there, right?”

Will frowned slightly, confusion evident his face. “Tonight?” He scratched his head. “Did I know about this?”

Margaret gathered her leather clutch. “You certainly did. Ed and I both told you there will be several very important contacts for the ranch attending this party, including several well-connected young ladies that you certainly must meet.”

Margaret Reilly was pointed in her plan for matchmaking. No doubt she’d find the perfect wife.

The perfect wife for Will Sullivan.

The sharp pain of realization made Annie wince. She blinked and mindlessly lifted the coffee mug to her lips, taking a swig of the hot beverage. The immediate result burned her mouth and brought tears to her eyes. With a noise of pain she swallowed.

“You okay?” Will asked, jumping to his feet.

“Hot. Hot,” Annie sputtered.

He moved quickly to the sink, filling a glass with tap water. “Here, drink.”

She did, swishing the cool and soothing water over the inside of her scalded mouth before swallowing.

“Goodness, child. Are you all right?” Rose questioned.

Humiliated, Annie nodded. Oh, this day was starting out fine. Little sister and child, all in one brief fiasco.

“It was nice to meet you, Margaret,” Annie said, hoping to move past the awkward incident.

“My pleasure, Annie. I know we’ll see each other often. My husband, Ed, and I work very closely with Sullivan Ranch.” She turned to Will. “Don’t we, Will?”

Will gave a short nod.

“I’m sorry. What is it you do?” Annie asked.

Margaret gave a bemused smile. “Why, Ed is the CEO of KidCare.”

Annie raised a brow.

“Oh, my. You have been gone for a while.”

“KidCare is an international children’s ministry consulting firm based in Tulsa,” Will answered.

“Basically we connect and support children’s charities, ministries and youth organizations,” Margaret said.

“How does that involve Will?” Annie asked.

“Ed had several great ideas and came to me with a business plan about eighteen months ago,” Will explained. “Sullivan Ranch will be hosting events for KidCare. In return, KidCare backs the operations and promote the events.”

Annie nodded. She imagined the publicity alone was a boost for the ranch. “That sounds really exciting.”

“Oh, it is,” Margaret assured her. “Sullivan Ranch has their first big program coming up. A local denomination is holding a get-together for their junior high kids from across the Tulsa area. They’ll be camping out right here.”

“Where, here?” Annie asked.

“Right here on the ranch,” Will said. “I’ll show you around later. You won’t believe the changes. I’ve added a few cabins on the other side of the peach trees, near the Dearborne property line. There’s a campground, too.” His eyes lit up and his face, normally a mask of composure, seemed almost animated.

“Really?” Annie said. “What a terrific idea. I can’t wait for a tour.”

Margaret wrinkled her nose. “I’ll pass on the camping, but I will be coordinating the catering for the barbecue.”

Rose coughed. “I keep telling you I can handle a little barbecue,” she said, while giving the already sparkling countertops a brisk rubdown with her sponge.

“I’m certain you can, Rose,” Margaret returned. “But there will be about fifty or so campers, and I wouldn’t think of imposing upon your goodwill. Besides, there are health regulations we must adhere to.”

Rose inhaled sharply.

Ouch. Business or not, Margaret didn’t understand who ruled the culinary roost at Sullivan Ranch. Rose O’Shea did, and she’d done it single-handedly for over twenty years.

“What time is that party tonight?” Will asked, interrupting the uneasy silence.

“Seven. Of course you’ll be there early so we can take care of some KidCare business before everyone arrives,” Margaret said. She caught Will’s eye, making it very clear she expected full cooperation.

“Probably won’t make the party early,” Will finally answered Margaret, as he walked to the sink and rinsed his mug. “This is Annie’s first full day back.”

Margaret blinked with surprise. “I see. Then we’ll expect you at seven. Don’t forget a tie.”

“No, ma’am, I won’t.”

There was a strained silence before Margaret spoke again. “Ed has those brochures ready for you. They’re in the car if you’d like to collect the box now.”

Will pursed his lips, then nodded and grabbed his hat.

Margaret adjusted her jacket. When she turned to Annie, control was back in place. “I’ll see you again, Annie. We’ll plan to do lunch once you’re settled.”

Annie smiled, though somehow she just couldn’t see her and Margaret doing lunch.

“Thank you for the coffee, Rose,” Margaret added, following Will.

Rose gave a curt nod.

When they were well out of earshot, Annie rubbed her hands together. “Well, that was fun.”

“Don’t even get me started,” Rose fumed, clearing the table. “That woman thinks she can run Will, the same as she runs her husband.” Rose took a deep breath. “Now, what do you want to eat?”

Annie opened her mouth to suggest pie, but shut it quickly as Rose continued: “And don’t you dare say pie.”