Seeking Home, page 5
part #1 of Family Bonds Series
Jennie released a heavy sigh. “I feel like I should apologize for the state of the ranch.”
“No. Please don’t say that,” Sabine said, regret washing over her at her own negative comments. “I’m sorry I was so critical. I wasn’t implying—”
“I know what you were saying,” Jennie broke in, raising her hand to stop Sabine’s apologies. “And you are right. This ranch needs work, and I’m glad you’re taking care of it. One thing I should mention, in case you didn’t see it, was the hip-roof barn should be taken down.”
“What? No,” Olivia put in, looking up. “I love that barn.”
“I wouldn’t go inside,” Jennie said. “It’s an old building that’s seen many better years. It would cost a lot to fix it up.”
“Who built it Mrs. Bond?” Olivia asked, wiping her hands on her pants, spreading crumbs all over them. She wasn’t looking her way, so Sabine couldn’t reprimand her.
“Please, you can call me Nana Bond. Mrs. Bond sounds so formal.”
“Thank you. I will,” Olivia said, beaming.
“As for the barn, it was built by my husband’s great-grandfather, August Bond. When it went up it was one of the largest barns in the community. He was considered quite a progressive at the time. When the old road to Rockyview ran right past this ranch. At one time it was a stopping point on one of the many ways to get north to Edmonton and from there to the Klondike, but that was many, many years ago and only for a little while.”
“How many generations have lived here?” Sabine asked, curious to hear more about the history of the ranch. Her own grandfather had emigrated from Poland before the war, taking his money with him. He had purchased their place, and her father had managed to lose it.
Jennie pursed her lips, as if thinking. “Six, I believe, depending on where you start and end. August Bond settled here in the late 1800s.”
“Wow. That’s a long history.”
Jennie nodded, looking pensive. “Yes. It’s a rich heritage. Lots of stories around here.”
And, like many places had, it was changing hands, losing its heritage and its history.
“What kind of stories?” Olivia asked, getting up and dropping into the chair beside Jennie.
“Too many to even start,” she said.
“Can you please tell me one?” Olivia put on her most winning smile.
“Maybe Mrs. Bond doesn’t want to tell any of the stories,” Sabine put in, wondering if going back in time would remind Jennie of what she was losing.
“I don’t mind,” Jennie said, giving the porch swing she was in a push with her toe. “I could start at the beginning. With the story of August Bond. That was always my favorite.”
“That would be cool,” Olivia put in, leaning forward as if in anticipation.
But just as Jennie was about to speak, the sound of a truck engine coming up the drive broke into the moment.
They all turned to see who it was, and as the dark blue truck came into view, Sabine felt a surprising surge of anger.
Why was Tanner back? He’d seemed so eager to leave yesterday afternoon. Besides, he’d told her someone named Joe would come and help her out.
But despite her annoyance with him, behind and below came that an undesired attraction as he stepped out of the truck. He looked like an advertisement in a cowboy magazine. Tall, lean legs, broad shoulders. Blue jeans faded just the right amount, white shirt rolled up at the cuffs, his cowboy hat shading his rugged features, his thick hair curling out from beneath it.
Sabine clenched her fists as if trying to restrain her reaction to him. She wasn’t allowing herself those emotions. They were overrated and too hard. She wasn’t going down that road again. She sent up a quick prayer for wisdom, for strength, trusting that the God who brought her through all the disappointments in her life would help her now.
As Tanner strode up the sidewalk toward them, his eyes shifted from his grandmother to her, then Olivia. Sabine again caught the flicker of some unnamed emotion in his gaze that created an uneasy curl of reaction.
“Tanner, did you forget something?” Jennie asked as he walked up the steps to the verandah.
“No, I didn’t. The guy we were supposed to be dealing with postponed the meetings for this entire week.”
“So you can stick around the ranch,” Jennie said, pressing her hands together in a gesture of gratitude. “That means you can show Sabine around after all.”
He paused, as if unsure of this turn of events, then shrugged. “No. I didn’t figure on that.” He leaned back against the railing of the verandah, his arms crossed over his chest.
He looked defensive and didn’t seem happy about the idea of helping Sabine out.
“I’m sure I can manage on my own,” Sabine returned, her reply more bravado than confidence in her abilities or knowledge.
She had no idea where the pastures were. Where the fence lines were located. She wanted to buy some cows and had checked through the local paper before she came to see if there were any herd dispersals, but she wasn’t sure who to trust and had hoped Tanner could help her.
But she was still annoyed at how he had left her hanging out to dry, so to speak.
“Did Joe come yet?” Tanner asked Sabine.
“No, he didn’t.”
“He was supposed to come this morning.” Tanner sounded annoyed.
“Are you talking about Joe Grimes?” his grandmother asked, sounding both annoyed and surprised. “Why did you expect him to show up? When he was working here he wasn’t dependable, and even when he went to the Tye ranch to help out Zach after his accident, he only showed up when it was convenient for him.”
“I had asked him because he knows the place. He said he was willing to help out.” Tanner blew out a frustrated breath.
“At the risk of sounding like a know-it-all, I’ll tell you that you should have known better where Joe is concerned. I heard Zach say Joe is like winter,” Jennie said. “He’ll come, you just never know when.”
Despite the tension that seemed to hum off Tanner, he eked out a smile. “I guess you’re right. I shouldn’t have figured on him to be dependable.” He glanced over at Sabine. “I wasn’t leaving you totally in the lurch. That’s why I told you I would get Joe to come. But I forgot how irresponsible he can be. I’m sorry about that.”
His apology caught her off guard, as did his careful smile. It made his eyes crinkle up just enough to soften his austere features. As well, it created an appealing dimple in one stubbled cheek.
Sabine returned his smile, let his appeal soften her frustration with him.
But then, once again, as he looked over at Olivia, his smile faded.
She should say no, Sabine thought, after his reaction to Olivia again. Take her chances with the elusive Joe.
But the thought of being left hanging didn’t appeal either.
“I think this will work out just fine,” Jennie put in, sounding a lot more enthusiastic about the situation then either Tanner or Sabine seemed to be. “No one knows the ranch like Tanner, and he can help you out as you get things set up.”
Tanner didn’t look crazy about the idea, but Sabine was stuck.
“That would be nice,” she said, her tone firm, determined not to back off. Though from the look on his face, he thought it would be anything but nice.
She had no choice, however.
“Okay, then,” Tanner said, pushing himself away, blowing out a sigh of resignation. “When do you want to start?”
“I have to go to the bank to sign the final papers for the operating loan tomorrow,” Sabine said. “So, we could do it on Thursday.”
“Okay. Meantime, I can show you the ranch on Google Earth. That will give you an overview.”
“Thanks. That’ll be great.”
She forced a smile as she hoped and prayed this would work out.
Because right now it seemed that things were out of her hands.
Chapter 4
“This fence line will probably need checking,” Tanner said, pointing with his pencil to the computer screen.
Thankfully, Google Earth had been updated since he worked the ranch. It was easier to see the fence lines, but it was also easy to see where they had gotten overgrown.
It took so little time for the buckbrush to take over, he thought, struggling with yet another wave of guilt.
He should have spent some time here fixing things when he was on his downtime.
Trouble was, he usually only had four days off during his shifts, which was only enough time to come down, visit his grandmother, and then head back up to the jobsite again.
“I rented the land to Zach Tye for a couple of years, but I don’t think they used this pasture at all, so I have no idea what the fence lines are like,” he continued.
Sabine was sitting beside him, frowning at the computer screen, jotting down some notes on a memo pad she had brought over from the cabin.
“Are you using three- or four-strand barbed wire?” she asked, surprising him with her question.
“I was using four-strand, given how remote those pastures are.”
“Sounds like they haven’t been overgrazed?” Sabine noted.
“Not at all.”
She made a few more notations. He tried not to glance down to see what she was writing. It was none of his business, but he was curious as to what she thought worthy of taking notes on.
They’d been sitting at the computer screen for the past half hour and she had asked some insightful questions. She seemed to know what she was talking about.
Thankfully, his grandmother had taken Olivia to go find the elusive cat. All the way back from Calgary he had steeled himself to see the little girl again, had gone endlessly over his reasons to stay away. To find a way through a situation he couldn’t avoid.
Seeing Olivia again had created an unwelcome pain, and he kept telling himself that it was only for a week or so and then he could leave.
He just hoped and prayed that Jennings got his act together so he could move on.
“So this is an elemental question that no one has been able to answer for me,” Sabine said, tapping her pencil on the notepad. “How many cattle can the ranch handle?”
Tanner leaned back in his office chair, swiveling as he considered her question.
“It has depended, of course, on weather and the ability to put up hay, but I know the ranch handled about three hundred cow-calf pairs for a number of years. I know my grandfather, at one time, also kept back a number of steers to feed out on grass, but I’d have to go back into the records to check that. That was when I was younger.”
Sabine released a low whistle. “That’s a lot of animals to put hay up for.”
“Yup.”
“How did you and your grandfather manage that?”
“I was younger at the time, but he had a couple of hired hands. Then my grandfather died and I was too young to take over. We had to sell the cows after cattle prices tanked, so that didn’t go well. As well, we had to rent the ranch out, but that doesn’t pay the bills like running it yourself. My grandmother insisted that Garret and I finish school, so that’s what we did. When we graduated, Garret didn’t want to stick around the ranch, so he worked at the sawmill, saving up what money he could. I took a job up north that paid well. I put my head down, saved every penny, and came back to start ranching when I was about twenty. Nana Bond kept the money from the sale of the cows in a term deposit and loaned it to me at a low-interest rate to give me a good start.” He stopped, releasing a light laugh. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to talk your ear off. Just wanted you to know that this place can make a decent living for you. If you know what you’re doing.”
“If?” she asked, her tone terse.
“Sorry. Just talk.” She was kind of prickly about her situation, and he couldn’t really blame her. He knew of no other single mother who owned a ranch and ran it herself. “Also, I don’t know if Floyd here in town or your own real estate agent told you,” he continued, “there is a potential for subdivision on a house...a house down the road.”
“The unfinished house?” she asked.
“Yes. That’s the one.”
“I was looking at the books your accountant gave me. There seemed to be a lot of large disbursements marked as personal. Were they for that house?”
“Yes. They were.” He couldn’t help his own tight reply. The house had been such a flashpoint in so many ways. He didn’t want to revisit it with Sabine.
Sabine nodded, glancing down at her phone, pulling something up. “Because it seems to me the ranch would be more profitable if you hadn’t had to make them.” She looked up, and she must have caught the look of resentment on his face. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to be critical of your...your choices. It’s just I needed to know what decisions affected the income flow and how. Whether the disbursements are personal or farm related. So I could make accurate and informed deductions on how much money the ranch would make.” Her voice faded away, probably because she realized how negative her comments might sound.
“And the house had a large impact on that, you’re saying.”
“Again, I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to imply anything.”
Tanner sighed, waving off her apology. “Please, don’t apologize. You were purchasing a business. You have every right to go over all the purchases it makes and draw your own conclusions.”
“Who was building it?”
“I was. It was for...” He stopped talking and swallowed, gripping the mouse so hard the cursor jumped. He took a breath, lowering his hand. “It was for my family,” he continued.
“Family?” She seemed confused, and he realized she might not know the entire story.
Floyd had only been here awhile and it was possible Pete, his boss, hadn’t filled him in completely.
“Was for your family?” She emphasized the first word.
Tanner clenched his jaw, staring at the computer screen, not looking at it. “Dana and...Paulette...” he managed.
His voice wavered and he pushed his chair away from the desk, surging to his feet. “Sorry. I need to...to leave. Make a phone call.” It was a lame excuse, but right now he needed to get out of here.
Were Dana and Paulette the family he referred to?
Sabine watched him go, suspecting the phone call was a cover, struggling with her own confusion.
She left the office as well, sensing nothing more would happen today. And as she walked through the house to the front door, she caught a glimpse of his truck leaving. Again. She stepped out onto the porch in time to see a plume of dust following him down the driveway. Guess he needed to be away from the ranch to make said phone call.
Jennie and Olivia were watching him leave as they walked toward the house, looking as puzzled as Sabine felt minus the annoyance that threaded through her.
“Where is Tanner going?” Jennie asked as they came up the sidewalk to the porch.
“I don’t know.” Sabine dragged her hair back from her face, confusion vying with frustration. “I was asking him about the unfinished house and he said something about Dana and Paulette then suddenly made some excuse to leave.”
Jennie slowly lowered herself into her chair and glanced at Olivia, who sat cross-legged on the deck, twirling a dandelion she must have picked from somewhere on the ranch.
“Even after three years,” she said, her tone mournful.
Sabine guessed there was more to her comment. “So who are Dana and Paulette?” she asked.
“It’s...it’s a hard story.” Jennie sighed, and Sabine felt a shiver tingle her spine.
Then Jennie glanced over at Olivia, who was watching them both, her eyes bright.
“Does it have a happy ending?” Olivia’s eyes flicked from Sabine to Jennie as she continued twirling the flower.
Jennie bit her lip, not saying anything, and Olivia sighed.
“You look sad, so I think it doesn’t.” Olivia jumped to her feet, tossing the dandelion into the flower beds. “Maybe I should try again to find that cat in the barn, and you can talk.”
Sabine was torn, not sure what to do or say, but then Jennie nodded. “Yes. That might be a good idea. But make sure you stay on the bottom floor. The second floor isn’t safe.”
“I will.” Olivia hopped down the stairs of the deck then skipped across the yard, obviously happy to be doing some exploring.
Sabine waited until she was out of earshot then turned to Jennie and caught her watching Olivia with a melancholy expression.
“You know, she’s the same age as Paulette was when she died,” Jennie said.
Her last word was like the harsh clang of metal on metal. Discordant and dissonant.
Sabine waited a moment. “I’m so sorry to hear that,” she said.
Jennie twisted her hands around each other, her eyes staring across the yard, as if going back in time. “It happened three years ago. Close to the ranch.” She swallowed then looked over at Sabine, giving her a careful smile. “Dana was...struggling.” Jennie hesitated, and Sabine sensed another story behind the hesitation and her word choice. But she kept quiet, allowing the older woman to find her way through the story.
“It was winter and she was getting depressed. Growing angrier. Dana had been going more frequently to see her parents in Calgary. After one especially long visit, she went to see Tanner at the house he was building for them. All I know is she came back here, furious, packed up a couple of suitcases, grabbed Paulette, and took off. Next thing I knew...” Her voice broke, and Sabine leaned closer, putting her hand on Jennie’s arm, guessing where this was going.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” she said, her voice quiet.
Jennie shook her head. “No. It’s okay. It’s like I need to tell the story. Maybe to find a reason for it all.” She drew in another breath, as if fortifying herself for the next part. “She took off. It was late winter, the roads were still covered in snow. She must have been driving recklessly. But her car went over a bank of the river. She broke through the ice and the car was swept away underneath it.” She stopped, pulling in a long, shaky breath. “Tanner was inconsolable. He kept saying it was his fault. He should have reasoned with her. Should have told her not to go.” Jennie was quiet for a moment, shaking her head. “Though no one ever was able to tell Dana what to do. Girl was stubborn and determined.” She lifted her hand, swiping the air between them, erasing the words. “I’m sorry. That was unnecessary. I shouldn’t have said that.”
