Last Chance Texas, page 5
As the two of them neared the tiny, adobe farmhouse, she marveled at the simplicity of it. Out here people didn’t landscape much. Except for several cacti haphazardly sprinkled about, there was little more than clay soil dotted with an occasional blade of grass. The snow had melted now, but she suspected even with a white blanket spread across the landscape, it would look pretty barren.
They’d barely gotten the truck parked when two small children came bounding off the front steps of the house. “It’s da hoesey doctaw,” one of them shouted, rushing up to meet them.
Nathan helped her out of the truck, and as they walked toward the children, he leaned down, whispering, “Tommy has a speech problem. He’s really a great kid.”
It was difficult not to be impressed with the way he jumped to the boy’s defense, much the way a parent might.
“Not a big deal. He’ll probably outgrow it. I had trouble with the ‘TH’ sound when I was a kid, too.” After she said it, Nathan grinned.
“That’s what I told him. The part about him growing out of it, I mean.”
Although Kelsey thought both children were adorable, it was the girl who really caught her eye. The tiny blonde stood silently, her lips pressed together as though she wanted to speak but didn’t quite know what to say.
Caitlyn’s direct opposite. That was for sure.
Nathan appeared to notice her discomfort and quickly stepped toward her. “Hey, Sweet Pea. How’s it going?”
The comment got a smile out of her. Moving closer to Nathan, she finally said something. “Hi, Mr. Nathan. Grandma’s in the kitchen making you coffee. She said she’ll meet us in the barn. She’s going to surprise you and bring the coffee out to you.”
“Great! I love surprises!” Nathan’s baritone voice rumbled with laughter as he spoke, and Kelsey realized the girl’s comment amused him. Rather than tell the child outright that she’d spilled the beans, and that the coffee would no longer be a surprise, he chose to appear grateful and just leave it at that.
The girl quickly slapped her hand over her mouth, a sheepish expression on her face. “Oops. I wasn’t supposed to tell.” Kelsey and Nathan laughed in unison as the girl’s face turned a deep shade of red.
But Nathan quickly came to her rescue. Again. “It’ll be our little secret then. Thank you, Jessica. That’s awfully nice of your grandma.”
When he patted the little girl’s shoulder, she shrugged, as though uncomfortable from all the attention.
Kelsey stared at the array of rusted out toys strewn about the yard. She studied the Randall place intently, and when her eyes made their way to the dilapidated house, layers of paint peeling from it, she felt her eyes narrow.
“Warren hasn’t gotten around to painting the place yet.”
Touching Kelsey’s elbow, he guided her closer to the children and began introductions. “Tommy, Jessica, I’d like you to meet Ms. Kelsey. She’s a friend of mine and came to help me. Can you say hello?”
“Hello,” the girl whispered, her voice trailing as she looked away.
“Hi.” The young boy beamed from ear to ear as he greeted her.
“Nathan tells me you have horses. I’d love to see them.” Kelsey looked down at them both, waiting for a reply. When the little girl began walking toward the barn, Kelsey followed.
Within seconds, she heard the sound of hurried footsteps behind her. She turned around to see Nathan galloping down the path with Tommy hoisted up on his shoulders. Turning back around, Kelsey proceeded toward the barn, slowly enough to let Nathan pass her. When he did, he hollered, “Last one there’s a rotten egg.”
When was the last time she’d heard that?
A minute after they’d gotten to the barn, the children’s grandmother showed up and handed them two mugs of steaming coffee. “Thought you could use these. Here’s some cream if you need it. I make it pretty strong.”
Nathan mouthed the words real strong and Kelsey smiled.
“Didn’t know you had an assistant, Nathan.” The woman’s blue eyes twinkled as though she might be teasing him. Between the lady named Grace at the chuckwagon, and this one, Kelsey suspected half the town’s women appeared to make it their business to involve themselves in Nathan’s personal life.
Nathan introduced the two of them. “Irene, I’d like you to meet Kelsey Malone. Kelsey, meet Irene Randall.” His tone was formal now, and Kelsey wondered whether or not he thought Irene to be questioning the relationship between the two of them.
“She’s not a doctaw,” Tommy replied, as though he considered himself the expert. “She’s his goufwend.”
When Kelsey noticed the muscles in Nathan’s neck tightening, she looked down, hoping he couldn’t see her grinning.
Making his way toward one of the stalls, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a large, plastic tube. Kelsey stared at it, trying to imagine how large the needle inside it was.
“Hold this for me, will you?” When he thrust the container into Kelsey’s hand, she took it.
“Sure.”
“I’ll take a look at the mare first.” He was all business as he reached for the horse’s halter. Grabbing the nylon rope, he moved the mare toward him. When he pried open her mouth, she offered no resistance. “Hmm . . . looks fine.”
Kelsey found it amusing that Nathan never corrected Tommy’s comment about her being his girlfriend.
She watched him kneel down, lifting up the horse’s feet, one at a time, examining them thoroughly. As horses went, this one looked fairly tall-probably sixteen hands or so. But Nathan seemed undaunted by her size and looked completely in charge of the situation.
It was difficult not to admire a man who seemed so engaged in his work, so perfectly suited to the task. His manner was firm but gentle as he moved his hands over the horse’s coat.
Had the two of them met under different circumstances, she’d have considered trusting her instincts and give this guy a fighting chance. But she’d already made up her mind about the in vitro. And she suspected telling a guy you were about to be artificially inseminated wasn’t exactly a turn on.
She needed to keep her eye on the mark. In vitro was expensive. But, with any luck, within a year’s time her dream of having a baby would finally come true.
The sound of Nathan’s deep, baritone voice startled her, jolting her back to reality. He stood inside one of the stalls, his hand resting on the mane of a chestnut mare. When he glanced around at several of the other stalls, his eyes clouded.
“Probably time to have their shoes done again. How long has it been?”
When Irene shook her head, he frowned.
“You can’t wait on this, Irene. The horse’ll go lame.”
Bending over, he pulled up one of the mare’s legs, and exposed a hoof. “I’m sending the farrier out next week.”
“But—”
“No, buts about it. You hear me? I’ll arrange it. You just be here when he shows up.” Nathan definitely wasn’t going to take no for an answer. He was frowning now, his gray eyes looking directly into Irene’s.
When he stood up, his thigh muscles shifted and Kelsey felt herself staring at him. If he noticed, he didn’t let on.
“Can we wait on some of the shots, Doc? I can’t really afford ‘em all. Which ones do you think we should do first?” Irene Randall didn’t mince words as she began prioritizing the animal’s veterinary care.
“Now, Irene. I thought we weren’t going to argue about money. Flash needs all of her shots, and I intend to give them to her. I’ve told you before you’re to pay me when you can.”
Kelsey decided Nathan was born a century too late. He reminded her of those Lifetime movies she watched about country doctors who administered services to their patients in exchange for a sheep or chicken.
Reaching over, he retrieved the vial of medicine from Kelsey’s hand. Before Irene could protest, he rubbed the animal’s neck and began guiding the needle into the animal’s thick muscle. He spoke in hushed tones to the horse as he worked deftly.
Within seconds, he’d finished. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out one of the carrots he’d brought with him and rewarded the horse. Stuffing the plastic tube back into his pocket, he quickly backed away.
“I’m going to put my stuff in the truck. I’ll be back in a minute. I’m sure you two women will find something to talk about.” There was that glint in his eye again. And then he left.
Kelsey had barely met this woman and now Nathan was leaving her to carry on a conversation with her. Either he thought she could handle Irene Randall, or he was enjoying watching Kelsey squirm.
“Thanks for the coffee. It was very gracious of you to bring it out here.” Kelsey prided herself on beginning their conversation with a compliment.
“Haven’t seen you take a swig. You don’t go for that city-slicker decaf crap, do you?” Irene stared at her, motioning her to drink the java.
“Oh, no . . .” Kelsey struggled for just the right words, just the right thing to say to convince Irene Randall that no one made coffee like hers. “No frills, that’s what I always say. Nothing fancy-just plain, good old fashioned coffee like my mother always made.”
For some crazy reason a tune from the Chock Full of Nuts coffee ad with a woman donning an apron popped into her head.
Just good old fashioned coffee. I think not.
While she definitely loved the upscale coffee shops scattered about the Dallas metropolis, she’d burn in hell before confessing what a coffee whore she was to Irene Randall.
“Like I said, I got cream.” Irene reached into the pocket of her apron, retrieving several small packets of cream that looked as though they’d come from a restaurant.
When Irene moved closer, staring directly into Kelsey’s eyes, she added, “The coffee ain’t gonna drink itself.”
Taking the hint, Kelsey lifted the cup to her lips, blew on it to stall for time, and took a sip.
Aaaarrrggg.
Using every ounce of mental focus she could muster up, Kelsey forced her mouth to stop grimacing and continued drinking the coffee like any good soldier.
“Pretty good stuff, eh?” Irene beamed broadly and Kelsey decided if this was all it took to make the woman’s day, it was a small price to pay.
Kelsey continued sipping the liquid, aware Irene was studying her. Several seconds passed before the older woman spoke. When she did, she looked Kelsey squarely in the eye, as though wanting to get an accurate reading of her reaction. “Nathan’s just about the finest man there ever was. Why if I weren’t married to Warren, I’d snatch him up myself.”
“Actually, I don’t know him all that well.” When the woman gave her a surprised look, Kelsey added, “But he does seem like a nice guy.”
“Damn straight. Comes from good stock. Men like that don’t grow on trees, you know.”
The woman was a walking cliché as she doled out advice.
“You’re right. Nathan is a nice guy.” Afraid if she said anymore Irene Randall would get the wrong idea, she took another swig of the god-awful coffee and stared out the barn window.
~ ~ ~
Nathan had just finished putting his equipment back in the pickup truck when he heard Warren Randall’s oversized truck chugging down the driveway.
When it rolled to a stop, the elderly man propped open the door and greeted him. Warren appeared to be in good spirits, although the dark circles under his eyes told Nathan it’d been a long week.
“Hey, Doc. How ya doin?”
“Fine, Warren. Just fine. You?” The question was a rhetorical one because Warren was just about as predictable as they come. He was always fine and seemed to take whatever came his way in stride.
In all the years Nathan had known Warren, the silver haired man never once complained. And he and Irene had plenty to complain about. They’d lost their only child, a son named Justin, in a car accident six years earlier. Justin’s wife, Amanda has been in the car as well. She’d passed two days later.
That’s when Warren and Irene had stepped up to raise the children. It had been tough going. Jessica remembered her parents and asked about them to this day. Tommy had just been a baby. It was heartbreaking really.
Of all the people in Alpine, Nathan had the deepest respect for the Randalls. They had little financially but were rich when it came to things that really mattered. The things money couldn’t buy.
The old man worked at the local hardware during the week, and moonlighted at a grocery store stocking shelves on weekends. Although many would have complained having to work two jobs when most people retire, Warren accepted it as just something that had to be done.
“Got finished early today. Thought I’d come home and give the little woman a hand,” Warren replied, kicking the dirt off his boots.
“Irene’s out in the barn talking to a woman I brought with me.” After he said it, Nathan wondered if Warren might jump to the wrong conclusion.
“A woman, eh. Anyone I know?”
“No, Warren. She’s here for the cowboy poetry gathering. She’ll be heading back to Dallas in a couple of days.”
“Dallas?” Warren stood bowlegged, scratching his scraggly beard, as though pondering it all. “Bet she’s pretty.”
“She’s just passing through. She leaves in a few days.”
Warren’s blue eyes lit up as he scrunched up his face. “A city slicker, eh?”
He was getting more like Irene every day. Nathan decided to oblige him, figuring if he didn’t give Warren any information, Irene would end up filling him in at suppertime. No telling what Irene would tell her husband about Kelsey. The woman made it up as she went.
“Her name’s Kelsey Malone.” Nathan left it at that. Under normal circumstances he’d have reassured Warren that nothing would ever come of this. But he had more than Kelsey on his mind right now.
Warren looked more sleep deprived than usual. An overweight man who seldom looked after himself, he generally looked what Nathan liked to refer to as ‘rode hard, put away wet’ but today he looked unusually bedraggled. He seemed out of breath as he spoke and his face was redder than Nathan remembered.
“You okay, Warren? You look exhausted.” When there was no response, Nathan pressed the old man. “When’s the last time you had a checkup?”
“Can’t afford no checkups, Doc. The kids come first.”
When Nathan walked toward him, Warren back away, as though knowing exactly where the conversation was headed. “Warren, I can help you out with expenses. I’ve already told you that. And if you don’t start taking me up on my offer, I’ll have to work out something with Irene. I know the kids might come first, but you can’t neglect yourself.”
When the old man harrumphed at the comment, Nathan decided this was one conversation he intended to win. “Ya know, Warren, you’re just about the orneriest old cuss I’ve ever met. A lot of good that pride will be if you can’t care for those grandkids.”
“You’re turning into a damned woman, Nathan. All right. I’ll go see a doctor.”
“That’s more like it.”
“I’d like to meet that lady friend of yours, but can we make it some other time. I’m kinda tired all of a sudden. Think I’ll get a little shut eye.” Without waiting for a response, Warren headed into the house.
A feeling of uneasiness coursed through Nathan as he thought of how abruptly Warren had left. It was so unlike him. The Warren Randall he knew would never have passed up the opportunity to meet a pretty girl from Dallas.
Struggling to fight off the feeling of impending gloom, Nathan thought back to happier times at the Randall farm. The couple had hosted their fair share of community picnics, picnics Nathan had always been a part of; especially after his dad has passed. Warren had been like a surrogate father to him, and the notion that his health might be in jeopardy scared the hell out of Nathan.
It’d probably be easier just to turn a deaf ear to all of this. Not to get so damned caught up in people’s lives. But as Nathan looked up at the desert mountains, he realized that’s how he was wired and there was little he could do about it.
He hadn’t always felt this passionate about Alpine. There’d been a time he’d considered relocating to a big city. Somewhere that paid more than the meager wages he received from his cash strapped clients. But after his dad passed, leaving a huge void, Nathan realized there was more to life than the stuff you accumulated while here on this earth. The thing people really remembered about a person was how he treated his fellow man.
Ya oughta be a damned preacher.
His mood continued darkening, and he couldn’t decide which proved more unsettling: the fact that Warren’s health seemed to be on the line, or that after this weekend Kelsey Malone would be nothing more than a distant memory.
But his mood quickly lifted when he saw Kelsey nearly fly out of the barn with Irene on her heels, offering her another cup of coffee.
“How about a roady?” Irene was pointing at Kelsey’s mug. “I’ve got more coffee in the house. Sure beats that cappuccino crap, don’t it?”
Nathan nearly doubled over with laughter when he saw the terrified look on Kelsey’s face. Irene Randall made the worst coffee known to mankind. He generally accepted a cup just to be polite, only to sneak away and dump the remains onto an unsuspecting bush.
“Nathan likes my coffee, don’t you, son? I’ll bet you could use another cup.” She glanced up at Nathan, a big smile covering her face.
“Oh, no, Irene. I’ve had enough for today. But I imagine Kelsey might like one for the road. It’s a long drive back to the University.”
Kelsey shot him a helpless look, and when he winked at her, she smiled.
