High Lonesome Read online

  She giggled. “No. Can’t say that I have. I don’t believe anyone in the world eats elephant. At least I hope not. I think it’s just a funny expression.”

  “Maybe the people in India do.”

  “If I’m remembering my world history correctly, Indian people revere elephants. I don’t think they want to have them for dinner.”

  “What does revere mean?”

  “It means to honor.”

  “I see.” Willow took another big bite of bread. “I revere my horse.”

  “Excuse me.” Carmen interrupted the conversation. “Ma’am, would you like to have your breakfast here in the kitchen this morning, or in the dining room with the other guests?”

  “Oh, this is fine. If I’m not in your way,” she added. “I’m not sure I’m up to explaining my situation to strangers over casual chit-chat.”

  “I understand.” Carmen retrieved a butter dish and two jars of jam from the fridge. “I’ll get you a plate.”

  “Take your time. I can wait until the other guests are served.”

  “I’ve been contemplating something,” Willow said in complete seriousness.

  “Is that so? Contemplating is a very big word for a seven year old.” She grinned.

  “I’m good at vocabulary, and I’m a voracious reader.”

  “Voracious? That’s another word I didn’t expect out of the mouth of a babe. I’m very impressed.”

  “Thank you,” Willow replied. “My mama was very smart. Daddy says I get it from her.”

  “I’m sure your mama is very proud of you.”

  Willow’s head tilted. “She’s in heaven. She can’t be proud of me.”

  “Well, sure she can. Even if she’s not right here with you, she’s always in your heart, and she’s still watching over you.”

  The little girl nodded. “That’s true. My daddy tells me the same thing.”

  “Your daddy’s very smart, too. Now, go ahead and tell me what it is you’ve been contemplating.”

  Willow peeled a banana and stuffed a bite of it in her mouth. When she finished chewing she said, “If you’re going to be staying with us, I think it’s important you have a name. We can’t call you lady all the time. And Carmen would get after my butt if I yelled hey at you. Do you have any ideas?”

  Carmen wagged a piece of bacon at the girl. “Willow, don’t talk about butts at the table.”

  She shrugged. “To be honest, I hadn’t thought about what my name could be. I have a sneaking suspicion you have though. What’s your suggestion?”

  “I want to call you Beth.”

  She stared at the banana bread bag. “You want to name me after your favorite quick bread?”

  “Yep. I think it’s a real pretty name. I wish Beth was my name. What do you think about it?

  She considered it. “I think it’s very pretty, too.”

  “Do you think Beth could be your real name?” Willow asked with excitement. “Wouldn’t that be something if it was?”

  “I hate to burst your bubble, but it doesn’t ring a bell.”

  “Oh.” The child frowned, and then the frown turned upside down again. “Well, what would you think about being called Beth anyway? It would be just until you find out what your real name is.”

  Carmen placed a fiesta-ware plate in front of her guest. “Willow, maybe the nice lady doesn’t want to be named after a hunk of dough.”

  “Would you mind being named after a hunk of dough?” Willow asked with glitter in her eyes. “It’s the best bread in the world.” She rubbed her tummy and licked her lips.

  “You’re very thoughtful to want to give me a name,” she answered with a chuckle. “It’s pretty and it’s simple. I should be able to remember it. I don’t mind if you call me Beth, if you’d like.”

  “Yippee!” Willow shouted. She clapped her hands and jumped off the bar stool and did a happy dance around the island.

  “Beth” grinned when she noticed the girl was wearing pink boots to match her hat. She also had on a rhinestone belt, looking quite the little cowgirl.

  “Is there a party going on in here?” Scott asked as he sauntered through the back door. He jerked off his cowboy hat and hung it on a hook just inside the door. He ran his hands through his blond hair and grinned.

  Remembering the dream, Beth’s heart gripped at the sight of him. He looked the essence of western masculinity in his tight Wranglers, dusty boots, and blue denim shirt. He also wore a bandana around his neck.

  “It smells delicious in here. I’m as hungry as a bear,” he growled.

  “Daddy!” Willow skipped across the tile floor and threw herself into his arms. He heaved her over his shoulder, they hugged, and she planted a big kiss on his stubbly cheek.

  “Did you just get home, baby?”

  “A little while ago. Wait till you see what Midnight can do.”

  “I’m looking forward to it. Let me say hi to our guest.” Scott plopped Willow on the island counter, and his friendly gaze raked over Beth. “Don’t you look as pretty as a picture,” he said. “Good mornin’.”

  “Good morning. And thank you for the compliment.”

  “You’re welcome. Did you sleep well?”

  “Like a log, as they say.” That was, until the dream caused her to toss and turn with restless pleasure.

  “Daddy, guess what?” Willow interrupted, bouncing up and down.

  “What?”

  “The lady has a name.”

  Scott’s eyes widened. “You remember your name?” he asked.

  “No, Daddy,” Willow giggled. “I thought up a new name for her. She’s going to be Beth from now on.”

  “Oh. Beth, huh? How did you come up with that?” Willow pointed to the label on the bread bag and Scott laughed. “It works as well as anything, I guess. Beth. I like it. It’s pretty.”

  “Just like her, right Daddy?”

  Beth felt a flutter in her chest when his gaze latched onto her. Being in his company had every nerve tingling with awareness.

  “Yes, honey. Good job.” His eyes lingered on the newly christened Beth for what seemed an eternity.

  “Do you want to eat now, Mr. Scott?” Carmen asked, reaching for another breakfast plate.

  He washed his hands in the kitchen sink and dried them on a dishtowel. “Sure. I’ll join these two lovely ladies, if they don’t mind. He straddled an island stool.

  “When do your guests eat?” Beth asked.

  “They’ll be coming in any minute. They all eat together in the dining room. I normally take breakfast with them, but I asked the wranglers to act as hosts this morning.”

  As they chatted, Carmen hurried back and forth from the kitchen. She delivered bowl after bowl of food to the long wooden table in the dining room, in preparation for the arrival of the guests.

  Beth jumped up. “I should be helping you with those.”

  Carmen shooed her away. “No thank you. This is my job. Eat before yours gets cold.” Right on cue, she set the last bowl down as the guests came through the front door and took their places at the dining room table.

  Beth heard them chattering like jays. She didn’t have to be told twice before delving into her plate of eggs.

  Scott doused his potatoes with salt and ketchup. “Willow, tell the lady what you were doing at your friend’s house yesterday.” He poured a cup of coffee then swiped some bacon off the heating plate on the counter behind him.

  “She’s not the lady, Daddy. She’s Beth.”

  “I’m sorry. I forgot already. Tell Beth.”

  “I was practicing for the Little Wranglers Rodeo.”

  “You’re going to be in a rodeo?”

  “Yep. I’ve been in plenty of rodeos already. I compete in pole bending on my horse, Midnight.”

  “What’s pole bending?” Beth asked.

  Willow looked to her father to explain. He finished swallowing a link of sausage before he spoke.

  “The object of pole bending is to ride through a pattern of upright pol
es in the shortest time without toppling any of them. There are six plastic poles set in rubber bases. The first one is about twenty-one feet from the start/finish line, with the others placed progressively farther from the line at twenty-one foot intervals. Willow gallops at full speed down one side. Then, at the end, she turns one hundred eighty degrees and weaves through the serpentine path. When she reaches the last pole, she turns and goes back through the pattern again until she reaches the far end. When the pattern is completed, she dashes to the finish line.”

  Beth blinked. “My gosh. You really do all of that on a horse? Without falling off?”

  Willow giggled. “Yep. Would you like to see Midnight? Come on, I’ll show you.” She reached for Beth’s hand and tugged.

  When their hands touched, Beth felt a spark, and the image of a little dark-haired child flashed in front of her again. This time, the girl was lying in a canopy bed and appeared to be listening to a bedtime story.

  I feel a connection to that little girl. But who is she? What does she mean to me?

  “Later,” Scott told Willow. His fork stopped in midair. “Beth, what is it? Are you getting a headache?”

  She nodded confirmation, realizing he understood what was happening to her. When he scooted away from the island ready to help, she lifted her hand. “It was just a sharp pain, but it’s gone now. I’m okay.” The image disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. She took a drink of juice and couldn’t help but wonder if the flashbacks were random pictures or pieces of a puzzle associated with her life. Whatever they meant, they were disconcerting.

  Willow’s round eyes stared. “Are you sick, Beth?”

  She patted her hand. “No, honey. I’m fine now.” She swallowed the tightness in her throat. “Where were we? Oh yes, you were talking about your horse. I’d love to meet Midnight when we’ve finished breakfast.”

  “Goodie!” The child clapped her hands.

  “I’ll go out to the barn with you,” Scott said, watching her carefully. He devoured the eggs, pancakes and potatoes, but Beth noticed his gaze remained on her as she patiently listen to Willow, who continued to chatter like a monkey about her horse and pole bending.

  After breakfast, the three of them strolled to the barn where Willow introduced Beth to her black quarter horse. Scott excused himself by saying he had to scoop poop. Beth fed the bay horse treats as the little girl brushed his mane and combed his tail, and talked non-stop.

  “You’re bending more than poles today, Willow,” Scott joked as he pushed a third wheelbarrow of horse poop past them. “You’re talking poor Beth’s ear off. You can give her a demonstration on your horse another time. As soon as I dump this load, she and I are going in to town.” He unloaded the manure, whipped a kerchief out of his pocket and wiped it across his glistening forehead.

  “We are?”

  “Yesterday I promised you a shopping trip. Remember?”

  “Oh. So you did.”

  “I’m glad to see your short-term memory is intact.”

  “Can I go?” Willow begged.

  “Not today, cowgirl. Maybe next time.” Willow didn’t argue. She put away the brush and comb and kissed her horse on the nose. “Go on now. Scoot,” Scott told his daughter as he patted her bottom. The trio stepped out of the barn into the sunshine. “Please tell Carmen I’ve taken Beth to town. And behave yourself. We’ll be back later.”

  “Okay, Daddy.” Willow gave him a kiss and ran up the hill toward the house. “Bye, Beth!”

  Beth waved and hollered back. “She sure is a doll,” she told Scott as they climbed into the pickup. “I still can’t get over the fact that she races that big horse around poles and doesn’t fall off! What an incredible feat for a girl her age. Or at any age, for that matter. I’m going to have to watch her sometime.”

  Scott’s ocean blue eyes slid toward her and lingered for a moment before he started the truck and left the driveway. Flattered, she’d caught him staring several times. But the thought that he was dating someone wasn’t far from her mind. Or the fact that she might have someone in her life, too.

  The truck bumped along the dirt road toward Ghost Rock. “So, were you comfortable in the guest room last night?” he inquired for the second time.

  Seemed he was fishing for small talk. “No bad dreams?” he asked.

  “No.” There was no way she was going to embarrass herself in front of him again by mentioning the sensual dream she’d woken to this morning, in which he’d been the leading man.

  When they reached town, he drove down Main Street and parked in front of a women’s clothing store.

  “This is a quaint little town,” she remarked, while exiting the truck and looking up and down the street. Buildings painted vibrant shades of purple, red, orange and yellow lined both sides of the avenue, some with murals on the walls and some with detailed tile work around the doors and windows. At the end of the street, a Mexican-style fountain occupied the space in front of a building with a big clock on top. The water cascaded over the rim and splashed into a circular pool. People on the sidewalks came and went from shops like bees buzzing to and from a hive.

  “After you,” Scott said, holding the store door open. “I don’t know anything about this place except they sell ladies clothing, so I’ll follow you.”

  Racks of clothes filled the cavernous space. Beth glanced around. “It’s a lot bigger than it looks from outside. I don’t know where to begin. I guess I need another pair of jeans and a couple of shirts, and some under things.”

  Scott’s gaze flew to the ceiling at her mention of undergarments. “You’re going to need a pair of boots, too,” he said quickly.

  Her curiosity was aroused. “Cowgirl boots?”

  “You bet. I’d like to take you riding up in the mountains, if you’re up to it. Tennis shoes won’t do. We can get you a nice pair of boots at Shady’s Boot Emporium when we’re done here. They have a great selection.”

  She hesitated. “I’d love to go into the mountains, even though I don’t know a thing about horseback riding. Can you give me a lesson before we go?”

  “Sure. I have no doubt you’re a fast learner.” He took a seat on a padded bench in the center of the store. “I’ll sit right here. Pick out whatever you want.”

  She walked up and down the aisles, choosing a few items here and there. When she had an armful, she asked the sales clerk if she could try them on. “I won’t be long,” she assured Scott. He’d removed his hat and it was sitting in his lap. Taking in those sparkling eyes and his shiny blond hair stirred a stew of unwanted emotions.

  “Take your time. I’m in no hurry,” he said.

  She stepped into the dressing room, and as she tried on the clothes, she thought about Scott’s offer to take her riding. Sheriff Griggs’ words ran though her mind again. Scott was dating his ex-wife. If Scott had a girlfriend, why had he extended the invitation? Because he’s a Good Samaritan. There’s nothing more to it. It’s his business to take care of his guests.

  But if that were all it was, why had she caught him staring at her more than once? They’d only just met, but she knew longing when she saw it. It wasn’t a far stretch to imagine his blue eyes filled with desire, a desire she wouldn’t encourage.

  When her clothes were off and she gazed into the mirror, a gasp caught in her throat. The bruise on her arm was so ugly. She touched the tender lump on her head and drew in a deep breath. It took all her willpower not to let tears fall. If only she could remember what had happened to her! Sighing, she tugged on a pair of jeans. There were more pressing matters for her to be concerned about than the handsome man waiting outside the dressing room. Namely, discovering who she was, where she was from, and who had hurt her.

  Beth changed back into Maggie Landry’s clothes and stepped out of the dressing room with the selected items draped over her arm. Inching toward Scott, she made up her mind to be polite, but emotionally distance herself from him from that moment on. The last thing she should have on her mind was a man—this m
an, in particular. She’d leave his ranch as soon as she could figure out a plan of action.

  As she neared, she saw him talking to a woman with fire engine red lips, high hair, and a low-cut blouse, which exposed ample cleavage. Beth slowed her approach, aware that she was about to intrude on his life again. A knot twisted her stomach.Was the woman his girlfriend? Sheriff Griggs’ ex-wife? The two of them appeared very chummy with one another. Beth didn’t expect to come face to face with her so soon.

  Scott turned his head and saw her. He stood and stuck his hands in his pockets. “Did you have any luck?”

  “Yes. I found some things that will work just fine.”

  “Great. Beth, I’d like to introduce you to Sherry Martin. Sherry, this is Beth. She’s a guest at the High Lonesome.”

  Sherry gave her the once over, taking her in from head to toe. A thinly tweezed eyebrow arched. “Since when do you take your guests on personal shopping expeditions, Scott?”

  Beth’s heart dropped. This was his girlfriend.

  He ignored the question. “Sherry and I went to high school together. Back then, she was a cheerleader, honor student, and the class president. Now she’s the number one realtor in the county.”

  Sherry playfully slapped him on the arm. “Oh, don’t embarrass me, sugar. Pleased to meet you, Beth.” She thrust out her hand to shake. Her nails were long and painted red to match her lips.

  Relief rolled off Beth’s shoulders as she shook. “Same here. So, you both went to school with Sheriff Griggs?” Thinking this was Buddy’s ex-wife and Scott’s current love interest, she was intent on gauging the woman’s reaction at the mention of the sheriff.

  “Yep. We ran in different crowds back then, but everyone knew everyone else. It’s a small town, you know.”

  There was no rolling of the eyes. No odd expression at the mention of the sheriff’s name. Nothing.

  “So, you’re a guest at the ranch,” Sherry said, reversing the topic. “Where are you from?”

  “Uh…”

  Scott broke in. “This is her first time in New Mexico.”

  Sherry gave him a sideways glance. “I’m sure your guest can speak for herself, Scott. For heaven’s sakes.” She rolled her eyes and returned her gaze to Beth. “Well, I hope you enjoy our beautiful Land of Enchantment. Scott owns seven thousand acres of the most pristine land you’ll ever lay eyes on. I could retire on my commission alone if he’d ever let me sell his place. But I suppose hell will freeze over before that ever happens. Isn’t that right, hon?” She elbowed him in the ribs.