Heart of the storm, p.2
Heart of the Storm, page 2
He nodded and rested his head against the open window. “Fred couldn’t take that kind of financial hit, that’s for sure.”
They were silent the rest of the way to the Willows, her family ranch and current home of the most well-respected racing horse stable in the country. The big white house with the navy blue trim came into view, and that sense of calm and rightness settled over her as it always did. Home was where her heart was, no doubt. The willow trees that lined the long driveway leading to the house, and which had given it the name, were blowing in the breeze, dancing as though welcoming her back. She’d never say that out loud, of course. They’d think she’d gone batshit soft.
“See you at the barn for dinner. I’ll get the grill going now. I know how much you hate it when we run late.” He waved and set off, brushing more mud from his hair. “Even though you’re probably going to be late yourself.”
She tossed her keys on the granite kitchen countertop and braced herself as she opened the back door. A giant ball of fluff threw itself at her, paws on her shoulders and tongue ready to smear her face. “Hey, there. Missed me, didn’t you?”
The 120-pound Newfoundland flopped at her feet and rolled, belly ready for love.
“Come on, Shift. Burgers in the barn tonight.”
He shot up and ran to the front door, looking back at her as though telling her to hurry.
She laughed and headed upstairs instead. “Shower first. Then food.”
Kelly was already in the shower, her long, strong body highlighted by the steam. “Took you long enough.”
“Forgive me for keeping a lady waiting.” Rowan stripped down and jumped in.
The sex was hard and fast. Kelly’s long blond hair looked sexy as she threw her head back and moaned as Rowan fucked out the energy of the day. She was more muscular than Rowan was generally attracted to, but her femme side was strong enough to make up for it. Generally, Rowan liked her women on the soft, girlie side. But she was happy to oblige in the bedroom when Kelly came around. It wasn’t like there were a ton of lesbians hanging around the town, after all. Kelly helped wash her down, but she knew full well that Rowan wasn’t a receiver. At least, not for casual encounters like Kelly. When Rowan let someone touch her, she needed a connection. And that wasn’t something she’d had in a long time and wasn’t likely to have any time soon.
She put on a fresh white T-shirt, her comfiest ripped-up jeans, and her broken-in boots and felt like herself again.
Kelly, similarly dressed, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for that,” she said and grinned. “Let me know when you’re up for another round.” She whistled and gave a quick wave as she left.
Shift’s big eyes followed Rowan around the room, tail occasionally wagging when he thought she was finally ready to head out. She squatted and gave his head a swift rub. “All right. She’s gone, and it’s just us, buddy. Let’s go.”
He darted from the room, his nails clipping along the hardwood floors as he raced to the front of the house. As soon as she opened the door, he was off, speeding toward the barn where the scent of cooking meat was already wafting through the air. She took her time following, as always noticing the state of the land around her. There were weeds in the potato patch, and the drainage in the reserve field looked like it couldn’t cope with much more rain. The herd of Angus cows had been moved to the eastern pasture, but that too was wet as a sheepdog in a hurricane. Fortunately, the round pens for the racehorses remained in good condition, and since that was the primary reason for the Willows’ existence, she was grateful for that small miracle. She made a mental note to get more sandbags when she headed to town again and remind everyone to be on the lookout for hoof rot.
The barn, named that solely because of the shape and not because it was used for animals, was full. Not just of her crew of twenty-six, but Fred’s people were there celebrating too. Fred’s wife, Rita, was busy cutting up a variety of pies. Clearly he’d passed the message on. Rita was known for having a stocked-up freezer of baked goods ready for any occasion from birth to death.
When she saw Rowan, she set down her pie cutter and came around the table. “Once again you’ve come through.” She hugged her tight and placed a kiss on Rowan’s cheek. “I don’t know what we’d have done without you all these years.” She cupped Rowan’s cheek. “Your parents would be so proud.”
Rowan’s chest constricted, but she smiled. “Thanks, Rita. If it means you’ll keep bringing us pie, I’ll have to get your horses in trouble more often.”
She snorted and headed back to the table. “Anything you need, you just ask, Rowan Payton. No reason to put anyone in danger over my baking.”
Rowan nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” She accepted a burger on a paper plate from Ted and took a seat next to Pam, one of her ranch managers. “All good?”
Pam took a big bite of her burger before answering. “All good. Vet says the horse is exhausted but will be fine. Was worried about leg injuries from the struggle, but there’s nothing wrong.” She looked sidelong at Rowan. “Cost us a day of harvest though.”
Rowan sighed and continued to eat without answering. Each day they didn’t get the field done was a day closer to the rain wiping it out. But there shouldn’t be any emergencies tomorrow, and they’d manage it somehow.
She listened to the conversations going on around her, content to be in the background as everyone talked about the rescue, about farming, and teased each other about their shortcomings. The camaraderie was good, and spirits were high. It was a good way to head into winter. The thought made her glance at the old oak tree in the middle of the circular driveway. The leaves had gone from red to gold to brown, and now fell in silent loops to the ground. The tree was her guide to the seasons as well as to memories of her mom, who loved to sit in the swing attached to it.
“I’m heading to Power tonight.” Pam stood and tapped some dirt off the tip of her boot. “Wanna go? Or did Kelly soothe the beast?”
Rowan thought about the shower and how disconnected she’d felt. “Yeah, I’ll go.”
Pam nodded and wandered off to chat to more talkative people, leaving Rowan to wonder who she’d meet at the only lesbian bar left in Louisville. She glanced at her watch. She had to be in the tractor seat by four in the morning, so it couldn’t be a late night. Pam caught her eye and she motioned, and they left the gathering. No one said anything. She and Pam were friends, and it was well known they were both gay. And since neither of them had a partner, it made sense they went out together. No one had ever given Rowan any grief about it. And if they had, she’d have told them to find work elsewhere.
When they got to Power, the parking lot was already full of pickup trucks and a few regular cars. “Looking for anything in particular tonight?” Rowan asked as they got out of the truck.
“Girlie.” Pam hitched her jeans up a little. “I want to tangle my hands in someone’s long hair tonight.”
Rowan made a noncommittal sound of approval. “Sounds right.”
The band was already in full swing, and people were on the dance floor. Rowan breathed in the scent of women, all sorts, there to have a good time among people who knew the game. She smiled at more than one woman who’d given her the time of day at some point. A few had offered a second or third time around, but Rowan always let them know she wasn’t looking for more than a bit of fun. The cowboy reputation still alive and well in Kentucky seemed to make that acceptable, so it was easy to find new partners without a lot of drama.
Pam slid a cold beer into her hand, tilted her hat, and grabbed the hand of a woman hovering nearby to lead her to the dance floor. Rowan laughed and shook her head. Trust Pam to be with someone within thirty seconds of them being inside. It wasn’t long though before Rowan was leading a woman around the dance floor herself. But the woman was with friends and thanked her for the dance before heading back to her group. So much for an easy pickup.
She grabbed another beer and checked the time. Pam was nowhere to be seen, which meant she was probably out back in the alley or in the bathroom with her find of the night. She’d probably be ready to go soon. Rowan, tapping her foot to the beat, drank and perused the room. In the far corner, in the shadows, sat a woman alone. She couldn’t have looked more out of place if she were a rooster among sheep. She looked stiff, one hand around a glass, the other flat on the table.
Intrigued, Rowan made her way through the crowd to the woman’s table. “Hi there.”
The woman looked Rowan over almost as though debating whether or not to answer. “Nope. I’m not looking for company. But thanks.”
Rowan looked around. “Doesn’t look like you have any company, so that’s good.” The woman’s lips twitched a little, but the smile didn’t fully appear. “But maybe you could use a friend?”
Once again, the woman looked like she was debating answering. Her red lips pursed, and her thick black lashes fluttered. “For a minute, I suppose.”
“Rowan.” She held out her hand, and the woman’s return handshake was firm, her skin soft.
“And is this your normal hunting ground, Rowan?” She finally let go of her glass and motioned toward the bar.
“Well, as the only lesbian bar in a hundred-mile radius, it’s the only hunting ground for a whole lot of women.” Rowan wondered how soft that expensive-looking white blouse would be under her hands as she slowly pulled it from the woman’s shoulders. “But I’m thinking this is ground you’ve never been on. What brings you to our little piece of heaven?”
The wry smile suggested the woman didn’t see it that way. “Family business. I won’t be here long, hopefully.” She looked over Rowan’s shoulder, her gaze shrewd and judging. “It’s not really my crowd.”
“And what is your kind of crowd?” Rowan sipped her beer and checked the time again. This wasn’t going to be the woman to scratch the itch, that was certain. But it was a different kind of conversation to the one she was used to.
The woman stood, brushing off her skirt like she was trying to wipe away the stink of the bar. “The kind where there isn’t sawdust on the floor or fiddles on stage.” She tilted her head. “Nice to meet you. Thank you for being a friend.”
Rowan tipped her hat and turned to watch as the woman moved fluidly through the room. Her classy outfit, complete with deadly looking high heels, made her shine like a diamond in a haystack. Rowan finished her drink, spotted Pam by the door, and headed out. At least she’d have good dreams tonight.
CHAPTER THREE
“I’m telling you, Rowan, she looked like she stepped from a ballroom into a slurry pit.”
Rowan shook her head as she watched the horses loping around the ring. She leaned on the fence and tried not to notice the garlic on Cornelius’s breath. “Can’t believe Virginia and Grant left their place to family instead of making other arrangements.”
He huffed, blowing another little cloud of garlic toward her. “I think Virginia always believed their kid would come around and come home. But after Virginia got sick, they quit talking about her at all.”
Rowan hadn’t ever heard the full story. Ranchers were a proud bunch, and when a story was too personal to share, everyone let it be and didn’t get nosy. But they’d been kind people and decent ranchers until they got too old and sold off all the livestock, most of it to Rowan.
“Hey, boss.” Ted came striding over, his hat pushed back off his face. “See the storm’s edge?”
She turned and looked at the sky behind her. Sure enough, the line of clouds cut an edge between the blue above them and the black beyond. “Damn it all.” She turned and gave a loud whistle, causing horses and riders to slow to a stop. “Get on in the barn and washed down.” With a wave, she indicated the sky behind her, and the riders wheeled and headed out of the ring. It was only when she turned that she realized Cornelius was still beside her. “You come out just to gossip, Corn, or did you want something?”
He grinned and tapped his boot against the fence post. “Well, seein’ as how you’re neighbors, I thought it might be nice for you to drop on over and say hello.”
She raised her eyebrow, waiting.
“Thing is, Rowan, she says she wants to sell. And that would be fine, except I don’t think she really understands what she’s got.” Once again, he tapped his boot to the fence and averted his gaze.
“Corn, I’ve got a lot to do before the storm comes in. Spit it out.”
He sighed and shoved his hat back on. “Jimmy Cartwright has been sniffing around. If it goes up for sale, there won’t be anything I can do to stop that little shit.”
“There it is. You want me to go flex my feminine wiles on her and get her to see the sense in keeping a ranch she won’t know the first thing about. She didn’t know what a water heater is, Corn. You think she’s going to want to keep a 400-acre ranch?”
“Rowan, ain’t no one ever accused you of having a feminine anything.” He laughed just as the wind began to pick up. “But yeah, I want you to talk to her. Maybe she knows of a private buyer, and that might be better than selling to Jimmy. Hell, she won’t know what she doesn’t know, and maybe you can help with that.”
She shook her head and pushed away from the fence. “I’ll see if I have time. Let me get back to work.”
He waved and half-jogged to his truck as rain started coming down in fat drops. Rowan jumped onto the quad and headed to the east pasture, where she helped the ranch hands drive the cows into the covered shelter area. Sheets of rain pelted the metal roof as she and the hands watched the field quickly develop puddles that turned into mini lakes.
“I thought the world was getting hotter, not wetter,” one of the hands muttered as he pulled his jacket tighter.
She gave a quick nod and darted back to the quad. The ride back to the house was wet and muddy and full of swear words her mom would have kicked her ass for. Pam and Ted were sitting on her porch laughing as she ran up the stairs.
“You look like you got dragged behind a horse to get here.” Pam squinted as though trying to see through the muck.
“Grab me a coffee, would you?” she said as she passed them on her way inside. “Then you can tell me why I’m paying you to sit on my porch.”
When she came back down, the fire was lit, and Pam and Ted were lounging in the overstuffed chairs in front of it. A steaming mug of coffee sat in front of her favorite chair, and Shift’s tail thumped a greeting from where he was splayed out in front of the fire. “Thanks.”
Just as she was about to sit, her phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket and grimaced. “Corn—”
“Her roof fell in, Rowan.” He sounded genuinely upset. “I saw a leak in the main bedroom, and it didn’t look all that bad. But she just called in a panic saying there’s water everywhere. I can’t leave the girls at home in this storm, or I’d go out myself. You’re the closest person to her.”
Rowan sighed to the tips of her wool socks. “Yeah. Okay.” She hung up before he could say anything else. She’d had enough of a description of the new owner earlier to know all she needed to. “Don’t suppose you two want to go to Honeysuckle Bank and help a lady in distress?”
Ted shook his head emphatically. “I heard about her in town. Real high and mighty type, not a nice word to say to anyone. I say let the country rain wash some of the city off her.”
Pam stretched her legs out in front of her. “I’m comfy. And you’re more the knight in shining leather type anyway."
Rowan swore softly. “Feed my dog. And keep your phone handy in case I get stuck somewhere along the way.” She grabbed her big canvas raincoat from beside the door on her way out. She drove slowly down the lane, watching the willows bend and flex in the now howling wind. Once she was out on the main road, she took a left toward Honeysuckle Bank. The drive was intense, and she had to skirt more than one tree branch as well as a couple deer who darted in front of the truck and then disappeared into the woods.
Honeysuckle Bank’s long driveway, like hers, was lined by trees. But these were old oaks, and one in particular looked like it was leaning a little too far. She gunned past it and looked in the rearview to see the bulge in the ground where the stump was pulling away. “That’s gonna be messy,” she murmured as she looked back at the house.
And promptly wished she’d brought backup.
A woman stood on the porch looking as angry as a hive of bees poked by a bear. Arms crossed, she was also barefoot, which looked especially strange given how cold it was. Rowan climbed out and jogged up to the porch.
“It’s about time.” The woman turned and stomped inside. “The lawyer said someone was coming to help, but he didn’t say it would take years for you to get here.”
Rowan tilted her head and looked closer. “You’re the woman from the bar.”
The woman froze and slowly turned to look at her. The now familiar once-over made Rowan grin. At least she’d showered and was wearing clean clothes. An hour ago, the woman probably would have sent her packing and drowned in the house instead.
“And you’re not here to hit on me. You’re here to fix my roof.”
Rowan’s grin slipped, and she leaned against the door. “I’m not here for that. I’m here to see if you want to come to my place up the road until the rain stops, and you can get back in your house safely.” She held up her hand when the woman looked like she might pop a kidney. “What’s your name, by the way?”
“Amber Archer.” She practically bit out the reply. “And what am I supposed to do about the fact that my house is flooding while I’m over at Hot Cowboy Ranch?”
Rowan laughed and made a note of the name. “Well, with that description, I guess I can take a look inside.” She took a step forward and raised her eyebrows when Amber backed up a step. “No need to be afraid. I’m a good guy.”
Amber flushed a pretty pink and motioned toward the stairs. “It’s the ceiling in the main bedroom.”
Rowan walked past, making sure to get a little closer than necessary, and chuckled when Amber clearly fought not to step away. “Let’s have a look.”
