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To my son-in-law, Dale Renno,
for making my daughter happy and giving us Lilly
Contents
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Epilogue
Acknowledgments:
Thanks to my neighbor and friend Pris Hayes,
vegetarian and community activist, and my cousin
(of some sort!) by marriage Cody Marshall, genuine
Texas cowboy. Any errors or exaggerations are mine.
Chapter One
Raven York turned off the engine of her aging green Volvo wagon, but Pickles wasn’t quite ready to stop running yet. She coughed and sputtered a few times, then obediently fell silent. With a feeling of disbelief, Raven stepped out of her car into the vast Texas prairie. Her long skirt and hand-dyed scarf billowed in the warm breeze as she pocketed her keys and retrieved her tote bag from the passenger seat.
“I can’t believe I’m supposed to be here,” she whispered into the wind, but no one else was around to comment.
She’d never seen a more unwelcoming place in her life, and she sincerely doubted that a garden could have survived here for nearly a hundred years without careful tending.
The house wasn’t the Ponderosa, but it wasn’t Green Acres, either. It looked rawboned and bare, as if there had never been a woman around to soften its harsh edges or brighten up the drab beige of both painted wood and brick. Even the roof was taupe. Shadows from the front porch, supported by outdated aluminum scroll columns, nearly hid the brown front door and windows. Front steps ended in a sea of unmowed grass and dead tufts.
Surrounding the house, blue, red and yellow flowers dotted the rolling hills, but at the moment, all she could think about were the countless cattle gathered beyond the fence. She’d seen their poor, sad, white faces as she drove toward the house. Doomed. They were Hereford steers and their days were numbered.
She watched the cattle graze and felt as if she should cry, but she couldn’t, because she had to get to the bottom of this mix-up. Had she taken a wrong turn someplace? She’d followed the directions carefully. All the landmarks matched. The country roads had been clearly marked, and she’d made a right just past the big lopsided cottonwood tree that had been split by lightning.
Surely the Society for the Preservation of Heritage Gardens would not have sent her to a working cattle ranch.
Raven crushed the woven jute handle of her tote and took a deep breath. She vaguely heard a door closing, which meant people were around somewhere. Well, she’d just march right up to the door and get some answers. Maybe she was jumping to conclusions. Maybe things weren’t what they seemed…
And then she spotted the tall, lean cowboy who stepped out of the shadows. With his crossed arms and angular, set features, he might as well have shouted, Go away, instead of silently leaning against one of those ugly aluminum columns and staring a hole through her.
Raven’s stomach felt as if she were still on the bumpy narrow road that had brought her from the state highway to this ranch. She pressed her hand to her middle as she stared back at the cowboy. Why didn’t he wave or come to greet her?
She forced herself to walk calmly toward the hostile-looking house. Surely there had been a mistake.
She smiled tightly. “Hello, I’m Raven York. I may have taken a wrong turn. I’m looking for the Rocking C.”
“You’ve found it,” he answered, pushing away from the aluminum column.
She looked back toward the pasture where the cattle grazed and felt her smile fade. “Really?”
“I’m Troy Crawford. Call me Troy,” he drawled, unwinding his arms and taking a step toward her. Upon closer observation, he wasn’t really threatening. His handsome face appeared intense, and he looked as if he were just a fraction as confused as she was.
Sometimes she got a feeling for things that others didn’t. A couple of her friends who professed to be psychic claimed she had a “gift,” but Raven went along with her pal, Della, who said that some people were just more observant than others.
“So you’re the expert the association sent?” he asked.
“Well, yes, I do have experience—”
“I hate to tell you this,” he said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes and wasn’t reflected in his voice, “but you just don’t look the part.” He gazed pointedly at Pickles, then turned his disapproval on her, giving her a thorough inspection from the top of her curly black hair to the toes of her canvas sandals.
It stunned her how he could be so insulting with just a glare. “I was thinking the same thing about your ranch.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked with a frown.
She pulled herself a little straighter and tightened her hold on the jute handle. “Your ranch doesn’t look like the kind of place where my services would be needed.”
“For one thing, maybe the association didn’t tell you but this isn’t really my ranch. My brother runs it, but he’s in the military. The Rocking C has been in my family for a little over a hundred years, though.”
“Oh, I see.” Not that she really did, of course. He was confusing and cryptic, and all she wanted to do was get to the bottom of this assignment.
“My brother Cal asked me to take care of the place while he’s gone, and he asked the association to send someone to help me.”
He said the word help as if he didn’t believe he needed any. Or didn’t believe the person his brother sent would be any use.
“I haven’t been a rancher in fifteen years,” he added. “I’m a marketing director for Devboran cattle. It’s a new breed, a cross between beef Devons and African Borans, so you might not recognize it. Normally, I live in Fort Worth, but I’m on the road a lot.”
Raven frowned. “I see, but why did you need me?”
“I already told you,” he said, giving her another one of those not-quite-sincere smiles as he reached for her bag. “I’m not a rancher. I’ve taken a leave of absence from my job to help out my brother.”
She held on for a moment too long, before realizing he was pretty intent on dragging her big tote into his house. She let go and he opened the door.
I’m not a rancher, either! she felt like shouting. Instead, she ignored the building’s unwelcome vibes and followed him inside.
“You might not be a rancher, but you look like a cowboy.”
He turned back with an amused look on his face. “Yeah? And how is a cowboy supposed to look?”
That smile could melt butter in January, she thought as she peered at him in the dim interior light. He was definitely handsome. At a little over six feet of lean muscle, long legs encased in the requisite jeans and scuffed boots on what must be size-twelve feet, he sure looked as if he could ride and rope and…whatever else cowboys did.
“I’m not sure, I suppose. I’m from New Hampshire.”
His smile faded and he looked at her as if questioning her response. “Okay, then.”
She wanted to say, Okay, what? but for the sake of getting off on the right foot simply followed him into the eat-in kitchen. The large square room seemed to be the hub of the house where the hallway came together with the living spaces.
The kitchen was just as dreary and outdated as the exterior of the house, with beige vinyl flooring, dull brown cabinets and faded floral wallpaper. The pseudocowboy staring out the back windows appeared far more interesting than the decor.
“Can I get you a glass of water or a soda?”
“No, I’m fine, thank you.”
“I suppose the association mentioned that I have a guest bedroom for you here at the house. Is that okay?”
“Yes, they did say I’d have accommodations on the property.” She’d envisioned a quaint guest cottage surrounded by roses and bluebonnets. They hadn’t explained that she’d be sharing a very isolated house with a handsome cowboy. She wasn’t certain how she felt about that setup in the light of day, much less in the dark of night.
“Is anyone else living here?” Wife and children, perhaps.
“No, it’s just me. Neither Cal nor I are married.”
“I see.” So, they would be alone.
“My bedroom is down the hall,” he said as if reading her thoughts. “You’ll be at this end of the house with your own bathroom.”
“All right.” They wouldn’t be sharing a bath, but she was near to the kitchen and living areas. Not as private as that nice guest cottage she’d envisioned.
“I grew up here in this house,” he said, cutting into her wandering thoughts. “I left for college and haven’t worked on a ranch since I was eighteen.”
“Do you miss it?”
He paused a moment too long. “No.”
“Oh. But—” She hurried to catch up as he turned down the hallway to the left. What did he study in college? Did he miss his job? How long was he taking off?
And why was she so interested in a brooding Texan who was so difficult to read?
“This is your room,” he said, placing her tote bag on the double bed. The brown coverlet had probably been put there before Troy Crawford left for college. The off-white walls hadn’t been painted recently, either, and the dresser and nightstand were of some type of dark wood. Nubby beige drapes hung from a sagging rod.
She looked back at Troy Crawford and found him watching her. “It’s not a five-star hotel, but I imagine you’ve stayed in worse.”
“Oh, I wasn’t…Sorry. The room is a surprise. I wasn’t sure what to expect. It’s just that I’ve never stayed in a ranch house before.”
“What?”
“Most of my work has been done east of the Mississippi.”
“I wouldn’t think there were many ranches that needed your help back there.”
“Ranches? No, but there are lots of homesteads, some with three or four generations still living on the same land that was settled in the 1700s.”
He frowned. “Why would you care about historic homesteads?”
She frowned right back, more confused than ever. “Because that’s how I glean much of my knowledge.”
“About their cattle?”
“No,” she replied slowly. “About their heritage gardens.”
“Gardens? What are you…Wait a minute.” She watched an entire evolution of expression transform his face. “You aren’t a ranch expert, are you?”
“Of course not! I’m a vegetarian. I’m against eating beef. Any kind of meat, for that matter.”
Troy Crawford rubbed a hand across his face. “I knew there was something wrong.”
“Just as I did when I arrived on a working cattle ranch!”
“Wait a minute. Why did you think you were here?”
“To document and restore a heritage garden.”
“A what?”
“A garden used by settlers to provide herbs, fruit, vegetables and beauty.”
“Dammit. I need a cattle expert.”
“Well, the last place I want to be is on a cattle ranch. I’m looking for old roses and tomatoes, daisies and berry bushes. Ranching is against everything I believe.”
“Then you are definitely in the wrong place.”
“What did I just say?”
He turned away and looked up at the dingy popcorn ceiling. “Well, we’ll go call the association and get this straightened out.”
“Sure. There’s probably a simple explanation.”
“The cattle guy is probably in the next town, wondering why there’s an old garden and no stock.”
“Right. And the person who needed my help is probably wondering why the man on their doorstep knows more about feed than seed.”
“Okay then. Let’s get this cleared up.”
She followed him out of the gloomy guest bedroom, relieved she wouldn’t be staying there for two weeks.
TROY SETTLED BACK IN THE desk chair and willed himself to be patient. “I know I’m not the person who requested the expert. I’m the brother. Cal Crawford is in the military, in Afghanistan. That’s Calvin P. Crawford IV for the record. He contacted you via e-mail and requested a cattle specialist to come out to the Rocking C in Brody’s Crossing, Texas.” He’d told this story already, to the receptionist. Sweet girl, but she hadn’t been helpful, either. “The expert showed up today, right on schedule, but she’s a gardener, not a cattleman.”
“Mr. Crawford, we don’t send out gardening experts. Everyone who’s a member of the Farmers’ and Ranchers’ Society deals with livestock and related issues.”
“I know that, but I’m telling you, the person who is here knows nothing about cattle. Do you have a record of Raven York? She’s from New Hampshire, for crying out loud!” Hardly cattle country.
“Let me check.”
Troy wedged the phone between his shoulder and neck while he listened to bad elevator music. He hoped they remembered he was on hold. While he waited, he booted up the computer but then remembered that there was only one phone line in the house, and he was currently using it. He couldn’t get on the Internet to check his e-mail via the antiquated modem and that increased his frustration level.
Dammit, he understood why Cal thought Troy needed help. He hadn’t lived on this ranch—on any ranch—for a long time. But any number of neighbors could have come to his aid, as they’d offered since he’d been back to the area. He’d seen them when he went into town, although he didn’t have much time to socialize. He had three ranch hands who worked according to Cal’s instructions, but they didn’t have the training or experience to run a ranch on their own. They couldn’t make decisions about breeding or culling the herd, or changing feed or buying hay if needed.
The elevator music stopped. “No, we don’t have a record of Raven York as a member or a paid consultant. Are you sure that’s her name?”
“I didn’t ask for ID, but that’s what she said.”
“She’s not from our association. Maybe she was sent by someone else.”
“Any idea who would send a Yankee vegetarian animals rights lover to a Texas cattle ranch?”
“Er, well, no.”
“Have you ever heard of the Society for the Preservation of Heritage Gardens?” Troy asked.
“No, I haven’t.”
Troy scrubbed his hand over his eyes. “Is there anyone else at the office we can check with?”
“Yes, but he’s on the phone right now.”
“There’s just the two of you?”
“This isn’t a big association. To be perfectly honest, we’re a little old-fashioned.”
Join the club, Troy felt like saying.
“We specialize in the general farm and ranch, whereas a lot of the groups are more specific to a breed or a type of operation. We support the family ranch and do our best to keep the traditions alive.”
That sounded like something out of a brochure, but Troy didn’t point that out, since he was in marketing himself. In his real job. When he wasn’t getting a headache on his family ranch. Thankfully, his assistant back in Fort Worth was handling most of the day-to-day duties, and Troy could advise via phone or e-mail when necessary.
“I know. We raise Herefords, and our father was a member, and my brother since our dad passed away. But I’m more interested in the specific request my brother made. He asked for a ranching expert. He’s paid dues for years and all he’s gotten so far is a bimonthly magazine. We need help, and we need it now.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Crawford, but I don’t see any request. I’ll have to talk to Mr. Sam Goodman, the general manager, but he’s still on the phone. I’ll give him the information you told me and we’ll see what we can find. He’s been running this association since the 1970s, and he has a terrific memory.”
For someone who’d been working at the same job for the past forty years and is probably past retirement age, Troy wanted to add. “Just get back to me as quickly as possible. Ms. York wants to find out where she’s supposed to be, and I need to locate my ranching expert before the end of the day.”
“We’ll sure do our best.”
Troy gave the man the numbers for his cell phone and the ranch phone, then hung up. He’d detected no sense of urgency, despite the fact it was Friday afternoon. He doubted Mr. Goodman or anyone else worked over the weekend.
“Any news?” his non-cattle-expert asked from the doorway of the office.
“No. I called the association in Bellville. That’s a little town northwest of Houston. They’ve never heard of you and the person I talked to didn’t have any record of Cal’s request. Hopefully, the senior guy will know something, but he’s busy.”
“Is it a big association?”
“No.” Of course not. A big association would charge a lot more money and would not have a list of retired volunteers who took on assignments for peanuts. A big association might have a list of top-notch consultants, but they would charge thousands of dollars for helpful advice. Troy really didn’t think the person Cal had asked for could save the ranch, but dammit, it had been Cal’s decision. Troy felt as if he owed it to his brother to try this approach…first.
“If I could use your phone, I’ll call my contact at the Society for the Preservation of Heritage Gardens. It’s a small group, too, but maybe we’ll have more luck getting answers.”
“Good idea.” Troy handed her the ancient phone that had sat on the desk for at least thirty years, then got up from the chair and stepped aside. “Have a seat. I’m going to grab a soft drink. Would you like one?”
“No, thank you. I have some water.”
She probably didn’t drink soda anyway. She was around average height, a little on the slim side, but not that two-hour-on-the-StairMaster trim that he observed in some other women. In Fort Worth, he often saw artificially plump lips, small noses and hollow cheekbones. They didn’t look all that real, especially when combined with large breasts on skinny women. Raven York seemed natural, as if she never thought about her looks, just her comfort.
But, heck, what did he know? And why was he spending any time thinking about it, since she’d probably get her answer and be gone by sundown.
RAVEN DIALED THE NUMBER OF the society that was working with the heritage homestead back home. They were a small group located in Florida, but had some excellent members who were willing to help with research and restoration. The project near her New Hampshire farm was especially important because there wasn’t another authentic homestead like it open to the public in her area. Schoolchildren would really benefit from seeing a working homestead from their ancestors’ era.
As soon as the phone-answering system kicked on, Raven started to worry. She dialed the director’s extension, and listened to a slightly feeble voice on the recording.
“This is Mrs. Margaret Philpot. I will be out of the office on Friday afternoon and all weekend visiting my grandchildren. I should be back in the office late Monday or Tuesday. Please leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”
Oh, no! “Mrs. Philpot, this is RavenYork. You sent me a letter and instructions about coming to Brody’s Crossing, Texas, to the Rocking C ranch to document a historic homestead garden. I’m here, and the owner of the ranch knows nothing about a garden. As a matter of fact, he was expecting a cattle expert! Please, we’re trying to figure out how this mix-up happened. Call us back as soon as possible.”
She gave Mrs. Philpot the number of the ranch, which was neatly typed on the round insert in the middle of the old black phone. “Please, let her call back soon,” Raven whispered, crossing her fingers.
“No luck, either?” Troy Crawford asked from the doorway.
“No, but I’m sure she’ll check in for messages.” At least, Raven hoped she did. Since Mrs. Philpot didn’t leave a cell phone or other number, the odds weren’t great.
“This is bizarre,” he said.
Raven silently agreed.
AFTER WAITING FIFTEEN MINUTES and then placing another phone call to the Farmers’ and Ranchers’ Society, Troy felt his blood pressure rise a few notches. He put the phone down and turned to Raven. “Mr. Sam, as I’ve just learned they affectionately call the older gentleman who runs the place, will call me back as soon as they find out what happened to Cal’s request.”
“As my New England ancestors used to say, patience is a virtue.”
“Right. So are a few other traits that I don’t seem to be in possession of right now.”
“Well then,” she said, straightening up, “I’ll just get a few things out of the car. I’m going to have a snack while we wait for the phone call.”
“You’re welcome to raid my fridge if you’d like.”
“No offense, Mr. Crawford, but I doubt it’s stocked with organic vegetarian food.”
“Certainly nothing organic unless some mold has grown on the cheese.”
She wrinkled her nose at his joke. Well, a halfhearted joke. The cheese probably was moldy.
“I’ll just get my tofu and fresh fruit. I’m sure the ice I put in the cooler this morning is probably melting, and the tofu needs to be kept cold.”
Tofu. He’d tried it once at a Japanese restaurant in Seattle. Bean curd had the consistency of slimy, firm pudding and tasted like…well, bean curd. “Help yourself to whatever you need.” There was no reason to be inhospitable just because they were worlds apart in values and backgrounds. She seemed nice enough when she wasn’t turning up her nose at cattle ranching.
“Thank you. And you’re welcome to join me.”
He tried to hide his own grimace. “Thanks, but I…er, gave up bean curd for Lent, years ago. I think I’ll wait for that call.”
“Of course.” She turned in a swirl of skirts and scarves and long black hair. That woman sure was swirly. And when she got a little peeved, her cheeks flushed a nice shade of peach.
Not that he had any reason to catalog her looks. As soon as they got the mix-up fixed, she’d be gone. Or maybe before, if she decided to leave on her own. She had no reason to stay on the Rocking C, especially since she found cattle ranching so objectionable.
Troy rubbed his face for what seemed like the hundredth time today. He didn’t need this. He needed help—whether arranged by Cal or himself—not criticism from a kind-of-cute vegetarian garden expert.
He unclenched his hands and stared at the phone, willing it to ring. He wanted to find out something before he e-mailed Cal in Afghanistan. If he was out on patrol or somewhere equally remote, he might not reply for days. Besides, it would only make him more concerned about the ranch if he knew the specialist he was depending on hadn’t shown up.
Troy promised himself that he’d give Mr. Goodman half an hour, then he’d call back. If the senior person there couldn’t help him, Troy would do some research on his own. Surely he could discover how this mess had happened.
After all, as his swirly-girly reluctant guest had suggested, there had to be some connection between the two completely different associations.
Chapter Two
“I can’t believe neither one of us could get any answers,” Raven said as she followed Troy from the home office into the kitchen an hour later.
He’d tried to call his association again, but with no luck other than the vague promise that they’d get back to him ASAP. The Internet hadn’t yielded any results for them, either. There was no apparent connection between the two groups.
Raven leaned against the kitchen counter near the sink. “I can’t believe Mrs. Philpot is the only person who can sort this out for me. This is just too bizarre.”
He opened the refrigerator and took out a beer. “Tell me about it. Every day without the guy I was expecting is another day wasted.” He held up the brown bottle for her to see. “Care to join me?”