Wedding at Cardwell Ranch
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She and Belinda had been friends since grade school. Lately they hadn’t been as close, probably Allie’s fault. Belinda was in between men right now, and much wilder, freer and more outspoken than Allie had ever been. But Belinda didn’t have a five-year-old daughter, either.
“You have no idea what this means to me,” Belinda said now. “I’ve been dying to photograph a Western wedding for my portfolio.”
“Your portfolio?”
Belinda looked embarrassed as if she’d let the cat out of the bag, so to speak. “I’m thinking about opening my own studio.”
“That’s great.” Allie was happy for her friend, although she’d wondered if Belinda had come into some money because it wouldn’t be cheap and as far as she knew Belinda lived from paycheck to paycheck like everyone else she knew.
The waitress came and took their orders. A light breeze stirred the new leaves on the nearby trees. The smell of summer mixed with that of corn tortillas, the most wonderful smell of all, Allie thought. They sipped Mexican Cokes, munched on chips and salsa to the sound of Latin music playing in the background and Allie felt herself begin to relax.
“I wasn’t going to bring this up,” Belinda said, “but you know that psychic that I’ve seen off and on?”
Allie fought not to roll her eyes.
“I know you say you don’t believe in this stuff, but she said something interesting when I mentioned you.”
“You told her about me?” Allie hadn’t meant for her voice to rise so high. Her daughter looked over. She smiled at Nat and quickly changed her tone. “I really don’t want you talking to anyone about me, let alone a...” She tried to come up with a word other than charlatan.
Belinda leaned forward, unfazed. “She thinks what’s happening to you is because of guilt. Simply put, you feel guilty and it is manifesting itself into these...incidents.”
Allie stared at her. Leave it to Belinda to get right to the heart of it.
Her friend lowered her voice as if afraid Nat might be listening. “It makes sense, if you think about it. Nick didn’t know you were—” she glanced at Nat “—leaving him and going to file for custody of you-know-who, but you did know your plan. Then he goes and gets himself...” She grimaced in place of the word killed. “Something like that has to mess with your mind.”
“Yes, losing your husband does mess with your mind no matter what kind of marriage you had.” Fortunately, the waitress brought their food. Allie called Nat up to the table and, for a few moments, they ate in silence.
“The thing is...” Belinda said between bites.
“Can’t we just enjoy our meal?” Allie pleaded.
Her friend waved that suggestion away, but didn’t say more until they had finished and Nat had gone back to the play area.
“The psychic thinks there is more to it,” Belinda said. “What if Nick knew about your...plan?”
“What are you saying?”
“Come on. You’ve been over Nick for a long time. His death wouldn’t make you crazy—”
“I’m not crazy,” she protested weakly.
“But what if he did know or at least suspected? Come on, Allie. We both know it was so not like Nick to go hunting up into the mountains alone, knowing that the grizzlies were eating everything they could get their paws on before hibernation.” She didn’t seem to notice Allie wince. “Didn’t the ranger say Nick had food in his backpack?”
“He didn’t take food to attract a bear, if that’s what you’re saying. He planned to stay a few days so of course he had food in his backpack.”
“I’m not trying to upset you. But if he went up there to end it all, that was his choice. You can’t go crazy because you feel guilty.”
Her stomach turned at the thought of the backpack she’d been asked to identify. It had been shredded by the grizzly’s claws. She’d been horrified to think of what the bear had done to Nick. She would never forget the officer who’d brought her the news.
“From what we’ve been able to assess at the scene, your husband was attacked by a grizzly and given the tracks and other signs—”
“Signs?”
“Blood, ma’am.”
She’d had to sit down. “You’re telling me he’s...dead?”
“It certainly looks that way,” the ranger said. Four days later, the search for Nick Taylor was called off because a winter storm had come in and it was believed that there was little chance he could have survived such an attack without immediate medical attention.
“Nick wouldn’t,” she managed to say now. In her heart of hearts, the man she knew so well, the man she’d been married to for more than six years, wouldn’t purposely go into the woods with a plan to be killed by a grizzly.
But Nick had always been unpredictable. Moody and often depressed, too. The construction business hadn’t been doing well even before Nick’s death. What would he have done if he’d known she was leaving him and taking his daughter? Hadn’t she been suspicious when Nick told her of his plan to go hunting alone? She’d actually thought he might be having an affair and wanted to spend a few days with his mistress. She’d actually hoped that was the case.
“You’re going by yourself?” she’d asked. Nick couldn’t even watch football by himself.
“I know things haven’t been great with us lately,” he’d said. That alone had surprised her. She really thought Nick hadn’t noticed or cared. “I think a few days apart is just what we both need. I can tell you aren’t happy. I promise you there will be changes when I get back and maybe I’ll even come home with a nice buck.” He’d cupped her face in his hands. “I don’t think you know what you mean to me, but I promise to show you when I get back.” He’d kissed her then, softly, sweetly, and for a moment, she’d wondered if Nick could change.
“You’re wrong about Nick,” she said now to Belinda. “If he was going to end it, he would have chosen the least painful way to do it. Not one—” she looked at Nat, who was swinging nearby, humming to herself and seemingly oblivious to their conversation “—that chose him. He had a gun with him he could have used.”
“Maybe he didn’t get the chance, but you’re probably right,” Belinda said and grabbed the check. “Let me get this. I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just that you need to get a handle on whatever’s been going on with you for you-know-who’s sake.” She cut her eyes to Nat, who headed toward them as they stood to leave.
“You’re right about the guilt, though,” Allie said, giving her friend that. She’d known as she’d watched Nick leave that day to go up into the mountains that nothing could change him enough to make her stay. She was going to ask him for a divorce when he came back.
Belinda changed the subject. “I saw your brother-in-law, Drew, earlier on the ranch.”
Allie nodded. “He mentioned he was working up there. His construction company built the guest cabins.”
“I’d forgotten that.” Belinda frowned. “I was talking to Lily about photos at the rehearsal dinner. Did you know that Sarah is one of her bridesmaids?”
“My sister-in-law worked with Lily one season at her brother James’s Canyon Bar.” Allie had the impression that Lily didn’t have a lot of female friends. Most of the math professors she knew were male, apparently. “I think James feels sorry for Sarah and you know Lily, she is so sweet.”
“I have to hand it to Sarah, putting up with her mother day in and day out,” Belinda said.
Allie didn’t want to think about it. Along with fewer incidents the past few days, she’d also been blessed with no visits from her mother-in-law and Sarah.
“Sarah’s a saint, especially—” Belinda lowered her voice “—the way Mildred treats her. She is constantly bugging her about her weight and how she is never going to get a husband... It’s awful.”
Allie agreed.
“I don’t understand why she doesn’t leave.”
“Where would she go and what would she do?” Allie said. “Sarah was in college when Mildred broke her leg. She quit to come home and take care of her mother. Mildred has milked it ever since. It used to annoy Nick, Sarah living in the guesthouse. He thought Sarah was taking advantage of his mother.”
“Ha, it’s the other way around. Sarah is on twenty-four-hour call. She told me that her mother got her out of bed at 2:00 a.m. one time to heat her some milk because she couldn’t sleep. I would have put a pillow over the old nag’s face.”
Allie laughed and changed the subject. “You look especially nice today,” she commented, realizing that her friend had seemed happier lately. It dawned on her why. “There’s someone new in your life.”
Belinda shrugged. She didn’t like to talk about the men she dated because she thought it would jinx things for her. Not talking about them didn’t seem to work, either, though. Belinda was so superstitious. Why else would she see a psychic to find out her future?
“This is going to be so much fun, the two of us working together again. Don’t worry. I won’t get in your way.” Belinda took her hand. “I’m sorry I upset you. Sometimes I don’t have the brains God gave a rock.”
She didn’t think that was the way the expression went, but said nothing. Belinda could be so...annoying and yet so sweet. Allie didn’t know what she would have done without her the past few years. Belinda had been the only person she would talk freely to about Nick and the trouble between them.
“I’m just worried about you, honey,” Belinda said, squeezing her hand. “I really think you should see someone—”
“I don’t need a shrink.”
“Not a shrink. Someone more...spiritual who can help you make sense of the things that you say keep happening.”
“Things do keep happening,” she snapped. “I’m not making them up.”
“So talk to this woman,” Belinda said just as adamantly. She pressed a business card into Allie’s hand.
She glanced at it and groaned. “Your psychic friend?”
“She might be the only person who can help you,” Belinda said cryptically. She gripped Allie’s hand tighter. “She says she can get you in touch with Nick so you can get past this.”
Allie stared at her for a moment before laughing out loud. “You have got to be kidding. What does she use? A Ouija board?”
“Don’t laugh. This woman can tell you things that will make the hair on your head stand straight up.”
That’s all I need, she thought, reminded of Jackson Cardwell asking her if she was superstitious.
“Call her,” Belinda said, closing Allie’s fingers around the woman’s business card. “You need closure, Allie. This woman can give it to you. She’s expecting your call.”
“I’ve been expecting your call, as well,” said a sharp, older voice.
They both turned to see Mildred and her daughter. From the looks on their faces, they’d been standing there for some time.
Chapter Three
“Want to see the building for Montana’s first Texas Boys Barbecue?” Tag asked after they’d dropped Jackson and Ford’s luggage off at the small cabin on the side of the mountain and gone down to meet cousin Dana and her brood.
Dana Cardwell Savage was just as Tag had described her. Adorable and sweet and delighted that everyone was coming for the wedding.
“How is your cabin?” she asked after introducing him to her children with husband, Marshal Hud Savage. Hank was the spitting image of his father, Dana said, and six now. Mary was five and looked just like her mom. Then there were the twins, Angus and Brick, just a year and a half old with the same dark hair and eyes as all the Cardwells.
“The cabin is great,” Jackson said as Ford instantly bonded with his second cousins. “Thank you so much for letting me stay there.”
“Family is why we had them built,” Dana said. “My Texas cousins will always have a place to stay when you visit. Or until you find a place to live in Montana when you realize you want to live up here,” she added with a wink. “Isn’t that right, Tag?”
“I would love to visit, but I’m never leaving Texas,” Jackson said.
“Never say never,” Tag commented under his breath. “I was just about to take him down to see the restaurant location.”
Ford took off with the other kids into a room full of toys and didn’t even look back as his father left. Jackson almost felt as if he were losing his son to Montana and the Cardwell clan.
“Are you sure you don’t want to wait until everyone gets here?” he asked as they left.
“Hayes and Laramie are flying in tomorrow. I was hoping you would pick them up at the airport. Austin is apparently on a case tying up some loose ends.” He shrugged. Of the five of them, Austin was the loner. He was dedicated to his job and being tied up on a case was nothing new. “Anyway, it’s your opinion I want. You’re better at this than all three of them put together.”
“So you haven’t heard from Austin on the deal,” Jackson guessed.
Tag shook his head. “You know how he is. He’ll go along with whatever everyone else says. Come on,” he said with a laugh when Jackson groaned. “I really do want your opinion.”
“Honest opinion?” Jackson asked.
“Of course.”
Jackson glanced around as they drove out of the ranch and down the highway to the turnoff to Big Sky. Being the youngest, he didn’t remember anything about Montana. He’d been a baby when his mother had packed up her five sons and taken them to Texas.
Big Sky looked more like a wide spot in the road rather than a town. There were clusters of buildings broken only by sagebrush or golf greens.
“This is the lower Meadow Village,” Tag told him. “There is also the Mountain Village higher up the mountain where the ski resort is. You really have to see this place in the winter. It’s crazy busy around the holidays. There are a lot of second homes here so the residents fly in and spend a few weeks generally in the summer and the holidays. More and more people, though, are starting to live here year-round. There is opportunity here, Jackson.”
Jackson wanted to tell his brother that he didn’t need to sell him. He’d go along with whatever the others decided. In fact, he’d already spoken to Hayes about it. Once Hayes got on board, it was clear to Jackson that this was probably a done deal. The holdout, if there was one, would be Austin and only because he wouldn’t be available to sign off on the deal. Even Laramie sounded as if he thought the restaurant was a good idea.
“Where does Harlan live?” Jackson asked as they drove past mansions, condos and some tiny old cabins that must have been there before anyone even dreamed of a Big Sky. He had only a vague recollection of his father from those few times Harlan had visited Texas when he was growing up.
“He lives in one of those cabins back there, the older ones. We can stop by his place if you like. More than likely he and Uncle Angus are down at the Corral Bar. It’s their favorite watering hole. Maybe we could have a beer with them later.”
“I’m sure I’ll see him soon enough.” Harlan was a stranger who hadn’t even made Jackson’s wedding, not that the marriage had lasted long, anyway. But he felt no tie to the man who’d fathered him and doubted he ever would. It was only when he thought about Ford that he had regrets. It would have been nice for Ford to have a grandfather. His ex-wife’s family had no interest in Ford. So the only family his son had in Texas was Jackson’s mother, Rosalee Cardwell and his brother Laramie. Tag had already moved to Montana and Hayes would be moving here soon.
“I’m getting to know Dad,” Tag said. “He’s pretty remarkable.”
“Tell me about your wedding planner,” Jackson said, changing the subject then regretting the topic he’d picked when his brother grinned over at him. “I’m just curious about her.” He hadn’t told anyone about the cat or the terrified woman he’d found in the barn earlier. Her reaction seemed over the top given it had only been a cat. Though it had been a black one. Maybe she was superstitious.
“Allie’s great. Dana suggested her. That’s our Dana, always trying to help those in need. Allie lost her husband eight months ago. Terrible thing. He was hunting in the mountains and apparently killed by a grizzly bear.”
“Apparently?”
“They never found his body. They think the bear dragged the body off somewhere. Won’t be the first time remains have turned up years later in the mountains—if they turn up at all. They found his backpack and enough blood that he can be declared legally dead but I guess the insurance company has been dragging its feet.”
Jackson thought of Allie and her little girl, Nat. “How horrible for them.”
“Yeah, she’s been having a hard time both emotionally and financially according to Dana, who suggested her for our wedding planner because of it. But Lily loves Allie and, of course, Natalie. That little girl is so darned bright.”
“Yeah, Ford is definitely taken with her.” But his thoughts were on Allie and her reaction to the cat flying out of that box of wedding decorations. It must have scared her half out of her wits in the emotional state she was in. “That was nice of Dana to hire her.”
“Allie worked as a wedding planner before she married Nick Taylor. Dana offered Allie and Nat one of the new guest ranch cabins where we’re staying. But I guess she thinks it would be better for Natalie to stay in their own home.”
“Where do Allie and her daughter live now?”
“An old cabin down by the river. I’ll show you on the way back.” Tag swung into a small complex and turned off the engine. “Welcome to the site of the next Texas Boys Barbecue joint.”
* * *
“I THOUGHT YOU had a job,” Mildred said to Allie over the sound of brass horns playing cantina music at the Mexican café.
“They allow lunch breaks,” she said. “But I really need to get back.” She excused herself to go to the ladies’ room.
Mildred turned to Natalie, leaned down and pinched her cheek. “How is my sweetie today? Grandma misses you. When are you coming to my house?”
In the restroom, Allie splashed cold water on her face and tried to calm down. How much had they heard?
Enough that they had been looking at her strangely. Or was that all in her mind, as well? But if they heard Belinda trying to get her to see a psychic so she could reach Nick on the other side... Allie could well imagine what they would think.
She hurried, not wanting to leave Natalie with her grandmother for long. She hated it, but Mildred seemed to nag the child all the time about not spending enough time with her.
Leaving the restroom, she saw that Sarah and her mother hadn’t taken a seat. Instead, they were standing at the takeout counter. There was no avoiding talking to them again.
“I couldn’t help but overhear your...friend suggesting you see a...psychic?” Mother Taylor said, leaving no doubt that they had been listening. “Surely she meant a psychiatrist, which indicates that you are still having those hallucinations.” She quirked an eyebrow, waiting for an answer.
“Belinda was only joking. I’m feeling much better, thank you.”
Mildred’s expression said she wasn’t buying a minute of it. “Sarah, I left my sweater in the car.”
“I’ll get it, Mother.” Sarah turned and headed for their vehicle parked out front.
“How is this...job of yours going?” Mildred asked. “I’ve never understood what wedding planners do.”
Allie had actually told her once, listing about fifty things she did but Mildred clearly hadn’t been listening.
“I’ll have to tell you sometime,” she said now. “But I need to get back to it. Come on, Natalie.”
“You should let me have her for the rest of the day,” Mildred said. “In fact, she can spend the night at my house.”
“I’m sorry, but Natalie is getting horseback riding lessons this afternoon,” Allie lied. “She’s having a wonderful time with Dana’s children.”
“Well, she can still—”
“Not only that, I also prefer to have Nat with me right now. It’s hard enough without Nick.” Another lie followed by the biggest truth of all, “I need my daughter right now.”
Mildred looked surprised. “That’s the first time I’ve heard you mention my Nicky in months.” She seemed about to cry. Sarah returned with her sweater, slipping it around her shoulders without even a thank-you from Mildred.
Nearby, Belinda was finishing up their bill.
“I really should get back to work.” Allie tried to step past her mother-in-law, but the older woman grabbed her arm. “I worry that you are ill-equipped to take care of yourself, let alone a child. I need Natalie more than you do. I—”
Allie jerked her arm free. “Natalie would be heartbroken if she was late to her horseback riding lesson.” She hurried to her daughter, picked up her purse off the table and, taking Nat’s hand, left the restaurant, trying hard not to run.
She told herself to calm down. Any sign of her being upset and her in-laws would view it as her being unable to take care of Nat. But all she wanted was to get away and as quickly as possible.
But as she and Nat reached her van and she dug in her purse for her keys, she realized they weren’t there. Her heart began to pound. Since Nick’s death, she was constantly losing her keys, her purse, her sunglasses...her mind.
“Forgetfulness is very common after a traumatic event,” the doctor had told her when she’d gotten an appointment at her in-laws’ insistence.
“It scares me. I try to remind myself where I put things so this doesn’t happen, but when I go back to get whatever it was...I’m always so positive that’s where I left it. Instead, I find it in some...strange place I could never imagine.”
The doctor had chuckled and pulled out his prescription pad. “How are you sleeping?” He didn’t even wait for her to answer. “I think once you start sleeping through the night, you’re going to find that these instances of forgetfulness will go away.”
The pills had only made it worse, though, she thought now as she frantically searched for her van keys. She could feel Nat watching her, looking worried. Sometimes it felt as if her five-year-old was taking care of her instead of the other way around.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. Mama just misplaced her keys. I’m sure they’re in here....”
“Looking for these?” The young waitress from the café came out the door, holding up her keys.
“Where did you find them?” Allie asked, thinking they must have fallen out of her purse at the table and ended up on the floor. That could happen to anyone.
“In the bathroom sink.”
Allie stared at her.
“You must have dropped them while you were washing your hands,” the young woman said with a shrug as she handed them over.
As if that was likely. She hadn’t even taken her purse to the restroom, had she? But she had it now and she couldn’t remember. She’d been so upset to see Sarah and Mildred.
“Nat, what was Grandmother saying to you in the restaurant?”
“She wanted me to go to her house but I told her I couldn’t. I’m going horseback riding when we get to the ranch,” Nat announced. “Dana is taking me and the other kids.” Her lower lip came out for a moment. “Grandma said she was really sad I wasn’t going with her.”
“Yes,” Allie said as, with trembling fingers, she opened the van door. Tears stung her eyes. “But today is a happy day so we aren’t going to be sad, right? There are lots of other days that you can spend with your grandmother.” Nat brightened as she strapped her into her seat.
Just a few more minutes and she and Nat would be out of here. But as she started the van, she looked up to find Mother Taylor watching her from beside Sarah’s pearl-white SUV. It was clear from her expression that she’d witnessed the lost-key episode.
From the front steps of the restaurant, Belinda waved then made the universal sign to telephone.
Allie knew Belinda didn’t mean call her. Reaching in her pocket, she half expected the psychic’s business card to be missing. But it was still there, she realized with sagging relief. As crazy as the idea of reaching Nick beyond the grave was, she’d do anything to make this stop.
* * *
WHEN ALLIE AND her daughter returned, Jackson was watching her from inside his cousin’s two-story ranch house.
“She lost her husband some months back,” Dana said, joining him at the window.