The Cowboy's Family Christmas. Carolyne Aarsen
international engineering firm. I’d be my own boss, which is what I’ve been looking for since I graduated,” Reuben said, thankful for his uncle’s switch in topic. He didn’t want to expound on the real reasons he was leaving. Leanne and Austin, the visible reminder of her betrayal of Reuben. “I’ll be making good money and I’ll be traveling around the world doing some big jobs. What’s not to like?”
“And there’s no one in your life right now who would object to all the moving around?” Boyce asked.
Reuben shook his head. “Nope. Haven’t met anyone who created any sparks.”
“I get where you’re coming from,” Cord said. “I think Ella and I had sparks the first time we met.”
“Didn’t help that Adana had just quit as your nanny and you were ticked off,” Boyce said with a laugh.
“There was more than that going on.” Cord grinned and then his phone dinged. He glanced at it, then back at Reuben. “I gotta deal with this. Are you leaving today?”
Reuben nodded. The sooner the better.
“Then I’ll say goodbye.”
“I’m heading out too,” Boyce said, “Though I wouldn’t mind sticking around and talking more, I sense you want to get a move on.” He gave Reuben a rueful smile, which, more than anything either of them had said, made Reuben second-guess his decision.
But then he thought of Leanne’s anger and his father’s lack of affection, and he knew he wasn’t ready to put himself in that vulnerable position.
“Much as I’d like to connect with some of the other cousins, I feel I should get going.”
Cord got up the same time Reuben did and pulled him close in a quick, man hug then stepped back, holding his gaze. “You stay safe and don’t be a stranger.”
“I won’t,” he said.
Then Boyce dropped some bills on the table to pay for breakfast, got up and gave him a tighter hug than Cord had. “I’ve been praying for you,” he said as he pulled back. “You and your father.”
Reuben felt a twinge of guilt at the sentiment. After Dirk’s funeral and Leanne’s betrayal, he had kept his distance from God. Only in the past few months had he realized how much he missed his faith and started attending church again.
“Thanks. I probably need it,” he said, keeping his tone light.
“You’ll be back for my wedding, won’t you?” Cord asked as they made their way out of the restaurant.
“I hope so. I’ll have to see what my new work schedule is. I’ll be needing to impress some big investors.”
“This job sounds serious,” Boyce said as he slowly made his way down the few steps out of the café. “And important.”
“I’ve got a lot riding on it and the pay is amazing.” This job was his chance to prove to himself that he had value. Worth.
“Well, you know, it’s a cliché but money isn’t everything,” Boyce said.
“No, but it’s a fairly universal measuring stick. One that your brother, George, understands.”
Cord gave him a curious look but Reuben wasn’t delving deeper into the past. He had a promising future ahead of him and in spite of feeling bad that he had let his cousin and his uncle down, he had to move on. Staying in Cedar Ridge wasn’t an option.
“Well, you take care. Stay in touch and don’t be such a stranger.”
Reuben nodded as he buttoned his denim jacket closed. The wind still held a chill. It was cooler than yesterday and as he walked down the street to his truck, he shivered as he thought of California, where he would be headquartered.
It would be warm there. No snow and no winter. Just sun and warmth and work.
Boyce and Cord said goodbye and left.
Reuben watched them leave and felt a twinge of melancholy when they both laughed at something Cord had said. How often had he longed for a relationship like his cousin and uncle shared?
He shook off the feelings, walked to his truck, drove down Main Street, then headed to the highway out of town.
But as he drove away from Cedar Ridge, he tried not to think that he might not be back for a very, very long time.
His father’s ranch was on his way out of town, and as he came nearer he was tempted to keep going. Drive on into his future and leave the past behind. But he knew guilt and second thoughts would follow him all the way back to Calgary, so he slowed as he came to the wooden and stone archway leading to the ranch. Hanging from the cross bar was the ranch’s brand, stamped on a metal disc. The Bar W. And with it hung the weight of the Walsh legacy and their prominence in the community of Cedar Ridge.
This was driven home when he drove up to the imposing bulk of the ranch house once again. It was built to impress and easily fulfilled that promise. The house spread out and upward, two stories high. The main part of the house, directly in front of him, held the main living area. Kitchen, great room, family room, formal dining room, kitchen nook. Two wings stretched out from the main house. One wing held the master bedroom, a media room, an office and a guest bedroom. The other was where Reuben and Dirk had slept and also had an extra bedroom.
Reuben’s mother had often said that the family rattled around in the large space. She was right, but the space also gave Reuben places to retreat to after his mother left. Away from George’s steady criticism.
Reuben parked on the cement pad in front of the large, four-bay garage, guessing that Leanne and George’s vehicles were inside.
He stayed in the truck a moment, taking a breath, readying himself to face them again. At least this time he was prepared.
He got out of the truck and strode to the house. But when he rang the doorbell no one answered. He put his head inside and called out, but again, only silence.
Puzzled he walked past the house and the gardens Dirk’s mother had started, surprised to see them all cleaned up and obviously cared for. His mother had never cared for them and they had been taken over by weeds and neglect.
Leanne must have revived the garden. He remembered how she had often wished she could fix it up when she and Dirk were dating.
He stopped again, listening for voices. Maybe they were all gone. He went a little farther and as he came over the rise separating the ranch house from the corrals, he heard the distinctive lowing of cattle and the bawl of baby calves.
He walked around the grove of trees between the garden behind the house and the cow corrals lying in a hollow tucked against the hill the house stood on.
The sound of shouting and the bellowing of cows grew louder as he got closer. Some cows stood in the pasture along the rugged fence, bawling for their calves, which had been separated from them in another large pen.
The rest of the cows were on the other side, milling about, creating a cloud of dust as they waited to be processed.
That’s when he saw her. Leanne was mounted on a large palomino, wearing a down vest, her hair tied back. Her hat was shoved on her head and she waved a coil of rope as she pushed the horse into a crush of bawling animals, cutting some away.
What was she doing? That was dangerous work. She could be hurt. There were far too many cows in the pen. Why was she working with them?
An unfamiliar man stood by a gate connected to another smaller pen. Clearly his job was to open the gate when enough cows were cut out of the herd. A younger man sat astride a horse, a ball cap clamped over his dark hair.
“Devin, get over there,” he heard his father yelling. Big surprise. Dad’s default emotion was anger. “Stop being so ridiculously lazy and help out,” he bellowed again from his position on the raised walkway by the fenced-in alley adjacent the pen.
He