THE DESTRUCTION OF THE LEONARDS’ BARN WAS the main topic of conversation the following morning before the service at Meadow Fellowship. Chet, Anna, and the boys weren’t present, no doubt because they were still cleaning up what the fire and firemen had left behind. Kimberly heard several men mention driving out to the Leonard ranch that afternoon to offer whatever help they could. She decided she and Tara would do the same.
She’d had a difficult time sleeping the previous night. She’d kept seeing the look on Chet’s face before she and Tara left the ranch. Discouragement had been etched in the corners of his mouth, in the creases of his forehead. She wanted to do something to help ease his worries. He’d been kind to her and her daughter. Much more generous with his time and resources than he’d needed to be with a couple of newcomers to the area.
When the church service came to an end, Kimberly couldn’t remember anything the pastor had shared in his sermon. It made her feel a bit guilty as she shook his hand on the way out of the sanctuary.
Once they were in the car, Kimberly drove to the grocery store to purchase fried chicken. A large bucket of it. If Chet had a bunch of volunteers show up, he would need plenty to feed them. She also bought large containers of potato salad and coleslaw and three dozen rolls. It cost more than she could afford to spend, but she didn’t care. It wasn’t like she had a lot of overhead expenses, thanks to her best friend’s generosity, as well as Chet’s.
Neither Kimberly nor Tara needed to go home to change clothes. Jeans and boots were the norm on Sunday mornings. One of the pluses of attending a church in a community like Kings Meadow. So after a second stop, this time at the gas station, they headed up the highway to the Leonard ranch.
The Welches were not the first to arrive. A mix of pickup trucks and automobiles was parked in the field on the left side of the lane leading to the house. Kimberly pulled into the first open space. When they walked into the barnyard, they saw men hauling charred boards from where the barn had stood yesterday morning and dumping them onto the bed of a decades-old two-ton truck.
“Let’s take the food into the house,” Kimberly said to Tara. “Then we’ll find Chet and see how else we can help.”
Anna was in the kitchen, preparing a pot of coffee, when they entered a couple of minutes later. The older woman didn’t look quite as drained today as she had yesterday. Kimberly was thankful for that.
“We brought food for the volunteers.” She held up the sacks in her hands.
Anna tried to smile, but she wasn’t very successful. “Bless you, dear.”
“Why don’t you sit down and let me finish that?”
“No need. It’s ready to go.” As if in proof, she punched the Brew button on the front of the coffeemaker.
Kimberly set the food they’d brought on the counter, next to several casserole dishes covered with foil or cellophane. She hadn’t been the only person to realize the volunteers and family would need to be fed.
Fingers jammed into the back pockets of her jeans, Tara asked, “How can we help, Ms. McKenna?”
“I really don’t know, dear. You’ll need to ask Chet or one of the boys.”
Tara looked at her mom. “I’m gonna see if I can find Sam or Pete.”
“Okay. Come get me if there’s something I can do right now. Otherwise, I’ll be out in a bit.”
Her daughter nodded before leaving the kitchen.
Anna sank onto a chair and released a sigh.
Kimberly wished she had words of encouragement, but her mind was blank. She wondered if she should put the food into the refrigerator or if the men outside would want to eat soon. Indecision held her still.
Into the silence, Anna said, “The chief said he’s convinced it wasn’t arson that started the fire. No need for a lengthy investigation. That’s good since Chet’s determined to get up a new barn as quickly as possible. Bringing in a qualified investigator would surely take a lot of time.”
“Arson?” Kimberly said. “I didn’t know it was even suspected.”
“It wasn’t. But they have to consider everything at first.”
Kimberly sat in a chair opposite Anna. “You look awfully tired. Why don’t you go lie down? I can manage the food and coffee.”
“No, dear. But thank you.” Anna’s smile was fleeting. “I don’t think I could sleep even if I tried.”
The kitchen door opened and Sam entered the house. “Tara said you brought fried chicken. Can I have some? I’m starved.”
Perhaps Kimberly couldn’t make Anna rest for a while, but she could make sure the elderly woman didn’t have to feed the hungry. “Everyone must be starved by now.” Kimberly stood, ready to take action. “Sam, we need a table set up in the yard in the shade. If you’ll do that, I’ll bring out the food and paper plates and cups and so forth. Then we can all eat.”
MOST OF THE VOLUNTEERS WHO’D COME TO HELP with the cleanup didn’t leave until suppertime. Amazing, the amount of work they’d accomplished.
Chet said a prayer of thanks for his friends and neighbors as he watched the last truck roll down the driveway to the highway, a cloud of dust rising behind the tires. As he started to turn toward the house, he noticed Kimberly’s car still parked in the field. So the last of the volunteers hadn’t left after all.
He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, feeling the grit that had collected there during the day. He was sweaty and sooty and too tired to be hungry. All he wanted now was a shower and then to fall into bed. With any luck, he would be able to sleep.
He slowly climbed the steps to the porch, feeling like an old man. Inside, he found Anna seated at the kitchen table and Kimberly, wearing an apron, at the sink, washing a casserole dish. From the living room came the sounds of a video game.
“Pete and Tara are playing Mario something or other,” Anna said. “Sam went up a bit ago to take a shower.”
“That’s where I’m headed.”
Kimberly turned from the sink, drying her hands with a towel. “Tara and I should go home.”
Chet wanted to ask her to stay. Wanted her there more than he cared to admit. To her or to anyone. Including himself. But now was not the time to add another complication to his life. And the attraction he felt for Kimberly Welch would be just that. A complication. She’d told him outright that she had no intention of remaining in Kings Meadow, and since he had no plans to ever leave here, nothing could come of his feelings anyway.
“Thanks, Kimberly,” he finally said. “You’ve been a great help the last couple of days.”
“Tara and I were glad to do what we could. We’re so sorry this happened to you.”
He nodded wordlessly, then headed for the stairs. Once inside the master bathroom, he shed his soot-covered clothes and got into the shower. Eyes closed, he stood beneath the pulsing water, turning it to the hottest temperature he could stand, and braced his hands against the tiles. The spray hit him on the top of the head. Water ran down the sides of his face.
Replacing the barn with one of equal size and quality would be expensive. Over a hundred thousand dollars, even with some volunteer help. He had insurance, but it wouldn’t cover the entire cost of a new barn plus replacing everything else that was lost. He would need a loan for whatever the insurance didn’t cover. Cash flow. It always came down to cash flow.
If we could just have one really great year where nothing went wrong. One without surprises. If I could just get a bit of breathing room . . .
He felt a sudden loneliness, a strong need to be able to pour out his concerns to someone who walked beside him, day in and day out. He couldn’t do that with his sons. He couldn’t do it with Anna McKenna either. He needed a partner, a life companion. He needed . . . He wanted . . .
Kimberly’s image came to mind. He’d only known her a couple of months, and yet his thoughts were filled with her. As if he’d been collecting mental snapshots whenever he was with her.
She doesn’t even like horses. She’s afraid of them. I raise and sell horses. That’s what I do! That’s what I’ll always do!
If Chet wanted to choose the most unlikely woman to fill his thoughts, Kimberly Welch was surely her. She didn’t like small towns. Didn’t want to live in Idaho. Didn’t like horses. She would be all wrong for him. Any fool could see that.
He needed to nip this attraction in the bud. He would nip it in the bud. Now. Right now. His heart had been broken once before. Once was enough.