Ryder woke the next morning to someone pounding on the door of his camper.
“Hang on a sec,” he shouted, searching for his jeans. He’d tossed them somewhere when he’d stumbled in the night before.
Finding them in a heap on the floor, he managed to put on each pant leg as he hopped to the door. Joey stood outside, staring up at his bare chest. Her eyes moved over him and came to rest on the undone buttons on his Levi’s.
His hand instantly moved to his fly. “What’s up?”
“There are some weird people here who want to talk to you.”
He stuck his head out and craned his neck. “Where?”
“At the front door of the house. I invited them in, but they said they’d rather wait for you outside.”
“Did they say what they want?”
“Nope. But whatever it is, they aren’t happy.”
He scrubbed his hand through his matted hair. “Okay. I just need a sec to put on a shirt.”
Ryder ducked back inside, found a clean Henley, and brushed his teeth. When he got to the house, there was a couple waiting for him dressed in identical khaki shirts embroidered with tiny bears and navy shorts with a sharp crease down the middle. Kind of a deranged park ranger vibe.
“Ryder Knight.” He stuck out his hand, but neither the man nor the woman made a move to shake it. “How can I help you?”
“I’m Sandy Addison. This is my husband, Cal. We own the Beary Quaint up the road.”
Ah, that explained the shirts. “Sure, I know the place. Nice to meet you.”
They continued to stand there without responding.
“Uh, you want a cup of coffee?”
“It’s after eight,” Sandy said, as if that somehow answered the question.
Well, Ryder sure the hell wanted a cup and was tempted to say, “You think we can wrap this up?” But he was trying to be neighborly. And poor Cal already looked nervous. His eyes kept darting around, like he was expecting someone to unleash a pit bull on him at any moment.
Sandy rested her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. “This property isn’t zoned for a campground.”
Huh?
“Who said anything about a campground?”
Now Cal looked ready to piss his pants. Not Sandy, though. She stepped right into Ryder’s personal space and pointed around the side of the house.
“You mean the fifth wheel?” he asked. “That’s mine.”
“Are you living in it?” Sandy jutted her chin at him in challenge. “Because this property isn’t zoned for a mobile home park, either.”
Ah, for Christ’s sake. One trailer did not make a goddamn mobile home park, nor a campground. What the hell was wrong with these people? “I’m sleeping in it while my mother and her caregiver live in my house. What’s the big deal?”
“You’re breaking the law.”
Ryder looked to Cal. A little help here, dude. But Cal’s eyes fell to the ground. Jeez, man up, you little worm. What an odd couple. Whoever heard of complaining about a guy sleeping in his camper, for God’s sake?
“Look, Sandy, there’s nothing that says I can’t spend the night in my fifth wheel if I want to.” He wasn’t hurting anyone. In fact, he’d probably increased their property value just by moving in.
The screen door squeaked, and Joey came onto the front porch. It hadn’t escaped him that she’d been listening to the entire conversation through the window.
“Ryder, it’s time for breakfast.”
He gave her the one-minute sign, as he wanted to make sure the Addisons knew exactly where he stood. “The next time you want to come over here and—”
“We have the law on our side,” Sandy interrupted him.
The hell they did. “Yeah, then call the police.”
He swiveled on his heels, marched up the stairs, opened the door for Joey, and followed her inside. Together, they watched the Addisons get in their car and drive off.
“Shit. I’ll be right back.”
Joey trailed after him. “Do you think anything they said might be legit?”
“No. But I plan to make sure.” He climbed into his camper and retrieved his phone, only to bump into Joey, who’d followed him inside.
“Wow.” She turned in place, her mouth slack jaw. “This is nice. Like, really nice.” She ran her hand over the sofa. “Is this real leather?” She strolled into the kitchen and did a double take at the granite countertops. “This is like a luxury condo on wheels.”
“It’s leftover from my rodeo days.”
She continued to explore, poking her head in closets and opening doors. “It only has a half bath?”
He led her through the master bedroom. The bed was still unmade, and his crap was strewn across the floor. But she didn’t seem to mind. Ryder gave her a tour of the full bath.
She took in the walk-in-shower and double vanity. “They sure didn’t skimp on space.”
“Check this out.” Ryder took her outside, opened a panel on the exterior of the camper, and pulled down a set of metal stairs. “Access to the half bath.”
She lit up, and he had to turn away to keep from staring at her. “Keeps you from tracking mud in after hiking.”
Or, in his case, horseshit. “Look at this.” He opened another side panel to reveal an outdoor kitchen.
“Holy Toledo. This is what you call glamping.”
“This is what you call feeding a horde of hungry cowboys in a rodeo parking lot.” He winked.
“That, too, I suppose.” Her lips curved into a pretty smile, then she sighed. “I don’t want to leave your mom for too long. She was still asleep when I came to get you. But by now she’s probably awake and hungry for breakfast.” She started to walk backward toward the house. “You coming?”
“Yep. Meet you inside.” He closed everything up, and on his way to the house, dialed his real estate agent. She answered on the fifth ring, and he remembered that it was still early. “Hey, Dana, it’s Ryder Knight. Hope I didn’t wake you.”
“I’ve been up for hours. Baby’s been kicking. How’s the new place?”
“That’s why I’m calling.” He went inside the house and followed the smell of coffee into the kitchen. His mother sat at the table in her bathrobe. Pre-stroke, she would’ve been dressed and ready to take on the world. He kissed her on the forehead and told Dana about his visit from the Addisons. “Is there any truth to what they’re saying?”
“That you can’t turn your property into a campground or a trailer park? Honestly, I’m not sure, because that wasn’t an issue when you bought the place.”
“And it still isn’t. But is there anything that says I can’t sleep in my camper?”
She sighed. “Technically, I suppose they could make a case that the camper isn’t permitted for a full-time occupant. So if the county bugs you about it, which I highly doubt it will, just say you live in the house, but while your mother is staying with you, you’ve been sleeping in the camper.”
“Okay. But what’ll happen when I park my fleet of semis on the property? These folks seem like they’re itching for a fight.”
“We checked into the semi issue. You’re zoned for agriculture, which includes commercial equipment. Good luck to them trying to argue otherwise.”
He had a feeling that was exactly what they were going to do. Hadn’t Donna Thurston warned him they were trouble? At the time, he’d figured it was idle small-town pettiness. Not so much anymore.
“What’s these people’s problem?” Everyone else in Nugget had been welcoming and warm.
She let out a small laugh. “They’re a little different, for sure.” It was an understatement, but Ryder could tell she was attempting to remain professional. “I’ve never had a problem with them,” she continued. “But they’ve been territorial with others in the past. I think they feel like their position as Nugget’s old guard is being usurped by newcomers. It was before my time, but Maddy Breyer-Shepard and her brother, Nate, went to war with them over the Lumber Baron. The Addisons didn’t want the competition. It’s a shame, because the Addisons could’ve benefited from joining forces with Maddy and Nate instead of alienating them. I would just try to avoid them.”
It wasn’t as if Ryder intended to invite them to happy hour. He finished his conversation with Dana and went straight for a mug of coffee, which he took to the table.
“You sleep okay, Ma?”
“Very well.” She flashed a wan smile. She was still getting used to the move, he told himself.
“What was that about?” Joey leaned her rear end against the kitchen counter, holding a cup of coffee in her hand.
“My real estate agent. She says I have nothing to worry about.”
“They were extremely unpleasant people.” Joey turned to Ryder’s mom. “Thank goodness you missed them, Shiv.”
Siobhan stirred her coffee. “I heard a little of it from my bedroom. I hope they’re not giving you trouble, Ryder.”
“Nah, nothing I can’t handle. What are your plans today, Ma?” He wanted to show her around the place more. Tell her his ideas for the future office.
“I thought I’d rest in my room for a while.”
Ryder started to say that she’d just woken up, but Joey intervened. “Let’s see how you feel after breakfast.”
He liked how good she was with his mother. Not demanding, like some of the nurses were at the rehab home. Or patronizing. There was a physical therapist there who talked to her like she was a child with a mental deficiency. Joey was natural, more like a friend. But a friend who didn’t take shit.
Joey grabbed a pan from the drawer. “How about eggs, toast, and fruit salad?”
“That sounds good, dear.”
“Ryder?”
“Sure. You need some help?”
“I’m good.” Joey got her ingredients from the fridge and began cracking eggs in a bowl. “How do you like them, Shiv?”
“Scrambled is fine.”
“And you, Ryder?”
“I’m good with scrambled.” He got up to set the table with napkins and plates.
After they ate, Joey helped Shiv shower and dress. He made sure his mother put on a pair of sturdy shoes and held her arm in his as they took a turn around the backyard. Joey used the time to tidy up Shiv’s room and make her bed.
They got as far as the grove of pine trees when he released her arm. His mother was stronger than she looked. Then again, she’d always been a force of nature, weathering her husband’s desertion and raising a small child on her own.
“What do you think?”
She lifted her hand and gently touched his face. “I’m so proud of you, Ryder.” She gazed at the land, at the gently swelling hills. “Look at all you’ve accomplished. I wish Leslie was here to see it.”
“Me too, Ma.” He stared down at his own hands.
“This Joey, how’d you find her?”
“You don’t like her?” His heart sank. “I can find someone else.” He’d been planning to all along anyway.
She reached for him. “I think she’s wonderful. And very pretty, too. I was only wondering how you found her. If maybe she was a friend of yours.”
“I told you, Ma. The agency sent her.” He assessed her to see if she was having trouble with her memory or if she’d seen through his smokescreen. He’d never been much good at keeping the truth from her. But what he did behind closed doors…well, she was better off not knowing.
She pinned him with a look but refrained from commenting. “Let’s see your spot for the garage.”
They were on the move again. This time she only used his arm to steady herself as she walked. He showed her what he had in mind for the garage and where he planned to put the office. It was a shady area, far enough from the house not to be an eyesore.
“It’s a substantial piece of land.” She scanned the distance from the end of the driveway to the opposite fence.
“Ten acres.” Compared to Lucky’s spread or Ethan Daniels’s Circle D Ranch, it was a pittance. But he owned it free and clear. “The house isn’t much, but it’s enough.”
“The house is lovely. It reminds me of the one I grew up in in Oklahoma. And that porch…it’s a porch for rocking chairs, summer evenings, lemonade, and children.”
The air suddenly got stagnant.
“Don’t go there, Ma.” He toed a dirt clod with the tip of his boot and watched it turn to dust.
“I just want you to be happy, Ryder. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“I know. Should we return to the house?”
She took his arm, and they made their way back. Inside, Shiv retired to her room, making him feel like a first-class asshole. She’d loved Leslie as much as he had. But after all these years, he still couldn’t talk about his late wife and all that he’d lost with her.
“You have a nice walk?” Joey came out of the kitchen, wearing rubber gloves.
“Don’t let her fool you, she’s tougher than she’s leading on.”
“I sort of came to that conclusion this morning when she got in and out of the shower on her own. There will still be some tough days ahead, but physically she’s doing great. I’ll let her nap for a few hours, then rouse her for lunch.”
“I’m gonna go out for a while. I have to pick up a few things before I leave tomorrow. You need anything?”
“I’m good unless you don’t want salmon for dinner. I was thinking of making it on your new smoker if that’s okay.
“Knock yourself out.” He grabbed his keys off his mother’s old antique console and headed to his Ram.
His first stop was the Lumber Baron. The old Victorian inn took up an entire block on the square. An elderly couple sat on the front porch, watching the slow pace of the town go by. Ryder tipped his hat and went inside.
“Well, hello, stranger.” Maddy gave him a big hug. “What brings you in?”
“Is there a private place we can talk?”
She raised her brows. “Sure, come into my office.” Maddy led him to a small room off a narrow hallway that, in all the times Ryder had stayed at the inn, he had never noticed before. “This is where my brother, Nate, our corporate chef, Brady, and I have our offices.”
Maddy’s office wasn’t as fancy as the rest of the hotel, but it was comfortable with a small sofa, big desk, potted ferns, and lots of kids’ toys. Ryder remembered that she had a young daughter.
“What’s up?” She motioned for him to take a seat on the couch while she sank into her office chair. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, yeah. It’s all good. But I got a visit today from Sandy and Cal Addison. They’re unhappy with my staying in my fifth wheel on the property. They actually accused me of using the land for a campground or a trailer park, which I’m not, and said it violated zoning ordinances. The big reason I bought the place was to park my tractor trucks and trailers. Dana says not to worry about them, that I’m within my rights to store commercial equipment. But I got the sense these people are hell-bent on making my life miserable. And I heard through the grapevine that you and your brother had your own dealings with them. So, I’m here to pick your brain.”
Maddy tilted her chair back and let out a long sigh. “Oh, boy. They’re at it again. I’d like to tell you that they’ll go away, but they probably won’t. They’re the sourest people I’ve ever met and love to make trouble. My guess is, they liked it when the Montgomery place was vacant and are worried that you may threaten their precious motor lodge. Gag me. Have you seen that place?”
Ryder tried not to laugh, though nothing about this was funny. He’d just sunk his life’s savings into the property, and if he couldn’t house his trucks, the land was virtually useless. It had sat on the market for years before he’d purchased it, so it wasn’t as if he could turn around and sell it tomorrow.
“I’ve seen it,” he said and let out a breath.
“Unfortunately, they have pull with the city council and the county board of supervisors. They’ve lived here forever, and as cruddy as it is, the Beary Quaint is an institution in Plumas County. But if Dana thinks you’re okay, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Would they be able to see your trucks from the road?”
Some of his trailers alone were fifty-three feet long. You try hiding that. “Probably. Eventually, I hope to build a garage for the trucks. But the trailers…it wouldn’t make sense. Not cost-wise. And something that big would be more of an eyesore than the actual trailers.”
“Because that’s what they’re going to complain about. The visual impact. Although their complaints aren’t likely to get anywhere, I’m afraid they’ll make your life miserable trying.”
“You think I should try to talk to them? My trucks and trailers are out now. But maybe I should prepare the Addisons and try to smooth things over before the rigs get here.”
Maddy shook her head. “From my experience, they’re not the kind of people you can reason with. Believe you me, I tried when they attempted to force us to stop work on the Lumber Baron. They managed to mobilize much of the town against us. I don’t expect them to do that to you. We were the competition, after all. You’re not. I would just make sure of the zoning. Be completely prepared to shove it in their face when they come around again to complain. Do you know Flynn Barlow?”
“I hauled his cattle last spring but I doubt he’d even remember me. Why?”
“In addition to a cattleman, he’s a lawyer. He might be someone good to talk to.”
“Isn’t his wife some kind of big deal, too?” Ryder remembered hearing something about her from Lucky but couldn’t for the life of him recall what it was.
“Uh-huh. She’s Gia Treadwell.” When Ryder’s face drew a blank at the name, Maddy said, “She used to have a show about financial planning on one of the big networks and now runs a foundation for disadvantaged women. Both of them are real savvy. I suggest you talk to them. I could introduce you.”
“I’d appreciate that.” Ryder didn’t typically like to ask for help, but in a situation like this, it didn’t hurt to rally the locals.
“Let me reach out to Flynn, and I’ll give you a call.”
“Thanks, Maddy.” He got to his feet, hoping he hadn’t taken up too much of her time.
“How are you liking the new place otherwise?”
“So far, so good. I’ve got my mother living there for now. Maybe one day I’ll bring her by. She’d go nuts for this place.”
“Please do. I’d love to meet her.”
When he left, the same elderly couple he’d passed on the way in was still sitting in those rocking chairs. This time, they were holding hands. It made his throat grow thick.
He jumped in his truck and quickly checked his phone. There was a missed call from Comfort Keepers.
He immediately hit redial. “Hey, Janine, just saw you tried to reach me.”
“I still haven’t found anyone else yet. But I know you’re anxious, so I was thinking of casting a wider net. Maybe someone in Sacramento or the Bay Area who’s looking to relocate.”
He fiddled with his rearview mirror and with some reluctance said, “Why don’t we stick with how it is for right now?”
“But just yesterday, you—”
“I know, Janine.” She’d sounded exasperated, and Ryder couldn’t blame her. He was about as wishy-washy as a damn politician where Joey was concerned. “But my mom seems to like Joey, and I don’t want to throw too much change at her at once.”
“She’s an excellent caregiver. Frankly, I didn’t understand why you weren’t thrilled…well, anyway. I’m glad your mother is happy. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to call me. Peter will be there later this week to relieve Joey.”
“Thanks, Janine.” He got off the phone and banged his head on the steering wheel. “Put a bullet in me now.” What the hell had he gotten himself into?
He sat there for a beat, bewildered, then started his engine. His second stop was Colin Burke’s workshop. He found the address at the top of Grizzly Peak easily enough. The house was impressive. A chalet with 180-degree views of the Sierra mountain range.
Ryder followed the brick walkway to the backyard and found a miniature version of the house. The sound of machinery assured him that he hadn’t made the trip in vain. A dog came trotting down the path. Ryder held his hands out, and the dog sniffed them.
“How you doing, boy?” He scratched the dog’s head, and the hound let out an appreciative whine.
The door was open to the workshop, and Ryder found Colin cutting wood at a large table saw. He stopped the machine as soon as he spied Ryder and shoved his goggles to the top of his head.
“Hey there. I didn’t hear you come in.”
“I hope it’s okay that I just showed up like this. It crossed my mind the second I pulled up that maybe I should’ve called.”
Colin flashed a big grin. “I’m always open for business. Everything good with your floors?”
“Yeah, they’re great. I’m here about some rocking chairs.”
“You came to the right place.” Colin placed whatever he’d been working on next to the saw and led Colin into a back room filled with furniture.
Headboards, footboards, coffee tables, dining room tables, and on the far wall, rocking chairs.
“Looks like I hit the mother lode.” Ryder ran his hand over the flat surface of a live-edge console table. “You do beautiful work, man.”
“Feel free to browse. Everything except the crib is for sale.”
Colin had mentioned to Ryder that his wife was pregnant. He assumed the crib was for their new baby and avoided it like he would a pandemic. Instead, he made a beeline for the rockers.
“What goes with a Craftsman? They’re for my front porch.”
Colin pulled several away from the wall. “Any of these would work on your porch.”
Ryder sat in one with wide, flat arms and tested it. It was so comfortable he didn’t want to get up. “You got two more like this one?”
Colin chuckled. “That didn’t take long.”
“Nope. I’ve never been much of a shopper, but I know what I like.”
“My favorite kind of customer. Let me check the loft.” Colin climbed up a ladder to a catwalk above. A short time later, he called down, “Can you grab these from me?”
He handed down two more chairs. “They’re not exact replicas, but they’re close.”
Ryder actually liked that each one was a little different. It showed that they were handcrafted instead of factory-made. He lined them up next to each other and tried each one out.
Colin came down the ladder. “If that doesn’t work, I can match the other one. But it’ll take a few weeks.”
“Nope. These three will do me.” Ryder strolled through the shop, checking out some of the other pieces. The house was too small for anything else. But when his mother took her furniture to Cascade Village, he’d come back here to shop.
He reached in his pocket for his wallet and tossed Colin his credit card. “Plastic okay?”
“Plastic is my bread and butter.”
“Great place you’ve got here,” Ryder said while Colin ran his credit card. “You live here long?”
“About six years now. Harlee, my wife, has been coming up here since she was a kid. Her parents own a cabin down the road.”
“Nice.” Nugget was a long way from civilization, but somehow folks found it. “Did you build the house and shop yourself?”
“Yep. Originally, the house was one of those kit homes. But I modified it. Didn’t want it to look too cookie-cutter, you know what I mean?”
Ryder nodded and gazed out over the white-tipped mountains. “You’ve got yourself one hell of a view up here.”
“You should see it from the house.” Colin handed Ryder back his credit card. “Come on, I’ll show it to you.”
Ryder followed Colin to the house. The inside was as impressive as the outside. Tons of windows with more sweeping views.
“You weren’t kidding.” He could see all the way to Nevada and the Feather River down below. It was almost dizzying.
The dog—Colin had called him Max—brushed up against his leg, begging for attention. Ryder gave him a good rub and proceeded to the great room, a huge open space with a big rock fireplace.
The kitchen was equally impressive. Lots of counter space and stainless-steel appliances.
“Did you make these cabinets?” he asked Colin.
“Yep. Most of the furniture, too.”
“Pretty spectacular.” If Ryder ever built a house, he was hiring Colin Burke.
“This is our latest project.” Colin opened a door off the hallway into a room with drop cloths spread across the floor. It smelled like paint. “It’s the nursery. I primed it last night.”
Ryder backed out as fast as he could. “I’m sure it’ll be great when it’s done. Hey, thanks for showing me around. It’s a fantastic place you’ve got here.”
“Come by anytime. I’d like to introduce you to Harlee. She owns the Nugget Tribune and will probably want to interview you for her ‘New Neighbor’ column. Until you came along, Lucky Rodriguez was our only rodeo superstar.”
Ryder stifled a laugh. Apparently it didn’t take much to make the news in this town.
They went back to the shop, where Colin helped him load up the rocking chairs. On his drive home, his mother’s words sifted through his head.
“It’s a porch for rocking chairs, summer evenings, lemonade, and children.”
At least he could give her three of those things.