Molly keyed in the number for Thunder Mountain Ranch with some misgivings. Despite what she’d told Ben, she was conflicted about what she might uncover with this phone call. If Rosie Padgett had no knowledge of Heather or Cade, then Molly was back where she started.
But if the woman had heard of them, that meant they’d contacted social services and very likely had struggled to make a life for themselves. Molly didn’t remember her Aunt Heather much at all, but her dad sure did. Heather was his sister, after all, and the news might not be very good.
A woman answered the phone. “Thunder Mountain Ranch.”
Well, she’d come this far. Molly took a deep breath. “Hi. I’m Molly Gallagher, and I’m looking for information on my cousin, Cade Marlowe, or his mother, Heather. A friend suggested I call and see if you knew anything about them.”
“Cade Marlowe?”
“Yes. His father’s a bull rider named Rance, but I’m sure he’s retired from that by now. The last letter my family got from Heather was postmarked in Sheridan, but that was years ago. I’m trying to find out if anybody remembers them or has a forwarding address.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t know anybody named Cade Marlowe.”
“Oh.” In spite of her desire for information, she was relieved.
“But if you want to leave your number, I could ask around. Someone might have heard something.”
“Thank you. You must be Mrs. Padgett. The friend who suggested I call is Ben Radcliffe.”
“Oh, Ben!” The woman’s voice warmed. “Yes, I’m Rosie Padgett. Ben’s such a great guy, and when it comes to making saddles, he’s a real artist.”
“Um, yes, he certainly is.” Ben was a saddle maker?
As she gave her number to Rosie Padgett and said her goodbyes, she kept thinking about Ben’s profession, his odd timing for coming to look at horses, and Sarah’s birthday — a significant one, at that. She’d wondered all along why Jack would agree to host a potential customer during his mother’s big celebration. Jack didn’t strike her as the kind of man who put business ahead of family gatherings.
Ben could have come after Christmas, or he could have waited until the weather warmed. Yet here he was, staying in the bosom of the family and attending Sarah’s birthday party. But if he’d designed a custom saddle for Sarah, then his sudden appearance the day before her birthday made perfect sense. And of course he’d be invited to stay so he could see her reaction to it.
After booting up her computer, Molly searched for Ben’s saddle-making operation. Once she found the site and scrolled through the photos of his work, she was almost positive this was why he was here. And it was supposed to be a surprise.
Well, cool. She’d always loved uncovering secrets. Knowing that Ben was an artisan on a secret mission made him more intriguing than ever. She wasn’t the least bit artistic, but she admired those who were.
She knew Ben was good with his mouth because he played a damned fine harmonica. If he’d landed a commission from the Chance family to create a saddle for their beloved matriarch, then he must be good with his hands, too. Add in his fine physique, and it amounted to the sort of man very few women could resist.
She wondered where the saddle was hidden. Probably not in the house where Sarah might accidentally find it. He wouldn’t have left it in his truck where it would be difficult for her cousins to see it. The barn wasn’t a good spot, either, because Sarah might go down there. She loved taking bits of carrot to Bertha Mae, her favorite horse.
“Molly?” Sarah’s voice traveled up the stairs. “Are you having any luck? Dinner’s ready.”
“I’ll be right down!” She shut off her computer.
Then, because she could, she brushed her hair again and put a touch of blusher on her cheeks and the merest hint of gloss on her lips. She’d lived with two brothers, so she knew that most men didn’t notice subtle makeup. They just thought a woman looked good and assumed it was her own healthy color coming through.
When she reached the bottom of the stairs, Sarah was there holding a wine glass. “I thought you’d want to take the rest of your wine in to dinner.”
“Great! Thank you.” She followed Sarah over to the hallway where Pete and Ben waited for them.
“What happened with the Padgetts?” Ben asked. “Did you talk to them?”
“I talked to Rosie Padgett. Very nice lady. She didn’t know anybody named Cade Marlowe, but she took my name and number in case she can find out anything through her contacts with social services.” She couldn’t spend much time looking at Ben because she was liable to start smiling. She knew his secret, and it might show.
“Well, that’s something, anyway.” Ben sounded wary. He might be worried she’d spill the beans. “You never can tell. She might turn up some information that would help you.”
Molly wished she could reassure him that she wouldn’t reveal the secret. “She might, although I realized when I made the call that I had mixed feelings. What if she finds out something bad happened to my aunt or my cousin, or both of them? I’ve always assumed I’d find them and orchestrate a touching reunion with the rest of the family.”
“That’s because you’re an optimist,” Pete said. “Don’t ever apologize for that. It’s an admirable trait.”
“Yes, but given the fact that we’ve heard nothing from either of them in years, what are the odds that they’re both okay?” She saw the hesitation in each of their expressions. “See, maybe I don’t want to keep searching. Maybe I don’t want to know the truth.”
Sarah put an arm around her shoulders. “You could call that lady back in the next few days and tell her you’ve changed your mind. It’s nearly Christmas. I doubt she’ll start investigating until the New Year.”
“Thanks. I might do that. Hey, aren’t we supposed to head to the dining room? As I recall, Mary Lou doesn’t take kindly to people who are late for dinner.”
“She doesn’t,” Pete said. “And she told me to give her thirty minutes or so. It’s been forty. I think we’d better move it.” He started off with Sarah at his side.
Ben followed, but Molly put a restraining hand on his arm. When he turned to her, she mouthed the words I know.
His eyes widened.
“I won’t say anything,” she murmured before starting down the hall.
“Thanks.” Ben matched her stride and kept his voice low. “I was worried.”
“Don’t be.”
He let out a breath. “I’m so glad you have a brain.”
That made her laugh. “Me, too.”
They continued down the hall to the small family dining room adjacent to the larger one used when the hands gathered for lunch every day. Molly loved that meal, too, because the atmosphere was completely different. The main dining room had four round tables that each seated eight, and many days they were all filled.
The Chance brothers attended whenever possible, sometimes with their wives. Gabe’s wife, Morgan, often brought all three of their kids when she came, and Jack’s wife, Josie, would bring little Archie so he could play with his cousins. Nick’s vet practice sometimes kept him away, but his wife, Dominique, liked to be there if she wasn’t in the middle of mounting one of her photography shows. When their adopted son Lester wasn’t in school, he came to lunch, too. Add in the ranch hands, and the room became a noisy free-for-all.
Tonight, though, the room was in shadows and light beckoned from the more intimate family dining room through a set of double doors. A rustic metal chandelier hung over a linen-covered table set with china, crystal and silverware. Molly felt the family connection here, because gracious living had been a part of her heritage, too.
She’d researched her great-grandfather and great-grandmother Gallagher, parents of her Grandpa Seth and her Great Aunt Nelsie. The Gallaghers, it turned out, had traveled from Baltimore and had brought with them the customs of a genteel society. So when she sat at this table at the Last Chance Ranch and unfolded her cloth napkin, she thought about how the tradition of elegant dining had been passed down through three generations.
Hers was the fourth, and she already used cloth napkins in her small rental home. She was collecting silver and china. After she had her own family, she’d pull out all the stops.
Sarah and Pete sat across the table from Molly and Ben. While Mary Lou served the dinner, Ben asked questions about the breeding program at the Last Chance. He mentioned his interest in Calamity Sam and suggested he might begin a breeding program of his own in Sheridan. If Molly hadn’t known his actual mission had been to bring Sarah’s birthday gift, she’d swear he’d come for the reason he’d given.
Pete and Sarah discussed the horses with great enthusiasm. Molly was out of her depth when it came to horse breeding, so she spent a lot of time listening and watching. Mostly she paid attention to the interaction between Ben and Pete as they kept up the fiction that Ben was here as a buyer.
They were both playing their cards very close to the vest. Once or twice she caught a look that passed between them, but if Sarah noticed anything, she didn’t say so. Smart lady.
Sarah must have questioned Ben’s presence here the night before her birthday celebration. She might suspect he had brought some big surprise with him. But, if so, she’d probably decided not to ask any questions and risk spoiling whatever surprise her husband and sons had cooked up for her.
Now Molly was part of the charade, too, and she loved that. When Ben glanced over at her and gave her a wink, her toes curled. Nothing like a shared secret to bring two people closer together.
She enjoyed their current proximity, in fact. Having him seated within touching distance was quite arousing. His aftershave tantalized her and she found herself listening for the pattern of his breathing and imagining she could feel his body heat.
But she had to find out if the attraction between them was mutual. That meant spending some time alone with him. A bolder woman might walk right down to his bedroom tonight, but that wasn’t her style. She had something more subtle in mind.
They all lingered over dessert as the conversation turned to the party, which would begin at four the following day. Mary Lou came out with more coffee and stayed long enough to confirm tomorrow’s itinerary.
Sarah glanced at her. “I’ll be up by seven to help you bake cookies. Morgan and Josie will be over around ten with the kids.”
“Got it.” Mary Lou gathered up the dessert plates. “I’m off to bed so I’ll be rested up for that crew.”
Sarah grinned. “It’ll be fun.”
“It’s always fun, but it’s also exhausting. ’Night, all.”
Molly had been so focused on Ben that she’d forgotten tomorrow morning Sarah and Mary Lou were going to let the grandkids decorate Christmas cookies. After Mary Lou left, she turned to Sarah. “Will I be in the way if I come down to help?”
“Absolutely not! I was hoping you would. The more adults to help manage the frosting and sprinkles, the better.”
“Then I’ll set my alarm and be down by seven, too.”
“Great.” Sarah picked up her coffee cup. “Those kids always look forward to it, and then they’ll get to show off their work at the party.” She looked over at Ben. “I’m afraid it’ll be a little wild around here tomorrow. You might want to grab a book and hide out in the barn.”
“Actually, I’d like to help. I’m no good at decorating cookies, but if you need furniture rearranged, I can do that.”
“Then you’re hired.” Sarah smiled at him. “We have to move all the furniture against the walls to create space for dancing. With all the people coming, it’ll be crowded out there.”
“We’ll manage,” Pete said. “It wouldn’t be a Chance party if we didn’t dance.”
“But we might have to do it in shifts.” Sarah laughed. “Molly, you could make up an Excel sheet and assign us all time slots.”
“I could, but I think Jack would tear it up. He’s not the type to be assigned a time slot.”
Pete smiled. “No, he’s not. We’ll work it out. So we bump into each other. So what? We’re family.”
“I don’t have to dance,” Ben said. “I’m a guest, not family.”
“Nonsense.” Sarah frowned at him. “As our guest you most certainly should dance. But I guess I should ask if you even like to.”
“I do.”
“Then you’d better join in,” Pete said. “Jack is big on getting everybody out on the floor for at least a few numbers. He’s currently teaching all the kids. I guess you could say he’s the Last Chance’s dance master. If I hadn’t been able to two-step, I’m not sure he would have let me marry Sarah.”
“And we’ll have live music. A couple of our ranch hands play guitar.” Sarah brightened as if inspiration had just hit. “Did I hear you playing a harmonica earlier tonight?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I’ll bet Trey and Watkins would love to have you add your harmonica to the mix, if you’re willing.”
“Uh, well… sure.” Ben looked pleased. “I’d like that. Sounds like fun.”
Sarah clasped her hands together. “I do love parties!” Then she beamed at Molly. “I’m so glad you could be here for this one. I wish we could magically transport your whole family up here, too.”
“Me, too, but then you’d have to knock out a couple of walls.”
“True. Your family’s even bigger than ours. I’m losing track of who’s who in the Gallagher clan. I remember you and your brothers very well, but I can’t tell you the names of their wives and kids without looking it up.”
“I know, and I’ll be better about sending emails and pictures from now on. I’m the one the family has put in charge of doing that. What a shocker.”
Sarah took another drink of her coffee. “I don’t know that we have anybody in that role. We should, though. Now that we can connect online, we should all be better informed about each other.”
“We can work on that, but I hope you and Pete are serious about flying down next spring. My folks would love it.”
“Oh, we are,” Pete said. “I haven’t been to Arizona in years. I’m stoked about going.”
Sarah took a deep breath and pushed back her chair. “And I’m ready for bed. We have a big day tomorrow. The rest of you can stay here as long as you like, but I’m thinking Mary Lou has the right idea. Time to turn in.”
“Yeah, it is for me, too.” Pete stood. “But you kids are welcome to hang out here for awhile. Mary Lou won’t mind if you help yourselves to more coffee and dessert if you clean up after yourselves.”
“I’ll just finish what I have in my cup,” Ben said. “It’s great stuff. Then I’ll be off to bed, too. It’s been a long day.”
“I’m sure, driving on those icy roads.” Pete tucked an arm around Sarah’s waist. “See you both in the morning.”
Sarah said goodnight, too, and then Molly had her wish, to spend some time alone with Ben. Once Pete and Sarah were out of earshot, she spoke, but kept her voice down. “Rosie Padgett said you were an artist with saddles, and then I knew what you were really here for.”
Ben turned sideways in his chair and gazed at her. “That was nice of her to say, but I sure as hell didn’t think it through when I suggested you should call them. I guess it never occurred to me that you’d call now, before the birthday party.”
She mirrored his position so she could look at him as they talked. “I probably wouldn’t have if Sarah hadn’t encouraged me. As you could probably tell, I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear what Rosie Padgett had to say.”
“I know, and I didn’t think about the fact that if your cousin had ended up at Thunder Mountain, then your aunt… well, I can’t see that being a good thing where she was concerned.”
“No. But he wasn’t there, so that leaves the mystery unsolved. I wonder if I should leave it alone and imagine they’re doing well but have no interest in reconnecting with their family.”
“That could be the truth. You might not have been aware of problems between your aunt and your grandparents, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t any.”
She thought about that for a moment and finally shook her head. “I get what you’re saying, and I suppose anything’s possible, but Grandpa Seth and Grandma Joyce were kind, gentle people. According to my dad, Aunt Heather was a happy person until she hooked up with Rance Marlowe. Then she got pregnant with Cade and… well, there’s never been a divorce in my family.”
“Wow, that’s unusual.”
“I know, and most people who hear that assume it’s because problems were swept under the rug. I think it’s because they were brought out in the open and dealt with. Heather was the big exception. When she had problems with Rance, she cut off communication and hid their troubles from everybody.”
“And you’re worried about how that turned out.”
“Yes. I thought we’d all be better off knowing the truth, but now I’m not so sure.”
Ben sighed. “Well, I don’t have any advice. My knowledge of family dynamics is sadly lacking.”
“Why?”
He met her gaze and smiled. “I should have known you’d ask that. Which means I shouldn’t have made the remark in the first place. Sorry. I’d rather not get into it right now.”
Although his tone was friendly and he was doing his best to be polite, she felt a brick wall go up. She couldn’t blame him. They’d met a few hours ago. Just because she’d blabbed some of her family information didn’t mean that he’d want to do the same. “That’s fine. Let’s switch topics.”
He polished off the last of his coffee. “To what?”
“The saddle you brought here. Where is it?”
He laughed. “You know, I’ve only been around you for a little while, but somehow I knew you’d ask that question. Now that you know about the saddle, its whereabouts is driving you nuts, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“I guess I can trust you.”
“You can. I wouldn’t ruin this surprise for anything.”
“It’s in the far back corner of the tractor barn under a blanket.”
“Who’s seen it?”
“Jack, Gabe and Nick. That’s it.”
She gave him her most winsome smile, the one even her brothers had never been able to resist. “Please take me out there. I want to see it, too.”