Logan rode out to the north forty of his property to check up on his men rounding up twenty head to be moved to Steam Boat Springs for market. He lifted his cowboy hat and wiped the sweat from his brow. “How’s it coming?” he asked his newly hired hand, Ben.
“We’ve picked twenty of your best,” Ben said, motioning to the cattle. “We’re just waiting for your word, and we’ll drive them out. We’ll have them to Steam Boat and the rail yard in two days’ time. And we’ll be back in one more.”
“That’s nice to hear.” Logan smiled as he nodded to Ben and the others. “Good work. Get movin’ now.”
Ben whistled to the other men, and they got the cattle moving.
Logan waved them on, thinking how normally this would have been the foreman’s job. He, however, found himself liking his ranch a whole lot better now that he was out working alongside all the hands rather than from a distance. And men under his employ seemed a lot more content and willing to work harder now that he was doing so.
Though he was saddened by the way the Crandalls left his employ, it had been a gift from heaven at a time he needed it most. He’d hit rock bottom. Losing Celeste had been only part of it. Turning into Stanley and scaring the spit right out of himself had been the clincher. The Crandalls leaving had been the slap in the face he had needed to get his life back on track.
Fortunately, he’d only let money ruin him for a few weeks. “Hopefully, that ain’t long enough to make my stupidity permanent,” he said to Bootstrap as he patted his horse’s neck.
Bootstrap neighed and shook his head.
“That’s nice to know, my ole pal.” Logan patted him again. “You know what else is nice to know?”
Bootstrap’s ears twitched in response.
“That I don’t have to keep all this money to myself. Sitting all alone in that big house trying to buy happiness didn’t work, did it now?”
Bootstrap neighed.
“Heck, I bought myself the most expensive horse money could buy. And what did that make me do with my best friend?” Logan rubbed Bootstrap’s neck with affection. It was a far cry from giving affection to Celeste, but it would have to do. “I put you out to pasture like Celeste has done to me. But I deserved it. You didn’t.” He rode several yards in silence and then added, “That was just plain stupid. But I ain’t stupid no more. I don’t sit alone in that house and wonder why I’m not happy. I get out and work—help those who are helping me. And if I’m going to spend money, I’m going to spend it on other people.” A stab of pain tore through his heart. “Not to buy their affection, mind you, or to make myself look better than another. No siree. But because if somebody needs something and they can’t afford to buy it for themselves, I got plenty to share.”
As he approached the ranch house, ready to head on in to make himself a spot of something to eat, he noticed a man coming down the lane toward the ranch house. On foot.
“Come on, Bootstrap. What kind of fool comes all the way out here on foot?” Logan nicked his heels into his horse and took off. “Unless he’s in some sort of trouble?”
The man’s face came into view. Charles? Logan was tempted to turn Bootstrap around and hightail it out of there. The man’s pathetic, long face made him stop. It was obvious Charles wasn’t here to rub salt into the wound of their friendship—Celeste was out of both of their lives. It could be only one reason Charles was here. He needed help.
Logan rode quickly to him. “Morning, Charles,” he said, pulling Bootstrap to a stop as he met Charles at the edge of the yard. “Hopefully you come in peace.”
“That I do.”
“That’s good. We’ve had enough bad feelings between us to last a lifetime. We don’t need anymore.”
“Right you are, good fellow.” Charles tipped his hat. “And thank you kindly for the warm greeting, for I feared quite the opposite. I swear it’s the only one I’ve received all week. But then, you’re the only one I didn’t cheat out of money. Only a gal.”
Celeste was much more than “only a gal.” Logan dismounted and took a deep breath to soothe the ache his memories inflicted. He turned to face Charles. “What are you gibbering about?” He took a good look at his one-time friend, blinking once or twice as he took in the man’s disheveled appearance. “Charles, you look awful.”
“I feel awful.”
“Come inside, sit down, and take a load off your feet.” Logan motioned for him to follow him into the house.
“Thank you.” Charles fell in step with him. “Mostly for not throwing me out on my ear for wanting to beat the pulp out of you a month ago.” He hung his head. “Among other things.”
Logan invited Charles to sit in the most comfortable spot in the great room and then hobbled into the kitchen to fix them both something to eat and drink. When he returned, Charles had his feet propped up on the foot stool and was reclined into the cushions of Logan’s favorite chair.
Charles dropped his feet to the floor and sat up, accepting the food Logan offered him. “You really are a good fellow,” he said with his eyes focused on the cold roast beef sandwich. “I’m not using that term loosely here. I mean it.” He took a bite of his sandwich. After he swallowed, he asked, “What changed?”
Logan gave him a sidewise glance, not exactly sure how to answer.
“When you first came into your inheritance, you were quite the cad.”
“Cad?” Logan could imagine what that meant. “You mean self-absorbed and greedy?”
“Something like that, sure.” Charles smiled and nodded at Logan. “Was it having Celeste telling you she was through with you? I know that certainly turned my world upside down.”
“She was the start of it. But, actually, it was when I realized I was headed down the same road as my brother, Stanley. He was the one who used to own the Circle J.”
“Where is he now?”
“Dead. Got hanged for shooting Lavender’s husband in the back. Over money.” Logan shuddered.
“I do believe I’ve heard his name mentioned here and there around town.”
“Nothing good, I presume.”
“No, quite the opposite.”
“Yep. That’s why I had to change. I like folks too much, and I was getting to where I didn’t like them. Probably because I couldn’t make them do what I wanted. I thought if I threw enough money at people, I could get them to like me or at least bow and scrape to me just like my brother did. And he died a lonely man. No one shed a tear when he died. They all came out to see him hang. I even heard a few of them cheer. No, I didn’t want to go down that road. I only hope that I’ve turned myself around quick enough that I haven’t lost any more friends other than Celeste.” Logan’s heart twisted, and so did his expression as he glanced at Charles. “And you.”
“I don’t think you’re too late there.” Charles offered a feeble smile.
“So tell me, what brings you out this way, on foot, no less?” Logan sensed the man was in trouble. “Something tells me you didn’t come just to chew the fat with an old friend you didn’t even know was still your friend.”
“You are correct there.” Charles took another bite of his sandwich and held up his finger for Logan to give him a minute to chew and swallow. Then he stared at the floor. “I need help. Actually, I need money. Lots of money.”
“I thought you were rolling in money, what with that big investment company you’re working for.”
“That’s the problem. My boss was nothing but a con artist. He took the money he and I brought in from new investors to pay the past investors, until everything fell apart a few weeks ago and the law was onto him. I should have known there could never be enough money generated by selling stamps.”
“You mean postal reply coupons. I could have told you that,” Logan said, thinking back at how uncomfortable he’d felt when Charles had explained the process. “There’s only a set amount of coupons out there. Even if your boss was making money at the beginning, selling those coupons at a profit, no way in Hades could he have made all the money he pretended to make.”
“I don’t think he ever sold a single coupon,” Charles admitted with a grumble. “He was scamming even me from the very beginning. But I was so all-fired anxious to get rich quick that I only saw what I wanted to see.” He wrung his hands together. “Now I’ve gone and lost all the money that the good people of Craig have entrusted with me. How can I face them? I’ve told them there’s a chance the government will get some money from liquidating my boss’s assets, but I doubt any of it will trickle down to them.”
“And how do I play into all this?” Logan asked.
“I know it would be asking a lot, and I wouldn’t blame you one bit if you said no, but I have to ask. I was wondering if you could lend me the amount of money I owe the people of Craig so I could pay them back, at least their investments. My word, some of these fine folks gave me every extra dollar they owned because they trusted me.” Charles clapped his hands to his face and bowed his head.
“I have a question,” Logan said. “Perhaps it’s more of a curiosity. I’m guessing most men in your situation would have just skipped town. Why didn’t you when you found out the bad news?”
Charles set down his sandwich and blinked hard, as if emotions inside him were stirring. “Because I like this town. I never felt so welcomed at a place in all my life. I’m wanting to put down roots here even though I no longer have myself a house or a gal. But nonetheless, I want to stay.”
“Um.” Logan’s brain churned, realizing Charles was the “good fellow” he’d first thought of him as. He wanted to help, but throwing money at things was not always the best solution to a problem. “How much you figure it is, the total amount you’re owing everyone?”
“Two thousand, six hundred seventy-five dollars.” Charles said each number slowly, like each inflicted pain with its mention.
“That all?” Logan thought about Stanley’s gambling debts he’d noticed on the books as he’d gone through the ranch’s finances last week. They had added up to well over six thousand dollars, and Stanley’s trip to South America last winter had been almost as much. If the ranch could absorb such losses and still function, surely it could afford to help out these people in need. “I think I can scrape up that much. It might take me a day or two, or three or four.”
Charles’s smile lines no longer drooped but came to life as he grinned from cheek to cheek. “Thank you!” He jumped out of his chair and rushed to Logan. “My good fellow,” he added as he reached out to shake hands.
“Hold on.” Logan held up his hand. “I wouldn’t be flat-out giving it to you. It’d be a loan. Coming into a large sum of money without a lick of work ain’t necessarily good for any person. Believe me, I know.”
“A loan would be dandy. It’s more than I’d expected.” Charles chewed on a corner of his lip. “But as you know, I’m unemployed at the moment.”
“How good can you ride a horse?” Logan asked, an idea forming.
“Not at all.” Charles winced. “That’s why I bought myself a car. So I daresay there aren’t many places in northwest Colorado that would hire me on. Especially not after what I’ve done. And even if good fortune came my way and I found a job, say, washing dishes at Sunny’s Place, it’d take forever and a day to pay you back. But I promise I’ll do it. Somehow.”
Logan shook Charles’s hand and then motioned for him to sit back down. “Finish your dinner. And don’t fret about paying me back until you get a job.” Logan’s idea of hiring Charles himself might not work after all. But that didn’t matter; he had more money than he’d ever use. It’s not like he played poker or had an itch to travel the world like his brother. It’d do his heart good, though, to see Charles and the hard-working folks of Craig recover from this little fiasco.
Charles picked up his sandwich as his eyes opened wide. “Did I hear you correctly?”
“Yep.” Logan had to admit it was the first time having loads of money made him feel good—in a positive way, not in a power-filled way. “Now we just need to find you a job.”
Charles’s eyes looked a bit glassy with moisture. “Thank you, Mr. Logan Jones.”
“You’re welcome, Mr. Charles Weathersby.” Logan was moved at the thought of having yet another friend in the town of Craig. “And I wouldn’t worry yourself too much. With your smile and two good legs, you’re sure to find yourself a gal in no time.” Logan hobbled over and plopped onto the sofa adjacent to Charles. He patted his bum leg. “With me, it might take a little bit longer. But that don’t matter. Maybe I’ll never find myself a wife. If it requires that I have to wear those darn elevator shoes and pretend I’m someone I’m not, then I know I won’t.”
Charles finished off his sandwich and wiped the crumbs from his lips with the back of his hand. “I’ve got to be honest with you, my dear friend, though it pains me to do so.”
“Yeah?” Logan leaned forward, his eyes connecting with Charles’s as his gut anticipated more bad news.
“You never needed to pretend to be someone you were not.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m talking about Celeste here,” Charles explained. “She liked you the way you were, even when you were poor as a church mouse. Even more so, I’m sure of it.”
“Well, it’s too bad she don’t see me that way anymore. I can’t go back to being poor, even if I have stopped myself from turning into my brother.”
“No, but don’t worry. I could see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice when she spoke of you.”
“You talked about me when the two of you were together?” Logan hardly ever recalled hearing Charles’s name come up in their conversation. But then again, he’d only had a few days with Celeste before she called it quits.
“All—the—time.” Charles’s eyes bore into him. “Celeste liked me just fine, as a friend. But you, my good fellow, she loved.”
Those words reached inside Logan and ignited a fire. For good or bad, he was unsure. “Loved,” Logan stated. “That means in the past. I’m sure she wants nothing to do with me anymore. She made that quite clear the last time we were together.”
“That’s when you were being a cad.” Charles moved his plate off his lap and lifted his feet onto the ottoman. “But you’ve changed. You’re back to the good fellow I first met, the one who welcomed a bedraggled stranger to your town the first day he was here—and made me feel like a million bucks.”
“I hope I have,” Logan admitted. And dare he hope Charles was right about Celeste?
“I’d say I was slitting my own throat here, but not really. I never had a chance with Celeste. I know that now. But you . . . you need to give Celeste the opportunity to see the new Logan Jones, or rather, the old Logan Jones.”
“You’re saying I should go pay her a visit, even though she said I shouldn’t?” Logan wanted to hear it from someone besides his own thoughts screaming at him to do so.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” Charles stood and dusted the crumbs off his trousers. “Now, I’d better get going. I’ve got to find myself a job. And a cheap place to live. And learn to actually work again for a living.”
“Are you willing to learn to ride a horse?” Logan asked, seeing this as the best solution for Charles to find employment and pay back the loan—not that Logan needed another ranch hand or the money, but because Charles needed to feel worthwhile. No one needed feelings of worthlessness rattling around in his head or his heart. And no one knew that better than Logan did.