was a pleasant woman, about sixty years old. She always had a warm smile and a cheery word. Buck had hired her within two weeks of the double tragedy of losing both his wife and daughter. She had been a real blessing to the daily activities of the ranch. Nothing seemed to bother her. She took all emergencies in stride right along with her regular duties. It was through Edna, a little over a year later, that Cody had come to work for Buck.
Buck removed the pack of cigarettes from his pocket, but before he could light one Cody took it away from him. “You know what the doctor said about these.”
“You don’t really think these things could do me any more harm than has already been done, do you?” Buck picked up the cigarette, stared at it for a moment, heaved a sigh of resignation, then put it back in the pack.
“Breakfast is ready.” Edna set a plate in front of Buck and another one in front of Cody. “Now, you eat while it’s good and hot.”
Buck stared at the amount of food on his plate. “What are you trying to do to me, Edna? Look at all of this—eggs, bacon, hash browns, biscuits and gravy—there’s enough here to feed an army. I’ll never be able to eat all of this.”
“You just try your best. I mean to put some meat back on those bones of yours. Lord knows you don’t eat enough to keep a fly going.”
Buck drank his orange juice, crunched on a strip of bacon and ate a bite of scrambled eggs before turning his attention back to Cody. “Well, you haven’t said anything. What do you think?”
Cody took a swallow of his coffee before answering. He knew what Buck was talking about and didn’t really want to get involved in the conversation. “Think about what?”
“You know…about Melanie.” Buck’s face clearly displayed the fatherly pride he felt. “Isn’t she about the prettiest little thing you’ve ever laid eyes on?”
“Sure, Buck. She’s very attractive.” Cody quickly took a bite of toast, then added a forkful of eggs in order to discourage any further conversation. He had tried his best to sound neutral, to express neither enthusiasm nor displeasure. He went over the words in his mind, the edge of sarcasm attaching itself in spite of his good intentions. Sure, Buck. She’s very attractive.
He washed the food down with another large swallow of black coffee, not at all happy with the conflicting thoughts and feelings that suddenly flooded his consciousness. Absolutely, Buck. Very attractive, Buck. Even with tangled hair, rumpled clothes, no sleep and a surly enough attitude to keep most people at bay she still would have no trouble at all in capturing any man’s attention…at least, she sure captured mine.
“I’ve moved my things into my…into the bedroom.”
Cody looked up at the sound of Melanie’s voice. She had removed her jacket, run a brush through her hair and added a touch of color to her lips. His gaze traced the curve of her hip and the swell of her breast beneath the soft sweater she wore, a swell he had almost come to know intimately. Ah, yes…she’s very attractive, Buck. That, she is. His brow inadvertently furrowed into a frown. Very attractive, indeed…dammit. He took another sip of his coffee, hoping it would somehow wash away his totally unacceptable thoughts.
“Come on, Mel, honey. Sit down and have some breakfast.” Buck turned his attention toward Edna, his face beaming with delight. “Edna, I’d like you to meet my daughter. This is Melanie.” He gazed lovingly at his daughter as he continued to talk. “She’s finally come back home.”
The discomfort was almost more than Melanie could bear. The expression on his face, the warmth in his voice…this man was a stranger to her, not the father she had known when she was growing up. She looked toward the woman standing at the stove. Melanie offered her a smile. “Hello, Edna. It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to finally meet you, too. Buck has mentioned you so many times.” Edna gathered another place setting and carried it to the table. “You come make yourself comfortable and I’ll have your breakfast ready for you in just a minute.”
“Please don’t go to any trouble. Just some juice and coffee will be fine.” Mel noted the amount of food on both Buck’s and Cody’s plates and spoke up quickly before Edna had a chance to start cooking more. “I’m really not much of a breakfast person.”
“Nonsense. There’s lots of hard work to ranching and everyone needs a big, hot breakfast.”
Like it or not, Melanie ended up with a plate full of food. She surprised herself by eating most of it. Once the first bite was in her mouth she realized she was as hungry as she was tired. It had been a long time since her hamburger at a fastfood place late yesterday afternoon.
When she finished breakfast Melanie pushed back from the table and stood. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll take a walk—get some fresh air. I’m not accustomed to eating a big breakfast.” She offered a weak smile to both her father and Cody. “All that food, added to the fact that I haven’t had any sleep…I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to keep my eyes open.” It was the truth, as far as it went. What she had not said was how uncomfortable her father’s conversation made her feel.
All through breakfast he kept talking about how happy he was that she had finally come home. Come home…the words rang hollow in her ears. This was not her home. It may have been where she had lived for her first eighteen years, but it was not her home. She pursed her lips and furrowed her brow as a thought passed through her mind. Exactly where was her home? It seemed that she spent as much time on the road as she did in her apartment. There was no real feeling of permanency to her life, no solid foundation to draw strength and comfort from in troubled times.
She stepped out onto the front porch and looked across the landscape. The hillsides were carpeted in an emerald velvet dotted with patches of brightly colored wildflowers, signaling the end of winter. The breeze rustled through the new leaves on the trees, creating a background whisper that softened the harsh sounds of the squawking blue jays. She shielded her eyes from the bright morning sun and watched as a hawk circled overhead. The crisp, cool air filled her lungs, the sweet smells of spring tickling her senses. How different it was from the choking fumes of car exhaust and the congestion of the Los Angeles freeways.
She left the porch and started down the path toward the barn. As a child the barn had been her place of refuge, the safe haven where she could hide from everything and everyone. She had created an entire imaginary world for herself up in the hayloft. She was the beautiful princess in her castle, waiting for a handsome prince to come along and sweep her up onto his horse and ride away with her.
She opened the barn door and stepped into the dimly lit interior. The barn was empty. She knew the ranch hands would have been hard at work from the first light of day. The barnyard chores would already have been done—the cows milked, chickens fed, eggs collected. She climbed the ladder to the loft, found a soft spot and snuggled into the hay. Her eyelids fluttered shut and within a few seconds she had fallen asleep, visions of a handsome prince dancing through her mind. A handsome prince who bore a remarkable resemblance to Cody Chandler.
“I can handle this, Cody.” It had only been during the past year, when his health dictated that he spend more and more time in the office rather than out on the ranch, that Buck had finally learned how to use the computer. Now he took care of all the office functions, including the daily bookkeeping chores, leaving the heavy-duty accounting to Cody and their CPA. Up until a year ago Cody had handled the entire business end of things, but now he had to take up the outdoor slack left by Buck’s diminished capacity.
