appeared to stand at the end of the driveway leading up from the highway where the Triple M Ranch sign hung by one corner on a rusty archway.
There was a gate, but it gave easily to a little push from the nose of the car. They drove slowly up the long entry. Straggly trees lined the way, only a few of them still alive. The buildings were empty. It was pretty obvious no one had been living there for quite some time.
“I don’t see any sign of cattle,” Max said, shielding his eyes from the sun as he gazed out over the dusty plains surrounding the hill. “This doesn’t even look like a working ranch.” He shook his head. “And this certainly doesn’t look like the ranch my mother told me about all my life. They’ve let it go to hell. It’s a damn shame.”
Cari could see how disappointed he was. “Maybe we came to the wrong side of the property,” she suggested.
He shook his head. “No. This seems to be it. No wonder C.J. didn’t want me coming out here.”
“Well, we can have our picnic here at least,” she said, beginning to unload the car and set up a shaded place for Jamie.
Max agreed, though he was grouchy about it. She felt sorry for him, but she couldn’t help but wonder how this was going to impact his plans. If this made him look at things more realistically, maybe it was all for the best.
They spread out a ground cloth under a tree and opened up the picnic basket to find fried chicken and biscuits and corn on the cob.
“In February?” Max said, looking at the corn suspiciously.
“It’s either imported or frozen,” Cari agreed. “Not quite up to the quality you expect in the good old summertime, but it tastes pretty good.”
They ate and chatted and played with Jamie, and gradually Max’s mood improved. He got to the point where he could see some of the good things in the land around him, such as the wildflowers just beginning to poke up their heads, and the white, puffy clouds scudding by in a pure blue sky.
“You know, I have to admit, this place could have fit in with my mother’s stories in better times. But beyond that, I had a different picture of the ranch in mind.”
“Did you?”
“Yes. I realize now it wasn’t even based on what she’d told me. I watched that TV show. What was the name of that ranch on it? Southfork? Well, that was sort of the picture I had in my mind. A big house. A big barn. Lots of big cars parked out front. A helicopter pad out back. Miles and miles of expensive fencing. Some cattle, maybe.”
She smiled, nodding. “I’ve seen the show.”
“Even though this might have been an impressive place in its day,” he said, “it was never like Southfork. Still, it was probably a good working ranch. Too bad that time seems to be long past.” He grimaced. “I’m glad my mother isn’t here to see this. I hope no one ever tells her about it.”
They drove back to the city, taking the long way and enjoying the scenery. Max’s mobile chimed and he pulled over to take the call. He looked serious as he listened, but Cari was playing with Jamie and didn’t pay too much attention. When he’d hung up, he turned to her.
“Bad news,” he said shortly. “Sheila won’t be coming back.” His gaze flickered over Jamie and he winced slightly. “They found her body in the river. Seems to be drug related.”
“Oh, Max!”
They both looked at the child who was happily playing with a ring of plastic keys, totally oblivious to the fate of his mother. Then they looked at each other and without a word, came together for a long embrace. This was a tragedy for a baby, but at least he was too young to understand what an earthshaking event had just contorted his life. Perhaps it was best that way.
Back in town, Max made some calls and came up with more news.
“The police haven’t been able to find any relatives for Sheila, and neither have any of my people.” He looked deeply into Cari’s eyes. “Everything is going to ride on the DNA results.”
She laced her fingers under her chin as she considered that. “And if they come back negative?”
He looked pained. “Cari, if that happens, it will be out of my hands. If I have no marriage or blood ties to Jamie, there is nothing I can do. I’ll have no right to keep him here.” He shook his head. “Even all those lawyers I pay so much money to won’t be able to fix that one.”
She shrunk back. “So he would go into the county system.”
“I imagine so.”
If that happened…
Oh, it couldn’t happen. Blindly, she turned and hurried back to the nursery. Jamie was sound asleep, but she had to hold him. Hadn’t there been a time she’d vowed not to fall in love? That time seemed very long ago.
“AS I UNDERSTAND it, tomorrow is Valentine’s Day.”
Cari straightened as Max came into the nursery two days later. She gave him a mischievous smile.
“You are correct, sir,” she replied.
He stood gazing down at her, a twinkle in his eyes.
“Is it true that this is a fairly important day to women in this country?” he asked.
She frowned, wondering what the catch was going to be. “Well, it can be.”
“Good.” He smiled like the proverbial cat. “I’ve made arrangements.”
“Arrangements?” Did she really have to hear about the details? “Are you going to do something with C.J.?”
His dark gaze was like velvet. “No. I’m going to do something with you.”
“Me.” Her eyes widened. Why not C.J.? Wasn’t that the woman he was supposedly going to marry? Maybe not. She knew he’d been working on that for the past few days.
“There’s got to be a way to convince her to sell that wreck of a ranch,” he’d fumed more than once. “I’m willing to pay her twice what it’s worth. And I want her to close on this as soon as possible. I want to begin renovating the place before my mother finds out what a mess it’s in.”
“She claims she’ll never sell.”
He’d stared at her with haunted eyes. “She has to sell,” he’d said. “She’ll do it. If I can just find the right approach.” But he didn’t sound very convincing.
And now he was talking about taking her to a romantic dinner instead of C.J.
“I can’t go anywhere,” she protested. “I’ve got to be here for Jamie.”
He nodded. “We’re going to bring him along.”
She gazed at him suspiciously. “Where are we going?”
He
