mentally kicked himself for not buying one of those mobile hot-spot devices that allowed him to connect to the internet anywhere. For now, he’d have to rely on his smart phone for email. But first thing tomorrow, he and his laptop would be tracking down the nearest Wi-Fi connection so he could get some work done.
He tapped the mail icon and waited for the page to load. Since he’d turned off the volume, it vibrated in his hand, indicating he had mail.
He scrolled to the top of the page. A distributor wanted a quote.
“Here you go.” Gramps set a loaded plate in front of him, along with a fork.
“Thanks.” Maybe Cash could calculate the quote later this evening and email it via his phone. That way, the customer would have it by morning.
The next message was from his sister.
Subject: Have a good time.
Enjoy your time in Ouray, big brother. You have no idea how jealous I am, but the doctor refuses to let me travel. Just as well. I feel like a beached whale. I still can’t believe I’m having twins.
Hug Gramps for me and give him my love.
Cash smiled. Prepregnancy, his little sister didn’t weigh a hundred pounds soaking wet. Now, based on the pictures his mother had shown him, she looked as if she’d swallowed a blimp.
Gramps took a seat across from him.
“Megan sends her love.”
The old man looked confused. “When did you talk to your sister?”
“Just now.” He turned the screen so his grandfather could see. “She sent me an email.”
“You gonna stare at that contraption the whole time you’re here?” Gramps pointed with his fork. “Folks seem practically glued to those things these days.”
“They do make staying in touch a lot easier. Email, text messaging—”
“What about a good old-fashioned phone call?”
Cash cleared his throat, fearful the comment had been directed at him. “They can do that, too. Hey, maybe we can FaceTime with Megan while I’m here. You’d be able to see her while you’re talking to her.”
The old man’s bushy white brows shot up. “Is that a fact?”
“Yes, sir.” Cash tucked his phone away, eyeing the fruit-filled pastry on his plate. “So, I take it Taryn does a lot of baking for you.”
Gramps swallowed his first bite. “She bakes for everybody. Says it’s therapeutic.”
“In that case—” Cash lifted his loaded fork “—I’m all for therapy.” The sweet, tart flavors burst onto his tongue. “Mmm... This is good.” He stabbed another bite. “Forgive me for saying this, but didn’t she used to be kind of a brat?”
His grandfather chuckled. “Taryn was a little too big for her britches, all right.”
“I recall her brothers complaining that she always got her way.”
“Well, she is the only girl.” Gramps rested his fork on his plate. “And a pretty one, at that. In case you hadn’t noticed.”
“Oh, I noticed.” A guy would have to be dead not to. “Didn’t I hear something about her leaving Ouray for a while?”
Nodding, Gramps cut another bite of pie with his fork. “Took off for college while the ink was still drying on her high school diploma.”
Cash grabbed a napkin from the owl-shaped holder on the table. Wiped his mouth. “Where’d she go?”
“Texas.”
“No kidding.”
“Finished her first semester, then told her folks she was taking some time off to think about what she wanted to do with her life.”
Cash hiked up the sleeves of his Henley a notch and grabbed another forkful. “That’s not unusual. Lots of kids get confused once they get to college.”
“I suppose.” Gramps studied his pie as if looking for answers. “’Cept Phil and Bonnie never knew where she was. About worried themselves sick.”
“You mean, she didn’t stay in touch?”
He shrugged. “On occasion. But anytime they offered to come see her or send money, she’d refuse.”
Cash immediately thought of the drugs so often prevalent in college towns. Then again, most druggies wouldn’t turn down a handout. They’d simply put it toward their next fix.
“Then one day, out of the blue, Taryn showed up back here.” Gramps shook his head. “Never said a word about what went on. Just that Ouray was where she belonged.”
“How long was she gone?”
The old man shrugged, going after another bite. “A year or so.”
That left a big gap of time. “And you don’t have any idea what happened to her?”
“None. And I don’t think her parents do, either.” Gramps pushed his half-empty plate aside then leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. His gaze bore into Cash. “But I do know that Taryn is no longer the self-absorbed girl we all remember. She’s a Godly woman.” Leaning back, he picked up his fork again. “One of the best mountain guides in town, too.”
“Mountain guide?”
“Hiking, rock climbing, ice climbing...” He wagged his fork through the air. “That’s her forte, you know.”
Cash absently rubbed his knee. All things he’d never be able to enjoy again.
Gramps scooped up another bite of pie. “She’s also on the Mountain Rescue Team.”
“What’s that?”
“A search and rescue team trained for our unique setting.” The old man grinned. “I even had the privilege of joining them on a mission last summer. One of our local boys fell into Chief Ouray Mine.”
Cash smiled at the old miner. “Let me guess, you had to navigate them through the mine?”
“Didn’t know that going out, but I went along, just in case.”
“Was the kid okay?” Cash finished his pie.
“A few scrapes and bruises.”
He picked up his empty plate and started toward the sink. “Sounds like Taryn’s an integral part of the community.” Which made him wonder why she had been so eager to leave in the first place. She’d obviously decided the big city wasn’t all glitz and glamour. But why had she stayed away so long?
Rinsing the dish, he contemplated his interaction with her. The way she seemed to
