Chapter Ten

The ride back to the ranch house was uncomfortable, but only because their clothes were slightly damp after their swim. In every other respect they seemed like any other loving couple, riding side by side, engrossed in whatever the other person was saying. Brook could have sat on the trail for hours, listening while Deacon told her what it was like exploring the forest as a kid. When he pointed out an eagle gracefully twirling in the sky high above them. When he held her arm to stop her as they came across a buck as it chewed the sweet fresh grass at the edge of the trail, its antlers swaying slowly as he ate before he moved off into the dense undergrowth.

For Brook the whole day had been magical. When they finally got down to the ranch the sun had already started to descend in the sky casting a yellow glow over the scene in readiness for the explosion of bright oranges, reds, and purples of a mountain sunset, the colors and shades even more vivid because of the purity of the air.

They probably wouldn’t be there to see it, but she could picture it, watching the sun’s slowly slide to night from the top of their very own hilltop eyrie would be magnificent.

When they finally made it back the woman who had greeted them earlier took the horses away to stable them for the night and no doubt give them a rub down and brush before feeding. The clop of the horse’s hooves died away as she led them around the corner of the house.

The man stood in front of the house, his almost white hair tinged in the yellow of the dying sun.

“Hey, Brian. How’s it going?”

“Hey, Deacon, long time no see, buddy. Great to see you up here again.”

“Good to be here. This is my friend, Brook.”

“Pleased to meet you, Brook. You must be the reason for the smile on the big guy’s face, huh?” Brian grinned and winked at Deacon who smirked back in response like some teenage kid caught kissing on his first date, while Brook felt the heat rush to her cheeks.

“So, Brian, how’s things really. The place is starting to look a bit worn out buddy, what’s going on?”

“Well, me and Judy want to retire, we’ve been running this place thirty years now you know. We put the ranch on the market a year ago but there are just no buyers.

“That’s a shame.” Deacon said, quietly looking around the place.

“We just want a little peace now, Judy and I, anyway, enough of our troubles. You guy’s wanna come in and have some coffee, keep a pair of old birds amused with stories about what you kids get up to these days.”

***

After a slice of homemade apple pie which was delicious, and a cup of coffee which was not so great, the journey back to Evansville was filled with a lot more chatter than earlier that day.

There was a connection between them that much was clear, but would it be enough to see them through the problems that would undoubtedly lay ahead of them? She tried to put the thoughts out of her mind, to avoid the unsettling feeling that was dawning on her that this might just be a week in Evansville and nothing more.

Something the old guy at the ranch had said came back to her so to try to ease her mind and because she hadn’t mentioned it before she decided it was time to come clean about her background. About the money, her future. She hoped it wouldn’t make any difference to the man she gazed sideways at as he concentrated on the nearly dark road ahead.

“So, the ranch is up for sale?”

“Uh-huh.”

The dark landscape rushed past her, her eyes picking out lonely specks of the lights of remote farmhouses in the distance.

Deacon turned his head to look at her for a moment then went back to watching the road. “It’s always been a dream of mine and I got some money but not enough to buy that place. My husband lost all our money, remember?”

“Right. I forgot.”

“I would give it to you. All of it.”

“Listen, I know you’re trying to be nice and all, but…”

“But, forget it. It’s not gonna happen.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s just a dream is all. It’s not something I could do. I know horses, but I know nothing about hotels or marketing or the million and one other things I would have to do. It’s just a dumb dream some kid with no school smarts wanted.”

Just along the road the streetlight of Evansville came into the night like glowing eyes in the darkness.

“You still up for that drink?” Brook said, not ready to give up just yet.

“Sure. That’ll be nice. But don’t go thinking you can ply me with drinks and get your way with me.” Deacon said.

“Shouldn’t that be the other way around?”

“You know what I mean. No more money talk. Deal?”

“Deal.”

“Good now be warned, this ain’t the prettiest place in the world and the patrons ain’t the prettiest faces.”

“Great,” said Brook. She put aside the ranch idea and moved on.

Deacon, seemed happier already.