SIX

“Haven’t seen you in here in way too long,” Machala Livingston said as she came up along the inside of the long polished bar. Reese and Avery sat on two cushioned barstools at the curved end of the dark wood bar, nearest the front door.

Around The Bend, a tavern that dated back to early nineteen-hundreds, came into being soon after Wild Cross was first settled by rough ‘n’ tumble cowboys a few years after Babbitt Ranch was established with twelve hundred head of cattle right outside of Flagstaff by David and Billy Babbitt.

Around The Bend had gone through several owners, and much renovation, but the original bar was still intact, and most of the original paintings still hung on the dark wooden walls, along with Machala’s bungee jumping exploits off of some of the more higher bridges of Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada.

Country music that dated after 2005 wasn’t allowed to spin in the jukebox, a date Machala believed when country music changed into a fusion of rock ‘n’ roll, blues, and “lousy country crap.” Not that she thought all of the new music sucked, but enough of it did so she wouldn’t allow her refined country ears to be “bombarded with nastiness.”

“Been working,” Reese told her, hoping she wouldn’t mention the passing of his dad.

“We all have, so that don’t cut it with me. You need to get out more,” she told him in no uncertain terms. “Play as hard as you work. Didn’t your daddy always say that?”

Machala was in her mid to late fifties, had raised two girls who left Wild Cross once they turned eighteen, had buried two husbands who had died while working farm equipment, and had taken over this tavern when her mother finally gave up trying to run it when she turned eighty. That was five years ago.

Machala wore her deep-brown hair up in a bun, wouldn’t be caught dead in a dress, and had a face that was sun-ravaged into a perfect mix of rugged beauty.

“He did,” Reese told her, hoping that would be the end of her thoughts on his dad.

“He was a smart man . . . a damn stubborn man, but also smarter than most anyone I ever met. What can I get you two?”

“Two beers,” Reese said, relieved that her discussion of his dad was brief.

“Does the lady want any kind of beer in particular? We may be a small local establishment, but I stock a lot of handcrafted beers from around the country.” Machala directed her question to Avery.

“Anything dark is fine with me,” Avery told her, one arm resting on the bar.

Reese realized he hadn’t introduced the two women. “Machala Livingston, this is Avery Templeton. She’s a friend of Chuck Starr’s.”

“You’ve been staying out on the Starr ranch, right?” Machala asked, obviously knowing more than Reese thought she would.

“I have, yes. Chuck’s an old family friend.”

“Seems to me I remember you from when you were a kid. Used to come in here with Chuck and your dad. My mother would serve you a Shirley Temple with extra cherries.”

Avery hesitated for a moment, as if she was searching through memories trying to find the right ones. Then suddenly her face lit up. “That’s right. She did. I’d forgotten all about that. Her name was Sarah or Sally? She was always kind to me and to my mom. I think my mom was the first person to bring me here and your mom was so gracious to us.”

“She loved people. Everybody called her Sweet Sally. She ran this place for over fifty years.”

Avery leaned forward, appearing to be excited over the conversation. “She had the best smile I’d ever seen, and always called me Hot Tamale because of the color of my hair. I don’t suppose your mom still works here?”

“No she retired a few years back, but she stops by a lot. Maybe you’ll run into her one of these days. I’m sure she’d like to see you.”

“Please say hello to her for me,” Avery said, her smile infectious, causing a normally dour Machala to show some teeth.

“Will do,” Machala said.

“I couldn’t help notice some of the pictures of you bungee jumping off of various bridges. I can’t even imagine how anyone could do that.”

“It’s a hoot and a half, I’ll tell ya. But you gotta have the stomach for it. That drop sends your insides rolling and your heart racing.”

“I have a terrible fear of heights. People who are mountain climbers or bungee jumpers always amaze me. I could never do either of them.”

Machala shifted her weight to one hip. Reese knew some of the wild stories Machala had told about her exploits with a bungee cord. Some of it was downright stupid, but she somehow managed to survive it all. He admired her courage, as did most people around town. Made her that much more self-confident . . . not that Machala had ever lacked in that area. Still, everyone for miles knew not to mess with her. If she was bold enough to jump off a bridge, she could bring down any man or woman who tried to mess with her. And nobody ever did.

“I didn’t think I could do it either, but when my second husband passed and I found myself wallowing in my own sour mash, I decided to do something a little wild to get my blood flowing again. Best thing I coulda’ ever done for myself. Gave me my life back. I don’t get to do it much anymore, probably because I don’t need it. But I know it’s out there anytime I want a rush. Now, let me get them beers for you two before my other customers start getting impatient.”

She took off to the far end of the bar while Reese stewed on the fact that he thought Avery had only been in Wild Cross once, when she was ten.

“Wow, that’s one tough lady,” Avery said while fiddling with the white napkin Machala had put down in front of them.

“They don’t make ’em much tougher. So tell me, Ms. Hot Tamale, you were in Wild Cross more than once?” Reese asked, confused over her visits.

Avery smirked over the sound of her nickname. “Several times. How do you think I learned how to ride so well? Chuck taught me. But we stayed on the Circle Starr for the most part. And that was only a nickname inside this bar. No one ever used it anyplace else.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Hot T,” he said, chuckling.

“Oh, no you don’t. You will not call me that.”

“Why? It’s cute. Besides, it fits you.”

She shook her head. “It’s silly.”

“It’s adorable,” he said, gazing into her big doe eyes, thinking about what she’d said to Machala about Chuck and her dad bringing her to this bar. “Why didn’t you tell me you’ve been in Wild Cross more than once? That wasn’t the impression I had from our conversation this afternoon.”

She shrugged. “I didn’t think it was important. Besides, I assumed you knew my dad and I visited a few times.”

Things were starting to gel in Reese’s mind. Now it made sense that he’d seen Avery riding before, and not just in his dreams.

“No, I didn’t know. So, Chuck took the time to essentially teach you how to ride? Chuck Starr, who I’ve never seen without a pressed pair of jeans and a clean white shirt, taught a little girl how to ride a horse?”

“I also took lessons back home, but he taught me how to jump. I know it’s hard for you to believe, but Chuck is a great guy once you get to know him.”

“I’m going to put that aside for now while you tell me just how many times you were in Wild Cross.”

“I don’t really know the exact count, maybe three or four times. My dad would try to bring me during the summer for at least a couple weeks. It was our time together. Once my mom died, my dad felt lost for a long time. Visiting Chuck gave him stability, something to look forward to every year. Besides, my mom had loved Chuck’s ranch, even though in those days it was nothing like it is today. The last time I was here, I think I was about fourteen or fifteen years old.”

“Do you remember anything out of the ordinary about that last trip?”

She thought for a moment as Machala put down the beers on white napkins, then abruptly left to tend to a couple new customers who’d pulled up stools at the bar.

“I think that was the summer when I went exploring on my horse a lot. I would get bored very easily back then, but riding always helped.”

“I think that’s when I saw you. That must be it. You weren’t just in my dreams. You were real. You were here, in Wild Cross.”

Still, there was something nagging at him, something about her, about his dreams that haunted him.

“Did you ever think that maybe because you saw me in town or riding on your land, that was enough to make you dream about me? Our minds are amazingly powerful.”

“Maybe so, but I have a feeling there’s more to it than that.”

“You should talk to Kaya.”

“Chuck’s house manager?”

Reese had seen Kaya on several occasions in and around town. He didn’t know her personally, but knew of her. She belonged to the deeply spiritual Hopi tribe, so talking to her about his dreams would certainly be an education. “I’m sure she has her own ideas about dreams.”

“Let’s just say she thinks we were meant to be together,” Avery said with a warm smile that sent a small eruption through Reese’s body. The woman sent shivers to his soul.

Reese sucked in the breath that caught in his throat and wondered how Kaya, who he barely knew, could possibly know such things. “If you weren’t working for Chuck Starr, I might think Kaya was right.”

“But I’m not working for Chuck. We’re just friends.”

“Then why did you deliver that letter to my mom, and why did you set up a meeting for Chuck and me? And why did you tell me you’re his lawyer? If that’s not working for someone, then what is?”

She tilted her head. “I’m only doing him favors. I’m not getting paid for any of my time, nor would I want to. He’s a friend, a good friend and someone I admire. Like I said, he just wants…”

“To be my friend, I know. But that can’t be the only reason. Not with Chuck.”

She drank some of her beer, then quickly licked her top lip to catch any excess foam. The action sent a hot charge through him, despite his conversation agitation.

“Why won’t you give him the benefit of the doubt?”

“That’s just it. I’m filled with doubt. Too much doubt. I’ve seen him in action. All you’ve seen is the man who taught you how to ride a horse. Believe me, he’s far more than that.”

The dislike Reese felt for Chuck at times had been all-consuming. But lately, ever since Avery had gotten involved, he had to admit his intense distaste for the man was beginning to crack. Besides, he really wanted to know more about his mom’s past with Chuck. Could they have really been in love? Or was it something else . . . something dark? The thought made his stomach roil.

“How much more? What exactly has Chuck Starr done that’s so awful?”

“He killed my father, that’s what, and now he wants me to forgive him so he can take his place.”

CLEARLY, AVERY’S ATTEMPT at softening Reese’s attitude towards Chuck was proving to be much more challenging than she had anticipated.

Once he laid out his true feelings over a beer inside Around The Bend, all bets were off. Getting Reese to accept Chuck into his life, knowing the way he felt seemed impossible at best.

“That’s a powerful accusation,” Avery said, once Reese he calmed down a bit. They hadn’t spoken for what seemed like forever and instead drank down a good portion of their rich-tasting beers. “Do you have the facts to back that up?”

“Chuck liked to torment my dad, liked to turn the screws on my dad’s misfortunes whenever he got the chance. Just days before my dad’s heart attack, Chuck had visited our ranch with another offer on our land. He knew my dad would never sell the last acres of our ranch to Chuck, but he pushed his offer on us anyway, making it sound as if I was considering selling. Which I was not, and would not.”

“You know that’s not a legal reason for your dad’s death.”

Reese shoved a hand through his hair and sat back. “It might not be legal, but I know it weighed on my dad. His health was already compromised and Chuck’s unwarranted and taunting offer only added to my dad’s misery. It’s no secret that our ranch is failing. That we’re operating at a loss. Selling our calves off was a testament to that. But Chuck likes to rub it in. How do you think he’s acquired all the land he now owns? He stepped in when a rancher was having financial problems and offered to buy their mineral rights so they could keep their land. On the surface it sounded like a sweet deal, but Chuck had other plans.

“Once he had the rights, he made living on the land impossible with his drilling, containment ponds, fencing, and whatever else he needed to tear up good grazing land. Finally, when the rancher got tired of the battle, Chuck bought him out for thousands less than what the land was originally worth. My dad was one of the last holdouts. The realization that Chuck Starr might someday own any part of his ranch, the ranch his family had worked and he had spent his entire life working, was killing him.

“But even more importantly, I think he realized that not only would Chuck eventually get his ranch, but he already had his oldest son . . . me. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to ever give in to any part of it.”

As Reese stood, anger colored his foul expression. He threw some cash on the table and stormed out of the tavern.

“Whewwww!” Machala groused as she walked up to the table. “I don’t know what you said, honey, but I’ve never seen Reese that pissed off in my entire life.”

“I was trying to get him to accept Chuck.”

“Something tells me you might not be going about it the right way. Chuck Starr and the entire Cooper clan have been feuding for decades. Getting them to stop would be like spinning the world in a different direction. Not going to happen. Not as long as Chuck Starr is the first class prick we all love to hate. Sorry hon, but that man wouldn’t know how to be decent if his life depended on it.”

Her words stung deep. Avery resented the fact that most of the residents of Wild Cross seemed to dislike Chuck. “You don’t know him like I do. Chuck is a genuinely good man.”

“Honey, I’ve been dealing with Chuck Starr for years now. Used to work in County Records back when Chuck first landed in this town. Believe me, the Chuck you know from your visits and the Chuck this town knows from having to deal with him, are two different men. I can’t blame Reese for his anger. I’m surprised he’s holding up as well as he is. Learning that a despicable man like Chuck Starr is your bio father would make me want to shoot somebody . . . most likely Chuck.”

“You know?”

“By now, most of the town knows. We just don’t talk about it, at least not openly. Was a foul day when you delivered that letter at Reese Sr.’s memorial!”

“I didn’t know what the contents were. If I had, I would never have delivered it.”

Machala shook her head, grunting. “So, Chuck used you as well. And you’re still defending him? He must have some kind of power over you that’s stunting your ability to think clearly.”

“That’s not it. You don’t understand.”

Machala came out from behind the bar and took the stool Reese had vacated. “You seem like a nice girl, and from the way Reese treated you when you first came in, I think he likes you. And believe me, Reese doesn’t fall for very many women. The man is a true loner, so there must be something special about you. So let me give you some unsolicited advice. If you really want Reese to talk to Chuck about this new situation, you have to be on Reese’s side, not on Chuck’s. And from the anger I saw coming from that hardworking, kind man, who never has a bad word to say about anyone . . . except Chuck Starr . . . if you don’t change your loyalty soon, Reese will be a delightful memory and he and Chuck will more than likely never come to terms on any level.”

Avery felt the tension in her body grip her stomach, causing the beer to feel like acid. “I don’t know how to do that. I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

Machala smiled. “Just chew on what I said for a spell. Take it or leave it. The decision is yours. Either way, dealing with them will be an emotional rollercoaster ride, that’s for certain. And, honey, I don’t envy you one bit.”