“How did you like living in Atlanta?”
“It was quite an experience. I had never been anywhere other than Wyoming. I even thought of staying and getting a job there. But then Mom died in my senior year and it seemed to take me forever to fly back home for Dad. After her funeral, I returned to school just long enough to graduate. Then I returned to Black Crow and haven’t left since.”
They reached the café. “We’re here.”
He positioned his body next to her to block the wind and opened the door. She would admit the warmth from the huge fireplace felt inviting today. “We can grab that table over there, Cash,” she said and led him toward it.
Brianna didn’t miss the interest they were generating as they crossed the room. Most of the people knew her, but they didn’t know him. Not yet anyway. Lois would make sure they did before nightfall.
“Nice view,” he said, glancing out the window. “This town sure has a lot of lakes.”
She smiled. “Yes, we do. There are six in all, not counting the ones on the outskirts of town where most of the ranching is. Then there is the Keystone River. Most people who come here for the first time say Black Crow is definitely one of Wyoming’s best-kept secrets.”
After their waitress brought their drinks and took their order, Brianna glanced up from sipping her tea to find Cash staring at her. The dark eyes holding hers were mysterious and breathtaking—hypnotic. She broke eye contact with him to get her bearings.
“So,” he said, returning to their previous conversation, “you’ve never felt adventurous? Wanted to go other places? Visit other states? See the world?”
She shrugged.
There was no need to tell him there had been a time when she thought she would get that opportunity. That’s when she and Alan Dawkins had been together. They had dated all through high school and he had graduated the year before her. Their goal had been for him to join the army after high school and then return to Black Crow when she graduated the following year. They would marry and she would be an army wife, the mother of his children, and travel the world with him.
Things didn’t quite work out that way. While stationed in Germany, Alan met someone. He had returned home the year she had graduated like he had promised, but he’d brought his German wife with him. At least he’d had the decency to write to tell her beforehand. Everyone in town had pitied her and had considered Alan’s betrayal unforgiveable. That’s why her parents had encouraged her to put as much distance between her and Black Crow as she could for college. They figured Atlanta, Georgia, would be far enough.
“Maybe at one time I did,” she finally answered, “but I got over it.”
It was then that the waitress delivered their lunch.
Three
Cash enjoyed the delicious hamburger and fries, but found he was enjoying Brianna’s company even more. He loved the sound of her voice and definitely liked looking at her. And if he thought her mouth was incredible, then her eyes followed closely. Whenever she looked at him, they exuded a sensuality that she probably didn’t even know she had. If she did, she wouldn’t look at him the way he’d caught her doing.
It had gotten quiet between them but now that their meal was almost over, he got down to the real reason he had invited her to lunch. He wanted to know more about her.
But before he could ask her a question, she said, “I guess you want me to tell you all about Ms. Ellen.”
He took a sip of his water. He could certainly see how she assumed that, but she was wrong. There was nothing he wanted to know about the woman who had deserted him thirty-four years ago. He’d rather she told him more about herself, but he had time, so he would let her tell him about Ellen first.
“What do you want to tell me? It’s been thirty-four years since I last saw her.”
“Not since you were a baby, right?”
He lifted a brow, wondering how much she knew. “You’ve known Ellen for your whole life, for twenty-three years, right?”
“Close to twenty-eight. I have a birthday coming up this summer.”
She was twenty-seven? She definitely looked a lot younger. Her copper-colored skin was smooth, soft, ageless and flawless.
“How long were she and Van Embelin married?”
“Ten years before he died. Mr. Van was older than Ms. Ellen by seventeen years, but they were very dedicated to each other. My parents said she made him feel young again. Restored his vitality. Made him smile.”
Cash lifted a brow. “He had stopped smiling?”
“Yes. When his wife died of cancer, he became a recluse for close to five years. Ms. Ellen brought him out of it.”
Cash paused and then asked, “Did Ellen tell you how long it’d been since she’d seen me?” He convinced himself that he was only asking out of curiosity.
“I understand she took your father to court for custody of you and lost.”
“Yes, that’s true.” Cash decided not to go into how Bart managed to do that during a time when most courts sympathized with the mother. Cash and his brothers were well aware that in Bart’s world, their father had had the money and the means to do whatever the hell he wanted to do and usually did. However, that did not excuse Ellen not reaching out to him at some point over the past thirty-four years. She had known where he was. Someone definitely knew how to contact Bart when she passed away.
“Was the Blazing Frontier always a dude ranch?” he asked, to take the subject off him.
Brianna’s smile brightened. “No. Turning it into a dude ranch was Ellen’s idea. At first the town balked at the idea, knowing that meant a lot of tourists in town, and they weren’t sure they would like it. But Ellen somehow convinced them it would be good for the economy and to give it a try for a year. After that time, if the dude ranch had a negative effect on the town, then they would go back to regular ranching.”
Cash took a sip of his lemonade. “I take it things went well.”
“Better than anyone expected. Even the naysayers had to concede having the dude ranch on the outskirts of town was a great idea. It attracted people who appreciated the Old West and wanted to recapture those times. Those tourists often came into town and spent money. Lots of it.” She paused. “The economy took a hit when the ranch shut down. The people of Black Crow would love for it to reopen.”
Cash knew what Brianna was hinting at. Evidently, he hadn’t made himself clear in Henry Cavanaugh’s office. Hopefully he would this time. “Then I’m hoping whoever buys it will make it back into a dude ranch. Let’s just hope there is an interested buyer.”
Brianna frowned. “Oh, trust me, there will definitely be an interested buyer.”