Brianna was about to toss it aside when something about the writing of her name gave her pause, made her heartbeat kick up a notch. She quickly tore open the letter. There was not a date to indicate when it had been written. Her gaze focused on the words scrawled in bold handwriting...
Remember your promise,
Dad
Brianna’s breath caught and she fought back tears. Without a shadow of a doubt she knew her father had indeed written to her. But who had he entrusted to send her the reminder? Brian Banks had always been a likable person. Over the years while foreman her father had met a lot of people who’d made coming to the ranch every year a ritual. He could have reached out to one of them to send the letter to her.
It didn’t really matter who her father had entrusted to send her the reminder. The message was clear.
Going into her living room, she slid down on the sofa, leaned back and closed her eyes to stop the tears. Sadness was overshadowing what had been a happy day for her.
It was here in this very room, while sitting on this same sofa beside her father and holding his frail hand, when she’d made him that promise. The night before he had passed away while watching his favorite Westerns on television. He had refused the chemo the doctors had advised him to get. Instead, he had chosen quality of life over quantity of life.
Although she had wished things were different, she had accepted his decision and had gone out of her way to make his last days as special and meaningful as possible.
Knowing his life was about to end, Brian Banks had been worried about his only child. He was concerned about what her life would be without him. More than anything he had wanted her to be happy. He asked her to promise him that by her thirtieth birthday she would not be alone.
Her father had known, more than anyone, about her dreams of forever with Alan, and he had known the one thing his daughter wanted more than anything was to one day become a mother.
While sitting on this sofa that night—his last one on earth—he had made her promise him that she would have the baby she wanted, with or without a husband, by her thirtieth birthday. Given how she felt about trusting her heart to another man, he’d known if she did have a child, it would be without the benefit of a husband. He had been fine with that and had given her his blessing. He had let her know that whatever it took to make her happy, he would support her, even in death.
Brianna wiped away her tears. Thanks to Ms. Ellen she now had a home to call her own and was in a better financial position to fulfill her promise and make her dream come true.
She would contact the fertility center’s sperm bank to begin whatever paperwork was needed. She was going to have her baby.
Four
“Did you say a dude ranch?”
Cash switched his cell phone to the other ear while pulling the rawhide belt through the loops of the jeans he’d purchased yesterday. He had walked out of the store with a couple pairs of jeans and several Western shirts because Roy Dawkins, the owner of the shop, was a born salesman.
“Yeah, Garth, a dude ranch. I decided to stay a couple days longer to check out it before selling it.”
“I would hope so. I can’t believe you would even think of doing it any other way.”
“I know, but...”
“But you want to unload anything Ellen left you. Keeping it will make it seem as if her not staying in touch was okay when you feel it wasn’t.”
Cash drew in a deep breath. There were times when he thought Garth knew him better than he knew himself. “Yes, that’s it. How did you know?”
“I’ve been there. Remember how my mother rejected me a few years ago when I decided to go see her? At least Ellen thought enough of you to leave you something. Jess’s mother didn’t leave him a single thing when she passed away four years ago, other than an elaborate New Orleans funeral to pay for. And I definitely can’t see Sloan’s or Maverick’s mothers being generous either.”
“I know, but a part of me wants to just leave here, Garth. The sooner the better. Even at the store yesterday, all I heard was what a kindhearted woman Ellen was. It took everything I had to let them know that as far as I was concerned, she was far from kindhearted.”
“Well, the Ellen I remember was kind as well, Cash. Of all Bart’s wives, I thought Ellen was the most decent. Definitely way too decent for Bart. She was always kind to me and Jess. Treated us like her own. I can’t say the same about Sloan’s and Maverick’s mothers.”
Not wanting to talk about the woman who’d given birth to him, Cash checked his watch. “Look, Garth, I’m supposed to meet someone at the ranch to take a tour of the place. I just wanted to let you know that I won’t be returning home until tomorrow.”
“Okay, Cash. Take care.”
“I will.”
After ending the call, Cash walked over to the window. It seemed like today would be a pretty nice Saturday, mostly because he would be seeing Brianna Banks again. He had thought of her a lot since they had parted ways. More than he should have.
Like he’d told Garth, he would check out the land and then return home tomorrow. The last thing he would do was let anyone, especially a woman with a pretty face, weaken his resolve.
No matter what, the Blazing Frontier Dude Ranch would be sold.
Brianna was sitting in the porch swing when she saw the rental car coming up the long driveway. If Cash hadn’t been impressed by the mile-long scenic drive he’d taken at the turnoff to Blazing Frontier, then he definitely would be once he saw the ranch house with the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop.
The huge three-story structure had been built years ago and renovated twice. The last time had been by Ms. Ellen. The purpose had been to house the guests who preferred staying at the main house instead of in one of the sixty cabins scattered around the property.
Due to Mr. Van’s lingering leg injury from being thrown from a horse in his younger days, they’d resided on the first floor in their own wing. The other wing was where the check-in desk, dining room, kitchen and storage rooms were located.
Brianna stood when the car came to a stop. She had thought about Cash Outlaw a lot last night, convincing herself she’d only done so for worry of what he would think of the Blazing Frontier and if perhaps he would change his mind about selling it.
“Welcome to the Blazing Frontier,” she said, smiling when he got out of the car.
It took everything she had not to weaken in the knees. She’d thought Cash looked good yesterday in a business suit, but the Cash dressed in jeans, a Western shirt, cowboy boots and a Stetson was almost too much for her cardiovascular system. She was certain more blood than needed was rushing through her veins. That had to be the reason she suddenly felt light-headed.