“Absolutely.”
“Then, go away.”
“Has it occurred to you that I’m your friend?”
Caleb couldn’t form an answer to that one. He liked and respected Seth, but he was beginning to feel as if he was surrounded by kind, well-meaning, meddlers, pushing him in a direction he didn’t want to go.
“Seriously, Caleb. This is a huge decision.”
“It’s already listed.”
“Unlist it.”
“I don’t want it,” Caleb barked. “I don’t need it. And Reed’s better off without it.” He glared at Seth, while the festival swirled around them, midway rides jangling, children shrieking and the rodeo announcements blaring in the distance.
After a long minute, Seth gave a curt nod of acquiescence. And Caleb turned to the teenager in the paper hat and placed his order.
Eleven
The trip to Lyndon and the rodeo day over and done with, Mandy and the local vet were working their way through a list of minor injuries and ailments in the ranch’s horses. Midafternoon, they were inside the barn looking at a quarter-horse colt who’d been limping on and off for about a week. The colt’s left fetlock felt warm, and Mandy was worried about infection.
“Mandy?” a whispered voice questioned from behind them, the person obviously being careful not to spook the colt.
Mandy smoothly rose from the colt’s leg and turned to find Robby, one of the young hands, waiting.
“There’s someone on the office phone for you,” he told her quietly. “Danielle something? She’s pretty insistent.”
“I’ll take it,” Mandy agreed, optimism rising within her. “Can you give Dr. Peters a hand while I’m gone, Robby?” She dusted her hands off on her jeans and moved from the stall to the main barn aisle.
The young man set aside his manure fork and took Mandy’s place in the stall.
Anticipation tightened Mandy’s stomach as she paced her way quickly to the small office that sat just inside the main door of the barn.
She closed the door behind her for privacy and picked up the phone. “Danielle?”
“Mandy?”
“It’s me.” Mandy forced herself to sit down on the leather chair with wheels, telling herself to stay calm. “You have news?”
“I do. Enrico found Reed.”
Mandy’s spirit soured. “Yes!” They’d found him. They’d finally found him. “Thank you.”
“Right now, he’s staying at a hotel in Helena.”
“Really?” That information surprised Mandy. “Reed is in Montana?” She’d assumed he was at least still in Colorado.
“The Bearberry Inn. He’s been there a couple of days, but there’s no way of knowing how long he’ll stay.”
“Don’t worry. I’m leaving right away.” Mandy hopped up from the chair, cataloging exactly what she’d have to do to get to the airport, get to Helena and find Reed. When she did, she was cornering him and demanding to know what the heck he thought he was doing.
Okay, maybe she wouldn’t demand. Maybe she’d just ask him. But, first, maybe she’d just hug him. After the past few weeks like he’d had, the man was going to need a hug.
“Call me when you get there,” said Danielle. “And please, please convince him to come home. Whatever it takes.”
“I will,” Mandy promised.
“If we can wrap this up by Wednesday, my life gets a whole lot easier.”
“Uh, okay.” Two days. “I’ll do my best.” Mandy signed off.
As she headed across the yard, toward the house, she remembered the Brazilian deadline was looming. That was obviously the rush. Danielle was going to do everything in her power to get Caleb to Sao Paulo in time to deal with the banking regulators.
That meant there was every chance he’d be gone before Mandy got back. As soon as Reed agreed to return, she’d have to call Danielle. Danielle would obviously call Caleb, and Caleb would have no reason to stay in Colorado, especially if his business depended on him getting to Brazil.
That meant the two brothers might not even see each other. They might not get a chance to talk. And once the crisis was over, things could easily go back to the status quo, Reed here, Caleb there, still estranged from each other.
Mandy trotted up the stairs, across the porch and into the ranch house foyer. Maybe keeping Danielle’s search a secret from Caleb had been the wrong idea. Taking Caleb with her to Helena made much more sense. If he’d come, he’d have to talk to Reed. That would break the ice. And he’d still have time to make it to Brazil. And, afterward, maybe he’d come back.
She pulled off her boots in the front foyer and headed for the second floor, intending to have a quick shower and pack an overnight case.
She warmed to her modified plan. Reed was sure to be happy with Caleb’s honor and generosity. The two brothers could talk in Helena, resolve things and then… Well, the plan got a little fuzzy after that, but at least it was a start.
She stripped of her shirt, peeled off her jeans, discarded her underwear and stepped into a hot shower.
She hadn’t talked to Caleb since they’d returned from Lyndon last night after the rodeo. Seth and Travis had finished in second place, and after a celebratory beer and a round of burgers, she and Caleb had driven back together.
He’d been unusually quiet on the drive, but had kissed her good-night, and he’d told her he was going to miss her overnight. Nothing wrong with that. Everything was fine between them. She could safely broach the subject of Reed.
Perhaps she could do it between kisses. That would be manipulating the situation. But it was for a good cause.
Then again, that was probably a bad idea. She’d go with a straight-up outline of the facts. Caleb liked facts, and the facts were on her side in this.
She dressed, blow-dried her hair, put on a touch of makeup, a pair of clean jeans, a striped T-shirt and a navy blazer. Then she tossed a few clothes into the overnight bag, left a note to her brothers, saying she’d call them when she got to Helena, and jumped into a pickup truck.
The ride to the Terrell ranch took its usual twenty minutes, but it felt much longer. She pulled up to the house, took a very deep, bracing breath and set out to reason with Caleb.
When she knocked, he called out a huffed “come in.”
“Caleb?” she called back as the door opened. She could hear scraping sounds coming from the living room.
She followed the noise, rounding the corner from the foyer to find him surrounded by cardboard packing boxes, a tape dispenser in his hand, as he sealed one of them up.
“What are you doing?” Her tone came out sharper than she’d intended.
“Packing.” He voiced the obvious.
“But, why?” What had happened? Had she missed something? Had he already sold the ranch?
“Mostly, because it’s not going to pack itself,” he answered.
“But I thought-”
“Can you hand me another box?”
Mandy was too stunned to move. She felt sick to her stomach.
“Did you sell?” she managed on a harsh whisper.
“Not yet.”
