“Lexi Brown is her name. Do you know the family?” Carli gave a quick wave to Lola and turned her attention to Buck.
He shook his head and Carli continued. “I want to start offering riding lessons at the ranch.” She told him about the incident in the coffee shop and about the first ride with Lexi. Buck stood and looked over her shoulder at the computer screen as she showed him the public page for LoveJoy. He offered ideas on horse-related activities for the kids should the weather be too cold or rainy for riding.
“What kinds of kids are we looking for?” Buck asked.
“All kinds. Kids who want to learn how to ride, and at-risk kids too, which covers teen alcoholism, domestic abuse, violence, and crime. Maybe their parents are incarcerated. Kids who just need an escape from their reality. And kids with mental health issues like autism. If we can offer several hours of something they love, it would be a step in the right direction.” Saying it out loud made Carli realize just how much more she needed to know. Working with disciplined show horses and young riders from affluent families in Georgia, to rural Texas kids with deep emotional issues would be a big transition.
“Your grandparents would be so proud that you’re here,” Buck said.
“I’ve heard that from several people, but I didn’t know them, so I don’t feel any kind of connection, but I am learning to love this ranch. I hear what you’re saying, but I haven’t grasped the family thing. Maybe in time. I hope to leave my own mark on the Wild Cow. Tell me about my grandparents. When were you hired? Did you know my mother?”
He sat down, a look of concentration and a frown deepened on his face. He shrugged out of his jacket and tugged to loosen the black silk wild rag around his neck.
“If you’d rather not talk about it, Buck, I understand. The past can be painful.” Carli couldn’t help but hold her breath.
He hesitated, took another sip of coffee, and then looked at her. “I don’t know where to begin.”
Carli froze, the half-smile set on a face of stone but inside her stomach jumped into her throat. She had never asked him direct questions about the past before, particularly involving her mother, Michelle.
Chapter Ten
“It was such a time of turmoil at the Wild Cow after your mother ran away.” Carli’s ranch foreman Buck looked at her intently for several seconds before saying anything more. He settled back in the overstuffed chair and swung his lanky legs onto the ottoman, balancing his mug on the chair arm. Carli turned her desk chair around to face him.
Buck’s voice was soft, very controlled. He looked at ease sitting in her grandparents’ study, now her office, but he hesitated before saying anything more as if weighing what he should or should not say. “I like to remember some of those times. It wasn’t all bad. Your grandparents, Ward and Jean, were my best friends as well as my employers. Lola and I came here as newlyweds, and I wasn’t exactly a Christian back then, still sowing my wild oats as they say. My dad was a tough guy, not the most loving. I couldn’t wait to get out from under his iron fist. I left to do my time for our country in Nam, but then came back to the Wild Cow and I’ve been here ever since. Ward and Jean gave me a home as well as a start on my faith walk. I learned a great deal from them.”
“What do you remember about my mother?” Carli leaned forward, listening to every word. He set his empty coffee cup on the side table, but she didn’t offer to refill it. Afraid to break the moment, she wanted him to keep talking.
“Jean and Ward were older when they started their family. When Jean gave birth to your mom, Michelle, it was a happy time on the Wild Cow. We had just hired on because Ward bought a neighbor’s place and he lost his best hand, Jean. Your mom was a newborn then. I guess little kids bring joy with them from heaven. Michelle used to climb on my shoulders, and I ran around with her as she giggled like crazy, and Jean and Ward beamed with ear-to-ear smiles. They taught her to ride a pony almost as soon as she could walk. A bundle of energy, that kid had to stay busy all the time. We had many years during her childhood that were so memorable. Just like any young family, I guess. Lola and I were unable to have kids, so we readily adopted your mom. She called us ‘Annie’ or ‘Tía’ for Aunt Lola and ‘Unky Buck’ or ‘Tío’ for me.”
“What happened to change everything?” Carli asked.
“She became a teenager?” He shrugged and frowned, as if dark thoughts clouded his mind. “When Michelle was around fourteen or fifteen, the boys were really noticing her. She was a pretty girl, big eyes, long silky hair. You do look just like her, you know. As much as Jean and Ward loved her, they also had a lot of ranch responsibilities as well as the rodeo circuit. Maybe Michelle felt pushed to the back of their attention. They had lots of money tied up in roping horses back then. They hauled Michelle around with them since she was a little tyke. I guess she got tired of it and thought boys were a whole lot more exciting than ranch work and the rodeo circuit. She was always independent and wanted her freedom.” He looked at her, his eyes cool and steady. A frown creased his forehead.
“Go on,” Carli prodded.
“So, more and more, she fought with her parents and whined about the chores, and then started
