Tumbleweed Weddings (53 page)

Derek swung his flashlight around as he walked over the acres where the sheep had been feeding that afternoon. Shep, his collie, bounded over the hilly terrain beside him. Derek was thankful it was a warm evening, but his heart became heavier as the toll of dead bodies mounted.

Shep gave a sudden bark.

“Did you find one, boy?” Derek strode to where Shep stood, and his light passed over a small white lump. Leaning over, he trained the beam on it. A lamb lay under the sagebrush.

He straightened. “Found another lamb, Dad,” he yelled. Squatting down, he brushed his hand over the animal’s tiny back.
Broken neck
. A pack of wolves must have killed all these sheep. Coyotes would have eaten what they killed, and they didn’t break their necks.

Dad walked toward him, a rifle cradled in his arm. “Fourteen so far—three ewes and eleven lambs.” He squinted off across the field. “We’ll have to take care of the carcasses tomorrow when we can see what we’re doing. Hector and Miguel will help.” Dad shook his head. “Just don’t know how they got past the electric fence.”

Derek adjusted his cowboy hat. “We’ll have to ride along the borderline tomorrow and see if there’s a break. With two thousand acres of land, anything could have happened to the fence.”

“That’s true.” Taking off his glasses, Dad rubbed his eyes. “It’s almost eleven. Let’s get back to the house. At least the rest of the flock are safely penned for the night.”

“Yeah, too bad.” Derek stood. “It’s such a warm evening. I wish they could stay outside.”

Falling into step, they strode together over the uneven ground back to Dad’s Jeep with Shep trotting beside them. Removing his hat, Derek glanced up at the sliver of moon and the millions of stars that created a bowl above their heads. Nothing could be heard but the crunch of their footsteps until Dad spoke.

“Mom and I are thinking of turning over the ranch to you in the fall.”

Derek’s eyebrows shot up. “Already?”

“We saw a good deal on an RV last week, and I’m tempted to buy it. Mom wants to start traveling.”

Derek slipped his hat back on. “I thought you were going to wait until you turn sixty-five.”

“Why wait? That’s ten years away, and Mom said she doesn’t want to travel when she’s decrepit.” Dad laughed. “She loves traveling, and she wants to visit the states she’s never seen, especially in the South.” He looked at Derek as they strode side by side. “You’ll have the house to yourself, son. Might as well get married and have a passel of kids. Maybe you’ll end up marrying that MacKinnon girl you took out to dinner last Friday.”

Derek shook his head. “Not Kandi.” He turned to his dad. “To be honest, I’m confused. Every time I pray about my future, it seems that God is telling me to stay single in order to serve Him. But I’d like to get married someday.” Cheyenne’s pretty blue eyes entered his thoughts. “I’m just not sure what God’s will is right now.”

Approaching the Jeep, they both climbed in, and Shep jumped into the back. Dad started the engine.

A cool night breeze hit the brim of Derek’s hat, and he removed it. “Dad, how did you know Mom was the right one for you? Did the Lord strike you with a lightning bolt, and you just knew she was the one?”

“No, that’s not what happened at all.” Dad shifted gears, and the Jeep rolled over the uneven ground. “Your mom was the prettiest girl in high school, but she was dating my best friend, Kyle. The three of us hung out together, and the more I got to know your mom, the more I liked her. She was a lot of fun.” He paused. “Then during our senior year, I realized I was falling in love. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.”

Derek grinned. “So you stole her right under Kyle’s nose, and she willingly ran into your arms.”

“I wish. Unfortunately I didn’t have the gumption to do that. But Kyle was always starting arguments with Yvette, and I would get so mad at him for yelling at her.” Dad looked at him. “She would yell right back.”

“Yep, that’s Mom.”

Dad stared out the windshield as they slowly bumped along. “Somehow I always managed to calm them down, and they would get back together time after time.”

“You missed your calling, Dad. You should have been a marriage counselor.”

“Ha! I’m more suited for sheep. They don’t argue with you.”

“That’s why I like sheep.” Derek grinned. “So how did you and Mom finally start dating?”

“She and Kyle had another fight, a real humdinger. When I confronted Kyle, he asked me to talk to Yvette for him. To plead his case, so to speak.”

“Sounds like
The Courtship of Miles Standish.”

Dad glanced at him. “That’s exactly what happened! I took your mom to this little diner that evening and told her Kyle wanted to get back with her.” A half smile shadowed his face. “She laid her hand on my arm and said, ‘Jake, I’m tired of fighting with Kyle. I want someone who’s more easygoing—like you.’ I was stunned!”

“That was a bold move on Mom’s part.”

“Later she told me she had wanted to date me for months. She tried to break up with Kyle, but he wouldn’t let go. When I took her to the diner, she knew this was her one and only opportunity to let me know how she felt.”

Derek nodded. “She seemed to know what the Lord had for her. But how am I supposed to know God’s will?”

“Keep it in prayer, son. God will make the way clear.” Dad parked the Jeep in back of the house and opened the driver’s door.

Derek climbed out of the passenger’s side. He had a lot to pray about.

C
heyenne smiled at the elderly woman on the other side of the post office counter. “Here’s your change, Mrs. Hochstetler.” She dropped a few coins into the outstretched hand.

“Thank you, dear.” The thin lips curved into a smile, revealing straight dentures. Mrs. Hochstetler slowly turned, and the bell over the door jangled as she walked outside.

Glancing out into the customer area, Cheyenne noticed some crooked mailing boxes in the display. She walked around the counter, and the bell over the door rang again. A tall, middle-aged woman dressed in a yellow pantsuit walked in. Her short brown hair was smoothly styled, and Cheyenne gazed at her pretty face, thinking she looked familiar.

The woman stopped and put her hands on her hips. “Why, Cheyenne Wilkins!”

Cheyenne gasped. “Mrs. Oliver!” She reached out to give the woman a hug. “I almost didn’t recognize you with that different hairstyle.” Janet Oliver and her husband had been members of their church since Cheyenne was a little girl, and Janet had been a close friend with Cheyenne’s mom. But the couple moved away several years ago.

Janet hugged her then gripped Cheyenne’s forearms so she could look at her. “It is awesome to see you again! You look absolutely wonderful.” She shook her head. “I can see your mother in your face. You look just like her, and she was such a beautiful woman.”

“Thanks.” Cheyenne smiled. “It’s great to see you again, Mrs. Oliver.”

The bell jingled, and they both turned in time to see Agatha Collingsworth walk in.

“Why, Aggie!” Janet left Cheyenne to give her a hug. “Don’t you look good!”

“Oh my word!” Aggie hugged her back. “Janet Oliver! It’s been so long.”

Janet stood back. “It’s only been four years since we moved away. You’re still doing business at the Beauty Spot, I presume?”

Aggie nodded. “Yep, still at it. Why are you in town, Janet?”

“I’m moving back to Fort Lob.” Her light-brown eyes flitted over to Cheyenne, and she touched her arm. “Remember when you took piano lessons from me? Do you still play the piano?”

“Never.” Cheyenne laughed. “We still have the piano at our house, but no one has touched it for years.”

“That’s a shame.” Janet’s thin eyebrows dipped into a frown. “I’ll have to come by and tickle those ivories.”

Aggie perused Janet’s hairstyle. “Why are you moving back?”

“You probably heard that Fred died last year. My cousin, Adelaide, lives in Fort Lob, and we only have each other now. No one else in the whole world. So I thought I might as well move back.”

“Adelaide is your only relative?” Cheyenne couldn’t imagine that.

“The only one. Fred and I never had any children, and Adelaide’s husband and son died years ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

Janet’s voice softened. “Thank you, dear.”

She turned back to talk to Aggie, and Cheyenne studied the woman. She was almost as tall as Cheyenne, but she certainly had a better figure.
I am going to firm up this flab!
Maybe a new wardrobe would be good, too.

If Janet Oliver could look like a million bucks, so could she.

Cheyenne glanced at the clock.
Almost five
. Janet and Aggie had stayed for an hour, but fortunately the post office had not had any customers while they were shooting the breeze.
And we probably won’t have any more
. She entered the back room and took the door key from the hook on the wall.
Might as well lock up for the day
.

The bell rang as the door opened.

Then again, maybe not
.

She walked out from the back room. Carrying a medium-sized Priority mailing box, Derek Brandt approached the counter.

His eyes met hers, and her pulse quickened.

“Hi, Cheyenne.” He set the box on the counter. “Mom wants to mail this box to Grandma in Casper.” He pulled his wallet from his back pocket.

“Do you need any insurance or delivery confirmation?” She lifted the box to the scale.

“Nah, just send it.”

She glanced at the readout. “That will be four dollars and eighty-three cents.”

Derek handed her a five-dollar bill. “Glad I made it to the post office. Wasn’t sure if you would still be open.”

She dropped the change in his hand. “I was just about to lock up when you—”

The bell jangled again. Cheyenne glanced at the door, and Derek turned his head. Rex Pierson walked inside. Cheyenne frowned. He had already come in this morning to check his post office box and stayed to talk to her between customers.

“Hey, neighbor!” Derek stuck out his hand as Rex strode to the counter.

Rex shook it. “Howdy, Brandt,” he drawled. “Good to see you.”

Cheyenne eyed the two men. They were the same height, so Rex must be six three, although Rex was thinner than Derek. And he looked a lot older. She listened as they talked for five minutes about a cattle auction next week. Finally she moved to the door, key in hand, and waited.

Derek glanced at her. “Guess it’s time to leave, Rex.” He winked at her as he walked to the door. “I think Cheyenne is giving us a subtle hint.”

Her heart fluttered at his wink. “Well … it is past five o’clock.”

Rex stepped toward the wall of post office boxes. “I need to check on my mail. See you around, Brandt.” He thrust a key in one of the boxes.

“Later, Rex.” Derek moved past Cheyenne as he exited. “Bye, Cheyenne.” He didn’t look back as he walked outside.

A cloud of disappointment hung over her as she turned and waited for Rex. Derek wasn’t paying her much attention. He must be serious about Kandi MacKinnon. Or maybe he was going back to his no-marriage-until-forty policy.

Well, no matter. She would move to Loveland and find someone else.

“No more mail.” Rex closed his box and turned the key.

Cheyenne grinned. “I could have told you that. Bernie and I fill the post office boxes every morning before we open. Once you get your mail for the day, that’s it. No more until tomorrow.”

Rex turned to her, and that slow smile curved his lips. “I knew that. Just waiting for Brandt to leave.” He frowned. “What’s his first name?”

“Derek.” Cheyenne bit her lower lip. Why was Rex hanging around?

“Oh yeah—Derek. And his dad’s name?”

“Jake.”

Rex nodded. “Derek and Jake. Good family. Mrs. Brandt made me a pie when I first moved in. Apple.”

Cheyenne smiled. “That was nice of her.”

“Yeah. I’m not much of a baker, so it was appreciated.” Rex cleared his throat. “Uh, Cheyenne, I was wondering … uh, if you’d like to go to supper with me tonight.”

Her lips parted.
He’s asking me out?

She met his brown eyes and saw uncertainty there. It made her heart melt. She’d heard through the grapevine that Rex was a widower, and he must be lonely. “I’d love to eat with you.”

He visibly relaxed. “Great! Um, the Cattlemen’s Diner?”

The pros and cons of that eating establishment sprinted through her mind. It was close—a walk across the street—so she wouldn’t have to ride with him to a restaurant, but their dining experience would fuel local gossip. Certain people in Fort Lob would have her married to Rex Pierson by sunset.

But who cared what other people thought? She and Rex were just friends.

“The Cattlemen’s Diner is fine.” She turned and locked the door. “You can go out the back way with me.”

Together they walked outside and crossed the street. Rex held the door for her as they entered the restaurant. Within ten minutes they were seated across from each other in a booth by the front window, and Sara Stine, a high school senior, took their orders. Rex requested a steak with mashed potatoes. Cheyenne ordered fish with rice pilaf.