When the Glitter Fades (Cowboys of Whispering Winds) (6 page)

BOOK: When the Glitter Fades (Cowboys of Whispering Winds)
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“Can I help you, sir?” asked with a professional tone, yet her eyes revealed an overzealous curiosity.

“Is Mr. Callahan around?”

“Jase or Everett?”

“Everett.”

“You might be in luck.  He passed through a few minutes ago ,about to ride out and check the trails, but you can probably catch up to him if you hurry. The stables are…”

“I know where they are,” he interrupted, not to be rude, but he didn’t want to miss out talking to Everett before he left. Walking as fast as his limp allowed, he went to the stables.  Mr. Callahan hadn’t yet begun to saddle a horse. “The girl at the desk said I could find you in here.”

Everett’s head jerked back in obvious surprise. A vein in the man’s neck twitched, but he plastered on a smile, one which Jeremy could see straight through. “This is a surprise. When I hadn’t heard from you, I assumed you weren’t interested.”

“No, sir. I just needed time to ensure this was a wise decision.” He stood fully erect, not favoring any leg regardless of the pain. 

“I’m still not sure it is, but, the fact is, we need help and you’re qualified; more than anyone else we’d be able to find.” Mr. Callahan’s appraising stare found him lacking as a man, it didn’t take a genius to know that; yet, there was a begrudging level of respect for the skill Jeremy could bring.

“I understand.” All too well, he understood.  Either he the world’s biggest fool and wishful thinker, or Lanie was right. Her words had stuck with him long after she’d left that day, several weeks ago. She believed in him, as a dad, even after all the crap he’d pulled. He may have lost faith in himself, but if Lanie hadn’t lost hers, then maybe all hope hadn’t been lost. Maybe there was hope for Cody and him to form a relationship. All he knew was he wanted to try, and coming to Whispering Winds would be a start.

“Let’s get the elephant out of the way, here and now.” Everett Callahan stared at him through dark and steely eyes. “I’ve never been one to beat around the bush, so here it is. You treated my daughter like yesterday’s leftovers. You chose to ignore the greatest responsibility and privilege a man can be given.  As it stands, my opinion of you as a man isn’t high.”

Jeremy tried not to wince under the man’s harsh speech. “It’s not too high for me either,” he told Lanie’s dad honestly, maintaining his rigid posture. “I’ve made mistakes and a lot of them. Maybe I don’t deserve a second chance to be in Cody’s life, but it appears life is giving me one. I intend to do better this time.”

A very small, an inkling really, measure of respect appeared in Everett’s eyes. “Good to hear. A son needs his father. I don’t know how in detail Lanie went, but the ranch needs someone with your background to bring us solidly in the black again. For the time being, I can put aside personal feelings and appreciate your coming here. But know this; my family comes first. Anything, anyone, who hurts them gets automatic walking papers.”

“Understood.”The not-so-veiled threat couldn’t be more obvious.

“Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk.” Mr. Callahan’s entire countenance changed from aggrieved father to driven businessman. “We both know you didn’t take this job for the money, which means you have a higher motivation. I hope we can use that to build things up around here. Let’s go to my office and have you fill out the necessary paperwork, and I’ll tell you what I have planned.”

“Lead the way,” Jeremy said with strained amiableness. To an extent, he was relieved the air was cleared. Like ripping off a bandage, it was best to get it done and over with it.

Several people were scattered between the stables and the main lodge, and Jeremy wasn’t oblivious to the stares.  It could have been because he was, or had been, a rodeo star or because they knew he was Lanie’s worthless ex; he didn’t know which was true.  Hiding his limp as much as possible, he followed Everett into the house and down a hall to his office.

“Have a seat,” Everett said, waving his hand to a chair by the desk.

Sinking into the soft cowhide, Jeremy stretched out his bad leg.

“Rough deal, huh?”

Jeremy looked up to see an unexpected hint of empathy reflecting off the older man’s expression. “Could have been much worse.”

Everett pulled some papers from a filing cabinet, attached them to a clipboard and picked a pen out from the cup on his desk. “Fill all of these out so you’re legal. When do you plan on starting?” He took a seat in his chair behind the desk, a camelback style constructed of buffalo leather and antique brass nail heads accenting the frontal curves.

“October first. I have some prior commitments to wrap up beforehand.” Jeremy looked down at the papers, doing a quick scan of them before beginning to fill out the blanks.

“Hmm. Alan is leaving us on the thirtieth; I was hoping the two of you could spend a few days together before that.”

“If he’s free next weekend I can come down for Saturday and Sunday.”

Everett nodded his approval. “I’ll ask him and get back to you.”

“Hey dad, I thought you should…” Jase entered the room, stopping midsentence when he saw Jeremy, his face turning to a scowl.

Some things never change
, Jeremy thought. “Good to see you again,” Jeremy greeted, trying to take the high road.

“Wish the feeling was mutual,” Jase muttered under his breath. 

So that’s how it was going to be; he wasn’t surprised.

“Sit down, Son. When Jeremy’s done filling out the paperwork, you can show him where he’ll be staying.” 

Jase followed his father’s instructions, the glower deepening.

Son and former son-in-law both looked incredulously at Everett. “I was planning on renting out a place in town,” Jeremy said.

“Nonsense. We’re paying you little enough as it is; no sense paying for something elsewhere. Jase’s old cabin is empty; just sitting and collecting dust.”

One look toward Jase told Jeremy what he thought of the idea. “Allie and I still have some things there,” he protested.

“Then get it out. You have until the first,” Everett responded, not giving in to his son. 

Jase looked like he wanted to say more, but remained silent.

Silently, Jeremy agreed with Jase on this; considering the animosity between them, taking over his old place wouldn’t help bridge the gap at all. However, Everett was the boss and he didn’t want to cause more strain. “I’m sure I can find it on my own if you point the way.”

“No. The tension between both of you is thick enough to cut with a knife. Have a talk, work it out and find a way to leave the past in the past.”  Everett gave his son a pointed look. “You’ll be working together often and there’s a lot riding on this. Whispering Winds can’t afford to have the two of you at odds.”

“I’ll be in the game room when you’re ready,” Jase said, standing to leave.

An hour later, Jeremy’s hand was cramped from all the paperwork, everything from government forms to liability releases. A long time had passed since he’d had to use his penmanship for much more than giving an autograph. He left the room feeling excited and optimistic. Once Everett had gone into details about what Jeremy would be doing, the anticipation built.  The thrill of training a horse, from the time he was a foal to the time he sold, was exhilarating and never failed to incite a fulfilling sense of accomplishment.  

Man, he hadn’t realized how much he’d missed working with horses since Travers’ Ranch shut down. Even during his rodeo days, he’d continued helping his dad for the sheer fun of it; that is, until he’d won the championship and got too big for his britches. Lanie had known how much it meant to him and when it came time to build their house, they’d chosen a property a few minutes’ drive from the ranch’s border.  Of course, he’d never stopped to consider she might want to live closer to her home. In fact, he’d always thought he’d done her a favor by building her a dream house, never asking where she wanted to live.  Funny how perceptions changed over time.

“Daddy!” An innocent voice called from down the hallway.

Looking up, he saw Cody running toward him. With a few stiff steps, Jeremy met him halfway, and his son wrapped his small arms around his legs in a childish embrace. Suffering the pain for the child’s affection, Jeremy stood there, reaching down and tousling Cody hair. If his legs had allowed it, he would have stooped down and returned the hug. Unfortunately, he’d been stubborn and insisted on going without a crutch again, paying the price now.

“Hi buddy, how are you?”

“Good. How come you’re here?”

“I am going to be working here for a while.”

“So, I’ll get to see you more?” Cody asked earnestly.

The hopefulness is his voice tore at Jeremy. How could he have shunned this sweet child since the accident? “Yes. In a few weeks I’ll be here all the time.”

“Yahoo!” Cody shouted, eliciting a chuckle from his dad.

“In fact, your Uncle Jase is about to show me where I’ll be living.”

“Can I come with you?”

“Not this time. Uncle Jase and I have some things to talk about.” At Cody’s crestfallen face, he knew he had to make it up somehow. “I think I still owe you some ice cream. If it’s okay with your mom, maybe you and I can go out for some when I am done.”

“Really?”

Lanie rounded the corner. “There you are Cody. Did you finish cleaning your room?”

Ignoring the question, Cody steamed ahead with his own thoughts. “Mommy, Mommy; Daddy’s here. He said if it’s okay with you, he’ll take me out for ice cream.”

It was then Lanie realized he was standing there.  “Hi,” she said shyly, causing curiosity to fill Jeremy. Even at their worst, most uncomfortable moments, Lanie had never been coy toward him.

“Hi,” he echoed. Smooth, Jeremy, real smooth. “Is it okay if I take him out for a bit?”

He watched her nibble on her bottom lip, debating. “His room needs to be cleaned first. Then he can go.

“Did you hear that buddy? You get your room cleaned while Uncle Jase and I talk, then I’ll come get you.  Can you do that?”

“You betcha!”

“Go to your room and get started. I’ll be right up to help you,” Lanie instructed Cody.

Their son ran to accomplish his task. Lanie stuck her hands in the rear pockets of her dark denim jeans and rocked on her heels.  “So, you decided.”

“Are you still okay with it?” he asked, detecting the uncertainty she was emitting.

“I thought I was. I mean, I will be,” she stammered, avoiding eye contact.

Extending his arm, he placed a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t have to do this,” he offered in a low whisper, but even as he said it, the idea of not seeing Cody on a regular basis left a lump in his throat. He was changing, and he liked to think it was for the better.

“Yes, you do. It’s what’s best.” Her shoulder trembled under his hand.

“Say the word and I’ll leave. We can make visitations plans for Cody. I don’t want to cause you more pain.” His voice lowered further and came out almost breathless.

“Ahhem.” A loud, purposeful cough interrupted their conversation, and Jeremy jerked his hand away from Lanie.

Looking up, he saw an angry Jase, standing with a man he didn’t recognize with a neutral look over his features. Too neutral. 

“Clay, what are you doing here?” Lanie asked, her voice wavering.

So this was the new boyfriend.  Unfounded jealousy reared its ugly head, coiling his muscles into tight knots.

“Bowling with Cody?”  As his eyes darted between Jeremy and Lanie, Clay didn’t look too pleased that she couldn’t remember.

“Oh no. I thought we said tomorrow?”

“No, definitely today. Saturday,” Clay said evenly.

“Jeremy’s taking Cody for ice cream in a little bit. I guess we can still go after.”

“Let’s go,” Jase snarled, interrupting the conversation between his sister and Clay, glaring and shooting daggers with his eyes at Jeremy. 

Lanie gave an almost imperceptible nod, telling him to go without further words. She had other problems to sort out, but Jeremy couldn’t help wondering how her conversation with Clay would end.

“I’ll be up for Cody when we’re done.”  Turning on a heel, he followed a stomping Jase outside to a small utility golf cart. 

Taking a seat on the right, he remained silent, knowing Jase wouldn’t listen to anything he had to say. There was still too much anger between them. The short trip to the cabin was made in complete silence.  Animosity radiated from both men, waiting for the standoff to end. Jase pulled up to a cabin, a quaint building nestled behind a clearing of white bark pines.

“Is this it?” Jeremy asked, hoping to break the ice.

Turning, Jase looked at him with fire in his eyes. “The rest of my family may have lost their senses, but I haven’t. I don’t like you, and I can’t forget the tears my sister cried when you broke her heart. If it was up to me, you’d never set foot on this property.”

Jeremy sighed. He was weary of being reminded about his mistakes. His own conscience reminded him of his failures every single day of his life. “But it’s not up to you. Your father and Lanie asked me here, and I intend to be a part of my son’s life whether you like it or not.”

“So you can abandon him again?”

“This isn’t your fight, Jase. It’s between Lanie, Cody and me.”

“And they’re my family. I’ll be damned if I stand by and watch you hurt them again.”

“That’s not going to happen. I’ll never be perfect, but I want to be Cody’s dad. I’m done walking away.”

“And Lanie?” Jase asked, his features taut. 

“What about her?”

“Stay away from her.” His meaning was clear. Lanie was hands off.

Except that ship had long since sailed, rendering Jase’s edict pointless. Some things didn’t get a second chance.  “I’m here to do a job and build a relationship with my son. That’s it.” 

“This is the cabin. It’s small and there’s no cable or satellite. If you need to use the internet, you can go to the main lodge. Go look inside if you want.”

If for no other reason than to escape his acrimonious former brother-in-law, Jeremy took the keys from Jase, slipped out from the cart and went inside. Several boxes were scattered here and there. It was cozy, much more primitive than his own house, but he found it to be sufficient for just himself. He’d only be here a year tops; just until he figured out where to go from here. J.T. was going to keep an eye on his place for him during his time at Whispering Winds. He looked around; there wasn’t much to it. When he walked in, a small kitchen was to his right, the living room on the left.  Down the hallway was a tiny bathroom and then a single bedroom. No furniture was left in the house. If he remembered correctly, there was a small furniture store in Bumblton. Later, he’d stop and pick out a few basic pieces. There wasn’t much more to look at it. He left his new home, pulling the door closed.

BOOK: When the Glitter Fades (Cowboys of Whispering Winds)
3.07Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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