I'm Not Lisa Ch. 04-06

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I fell for a cowboy, but I never thought I'd rope him.
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Part 2 of the 4 part series

Updated 10/21/2022
Created 02/13/2011
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coaster2
coaster2
2,590 Followers

Chapter 4 What a Mess

I rose fairly early the next morning, knowing that Rance and I were going to take a tour of the ranch. I dressed in my tightest jeans, and a light cotton t-shirt, expecting the weather to be warm. When I stepped out on the porch, I got a shock. It was cold. It might warm up later, but right now it was cold.

I quickly went back to my room and put on a sweater and a nylon shell. I'd forgotten we were over a mile high in altitude, and the temperature extremes were much greater than in Spokane or Salinas. I had a pair of white cotton athletic socks to keep my feet warm in my sneakers. Not as sexy as I'd like to be, but necessary. I had a plan for Rance today and I needed to look good for him.

By the time I got back, Marion was in the kitchen preparing breakfast. As I watched, it seemed like she was cooking for ten. Eggs, bacon, potatoes, fried tomatoes, biscuits and gravy, and of course, coffee. I wondered how they could eat all this and still remain slim. It must be the work. They must burn it off, I guessed. Then again, I remembered my diet when I was swimming competitively. It wasn't much different in calories, just the content.

"Mornin' Julie. You sleep well?"

"Yes ma'am. It's so quiet and dark around here. I think the only thing that woke me up was the rooster I heard."

Just then, Rance appeared, pushing Angus into the kitchen. I remembered Marion telling me that Rance helped his father get out of bed and dress in the morning. He was too big for Marion to handle.

"Mornin' ladies," Rance said happily, kissing his mother on the cheek and nodding toward me.

"Marion, it sure is nice to have another woman in the house," Angus said happily. "You suppose there's any way we can make this a permanent state of affairs?"

I was getting used to the good natured banter that Angus and Marion exchanged and for the first time, I wasn't embarrassed by it. The inference was obvious, but Rance pretended that he didn't hear it. It was at that moment that I decided to take a chance.

I sidled over to Rance where he was leaning against the center island with a freshly poured coffee. I moved beside him, close enough that my hip was touching his. I slowly rubbed my arm against his, and I felt him stiffen. I had his attention.

"What do you think, Rance?" I asked coquettishly.

"Uhhm ... what do I think about what?" he answered nervously.

"About having another woman in the house ... all the time."

"Oh ... I don't know. Depends, I guess," he struggled.

I could see Marion trying desperately to contain herself. She was moments away from bursting out laughing. Angus just had an odd look about him, like he wondered what was going on. Rance had that same look, except a little more like a deer in the headlights.

We dug into the breakfast, conversation at a minimum. Rance seemed to be concentrating on the food more than usual. I had a hunch the comments had unsettled him more than he would like to admit. As I picked up the empty plates and moved to the sink, Rance rose from his chair and poured himself another coffee. To get back to the table, I had to squeeze by him, so I had the opportunity I was looking for.

I swung my butt away from him, then smacked back into him with it. His coffee went straight up in the air before mostly settling back in the cup. In all the days I had been around Rance, I'd never seen him as befuddled or confused as he was at that moment. I had done something completely unexpected and out of character. I'd gone out on a ledge and threatened to jump. Now, it was up to him.

"I think ... maybe ... we should get goin'," he said nervously. "We've got a fair distance to travel today. I don't want to tire you out too much."

"What ... are you going to make we walk?" I kidded.

He was beginning to recover his wits. "Well, I hadn't thought of that, but if you'd like ...." I could see the grin spread across his face.

"Horses or trucks?" I asked, cutting off the kidding.

"Lady's choice," he came back quickly.

"Horses first ... then the truck if you get too tired," I challenged.

He looked at me with disdain. I got a 'harrumph' kind of sound from him as he grabbed my hand and led me out of the house. As I left, I got a glimpse of Marion with a big smile on her face and a thumbs-up vote of approval.

As he pulled me to the barn, I realized we had broken another barrier. He was touching me. Sure, it wasn't anything sexy or warm, but at least I had knocked him off his perch and he was responding. I wondered if it was the butt check I put on him, or something else.

"How long since you've been on a horse?" he asked me as we walked into the barn.

"About five years. My uncle has a farm up near Hollister and he has a couple of horses. I used to ride quite a bit before college and work interfered."

"Okay ... I've got a nice bay mare that should be fine for you. You know how to saddle her?"

"I don't think I've forgotten anything. It wouldn't hurt if you checked it before we left, though."

I think that bit of conciliatory effort was just the thing. The aggressive Rance was suddenly gone. He was back to the solicitous Rance. That's where I wanted him.

"How many acres do you have," I asked as we rode out of the barn.

"A little over five thousand ... eight sections. We lease some land too if feed is scarce."

"My God! That's the size of a small country. How many cattle do you have?"

"We've cut back quite a bit in the last few years. There's only a little over twelve hundred head right now. It'll depend on how things go in the next couple of years just what we'll do in the future."

"The dude ranch?"

He nodded. It didn't look like this was his favorite solution.

"Those trailers I saw away from the barn. Were they for the men?"

"Yep. Got six full time hands including the foreman. We look to get a few more when there's a drive on."

"If you've got a foreman, why do you have to be here?"

"Charlie's gettin' on. He's got all the experience in the world, but he's not the leader. Doesn't want the hassle. Everythin' else, he's the top kick, but somebody has to decide what to do and when to do it. That ain't Charlie. Dad's housebound, so he can't see what's goin' on. That leaves me ... so here I am."

That explained it. I had wondered how the ranch could survive without Rance for five years, not counting when he was in the service. His father was the decision maker until he was injured. Now his son was in charge.

We rode for a couple of hours before stopping at a small creek to let the horses drink. Rance reminded me not to let them drink too much, and when they were done, we walked them away from the stream and loose-tied them to a nearby bush. They could still graze on the grass without any problem.

"Rance ... if money were no object, what would you want to do with the ranch?"

"Well, first I'd start to change the breed. We could do better with fewer cattle of a higher quality. I always though Charolais would be a good choice. It would take a while, but once the breedin' stock was established, we could gradually cull out the Herefords and convert the herd. Probably take about six or eight years."

"Wow. That long?"

"Yep. Couldn't do it just like that," he said, snapping his fingers.

"This is where you'd rather be ... isn't it?" I said in a moment of boldness.

He turned and looked at me, an unsmiling but calm face. "Yeah, I suppose it is."

"So what's keeping you in Spokane?"

He looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here right at that moment.

"Circumstances," was all he would say.

We walked for a few minutes, moving to a small rise in the meadow. The vista was magnificent. We were surrounded by hills, in a narrow valley that widened as we moved further northeast. This was the eastern foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the beginnings of the Great Plains. It was a beautiful setting and I could see why anyone would fall in love with this land.

We stopped at the top of the little hill and I moved to Rance's side, wrapping my arm through his as we stood looking over the valley before us. It was a simple thing, but I felt Rance stiffen at first before relaxing. He was still very nervous and uncertain in my company. I would have to keep trying to make him more comfortable with my presence and my touch.

"This is a very beautiful place," I said, breaking the silence.

"About as pretty a place as there ever could be," he agreed quietly.

"You're staying here, aren't you," I said in a moment of recklessness.

He turned and looked at me. "What makes you think that?"

"Just how you are ... how comfortable you are here. This is where you want to be. You have plans. You've thought about the future ... what this ranch could be. You don't want this to be a dude ranch any more than your father or mother do. You want things just he way they are. I can't say I blame you."

He looked surprised, but not unhappy. "You sound pretty sure of yourself, young lady."

"It isn't hard to see how you feel. You wear your heart on your sleeve when it comes to this ranch."

"For a city girl, you seem to like this part of the world too."

"I'm no city girl. Salinas is a farming town. I understand that kind of thinking all right."

"It gets a whole bunch colder up here in the winter than the coast of California," he said with a wry smile.

"I know. But ... there's a lot less people, a lot less pollution, and a lot less hassle. It's a different kind of life."

"It is that, all right," he admitted, still not looking at me.

We rode slowly back to the ranch house in time for lunch. I was a bit sore from not having been on a horse in some years, but I really didn't care. We hadn't made any great breakthrough in my attempt to get close to Rance, but I was learning to live with little steps and forcing myself to be patient.

That afternoon, he took me into Trinidad to see what the town was all about. I had only been on the outskirts when I first came to the ranch, so I wasn't prepared for the old west style that was evident in so many of the buildings. I learned that the population was about ten thousand, it was six thousand feet high, and the valley that the 3C Ranch was located in was ominously named the Purgatoire River Valley.

I had seen something similar in the old towns around Reno and Carson City, but nothing quite like this. Trinidad was on the old Sante Fe Trail, running from Independence, Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Many a Conestoga and cattle drive had come through this way. This town was a big piece of the old west's history.

When I looked around, I didn't feel at all out of place. Rance told me half the population was Hispanic. Once upon a time there were coal mines south of town, but they were all gone now. Rance said Dexter Prentice was dumping a whole lot of money into gas exploration in the old coal fields. He'd made a fortune on developing the historic properties, but now he was looking to make more in natural resources. I got the feeling Rance would be happy if Dexter went broke.

We got back to the ranch before five o'clock and I went to my room to change after having a shower. I'd felt good about the day we spent together and I was hoping it was another step along the way to breaking down that wall that Rance had so carefully constructed. It would have been easy to get frustrated and give up on the man, but I didn't drive thirteen hundred miles to give up.

That evening, Marion told me she would be taking Angus into town to visit the doctor the next morning. They wanted to x-ray his leg and make sure the fractures were knitting properly. They would be gone most of the day. That would leave Rance and me alone, a situation I thought at first was ideal. He quickly changed my opinion.

"I've got to drive up to the summer pasture and check on the herd. You're welcome to join me, otherwise you can stay here, or go into town. Whatever you like," he said in a matter-of-fact tone. Any idea that he was about to reveal a change in our relationship was quickly shot down.

"I'll think about it and let you know at breakfast," I said. I wasn't about to show my disappointment, but I was disappointed. Maybe I wasn't as good at being patient as I thought.

I think Marion recognized how I was feeling. She looked at Rance like she wanted to say something, but didn't. I was sure she was on my side, so if I was going to get any help at all with the big lug, it would come from her.

I was up at my usual time on Wednesday morning. I knew Marion and Angus would be leaving soon for town and their eight o'clock appointment at the hospital's x-ray department. Soon enough, Rance helped her get his father loaded in rear of the crew cab, sitting crosswise, his leg supported by the bench seat.

"As long as you don't hit any potholes too hard, Dad should be all right, Mom," Rance kidded.

She gave him a dirty look and then a smile. "We'll be back sometime mid-afternoon, Rance. You look after Julie, now," she warned.

He nodded but said nothing, then turned and led me back into the house.

"You decided what you want to do today?" he asked.

"I thought I'd hang out with you, if I'm not in the way."

"Nope. Won't be a problem other than you'll likely get bored." He wasn't trying very hard to entice me.

We were about to finish the dishes and get ready to leave when I heard a truck pull up in front. Rance went to see who it was while I finished in the kitchen. When he hadn't come back after about five minutes, I walked over to the big window in the living room and looked out.

Standing beside another pickup truck was a woman. A blonde, fair-skinned woman. Definitely not an outdoor person was my first thought. She was young, maybe my age, good looking, and well dressed. The jeans were designer, the blouse was tailored and shaped to show off a pair of sizable breasts, and the boots looked fancy.

I wasn't sure who she might be, but she looked suspicious. Rance was leaning against the truck with his arms folded across his chest. From this distance I couldn't tell what his expression was, and I couldn't hear what they were saying. The conversation continued for sometime until the woman moved to Rance, put her arms around his neck, and kissed him ... hard, then hugged him closely. I saw his hands go to her hips, then they broke apart. The woman climbed into her truck and drove off with a small wave to him.

I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. Who was this woman and what was she doing poaching in my territory. She acted very familiar with him, and I didn't see any resistance on Rance's part when she made her move. And then it hit me. It was Lisa. Lisa Prentice, the woman who had spurned him and nearly destroyed him. And now she was back? A change of heart? How could he even consider taking up with her again? I would have it out with Rance when he came back to the house.

I was about to turn away and wait for Rance when I saw him stride quickly to his truck, get in, slam the door, and spin the wheels, throwing gravel as he sped out to the road and turned toward town. He was going after her. I couldn't believe it. He was going after her. After everything she did to him, he was going after her.

I sank into the big chair near the fireplace, my insides turning over furiously. I was absolutely destroyed. All the time and effort I had spent to get close to my dream man had been torn away by one visit from that blonde bitch. All my careful plans not to upset him or push him too fast were wasted. One kiss from her and he was lost. And ... so was I.

I walked slowly to the bedroom and began packing my things. There was no point in staying now. My whole reason for being here in the first place was now gone. I had lost to his first love, and there wasn't a thing I could do about it. What made me think he'd be interested in a brown-skinned woman, anyway? Get real, Julie. It was never going to happen, no matter how hard you wished it would. It was time to go.

I sat down at the kitchen table and composed a note to the Camerons, thanking them for their hospitality and explaining an unexpected development called me away. It wasn't much, considering how well I had been treated, but it was all I could think of at the time.

I sat in my car for a few moments, deciding which way to head. Back to Spokane? I still had a week-and-a-half of vacation left and I felt I was going to need that to make up my mind about my future. Stay with Kleinhauser? What if Rance came back? I wouldn't be able to work with him. Not now. Look for something else? Probably. Where to?

I hadn't been home in almost a year and a half, and that made the decision easier. I punched in my old home address on the GPS and looked at the map. South to Albuquerque, west on I-40 to Barstow, then west and north to Salinas. If I pushed it, I could be there tomorrow night. When I got a chance, I'd call my parents and let them know I was on my way. In the meantime, I turned off my cell phone, expecting a call from Rance at some point.

Chapter 5 Running for Cover

Flagstaff was a little less than half way, but I was getting a late start this morning. It would be my destination for the first day. Two gas stops later, I pulled into decent looking motel on the outskirts of the Arizona city. It was almost seven in the evening, and I was bone weary and stiff. I had set the cruise on something a little less than eighty, hoping that would keep me clear of the highway patrol. Either I was lucky or I had guessed right.

I had a shower to wash off the stink of being in the car all day, then a quick meal at the diner attached to the motel. I was tired, and after trying to watch a repeat of Criminal Minds, shut the TV and the bedside light off, and fell almost immediately to sleep.

I was surprised at how well I slept. I thought with all the turmoil surrounding my leaving the ranch, I would be too upset to get any rest, but along the way I had rationalized what had happened and accepted it. I was just a foolish little girl with dreams of her handsome cowboy that would never come to pass. I should have known better.

Trying to get home from Flagstaff in one day was just too ambitious. I gave up at Lost Hills, where Highway 46 crossed I-5. From there it would be an easy drive to Salinas. Both my parents and siblings would be working, so no one would be home before five that evening. Come to think of it, it would be Friday night, so I wasn't sure if anyone would be home.

I pulled out my cell phone and dialed the old familiar number.

"Hey Mom, it's Julie. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Julie. Nice to hear from you. How are things in Spokane?"

"Actually, Mom, I'm in California, on my way home. I should be there early tomorrow afternoon."

"Wonderful. I only work half-days on Fridays, so I'll be here waiting for you. It will be good to see you. Is there anything wrong?" she asked as an afterthought.

"No ... nothing too much, Mom. I'll tell you all about what's been going on when I get there."

"Drive carefully, Julie. We'll be waiting for you."

I hung up feeling one hundred percent better.

I slept in Friday morning. I needed it. I'd had a restless night, dreaming about my lost love ... or at least my lost wanna-be love. He had filled my dreams, unlike the night before. I put it down to a delayed reaction. After a light breakfast in the café across the road, I checked out and was on my way again.

I pulled into our driveway just after one o'clock. Mom's car was parked in the carport, but Dad's was gone; obviously at work. Mom must have heard the car, because she was out of the door and moving quickly to the car as I got out. I got a big bear-hug from her and a cooing sound of pleasure as we embraced.

I didn't bother with my luggage at that point, but followed Mom into the familiar surroundings of our family home. It was a bungalow, single level, four bedroom, pseudo-Spanish style. Since my brothers were still living at home, the house was still well occupied. We'd lived in this quiet neighborhood as long as I could remember.

coaster2
coaster2
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