“Quiet, most of the time,” Brian responded. “We get the occasional drunk and disorderly, some petty theft. Mostly that sort of thing. We did have an attempted bank robbery last year.”
“Was it successful?” Cal asked as he spooned mashed potatoes onto his plate and Henry’s.
Brian laughed. “The getaway car broke down in the middle of Main Street, and the driver was too stunned to attempt to run on foot. Gotta admit, I was thankful for that. It was almost a hundred out and I wasn’t looking forward to chasing him down. Maybe if I had your skill with a lasso.”
Cal chuckled. “That sounds more like the Wild West than Colorado. I’d pay money to see that happen.”
“Tell Cal how often you’ve fired your gun in the line of duty,” Jake said with a sly grin.
“I’ve put down animals with rabies and scared off coyotes sometimes,” Brian said, not taking offense at his brother’s teasing. “Poplar Springs is mostly a peaceful place.”
“The rodeo will cause you some excitement with all the folks coming in from out of town,” Cal said.
“I expect it already has.” Brian’s response was clear. The fact that Poplar Springs was hosting the rodeo had changed our family in ways none of us expected. I looked at Brian, but I could see he meant no criticism.
“Definitely agree with you there. It hasn’t even happened yet, and I already know this will be an unforgettable rodeo,” Cal said.
I imagined the twins were discovering, just as I had, that it was tough to be standoffish with Cal when he approached you with such openness and courtesy. Cal was paying Brian and Jake respect, and I could see it was having an impact.
“And you run the ranch? Horse breeder, right?” Cal turned to Jake. “It looks to be a big operation. How many men do you have working for you?”
Jake talked about the acreage, number of horses and the addition of cattle, and the men he managed.
“So, you’re raising stock horses or warmbloods?”
“Stock horses, mostly. They’re better for ranch work. I’ve got some warmbloods too, but they’re not my focus. If you’re interested in any, the Caffertys out at Lost Valley Ranch can help you with that.”
“Warmbloods are a bit too lively for my needs. I much prefer a more even temper. Especially when I’m on a team,” Cal said.
Despite himself, Jake was drawn out by the questions and Cal’s understanding of what running the ranch entailed. Henry piped up periodically with information about the ranch and various animals, including his favorite rooster and which pig liked mud more than the other. Thanks to my son, the conversation was lively and stayed away from the most glaring topic.
I knew that avoidance wasn’t the best way to deal with the big reveal that there was another brother, but I also didn’t think that any of us were capable of talking about it. At least not until the shock wore off. Assuming it would. I gave myself an internal shake at the pessimism.
While Laura was passing around slices of pineapple upside down cake for dessert, I studied my mother-in-law. She’d said little during the meal, only adding a comment here and there, but she seemed pleased at what she was seeing. In time, I hoped that Laura would find it in her heart to talk to Cal about his adoption and maybe even who his real father was, but it was enough now that I had brought the family together. At least, I hoped it was enough.
“Can I take Cal to the barn and show him King, mom?” Henry asked when we’d finished the cake.
“If Cal doesn’t mind,” I replied.
Henry hopped up immediately and took off for the door. “Come on, Cal. You gotta see my horse.”
“If you’ll excuse us,” Cal said with a nod around the table before following after the boy.
No one spoke until we heard the back door slam seconds later.
“Amy, we should thank you for bringing him here,” Brian said into the silence. His tone was gruff, but that was Brian’s way. The thank-you told me that Cal had been accepted.
“Oh, yes,” Laura added. “I never thought to see him in person, let alone have him here in our home. I wasn’t sure I wanted to, but now that I have…thank you, Amy.”
“Seems like a decent man.” Jake gave his assessment, which was the most I expected to get out of him, but it was enough to know that I’d made the right call by inviting Cal to the ranch. I didn’t know what would happen next or if Cal had any plans to keep in touch after the rodeo. I hoped he might. Laura deserved to be in contact with her oldest. As for the twins, I knew they’d taken the loss of Luke and Marshall even harder than Laura had. Maybe getting to know Cal would help to mend all the broken hearts.
A quiet voice in my head pointed out that having Cal around might also help me, but I pushed it aside. This wasn’t about me. This was about my in-laws. Cal Pierce was their blood relative. I had nothing to offer him other than a guide and support through the rodeo. I might be attracted to him—which I grudgingly acknowledged—but it would be inappropriate to do anything about it.
EIGHT
CAL
Henry put his hand in mine as we headed for the largest of the barns on the ranch. It felt odd walking with a child like this, but I was glad to be out of the house. Meeting the family had been good in a way, but I hadn’t been able to decode the looks and subtext that seemed to fly around the table between my twin brothers and Amy.
