Welcome Wagon (River's End Ranch Book 13) Read online

  “I feel the same way,” she all but whispered.

  He reached out and scooted Gwen’s box a little closer to her, and she opened it up. The delicious smell of barbecue sauce met her nose, and her stomach growled. Okay, she could probably eat now. She didn’t like what was going on—not even the tiniest little bit—but she’d never been able to turn down one of Bob’s Western Wonder burgers. It just wasn’t possible.

  The phone rang, and Gwen listened to Kaitlyn’s side of the conversation. The girl handled everything perfectly, so Gwen turned her attention back to her burger. Whoever Bob married would eat well for the rest of her life. Well, if she could tolerate his big head. That might take some doing, but true love made all things possible, right?

  Would it make a two-thousand-mile distance possible?

  And was this true love?

  They finished eating, and Gabe gathered up the trash. Then they sat looking at each other for a very long minute.

  “It’s Thursday,” Gabe said at last. “I leave tomorrow.”

  “Do you have to leave tomorrow?”

  “I need to be home Monday morning, but I could stay until Sunday.”

  Gwen stuck her head out of the breakroom. “Kaitlyn, is Mr. Grant’s room free through Sunday, or have we reserved it for someone else?”

  Kaitlyn turned to the computer. “It’s free. Should I extend his stay?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Gwen watched as Kaitlyn clicked the right buttons, then turned back to Gabe. “You’re all set.”

  “And I’ll change my ticket and let the rental car agency know.” Gabe leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “We’re just prolonging the inevitable, but I do want to spend every last minute I can with you. I have a feeling that you have quite a lot more DVDs that I’ve never seen.”

  “I have a feeling that you’re right.”

  Just then, a guest came to the desk and asked to speak with the manager, so Gwen went to take care of it. It turned out to be a simple mistake in how many beds they needed and she was able to fix it by moving them to the next room down the hall, but she saw Gabe wave at her from the door and then step outside. She wanted to call out to him, but of course, she didn’t. No amount of fussing and rehashing was going to make this problem go away.

  Chapter Eleven

  The general store was just as cool as Gabe thought it would be. The front was decorated like an old-fashioned mercantile, but they carried a broad selection of everything a traveler might need plus what they might want. He picked up an Idaho T-shirt for his mother, who collected them, and bought a few postcards. Then he paused when he reached the jewelry counter.

  “Can I show you something?” The young woman who ran the store pulled a key from the apron of her Western dress. It was fun how she was dressed historically to match her surroundings.

  “I’d like to see that tray of necklaces, please,” Gabe said. He wanted to give Gwen something nice, but a ring just wouldn’t be right. Rings implied too much, promised too much, and he was in no position to give her a promise, even though he wished with all his heart he had that choice.

  The girl pulled out the tray. “Our jewelry is all created by local artisans,” she explained. “These are one-of-a-kind pieces, so no matter what you purchase, you’ll never see another one.”

  “Wow. That’s great,” Gabe replied. “Let me ask you a question . . . what was your name?”

  “I’m Heidi,” she said.

  “I’m Gabe Grant. Nice to meet you.”

  “You too. What can I help you with?”

  He glanced around just in case. “Has Gwen showed interest in any of these pieces?”

  A smile crossed her face. “I might have seen her looking at this one.” She motioned to a beautiful delicate fairy pendant suspended on a silver chain. “This is white gold and amethyst. It caught her eye when it first arrived. I have to warn you, though—it’s not an inexpensive item.”

  Gabe nodded. “Sometimes price isn’t very important.”

  Heidi looked at him contemplatively. “I might have heard a rumor that you two dated in college.”

  “I would have married her in college if I wasn’t an idiot.” And he was probably an idiot for not marrying her now. “I’ll take the necklace. Do you gift wrap?”

  “I happen to be an excellent gift wrapper.” Heidi winked. “And if you like, I can have all your purchases sent over to your room so you don’t have to carry them around with you. Did you have more exploring to do?”

  “I planned to.”

  “I’ll package these up for you so no one at the bunkhouse will see what you bought, and we have a runner who will take them over there for you.”

  “That would be much appreciated.” He pulled out his credit card, didn’t even flinch at the price of the necklace, and thanked Heidi for all her help. Then he continued his walk around the ranch.

  He reached the end of the street that made up the Old West town and decided to walk toward the river. On the way, he saw an RV park off to the side, and an unusual little yard marked with cement gnomes. And was that a rabbit hopping around? Or . . . two rabbits?

  Curious, he wandered over that direction and paused to look at one of the gnomes.

  “That’s Gorgeous George,” a woman’s voice said. “He’s new here—he’s replacing the original George, who met an untimely death. But we don’t talk about that much.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Gabe replied as he turned to look at the tiny little woman walking toward him. “It’s always hard when you lose someone you care about.”

  He expected her to laugh off the seriousness of his comment, but she surprised him by nodding, her face solemn. “I knew you’d understand. The fairies told me you’re remarkably empathetic.”

  “They did? How . . . how do they know me?”

  “They know more than anyone gives them credit for, and I have to tell you, that’s a source of great frustration to them. Can you imagine if you had all that power and no one recognized it? Why, we’re lucky they don’t zap off our noses or something. We’d deserve it.”

  “I have to confess, I haven’t paid them much attention,” Gabe replied. Was this woman an employee here? Did she live alone? He’d handled enough proceedings involving the elderly and their deteriorating mental health that his radar was going off. “I’m probably more deserving of a nose-zapping than anyone.”

  “Oh, no. Not at all,” she replied. “They’re quite fond of you. I’m not sure you realize . . .” Her voice trailed off. “Would you like some hot chocolate? I’ve just made up a batch.”

  “Sure.” Gabe wasn’t really in the mood for hot chocolate, but he felt a strong need to make sure this woman was all right and getting the care she needed.

  She led the way into her house, where a teapot of hot chocolate rested next to two mugs on a small table. A rabbit dashed across the living room, making Gabe blink. “I’m glad you came by when you did,” the woman said. “You were nearly late.”

  “I’m sorry. I like to be punctual.” He took the mug she offered and sat on one of the chairs. “So, tell me what you mean by the fairies being fond of me.”

  She poured her own mug and took the other chair. “Has anyone told you that you seem to be extra perceptive or unusually compassionate? Do you ever have a sense about things?”

  “I suppose so,” Gabe answered. “I haven’t really thought much about it—it’s just how I’ve always been.”

  She nodded. “What you don’t realize is that it’s in your blood. What’s your name, young man?”

  “I’m Gabe Grant. I’m sorry—I should have introduced myself before.”

  “I’m Jaclyn Hardy. And now that we’ve taken care of that silly ritual, where are your people from? Your ancestors?”

  “My father’s line came from Scotland—we’re Scottish Grants.”

  Jaclyn sat back and beamed at him as though he’d just said something amazing. “And you don’t see it?”

  “I’m sorr
y. What don’t I see?”

  She shook her head. “My dear boy, fairies. Scotland. And the Scottish intermarried with the Irish—more fairies. Do I have to spell this out?”

  Gabe was trying to follow her—he really was—but she’d lost him. “I’m afraid you do.”

  She let out a puff of exasperation. “You come from the land of the fairies. You carry a portion of their gifts.”

  “Are . . . are you saying I’m descended from fairies?”

  “Of course not! That would be . . . well, in most cases, impossible. Have you seen how tiny a fairy is? And how big a baby is?”

  “I thought I’d read stories of fairies and humans falling in love . . .”

  “Those are the fairies who choose to take on human sizes. Most fairies don’t.” She set down her mug and settled into her chair. “All right. I’ll explain. Listen carefully. The fairies have the power to bestow their gifts on those they feel are worthy of receiving them. They do this at the baby’s birth. You, coming from their home region, would be of particular interest to them. You might even say that you are now one of them. And that’s not a surprise at all.”

  “Why . . . isn’t it a surprise?”

  “Because the fairies claim Gwen too!” She smiled triumphantly.

  Gabe took a deep breath. His brain was spinning. He had legal training, not psychiatric training. He had no idea what to think of any of this.

  “And I’m not crazy, you know,” Jaclyn continued. “I just happen to have certain gifts of communication with the fairy world.” She leaned forward. “There is a problem, though,” she whispered.

  Gabe leaned forward and matched her soft tone. “What’s that?”

  “The gnomes have started talking now, and they won’t shut up.”

  “Oh. That would be a problem.”

  “You really can’t imagine. They’re so loud, they’re drowning out the fairies. I had to put my fingers in my ears and sing really loudly just to get two seconds of peace. I discovered something, though, and you might want to remember this for future reference.”

  “What’s that?”

  She glanced around and lowered her voice again. “The gnomes don’t like Barry Manilow, and they really don’t like Copacabana.”

  Gabe swallowed. “How did you discover that?”

  “Well, it was the first song that came to mind when I was singing. They shut right up. They actually enjoy show tunes, though.”

  “I’ll do my best to remember that.”

  Jaclyn suddenly sat upright and focused on him. “All right, we’ve talked about me long enough. Now let’s get to why you’re here.”

  There was more? Gabe wasn’t sure he could process it. “Why am I here? I’m not quite sure.”

  “You’re here to make right what once went wrong. My, that sounded all sort of mystical, didn’t it? But it’s really not that hard. You regret something from your past, and your greatest desire is to correct it. But the impediment you’re facing is pretty significant, and you aren’t sure what to do.”

  Gabe quirked an eyebrow. “Are you psychic, Jaclyn?”

  She chortled. “Oh, gracious no. I’m just telling you what the fairies said. I’ve never been particularly gifted myself except for that.”

  “Well, you seem pretty gifted to me.”

  She flashed him a grin. “Aren’t you the sweetest? But you aren’t here to talk to me.” She paused. “Oh, good grief. Please hold on a moment. I can’t hear a thing.”

  Gabe wondered what he was waiting for, but then it became clear as Jaclyn began to sing. About a showgirl. Named Lola.

  He watched in bemused silence until she’d finished one verse and one chorus. “There. That should teach them,” she said when she finished.

  “Why do you suppose they keep drowning out the fairies?” he asked.

  “Probably because they’re jealous. You know how gnomes are. Anyway, back to the important things. The fairies say that if you take a step back, you’ll realize that this isn’t as hard as you think it is. You’re thinking too rigidly. And now they’re saying that you can figure the rest out from here, and that they believe in you.”

  “Thank you. That’s very kind of them,” Gabe replied. He was still totally at a loss, but in a strange way, it felt good to know that the fairies had put their faith in him.

  “And now you’ve got a young lady waiting for you, so I suggest that you scoot,” Jaclyn said, waving him off. “Go on now.”

  “Thank you for the hot chocolate,” he said as he stood up.

  “You’re welcome. And watch out for that rabbit.”

  He looked down just in time to avoid stepping on a little caramel-colored fellow. That was a close call he’d never had before.

  Chapter Twelve

  Gabe read in his room until Gwen’s shift was over, then he met her in the lobby. “You made dinner for me last night, so can I return the favor? I’ll have to borrow your kitchen because I left mine home, but it seems like the least I can do.”

  She looked up from rearranging the local newspapers in the holders in the corner. “Um, except that you don’t cook.”

  He feigned innocence. “What do you mean, I don’t cook?”

  “I mean that you and cooking are sworn enemies and have been since the beginning.”

  He held up his hands. “Okay, okay, I admit it. I’m a terrible cook. But I’m very good at chopping lettuce, and after eating out so much lately, I was thinking that a big salad for dinner would be nice.”

  “Now that I can believe, and yes, I’d love a big salad. We can hit the grocery store on the way back to my house.”

  He followed her, as usual, and she led him to a small, yet well stocked market not far from the turn-off to her street. They picked up the standard salad makings, then also grabbed a jar of marinated artichoke hearts and a can of olives. “Just to be a little different,” he explained.

  Back at Gwen’s house, it only took a few minutes to chop everything up. Gwen had a leftover chicken breast in the fridge, so she diced that as well and threw it in the bowl.

  Then they settled in on the couch.

  “Before you push play, I need to know something,” Gabe said. He’d wanted to ask her earlier, but figured waiting until they were alone was best. “I met Jaclyn today.”

  Gwen started to laugh. “Oh? How is she doing today? And how are the fairies?”

  “They’re all right, but the gnomes have started talking, and won’t shut up. She can only quiet them for a few minutes at a time if she sings them Barry Manilow songs.”

  Gwen was still laughing. “I can see how frustrating that would be for her. What was your question?”

  “What was my question? I thought that would be pretty obvious.” He nudged her with his shoulder. “Is she competent to be living alone like she does?”

  “I have to say in all honesty that she’s one of the most competent people I know. I trust her advice over just about anyone else’s.”

  “But . . . she talks to fairies.”

  “Yes, she does, but that doesn’t make her incompetent. That makes her unique, special. Not everyone has that gift, you know.”

  Gabe looked at Gwen with more than a little bit of amazement. “Do you believe everything she’s saying?” He’d thought she was a little more levelheaded than that.

  “Let me put it to you this way,” Gwen said. “Every time I’ve gone to visit her, she’s known in advance that I was coming, and she knows why. She gives me great advice, and if I don’t take it, I always find myself thinking, ‘I should have listened to Jaclyn.’ Her entire aim in life is to help other people. If that comes by way of talking to fairies, I’m all for it.”

  “So you don’t believe she’s a danger to herself or to others?”

  “Not in the slightest bit.”

  “All right, I’ll try not to worry then. It’s just been my experience that when individuals of a certain age start hearing voices, it’s something to be concerned about.”

  “Which is your pol
ite way of saying you think she’s cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. But she’s not. Trust me.”

  “Okay, I will.” He paused. “‘Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs’?”

  “I thought ‘nuttier than a fruitcake’ was a little overused.”

  “True that.” He wasn’t entirely settled about the Jaclyn question, but he did trust Gwen’s judgment, and he figured the Westons wouldn’t want to be held liable for anything, so they wouldn’t allow someone with mental difficulties to live on the ranch without proper medical care.

  The movie they chose for that night was The Quiet Man, a John Wayne that Gabe actually hadn’t seen. That was a rather shameful admission for him to make, being a John Wayne fan like he was, but he’d missed that one somehow.

  “John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara made five movies together,” Gwen said as they watched the opening credits. “My favorite of theirs is McClintock. They’re a little bit older in that one, but it’s still just as romantic.”

  “That one’s my favorite too,” Gabe replied.

  Eating side-by-side and watching a movie just like they had so many times before, both this week and in college, should have felt familiar, but tonight, it felt strange. He knew he’d messed things up by pointing out the difficulties in their relationship, but what else could he have done? Strung her along until it was time for him to leave? Only real cads did something like that. It was best that she know the truth and the impossibility of the situation.

  “Oh, and I’ve been blessed by the fairies since birth,” Gabe said.

  “That’s quite the compliment. I hope you took it as such,” Gwen replied.

  “To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to think, but I didn’t scream and run away or anything.”

  “If you ever do scream and run away, I want it on video.” Gwen gave him a cheesy grin.

  In the end, the Duke got his girl, as was completely expected, and the two of them cleared the trash away and washed the dishes.

  Gabe had been feeling uncomfortable all night, and now he really didn’t know what to do. The necklace was in his pocket. He’d planned to give it to her as a going-away present, but for some reason, when he was leaving his room to go meet Gwen, he picked it up and brought it with him, and now it was almost all he could think about.