Defensive Instructor - Debra Parmley Read online

  “It’s nice to meet you too,” Chyna said.

  Emma moved to the island work center and poured two glasses of lemonade, then set them on the bar. “There you are,” she said. “Now. When was your last meal?”

  Chyna thought back. “Before I got to the bus station. But I had cheese and crackers in the limo.”

  “That was a long time ago. Since you ate a real meal.” Emma moved to the fridge and pulled out a plate of sliced cheese and sliced summer sausage. “It’s not dinner, and you may not want more cheese, but this'll fill you up until we have our evening snack.” She placed it on the bar in-between Leah and Chyna. “Dig in.”

  “What is our snack tonight?” Leah asked.

  “I’m baking cookies,” Emma said. “Almost done with the batter. Let me just turn that oven on.” She moved to the stove. “I meant to do it before but got called to the phone. Groceries will be delivered late this week.”

  “Wait till Buck hears you’re baking cookies,” Leah said.

  “You can be the one to tell him,” Emma said as she turned on the oven.

  “Buck has a weakness for cookies,” Leah said. “It’s a good thing he’s as active as he is, or he’d be much heavier. Everything Emma makes is good. But her pies…”

  “Oh hush, now.” Emma waved a hand at Leah as if to brush what was coming away.

  “Emma makes the best pies around. And she’s got blue ribbons from the state fair to prove it.”

  “Do you have any food allergies I need to be aware of?”

  “No. I’m lucky. I can eat anything I want.”

  “You are lucky.” Emma nodded. “Now tell me your favorite pie. I always like to know what my guests' favorite pie is.”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” Chyna wrinkled her forehead. “Apple, I guess.”

  “Thank you, Chyna,” Emma said. “We’ll be having apple pies one night while you’re here.”

  Chyna smiled. “Oh, thank you. I’ll look forward to that.”

  “Now, you two go on,” Emma said. “I have cookies to take out of the oven. By the time you’re back from your tour, I’ll have them all done and it'll be time for evening snack.”

  “We’ll see you later,” Leah said. She gestured to Chyna to follow her. “The pool is on the way,” she said.

  They went to the doors that led out to the pool and then stepped outside, where the pool beckoned, blue in the late day sun, which would soon be down. A tall, outdoor, free standing fireplace wall made of oval gray stones stood on one side, and the other sides were bordered by tall stone planters with leafy green plants. It was the most unusual pool setting Chyna had ever seen.

  “That’s very pretty,” she said.

  “The man who built the fireplaces in the house designed these. It’s a heated pool, and we can even swim in cooler temperature and then warm up by the fireplace when we get out. It’s very nice,” Leah said.

  “Just looking at a fireplace with burning logs is restful,” Chyna said. “And the round gray stones are perfect there.”

  “You can swim during any free time during the day or in the evening. The pool is always open. From here we’re headed to the stables, before it gets late. Horses will all be in for the night by now.”

  They walked past the pool and headed for the stables, a bit of a walk from the main house.

  “You’ll get plenty of exercise here,” Leah said. “Moving every day is good for the body. And in the evening, it's good to quiet the mind.”

  “I’ve had to sit for so long on that bus, it feels good to move around again,” Chyna said.

  “Here we are, and it looks like he’s bringing in the last horse,” Leah said. “Hello, Buck.”

  Buck sat atop a large horse, which suited him. A man that big needed a big horse. They walked over to the coral fence and waited for him to ride over.

  When he was in front of them, Leah said, ”You’ve already met our stable manager and horse wrangler, Buck Harris.”

  “Yes, I have.”

  “Good to see you again, Chyna,” Buck said. “Do you ride?”

  “Oh. No, I’ve never really been around horses.” She looked up at the tall man sitting atop the big red horse, feeling intimidated and small, thinking she wasn’t sure she wanted to learn how to ride.

  How could I control a big horse like that? Were they all that big?

  “City gal.” He nodded. “Well, that’s all right. I’ve had plenty of experience teaching city folk how to ride. Don’t you worry none.”

  “Thank you. I, I’ll think about it.”

  “We’ll see you later, Buck,” Leah said. “We’ve got one more stop over at the gun range, and then we’re headed back to the house for the evening snack Emma's baking.”

  “What’s she baking tonight?” Buck asked.

  “Cookies,” Leah said.

  “Never could pass up cookies,” he said. “Now don’t eat all them cookies before I get there.”

  “We won’t,” Chyna said, laughing. From the big bowl of cookie dough she’d just seen in the kitchen, they were in no danger of running out of cookies tonight.

  The women headed to the gun range next. The range was outdoors, well away from the pool and back gardens, and away from the stables. The open sided building looked like a long shaded picnic area, but the difference was, instead of picnic tables beneath, small tables to place a gun and ammo were lined up in a row, with targets placed a set distance away. To Chyna, it looked very intimidating.

  “The gun range is by appointment only, and only with a trained instructor accompanying you,” Leah said.

  “I don’t know anything about guns,” Chyna shook her head. “They make me nervous.”

  “We’ll get you over that. We’re all about tackling fears here so those fears don’t take hold of you. Every woman who leaves here will know how a gun works and how to operate one. Even if you never carry one yourself, if someone has a gun, it’s good to know how that gun works. For your own safety.”

  “Okay,” Chyna said. But the idea of guns on the property scared her, and she knew it showed on her face.

  Leah, noting her expression, said, “All guns on Three Cs Ranch are accounted for at all times. Your instructor will bring handguns and take them with him when he goes. Buck has rifles. He needs them to protect the livestock, but those guns remain with him. There are no guns in the main house. They’re all at Buck's place. When borrowing a gun from either of the men, they know the responsibility for that gun lies with them, even if it’s in your hands. They’re happy to teach, but they both keep an eye on those guns. Nothing crazy is going to happen here.”

  “Good.” Relief was in Chyna’s voice. Finn and his cousins had been reckless with guns, shooting when they’d been drinking. She stayed in the house when that happened, afraid to go outside anywhere near them. It was good to know nothing reckless would happen here with the guns.

  “Have you ever heard a gun go off?”

  “Yes. My ex and his cousins go hunting, and they’d have target practice. I’ve heard several guns go off. It was really loud. Frightening.”

  “They can be loud. Range times are scheduled and posted on the chalkboard by the door leading out to the pool. Everyone will know when those guns are going off, so there’s less chance of triggering anyone. When you know, you can plan, and it won’t take you off guard. If you’re easily triggered, you can use headphones to listen to music or a book on tape, in the library during the scheduled shooting times. If you hear a shot at night, that’s Buck with one of the long guns, likely shooting at a coyote. But he always makes sure no one's near when he shoots. You don’t have to worry. Buck was a sheriff’s deputy and is a Marine veteran. He’s a good instructor, but the horses take up most of his time. He might assist when our instructor has a range full of students. And if you have any questions about guns, he’ll be happy to answer them. Sound good?”

  “Yes. Thank you for explaining in depth. Most people wouldn’t do that.”

  “One of the ways to battle
fear is to gather information. The more informed you are, the less to fear. Many fears arise out of not having enough information.”

  “That makes a lot of sense,” Chyna said.

  “Let’s head back and see about those cookies,” Leah said.

  “Sounds good,” Chyna said.

  They turned to head back.

  On their way back to the house, Chyna said, “It feels like I’m the only guest here. Where are all the other women?”

  “You’re in the first group to come here,” Leah said. “A few of the women arrived two days ago. Red decided to ride one of the horses without speaking to anyone about it while Buck was out mending fences, and she got thrown.”

  “Thrown?” Chyna’s eyes widened. That sounded terrible. She hoped the woman wasn’t hurt. “Is she okay?”

  “Well, it knocked her out, and no one knows for how long, so she’s in town at the hospital right now being checked over to make sure it’s not a serious concussion.”

  “Goodness,” Chyna said. “Did she know how to ride?”

  “No. She’d never been on a horse.”

  “I can’t even imagine doing that.”

  “Red is a bit… feisty. There will be eight of you. Red, Karla, Tamara, Jo-Ann, Neecy, Janelle and Ellen. One more day, and we should have a full house.”

  “Oh, wow. Eight of us.”

  “Yes, eight. Half should be at breakfast tomorrow, so you can start meeting them. Our meals are served family style and are informal.” Leah glanced at her cell phone and an incoming text. “Looks like they’ll be back late.”

  “Red?”

  “Yes. Red, Karla and Neecy are at the hospital. Janelle went to her room to rest and try to get rid of her migraine.”

  “I see.”

  “So enjoy being the one and only tonight, because it won’t last for long.”

  “I will.”

  “The library is available all hours if you want something to read tonight.”

  “There’s a library?” Chyna’s eyes lit up. She loved to read, though since meeting Phineas, she’d done less of it. That crazy man had wanted her attention all the time, and he didn’t read fiction, so he didn’t understand why she’d waste her time on it or anything that wasn’t a cookbook or a how to manual.

  “Yes.” Leah smiled at her. “Some of the books are books I’ll suggest for you to read, and some are fiction.”

  “I love reading fiction,” Chyna said. “I used to read a book a week.”

  “What happened?” Leah asked.

  “Phineas happened.”

  Leah nodded as if she understood, and her expression said she understood completely.

  Chyna had clammed up and gone into her thoughts.

  Of course she understood. She’s a therapist, and that’s one of those things therapists do. But I don’t want to talk about him tonight. I don’t want my first night here and whole time I’m here to be about him.

  “I’d rather not talk about him tonight,” she said.

  “Of course,” Leah said. “Let’s go see about those cookies.”

  Chapter 4

  In the dining room, they stood waiting on the cookies to be served. Emma had shoed them here, out of her kitchen.

  “Our table was donated by a custom furniture maker and cabinet designer,” Leah said.

  Chyna stood with Leah, looking everything over. The dining area was situated on the left side of the large great room toward the back, with log walls and heavy wooden beams from which hung antler candelabras. The long rectangular dining room table with many tall chairs seated fourteen, and each chair had the Three Cs brand on the back.

  “I didn’t know they could make a table so big,” Chyna said.

  “Oh, yes,” Leah said. “Some of the tables in castles in Europe are even longer.”

  “Well, this is amazing and so very cool to have your brand on the chairs.”

  “If you were to turn the chairs over, you’d see the furniture makers mark as well. He said he’d never make another set exactly like this one. So it’s unique in the world. He asked us to remind every woman who comes here that they too are unique in the world.”

  “Wow. He sounds like a wonderful guy.”

  “He is. Just got married about a month ago, and he’s off on their honeymoon, so his display shop is closed, but when it’s not, if you go to Bozeman, you can look through it. He has his work displayed, and there are pictures of all the work he’s done as well.”

  “I thought no pictures could be taken here.”

  “He took them before he delivered the furniture. The caption in the photo book simply says 'private client'.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  Emma carried a tray of cookies in and set it on the table, where several glasses were already set. Then she went back into the kitchen and in a minute returned with a pitcher of milk.

  “Do you reckon the others will be here before long?” she asked.

  “I got a text from them, and it sounds like they’ll be a while. No need for you to wait up,” Leah said.

  “All right. I’m going to head over to home and check on George, then.”

  “What’s wrong with George?”

  “Nothing but old age,” Emma said. “He overdid it today, and his back was bothering him; that’s why I had to take a call. He’d called to tell me he was hurting. I sent him home to take an Epsom salts bath. He might even be asleep, but I’ll take him some cookies in case he isn’t. Now, you two go on and help yourselves, and I’ll see you for breakfast in the morning.”

  “They look and smell delicious,” Chyna said, eyeing the warm chocolate chip cookies.

  “Well, don’t be shy.” Emma poured a glass of milk and set it in front of Chyna. “Go on and help yourself. Now, it’s family style here, so you can’t be shy about reaching for what you want. You can’t get what you want if you don’t reach for it.”

  “That is so right.” Chyna nodded as she reached for one of the cookies. “Thank you for the cookies.”

  “There’s a snack every evening, right here on this table, around this time, and everyone knows to just come and help themselves,” Emma said.

  “That’s why Buck was worried there’d be none left,” Leah said with a laugh. “He ought to know by now, you never run out of good food to feed us.”

  “Well, I’m used to bigger crowds than this. It’s easy to feed this little group. Just like feeding a good-sized family,” Emma said. “All right, I’d best be off. Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight Emma,” Leah said.

  “Goodnight,” Chyna added. She took a bite of her cookie and sat down at the table. She sat, eating and looking around at the great room, which she hadn’t spent much time in, as she’d moved through after she’d entered.

  On the left side of the large room, just across from the dining area, were a leather couch and two leather love seats. Everything in the oversized open room was a shade of brown or cream, and yet instead of looking overly masculine, it appeared soft, warm and inviting. A large stone fireplace, which reached all the way to the tall ceiling, was on one wall.

  “These stone fireplaces are amazing,” she said.

  “We’re fortunate several talented people worked together on the project to build this center. True artists.”

  “Are you from here?” Chyna asked.

  “From Montana, yes. But not right here. I’m from Northern Cheyenne country,” Leah answered.

  Chyna wanted to ask Leah if she’d grown up on a reservation, but she also was afraid of offending her. Chyna also didn’t want to make any assumptions about her.

  They both enjoyed a couple of cookies in silence, and then Leah said, “Would you like to see the library now?”

  “Oh, yes. You know, this evening would’ve been a dream of my childhood. Fresh, warm cookies and milk, followed by reading in bed. That would’ve been the perfect evening to me,” Chyna said.

  “I’m glad,” Leah said. “It’s getting late, but was there anything you wanted to talk about
before you head to bed?”

  “No. We were going to talk about the man in the bus terminal, but I don’t think he was really a problem. I just overreacted. There’s no need to talk about that.”

  “Then it can wait until tomorrow. I’ll have to do an intake interview tomorrow, for our records more than anything else. And in the event they replace me, so the next therapist can step right in without you having to go over everything again. We can talk about it tomorrow.”

  “That’s fine.” Chyna shrugged. “It’s really no big deal.” She changed the subject. “I brought a book but can’t get past chapter three. So, I need something else to read.”

  “You can add the book to the library selections, and then maybe it'll find a new home,” Leah said.

  “Yes, I’d love to do that.”

  Leah stood. “Come on, it’s not far.”

  The library and computer rooms were side by side, and they stopped into the library. “Feel free to enjoy the books,” Leah said. “You’ll pull the card out of the back of the book, sign your name to it and put it in this basket when you take a book out. Otherwise, if you read in here, you don’t have to.”

  “I could spend hours in here, browsing and reading,” Chyna said. “This is wonderful.”

  “Now, the computers are over here, right next door.” Leah backed out of the room and headed for the computer room. ”But we only have two. There’s a sign up sheet for computer time, and each person can have up to one hour a day.”

  “Oh, good,” Chyna said. “I was under the impression there’d be no computer access at all.”

  “There is, and there isn’t. I’m going to repeat what you’ve been told and read about our security system. Anything other than looking up topics online, you’ll need to run past Cecelia. You can send emails to manage anything you have to attend to, but get them approved first. We can’t have you traceable on the other end from any communications you send. So emails will go out over an encrypted system. Also, all social media sites are blocked. We have social times here each evening, and I encourage you to have real social time, face to face instead of social media time. It’s a good habit to get into before you leave. Now, these security rules are in place to protect you, not keep you locked away from the world, so if you have an itch to message someone online, come talk to me, and then we’ll figure it out.”