Lean, Mean and Lonesome

“Of course you can use one of the pickup trucks and there’s no reason why you can’t continue to stay here at the house. Dan isn’t going to mind your using his room and you know it.”

Rafe knew that he would get little rest staying in the same house with Mandy. He needed all the distance he could muster between them. However, his choices at the moment were limited. In his opinion, the ranch held the key to Dan’s disappearance. It made more sense for him to stay put.

“What about Parker?” he finally asked. “He’s not going to like us sleeping under the same roof.”

“And whose fault is that? You certainly didn’t put yourself out trying to get along with him.”

“Yeah, I’m funny that way. Somebody slugs me from behind with no warning, I become very judgmental about his character.”

“You know why he did that.”

“I know why you think he did it, but I’m not buying his explanation. He could see I was making no effort to hide for God’s sake. I was no threat to any one. It’s my guess he doesn’t want anyone hanging around you. He might have figured that taking me out would discourage me from lingering for more than a brief visit.”

“Will you please stop it! Tom isn’t interested in me...o in acquiring this ranch through me. Really, Rafe. I don’t remember you being so cynical.”

“Right. I always waited around for the Easter bunny every spring.” He walked out the door and let the screen slam behind him. He strode across the porch shaking his head at his juvenile behavior.

What did it matter to him what kind of relationship Mandy might have with the foreman of Dan’s ranch, anyway? Maybe he was still reeling from too many hours of travel. Mandy had nothing to do with the reason he was here. He needed to remember that.

“You looking for something?”

He stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around. Parker stood a few feet away, his hands on his hips. Damned if he didn’t look like a gunfighter waiting to draw on him.

“I left my bag out there,” he said, nodding toward the thick foliage across from the house. “Thought I’d go pick it up. You got a problem with that?”

Parker ignored his question and asked one of his own. “How long you intending to stay?”

Rafe turned back and continued to walk toward the brush, forcing Parker to follow him if he intended to continue the conversation. “Until Dan shows up. Why?”

“Then you think he’s still alive.”

Rafe stopped Why in hell was everyone so willing to think that Dan was dead. “Don’t you?” he asked pointedly.

Parker shifted his feet, removed his hat, smoothed his hair, replaced his hat, then looked toward the rolling hills that surrounded them. “I don’t know what to think,” he finally admitted. “He’s never just disappeared like this before. He’d know we’d be worried about him and would do everything in his power to let us know if he was all right. If he could. I think something’s happened to him. I’m just not sure what. It’s been too long now. Much too long.”

“Tell me about the airstrip.”

Parker looked at him, surprised by the shift in subject. “What about it?”

“Can you hear when a plane lands or takes off from the ranch buildings?”

“Sometimes. When the wind’s right.”

“Did you hear a plane the night Dan disappeared?”

“I don’t remember.”

“Mandy mentioned his Jeep being found down there. I figure that’s how he left the place. Which reminds me, I need to turn in my rental car. Is there someone who can follow me into Austin?”

Parker took his own sweet time about answering. “I can send Carlos,” he finally said.

Rafe nodded in acknowledgment of the foreman’s reluctance to accommodate him in any way. “Thanks,” he said wryly. Rafe pushed through the thick undergrowth and picked up his bag. When he came out, Parker was still standing there.

“You made my efforts at security look pretty bad, coming in like you did. How did you manage to do that?”

“I’m professionally trained to get in and out of places without anyone knowing about it, courtesy of the United States government. So don’t feel too bad, okay? Unless enemy infiltrators decide to take over the country by starting with this ranch, your security is just fine.”

He turned away and left Parker standing there, a frown seemingly etched permanently on the man’s face.

Rafe figured it probably wouldn’t hurt for him to brush up a little on his people skills now that he was back in the States. He could see that he certainly wasn’t winning many points around here. Then again, he had no plans to teach any Dale Carnegie courses as a second career, either.

His immediate plans were to find out what had happened to Dan.

Mandy watched Rafe slam out of the house. What was she going to do if she wasn’t able to better handle her reactions to him? It was obvious that he had no intention of leaving until the mystery of Dan’s disappearance was solved.

She should be feeling relief that she could turn the matter over to someone as capable as Rafe appeared to be. There was nothing to be gained by her continuing to stay on at the ranch. Her life was in Dallas, after all. She could go home, return to her job and wait there for developments.

She had come to the ranch when Tom first notified her about Dan’s disappearance, thinking it would help her peace of mind to be closer to where he had disappeared. She had thought that if and when Dan did show up, he would return to the ranch. Unfortunately, now that Rafe had arrived there was no more peace of mind to be found.

This morning had certainly proven that. They couldn’t be in the same room without arguing. Which was ridiculous. She generally got along with everyone, but Rafe seemed to deliberately bait her with his caustic remarks.

As if his attitude wasn’t irritatmg enough, there had been a moment there when she’d suddenly felt as though he was about to kiss her. She’d looked up at him and seen something in his eyes that had started her heart racing. She must have imagined it, though. He’d turned away as though nothing had happened.

Oh, but something had happened to her. She’d been thrown back into all those confusing feelings she’d had for Rafe McClain when she’d been a teenager.

Her thoughts drifted back to that time in her life...when she had been fifteen and in love for the first time.

After weeks of feverish anticipation, the night had finally arrived for the big barbecue celebrating the high school graduation of Dan and Rafe. Mandy could scarcely contain herself. Her mother had allowed Mandy to choose the dreamiest dress she’d ever owned to wear to the party. She loved the soft pink color, but more important to her was the fact that the neckline barely hung on each shoulder, the sleeves puffing out and thereby disguising her rather bony shoulders. The dress accented her small waist, then flared in a full-skirted way to her knees, with flouncing petticoats beneath it.

Mandy took a last look at herself in the mirror before going outside. She no longer looked like a child. In this dress, she appeared to be a full-fledged woman—attractive, seductive and alluring. She leaned closer and slowly smiled at her reflection...and blinked...startled at the sensuality she portrayed. Wow, she scarcely knew herself.

She patted her hair, swept up in a coil with an ornamental comb, blew herself a kiss and strolled out of her room.

She paused once she reached the patio. There had never been a more beautiful Texas night, she decided. The stars looked as though they’d been freshly polished and hung, glittering on the black velvet backdrop of sky.

She breathed deeply and smiled. The giant barbecue smoker had been going long enough that the scent permeated the area.

A large dance floor had been laid down on the back lawn, surrounded by the live oak trees that shaded the house and surrounding area from the blazing Texas sun. Lines of Chinese lanterns stretched from tree to tree, casting colorful lights and adding a festive atmosphere.

People would soon be arriving, bringing casseroles, salads and desserts. Her mom and dad had been planning this party for weeks. Their friends, neighbors and all the members of the graduating class and their families were invited. Her dad was in charge of seeing there was enough barbecued brisket, ribs and chicken for everyone.

Mandy wondered if her folks would do this again in another two years when she graduated. If so, she hoped that Dan and Rafe would be there to help her celebrate.

Rafe had mentioned the possibility of his going into the military sometime this summer, but Dan wanted him to stay at the ranch and go to college. Dan had talked about possible scholarships that were available. Rafe would certainly qualify because his grades were excellent.

Mandy didn’t want Rafe to leave. Her dad had promised her that as soon as she turned sixteen he would allow her to go on single dates. He was still living in the Stone Age, insisting that she could only go out with a group until that time, preferably one that included Dan. Neither she nor Dan liked that idea at all. But once she was sixteen, she hoped that Rafe would ask her out on a date.

Of course he had no idea how she felt about him. She’d made sure that no one did. If Dan got a hint that she had a crush on Rafe, he would never let her forget it. He’d taunt and embarrass her every chance he got.