Ranch At River's End. Brenda Mott

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      Darci’s jaw dropped. “Who did you tell?”

      “Just Lucy Long, down at Trail’s Inn Pizza.”

      “Oh, Aunt Stella. You know Lucy talks to Suzanne.” The owner of the local beauty shop was a renowned gossip. “And if you tell Suzanne, you might as well broadcast it over the local news.” That explained how Eileen Hathaway had heard about Chris.

      Stella pressed her hand to her forehead. “I’m sorry, Darci. I wasn’t thinking. But I only spoke in Christopher’s defense, which is exactly what I told Lucy—those kids were cyberbullying him.”

      Her aunt had a point, but it didn’t excuse Chris’s actions. With his love of horses and Southern-country rock, he hadn’t fit in with the kids at school, not even the other skaters. He’d been teased for the way he dressed, for the music he listened to and for hanging out at the boarding stables with Darci. And the teasing had escalated.

      “It’ll blow over,” Stella said. “You’ll see.”

      “But what’s next? What if someone damages my car, or breaks one of our windows? Maybe I should get a guard dog.”

      “Now, don’t go borrowing trouble.” Stella’s gaze softened as she leaned in close. “I’m sure this was a onetime thing.”

      “Yeah, well, I wish I felt the same.” Darci plunked her half-eaten burger down on her plate, no longer hungry. She had gone through hell in Northglenn. She didn’t think she could take another round.

      “Everything will work out—you’ll see,” her aunt assured her.

      Darci had her doubts. Especially if Chris kept being such a little shit. She watched him hook a shot using fancy wrist work. A grin spread across his face as he shouted playful abuse at Leon.

      He was still her little boy.

      “You’re worrying too much.” Stella reached out and took both of Darci’s hands in hers.

      The familiar scent of lavender drifted over Darci, taking her right back to her childhood, when her aunt Stella could fix anything with a word of encouragement and some chocolate-chip cookies. If only life were so simple now.

      “You know what you need?” Stella said. “To do something fun. There’s a horse auction next weekend. Why don’t you plan on going with me and Leon? I’m looking for a few more lesson horses, now that I’ve got you as my partner. You can help me pick ’em out.” She gave a wink, and Darci managed a smile.

      “Sounds good to me.”

      “Okay. It’s a date. Chris will have a great time.”

      “I just wish I could help him settle in here and get adjusted.”

      “Adjusted my tail.” Stella waved the thought away like a fly at their cookout. “He’s a big boy. Let him adjust on his own.”

      “Aunt Stella.” Darci could hardly believe her aunt would be so callous. “He’s been through a lot.”

      “And so have you. Chris is playing you as sure as he’s playing your uncle in that game of horse.”

      Darci’s jaw dropped.

      “You heard me. ‘Poor me. Poor Chris. Everybody hates Christopher.’ The boy made a dumb mistake, but he’s done his time, and I’m here to tell you that the sooner you get past all that and let that kid deal with things on his own, the better it will be for both of you. Hell, he’ll land on two feet. Just toss him in the air and see if I’m not right.”

      Darci knew Stella’s tough-love approach hid a heart that was as big as the Colorado sky, but still she felt edgy. “I was starting to second-guess my decision to put him back in public school. I wish I could afford to quit work and homeschool him.”

      “He’ll be all right. Anything happens, they’ll call you at work. Just like they do any other parent. Let go, Darci. You’re going to start meeting people through your job and through the school. Not everyone will be against you. You’ll see. Getting out there will help you and Chris become part of the community a lot quicker than if you both hide out at home.” She nudged Darci. “Chin up.”

      Darci nudged her back. “Okay, Aunt Bossy.”

      “Moo,” Stella said, then laughed. “Say, why don’t you leave Chris with me and Leon for a couple of days, since it’s a long weekend? He can go riding tomorrow… help Leon putter around the place a bit. School’s out till Wednesday, right? We can even take him to the fair if he wants.”

      The county fair was always held over the Labor Day weekend and ran until the middle of the week. Because so many of the local students were also 4-H members who showed livestock, the kids got an extra long holiday from school.

      “That would be nice,” Darci said. Chris used to love the fair and the ranch…not just riding but mending fences with his great uncle. Would he still?

      Stella smiled. “We’ll have fun, plus it’ll give you a chance to settle into your house.”

      Could she do this? Darci thought. Start over with her new job, a whole new set of friends? She hoped her aunt was right, that she and Christopher would eventually feel welcome here.

      “All right,” she said. “Maybe I can get some more unpacking done.”

      “There you go. So stop frowning.”

      “Sorry. I’m still a little worried. I just wish I knew who defaced our garage. What if a kid does something to Chris at school?”

      Stella bopped Darci on the head with a half-full bag of barbecue chips before clipping the rolled top shut with a clothespin. “Like I said, don’t go borrowing trouble, ’cause Lord knows it finds its way to us quick enough.”

      As if on cue, a red-and-white mottled dog darted out of nowhere into the backyard and snatched a leftover burger from the plate beside the barbecue grill.

      “Hey!” Chris shouted. The basketball hit him smack in the face as Leon bounced it his way, realizing too late that Chris wasn’t paying attention. His nose started to bleed, but he didn’t seem to notice. Instead, he raced off after the dog.

      “Christopher!” Darci shouted. But if he heard her, he ignored her. Nothing new there.

      She got up and ran down the block after him, calling his name again.

      “She’s got puppies,” he said over his shoulder, as if that explained everything.

      What on earth?

      Feeling every one of her thirty-five years, Darci lagged behind as the mama dog scurried into a yard a few houses down.

      Oh, boy.

      Her pulse picked up speed.

      It was Jordan’s yard, and the dog raced around to the back of the house.

      Chris hesitated only a moment before turning up the front walk.

      “Christopher Lee, you stop right СКАЧАТЬ