Welcome to Last Chance (9 page)

Ray set his empty soda bottle down on the bar. “But that's enough of my family skeletons. How about you? You grow up in a soap opera too?”

“I wouldn't say that. But I wouldn't call it pretty either.”

The phone in the office rang, and Lainie looked out the window. Three cars and a pickup were parked in front of the Dip 'n' Dine. She jumped off her stool.

“That's got to be Fayette. Don't answer until I get out the door.”

Ray laughed. “I'll tell her you left a long time ago. See you Sunday. And wear jeans.”

L
ainie was sitting on the top step scratching Sam's chin when Ray's pickup pulled up at Elizabeth's gate. She smiled at the pale and well-worn Stetson pulled low over his eyes.

“Hey, cowboy, that's some getup you've got there. Going to a rodeo?”

He tipped his hat back with one finger. “No ma'am. Just dressing up to make a Sunday call. And may I say you look mighty fine yourself?” His smile widened as he took in her well-fitting jeans and white cotton shirt.

“So where are we going? I hope it's someplace air-conditioned. I wore jeans because you told me to, but it's hot out here.”

Ray helped Lainie climb into the truck. “Nope, no air-conditioning where we're going, and no more questions. It's a surprise.”

Lainie leaned back and watched the handful of stores and businesses, silent behind their Closed signs, give way to open country. Ray picked up speed and clicked on the radio. A man who sounded like he was about to cry was singing about walking into his empty house. Lainie giggled, and Ray glanced at her.

“What?”

“Well, look at you. You're sitting here in your pickup wearing boots and a cowboy hat, listening to country music. Is that song even for real? He's singing about a dusty rocking horse!”

Ray glared in feigned offense. “Have some respect, woman. The man's suffering. His wife's taken the kids and dog and gone off and left him. Didn't even dust the rocking horse first. And for your information, boots and a hat are required apparel for appreciating serious music like this.”

Lainie laughed out loud. “Maybe that's my problem. No boots. No hat. Don't get the music.”

She rolled down her window and let the hot wind rush in. Leaning her head back against the seat and closing her eyes, she could almost be flying. In her mind, she watched the dry land with its clumps of sagebrush and rabbit bush drop farther away until even the blue mountains on the distant horizon flattened into shadow on the desert floor.

“Look.” When she opened her eyes, Ray was pointing to half a dozen birds circling one over the other in tight formation on fixed wing. “Hawks. They've caught a thermal. They're supposed to be looking for food, but I think they're just having a good time.”

Lainie leaned forward to peer from under the windshield. “See the one at the very top? That's me.”

“Is it?” Ray sounded impressed. “What's the world look like from up there?”

“Big. And empty. This truck looks like a speck on a licorice whip. And there are no people anywhere. Just me and a bunch of other birds, and they're way down there. No one can touch me.”

“I don't know about that. Some of those other hawks are moving right up there.” He pointed to another bird, tiny in the heavens. “See that one? That's me, so you'd better watch out. You're about to get some company.”

Lainie laughed as the bird Ray indicated peeled away from the thermal and swooped toward the sagebrush below. “Don't think so. Scared of heights?”

“Shoot, I'm just getting us some lunch. What's your pleasure, ground squirrel or kangaroo rat?”

“Yuck!” Lainie's nose wrinkled in disgust. “If that's all you can come up with, I'll do my own hunting. Maybe if I go a little higher, I can spot a Starbucks.”

Ray shook his head. “Nope. This is the one place on earth that not even Starbucks can find. But don't worry. I packed us a lunch. You just didn't seem like the ground squirrel type.”

He slowed the truck and bounced over a cattle guard as he turned off the highway. “You might want to close that window. It's going to get dusty.”

The eager anticipation in Ray's voice was infectious, and Lainie found herself looking forward to whatever Ray had planned.

“All I see is cows and those hills up ahead.”

“That's the San Ramon Range. It runs from just north of here down into Mexico.”

They bumped along in silence until Ray crested the last hill, drove past a long, low adobe house with a deep shaded porch facing the valley below, and finally pulled up next to a corral by a barn and turned off the ignition. Two saddled horses stood leaning their weight on three legs, munching hay from a feed box and swishing flies with their tails.

Ray opened his door and pulled some bulging saddlebags from behind the seat. “Here we are.”

Lainie did not move. Her eyes were fixed on the horses.

“Come on, I want you to meet some friends of mine.” Ray stopped at the fence and rubbed the nose of the nearest horse.

Lainie stuck her head out the window. “I can meet them from here. Hi, horses.”

Ray laughed. “Come on, you're not afraid of these babies, are you? I always thought of you as a girl who'd take on anything that came her way.”

“Well, horses have never come my way, okay?” Lainie slid out of the truck, keeping the open door between her and the horses. “Those saddles don't have anything to do with your surprise, I hope.”

“Good grief, woman. I can't believe that anyone who'd bring Chet Babcock to his knees is hiding in a truck from old Belle here. Two-year-olds ride her.”

A whip-thin, white-haired man, slightly stooped and bowlegged, ambled out of the barn. Ray raised a hand in greeting. “Hey, Billy. Thanks for saddling up for us.”

Billy returned the wave. “No problem. Everything all right?”

Ray shook his head and laughed. “We've got a little tenderfoot fever going on. Lainie's never been this close to a horse. Not sure she likes it.”

Billy shifted his direction and ambled toward the truck. He placed his hand lightly between her shoulders and steered her toward the corral. “Come on, sister. Nothing to be scared of. Grab hold'a the horn, left foot in the stirrup there, and up and over. There ya go.” He handed her the reins and adjusted the stirrups. “You can let go of the horn now. It's not gonna fall off.”

Lainie wasn't quite sure how it had happened, but she was on horseback, and the ground looked a long way off.

“Ready?” Ray mounted in one smooth move. “Hold the reins in one hand and nudge Belle with your heels. Lean the reins against her neck to the left or right to turn her, and gently pull back to stop. She doesn't need more than a light hand. We'll take it easy.” He clicked his tongue and his horse moved out at a slow walk. Belle tossed her head and followed. Lainie grabbed the reins and the horn in both hands and hung on.

A light breeze blew the hair from her face, and somewhere nearby a bird whistled from a low branch. Belle's gait was slow and rocking,
and Lainie felt the tightness between her shoulders ease. Ray looked over his shoulder and grinned.

“How you doing?”

“So far, so good. Don't go any faster, though, okay?”

“We're not in any hurry. But you can let go of the saddle. Hold the reins in your left hand, and rest your right hand on your leg. You'll be fine.”

“Easy for you to say. I want a steering wheel—and some brakes.” Lainie loosened her grip on the saddle horn and lowered her right hand to her side, keeping her left hand with the reins close to the horn, just in case.

The trail was narrow, and Belle seemed content to plod along behind Ray's horse. The sun was warm on Lainie's shoulders, and to her surprise, she found herself enjoying the ride. She leaned forward and patted Belle's neck. “You are a sweet baby, aren't you? You wouldn't buck me off, would you?”

Ray laughed. “Belle's too fat and lazy to buck. She's the horse the kids learn to ride on.”

“Did you hear that, Belle? He called you fat and lazy. When I get off, you can go kick him if you want to.”

Ray laughed again. “Come up here, I want to show you something.”

Lainie came to a stop beside him on a wide ledge. The valley fell away before them. A single black ribbon of highway wound through it, and dirt roads like scars in the earth wandered from the main road through the sage. Towering clouds billowed on the horizon and floated across the sky, casting moving shadows on the valley floor. Far to the west, a blue veil of rain reached for the dry earth.

“This looks just like the painting in Elizabeth's house.”

“Yeah, that was painted not far from here. You know, I haven't
been everywhere on earth, but I sure haven't seen any place I think is more beautiful than this country right here.”

Ray turned his horse back to the trail, and without any urging from Lainie, Belle followed. They rode in easy silence for another half hour until they arrived at a small cabin tucked between two huge cottonwood trees. A trickle of water moistened the rocks of a streambed that emerged from a pile of boulders behind the cabin.

“Here we are. This is my place.” Ray swung from the saddle and tossed his reins over a rail next to a water trough before loosening the girth of his saddle.

“I knew that was where we were going.” Lainie sounded smug.

“City girls. You can't put anything past them.” Ray grinned up at her and pulled the saddlebags from the back of his saddle. “Come on. Aren't you hungry?”

Clutching the saddle with both hands, Lainie threw her right leg over the saddle and slowly lowered herself to the ground. Her legs felt rubbery and nearly buckled under her. Ray caught her waist.

“It'll take a minute to get your land legs back. You're going to feel it tomorrow, though.”

Lainie glared up at him. “Now you tell me. You do know I have to work tomorrow, don't you?”

“Oh, you'll be able to move all right. You'll just look funny doing it.”

Lainie took a careful step. “You laugh and you're a dead man.”

Ray's expression was careful deadpan. “Wouldn't dream of it. Come on, let's see some hustle. I want to show you something.”

“You are really asking for it, aren't you? If I could move, you'd be so sorry.”

She stopped inside the door. Paintings lined the walls and were propped up on easels in the middle of the room. The air was thick with the sharp aroma of oil and turpentine. She whipped her head
to look at Ray, still standing behind her in the doorway with an expression of eager uncertainty on his face.

“What is this? Are these yours?” She stepped inside and wandered from painting to painting. In every painting sky and towering clouds dwarfed the desert below—the orange and purple sky of sunset, a dark sky filled with storm clouds, a pale blue sky dotted with lofty white billows casting shadows on the desert floor.

“Well, say something.” Ray took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair.

“These are amazing. And you did them? I didn't know you were an artist. I thought you were just a . . .” Her voice trailed away.

“Bartender? Nope, I told you that wasn't my idea. I'm just stuck there for now.
This
is my life.” His sweeping gesture took in the room.

Lainie stopped in front of a large painting hanging on the wall. She gazed at it a long moment before turning to Ray in confused recognition. “This looks like the one at Elizabeth's.”

Ray grinned. “Yeah, she was my first customer. She bought that at my senior show. I tried to give it to her, but she said she wanted to be known as the first person in the world to buy an original Ray Braden.”

“But she said her grandson painted that.”

Ray looked bewildered. “Yeah. I'm her grandson.”

“What? I don't believe it. Why didn't you say something? Why didn't she?”

Ray shrugged. “It never occurred to me that you didn't know. I guess I thought she must have said something. She probably thought I had, or Fayette. Everyone around here has known everyone else for generations. I guess it just doesn't occur to us to explain relationships.”

“But you never come around.”

“Oh, I've dropped by a time or two. You've been at work. Things are a bit, well, awkward.” He fell silent and dug into the saddlebags. “Come on, I'm starved. Let's have some lunch. Why don't you get us a couple of drinks from the fridge?”

Lainie opened the door of the refrigerator and found it well stocked with grape soda and diet cola. Grabbing one of each, she joined Ray on the front steps and handed him his drink.

“Thought you didn't like diet cola. Bring a lot of girls up here?”

Ray shrugged and took a long pull of his drink. “Actually, I think you're the first one who's been here. This is where I go to get away from people so I can do my work. Not too many folks get up this way.”

“And all that diet cola?”

Ray grinned at her over the top of the bottle. “I brought those up last week. You want to be prepared in case someone does drop by.”

“Pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?” Lainie took a bite of her sandwich. “What if I'd said no? Or more likely, what if I had flat refused to get on that horse?”

“Oh, I have powers of persuasion. You didn't stand a chance.”

Lainie choked on her cola. “Get real! If that guy down there hadn't practically thrown me on Belle, we'd be back in town by now.”