WATER RIGHTS, CHAPTER 19, HANNAH CONFESSES

 

          Miz. Lionel stared at Hannah. Hannah continued to cry, wadding up the napkin and reaching for another. “I’m so sorry Miz. Lionel. I know how disappointed you must be. It was only once, only once and I’m so sorry about the whole thing. I wish I could go back and…. Well, I wish I could undo this or have an abortion or something, but I can’t do that, not after being pregnant with Stevie…I just can’t.”

          Hannah was pulled into Miz. Lionel’s arms and even though Hannah thought she’d cried enough tears after her confession, she continued to cry while the woman patted her back and said, “There, there, honey. It’ll be fine, just fine. Now, turn off the waterworks so we can talk ‘bout this.

          A few minutes later, Hannah’s face was red, but dry. She sniffled and looked at Miz. Lionel who asked, “How on earth did you get pregnant. Never mind that, I know how it happens, but you haven’t been seeing anyone, anyone, lessen you relented and let Luke?”

          Hannah interrupted, “No, no, it wasn’t Luke. He hasn’t been here long enough for me to be two months along. It was back in August. Oh, I hate to talk about it. I feel so stupid and cheap and dirty. It wasn’t anything like it was with Luke. We loved each other and I don’t know how many times we were together before I got pregnant. This was only once, just once. It’s just not fair.”

          “Honey, no one ever said life was fair, and all it takes is one time if the time was right. Believe it or not, this was somehow meant to be. So, you know who the daddy is? Does he know about this baby?”

          “No, and I wouldn’t tell him anyway. He was just a visitor to WFR Treks. He came to do a piece about the ranch. Anita arranged it. It was going to get us some great publicity. And, since I’m the head of the place, I was the one who had to take him all around and show him everything.

          “Miz. Lionel, it had been so long since anyone, except Jamey who I strongly discouraged, has shown any interest in me, complimented me, made me feel pretty and desirable. I was so stupid.”

          “Now, honey, I know exactly what you’re talking about. There you were, a mommy, running a ranch with a passel of workers, never getting out and about or havin’ any kinda social life. I’ll bet that man was handsome and charming wasn’t he?”

          “Oh my Lord, yes!” Hannah responded. “He was Hollywood handsome, charming, well read, interesting, fun, everything I found so attractive I could barely keep my hands on my own reins. I did everything I could to ignore the attraction until the night before he was to leave.”

          Hannah hiccouped and a few more tears fell from her eyes. “It’s so disgusting and I was so stupid. “He asked me to go into town with him and have dinner. I thought it would be fun. It had been a long time since I’d eaten at the Mountain Lodge. I was sure I could handle him and myself. Dinner was wonderful and the bottle of wine he ordered was the best I’d ever tasted. Actually, he ordered a second bottle because the first one disappeared so fast.

          “Anyway, by the time we finished dinner, I was a bit more than tipsy. It was a good thing I didn’t have to drive. When we got to his SUV, he helped me into my seat, then leaned in and gently kissed me. That’s all it took, Miz. Lionel. That’s all it took. I grabbed him, yanked him to me and kissed him back as if I were desperate, and I was, I’ll admit it. I felt like I was on fire from the ends of my hair to the tips of my toes.”

          She paused to take a deep breath. “I feel so ashamed telling you all this Miz. Lionel.”

          “That’s okay honey, believe it or not, I’ve a few memories with my man just like the one you’re describin’. Now, go on, finish, get it all out.”

          Hannah took another breath and continued, “I still don’t know if he planned it or not, but he’d parked the SUV in the darkest corner of the parking lot. Before I could catch my breath or even think, my seat was lowered, he’d yanked my dress up and my panties down and was having sex with me. I’m ashamed to admit that at the moment I loved it, it felt so good. It had been so long and I was so unbelievably ready.

          “When we were done, or he was done, he fixed his pants, raised my seat up and took me back to the ranch. Neither of us said anything and when we got to the parking lot, I got out of the SUV, wished him good night and never saw or talked to him again. He was gone before breakfast the next morning.

          “Oh, I almost forgot. We did get a great article and wonderful publicity when his review was published. The least he could do, right?”

          “So, now you’re a couple months pregnant and not sure what to do about it?” Miz. Lionel asked. “Well, maybe you don’t want my opinion….”

          “Oh, I do, yes I do. I need some serious advice here.”

          “Well, I think you have to have a conversation with Luke. I think you need to be tellin’ him he’s forgiven for what came before, that it’s ancient history. I think you have to tell him that now he needs to forgive you and why. Then, you can tell him you do love him, that you want him in your live, for him to be Stevie’s daddy. It may take some time, but if he really loves you, then accepting this new baby will lead to forgiveness, and you’ll have a great future.”

          Hannah told Miz. Lionel she surely hoped so and had figured that’s what she’d need to do. She just didn’t look forward to the conversation or the confession to Luke, especially after the way she’d been treating him since his return. She also said it was something she absolutely needed to do as soon as possible. She needed to know if Luke would remain a figure in their lives, and the sooner, the better.

          When Hannah got ready to leave, Miz. Lionel gave her another hug and told her to be strong. No matter what Luke’s response was, she was loved and would get through this time one way or another with the support of her big family.

          On the way home, Hannah tried to decide how she should go about talking to Luke. They would need to be away from all the other ranch folks and Stevie. Since it hadn’t snowed too terribly much, perhaps she could think of some reason the two of them could take a horseback ride to huckleberry hill, maybe to talk about what she was proposing they do there.

          So, the next morning when Luke arrived, Hannah asked him if he’d forego his nap with Stevie and ride out and take a look at what she thought she wanted to do on that part of the ranch. Luke agreed and looked especially happy she’d issued an invitation. Stevie, on the other hand, was extremely annoyed to be left behind. He stomped out of the dining hall with his favorite female staff person, Emily, as though he’d stay mad forever. Hannah sighed and thought, he just may stay that way if Luke decides to leave here.

          Thankfully, the temperature was in the high 30s, but it was still cold enough. Hannah had brought along some brownies and hot chocolate she’d offer when they got to the huckleberry bushes. For some reason, as if she didn’t know, she couldn’t get enough chocolate in any form lately.

          When they arrived, they climbed down from their horses, spread a thick blanket on a rock and Hannah handed out the treats. Luke said, “Hannah, I’m so happy and excited you wanted to spend time with me today. Please, let me apologize again….”

          Hannah interrupted Luke and said, “Please, I need to tell you something. First, I need to tell you're forgiven for what happened before, and I'm really sorry it's taken me this long to say it. And, I'm not just saying it now because of what I have to tell you, Especially since it may change your entire opinion of me. You may decide to leave here.”

          Luke laughed, “I don’t think there’s anything you could tell me that would be that upsetting. I love Stevie and I love you. Nothing could change that.”

          Hannah looked up, stared directly into his eyes and said, “I’m pregnant.”

          Luke’s laughing face instantly became serious. His brow furrowed and he said, “How’s that possible. You don’t have a boyfriend. You haven’t had a boyfriend. I’ve asked everyone around the ranch and they’ve all said you don’t date, you haven’t seen anyone since I left. And, you haven’t let me near you since I returned, so how can you be pregnant?”

          “You know how it happens Luke. I was with someone. I was lonely. He made me feel desirable and beautiful. I’d had too much to drink. It was just once, but that’s all it takes. Just once in the entire time since I sent you away. I’m sorry, really sorry, but there’s nothing I can do about it now.”

          Luke got up and paced back and forth in front of their rock. “So, you’re going to have it? Does the other man know? Will he be coming back?”

          “No, and no, and no. I simply cannot have an abortion after being pregnant with Stevie. Even without you, it was a very special time and I don’t regret a single minute of it. And, if you decide you can’t be a father to another man’s baby, then we have no future. You’ll have to decide what you want to do.”

          “So, now that you know your pregnant with another man’s child, you’re ready to marry me? So I can be recognized as Stevie’s real father and as a father to a child that isn’t mine?”

          “That’s pretty much it.”

          “Well, that really sucks. When I came back, you did everything you could to make me go away. You were rude and even nasty. You acted as though I’d never meant a single thing to you. But, now, you’re pregnant and need a father for the bastard in your belly, so you’re willing to forgive and forget everything that made you so angry with me before. That really sucks, Hannah.”

          “Not to defend myself, but I was surprised you turned up again. I was so happy and delighted to see you, but didn’t feel I could show you that since I thought perhaps, although I hoped like hell it wasn’t possible, I was pregnant. I acted that way because I wasn’t sure you would stay and then, when it looked as though you would, I continued because I didn’t want to tell you this.”

          “I love Stevie. He’s mine, but I’m not sure about you Hannah. You’re a big disappointment. I’m going to have to think about what you’ve said. If I do decide to stay, it may be just because of Stevie. I don’t know if I love you anymore. I can’t bare to think of you with another man, whether it was for a minute or a day.”

          Luke took the reins of his horse, mounted and said, “I’m headed back to the barn and then back to my place. Tell Stevie maybe I’ll see him tomorrow.”

          Hannah watched him ride away, packed up their cups and garbage and mounted her own horse. That may be the last I see of Luke she thought. He might have enough love just for Stevie with none left for me or this new baby. She felt unbearably sad, but told herself she’d already done this alone and could do so again.

          When Luke got to the barn, he asked one of the staff members to take care of his horse. “I’ve got to get back to town in a hurry. I’d really appreciate it.” The staff member agreed, and Hannah on her horse watched Luke’s truck fishtail down the drive.

          Back at his place, Luke took the bottle of whiskey out of the cupboard and drank directly from it. He wanted to get as drunk as possible so he didn’t have to think about or picture Hannah in another man’s arms. Over the time he’d been gone, it was the memories of Hannah, her body, her hair, her orgasms and the way she’d loved him back that had got him through the tough times. He desperately wanted to succeed and when things weren’t going well, all he had to do was picture Hannah, naked at the waterfall, welcoming him with open arms. Some nights, he hugged his pillow and pretended it was Hannah in his bed as she’d been in the farmhouse before Thomas died.

          Luke didn’t finish the bottle before he was crying like a baby and cursing Hannah for being unfaithful. He simply didn’t understand how she could have done this to him. And, okay, he’d been a jerk to lie to her way back when, but he’d shown her over and over how sorry he was. And, okay, while he was gone, he’d been with a few women, but they’d been nothing special. Just some skin-to-skin time, the pleasure of being held and wanted. None of them had meant a thing. He wasn’t even sure he could remember any of their names. But, it was different for him, he was a man, he had needs. Hannah was a mother. He’d known she’d had needs before she met him and had serviced herself. Why couldn’t she just have kept doing that?

          Just before he passed out on the couch, still fully dressed, including his boots, Luke muttered, “God damn it Hannah. I fucking loved you. How could you do this to me?”

WATER RIGHTS, CHAPTER 18, TWO SURPRISES.

           When Stevie came bouncing on to her bed the next morning, Hannah had a very hard time being her usual upbeat self, but she pushed her worries aside and participated in a round of hugs, tickles and kisses until Stevie was laughed out and ready to have her get up for breakfast. They never went to the dining hall for breakfast, but had it their own kitchen in their pajamas before bathing and dressing.

          This morning her son seemed particularly hungry and wanted her to make him a “whole buncha bacon” as well as some scrambled eggs and toast. Hannah managed to prepare everything even though the bacon smell made her nauseous. She ate some scrambled eggs and a piece of toast, reminding herself she’d be having lunch with Miz. Lionel and that the woman usually prepared enough for a family of six.

          Stevie brought her the dishes one-by-one so Hannah could put them in the dishwasher. Then, she had a quick shower while Stevie played in the adjacent bathtub. Wrapped in a towel, she scrubbed Stevie, dried him and sent him off to choose what he was going to wear that day. Usually, he made good choices, but sometimes, like this morning, when he appeared in her bedroom, he was wearing a t-shirt, shorts and flip-flops. She had to laugh. “Stevie, it’s November. You simply cannot run around in so few clothes unless you plan to stay in the house all day. That’s fine if that is what you want to do, but it means no trips to the barn, the dining hall or pony rides.”

          “Aw mom, it was so easy to get this stuff on. I hate all those snaps and stuff. It’s haaaaaard,” Stevie whined.

          “Well, come on and I’ll give you a hand. I bet we can get you all dressed except for your boots in less than three minutes.” Hannah looked at her watch, then at Stevie,” “Go!!!” she shouted.

          Her son had already stripped down to his underwear and was yanking on his lined jeans when she entered his room. Next came his padded flannel shirt. All that was left was the snapping, buttoning and socks. When the alarm on Hannah’s watch sounded, they were walking down the hall.

          “We were really fast, huh, mom?”  Stevie asked and Hannah agreed.

          Boots, coats, hats and gloves on, they headed to the barn to take care of Stevie’s pony and Hannah’s horse. Stevie was getting quite good at taking care of his pony which he’d named Genghis. Hannah had been reading a book to Stevie about Genghis Khan when the pony arrived. He could barely pronounce the word, but was determined that would be the name. He’d started out mispronouncing the name, but with a bit of practice got it right.

          Hannah had a few more chores in the barn, so she gave Stevie a curry brush and told him to gently brush Genghis until she was done. Finished, they headed to the dining hall and the small office adjacent the big kitchen. Staff knew they could find Hannah there after 9:00 am if they had any questions or concerns. Having completed the third season with now permanent staff, WFR Treks ran fairly smoothly so there usually weren’t many staff waiting.

          Stevie had his own little area with a chalkboard, chalk, color crayons and books. If he became bored or whiney, Hannah would let him to play on her I-pad, but didn’t allow that too often and always tried to redirect his interest before handing off the screen which could probably have held his interest for hours at a time. While Stevie was busy, Hannah would review the various reports her senior staff provided, look over the budget and the various plans she hoped to implement for the coming year.

          They were both still occupied when Dale stuck his head into the office and said, “Hannah, you’d best be getting ready to head to Miz. Lionel’s, hadn’t you?”

          She was amazed at how much time had passed. Good thing she’d planned ahead when she dressed so she didn’t have to do any preparation besides put on her coat and get in her truck. Giving Stevie hugs and kisses and high fives for being such a great office partner, she left him with Dale and headed out.

          Hannah actually dreaded the upcoming lunch. She loved Miz. Lionel and looked at her as a second grandmother. She knew the woman would not only provide a great lunch, but some sound advice. The only problem was, Hannah had a problem of which no one but she was aware. She figured based on what Miz. Lionel advised, she’d have to confess and ask for even more advice. Hannah was thoroughly disgusted with herself and how one simple error that was barely memorable could have resulted in the situation in which she found herself. She seriously believed Miz. Lionel might think her exceedingly stupid and dismiss her from her life. It was with great trepidation Hannah parked and walked up to Miz. Lionel’s kitchen door.

          As always, the older woman was very happy to see her, wrapping Hannah in arms that smelled of sugar and spice. Even as a child, Hannah had been amazed at how wonderful Miz. Lionel had always smelled. She breathed deep and hugged back carefully, making sure it wasn’t too hard and she wasn’t hurting Miz. Lionel's old bones.

          “I’m so happy to see you Hannah, dear. Now hang up that coat and sit down. Lunch is ‘bout ready. All I have to do is dish up and set it on the table. You want one of those Nespresso drinks you like so much?”

          Hannah did as bid and responded, “No thanks. I think I’ve had my caffeine quota for the day. Just water, which you’ve already put on the table is fine. And, my goodness, did you make that wonderful cornbread recipe, the one with corn kernels and chiles in it?”

          “Yes, I shorely did. I hadn’t had any in a while and it’s too much to make just for myself. What we don’t eat, I’ll send home with you. I know how much Stevie likes it too.”

          They ate their lunch, gossiping about the various town news topics. It was hard for Hannah to actually eat since her tummy was in a big knot. When she finished her glass of water, she quietly belched and said, “Now Miz. Lionel, I know my honorary grandfathers have been to see you. They talked to me yesterday and I heard what they had to say. They seemed to think you’d have an even better understanding to share with me, so what do you have to say?”

          Miz. Lionel got up and removed the dishes from the table, placing a big plate of chocolate chip cookies between her and Hannah. She sat back down and said, “Well, when the men came to see me, the one thing they all agreed on is that Luke has changed, that he really loves you and Stevie. They’re also convinced you love him as well, that it’s your pride and a three-year old hurt that’s holdin’ you back.”

          The older woman reached across the table and patted Hannah’s hand. “Now, I’m gonna tell you a little story and maybe it’ll help you see things more clearer. You know the history ‘tween your family and mine, but what you or your mom never knew was the trouble Thomas and Gracie had after your mom was born.”

          Miz. Lionel sighed and looked out the window as if she were gazing into the past. “Gracie had a real hard pregnancy and the doctor just about lost her and your mom. After that the doc said there could be no more kids. Gracie’s insides were simply too fragile for such a thing. Now, Thomas loved Gracie more than anything, but he’d always wanted a passel of kids to raise and take over the ranch. His disappointment caused a real rift between him and Gracie.

          “Thomas kind of went off the deep end. He started fooling around with some of the town women, as if to see if he could get someone else pregnant or somethin’. Like if they came up late, he’d kick Gracie out and take one of them in.”

          “Seriously, my Gramps did that?” Hannah asked in disbelief.

          “Yes, honey, Thomas was a real cad, a real disappointment to me and my husband, a bunch of our friends, but especially to Gracie. There she was with a newborn, barely able to get around and do much and Thomas was being an absolute, pardon my French, an absolute asshole.”

          “But they always seemed so much in love, so compatible, as if they’d never had a problem in the world.”

          “Well, your grandma was a very smart and forgiving woman plus she loved Thomas, had since we were all in grade school. She took care of herself, your mamma and business until Thomas finally realized what a jerk he was bein’. Course, my husband and a few of us had a come to Jesus meetin’ with him too.”

          “So, when he was ready to beg forgiveness, apologize and return to bein’ the Thomas we all knew, Gracie welcomed him back, not exactly with open arms, but over time, she came to know just how sorry he was and managed to forgive him and carry on with life.

          “I’m tellin’ you this cause I think that’s where you need to go with Luke. I, or we, think you need to forgive the boy, tell Stevie that Luke’s his daddy, that you love each other, and you’re gonna be his mommy and daddy together. It’s really past time to let go of what happened so long-ago Hannah honey. I know, we know your heart’s big enough for that.”

          Hannah looked across the table at Miz. Lionel, the tears began to flow, and she put her head on her arms on the table and sobbed as if her heart were breaking, as if Miz. Lionel had ruined her entire world.

          The older woman was aghast. She got up as quickly as she could, moved a chair closer to Hannah, sat down and began to pat her on the back. “It’s okay, honey, it’s okay. I didn’t mean to upset you like this. I just wanted you to know it’s possible to forgive the worst life has to offer and look ahead to the future. There, there, now, don’t be cryn’ like this.”

          Hannah continued to sob for a time, then raised up and mopped her face with a napkin from the holder in the middle of the table. She looked at Miz. Lionel once she’d blown her nose and composed herself and said, “I’m more than ready to forgive Luke and move on, but there’s just one problem and Luke may not be able to overlook or forgive it.”

          “Hannan, honey, I’m sure nothing could be that bad. Luke loves you and Stevie. He came back on purpose once he’d made somethin’ of himself. All he wants is to be your husband and Stevie’s daddy. Couldn’t be much I can think of that would change his mind.”

          “Oh, you think so Miz. Lionel?” Hannan responded as the tears began to fall again. “I’m pregnant. Do you think he can overlook that?”

WATER RIGHTS, CHAPTER 17, WELCOME INTERFERENCE???

 

          Luke was as good as his word. He showed up every single day and brought various gifts for both Hannah and Stevie. The gifts ranged from chocolates, hair combs, simple jewelry and other odds and ends he’d found that he thought Hannah would like. For Stevie, he brought more interesting books and educational toys that allowed Luke to teach Stevie a wide variety of information. It became a habit for Luke to have lunch with Stevie and Hannah before he took Stevie to the house for his nap. It also became a habit for him to seek out Hannah before he returned to town and have a conversation with her that always ended with some simple touch and words of love and desire.

          After a week or so, Luke would look for some way in which he could assist with the various efforts and programs WFR offered. He didn’t do it in such a way it annoyed Hannah’s staff, and often, a staff person would comment on how nice and helpful Luke had been.

          Joe and Dave were still with Hannah and initially ignored Luke’s overtures of friendship, but when they observed how he treated Hannah and especially Stevie, their anger and disgust slowly abated. Hannah saw the three of them together a number of times in the dining hall having coffee. Dale, who hadn’t known Luke before also became an admirer and supporter.

          Hannah, meanwhile, was trying desperately to hang on to her anger and ignore Luke’s gifts and his attention to Stevie. She reminded herself over and over how she’d felt the day Jamison had said all those horrid things. She tried so hard to ignore the memories of their time together at the waterfall and even in Luke’s bed in the house. Some days it was especially hard to keep from throwing herself into Luke’s arms, or leaning toward his body when he was close by. What made hanging on to the hurt and anger even harder was watching Luke with Stevie.

          So far, Hannah had refused to tell Stevie that Luke was actually his father. Luke had broached the subject a couple of times and finally told Hannah to let him know when she was ready to have Stevie know exactly who he was.

          Before Jamison’s tirade, Hannah had dreamed about how it would be with their child and them. Now, she watched those dreams become reality, but she wasn’t part of that reality. Their daily lunch times had become the most difficult part of Hannah’s days. She even tried to not have lunch, but the two of them would seek her out.

          “Mom, hey mom, did you forget it’s lunch time?” Stevie would call out as the two of them approached. It didn’t seem to matter where she tried to hide, it was as if she were wearing one of those GPS things because they always found her.

          “C’mon mom, I’m starvin’ and Dale’s fixed taco stuff today. You know how much I like tacos. I bet I could eat ten I’m so hungry.” Stevie claimed as he let go of Luke’s hand and grabbed hers and began pulling. “C’mon mom, get up. It took forever to find you. What are you doing up here anyway?”

          “Just talking to my Gramps and leaving him some flowers.” Hannah responded, pretending Stevie was strong enough to pull her to her feet. She was really annoyed at being interrupted because she’d thought they’d never look for her up here. What she wanted to do was scream, but she took a deep breath and told Stevie, “Well, if you’re that hungry, maybe you can beat me to the dining hall.”

          Hannah took off running, leaving Luke and Stevie behind. “Hey, no fair, mom, you didn’t say go.” Stevie called after her.

          That was followed by a big, “Yahooooooooo.” And Hannah looked back to find Stevie on Luke’s shoulders and Luke running as fast as he could. She wished she had a camera so she could have a photo to look at later because it was such a beautiful sight. Stevie held Luke’s cowboy hat over his with one hand and grasped a big clump of Luke’s hair in the other. That had to hurt like hell because as Stevie bounced up and down on Luke’s shoulders, each time he flew up, Luke’s hair was pulled straight. Hannah didn’t understand how she could want to cry and laugh at the same time. So, she turned back and headed for the dining hall.

          Surprisingly, Luke and Stevie weren’t all that far behind Hannah and she’d barely claimed a table when they arrived. Stevie was still on Luke’s shoulders, braying with laughter. Luke looked like he was about ready to fall over, sweat running from beneath his hair and down his face. He approached the table and pulled Stevie from his shoulders and put him into a chair.

          “Stevie, you have to remember to tell me to never do that again.” Luke said as he collapsed into a chair. “I think my heart’s about to pound it’s way right out of my chest. See, feel how hard it’s going,” Luke added as he yanked the front of his shirt and the snaps all gave way.

          Hannah could feel her own heart begin to pound as Luke’s chest was revealed. It had been almost two years since she’d seen or touched that beautiful brown skin. She stared and noticed Luke had become more of a man since the last time, with six-pack abs, a light dusting of dark hair and muscle definition that made her want to not only run her hands over his chest, but maybe lick her way up and down.

          Luke was watching her when she looked up and she shook her head, turning to Stevie. “Okay, let’s wash those hands and get at least one of those ten tacos you thought you could eat on a plate.”

          Soon, all three of them were munching away on Dale’s fabulous tacos. Stevie surprised Hannah by actually eating two and part of a third before he said he was full. By the time he drank his milk, his eyes were almost closed.

          “Hey Buckeroo,” Luke said, ruffling Stevie’s hair. “I think it’s time we head for your bunkhouse. I don’t want you to fall asleep here because I’m too tuckered out from our exercise before lunch. You’re going to have to walk there on your own.”

          Stevie rubbed his eyes and opened them wide. “Nope, I’m not tired. We should go get my pony and do some riding partner.”

          Hannah added herself to the conversation. “Nope, no pony ride before your nap. And, I’ll take him up. I need to do some stuff in the house anyway.”

          “Are you kidding? And miss the best part of my entire day. I am so looking forward to laying down on Stevie’s bed with him. Hell, I might even take a nap myself.”

          “Shame on you Luke. You swore. Mom says gentlemen don’t use bad language. You should tell mom sorry.”

          Luke stood up, grabbed his cowboy, placed it against his shirt front, now snapped closed again thank heavens, and bowed, saying, “Mam, please pardon me for swearing. I do so apologize to both you and your son. I promise to watch my language in the future.”

          Stevie laughed and Hannah nodded. “C’mon then, let’s head out.” Luke said, pulling Stevie’s chair back and taking his hand. “See you later Hannah.”

          She remained in her chair watched them walk out of the dining hall. They really were perfect together. She just wished she could totally forget what had happened at her Gramps’ funeral. As she sat there mulling over what she should do next and whether she ought to have another glass of ice tea, Joe, Dave and Dale joined her. Dale was carrying a plate with her favorite lemon bar on it and another glass of ice tea. The men all appeared to have iced coffee.

          They sat down and Hannah thanked Dale for the treat. “Since the dining hall is pretty empty now, and you’re sitting still Hannah, we thought we might just have a talk.” Joe began.

          “I was elected to start ‘cause I’ve been with you the longest. Dave’s right behind me and Dale, well, Dale’s simply a newbee.”

          Dale rolled his eyes, but Joe continued, “You know me and Dave were here the day of your Gramps’ funeral. We heard everythin’ that snake Jamison had to say. We saw how much you were hurt to hear what he said about Luke. We even supported your decision to turn that boy away that very instant. Course, we didn’t know you were pregnant then either, although it probably wouldn’t have changed what we thought and felt.”

          Joe paused to take a drink from his glass. “Talkin’ makes me thirsty. Anyway, we were all tickled to become family, at least we feel like we’re family.”

          Hannah nodded and patted Joe’s hand. She had an idea about what this was leading to.

          “Now, Luke wasn’t here with you while you were pregnant or while you or we was building WFR Treks. He wasn’t here for the birth either, but I was as pleased as punch to stand in for him. We’ve all helped with Stevie and love him as if he were our own.”

          Dave took over while Joe had another drink. “We never expected Luke to show up back here. We figured he was done and gone.”

          “And, none of us, including me, was happy to see him rolling into the parking lot either,” Dale added for emphasis.

          “The thing is Hannah, he’s not the boy he was when you sent him on his way.” Hannah thought they might have practiced this because Joe was taking the lead again. “We’ve all spent time with him, talked to him and learned what he’s been up to in the last couple years. Maybe he told you he was on the rodeo circuit for two years and maybe he didn’t. He was, and he saved every nickel possible in that time. When he decided he was done with the rodeo, he sold his horses and his trailer. The only thing he spent money on was a new truck because his old one was simply tuckered out.”

          Dave added, “Maybe you noticed we weren’t real friendly when he first got here. We really thought you’d send him on his way, and we know you tried, but it’s simply not possible to stop water when it’s moving, and you know that yourself.”

          “We’ve watched the way he’s tried to woo you with all the little gifts and flowers and candy.” Dale continued. “I know if he was a wooing me, I’d be real receptive by now. But the one thing Luke’s done so good is how he treats Stevie. We know Stevie doesn’t know Luke is his real daddy, but Luke definitely acts as though he’s the daddy. He’s interested in everything about Stevie. We’ve watched and noted how he’s taught, cared for and added so much to Stevie’s life. And, it’s not as though we weren’t doing that ourselves, but it says a lot, we think, about a man who finds out he’s a father and not only is willing, but really wants to be a part of that child’s life.”

          “We’ve all come to believe that Luke sincerely loves you and Stevie. We all believe you love him as well. Maybe it’s time to let the past be the past and look toward tomorrow, or even today. Anyway, the three of us thought it was time we had a little talk with you, in a fatherly, or grandfatherly way.” Joe said. “Dave and I knew your Gramps and believe he’d want us to step in and have a word….”

          “Or a thousand or ten thousand words if necessary,” Dale added.

          “So, that’s what we’re doing.” Joe reached over and patted Hannah’s shoulder. “If you feel like we’re overstepping, just tell us to get the hell out of here and we’ll go.”

          Hannah heaved a big sigh and looked at the three men who’d come to be like three gramps to her and great-gramps to Stevie. “I appreciate and love the fact you decided to talk to me about this. I’ve been having a real hard time since Luke showed up again. Yes, I still love him, but the hurt remains, no matter how many little presents he brings. I especially love the way he is with Stevie. The way those two are together is the way I imagined it would be when I realized I was pregnant.  I just don’t know how to let go of the anger and humiliation and feelings of betrayal. I wish I could. I want to, but every time I’m near Luke, I not only want to wrap myself around him, I want to horsewhip him too. I don’t know how to move forward.”

          “Well, before we decided to do this,” Joe said, “we visited Miz. Lionel and talked over the whole thing. We don’t really have any advice to offer beyond let bygones be bygones, but Miz. Lionel suggested you stop by for some of her venison stew and a little chat.”

          “Yep, she helped us figure out what to say. She may be oldern dirt, but she’s got a lot of wisdom.” Dave added.

          Dale finished off their talk by telling Hannah, “We told her you’d be there for lunch tomorrow. Now, I think it’s time I got back in the kitchen if we’re going to have any dinner tonight. And, don’t the two of you have something to do in the barn. I think we should leave Hannah on her own to do some thinking.”

          As the three men stood up, so did Hannah. She went to each one and hugged hard, murmuring words of appreciation. As they left the dining hall, Hannah sat back down and that’s where Luke and Stevie found her later that afternoon as he got ready to leave for the day.

          “Mom, hey mom. Guess what? Luke had a nap too and boy does he snore loud. He woke me up snoring.”

          Hannah pulled her warm boy on to her lap as Luke denied he snored. She gave him some hugs and kisses before sitting him on his feet. “Now, go see Uncle Dale and get yourself a snack.”

          Luke knelt for Stevie’s hug and kiss, saying, “See you tomorrow Bud.”

          As Stevie ran off to the kitchen, Luke stood, looked at Hannah and asked once again if she’d like to do something special with him and Stevie the next day.

          Every single cell in Hannah’s body was shouting that they’d like to do something with just Luke, but once again, she said, “Thanks Luke. Appreciate the invite, but I have plans for tomorrow. Enjoy your time with Stevie.”

          Luke looked disappointed as he had after she’d refused every other invitation. He walked around the table and gave her brain a soft pull. “Okay, we’ll see you some time tomorrow I’m sure, and I'm still loving you."

          Hannah held herself completely still until she heard Luke’s boots leave the dining hall. 

WATER RIGHTS, CHAPTER 16, LUKE RETURNS

 

The last Saturday in October, Hannah buckled Stevie into his car seat and drove into town. They were going to visit Liam and Celia and Hannah needed to pick up supplies at the grocery and feed store. Celia had agreed to keep an eye on Stevie while Hannah did that. It was certainly easier to move about town on her own than to wrangle Stevie into and out of the stores and other places he thought would be more interesting than where Hannah wanted to go.

          In the feed store, she went back to the order desk to see about having chicken feed, pig pellets and some bags of oats put in the back of her truck. While she was standing there, her back to the rest of the store, she felt a hand on her shoulder which sent a frisson of heat through her body and heard a very familiar voice, “Hannah?”

          She froze in place and wanted to simply sink through the floor or magically disappear so she wouldn’t have to turn around and see him. Instead, she reminded herself she was a Wakefield, shrugged off the hand and turned around.

          “Luke.” She responded without a smile or any trace of emotion on her face even though her heart was about to pound out of her chest.

          “Hannah, I was hoping to see you. I was hoping we could have coffee and maybe talk. I’ve so much I want to say, so much I want to explain. Please, it’s so important to me.”

          Hannah stepped back until the counter hit her in the back. “Well, Luke, I think everything was said at my gramps’ funeral. I don’t think there’s much of anything we need to talk about. You’ve gone on with your life and I’ve gone on with mine. I’d say it was nice to see you, but I don’t lie like some people I know.”

          She turned back to the counter and said, “Hal, my truck’s out back, so if you could get someone to put those bags into the bed, I’d appreciate it. I’ve a couple of other errands to get done. Thanks so much.”

          Hannah turned around again, deliberately stepped around Luke and walked slowly out of the feed store. Part of her wanted to run back and throw herself into Luke’s arms, but she wasn’t about to do that. With any luck at all, she thought, no one will tell him about Stevie and I’m so glad he wasn’t with me. I don’t owe him any explanations. Hopefully, he’s just moving through and will be gone tomorrow.

          Luke stared after Hannah and wondered what he could do to get her to sit down and listen to him. Jamison had really done a great job in turning her completely away from him. He turned to Hal and said, “Let me give you a hand with Hannah’s order.”

          When Luke went out back, he was surprised to find the truck indicated was a new one. Things must be looking up out at the ranch he thought. Then, he saw the car seat in the back. It shocked him and he instantly wondered if it was there because Hannah had had a baby or if it was for some other kid. He thought back to all those afternoons at the waterfall and the nights Hannah had crept into his bed. They’d not used any protection at all. They’d been so in love, or so he thought, that it hadn’t even occurred to him that he should have bought some condoms or asked if she was on birth control pills.

          The truck loaded with Hannah’s order Luke glanced inside the cab at the car seat and the toys strewn across the truck seat. He shrugged his shoulders and thought, sorry Hannah, but we’re definitely going to have to have a conversation now. You’re going to have to listen to me and then I’m going to listen to you, but we’re going to have a dialogue.

          Luke returned to his own new truck, one Hannah wouldn’t recognize and moved it so he could see her truck when she returned. He had worked hard the last couple of years to better himself. He’d followed the rodeo circuit, won far more than he’d lost and put everything he could into a bank account. This summer was the last one he’d be doing that. He'd sold his trailer and his rodeo horses to an up-and-coming younger man for a good price. Luke wasn’t the penniless down on his luck cowboy he’d been before. Now, if he could just have a serious conversation with Hannah, he had something to offer which he hoped she’d want, especially now, if she’d had a kid and it was his.

Luke didn’t have to wait long and he was very careful about following her. If she headed out of town, then she was going home and he’d give her time to get there before he showed up. Instead, she turned a corner off the main road and Luke waited and watched as she drove down a couple of blocks and stopped. After she got out of the truck and went into the house, he moved his truck so he could still see hers.

          It wasn’t too long before Hannah came out the front door, carrying what looked to be a little boy. He was dressed like a cowboy and waving and calling over her shoulder to the woman and child standing in the doorway. Luke wished he were closer, wished the cowboy hat would fly off, anything that would allow him to see the child and know whether or not it was his. Hannah buckled the kid in, got in herself and headed toward the ranch. Luke wanted to follow right behind her, but he thought he’d have some lunch. Maybe the kid took a nap. He and Hannah needed to be alone for their talk.

          It was late afternoon by the time Luke turned in the driveway that led to Hannah’s house. He was astonished by what he saw as he drove slowly down the road. The right pasture was now filled with tiny houses and beautifully landscaped with flowers and trees and benches. Further down was a much larger building with a swimming pool adjacent.  The pasture on the left side was occupied by way more horses than the ranch had supported in the past. The barn that fed into that pasture had been renovated and enlarged. As he pulled into what had been the parking area below the house, he found it had been enlarged and asphalted to providing parking for many vehicles. The house itself still sat up on the small rise, but, it too, had been renovated and gleamed a beautiful light yellow in the sun.

Whoa, Luke thought, things have really changed and he wondered if Hannah still lived here or if, and he hadn’t thought of this, but maybe she was already married to someone. The idea Hannah had married someone else made the lunch he’d eaten turn into a brick in his stomach. He seriously hoped and prayed that wasn’t the case, but he’d soon find out.

Luke parked and got out of the truck. He began walking toward the new and much wider steps with sturdy rails on either side when he heard laughter coming from the direction of the barn. The little kid he’d seen came barreling out of the barn with Hannah in hot pursuit. “Come back here you little mite. I’m going to have to do something horrible to you when I catch up.”

The little boy looked back over his shoulder, laughed delightedly and increased his speed. “You’ll never catch me. I’m the fastest in the land.”

Since he was looking back and not ahead, he ran right into Luke’s legs. Luke had seen it coming, so he was prepared. He grabbed the boy to keep him from falling and his cowboy hat fell off. Hannah’s huge eyes looked up at Luke. The boy stopped laughing instantly and it was Hannah’s mouth Luke saw, but everything else in the shocked face was Luke as he’d been when he was small.

“Who’re you?” the boy asked? “If you’re looking for a job, you’ll have to talk to my mom.”

At that point, Hannah arrived and picked the boy up. “Stevie, playtime is over. It’s time you go up to the house, wash up, have a snack and a lay-down.”

“But….” Stevie began.

“No, no buts ands or ifs. It is way past time for a lay-down. If you don’t go do that, there’ll be no pony exercise after dinner.”

Hannah put Stevie down and have his bottom a pat. “Git going, right now.”

Rather than running as he’d been doing before, Stevie, shoulders slumped, cowboy hat hanging down his back slowly toiled toward the house. The way he took each step made it seem as though it were mountain-sized.

“Hannah, we need to talk. All I had to do was look at him and I knew immediately he was my child. Why didn’t you say anything that day you threw me off the ranch? I wouldn’t have left if I’d known. I’d have wanted to be part of his life, of your life.”

“Look Luke, my Gramps had just died. I was leaning heavily on you and then Jamison began to spew all that nasty stuff. At the time, I thought I was going to throw up or faint. It hurt so much to think you were just using me, to use Jamison’s word, fucking me so you could get whatever he wanted, or whatever you wanted. I just wanted you gone, and I still do. So, go on, get in your truck and get out of here.”

Hannah turned to walk away and Luke grabbed her arm and turned her back so he could look into her eyes. “Look Hannah, I’m not going to just go away and leave you and my child behind. I love you, both of you even though I don’t know Stevie. I’m going to spend whatever time it takes to convince you that I loved you when Stevie was conceived and that I love you now. I’ll leave for now, but I’ll be back every single day until you are convinced I love you and that you want me in your lives.”

Luke got into his truck and Hannah continued her walk to the house. She was unbelievably grateful to find Stevie had already been put down for his little nap. She stood in the window and watched as Luke drove slowly down the ranch road to the highway. Her heart was beating so hard. All she’d wanted to do was throw herself into Luke’s arms, allow herself to melt into his body as she’d done before, but that simply wasn’t going to happen. He’d devastated her once and she wasn’t going to allow him to do so again. Besides, she had too much responsibility and work to make room for him in her life. He could come as often as he liked, but she sure wasn’t going to roll out a welcome wagon.

It began the very next day. Luke showed up before lunch. He had a huge bouquet of flowers for Hannah and a book about horses for Stevie. At the time, Hannah was busy in the barn while also trying to keep an eye on her boy.

Hannah took off her gloves, sniffed the flowers and said, “Thank you. These are lovely and smell wonderful. Why don’t you take them to the dining room. I’m sure Dale or someone there can use them for the tables.”

Luke turned to Stevie and held out a book. “How about you show me to the dining room? Maybe we could have something to drink and I could read some of this book to you. Would you like that?”

Hannah could see Stevie was torn by the idea. He knew he wasn’t supposed to talk to strangers or go with anyone if his mom or one of the staff wasn’t present, especially since the ranch had so many strangers as guests. Stevie’s look at Hannah implored her to say yes.

“Stevie, this is a friend from before you were born. His name is Luke and he used to help my Gramps with ranch work. If you’d like to go with him, it’s okay.”

Before Luke could do anything, the book was yanked out of his hands and Stevie was pulling him toward the barn door. “Come on, before mom changes her mind. This looks like a cool book. I like horses. Do you like horses? Can you ride a horse? I have a pony and I can almost ride him all by myself now. Do you have a horse?”

As Luke followed after Stevie, he looked over his shoulder and mouthed, “Thank you.” Hannah watched them leave the barn and the sound of Stevie’s voice fade away. As it turned out, when Hannah went to have lunch, Luke and Stevie were sitting at the same table eating their own lunch. Luke was turning pages in the book and it looked as though they were having a serious conversation about whatever was on the pages. Hannah wasn’t going to bother them, but as if he had some sort of radar, Luke looked up and gestured for Hannah to join them. She really didn’t want to, but was afraid it would look rude or funny if she didn’t.

Hannah filled her plate from the various dishes in the buffet. Breakfast and lunch were always served buffet style, while dinner was served after the guests ordered from the chalkboard menu. When Hannah approached the table, Luke stood and pulled out a chair for her. She sat down and Luke resumed his place. “Wow, mom, Luke’s a gentleman. Mom’s trying to teach me to be polite. She wants me to grow up to be a gentleman. You must be one of those good examples she talks about all the time.”

“Well, Stevie, I wouldn’t exactly agree with what you just said, but I think it is nice if a man holds a chair for a woman. I’m not even sure your mom would say I’m any kind of a good example.”

Hannah didn’t know what to say to this dialogue between her son and Luke so she kind of equivoquated. “Stevie, Luke was a very nice man back when he worked for Gramps. I don’t know if he’s still a nice man, but it looks like he might be.”

“And mom, I love, love, love this horsey book. Did you know there are all kinds of horses. Every time Luke turns a page, I think that’s the horse I want some day. Do I have to only have just one horse?”

“You can only ride one at a time, Stevie, so we’ll have to wait and see what you like best when the time comes.” Hannah replied, flicked a look at Luke, lowered her eyes and began to eat her lunch. She didn’t try to enter the conversation the two were having, but she found the way Luke was treating Stevie endearing and his patience couldn’t be faulted.

When Hannah had finished her lunch, she turned to Stevie and said, “Yesterday, nap time was very late and you were Mr. Crabbypants at dinner and afterwards, so today, you have to take your nap on time.”

“Moooooom,” Stevie whined, “I’m not tired, and Luke and I aren’t finished with the book. I don’t want to nap.” His eyes glistened with tears and before Hannah could say anything, Luke ruffled Stevie’s hair and responded, “How about I go with you to your room. After you’re all ready for your nap, we can look at a few more pages. How does that sound.”

Immediately, Stevie rubbed the tears away and turned to Hannah, “Mom, could we do that? Please, please, please. I promise I’ll be real good. I’ll even brush my teeth without being told.”

Hannah had to laugh at the face Stevie was making. It was his I’ll do anything you want me to if you’ll only agree face. “Sure, I’ve plenty of chores to see to, so if your new friend wants to help you get your nap, that’s fine with me.” She looked at both of them sternly and finished by saying, “But, there’s no funny business, no jumping and leaping on the bed, no being the least bit naughty. Luke will read to you for a bit and that’s it. Okay?”

The two went off together, Stevie holding the book in one hand and Luke’s hand with the other. Stevie tried to match his smaller steps to Luke’s bigger steps until Luke minimized his walk. Hannah looked at the two of them and wanted to put her head on the table and cry. It would have been so wonderful to have had Luke in their lives from the beginning. She shook her head, got up and headed off to the barn.

That was where Luke found her about half an hour later. “That’s some kid you’re raising there. His vocabulary is amazing, or maybe it’s normal since I don’t know a thing about kids.” Luke interrupted her as she took care of some of the tack. “I really hope you’ll let me be a part of his life. Can I help you with anything?”

“No thanks, Luke,” Hannah responded. Just keeping Stevie busy for such a long time was a huge help. I always worry he’s going to disappear when I blink and end up hurt or in trouble. I appreciate you giving him so much of your time.”

“Well, if there’s nothing I can do to help out, I’ll head on back to town. If Stevie askes about me, tell him I’ll be back tomorrow, and I will be. I’m not going to disappear Hannah, no matter how much you may wish I would. I’ll keep coming back day after day until you can learn to trust me, to believe me.”

Luke reached out and gave her braid a little tug. “I can’t wait to see your hair cascading around your body. I’ve dreamed of that so many nights. I love you and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Hannah stood there as Luke went out the barn door. Her entire body had responded to the braid tug and Luke’s words. She felt as though every single cell from the tips of her toes to the ends of her hair was electrified. Her heart rate had jumped up and her panties were feeling a trifle damp. She wanted to run after Luke, toss him to the ground and ride his cock until every single cell exploded. She hadn’t had a man since the last time with Luke. Her body hadn’t forgotten how it was with them. Her body wanted, desired; and if she wasn’t careful, would be demanding the kind of satisfaction she’d only ever had with Luke.

Hannah shook her head, told herself to quite thinking about such stupid things, especially things that were never going to happen. Luke was welcome to spend time with Stevie, and perhaps they would tell Stevie that Luke was his daddy, but she wasn’t going to ever be part of the bargain, no matter what.

WATER RIGHTS, CHAPTER 15, LIFE GOES ON

 

The new year began and Hannah’s workers and hands returned to the ranch and buckled down to get all the projects either underway or completed. Hannah and Celia had become fairly good friends and she went to a baby shower for Celia in early January. A couple of weeks later Celia gave birth to a baby boy, Liam, which was exactly what they expected. Hannah was amazed at the tender feelings this little guy engendered in her and made her want her Little Mite’s arrival to hurry up and happen.

By mid-February, Hannah didn’t think she could possibly put on another ounce without exploding. Surely Little Mite had to weigh at least 15 pounds or more. It was all she could do to walk from the house to the barn without having to stop and breathe on the way. Coming back was even more difficult and took even longer.

Finally, early morning on the 17^th, Hannah’s water broke and Dale drove her into the hospital. Dale had stayed throughout the December hiatus as had another much younger hand, Jamey, who had said he didn’t have any reason to go home for the holidays because he didn’t really have a home. Hannah also knew the young man, a couple years older than she, had a bit of a crush on her, fat belly and all. She was very careful to make sure she offered no encouragement.

At the hospital, the staff got her all squared away and Dale settled in to be her coach if she needed one. Labor and delivery were surprisingly easy and only took a few hours. Hannah couldn’t believe the feelings in her heart and head when Stephen was laid upon her chest. Even Dale, who’d stayed beside her the entire time was a bit misty eyed. Yes, Stephen, for her own dad and Thomas for her gramps, Wakefield had arrived. He was long, almost 22 inches, lean, absolutely no butt whatsoever even though he weighed almost ten pounds.

Since the day was almost over, Dr. Harvey made the decision to keep them overnight. The next morning Dale arrived and escorted Hannah and Stevie out to the car. Hannah buckled the Little Mite in and they headed for home. When they arrived at the ranch, the entire contingent of people working and living there were outside in the cold waiting for them to arrive. They crowded into the kitchen and Hannah finally had to tell them Stevie wasn’t going to be passed around any longer. Both she and the baby needed to nurse and have a bit of a nap.

Time passed and Hannah, with Stevie snuggled into a chest carrier went about her chores, conferred with Dale and Anita and any of the other workers who had a question or problem. Things were coming along nicely and the web site Anita had developed and marketed had led to bookings that would begin Memorial Day weekend. Not only that, but they were fully booked through July 4^th, and it looked as though WFR TREKS was going to be a success.

Hannah loved motherhood and believed she was a great success at the job. Her Little Mite nursed very well, gained weight as he should and was reaching or surpassing all the milestones in the baby book to which Hannah referred. She and Celia tried to get together at least every couple of weeks to compare notes and get their babies habituated to each other. All their lives were going well, and while at times when Ted was around when she visited, she felt the lack of a supportive husband or partner, Hannah always reminded herself that she had a huge family on which she could rely, a family which she herself had created.

As Stevie grew, Hannah watched for signs of Luke and seriously hoped he had inherited mostly her genes. That was a hope that didn’t come to fruition. Stevie’s skin was far more tan than Hannah’s and he didn’t have a single red or blond hair when his hair started growing. Instead, it was shiny coal black, just like Luke’s. Only his mouth and eyes could be attributed to Hannah’s genes. Oh well, she thought, I loved his daddy when he was created and I’m certainly not going to hold bad feelings because he looks like Luke.

WFR TREKS was a great success and once again, Hannah was so grateful to have Anita on hand. Anita kept everything moving forward in a straight line. There were never any problems with too many clients and not enough space. Dale’s food was excellent. The horses Joe and Dave had purchased early in the year for the trail treks were all excellent animals and Jamey turned out to be an excellent teacher when it came to showing and instructing their guests on how to take care of their mounts and tack.

Hannah led the first trek to the waterfall that August. She thought she might feel nostalgic for Luke and the time they’d spent there, but she was kept busy making sure none of the guests slipped on the rocks or drowned in the pool. Everyone who’d gone said it was one of the best experiences they’d had at WFR.

The decision had been made early on that they’d stop receiving guests after Labor Day. That decision was made because they still had the cattle in the canyons and valleys to bring down and get ready for sale. Since the new venture appeared to be successful, Hannah decided she’d ship almost all the cattle off to market that fall.

October finally arrived and WFR was once again a mostly silent place with only the ranch hands and workers on site. It was time to take stock of the little houses, fix or replace whatever needed fixing or replacing and getting them ready for the winter. It was also time to look at the other outbuildings and barn as well. Once all those chores were completed, Hannah found she could reduce her staff by at least half, if not more. And, when Anita brought her the spreadsheet with the final numbers, she found that they’d made a profit. Not a huge one, but they hadn’t lost any money either. In fact, the profit was enough to add a little bonus to each worker’s final paycheck. As the staff was reduced, Hannah met with each employee, provided a critique of the work they’d done that summer, and offered to rehire them the following April or May, depending on whether they were staff that supported the guests or staff that supported the ranch. There wasn’t a single employee that Hannah didn’t invite back and most said they’d return unless something more permanent year-round came up.

          Finally, everything was buttoned up for the winter and Dale could return to Hannah’s kitchen to cook because those remaining could be fed at the old kitchen table. Hannah liked having Dale, Dave, Joe, Jamey, Chad, Emily and sometimes Anita there for breakfast and dinner. They all doted on Stevie who was no longer a little baby. He now sat in a high chair and ate some of the same food as the rest of them. He was still nursing, but only in the morning and at night. He had been sitting up for a while and crawling in a funny frog-like manner for some time. Stevie had also begun trying to pull himself up on whatever was available. Hannah was afraid he was going to start walking any minute.

          Sure enough, before the end of October at just over nine months, Stevie let go of the chair he was holding on to and ventured forth. He was wobbly, but he managed to get to Hannah a few steps away and looked at her with this huge smile, as if to say, “Looky there. Looky at what I just did.” Hannah had to laugh through her tears as she scooped him up for neck kisses and tummy raspberries. God, I love this kid, she thought.

          They settled into a winter routine. Hannah didn’t have all that much to do, so she spent most of her time with Stevie, playing with him and reading. She went to Celia’s a bit more often and both the boys loved each other and happily shared whatever toys and fun that was available. They seemed to talk to each other in some kind of baby talk that didn’t make any sense to their mothers, but the mothers didn’t care because they loved the fact their boys were already friends.

          Liam didn’t develop as rapidly as Stevie, but he wasn’t far behind. When he saw Stevie walking on his own, it was as though he’d been issued a challenge, so the next time they got together, Liam was almost able to keep up with Stevie. Celia and Hannah both hated the way the boys seemed to be growing so fast and mourned the loss of their little babies. Celia, of course, planned to have another one in the next couple of years, but Hannah figured Stevie just might be her only one.

          Winter was flying by and before she knew it, Liam was a year old, soon followed by Stevie. They went to each other’s birthday parties and in addition to Liam and Celia, everyone who’d stayed over the winter helped her celebrate this wonderful milestone and spoiled the heck out of him. Besides his first pair of cowboy boots which Hannah bought, he received a trike he could ride in the house, other toys and clothes and best of all, Uncle Dale stole the honor of giving Stevie his first little pony with all the tack required. When Dale took everyone out to the barn and put Stevie up on the already saddled pony, it was all they could do to get him off the pony and back into the house for cake and ice cream, his favorite foods. Dale even tried to get Stevie off and allow Liam a walk around the barn on the pony. For the first time, Stevie didn’t want to share. It was a wonderful day although it made Hannah very sad when she thought about the future and not having any more children.

Some of the workers and ranch hands came back in April. And, since the bunkhouse seemed as though it was about to burst at the seams, Hannah proposed Dale move into the house and into one of the upstairs rooms. She made the same offer to Joe and Dave. Both Dale and Joe were happy to move, so two of the four upstairs bedrooms were now occupied. Over the winter, with this in mind, Hannah had used Stevie's nap times and gone through more boxes, tossed, donated or utilized some of what she found, purchased new beds, painted and did whatever she could that would make those rooms more welcoming for their occupants. Some folks might have thought it was a bad idea to have employees actually living in her house, but these men weren’t just employees, they had become family.

          By the time Memorial Day weekend rolled around again, everyone was ready to entertain the guests and make sure they had a wonderful time whether they hiked, rode horses, went to the waterfall or helped around the barn. They had a number of repeat clients from the year before as well as a waiting list. Hannah held a staff meeting to discuss whether they should continue to receive guests after Labor Day. Everyone agreed that it would be beneficial to stay open until the end of September.

          So, spring moved into summer and on to September. By now, Hannah had to keep an eagle eye on Stevie because he didn’t just walk, he ran everywhere. She and other staff tried to impress upon him the fact that some things just weren’t safe, but he didn’t always listen. And, he was a great favorite with most of the guests. His flying black hair, twinkling eyes, huge smile and eagerness to do and to know everything endeared Stevie to whoever came into his orbit. It wasn’t unusual for Hannah to think he was right beside her only to look up and see his little butt disappearing into the barn or running down the walkways at the WFR little houses.

          The one good thing about Stevie being so active is that it really helped Hannah get back in shape. Yes, she still worked hard, but running after Stevie and tossing him around tightened up her muscles, erased some of the baby fat and she had finally begun to wear her old comfortable jeans during the winter. Once she quit nursing which she now only did at night and hated the idea of giving up even though Stevie was going to turn two in just a few months, she thought she’d look pretty much like she had before she got pregnant.

          Hannah had also given some thought to cutting off her hair. Yes, she’d promised her mother she wouldn’t ever cut it, but some days it just seemed so hot and heavy. The only thing that stayed her hand with the scissors was the fact it was so easy this way. She could wash her hair without taking it out of its braid. She could wind it up and have it out of the way. It just seemed the most simple way of dealing with the hair on her head, so she kept it in the braid and rarely combed it down so it flowed over her shoulders and back.

          And so, the second season for WFR passed. It was even more successful than the first. As a result, Hannah gave some thought to adding a few more little houses, enlarging the bunkhouse, increasing the horse herd and potentially adding a swimming pool so guests, especially the older ones, wouldn’t have to ride all the way to the waterfall in order to swim.

          Hannah talked about these plans with Dale, Anita, Jamey and a couple of other employees who had been asked to take on additional and supervisory responsibilities. Everyone thought the ideas she promoted sounded great, so instead of giving everyone a final check, Hannah held a staff meeting, outlined the plans for the winter and offered anyone who wanted to stay on a job that would take them through the winter. A couple of the hands had families and couldn’t stay, but pretty much everyone else was excited about the new plans and staying on. WFR was definitely going to be an even bigger success than Hannah originally envisioned.

          The winter passed quickly and everyone was kept busy bringing in more little houses and doing whatever was required to bring Hannah’s plans to fruition. Stevie’s second birthday was even bigger than his first. He did get new cowboy boots from Hannah, but she had encouraged his various honorary aunts and uncles to be a bit more circumspect and not provide an entire toy store on the big day. For some reason Stevie expected another pony even though he hadn’t outgrown the one he’d received the year before. He was initially disappointed but comforted by Hannah that night when she nursed him for what she’d decided would be the last time. She’d been preparing Stevie for this over the past couple of weeks and he didn’t seem too upset over the idea it was his last nini. Hannah would continue to read to him and cuddle, but her shirt would remain in place from then on.

          WFR was barely ready when Memorial Day arrived and the guest list was much larger than the year before. The new swimming pool was a huge hit and the majority of the guests preferred that to the trek to the waterfall. It was mostly the much younger guests who wanted to ride out there. Again, they had many repeat guests who complimented Hannah and her entire staff on the new amenities as well as the food, treks, events and the wonderful way in which the staff seemed to provide whatever was needed, sometimes almost before the guest knew what s/he wanted.

This, WFR’s third season was even more successful than the ones that preceded. WFR bid farewell to the last guests the end of September. The various staff in supervisory positions were asked to talk to their people and provide a list of things that would need to be addressed over the winter. Once again, WFR had made money, even more than before and once again, Hannah held a staff meeting and reviewed what needed to be repaired and/or replaced, asked for new ideas for the coming season and offered full-time employment with benefits to those who wished to stay. She even offered housing for staff who had families elsewhere. After all, the little houses sat empty through the winter.

After that meeting, Hannah saddled her horse and rode up to the waterfall. It was sunny but already getting quite chilly and she'd dressed warmly. She wanted to be alone to think about everything she’d managed to accomplish since her Gramps had died and Luke had been sent away. Sitting on one of the rocks in the sunshine, Hannah ate her lunch and congratulated herself on thinking of a way to stay on the ranch and have a business. She also congratulated herself on the family she’d built with people who had been complete strangers when they came to WFR. I’m so very lucky, she told herself. My life is good. I have Stevie and all these wonderful people who make up my family. Still, when she thought of Luke, her eyes filled with tears. She let them fall freely and thought, hoped, maybe even prayed a bit that someone would come into her life that would provide experiences the would result in erasing the memories with which Luke had left her.