A Moment To Dance (3 page)

Those four little words snuffed out her glimmer of hope. “Oh, no!”

“However, if you’d like to watch the competition, we still have tickets available for the dinner and show. We’re raising money to fix up the town square and reopen the train depot. How many dinner tickets will you need?”

“But I really need to win the grand prize.” Ella bemoaned the fact more to herself than to the woman on the other end of the phone.

“You and half the county.” The woman’s light tone carried with it a smile. Instantly, Ella liked her. “You know what? Let me take your name and number in case a contest ticket becomes available.”

Ella shrugged. What could it hurt? “My name’s Ella Morgan.”

“Oh my goodness! I was going to call you this evening and thank you.”

“Thank me? For what?”

The woman chuckled. “I’m sorry, dear. I didn’t mean to confuse you. I’m Carlota Granger, Johnny’s grandmother.”

A moment of clarity struck her. This woman was Tony’s mother. Though she’d met the man only that afternoon, thoughts of him littered her mind.

“My grandson’s tendency to act first and think later is an inherited trait. I pray he never does something so dangerous again. Thank you for watching out for him. I don’t know what I’d have done if anything had happened to him…” Her voice crackled with raw emotion.

“I’m glad I was there to help out.”

The woman sniffed as though fighting off tears. “We both are.”

“By the way, I found something I believe belongs to Johnny. An electronic game card of some sort.”

“Oh, yes, he’ll be missing that.” There was a pause before the woman spoke again. “I’d really like a chance to thank you in person. Would you like to stop by tomorrow, say, around eleven, for coffee?”

Perhaps pleading her case in person would sway the woman to help her with the dance contest. After all, someone might still need a partner. And it wasn’t like she had any other pressing plans for the weekend. “Sure, I’d like that. And I’ll bring the cartridge with me.”

While Carlota gave her directions to the ranch, Tony’s image came to mind. Would he be there? It was quite obvious that he was a busy man. She felt confident that the chance of running into him again was slim.

It wasn’t that he was hard on the eyes—far from it. The problem was that he seemed like a naturally loud man, not a good person to be around when you wanted to fade into the background. If he ever found out about her past… She inwardly cringed, thinking of him mentioning her secret in public with his booming voice. Then everyone would know. The raised eyebrows and whispers would start again.

Not that any of that would happen. She intended to take a wide berth around him, and she hoped he would do the same. They obviously wouldn’t get along, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be friendly with his mother. One thing had absolutely nothing to do with the other.

CHAPTER THREE

B
eneath a clear blue sky, Ella drove under a black wrought-iron sign that read Circle G Ranch. She turned onto a bumpy dirt lane and soon approached the sprawling ranch house. She pulled to a stop. Small boulders and cacti skirted a sweeping veranda. The place was charming and had a welcoming appeal.

With it being Saturday, she once again wondered if she might run into the cowboy…and Johnny. Maybe she should have arranged to meet the woman in town at the Green Chile Cantina or the Poppin’ Fresh Bakery. Ella scanned the area, finding no one out and about. She was getting worked up about nothing.

Again, Tony’s handsome face came to mind. She assured herself that her only interest in seeing him was to learn how the puppy made out. Because no matter how good-looking Tony was, they weren’t compatible. And even if they were, she wasn’t interested in starting a relationship—with anyone.

She stepped out into the bright sunshine. Wide-open fields with desert grass swaying in the breeze stretched out in all directions with a few horses racing over the countryside. The vastness of the land gave the illusion that the world was truly flat. After living within the constraints of the city for so long, she was surprised to find herself drawn to the openness. A smile tugged at her lips before she turned away and started up the path to the house.

Seconds after she knocked, Mrs. Granger greeted her with a broad smile that plumped up her rosy cheeks.
“Hello, Ella. Right on time. Come in.”

The woman’s dark hair and brown eyes resembled Tony’s, but her short stance was the complete opposite of her six-foot-plus son. “I just made a fresh pot of coffee. Would you care to join me for a cup?”

“I’d love some.”

Ella stepped inside and immediately noticed the Southwest décor with various types of artwork in shades of tan, black, and turquoise. But beyond the niceties, the place had an easygoing, homey atmosphere, something her grandmother’s prim and proper home had lacked.

“Your home is lovely, Mrs. Granger.”

“Thank you. Please, call me Carlota.”

Ella followed the kind woman into the kitchen. The sun shone through the numerous windows surrounded by frilly turquoise curtains and bounced off the light oak cabinets. The whole room was bright and cheerful, just like Carlota.

Ella’s imagination ran wild with images of Tony as a young boy snatching cookies from this very counter and then racing out the back door to play in the enormous backyard. Her early years were spent in a cramped mobile home, unlike this spacious ranch house, with her mother and little brother. Ella’s smile wobbled as she recalled her mother and brother. In the absence of a father, they’d still managed a happy life in their humble home—until that one fateful night.

The brutal images washed over her. Ella stared blindly out the window as her fingertips slipped beneath her sleeve and massaged her scarred arm. She’d been only twelve when she’d awakened on the couch to find an ugly orange inferno engulfing the rear of the trailer where her mother and little brother slept. A wall of smoke had rolled over her, sucking the oxygen from her lungs. After failing to reach her family, a neighbor found her on the floor, choking. The man had carried her outside to the arms of an arriving firefighter. Though her throat burned, she’d begged the fireman to help her family, but he’d been unable to do that as raging flames shot up into the dark sky. It was too late. Her family was gone.

Ella blinked repeatedly. She hadn’t delved into those horrific memories in a very long time. She’d worked so hard to move on. And now wasn’t the time to get caught up in the past. Determined to maintain her composure, she shoved the memories to the back of her mind. No one in Whistle Stop knew her past. None of them looked at her differently, like her grandmother’s neighbors had. People’s memories were quite long. But while she was in Whistle Stop, she didn’t have to worry about what people were thinking.

“Go ahead and have a seat.” Carlota’s words cut through Ella’s harried thoughts. “I just need to grab my medicine, and then I’ll be right with you.”

Ella took a seat at the large wooden kitchen table. When she glanced toward the sink, she noticed Carlota sorting through a bunch of prescription bottles on the little wood ledges on either side of the window. Ella couldn’t help but wonder if the woman’s health was the reason Tony had stepped up to be Johnny’s guardian. The thought of Tony riding to his family’s rescue earned her respect, even if he was struggling with the enormity of the responsibility. But what exactly had happened to both of the boy’s parents?

None of which was any of her business, she reminded herself.

Carlota turned to her. “Now let me get you that coffee.”

“Can I help you?”

“Thanks. But I’ve got it.” Carlota poured them each a cup of hot brew. She moved toward the table with a slight limp. “Do you take sugar or milk?”

“Both, if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind at all.”

Before she forgot, Ella fished the game cartridge from her purse. When Carlota joined her at the table, she held it out to her. “This is what I found on the road.”

The woman accepted the black plastic card. “My grandson has a fascination with those electronic games. I’m so glad you found it. They certainly aren’t cheap.”

“Not a problem.” Ella bit down on her bottom lip as she sought a way to lead into her other reason for this visit.

Carlota gave her a hesitant look. “You look like a woman with something on her mind. I know we’ve only met, but sometimes it’s easier talking to a stranger. So spit it out.”

Carlota’s openness and easy manner had a way of easing Ella’s anxiety. She hadn’t discussed her financial difficulties with anyone but the attorney who settled her grandmother’s estate. There was an easiness in Carlota’s gaze. It would feel so good to open up and talk to someone about her troubles.

But Ella needed to plead her case carefully, making sure the woman understood how important entering the competition was to her. “I don’t know many people in town, and I was hoping you could connect me with someone who would be willing to sell me their tickets for the dance contest.”

Carlota added some milk to her cup and gave it a stir. “If you don’t mind me asking, why is this contest so important to you?”

It was too late to back out now, so Ella kept going. “I just moved to Whistle Stop. I’ve inherited a small cabin on Roca Mountain from my grandparents.”

Carlota’s face lit up. “What were your grandparents’ names?”

“Ron and Margaret Morgan.”

A light of recognition shone in Carlota’s eyes. “Well, this is a small world. Your grandparents used to be bridge partners with me and my husband.”

“I…I didn’t know that.”

Carlota added a dash of sugar to her cup and gave the coffee another stir. “Years ago, your grandparents would vacation in a cabin on Roca Mountain, and we spent many summer evenings together. I read about your grandmother’s death in the paper. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

Ella carefully considered her next words. She’d had a tenuous relationship with her grandmother during the best of times.
Time to change the subject
.

“My grandfather said this town is full of the friendliest people. He always enjoyed his visits here.”

“I hope you’ve had a chance to meet some of the townsfolk.” Carlota’s expression was one of maternal concern.

“Actually, I did make a friend at the elementary school where I teach. Her name’s Melissa. She’s the receptionist.”

“Oh. I’ve known Melissa her whole life. In fact, she graduated high school with Tony. She’s a sweet girl. Have you gotten to know anyone else? Let’s see. Who would be about your age? There’s Ana at the Green Chile Cantina and Piper at the Poppin’ Fresh Bakery.”

“I’ve been too busy looking for a second job to socialize. My job at the school is only temporary.”

“I was a teacher there until a few years ago when I had to retire early for health reasons. It’s a great place to work. Are you planning to apply for the permanent position for the fall term?”

Ella nodded. “I have to go through the interview process again.”

Carlota smiled. “I still have friends there. I’ll put in a good word for you, if you’d like.”

“I would. Very much. I had to sell everything in Albuquerque in order to cover my grandmother’s bills. All I have left is the cabin.” She pressed her lips together, shocked all of that had come gushing out.

“Oh, you poor dear. That must have been so rough on you. At least you were able to keep the cabin your grandfather built with his own hands. He was so proud of the place.”

The weight of responsibility resting on Ella’s shoulders increased as the mention of her beloved grandfather awakened feelings of loss. He had been the peacemaker. The glue that held the family together. After his death in her early teens, things became strained with her grandmother, who would never let Ella forget that she’d lived while her mother and brother hadn’t.

“This cabin, is it where you live now?”

Ella nodded. “I moved in a little more than a week ago, and I did my best to clean the place, but there’s a ton of repairs to be done. Things I can’t even begin to do myself. After those high winds the other night, there’s hints of daylight visible in the roof. And I…I don’t have anywhere else to go.” She couldn’t bring herself to admit just how bad things were with the back taxes hanging over her head.

“Oh my. So that’s why you’re anxious to enter the contest?”

“Yes. Do you know if anyone still needs a dance partner?”

“I really want to help you, but once people found out the details of the dance competition and the prize money, we sold out in a couple of days.” Carlota eyed her carefully. “Although my son has a couple of tickets. Perhaps Tony needs—”

“I need what?” Tony stepped inside the back door. When his gaze zeroed in on Ella, his eyes widened before a frown settled over his tanned face.

His mother turned. “Ella, you’ve already met my son, Tony.”

Ella gave him a stilted smile. “Hello again.”

He didn’t move from the doorway. “Howdy.”

The drawl of his deep voice made her insides quiver with excitement. When his brows lifted as though to question why she was staring at him, she lowered her gaze to her cup. But curiosity got the best of her. She glanced up to see if he looked half as good as she remembered.

While mother and son exchanged pleasantries, Ella took in his faded jeans and flat abs. She swallowed hard, telling herself she should look away. Against her better judgment, she continued her perusal of his broad chest and shoulders before settling on the solemn expression on his handsome face. Her empty stomach fluttered with a nervous energy.

He didn’t budge. Instead, he crossed his arms and leaned against the doorjamb. His poker face masked any hint of his thoughts. Had he known she was going to be here? She doubted it. If he had, she wondered if he would have shown up. She highly doubted it. They’d gotten off to a very rocky start.

Tony’s gaze met hers. “I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon.”

“Your mother invited me.” He surely didn’t think she’d come to see him, did he? Well, he was partly right. Now that she knew he had tickets to the dance competition, he was exactly who she needed to talk to. Not letting the chance to get a ticket slip through her fingers, she sent him a smile. “I’d like to discuss something with you before I leave.”

He frowned. “Does this have something to do with yesterday? I told you, I’ll handle things with Johnny. I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t mention the incident to anyone. This town thrives on gossip.”

Ella’s mouth gaped. This was the same man who’d made a scene, accusing her of mistreating his nephew for anyone in Whistle Stop to hear, and now he wanted a favor from her? He was worried people might find out? She had a feeling he was a bit late worrying about keeping the incident hush-hush after he’d practically shouted at her in town.

“Of course she won’t say anything,” Carlota said, filling the awkward silence. “How is the puppy?”

Tony continued to hold Ella’s gaze, as though waiting for her to confirm his mother’s assumption, but she wasn’t feeling so generous at this particular moment.

“Tony,” his mother prompted, “we’re waiting to hear about the puppy.”

“After a couple of baths, we finally got the little fella cleaned up. He’s out in the tack room until we find him a home, but he doesn’t have much of an appetite. The vet says nothing more can be done. All we can do now is wait.”

“I hope he feels better soon,” Carlota said, vocalizing Ella’s thoughts.

“We’re all hoping the same thing, especially Johnny.” Tony rubbed the back of his neck. “I wish he wasn’t so attached to the pup.”

Ella caught Carlota’s gaze shifting from her to her son and back again. Intrigue twinkled in the woman’s eyes. Surely Carlota wasn’t thinking that she and her son might hit it off, because that was never ever going to happen. Wasn’t their incompatibility obvious?

“Before I forget, I have something you’re gonna want to see.” Carlota slowly rose to her feet. She winced as if her joints were bothering her.

“Don’t get up,” Tony said. “Show me later.”

“Nonsense.” The woman lumbered over to the counter and picked up a legal-sized envelope. “I found this on the floor in Johnny’s room. It must have fallen out of his backpack. Thought it might be important.”