Wild Horses (10 page)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I
T
WAS
ONLY
weed eradication, but Todd was looking forward to it more than he wanted to admit. Because the more time he spent with Nora, the more time he wanted.

He swung the truck onto the highway that led toward town. “So how about you?” he asked, continuing their conversation. “I know you like the outdoors, but before you came back here, were you a city person?”

She laughed softly and he looked away from the road more than he should to see her smile curve up the corner of her mouth. “No. I mean, I got my PhD in Reno but I'm not sure that counts as a city. Not when you can kayak right through the downtown. I guess those years at UC Berkeley were the closest I've ever gotten to urban living.”

He glanced at her in surprise. “You didn't stop at a master's degree? You got your PhD? That's awesome. Can I call you Doctor Hoffman?”

“You could, technically, but I'd rather you didn't.”

He was so proud of her, which made no sense. He barely knew her anymore. “So I have an expert working for me. You should charge me more.”

“Well, now that you mention it, maybe I will.”

He laughed. It felt good that things could be easy like this between them. “What did you write your thesis on?”

“Range management practices that encourage the health of native species.”

“Seriously? I'm
definitely
paying you more.”

The grin spreading across her face was new to him. Happy. Shy. Proud. “What did you think? That the Department of Range Management would hire some other kind of expert to work on their native plant project? Someone who specialized in tropical plant diseases, maybe?”

She was teasing him and he liked it. “Sure,” he countered. “Or maybe the life cycle of fungus.”

Her laugh was contagious. She was so serious most of the time, it felt great to be the one to crack her up. “I didn't even know you were interested in range management back in college.”

She shrugged. “I think at that time I was just trying to get as far away from anything to do with ranches as I could. But eventually I missed it. I knew I didn't want my own ranch, but I did want to work in a rural area.”

He pulled up in front of the hardware store, its vintage clapboard storefront still charming to the suburban Seattle kid in him. They got out of the truck and Todd moved a little faster than Nora so he could hold the door open for her. She smiled at him briefly as she went by, but something had changed. The laughter was gone. She bit her lip. She looked nervous now. He wasn't sure what was going on. Had he said something wrong? He led the way inside.

The owner looked up from his newspaper as they entered. “Afternoon, Todd. What can I do you for?”

“Hi, Phil. We need to pick up a few hoes. And some strong clippers. Got any in stock?”

Phil pointed into the depths of the store. “In the back. And who is your lady friend here?”

Todd turned and noted Nora's white cheeks, the way she was biting her lip again. “Phil, this is Nora Hoffman.”

Nora cleared her throat. “Good to see you again, Phil.”

Of course she'd know Phil. The people around here were still relatively new to him, but they were a part of her childhood.

“Nora Hoffman. You're back in town?” Phil leaned on the counter, studying her closely.

Nora shifted, stood up a little taller. “For now. My brother's back, too. Fixing up the ranch. He's planning to raise cattle there.”

“Your brother? I'd better get an extra lock for my shop door.”

Phil was too amused by his own humor to see Nora wince. But Todd did. He tried to help. “It's Wade. Nora's younger brother. He's a good guy. In fact, he just got back from fighting for our country over in Afghanistan.”

“Wade? The last thing I remember about Wade was when he stole the vice principal's car over at the high school and left it chained to a tree way out by the old quarry. They called me out there to cut off all the locks. Took me hours to get that damn car free.”

Nora's hands were bunching into fists. Todd had never seen her look so uncomfortable.

“Well, I'm sure glad that I grew up somewhere else, so you don't know all the stuff
I
got into in high school.” He kept his voice light, willing Nora to say something. To stand up for herself with some of that attitude she always threw his way. But she stood there, not quite looking at Phil. As if she was just waiting for this to be over.

“Well, I'm glad to hear Wade shaped up to be a soldier. If you'd told me back then that he'd make something of himself, I'd have told you that you were dreaming. Todd, you wouldn't believe the things he and Nora's dad and older brothers got up to. I'm sure she could tell you some stories...”

He had to end this. And get Nora the hell out of here. She looked frozen, and very alone. He walked over to stand next to her. “I'm sure she could. But right now we're in kind of a hurry. Nora's got her doctorate in plant biology and she's advising me on how to improve my pastures. You ready, Dr. Hoffman?”

“A doctor?” Phil gave a low whistle. “Well, that's impressive.”

“She's an expert on range management. With a specialty in native vegetation.”

“Todd, it's okay.” Nora finally spoke and Todd was relieved to see color creeping back into her cheeks.

“Well, I'll know who to call when someone comes in here asking me a question I can't answer,” Phil chuckled. “A doctor, who would have thought? You were such a scrap of a thing all those years ago.”

“I'll grab those tools,” Todd said. “Nora, would you mind heading to the truck and checking out those maps we were talking about? That way you can show me which way we're headed.”

She shot him a wan smile. “Sure. Goodbye, Phil.” She was out the door in an instant.

Todd found a couple of sturdy-looking hoes and some clippers in the back and brought them up to the counter. “Do me a favor, Phil,” he said as he handed him a couple of twenties. “When you're spreading the word around town that the Hoffmans are back, be careful how you put it. Maybe leave the past back where it belongs. Nora and Wade are good people who've each made something great out of their lives. They deserve our respect, you know?”

Phil nodded as he handed back Todd's change. “I guess I see your point.”

“So you'll help me out with this?”

“Sure.” A slow smile spread over Phil's face. “And it looks like I might have a new story to tell about the Hoffmans anyway.”

“What do you mean?” Todd asked absently, looking out to the truck, trying to see what Nora was doing.

“The story about how you're sweet on Nora Hoffman.”

Todd's face went hot. “There's true stories and made-up ones,” he said. “Stick with the truth, my friend.”

“I intend to.” Phil gave him a wink. Great. Todd had no doubt that every customer who came in for the next few days would be regaled with the story of the Hoffmans' return, and how Todd had a thing for Nora.

Todd grabbed his tools and headed for the door. “Thanks, Phil,” he called as he pushed it open.

All he heard in reply was the store owner's hearty laughter. It wasn't the story he wanted spread, but at least it didn't involve the negative history of Nora's family. And if he had to bear the weight of the jokes and teasing for a while, so be it. He owed Nora a lot, and this was the least he could do.

* * *

N
ORA
HUNCHED
IN
the seat of Todd's truck, fiddling with the tiny tape measure she'd swiped from Phil's shop on her way out. Her first crime ever—a ten-cent child's toy. It was such a petty thing to do. But something had snapped when Phil started judging her.

She shouldn't have come into town. She could tell from the racket that Todd was chucking the tools into the back with extra force. He must be upset, too.

She'd been avoiding doing her shopping in Benson because she was afraid of embarrassment like this. People had long memories when it came to the kind of exploits her family had gotten into.

She should have stood up for herself in there. She should have thought of something clever to say. But she'd never been good at that. In most conflicts she just went mute, like she had today, a deer in headlights. The fact that Todd, of all people, had to step in and rescue her made the whole thing even more mortifying.

Todd opened the driver's-side door and slid into his seat. “That went well.” He winked when he said it, obviously trying to lighten things up.

“Don't,” she said shortly, turning her head away.

“Nora, you can't let that stuff get to you.” He started the truck and pulled away from the curb.

“Really, Todd? I should just be happy that he sees me the same way he did when I was a kid? As the girl from the loser family?”

“That's not what I'm saying. I just think he probably didn't mean any harm by it.”

“So I should smile and nod while he rehashes my family's history? No, thanks.” Her anger wasn't logical, but it was rooted in shame, which never made much sense. The moment Phil had opened his mouth she was twelve years old again, being followed around the market by the owner who thought she'd steal the groceries. She was thirteen, being teased by the girls at school for her ragged clothes. She was fourteen, using her meager savings to bail her father and brothers out of jail. She was the girl who'd left Benson vowing never to return. And today, Phil had reminded her exactly why she'd made that vow.

Todd broke into her thoughts. “You're strong, Nora. All I'm saying is, don't let your family's choices define you.”

She couldn't listen to any more of his advice. What did he, the cherished son of a wealthy family, know about her life? “I get that you're trying to help, but you don't know what it's like.”

“I might know more than you think.” He turned at the dirt lane that bordered the pasture where the mullein was rampant and drove slowly down the road as it dipped into a wide wash. Halfway up the other side was a pullout, and he eased the truck over onto the loose, rocky margin and parked.

Nora got out and looked around. Everything seemed dim, as if the light had gone out of the day. When she turned toward the mountains, she saw that it wasn't just her mood. Clouds were piling up over the peaks to the west and sliding slowly across the sky toward them, covering the sun. The wind picked up a lock of her hair and toyed with it lightly, then set it down again. “Weather's changing,” she said and grabbed a hoe and a pair of clippers from the back of the pickup.

“Hey.” Todd had removed his cowboy hat and the wind ruffled his thick honey-colored hair, making it spike a bit. He leaned on the truck bed facing her. “I'm just sorry for what happened in the store.”

“It's okay.” She could feel the skin on her face heating despite the cool air. “I've heard worse.”

“You don't deserve this kind of homecoming.”

“Well, this place never felt much like home.”

He was silent for a moment, staring at the peaks beyond her. Then his eyes refocused on her face and they were kind. Gentle. Understanding. “You only came back here for Wade, didn't you?”

She didn't want kind and gentle from him. She didn't want anything that would weaken the suit of emotional armor she'd donned. She reached into the truck, grabbed a handful of garbage bags and shoved them into the back pockets of her jeans, wishing she'd brought her tool belt with her. “He's my brother. If working our ranch is his dream, then I'm happy to help him out for a while.”

Todd leaned over the edge of the pickup, grabbing his tools, and they started toward the pasture fence. The metal gate was locked, so Nora tossed her hoe over and climbed the bars after it, jumping down on the other side.

Todd followed with an easy vault, landing neatly on his good leg.

“I get that Phil probably thought he was being friendly, in his own way,” she told him. “I just wish he'd kept his friendly thoughts to himself.” She spotted the mullein growing next to the wash in thick clusters of gray-green spikes. Their yellow flowers swayed in the wind like rebellious flags. She started toward them.

Todd fell into step beside her. “I hope you don't mind, but I did mention that idea to him.”

Nora stopped in her tracks. “Tell me you didn't.”

Todd smiled at her, leaning casually on his hoe as if he hadn't just announced such humiliating news. “Look, if coming back here is hard for you, I'd like to help. I've only been here a few years, but I've known Phil that entire time. We get along. He adopted one of my horses. So if I can put in a word and get him to ease up, and to see you and Wade in a new way, I'm happy to do it.”

Mortified heat pooled under Nora's skin. She wanted to be anywhere else than right here, in this pasture, listening to Todd blathering on about helping her.

She thought again of all the times she'd fantasized about seeing him again. How strong she'd planned to be. How together. His pity was so much the opposite of that.

He was, of course, oblivious to her thoughts. “I know you grew up here, but I think the community has changed a lot. I've met a lot of people. Good people. Some who were born and raised here and some who came recently, like Tess, who you met the other day. Or Jack Baron. I don't think you've met him, but he taught me how to work with the horses. And his wife is from San Francisco. She's really cool. Maybe I could introduce you and Wade to some of them. It might help you feel more welcome.”

She may have survived Phil's well-intentioned blundering, but she didn't know if she'd survive this. Todd saw her as such a charity case that he needed to step in and intervene? To help her adjust to life in
her
own
hometown? “It's okay, Todd. If people want to judge me or be rude because of what they know about my family, that's their problem. I learned a long time ago that it doesn't matter what some guy at the hardware store in Benson thinks of me.” She started walking again.