juices. Shoot! I’ve been told a Wagyu burger in Manhattan will set you back over forty bucks.”
Before Jordan could react, Bella appeared and gently pushed them toward the door.
“Come on, you two. Cooper brought his special chopped beef that melts in your mouth. For the life of me, I don’t know how he gets it so tender.” She accompanied them out the back door and across the lawn to the bunkhouse.
As soon as they entered the building where Jordan assumed Rusty had spent much of his time, she made eye contact with Maria Morales.
Tears streamed down the older woman’s cheeks while she held Jordan’s stare, and then her husband pushed her across the room to a table of Rusty’s coworkers. Bella led Jordan and Danny to the back, where Cooper Harrison and his fiancée, along with Carole Anne’s father, had a table to themselves.
Throughout the luncheon, Jordan caught herself watching Rusty’s mother, feeling a surge of guilt for not being able to help her son when he was dying. She realized it was stupid to feel that way, but seeing Maria so heartbroken made her wish she’d been able to do more. The woman’s grief tugged at Jordan’s heartstrings.
Even though she’d just met Maria, and her son only a few days before, she felt a special bond with the grieving woman. She could only imagine how hard it would be for a mother to sit through the funeral of one of her children. Her own mother came to mind. No wonder she’d been so upset when Jordan’s friends called her from the hospital several weeks before.
Jordan straightened in her chair when she saw a woman approach Rusty’s mother and bend down to kiss her forehead. It was the same woman Rusty had spoken with on his way out of the ballroom that night, the one who was so upset when the ambulance took Rusty away.
“Brenda Sue Taylor,” Carole Anne said, obviously noticing Jordan’s interest. “She and Rusty used to be an item before he dumped her and then introduced her to her husband, who by the way is twenty years her senior and rolling in money.” She shook her head. “He did the samething with me. Introduced me to Cooper one night on a date and then quit calling a week later. Guess he thought it was the perfect way to let us down gently.”
Jordan was positive she detected a hint of anger in Carole Anne’s voice, but before she could find out more, Danny blurted out why he was in Ranchero, and the conversation at the table turned to cattle rustling. Both Cooper and Carole Ann bombarded him with questions, making Jordan believe it was a bigger problem than she had assumed.
“Fortunately, we’re not affected by it,” Carole Anne said, nodding toward her father. “We only process the meat and ship it to buyers for the ranchers.”
Danny put down his coffee cup and leaned forward slightly. “And you make sure every cattleman who brings the animals has legitimate proof of ownership?”
“Of course,” Mr. Summerville answered, his speech slurred from the three double Scotches he’d had with lunch. “We’ve been doing business with most of the ranchers for over thirty years. Everyone has to show a bill of sale or proof the brand is theirs, or they go someplace else.”
“Did y’all get enough to eat?”
Everyone turned when Bella approached and stood behind Carole Anne. Not waiting for their response, she continued. “Lucas asked me to tell you that he’ll call your editor this week, Jordan.”
“Why?”
Bella shook her head. “He didn’t say, but I think he wants to work out some kind of arrangement with Egan.” She turned to walk back to the front but not before Jordan noticed how her fingers had absently massaged the back of Carole Anne’s neck. They hadn’t seemed that friendly at the ball.
“What was that all about?” Cooper asked, narrowing his eyes. “Why would Lucas need to work out an arrangement?”
Jordan stood up. “I have no idea. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I want to give my condolences to Rusty’s mom one
Before Jordan could react, Bella appeared and gently pushed them toward the door.
“Come on, you two. Cooper brought his special chopped beef that melts in your mouth. For the life of me, I don’t know how he gets it so tender.” She accompanied them out the back door and across the lawn to the bunkhouse.
As soon as they entered the building where Jordan assumed Rusty had spent much of his time, she made eye contact with Maria Morales.
Tears streamed down the older woman’s cheeks while she held Jordan’s stare, and then her husband pushed her across the room to a table of Rusty’s coworkers. Bella led Jordan and Danny to the back, where Cooper Harrison and his fiancée, along with Carole Anne’s father, had a table to themselves.
Throughout the luncheon, Jordan caught herself watching Rusty’s mother, feeling a surge of guilt for not being able to help her son when he was dying. She realized it was stupid to feel that way, but seeing Maria so heartbroken made her wish she’d been able to do more. The woman’s grief tugged at Jordan’s heartstrings.
Even though she’d just met Maria, and her son only a few days before, she felt a special bond with the grieving woman. She could only imagine how hard it would be for a mother to sit through the funeral of one of her children. Her own mother came to mind. No wonder she’d been so upset when Jordan’s friends called her from the hospital several weeks before.
Jordan straightened in her chair when she saw a woman approach Rusty’s mother and bend down to kiss her forehead. It was the same woman Rusty had spoken with on his way out of the ballroom that night, the one who was so upset when the ambulance took Rusty away.
“Brenda Sue Taylor,” Carole Anne said, obviously noticing Jordan’s interest. “She and Rusty used to be an item before he dumped her and then introduced her to her husband, who by the way is twenty years her senior and rolling in money.” She shook her head. “He did the samething with me. Introduced me to Cooper one night on a date and then quit calling a week later. Guess he thought it was the perfect way to let us down gently.”
Jordan was positive she detected a hint of anger in Carole Anne’s voice, but before she could find out more, Danny blurted out why he was in Ranchero, and the conversation at the table turned to cattle rustling. Both Cooper and Carole Ann bombarded him with questions, making Jordan believe it was a bigger problem than she had assumed.
“Fortunately, we’re not affected by it,” Carole Anne said, nodding toward her father. “We only process the meat and ship it to buyers for the ranchers.”
Danny put down his coffee cup and leaned forward slightly. “And you make sure every cattleman who brings the animals has legitimate proof of ownership?”
“Of course,” Mr. Summerville answered, his speech slurred from the three double Scotches he’d had with lunch. “We’ve been doing business with most of the ranchers for over thirty years. Everyone has to show a bill of sale or proof the brand is theirs, or they go someplace else.”
“Did y’all get enough to eat?”
Everyone turned when Bella approached and stood behind Carole Anne. Not waiting for their response, she continued. “Lucas asked me to tell you that he’ll call your editor this week, Jordan.”
“Why?”
Bella shook her head. “He didn’t say, but I think he wants to work out some kind of arrangement with Egan.” She turned to walk back to the front but not before Jordan noticed how her fingers had absently massaged the back of Carole Anne’s neck. They hadn’t seemed that friendly at the ball.
“What was that all about?” Cooper asked, narrowing his eyes. “Why would Lucas need to work out an arrangement?”
Jordan stood up. “I have no idea. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I want to give my condolences to Rusty’s mom one
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