“Thank God we hadn’t sunk a lot of money and time into renovating it yet,” Richard said.
They’d lived on the Rockin’ C Ranch with the other ranch hands after hiring on with Chance and Clayton Carlisle and had only made the ranch house livable enough to move in to a few months before the storms had hit. Their focus had been the land and saving practically every penny they earned for good breeding stock. The house had been in sad repair, and they’d originally planned to fix it up a little at a time while living in it. Between their jobs and caring for the land and livestock, the last two years had been long and hard.
“And for the fact that we weren’t home when it happened.”
Home for the last month had been the old foreman’s house on the Divine Creek Ranch. Angel, Joaquin, and Teresa Martinez and their two children had vacated it the year before when their new house was finished. The present ranch foreman, Ash Peterson, his wife Juliana, and their baby boy were living in her home while their house on FM 709 was under construction.
Grace Warner had come to the guys when she’d heard about the rickety, old ranch house being destroyed in last month’s straight line windstorm and had insisted they live in the unoccupied foreman’s house while they rebuilt.
Boone added, “At least the outbuildings and livestock were mostly unharmed.”
Boone and Richard still worked full-time at the Rockin’ C Ranch outside of Divine while Kendall worked full-time on their spread, the JWB or Jack Warner’s Boys Ranch. The JWB butted up to the Divine Creek Ranch along the creek for which it was named.
Kendall had begun working full-time on their place the year before. Their plan had been to each come back full-time to the JWB as it began to turn a profit as a cattle ranch. It was slow going, but they were patient. The JWB was a beautiful piece of land and well worth the effort.
Kendall was content in almost every area of his life, save one. The phone call from Maya had only served to bring his loneliness to mind. He could handle having to rebuild their home. He couldn’t handle the thought of rebuilding a house, only to knock around in it alone.
A cover letter and another sealed envelope with familiar handwriting on the outside fell into his lap. He opened the cover letter and quickly scanned the contents. Trepidation grew in his heart as he slit the second envelope open.
“It’s a letter from Morgan,” he murmured as the old ache surfaced in his heart for his dead friend. Morgan had been killed in a hit-and-run automobile accident a year and one day ago. Boone and Richard withdrew to the kitchen and left him to read in private.
Kendall,
It must feel weird to hold this letter in your hands right now. That means I’ve been dead for a year. It feels weird to write it, too. Sorry for your loss, dude.
You’re my best friend and Maya’s as well. That’s why I’m reaching out to you. By now, Maya should be moving on with her life, and I needed to make some things right for her sake. Being the nice guy that you are, you have no idea what I’m talking about.
I know you loved her. I know the day I married her had to be the most painful day of your life. But you stood by me the whole time without a word of complaint. It would’ve killed me if I’d been in your shoes, but you’ve stuck by us and been the kind of friend we’re both grateful for.
If you’re able, will you go to her? Will you tell her you love her and do whatever you must to get her to admit she loves you as well? I know she loves you. I knew it when I married her even though I was sure she loved me, too. I think she wanted us both and couldn’t ask for what she truly wanted. Do whatever you have to do to convince her and give her what she needs.
You’re going to think I’m a freak for saying this, but I think you’re the missing part of our marriage. I wish we lived in a culture where poly relationships were accepted. If I had chosen a different, less public profession and lived in a smaller town it might have been an option for us. I’ll never know.
Worst-case scenario, Frank Reeves will try to get involved with Maya. Please don’t allow that to happen, Kendall. I think he harbors an attraction for her, and something has been off about him lately. Tell her whatever you have to. Show her this letter if you think it will help. But keep her out of his hands.
Please go after her and take care of her, before some unworthy bastard beats you to her. Love her for both of us. You’ll be a lucky man if you do.
Sincerely,
Morgan Daire
PS: I hope by now you’ve made something of that shithole you call a ranch house. Maya deserves a palace.
Kendall felt like he’d been poleaxed. There was a date stamp from the law office on the outside of Morgan’s envelope. They’d received it roughly six months before Morgan’s death, evidently with instructions for when to mail it to Kendall, if necessary. He found it unsettling that Morgan’s words mirrored Boone’s of just moments before.