Page 20 of Mister Cowboy
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“There!” Hands on hips, January surveyed the bathroom. It still needed a good deep cleaning, but all the half-empty shampoo bottles and discarded razors were gone and the vanity was stocked with only a few essentials.
After snapping a few photos of her handiwork, she turned and tugged the trash bag behind her. Her stomach growled loudly as the smell of bread and chicken greeted her at the bottom of the stairs. She peeked at the empty dining room table and then at the clock on the wall and frowned as she made her way toward the kitchen.
Louisa was humming softly in front of the sink but turned as January entered, smiling. “You worked right through lunch.”
“Yeah, sorry. Anything left?”
She nodded and wiped her hands on her apron. “I put a plate back for you.”
“Thank you,” she said, feeling a bit sheepish and a lot grateful.
Taking the trash bag from her, Louisa tilted her head toward the fridge. “Go. I’ll take this out.”
She put the plate in the microwave and washed her hands while it warmed up. Louisa returned as she was sitting down with her plate. “Is it okay if I eat in here? I could use the company. I’ve been holed up in that bathroom all morning.”
“Sure. I was going to take a break anyway.” Louisa collapsed into a chair and let out a smalloomph. “My dogs are barking.”
Louisa laughed as she sat, letting her shoulders fall forward. Blonde wisps stuck out around her face.
“This is delicious.”
“That chicken is a family recipe handed down for three generations. Sam, that’s Brecken’s late father, requested it at least once a week. It isn’t quite the same without him raving over it.” She smiled almost sadly.
“You were close to Sam?”
“Oh yes, we practically grew up together. My father worked on the ranch, and my family lived down the road. Still does. Our families were close, and well, in those days, playing with the neighbors was as good as it got. We didn’t have computers or cell phones to keep in touch with friends across town.”
Her face was wistful as she talked about the past, and January was enamored. She wanted to know everything about the ranch. Not only because it indirectly related to Brecken, but also because listening to Louisa talk was fascinating. “How long have you worked here?”
“I left for a brief time after high school, started a family, tried city living, but I eventually returned. I married a rancher, surprise, surprise, right?” She leaned forward and lifted her eyebrows. “Anyway, I’ve been working here for over thirty years.”
January paused, holding the tip of the empty fork up to her lips. “So you knew Brecken as a child? What was he like?”
She chuckled softly, and January desperately wished she could look back in Louisa’s memories and see him the way she was in that moment. “Tall and gangly with wild black hair. He had these big wireframe glasses that took up most his face. He was a sweet child, though, if not a bit of a troublemaker. He was curious and inquisitive. From the time he could talk, it was clear he was different from the other kids his age. You couldn’t tell Brecken the sky was blue without being prepared to explain why.”
“So, basically, he hasn’t changed much?”
“Well, he grew into his tall frame and got contacts, but looks aside—he’s basically the same Brecken. He and Henry were inseparable, running around this place getting into mischief.”
“Who’s Henry?”
January mulled over the name, trying and failing to place it, as Louisa studied her face.
“Henry is my son. He’s a surgeon. He lives in California now—near Santa Barbara.” She pulled her phone from her pants pocket and pressed a few buttons before handing the phone over. She looked down at a picture of a very nice-looking man, the ocean providing the perfect backdrop for his blonde hair and tan skin.
“He’s very handsome.” She handed the phone back, and Louisa stared down at it with a smile.
“Oh, yes. Handsome and smart.”
“You and your husband must be very proud. Does he still work at the ranch, too?”
“We are. Henry’s been the light of my life,” she said, looking around the kitchen and heaving a heavy sigh. “I guess I best get back to it.”
January stood with the other woman, disappointed that her second question had been left unanswered, but then Louisa finally spoke. “Ex-husband. We split around the time Henry went off to college. He moved to Arizona shortly after.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
