Page 5 of Hometown Girl

Up the hill and around the bend, Elkhorn Ranch came into sight. Elkhorn had been his home now for four years, and the owners, Doug and Cheryl McClain, liked Drew so much they made room for him year-round. He didn’t make much money, but he didn’t need much. He enjoyed managing the rest of the staff, he loved the horses, and his room and board were part of his salary. Every now and then, he even enjoyed the guests, though sometimes Drew wondered if he’d do better to find a profession where he didn’t have to talk to anyone at all.

Quiet suited him just fine.

They reached the stable, and the other ranch hands met them and helped return the horses to their stalls.

“Tough ride, Boss?” Dylan Hauser took the reins as Drew removed his cowboy hat, ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

“That obvious?”

“I had that kid in a private lesson yesterday.” Dylan shook his head and led Mabel, Drew’s favorite horse, into her stall. “He’s a pistol.”

Mabel whinnied.

“That’s one word for it. I’m assigning out all of his activities from now on.”

“I’ll clean up here,” Dylan said. “You’ve got a visitor up at the lodge.”

Drew frowned. A visitor? Anyone he considered a friend was there on the ranch with him.

“It’s your mom.”

His heart dropped. “My mom?” He hadn’t talked to his mother in months. She’d give him the guilt trip, then the lecture, then ask him to imagine a world without her in it. He hated to admit it, but he didn’t miss their chats.

Dylan shrugged. “She didn’t exactly look comfortable when I left her. Good luck, buddy.”

Drew walked through the stable and past the guesthouses until he reached the lodge. His mother sat on the porch, clutching her purse, looking exactly like what she was: a former beauty queen on a dude ranch. How long had she been waiting?

She stood at the sight of him, and a forced smile washed over her face. “You look rugged and handsome,” she said, holding her hands out. She pulled him into a hug, clapped him on the back a few times and then stepped back to look at him. “And maybe a little bit dirty.”

“I’m surprised to see you here.”

“I would imagine so. It’s been so long since I’ve heard anything from you. I had to make sure you were still alive.”

And it began.

“So you drove two hours into the mountains? Why didn’t you just call?” He sat down on the stairs of the lodge.

“I did.” She faced him. “You never called back.”

He vaguely remembered that.

“Well, you’re here now. You want to get some dinner?”

She scrunched her nose. “Here?”

“We have a five-star chef, Mom. It’s not like we eat C rations out of a tin can.”

She drew her lips into a thin line. “I admit that is a little more what I imagined.”

He secretly hoped she’d decline his offer. He didn’t much care for small talk, and with his parents, that’s all it had ever been.

“I won’t keep you, Drew. I’m sure you’ve got other things to do.”

Shower. Eat. Go for a run. Sit in front of the television. Sleep. Same as every other night.

“I just came because I wanted to show you this.” She handed him a newspaper clipping. “Harold Pendergast died last week.”

Drew looked at the obituary, the photo of the man—a lot older than Drew remembered and with sadder eyes, but still the same man they’d known all those years ago. He glanced at his mom. “That’s too bad.”

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