The Gentrys: Abby

Abby had more important things to attend to this afternoon. She needed to give her older brother, Cinco, a piece of her mind. How dare he go over her head and speak to Billy Bob and Jake about her safety?

She knew he’d always been wrapped up in security issues, that he’d felt responsible for her and their brother, Cal, ever since their parents’ death. But in return, Cinco knew about her dreams of becoming the foreman on Gentry Ranch. She’d told him many times.

To think he’d actually told Billy Bob to watch out for her. Here she was, trying to prove that she was a capable ranch hand and nearly ready to become the foreman for the entire Gentry spread, and Cinco continued to under-cut her efforts. She loved her brother, but he had to start treating her like an adult who could take care of herself.

She stormed through the old homestead, stalking Cinco, but he was nowhere to be found. Abby slapped her thigh with the leather gloves she was about to put on. Dang, but he led a charmed life.

When she pushed into the kitchen through the swinging doors and found her new sister-in-law, Meredith, Abby’s mood lightened considerably.

There hadn’t been a woman besides herself and Lupe, the old housekeeper, on Gentry Ranch since her mother’s disappearance over twelve years ago. Abby had developed a real soft spot for Meredith, a tough ex-Air Force pilot who possessed a sympathetic and warm center. Besides, her sister-in-law could make Cinco listen to reason.

Her brother had generally been an insufferable control freak for the past twelve years. But since getting married, he’d softened some. At least, she’d thought so until Billy Bob’s words yesterday on the range.

“Abby Jo! I’m so glad to see you.” Meredith quickly embraced her. “When we heard about what happened out on the range, we thought you might’ve been in trouble…or hurt.”

Abby denied her own need for the warmth and comfort of her sister-in-law’s hug and stepped away. “Of all the danged silliness. You might not know me well enough to be sure I can take care of myself, but Cinco does.”

She narrowed her eyes and continued. “Where is the great ranch manager? I have a few things to say to him.”

Meredith smiled and held out a plateful of chocolate chip cookies. “Lupe made these just this morning. Have a couple. They’re her usual triumphs.”

It would be impossible to pass up any of Lupe’s cookies. Abby took a handful and stuffed one in her mouth.

“I think your brother is still out on the range,” Meredith said, finally answering her original question. “He decided to ride up to line shack twenty-three—” she put the plate back on the counter “—just in case you might need anything on your way back.”

Abby nearly spit out the mouthful of cookie crumbs. “What? Why that—”

“Hold on, honey.” Meredith took hold of her shoulders with a firm grip. “Don’t go crazy over him worrying about you. You’ve known him all your life. He’s a worrier. You know that part of him will never totally change.”

Meredith shrugged and tossed her thick, gold braid over her shoulder. “I’ve come to the conclusion that I like having him concerned about my welfare. You know that doesn’t mean he’s trying to control your life. It just means he loves you.”

Abby finally gave in. “I know he loves me, Meri, and I love him. But I want him to see that I’m grown-up enough to take care of myself and that I know what I want from life.”

Her sister-in-law slowly shook her head. “Oh, he knows that you’ve grown up, all right. I’m not supposed to tell you this yet, but he’s planning a big shindig for your birthday—inviting all the eligible bachelors in the county, too.”

Once again cookie crumbs went spewing over the kitchen. “What? But why on earth…”

Meredith slung an arm around her. “He thinks you must be lonely way out here. He’s concerned that you haven’t been seeing friends or dating since you’ve been home from school.”

“Well, if that doesn’t beat all.” Abby hung her head. “I can’t believe he didn’t remember that I never dated anyone in high school…and I certainly don’t need a man messing up my life now. How could he just go off and invite people without speaking to me about it first?”

Meredith took a step back and studied her. “You never dated in high school?”

Abby shook her head.

“How about in college?”

The incredulous tone in Meredith’s voice caused Abby some embarrassment, but she didn’t have anything to hide. Men just hadn’t fitted into her dreams. Lots of women in this modern world lived long and fruitful lives without being tied to a man. She’d always planned to be one of them.

She shook her head and headed for another cookie.

“Are you telling me that you’ve never ‘been’ with a man?” Meredith asked in amazement.

“Of course not,” Abby managed to say before stuffing her mouth again. “Why would I?”

Meredith chuckled. “Oh, honey, I can see why Cinco worries so much about you.”

Abby wrinkled up her face but couldn’t protest with her mouth still full.

“Listen up, Abby Jo Gentry.” Meredith straightened to her full five foot ten. “You will go to this party Cinco’s planned. You will talk to some of the men. And you will enjoy yourself.”

Meredith kissed her on the cheek. “That’s an order.”

Three

A week later Gray climbed the back steps to the kitchen of the Skaggses’ main house. His body still ached, but at least he hadn’t been forced to stay in the hospital for more than a few hours.

“You must have a strong constitution, son.” One of the doctors told him as he signed the papers to send him home. “Most people would’ve been down for a week after what you went through.”

If that were true, he imagined he’d inherited the trait from his grandfather. Gray sure hoped he’d finally be able to talk to that cranky old Indian this morning, too. He needed answers, but Grandfather still didn’t have a phone.

While he’d lived with him for ten years, going to college and learning the ways of the elders, Gray hadn’t cared much about phones, either. Now that Grandfather lived alone, Gray thought maybe he should buy him a cell phone, even though neither of them wanted to jump into technology quite so forcefully. In general, the old ways were infinitely better.

But he wanted the old man to quickly be able to get in touch with him should anything happen. And Gray wanted to be able to reach him when he had a question only Grandfather could answer.

His grandfather, Stalking Moon Parker, had always lived near the progressive and relatively prosperous tribal family lands, located in southwestern Oklahoma. But the stoic old crank would have none of the modern conveniences and civilized companionship of other Comanches. He lived alone with the old ways, and far from the rest of nemene.

Gray imagined that by today his grandfather would’ve gotten the messages he’d had a neighbor hand-deliver. And Grandfather would’ve come to town this morning to answer a phone call placed to an old friend.

As he stepped into the kitchen of the Skaggses’ main house, Gray sighed quietly. Unfortunately, his own phone privileges had been somewhat restricted lately. He could only pray that his two stepbrothers, the current bane of his existence, would be out of the house.

No such luck.

“Hey, hey, hey, looky here,” the younger Skaggs brother, Milan, said as he turned from the open refrigerator door. “Take a gander at who just walked right through the back door…like he owned the place or something.”

Milan Skaggs was twenty-three, and to Gray’s mind he didn’t amount to much. Lean and gangly at about five foot eight, the younger Skaggs boy had to physically look up to his stepbrother—which didn’t do much in the way of making him any more pleasant.

At the moment Milan was grinning at him with one of his typically foolish looks. Gray tried to keep a steady and neutral expression on his face. But it wasn’t easy when Milan looked so dumb, gazing up at him from under that shock of straw-colored hair.

“Don’t waste your time with the Indian, Milan.” Harold, the elder Skaggs brother waltzed into the kitchen, waving a small white card around in the air. “We’ve got more important things to attend to right now.” Harold threw Gray a disgusted glance, then returned his attention to his own flesh and blood.

Gray took an involuntary step forward. But remembering where he was he fisted his hands in his pockets and froze in place, standing near the back door. Something about Harold just made him feel like a fight.

Which, come to think of it, was surprising, considering the eldest Skaggs brother’s demeanor seemed so wimpy. His face always carried that pasty, drawn scowl. His nondescript brown eyes never managed to look at anyone directly, and that paunch above his belt spoke volumes about the sad state of his athletic ability.

Whatever it was that bothered Gray about Harold, he didn’t want to cause any trouble with either of his stepbrothers. He’d been forced to come back here to their ranch last year after his mother died, in order to manage the mustang herd and make sure those rare Indian ponies remained pure and well. But as soon as he could afford to move them to a place of his own, he’d be gone.

Regardless of what his stepfather, Joe Skaggs, wanted…or needed.