The Rancher's Reunion

“That means you have a computer.”

“You bet. New laptop in my office.”

Annie grappled with the concept of a modernized Will, while he opened the passenger door. She stared at the seat.

“What’s the matter?”

“I’ll need help to get up there.”

“Turn around.” He placed his hands around her waist and lifted.

The heat of embarrassment crept over her when he gently settled her onto the seat. “All r-right, th-then,” she said.

Will walked to the other side of the truck and climbed in, apparently unaffected. “Sit back and relax,” he said, as they pulled away from the curb.

“Yes, sir.” She settled into the soft, smooth leather upholstery and released the breath she’d been holding.

Will smiled. “Tuckered out? Well, don’t worry, after a little R & R you’ll be back in tip-top shape, ordering right back at me.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

When a yawn slipped from her mouth, Annie leaned her head back, content not to think, hoping her mind would continue to cooperate and block the events of the past few weeks.

The silhouette of the familiar city faded as he led them out of town toward Granby, south of Tulsa.

What happened to the lights?

Annie searched in the dark, panicked. Suffocating fear clenched her body.

Another alert?

No, the antiseptic smells of the clinic were absent. She wasn’t at the medical camp. Confused, she reached out and touched a warm arm. Her fingers automatically slipped down to the wrist to check the pulse. It beat strong and regular.

Annie blinked, eyes adjusting to the semidarkness.

Will? Thank goodness, it’s Will.

She was still in the cab of the pickup, which was now parked. The knot in her stomach relaxed then tensed again as Will’s face inched closer, peering down.

“Hey, take it easy,” he soothed.

“I’m fine.”

“Yeah, sure you are. I’ve been trying to wake you for the past five minutes.”

Annie scooted to a sitting position, wishing she could extricate herself from the awkward intimacy of the small space.

“I would have let you sleep, but I thought you might want to know when we got to the ranch.”

“I do. I do. I’ve been waiting too long for this.” Pushing back her hair, she crooked her neck to see past the dash to the sky. Burgundy streaks twined across the blue velvet, weaving themselves between the golden clouds of sunset.

Annie sighed. How many times over the past two years had she looked up at the night and paused, wondering what Will was doing in his part of the world?

“Looks like we’re in for more rain,” he commented.

“Red sky at night, sailors’ delight.”

Will scoffed. “I don’t think so. Barometer’s dropping. Weatherman says eighty percent chance of precipitation. Bit late in the season. I’m hoping he’s wrong, but who knows? Might even get a good old-fashioned tornado for you.”

Annie barely heard his response as her gaze took in the ranch’s entrance arch framed by the Oklahoma night. The black wrought-iron gates stood proudly; “Sullivan Ranch” was spelled out across the top in black letters, with a distinctive letter S.

“You fixed the arch,” Annie said, delighted at the sight. She had never seen anything more beautiful.

Will nodded.

“When?”

“’Bout a year ago.”

“That long? It looks brand-new. Why didn’t you write and tell me?”

“Why didn’t you come home?” His answer was a low rumble that resonated through Annie.

“Now, Will, don’t start that again.” She knew the lecture by heart.

Will’s mantra.

Home? Yes, it was Will’s home, but she had no real right to call Sullivan Ranch home.

He bristled. “You didn’t have to go halfway around the world to be a nurse.”

“Are you questioning the call on my life?”

“No, but why is it when God opens a door you feel the need to run through the next three?”

Annie closed her eyes for a moment, regrouping.

His tone became gentle. “Rose has missed you, Annie. You know you’re the daughter she never had.”

What about you, Will? Did you miss me?

She couldn’t ignore the frustration in his voice and countered with her own. “I know that, and I’m sorry. But Rose isn’t always going to be around to pick me up and dust me off.”

“That’s just what I’m getting at. Rose isn’t getting any younger.” He rubbed his palm along his denim-clad thigh. “If you weren’t happy at St. John’s, why not work at another medical center in town? With the nursing shortage and all, you could have taken your pick.” He continued without pause. “For the life of me I cannot figure you out. They’re pulling Americans out of Kenyan refugee camps and you have to go in. Why can’t you ever do anything the easy way?” His fingers clenched the leather steering wheel. “Where will it be next? Siberia?”

Annie turned and met his glance head-on. “I already checked. They don’t have any openings in Siberia.”