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Using credit wasn’t the safest way to build a business. But at least she didn’t have a house payment beyond what she’d borrowed for the rig.
Talulah bit her lip. “Maybe I could go talk to him, tell him you didn’t mean what you said today and try to work out some sort of truce.”
“No!” Ellen sat up straight. “I’ll be fine. I know what I’m doing.”
“I admire your grit,” Talulah said. “No one could fault your courage. But...you don’t want this to turn into all-out war, do you?”
She manufactured a shrug. “There’s nothing they can do to me.”
The sullen note in her voice had given her away. Clearly, Talulah wasn’t convinced Ellen meant what she’d just said. “I know you might not want to hear this, but I don’t believe Hendrix is a bad guy. He drilled a well for Brant out at the ranch several years ago and is friends with Brant’s younger brothers. Brant really likes him.”
Everyonesaid Hendrix was a stand-up guy and admired him for the way he looked out for his cousin, who was a year older. But Ellen didn’t want to hear it. Her father had already chosen him over her, sharing his longtime business and treating him more like a son than he ever treated her like a daughter. The praise Hendrix received only made her feel worse. “I thought you were supposed to be cheering me up.”
“I’m just saying that maybe you should let the past go—for your own good.”
That was easier said than done. Didn’t Talulah believe she’d tried? “I don’t have a problem with the past,” she said, even though they both knew it wasn’t true. “I’d better go,” she added and stopped the swing. “I need a shower.” She needed some sleep, too. Six o’clock came awfully early when she got home so late.
“Ellen!” Talulah called as she stepped off the porch.
Ellen no longer wanted to talk. She regretted stopping in the first place. But she turned.
“You’re a wonderful person. It’s your father who missed out. Don’t let the decisions he made when you were young rob you of the chance to be happy now.”
“Iamhappy,” she insisted.
But once she got home and walked into the empty house that had belonged to her grandparents all the time she was growing up, she was overwhelmed by the memories of coming to visit them. Memories of seeing the pictures of her father hanging on the walls and gracing the side tables—and knowing he was in the area but couldn’t be bothered to see her, other than meeting them to get an ice cream cone at his parents’ urging. His defection still cut so deeply, even now, that she flinched.
She had to banish those memories. Her father was an asshole. All she’d ever wanted was a few crumbs of his attention. But it was Hendrix who’d gotten everything. Hendrix, who wasn’t his son, wasn’t any kind of relation—except the boy Stuart had always wanted.
Hendrix sucked the foam off the top of his beer while waiting for Kurt Elway to take his turn at billiards. Coyote Canyon offered plenty of things to do—camping, fishing, four-wheeling, hiking, hunting and more, most of which he loved, but those things took place during the day. There was far less to do at night. Dinner and whatever movie was playing at the drive-in theater was a possibility. But even then, the drive-in was only open during the summer and typically featured older flicks the owners could bring in on a budget. That left hanging out with his buddies and having a drink at Hank’s Bar & Grill while listening to music—a live band on weekends—and playing darts and billiards, which Hendrix did probably once a week.
“Damn. Missed,” Kurt said as he stood and lifted his cue.
Kurt would probably beat him despite flubbing his turn. They were fairly equal when it came to pool, but tonight Hendrix couldn’t concentrate—couldn’t quit thinking about Ellen, who’d been getting under his skin for a long time. He simply couldn’t ignore what she was doing anymore. The confrontation he’d had with her earlier played in a loop in his mind. She’d been so defensive when he approached her. He wasn’t sure he’d ever met a woman with a bigger chip on her shoulder. Her stormy green eyes, the stubborn set of her jaw and the tenseness of her body telegraphed her animosity toward him.
Despite his preoccupation, he managed to sink two balls and even up the game. He felt pretty good about that, until Kurt went up by one immediately after.
It was March Madness, so basketball played on the plethora of TVs in the bar. Whenever he was waiting to take his turn, Hendrix watched New Mexico State battle it out with Vermont, so he didn’t see Ben Anderson come in. By the time he noticed Ben was there, he’d lost at pool, Kurt had gone to the bathroom and he was on his way to get another drink.
Ellen’s employee was sitting at the bar, eating a burger. Hendrix knew he had a girlfriend. He’d seen them together around town. But she wasn’t with him tonight.
He looked up as Hendrix drew close, then immediately yanked his gaze away. Hendrix almost let it go at that. Maybe Ben worked for Ellen, but he wasn’t responsible for how she ran her business. Hendrix told himself to ignore the kid and carry on with his night, but the look in Ben’s eyes suggested he felt uncomfortable and understood that they were on opposing teams.
Seeing Hendrix approach, the bartender came close enough to be heard. “You want another beer?”
“Sure. This time I’ll take a Corona,” Hendrix said, and as the bartender turned away, he decided to sit down and have a little talk with Ben.
His close proximity seemed to startle the kid, who glanced over at him twice before continuing to eat.
“Hey.” Hendrix had to speak loudly to be heard above the cover band.
Ben stuffed a French fry in his mouth. “Hey.”
“You work for Ellen Truesdale, don’t you?”
Ben swallowed before answering. “Yeah. That was me you almost crashed into today when you were leaving our jobsite. I was coming back with lunch.”
“Sorry about that. Didn’t see ya.”
