The Last Ranch Read online

  Matt had half a mind to drive by his old home on Griggs Avenue, but decided to save it for later, perhaps on Sunday morning before heading back to the ranch. He parked on Court Street and walked past the city park, green and lush compared to the natural desert landscape, with a large gazebo in the center surrounded by a canopy of mature, pleasantly cooling shade trees. Nearby, the Park Hotel, a two-story brick affair with tall arched windows, a parapet concealing a flat roof, and an entry porch with a latticework enclosed balcony above, looked out over beautifully tended grounds.

  At the front desk, he asked for Raine Hartman and learned she’d checked in but had gone out a short while ago. Thinking it might be a good place to dine, he asked the clerk if the Castle nightspot was still in business.

  The man, fortyish, overweight, and with a wheezy voice, winked conspiratorially and said, “It’s real popular again since our new sheriff has turned a blind eye to gambling, so I’d make reservations if I were you. And the food is still good.”

  Matt registered for a room, slipped the clerk a buck to make dinner reservations for three at the Castle, and asked him to call his room when Raine Hartman returned. The upstairs room had a view of the park, a full-size bed, and a bathroom with hot and cold running water. Matt didn’t care that it was ninety degrees inside the room; he ran the tub full and sank into the hot water, letting the warmth seep into his bones. He’d just finished shaving when the phone rang. He picked up and was greeted by Raine’s voice asking to speak to Colonel Kerney.

  Matt laughed. The sound of her voice was a tonic. “I’m afraid I’ve been cashiered.”

  “All the better,” Raine replied. “I don’t like being ordered around. Give me ten minutes to freshen up and I’ll meet you in the lobby.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Matt said in a snap-to-attention tone of voice.

  Raine giggled and hung up.

  Dressed in fresh duds, Matt made it down to the lobby with five minutes to spare. Raine kept him waiting for ten minutes more. She arrived dressed in gray, pleated, beltless slacks, and a white short-sleeved cotton blouse that accented her slender figure. She kissed him lightly on the cheek and gave him a top-to-bottom once-over.

  “You clean up nicely,” she said teasingly. “I half expected you to still being wearing the eye patch.”

  “I don’t think to wear it much anymore,” Matt replied. “Where’s your traveling companion?”

  Raine hooked her arm in his. “She’s here, but otherwise engaged. It’s a long story. Buy me a drink and I’ll explain everything.”

  They stepped into the hotel bar, quiet and cool with ceiling fans pushing a steady breeze through the long room. At a corner table Matt ordered drinks from a waitress who looked glad to have two more customers in the almost-empty establishment. While they waited, Raine explained that she was accompanying her friend, Sue Van Amberg, to provide cover for her affair with a married army major.

  “She’s in love, or at least she says she is.” Raine paused to stir her drink when it arrived. “But she’s done this before. I think she just likes the sneaking around and having illicit sex. He’s a rogue and a ladies’ man who will never leave his wife.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because he’s career army and his wife is a general’s daughter.” Raine shrugged. “It doesn’t matter; it will soon be over. He’s shipping out to the European theater in two weeks. His wife thinks he’s at the Alamogordo Air Field on a training mission for the weekend. This is their goodbye tryst; Susie will soon move on to a new lover.” She paused and sighed. “Sometimes I wish I could be that carefree.”

  “I’d like to meet her,” Matt joked.

  Raine punched him lightly on the arm. “No, you’re with me.”

  “So your letter was a ruse. Why?”

  Raine smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry for tricking you, but I didn’t think you’d find it very ladylike if I wrote and asked you for a date. I didn’t want to stay in my room alone while Susie and the major played house down the hall from me.”

  “Is that what this is, a date?” Matt asked.

  Raine leaned provocatively close. “Yes, please.”

  She smelled slightly of jasmine and lavender. “I’d better change our dinner reservations for two.”

  Raine flashed a brilliant smile. “Where are we going?”

  “It’s a nightspot with a good restaurant, bar, and an illegal gambling casino.”

  Raine clapped her hands. “Oh, goody, I’ll dress up. Until then, will you take me on a drive? I’m falling in love with the desert, and those mountains nearby with the spires are awe-inspiring.”

  Matt put money on the table and stood. “They’re called the Organ Mountains. Let’s take a look.”

  Raine remained seated. “One more thing; you’re still not married, right?”

  “Right,” Matt replied.

  “Perfect.” She stood and took his arm again. “I’m glad you showed up.”

  “So am I.”

  As they walked out the door, Matt felt the pressure of Raine’s arm against his side, saw the sparkle in her eyes, caught the subtle scent of her, and knew his day was going to be just as she said: perfect.

  ***

  Their day together passed quickly. After admiring the Organ Mountains from the foothills above the town, Matthew drove the rutted dirt road to Dripping Springs, deep in the mountains, where they explored the ruins of an old resort hotel and sat in the cool shade near a waterfall that ran down a polished, sheer rock face. Back in town, they had burgers, Cokes, and fries at the lunch counter of the Las Cruces Drug Store and wandered in and out of several curio shops before returning to the hotel, where they parted company.

  In his room, Matt examined the clothes he’d packed and found them sorely wanting for a classy night on the town with a pretty woman. And a careful look in the mirror made him realize that more than his wardrobe was lacking. He left the hotel on foot and returned an hour later sporting a fresh haircut, wearing polished boots, and carrying a package containing a new white cowboy shirt and Levi’s dress jeans. He laid everything out on the bed and gave his cowboy hat a brushing. Fortunately, he’d worn his good, go-to-town hat.

  On his way back, to make sure he had enough money to pay for a night on the town, Matt had cashed a check at Sam Miller’s Grocery Store, now owned by Sam’s son, Steve. The store hadn’t changed all that much over the years and it brought back memories of shopping for his ma, when she was sick in bed, and hurrying home with the provisions to their little adobe casa nestled in an old Mexican neighborhood a few blocks behind Main Street.

  He counted out his money and tried not to gulp at how much he would spend if he emptied his wallet at the Castle Restaurant. Although Raine had proposed in her letter to pay for his dinner, as a gentleman he couldn’t let her do that. He hoped she didn’t turn out to be a heavy bettor in the backroom gambling parlor.

  From a housekeeper, he borrowed a broom and a rag and cleaned out the inside of his truck. The outside was dust-coated and had a dented fender, but it would have to do. Instead of returning to his room, he had a drink in the hotel bar, eyeing a snuggling couple in a back booth who had to be Raine’s friend Susie and her married lover. The realization hit him that he was acting like a smitten teenager. What made him think Lieutenant Hartman had any interest in a one-eyed ex-sergeant other than using him as an alternative to an otherwise boring Saturday night alone in a hotel room? He should have stayed home at the ranch where he belonged.

  As the sun lingered on the horizon, he spruced up in his new duds, checked his appearance in the bathroom mirror, and parked himself in a lobby easy chair with a clear view of the staircase. Raine appeared at the head of the stairs right on time, dressed in a simple, sleeveless cotton dress gathered at the waist by a thick black rope belt tied at the hip. All thoughts of foolishness about coming to Las Cruces flew out of Matt’s head. There was
absolutely nothing wrong with a night out on the town with a stunningly good-looking young woman, no matter her reasons.

  ***

  The Castle was named for the owner and had no resemblance to a royal palace or an ancient fortified stronghold. Housed in a rambling old adobe a few blocks from the Loretto Academy, a Catholic girls’ school, the restaurant and gambling parlor had a décor reminiscent of the Casa Blanca, the best, most expensive whorehouse and nightclub in Juárez. A front gate in the street-side adobe wall opened onto a lovely flagstone courtyard filled with tables and chairs for dining under the heavy branches of old trees. Open doors and windows spilled light from chandeliers onto the patio. From the saloon that boasted a long walnut bar, laughter and conversation mixed together with the music of a jazz trio playing softly on a small bandstand.

  At a small table within earshot of the musicians, Matt bought Raine a drink, his thoughts wandering to the night he’d taken Beth Merton to the Casa Blanca.

  “You seem far away,” Raine said.

  “Just listening to the music,” Matt replied. “Are you hungry?”

  “Are you eager to be done with me and deposit me safely back at the hotel?” Raine teased.

  Matt looked into her light-green eyes and saw a fleeting hint of uncertainty. “Not at all; let’s have another.”

  “Goody.”

  They talked for half an hour, mostly about Raine growing up in San Diego, raised by a grandfather whom she adored, and how she loved being an army nurse. They moved to a candlelit patio table, where Raine ordered the roast pork loin and Matt chose the breaded veal cutlet. For dessert, they shared a slice of cheesecake and dawdled over coffee. When the waiter brought the check, Raine reached for her clutch purse.

  Matt plucked the check from the waiter’s hand. “This is my treat.”

  “But I promised.”

  “Please, allow me.” He counted out the money, added a nice tip, and placed the bills on the table. It had cost less than he’d anticipated. “Save your money for the gambling tables.”

  Raine reached out and touched his hand. “Thank you. This is lovely.”

  “It’s my pleasure.”

  “I’ve never gambled before.”

  “The first rule is to decide how much you’re willing to lose.”

  Raine gave it some thought. “Ten dollars.”

  “Okay, we’ll both wager ten dollars. If we lose, we leave. If we win, we split the take. Agreed?”

  “Wager on what?”

  “I think roulette would be best. I’ll bet on black, you bet on red. We’ll watch a few games so you can get the hang of it. Take ten dollars to buy chips and tuck the rest of your money away. I’ll do the same.”

  Raine feigned a sharp look. “Do you think I lack willpower, sir?”

  Matt shrugged innocently. “I don’t know. Gambling can become addictive real easily.”

  Raine lifted an eyebrow. “Like sex?”

  “Now, that’s an interesting question. What would your friend Susie say?”

  Raine smiled seductively. “I thought you’d ask what I would say.” She quickly brushed off his attempt to respond. “Don’t ask now—I want to gamble first.”

  She took a ten-dollar bill from her purse, tucked the rest of her cash in her bra, and took Matt’s hand. “Let’s go win some money.”

  “I’d like that,” Matt said.

  An hour at the roulette table had Raine up sixty bucks and Matt down to his original ten-dollar betting money. They took a break for a drink at the bar and Matt handed her five two-dollar chips. “You’re on a hot streak, bet this for me.”

  Raine jiggled the chips in her hand. “Fifty-fifty split?”

  Matt nodded. “On anything above what you’ve already won.”

  “It’s a deal.” She slipped the chips into her clutch, shook Matt’s hand, downed the rest of her drink, and stood. “Let’s get back to the table,” she ordered, her face flushed with the excitement of winning.

  Two hours later, Raine stopped gambling and watched the cashier count out her winnings. Cash in hand, she peeled ten dollars off the stack, divided the rest equally, and gave half to Matt. He tried to give her fifty back, but she refused it.

  “Nope, fair is fair,” she said as she slipped her share of the winnings into her clutch. “I’m flush with more money than I make in a month as a second lieutenant. But if it will make you feel better, you can buy me a nightcap at the hotel bar.”

  “I’d like that.” Feeling flush as well, Matt put the money in a shirt pocket and guided Raine out of the noisy, smoky gambling parlor into the late-night coolness.

  In the truck, he detoured to show her his old neighborhood, and parked across the street from the house where he’d been born. Behind the picket fence, the cottonwood now loomed over the front of the small adobe casita. Matt had forgotten how small the place was. In the quiet of the night, he told her about Emma and all she’d done on her own to raise him before her untimely death.

  Over cordials at the hotel bar, Matt took his time sipping his drink, not wanting to say good night. He talked about Raine’s exciting run of luck at roulette. He mentioned how pleased he was she’d written to him and what a fine time their evening had turned out to be. He told her that if he hadn’t found the stack of unopened mail in his desk, he would have not known to show up until it was too late.

  Through all his small talk, Raine smiled pleasantly until she suddenly put down her half-empty glass, looked him straight in the eye, interrupted, and asked, “Are you ever going to get around to inviting me to your room?”

  Caught off guard, Matt smiled sheepishly. “I’ve been working up to it.”

  She stood and pulled him out of his chair. “Not quickly enough.”

  In his room, they eagerly undressed each other, impatient to touch, taste, see, breathe each other in, and explore the hidden places. They made love explosively and did it again almost immediately, only more slowly, deliciously. Snuggled in his arms, Raine asked when he planned to return to his ranch.

  “I was thinking to leave in the morning.”

  She wiggled a hand free and found him erect and ready. She straddled him, let him slip inside her, and began to move. “Can I convince you to stay until noon?”

  “I’ll consider it.”

  She bent down and kissed him, her nipples touching his chest as he began to thrust deep inside her. “I’d be most grateful,” Raine gasped.

  ***

  After a late Sunday breakfast in the hotel restaurant, they went to Raine’s room and made love again until it was almost checkout time. Susie called while they were dressing, and urged Raine to hurry up, as the major was anxious to return to El Paso. They kissed one last time outside Matt’s door.

  “Let’s do this again, real soon,” Matt suggested lightheartedly, happier than he’d been in months.

  Raine smiled, tight-lipped, her eyes suddenly sad. “Maybe we can after the war is won. I ship out for England in a week. I was going to tell you, but . . .” Her voice trailed off. She touched his cheek. “I’ll write.”

  The news stunned him. Somehow he found the willpower to force a smile. “I’d like that. Stay safe, Raine.”

  “I will, promise.” She picked up her suitcase and walked down the hallway. Turning once to look back at him, she waved and smiled before disappearing down the stairs to the lobby.

  From his room, Matt watched the married major load Raine’s luggage into the trunk of his car. Raine got in the backseat, with her girlfriend Susie up front next to her lover. As the trio drove away, Raine never looked up.

  Matt drove home in a stew, trying to figure out why he felt so let down. It had been, after all, nothing more than a weekend fling. No promises or pledges had been made, no words of love exchanged. That he was a hundred and fifty dollars richer didn’t console him. Such a weekend might not come his way ag
ain for a long, long time. Maybe he was grateful, maybe he was sad. Maybe he was both.

  With the sun dipping to the west, he approached the ranch house surprised to see Ribbon and Peaches lolling in the pasture near the water tank. If Patrick had brought Anna Lynn and Ginny to the ranch along with the ponies, the timing couldn’t be worse. He found him alone on the veranda, feet up on the railing, smoking a cigar.

  “Are they here?” Matt asked.

  “Where have you been?” Patrick countered.

  “In town. Are they?”

  Patrick shook his head and handed Matt an envelope. “She sent this.”

  Matt tore it open and read:

  Dear Matthew,

  I’ve been asked by my sister Danette to come to Idaho and help her move to California. You may remember I wrote you when you were overseas that she’d lost her husband in an Air Corps training accident and was about to have a baby. She stayed with us for a while and had a lovely baby boy named Joshua, before she returned home.

  I’m not sure how long we’ll be gone, but I think it’s good for us to get away, especially with all that has happened. The timing is perfect now that the district attorney has finally decided that he has no reason to charge me with a crime.

  Hopefully, I’ll come back more like my old self and we can sit together and have a long talk.

  Ginny sends you a hug that’s as “big as the whole world.”

  Love,

  Anna Lynn

  Matt looked at Patrick. “She’s going to Idaho to help her sister move. Did she say anything more to you than that?”

  “Nope, except I figure she ain’t planning to make it a quick trip. She sold all her hives to a beekeeper, parked her truck behind the house, and locked the place up tight before they left. I gave them a ride to the train station and promised to look after Peaches while they’re gone.”

  “Did she leave you an address where I can write to her?”