A Town Called Valentine(73)

“I’m not surprised. He seems an expert at a lot of things. He gave me a crash course in drywall. And the work he did at the boardinghouse was just amazing.”

“You should see his cabin.”

Not just yet, she thought. “Your mom did some bragging about it. She’s very proud of all her grandchildren.”

They sat quietly for several minutes, as the breeze blew in the scent of growing hay.

“Those questions I mentioned,” she began at last.

He nodded politely.

“I talked to Cathy Fletcher about my mom having a boyfriend, but she said Delilah didn’t date much. Well, obviously there had to be someone,” she said dryly, “so I wondered if there were any boys who hung at the store, who might not have been officially ‘dating’ my mother. She thought of Hal Abrams and Steve Keppel. Do those names spark any memories?”

Mr. Thalberg frowned as he rocked. “They both still live in town, of course.”

“I know, but I hate to just approach two strangers and say, ‘Are you my father?’ Knowing my mother, she didn’t tell him she was pregnant. It’ll be a terrible shock.”

“Well, not terrible,” he said, giving her a faint smile. “When a man does the deed, he knows there’s a chance, even with all the precautions in the world.”

“Did my mother . . . talk about those men to you?”

“Sorry, no, but I do remember them hangin’ out on Main Street a lot their senior year. The store was pretty popular with all the kids, includin’ me. There’s even another name you might add to your list. Joe Sweet.”

She frowned. “I’ve heard that name before.”

“His family owns the Sweetheart Inn and Ranch. They have their fingers in a lot of the businesses in town.”

“You mean through the preservation fund?”

Mr. Thalberg chuckled. “Nope, that’s for people who want to donate anonymously. They’ve never made any secret of the fact they’re rich enough to invest when they want.”

“Is that a bad thing?” she asked doubtfully.

“Not at all. I’m just tellin’ you how it is. Joe spent some time chasing after Dot. I didn’t think she ever chose one of those boys, but obviously she did.”

“So you can’t help me narrow the list down from those three men?”

“Sorry, no. Dot never spoke of any of them to me.”

Emily nodded her disappointment and took another sip of her lemonade, reminding herself that at least she had another name to research. She’d talk to Nate for more personal details about each of the men.

She heard a crackling sound, then, “Dad?”

Mr. Thalberg unclipped a radio from his belt and spoke into it. “Yeah, Nate?”

“We’ve got a problem up here and we could use your help. Several dozen cows and calves escaped through a hole in the fence before we could repair it. We’re searching now, but we’re on horseback. You want to bring an ATV up here and give us a hand?”

“On my way.”

“We’re at the Pinelands.”

When he put the radio away, Emily smiled ruefully. “Guess I’ll be going.”

He gave her a grin. “Ever ridden an ATV?”

Her eyes widened. “No. But I’m expected back at the flower shop.”

“We’ll call Monica, but she won’t mind. This’ll be your first ATV lesson. Come on.”





Chapter Sixteen



Nate rode his horse across the grassy pasture. Off in the distance, the ground sloped away, with clumps of pine trees huddled around meandering creeks. The tops of the mountains rose up all around him, as if gathering all the meadows into its arms.

If only the cattle could have stayed gathered, he thought wearily. He was used to chasing them, of course. They could be damned ornery. But up here in the mountains, once free of their grazing lands, they could be mixing with someone else’s herd, or stumbling down a steep drop and breaking a leg.

The radio at his waist crackled as Josh and Brooke took turns calling in their reports.

Nate keyed his radio. “Anyone check where Jackson Creek meets the pond?”

No one had, so Nate rode that way, whistling for Scout to go on ahead. The other ranch dogs were working with Brooke and Josh, and they could find cattle even better than experienced ranch hands.

At the sound of an ATV in the distance, he twisted in his saddle to see if it was his father. Relieved, he waved a hand, then frowned as something seemed . . . different. He saw arms around his dad’s waist, and then a head peeking over his shoulder.