The Bequest

"I get it," Steve says. "If I had traveled to a strange, isolated place, surrounded by strangers, and everything was new, and I was trying to work remotely and parent... I might get a little growly, too." Growly? I'll show him-I'm doing it again. Stand down, Abby. You're trying to show him you're not crazy. Not prove that you are. "What time tomorrow? And here again? Or back at our place?" "I think the setup is better here, but I'd like you to learn on your horses." He taps his lip. "Which do you prefer?"

"You're the professional. I leave it entirely up to you."

This time, I feel like I earned his half-smile. "Alright, let's do it here for the next few afternoons. I'm sorry about the time, but it's the only time"

"It's great. Ethan's moving water and helping feed cows in the morning, and the other kids are feeding animals and mucking stalls. Please don't apologize for doing us a favor."

"Great, well tomorrow, ask Jeff and Kevin to send you with some rope. We'll practice holding it and maybe even throwing it from horseback. Then next week, we'll start riding your animals every day. If I have any extra time, I'll come by and ride them a few times, too. Should make for a smoother trip all around."

He's probably a drunk who sleeps until noon every day, and he's abrupt, and his friend is obnoxious, trying to force us to sell now, but he's a hard worker, and he seems to mean well. I suppose for a summer horse trainer, that's more than enough. "I appreciate your help."

"Did you use my porch today?"

My cheeks flush. "I did. I hope that you were serious. No police officers showed up to escort me from the premises, so I assume you were."

"You can still come anytime you want," he says.

"Thanks. It's a life saver, actually."

"I'm glad."

When I walk past the front porch, I notice there's a throw pillow on the swing. I can't help turning around, but I don't expect Steve to be staring at me.

"Your kids are lucky to have you," he says.

I have no idea how to respond to that, so I don't. I simply smile. The kids talk about nothing but horses in the car on the way back.

"I hope Maren kept Gabe alive," I say.

"Actually, Kevin offered to take him out. He was going to clean the chicken coop."

Poor Kevin. I imagine Gabe has talked his ear off, but at least I won't owe Amanda a favor. As much as I'm looking forward to the end of the summer, I'm more desperate for the end of the week. The six-bedroom farmhouse, as it turns out, feels far too small for our combined baggage.

"Hey, Mom?" Izzy asks.

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"I think there's been a miracle."

The road is straight enough for me to turn sideways and look her in the eye. "What?"

She holds up my phone. "A text message came through on your phone."

It might not be a miracle, but it's a surprise. The text's from Robert, which is not surprising at all.

-CALL WHEN YOU CAN.

"You need to head up to the office?" Ethan asks.

"Huh?"

"That spot on the hill where there's good cell reception," Izzy says. "The spot near those three pine trees all in a row?"

"I guess I do."

"I'll show you how to work the Polaris," Ethan says. "It's super easy." The gleam in his eyes gives him away. He loves anything with a motor.

Fifteen minutes later, I'm finally dialing Robert's number. "Hey," I say when he answers. "Did you get the interrogatories? Their responses were infuriating."

"I did, but your replies were great and I already sent them."

"What's wrong, then?"

He's silent for a moment. "It's a hassle for you to call me, isn't it?"

I laugh. "I had to learn how to drive a Polaris utility cart thing in order to drive up to the top of a hill, which is the only place on this ranch with decent cell service." Robert swears under his breath. "I'm so sorry. I'm a jerk. I just wanted to hear your voice, I guess. Find out how you were doing. I miss having you in the office."

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Last week, saying any of that would have freaked me out. Maybe it's because I'm so far away. Maybe it's because I'm standing on top of a hill, not accessible by any stretch of the imagination. Maybe it's because, in spite of my miserable remote work, Robert's still supporting me 110%. But for whatever the reason, it warms my heart instead. "I'm happy to hear your voice too."

"You are?"

"It's been a rough few days," I admit. "Exhausting, actually." My voice cracks on the end of that word, and a surge of emotion washes through me. "Abs, are you okay?"

I inhale deeply to keep the sobs that are threatening to break free at bay. "I'll be fine. This is the kind of thing you do as a mother. But there's this long list of tasks we're supposed to accomplish, and none of it's anything I know a thing about." "Like what?"

"Well, I already told you that in a little over two weeks we have to drive three hundred and fifty cattle into the forest that abuts the ranch."

"I don't understand why. That sounds insane."

"They're all branded, I've been assured, and they're dying to go up there since they go every year. Apparently even with all the acreage we have, the usable meadows need to be watered and tended so that they can grow enough hay to be baled and preserved for the winter. For a very small fee, the Forestry service lets us run the cattle up there over the summer, as long as we keep them in designated areas."

"How are you supposed to do that?"

"Well, again, we ride our horses up there and like, ride around, herding them as needed."

"Do you even know how to ride well enough for that to be safe?"

"Most of what I remember has come back, thankfully, but the kids are having a rough time."

"That's too bad," Robert says. "But how did the old drunk guy do? Is he helpful at all?"

"He's not old," I say. "And we had a second lesson today. I might have been too critical before." I drop my voice out of habit. "I actually feel pretty bad. I think he heard me talking to you, maybe about him. I'm worried he heard me say he was a drunk." "How old is he, then?" Robert asks. "Twenty?"

"No, he's our age, probably," I say. "Maybe a few years younger or older. He knew Nate, apparently."

"Oh."

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"What's that 'oh' for?"

"Is he married?" Robert asks.

"I don't see how "

"Maybe his wife can help you figure some of the other stuff out."

"He doesn't have a wife." It feels like he's worried about Steve being my age. "Seriously, Robert, what's wrong?"

"Your opinion of him sure does seem to have improved."

Now I'm sure that he's jealous...of a drunk cowboy. "Robert, this Steve Archer guy-"

"I don't like him. I've been listening, and I've tried to stay out of it, but I don't like him at all."

"Don't be worried." I decide to wade out into the deep and muddy waters between us. After all, I'm a million miles away, standing on the side of a mountain. Surely if I'm ever going to be honest, now's the time. "He's unpolished, he's abrupt, and we've butted heads on how he treats the kids twice now."

"He's not very bright, then. No one should ever question your parenting. Now, your cooking? Maybe."

"If I had something to throw at you right now—"

"Then I'd never have been brave enough to say it," he says, but he still sounds nervous.

"Listen, Robert, this horse trainer? He's also best pals with the guy who wants to buy the ranch. He actually suggested that his friend pay us some kind of bribe money to walk away."

"Are you kidding?" Robert's level of indignation seems a little disproportionate to Steve's crime, but I appreciate his loyalty. "If I were there right now, I would teach him a few lessons on manners."

I try to imagine Robert punching Steve-but it only makes me chuckle.

"Are you laughing?"

"No," I say. "I was just imagining how you'd bludgeon that cowboy where it hurts-with a nice restraining order."

"I'm not just a lawyer," Robert says. "I've got a decent right hook."

Even so, one hundred times out of a hundred, my money would be on Steve. Not that I'd ever admit it.