by Leigh Smith
Lisa Davis was driving down the bumpy dirt road wondering why she had agreed to this. She had grown up on a hard scrapple ranch much like the Lonesome Oak. When she left she vowed she would never look back.
Until she was five years old she didn't even realize they were poor. Her momma and daddy loved her, her sister and each other. There was always a lot of singing and hugging and kissing going on in their little house. She never felt the lack of anything. But that changed in the fall of the year she turned five, the year she started school. That was when she found out she was poor, not just poor but dirt poor. The other kids taunted her out of style clothes, her worn down shoes and even her lunch bucket and the contents therein. She hated school and by the time she reached the fourth grade she didn't want to go anymore. She started getting into scrapes and then she and Amanda Bennett had a hair pulling contest at recess and ended up in the principal's office. Her momma and daddy had to come to the school and have a conference with Ms. Snelling. After that conference Ms. Snelling took an interest in Lisa. She actually became her champion and instilled in her the love of reading.
Ms. Snelling was the reason Lisa had excelled in school. She went on to win scholarships, first to university and then law school. She passed the bar on her first try and subsequently got a job with a prestigious law firm, where she climbed the career ladder to reach the rank of junior partner. She commanded a six figure salary, owned several pieces of real estate, drove a Lexus and was lonely as hell.
Oh, she had many acquaintances and plenty of invitations to social events but since her best friend Jan had married and moved across the country there was no one she could call at a moment's notice to grab a cup of coffee or catch a movie. She missed the closeness. There was no man in her life right now - there hadn't been one since law school. She had dates but no one she would miss if they never called again.
As she continued driving, the car suddenly lurched and swerved to the side of the road. She edged the vehicle further to the side of the road and got out. Immediately she saw the problem. Her right rear tire was destroyed. The drainage ditch running alongside the road was filled with water from the recent thunderstorm. There was no way she was going to be able to replace the tire. She tried her cell phone but there wasn't any service this far out. Her only hope was that someone would be coming along that could lend a hand. If someone didn't come by within the next half hour, she would begin walking. The ranch house could not be that much further as she had already come more than two miles.
As she waited she cursed herself and blamed her sister Linda for being in this predicament. Linda had called early last week and asked if she could come out to River Bend to help out a friend.
Linda, a veterinarian, had moved to Wyoming when she married. Her husband Jake, a vet she had met in vet school, had been born and raised in this area. His family had been here for generations and had a large cattle ranch that abutted Lonesome Oak on the south-western side.
She was here to meet Clint Sampson. He had inherited the Lonesome Oak Ranch from a distant relative. Her sister had convinced her that Clint Sampson needed her help. Lisa had agreed to come here to meet him, discuss the situation and see what she could do. Once she assessed the problem if it couldn't be solved quickly she would refer the case to a local attorney. While she was here she could visit with her sister and enjoy some much needed down time.
She saw a beat up truck coming toward her. As the truck got closer she realized it wasn't as old as it appeared, just mud splattered. It slowed down and came to a stop. Out stepped a gorgeous male specimen. He was dressed in blue jeans that fit his long lean legs like a glove, a chambray shirt that was well worn and outlined his muscular chest and arms, boots that had long since been new, and a Stetson pulled down low over his eyes. She was certain he would also have a great butt and couldn't wait until he bent down so she could drool over that too.
"Looks like you got yourself in a pickle here, Ma'am," he said grinning.
"Ya think," said Lisa. "I tried using my cell phone but there's no service out this far, I guess."
"It's spotty at best, Ma'am. Let's see if I can move the car a little further onto the road so we can get that tire changed."
"I would appreciate that."
"If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing out this way anyway? There's not much else out this way except the Lonesome Oak Ranch. Are you coming to visit one of the ranch hands?"
"Not that it is any of your business, but I am here to meet with the owner, Clint Sampson."
"Ma'am, no need to get snippy. You big city girls always have an attitude."
"I am not a big city girl. I grew up on a ranch much like this. And furthermore, I am not being snippy. I'm sorry if you thought different. It's just that I have had a long drive, I'm thirsty and tired and wanted to meet with Mr. Sampson before I went over to my sister's place. I tried calling, but as I said, I didn't have a signal. I'm Lisa Davis - you are?"
"I'm Clint Sampson. It appears you get to meet me after all. I had forgotten that Linda said you would be calling. I didn't expect you to come in person. I am not even sure why I agreed to meet with you. Your sister Linda is a very persuasive person."
It wasn't long before Clint had the tire changed.
"Thank you," Lisa said when she was getting back in her car. "Can we meet tomorrow to discuss your problem? I just want to get comfortable right now. It's been a long day."
"Sure, that's fine with me. I was planning on coming into town anyway. How about if I meet you at Linda's office and we can go out for coffee?"
When Lisa finally got to Linda's she was exhausted. Linda and Jack were not at home so Lisa checked in by phone. Her sister told her they would be at the animal hospital for at least another hour and to make herself comfortable. After a quick shower, Lisa lay down on the bed and thought about Clint Sampson. The man had hazel eyes with golden highlights and his skin was bronzed from long exposure to the sun. He had a slim nose and very high cheekbones. She wondered if perhaps he wasn't part American Indian. He had an easy grace about him and yet he was totally masculine. She found herself wondering what he was really like.
She really had no idea what kind of situation she was getting herself into. Linda had told her nothing about why he needed a lawyer. She just practically begged Lisa to come down and help out. Yet when she had spoken to Clint briefly today he indicated he wasn't even sure why he had agreed to see a lawyer. Whatever it was, she would find the answer tomorrow.
Lisa met Clint at her sister's office and they walked to the local eatery. She noticed that the minute they walked in, it seemed as if all conversation stopped and all eyes were on them. It made her a little uneasy
"Is it my imagination or did all conversations just stop?"
"No it's not your imagination. They don't recognize you and I am relatively new to River Bend. It's a small town and its people are naturally curious. There's never much change around here so anything new is grist for the mill."
"I didn't realize you weren't from around here. Linda just said you needed some legal help."
"I inherited the Lonesome Oak Ranch from my great uncle Seth on his mother's side. Me and my family live on a ranch near Houston, Texas. I actually never even knew Uncle Seth existed until I received a letter telling me of my inheritance. I don't know why he chose me as his heir but here I am. My initial thought was to come to River Bend and put the property up for sale. However, the ranch was in such disrepair that I would never find a buyer until some changes were made."
"So do you want some legal help to untangle the inheritance issue?"
"No, there is another issue that has me puzzled. You see I found that Uncle Seth had more or less adopted - not formally - a boy of about six. Tom was the son of one of the ranch hands on the Lonesome Oak. His parents had never married and when Tom was 3 his mother came by one day and left him with a note telling Rod that she was no longer going to be tied down to his child while he played footloose and fancy free. Rod was raising Tom until he was killed in an accident. Tom had no one else. Seth had tried to track down his mother to no avail. He hired a private investigator to see if Rod had any relatives and had come up empty. Uncle Seth, who had never married and had no children of his own, more or less became a dad at the ripe old age of 73."
"Did he leave you a letter or anything telling you all this information? Who took care of the boy until you arrived?"
"Tom was being taken care of by the ranch manager and his wife, Jody and Jesse Peterson. They gave me a letter that Uncle Seth had left for me. In the letter Seth explained he had left the ranch to me because he hoped I would run Lonesome Oak and become a father to Tom. He gave him the details of Tom's parentage and said if I did not want the responsibility, the child would have to be turned over to foster care. He hoped I would not let that happen. He loved Tom and said he was a good boy and was not responsible for all the misfortunes he had experienced in his very short life."
Lisa sat back and listened to Clint's story. She began to see what a quandary Clint was in. He knew nothing about parenting but if he didn't step up the child would become a ward of the state. She wasn't even sure if he would be able to formally adopt Tom because he was a single man. With no one to vouch for him in River Bend, his ability to raise the boy alone on a ranch that needed so much of his time might be questioned.
"So Clint, what are your plans? Do you want to adopt the boy? If so, we should get started on filing the necessary paperwork. I am assuming that Child Services are not aware of Tom's existence. If, or when they do, you may not be able to continue caring for him until the case works through the courts. He may be placed in foster care anyway."
"There is no way I am turning Tom over to foster care. He's had enough turmoil in his six years. I will do whatever is necessary to ensure that Tom is raised in a loving family. If needed, I could move the boy to my family's ranch in Texas or prevail upon one of my sisters to move to River Bend and help him care for the boy until permanent arrangements could be made."
"I am not licensed to practice law in the State of Wyoming and am not knowledgeable on the adoption laws in the state. I'll research them but you would be better off hiring a local attorney. A local attorney would be able to assist him in his quest to keep Tom with you."
"Thanks for the advice. I will talk to Bill McIntyre and see if he can help, and if not if he could maybe recommend someone who can. Can I pay you for your time and services?"
"You're welcome. Sorry I couldn't be of more help. There will be no fee, but if you'd like to, you can take me out to dinner while I am here".
"That can be arranged," smiled Clint. "How long will you be staying with your sister?"
"Throughout the week for sure. How does Friday night work for you?"
"If I can get the Peterson's to keep an eye on Tom, that will be great. I'll pick you up about 7:00. I'll call you if there is any change."
Lisa was counting the minutes until Friday. She couldn't get the image of Clint Sampson out of her brain. This was not like her. Lately she had been married to her job. Her rise in the law firm was the result of many long hours of dedicated work, and she hadn't been with a man for a long time. She found herself wondering what he was like in bed. Thinking about lying next to that long lean bronzed body while he caressed her and whispered in her ear got her juices flowing.
Stop it, she told herself. By the middle of next week you will be out of here and back in the city. You don't want to find yourself back where you started. You want a life with bright lights, witty conversation, trendy restaurants, and a life in a place that doesn't close down at 6:00 pm. That's what River Bend has to offer.
Friday finally arrived and Clint was at the door at 7:00 sharp. He was casually dressed in pressed jeans, a white cowboy shirt with a black western cut leather jacket and a bolo tie with a huge turquoise and silver clasp. He looked good enough to eat - who needed dinner?
"Do you mind if we drive to Cheyenne? It's a little livelier and the restaurants stay open past 8:00 pm." Clint grinned and Linda laughed at his remark. She was pleasantly surprised when he stopped at the entrance to a Japanese restaurant.
"Is this okay with you Lisa? I haven't had sushi in a while and there's definitely no place in River Bend."
"It's fine with me, Clint. I am surprised though - I thought all you Texas boys only ate steak."
"Do you pigeonhole all your dates, or is it just us cowboy types?" asked Clint with a grin.
She smirked, "Well if the shoe fits."
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