The Bequest
Chapter 30—Amanda

Dr. Dutton doesn't call. He doesn't even text. Which is totally fine. It's not like I really wanted to date a vet in the middle of nowhere.

I'm only disappointed because the post I made with his photo has done so remarkably well. And because Heather keeps asking about him. "I could send some things he could wear," she suggests for the fifth time. "Maybe an athletic shirt? Or a backpack. He could use that you said he's a vet, right?"

"I already told you," I say. "We aren't dating. I barely met him. There's nothing between us. I certainly can't show up on his doorstep and hand him a shirt and bag and ask him to use them for me."

"Tell him if he puts it on, that you'll stay to watch him take it off."

"I'm hanging up now," I say.

"Think about it!" She's relentless.

I wish I could ignore her I'd like to stop thinking about it, please and thank you. And every time I do imagine him, I remember that even though I flirted shamelessly, and lobbed my best moves at him, he still hasn't called. Ugh.

"Amanda?" Abby's climbing the hill to my office. It's so unfair. She's made friends with the horse trainer, so she disappears for hours, sitting on his front porch, probably flirting. Meanwhile, if I want to post something or call my soon-to-be- boss, I hope, I have to hike up to the top of a stupidly tall hill. And even up here, I apparently still can't get any peace and quiet.

"Yeah?"

"Oh good." She holds her hand over her eyes. "You are up here. With you sitting on the far end, I couldn't really see you from the house." Which was exactly the point.

"It's a good thing Maren knew where you were."

That little traitor. "What did you need?"

Abby sits down next to me and plucks a lavender wildflower from the bushy weed growing near my feet. "These are nice. I wonder what they are."

"You walked all the way out here for wildflowers?"

"You're sure crabby." She drops the flower and pets Roscoe's head. That traitor scoots away from me and closer to her. "I heard you're staying until after the Fourth of July now?" Is her voice strained? Is she mad about it?

"Uh, yeah, turns out, Lololime really likes the change of pace of posts out here, and they want me to stick around a little longer." I don't mention that they also want me dating. Although, if I did, I could replace out how she feels about me flirting with the horse trainer she can't seem to decide whether she likes. He's not nearly as beautiful as Eddy, but he's around a lot more. Plus, he looks absurdly good in a saddle.

"Great.” She forces a smile that never reaches her eyes. "Well, on the good news front, for the last week you're here, we should have internet. After haranguing everyone from here to the coast, they finally agreed to come early." "That's great!"

"Only four days early," she grumbles. "But I'm taking every win, no matter how small."

"Since they said they were coming in July, we could have been put at the end of their list. I think that's a pretty big win."

"But on the bad news front." She grimaces.

What now?

"I just talked to Kevin and Jeff. Apparently they're going to a family reunion that happens once every five years, and there's no way for them to get out of it. They're glad we'll be here, so they can go." "What does that mean?"

"They'll be gone for a week, leaving right after we drive the cows up to the forest property, apparently."

"That's horrifying," I say.

"I agree. We need to pay a lot more attention to what they've been doing so that we can do it in their absence."

"You don't really expect me to do any of it, right?"

"No," she says. "I didn't, but I figured you may have changed your mind. You seem to be doing that a lot." She stands up and brushes off her jeans. "Well, I won't keep you. I'm headed inside to read the Bible with the kids for a while."

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"There's a big church building in Manila," I say. "You could go there." And give us a break from your self-righteous, know-it-all attitude.

"We're not big on organized sermons," Abby says. "But thanks for the suggestion." She starts walking toward the house, which annoys me. How does she know I have nothing else to say?

I pop up and jog to catch up with her, nearly tripping over Roscoe, who races after me dutifully. "Are you upset we're staying longer?"

Abigail's lips compress and her nostrils flare, but only for a moment. "Of course not."

"Are you sure?" I can't help digging at her a bit.

"It's been great for the kids to spend time with your girls." She clears her throat. "Or at least, one of your girls."

"What does that mean?"

She shrugs. "Nothing."

"Just say what you want to say."

Her arms swing as she walks even faster. "Maren doesn't seem to be very happy to be here, and it shows."

"She'll get over it. She's a team player."

This time, she doesn't even bother hiding her snort.

"What's your problem with her?"

"I don't have a problem with her," she says. "But she's causing issues with all my children, and they get along with almost everyone."

"Yes, your kids are such an unbelievable delight. How could anyone not love them?" I actually feel a little bad as I say that ironically, because her kids are pretty good. Ethan's a little obnoxious sometimes, but he generally means well. And Izzy is capable and patient with Whitney, Emery, and Gabe. She makes lunch almost every day, and she never excludes Emery for not being her family.

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"I know my children aren't perfect," Abigail says, huffing a bit from her quick walk and all this talking. "But they have tried to forge some kind of relationship with Maren, and they've been consistently rebuffed. Actually, they've been rudely rebuffed."

"Why do they need to forge anything at all?"

"I suppose they don't need to," she says, "but I thought it would be nice for them to know their cousins, and they've all been through something pretty similar."

"Maren's not a fan of the ranch, so it's not like being here will bond her "

We're almost back to the ranch house, and Abigail stops, pivoting on her heel to face me. "Not the ranch, Amanda. I'm talking about losing their fathers."

Oh. "Mine are over it," I say. "Paul died three and a half years ago." Plus, he wasn't the best dad to begin with.

The pity and condescension on Abigail's face makes me want to slap her. "You think Maren's fine? You think Emery is? You don't recover from losing your dad in three years. They may not recover in their lifetime. He won't be there to threaten whatever guy takes them on their first date. He won't be there for prom, or their wedding day. He won't be there to complain to when you annoy them, or when they think you've gotten things all wrong."

"Yours are lucky then." I cross my arms. Roscoe whines and lies down by my feet, putting a paw over his face. I wish I could do that.

"Why are they lucky?"

"Because you never get things wrong." I can't quite help my smirk.

She half smiles. "I said when the kids think their mom has gotten things wrong. I didn't say either of us were ever wrong."

I laugh. "You're such a lawyer."

"I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings about Maren. I don't always approach things the right way, but I've been worried about her. And now that you're staying longer, I think we need to do something."