Dream Hunt
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Tommy sat in his office watching the snowfall. The storm had arrived two nights ago and would continue until tomorrow afternoon, according to the latest weather reports. It was a good thing he wasn’t scheduled for any outdoor activities this weekend or else it could have been dangerous.
He looked around the room. Most of his belongings were either stored at the ranch house or packed away in boxes. Tommy had lived here for almost twenty years; however, after his mother’s death last year, there hadn’t been much reason to keep it.
He’d decided to move into the ranch house and rent out this office space until he found a buyer. There was no rush. After all, he didn’t plan on retiring anytime soon.
It was too bad that his mother hadn’t lived long enough to see how well her hard work was paying off. She’d started working at the ranch when she was sixteen. When Mr. Roper died five years ago, her boss at first refused to give over management of the ranch to her, but eventually changed his mind after a few months.
Mrs. Roper had never married and had lived alone since Tom was ten. Her only child, he was now thirty-one.
“Mrs. Roper?” Tommy called from behind his desk. “Are you home yet?”
No response. Tommy went back to watching the snow fall through the window while he waited. His thoughts drifted to his childhood. The Roper family had moved to Montana four months earlier, shortly before he turned seven. At least the winters weren’t as cold as they used to be; however, the snow still fell heavily during these late months.
A light knock sounded on the door then Mrs. Roper appeared. She was bundled up in her coat with her woolen hat pulled down low over her face. Tommy waved at her, which brought forth a smile. He knew the snow wouldn’t deter his mother from coming to see him today.
“The snow is beautiful,” she said, pulling off her hat and gloves. “I wish I’d brought my camera.”
She set them both by the door and then came back inside.
Tommy followed her to the fireplace where she lit a fire. Then she took a seat across from the desk.
“How are things going with your new assistant?” she asked, changing the subject. “Has anyone contacted us about selling one of their horses lately? I’ve been thinking about selling one myself.”
Tommy shook his head. “No, we haven’t heard anything about selling a horse. I’m not sure if that means people don’t want to sell or that it isn’t easy to find buyers these days. I did hear something disturbing though.”
His mother stopped talking and frowned. “What happened now?”
“There’s an old friend of mine who owns a livery stable near town and he told me there’s been some unusual activity around our ranch. Someone has been riding past and looking in windows, which makes me wonder if someone knows the layout of the ranch or what horses we own.”
Mrs. Roper’s eyebrows rose. “Well, I’ll admit that we’re not quite as isolated as we once were. With the railroads being built closer to our ranch and the telegraph lines coming closer every day, I guess it’s only natural that someone might know more about us than they did in the past.”
“That’s what I thought too. I also wondered why someone would be watching our place since we aren’t close enough to town for there to be much traffic.”
“You think the person who is watching us is a man?” Mrs. Roper asked, leaning forward. “I suppose you should call Sheriff Beader to ask if he can do anything about it.”
“I already did. He said it could take weeks for his deputies to catch whoever it is,” Tommy said, returning his attention to his paperwork.
“I don’t like the idea of someone knowing where we live,” she said. “It seems to me that it could make us a target for thieves or worse.”
Tommy nodded his agreement. The last time there was a robbery in town, it had been right next door. It had happened during a party held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Roper’s neighbor. The man had been killed before Mrs. Roper could even get her gun out of its holster. That was another reason Tommy wanted to sell. He couldn’t risk losing a life because of his own foolishness.
“Did you ever meet Mr. Roper’s wife?” she asked.
“Yes, I met her twice,” Tommy said quietly, recalling the first meeting. He’d walked into the barn to check on one of the horses and found Mary Roper sitting on the hay bale. There wasn’t anyone else in sight. “She was very pretty, although not nearly so pretty as you.”
Mrs. Roper laughed then grew quiet again until Tommy broke the silence. “Do you remember how many children Mr. Roper had?”
“He always spoke of having three sons and three daughters,” Mrs. Roper answered. “They were all grown by the time he died.”
Tommy didn’t answer right away. “I just remembered something important.” He reached for the telephone on his desk and dialed the sheriff’s office. When the deputy answered, Tommy asked him to send someone over immediately.
The deputy arrived within five minutes. He stood in the doorway for a moment, then entered the room. His eyes widened when he saw the snow outside.
“Sheriff Beader, I need you to come here and tell me if anyone has broken into our ranch.”
“Why?”
“Someone is watching our place. We have no doubt about it because of the snow.”
“When was this?” Sheriff Beader asked.
“Just after breakfast,” Tommy said, glancing up from his work. “We got snow overnight but I didn’t really notice it until this morning.”
The sheriff’s gaze moved between Tommy and his mother. He seemed confused, which surprised Tommy. After all, Mrs. Roper was the owner of the ranch and his boss. Why wouldn’t the sheriff recognize her?
Then Sheriff Beader’s eyes narrowed. “Who was watching you?”
Tommy hesitated and then looked toward his mother, who returned an innocent look.
“Mrs. Roper?” the sheriff asked.
“My son, Tommy, is my personal secretary,” she said. “He helps me with the books and keeps records.”
Tommy felt relieved that he hadn’t been recognized. “I’m sorry, sir, I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”
The sheriff’s face softened and he gave a slight nod. “I understand, son, but I still need to know who was watching you.”
Tommy thought back to the previous evening. He’d been working late into the night, finishing up a contract, when he heard someone approaching the house. It sounded like boots hitting the ground. But he couldn’t be sure because he was using the light from his lantern to write down figures on a piece of paper.
“I can tell you that there wasn’t anyone out there when I went outside to feed our dog,” Tommy said, trying to sound convincing. “But I didn’t really pay much attention to it.”
Sheriff Beader stared at Tommy for several seconds before he finally spoke. “I’ll be happy to send someone around to help you shovel snow if you need it.”
“That would be great!” Tommy answered. “Thank you very much.”
***
After they finished clearing the driveway, Tommy helped Mrs. Roper clear the porch and steps leading to the front door. She took off her hat and coat then went inside to change clothes. As soon as she disappeared through the door, Tommy headed for the back porch where he could see the barn.
“What are you doing?” Mrs. Roper asked.
“Making sure everything is okay in the barn.”
“You should rest,” she said, joining him on the back porch. “I’m fine.”
“If I stay in the house too long, I won’t be able to sleep tonight,” he told her. “Not with someone watching our place.” He watched the barn door for a few more moments. The horses were in their stalls and he didn’t see any other movement among them. Then he turned back toward Mrs. Roper. “Are you sure nothing unusual happened while I was gone?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Good.” Tommy leaned against the railing. “I don’t think we should talk about anything important until I get some sleep.”
Mrs. Roper nodded. “Of course not.”
They spent another hour talking about what needed to be done during the day and then she went back inside to prepare lunch. A couple hours later, Mrs. Roper brought out a tray of sandwiches and cookies she’d baked earlier in the morning. They ate on the back porch while Tommy cleared a path for Tommy so he could walk to the barn without getting wet.
“Did you get some sleep last night?” Tommy asked his mother when he came back inside.
“Yes, thank you.” Mrs. Roper sat on one of the stools next to the countertop. “But I’m still exhausted.”
“It’s going to take some time to adjust to your new routine,” Tommy told her. “Don’t worry; you will feel better once you find your own rhythm.”
Mrs. Roper reached across the counter and squeezed Tommy’s hand. “Thanks for being such a good boy,” she said. “I really appreciate it.”
Tommy smiled. “You’re welcome. It’s only right since you’re paying me an extra fifty dollars a month.”
“I never realized how hard it would be to hire someone,” Mrs. Roper said. “But I’m glad I found you.”
“It’s funny,” Tommy said. “A couple days ago I wanted to quit this job. Now I’m beginning to enjoy it.”
“How long have you worked here, son?”
“Four months.”
She nodded, seeming pleased. “Well, keep up the good work. And if you ever need money or anything else, let me know.”
“I will.”
As Mrs. Roper prepared dinner, Tommy walked into the kitchen and grabbed two apples that had been left on the counter by accident. Then he went outside, leaving Mrs. Roper alone in the kitchen.
When he stepped out onto the back porch, he saw her standing just outside the open doorway. “I forgot to give you these,” he said, handing her the apples.
She accepted them and thanked him again.
“Do you need something?” Tommy asked, stepping closer.
“No, I’m fine,” she said. “Just enjoying the cool breeze.”
Tommy noticed that Mrs. Roper’s dress looked different than when he’d first seen her wearing it. He also noticed that there wasn’t enough room for him to sit beside her on the porch without sitting on the wooden floorboards. So he went around to the side of the porch and sat down on the grass while she continued to watch the barn.
“Why aren’t you coming out here?” he asked. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready for dinner?”
“I already ate,” she said. “And I’m not hungry right now.”
“Okay,” he said. “Maybe I’ll come out here tomorrow.”
“Please do,” she said. “I’ve missed having someone to talk to.”
Tommy smiled. “Me too.”
The End