Tracy (Seven Sisters Book 5)

  Tracy

  Seven Sisters

  Kirsten Osbourne

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Also by Kirsten Osbourne

  Chapter One

  Tracy McClain sat at her desk and took a sip of her Coke. She’d been on her feet all day and had sold three vehicles, which thrilled her. That was the last of what she needed to put the down payment on her pub, and her dream of owning her own business was about to come true.

  She’d taken a gap year between high school and college, and she’d backpacked around England, Scotland, and Ireland. It had always been a dream of hers, and she’d been thrilled to do it, staying in hostels as she went. Since that time, it had been her dream to own and manage her own Irish pub, and she had a place in mind, right on Main Street there in Bagley, Texas. No, it wasn’t common to have Irish pubs in Texas, but she didn’t care. She was ready to do what she wanted to do. She was a McClain after all.

  She looked up and saw an old friend walking toward her, Steve Langley. She and Steve had gone to high school together, and though he’d been two years ahead of her, they had been good friends and run with the same crowd.

  “Hey you! How’re you holding up?” Steve’s father had died just a month or two before, and he had inherited the family ranch. Tracy knew he’d been struggling to find his way.

  Steve walked toward her and leaned down, hugging her tightly. “It’s been rough, but I’m slowly getting a handle on things. I need some help . . .”

  “What’s up?” Tracy was willing to do just about anything for this man. At one point she’d thought they might actually date, but then she’d found out he harbored a secret crush on her sister, Rebekah.

  He rubbed the back of his neck, obviously perturbed about something. “I need to trade in the ranch truck. It’s not working right, and I don’t have the time or the patience to keep having it fixed.”

  “Do you want me to take a look at it?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Tracy regretted them. No one but her sisters knew how she could diagnose objects.

  “What good would that do? Nah, I’ll just trade it in and get something new. Hopefully something I can drive off the lot today.”

  “No problem. I’m always happy to make a sale. Let’s get your truck into the garage and have them check it out and give me a trade-in allowance for it, and then we’ll run your credit and start looking.”

  “Thanks, Tracy. I knew you were the person to come to. Only car salesman I would ever trust.”

  “That’s saleswoman to you!” Tracy flashed him a grin as she followed him out to his truck. It was an older truck, more than seven years old. It had been sold to him before her time at the dealership, but there was no doubt in her mind it had come from their lot. She knew Steve’s family had always dealt with them. They were the only car lot in town.

  He gestured to the old blue truck, covered with mud. “Have you been driving this through the fields with all the rain we’ve had?” she asked.

  “Haven’t had a choice,” he said, shaking his head. “Some of our new calves got stuck in the mud down by the river, and I had to use the truck to pull them out. All this rain has been ridiculous.”

  “I’ve heard several of the ranchers have had trouble. What’s weird is in Austin and San Antonio, they’re below normal rainfall, and here in Bagley, it just won’t stop!” Tracy walked to the truck and put her hand on the door, as if checking for parking lot door dings. The repairs needed were minor, so they’d be able to give him a good trade-in on the truck. That pleased her. “Would you mind driving this over to the garage door? I’ll go talk to the head mechanic now.”

  As he got into the car and drove it over to the spot she needed, she walked over and talked quickly to the mechanic, explaining what the problem “sounded like” to her. George had learned to listen to her when she had a feeling about a vehicle. “All right. I’ll call you with the trade-in value in fifteen.”

  She nodded, waiting on Steve and walking him back to her desk. “Let’s do the financial stuff, and then we’ll go look and see what floats your boat.”

  He grinned. “I knew you’d make this process less painful. I think when we’re done, I’m taking you out for supper. What do you think of that?”

  “I think that sounds like a brilliant plan. I would love it.” She pushed a form toward him so he could fill it out and she could take the information to her manager, and then the manager could run his credit and let her know what he qualified for. Someday she was sure everyone in a car dealership would have a computer at their desk, but for now, that was out of reach.

  As soon as he finished with the form, she took it to her manager, and said, “Run this quick. He wants to make a deal today.”

  The manager looked at his watch. “Does he know we close in two hours?”

  “We can have it all done by then. We’ll just hurry!”

  Albert gave her a look that told her he thought she’d lost her mind, but she didn’t care. She’d handle things as best she could and get them done quickly.

  Ten minutes later, he handed her a piece of paper with an amount on it, and she walked back to Steve, handing him the paper she’d glanced at. “This is the amount you qualify for. Let’s go look at trucks!”

  He nodded. “Yeah, let’s look. I want four-wheel drive, of course, and AC is a must. I’d love a cassette deck if I can get one.”

  “No problem. Power locks and windows, or do you care?”

  They went through the process of choosing a vehicle and test drove a couple. It was a fun process for Tracy, because they got to catch up on each other as they drove.

  Two hours later, he drove off the lot with his new truck, promising to pick her up at eight, which gave her two hours to finish her paperwork on a record number of vehicles sold in one day and get home to change for dinner. She didn’t want to go out in her work clothes. Jeans and cowgirl boots were the orders of the day.

  Albert walked over to her desk, shaking his head. “I’ve got to hand it to you. That’s the best sales day anyone has ever had at this dealership.”

  Tracy grinned. “All in a day’s work, bossman.”

  “For you, maybe! I’m going to see that you get a bonus for all this.”

  “I’d appreciate that!” A bonus might pay for a shiny new computer instead of a cash register at the pub. She wanted to start out with the best.

  Once the paperwork was done, she walked the block to her apartment and quickly changed into her jeans. She put on a pink and purple plaid button-up shirt and her purple cowgirl boots. Looking in the mirror, she grinned. She loved the effect of all the pink.

  When Steve knocked on her door twenty minutes later, she rushed over and opened it. “I’m ready. Let me just grab my purse.”

  And then they went to her favorite Mexican place in his brand-new red truck she’d just sold him. “Nice truck.”

  “It is, isn’t it? Just what I needed.” Steven laughed, shifting as he drove. “I’m glad you were free to go out tonight. It’s nice to celebrate a new vehicle.”

  “Oh, we have more than that to celebrate.” Somehow, she felt a little tingle in her belly as they drove along, and she couldn’t help but be excited to be alone with him. Was there a chance he’d be more than the friend he’d always been? She’d cried on his shoulder when she’d broken up with her first serious boyfriend, and the history might be hard t
o get past.

  “What else is going on? I know you have sisters marrying . . .”

  “Not that. So, you know how I backpacked in England and Ireland after high school?”

  “Yeah, everyone thought you were nuts. I wished I could go, but my dad was determined to teach me how to run the ranch.” Steve shook his head. “I’m not sure I’ll ever love ranching as much as he did, but I at least have a healthy respect for the work now.”

  Tracy decided to hold off on giving him her news. “I’m sure you miss him.”

  “Of course, I do. He was my father, but he was never an easy man to live with.” He stopped the truck in the small parking lot of Comida, and they walked toward the front. “Remember coming here for lunch when we were in high school?”

  She nodded, thinking of all the times they’d come with a large group of friends. She’d hoped and prayed he’d ask her out, but it had never happened. “Those were fun times.”

  Once they were seated and had ordered, he looked at her. “You were telling me what you have to celebrate, and I got caught up in my father issues. What are we celebrating besides me having a new ride?”

  “Well, while I was backpacking in Ireland, one of my favorite things was stopping at the local pubs. There’s nothing like an Irish pub here in the US. And I want to try to recreate one.” She grinned at him. “So I made four vehicle sales today. The third one gave me enough to put the down payment on my pub. Yours was just gravy.”

  “Seriously? Where?”

  “I’m opening it on Main Street. There was an old ice cream parlor there when we were kids. It’s been shut down for at least fifteen years. I’m going to renovate and turn that place into my pub.”

  He smiled. “That sounds amazing. I want to be your first customer.”

  “I’d love that! I haven’t quit yet. I’m going to keep working where I am for another month or two as the renovations are done, but the end is in sight. My dad offered to loan me the money years ago, but I wanted to do it on my own, and I will.”

  “That really is cause for celebration. I should have taken you out dancing, not just to our old hangout.”

  “This is still my favorite restaurant. I’m thrilled to celebrate here.” She leaned back and took a sip of her Coke. “So tell me what’s going on with you. I hear all the gossip, of course, but I don’t know what’s true and what’s not.”

  He shrugged. “All I’ve done since school is work my tail off trying to learn to be as good of a rancher as my father was. He always said I was falling short. So . . . not really a lot to tell.”

  She reached out and covered his hand with hers before she could think better of it. “Your father was a very hard man. Everyone knew it. Don’t get discouraged by what he’s said to you. I’m sure he was a lot worse as he was getting sicker.” His father had died of pancreatic cancer, and he’d refused treatment. He’d claimed that having chemo and radiation would just kill him quicker. He’d wanted to die on his own terms.

  “It didn’t make him easier to get along with, that’s for sure.” He shook his head. “The ranch is all mine now, and I’m doing my best to make it the best it can be. Dad was against using any kind of computer on the ranch, even to track things. I think we need to have everything numbered, so I’m implementing some new things that would really piss him off, but I’m doing what I feel is best. It’s strange that I still hear him yelling at me every time I make a spreadsheet.”

  “I wish you’d had parents more like mine. Mom and Dad would adopt you in a heartbeat. You should come over after church on Sunday and tell them you need new parents. They’ll do it.”

  He laughed. “I’m not sure if they would. They knew my father, and they probably figure I’m just like him.”

  “Everyone knows better than that. Tell me what you plan on doing to the ranch.” Tracy wanted to keep him focused on positive things. It had to be hard after living with his father for so long. As long as she’d known him, he hadn’t had a mother. She thought she heard that his mother had died at his birth, but she wasn’t sure. It was odd she wouldn’t know something like that about her friend.

  For the next twenty minutes, he talked about improvements he wanted to make. “Dad was even against electric fences, but the cattle tend to destroy all other types of fencing. So I’m going to work slowly to change all those out. We’ll work on that in the winters when we’re not fishing calves out of mud.”

  She grinned. “I wish you’d gotten a movie of you pulling the calf out. I can just see how mad you must have been.”

  He made a face. “You want to laugh at my hardships? Really?”

  “Nah. I want to laugh with you at your hardships. See the difference?”

  “Not really. Some friend you are.”

  “I’ve always been your friend. You know that.” She leaned forward, a grin on her face. “When we were in high school, I had a huge crush on you. Every time we did something together, I’d wish that you’d ask me out, and then I found out you had a crush on Rebekah. So annoying.”

  “Rebekah? Your sister Rebekah? No way. Did you really think that?”

  “Danny Stifter said you did. Did he lie to me?” She’d ended up going out with Danny shortly after, so it was definitely possible that he’d made up stories so she would give up on Steve.

  Steve laughed. “I never had one iota of feelings for Rebekah. She wasn’t my type at all. She was so studious and always so intent on the medical profession. I wanted a girl who would wander around Ireland for no particular reason.”

  She sighed. “I should have known. Danny let me cry on his shoulder and then offered up himself as a consolation prize.” She made a face. “He was the worst boyfriend ever.”

  Steve shook his head. “Sounds like Danny worked things out to his own benefit, doesn’t it? I never did like him.”

  “Well, I think more of him now that’s he’s in the Marines. I’m sure he’s grown up a lot. He couldn’t help but grow up carrying a rifle every day. Did you know he was even part of the invasion of Grenada?”

  “I didn’t. Hopefully he really has grown up, and he’s a better person now.” Steven looked at Tracy for a moment. “Now, what do we do about us? He kept us from being together in high school. Maybe it’s time we gave it a go?”

  Chapter Two

  Tracy stared at him in stunned silence for a moment. “Are you serious?” Her mind was spinning. Could she have a relationship with a man she’d thought of as a friend for so long? How could this even work? A small voice inside her was screaming at her to at least try.

  Steve nodded. “As serious as I’ve ever been about anything. Why not? I feel like we were cheated out of prom now, and I want to see if it could work between us. And I want to punch Danny Stifter in the face!”

  Tracy just studied him, trying to figure out what she should say. “What if I’m dating someone already?” she asked, stalling.

  “Then I really doubt you’d be out with me tonight. Celebration or no celebration.”

  “That’s true . . .” Tracy drew in a deep breath. “All right, let’s try it. But if I giggle when you try to kiss me for the first time, it’s just because we’ve gotten to be such close friends that I quit fantasizing about kissing you a very long time ago.”

  Steve leaned back with a grin. “You used to fantasize about kissing me? Tell me more . . .”

  “I even practiced kissing my pillow for you. You were my first real crush. Like with a real person and not with William Shatner or someone like that.” She had spent many evenings daydreaming about him while she was supposed to be doing her homework.

  “You had a crush on William Shatner? That man overacts terribly. Let’s get back to you practicing kissing your pillow for me . . .”

  “Let’s not. Forget I said that.” She grinned, truthfully happy they were already so comfortable with each other. It made it easy to talk to him.

  “Hmm . . . I’m not sure what to say to that. I want to hear about it. Were you using tongue on your pillow? Didn’
t you get fibers in your mouth?”

  “No tongue. Just lips and pillow. And I did still get some stray threads in my mouth, so I moved onto kissing my hand. And my mirror once, but one of my sisters saw lipstick on the mirror and matched it to the lipstick I wore that day, and I never thought I’d hear the end of it.”

  He threw back his head and laughed. He hadn’t laughed that much since . . . well, since high school when he’d spent a lot of time with Tracy. “I’ve really missed you.”

  She smiled. “I’ve missed you, too.” Shaking her head, she shrugged. “You know, I’ve felt like there was a hole in my life where something was missing. Seems like it was a Steve-sized hole.”

  He grinned at that. “A Steve-sized hole? Was it Steve-shaped, too?”

  “I’m not sure. I’ll have to really think about the hole later and maybe examine it.” Taking a sip of her Coke, she watched him over the rim. “So, if we’re going to date, what are we going to do? Walks in the park? Movies? Dancing? Dinners out?”

  “All of the above. And I need you to meet Ringo.”

  “Who is Ringo?” She hadn’t heard of anyone around town with that name, and it wasn’t exactly common, so she’d have heard!

  “My German Shepherd. You’re going to love him. Just make sure you use a firm voice with him when you tell him to get down, because he loves to jump on anyone who comes in the door.”

  Tracy laughed. “I can’t wait to meet Ringo. I hope you’ve worked on teaching him some manners.”

  “Oh, I’ve worked on it, but he’s the most hard-headed dog. . . . He likes to run around with the cows trying to herd them, but they don’t exactly listen to him. I’ve thought about getting a few sheep, just to keep Ringo happy.”

  “Maybe you should . . .” She glanced up as their food arrived, looking down at her plate of enchiladas. “I had no idea I was so hungry.”