The Wrong Man

GINNY stared through the rain at the iron gate that marked the entrance to the H Circular ranch. She sneezed again and blew her nose. She rubbed her chest and tried to take a breath, but it hurt. It had been a terrible trip. If that damned man had answered any of her letters or returned her calls, she wouldn't have had to drive from Florida to Texas. Yet he had disdained her for the past month, just as he had for the past five years. That wasn't going to stop Ginny, though. She'd taken a week's vacation, pushed her old car to the limit, and was now in Tumbleweed, at the entrance to the Holden ranch. The car had broken down in Biloxi and broke down again in a storm outside Beaumont. Her cold had gotten worse every day since she'd had to stand there soaking wet while talking to the tow truck driver. She remained resolute. No one was going to scorn her. If John Mitchell Holden thought she'd give in just because he didn't respond to her demands, it was because he didn't know her. As they headed down the road, she realized that, indeed, he hadn't really known her. A two-week romance was romantic and exciting, but it wasn't the real world. She'd been stupid to believe him when he'd told her he loved her. Hadn't her aunt warned her time and time again? If she'd listened... Then she wouldn't have Joey, and she wouldn't trade him for anything in the world. Wouldn't John Mitchell like to know he had a son? "Are we there, Mom?" Joey asked from his seat in the back seat. "Almost, darling," she replied, hoping it was true. The truth was, she was hoping she could get John Mitchell to agree to help her pay for the operation before they had to leave for the day. find a motel to spend the night. He was eager to get into bed, pull the covers over him, and sleep until the next day. Summer storms were famous in Florida, but I was starting to think the ones in Texas were better than them. It was the third day in a row with storms. "Will we see horses?" Joey asked. —I don't know. Maybe they're sheltering from the rain. There were plenty of cattle to be seen in the fields along the road, but no horses. "And cows?" the boy insisted. —If you look out the window you'll see more cows than you can count. The huge herd stretched across the field and many of the steers They stood stoically with their backs beaten by the wind and enduring the rain that fell on them. The road was wide, two-way, paved, and straight as a spear. How far away was the house? As they crested a small hill, Ginny had the answer. In front of them stood a huge white two-story house with columns supporting a roof that covered a wide porch. It was large enough to house several generations of a family. It reminded her of Tara; a little gaudy, but fitting for a family that could give a million dollars to charity. Beyond the house were two gigantic barns and a group of buildings. She had no idea how ranches worked. What were all those buildings for?