Last Chance Hero Read online

  “Seriously?” Andy kept his eyes on the road. It was too easy to get distracted if he looked over at her. “How much time had you spent here before you moved?”

  “Not that much, I guess. I came out to talk to Dr. Benavides, of course, and to meet the other doctors in the practice. I didn’t have time to do a lot of sightseeing then, though. It was sort of a quick visit.”

  “How did you wind up here, anyway? I guess I just assumed that you wanted to live in New Mexico, but it doesn’t sound like you’d even been here before.”

  “You don’t have to know every inch of a place to think about living there.” Jess was beginning to sound a bit defensive. “And for your information, I have been to New Mexico before, just not this part.”

  “Oh, where have you been?” Andy had a feeling it was time to let the subject drop, but he really was curious.

  “Well, we drove through the southern part when I was in middle school, and I’ve also been to Santa Fe.”

  Santa Fe. And she didn’t see the mountains. Andy opened his mouth to say something and closed it again. It definitely was time to let the subject drop.

  “Of course, I was only about five at the time, and the only thing I can remember is Native Americans selling jewelry from blankets on the sidewalk,” Jess went on. “But I did not move to a state I had never even visited. So there.”

  “Okay, then.” Andy didn’t even try to hide his grin. “You’re practically a native. Well, it’s a great big state and I’d love to show it to you. Maybe after football season is over, we can do some exploring.”

  “I’d like that, although finding time when we’re both free might be a little tricky. Dr. Benavides is trying to ease into retirement, so I’m taking more of his patients, when they let me, and my branch office in Last Chance opens this next week. So even though deep in my heart I’m thinking I’ll probably have more time than I know what to do with, I’m really hoping that will change soon.”

  “Hey, congratulations.” Andy glanced over at her again. “So Last Chance is finally getting its own doctor. Good for us. Shall we hope for an outbreak of plague? That ought to get things going.”

  “Right. That’s exactly what we should hope for.” Jess shot him a look. “No, I’m not looking for an epidemic. Just wishing a few more local folk would be as pleased in practice as they are in theory.”

  “You just need to give it a little time, that’s all. They’ll come around. If you’ve got Dr. B. on your side and he’s trying to retire, that’s all you need. You’ll be busy.”

  Jess made a little sound in her throat and reached for the volume knob on the radio.

  Taking the cue, Andy stopped trying to be helpful. But he couldn’t help it. He had this pep talk reflex that triggered every time he sensed discouragement. It was useful in the locker room, and face it, if he hadn’t been able to talk himself through some mighty tough times when he was a kid, who knows where he’d be now? But clearly Jess had heard all she wanted to hear.

  He let the sounds of his classic country station fill the cab of his truck, and as they drove, any tension there had been between them dissipated into the warm, early autumn afternoon. He even found himself singing along with an old Kenny Rogers tune, and when he caught Jess smiling at him, he cranked up his volume and beat the time on the steering wheel to see if he could make her laugh outright. She did.

  The parking lot was empty when Andy pulled in, and the only sound he heard when he got out of his truck was the rustle of a soft wind through the cottonwoods and pines.

  “It’s so quiet. Are you sure it’s open?” Jess got out of the truck and stood by the door.

  “It’s open. There’s a pay station at the trailhead.” Andy joined her and took her hand. “We just lucked out. No one’s here but us. Come on, but don’t look until I tell you to.”

  “All right. Just don’t let me walk into anything.” She kept her eyes on the ground in front of her as Andy led her along the asphalt path.

  “Here.” Placing his hands on her shoulders, Andy turned her to face the looming cliff in front of them. “Look up.”

  Jess slowly raised her head. “Oh my.” The words came in a whisper.

  High above them, carved by the winds of millennia, caves peered out across the valley like hooded eyes. Even from where they stood below, crumbling stone walls were visible in the shadowy interiors. Andy let silence reclaim the moment before he spoke again.

  “Come on, let’s go up and look.” He led the way up the winding path until they reached the first of the caves. It ran deep into the mountain, with low stone walls still marking off the rooms.

  “Who lived here?” Her voice was hushed and reverent.

  “An ancient people. They were long gone before the Mescalero and the Navajo ever came to this area.”

  “Why did they leave?”

  “No one knows. Maybe there was a drought and the creek down there dried up; maybe they were forced out by invaders. As you can see, there are only a few dwellings, so the population couldn’t have been that big. The first Europeans to explore the ruins found tools here, and corn in the storage bins. It was as if the residents all walked off one day and never came back.”

  Jess found an outcropping of rock near the edge of the cave and sat on it, wrapping her arms around her knees and hugging them close. Andy joined her. The narrow valley below them was already caught in shadow, although the sun still painted the tops of the cottonwoods yellow-green and warmed the face of the pockmarked cliff where they sat.

  Jess lifted her face to its rays and closed her eyes. “That sun feels good, and I’ll bet the people who lived here liked it too.” She opened her eyes and looked at Andy. “Do you think that’s why they chose these caves to build their homes?”

  “Probably didn’t hurt.” All Andy’s trepidation at bringing her here had fled. She seemed to see here what he did. “Plus there was the water and the ready-made shelter.”

  “I still wonder what made them leave.” She closed her eyes again. “Listen. The wind in the trees almost sounds like they might be coming back.”

  “Well, if they are, they’ll be taking off again. Here come the invaders.”

  Below them, in the parking lot, two passenger vans came to a stop and about a dozen boys poured out, joined by a few adults. As the adults tried to gather the boys and give instructions, and as the boys yelled over each other and scattered, Andy reached for Jess’s hand and pulled her to her feet.

  “It’s going to get real busy here in a minute. Let’s try to get a head start. There are a few more dwellings I want to show you.”

  Andy led as they made their way across the cliff face single file, stopping in each cavern for a few minutes, but the spell had been broken. The tumult behind grew closer until the first boys caught up with them in the last cave.

  “Okay, can we go now?” The tall, skinny blond kid who got there first called back to the nearest leader. “Boooring.”

  “Really? You think this is boring? Did you even look at it?” Jess smiled at the boy and her tone was teasing, but he just glanced at her and headed back the way he came.

  “Charming child.” Jess raised an eyebrow as she turned back to Andy.

  He shrugged. “He’s what? About thirteen? Comes with the territory. At least he’s been here, and maybe someday when he doesn’t have to be so cool, he’ll remember and come back.”

  “I’ll bet you never found this place boring, not even when you were thirteen.”

  “I had a different kind of life than these guys.” Andy reached for her hand as they headed back down the path to the parking lot. “My guess is that this is a scout troop working on some merit badge or other. I never had much time for things like scouts.”

  Andy realized as he spoke that he had left himself open for the next question—What kind of life did you have?—but Jess never asked it. She just stopped, looked back up at the ancient ruins, and sighed.

  “This was amazing, Andy. Thank you so much for sharing this place w
ith me.” She looked at him with a pensive expression he couldn’t quite read. “I’m so glad we had it all to ourselves for a while. It was like going seven hundred years back in time.”

  “All part of the service.” Andy opened her door and walked around the truck and climbed in the driver’s side. Being with Jess was easy and made him feel good. He never worried that she was more interested in the football player than in the man. She had made it abundantly clear that the football player didn’t impress her in the slightest. There was something freeing in that, and he realized he wasn’t ready to let the day go. Not yet. “Since you’re not sure when we can do this again, why don’t we take the scenic route home so I can show you a little more of the country?”

  He saw her glance at her watch and frown.

  “Hey, if you’ve got to get back, I understand.” He pulled out onto the highway. “It was just a thought.” Take it easy, Ryan. Don’t push it.

  “Oh, why not?” Jess grinned at him as she relaxed against the seat. “The day’s pretty much gone anyway, and besides, I’m curious about what you call scenic if this isn’t it.”

  The western sky had gone through crimson and coral and was already shading to deep purple by the time Andy drove his pickup back into Last Chance. He had been right. As hard as it had been to imagine, the narrow road that wound through the mountains on their way home could indeed be called the scenic route. The afternoon had been just what she didn’t know she needed, and Jess felt as relaxed and peaceful as she had in a long time.

  “Hungry?” Andy slowed as they approached the Dip ’n’ Dine. “Want to get something to eat before we call it a day?”

  “I don’t know.” Jess looked out the window at the couple heading for the last car in the parking lot. “It looks like they’re trying to close. I went in at closing time last night. It’s not a mistake I want to make twice.”

  “Seriously? That doesn’t sound like Chris.”

  “Oh, I never saw Chris. I’m not sure he was even there. It was Juanita who made me aware of the protocol.”

  “Ah, that explains a lot. Okay, no Dip ’n’ Dine.” He picked up speed again. “So, how about my place? I’ve got a couple steaks I can grill.”

  Jess hesitated. There was nothing left of the sunset but a deep red glow on the horizon, and the stars were coming out. It had been a lovely day, but it was over.

  “It’s just that I feel responsible.” Andy looked so serious when he glanced over at her. “If it weren’t for me dragging you off, you’d have a houseful of groceries by now and probably be insisting that I have dinner with you. Fixing you a steak is the least I can do.”

  Jess laughed. Maybe the day didn’t have to be over just yet. And truthfully, she was curious. The paved street that ran past the house she rented from Rita turned into a dirt road at the end of the block, and she had wondered where Andy wound up when he drove past. “Okay, since you put it that way. I guess it is your fault that I’d be eating my last yogurt for dinner if I went home.”

  Jess felt the slight jolt as Andy’s truck left the pavement behind and headed down the dirt road to stop in front of a long, low house with a deep front porch running the length of it. For a moment before she reached for the door handle, Jess just sat and looked at it. She wasn’t quite sure what she had expected—maybe a rustic bachelor cabin or something—but it certainly wasn’t this. For one thing, it was by far the biggest house she had yet seen in Last Chance, and despite the building materials scattered around and a few raw boards nailed to the steps and front porch, it could have been abandoned. She got out of the truck and stood by the door.

  “Come on in.” Andy came around and took her arm. “But be careful. There’s lots to trip over, and it’s nearly dark.”

  He guided her up the steps and led the way inside. Jess stood and looked around while Andy switched on some lights. The room was huge, though nearly empty of furniture, and carved beams traversed the high ceiling.

  “I’ll get us warmed up here in just a minute.” Andy knelt in front of the kiva fireplace dominating one corner and lit the kindling nestled under the teepee of logs leaning against its back wall. He got up, dusting his hands. “There, that ought to do it. Come on in the kitchen, and I’ll get those steaks going.”

  Jess followed him and again stopped at the door. She didn’t know what she had expected the kitchen to look like, but it certainly wasn’t golden oak cabinets, almond-colored appliances, and wallpaper with little chickens on it. Andy moved about the kitchen, pulling steaks from the fridge and potatoes from the pantry, but eventually he must have noticed her silence because he stopped and looked at her.

  “What?”

  “Um, nothing. What can I do to help?”

  “Not a thing. Just pull up that stool at the breakfast bar and keep me company.”

  She did as she was told, propping her elbows on the creamy Formica counter, and watched him work for a while. Finally, she had to say something.

  “So, how long have you lived here?” It didn’t begin to touch on all the things she was curious about, but it was a start.

  Andy looked up. “This time? About two or three months, I guess.”

  “This time?”

  “Yeah, I grew up in this house, but before last summer, I hadn’t been back since I graduated from high school.”

  “You grew up here?” Jess looked around. Clearly, the house was built to be a showplace, but its rundown condition was due to more than neglect. She could see where holes in the walls had been patched, and there was a long scorch mark next to the window as if curtains had once caught fire. “And you haven’t been back, even to visit?”

  “No point.” Andy went back to peeling potatoes. “No one I know was here. Mom had her stuff packed, and I drove her to her sister’s in Oklahoma the day after I graduated.”

  “And your dad?” Jess knew she was likely treading where she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t help herself.

  “Dad had moved on a couple years earlier. Do me a favor and get the iron skillet out of that cupboard over there, would you?” Andy didn’t look at her and was starting to look a little grim around the mouth.

  “Sure thing.” Jess hopped off her stool and went to look for the skillet. She could have kicked herself. She always had to ask the next question. It was a good trait for a doctor but not so good when getting to know someone. They sometimes felt a little invaded.

  Gradually, as Andy finished preparing their steaks and fried potatoes and they took their plates to the living room to eat in front of the fire, the easy, peaceful air Jess had so enjoyed all day returned. The conversation was relaxed and comfortable, centering on trivial things like the events of the day and people they both knew. Only two subjects were never touched—the history of the strange old house, and last night’s football game.

  Andy and his house were still on Jess’s mind the next morning. Clearly, the house had seen violence, but that could have happened after Andy and his family had moved away. Tenants? Squatters? Briefly, she considered asking Elizabeth what she knew, and just as quickly, she dismissed that idea. In all her conversations with her, Elizabeth had never once approached anything that could be construed as gossip, and Jess was pretty sure that was exactly how Elizabeth would categorize such a question. Jess smiled to herself. She had never given other people’s opinion of her much thought before, but Elizabeth’s high regard? That was something worth hanging on to.

  She could see Elizabeth standing at the window when she drove up, and by the time she got out of her car and headed up the walk, Elizabeth had appeared on the front porch.

  “You are so sweet to pick me up like this.” Elizabeth handed her Bible to Jess and reached for the railing of the ramp leading from the porch to the sidewalk. “I suppose it wouldn’t have hurt me to stay home one Sunday, but I do hate to miss.”

  “No problem at all. I’m glad to do it.” Jess smiled and followed slightly behind as Elizabeth made her way to the car waiting at the curb. She knew better than to offer an
y assistance. She had quickly learned that if Elizabeth needed help, she would ask for it.

  “You know, of course, that I had an ulterior motive in asking you to take me to church this morning.” Elizabeth sounded pretty pleased with herself.

  “Oh?” Jess waited until Elizabeth had settled into the front seat before handing back her Bible.

  “Yes. You’ve been saying every week that you were going to try to get to church on Sunday, and something’s always come up. So I just thought I’d give you a little help.”

  Jess shut the passenger door and went around to slide in behind the wheel. She smiled over at Elizabeth as she started the engine. “So Lainie and Ray are home lurking behind the curtains?”

  “No, they’re in Santa Fe.” Elizabeth laughed. “You know I’d never fib to you. But it did occur to me that this might be just the chance you were looking for to get there.”

  Jess fell silent as she drove the few short blocks to church. What was there to say to that?

  “And here we are.” Jess turned into the church parking lot and came to a stop under one of the two elm trees that shaded the little lawn in front of the church. She turned to smile at her passenger. “Tell me, do you always get your way?”

  “Not always.” Elizabeth unfastened her seat belt. “But most always.”

  Jess was not exactly a stranger to church. She and her family were members of a church back in Mill Valley, and they went fairly regularly when Jess and her sister were little. But as the years went by, they went less and less, until by the time the girls headed off to college, it was pretty much a Christmas and Easter thing. And since then, truth be told, Jess had gone hardly at all. Even so, nothing about her previous experience at church had prepared her for the Church of Last Chance.