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What if Excerpt
“Can I help you?” a woman asked, coming out the door of an office made from plans for a Craftsman country clubhouse, seeming as if it grew from the ground instead of having been built. Elaine could only stare at a woman who was as gorgeous as the surroundings. Tall and thin, luxurious brown hair and piercing green eyes. She couldn’t do it. Elaine turned back to her car.
“Are you looking for someone then?” the woman asked.
How could she guess? “I ummm. . . why do you say that?”
“You would have said if you were here for horses. Ben didn’t mention he had an appointment today, so if you aren’t here for those reasons, you must be looking for someone. Don’t get many lost this far up. They give up long before they get here.”
Having driven this far she might as well go all the way. “Is Seth Preston here?” Elaine whispered.
“Come inside and you can wait. He’ll be back soon. He’s picking up supplies in town.”
Elaine took a deep breath and plunged inside the door to a world of wainscoting, and high on the walls, pictures of horses that had come from the ranch over the years. Each picture had ribbons hanging from it. One looked for the life of her like an Olympic silver medal. “He’s not your father. . .” She couldn’t say it to have come so far.
The woman smiled at her. “Seth works here. Does it make a difference?”
“No, not really. Just, well, I don't have the nerve to tell his daughter why I’m here.” The woman kept walking leading Elaine upstairs to her office. “I don’t suppose you have something to drink.”
“Sure, there in the fridge by the sofa. Glasses are on the top.”
Elaine almost opened her mouth to say she needed something stronger than soda to get through this but opening the door, she had a choice of beer, soda, and even whiskey. She eagerly poured herself a healthy glass of whiskey before settling on the couch. “What’s he . . . what’s he been up to since . . .?”
“When was the last time you saw him?”
Elaine stared down into her drink before taking a swig. “Not since the night before he left for Vietnam. Last fall I saw news about him and had to come see. Find out . . .”