Be My Guest by Caroline Clemmons Page A

this ranch. "It is
beautiful. That must be the river I see off in the distance."
Aurora pointed to a distant ribbon of shining brown satin.
    "No, the river's not visible from here.
That's another creek that which flows into the river several miles
beyond the creek. There's usually not much water in it, sometimes
none you can see from here. The river actually has several forks
near here, though. The ranch is between two of the forks."
    "That's the Brazos, isn't it?" Aurora tried
to remember the details of the map she had of the area--the map
left in her lost car.
    He nodded assent and shifted his weight to
ease his left leg stretched out before him. "Yes, specifically the
Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos. You must have crossed one of
the forks yesterday before it rolled up."
    "Before it what?" Aurora leaned closer to
Will, unsure she heard correctly.
    He smiled before he placed his arm along the
back of the seat, his arm brushing softly against her. "Rolled up.
When there's a heavy rain, rapid runoff creates a huge wall of
water that moves down the riverbed with a loud roar. The wall can
be over ten feet tall, and pushes aside anything that gets in its
way. We call it rolling up, and it's an unforgettable sight."
    "It sounds frightening." Aurora remembered
her experience with the creek and shivered.
    "It is frightening, no matter how many times
you see it. That much power can be very destructive. I remember
seeing cattle carcasses swept miles from their home range.”
    Aurora hated any thought of the flood with
such a beautiful view to claim her attention. "Do you go boating
and fishing on the Brazos in calmer weather?"
    "No, not in this immediate area. The White
River is about twenty miles or so north of here, and there's a lake
and a recreation area in Crosby County. Right now there are dozens
of little creeks and tributaries feeding the rivers that are
usually dry or only a trickle."
    Will picked up her hand and held it between
his. "The house you can see there on our left is the Hankins'. Just
out of sight blocked by this house is the one in which the Chapas
live. The horse barns are there behind the Hankins' house. Maybe
you can take a riding tour of the ranch with me after you're
feeling better and I'm rid of this cast."
    "This is a beautiful view," Aurora repeated.
"You can see both sunrise and sunset from this spot."
    "If the sun comes out and any clouds remain,
the sunset this evening should be spectacular," Will said. “This is
my favorite spot to be at sunset, this or on horseback atop one of
the other hills.”
    "I like the house, Will. I'm glad you let
your love of history include some antiques in your home." Aurora
wondered if she should inquire further, and decided to risk seeming
too inquisitive. "Isn't the house awfully large, though? I mean,
even if your wife were alive, it's a very large house for only
three people."
    Will’s voice betrayed deep emotion his face
hid. "We'd planned to have several kids, maybe three or four. Nancy
had a couple of miscarriages after Kelly. The doctors never found
anything specific to cause them. We probably would have adopted a
couple of kids if Nancy hadn't gotten ill." He fell silent and she
saw him swallow hard, as if choking back sorrow too painful to
express.
    Aurora and Will rocked slowly to and fro in
the porch swing. Will regained his composure and asked Aurora more
details of her trip. They talked companionably of trivial things as
rain drizzled beyond their protected spot. The moist air kissed
Aurora's skin and smelled wonderfully fresh and clean. Her legs
soon became too cool, and she curled them up under her
nightshirt.
    The appearance of a small Hispanic woman
about Will's age startled Aurora. The woman came out onto the patio
and then stopped. She stood with her hands on her hips and pointed
a finger at Will.
    "Will Harrison, are you loco? Is this the
way you take care of a patient, keeping her sitting out here in the
damp air instead of resting?"
    He seemed