by Tia Souders
“I stopped going about two years ago, right around the time I stopped believing God had my best interest at heart.”
Her hands paused in his hair. Even to his own ears, he sounded bitter. And maybe he was, but with good reason.
“Sometimes we might not understand the painful things—”
“My wife was killed,” he blurted, half angry she was about to give the Lord an out and half desperate to speak the words out loud. “A drunk driver hit her, and as if that wasn’t enough, she crashed into a tree. Just like that, she was taken from me. He took her.”
Rhett wasn’t sure whether he meant Bones or God. Probably both.
He swallowed over the lump in his throat and squeezed his eyes closed, surprised when the familiar pressure in his chest eased with unloading his burden. For the first time in two years, he felt like he could breathe. So he opened up even more.
“I’ve heard all the sayings. How God works in mysterious ways and every other platitude, reasons people use to make themselves feel better when bad things happen. But the truth is, He abandoned her. Me, I can understand, but Mae Beth . . . ? She was pure good, and anyone who would fail to save her is no friend of mine.”
Danny was quiet a moment before she asked, “Did they find him?”
“Who?” Rhett’s voice cracked on the word, lost in his grief.
“The drunk driver, who . . .” Her words trailed off. No one wanted to finish the sentence, Who killed your wife. Apparently, Danny was no exception.
“Yeah, they found him, alright. But he got off on a technicality. Bones got a slap on the wrist instead of manslaughter, while Mae Beth got a fresh grave.”
Danny gasped. “Bones . . .?”
Rhett nodded.
“Oh, Rhett, I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.”
“You couldn’t of, could you? It’s not exactly something people go around publicizing.”
“Still, I understand now, why you hate him so much.”
Rhett cleared his throat, trying to suppress the familiar ache of emotion. He didn’t want to talk about Bones.
“So . . . while I’m being honest,” he said, “I may as well tell you that you were right in thinking I had a reason for disliking you when you first arrived. You remember the first day I saw you?”
“By the flower garden,” she said, returning to his hair.
“Yeah. Those flowers, they were Mae Beth’s. She planted and tended all the flower beds by our house. It was her thing, and when I saw you that day, bent over them, for one split second, I thought it was her. It was like she never left. And as soon as reality came crashing back, I was furious.”
Danny groaned. “And then you saw me with the flower in my hair.”
Rhett chuckled softly, surprised he was capable of laughter after unloading all his baggage. “Yeah, that didn’t help.”
“Then I intruded on your conversation with Tess.”
“True.”
“And to top it all off, I unwittingly brought the man who killed your wife here, after Tess warned me.”
“See? Lots of reasons to dislike you,” Rhett quipped, and Danny groaned. Teasing her somehow lightened the load of everything he’d just shared and lifted his mood.
He heard the sound of shuffling before she appeared in front of him.
Her face had gone pale and her eyes crinkled with worry. “I am so, so sorry. I feel terrible.”
Her brow creased as she tucked her long, dark locks behind her ears.
She might have the most beautiful hair he’d ever seen, he mused.
He shook his head and swallowed down the thought. “You didn’t know.”
“I know, but—”
Rhett reached out and grabbed her hands, cutting off her words, unable to watch her blame herself when she’d done nothing wrong, at least not intentionally.
Her hands were warm and soft in his. He’d forgotten how small and delicate a woman’s hands felt.
“You’re the first person I told. I mean, of course everyone around town already knows, but—”
“I’m honored.”
Their eyes met, her blue to his soft hazel, and what he saw in hers was so sincere, so honest, it made his heart ache in a way it hadn’t in a long time. A way he thought himself incapable.
He cleared his throat and glanced away, feeling foolish with longing, certain Danny couldn’t possibly feel the same.
“Hey,” she said with a grin and tugged on his whiskers. “How about you shave off this thing you call a beard, and then I’ll get you styled, and you can have a look.”
Rhett laughed and stood, grateful for the levity. “I’ll be right back.”
Upstairs, alone in his bathroom, with a razor in hand, and a sink full of foamy water, he stared at himself in the mirror.
He hardly recognized the man in front of him.
His hair was still slightly damp from the cut, and he didn’t know much about hair, but even he could tell Danny was skilled. She’d cut it short on the sides and back but left much of the length on top for styling. A sandy lock of hair fell in his eyes as his gaze drifted over his face, now devoid of the beard he’d donned for much of the last two years.
But it wasn’t the clean shave or the hair that had him staring at himself. Neither of those things could account for the unfamiliar gleam in his eyes—the one that looked a lot like hope.
CHAPTER 12
Rhett braced his hands on the porch railing of the lodge as he peered down into the valley below where Danny worked. Or at least that’s what she was supposed to be doing, but it’d been hours, and so far she’d made minimal progress on staining the new porch of Mountainview Cabin.
“Well, I’ll be. The rumors are true. You no longer look like a caveman.”
Rhett’s frown deepened at the sound of his Houston’s voice. Before he could turn toward his brother, Houston appeared beside him and stared out into the ranch beyond.
“What’s got your attention?” he asked.
“Nothin—”
“Ah, I see. That explains the frown. She is a hardship to look at, isn’t she?”
Rhett rolled his eyes and turned his back on the open expanse of the ranch and leaned against the railing. “What do you want?”
“Word is Silas asked her out.”
Rhett’s head whipped toward Houston. His gaze scanned his expression for a sign that he was teasing him since he clearly thought Rhett had a thing for Danny. Unfortunately, he appeared to be perfectly serious.
“When?”
“After church on Sunday.”
Rhett reached up to his face to run his hand through his beard before he remembered it was gone, thanks to Danny. Instead, he scrubbed the side of his bare cheek while his stomach twisted uncomfortably at the thought of Silas taking her out.
Rhett should’ve expected this. The way Silas flirted with her at The Water Hole should’ve been his first indication, but Rhett had somehow hoped Silas was only trying to get under his skin.
He thought back to his afternoon spent with Danny on Sunday. It was only a few days ago, and in the interim, she hadn’t so much as mentioned his brother. Rhett didn’t know whether to take that as a good sign or quite the opposite. After all, it’s not like it was any of his business who she dated, even if it was his own brother.
But then why did he suddenly wish he had gone to church so he could intervene?
“What’d she say?” Rhett asked, hating himself even as the words left his lips.
Houston glanced over at him and grinned. “Turned him down, real easy.”
Rhett exhaled. He shouldn’t be happy about that. He shouldn’t.
“Do you have those two mares ready? Is that why you’re here?” Rhett asked, referring to the two new additions he was due to receive on the ranch. Houston was the best trainer around, and with an increase in business, Rhett had a higher demand for reliable trail horses.
“Not yet. They’re close though, coming along real nice.”
Rhett arched a brow. “Th
en, can I ask why you’re here, other than to bug me and waste my time?”
“She became popular fast, didn’t she?” Houston nodded toward where Danny had been working, but Rhett didn’t need to look to know what he was referring to.
Still, he couldn’t help himself as he craned his neck to see her stepping off the cabin porch to talk to Tandy, who came bearing flowers.
Rhett grunted. “It’s been like that all morning. One right after the next,” he grumbled.
Houston frowned. “What does everyone want?”
“They all want the same thing. Ever since word spread about Bones, then me, they’re stopping by and booking hair appointments.”
“Oh.” Houston blanched, which Rhett found odd. “Well, I can imagine why on account of the fact Cedar Falls doesn’t have a salon anywhere in town. I mean, who has time for a forty-minute drive to get a decent cut.”
Rhett narrowed his eyes on his brother. Why did he sound almost . . . defensive?
“You came to talk to her about cutting your hair, didn’t you?”
Houston swallowed. “No.”
Rhett glared.
“Okay, yes. Happy?” Houston crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s just, you know Jenny likes my hair short, and with this heat, I can’t take it any longer. And then I heard Brenda mention Danny was taking on appointments in her free time, so I thought, why not?”
Rhett blinked at him, even while his heart raged. Nothing was ever a secret in Cedar Falls. How many men would come knocking on Danny’s door as word continued to spread? And why was he getting so bent out of shape about it? Sure, he felt something special between them on Sunday, and things have been pretty good these last few days, but it’s not like he asked her out.
“Why not?” Rhett asked. “How about because everyone is booking appointments with my employee on company time. She’s supposed to be working, and instead, she’s filling her social calendar.”
“Now you’re just being dramatic. Besides, I thought you didn’t like her and were trying to get rid of her?”
“I don’t. I am.” Rhett huffed.
“Then you should be glad that the town is giving her so much business,” Houston said, clapping him on the back. “Who knows? Maybe she’ll make enough on her own that she won’t need you anymore.” With that, he stepped off the porch and headed toward Danny.
Two hours later, Rhett paced the length of the porch of the lodge, so much so that visitors had started to stare. He’d hardly gotten any of his own work done that afternoon because every time he’d start something, he’d see someone new from town pull in to talk to Danny.
He paused and ripped his hat off his head and raked a hand through his hair. The same hair Danny had cut only days ago.
He squeezed his eyes closed and remembered the feel of her fingers on his scalp, the soft sound of her voice as they talked, and felt a small tug on his heart.
With a groan, he opened his eyes. This had to end.
Grumbling, he plopped the hat back on his head and stalked off the porch toward Mountainview Cabin. With every step, he rehearsed what he would say, how he would lecture her on not using company time for personal reasons. If she wanted a paycheck, she was expected to work like everybody else. There were no exceptions.
He reached the porch, jaw set, ready to lay down the rules when she glanced up from the porch railing.
“Hey!” She beamed, sounding genuinely happy to see him, as she set her paintbrush down and straightened. “You’ll never believe this. It’s the craziest thing.” Danny giggled. “The last couple days, I’ve had so many people come to me, begging me to cut their hair.”
Rhett’s mind went completely blank, his lecture forgotten as he took in her shining eyes and bright smile. When he wasn’t near her, it was easy to convince himself things between them hadn’t changed, that he felt nothing for her, but every time he was near . . .
Rhett swallowed over a troubling thought. Behind all the anger was a familiar feeling—one he hadn’t experienced in years—but had suddenly felt several times since Danny’s arrival. Jealousy.
He’d felt drawn to someone for the first time since Mae Beth, and now it seemed everyone else in town was smitten with her too. He might be stubborn, but he wasn’t stupid. Danny was a catch—beautiful, opinionated, kind, driven, and hardheaded. It was only a matter of time before someone swept her off her feet.
“Uh, that’s fantastic,” Rhett said, nearly choking over the word.
“What wrong?” Danny frowned and stepped forward, then rushed to add, “If you’re worried about me slacking on the job, I already told the last person that was here to spread the word to call me instead of visiting me while at work.”
Rhett shook his head. “No, I’m not worried about that.”
“Oh.” Danny’s brow furrowed. “Well, I promise not to bring them here. For now, I’m going to do house calls, which will be a little tricky,” she bit her lower lip, “seeing as how I don’t have a car.” Then she shrugged. “But I’ll figure it out. I can take on a couple a week for now.”
“That’s nonsense. Just have them come here,” Rhett said, surprising himself.
“Here?” Danny asked, pointing to the ground like she misheard him.
“There’s an empty office in the lodge you can use. It has a sink. It might not be ideal, but it’s better than the alternative. It’s not safe, you going to a bunch of strangers’ houses like that, especially if you don’t have reliable transportation.”
“Really? You don’t mind?”
“Not at all. It’s just collecting dust anyway, so—”
Danny flung herself into his arms, knocking the air from his lungs and the words from his lips.
Rhett froze, completely stunned. Then, slowly, his muscles melted and he relaxed.
He circled his arms around her in a hug and closed his eyes as his pulse drummed in his veins.
How long had it been since he held a woman in his arms?
Her soft hair brushed against the side of his face. She fit perfectly in his embrace as he pulled her tighter against his chest. The scent of apples and fresh air surrounded him. It reminded him of his parent’s apple orchard, and he wondered if she always smelled that sweet.
A moment too soon, she pulled away and peered up at him. “Thank you,” she said.
He mumbled something incoherent, finding it hard to speak through the knot in his throat because all he could seem to think about was pulling her back into his arms and kissing her.
IT WAS NEAR DUSK BY the time Danny left her makeshift salon. When Rhett offered her an empty space to cut hair, she’d pictured a typical office—a sparse space with four walls and little more. But in the end, he’d gone above and beyond. The space was well lit with an expansive window overlooking the pastures of the ranch so guests could watch the horses graze. It had a small kitchenette, which meant cupboards for supplies like shampoo and conditioner, and even hair dye. The sink wasn’t ideal for washing, but with the small reclining leather chair he’d found for her, she made it work.
Despite working on the ranch all day, by the time she entered her little workspace for an appointment, she remained energetic. When she’d fled to Montana Wild, she had hoped for a fresh start, some direction in her life, but never had she imagined she’d actually find it.
She’d had four appointments already this week and scheduled three more over the weekend. At this rate, she’d have the money to move out of Montana Wild at the end of her stay, which was a good thing, since she was going on her fourth week there. And, truth be told, her feelings for Rhett were growing, and she wasn’t sure being so close by was a good thing. She had no idea if he felt anything for her and a little space and distance might be the best thing for her, even if she had grown to love the ranch and would miss the tawny-eyed cowboy constantly occupying her thoughts.
Danny closed the door behind her and made her way down the hallway of the lodge toward the lobby. With a little wave to Brittney—a local teen who manned t
he desk in the evenings—she said goodnight and stepped outside into the fresh air.
It was a beautiful night and so, instead of heading straight for her cabin, she leaned against the porch railing and stared out into the fading daylight. The horizon had turned to cotton candy. Swirls of pink and orange danced with the fading blue, illuminating the mountainscape and turning it to shadows. The sounds of summer at Montana Wild Ranch surrounded her—the snort of a horse, the trill of crickets, and the bleep of bullfrogs down by the lake.
She closed her eyes against the sound, marveling at the beauty of it. You don’t hear all nature had to offer in the city, she mused.
A soft breeze ruffled her hair as she breathed in the masculine scent of pine and cedar—one she had begun to associate with Rhett.
“Late appointment?”
Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of Rhett’s voice.
Blinking her eyes open, she turned toward him to find him sitting alone in one of the large wooden Adirondack chairs, a bottle of wine, and a half-empty glass on the table beside him. A black cowboy hat rested at his feet, and his sandy hair fluttered softly in the breeze.
She smiled and toyed with her necklace. Why was she suddenly nervous?
All week he’d made it a point to seek her out, and every time was better than the last. They’d talked about their lives growing up and how different they’d been. She talked about her life with Neil and how, looking back, she didn’t think she was truly happy, while he told her more about his life with Mae Beth.
Yet as she met his gaze now, her palms dampened and her pulse raced. She’d never known him to hang around here at night. Could it be he was waiting for her?
“I took my time cleaning up,” she said, hoping she was right and he’d ask her to stay awhile. “What about you? Did you just finish up? I don’t usually see you sitting out here at night.”
