Montana Welcome

by Melinda Curtis

  “Oh, get real!” Conner jabbed a finger to the pasture and the white mare that galloped by. “She’s not some puppy in a store window. That mare is a dangerous animal who could hurt you. This isn’t like me taking you clothes shopping with Big E’s charge card. Big E won’t just go along with this.”

  “I know.” Pepper’s voice trembled now, too. “I bought her with my own money.”

  “Why?” Conner demanded, flinging his hands into the air. “How could you possibly justify buying her? Was she on sale? Marked down? Or is it just that she completes your wedding outfit?” Every question he tossed made Pepper flinch. “Unbelievable.”

  “Conner,” Lily said softly, moving to put her arm around the young bride’s waist. There was something going on that ran deeper than a white horse to complement a bridal dress.

  “Conner,” Natalie said more firmly, putting her arm around Pepper’s shoulders.

  “You’re on her side?” He took a step back, staring at them all in continued disbelief. “Are you kidding me?”

  “Do you see what they’re doing out there?” Pepper nodded toward the pasture. “Cracking whips? Chasing them around? Shouting? Those horses didn’t ask to be bullied. They don’t understand what’s going on. They have no place to hide, no way to escape to safety. They can’t run to a bedroom and bury themselves underneath the covers, hoping everything will be all right in the morning.”

  Lily sucked in a breath as the meaning of the younger woman’s words sank in. Pepper’s carefully constructed dreams, her life plan, her desire for lucrative freedom. Could it be possible that Pepper hadn’t been frivolously wishing upon a star? That she’d been wanting to create a life she, and she alone, controlled?

  “I know I won’t be riding that white mare on my wedding day. But I can save this one horse. I will save this one horse. Don’t you dare try to stop me.”

  Conner stared at her for a moment, and then nodded and walked away.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  OF ALL THE idiotic reasons to buy a horse.

  Of all the brilliant reasons to save a horse.

  Poor kid.

  Conner’s heart went out to Pepper. It was clear she’d felt helpless and scared at some point in her life. Still, he couldn’t give in. He’d have to see the government money man and null Pepper’s purchase.

  “What am I gonna tell Big E?” Conner stomped across the dirt road to another pasture. That white horse was going to be nothing but trouble. And with his luck, everyone at the Blackwell Ranch would expect him to train her. His charges were mad at him. They didn’t understand the financial realities of ranching. This wasn’t like rescuing a cat. Horses were a bigger monetary burden. When it came to fiscal responsibility versus sentiment, Conner chose responsibility every time.

  “I’m not just another of your obligations,” Tanya had shouted at Conner as she climbed into her truck, intent upon leaving him. “I was your wife!”

  Was? Conner had stood in the ranch yard watching his soon-to-be ex-wife leave and wondering why he’d felt so much relief and so little heartache. He loved her. But if she wasn’t happy here, then she should be one less obstacle to keeping the ranch in the possession of the Hannahs.

  Love didn’t come easy or cheap. And when survival was at stake, it was best to avoid love.

  “I’ll tell Big E.” Pepper dogged Conner across the road.

  Natalie trailed behind them, snapping a selfie.

  “You won’t.” Frustration built inside Conner, so much so that he didn’t even glance back at the sound of a truck approaching to see if it was Danny, he of the killer tracking skills. “If you’re serious about keeping that horse, you’ll tell your grandma Dot first and soften the blow.”

  “Is it wrong to do the right thing?” Pepper’s voice welled with unshed tears.

  “Training doesn’t come cheap.” His forehead pounded from the effort it took to frown. He marched ahead, not looking back. “When you run a ranch, it’s all about resource management. A trainer’s wages get sunk into the value of a horse, not absorbed into the overhead of a ranch.” If only Conner had known that when he’d first begun running the Rocking H. He’d undercut the value of his services often enough to dance with bankruptcy.

  “I’m serious about this,” Pepper said from behind him. “She will be safe.”

  Natalie and Lily were silent.

  They reached the last pasture. Conner was so annoyed he couldn’t remember which horses he’d seen that had promise. Granted, that might have been because he hadn’t slept in twenty-four hours, and guilt over not telling Lily about her former fiancé showing up at the concert was pinching the base of his neck.

  Transporting three passengers to Montana was supposed to be easy bonus money. What a crock. He felt meaner than a hive of hot bees.

  “She doesn’t have to be trained.” Pepper stood near Conner, sniffing. “Royal can run free on the Blackwell Ranch.”

  She’d named the mare? That would only make Conner’s job more difficult.

  “Big E won’t allow a wild mustang free range.” The only nonworking animals on the ranch were in the petting zoo for guests, and that mare wasn’t a tame Shetland pony. She’d rile stock no matter where you put her. “Being an adult means you have to make adult decisions, Pepper. You have to think about the repercussions of this.”

  Pepper might have been thinking. At the very least, she was silent.

  Natalie reached down to pluck an undersized dandelion near his feet. She blew the fronds into the wind. “Is Big E going to fire you over this?”

  Big E had fired cowhands for less. For a moment uncertainty did a barrel roll in his gut. He’d be in a heap of trouble if he got fired.

  Conner tipped back his hat and tamped down the doubt. “I suppose Big E’s reaction depends on how much of a headache that mare and Pepper are going to cause the Blackwell Ranch.”

  “Can you help me save her? Please.” Pepper sniffed again. “I won’t be any trouble the rest of the trip. And I’ll make sure Royal isn’t any trouble at the ranch.”

  “Me, too,” Natalie chimed in.

  Conner didn’t put much stock into their words. He searched inside for some compassion, which seemed to be missing, chased off by debt, he supposed.

  But that wasn’t the only thing that had abandoned him.

  He looked around. “Where’s Lily?”

  * * *

  “I BOUGHT THE burro and the big brown horse.” Lily crossed her arms over her chest and dared Conner to try to deny her purchases.

  Pepper and Natalie flanked Lily with the same obstinate expressions.

  Talk about going from bad to worse. Conner’s resolve threatened to crumble. Big E was never going to trust him again. All Conner needed to cap the morning in failure was the appearance of Danny. And with the number of trucks trundling up to park, that wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility.

  Conner removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair. “I thought you didn’t have any money, Lily. You asked me to spot you.”

  Her arms locked tighter over her chest. “I paid with my online account. I remembered my bank log-in and password.”

  “Of course you did.” Conner smashed his hat back on his head. Everything was against him today, including technology. “And what are you going to do with a horse and a burro?”

  “I haven’t decided about the burro,” Lily proclaimed, as regal as a queen. “But I thought we could train the horse together, you know, with soft words and carrots.”

  Her ladies-in-waiting nodded.

  “I decline.” He pulled his brim low. “You can’t just train a mustang without any training yourself.”

  “Then I’ll find someone to train us.” Lily wasn’t backing down. “Big E will know someone who can help me.”

  A jealous growl tried to work its way out of his throat.

  “Excuse me,
ma’am.” The government employee handling sales approached Lily with a clipboard and a harried smile. “Where do you want your stock delivered?”

  Lily arched her eyebrows. “Conner?”

  He pressed his lips together, refusing to enable this irresponsible scheme of hers. Horse training took two strong hands, a stronger back and a robust knowledge of equine behavior. He was torn between canceling her sale and letting Big E sort it out back in Montana.

  His runaway bride gave up on Conner and turned to the BLM employee. “I don’t have the address, but my grandfather is—”

  “Ship them to me,” Conner blurted before she could say another word. “And the white horse that Ms. Pepper purchased, too.” At the very least, Big E couldn’t fault him for manning up to his mistakes, costly as it would be. It’d take a good chunk of that double bonus to feed their animals. He gave the man the address to the Rocking H. “They’ll be transported with the Blackwell stock.” The ones he’d picked out for Big E.

  How much trouble could three city gals be? Conner gritted his teeth. Lots.

  The trio of females bounced up and down, squealing with excitement. And then they swarmed him in a group hug, begging him to save more horses.

  Lily kissed his cheek, an action more persuasive than any verbal argument.

  She needed a hero.

  Enter Conner Hannah, horse savior.

  And soon-to-be unemployed ranch hand.

  * * *

  “YOU’RE A SOFTY,” Lily said to Conner after all the equine purchases and travel arrangements had been made.

  It was totally out of character, but he couldn’t deny it. He’d purchased twenty horses for Big E, ten more than he’d originally planned, including the big gray stallion that had lunged at them. “I’m going to have some explaining to do.” About how he hadn’t been able to say no, particularly to one unstoppable runaway bride.

  What would Big E have to say about that? Or Dr. Ethan Blackwell, the ranch’s veterinarian? More likely it’d be Katie Blackwell who’d have an opinion and give him a talking-to. Katie was in charge of ranching operations and had been before she’d married Chance. No single person could train twenty horses efficiently, and those mustangs were going to need daily work by a qualified cowboy. He’d committed to taking on two horses and a burro, although not to train them. He’d let them run the Rocking H with Parsnip.

  Lily was smiling at him and repeating, “A softy. Commando Cowboy. Go figure.”

  I could get used to that smile.

  And the teasing. And the company. And the softness of her hand in mine.

  “This isn’t funny. I’m not training any of them.” His back seized up just thinking about it.

  Lily didn’t stop smiling.

  “I’m not,” he reiterated.

  “You could.” She walked backward toward the motor home, following the path taken by Natalie and Pepper, who were already inside. “You could teach me to be your assistant trainer.”

  Conner’s steps faltered. This was different from Lily saying she wanted to learn how to break mustangs in general terms. If he was to mentor her, she couldn’t very well return to California, could she? “You’re going to stay in Falcon Creek? You haven’t even seen the town or the ranch. Or met the Blackwells.” Who’d love her. Let’s be honest. “And what about that business of yours?”

  Lily stopped, those new cowboy boots of hers slipping on a tuft of grass. “Well, I... You don’t want me to stay.” Not a question. That smile gave way to an expression of hurt.

  “I didn’t say that.” Conner opened his mouth to say more and abruptly closed it again. These feelings he had for Lily were complicated by Big E, his bonus and her persistent, jilted groom.

  “You think I’ll be a burden.” She didn’t look at her hands, but they were bundled into uneven fists at her sides.

  “I didn’t say that, either.” He rubbed at the kink in his neck.

  Lily needed help with some of the simple things in daily life—opening a jar, pouring herself a cup of coffee. She probably couldn’t mend a tear in a work shirt or measure the ingredients for a batch of cookies. Conner was already caring for his mother and the Rocking H, and not doing a great job at either. What right did he have to invite Lily Harrison Blackwell into his life? If she knew the straits he was in, she wouldn’t want that invitation. She’d toss it right back at him.

  Which she might do anyway when she learned Danny had tried to win her back. It was time to come clean about last night. “Lily, I...”

  She laid her hands on his chest. “You were thinking it’s too dangerous for me to train a horse or even that adorable little burro. I can see it in your eyes.”

  That wasn’t what he’d been thinking at all.

  Of their own accord, his hands came up to cover hers. “You can’t just leap from one life into another.” But a part of him wanted her to. It’d been a long time since anyone except his mother had put their complete faith in him. “You’re leaping without looking.” Slow and steady was the key to surviving in this world, sticking to your strengths, tucking your head in like a turtle to avoid pitfalls as you moved through life.

  She shrugged. “Why can’t I start over? People do it all the time.” She inched closer, near enough that her breath warmed a spot on his checked shirt. “Do you know how many times I’ve had to pick myself up, trying to keep up with Danny?”

  “I don’t want to hear about Danny.” Not ever again. The strength of his statement stiffened his entire body.

  “You fall down. You get up.” Lily paid Conner no mind. “You hit your head or bruise your back. You get up. You drop a glass of milk. A pencil slips from your hand. A rip cord doesn’t get pulled.” Her eyes were suddenly shining with tears. Her hands dropped to her sides, but she still didn’t move away. Her breath continued to warm that spot over his heart. “You get up. You try something new until you find the right place, the right passion, the right person.”

  Me?

  Conner was in trouble here. His hands came to rest on her shoulders.

  He couldn’t have Lily staying in Falcon Creek. He couldn’t have her flashing that grin his way, giving him that look that seemed to know what he was thinking. He couldn’t hold a Blackwell in his arms, because Big E would not approve of this. Not at all. He’d say Conner had taken advantage of Lily when she was vulnerable. He’d say Conner didn’t have his act together, that he wasn’t good enough for his granddaughter.

  And he’d be right.

  Despite all that going through his head, somehow...some way... Conner’s arms had come around Lily, bringing her close. He breathed in her flowery scent. He noted the way her head fit under his chin.

  We’re made for each other.

  Or maybe they would have been if he could still train horses and she wasn’t going to be a Blackwell. Blackwells didn’t marry broken-down ranchers with nearly nonexistent bank accounts.

  “Sometimes,” Conner said gruffly, setting her away from him, “when you get up you have to move in a new direction. And sometimes that direction is governed by logic.” Not hearts. “I can take your horse and burro in, but that’s all. I won’t train anything.” Not even his unruly heart, which threatened to break if he pushed her away any farther.

  Lily paled.

  She gave the briefest, the stiffest, of nods and turned away, walking not toward the motor home, but to the paddock where the burro she’d fallen in love with was waiting.

  CHAPTER NINE

  “ARE YOU READY to go?” Pepper came to stand next to Lily at the paddock where they were keeping animals that had been sold.

  Lily shook her head. “Not until I’ve named them. It doesn’t seem right to leave until they have names.” Not to mention she needed time to collect herself before she climbed into that motor home again with Conner.

  What a fool I’ve been.

  Mooning over a cowb
oy. Suggesting she could move to Montana. He’d said everything right. It was Lily who’d been presumptuously wrong. She’d jilted her groom just a few days ago. That action alone said a lot about her judgment, her character, her heart.

  Cowboys milled about, giving the women a wide berth as they waited for their horses to be transferred from one pasture to the next or dogged the purchase agent to settle their accounts.

  “What are you considering?” Pepper cooed over the burro, who seemed as tame as a kitten. “Maybe I can help.”

  “Since they seem like good friends, I was trying to go for classic pairs. Calvin and Hobbes. Cory and Topanga. Rudolph and Frosty.”

  Pepper gave her the side-eye. “Those are horrible names.”

  “Hence the reason I’m still standing here.” Lily stepped out of the way of a large group of cowboys. “I did have one idea. My great-aunt Pru...” She’d have to start referring to her as Grandmother Pru. “She loved this strand of silver-colored Tahitian pearls. And the burro is the same soft gray.”

  “Clever.” Pepper nodded. “I’m going to wear my mother’s pearls on my wedding day.”

  “That’s a lovely tradition.” And made Lily think of traditions her mother had established. One of which was gifting a daughter with earrings for every major life event. Her sisters had planned to give her earrings before the ceremony. She supposed it was fitting she’d left before that happened.

  “And what pairs with Pearl?” Pepper asked, bringing Lily back to her naming dilemma.

  “This is where my pairing-name convention fails me.” Lily stopped herself from squirming. “Because nothing pairs with pearls except diamonds, and that horse strikes me as a mouse.” Not a gemstone.

  Pepper took a moment to process this. “The big brown horse?”

  “Yes. A mouse can be scary but not dangerous.” It fit the big-boned creature.

  Pepper studied Lily’s face. “There’s a lot more going on in your naming process than meets the eye. But if it works for you...”