Jace hadn’t expected the Collinses to become an outdoor outfitter either. While he doubted his hosts could be part of the poaching ring Eli Knowles and his fellow game wardens were after, to be fair, he’d have to keep an eye on them, too.
Right now he had his eye on Delaney as he followed her from the edge of the property line over to the brown weathered stable.
“Gavin is trying to steal you away from me,” Delaney said, giving him a sidelong glance. Her tone was flirtatious but the tight expression on her face suggested it was forced.
“Are you jealous?” he asked, hoping if he teased her back she’d loosen up and flirt with him for real.
“I am.” She turned toward him and gave a half smile. “We’re all afraid you’ll leave our ranch and go stay with him.”
At least she was being honest. Jace arched his brow. “He is the owner of Fox Creek Outfitting, one of the largest outfitters in the county, and his lodge is a hunter’s dream, or so he says. What does Collins Country Cabins have to offer if I stay?”
Delaney’s mouth fell open as if she thought he was serious. Then she swallowed hard and raised her chin like he’d seen her sister do a few times when making a point, and said, “Me.”
“What?” Jace choked back a laugh. He hadn’t been expecting that. Especially because she looked as if the word tasted bitter on her tongue. “Delaney, if you’re going to flirt at least pretend you’re having fun doing it.”
“I really don’t know how to flirt,” she admitted. “My ma said it might help our cause, but I don’t know what I’m doing.”
More direct honesty. Refreshing. But she’d been married. He scratched the back of his head as he studied her. “Didn’t you ever flirt with your ex-husband?”
Whoops. Too personal. By the dark, stormy look on her face, it was clear he shouldn’t have said that. “Sorry,” he apologized. “Didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”
“Who said it was bad?” she asked, shrinking back. “Who have you been talking to?”
“Cupid?” he teased. Okay, it was a lame answer that grew even more lame with every passing second. Geez. He hadn’t felt this awkward with a woman in years. Letting out a small chuckle to release some of the tension, he gave her a rueful grin. “Guess I’m not good at flirting either. Every time I’m around you I either say or do something incredibly stupid.”
She looked down for a moment, but when she looked up at him again, she smiled. A real smile. One that lit her blue eyes and wiped the troubled expression off her face.
“Have I finally said something right?” Jace asked, grinning back at her.
“Look,” she said, evading the question and pointing to the white truck parked beside the stable in front of them. “The vet is here.”
“In other words, you’re not going to answer my question?” he teased.
“No,” she said, and let out a small laugh. “I’m not.”
Well, he didn’t exactly win her endorsement, but it was a start. He glanced at the three figures standing off to their right as he and Delaney passed by. Ryan Tanner had his arm around Bree and beside them a young brown-haired boy played with a pack of black-and-white border collie pups. They all looked so content, so happy—that is, until Ryan caught sight of him. His cousin froze and held his gaze for a long moment until Jace finally looked away.
Bree had said his cousins meant to apologize for giving him such a cold reception, but so far . . . they hadn’t. And Jace wasn’t sure they ever would.
“Have you ever had someone hold a grudge against you for something that wasn’t your fault?” Jace muttered.
To his surprise, Delaney nodded. “Yeah,” she said, and let out a sigh. “My father.”
He didn’t know what she meant by that, but didn’t ask, fearing he’d ruin the progress they’d already made. But maybe in time, if she continued to talk to him, she’d tell him.
Delaney entered the stable first and greeted the vet as if he were an old friend. “I wrapped his leg with some of the special herbs you gave me for some of our other horses,” she said, bending down beside him as he removed the gauze around Rio’s lower leg.
“I see that,” the vet replied. “Great job, Del, as always.”
Jace drew close and gave Rio an affectionate gentle scratch behind an ear. “How’s it look?”
“Better each time I see him,” the vet reported. “I won’t need to come out again unless there’s a problem.” Then after giving Delaney a wink, he added, “He’s being well cared for.”
After the veterinarian left, Jace helped Delaney fill the grain buckets so when the other horses who spent most of their daylight hours out in the pasture were brought in for the night, their dinner would be ready for them.
“Why didn’t you become a vet?” Jace asked, scooping a measured amount of grain into the last bucket and closing the stall door.
Delaney pressed her lips together and didn’t reply.
“Another bad subject?” he asked, searching her face for a sign.
“The two are tied together,” she said, and dragged a hose over to start filling secondary buckets with water.
Jace figured that was all he was going to get out of her, but then she continued. “You see, I failed chemistry.”
He shook his head to indicate he didn’t understand, and truly he didn’t. He thought they had great chemistry together—when she let her guard down.
“I’m not good at math either—equations, formulas, or any kind of measurements.” Her gaze drifted toward the grain they’d just measured out. “That’s why I use a scoop. It’s premeasured.”
“Math just happens to be my strong suit. I’m usually pretty good at putting two and two together.” He took the hose from her hands to take over the watering. “I could teach you.”
“It’s too late now,” Delaney said, and shrugged. “I don’t have time to go back to school. I’d been going to the University of Southern California until my chemistry professor gave me a big fat F. My roommate thought a trip to Las Vegas would cheer me up. I’m not impulsive and I don’t like to gamble, but that night I was too upset to care. The next thing I know—” She broke off and frowned.
“What?” Jace prompted. “You woke up with a hangover?”
“No, something worse,” Delaney grumbled under her breath. “We’d met these guys and one of them took an instant liking to me, and somehow convinced me to enter one of those little chapels that stay open all night and—” She broke off again and scowled.
“You woke up married,” he finished. “Why didn’t you get it annulled?”
“Because at the time, he seemed nice enough,” she said, then drew in a deep breath. “And a few weeks later I found I was pregnant.”
Jace raised his brows. “Oh.”
“We didn’t even know each other,” Delaney said, her voice filled with regret. “He flirted, but I didn’t. We weren’t even friends.”
“I’ve made a few mistakes in my life,” Jace admitted. “I think we all have.”
“We stuck together for two years and tried to make it work, but one thing’s for sure,” she said, her tone hardening, “I’ll never marry again unless it’s to someone I really know, who also knows me, someone I’d consider my best friend.” She placed her hands on her hips and gave him a direct look as he hung up the watering hose. “So you see, that’s why I don’t know how to flirt. I’ve never really done it. I’m not even sure I can. And that’s also why I don’t trust a guy I’ve just met who flirts with me.”
“Well, then, we’ll have to get to know each other,” Jace teased. “Would that be okay with you?”
Delaney rolled her eyes, but instead of being annoyed, she laughed.
Jace drew closer. “Can I take that as a ‘yes’?”
“I—I have to take care of a few more chores and then I’ll see you at dinner.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head, then smiled. “I mean, no thank you. After all, you are our guest, and are supposed to be relaxing, not working, and enjoying yourself during your stay.”
“I am,” Jace assured her, and brushed a finger softly over her cheek. “Believe me, I am.”
DELANEY LEFT THE stable, and when she was sure no one was watching, she hurried down the path, past all the cabins, past the open field, and into the grove of trees where she had hidden her own private animal clinic. She went into the old toolshed first and checked on the raccoon with the broken leg. Another portioned-off section housed a pheasant with an injured wing. Walking outside, she unlatched the gate to the square, wood fenced enclosure where she’d kept the young doe and after a quick examination decided it was time to set her free.
The arrow wound did not get infected, which had been her main concern, and was already scabbing over. The doe could rejoin her kin back in the woods and heal the rest of the way on her own. Leaving the gate open, she walked behind the doe and shooed it out of the fenced pen.
Part of her wished she could keep the doe locked up safe forever, where no hunters could ever do her harm, but she also knew the deer was a wild animal who would never be happy unless it was free.
Whew! She’d had a close call with Jace back there at the stable. He’d wanted to come but she couldn’t bring a hunter along. She didn’t think he’d kill a confined animal, but who knew? She didn’t really know what kind of man he was. Except that he was flirtatious. And persistent. Who knew what else she might say, if she’d extended their time together? Yes, it was best for all their sakes not to let him too close.
A loud ring echoed across the land, and Delaney jumped with a start. The familiar sound was from Grandma ringing the triangular metal dinner bell and no doubt, if she didn’t hurry, she’d be late for dinner once again.
Back at the house, she ran into the kitchen, washed her hands, then picked up an apron and joined her mother and the Walford twins behind the serving counter.
Her mother clucked her tongue and said, “Delaney, if your father finds out you were late—”
“He won’t, unless you tell him,” she said, and glanced toward the twins for backup. “Isn’t that right, girls?”
“Yes! Yes!” Nora agreed. “Del, you aren’t still mad at us for spilling the beans about wanting the endorsement, are you?”
“We didn’t know we weren’t supposed to say anything,” Nadine explained. “We thought Mr. Aldridge already knew that’s why you invited him here.”
“Speaking of our famous cowboy,” Nora said, leaning into Delaney’s ear. “He’s looking at you.”
She followed the teenager’s gaze. Dozens of guests filled the seats of the rectangular wood tables, but at the far end of the room, Jace leaned against the far wall. “Why isn’t he eating?”
“He told us he was waiting for you,” Nadine said, and wiggled her brows.
Delaney proceeded to serve the line of carnivorous guests who had yet to get their evening meal, which tonight was hamburgers, made from ninety-seven percent lean choice beef from a Black Angus she’d named Gabe.
“Can you believe Grandma fired our cook?” Ma demanded, her voice rising higher and higher in pitch. “Now she’s back in the kitchen and I’m afraid she’s going to cook herself into the grave.”
“She loves cooking,” Delaney said loyally.
Nora and Nadine both giggled, and Nora said, “We think she loves the sheriff. He came over to see her today and—”
“She blushed every time he looked at her!” Nadine finished.
Delaney laughed. “How did the sheriff look at her?”
“Just like Jace is looking at you!” the twins chorused in unison.
Del glanced over toward the wall and her heart skipped a beat. He was looking at her. The dark-haired cowboy with the straw hat didn’t take his eyes off her. Oh, no. He was making her feel incredibly self-conscious and flattered all at the same time. And if she was honest, she’d have to admit . . . she kind of liked it. But what did he want with her? From the way some of the other women at the tables were looking at him, it seemed as if he could have the pick of the litter.
“Don’t be silly,” Delaney’s ma scolded the twins. “Mr. Aldridge is not looking at . . . well, goodness! It looks like he is. Careful you don’t get emotionally involved, Del. You know he’s only here for two weeks.”
Delaney gasped. “I’m not the one who’s staring.”
“He’s staking his claim,” Nora squealed, and her sister agreed. Then the twins prattled on about the new cameras they got for their birthday.
“Can you give us photography lessons, Del?” Nora asked.
“Please, please, please?” Nadine added.
Delaney agreed, only to get them to stop begging her. “Tomorrow,” she told them, then stiffened. “Ma! What’s Meghan eating? Did you give her a hamburger?”
Her mother’s face took on a worried look as she glanced at the table where Meghan sat with Bree, Ryan, and Cody. “She likes it.”
“Ma,” Delaney said, thinking of poor Gabe. “You know how I feel about eating meat. I thought we agreed you needed to respect my wishes as the parent.”
Her ma winced. “Our beef has high nutrition, which Meghan needs if she’s going to grow into a healthy adult. Besides, she asked to try it.”
“Ma!”
“I’m so sorry, Del,” her mother said, her face filled with remorse. “I tried to serve her something else but she helped herself and took a bite before I could stop her, and then she liked it so much that I didn’t have the heart to take it away.”
Delaney tried to swallow her outrage. Would her mother let her daughter eat rat poison, too, if she wanted? No! Of course not. But if she argued any further, she’d most likely cause a scene, heads would turn, and more people than just Jace would be watching her.
She’d talk to both her mother and Meghan again later in private. Just like she would talk to her father and brother about taking their guests on hunting expeditions.
As the guests thinned out and left the dining hall to return to their cabins or to join in song around the bonfire Luke had lit outside, a shimmer of anticipation shot up her spine. Jace was waiting for her. And when he left his post across the room and slowly walked toward her, a grin spread across his attractive, suntanned face.
“Can I get you a plate?” he offered as she took off her apron.
“Um, sure,” she said, wondering how she could use this meal to her advantage and encourage him to give their ranch a line of praise.
“Mom,” Meghan said, tugging on her hand so she’d look down at her. “I ate a hamburger.”
“I saw,” Delaney said, and lowered her voice, “but you know we don’t—”
“Cody eats hamburgers,” Meghan interrupted, as if anticipating what she was going to say.
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean that you have to.”
“Are you going to eat a hamburger, too?” Meghan pointed at the plate Jace placed on the table in front of her.
“I didn’t put anything on it,” he said, nodding to the condiment table, “because I didn’t know what you would like.”
Delaney stared at the juicy, charbroiled meat wedged into one of her grandma’s sliced golden rolls, and froze. When Jace asked if he could get her a plate, she thought he’d meant an empty plate, so she could serve herself. But he’d gone ahead and filled plates of burgers and chips for each of them.
She sat down in a chair before her knees buckled. What was she going to do? She could just tell him she was a vegetarian, but she wanted him to like her. That was the goal, right? So that he’d be eager to write them the endorsement? But she feared once he found out how differen
t their values were, he’d shoot on over to Gavin’s place faster than an arrow could fly. Just because Rio couldn’t leave didn’t mean Jace couldn’t.
He pulled out a chair to sit beside her when Delaney suddenly put out a hand to stop him and gave him a big smile. “Could you please get me a napkin?”
“Of course,” he said, and headed back toward the serving table.
Moving fast, Delaney then took the offensive slab of Gabe’s remains off her plate with a fork and quickly slid it under the table where her sister’s puppy, Boots, waited for handouts. She didn’t like the idea of handing off Gabe to another, but at this particular moment it was either her or the dog. And the dog didn’t seem to mind half as much as she did.
When Jace returned, he handed her a napkin and frowned. “Where’s your hamburger?”
Delaney patted her stomach and gave him a big smile. “I ate it.”
“You ate it?” he repeated in obvious disbelief. “What did you do? Wolf it down?”
“I was hungry.” She gave him a big smile to distract him, but it didn’t work.
“Can I get you some more?” he offered, still staring at her.
“Oh, no,” she said quickly. “I still have the potato chips to eat.”
He hesitated, then sat down in the chair beside her. “A gal with a healthy appetite. From your slim figure, I never would have guessed.”
Beside them Meghan laughed, pulled Bree’s dog out from under the table, and announced, “Boots likes hamburgers, too.”
Delaney froze and her gaze darted toward Jace, but he didn’t appear to suspect anything. He was too busy engaging Meghan in a sword fight with their forks.
JACE ASKED DELANEY if he could use the landline and she led him to the ranch office and closed the door so he could make his phone calls in private. If he wasn’t mistaken, she almost looked relieved to be rid of him. Sitting down in the chair behind the large wooden desk, he groaned.
He’d thought coming here would be nice for both him and his horse but so far nothing had gone as planned. Before dinner he’d followed Delaney to the patch of woods where she kept her animal hideaway. He’d been careful to keep out of sight, so she wouldn’t see him, but why hadn’t she wanted him to come with her? What did she think he would do? Shoot the animals she was caring for right in front of her?
Montana Hearts Page 8
