by M Elle Kelso
“Because we think you’re good. You live close to where most of the problem has been. You know the ranchers involved, some better than others, but you know all of them. You know how to write. Do I need to go on?”
Patrick’s gentle smile finally made her realize he was serious.
“Patrick, I would be honored. When do I start?”
He looked to David, who answered.
“Consider yourself working, for the rest of this meeting at least. Take some notes, think of any questions you want answered tonight or tomorrow, then next week, your first duties will include sending out a press release to all the papers and radio/TV stations in the area, telling the basic story of what’s happening. You’ll know what to do with it. But a press release is the first thing we need, then a press kit can be put together if you think we need it.”
Patrick nodded as David spoke. It was obvious to everyone there that both Patrick and David were already involved. C.J. was fast catching up.
“Okay, anything else? What we figured was that if all of us sat down and discussed ways and means of looking for these guys, maybe we could get something in place before the spring round-up, that would help us catch them. They’ve already done their damage this fall. So now it’s a case of trying to stop them before the next round-up in April. That’s when most of the herds will be ready to be looked at, so we have to be ready for them to strike anytime between now and the end of March. How about we meet tomorrow morning, over in the office—there’s too many of us otherwise—and see if anyone has any suggestions.”
David looked around as everyone else nodded.
“Christmas is only two months away, so between now and then we’ll take some aerial surveys, then we’ll get together with the ranchers and see if anyone has anything new. For now, let’s get back to the food and the party. Business will keep until tomorrow.”
David wandered over to sit down next to C.J. who was still looking slightly shocked that they had chosen her. “Who suggested me, David? You?”
“No, as a matter of fact, it was sort of Patrick’s idea and Mike and I filled in the blanks with him. Then, he presented it at the meeting, and everyone was in favor of it. You were the unanimous choice.” David frowned at her. “Why? Don’t you want to do it? We thought you’d jump at the chance. Give you an opportunity to do something besides publish your paper, that would use the skills you have honed over the years.”
“Oh, no, I’m thrilled they chose me. I was just surprised by the problem, that’s all. Usually, you hear rumors about things like this rustling business, before they become a full fledged crime spree. But I never heard a thing about any of it and I run a newspaper.”
“Apparently, they were keeping it a pretty big secret, not wanting to tip their hand until they knew exactly how big the problem was. But when they found out how many were involved, they realized they had to bring it out in the open.”
David looked up as Blake and Jared approached.
“How’d you manage to keep that under your hat until now, my friend?”
Jared smiled down at David. David was not one for keeping secrets that involved the agency.
“Patrick asked me not to say anything until tonight. I agreed.”
“Well, now that we know about it, let’s put it away until tomorrow, and get back to enjoying the party. Annie and Jared will be taking their kids home shortly.”
The gathering became much more relaxed as they sat and discussed a bit of everything, carefully skirting the issues of the cattle rustling and the two new operatives.
Tomorrow was soon enough for that.
Saturday morning they woke to a few inches of fresh snow. It made the rooms lighter through drawn blinds and the first people to go outside came in swinging arms to keep themselves warm. Winter had arrived overnight. Whether it would stay ‘til spring was anyone’s guess, but for now, they had snow and cold temperatures. A Wyoming winter scene at its best.
With the temperature a few degrees below freezing and snow on the ground to impede speed, it took a little longer to do the chores than usual, but breakfast was eventually served in the big dining room. Jared and Annie had planned to come back for the meeting, but with the change in weather, Annie decided to stay put with her three and Jared rode over on horseback.
By the time all six members of the agency, C.J. and Patrick had discussed things to everyone’s satisfaction, it was nearly noon. David decided that if he was ever going to get C.J. out on horseback, he’d better do it soon.
“C.J., I know Kaycee told you to pack riding clothes, I just hope you have a jacket or sweater warm enough for the weather. Get yourself ready while I go out to the barn and saddle a couple of horses. I want to ride with you this afternoon before I take you home.”
“All right. I was going to say no, but after looking out there, it will be a winter wonderland type of ride, and I could never say no to that. Besides, I feel too good not to go.”
C.J.’s enthusiasm was catching.
“Want me to bring the horses up here so you don’t get your boots wet?” he asked.
“No, they’re pretty well waterproofed. I’ll just grab my jacket and a hat and be right back.”
C.J. was halfway up the stairs before she finished speaking. Coming back down, she was tucked up in her green leather jacket, wearing an ivory colored hand knit toque. She looked more than a match for the weather.
As David led her into the barn, C.J.s eyes took a moment to adjust to the darker lighting. When she finally realized that she knew the horse in the cross-ties, she gasped. Turning to David, she looked up at him, unable to speak.
“I trailered her over yesterday. Kaycee told me which one was your favorite, and since she’s just been eating herself fat at my place, I figured she could use the exercise.”
David watched the emotions chase over C.J.s face.
“David, if you bought her, did you get the rest of them, too? There was only one cashier’s check for the whole herd.”
His nod brought tears to her eyes.
“So, they’re all still around. I was worrying myself sick about what happened to them, but when Patrick told me he’d let me know where they were, I refused. I told him I didn’t want to know in case whoever had them was mistreating them, or selling them, or, just about anything bad you could think of. And here, all this time, they’ve been at your place, in the barn...” she trailed off.
She had never told David that his ranch had been her father’s place.
“In the barn that your Dad built, yes. That’s where they’ve all been. Eating their heads off and being happy as clams because they haven’t had to do a day’s work yet. It’s all right, C.J., I know all about this place, and I know that Jared got the house that used to be your home. And I know that you aren’t married. Kaycee told me. And don’t be mad at her for that. I guess they got tired of watching me mope around because the person I was interested in was a supposedly married woman. And you, my sweet, didn’t exactly give me reason to think there was any chance for me with you. Why, C.J., didn’t you trust me?”
David moved closer, but didn’t touch her.
“Oh, no, it wasn’t that. It was because of that email and the way I behaved at the cafeteria. When I made you call me Mrs. McCormack. And I told you that my husband wouldn’t be worried because he wasn’t in town. None of that was an actual lie. It just wasn’t the whole truth.” She was absently stroking her hand up and down the dished chestnut face. David watched her, wishing it was him that hand was touching.
“And for that, David, I am sorry. Because I liked you too, and by the time we were finished that day at Patrick’s ranch, when Annie and Jared came home, I was kicking myself. I’d told you things that would keep you from seeing me as an interesting person. All you saw was a married woman.”
“Oh, no. I saw a very interesting woman. It was just that I wouldn’t mess around with someone who was married. Now that I know the truth, C.J., I want to mess around with you, sweetheart. Just try and sto
p me.”
David pulled C.J. into his arms and brought his mouth down on her waiting and willing lips. Their kiss was tentative at first; an allusion of question, a hint of declaration. By the time David deepened the kiss, C.J. had opened her mouth to him and their tongues were battling each other for domination. A sudden nudge threw them off balance, and David had to let go of C.J. so they wouldn’t both fall. C.J.’s grin was aimed at Dreamer, the chestnut mare standing behind David.
“She’s trying to protect me from you. Thinks I need saving or something.” C.J. was mumbling by the time she finished.
“She doesn’t need to protect you from me, C.J., I’d never hurt you, my love. Never. I hope you aren’t mad at Kaycee, but she told me about your ex-husband and what he did to you. I just wish I’d been around when he was taking everything. I might have been able to stop him.”
“No, you couldn’t have stopped him. I tried, in the courts, but because I had given him my Power of Attorney, there was nothing I could do. He was legally within his right. Didn’t matter that it was morally wrong, Allan wouldn’t know there was such a thing as morally right. And if he did, he wouldn’t care. It’s taken me more than two years to get over it, and now I try not to let myself be reminded of how stupid I was.”
“You weren’t stupid, C.J.. You trusted him because you loved him. That’s how most people are. And you are a very trusting person, after you get to know someone. You’ve trusted me, except with the divorce bit, since I grovelled for you at lunch that day. Let me tell you, Ms. McCormack, you will pay for that. But for now, let’s take advantage of what little sunshine is left for the day and take that ride. Here’s your horse, your saddle is on the divider of that stall. I’ll go find us a couple of bridles.”
David made off for the tack room while C.J. just stood in the aisle of the barn, stroking her horse’s neck and feeling happier than she had in years.
He knew. And he isn’t mad at me. If anything, he’s more than a little interested in me, something I think I might just get to like.
David handed her a bridle, giving her bemused look a questioning frown.
“What?” he asked as he went to the stall for Mirage. “Is something wrong, C.J.?”
“Oh, no. Nothing’s wrong. Far from it. I haven’t been this happy since I don’t know when, and it’s all your fault.”
She smiled at David, wondering what he’d do if she leaned over and kissed him. Like he had kissed her earlier.
What the heck, why not find out!
She leaned over, stood on tiptoe and tried to reach David’s mouth. Seeing her intention, he lowered his head, letting her lead. Her chaste, light kiss, left him reeling. He’d never felt like that before from any kiss from any woman.
David pulled back, afraid of where this could lead, knowing that the cold barn was not the place to find out.
“Let’s leave the smooching for later, darlin’, and let’s get these horses out of the barn before we lose all our light. We can continue this when we get back.”
They led their saddled horses, moved them outside and mounted, heading in silent agreement to the trail that would take them the short distance to Jared’s house. When they broke out of the trees behind Jared’s barn, they reined in. They walked the horses slowly up to the back of the house, C.J. looking around at the changes Annie and Jared had made. Seeing the weathervane and the sundial. And the garden area, although there was nothing left except the skeletons of bushes now that winter had arrived.
“It’s all right now. I don’t feel like I’ve left anything behind. For the longest time, whenever I had to show it to someone, I’m sure half the reason they didn’t follow through on the sale was because of me. I always felt like I’d not had my share of time in this house. That I should have been able to keep it longer. Something silly like that. But the feeling isn’t there anymore. They’ve made it theirs, and I can see and feel that. And knowing they are happy here makes me happy.”
She turned to David with a slight frown.
“Does that sound crazy?”
“No way. I know exactly what you mean. I’ve not felt like that myself, but I know about that feeling. I’ve heard other people say that, when something was cut short. Like you didn’t think you were finished, but something else said you were. It’s okay, C.J., I know what you mean. And darlin’, there’s something else you should know. You are welcome, anytime you want to come, to the home your father built. It must have some pretty powerful memories for you. You just come anytime you want to and drink them in.”
“Oh, David,” she gulped, trying not to cry. “Thank you. I will come out there. I want to see all the things my father did before he died. I want to see if there’s anything there that will tell me if he really fell or if he jumped. I don’t know if I’ll ever know the truth to that, but maybe being there will help.”
“Come on, love, let’s head back. It’s getting dark and we don’t want them sending out a search party.”
They rode back, side by side, holding hands between them. When they were finished grooming and feeding the horses in the barn they walked back to the house, David’s arm firmly around C.J., telling the world that he had found his woman, and warning anyone that might be interested that she was his. The crowd sitting in the kitchen all got the message when they came in. And until they sat down to supper, their hands were linked, their fingers entwined. Both of them looked like they’d just won a lottery.
The final special touch of the evening was the flight back to Douglas in the helicopter that David now owned. He landed in a field two blocks from C.J.s house, an arrangement he’d made with the farmer there earlier in the week, and after shutting everything down, he walked her to her door. Taking her key, he opened the door, guiding her in ahead of him. As soon as the door was closed, he took her and turned her into his arms for one last kiss goodnight.
“I can’t stay, C.J.. I have to get back so Patrick and I can leave for a meeting first thing in the morning. Then I’m going to make the first of the aerial runs in the afternoon. Just to get the lay of the land. I’ll phone you, a couple of times probably. I don’t want to leave, but I know if I don’t go now, I might do something I’d regret.”
“No, you wouldn’t, David, you’re too much of a gentleman. Tomorrow morning, first thing, I have a meeting too, then I’ll be in the office for the rest of the day.”
“Do you have a cell phone?”
“No, I’ve never needed one. Why?”
C.J. was puzzled by the question.
“Take mine. I’ll bring you the charger either late tomorrow or Tuesday morning. I have another phone at the office. I don’t want you where I can’t find you if I call. Then I’d worry about what you were doing, wonder if you were in trouble. If you are in a meeting, leave a voice message that you’re occupied and will call later, I’ll leave a message and you can call me back. I want to be able to talk to you anytime. Now that I’ve finally found you, I don’t want to have to do without you. Think you can handle that?” He gazed into her eyes while he fished the phone from his jacket pocket.
“Do you know how to use one like this?”
He was busy turning it on so he could show her it operated then he stopped abruptly.
“C.J., I guess this is a little pushy on my part, but will you use it? Keep it turned on if you’re available to talk.”
“David, I’ve never had one before, you’ll have to show me how it works. But I would be honored to carry it so you can phone me anytime. Are you sure you won’t need it?”
“No. Like I said, I’ve got another one. I’ll get them to reactivate it first thing in the morning then I’ll phone so you have my number.”
He spent the next few minutes showing her how the phone worked. When he finished, she laid the phone carefully beside her purse. It was turned on, and had a fully charged battery. If she used it sparingly, the battery would last until he got the charger to her.
“Goodnight, love, I have to go. I wish I didn’t have to be out so ea
rly in the morning, but that meeting was scheduled before we found each other.”
David’s chin rested on the top of her head, gently rubbing her hair and releasing the scent of her body as he moved.
“Goodnight, David. I’m so glad you aren’t angry with me for not telling you about everything. I really kicked myself afterward, when I knew that I was interested in you, not just as a purchaser for my land, but as a man.”
David swung her away from him, then dropped his mouth to hers. The gentle kiss was the only way he could say goodnight and still get out of the house. Anything deeper, and he might still be here in the morning.
“Night, love, talk to you in the morning.”
“Goodnight, David.”
Her dreamy gaze nearly undid him then and there. Without another word, he turned and left.
A few minutes later, she heard the helicopter as it flew overhead, taking him back to the ranch. Now that he had found her, she knew a happiness she had never felt before, not even when she had been married the first time and thought she was truly in love with Allan McCormack. She thought that maybe this time, with this man, she had finally found it all.
Over the next four weeks, David and C.J. spoke every day, sometimes three and four different times. And whenever they both had time, he flew into town and took her out for dinner or back to the ranch. They spent every waking minute either with, talking to or thinking of each other.
David realized, the closer it got to Christmas, that he was ready to ask her to marry him. They loved each other, there was no doubting that. And although they had never talked about it, he didn’t think she would mind moving out to the ranch to live with him there. In fact, he decided, that very day, he would go to Cheyenne and visit a friend of his. A jeweler friend. He wanted a special ring for her when he asked her to marry him.
C.J. was wondering when he planned to pop the question. If they had been together any more than they actually were, they would have been living together. As far as she was concerned, she was ready to say yes to him. Even living at the ranch would suit her. The commuting would be a problem, unless they figured out something else to do about the paper.
