Montana Cowboy

by Jillian Hart

  Very, she wrote, hesitating. Luke was nice. He was friendly and funny and kind-hearted in his comments on the website and in the messages they had been sending back and forth over the last few months. She’d had fun corresponding with him. Maybe it would be fun to meet him?

  Then again, maybe she’d regret it. Luke McKaslin could be too good to be true. She clicked her way to the Good Books site and his user profile. His picture was a casual shot of a muscular, lean man sitting on a front porch step with one arm slung around his black border collie.

  A Stetson shaded his strong, chiseled face. His bright violet-blue eyes radiated honesty and good humor. His high cheekbones, perfect sloping nose and square jaw could have been carved out of granite and were softened by the wide generous curve of his smile.

  A big-hearted smile, she decided. Wide, approachable, a totally-good-guy kind of smile.

  The fact that he was completely gorgeous didn’t enter into the equation. She wasn’t looking for gorgeous. She wasn’t looking at all. Period. She was taking a break from romance. Unequivocally.

  But friendship? Yes, that was something she could definitely do. Luke McKaslin and his amiable, country-strong qualities made her want to drive two hours just to meet him.

  She stared at his info at the end of his message. A video chat? Sure, why not.

  “Honor?” Luke’s handsome face filled her screen—iron features, vivid, almost-purple eyes and yet it was his warmth that struck her most. “Hey, it’s good to actually talk at you instead of type.”

  “It’s weird, isn’t it?” He was a perfect stranger, and yet he wasn’t. She thought of all the notes they’d written back and forth about books and, lately, about life. She knew he lived on a ranch northeast of Bozeman. His dog’s name was Nell. His younger brother had died years ago fighting forest fires. He ran a dairy with his older brother. “I feel as if I should be typing something.”

  “Me, too. This is new, talking instead of typing, but it’s nice. You look different from your profile picture.”

  “I do?”

  “Blonder. More serious.”

  “It’s because of summer,” she explained, since the sun tended to lighten her hair. “And Montana.”

  “You’re still not liking Montana?” He nodded, scattering light brown hair with sun-made highlights. “It’s a beautiful place to visit, but it is different living here. I thought you might get used to it by now.”

  “I’m still counting the days until I leave. I miss home.”

  “Sure, I get that. It’s not just where you are, it’s who you’re with.”

  “So, you really are like all those emails you’ve written.”

  “Yep. Nell didn’t sneak onto the computer and do it for me. Right, girl?”

  A bark rose in the background, echoing in what appeared to be an eating area off the kitchen. She could just see the edge of kitchen cabinets. A dog’s nails tapped on linoleum. “Nell wants to know if you’re

  really coming. Brooke’s wedding should be a lot of fun.”

  “Most weddings are a happy event, but a lot of fun? Not so much.” She thought of her sister’s recent wedding, with all the stress, the preparations and pressure.

  “That’s because you haven’t been to a McKaslin family wedding.” Twinkles sparkled in his eyes. Amiable, good-humored and decent, that’s how Luke came across to her. He raked one hand through his thick hair. “We know how to have a good time. You wouldn’t happen to be hiding any champion volleyball skills, would you?”

  “I play on my church team. Or I used to, before I moved here.”

  “Okay, now you have to come. Because Brooke is a whiz at volleyball and she thinks she has tomorrow’s game won hands down.”

  “Volleyball at a wedding reception?”

  “Now you think I’m hokey and you wouldn’t get near me with a ten-foot pole.” Dimples tucked into the corners of his generous smile.

  A perfect smile. Good thing she wasn’t interested or she might be a little dazzled. “I make no judgments,” she reassured him. “You’ve just talked me into it.”

  “Yeah? Good.” His smile broadened. His dimples dug a little deeper.

  Wow. The impact was enough to knock her off her chair. She glanced over the top of her computer screen, totally forgetting her charge. Jerrod sat seemingly engrossed in his book on the porch. The poor kid needed a change of scenery, too. “Is it okay if I bring a guest?”

  “Bring anyone you want. The more the merrier. I’m looking forward to meeting you in person, Honor.”

  “Me, too.” She tried to ignore the dazzle of his dimples one more time. “You’ll email me directions?”

  “Absolutely. Whoops. That’s my brother. It’s milking time. I’ve got to head to the barn. The cows are waiting.”

  “Okay. Give Nell a pat for me.”

  “Will do.” He leaned in, sincere. “Goodbye until tomorrow, Honor.”

  “Goodbye.” She closed the lid of her laptop, realizing she was smiling. Really, truly smiling.

  Montana might have a highlight, after all.

  “Hey, Jerrod,” she called. “How would you like an outing tomorrow?”

  Chapter Two

  “Is that Honor?” His sister, Colbie, elbowed Luke in the ribs, her quiet whisper startling him out of the minister’s sermon.

  Keeping one ear on the service, he glanced over his shoulder. A lean woman with sleek blond hair closed the church door carefully, making little noise as she took a step.

  “That’s her.” He’d know her anywhere. Her heart-shaped face, her graceful movements and the openness in her big blue eyes as she scanned the sanctuary. His heart kicked when their gazes met.

  A tentative smile touched her lips. Recognition roared through him so hard, he gripped the pew back for support. The lanky teenager who was with her led the way to the back row, where they quietly took a seat.

  “She’s really pretty.” Colbie waggled her brows, her attention focused on the pulpit. “And she drove all that way. That’s all I’m saying.”

  “She doesn’t like me like that,” he whispered in argument, knowing what his optimistic half sister was thinking. Honor was lonely, that was all, he wanted to make that clear, but this wasn’t the time or the place. He tried to concentrate on the message, but the minister’s words echoed in his head, which had strangely emptied the instant Honor Crosby had walked through the door.

  Across the aisle his other half sister, Brandi, gave him two thumbs-up.

  Yikes, he thought. Couldn’t a man invite a lonely lady to church without everyone leaping to conclusions?

  Fine, those conclusions may be right, but two months of chatting online at a book site and through email didn’t make for anything more than a friendship. Just because he was a little sweet on her didn’t mean she felt the same way. How many messages had she written where she mentioned being homesick? Tons. No, Honor Crosby wasn’t sticking around. After her job was done, she would be jetting back to Malibu where she so obviously belonged.

  “Let us pray,” intoned Pastor Bill. Rustling filled the sanctuary as heads bowed and hands clasped.

  “Love her shoes,” Brooke whispered, his other sister leaned in, pressing against his other elbow.

  “Did you see her handbag?” Brianna added.

  “Shhh!” Lil, tucked in her wheelchair, gave them a withering look, reminding them this was the Lord’s house. They all fell silent.

  Colbie reached over to pat her mother’s hand. They were a mishmash family these days, a combination of the remains of three families divorce and deceit had broken. Luke thought of his father, ground his teeth and added a prayer of his own. Lord, please help Dad to stay away. Brooke deserves a happy, trouble-free day.

  Amen chorused through the sanctuary. Beside him, his sister the bride beamed as the
first notes of the final hymn rang out. He couldn’t concentrate the way he usually did because he kept listening for one voice, a voice he’d heard only once last night during their video chat. Her presence tugged at him like gravity and no matter what he did, it remained, a pull on his heart he couldn’t stop or explain.

  Finally. The last chorus. His tongue stumbled over the familiar words while his pulse galloped unsteadily. A few more moments and they would meet face-to-face. He’d be with her, in the same place, in person, and the prospect made his palms sweat. The woman who’d caught his attention with her funny remarks on Good Books. The woman who typed with him back and forth during a chat on a bestseller they’d both loved and it took more than an hour before either of them realized they were the only ones left in the chat room. It had ended and everyone else had left and they hadn’t even noticed.

  He hadn’t noticed because he’d been smitten. Instantly. When he’d known nothing about her but her sense of humor and her opinion on a book. Her personality had shone through the words she’d typed, and he’d been interested. Not that he wanted her to know. It wouldn’t be wise to get involved with a woman who wouldn’t be sticking around and who, in no way, felt the same. How many times had she called him a friend?

  He’d learned the hard way that was the hint women used when they liked you, but didn’t see you as boyfriend material and never would.

  “Luke?” Someone nudged him in the ribs. Colbie, this time, and laughter danced in her eyes. “Earth to Luke. Come back to the planet.”

  “I wonder what has his attention?” Brooke asked from his other side, laughing, already knowing the answer. “Or who?”

  Couldn’t a guy keep one little crush a secret? He shook his head. This was the downside of a big family. Everyone was in your business. He did his best grimace. “For your information, I’m concentrating. I’m a very pious man. This is church, Colbie.”

  “Right.” Laughter bubbled out of her. “Your scowl doesn’t come close to scaring me.”

  “Not at all,” Brooke agreed. “Hunter has a much better one.”

  “Thank you,” came a gruff acknowledgement from the pew behind them. Older brother, Hunter, cracked a rare smile. “I’m proud of it. I do my best.”

  “It shows,” Lil quipped from her chair. Multiple sclerosis may have slowed her body, but her spirit was as bright as ever. “That’s why you don’t have a single pretty lady coming to see you.”

  “She’s coming for the wedding,” he corrected for the tenth time that morning. “She’s a friend. Nothing more.”

  “Sure, you don’t want to put that kind of pressure on it.” Middle-aged and with a sleek cap of dark hair, Lil was a substitute mom and a good one. “You just let it happen naturally.”

  “How many times?” he asked, raising his eyes to the ceiling. “Friend, not girlfriend.”

  “I certainly hope not,” laughed a melodic alto as warm as a summer morning.

  He’d know that voice anywhere. Honor. She swept up the aisle in a pretty summer dress, looking amazing. His crazy pulse lurched to a stop. He turned, not daring to breathe but her nearness stuck him, anyway, like a punch to the gut.

  “I’m not ready for anything that serious. I’m a free bird these days.” Honor’s warm, flawless smile made it impossible not to like her. “Hi, Luke. This is Jerrod. Sorry we were late.”

  “No problem. You never know what is going to delay you on a Montana highway.”

  “That’s the truth! We got behind this huge semi carrying the biggest concrete tube thing I’ve ever seen. It must have been for a water or irrigation system or something, but it went twenty-six miles an hour and was nearly impossible to pass.”

  “She’s a California driver, too,” the teenager added with an eye roll. “Fearless. She tried passing like six times. Good thing she decided against it or we’d be in a ditch.”

  “He spent the whole way giving me advice. We don’t have big concrete tube things in L.A. At least not one I’ve met on the road.” She stopped to take a breath, clearly nervous, too. “I was afraid we’d be late for the wedding. I bought a gift, but it’s in the car. I didn’t want to bring it in for the service.”

  “I told you it wouldn’t matter,” Jerrod added in a friendly way. He looked like a good kid.

  “I know, but I was worried about all the crackling. You know, the wrapping paper? Luke knows because I told him that I tend to be a klutz.”

  “I think you exaggerate.” After seeing her grace and charm, he didn’t believe for one moment her funny stories she’d typed at him were true. “You’ve been misleading me all this time, haven’t you?”

  “Me, mislead you? No way. I’ve been totally honest.” She hesitated, bit her bottom lip and rolled her eyes heavenward, perhaps aware God was watching her especially close in church. “Uh, I’ve been mostly really honest,” she corrected.

  Making them all laugh. Making him like her more.

  “I’m Colbie,” his sister spoke up, apparently eager to start the introductions.

  Sure, he thought, nodding. Easy to read the hope on his sister’s faces. He stepped up, finishing the introductions. “Meet the twins, Brianna and Brandilyn.”

  “Hi,” Bree and Brandi chorused identically.

  “My brother, Hunter. And Brooke, the bride.”

  “Good to meet you, Honor.” Brooke was the only one in the group who knew about his correspondence with Honor and, he suspected, understood his feelings about her. Brooke gave a toss of her dark hair, smiled and grabbed the arm of the man beside her. “This is Liam, who is about to become my husband in thirty minutes.”

  “And you’re not even dressed yet.” Honor looked concerned. “Do you need help? I come with experience. I’ve pitched in at all my sisters’ weddings.”

  “I’ll take you up on that.” Brooke nodded, looking as if she liked Honor very much.

  In fact, all his family did. Not hard to figure why. They had hopes for him—marital hopes—except for Hunter who stood in the back, practicing his scowl.

  “You’d best come with us, dear.” Lil reached out her hand.

  “I saved the best for last.” Luke cleared his throat. “Lil is a gem.”

  “So I see. So good to meet you.” Honor took Lil’s hand with a warm squeeze as she addressed the woman in the wheelchair. “Luke has told me about you all, but especially you, Lil. It’s easy to see why he has such a soft spot for you.”

  Lil beamed at the compliment. “He’s the special one. Luke is always there when we need him.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me at all.” She shot a glance at the tall, sandy-haired man blushing a little from the compliment.

  “She exaggerates,” he confessed.

  “So I see.” Now she had something else to like about Luke. He was humble. Wouldn’t that be a change for the better? She thought of her dad—always extolling his superiority in the boardroom, on the golf course or at the dinner table. Her brother was a chip off the old block. And Kip? She winced at the memory of her rocky year dating a man who turned out to be exactly like her father.

  “Oh, there’s the music lady,” one of the twins called out. Standing side by side, they were identical from their sleek blond hair, heart-shaped faces all the way to their black heels. They wore different dresses—one blue and the other lilac—but the style was the same.

  “I’ll go help!” The twin in lilac broke away, tapping down the aisle toward a woman hefting a cello case.

  “Well, kids.” Lil clapped her hands. “Time to get this show on the road. Hunter, you have your checklist?”

  “I’ll get busy.” The darker, burlier version of Luke gave a grim nod, pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and left.

  “Luke? You’ll make sure the musicians are set up?” Lil gave her chair a turn. “The rest of you, come with me.”

&nbs
p; “Jerrod, why don’t you…?”

  “Sit here and finish reading A Farewell to Arms?” he finished, crooking one eyebrow.

  She laughed. “You are a funny kid. I was going to say why don’t you go sit outside?”

  “Really?”

  “As long as you stay close, I don’t see why not. Keep within sight of the front door.”

  “Cool.” He reached in his pocket and hauled out his iPod.

  “I can keep an eye on him.” Luke’s voice rumbled near her ear. “I’ll be seating guests.”

  “I’d appreciate that. I was hoping there would be kids his age here.”

  “Bree’s fiancé, Mac, has a teenage brother. Probably a few years older, but Marcus is a good kid. They might get along just fine.”

  “Good. I like your family, Luke.”

  “They’re all right. I’ll keep ’em.” A faint blush crept across his high cheekbones. “Although I am sorry. They took a lot of interest in you. I’m afraid they think—”

  “—that you and I are an item?”

  “Yep. And when they get you alone, they might, uh—”

  “—try to sell me on you for my boyfriend?”

  He nodded, relieved that she understood.

  “Don’t worry. I’m from a big family, too. I totally get it.” She tried to ignore the pinch of pain she felt every time she thought of her family.

  “You haven’t written about your family much.” His tone dipped pleasantly. “At least you haven’t shared them with me.”

  “Guilty.” Another painful pinch. “Let’s just say my parents aren’t happy with me. I feel the same toward them.”

  “Ah, I’ve been there.” The pinch of sadness creasing his face spoke the truth, but she couldn’t picture it.

  “I don’t believe it. Your family is great.”

  “I’m talking about my folks. Mom—” He hesitated, as if needing strength to talk about it. “Let’s just say we don’t know if she’s going to show up today for Brooke’s wedding. She wanted Brooke to come to Miles City to get married. And then there’s Dad—”