Montana Cowboy

by Jillian Hart

  “No, but we’re better. This way you’ll be on the winning team, and we’ll get to know you better.” Colbie gave a wink and bounded off to drum up more players for the match.

  “This is already spiraling out of control.” Luke shook his head. “That’s what happens when a woman takes over.”

  “I’m sure if your sister heard that and believed you meant it, she wouldn’t take that well.” Honor hopped up from the bench, reached over to steal his plate and stacked hers on top. “I’ll take these in. I need to change. I don’t want to play in my dress.”

  Before he could answer, she breezed away. Brandi caught up to her, asking her about who designed her dress, some fancy name he’d never heard before, and the pair tapped off in the direction of the house, leaving him behind like he was yesterday’s laundry.

  Well, at least he knew where he stood. He shook his head, pushed off the bench and dodged his cousin’s son, dashing off to play with the other little kids in the sprinkler. Around him rang the happiness of his family, who were still seated and relaxed, talking merrily.

  “She’s nice.” Colbie returned to sidle up to him. “Are you mad about the team thing?”

  “Not mad, but something tells me you guessed she was a ringer.”

  “Bingo. I see that look in your eye. You care for her.” Colbie patted him on the arm.

  “And here I hoped it didn’t show.”

  “You have two choices. You can try harder to hide it or you could let her know.”

  “She doesn’t feel the same way I do.”

  “Yet.” Love gentled her words. Colbie was a great sister, always looking out for him. “Maybe she’ll change her mind.”

  “No, and it’s just as well. She’s leaving for home in a few weeks.” He caught a glimpse of her through the open French doors, where she stood in the kitchen stacking the plates on the counter and chatting with Uncle John.

  Honor was a city girl and not the farm girl he was looking for. Not the kind of woman who would fit into his life on the ranch. His chest ached with disappointment, but he’d known that about her all along.

  It was his heart giving him troubles, because his head knew for absolute certain she was not the woman for him.

  “You’d better go change.” Colbie’s sympathy gentled her words. “And don’t be sad. The right woman is out there. I know it. You deserve the very best.”

  “So do you.” He gave her hand a squeeze.

  * * *

  “I don’t believe it! You don’t like Montana?” Bree spiked the ball, sending it flying over the net. The other team members jockeyed into position as the blur that was the ball soared straight up in the air.

  “It’s not that I don’t like Montana, it’s that I don’t get Montana,” Honor explained as she punched the ball and it arced over the net.

  “What’s not to get?” Kelly, Luke’s cousin, asked as her husband, Mitch, volleyed the ball back to Honor’s side.

  “Where’s the beach?” She rocked up on her heels, watching as Colbie dove for the save. “Where’s the ocean? Where’s the mall?”

  “No ocean or beach, but we’ve got a mall,” Colbie quipped as she sent the ball up into the air.

  “Two hours’ drive away from the Lamberts’. Four round trip.” She moved in to smack the ball with her fist, sending it flying straight at Luke. He was simply where her gaze went. Where she naturally aimed the ball. This wasn’t the first time.

  He knocked it back, his violet-blue gaze so intense it was all she could see. She tripped over her own feet and wham! Down she went. When she hit the ground shock ricocheted along her bones as her knee rammed into the earth. The ball thudded next to her.

  “Are you okay?” Colbie towered over her, grabbed the ball. “You went down so fast, I couldn’t do anything.”

  “It won’t be the first time I’ve tripped over my feet.” She sat up and a shadow tumbled over her. A tall, broad-shouldered shadow. Her breathing hitched when she squinted up at Luke, who offered his hand.

  “Let’s get you up and see the damage.” His fingers wrapped around hers. “You weren’t kidding about being a klutz. I didn’t believe you.”

  “I can be a hazard to myself.” She found herself rising through the air and on her feet, breathless from the ascent. Maybe, just maybe, she had to admit, it may have something to do with the man. His callused palm, his touch, the snap of feeling that went way too deep.

  “You’re bleeding.” Luke released her.

  The zing faded predictably. When he knelt down to inspect her knee she had to face facts. She could no longer blame her reaction to him on low blood sugar. Didn’t that spell trouble?

  “Doesn’t look too bad. Mostly just grass burn. You’ve scraped a few layers off.” Luke gazed up at her, his head tilted back, exposing the whirl of a cowlick at his crown. “What we need is a Band-Aid.”

  “I’m tough. I don’t need a bandage.” Her voice sounded thick to her own ears and a little breathless. A bandage might up the chance of Luke touching her again. What she didn’t want was to prove her hypothesis. That this man affected her in ways she wasn’t ready for. It would be best to deny it, if she could. “What I need is to score the winning point. We’re almost there.”

  “Yeah!” agreed Colbie, one arm around the ball, balanced on her hip. “As long as Honor’s okay, let’s do it. You men are toast.”

  “Hold up one minute.” Not to be rushed, Luke held up one hand. Only then did Honor notice his Aunt Dorrie hurrying over with a box clutched in one hand.

  “I saw you go down, dear.” She bustled up, panting a little. “This was all I could find on short notice. Do you need an antibacterial cream?”

  “Thank you.” It was hard not to like Luke’s family. “It’s just a scratch, so I should be fine.”

  “Good. I wouldn’t want this to put a kink in your date. There’s nothing like a wedding date.” Dorrie’s eyes sparkled, she handed Luke the box and patted Honor’s cheek. Kind, thoughtful, completely lovable. “So glad you’re here.”

  Definitely impossible not to like.

  “This won’t hurt a bit.” With a crackle, Luke freed a Band-Aid from its wrapper and knelt before her. She knew both teams watched, that everything had come to a standstill the moment Luke had rushed to her side of the net. That didn’t stop her heart from wobbling dangerously as the big, tough Montana cowboy applied the bandage to her knee with care. At the warm brush of his fingertips against her kneecap, the zing returned so strong, dizziness rushed through her head.

  There’s only one solution, she thought. Stop with the touching.

  “There.” Luke rose up to his six-foot-plus height, shading her from the sun. Light danced around him, burnishing gold highlights into his sandy hair. Irresistible.

  Whoops, where had that thought come from? It was a big mistake. She needed a friend. But the way he was looking at her with more than concern and a lot of caring totally panicked her. What were his expectations? What was he hoping for?

  Worse, what if he’d been hoping for more than friendship with her?

  “Guess I’ll get back to my side,” he said, backing away, taking his shadow with him. The sun tumbled over her, too bright suddenly for her eyes.

  I wish I was ready to believe again, she thought as Colby’s hand settled on her shoulder. To put faith in love.

  “Sure you’re okay?” she asked, as if she was wondering about more than the skinned knee.

  “I’m great.” She cleared her throat and wished she didn’t feel a twinge of emotion. “Let’s finish this.”

  “As victors,” Colbie agreed with an understanding smile. She seemed to notice everything that had gone on and didn’t judge. Just cared.

  Yes, she absolutely wished she was ready for a relationship that was more than friendship. Judging by the panic racing t
hrough her veins, she wasn’t even close.

  “Let’s go!” Luke’s cousin Aubrey called as she caught the ball, stepping back to serve.

  “C’mon, we can do this!” Lucy cheered. “Three more points.”

  “Two after this,” Aubrey said as she served, sending the ball streaking over the net. The opposing team dove, but failed to set it. It whammed against the ground, cheers went up, but all Honor could see was Luke. His rugged stance and the remembered caring she’d seen.

  What was she going to do about that?

  * * *

  With the women’s shouts and woo-hoos of delight at their victory peppering the air, Luke dove around the net posts, heading straight for his target. “How’s the knee?”

  “Nothing to worry about. I’m more concerned about your ego.” Honor tossed her ponytail over one shoulder—she’d tied back her hair for the match. “Losing to a bunch of girls. That can be tough for a guy.”

  “This guy’s used to it.” He let his eyes twinkle at her. He wanted her to know he wasn’t one of those insecure men. “You have some skills. Your church league must miss you.”

  “I miss them.” She waltzed alongside him, her sneakers rasping in the soft lawn. “But it won’t be much longer. I’m counting the days.”

  “I wish we’d met on the front end of your sentence in Montana.”

  “Sentence? At times that has felt exactly right, but other times, like today, well, let’s just say Montana has had its moments.”

  “Glad to hear it. I wouldn’t want you leaving with a dim view of us.” The afternoon was flying by and if she wanted to get Jerrod home by supper, then she had to get on the road. He ignored the hitch in his chest. “You look like you had a good time.”

  “Absolutely.” She sparkled, as bright as the sun. “Thanks for inviting me. I needed it.”

  “Got some social time in?”

  “Did I. And invitations for more.” She glanced over her shoulder where his sisters and cousins were tromping toward the punch bowl, their laughter as carefree as the breeze. “You have a fun family.”

  “Thanks, I think so, too.”

  “And I’m so grateful for your friendship.” Sincerity deepened the hue of her eyes. Genuine caring shone there, but it wasn’t what he hoped for.

  It was, however, what he’d expected. Friends. Yes, he got the message. Her kind, caring, gentle message as her hand caught his. Recognition flared in his heart, as if he’d been waiting for her his whole life. But he tamped it down, knowing a lost cause when he saw it.

  “I’m grateful for yours,” he choked out, sounding almost completely normal so she would never know what it cost him. “Good friends are hard to come by.”

  “Amen to that.” She squeezed gently before releasing his hand. Brooke chose that moment to amble up, wrap Honor in a hug and thank her for coming. The rest of his sisters followed suit and circled around her, leaving him odd man out. They spoke of handbags, shoes and promises to hit the mall.

  “I’ve had such a good time,” Honor called out as she backed away. “Brooke, you have a blissfully happy marriage, okay?”

  “That’s the plan,” Brooke answered, shimmering with happiness. Kids squealed in the background as they raced through the sprinkler, conversations from the deck rose and fell with the wind and his heart broke as he watched her walk away.

  Friends, she said. Making it clear. He hadn’t known how very much he’d been hoping until this moment. Until he knew anything more serious between them was an impossibility. He really ought to see her to her car, but his feet were rooted to the ground.

  “She’s easy to like,” Colbie said at his side.

  “Yeah. I know.” He managed what he hoped passed for a grin, one that told his sister he was perfectly all right, no big deal, but he wasn’t sure he pulled it off.

  Across the green, Honor followed Jerrod through the French doors. She hesitated, glanced over her shoulder and their gazes connected. He read her appreciation and the apology in her eyes before she turned and walked out of his life.

  Chapter Five

  Luke McKaslin stayed on her mind during the long drive home. She broke her train of thought and the silence in her car by adding a few historical stories about Lewis and Clark’s journey. A few signposts dotted the way, marking where the famous explorers had trekked. Jerrod nodded, listening, then plugged in his earbuds.

  Maybe she had misread the caring thing, she reasoned as she waited for the Lamberts’ wrought-iron gate to swing open at the end of the drive. When she’d mentioned the friendship thing, Luke had nodded as if that’s all he’d felt. Just friendship, nothing more.

  Good, she thought. The last thing she needed right now was a boyfriend. Or to hurt someone as nice as Luke who was hoping to be one.

  “We’re ten minutes late.” Jerrod unbuckled before the car stopped rolling. He glanced at the front door as if waiting for his mother to burst out of it at any second. “She’s gonna be peeved.”

  “You tell her it’s my fault. I didn’t want to speed.” She kept an eye on the front door but no sign of Olive. “I’ll see you bright and early in the morning for church?”

  “I’ll be there.” The kid rolled his eyes. He might lack enthusiasm, but at least he was grinning. “Thanks for taking me along.”

  “You had a good time?”

  “I rocked at soccer.”

  “We both needed an outing big-time.”

  “No kidding.” Jerrod heaved out of the car, shut the door and ambled up the front steps.

  Her stomach rumbled as she motored onto the garage, a separate building with about ten bays, an extended carport off one side and rooms for employees above. Talk about a stellar day. The drive had been gorgeous, the reception had rocked and meeting Luke face-to-face, well, that had been a highlight. He’d felt like an old friend, as if she’d known him forever. Odd how that could happen.

  She pulled into her space beneath the carport. Thanks for this unexpected day, she found herself praying. Only the good Lord knew how much she needed it. Once she’d felt isolated, but no more.

  Maybe Montana wasn’t that bad, she decided as she hopped out into the vibrant sunshine. Maybe it had been the loneliness that had gotten her down. Not that she’d ever actually like tromping through the woods or anything, and no way was she about to become an outdoors kind of person, but she felt happy. Really happy.

  Her phone chimed, and joy leaped through her. Was it Luke? She had her cell out and squinted at the screen so fast, her hand was a blur. But it wasn’t Luke. What did it say that it disappointed her?

  How’s it goin’? Kelsey’s text read. U got mail.

  She stopped, leaned against the side of the car and tapped in an answer. Uh oh. Good mail? Bad mail?

  Job application mail.

  Ominous, right? That could only mean one thing. Another rejection. She closed her eyes. Every door she tried to open employment-wise lately stayed firmly shut. She’d love to work at Wheatly again, but chances were good that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, not unless someone left their position or enrollment went back up. Given the present economy, not likely.

  Which place? She asked.

  La Jolla. Want me 2 open it 4 U?

  Yes. Although she already knew what it would say. If the district had been interested in her, they would have called for an interview.

  Sorry. They R not hiring.

  No surprise. Her stomach tightened every time she thought about being unemployed again. While she may be counting down the days until she could zip home, she wasn’t looking forward to her last paycheck.

  How’s things? she asked, pushing off the side of the car and popping the trunk. She gathered up her stuff, doing her best not to think about everything she liked about Luke.

  Luke. She sighed. Just stop thinking a
bout the man, got it? She closed her trunk, juggling purse, bag and phone, and dropped her keys. They clattered to the concrete and bounced to a stop beneath the car.

  Of course.

  Way to go, Honor. She set down her stuff, hunkered down on her knees and reached under the car. Her cell chimed with Kelsey’s answer. It took a full minute of straining before the tips of her fingers caught the end of one of the keys and she could drag it out into the open.

  When she looked up, a deer stood where the concrete met the grass, watching her with surprised button eyes.

  Great. Now she was entertainment for the wildlife.

  The phone chimed, the deer startled and leaped fluidly a few yards before stopping to watch.

  It’s not the same without U, Kelsey answered. I’ll send an email with all the scoop. Going to a play tonight.

  Give Anna Louise a hug 4 me.

  Will do.

  By the time Honor looked up, the doe had retreated to the edge of the lawn. She had to squint to make out the impression hidden in the grass. A little fawn, so sweet and delicate, curled up and napping, while his mama grazed.

  Fine, so maybe Montana was starting to grow on her.

  She marched up the stairs, unlocked her door and stumbled into her living quarters. Cool air washed over her as she opened the blinds. Windows looked out on the pristine forest and emerald hills and the doe grazing below.

  A knock rapped on her door. It was Wren, dark-haired and a little plump, one of the downstairs maids.

  “I brought you this.” She held two covered plates and offered one. “I figured you didn’t want to bother with Olive’s drama. Mr. Lambert called. She’s up in arms because he wants this house, too.”

  “See? Romance is a bad idea.” She took the plate with thanks. “Broken vows, broken relationships, divvying up the property. Who needs to go through that?”