Montana Cowboy

by Jillian Hart

  “Well, for one thing, bugs.”

  “Bugs? That’s what you’re worried about?”

  “Big hairy spiders. Creepy crawling things with a hundred legs. Mosquitoes that suck your blood.”

  “Wow, your wild imagination is kinda scary. Tell you what. If a big hairy leggy bug comes along, I’ll bat him away. Or flick him off your hair.”

  “That’s not helping.”

  “It’s really not the bugs you have to worry about.” He reined Buck toward the edge of the tree line, where a path carved its way between tall pines. “It’s the snakes.”

  “What? Why did you have to bring that up?” Her blue eyes laughed at him, her grip tightening around the saddle horn until her knuckles were white.

  “Full disclosure. There’s also bear, cougar and moose. They can be aggressive and hungry.”

  “I’m so comforted now.”

  “Glad I could help.” He stayed at her side, keeping an eye on gentle Lena, who walked along at an easy clip. Honor stayed in her saddle, straight and tall, as if she were born to ride.

  “I know what you’re doing.” She arched a brow, shooting him a sideways look.

  “Uh, would that be trying to lower your expectations so you aren’t disappointed in the evening’s activity?”

  “No, you’re keeping my mind off the fact that I’m lurching and sliding around on the back of a horse.”

  “Is it working?”

  “Slightly.”

  But it was working. That’s what mattered. Fine, so he was hoping to change her mind about the Montana wilderness. He was hoping she fell in love with horseback riding, and that he had a chance with her heart. He knuckled back his hat so he could see her better.

  Do I have a shot, Lord? he asked. Is there a chance? When he opened his eyes, he was rewarded by the sight of her. Honey hair tousled by the wind, ivory skin aglow and sliding a little in the saddle. “Are you okay there? Grip with your knees.”

  “Easy for you to say. You call this fun?”

  “Just wait. You’ll see.”

  “Okay. How long should I wait? Oops!” She laughed when Lena lunged into a cantor, the horse taking advantage of her green rider. “Uh oh! Now what do I do?”

  “Hold on tight.”

  “That’s the advice you give me? Some instructor you are.”

  The mare gave a horsy trumpet of challenge, Buck answered and leaped into a gallop. He let the horse have some fun, zipping along with Lena down the sun-dappled trail. Honor’s laughter lifting on the wind told him she was having fun. So was he.

  “Are you staying on okay?” he asked, since she was listing to the left.

  “This is sort of like surfing. It takes a while to get the hang of it. But I learned how to stay on the board, I can figure out how to stay in a saddle. I think.”

  “Go ahead and ease back on the reins if you want her to slow down.” Why wasn’t he surprised when she didn’t? Woman and horse barreled down the pathway, leaping ahead of him and Buck, tail and ponytail waving in the slipstream.

  “Hey, I’m starting to get the hang of this!” she called over her shoulder. “This really is fun!”

  He saw disaster an instant before it happened. A blur of movement in his peripheral vision, the teenager’s shout of surprise and the horse’s alarmed whinny had him launching off the saddle before Buck could fully stop. He hit the ground so hard, the impact jarred his bones and nearly knocked him to his knees. But Honor hadn’t fallen. Lena had stopped in time.

  “Is everyone all right?” Adrenaline roared through him, since for one instant he’d been haunted by

  the image of Honor falling and hitting the ground. He blinked twice, just to make sure she was still in the saddle.

  “That was a close one.” Jerrod rolled onto his feet, stood and dusted dirt from his knees. “I didn’t know you’d be out here on a horse, Honor. I thought you didn’t like horses.”

  “It’s true, I usually avoid them. Shouldn’t you be going the other way? I thought you would be long gone by now.” Honor patted Lena’s neck, soothing the horse.

  “I forgot my sunglasses. Don’t worry. Not the first time I’ve bit the dust.” Jerrod grabbed his fallen bike by the handlebars. “Luke, I like your horses.”

  “Thanks. Looks like Lena likes you.”

  “Sorry about that, girl.” The teen rubbed the horse’s nose. “Well, I gotta scoot. See ya, Honor.”

  “Have fun.” She was grateful the horse didn’t seem afraid of the boy or the bike as they passed by, riding out of sight. She let her hand rest on Lena’s neck, loving the warm, alive feel of the animal beneath her palm.

  “For a minute there, I thought you might hit the dust, too.” Luke’s hand settled on her knee, gazing up at her. “Was afraid I couldn’t get to you fast enough.”

  “I managed to hold on. Lena was great. She hardly startled when Jerrod came racing around the corner.” She gave the horse another pat. “And you! I’ve never seen anyone move so fast.”

  “I wanted to catch you if I could.”

  “It’s nice knowing you wouldn’t have let me fall.” Okay, her feelings had gone too far to try to call them back. Affection whispered through her as sweet as a Sunday hymn. It shone in his eyes, too. Encouraged, she straightened in her saddle. The dappled sunshine, the hot puff of wind and the man beside her could not have been more perfect.

  “Guess I’d better mount up.” Luke shook his head as Buck moved in to nibble at his hat brim. “All right, we’ll get moving, big fella. I think he’s been looking forward to this as much as I have.”

  Me most of all, she thought as he mounted up. Impossible to look away from the man. She was not ready for the perils of romance, but her heart was taking her on a journey, one she didn’t want to miss. She gathered the reins, grabbed hold of the saddle horn for good measure and let Lena carry her down the trail.

  * * *

  “You’re getting a little pink from the sun.” Luke swung down from Buck in the shady cove. They had been riding for over an hour to reach this spot. The sparkling surface of the mountain lake added to the tranquil scenery as the cowboy paced toward her, sweeping off his hat. “Here. This ought to help.”

  “It’s too big.” The Stetson slipped over her head with plenty of room to spare, sliding down to cut off her view of him.

  “Sure, that’s because I have a big head, or so my brother tells me, because it’s full of hot air.” He knuckled back the brim for her. “Or so Hunter keeps telling me.”

  “That was my first opinion of you.”

  “That’s what all the ladies say. I never impress ’em. Right, Lena?”

  The mare nosed in, drawn by the merry conversation. Luke rubbed the horse’s nose. Strong man.

  Gentle heart.

  That’s what roped her in and held her there, refusing to let her go.

  “Yes, that’s exactly what your sisters have told me. Warned me about, actually.” She knelt down and chose a pebble from the shore. “You have one flaw after another.”

  “True. I can’t deny it.” He unbuckled packs from the back of Buck’s saddle. “My faults are hard to miss.”

  “You’re always there for your family.”

  “I suppose I could try to be there less.”

  “You work hard.” She gave the stone a toss. It bounced three times on the mirrored surface.

  “I could try to be lazy. Sit around more. Maybe let my bills go past due.” He shook out a table cloth to spread over the wild grasses. “And what about you? No work ethic whatsoever.”

  “Right.” The wind snatched a corner of the cloth and she knelt to catch it. “I also am a pretty good aim with a garden hose.”

  “I remember. A definite flaw.” He shouldered the packs onto the cloth and settled down. “I got completely dre
nched. I’ll never trust you at a car wash again.”

  “We had fun.” She eased onto the ground, the big blue checked cloth protecting her from any haphazardly crawling bugs. “I always have a good time with you.”

  “Go on, I like hearing compliments.”

  “Sure, since you probably don’t hear them often.”

  “Not ever. How did you know?” His baritone rumbled with amusement as he opened the packs. Delicious scents of fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits and macaroni salad filled the air.

  Overwhelming contentment filled her. She’d never been so happy. Not even in California. Not with her friends. She breathed in the serenity of the lake, the beauty of the scenery and knew the reason she saw Montana differently, and he was sitting right in front of her.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The sun dimmed halfway through their picnic. Thunderheads sailed from the southwest, blotting out half of the robin’s egg sky. Let’s hope those clouds keep going, Luke thought as he bit into a biscuit.

  “The thing I like about Montana is the wide, endless sky.” Honor pulled a piece of crispy skin off a drumstick and popped it into her mouth. “It goes on forever.”

  “Just like the ocean?”

  “Exactly. It’s peaceful here, too. I hadn’t realized. It’s the same feeling I get standing on the shore with the water lapping over my feet.”

  “I know that feeling. Like everything is bigger than you. Larger than life. It fills you with wonder at the greatness of God’s creation.”

  “Yes, that’s it. I thought nothing could do that better than the ocean at sunset, but this comes close to equaling it.” She breathed in the fresh air, looking content, looking like a woman who belonged in this moment, in this meadow with him. “The evening light on those mountains takes my breath away.”

  “Me, too.” Except he wasn’t looking at the mountains. Just her. Only at her. “Did I hear you right? Montana is almost equaling California in your view?”

  “Almost. Shocked, aren’t you? Never thought I’d say such a thing, did you? Me, either, but this forest really is beautiful, and no bugs so far. Those mountains are incredible. They’d be great to ski.”

  That surprised him. “You ski?”

  “Downhill and cross-country.”

  “Me, too.” He broke off a hunk of biscuit, thinking it over. “Could be you’re starting to fit in here?”

  “Could be.”

  But was it enough to stay? he wondered. He could only hope so. “Maybe you’ll have to come back to visit this winter. I’ll take you skiing and promise you the time of your life.”

  “It always is when I’m with you.” The truth shone in her eyes like a secret only he could see.

  His heart beat double-time with hope stronger than any he’d known. He wanted things to change between them. This evening, he intended to let her know about the deep, abiding affection he felt for her. An affection that strengthened day by day. An affection nothing could stop. He picked a wildflower and slipped it into the hair folded behind her ear. Her hair felt like satin against his fingers, her skin like silk.

  “Nice.” She smiled up at him, the buttercup tucked in place, yellow petals against sunshine gold.

  Tell her, he thought. Just do it. Let her know how you feel.

  “I—” That’s as far as he got. The sky split open and rain pelted to the ground like liquid bullets.

  “That came out of nowhere fast.” She hurried to toss lids on the food containers. Only then did he realize the sunshine had vanished.

  “Welcome to Montana.” At least the meal was mostly over. He launched to rescue a canister. “I’ve got dessert. Hurry.”

  “At least you know what’s important.” She seized his outstretched hand and raced with him through the rain-soaked grass. “I see blue skies over there.”

  “It’s just a squall. It’ll pass.” He found a protected spot beneath the boughs and shouldered in. “Don’t worry. I’m checking for spiders.”

  “Whew.” She tumbled in after him. Rainwater sluiced down her nose. Her hair dripped water, too, darkened to a honey-shade. She bumped against his chest, nestling into the shelter. “You’re a keeper, Luke. And you saved the cookies.”

  “Hey, I know what’s important.”

  Droplets ricocheted off the ground, plopped off branches and dripped on the horses who nosed into the trees they’d been tethered to, unconcerned and grazing.

  “I can’t catch a break.” He chuckled, shook his head, sending droplets flying. “You think a picnic in the middle of summer would be safe from rainstorms.”

  “You couldn’t have planned it better. I love rain.”

  “I thought you loved the sun.”

  “I do, but there’s nothing quite like a rainstorm.” Quite possibly there was nothing like being tucked beneath cedar boughs with Luke. The smell of rain, the electric charge in the air and the affection warm in her soul.

  There had been a story she’d meant to tell him about the rainstorms along the beach, but she couldn’t seem to remember exactly what she’d intended to say. Her brain cells had ceased to function. Probably it was from being snuggled cozily against him, wet and warm from the rain, laughing and breathless from the run to the trees. The only thing she could think about was him.

  He wasn’t like any man she’d ever met. No slick, practiced lines. No driving ambition. He was solid as the earth, the kind of guy who would never let a woman down. Exactly the man she would want to weather any storm alongside.

  “I’m the same way. Whatever season I’m in, whatever weather I’m in, it’s my favorite.” He gestured toward the roiling black clouds overhead. “There’s a good side and a down side to everything. The trick is to enjoy the good side because things change. That’s life, always changing.”

  “Right.” She couldn’t concentrate on what he was saying. His chest was steely solid and she knew exactly what it felt to lean her cheek against his shirt. If only he would fold his strong arms around her again. Their gazes met. Could he see what she wanted? Could he guess how she felt? She didn’t think she could hide it any longer. Her feelings shone brightly, even in the storm’s darkness.

  “Life changing, that’s the one thing you can count on.” He leaned in, closer. “Sometimes you have to seize the moment.”

  “Y-yes.” She stuttered, forgetting how to talk and how to breath because his callused fingertips grazed her cheek. Tender. Gentle. Electric.

  Her pulse flatlined. He leaned in closer yet. This was it. He was going to kiss her. Nerves popped in her stomach but she didn’t move away. Not in a thousand years. This was everything she’d ever wanted. She tilted up to meet his kiss. Nothing, not one thing, was more tender than the brush of his lips to hers.

  Sweet. Love spiraled through her quietly, joyfully. She clung to him, savoring the closeness. When he broke the kiss, she felt dizzy. Disoriented. The only thing steadying her was his arms as he drew her against his chest.

  The only place she ever wanted to be.

  While he held her, the rain overhead eased. Fast-moving clouds took the rain cell over the lake, turning the water to pewter. Sun broke out from above, casting a rainbow through a slice of blue sky.

  Her cell rang, startling her. “I have service out here?”

  “There’s a town and probably a cell tower on the north shore of the lake. Probably can’t see it from here.” He led the way out from beneath the tree now that the coast was clear. “Go ahead and answer it. I’ll start packing up.”

  “Don’t you need help?”

  “I’ve got it. Talk to your friends.” He tossed her a dazzling smile before he strode away to check on the horses. Her heart beat faster remembering his kiss.

  His kiss! It made her feel floaty, but, no, her feet really were touching the ground. “Hello?”

 
; “It’s me.” Kelsey’s voice practically vibrated with excitement. “I’ve got news.”

  “It sounds like good news.” She couldn’t stop smiling, either. A brand-new possibility for her life had opened up with Luke’s kiss. A possibility she wanted more than anything. “What’s going on with you? Tell me.”

  “It’s not my news. It’s yours. I just got home and found a message on the machine. I don’t know why they called here and not your cell, but you’ve been offered a job.”

  “A teaching job?”

  “Yes! With your old school. A history teacher is going on maternity leave and they are offering you her position. Isn’t that great? When you come home, you’re here to stay. We’ve got a party lined up to celebrate. Big-time. Chocolate cake. Balloons. We’ll have a blast.”

  “A job.” Why did she feel so let down? This should be good news, right? “I’ve been offered a job at Wheatly.”

  “Isn’t that what I just said? I’m totally jazzed.” Kelsey squealed. “I’m doing a Snoopy dance.”

  “Me, too.” Except she wasn’t squealing. She wasn’t Snoopy dancing. She was crestfallen. Why did her dream job have to come through now? The chance to teach again at the Wheatly Academy was a miracle in itself.

  “I gotta go. I’ve got a date.” Kelsey’s voice vibrated with excitement.

  “A date?” That was news. “Okay, there’s a lot you’re not telling me.”

  “Now’s not the time, as there isn’t any time. I still have to do my hair. But Dom is really great. A total gentleman. He could be The One!”

  “That’s great, Kels. Have a good time.” After saying their goodbyes, she pocketed her phone, more than a little stunned.

  “Hey, is everything all right?” Luke slung a saddlebag over his shoulder. “You look a little shell-shocked.”

  “I’m just surprised how life can turn on a dime.”

  “I thought we agreed that’s life, always changing. Not much stays the same.” He held out a container. “All that and we didn’t get dessert. How about a cookie?”

  “That should help.” Damp hung in the air, but the bold sun kept her warm. Birds sang as she took one of the iced cookies from the container. Off in the distance the storm cloud swept across the lake, heading northeast. The rainbow had disappeared. “I just got some surprising news.”