A Cowboy Summer (Harlequin Super Romance)

by Salonen, Debra

  Anne’s words were drowned out by a loud, high-pitched squeal. “Grandpa,” Zoey cried, bursting out the door and down the steps. “Did you get a new battery for my car? Can I drive it now?”

  A.J. gave Anne a wry smile as he rose. “A promise is a promise.”

  Anne agreed. She’d promised her boss to return at the end of the summer, and she was going to fulfill her vow. Even if it meant saying goodbye to everything—and everyone—she loved.

  WILL COULD HONESTLY say he’d never seen a person as happy as Zoey was the minute she got behind the wheel of her miniature car. Her mother was understandably not quite as pleased.

  “Now, take it slow, Miss Z,” Will said sternly. It was hard to be strict when Zoey was beaming like a hundred-watt bulb.

  “I will. I promise. And thank you again for fixing the batt’ry.”

  To A.J.’s delight, the battery hadn’t been faulty, just in need of a charge. Will solved the problem last night after he washed and waxed the little pink vehicle. Following his talk with his grandfather, Will had been far too keyed up to sleep.

  He squatted beside the car to give Zoey one last check. “Brake with this foot,” he said, tickling her right knee.

  She giggled. “I know. I know.”

  “Did you take a hit on your puffer thing?” Her cheeks were twice as florid as her car.

  Zoey looked up at her mother, who was standing a foot away. “I did. Really. And I took my medicine this morning. I didn’t like those doctors at the clinic. I’m going to stay healthy so I don’t have to go back.”

  “Good,” Anne said. “That means no broken bones, either.”

  Will had seen Anne talking with A.J. under the tree a short while earlier and guessed they were discussing her plans. So far, nothing had been said about her intentions, probably to keep Zoey from getting upset.

  “All right, then. Let’s get this show on the road.” He stood up and waved his hat back and forth, a signal to the men stationed at the far end of the circle. No traffic would be allowed in when Zoey was behind the wheel.

  “Okay, sweetness, let ’er rip.”

  Zoey adjusted the chin strap of her riding helmet. It wasn’t as safe as the crash helmet he planned to buy, but it would work for today.

  “Don’t hit any homeless people or wine bottles,” Anne said, giving Zoey a quick hug.

  Will gave Anne a questioning look, but her explanation was muffled by the high-pitched whine of the tiny engine, which was so loud, it nearly muffled Zoey’s shriek of delight. “Whee…”

  Anne stepped to Will’s side and grabbed his arm with a death grip. “What if she crashes?”

  “We’ve got hay bales anywhere even remotely dangerous.”

  “I’m neurotic, aren’t I?”

  “You’re her mother. It’s allowed.”

  The car shot past going a whopping ten miles an hour. Will knew that was fast enough to cause injuries if the car crashed or rolled over, but with each revolution, Zoey seemed to acquire more control.

  The adults all moved to the porch to watch from comfortable chairs.

  “Are you going to forgive me for buying it, Annie?” A.J. asked.

  “Of course,” she said, giving him a hug. “But I want your promise you won’t her let drive it without this kind of supervision when I’m gone.”

  “Gone?” Will asked, looking from A.J. to Anne. A.J. gave Anne a light peck on the cheek. “Joy and I will keep an eye on things here. You two had best take your talk inside.”

  Will suddenly knew what this “talk” was going to be about. No way was it going to be on Anne’s turf, he decided. He grabbed her hand. “Nope. It’s too nice a day to be inside. Gramps, I’ll have my cell phone if you need to reach either of us.”

  Anne balked momentarily then sighed. “Okay.”

  She followed him to the garage and climbed into the Forerunner without a word. As Will had predicted, his truck had sold in less than forty-eight hours, to a nineteen-year-old motocross biker who loved the color. “It’s a statement, man,” he’d proclaimed.

  Will agreed. A statement that no longer represented his life.

  “Where are we going?” she asked when they reached the highway.

  “To the top of the ridge.”

  “Is it bumpy?”

  “Some. Why?”

  She moved gingerly in the seat. “I can still feel my horseback ride.”

  Will bit back a grin. “If you rode more often, that wouldn’t be a problem. Once every ten years or so won’t cut it.”

  “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind when I’m back in New York,” she said, effectively wiping the smile off Will’s face.

  Neither spoke again until he turned onto the little-used fire trail.

  “Are you sure you know where you’re going?”

  “Absolutely. How ’bout you?”

  She huffed and grabbed the overhead handgrip to keep from getting jostled about by the rutted road. When they reached a clearing, Will parked under the scanty shade of a pine. He got out and hurried around to open Anne’s door.

  “There’s a lookout just beyond those trees,” he said, helping her down. In such proximity, her scent was unavoidable. It filled his senses and triggered a need so great it took every bit of willpower he had not to haul her into his arms and beg her to stay, to marry him, to grow old with him on the Silver Rose. But his sense of self-preservation was stronger. He couldn’t put his heart on the line until he knew for certain whether or not he stood a chance.

  The wind was hot and gritty. While not the prettiest vista in the state, it was the panorama he wanted. He pointed to a little group of buildings nestled in a clearing midway between them and the flat, silvery imprint of the valley. “There’s the Silver Rose.”

  “It looks like a small village.”

  “That’s what it is. And you know that saying about needing a village to help raise a child, right?”

  She sighed. “Is that why you brought me here? To talk about Zoey?”

  “Partly,” he admitted.

  Her green eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms in a defensive posture. “Well, don’t bother. I know what a difference this summer has made in my daughter’s life. She’s stronger, more self-assured, braver, happier—even healthier—than she was at the beginning of the summer. And I have you, A.J., Joy and all the people she’s met this summer to thank for this transformation. But, the fact remains that my life is in New York, Will. My job is there. My future.”

  The words cut with surgical precision. “When are you leaving?”

  “Tomorrow, if I can get a flight. Tuesday at the latest.”

  “I have a doctor’s appointment in Reno on Tuesday.”

  “I know. Ironic, isn’t it? You get a call from the person who holds your future in his hands, and the next morning my boss calls to say it’s crunch time. Either I get back ASAP or he gives the position to someone else.”

  Will heard the underlying edge in her voice. He knew what she was feeling. Fear. Panic. The unnerving sense that everything you had worked for was sliding further and further out of reach. He felt the same thing this very moment.

  She reached out to touch his arm. “Will, I did a lot of soul-searching this past week, and I know myself well enough to understand that I need the validation this promotion will give me. It’s my payoff. After everything I’ve sacrificed to get here, I can’t just walk away. And I apologize for acting so smug and judgmental. You have every right to follow your dream, no matter how great the risk.”

  What if the dream has changed?

  “Thanks,” he said. Three months ago he’d felt exactly the same. Now he knew there was more than one kind of winning. But he wasn’t a chauvinistic hypocrite. If Anne needed to play the game to the end, he’d cheer her on, even if his heart was shattered.

  “So, you and Zoey are flying back to the big city, huh?”

  “Actually,” she said, her gaze following a red-tailed hawk soaring on the warm updrafts, “A.J. asked if Zoey could stay
a while longer. Her return ticket is for the sixth of September. I thought I might let her stay.” She blinked suddenly and looked at him. “Is that okay? Do you mind? I’m going to be busy playing catch-up, and the smog is so bad in the city.”

  Mind? His heart took flight with the hawk and a shiver of hope coursed through him. Anne didn’t seem to understand that she’d just given him the greatest gift of all. Her trust. “Hell, no, I don’t mind. I was afraid she might try to drive back in that little pink car if you didn’t give her some time to get tired of it.”

  Her smile was the one he loved best—unguarded and playful. He took her in his arms and kissed her. Anne was leaving, but she’d entrusted her precious daughter into his care. That had to mean something, didn’t it?

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  THREE WEEKS in Manhattan had done nothing to improve Anne’s outlook on life. Each morning she awoke with a voracious craving in the pit of her stomach, the kind of hunger food couldn’t appease. By the end of the first week, the bags under her eyes were a clear indicator that she’d made a mistake in returning to the city.

  Sheer stubbornness and a sense of loyalty to Roger made her get up each morning, shower, pick a suit from the wide array that clogged her closet, then leave for work, swiping her Metro card through the metal turnstile, jostling among impatient strangers, dodging fume-spewing buses and honking taxis. Each cough triggered by a woman’s perfume or some harsh-smelling emission reminded her of what Zoey would soon be facing.

  In the WHC office, Roger seemed to be the only person who even remembered who she was. Several young junior executives who hadn’t been around when Anne left seemed openly hostile and threatened by her return. In the rest room, she’d overheard one woman refer to Anne as “Roger’s precious cowgirl.”

  Heaving a long, weary sigh, Anne rocked forward in her desk chair and dialed a number. Tucking the receiver between her shoulder and her ear, Anne undid the button of her DKNY jacket so she could reach the waistband of her suit. Too many of Joy’s cinnamon rolls. The thought made her mouth water.

  Her slight groan of relief when the zipper gave coincided with a distinctly accented “Hello?”

  Maria. Their former housekeeper/nanny. Anne had put off calling her. “Maria, it’s Anne Fraser. I’m back in town and lining up child care for Zoey. Are you available?”

  While Maria explained that she had decided to take a permanent position with her new employer, Anne took a sip of lukewarm Earl Grey Tea from her “I Love My Mommy” mug. The queasiness that had accompanied her the whole flight back returned. What am I going to do now?

  Anne wished Maria all the best and hung up. Zoey was scheduled to return in a little over a week, and Anne hadn’t even started looking for a nanny—maybe because she had discovered this summer that she was the best child-care provider for her daughter.

  One thing this time apart had proven was how much Anne missed Zoey. They talked every day at lunch—mid-morning Zoey’s time. The fifteen or so minutes were by far the bright spot in Anne’s day. And if Will or A.J. happened to pick up when Anne called, she considered it a bonus. She missed them all.

  Additionally, e-mails had become her life source. Will had purchased a digital camera, and he’d taught Zoey how to send photos over the Internet. The most recent image had been waiting for Anne when she arrived at her desk an hour earlier.

  Although it probably conflicted with her ultraprofessional image, Anne had saved the photo to serve as her desktop’s wallpaper, so every time she looked at her computer screen she saw Zoey and Tressa hanging upside down like happy monkeys from side-by-side trapeze bars. The e-mail message that came with it read:

  Will took us to the park. We had fun. I love you, Zoey. P.S.: Tressa’s school starts on Monday. Can I go with her?

  School. The word had sent a jolt of panic through Anne. What kind of mother forgot to register her nine-year-old daughter for school?

  One whose corporation was undergoing a major overhaul. From the moment Anne had walked through the door of her office, she’d been besieged with files, reports, correspondence and complaints. Normally, her attention-to-detail mind thrived on this kind of challenge, but now she found it boring, redundant and inane.

  She rested her head on her hand and sighed. She wasn’t the type who gave up easily. She’d fought Barry about the divorce, insisting they could fix the problems between them with counseling. She’d pushed her mother to hang on well past the point where Esther’s body had given up the fight.

  Is that what I’m doing here? Anne asked herself. Holding on to an outdated goal?

  Maybe it was time to admit that she wasn’t the same person who once sat at this desk. The new and improved Anne Fraser belonged in Nevada—where her family was. Where her life was.

  But there was still the issue of health care insurance.

  Where’s that new employee benefit package? She found the folder and started reading. Half an hour later she was smiling. She and Zoey were entitled to extended coverage for eighteen months. Enough time to find a new policy.

  She opened her word processing program and started typing.

  Attention: Roger

  Regarding: Resignation

  Dear Roger, please accept my resignation effective immediately. I regret any inconvenience this might cause, but family commitments require my presence in Nevada permanently. Thank you for your support and friendship over the past years.

  Most sincerely,

  Anne

  She had her finger on her mouse button ready to hit send, when the door of her office opened. “Anne,” Roger McFinney said, charging into the room without waiting for an invitation. “Thank God you’re here. Come quick. You won’t believe what’s just happened.”

  Anne rose. “Rog, I was just—”

  He cut her off. “Whatever it is can wait. The board just met and it looks like WHC is undergoing a complete overhaul. I’ve been named CEO, Anne. That means you’re going to be my VP.”

  “Vice president?” she croaked.

  “You earned it, my friend. All that long-distance work this summer is paying off royally. You know what kind of salary we’re talking, right? And with the two of us at the helm, we’ll be pulling in bonuses that ought to buy you that house in the country you always wanted.”

  Anne couldn’t move.

  Roger laughed at her apparent shock. He hurried to her desk and took her arm. “Come on. The press is gathering for the announcement. Do you need to powder your nose? It looks like it’s peeling.”

  She put her hand to her face as Roger pulled her with him. Her last glance was over her shoulder at her computer screen where her grinning daughter was hanging upside down, like a monkey.

  WILL SANK into a comfortable chair in the lobby of one of Reno’s most popular hotels. He was a few minutes early for his appointment with Walt Crain. Since this was a casual meeting to go over the results of the tests the doctor had run on Will the day after Anne left, both men agreed a less formal setting was fine.

  The pneumatic doors opened and the noise level rose as a busload of retirees passed through the lobby into the adjoining casino. Many looked A.J.’s age or older, but somehow Will couldn’t picture his grandfather participating in that kind of organized activity. Since his return, A.J. had seemed at peace. Happy, even. But that was partly to do with Zoey’s presence. Who knew what would happen when she left?

  On the wall opposite Will was an oversize poster announcing the big Buck-Off scheduled to take place Labor Day weekend. A small, nostalgic flutter of anxiety passed through his belly before he glanced at his watch. He was impatient to return to the ranch. He wanted to take Zoey for a ride this afternoon. Just the two of them. The aspens were starting to turn color and Will wanted her to experience a tiny taste of autumn in the mountains before she returned to the city.

  Unfortunately, he’d gotten a late start this morning because two guests had been determined to make Will understand how much they’d enjoyed their trip. “Best second honeymoon ever,�
�� the husband had said.

  “Well, almost anything would beat our first,” his wife had qualified. “He came down with food poisoning from his aunt’s goose-liver pâté and we spent most of the time in the emergency room, but since then we’ve taken a lot of trips and this was by far the best.”

  “We’re coming back for three weeks next year,” the man promised.

  Will had been pleased. He hadn’t expected to care about this job. He’d planned to hide out in the barn most of the summer and let Anne handle the guests, but somewhere along the way, he’d gotten involved—and discovered that he liked the people who came to the ranch to experience a life radically different from their normal routine. Keeping them stimulated and entertained had become a challenge and, to his immense surprise, he’d discovered he was good at it.

  “You’re a born teacher,” his grandfather had told him the other day after watching Will instruct several guests on the art and science of shoeing a horse. “Just like your mother.”

  Later, Will had asked A.J. to explain the comment.

  “Your mother was a sweet gal who had plans to be a teacher until she fell in love with your daddy,” Will’s grandfather told him. “Kinda hard to go to school when you’re on the road so much. And then you came along. But she was taking correspondence courses at the time of the accident. And she volunteered in your classroom quite a bit.”

  If Will had known that, he’d never given it any thought. Oddly, his entire focus had always been on his father. Why? he asked himself.

  A.J. had provided the answer when he said, “John was larger than life. Loud. Demanding. Your mother was the steady one. You could count on her to get the job done in a quiet, more serious way. The way you do.”

  From his earliest memory, Will had wanted to be just like his father. His mother had receded into his mind as a fuzzy image. Perhaps her strength went unappreciated until he met Anne. No mother bear would defend her cub with greater zeal than Anne, who was willing to sacrifice her personal happiness to make the best life possible for her daughter. Never in a million years would she have gotten into a car with a drunk driver and risked not being a part of her child’s life.