The Man from Montana

by Julianna Morris

  But she was just a visitor and didn’t need to be practical or realistic. She wanted to be hopeful, because despite what had happened to Renee, things didn’t always turn out for the worst.

  Tessa glanced at Clay’s set face, doubting he was completely over his anger with her. She was trying to be a good employee, though she didn’t have much practice with the employee part; at Alderman Pool Company she ran the show in her own department. Being your own boss had its advantages. Nonetheless, she’d worked hard, helping out in the barn and doing other tasks without being asked.

  He wouldn’t even know about her connection to Renee if she hadn’t gone to the sheriff’s office. It seemed unlikely Sheriff Maitland would have remembered talking to her last fall, but with her request to see the full accident report fresh in his mind and her name included in a search-and-rescue mission? That was a different story. Subconsciously, she may have even wanted the truth to be revealed.

  Secrets didn’t sit well with her. So come what may, she was glad her full identity was known. She wouldn’t have to keep guarding every word and Clay had invited her to talk about Renee. Not that this was a good time. He might deny it, but emotions were too raw for both of them.

  “Is there something I should know since you’re so worried about someone making trouble for your family?” she asked, deciding it was all right to tackle one part of the issue. “Is it because of that redheaded woman? Everyone was awfully uptight about her showing up. I’m guessing she’s Derry’s mother.” The physical resemblance was easy to spot.

  Concern filled Clay’s eyes before it was masked. “Yes, but I don’t want to get into it. We should focus on finding Skeeter.”

  “All right,” Tessa said.

  She understood how painful custody issues could get after watching friends go through a divorce. Anything that upset the balance would be a worry when it came to Andrew’s custody of his son.

  “Skeeter,” Clay called.

  They paused and listened, but heard nothing that sounded promising. Even Molly didn’t react.

  A light breeze was blowing through the trees and the vibrant green of late spring growth was muted by clouds gathering over the sun. As the light dropped, so did the temperature of the air.

  “I hope you’re prepared to get wet,” Clay said as they resumed hiking. “We can get a fair amount of rain this time of year.”

  “Rain doesn’t bother me, except that it might erase Skeeter’s scent.”

  “Yeah.” He held out the bandana to Molly again and she sniffed it carefully.

  An unwelcome flutter went through Tessa’s midriff as she watched. Clay had been turning her inside out from the day they’d met, but while she felt a decided physical attraction, she kept going back and forth on whether she liked him.

  Clay Carson had fine qualities. At the same time, he could be difficult, uncommunicative about anything important and seemed driven to make his business a success. While she understood his angry response to her being Renee’s sister, another part of her was offended that he’d assumed she meant to hurt his family. They’d been acquainted for a while—surely by now he’d realized she wasn’t a vindictive person.

  Still, it was nice that he had been concerned enough to urge her not to become emotionally invested over the missing Labrador retriever...not that it would do any good; these days she felt any loss keenly.

  She was especially hopeful since Skeeter was young and energetic. A Labrador retriever wouldn’t have Molly’s thick coat of fur, but while it had been chilly at night, temperatures had only dropped into the upper thirties, so hypothermia was unlikely.

  “Is Molly allowed to go on all the trails around here?” Tessa asked curiously.

  “Some trails prohibit dogs. On a number of others, they have to be kept on a leash. Any dog in the wilderness needs to be trained to obey voice commands and not to chase wildlife.”

  “Molly is very obedient and I haven’t seen her chase any wild animals, unless we include your nephew. Then it’s fairly equal as to who is chasing whom.”

  Clay chuckled unexpectedly. “Yeah, Derry is a great kid.”

  “I’ve never met a child with such an easygoing nature,” Tessa said. “It’s wonderful to see how much Jillian and Derry already adore each other. He’s getting a terrific new mother.”

  “We’re pleased about the engagement.”

  “It’s great that you have family on the ranch. As a kid I used to wish we could live out on my grandparents’ property.”

  “So you could be around the horses more of the time?”

  “Partly.” Tessa stopped and called for Skeeter before continuing. “But I also wanted to see Grandma and Grandpa every day. They live in a wonderful old adobe. It’s a historic hacienda called the Agua Hermosa, and it’s been in our family for generations. Grandma Lucia was born there and that’s where Dad grew up with his sisters.”

  “I suppose it’s too far out in the desert for your parents to easily commute into town and run their business.”

  “The commute isn’t too bad, but my folks prefer being around more people. Dad said he always wanted his kids to...” Tessa cleared her throat. She had to stop getting emotional whenever something reminded her of Renee. “He wanted his children to have more childhood friends. Or the opportunity to have them, at least. Ironically, Renee was shy. She preferred curling up with a book, while I was more social. We were an odd pair for twins.”

  “But close.”

  “Yes. Except something seemed to change when she came up here. I’ve thought and thought, and I just can’t think of what caused it.”

  Molly let out a whine, distracting Tessa from saying anything else. The golden retriever began sniffing around, going in a wide circle, then looked at them and let out a bark.

  “Skeeter,” Clay and Tessa yelled in unison.

  They didn’t hear anything, but Molly’s ears pitched forward and her body quivered with excitement.

  Please be Skeeter, Tessa prayed.

  Clay put Molly’s leash on and urged her to follow the scent. They hiked for over a quarter of a mile and Tessa was starting to wonder if it was a futile detour when Molly strained against the leash and began barking.

  A faint “rrfff” came in return and Tessa hurried with Clay around a downed tree, where they found a black dog, its flat, red nylon leash tangled in the branches, leaving him only a small amount of movement. His tail whipped back and forth at seeing them.

  “Poor baby,” she exclaimed, shucking her backpack and dropping to her knees by the trapped dog.

  “Be careful,” Clay warned, “he could panic and bite.”

  She was tempted to laugh. The look in Skeeter’s eyes was apologetic, while also pleading for help. She rubbed his neck and ears and he pressed as close as possible to her; if he’d been a cat, she had no doubt he would have purred.

  “Yeah, he’s really panicked,” she said in a dry tone.

  “It was a possibility. You might want to be more careful.”

  Clay began untangling the leash from the dead branches. “We’ll need it if he’s able to walk,” he explained when she suggested cutting the strap instead. “We don’t want to lose him again. Fortunately he’s had something to drink,” he said, gesturing to the water seeping over rocks on the hillside where the tree had fallen. The mud below was crisscrossed with Skeeter’s paw prints. Tessa was relieved; it would have been a nightmare to be that close and unable to relieve his thirst.

  Once the Lab was freed, Tessa found herself flat on the ground with Skeeter’s muddy paws on her shoulders, tail whipping back and forth in a wild frenzy as he licked her face.

  She laughed and sat up, gently pushing him to one side.

  “You have a friend for life,” Clay said, crouching next to her. For the first time in two days he was genuinely smiling. Tessa couldn’t help herself—she threw her arms around his nec
k and kissed him, feeling as exuberant as the Labrador retriever from gaining his freedom.

  After a shocked moment, Clay deepened the kiss and pulled her tight against his body. She was lost in sensation until a cold, canine nose pressed into her neck and she jerked away, breathing quickly.

  “What was that about?” Clay muttered.

  “I’m sorry,” she gasped. “It’s just... It’s just that I haven’t been this happy for a while. Finding Aiden, and now Skeeter... I got carried away.”

  “So you would have kissed Bigfoot if he’d been with you?”

  Tessa lifted her shoulders and let them drop. “I wouldn’t say that. I’m not a huge fan of facial hair. It tickles.”

  Her reply seemed to lighten the moment because Clay laughed. “I’m glad to hear you draw the line somewhere.”

  A whine for attention came from Skeeter and she rubbed his neck. “It’s okay, baby. You’re going to be fine. Let’s get you something to eat, that’ll help you feel better.”

  Clay nodded and took Molly’s bowl from her doggy backpack. He soaked a handful of dog food with water before letting the black Lab eat the small amount. Skeeter whimpered and his eyes politely begged for more, but it was best to reintroduce food to his stomach slowly. Molly also got a treat, but she carried half of it over to Skeeter, who gobbled the piece down before they could stop him.

  “Does he have any injuries?” Tessa asked after Clay had given the dog a quick exam. Though he was an EMT for humans, most of the principles probably applied to animal care, as well.

  Her heart, as well as her mind, was still racing. She hadn’t planned to kiss Clay and didn’t have a clue of whether he’d objected or not...though his initial reaction suggested it hadn’t been unwelcome. Then the usual shutters had come down in his face. Was it because he was remembering Renee?

  Her stomach turned over; Renee’s emails had talked about Clay as if they were planning a life together. It didn’t fit with what Clay had said about his own vision for the future, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t been important to each other.

  “No injuries that I can find,” Clay said. “He probably got trapped soon after he took off, chasing the deer. We aren’t far from where we found Aiden, just not close enough for Molly to have heard him barking, or she would have alerted us.”

  He took out his satellite phone and pressed a few buttons. “Hi, Spencer, it’s Clay...Yeah, I know we should have gone with the helicopter. But we have reassuring news for Aiden Stafford. Tell him that his dog has been found and seems to be all right...Oh, pleased to hear that. We’ll try hiking out today, but with the weather turning, we may not make it before sunset...Don’t worry, I’ll call the ranch when we need a pickup at a trailhead, so you won’t need to send anyone...No, possibly not Ghost Ridge. I have to consult the map first.”

  “How is Aiden doing?” Tessa asked when Clay disconnected.

  “He’s in good shape. His parents arrived from Seattle last night and were waiting for him at the hospital. An orthopedic specialist set his leg, surgery wasn’t needed and he’ll stay a day or two for observation. No complications are expected. Hearing about Skeeter should do wonders for his spirits.”

  “I’m glad he’s doing well.”

  * * *

  CLAY DIDN’T SEE a hint of “I told you so” in Tessa’s face, something she might have felt justified in saying.

  Finding the dog was unexpected, but plainly it hadn’t been as improbable as he’d assumed. Or perhaps Tessa had an instinct for lost animals, the way he seemed to have one for lost hikers. Life had its mysteries and he was willing to give credit where credit was due; she’d refused to give up on Skeeter, and now they’d found him.

  While her hair had been bound back in a French braid, it was loosening, gleaming with soft glints of gold in the low forest light. He desperately wanted to kiss her again, but it would be a mistake of colossal proportions.

  Clay tore his attention from her and took out the topographical map to consult, along with his compass.

  “We might have to spend another night out here,” he said, trying to sound unaffected. “Skeeter may not be able to travel quickly and I want to give him time to get calories into his system before we start.”

  “That’s okay. Will we return to the Ghost Ridge Trail?”

  “I don’t think so.” Clay showed her the map and pointed to a spot. “We’re located right about here, which is roughly an equal distance between two trails. If we head south and west, we’ll meet up with this one, which is a shorter hike out to a trailhead than if we go by Ghost Ridge.”

  Her finger traced the line on the map. “The terrain looks less demanding, too, which would be better for Skeeter.” Tessa bent and gave the black Lab a hug.

  “I think you’re already in love with that dog,” Clay said in a dry voice. “Don’t forget he belongs to Aiden.”

  “I know he isn’t mine, I’m just reassuring Skeeter that he’s all right. He seems less distressed. Do you think he could have more food?”

  “It should be okay. He’s obviously healthy and wasn’t out here long enough to go into starvation mode.”

  Clay gave the dog another small meal, wishing he could explain to him that they weren’t being stingy, just making sure he wouldn’t get sick from having too much in his stomach at once. There was plenty of food for both Molly and Skeeter, even if they spent another night. In fact, Skeeter was doing so well, the two dogs were starting to romp around together.

  Tessa laughed as she watched and desire hit Clay again. She was beautiful and filled with spirit. Despite everything he was intrigued by her, but the circumstances were even more complicated than when he’d thought she was a seasonal employee who didn’t plan on staying permanently in Montana.

  “We should get going,” he said. “By crossing to the other trail, we might be able to reach the trailhead by late afternoon.”

  “Okay.”

  They put on their packs and set out with Molly and Skeeter, both on leashes. Skeeter looked perkier by the minute and gobbled down the high-calorie treats he received periodically. Molly accepted the treats, as well, but did the same as before, giving half to the other dog, who licked her face in appreciation.

  When they were an hour away from the trailhead, Clay contacted the ranch and asked if someone was available to pick them up.

  “They’ll be waiting for us,” Clay said when he disconnected the call.

  Tessa was glad that somebody from the Carson Double C was coming for them—she wasn’t sure she wanted to see the sheriff or one of his deputies right now.

  Their pace didn’t slow, even though it had begun raining steadily. Instead of becoming more fatigued, Skeeter seemed to understand he was getting close to the end of his adventure, and kept pulling on his leash. He was young and healthy and should recover quickly from his ordeal.

  Lee Sutter was waiting at the trailhead in one of the smaller company vans. He wore a huge smile at seeing them and gave his nephew a hug.

  “So this is the famous Skeeter.” Lee gave the black Labrador a neck rub. Molly got her share of attention, too. “I spoke to Sheriff Maitland and told him we could keep Skeeter at the ranch until things were sorted out, but the Staffords are staying in a hotel that allows dogs. They’ll probably feel better to have him with them. I have their number, so connecting won’t be a problem.”

  “I want to drop by the ranch and take a shower first, but we’ll bring Skeeter by the hospital after that,” Clay explained. “Maybe Aiden can get a look at him through the window.”

  “I’m going, too,” Tessa declared.

  “I assumed you’d want to.”

  The ranch barbecue was in full swing upon their return, but Tessa didn’t eat, as Lee urged. Instead she raced to the bunkhouse, dropped her clothes on the floor and jumped into the shower. She didn’t linger, though the hot water felt wonderful after slogging
through damp leaves, sodden meadows and dripping rain.

  Tessa was the first to return to the parking area and Lee immediately brought her a plate of barbecued chicken kebabs and vegetables. “Get in the van where it’s dry,” he urged. “Or come over to the picnic area where there’s cover.”

  “I’m fine in the van.”

  Lee reminded Tessa of her own father, who could seem gruff, but was really just a big teddy bear at heart.

  “Where’s Skeeter?” she asked.

  “He’s receiving some TLC from Jillian, and Molly is having a well-deserved dinner of our best chopped sirloin.”

  Tessa got into the passenger seat. The food tasted wonderful and she’d just finished when Clay arrived with Skeeter. His eyes widened when he saw her. “I thought you’d take longer. I ate before showering since I figured there would be plenty of time.”

  “Because you thought I’d be primping and putting on makeup?” She shook her head. “Have you ever seen me wear makeup?”

  “Uh, no,” he admitted, looking embarrassed. “But my sister used to take forever getting ready to go anywhere. As kids, Andrew and I always wanted to pull our hair out waiting for her.”

  “I don’t have experience with big brothers, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she did it just to annoy you.”

  “I wouldn’t be, either,” he muttered.

  At the hospital they didn’t need to ask which room Aiden might be in—a nurse wheeled him out as they approached the front entrance. Skeeter barked and strained on his leash, so eager that he was able to drag Clay forward a step. With an effort, they kept him from jumping onto the patient, though Tessa didn’t think Aiden would have minded.

  Tessa was instantly engulfed in hugs from Aiden’s mother and father, who kept telling her how grateful they were to her and Clay for everything they’d done.