by R. C. Ryan
Matt’s grandfather, Frank, chose that moment to walk in from the hallway. It was easy to see where his son and grandsons got their handsome Irish looks. From his twinkling blue eyes to his towering frame, he was every inch the successful rancher who’d tamed this rough land with sheer sweat and tears. Though his hair was streaked with gray and his stride was a bit slower, he was still able to work alongside his wranglers without missing a beat.
With a wink at his wife, he reached up and ruffled Matt’s hair the way he had when his grandsons were little. “Any day you get ready to walk away, don’t you worry, sonny boy. I can still negotiate contracts on behalf of the family business.”
“Or hire a staff of lawyers to handle it for you.”
At Matt’s words, Frank pretended to groan. “You think it would take a staff to replace you, sonny boy?”
“At least a staff. Maybe an army.” Matt grinned good-naturedly before accepting a longneck from Yancy’s tray.
The others followed suit. Nelson accepted a martini, which Yancy had learned to make to the old man’s specific directions.
When old Burke walked in, the family was complete. They touched drinks in a salute, and tipped them up to drink.
Matt looked around and felt his heart swell. He never grew tired of this scene. His brothers, his uncle, his grandparents, and his great-grandfather all here, as they’d been since he was a kid, surrounding him with love. Yancy cooking. Burke standing just slightly outside the circle, like a fierce, vigilant guardian angel.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the tops of the mountains in the distance were gilded with gold and pink and mauve shadows as the sun began to set.
Life, he thought, didn’t get much better.
“Dinner’s ready.”
At Yancy’s familiar words, they circled the big, wooden harvest table and took their places. Frank sat at the head, with his Gracie Girl at his right and their son, Colin, to his left. Matt sat beside Colin, with Burke beside him. Luke and Reed faced them on the other side, with Nelson holding court at the other end of the table.
After passing around platters of tender, marinated chicken, potatoes au gratin, and green beans fresh from the garden, Yancy took his place next to Reed.
Matt took a bite of chicken and gave a sigh of pleasure. “Yancy, after all that great Italian food, this is a real treat. I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed this.”
The cook’s still-boyish face creased into a smile of pleasure at Matt’s words.
“Okay.” Luke pinned his older brother with a look. “Enough about the food. I want to know what happened with Mazzola International. Are they in?”
Matt put aside his fork before nodding. “They’re in.”
“They signed a contract?”
“Their lawyers still have some work to do. But Vittorio and I shook on it. And that’s good enough for me.”
Luke reached over to high-five his brother.
Matt laughed as he looked around the table at the others. “I figured that news would make Luke’s day.”
Colin shot a meaningful look at his nephew. “Does this mean you intend to give up all those reckless pursuits and settle down to raise cattle?”
“Reckless pursuits?” Luke arched a brow.
His uncle narrowed his gaze. “I caught a glimpse of you on your Harley, heading into the wilderness. You were doing one of your daredevil Evel Knievel imitations, as I recall.”
Luke gave one of his famous rogue grins. “The way I see it, jumping a motorcycle off a cliff, or hiking through the mountains with nothing more than a camera, a rifle, and a bedroll—” he turned to his grandmother “—searching for that elusive white mustang stallion you’ve been tracking for years, is no distraction from work. They help prepare me to be a better cowboy.”
“Or an aimless drifter,” his great-grandfather muttered.
Luke’s grin widened. “There’s nothing aimless about it, Great One. It’s preparing me for whatever life throws at me.” He turned to Matt. “Enough about me. Tell us more about Rome.”
Matt paused for dramatic effect before saying, “I brought back a little something for you, too, Reed.”
Their younger brother looked up in surprise before narrowing his eyes in suspicion. “Okay. Give.”
“I know how you’ve been hoping to make a mark in the green industry…”
Reed nodded. “Organic. Pure beef with no hormones, no antibiotics.”
“Exactly. Leone Industries has agreed to a limited contract, to test the market. If they can see enough profit, they’ll sign for the long term.” He studied the excitement that had leapt into his brother’s eyes. “Just remember. It’s only a limited contract until they test the market.”
“It’s a foot in the door.” Reed sat back, too excited to finish his meal. “And there’s an entire generation of buyers out there just waiting for this. If Leone Industries will give it a fair trial, this will become the gold standard for prime beef. And we’ll be there first.”
“Hah.” Nelson sipped his martini and frowned. “Food fanatics. That’s what they are. Now in my day—”
“Not now, Dad.” Grace kept her tone light, but there was a hint of steel in her words. “Let Reed enjoy the moment. This is something he’s been preparing for since he was barely out of his teens.”
“You got that right, Gracie Girl.” Frank Malloy patted his wife’s hand before turning to his grandson. “You realize this means you’ll have to work twice as hard to see that you have enough healthy cattle to fulfill this contract with Leone.”
“I don’t mind the work, Grandpop.”
“I know you don’t, sonny boy, and you never have. You’ve been tending your own herd since you were knee-high to a pup.”
Reed flushed with pride. “I’ll need to get busy segregating one herd and seeing that they meet all the requirements to be truly organic.”
“And I’d like to get in one more trip to the mountains and see if I can spot a herd of mustangs for Gram Gracie before I settle down and do my lonesome cowboy routine.”
At Luke’s deadpan expression, they all burst into laughter.
“Yeah. That’ll be the day, sonny boy.” Frank squeezed his wife’s hand.
All of a sudden, with so much good news springing from Matt’s Italian trip, everyone seemed to be talking at once.
Matt sat back, looking around the table, listening to the chorus of voices, and smiling with satisfaction.
He’d missed this. All of it.
He’d grown impatient to get back to his roots.
But now, seeing the animation on their faces, hearing the excitement in their voices, he knew without a doubt it had all been worth waiting for.
Chapter Two
Matt descended the stairs, feeling like a new man. There was nothing like a night spent in his own bed, after so many nights away.
Spying Yancy alone in the kitchen, he helped himself to coffee. “Am I the first one up?”
The cook set crisp bacon on a nest of paper napkins to drain. “The last.”
“I am? Where is everyone?”
Yancy looked over. “Colin drove Great One to town. Luke, Reed, and Frank are up on Eagle’s Ridge for the next week or so. Ms. Grace is out trailing one of her herds. No telling when she’ll be back.”
Matt walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows to stare at the mountain peaks in the distance just as Burke stepped into the kitchen from the mudroom.
“Then I guess I have some downtime coming. I think I’ll head up to the hills for a week or so.”
The ranch foreman’s face creased into a smile. “I figured as much. Every time you come back from one of those fancy, high-powered trips, your first order of business is to get back to your roots. You going to drive one of the trucks, or ride old Beau?”
“I’m thinking Beau needs a workout as much as I do.” Matt idly drained his coffee before setting the empty cup on the counter. “If anybody asks, I’ll be up on North Ridge for a while.”
“I’ll let them know. You going to take time for breakfast?”
Matt shook his head and turned to Yancy. “Would you mind packing up some of that food?”
“I’ll send as much as you can eat.”
Matt shrugged. “I guess I’ll take enough for a week or so.”
“Done.” The cook was already opening a pantry door and reaching for an array of zippered bags and pouches in various sizes.
Matt disappeared up the stairs and reappeared a short time later carrying a duffel filled with his gear, along with a rifle and ammunition.
Yancy handed him a parcel containing the food packets, all carefully labeled. “I sent a similar cache along with your grandmother. There’s no telling how long Ms. Grace will be gone.”
“As long as it takes to get the pictures she’s aiming for.” Matt tucked the parcel under his arm and started toward the mudroom, where he snatched up his hat before heading for the door.
“I’ll see you in a week or so.” He walked out the back door and headed toward the barn.
Not long after he was astride a big bay gelding, saddlebags overflowing, riding across a meadow that led to the hills, black with cattle.
Though it was early April, it still felt like winter in the hills surrounding the Malloy Ranch.
Matt stood in ankle-deep snow chopping wood. It was a chore he always found soul satisfying. Especially after weeks away from home.
It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy wheeling and dealing with high-powered lawyers and corporate executives all over the world. And he certainly couldn’t complain about the front-row seats at sporting events and the expensive dinners and shows. But even in the Eternal City, with its fine wines and fabulous food, after a week or more, it was like eating too much candy. He found himself craving the simple food, familiar chores, and nights with only the lowing of cattle to break the silence.
He slipped into his parka, which he’d tossed over a log, before filling his arms with fresh firewood. Nudging the door to the range shack open, he tracked snow across the floor to the fireplace, where he stacked the logs neatly before heading out for more.
When his cell phone rang, he plucked it from his pocket. “Hey, Gram Gracie. How’s that herd of mustangs?”
“As wild as ever. They’ve added six pretty little fillies to the herd. There’s a third mare big as a house and ready to deliver any day now.”
“You hoping to capture the birth on film?”
“That I am. I’ve already been planning where to set up my cameras for the best angles. Now if only she’ll cooperate and have that foal nearby. With these feisty mares, I never know where I’ll end up having to track her. I just hope she doesn’t wander down one of those ravines. I really want these pictures for my collection.”
“My money’s on you, Gram Gracie.” Matt paused. “Are you calling for my help?”
“In a way. But not with the herd. I just got a text reminding me about a meeting I’d agreed to. Some lawyer who represents a group of wild-animal federations had set it up, hoping for my take on the best way to preserve wild animals, especially those being removed from the government’s endangered list. Since I’m away, I was hoping you could take my place at the meeting.”
“Sorry. I’m not at the ranch. I’m up on North Ridge, spending some time at the range shack.”
Everyone in the family knew about Matt’s love of that particular section of land. From the time he’d been very young and missing his parents, he’d always found solace in this special place. He’d already staked it out as the spot he’d like to build his own house one day.
“Oh dear. How about Luke or Reed?”
“Up on Eagle’s Ridge with Grandpop.”
He heard his grandmother blow out a breath. “I guess this calls for desperate measures. Since the lawyer is traveling all this way, I’d say it isn’t too much to ask him to travel just a bit more. Would you mind an intrusion on your privacy for an hour or two?”
Matt gave a dry laugh. “Never mind my privacy. What about the time he’ll waste getting up here by horseback and down to the ranch again?”
“Since Burke is picking him up from his plane, maybe Burke could drive him up and wait until the two of you exchange views before he takes him back to town.”
Matt shrugged. “I’ll call and arrange it. Providing the phone service continues.”
Gracie’s tone softened. “I know. It’s the same here. One minute a clear line, and the next my phone is dead for hours. Thank you, Matt darlin’. I owe you for this.”
“I’m happy to help out.”
“I know you are. I know, too, how much you value your alone time in the hills, especially after a long business trip. I’ll find a way to make it up to you.”
When she hung up, Matt dialed a number and spoke in staccato tones. “Burke. I promised my grandmother I’d meet with some animal activist lawyer. Instead of driving him to the ranch, would you mind driving him up here?”
The old man’s tone was incredulous. “You’re inviting someone to invade your privacy?”
“It’s for Gracie. And it’s only for an hour or so. I’d really like you to wait and take him back down as soon as we’re through with our meeting.”
“Sure thing. When should I expect him?”
“I don’t have a clue. Gracie said it would be sometime today. I guess he’ll call you when his plane gets in. And you may as well pack a bottle of Grandpop’s good Irish whiskey while you’re at it. A lot of these Eastern lawyers aren’t happy with the local wine and longnecks we’ve got stashed up here. While I answer this guy’s questions, maybe you could deliver supplies to the crew up in the pasture, and then drive him back to town when we’re finished.”
“Sure. I could do that.” Burke cleared his throat. “Hell, son, I’ll be happy to sit a spell with the wranglers. I haven’t been up there for weeks. I’ll head out as soon as the lawyer gets here.”
Matt disconnected and stowed his phone in his pocket before bending to retrieve another armload of firewood. As he hauled it to the cabin, he thought about Burke. It didn’t take much to make the old man happy these days. He’d been positively bubbling over with joy at joining the wranglers, if even for an hour or so.
He glanced out the window. He and Beau had time to ride across the north pasture and back before his precious solitude was interrupted by this unplanned bit of business.
Matt unsaddled his horse and filled the troughs with feed and water before stepping out of the lean-to behind the range shack that served as a storage shed and stall.
He’d had a great time riding across snow-covered pastures, drinking in the sights and sounds that nourished his soul. Using high-powered binoculars, he’d followed the path of a pair of eagles soaring on currents of air, and had paused to watch a pure white mustang stallion leading his herd toward a box canyon that offered shelter and food. He intended to relate the location to Gram Gracie, since she’d been hunting that stallion for a year or more. Every member of the family had spotted it at one time or another, but it always managed to disappear before she could capture it on film.
Hearing the sound of an engine, Matt ran a hand through his scruffy beard and rounded the cabin in time to see Burke just stepping down from the driver’s side.
The old man was grinning like a fool as he circled the truck and opened the passenger door.
Matt stopped in midstride at the sight that greeted him.
The passenger was tall, blond, and gorgeous. She was wearing a charcoal suit jacket over a skinny little skirt that barely skimmed her thighs. When she stepped into the snow, her high-heeled shoes sank ankle-deep, causing her to hiss out a breath before she gamely forged ahead, extending her hand.
“Matthew Malloy? Vanessa Kettering.” Her smile might have been forced, but the handshake was firm. It was obvious that she was a woman who didn’t get easily flustered.
“Vanessa.” Matt’s hand closed around hers while he looked beyond her to old Burke, who was clearly enjoying this little turn of
events as he retrieved a laptop case. “Do you prefer Vanessa or Miss Kettering?”
“My friends call me Nessa.”
“Okay.” He glanced down. “Sorry about the snow. This is springtime in Montana.”
“It isn’t something you can control.” She managed a smile as she removed her sunglasses and looked around. “Though if I’d known our meeting would be in the hills, I’d have dressed more…appropriately.”
“I’m sorry about that, as well. I agreed at the last minute to stand in for my grandmother.” Matt led the way to the door and held it while she entered.
He shot the old cowboy a killing look before following her inside.
Burke set the leather bag on the table before walking to the door. “I’ll just get those supplies you asked for, boss, and I’ll be on my way up to the herd.”
“Make yourself comfortable, Nessa.” Matt turned. “I’ll give you a hand with those supplies.”
He trailed Burke out to the truck.
“Very funny. You could have called and told me to expect a woman.”
“Yeah. I could have.” Burke chuckled. “I even packed some of your grandpa’s whiskey, just in case she drinks like all those other Eastern lawyers.”
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you, old man?”
Burke chuckled. “More than I should. I wish you could’ve seen your face. It was priceless.”
Matt burst into laughter. “Okay. You got me. But you have to know I’ll find a way to get even for this.”
“Oh, don’t I know it.” Burke was whistling as he hauled a box of supplies to the cabin. He was still whistling as he walked back to the truck and drove away.
Matt glanced at the young woman, who bent to remove first one shoe, then the other, all the while wiping away the snow with a tissue. As she did, Matt found himself admiring her backside in the trim skirt that fit her like a second skin.
When she turned and caught him staring, he tried to cover himself by indicating a rocker in front of the fireplace. “Why don’t you sit here and I’ll crank up the heat?” Not that he wasn’t already feeling more heat than he cared to admit.
