Husband for a Year

by Rebecca Winters

  After the long, dark winter, there were definite signs of spring in Montana. Now that things had worked out for her to be around Gabe a little longer, she could feel them in her heart. Very ephemeral, but there all the same, pulsating with life.

  This time when she entered the house, she could hear voices coming from the dining room. Curiosity led her to pause at the French doors for a moment.

  The scene inside reminded her of a school lunch-room where students and faculty ate together. The only difference was that there were no girls among the teens.

  Gabe had grown up around a bunch of headstrong older brothers who competed at everything. He would know how to handle these troubled boys.

  Being an only child, Stefanie couldn’t relate. She’d been the center of her parents’ universe from the time she was conceived. To Gabe she must have seemed so spoiled, adamant on getting her own pampered way because she’d been given everything, and had never had to share.

  Thanks to his father who planted the idea in Gabe’s head a long time ago, Gabe honestly believed she had her heart set on being the First Lady one day.

  How little he understood her!

  All she’d ever wanted was to be his first lady, whether they were rich or poor, regardless of any and all circumstances. But with hindsight she could see that she had only herself to blame for giving Gabe the wrong impression.

  She’d enjoyed working for his father, but it was only a job. If she could be Gabe’s wife again, it was all she would ever ask of life. Somehow she had to find a way to show him she wasn’t the person he thought she was.

  If she could learn about the operation of the ranch, then she could help him and share his burdens, whatever they were. Getting a job in the barn was a step in the right direction, but that was only one part of the picture.

  She also needed to become good friends with the staff and students inside the house. Gabe would notice right away if they were accepting of her. Then maybe he might see her in a new light. If only she could reach him so he would let down his defenses and admit he wanted and needed her in his life the way she wanted him…

  It all had to happen in a couple of weeks!

  While she got ready for town, she experienced the gamut of emotions until she felt feverish. By the time she hurried outside to Gabe’s car, her adrenaline had kicked in, tripling her pulse rate.

  Gabe still hadn’t made an appearance with Clay. It was just as well. She needed time to calm down. When she tried the door to his Explorer and it didn’t open, she took a little tour of the compound on foot.

  There were three other log cabins set back in the pines to the left of the main ranch house. They looked new.

  To think that every time Gabe had left Newport, he’d flown out here to supervise the building and remodeling of his ranch.

  Don’t forget his overnight stopovers in Providence.

  As if thinking about Clay’s mother had conjured him up, there was her son coming out of the middle cabin with Gabe’s hand on his shoulder.

  The teen was tall and lanky. All bones. He had dark brown hair and regular features, but he wouldn’t grow into his looks for several years yet. If she’d seen the two of them together like this, she would have known they weren’t father and son. It would have saved her a lot of unnecessary torture during her five-day trip across the country.

  Unfortunately there was still the matter of the mother…

  As the two of them approached, Gabe’s veiled eyes met hers in silent greeting.

  “Teri Jones? Meet Clay Talbot, our newest student.”

  “Hi, Clay. It’s very nice to make your acquaintance.”

  The boy stared hard at her in what could only be described as teenage admiration. “Same here. Are you one of the staff?” His question sounded blatantly hopeful.

  She refused to look at Gabe just then. “Not exactly. I’ve been hired to help out in the barn.”

  “Cool!”

  “Ms. Jones needs some work clothes, too. Shall we go?” Gabe suggested in his deep male voice, but it sounded more like a command.

  Clay started walking toward the car with her. “Anything would be better than the straitjacket I had to wear at military school,” he muttered.

  Stefanie flashed him a smile. “Don’t knock it. I’ll have you know women love a man in uniform.”

  “Yeah?” He cocked his head and smiled back. His smile was the charm. Just give him a little more time.

  “You bet. If you have a picture of yourself in one, I’d like to see it.”

  His face flushed. “I might have a couple.”

  “Great. Pretty soon we’ll get some more of you on horseback. Women like that rugged look, too,” she confided. “You know, the cowboy hat and boots, the sheepskin jacket.”

  After Gabe opened the doors to his Explorer, she started to get in the back, but he gripped her arm and helped her into the front seat. Clay perforce had to climb in the back.

  She could feel the negative tension radiating from Gabe. It set her heart knocking against her chest.

  Why was he so upset? All she’d tried to do was make Clay feel more at ease. The teen was a long way from home and probably feeling it.

  “Where’s Clover? Can’t we bring her with us?” Under the circumstances, the dog would be a great comfort to both her and Clay.

  The forbidding man at the wheel shot her an enigmatic glance. “Not this trip. Ready, Clay?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “WHAT do you think, Clay?”

  Gabe had been reading a magazine published by the Western Cattleman’s Association when Stefanie stepped out from behind the curtain at Herb’s Saddlery and Outfitters in Kalispell.

  “Wow!”

  Wow was right.

  Stunned by the vision that filled his eyes, Gabe forgot where he was or what he’d been reading.

  That was his wife standing there in all her glory!

  The gorgeous face beneath the cowboy hat crushing those alluring Gypsy curls at a jaunty angle was breathtaking enough. But did she have to look so damn beautiful in that tan Western shirt her slender curves did wonders for?

  His gaze fell lower to the jeans only the flare of womanly hips and shapely long legs like hers could carry off. In cowboy boots she looked taller, more voluptuous somehow.

  Judging by the small audience she’d attracted, the other shoppers and salespeople thought so, too.

  In chiffon or leather, blond hair or black, with her classical bone structure there wasn’t another woman on the planet who had such physical appeal and sophistication all rolled together in one enticing package.

  “We ought to fit in with everyone else now,” she commented as she walked around Clay, studying his new brown Western outfit approvingly.

  “Yeah.” The smitten fifteen-year-old was blossoming before Gabe’s very eyes. In Stefanie’s presence, the pale, often sullen-faced teen had come to life.

  “Yes indeed. You look mighty fine, Mr. Talbot. I say we ought to show you off. What do you think, Mr. Wainwright?”

  Her eyes swerved to Gabe’s. Amazing how her brown contact lenses hid all evidence of the heavenly blue color behind them.

  “I noticed there’s a time travel movie playing in town. Have you seen it?” she prodded.

  The old Stefanie had never been deliberately provocative before. He didn’t know this side of her existed. With her lethal brand of charm, it was no wonder her unsuspecting victims had been willing to part with hundreds of thousands of dollars to aid his father’s cause.

  He put down the magazine he’d stopped reading since she’d made her entrance, and stood up. “I don’t think I’ve seen a movie in at least five years.”

  A tantalizing smile broke out on her lips. “Well then, boss—” she laid on the phony Western twang “—would you be willin to cut two new cowhands like us a little slack before we have to mosey on back to the ranch and knuckle down to business?”

  Stefanie, Stefanie. Who are you?

&nbs
p; “Is that what you’d like to do, Clay?”

  His face lit up. “I’d love it! They didn’t have videos or television at the academy, and we weren’t allowed off campus.”

  The hint of pleading in Stefanie’s eyes shouldn’t have come as any surprise to Gabe. He knew he’d been rough on her since he’d discovered she was the woman stuck in the ditch.

  Part of his reaction had been pure shock that she wasn’t in Europe, that she’d traced him all the way to Montana.

  The other part had been pure anger at himself because his heart had acted up at the first sight of her.

  To his chagrin, it showed no signs of quieting down. In fact he’d come close to suffering cardiac arrest when she’d walked out to model her new clothes in front of Clay.

  That wasn’t supposed to happen. None of this was supposed to have happened. He thought he’d closed the door on an unorthodox marriage that should never have taken place.

  Now here he was once more, at the mercy of her dangerous power over him. And loving it. Which was a cardinal sin under the circumstances.

  One movie. That was all.

  When it was over, he would distance himself from her completely. In two weeks he’d put her on a plane home. That would be it!

  “I’ve got a fence to repair before the day is out, but if we hurry, I think we could fit in a film.”

  Stefanie looked relieved. “Did you hear that, Clay? Grab your sacks and let’s go.”

  When they reached the theater, Stefanie ran ahead and bought tickets for everyone before he could. You would have thought she was the teenager the way she loaded them down with treats and drinks.

  Gabe purposely arranged it so Clay sat between them, but he soon regretted his mistake. Throughout the film, she and Clay whispered off and on as they shared popcorn.

  Once in a while Gabe heard her husky laughter. It resonated to his insides. She and the boy were relating like mad. An easy camaraderie had sprung up between them. For a teen who’d had difficulty opening up to adults, Stefanie’s impact on him was rather remarkable.

  Apart from the situation with her and his father, Gabe had never been jealous of any one or thing. But he was feeling that treacherous emotion around his charge who’d claimed her complete attention.

  During the drive back to the ranch, Stefanie commented that the swimming pool scenes where the boy dived into the water to pass back and forward in time were the best parts of the movie.

  “Yeah, that was clever,” Clay admitted, “but I thought it was cool that the boy had the hots for the high priestess of the island.”

  “Hardly the hots,” Gabe countered, not liking the direction of the conversation.

  “Mr. Wainright has a point, Clay. She was kind to him because he’d come from another world and had been separated from his mother. Naturally he felt affection for her. Don’t forget she’d been dedicated to the gods and couldn’t marry or have children, but she could protect him. It wasn’t until he went forward in time and then came back to her world as a man that his feelings turned to love.”

  Her explanation had been so masterfully put, Clay had no comeback. But Gabe still felt shivers chase across his skin because the story could parallel the teen’s situation at the moment. A little attention from a female, especially one who looked and acted like Stefanie, could overwhelm a vulnerable boy on the brink of manhood.

  As long as Gabe planned to distance himself from Stefanie, it would be wise to keep Clay away from her, too. A visit from the boy’s mother was the thing her son needed most. As soon as possible. It would help him get over his feelings of abandonment.

  Once they reached the main house, he noticed how Clay rushed to help Stefanie with her sacks as she got out of the car.

  “Thank you, Clay.”

  “You’re welcome. What are you going to do now?”

  The expectant sound in his voice warned Gabe to intervene before Stefanie decided to take any more pity on him.

  “Ms. Jones has her work cut out for her. So do we, Clay.”

  The boy’s head jerked around. “What do you mean?”

  “You’re going to ride to the lower pasture with me. I’ll teach you how to mend a torn fence.”

  The slight frown told a lot. “Why do you have to do that?”

  “So the cattle won’t stray to places where we can’t find them and they starve to death. I’d be out of business if that happened.”

  “Whoa.”

  Gabe smiled. “Whoa is right.” He turned his attention to Stefanie. “Thank you for treating us to the movie, Ms. Jones.”

  “Yeah. Thanks a lot,” Clay piped up.

  “It was my pleasure,” she murmured, her gaze sliding from Gabe’s to the boy. “You’re a lucky guy to have someone like Mr. Wainwright show you the ropes. There’s no man anywhere with more expertise. You’ll learn things with him nobody else could teach you.

  “Mr. Wainwright would deny it, but to many people he’s a legend. I’ll tell you something else—if I had to depend on one person out of the whole world for my survival, I’d choose him.” She patted Clay’s arm. “I just thought you ought to know how privileged you are to be in his company. See you around, Clay.”

  While she headed for the house, Gabe stood there in a trancelike state, not only shaken by her words, but by the conviction with which she’d said them.

  Clay turned his head and looked at Gabe with fresh interest. There was a new degree of respect in his voice when he said, “I’ll put my things in the room and be right back, sir.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  Gabe’s eyes closed tightly.

  He’d lived with Stefanie for a year. He thought he’d known all there was to know about her. Today’s outing proved he’d been way off base where she was concerned.

  Like a chameleon, she seemed to adapt to any situation that came along. He hadn’t seen that side of her in Newport.

  Because being a socialite wife was the only part she’d been called upon to play? an inner voice nagged.

  So far her acting ability brought authenticity to any role she chose. Was one part more real than another? If that was the case, which part?

  For a half second in the saddlery, she’d had him convinced she was really enjoying this whole cowgirl business.

  Yet during her speech to Clay just now, a speech that had touched Gabe profoundly, he thought he’d heard regret in her voice for what might have been.

  He groaned in turmoil. Come on, Clay. I need to get out on the range where I can clear my head.

  With everyone at dinner, Stefanie decided to take a long, hot bath. It was a relief to shed her disguise.

  While she’d been in town with Gabe and Clay, who was a delight, someone had brought her a lamp. They’d also put a lock on her bedroom door. No doubt Gabe had issued the order knowing how much she needed her privacy. Now she’d be able to sleep without her wig until she left the ranch.

  The outing to Kalispell had been heavenly because she’d been able to spend the better part of a whole day with Gabe. She was glad Clay had gone with them. Otherwise Gabe would never have agreed to see a film.

  And she would never have dared parade in front of him in her new clothes.

  She’d taken a big risk in pushing Gabe as far as she had. But it had been worth it. Her body still throbbed from the look in his eyes when she’d first come out from behind the fitting room curtain. She’d seen desire before, but this time she’d watched that desire ignite into flame.

  He wanted her. She’d felt his hunger in every atom of her body.

  But how to get him to act on that want…

  A half hour later she dashed down the hall to her room with a towel wrapped around her head. After locking the door, she turned on the light, then sat on the cot to blow-dry her hair.

  As soon as she could brush it into a silky curtain, she found her cell phone and put in a call to Wes, one of the P.I.s. He didn’t pick up, so she left a message on his voice mail to phone her parents and let them know she was a
ll right.

  Although she didn’t dare tell them her location, it would have been cruel to allow any more time to go by without a word from her.

  While she was taking the tags off her new shirts and jeans, she heard a rap on the door.

  She lifted her head. “Marva?”

  “It’s Gabe.”

  Yes!

  “I thought you’d be at dinner. We need to talk.”

  The coldness in his tone took away her excitement. Her heart began to thud outrageously. Maybe he was going to tell her he’d changed his mind and she would be leaving in the morning after all.

  “J-just a minute.”

  Cinching the belt of her velour robe around her waist a little tighter, she gave the tiny room a cursory inspection. With all her things in it, there was hardly a place for him to stand.

  Undoing the lock with a trembling hand, she opened the door. Because the hallway was shrouded in darkness, the only light came from the lamp in the corner. It revealed his chiseled features in stark relief.

  His body seemed to still in place as his eyes wandered over her hair and features with relentless scrutiny. No longer in disguise, she could imagine how colorless she looked.

  As if remembering that Marva or someone else might see them, he made an unexpected move inside and shut the door, forcing Stefanie backward. She ended up sitting on the cot, her hands gripping the edge nervously.

  His sudden intake of breath resounded within the intimate log walls. “Several things happened today you need to know about.”

  Averting her eyes she said, “If you mean I went too far in orchestrating things so Clay could see a movie, I’m sorry. I realize I know nothing about the legal ramifications of caring for these boys. I shouldn’t have interf—”

  “I’m glad you did,” he cut in on her unexpectedly. “You reminded me of the old adage about all work and no play. For the past couple of years, Clay hasn’t had much fun in his life. Your friendliness and acceptance brightened his world. If anything, I’m indebted to you.

  “Depending on their behavior, I’m going to make certain the boys get to town once a week for the exact kinds of things we did today.”