Drawing in a deep breath to build up her courage, she held the blanket out in front of her and stepped up to the horse.
“Now, Peaches, you have to be extra patient with me.” When she placed the blanket on Peaches’s back, the horse didn’t seem at all disturbed. “Good girl. I’ll get the hang of this yet.”
Hefting the saddle was a different matter. She’d forgotten to hook up the stirrups to get them out of the way.
She tried again. This time she got the saddle settled. Facing the right way! She cinched the saddle into place and stood back to admire her work.
“Not so bad for a city girl, huh?”
Peaches nodded. Archie stood and stretched. It looked as though she was ready to go for a run.
After another moment appraising her success, she realized something was missing. Something important.
The bridle and reins.
Checking her watch, she found the trail ride wasn’t due back for nearly an hour. If she could figure out how to get the bridle over the horse’s head and the bit in her mouth, she’d still have time to go once around the corral all by herself.
What do you think about that, cowboy?
Fortunately, the tack for each horse was kept together. Even more fortunate, Peaches sensed Paige’s inexperience and practically put the bit in her own mouth. Or maybe it was the Lord who was giving her a helping hand.
She led Peaches into the corral. Using a big rock to stand on, Paige leveraged herself onto the saddle.
“Sweetheart,” she crooned, patting the animal’s neck. “You are the best horse in the entire world.”
The way Archie was watching, her head tilted to one side, Paige didn’t think she was all that impressed with her horsemanship.
The reins in one hand, the saddle horn grasped by the other, Paige gave Peaches a little nudge with her heels. To her great delight, the horse started forward. If she’d been wearing a cowboy hat—and had a free hand—she would have waved it in the air. Ride ’em, cowgirl!
With Peaches’s cooperation, she took one turn around the corral. That went so well, she decided to try another one.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when she sensed someone approaching the outfitting station. She turned in her saddle and saw Bryan walking toward her on the road leading a big gray horse that was limping.
“Aunt Paige! What are you doing?” he shouted.
Heat raced to her cheeks. Peaches decided on her own to trot over to meet Bryan by the fence. Paige gripped the saddle horn with all her strength as she bounced up and down, her feet coming out of the stirrups.
Peaches stopped abruptly.
Paige barely managed to hold her seat.
“I’m riding Peaches,” she gasped. “What does it look like?”
A big grin creased his face. “Looks like you’re not as scared as you used to be.”
Paige took that as the finest compliment she’d ever received.
Now all she had to do was get off Peaches without breaking her neck. She dismounted with about as much grace as an ungainly kid belly flopping into a swimming pool.
It took her a minute to regain her breath. “So why are you back so early?”
“Sir Grayson threw a shoe. Jay had me trade horses with the guy who was riding him. I had to walk Grayson back home.” Bryan led the horse into the corral. “Jay said I should call the farrier, tell him we need a horse shod.”
Using the reins, Paige walked Peaches toward her stall.
“Jay and Grandpa will hoot when I tell ’em that you’ve been riding Peaches all by yourself,” Bryan said.
Paige grimaced. She didn’t want them laughing at her again. “It probably isn’t necessary to mention that, honey. It could be our little secret.”
Bryan glanced over his shoulder and grinned. “Nah, that’s too good a secret to keep.”
Tattletale!
* * *
Jay had his trail riders back to the stable by four o’clock. With the exception of Sir Grayson throwing a shoe, the ride had gone fine. Thanks to the riders who’d had some experience.
Bryan came out of the barn to help unsaddle and water the horses. “Guess what Aunt Paige was doing when I got here with Grayson?”
“I can’t imagine.” Probably packing to get back to Seattle as quickly as she could to avoid having him kiss her again. He lifted the saddle off Thunder Boy.
“She was riding Peaches!” He giggled and grinned.
Jay nearly dropped the saddle. “All alone?”
“Yeah. She nearly fell off when I showed up, but she was sitting in the saddle.”
“Who saddled the horse for her?”
Bryan shrugged. “Dunno. Guess she did it herself. Nathan and Grandpa weren’t back yet. They are now though.”
Surprised as a grasshopper about to get stepped on, Jay smiled to himself. That was worth a celebration.
Nathan came out of the barn to help with the horses. “What’s so funny?”
Bryan told him.
“Whoa!” Nathan said. “That’s awesome. Maybe she’s more like Krissy that we thought.”
Jay didn’t think so. Krissy never feared a thing. Paige had to overcome her fears. That took a whole lot more spirit and mental strength.
After they got the horses cooled down, fed and put away, Jay went over to the main house. He heard the piano playing as he walked into the mudroom and hung his hat on a peg. The music sounded familiar, but he couldn’t name the tune.
He strolled as far as the door to the living room. Henry was dozing in his chair, so Jay leaned against the doorjamb to watch Paige play. She had pretty hands. Slender fingers. Graceful. Yet the music she was making was strong and confident.
She was that way on the inside, too. Strong. Confident. Willing to confront her fears. A pretty incredible combination.
She tapped the closing notes of the piece, then rested her hands in her lap.
“Very nice.” Jay walked into the room.
She turned and scowled. “You’re doing your sneaking-up-on-people thing again.”
“Nope. You were concentrating so hard, you just didn’t hear me.”
“Whatever.” She swiveled around on the piano bench.
“I hear we have something to celebrate,” he said.
Henry opened his eyes. “What’s that?”
“Miss Paige Barclay saddled and rode Peaches all on her own today.”
Color flooded her cheeks. “Bryan doesn’t know how to keep a secret.”
“You really rode her?” Henry asked. “By yourself?”
“Really, it’s not like I climbed Mount Everest. You all ride horses every day.”
“Yeah, but you were scared spitless the other day.” Jay hooked his thumbs in his jean pockets and rocked back on his heels.
“I’m proud of you, girl,” Henry said. “I know you’ve never liked horses, but we’ll make a wrangler out of you yet.”
Shaking her head, she stood. “That is so not going to happen, Grandpa.”
“Maybe not,” Jay said. “But I think we ought to celebrate your first solo ride. How ’bout you, Henry?”
“A celebration does seem to be in order.”
“Great. Then let’s all go out to dinner at the Pine Tree Diner.” He turned to Paige. “They’ve got great steaks. Buffalo burgers served with a pile of skinny fries. Barbecued ribs. What do you say? Saturday night family dinner out?”
“I, um...” Her cheeks glowed pink again. “Sure. It’s got to be better than my cooking. If Grandpa feels up to it. You looked pretty tired when you came back from the trail ride.”
“I’m fine, girl. Not going to turn down a juicy steak when Jay’s paying.”
“You got it, old man,” Jay said with a laugh. “I’ll go round up
Bryan and get myself cleaned up. Say a half hour?”
Paige nodded, and Jay left the house, his footsteps lighter than when he’d arrived. He had to remind himself this wasn’t like a real date. It was family.
He liked that thought, too.
* * *
Paige and Bryan sat in the backseat of Jay’s extended cab pickup, Grandpa in the front with Jay. The sensation of being a family, of all going out to dinner together, encompassed Paige like a warm, cozy blanket. Yet this wasn’t reality. All too soon she would take Bryan to Seattle. It would be just the two of them.
To shake off the thought, she turned away to look out the truck window. The sun cast lengthening shadows as it headed toward sunset, and when they passed the municipal park, Paige caught a glimpse of Bear Lake. Streaks of gold shimmered across the rippling surface as boats cut through the water.
“Do you like to go boating?” she asked Bryan.
“It’s okay, I guess.”
“We’ve got lots of boating around Seattle. I’ve got some friends that can take us out on the Sound. We could even try to catch some fish.”
His half lift of one shoulder indicated little interest in her suggestion. She’d have to check online to see what sort of activities were available near her condo for a boy Bryan’s age. Otherwise it would be a long, lonely summer for him.
Jay pulled the truck into a parking spot in front of the Pine Tree Diner, a three-story pink building with white trim. A sign on the front window indicated they served authentic Czech dishes, which sounded more interesting than ordinary diner fare.
Paige climbed out of the pickup, an awkward maneuver in a skirt and heels.
Jay held open the restaurant door, and they all filed inside. A pleasant murmur of conversation met them along with the scent of fresh coffee and burgers on the grill.
An attractive blonde wearing a neat white blouse and slacks stepped out from behind the cash register with a handful of menus. Her welcoming smile greeted them.
“Hello, Henry.” She winked at Bryan. “Good to see you, Jay. You haven’t been around for a while.”
“Hey, Alisa.” He removed his hat. “How’s the new bride doing?”
A blush tinted her cheeks. “Couldn’t be better. Nick’s a dream, and Mama couldn’t be happier having a chef around to share the workload.”
“I bet.” He chuckled and turned to Paige. “This is Krissy’s sister from Seattle, Paige Barclay. She’s been staying with Henry for a few days. This is Alisa Machak, owner of—”
“Alisa Carbini,” the young woman corrected with a smile.
“Yeah, that’s going to take some getting used to.”
Alisa’s expression turned somber as she greeted Paige. “I’m so sorry about your sister. I’d wanted to get to Krissy’s funeral service, but—” Her lips slanted into an expression of apology. “When we’re shorthanded, it’s hard to get away.”
“Please don’t worry about it.” The memory of the funeral tightened Paige’s chest. “Pastor Walker performed a very nice service for her. I’m sure Krissy would have been pleased.” That little white lie pained Paige. She had no idea what her sister’s feelings were about church, only that she rarely, if ever, attended.
“Now then...” Alisa glanced around at the booths that were covered in bright pink vinyl, most of which were occupied. “Do you want to be seated inside or out on the patio?”
“Let’s sit outside,” Grandpa said. “Maybe we’ll catch the sunset.”
“You okay with that?” Jay asked Paige.
“That’ll be fine.”
Alisa hooked her arm around Bryan’s shoulders. “Come on, buddy. I heard you blew everybody away at Game Day yesterday.”
“Yeah, I did.” The boy fell into step with Alisa, relating the details of his grand success.
A twinge of envy pricked Paige as she saw the easy way Alisa interacted with Bryan. Would he ever be that comfortable with her?
The rest of them followed Alisa out onto a lovely patio where tables were set up around a big fire pit, although there was no fire at the moment. A mountain range to the west was caught in the slanting rays of sunlight casting the dips and valleys in shadow.
After seating them, Alisa gave them menus and took their drink orders. “Your waitress will be right with you.”
When she left, Paige asked, “Is she really a newlywed?”
Grandpa flipped open his menu. “Yep, got married just a few weeks ago.”
“They had the reception in the banquet room here at the diner,” Jay said. “You should’ve seen the layout. Every Czech dish you can imagine. Real goulash and sauerkraut—”
“That tasted gross.” Bryan wrinkled his nose.
“You sure liked the apple strudel, young man,” Grandpa said. “You had three helpings. With ice cream.”
“Yeah, well, I was hungry.”
Grandpa nudged him with his elbow. “Glad you found something to eat or you would have starved, right?”
Bryan ducked his head. “Yeah, maybe.”
“Kid’s always hungry,” Jay said. “I caught him once eating a handful of the oats we feed the horses.”
Bryan scowled at him. “Only one bite! I wanted to see if it tasted like oatmeal.”
“Did it?” Paige asked, curious.
“Naw. It was like cardboard. I don’t know how they eat that stuff.”
They all laughed, and Paige sat back, enjoying the lighthearted teasing between Grandpa and Bryan, and the way Jay jumped right in as though he was family, too.
With Jay sitting next to her, his arm brushing hers from time to time, the scent of his aftershave teasing her senses, she felt a part of the family, as well. He had a deep, masculine laugh that reached inside her, creating an unfamiliar fluttery feeling. The fact that they were celebrating her first solo ride on Peaches tickled her funny bone. She couldn’t stop smiling.
As she listened to their banter, she realized dinner conversation had almost been entirely absent in her family. Except when there was something about the hardware store that needed to be discussed. Or when Krissy was in trouble.
She almost envied the years Krissy had lived with Grandpa, particularly while Grandma Lisbeth was still alive.
Glancing around at the other diners, she noted they were mostly moms and dads with children, all of who were laughing and having a good time. She didn’t begrudge them their happiness. But her own sense of loneliness, of the lack of deep friendships and a loving family, welled up in her chest.
She quickly repressed the feeling. She and Bryan would be a family. Just the two of them. She vowed they’d be happy together. Bryan might be her only chance to ever be, if not a mother, a woman who had a child to raise and love. At least for a few years.
When the waitress returned, Grandpa asked for a medium-rare steak, Jay ordered a buffalo burger and Bryan had a regular hamburger. Paige splurged, ordering sliced veal in a cream sauce with mashed potatoes and fresh string beans.
As they waited for their dinners, the conversation turned to business and the Bear Lake Outfitters’ website.
“You have a website, Grandpa?” Paige hadn’t known that or she would have checked it out.
Grandpa nodded. “Yep. Krissy set us up with one and taught me how to keep track of things. We get most of our business from the web these days.”
Beyond surprised, Paige said, “I didn’t know Krissy knew anything about computers.”
“She was a smart girl, all right. When she wanted to be.”
“Mom always said I got my smarts from her,” Bryan said. “That’s how come I get good grades.” A sense of pride and love rode on the way Bryan sat a little straighter and puffed out his chest.
Paige wanted to reach out and hug him. “I’m sure you got a lot of good things from your mother, honey.�
�
Their dinner arrived, and they ate in silence for a time. Paige’s veal was melt-in-your-mouth tender, the sauce delicious and the mashed potatoes were the creamiest she’d ever tasted. The beans crunched when she bit into them. Elite Hotels would do well to hire the chef from Pine Tree Diner. Although that seemed unlikely since he was apparently married to the owner.
Paige was too stuffed to finish all of her meal, but her three male escorts devoured theirs and ordered fresh apple pie à la mode. Paige had no idea how they could hold that much food.
As they finished the ice cream, Paige noticed Grandpa pressing his hand to his chest. Sweat beaded his forehead. His color had gone gray.
“Grandpa, are you all right?” She started to get to her feet.
“Ate too much.” He pushed back his chair, stood unsteadily for a moment, then crumpled to the ground.
“Grandpa!” she cried.
Both she and Jay reached Grandpa at the same time. Jay pressed his fingers to Grandpa’s neck to check his pulse.
“He’s still alive.” Jay met Paige’s eyes for an instant, telegraphing his concern. Then he snatched his cell phone from his pocket and called 9–1–1.
Please, Lord... She left her prayer unfinished, knowing God would understand her plea.
Chapter Eight
Jay followed the ambulance in his truck, Bryan riding with him. Paige rode with Henry and the EMTs.
“Is Grandpa going to die?” Bryan’s voice sounded choked with tears he was trying not to shed.
Jay glanced at him. Ever since Henry had collapsed, the kid had been as pale as a rabbit in its winter coat. A pretty scary thing for a youngster of twelve to see.
It was pretty scary for Jay, too. He didn’t want to consider what would happen if the old guy passed away. That would be tough on Bryan. And Paige. Losing two family members in less than two weeks would be hard to face.
“I don’t know,” he said with honesty. “We’ll find out after the doctors get a look at him.”
“First thing the ambulance guy did was put an oxygen mask on Grandpa.” His chin trembled.
“That’s a good sign.” Jay tried to reassure Bryan when, in fact, he was more worried about Henry’s rapid pulse. It had felt like Henry’s heart was trying to launch itself out of his chest. “It means your grandfather was still breathing. He just needed a little help getting enough oxygen.”
Montana Wrangler Page 9
