Her Cowboy Reunion

by Debbi Rawlins

  None of it made sense, but clearly she had her reasons.

  Mike roped a calf that had been breathing too hard on its way to join the others in the sick pen, and gave him a shot of antibiotics. He and Chip had finished moving the few stragglers, and then Mike had identified three more calves that didn’t seem to be holding up too well. Hopefully this was the last one. He didn’t look too bad, but when it came to the fall babies, Mike tended to err on the side of caution.

  Once he saw the calf wobble over toward the others, his thoughts drifted back to Savannah. If she felt she had something to prove, he supposed her coming back would make some kind of sense. Except that meant she had to admit who she was. The second she did that, people wouldn’t be marveling over her success. Fourteen years would vanish in a heartbeat, as if the scandal that had turned the town on its ear had happened only yesterday. All the trash talk would start up again, about her mom and the Riley name.

  Savannah had always intrigued him, that little lonely girl in the old cabin. It was isolated, deep in the woods, without even a marked driveway. He’d never had a reason to go anywhere near the place, except for that time when his dog hadn’t come home. Mike had looked everywhere for the crazy mutt. Even though he hadn’t gotten all that close to the cabin, he’d heard her parents yelling at each other. It was such a small place, too. Nowhere for a kid to hide or block out the ugly language.

  The Rileys had lived out there for as long as he could remember, but he hadn’t known her first name. At one point his mom had told him and his sister they should be extra nice to her. But by then Lauren was going off to college and Mike, having just turned sixteen, was right in the middle of his love affair with baseball.

  So they mostly hadn’t spoken. One time he’d asked her if she needed a ride because she’d been carrying all those books. She’d looked at him as if he were a mystery then scurried off with a shake of her head, her sun-streaked brown hair flying wildly behind her.

  After that, he hadn’t bothered her. He probably shouldn’t have bothered her at the Full Moon either. But he wasn’t sorry. Not now that he understood more about what she’d been hiding.

  Whatever picture of the town and its people she’d painted in her mind as a child had put Savannah at a disadvantage. And not just for her personally. He couldn’t help worrying about how the town would react to her presentation. He didn’t care how much she and her coworkers sugarcoated their suggestions, most of the folks around here would interpret it as criticism. They’d shoot down anything these city people had to say, even if it made a world of sense.

  The mayor had to know that. Sadie Thompson was born and raised here and had to deal with the cadre of old-timers who hated that the clock ran forward. So maybe she and Savannah knew something he didn’t, and everything would turn out just fine. As for the few newcomers who’d opened shops recently, they’d appreciate any help to get the town rolling again.

  Mike knew the prevailing attitudes weren’t unique to the residents of Blackfoot Falls. It wasn’t even just a small-town issue. He imagined every community had its share of narrow-minded hotheads who often couldn’t agree among themselves. One belief did seem to unite these folks: they all feared that outsiders meant change. And generally, they weren’t wrong.

  “Hey,” Chip called as he rode up on a mild-tempered bay mare Mike’s mom had named Penelope. “I finished filling the feed banks in the second pen. If you don’t need me, I’m gonna go stack hay.”

  “Sure.” Mike nodded at the pair of sick calves that had worried them yesterday. “They’re looking better.”

  “I thought so, too.” Chip wheeled the horse around. “What about tonight?”

  “I’ll have to let you know later.”

  “No problem.”

  Mike watched him ride off, thinking how Savannah would probably like Penelope. Although he didn’t know if she’d ever ridden a horse. Her parents might’ve raised a few chickens but not horses. If Mike remembered correctly, her dad had hired himself out as a hand for the Circle K and then the Sundance for a short time before he laid tracks out of town. He had no idea what her mom had done to make a living when she wasn’t homeschooling Savannah.

  Damn, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Savannah was here to prove something. She might not realize it, but more than likely she’d end up disappointed. Just like his ex-wife.

  He and Ellen had married too young, and it had taken him too long to figure out that everything she did stemmed from wanting to prove something to her parents, to her neighbors. To just about anyone who crossed her path.

  She’d thought being married to a professional baseball player would fix everything she didn’t like about herself. When the dream had fallen apart, she’d moved on to an ER doctor in Billings. Mike heard they’d divorced last year.

  Oh, hell, he had no business thinking about Ellen or Savannah. His mom was right. He’d like to find a nice woman who wanted to be a rancher’s wife, and he also wanted kids. He’d like all that to happen while he was still young enough to keep up with them.

  Mike sighed. It just didn’t seem as though he’d find the right woman in Blackfoot Falls.

  * * *

  SAVANNAH GLARED AT RON.

  He smiled back and had the audacity to slip an arm around her shoulders.

  She had a good mind to leave him standing in the middle of the square to deal with Louise from the sewing shop and the Lemon sisters. They were twins, not a day under eighty-five, and they looked adorable in their matching Halloween sweaters—right up until they opened their mouths. The two didn’t seem to know how to speak to each other without arguing...at an ear-shattering decibel.

  Oh, it was so very, very tempting to simply walk away. Tomorrow everyone would know why they were here, anyway. And she’d bet these women weren’t going to appreciate Ron wasting their time like this. What a mess.

  “You know,” Louise drawled, “if you two lovebirds aren’t dead set on a church wedding, I bet we could get Pastor Ray to perform the ceremony right here. What do you think of that?”

  “I like it,” Ron said, turning to Savannah, his lips pressed thin. “What about you, honey?”

  Before she felt confident she could answer civilly, a middle-aged woman with a short, no-nonsense haircut rushed toward them.

  “I’m terribly sorry I’m late,” she said, her hand extended. “I’m Betsy. My husband and I own the steak house.”

  Shaking the woman’s hand, Savannah didn’t bother to hide her confusion. “I’m afraid I’m at a disadvantage here,” she said, pinning her gaze on Ron. “You haven’t told me a thing about any of this.” Let him take the blame when the charade was over tomorrow.

  “As much as I’d like to take the credit, this wasn’t my idea.” He smiled at Louise.

  “Oh, it’s nothing,” She waved him off, flushed and beaming. “I ran into your beau at the diner this morning and found out you two were trying to decide where to tie the knot. So I started mulling it over and thought why not right here. The square looks so pretty this time of year.”

  She swept a hand to encompass the postage stamp–sized patch of semi-dormant grass, a stone bench, a huge elm tree—mostly bare except for the unsightly ghosts, witches and goblins hanging from its limbs—and a black lamppost wrapped with cobwebs. The trio of clay pots brimming with yellow mums were nice, but otherwise...it was awful.

  “The reception could follow immediately after, without anyone having to drive anywhere.” Louise looked very pleased.

  “Excuse me, dear—” the twin on the right—Mabel, if memory served—was frowning as she addressed Savannah “—would we have to take down our decorations?”

  “We’ve spent a long time getting them all up,” her twin added, her expression pinched. “And we aren’t even finished yet.” Suddenly the sisters were allies.

  “In case the weather was to turn, I suppose putting up a tent wouldn
’t be out of the question,” Louise murmured as her gaze darted over the area.

  “I spoke with Kylie, who owns The Cake Whisperer. She sends her apologies for not being here. She’s all by herself this afternoon, but she assured me she can provide the cake,” Betsy said. “Now, about the hors d’oeuvres—”

  “You came late,” Louise grumbled. “You can just wait your turn.”

  A crowd had gathered, and now people were asking questions, throwing out opinions, the men jokingly urging Ron to run and hide before it was too late. Savannah felt as if she’d been dropped into the middle of a sitcom.

  What got to her the most? A few women had kindly offered to help, their sincerity touching her someplace deep in her heart. She was starting to dread tomorrow, when they discovered this was all just a sham.

  “Everyone,” she said, raising her voice above the din and scanning the wizened faces and the few twentysomethings. “You’ve all been truly wonderful. Unfortunately, the trouble with surprises is—” she made herself look at Ron, going for fondness and hoping no one noticed the daggers “—I made an appointment for us to go to the Sundance and—”

  The grumbling started. Like a train that had jumped the track, there was no stopping it. Some folks had misunderstood and thought that the Sundance was in the running as a wedding location. They seemed convinced the town had just lost that particular race.

  After thanking Louise and the other women, and without a word to Ron, Savannah walked toward her car. She’d parked in front of the bank, half a block down, and on the way she dug a couple aspirin out of her purse.

  Naturally, Ron caught up with her. “Do we really have an appointment?”

  “What the hell was that?” she muttered, so angry she couldn’t see straight.

  “Just doing my job.”

  “First, we decided this isn’t that kind of destination. And second, even if it were, you don’t think the timing was incredibly stupid?” She didn’t wait for his response. They reached the car and she quickly climbed in behind the wheel before anyone could intercept her.

  Apparently, Ron wasn’t anxious to join her. The passenger door was unlocked, but he hadn’t even opened it. She uncapped the bottle of water she kept in the cup holder and swallowed the aspirin.

  For the first time, she wondered if he was deliberately trying to sabotage this assignment. Had he switched places with Duncan to make her look bad? She’d rebuffed his advances, been promoted twice...maybe he had it in for her.

  Tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, she considered driving off and leaving him. Despite all his talk about wanting to stay in the field, maybe he felt overlooked. He’d been with the company three years longer than Savannah. Still, she was feeling more and more certain he had a personal relationship with Porter—one that would give him a leg up if he wanted.

  Perhaps it was simply that he hadn’t played second fiddle in a while and resented it. Ron was used to being the team leader. But then, he didn’t have to trade with Duncan.

  The more she thought about it, the more the sabotage angle made sense. In four days, they hadn’t done anything to make people feel duped. It was something they tried to stay clear of. And then today, of all days, with the presentation tomorrow...

  Had he seen her with Mike? Doubtful. And so what if he had? She hadn’t done anything wrong.

  If he didn’t get in the car, she was leaving. She started the engine, and seconds later he opened the door. She saw that he’d been texting. The stupid jerk had let her wait while he texted someone?

  The twenty-minute drive to the Sundance dude ranch was a testament to her willpower. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why she didn’t shove him out the door and leave him for roadkill.

  With the blazing orange sun sinking low, the clouds hovering over the Rockies had turned the most extraordinary shades of pink and salmon. Savannah had always loved watching the sun rise from her special spot behind their cabin. And in the early evenings, as she’d listened to the birds and crickets from her favorite rock beside the creek, she’d done most of her reading while waiting for the sun to set.

  Denver had many lovely features, and it offered anonymity, which was a plus, but it wasn’t the same. She could do without the fast pace.

  She’d never thought she would miss anything here in rural Montana.

  “Am I going to get the silent treatment for the rest of the evening?” Ron asked.

  According to her GPS, she was supposed to make a right turn soon. “You should be so lucky. I’d really like you to explain why you thought it was a good idea to become a public spectacle.”

  “I already told you. Louise cornered me in the diner. She was the one who got all hyped up about an outdoor wedding.”

  “She cornered you? And you, who believe you’re God’s gift to womankind, couldn’t have dissuaded her?”

  Ron snorted. “If I were you, I’d be more concerned about explaining why you accepted this client in the first place.”

  “They’re paying us $25K. That’s not enough for you?”

  “Hey, great, and just think, if you’d assigned only two people like you should have, we would’ve seen more profit.”

  Savannah caught a glimpse of the Sundance before glaring at him. “Do we have an internal affairs department I’m not aware of?”

  “Look out for that rabbit.”

  She swerved and managed to avoid it. The road had become nothing more than gravel and a few potholes, forcing her to keep her gaze straight ahead. “Thanks,” she murmured. Damn him. He wasn’t wrong. “So what are you going to do, go running to your friend Porter? Tell him I shouldn’t have been promoted?”

  At Ron’s silence, she couldn’t resist glancing at him.

  He looked tense but then shrugged. “I’ve worked for the company a long time. We’re casual friends. So what?”

  “None of my business. I just don’t understand what your problem is with me.”

  “I have no beef with you, Savannah.” He sighed. “I really don’t.”

  The ring of sincerity in his voice unnerved her. She didn’t know if she should press the issue or pretend they hadn’t just sniped at each other.

  They turned down the driveway and as a sizable barn and several other large buildings came into view, the answer was clear. They were on the clock and needed to behave civilly. The Sundance and the McAllister family were both big deals in Blackfoot Falls. Savannah knew that the way Rachel ran the dude ranch was the benchmark for the whole community.

  “I don’t know if you looked at their website,” Savannah said, “but it’s pretty impressive.”

  Ron nodded. “I agree. Nice house coming up on the left. Lots of windows facing the Rockies.”

  “We’re invited to stay for the barbecue. I didn’t commit, though.”

  “Okay, let’s play it by ear.”

  They exchanged conciliatory smiles. A truce. Though only temporary, she was sure.

  The aspirin had helped her headache but had done nothing for the sick feeling in her stomach.

  Chapter Eight

  Ten minutes into the presentation, Savannah deeply regretted not paying more attention to what Mike had tried to tell her.

  Ten minutes.

  And she was ready to scream.

  It didn’t matter that the presentation was geared toward shop owners and the city council. In compliance with the town’s bylaws, the mayor had no choice but to publicly post the meeting time. Now Savannah understood why Sadie had apologized for doing so. This was crazy.

  The room was small to begin with, but the inadequate space hadn’t prevented people from cramming themselves into every nook and cranny. It was hot and sticky. They didn’t know where to stow their jackets. Tempers were short. A number of the older residents in attendance had hearing problems. Half of what Savannah said, she was asked to repeat.

&
nbsp; One city council member was out of town. The other four sat in the front along with the mayor. In the row behind them were the merchants who owned stores on Main Street, as well as the B & B owners. Representing the Sundance ranch were Rachel Gunderson and her sister-in-law Jamie, and they couldn’t be a more welcome addition.

  Lucky for Nina, she’d left earlier for the Kalispell airport. Much to Savannah’s annoyance, Ron had decided to hang around. He was sitting to her right at the card table that had been provided for her laptop and water. At the rate things were going, she’d need a sleeping bag, too. The presentation was going to take all night.

  “The importance of curb appeal can’t be emphasized enough,” Savannah continued, her PowerPoint, running behind her on the ancient screen, showed signs that were ragged or had letters missing and a few buildings with no signage at all. “We have statistics that—”

  “I can’t hear you.” A tobacco-roughened voice came from somewhere in the back. “You need to speak up, girl.”

  Before Savannah could respond, Rachel got to her feet and turned to the crowd. “Was that you, Earl?” Not a peep. “All right, everyone who wears a hearing aid, raise your hand.”

  A few people complied.

  “Is that it? Really?” Rachel clearly didn’t care who got out of line, she called them on it. Everyone knew she was pregnant and short on patience. They didn’t want to get her too riled.

  Several more hands went up.

  “Okay, now, who’s supposed to be wearing one but forgot it at home?”

  Most of the older folks glanced around at each other, waiting for someone else to go first.

  “Come on, people, give me a show of hands if you forgot your hearing aid.”

  One brave soul did as she asked.