Her Rugged Rancher

by Stella Bagwell

  “We better ride on to the windmill,” Noah said, abruptly changing the subject. “If it breaks down we’ll have some dying cattle on our hands.”

  Jett gave him an affectionate slap on the shoulder. “Yeah. Let’s mount up.”

  Chapter Nine

  The next evening was Skyler’s birthday party and though Bella wasn’t in the mood for merrymaking, she couldn’t miss her little niece’s celebration.

  Dressed in a red-and-white sundress, with her hair pulled into a messy bun, she drove to Jett and Sassy’s to join the outdoor festivities.

  She’d not been surprised to find a big crowd gathered at the back of the house, partaking of barbecued beef and all the trimmings, but she’d been a little put off by the handful of men who’d been trying to strike up a conversation with her from the moment she’d arrived.

  “All right, dear brother,” she said to Jett, once she had him cornered away from the crowd. “What do think you’re trying to do? I’m not looking for a date or anything like it.”

  He glanced over his shoulder before giving her a sheepish look. “Bella, I’m not responsible for those guys. Sassy invited them over from the Horn. I didn’t tell her that inviting Noah would be enough to make you happy.”

  Surprised, Bella stared at her brother. “How did you—”

  “Noah brought it up. I think he had some sort of crazy idea that I wouldn’t approve of the two of you together.”

  Rather than letting Jett see the sadness in her eyes, Bella looked down at the cup of punch she was holding. “I’m afraid Noah has some mixed-up notions about a lot of things.”

  “I thought he’d be here this evening. He adores Skyler.”

  “But he hates crowds.” And he doesn’t want to be anywhere near me, Bella could have told him. “I wouldn’t look for him to show up.”

  “I think you might be wrong about that.”

  She looked up to see her brother’s attention had turned toward a group of people standing beneath the covered portion of the patio. And then she caught sight of Noah among them. The sight of him dressed in a white Western shirt and dark jeans caused her heart to lurch with surprise and an immense sense of despair.

  Before she could tear her gaze away from him, she spotted Skyler running up to him. He reacted to the child by scooping her up and balancing her in the crook of one arm. Bella’s heart winced with bittersweet longing as she watched the little girl wrap her arms around Noah’s neck.

  He would be a wonderful father, Bella thought. Mainly because he knew all the things not to do.

  “Looks like I was wrong about him coming to the party,” she murmured.

  Jett tossed her a knowing grin. “Obviously. I’d better go say hello. I don’t imagine he’ll stick around for very long.”

  “Uh, Jett, please don’t bring up my name to him. Okay?”

  “Why would I bother doing that? You’re already on the guy’s mind. Besides, you’re here and he’s here. It’s an opportune time for you two to get together.”

  Noah didn’t want to get together with her. That was the whole issue, she wanted to tell her brother. Instead, she simply nodded and said, “I see Reggie’s wife and she has the baby with her. Maybe she’ll let me hold him.”

  Before Jett could say more, Bella quickly headed across the yard to where Evita was sitting in a lawn chair holding her new son. She visited with the young woman and baby for several minutes before she eventually walked over to the refreshment table.

  After ladling more punch into her plastic cup, she stepped back from the table and was scanning the crowd for a glimpse of Sassy when one of the Silver Horn ranch hands walked up to her.

  In his late thirties and single, Denver was undeniably handsome with darkly tanned features and brown hair that was naturally streaked with gold. She’d often heard Jett speak of the man before and knew he was one of the huge ranch’s top employees.

  “Don’t you need some cake to go along with your punch?” he asked with a lazy smile.

  Not wanting to appear rude, she smiled back at him. “No thanks. I’ve already had a giant piece. I’d better stop with it.”

  He picked up a foam saucer and piled several pieces of pecans and candied mints on it, then stood beside Bella and began to eat the snack.

  “It’s a nice evening for a party,” he remarked. “Not a cloud in the sky. But I imagine Jett wouldn’t have minded to see a few rain clouds gathering.”

  “Rain would be a blessed relief for everyone.” She glanced at him and wondered why she couldn’t feel a spark of interest. Why did her heart have to be hung up on a dark, brooding cowboy who wanted to keep pushing her away? “What do you do on the Horn?” she asked politely.

  “I oversee the cow/calf operation. I work closely with Rafe, the foreman. I expect you know him.”

  She smiled faintly. “Jett has been the Horn’s lawyer for years and he’s married to a Calhoun, so I’m fairly familiar with the entire family.”

  He said, “I hear you’re a lawyer, too.”

  Bella wondered if Sassy had been discussing her with this man. The notion should’ve irked her, but it didn’t. Sassy was a romantic and she wanted Bella’s life to be rich with love and children. Bella supposed she was going to have to confide in Sassy soon. Her sister-in-law needed to know that Bella was locked in a one-sided love affair and that dangling a bunch of bachelors in front of her was pointless.

  “That’s right. But it will be a long time before I gain the experience Jett has.”

  “I’m—” Denver’s next words suddenly faltered as something behind her caught his attention.

  In the next instant, a familiar hand wrapped around her upper arm and Bella realized Noah was the cause of the interruption.

  “Sorry, Denver,” he said bluntly. “I need to speak with Bella privately.”

  Her mouth fell open as he quickly led her away from Denver and didn’t stop until they were in the front yard, hidden from view by a thick stand of aspen trees.

  “What are you—”

  Before she could finish the question, her back was pressed against a tree trunk and his lips were devouring hers in a kiss that was spinning her head in a drunken whirl.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” he asked when he finally lifted his head away from hers.

  She sucked in a ragged breath and blew it out. “I was about to ask you the very same thing!”

  His nostrils were pinched, the corners of his mouth tight as his blue gaze sliced over her face. And then, just as suddenly his grip on her shoulders eased and he was shaking his head with self-contempt. “Dear God, I’ve gone crazy! Seeing you with Denver—something snapped in me.”

  Amazed, she stared at him. “You haven’t so much as spoken to me this evening,” she said in a voice that was both angry and hurt. “This display of jealousy seems out of place, don’t you think? Especially when you told me the other night to go find some other man. Or have you forgotten?”

  He took a step back and in spite of being annoyed with him, Bella wanted to grab the front of his shirt and tug him back to her. Which made her thinking just as crazy as his.

  “I’ve not forgotten anything, Bella.” He turned aside and stared across the ranch yard, to the barns and corrals where he started and ended his workdays. “And I’m sorry. Again. Hell, that’s all I seem to be able to do, isn’t it? Apologize for being a jerk.”

  He looked so tall and strong, so achingly handsome standing there in his white shirt and black hat pulled low on his forehead. Moments earlier, when she’d been crushed in the circle of his arms, she’d caught a faint whiff of masculine cologne. Before this evening, her Noah had never smelled of anything more than horses and hay and leather. The added scent of sandalwood and sweet grasses made her realize she’d never seen him dressed to go out. The two of them had never been off the ranch together.

  The fact might have annoyed another woman, but not Bella. It filled her with excitement to think there was still so much she had yet to learn about thi
s man, so much the two of them could do together. If he’d only give them a chance.

  Finally, she said, “I don’t want your apology, Noah. I just want you.”

  He swallowed, then slowly turned back to her. “I’m beginning to see that my days here are numbered.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means the only way I can end this obsession I have for you is to leave here.”

  His answer whammed her like a slap in the face. He thought of her as an obsession while she considered him her love, her life. He was intent on building a canyon between them. Just like the one he’d warned her about riding down.

  With tears stinging the back of her eyes, she wrapped her hand around his forearm. “I’m not going to let that happen.”

  His features were as rigid as a rock mask. “How are you going to stop me? Threaten me, like Camilla did?”

  God help her to keep from slapping his face, she prayed. “That chip on your shoulder is growing bigger and uglier. And frankly, I’m getting sick of looking at it. Somebody needs to knock the damned thing off. And I figure Denver could get the job done.”

  His gray eyes turned to twin blazes. “Like hell!”

  Goading him in this way might be wrong of her, Bella thought, but if he wanted to play dirty, then she could, too. “Oh, I don’t know, he looks pretty strong to me.”

  “Strong,” he repeated, his soft voice full of danger. “Is that what you want from me?”

  Just as she started to answer, he hooked an arm around her waist and jerked her forward. She toppled against him and he used the close proximity to cover her mouth with his.

  The contact created an instant combustion and with a groan of sweet surrender, Bella’s arms circled tightly around him, and her tongue invited his to join hers in a slow, sensual dance. The words they’d flung at each other no longer mattered. Noah was kissing her, holding her, and for the moment that was enough.

  If not for the sound of a nearby vehicle firing to life, the hot embrace might have gone on and on. Instead, they broke apart and Noah quickly stepped back.

  Bella gulped for air and tried to stem the shaking in her legs. “Some of the guests must be leaving the party,” she voiced the obvious.

  “Yeah. And as soon as I say goodbye to Jett and Sassy, I’ll be leaving, too. You go on back to Denver. He’s the kind of man you need. Not me.”

  When he walked away, Bella didn’t try to stop him. In his present state of mind, it would be useless to try to reason with him. One second he was jealously jerking her away from Denver and the next he was telling her to go back to him. Even if she was a psychiatrist, she couldn’t figure his hot and cold behavior. But one thing she did know. She had to use everything in her power to keep him on the J Bar S. Otherwise, her chance for a life with him would be over.

  *

  Late Monday afternoon, at an outdoor restaurant not far from Bella and Jett’s office building, she sat at a small wrought-iron table, sipping on a cup of Columbian coffee and nibbling at a chocolate biscotti. Aaron Potter, the man sitting across from her, had graying dark hair and a wide affable face. His blue summer-weight suit was rumpled and the knot of his tie slightly askew, but as he talked she got the feeling he was good at his job and that gave her a measure of confidence as she headed closer to Brent Stanhope’s trial.

  “I’m very grateful to you for meeting me like this,” she told him. “Frankly, I had reached a point where I didn’t know what direction to take next. My gut feeling is that the husband has hidden the missing jewelry somewhere and plans to collect the insurance on it. The other jewelry is what he used to plant in Brent’s car.”

  “And what was the husband’s motive for framing his gardener? From what he tells me, he likes Brent. They’ve even gone to sporting events together.”

  This little café was normally one of Bella’s favorites. And at this time of the evening, she was usually craving a dose of caffeine and sugar, but since her exchange with Noah at the party yesterday, she’d not wanted to eat or drink anything. And focusing on her work had become a major effort. She had to think of some way to make him see reason, but so far her jumbled thoughts had reached a blank.

  “When I spoke with the wife, I got the feeling her husband had warned her not to talk. I also got the impression he controls her with physical threats—if you know what I mean. Brent’s a nice-looking young guy. I got the feeling jealousy was the motive in this case.”

  “Hmm. Sounds reasonable. But a jury would argue that the husband could have simply fired the guy to get rid of him. He didn’t need to go to the trouble of framing him with theft.”

  Bella nodded. “That’s true. But the husband saw an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Get rid of Brent completely and make some money to boot.”

  A look of disgust came over the investigator’s face. “About three years ago, this guy collected on an expensive vehicle. The insurance company couldn’t prove he’d set the fire that turned the car into a piece of tinfoil, but I’d bet my savings account he was guilty then and he’s guilty now.”

  “But how do you get evidence against him?”

  “I have my ways, Ms. Sundell. One being to put a tail on the wife and husband and see what turns up. In the meantime, if your client can think of anything that might shed some light on where the jewelry might be stashed, then let me know.” He pulled a card from his wallet and pushed it across the table to her. “In case you need to contact me after hours here’s my home phone and address.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Potter.”

  After she tucked the card away in her handbag, the two of them continued to discuss the case for a few more minutes before they departed the café.

  Bella walked slowly back to the Sundell law office, her thoughts vacillating from the Stanhope case to Noah. When she entered the waiting area, Peta looked up from her work.

  “Glad you’re back,” she said. “Jett wants to see you. I don’t know what it’s about, but he looked concerned.”

  “Thanks, Peta. I’ll go right in.”

  After putting her handbag and briefcase in her office, she quickly headed over to Jett’s office. She found her brother standing over his desk, gathering papers to take home with him.

  “I just now got back from my meeting with the insurance investigator,” she told him. “Peta said you wanted to see me.”

  Nodding, he pointed to a short couch positioned along the back wall of the room. “Let’s sit down. I have something to show you.”

  Suddenly her heart was hammering with heavy dread. Had Noah made good on his threat and told Jett he was quitting his job as foreman of the J Bar S? She couldn’t let him leave! Not without her!

  Feeling dizzy with fear, Bella headed to the couch. A moment later, Jett joined her. A long business-sized envelope was in his hand.

  “This came in my mail today.”

  Without any more explanation, he handed the envelope to her and as Bella read the address, she could feel the blood draining from her face.

  “Jett, this is addressed to Noah in care of you. Why are you showing it to me?”

  A clever smile slanted his lips. “Noah talked to me about the two of you. So I figured you should be the one to give him the letter. It will give you a good excuse to see him.”

  Ignoring the envelope in her hand, she squeezed her eyes shut. “I guess he told you that he—doesn’t want us to be together anymore.”

  Jett sighed. “Noah is a little misguided. But he’ll come around.”

  “I’m not so certain,” she said in a strained voice, then opening her eyes, she looked hopelessly at her brother. “Jett, he’s talking about leaving. And all because of me. If that happened you’d be losing the best ranch hand you’ve ever had. And I—well, I can’t even bear to think about him being gone.”

  Seeing her anguish, Jett put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Look, Bella, don’t worry about me losing my foreman. From the day I hired Noah, I could see he was way overqualified for the job. He s
hould be running a ranch of his own. He knows it and I know it. Something, I don’t know what, is keeping him in limbo. But I don’t push the matter with him, frankly because he’s not the kind of man you can push. And in the end, I guess I’m selfish. I like having him here.”

  He pointed to the letter in her hand. “Do you have any idea of what this might be about?”

  Bella’s gaze dropped from her brother to the return address on the envelope. Camilla Ward, Tombstone, Arizona. “Oh! Oh, no!”

  “Bella, what’s wrong? Do you know the person who sent this letter?”

  Completely stunned, she stared blindly at floor. “No. Not exactly. I mean, he’s talked to me about this person before. But I have no idea why he’d be getting a letter from her.”

  Jett sighed. “Well, Noah has worked for me for seven years and he’s never received mail through my office. Apparently this person wanted to make sure he received it.”

  “I’m wondering how she found him?” Bella voiced the question out loud. “He broke ties with her years ago.”

  Frowning, Jett asked, “Is she an ex-wife or something?”

  The clenched knot in Bella’s stomach worked its way up to lodge in her throat. “No. She’s— I guess you could call her one of Noah’s worst nightmares.”

  Long seconds ticked away as Jett thoughtfully studied the envelope in Bella’s hand. Finally, he said, “If you want to tear that thing up, I’ll pretend I didn’t see it.”

  “Is that advice coming from a brother or a lawyer?” she asked dubiously.

  “That wasn’t advice. Just a brotherly suggestion.”

  Tearing up the letter and pretending she’d never seen it was tempting. After all of the loss and pain Camilla Ward had caused Noah, it would be an act of mercy to keep her from inflicting more. But Bella wasn’t a deceitful or manipulating person. If she ever hoped to have a future with Noah, it had to be built on honesty.

  “Thanks, Jett, but I couldn’t live with that. And the more I think about this, the more I believe he needs to see it.”