The Little Maverick Matchmaker (Montana Mavericks: The Lonelyhearts Ranch Book 3)

by Stella Bagwell

  “Always.”

  “Well, thank you for joining me for coffee,” he said.

  Without thinking, she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. “Thank you for asking me, Drew.”

  Clearly surprised, he stared at her. Then before she could guess his intentions, his hands were on her shoulders, drawing her forward. And then his lips came down on hers in a deep, all-consuming kiss.

  The intimate contact momentarily shocked her, and for a split second her senses were so stunned she was incapable of reacting. Until a shower of hot, sweet pleasure shot through her, prompting her to open her lips and kiss him in return.

  Josselyn had no idea how long the embrace lasted. As far as her hazy mind was concerned, the time could’ve been brief seconds, or long minutes. Either way, when he finally lifted his head and gazed down at her, she was totally breathless and aching for more.

  “You’re welcome, Josselyn,” he murmured. “And good night.”

  Totally bemused, she watched him turn and walk to his car. Was that all he had to say after that scorching kiss?

  Decidedly shaken, she slipped into her own car and with trembling fingers quickly started the motor. As she fastened her seat belt, she noticed he hadn’t yet moved his car. Which could only mean he was waiting until he saw her safely leave the parking lot.

  He hadn’t yet realized that he was the biggest threat to her well-being, Josselyn thought. Especially the condition of her heart.

  Chapter Five

  The next afternoon, Drew was sitting at his desk attempting to make sense of a patient’s chart, but all he could seem to concentrate on was that damned kiss he’d planted on Josselyn’s lips.

  He still couldn’t figure out what had possessed him to do such a thing. Since Evelyn had died, he hadn’t touched a woman in a personal way, much less kissed one. And he sure as hell hadn’t wanted to.

  Releasing a heavy breath, he turned away from the data on the computer screen and raked his fingers through his hair. He should’ve listened to his gut back in Thunder Canyon and stayed put. From the very first day he’d moved to Rust Creek Falls everything about his life had felt different.

  And why should that be upsetting you, Drew? Because for the first time in six years, your life is starting to change? Maybe whatever is in the air or the water here in Rust Creek Falls is pushing you to finally decide to be a man again. A real father to Dillon. What do you want to do? Run from the challenge?

  Cursing at the reproachful voice in his head, Drew left his desk and walked over to a window overlooking South Lodgepole Lane. Two blocks to the west was the elementary school. If he wanted to be honest with himself, he’d admit he wanted to see Josselyn again. Kiss her again.

  A faint knock on the door interrupted his agonizing thoughts and he glanced over his shoulder to see Nadine Rutledge, one of the two nurses who assisted him, peering around the door.

  “Yes, Nadine. Am I needed?”

  The dark-haired woman in her midforties nodded. “You’re always needed, Dr. Strickland. That’s what you get for being a good doctor. I have Mrs. Peters in room two.”

  Frowning, he strode toward the nurse. “I don’t remember her being scheduled for a visit today.”

  “She wasn’t. She walked in about five minutes ago saying she’s not feeling well. Her vitals are okay. Except for her blood pressure. It’s far too high.”

  Drew grabbed his lab coat from a hook by the door and quickly shouldered it on. “Damn. Don’t tell me we have another case of toxemia. She’s far too early in her pregnancy to induce labor.”

  Nadine caught him by his sleeve and he paused, one brow arched in question.

  She said, “I think you should know she’s under a load of stress.”

  “What kind of stress?” Drew asked. “Family? Work?”

  Nadine’s lips thinned to a straight line. “Family. Or I should say, lack of one. The baby’s father lit out for places unknown. From what I hear, he suddenly decided he didn’t want the responsibility of a wife or child.”

  Sickened by the news, Drew cursed under his breath. “We can hardly fix that problem for her. But we can try to keep her and the baby physically healthy. Draw blood for a full workup and get it to the lab ASAP.”

  He started down the hallway with Nadine scurrying ahead of him, and for the next few minutes thoughts of kissing Josselyn were pushed aside.

  * * *

  Later that afternoon, Josselyn was loading a tote bag filled with books onto the back seat of her car when a vehicle wheeled into the space next to her.

  At this hour of the day, teachers and staff were leaving the school parking lot, not arriving, she thought, as she turned to see a sleek black car come to a jarring halt.

  The vehicle looked vaguely familiar and then it dawned on her that the car belonged to Drew. What was he doing here? He couldn’t be picking up Dillon, she decided. School had let out two hours ago.

  Her heart tapping out a happy rhythm, she stood near the back fender of her little red car and waited for him to join her.

  Smiling, she called to him, “Hello, Drew.”

  “Hello,” he greeted in return. “Looks like I caught you just as you were leaving.”

  Her gaze slipped furtively over his face. Lines of fatigue were etched around his eyes and lips, but rather than detract from his good looks, they made him appear more human and vulnerable. Qualities that made him even more attractive to Josselyn.

  “Yes,” she told him. “I was about to head home.”

  “I just left the clinic and drove by the school on a chance you might still be here.”

  “You wanted to see me?” After that kiss he’d given her last night, the idea shouldn’t have been all that surprising. But it was. She’d gone home telling herself the man was too wrapped up in his past to ever take a second look at her. Perhaps she’d been wrong. The thought made her heart beat even faster.

  One corner of his perfectly chiseled lips curled with amusement. “Is that so hard to believe?”

  In spite of the cool mountain breeze drifting through the parking lot, her cheeks felt incredibly hot. “To be honest, yes.”

  She watched the other corner of his lips lift to form a perfect little smile. The result caused her breath to catch in her throat.

  He said, “To be honest, it surprises me, too.”

  Her fingers nervously adjusted the red scarf draped around her neck. “So—uh—are you having a problem with Dillon and his books?”

  “No. He seems happy and he’s reading. Or, at least, he’s pretending to.” He moved a step closer. “I wanted to see what you thought about taking Dillon fishing this weekend. Being outdoors might not be your thing, but Dillon would enjoy your company. And so would I.”

  He wasn’t asking her to go on a date, she told herself. Yet it sounded darned close to it and that was enough to send a thrill rushing through her.

  “Fishing? Gosh, I used to go fishing with my brothers. But it’s been a long time.”

  “Same here. Maybe we can refresh our fishing skills together. Anyway, it doesn’t matter if we catch anything. The outing will be good for Dillon. And for me,” he added, as though she needed more persuading.

  Even though she was inwardly jumping up and down with joy, she pretended to consider his offer. “When is this fishing trip supposed to happen?”

  “Tomorrow is Saturday. If you’re free, how about I pick you up about ten? I thought we might drive up the mountain toward the falls. If I remember right, there should be a few trout streams around there. I’ll have Claire pack us a picnic basket.”

  She couldn’t contain a cheery smile from spreading across her face. “I’ll be ready,” she told him, then dared to reach out and touch a finger to the lapel of his lab coat. The white starched garment made him look very professional, not to mention incredibly handsome. “Are you stil
l working?”

  He glanced down at himself. “It’s been a long day. We just wrapped up a few minutes ago,” he said. “I left the clinic in such a hurry I guess I forgot to leave my lab coat behind. But don’t worry. I won’t be Dr. Strickland tomorrow.”

  Josselyn was definitely seeing a side of this man that she hadn’t seen before. And this new Drew was definitely charming her without even trying.

  “Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” she said impishly. “I might get a fishing lure barb stuck in my hand and need a doctor’s attention.”

  He reached for her hand and lifted the palm up for his inspection. “And such a soft little thing, too. I’ll try to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

  His dark brown gaze lifted from her hand to her face and Josselyn could almost feel the warmth of his eyes gliding over the curve of her bottom lip. The sensation very nearly caused her to shiver.

  “Uh—do I need to bring anything?” she finally managed to ask.

  “Gramps, as Dillon calls him, has all sorts of fishing equipment we can use. I’ll bring plenty for the three of us. And I’m supplying our lunch. So all you need to bring is yourself.”

  “Sounds easy enough.”

  His gaze continued to delve into hers, while the warmth of his hand was slowly scorching her own. Charged silence settled all around them, until he finally dropped her hand and stepped back.

  Clearing his throat, he said, “Great. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Yes. In the morning,” she repeated.

  He took another step backward, which very nearly caused him to bump into the passenger door of his car. But rather than skirt the hood and slide into the driver’s seat, he continued to stare at her with a bemused expression.

  “Was there something else you wanted to say?” she asked.

  “Only about that kiss we shared last night. It was...very nice.”

  Her heart thumped erratically and she drew in a deep breath, hoping to calm it. “Yes. Very nice,” she replied.

  “I’d better be going.”

  He lifted a hand in farewell and Josselyn waved back before she slipped into the driver’s seat of her car and started the engine.

  It wasn’t until she was out of town and driving toward Sunshine Farm that her breathing returned to normal and the smile on her face faded to a dreamy repose.

  She was going on an outing with Dr. Drew Strickland. Rust Creek Falls truly was a magical place.

  * * *

  “Dad, what if I don’t catch a fish? Miss Weaver will think I’m an awful fisherman.”

  Drew silently groaned as he steered the car down the country road. At seven years old his son was already concerned about impressing a female. Drew couldn’t remember having such thoughts at that age. But then, he supposed males were born with the need for a woman’s admiration and attention.

  “I wouldn’t worry, Dillon. I have a feeling you’ll catch a fish. And I think just for today it will be okay for you to call Miss Weaver Josselyn.”

  In the back seat, Dillon scooted forward until the seat belt strained tight across his chest.

  “You really think so?” he asked, his eyes shining with excitement.

  “Yes. But at school you’ll have to be respectful and go back to calling her Miss Weaver. Can you remember to do that?”

  “Oh sure, Dad, I’ll remember. But what’s respectful? Do I know how to be like that?”

  “Sometimes I wonder,” Drew murmured under his breath.

  “What?”

  Drew glanced in the rearview mirror to see a bewildered frown on his son’s face.

  Hiding a smile, Drew explained, “It means being courteous and minding your manners. I’ve taught you about manners.”

  “Yeah. And most of them aren’t too fun. Especially being quiet and sitting still. Who likes to do that?”

  Drew chuckled and the sound must have caught Dillon’s attention because he said, “You’re laughing, Dad. You don’t ever laugh. You must be feeling good this morning.”

  Dillon’s observation caused Drew to pause with faint surprise. He did feel good, he realized. In fact, he felt downright close to happy. Something he’d not felt since Evelyn’s accident. What did it mean? That he was finally learning to live again? And God help him, would this hopeful feeling last, or die after a few days or weeks?

  Determined to shake away the negative thoughts, Drew glanced over his shoulder and smiled at Dillon. “I am feeling good. I’m taking my son fishing.”

  “And Miss Weaver—I mean, Josselyn—is coming with us! Yippee! We’re gonna have fun!”

  Fun. By the end of the day, Drew hoped to get reacquainted with the feeling.

  * * *

  The morning had dawned bright and beautiful with only a few wisps of clouds drifting across the sky. Like Wyoming, Josselyn was learning that Montana in September could be cold at night and throughout a portion of the morning. Keeping that in mind, she dressed warmly in jeans and boots and a plaid flannel shirt and topped it with a sheepskin-lined denim jacket.

  At five minutes before ten, Josselyn was sitting on the tiny front porch of her little cabin when she spotted a dark green Jeep turning onto the graveled driveway leading into the Sunshine Farm property. It wasn’t until the vehicle pulled to a stop in front of her cabin that she realized it was Drew and Dillon.

  Her spirits soaring, she gathered up her tote bag and walked out to greet them.

  Dillon was the first one out of the Jeep and he raced up to her, his face wreathed with a huge grin.

  “Hi, Miss Weaver! Dad says I can call you Josselyn today. Is that okay with you?”

  She looked around to see Drew had joined them. As soon as her gaze connected with his, he gave her a conspiring wink. The connection warmed her as much as the smile on his face.

  “Sure it’s okay,” she told Dillon. “We’re not at school today. We’re just friends going fishing. Right?”

  “Right!”

  He raised his palm for a high five and Josselyn obliged with a quick slap of her hand.

  Dillon cast his father a smug grin. “See? She’s the best!”

  Spotting the uncomfortable look on Drew’s face, Josselyn quickly turned the conversation in a different direction. “Would you two like to come in for a warm drink or something before we leave?”

  “No thanks. Maybe later,” Drew told her. “If you’re ready, let’s be on our way. Dillon says if the sun gets too high in the sky the fish will quit biting.”

  “That’s what Gramps says,” the boy spoke up. “And he knows all about catching trout.”

  “Well, good news, I have my bag and I’m ready to go,” Josselyn informed him.

  “I borrowed my grandfather’s Jeep today,” Drew explained. “Where we’re going the roads get a little rough. I hope you don’t mind.”

  She laughed. “Are you kidding? Back in Wyoming, my brothers rattled me all over the mountains in an old pickup truck with a bench seat. The Jeep will be like going in luxury.”

  Drew helped her into the front passenger seat of the rugged vehicle, then made sure Dillon was safely strapped into the back. Once they were traveling slowly down the graveled drive toward the main road, he glanced over to the three-storied farmhouse and the big yellow barn sitting some distance away from it.

  “Looks like the Stocktons have been doing quite a bit of work around here. Last time I was out this way the whole place appeared pretty ragged.”

  “Yes, from what I understand years went by and the family wasn’t even aware that the property still belonged to them. When they discovered the old estate was still in the Stockton name, they decided to make it a home again. Eva told me the main house needed lots of repairs. So did the barn. But the restoration is all slowly and surely coming together.”

  Peering out the window, Dillon said, “That barn is a funny color. I tho
ught barns were supposed to be red. Like back on Grandpa Jerry’s ranch in Thunder Canyon.”

  “Barns can be any color you want them to be,” Drew told him, then grinned over at Josselyn. “Bet you would’ve never guessed I could be unconventional.”

  She let out a short laugh. “That’s really climbing out of the box, all right.”

  “Gosh, I’ve never seen Dad in a box before,” Dillon said. “He’d look funny.”

  Drew cast her a wry glance. “See. I have him fooled.”

  The fact that he could joke about himself endeared him to Josselyn even more, and as they drove northward into the mountains, she wondered how she was going to get through the day without falling head over heels for the man.

  * * *

  Before they reached the summit of the mountain where the falls were located, Drew turned off on a dim dirt road leading into the forest. From the corner of his eye, he could see Josselyn looking around with interest at the tall pine and fir trees mixed with low underbrush.

  “Does this land belong to anyone?” she asked. “I haven’t noticed any posted signs.”

  “I’m not sure who owns this area of the mountain. Gramps assures me that it’s always been open to anyone who wants to fish,” Drew said as he steered the Jeep over rough patches in the road.

  “It’s very beautiful,” Josselyn commented. “The forests around Laramie aren’t nearly this thick.”

  Drew glanced in her direction. “In the summers, when my brothers and I were teenagers, we’d come to Rust Creek Falls to visit our grandparents. Gramps would bring us up here to fish. By that age, we really wanted to be down on the streets of town, hunting pretty girls to talk to. But for his sake, we fished and pretended we were having a good time.”

  “You won’t have to pretend today, Dad,” Dillon spoke up, his face peeking between the two front seats. “You have a pretty girl to talk to while you fish.”

  Chuckling, Drew reached around and rubbed the top of Dillon’s head. “This boy is getting smarter every day,” he said to Josselyn.

  The roundabout compliment put a warm pink color on her cheek. Drew found himself wanting to stare at her fresh face. Not only was she beautiful, but something about her smiles lifted his spirit and made him feel whole again.