THE COWBOY SHE COULDN'T FORGET

by Patricia Thayer

  “Did you know that Dad refused Hank Clarkson’s offer of pay to bring fly fishermen on the property?”

  With a shrug, Vance scooped up a piece of meat. “A long time ago I heard rumors. I thought it was a friendly disagreement between the two.”

  She opened the folder. “It’s a friendly disagreement that would have brought in a lot of money for the ranch.”

  Vance continued to eat. “I’m listening.”

  “Earlier, I drove into town to pick up some clothes from my apartment. Afterward I stopped by Clarkson’s Trading Post to see my friend Sarah. Hank Clarkson asked about Dad’s condition, then said something about the section of the Big Hole River on our property.”

  Vance watched as Ana tilted her head, mesmerized by her thick ebony hair brushing against her bare shoulders.

  “Seems Hank has several clients who want to fish in a private section of the river.” She opened the folder and took out a paper with the going rate anglers pay. “We could be making a portion of that amount.”

  “Is that before or after the guide and Hank’s commission?”

  “Well, before, but he’s supplying the boats and the guide. It still leaves a lot of money. Hank also said we could make a lot more if he had lodging for overnight trips.”

  Seeing her excitement, Vance began to realize there could be possibilities, too. “I’ve fished along the river and the trout are big. It might not be the answer to all of our problems unless...”

  Her rich blue eyes lit up and he couldn’t look away. “Unless what?”

  “A lot of things,” he managed to answer. “Do you want to do this temporarily, or is this going to be a permanent addition to the ranch?”

  “Seems that with the ranch having so many bad years, I think we should see where this could take us.”

  He liked the idea better and better. “Do you want to hire our own guide? Build structures to house the customers?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. What do you think?”

  “Shouldn’t you talk to your sisters?”

  She shook her head. “First, I probably can’t get them to make a decision. This is something we can do right now. Hank assured me that he can get some paying customers pronto and I don’t want to lose this opportunity.” She looked at Vance. “Is it crazy to invest in something like this?”

  “Since there isn’t a lot of money to spend on investing, maybe we should tread cautiously. See how it works for day fishing first.”

  “So you like the idea?”

  “Yes. It’s something that doesn’t cost us anything to start with. But we have to do a trial run to see if the investment is worth expanding before we think about building some cabins.”

  She looked thoughtful. “What about some of our existing buildings? The bunkhouses?”

  “They could work, but they’ll soon be filled up with the extra hands for the roundup.”

  She nodded. “Okay, we’ll start with day trips. I told Hank that he could stop by tomorrow and check out the best sites. Do you want to come along?”

  It would probably be better if he stayed clear of her, but he was pleased that she even asked him. “We’re moving the herd down at dawn,” he told her. “I guess I could meet you there along the river.”

  Since the day Vance Rivers had shown up at the Lazy S, Ana had never wanted to think anything good about him. He’d been the kid who took so much of her father’s attention. In all honesty, Vance never had much to do with her dad’s decision making. Colt Slater made sure that his word was law. Until now.

  She smiled. “Good. I want you there to help in case I have to make any decisions. I don’t know the ranch like you do.”

  “I’m sorry for that.”

  “It’s not your fault, Vance. That was Dad’s choice.”

  “Well, looks like you’re involved now. And you have every right to any make decisions about the ranch.”

  “I’m doing this for all of us.” She sighed. “Right now, I’m not sure if my sisters care if the ranch survives or not. But I’m hoping that will change. This is our heritage.”

  Vance grinned. “Then I guess we better keep the Lazy S going.”

  Suddenly she felt warm. Undoubtedly, she was attracted to the man, even after all these years. Not a good idea, not when everything depended on them working together.

  * * *

  The next day, Ana had made an early trip to the hospital to see her father. Colt was just as cold and distant as he’d always been. So she left wondering why she even bothered with a man who didn’t care.

  Glad to be out of the hospital, she checked her watch as she pulled off the highway and onto the river road. It took about ten minutes to get to her destination, where she saw Hank Clarkson walking along the riverbank under the grove of trees. He wasn’t alone. The younger, blond man with Hank was Mike Sawhill. She hesitated to get out of her SUV when she recognized him, a man she’d been foolish enough to go out with a few times. When Mike had wanted to push things faster than she wanted to go, things didn’t end well.

  She climbed out and walked through the high grass to the riverbank, glad she wore her jeans and her cowboy boots. “Hi, Hank.” She nodded at the other man. “Mike.”

  “Hello, Ana. It’s been a long time.”

  She ignored his comment. “Sorry I’m late.”

  “Not a problem,” Hank assured her. “Mike and I were just trying to find the best spot to launch a boat.” The older man took off his hat and wiped his brow. “We might need to clear out some brush.”

  They walked toward the wide river that ran through the Lazy S. She felt the cool breeze off the water, remembering how as kids, she and her sisters would go horseback riding here. They’d strip down to their underwear and get in the cold water.

  She brushed aside the fond memory. “Will that be a lot of work?” she asked, trying not to notice that Mike was staring at her.

  Suddenly she spotted a horse and rider coming across the pasture. She smiled when she recognized Vance. “Good, he made it.”

  They all turned as the rider came closer. The man sat in the saddle as if he were born to it. There was an easy familiarity in the way Vance handled the large animal.

  He slowed Rusty as he approached them, then walked his mount to the area behind the vehicles and climbed down. After tying the reins to a tree, he strolled over to the group, decked out in working cowboy gear: leather chaps, dusty jeans and boots. Oh my, Vance Rivers looked good.

  He pushed his hat back off his forehead. “Sorry I’m late. I had to move a herd.” He shook hands with Hank.

  “It is roundup time,” Hank said, then introduced Mike. “We just got here ourselves.”

  Ana watched something flash between the two men, and stepped in. “Did everything go okay?”

  “Yeah, just had to chase down a lot of strays.” He smiled at her. “What did I miss?”

  “Hank’s a little worried about the steep bank and brush, for launching a boat from here.”

  Vance caught Mike Sawhill’s close attention on Ana. He didn’t like it. “There might be a better spot about a quarter mile downstream. I’ve caught my share of browns and rainbows there.”

  They took off and walked the distance. After being in the saddle all morning, Vance didn’t mind stretching his legs. In between answering questions from Hank, he also watched Ana’s uneasiness around Mike.

  Vance didn’t know the angler guide personally, but he’d seen him around town, especially in Montana Mick’s Bar, usually with a lady.

  He suddenly felt protective, and called to Ana. She turned around, and he asked about her visit with Colt. It distracted her from whatever Sawhill was saying to her.

  They finally reached their destination. “Here it is,” Vance announced as they turned toward the bank. The area was shaded by leafy
trees, and the bank wasn’t as steep and had a small clearing.

  “I’ve fished here a few times, but never launched a boat. So you’ll have to tell me if it will work.”

  The two men went to examine the bank closer, giving Vance a chance to talk to Ana. “Is Sawhill someone to you?”

  She glared at him. “No!” she muttered, keeping her voice down.

  Vance could see there had been some history between them. He didn’t like that, not at all.

  When the two men walked back, Hank was smiling. “It’s a great spot. There’s plenty of shade and the water is deep.” He looked at Ana. “How soon do you want your first customers?”

  Ana glanced at Vance, then back at Hank. “Is there anything we need to do to get ready?”

  “Not to begin with. I have several locals who’ve been itchin’ to cast a fly in this section of the river. No angler wants to compete in a crowd.” Hank looked at Mike. “Day after tomorrow?”

  Mike nodded. “I have a group of four. We’ll be testing the water to see what we catch. Thing is, the Big Hole River is all good.”

  Hank smiled again. “Is that okay with you?” he asked Ana.

  Her eyes widened. “Sure.”

  The older man shook his head. “Relax, Ana. We’re doing all the work. Now, if you had lodging, there’s a group coming in this weekend. I’ll have to put them up in the local motel.”

  Vance was suddenly curious. “How many anglers, and what do they expect in accommodations?”

  “It’s a group of four who are pretty easy to please. A roof over their heads and a bed. A bonus would be to not have to cook.”

  Vance glanced at Ana, then said, “I’ve got a house at the ranch, and if Kathleen will cook a little extra, we can throw in a few meals, too.”

  Ana shook her head. “No, Vance. You can’t give up your place.”

  He shrugged. “Not a problem.” He shot a look at Mike. “I’ll just move up to the main house with you.”

  * * *

  “I can’t believe you said that,” Ana said as she marched up to Rusty’s stall an hour later. She was not happy with Vance.

  She leaned against the wooden slats as he began to brush the animal.

  “I don’t see the problem,” he told her. “It’s my house to give up.”

  “You know that’s not what I’m talking about. You made them think that there’s something going on between us.”

  “Can I help what they think?”

  “You can when you direct them there,” she countered.

  “Okay, you’re right, but I didn’t like the way Sawhill was looking at you. And admit it, you’re uncomfortable around him.”

  “I can handle any problem with Mike.”

  Vance paused in grooming Rusty. “So you admit there’s a problem.”

  “Look, we only went out a few times. I didn’t feel anything for the guy so I didn’t continue seeing him. He didn’t like that.”

  “Did he bother you today?”

  “No. So I don’t need you to intervene. But now you made it so people think I’m...”

  “Involved with that wild Rivers kid,” he finished for her.

  “I didn’t mean it like that.” She released a sigh. “Don’t we have enough to do without adding to it?”

  “I don’t see I’m adding to anything. I solved a couple of problems. One, I got Sawhill off your back, stopped him thinking about trying to start up something again.”

  “I’m not interested, anyway.” This man was infuriating. “It was only a few dates, a few kisses,” she said, lowering her voice, wanting to walk away. She wasn’t going to discuss another man with him.

  Vance put away the brush. “Secondly, we have paying customers, and add in lodging, there’s a lot more money coming in. Say, ‘thank you, Vance.’”

  Ana knew she was being stubborn about this. Why did she have a problem with him staying in the house? Maybe because there were just the two of them, and with the attraction she was feeling, it wasn’t safe. “Okay, thank you.”

  Vance stroked Rusty across his back, then walked out of the stall. “It’s only for a week, Ana. Could you put up with me that long?”

  They started down the barn aisle. At this time of day the men were out doing chores. So besides the horses in their stalls, they were pretty much alone.

  “Or should I move back into my old room in the barn, or the bunkhouse?”

  She stopped. “I can’t let you do that. Of course you can move into the house.”

  Vance’s eyes softened, then he gripped her hand and pulled her into the empty corner stall.

  “Vance, what are you doing?”

  With a tug of her hand, he had her suddenly against his body. “I thought since you don’t want to be seen with me, we shouldn’t let anyone see when I do this.” His mouth closed over hers, and Ana wanted to cry out for him to stop, but that would be a lie. She’d wanted this since Los Angeles. His mouth slanted over hers and her arms wrapped around his neck as the kiss deepened.

  A soft moan escaped her lips as she moved closer, so close she could feel the hard planes of his chest. Oh, God. Her body was betraying her as she eagerly returned his kiss.

  He finally broke away and looked down at her. His dark gaze was heated. “It seems your kissing has improved over the years.”

  * * *

  The room was dark, as much as a hospital room could be. Colt couldn’t wait to get out of this place. To be able to sleep in his own bed, in his own house. He closed his eyes and realized that might never happen.

  If he didn’t get better, he couldn’t go back to the ranch—that was a fact. So he needed to get his strength back, to relearn to walk and talk again. It had been barely a week since his stroke, since his entire life fell apart.

  God, he was only fifty-four years old. What had happened? Lousy habits for one, along with stress and endless hours of work. That wasn’t any kind of life. He thought back over years of not caring about anything. He’d lost so much, he hadn’t wanted to go on, especially after the girls left home. Hell, he’d driven them away, and ended up all by himself. Vance was the only one who’d hung in with him and the ranch. Now Colt was pretty sure he would lose the Lazy S and rot away in some nursing home.

  He thought back to the early years and the joy he once had in his life. Luisa and their beautiful daughters. They were all gone, except for Ana. For some crazy reason she wanted him to survive. He felt a surge of hope. Maybe he could salvage something and at least have part of a family.

  He needed to get better. He glanced down at his lifeless hand and recalled what his therapist, Jay, had said: “You have to put in the time and hard work.”

  Colt stared down at his hand again, willing it to move. It seemed to take forever, but he finally lifted two of his fingers. Then he dropped his head back on the pillow and smiled, feeling for the first time in a long time that he wanted to do this. He thought back to his rodeo days and the determination it took to climb on a bull, to ride the eight seconds.

  Colt opened his mouth, working to form something more than a grunt. “Sss...second ch...chance,” he said in the silent room.

  The small accomplishment brought more joy than he’d felt in years. Suddenly, he didn’t want to just lie down and die. There were things he needed to change and correct before he checked out of this world.

  He closed his eyes, and this time sleep finally came, but so did a dream of his beautiful Luisa.

  She stood in the doorway, then it seemed she floated across the room to his bedside. She leaned in closer and he could see her face, her beautiful face.

  “Colton,” she whispered.

  Her voice touched off so many feelings, feelings he’d suppressed for years since she had abandoned him. Yet the pull was too strong to deny. “Luisa.” He tried to ope
n his eyes, but couldn’t. “Luisa.”

  “I’m here, Colton.” She touched his face. “I’ve always been here.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  “I’M SO SORRY, Ana,” Sarah said as they sat at a corner table in the Big Sky Grill the next day. “I had no idea Mike was the guide going with Dad yesterday.”

  “It’s not a problem,” Ana told her friend. “It’s not like I’m going fishing with the group. So we won’t cross paths again.”

  Sarah munched on a French fry, then said, “Mike can be a pain in the butt sometimes with his flirting, but he knows if he steps over the line he’ll have to deal with Dad.” She leaned back in her seat. “And he likes his job too much for that.”

  Ana had always envied her friend’s relationship with her father, their closeness. “It wasn’t a problem. I can handle Mike.”

  Sarah leaned forward and lowered her voice. “And it didn’t hurt to have Vance Rivers come to your rescue.”

  Not hungry any longer, Ana pushed her club sandwich away. “I didn’t need to be rescued at all.” She shook her head. “What is it about men that makes them think they need to compete against each other, and I’m the prize?”

  Sarah smiled. “I’d say you’re a pretty lucky girl. I wouldn’t mind having someone like Vance around...just in case.”

  Ana tried not to think about him that way. “Sarah, you know we have to work together. That’s all that’s going on.”

  “So you don’t have any feelings for the man? No sparks between you two?”

  Ana shook her head, knowing she was lying. Yesterday’s kiss in the barn proved that there were sparks. Okay, more like fireworks. But what about Vance? Was he trying to prove a point by kissing the boss’s daughter, as he had all those years ago?

  Sarah’s voice quickly brought Ana back to reality. “I would think a man as handsome as Vance would get your juices flowing.”

  “I can’t afford to get anything flowing. We have to focus on the ranch. And there’s Dad to think about. I have too much on my plate right now to think about him or any man.”

  “I’m sorry, Ana. Is there anything I can do to help?”