Max nodded, then swung off the side of the road and parked.
"We're here," he said.
A sign nearby boasted "Snoquera Falls Trail." Only one other car was present, the owner long gone.
"A waterfall?" Allie asked.
Max nodded, donning a small pack filled with water and trail mix. Eleanor had pushed it into his hands before they left, claiming that people could never be too careful on the trails.
"If you walk far enough, you can get right under it, but it's quite a climb to get to the falls. You can see them from where we'll be just fine. This way."
Allie followed Max onto the trail, already hearing the roar of water nearby. The air was cooler than it was back on the farm and Allie almost wished she had thought to bring a jacket. After a few minutes of walking, Allie began to warm up, finding herself rushing to keep pace with Max.
Then they turned a corner.
"Oh, wow," Allie breathed, drawing to a halt.
The river before them was massive, roaring below them at an incredible pace. It looked white with all of the rapids caused by rocks beneath. A light mist rose off the water, making the air and trees beyond look ethereal.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Max turned back to Allie. "Most of this is snow melt, believe it or not. The river is about half the size of this by the time summer is almost over. Then the rain and snow come back and the water will rise again."
"I've never seen anything quite like it in person before," Allie said.
The continued their hike, silence once again falling between them.
Allie knew that this was her chance to ask Max those questions that had been weighing on her mind. She wanted to know what her father had seen in Julianne. How had they met? She had only ever heard half-stories from her mother growing up, and Allie couldn't help but wonder if they were even true.
But she didn't want to be rude. The man hadn't even known she would be coming, after all. He probably wasn't prepared to share those stories with her. Not yet.
"I thought it would be a good idea for the two of us to get out, get to know each other a little more without the rest of the world looking in on us," Max said over his shoulder.
Allie smiled. "Eleanor always seems to have good ideas," she said.
"Ha!" Max barked. Then shook his head as he laughed. "Smart as a whip. You’ve got us pegged.”
"You two are a team," Allie said without thinking. It was only then that she realized that if she ever remarried, that was the kind of marriage she would want. "It makes me happy to see you so happy. When did you two meet?"
"I met her not too long after I came home from New York, actually," Max said, turning back and resuming their hike. "We were both city-folk, back then. I was in sales, in the construction industry, and she was my new rep when I returned from vacation. Oh boy, did I give her a hard time."
"How so?" Allie asked, navigating around a boulder. Max offered a hand and pulled her up.
"She was new. Fresh out of college and green behind the ears. I teased her, made her job a little more difficult than it should have been. She was cute. A real spit-fire.” He shook his head at the memory. “After she got the idea of what life was like in the working world, she wasn't afraid to give any of us a stern talking to if we needed it. I'll never forget the time she cornered me in the copy room and gave me a lecture about clear communication and teamwork." Max laughed again. "I still remember it. And the way her cheeks were red with temper."
"What made you leave work and start the ranch?" Allie asked.
"My mother," Max said. "Mom and Dad had started the farm all on their own, years before I was even born. Just a small operation, never more than a horse here, some goats there. Then she passed away. Left my father all alone, unable to do something as simple as washing clothes. She had done it for him their entire marriage while he took care of the farm. So, I left the company, moved in with dad, helped him with the farm."
"You were an only child?" Allie asked. She hadn't heard any mention of aunts or uncles.
Max nodded. "Yup. So, I went to help him, and somehow Eleanor kept in touch. Eventually, I invited her out to come see the farm and to go dancing. Then my father passed away. Just like that."
"I'm so sorry. That must have been so hard."
"It was. Suddenly, I had inherited the farm and didn't even know which way was up. But Eleanor stepped in, reminded me about teamwork, and away we went. I asked her to marry me as soon as I could afford a ring."
They walked on in silence, Max stopping every now and then to point out wildlife or a particularly interesting tree. At one point, they stopped to drink their water, sitting on a fallen log that came up to her waist.
"What about you? Anybody back in New York waiting for you?" Max asked.
Allie hesitated. Gary wasn't really part of her life anymore, though he hadn't seemed to get the memo. She shook her head. "No, nobody for me. Too busy with work most of the time."
Max nodded, then cast her a sideways look. "You know, Morris has taken quite a liking to you."
Allie flushed, but shot Max a look anyway. She tried to come up with an excuse, but with their kiss yesterday still at the forefront of her mind, she couldn't find a good one. So, she stayed silent.
Max chuckled to himself. "I know, I know. You have your life in New York. Still. He's a good man."
"I know," Allie all but whispered. She couldn't deny that, having gotten to know him better over the past few days.
"Well, let's go catch a peak at the waterfall, shall we?" Max said, standing once again.
Allie's feet and legs ached by the time the found the waterfall and she wondered how she would make it back to the truck. She pictured the claw-foot tub in her bedroom, pictured the view of the sunset as she sank into it's warm bubbles, and it was almost enough to keep her moving forward.
"I'm sure you're wondering how I met your mother," Max said softly as they peered up at the waterfall.
Allie looked over at Max. His face looked sad, as though he still couldn't forgive himself for not knowing Allie existed.
"Well, only so I could know what else my mother might have been hiding from me," Allie said. Then shrugged when Max looked back at her. "I don't blame you," she added. "It was Mom who hid you from me. I wish you wouldn't blame yourself anymore. I understand the position she put you in and your decision. To be honest, I might have made the same choice. But I am glad I'm getting to know you now."
"I do blame myself,” he said, his voice weary. “I should have known better.
"I met your mother outside of a club near Brooklyn. I was there with an old college buddy of mine. She was there with some friends of hers who wanted to experience life outside of Manhattan." Max shook his head. "We had a good time, the group of us. Then I asked for her number. We all said goodnight, but I wouldn't let her leave until I had that phone number."
Allie smiled at the thought of Max pursuing her mother in such a way. No doubt her mother would have been flattered.
"I called her every day I was in New York, asking her to dinner. She finally said yes and I took her to the most expensive restaurant I could afford. But it worked. I spent the rest of my vacation with her. I thought I was falling in love with her, wanted to take her with me back to Seattle. But she made it clear that this was just for fun and that she never wanted to leave New York. So, we exchanged addresses, said our goodbyes and that was that."
That was not the story Allie had heard growing up. She had heard all about a man who had betrayed her mother, a man who had left in the middle of the night with no contact information at the earliest sign that Julianne had been pregnant.
That story did not match the man that stood next to her now. And she knew without a shadow of doubt that her mother had lied to her.
Allie drew in a long breath, hoping it would help stop the ache that had gathered around her heart. Tears burned in the corners of her eyes.
"She could have told you," Allie whispered. "All those years ago."
Ma
x reached out to Allie, pulled her close into his arms. Peppermint, coffee, and the faintest hint of hay enveloped her. She cried into his chest until her tears were spent, listening to his soothing rumble telling her that everything was alright.
But everything wasn't quite alright. Here, in the forest with her father, Allie could believe everything was alright. She could believe that things happened exactly the way they had because it had been God’s will. But she knew the second she got back to New York, she would be having a very long conversation with her mother.
"I'm sorry," Allie said, pulling back and wiping her eyes. "I've made a mess of your shirt."
"Don't worry about that, silly girl," Max said, tucking some of Allie's hair back behind one ear. "It's not the first time one of my children has cried on my shoulder."
The ache gave way to a burst of warmth that spread throughout Allie. 'My children.' Allie was one of his. And that was the best gift she could have asked for.
"Well, come on then, Dad," Allie said with a smile, stumbling only a little over the title. "I think Eleanor will be quite upset if we are late for dinner."
The grin on Max's face could have out-shined the sun. "You'd be right about that."
CHAPTER NINE
Nerves wrestled in Morris' stomach as he checked over the cattle and pigs his cowhands had unloaded earlier that morning. There was no good reason for him to be nervous. Jake was going to do well in the rodeo, his animals were going to sell. Even the weather was holding out. The horizon threatened a few clouds, but none of them drew close.
Morris huffed out a frustrated breath. No, he had no decent reason to be nervous, but he was nervous all the same.
He knew the Greene’s would be heading to the country fair that weekend. They always made a point to stop by and check in with Morris. Max and Paige also enjoyed the rodeo, so he knew they would be there today.
And they would probably bring Allie.
All day yesterday, Morris had looked over his shoulder, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. But she hadn’t been there. He felt like a fool.
The kiss they had shared had been unexpected, to say the least. He should never had let that happen. But he had been just as caught up in the excitement as Allie had been. Her green eyes had sparkled with joy, wanting to share it with him, and he had been helpless. Utterly helpless.
He was glad they had talked about it afterward and agreed to try to forget what happened. But he knew he would never forget that kiss for as long as he lived.
It was ridiculous to hope that something could grow between them. And when had he ever been hopeful for such a thing? His ranch needed to be his first love. There wasn’t time for romance. Not now. He didn’t want to make that mistake again.
Not like he did with Stacie.
Just one more week. You can hold on for one more week.
Morris was sure he could keep himself busy around the ranch for the next week too busy to offer any more lessons, though he would feel bad about it. Maybe the calves would start dropping. Then he would barely even have enough time to sleep and drink a pot of coffee every day.
"Boss?"
Morris shook himself from his daydreams and turned his attention to Jake, one of his cowhands that was participating in the day’s rodeo. "Show time?" he asked.
"Just about. I gotta get back there and set up. Make sure Storm is ready to go." Storm was Jake's personal horse, trained since he was just a young colt in the craziness that was rodeo.
"You'll do great. I'll be cheering loud for you," Morris said, holding out a hand. Jake met him halfway, his grin wide.
Morris wasn't that much older than Jake, but he couldn't help but feel like a mentor to him. Jake had been one of Morris' first hires, replacing some of the old guard that wanted to retire when his father had. Jake had worked for his father before, so it had been a surprisingly easy transition, and Morris gave all the credit to Jake and his infallible good nature.
If things kept progressing the way they were, Morris could see himself offering Jake a promotion to Foreman. Rowland Ranch was growing and Morris wasn’t sure he could keep up with it on his own any longer.
As Jake wondered off, Morris turned back to the cattle he had been inspecting, making a mental note to call his dad for advice. He didn't even remember what he was looking for, or if he had already found it.
"Good luck, Jake!" A shout came from just outside the entrance of the open stables. Recognizing the voice, Morris jerked his head upward.
There stood Paige and Allie, looking off in the direction Jake must have gone. Paige's arm was waving in the air, her shout echoing in the rafters.
Morris' tongue glued itself to the roof of his mouth and his heart lodged itself in his throat. He swallowed hard, trying to pull himself together before either of the girls noticed.
Allie wore her new cowboy boots and a pair of jeans that were definitely not meant to be worn while riding a horse. She topped the outfit with a flowing white blouse with large blue flowers. She wore the same hat that she brought to her lessons, but instead of her hair being drawn back into a low ponytail, it fell in loose curls around her shoulders.
She was stunning.
It took Morris a moment to realize Allie and Paige had started walking his direction and that he needed to stop staring. He looked back to the cow, pretending once again to give her the once over.
"Hey, Morris," Paige called.
Sending up a prayer for strength and patience, Morris turned back to them and lifted a hand.
"Hey, yourselves," he said, hoping the smile on his face looked easy. It certainly didn't feel easy. "How's your day at the fair going?"
Allie's eyes sparked. "It's fun. I've never been to a small fair like this before, but the smells and the amusement rides remind me of Coney Island. Only more hay."
"It's a twenty-four-seven amusement park in New York," Paige said to Morris.
"Wouldn't you know, I've heard of Coney Island," he deadpanned. Allie laughed.
"Paige didn't know what I was talking about earlier," Allie said, a hint of teasing in her voice.
"I had an idea," Paige said in defense. Then huffed out a sigh. "Go ahead, gang up on me. I'll sic one of these cows on you."
Morris lifted an eyebrow as the cow in question simply lowered her head and munched on more hay.
Allie laughed again. And Morris couldn't look away.
They filled him in on what they had done so far, which wasn't much as they just arrived not even an hour ago. They had stopped by the quilt and crafts building, then to the foods on display.
"I didn't know zucchini could get that big," Allie said, shaking her head in wonder. "Does it even taste good after that?"
Morris shrugged. "I've heard that people just carve them out and fill them with a meat marinara sauce. I can't imagine the taste of the zucchini means much at that point."
The roar of the crowd in the nearby stadium rose, reminding Morris he needed to be in there, cheering Jake on.
"The rodeo is just about to start," Morris said, jerking his head toward the stadium. "Jake's participating this year. Would you like to see?"
He hoped that sounded casual enough. Though the look on Paige's face said he hadn't quite succeeded.
Thankfully, Allie was so excited about the prospect of seeing a rodeo in person that she quickly agreed, turning to Paige to ask if she was interested as well.
"You two go on ahead," she said. Morris narrowed his eyes at her. He knew that she knew what was going on. And apparently she had no qualms about leaving the two of them alone together. "I’ll go find Dad. He wouldn’t want to miss the show.”
"You'll probably find him in line at the Zipper," Morris said.
Paige groaned. "I hope not," she said, already turning and striding away. Then she turned back and said, "I'll find you later, Allie. You have my number, just in case."
Allie nodded and waved. Morris watched Paige rush out of the barn and straight into Cameron. He steadied her, his hands lingering on her sho
ulders.
Interesting.
Feeling as though he were intruding on a personal moment between the two of them, Morris turned back to Allie, whose face had flushed a pretty pink.
He almost made a joke about getting the feeling of being set up, but he felt that it might have been too soon.
"Ever get the feeling you're being set up?" Allie asked quietly.
Morris laughed, a loud and booming sound. Several of the animals startled and stirred in their pens.
"I was just thinking the same thing. That's Paige for you. Come on. The rodeo will be fun."
It was. Morris bought a large tub of kettle corn and two Cokes for them and they found a seat near the top of the bleachers. Morris explained the ins and outs of each set and what to look out for.
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