“I’m not studying them. I’m photographing wildlife, which includes wolves. What I learned from scientific fieldwork helps me find my subjects a little easier, that’s all. The life I’m living now is what I dreamed of before I met Mason.”
Gideon wasn’t completely convinced, and it wasn’t his business in the first place. The idea had mostly occurred to him because lately his mother was on a determined search for old Westcott family keepsakes, not just recipes. He didn’t know if she was trying to remind herself of happier times or if something else was going on.
“Alaina, you’re good with people, yet your childhood dream is to work in isolation from other human beings. I don’t get it. The loner life fits me, not you.”
She grinned. “You aren’t a loner, either, though I’m sure that’s what you want to believe. I’ve seen how much you enjoy spending time with Helene and Libby. You’re friends with Deke. You attend ranch association meetings, and I’ve watched you chat with your employees for much longer than it takes to give them instructions for the day. That isn’t being a loner.”
“Are you trying to say we’re alike?”
“More than you think. We enjoy people, but we also treasure our solitude. Besides, I’m not living in total isolation. I stay in touch with my family.”
He reached down to rub behind Danger’s ears. The German shepherd had followed Alaina from the observation post and kept sending worried looks back and forth between them. “It’s okay, pal,” Gideon murmured.
“Do you want to take him with you?” Alaina asked.
“No. Are we still going on another tour this week?”
“I’m looking forward to it. I’ll be back at the cabin tomorrow.”
“Thursday morning, then. Or I could meet you with the horses up here, if you’d prefer staying.”
She smiled faintly. “That’s all right. I’m hungry for fresh fruits and vegetables. I don’t carry a lot of them when I’m backpacking.”
“I suppose not.” Gideon stroked Danger again before getting into the saddle and turning Brushfire toward the main ranch. When he looked back, Alaina was climbing back to her observation post, Danger at her heels.
She seemed to be thriving. And she kept a spotless campsite. He hadn’t spotted a scrap of trash or food residue that might draw animals to her location. It had been reassuring to see.
His brain turned inevitably to the moment he’d kissed her…and to when she’d kissed him.
Maybe the magic of the moment was as good an explanation as any. Yet he knew it was more than that. He’d wanted to kiss her, no matter how much his good sense told him it was a bad idea. Alaina’s motivation had probably been relief, since she must be thrilled that he wasn’t bothered about the wolf pack. She’d tried to keep him from finding out about them, but he knew what was happening on his property.
Colby Westcott would be appalled at his great-grandson’s tolerance toward predators, but maybe Colby had never heard wolves howl as a pack. Even the puppies had howled, noses up, crying right along with the adults, though one had stopped to scratch behind its ear, only to tumble backward. Just like any other puppy. Alaina’s soft exclamation of delight had grabbed Gideon in the gut and refused to let go. His hands tightened on the reins.
He needed to get his head straight about her. It wasn’t a good idea to think so much about a woman who was leaving in less than a year.
* * *
ALAINA GAZED DOWN at the river without really seeing it. The wolves had disappeared into the brush as if they’d never been there, leaving her with nothing to do except think about Gideon’s kiss.
She touched the tip of her tongue to her lips. They were still tingling. From one perspective it was just a kiss. Well, two kisses, including the one she’d initiated. The trained biologist in her argued that kissing was merely an instinctive behavior, but it was also a pretty nice way of exploring whether something special was possible.
Gideon was radically different from Mason. The age disparity was just a small part of it; her husband had been a scientist first, while Gideon responded more from instinct.
The truth was, Mason wouldn’t have kissed her at that particular moment. He would have been too busy writing down his observations. Later in the evening they might have found a moment for romance, but there was something to be said for spontaneity.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“PLEASE COME WITH US,” Helene urged a few weeks later in August. “Founders Day is so much fun. There’s a parade and they have traditional games for both kids and adults. Also a barbecue lunch.”
“But this is a family outing,” Alaina protested. Gideon’s grandparents, Claire and Joe Carmichael, had arrived late the previous day with the two border collies for Gideon, also hauling a horse trailer with Libby’s horse, Ladybug. They’d timed their visit to coincide with the annual Founders Day celebration, something they rarely missed, according to Libby.
“You’re part of the family,” Helene declared. “Besides, Libby’s college friends arrived late last night and they’re going, too. They think you’re marvelous for finding out about Dr. Barstow’s shady dealings.”
“I can’t take credit. That was my sister-in-law,” Alaina reminded her hastily.
“They’re grateful to both of you. Please come,” Helene said again. “It wouldn’t be the same if you don’t. I can’t bear to think of you alone, with the rest of us having fun. I wouldn’t enjoy myself at all.”
“Are you trying to make me feel guilty?” Alaina teased.
A dimple appeared in Helene’s cheek. “Is it working?”
Alaina thought about how quickly the days were passing. She’d taken thousands of photographs, but each hour that she wasn’t out there working meant she wasn’t getting more. Animals didn’t show up on cue, posing when you needed them, so a wildlife photographer could go days or weeks without getting a single great picture. And it seemed unlikely that Gideon would lease the cabin to her for a second year, especially considering his mixed feelings about her being there in the first place.
Still, the picnic sounded fun.
“All right, I’ll go,” she capitulated, despite her reservations. Those reservations weren’t just about her work; she had concerns about spending any time with Gideon that wasn’t completely necessary.
“That’s wonderful. We’re leaving at nine, which should get us there ahead of the parade. Come over and we’ll sort out who goes in which vehicle. We bring as few cars as possible to take pressure off the parking areas.”
A half hour later Alaina wasn’t surprised when she ended up in Joe and Claire Carmichael’s SUV rather than with Gideon. The tours were going well, but since the day they’d kissed, he’d erected an impersonal wall between them. The only exception was when he’d convinced her to give him access to the GPS tracker on her satellite phone, arguing that it wasn’t any different from what he asked of anyone on the ranch. So she’d argued back that he should do the same and let her track him. Though he’d rolled his eyes, she could now check his location, as well. Not that she had bothered.
Perhaps it was easier this way, though she wouldn’t have minded asking if the people around Bannister had a history of road rage—a week ago she’d encountered an aggressive driver, leaning on his horn and passing at a high speed, swerving so much she had nearly gone off the road to avoid being hit. She’d tried to get the vehicle’s license number, but the plate was too splattered with mud. She didn’t want to be paranoid, but it was hard not to wonder if alcohol was involved.
Alaina dismissed the troubling memory as Gideon’s grandfather parked in town and they got out; it was too nice of a day to dwell on something unpleasant.
The group rendezvoused at a spot near the grandstand and soon brightly colored floats began passing by. Each of the marching bands did a routine for the judges, with the loudest applause coming for the local high school band, the Bannister Bulls. But the judges w
ere impartial; a band from a neighboring county won the trophy.
“I used to be a drum majorette for the Bannister Bulls,” Claire Carmichael told Alaina as they walked toward the park. “Whenever I see a band in a parade, it takes me right back to high school. I’d love to be that age again and know what I know now.”
“But maybe if we knew how things were going to turn out ahead of time, we might never take a chance,” Alaina murmured. “And how else would we grow?”
Claire nodded thoughtfully. She was a bright-eyed, vivacious woman who seemed younger than her seventy-odd years. “True. I hope my grandson is treating you well.”
“Gideon has been very helpful,” Alaina said. “I hope you don’t mind me living in your family’s original cabin.”
“Not at all. I’m glad it’s occupied. And I’m pleased my grandson is behaving himself,” Claire said. “Since his divorce, he can be prickly around young women. I think he’s trying to avoid falling in love again.”
Gideon looked at them over his shoulder. “I heard that.”
“I intended for you to hear me. You haven’t said one word to Alaina the entire time we’ve been here. Where are your manners? Anyone would think you were raised by a pack of wolves.”
* * *
GIDEON LOCKED GAZES with Alaina. He hadn’t told his grandparents that she was the widow of a wolf biologist, or that she’d rather take pictures of wolves than do practically anything else in the world, with the possible exception of photographing a grizzly bear or emperor penguins in Antarctica.
“Better not insult wolves in front of Alaina,” he said lightly. “She thinks they’re beautiful.”
“They are beautiful,” Grandma Claire asserted. “To be honest, I never understood why Dad disliked them so much. Even so, that didn’t stop him from inviting a group of scientists to stay at the Double Branch.”
“I’d forgotten about that,” Gideon said, struck by the reminder. “They were evaluating the impact wolf reintroduction might have on ranches and native species.”
“That’s right. I was visiting part of that time and heard lively debates between Dad and the scientists. None of it was unfriendly, though. He was bitter the government went ahead with the project, but he didn’t hold grudges against the people who supported it.”
“I would have enjoyed meeting Colby,” Alaina said. “He sounds fascinating.”
“Dad would have liked you.”
Gideon agreed. His great-grandfather would have appreciated Alaina. Not only was she an attractive woman, she was intelligent and kind. Yet the thing Colby would have liked most about her was how she’d coaxed Grizzly from his self-imposed isolation.
It was amazing.
Gideon had ridden home early one afternoon and seen Alaina sitting by the paddock in Grandpa Colby’s old chair. Griz had playfully lifted her hat off, flipping it to the ground before stretching his neck over the fence to nuzzle her cheek. She’d reached up to stroke his nose, talking softly to him. It looked like a scene that had been repeated more than once, a private moment of play and affection.
Maybe there was something to the animal-whisperer thing he’d heard about. Gideon had tried and tried to coax Griz out of his funk, yet Alaina had done it in just a few weeks. Nikko, Danger and Rita were also devoted to her.
Gideon had stopped trying to keep everyone from calling the orphan calf by name. Rita was healthy and spirited and bossed the older calves around. A real character. She was a sweetheart about taking her bottle from Alaina, but sulking and difficult with anyone else. Not unlike Griz and Nikko.
His grandmother moved ahead to speak with Helene, leaving him alone with Alaina…which might have been her plan. His mom didn’t seem intent on matchmaking, but the rest of the family might be willing to give it a shot.
“This looks like a popular event,” Alaina said, breaking the silence between them.
“Founders Day is our largest community gathering. But we also have a holiday parade in December. Lighted tractors and that sort of thing. At the end they have a bonfire in the park where people drink hot cider and sing Christmas carols.”
“I’ll look forward to it. Christmas is my favorite holiday. Are there any descendants in Bannister County who still have the Westcott surname?”
“My great-grandfather was the last. For the past couple of generations, the sons had daughters, and the daughters had sons. At least the ones that survived long enough to have children. That happened on the Carmichael side of the family, too, which is why I use my mother’s surname,” Gideon added. He didn’t want to explain that he’d refused to go by his biological father’s name.
At the Mary Westcott Park, the scent of barbecuing steak and chicken filled the air, rising from giant barbecue units. Gideon had purchased a book of tickets ahead of time to avoid an argument about who would get to treat the group, so they joined the long line waiting for food.
Two of Libby’s school friends immediately came forward to talk with Alaina.
“Hi, I’m Austin,” one of them said, “and this is my brother, Nicholas. Libby told us about you. We were on Dr. Barstow’s dig down in New Mexico. Thanks for getting the word out about him.”
“That guy is a real creep,” his brother added. “We wouldn’t have been there if we’d known what he’d done to Libby.”
“My sister-in-law is the one you should be thanking,” Alaina protested. “I just passed the message along.”
“We still appreciate it.”
* * *
“AUSTIN, NICHOLAS…GET back here with the rest of us,” Libby ordered her friends. “You aren’t allowed to jump the line.”
“We were just thanking Mrs. Wright,” Nicholas protested as they returned.
Libby winked at Alaina.
She was glad to have her college friends visiting, even though she’d felt out of place with them since her father’s death. They didn’t know how it felt to lose somebody close, so instead of talking about it, she just pretended that everything was fine.
At least she didn’t have to pretend with Alaina.
Libby looked over and saw Deke speaking with a young family. She didn’t have to pretend with him, either, but she was still uncertain about his job. He was handsome and confident in his uniform, keeping a watchful eye on the town. That side of his duties was fine. But there was a darker side, the one where he could get hurt or killed.
He headed toward her. “Hi, Libby. Enjoy the parade?”
“I always do.”
She introduced him to her friends. Most of them were entering their final year in Bozeman except for Austin’s brother, who was a sophomore. They all hoped to become field archeologists.
“I just got off duty,” Deke explained after saying hello to the others. “I’d like to change my clothes at the office first, but I have an extra ticket to the barbecue. Will you eat with me?”
“Sure. I’m having lunch with Deke,” she told her friends. “You guys go ahead.”
Nicholas didn’t look thrilled. The others were paired off, but his girlfriend hadn’t gotten back to Bozeman yet. She had time, fall class registration didn’t start for over a week, but the others had returned early at Libby’s invitation. They loved the idea of searching for a Paleo-Indian site closer to school.
Libby hooked elbows with Deke as they walked toward the sheriff’s office. “How about being my partner in the three-legged race?” she asked. “Fair warning, I race to win.”
“That’s no surprise.”
The line of people waiting for food had shortened by the time they returned and they quickly got their meal—a sizzling steak, chili, a mound of potato salad and corn bread.
* * *
A HALF HOUR later Libby moaned and pushed her plate away. “I can’t eat another bite if I hope to have room for ice cream. Do you want the rest?”
Deke forked the remains of her s
teak onto his plate. “I have a healthy appetite and this is better than my own cooking.”
“It’s much better than mine. Are you sure you want to keep dating me when I can’t even make scrambled eggs in the morning?”
“I don’t believe in the outdated notion that women are responsible for all meal prep.”
“Sweet-talker. What does your mother say about that?”
Deke chuckled. “My mom is great,” he said, “but domestic arts aren’t her strong suit. I learned my way around the kitchen and a vacuum cleaner at an early age. Mom uses scrap metal to sculpt life-sized animal figures. Her work has sold as far away as Australia.”
Libby’s brow creased in thought. “I had a class where the prof did a segment on Montana artists who use recycled materials. I think he talked about her. It was pretty cool.”
Deke was proud of his mother’s accomplishments, the same way he was proud of his dad for being a great sheriff.
“Gideon told me that you and your friends are going to look for sites to excavate on the Double Branch,” he said casually. “What’s that all about?”
Libby’s eyes lit up. “Alaina said something that started me thinking. As far as I know, nobody has searched Bannister County for prehistoric settlements. When I mentioned it to Alaina, she remembered reading an entry in Jonah Westcott’s journals that suggested he may have seen something. She’s going over the journals again to look for clues.”
“Why aren’t you reading them yourself?”
Libby made a face. “I can’t decipher Jonah’s handwriting, while Alaina doesn’t have any trouble. She says it’s because she has years of experience reading scribbled scientific field notes. Anyway, she’s doing a transcript and she’ll also keep an eye out during her hikes.”
“Supposing you find a dig site, will you bring your professors in from the college?”
Libby shook her head. “No, at least not right away. It isn’t as if we don’t have any training.”
Knowing she was interested in doing fieldwork closer to home reassured Deke, but it didn’t resolve everything. The age gap between them remained problematic, to him at least, and he still had no idea when or if she wanted a family. She hadn’t said anything about liking kids and it seemed early in their relationship to just ask.
Harlequin Heartwarming December 2020 Box Set Page 83
