The Montana Cowboy's Heart

by Kaylie Newell

  “Oh, hanging in there. I’m actually feeling pretty good. Tired, but better.”

  “I’m so glad! By the way, I sent you some socks. They should be there by the end of the week.”

  “The ones with polar bears?”

  “I got the last pair. I had to arm wrestle some lady for them, but you know.”

  Nola laughed. She’d discovered Marietta Western Wear on a visit last winter. She had Justine check in every few weeks to see what kind of socks they had in stock. Nola loved cozy socks.

  “How’s our little man doing?” she asked.

  “Great. No more fights at school.”

  Nola exhaled on the other end of the line. “Good, good. That’s good news.”

  “He loves the ranch, being around all those animals. And he’s bonded with Porter. Which, you know. Makes me a little worried.”

  “Not everyone is going to let him down, sweetie.”

  A man walked by with a fluffy golden retriever straining at his leash. He made a beeline for Justine, before his owner pulled him close.

  She watched the dog wag his feathery tail at no one in particular, and sighed. “I guess having Cat here is bringing all my stuff back.”

  “With your dad?”

  “With my dad. With my ex-boyfriends. Even with my mom. Sometimes it’s just easier to stay unattached.”

  “But that’s no way to live, Justine.”

  “No, it’s not. Which brings me to something I’ve been needing to tell you…”

  She buried her free hand in her pocket and hunched her shoulders in the chilly breeze. She’d been putting this off for a reason. Telling Nola about Calvin was going to open up a whole can of worms. And her friend didn’t really need any more worms in her life at the moment.

  “I know where Calvin is going to be in November,” she finished evenly.

  A few seconds went by before her friend answered. “Okay…I’m afraid to ask….”

  “Marietta,” Justine said. “There’s a stock auction here right before Thanksgiving, and Porter heard he’s planning on coming. They have rodeo friends who run in the same circle.”

  “Oh boy.”

  “Cat’s been talking about his dad a lot lately, Nola. He wants to find him.”

  “I know he does. This was inevitable. Of course it was. I was just hoping to put it off as long as possible. So he’d be a little older, better able to handle the outcome, whatever it turns out to be.”

  “That makes perfect sense.”

  “But life has a way of throwing us curveballs, doesn’t it?”

  Justine frowned. Yes, it does.

  “Well,” Nola continued softly, “I’m sorry you’re having to deal with this. It’s enough that you’ve taken him in for me.”

  “Don’t be silly. He’s a joy. And I’m just happy to be able to help.”

  “And you are, toots. It’s such a blessing having him there. I hate the thought of that little firecracker having to come back and live with his old grandma next year. Marietta is such a good place for him.”

  Justine swallowed hard. It wasn’t just a good place for Cat, it was a great place. But she was headed overseas, and as wonderful as it was turning out to be, this arrangement would have to come to an end eventually. As usual, the thought made her stomach sink.

  “Anyway,” Nola continued matter-of-factly, “we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. We’ve got enough on our plate with this Calvin situation.”

  “He hasn’t been in touch?” Justine asked. “Not at all?”

  “Oh, I’ve heard from him here and there. But not for ages. I have no idea what kind of man he’s grown into, but I do think his heart used to be in the right place. He was just never ready to take responsibility for anything, always bouncing from one place to the next. And there was probably a part of him that wondered if Cat was even his…”

  Justine sighed.

  “The rodeo suited him,” Nola continued. “The danger, the nomadic lifestyle. I think that’s what drew Melissa to him in the first place. She wanted to tame him, but the more she tried, the wilder he got. She never had a chance, and neither did Cat. Not really.”

  Justine gazed at the park across the street. And beyond that, to where the Marietta River flowed in dark, glassy currents underneath the steely sky. There was something so tragic about Cat’s family story. Not just that his mom died young, but that she’d loved someone who was too wild for her. It reminded Justine of her own mom, and the fact that her dad had left, too. Different circumstances, same result. Nothing in life was guaranteed. Especially love.

  She felt a sudden stinging behind her eyes. Poor Cat. She understood what it was like to be left behind. She understood the scars that people could inflict. Even the most well-meaning people.

  “Do you want me to tell him?” she asked, her voice a little hoarse. “That his dad might be in town?”

  Her friend sighed on the other end of the line. She was probably weighing the options, knowing there weren’t many.

  “Shoot,” Nola finally said. “I think we have to. He’ll find out anyway. Maybe he’ll decide he doesn’t need to see his daddy after all. Maybe being in Marietta will help push that other stuff to the background a little.”

  Justine watched the orange and red maples in the park shiver in the breeze. They looked chilly, too. She wondered if Marietta was enough to make Cat forget about his dad and all the complications there. She could only compare it to her own experience, but knew that nothing, not even pushing her dad out of her life right after he left, made the hurt go with him or ease it from her heart. It just sat there, cold and heavy, like a stone. Making her feel weary and weighted down. She could only guess what it was doing to Cat’s heart, which was still small, impressionable, and growing.

  “Okay,” she said. “I’ll tell him. Try not to worry about it, alright? I’ll let you know how it goes. And in the meantime, we’ll keep him busy at the ranch.”

  “Speaking of…you haven’t told me enough about this ranch. Or the young man who runs it…”

  “Porter?”

  “He’s a looker.”

  Justine laughed. “How do you know that?”

  “But you’re not arguing?”

  “No. He’s…attractive.” Understatement.

  “When you told me Cat was taking lessons, I had to google the ranch. And the owners.”

  Justine had forgotten about Diamond in the Rough’s website. She’d looked at it before the field trip, too. And had seen the same pictures Nola had. As good as they were, they didn’t do Porter justice.

  “So, you’ve been spending time with him?” Nola asked.

  “A little.”

  “Cat says you’re out there several times a week. That’s more than a little. And he came to Cat’s science fair at school?”

  Justine knew where this was going. Nola was always trying to marry her off. For godchildren! she’d say. And Justine knew there was more than a little truth to that. Over the last couple of years, they’d settled into more of a mother-daughter relationship, and that came with a fair amount of prodding where her love life was concerned.

  “He’s a nice guy,” Justine said. “But don’t get your hopes up.”

  “Why not? There’s always hope for you.”

  “Ha ha.”

  “He’s single, isn’t he?”

  “Yup.”

  “Then why can’t I get my hopes up?”

  “I’m leaving, remember?”

  Nola snorted. “Bah. That’s what airplanes are for.”

  Shaking her head, Justine smiled. “I love you.”

  “I know.”

  “I’ll call you later tonight. Dad and I are going to grab a bite before his date.”

  “Joe’s dating?”

  “Yes, and she’s nuts about him.”

  “Well, he’s a good man.”

  “I’ll tell him you said so.”

  “Don’t you dare. It’ll go straight to his head.”

  Justine laughed, then hun
g up and stood there under Rocco’s awning as people walked by. She thought about telling Cat about his dad, and how he might react. With excitement? Nerves? Or maybe Nola was right—maybe somewhere over the last few weeks he’d gotten distracted enough with the ranch that it might be more of an interesting sidenote for him, something to explore but not to worry about. She hoped, however it went, that it wouldn’t cause any more heartache. It was hard enough being eleven without throwing this into the mix.

  Tucking her phone into her jacket pocket, she turned and saw her dad through Rocco’s front window. He was sitting there, sipping a soda and messing with his phone. Suddenly, her heart swelled with love for him. He’d walked out on their family all those years ago, yes. But he’d spent the better part of a decade trying to make up for it. Porter had been right—their story had a happy ending. She hoped there would be a happy ending for Cat, too.

  She opened the door to a blast of warm air. Thank God for the ranch. And thank God for Porter Cole, who was easing Cat’s way more than he probably knew.

  And at the thought of the dark-haired cowboy across town, she smiled.

  Her dad looked up and smiled back. “Well? How’d it go?”

  Chapter Seven

  Porter stood with his arms crossed over his chest, trying his damndest not to let his gaze fall to Justine’s butt, which was where it really wanted to be. Instead, he cleared his throat, and nodded when she glanced back with a look of concern on her pretty face.

  “Like this?”

  “Just like that.”

  She had one boot in the stirrup, and one hand on the back of the saddle. Bailey, Porter’s old bay gelding, stood quietly with his head down and his eyes half-closed. He was used to this kind of thing—beginners swinging clumsy legs over his back, gripping big chunks of his mane to steady themselves. He was unfazed. He swished his tail lazily, and it brushed against Justine’s jacket with a soft swoosh.

  She pushed her knit hat up on her forehead and took a breath. “He’s so big.”

  “He’s big, but he’s just going to stand there until you get settled, I promise.”

  Her lips tilted into a funny half-frown. “And then what?”

  “He’ll do what you tell him to.” This, from Cat, who was sitting on the arena fence and watching with interest. Porter suspected he liked not being the newbie anymore. With Justine getting ready to haul herself onto Bailey’s back for the first time, Cat was now in a position of offering little nuggets of wisdom. Such as, he likes it when you scratch under his chin, or look out, he’s about to poop!

  So far, Justine had been taking all this in stride. But now that she was about to actually climb aboard, she looked stiff and nervous, her shoulders hunched up next to her ears.

  “Here…” Porter walked up behind her and put his hands on her hips. He’d been avoiding this for obvious reasons, because touching her at all made his pulse react accordingly. Not exactly anything he’d want Cat to pick up on. The kid didn’t miss a beat. Plus, he didn’t trust that Justine wouldn’t pick up on it, too. He was more than a little attracted to her and wasn’t ready for all the complication that would bring. Mainly, wanting to get her into bed.

  “Okay,” he said, trying to ignore the feel of her curves underneath his hands. “Lift yourself up, and I’ll help. Just try and swing your leg wide to clear his back.”

  “Easier said than done,” she muttered. “I haven’t been that flexible since high school.”

  He smiled.

  Turning, she gave him a look over her shoulder. “You know what I mean.”

  “Sure.”

  “Okay. One…two…” She bounced a little, which wasn’t helping his frame of mind any. “Three.”

  With a small grunt, she lifted herself up and swung her leg wide like he’d told her. Bailey stood there, still as a statue.

  Justine settled herself on his back, as Porter handed over the reins.

  “You did it,” he said.

  “You helped.”

  Actually, he wouldn’t mind if they did it again. “Not much. Just kept you upright.”

  He gave her a teasing grin, and her cheeks colored. Bingo. He liked that he could get a reaction out of her so easily. He’d never really had to work that hard with women, but something about Justine was different. He wasn’t sure why. He had absolutely no intention of any kind of relationship, with her or anyone else. But since he’d met her, he’d been thinking of things that he hadn’t allowed himself to think of before. If ever.

  She turned around and beamed at Cat, the saddle creaking underneath her. She was beautiful, but her looks were only part of the reason why Porter was so drawn to her. The way she was with this little boy also did something to him. She was a good person. A loving person. He thought of his own mother, someone who couldn’t even be bothered with her own sons, let alone someone else’s.

  He patted Bailey’s hind end, and the horse raised his head.

  “Uh oh,” Justine said warily.

  “He’s just getting ready to go to work,” Porter said.

  “Now that I’m up here,” she said, brushing her hair away from her face, “what exactly does ‘work’ mean?”

  “For now, it means walking in a circle, and getting used to the feel of a horse underneath you. Squeeze a little with your legs, and he’ll go. That’s it. Good.”

  “Justine, you can learn how to jump on Bailey!” Cat said. “I did it the other day and it’s awesome.”

  “I’m not sure she’s quite ready for the Olympics, Champ.”

  “Yeah,” Justine agreed. “I’m having a hard enough time staying on at a walk, right Bailey?” She leaned down and stroked the horse’s fuzzy neck.

  “It’s not a bad idea, though,” Porter said.

  Bailey kept walking, slow and steady, always the perfect gentleman.

  Justine glanced over. “What’s not a bad idea?”

  “The jumping part. I mean, nothing big…more like an obstacle course. When you start getting more confident. It’s a great way to build trust between you and your horse. A good way to bond.”

  “We’re bonding just fine like this.”

  “I bet you’d be great at it, Justine,” Cat said.

  “I’m actually scared of horses,” she said, swaying along with Bailey’s easy gait.

  “You don’t look scared,” Porter said. “You have a nice seat.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means you have a good butt,” Cat said matter-of-factly.

  Justine fixed Porter with a smile.

  “That’s not exactly what it means…” But you do have a nice butt. “Technically, it means you have a natural way of moving in the saddle.”

  “Oh. Well, I’ll take it, then.”

  “I’ll bet you a cup of coffee that you’ll be hooked by the end of the day.”

  She shifted in the saddle, looking more comfortable by the minute. Her dark hair hung in loose, shiny ringlets past her shoulders. Her cheeks were pink from the chilly afternoon air. She was lovely.

  “Oh yeah?” she said. “And is this good coffee?”

  “Is this good coffee? I’ll forgive you for that, because we don’t know each other very well. But everyone around here knows I’m the coffee king.”

  Cat hopped down from the fence. “Can I spend extra time with Abby, then?”

  Justine had said that after the lesson, they were headed into town for some lunch and shopping. Apparently, Cat needed socks and underwear, an adventure that he’d been less than excited about. He looked at them now with a desperate expression on his face.

  Justine glanced at Porter. “You probably have work to do…”

  “Actually, we don’t have any guests right now. The ranch hands have it covered. And I’m due for some coffee anyway.”

  “So, Abby?” Cat asked.

  “A visit from you would make her day.”

  Cat beamed. “Can I bring Alloy some apples, too?”

  He’d made a friend out of the big bull, who came over
to the fence every time he saw Cat coming. The apples helped. But there was no denying Cat had a way with animals that couldn’t be taught. It was a gift. Porter wondered what his father would think of it if he knew. He wondered what he would think of Cat if he knew any damn thing about him.

  At that, there was a small flash of anger deep inside Porter’s chest. His own mother didn’t know anything about her sons, either. She should. She should know how their dad had eventually stepped in to fill the void. She should know how her boys made it without her. How they’d even managed to thrive in Montana. She should know a whole hell of a lot of things, but she didn’t. Because she’d run like a coward. Just like Calvin Roberson had.

  Justine pulled Bailey to a stop in front of him. The horse nudged his pockets, looking for a treat.

  Reaching up, Porter rubbed his soft, whiskery muzzle. Animals had never let him down. Not once in all his time on the ranch. It was people that couldn’t be trusted.

  “Hey,” Justine said quietly.

  He grabbed hold of Bailey’s bridle and looked up at her.

  “Everything okay? You were somewhere else for a second.”

  He nodded but didn’t answer. Thinking about his mom always took him away. Somewhere nobody had ever been able to follow.

  *

  Justine sat beside the crackling fire with Clifford sleeping at her feet. The flames popped and hissed, sending sparks up when a log shifted in the bed of glowing embers.

  She leaned back on the cushy leather couch and looked around. Porter lived in the ranch’s guest house, a building almost as old as the main house itself. It was small, but nice. He’d prepared her for how plain it was, how simple, but she liked its simplicity. The hardwood floors gleamed, and the big, single-paned windows looked directly out onto the barn and the giant pines surrounding it. It almost felt like a treehouse, and again, she thought of how cozy it would be when it snowed, the ranch blanketed in white, and the fire roaring from the small stone hearth.

  “Cream and sugar?” Porter called from the kitchen.

  She could smell the coffee from where she sat. She loved coffee. It was her only vice, and if Porter’s was as good as he said, she might need to find ways to be invited over more often.