Hard Loving Cowboy

by A. J. Pine

  Jane panted happily.

  “All we have to do is head down the trail to where it meets up with the highway; then we’ll be home free.” Easy enough. She folded up the map, stuffed it back into her pack, and then shoved her feet into the brand-new hiking boots that had given her blisters yesterday. She stood gingerly, stiff from a night on the thin foam pad, which was supposed to be the best on the market. (More false advertising.)

  Jane whined as Kate unzipped the tent. Then the dog bounded outside like she couldn’t wait to get started. Kate couldn’t either. Over her shoulder, she eyed the nylon structure that had taken her the better part of three hours to set up. (The packaging had boasted a twenty-minute setup—what a scam.) Would it hurt to leave it behind? She’d tried it out for one night. And she’d also gotten to try out the camp stove and the sleeping bag and the foam pad and the collapsible lantern. Did one really truly need to spend seven days on the trail with those things to get a good read on the gear? She’d drawn her conclusions in one night—it all sucked.

  “Come on, Jane.” Kate slipped on her backpack and set off down the trail, not looking back at the tent. She’d tell Gregor it hadn’t survived the storm. That she’d spent the rest of the week building her own shelters out of sticks and logs and leaves. Maybe he’d give her a promotion.

  Hiking with a dog was actually fun. Jane would run ahead with her nose to the ground, and then find a stick and bring it to Kate with her tail wagging. She’d toss the stick, and the dog would take off, leaping and running as though this were the best day of her life.

  The feeling was contagious. Having company made Kate slow down and actually enjoy the scenery. Yesterday, she hiked the few miles to her campsite with her head down, faltering under the weight of her thirty-pound backpack, cursing the day Gregor had been born. But today she noticed things. Like the way the sun glinted off the new green aspen leaves. And how when she passed a certain kind of pine tree—she didn’t know which—the scent of butterscotch would trail in the air.

  The mountains were much prettier than she’d given them credit for yesterday. Purple and yellow and white wildflowers dotted grassy meadows that flourished under the shelter of the trees. It was peacefully quiet but not silent. Birds trilled and somewhere water shushed and a pleasant breeze sighed through the thick branches. So basically, if it wasn’t for the dirt and the bugs and the thunderstorms, the mountains would be perfect.

  They reached the trailhead much faster than she’d thought they would. But then again, she’d never been good at judging distances on a map. The trail broke through the trees and into an open space flanked by the dirt parking lot where the cab had dropped her off yesterday. A few cars sat in the lot but not a soul was around. “Okay.” Kate swung her backpack to the ground and found the map again.

  Jane trotted over and plopped down panting like her lungs were on fire.

  “Just have to figure out which way to go,” Kate said reassuringly. Which way had she come from in the cab again? When she’d first looked at the map, she’d assumed they had to go west, but now she wasn’t so sure. She stared at those little lines, but they all seemed to blur together. Her head felt a little funny. “Water,” she gasped. She’d forgotten. Gregor had reminded her that she had to stay hydrated in the high altitude of Colorado. Letting the map fall to the ground, she uncapped her water bottle and guzzled half of what was left.

  “Hi there.”

  Kate turned toward the pleasant, somewhat shy voice of a woman.

  “I noticed you were studying a map. Is there anything I can help you with?”

  The woman walked over, and she looked like she knew what she was doing. Her hiking boots and lightweight pants were worn and dusty, as though she headed out on the trail every day. She wore a wide-brimmed straw hat, and her golden auburn hair hung in two braids down her shoulders. The kindness in her eyes instantly put Kate at ease. Jane, too, judging from the way the dog stood and started to wag her tail.

  Kate picked up the map, realized she’d been holding it upside down, and turned it around. “I’m trying to figure out how to get to Topaz Falls from here.”

  Even when the woman frowned, she looked friendly. “That’s a good ten miles down the highway.” She seemed to assess Kate’s attire. “It’d be a long walk. I’d be happy to give you a ride if you want.”

  Kate pulled her sunglasses down her nose. “Seriously?” She didn’t mean to gawk at the woman, but Kate had once stood on the shoulder of the 405 in L.A. with a blown-out tire and cars had whizzed past like she was a statue. No one had even stopped, let alone offered her a ride.

  “Sure.” The woman shrugged like it was nothing. “We do that kind of thing all the time around here. We get tons of long-term hikers coming through. A lot of them hitchhike into town.”

  Kate sized the woman up. Normally she’d never get into a car with someone she didn’t know, especially in L.A., but there was no way a psychopath could smile like this woman.

  “I’m Everly Brooks.”

  Everly—what an angelic name. “Kate Livingston.” She held out her hand for a professional introduction, even though she really wanted to hug the woman’s graceful neck. Maybe even give her a kiss of gratitude on the cheek. “I work for Adrenaline Junkie magazine and was out doing a gear-test run.” Was that what the real adrenaline junkies called it? No matter. “This sweet dog wandered into my camp last night during the storm. So I thought I would head into town to find her owner.”

  “Oh…” Everly’s pretty eyes grew even bigger. “Then you’re in luck. My friend Jessa owns an animal shelter just outside of town. I’m sure she’d be happy to help.”

  “Perfect.” Things could not be more perfect right now. Kate could take Jane to the shelter so she could be reunited with her family—a good deed for someone else. Then she could find a place to stay and get a head start on writing her gear-test article from the comfort of a hotel—a good deed for herself. Gregor would never know that she hadn’t spent a week out on the trail.

  “I’m parked over this way.” Everly led her to an old-fashioned Ford pickup truck that was spotted with rust. Kate climbed in, and Jane jumped into her lap as though she knew she was going home.

  It took a few tries to get the old clunker started, but soon enough they were on their way, and Kate relaxed against the seat. “Thanks again for going to all of this trouble.” Nothing like this had ever happened to her. A complete stranger going out of their way to help…

  “It’s no problem,” Everly said. The truck puttered down a two-lane road bordered by thick, earthy-scented forest on both sides. “So you must do a ton of backpacking with your job, huh?”

  Kate startled. “Oh. Yeah. Sure. You know…” She hoped Everly knew because she sure as hell didn’t.

  “Where’s your favorite place to go?”

  “Hmmm.” She drummed her fingers against her thigh, pretending to mentally compare the many incredible places she’d backpacked. “I guess I would have to say Banff.” That was somewhere in Canada. Someone had raved about it at the office last week. Surely it had a lot of trails and scenery.

  “Oh my God, I love Banff.” Everly’s head tipped as though she were picturing it. “Did you do the Consolation Lakes Trail near Moraine Lake?”

  “Of course,” Kate said, and then quickly added, “It’s beautiful.”

  “I know,” her new friend agreed. “It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.”

  “So what do you do?” Kate asked before Everly could get another question in. She’d pretty much run out of ideas for any additional discussion on spectacular backpacking destinations.

  “I run a small organic farm and operate a farm-to-table café that barely breaks even.” Everly laughed as though embarrassed. “Doesn’t sound so great, but I love it.”

  “Actually it sounds amazing.” Kate could picture it. A cute little farmhouse against a mountain backdrop. It sure beat her tiny apartment that looked out on an alley back in Burbank. There were probably ani
mals and wildflowers and the same beautiful aspen trees she’d seen in the forest. “I’d love to see it.”

  “Sure. After we take the dog to Jessa’s, we can swing by my place on our way back to the trail.”

  Kate shifted Jane so she could see the woman’s face. “The trail?”

  “Yeah.” Eyes on the road, Everly turned the truck off onto a dirt driveway and drove underneath a framed wooden sign that said CORTEZ RANCH. “I figured you’d want to get back to your trip after you get the dog settled.”

  “Right. The trip.” The lonely, miserable, dirty camping trip. There was one problem with that scenario. Kate no longer had a tent. And she seriously doubted her ability to ever find that thing again. “Actually, I might stick around town for a few days,” she said thoughtfully, as though the idea had just occurred to her. “Restock on supplies and stuff.” Enjoy a few meals, maybe a massage or a day of pampering to recondition her skin. “Do you know of any good places to stay on short notice?”

  “Sure.” Everly drove them past a couple of rustically elegant houses with wide stained logs held together by heavy steel brackets and accents of stone. The kind you’d see featured in Adrenaline Junkie as the perfect adventure ranch destination.

  “The Hidden Gem Inn is the best accommodation in town.” Her new friend parked outside of what looked to be a refurbished barn. The modest sign above the double doors announced it as the HELPING PAWS ANIMAL SHELTER.

  “Jessa’s sister-in-law Naomi and her husband opened the inn almost two years ago,” Everly went on. “It’s a beautiful bed-and-breakfast right in town. Best food outside of the café.” She smiled humbly. “And gorgeous. It’s a historic home, built during the silver rush, but it’s been all redone inside.”

  Kate could almost feel the warmth of a luxurious shower. The softness of a brand-new mattress. Geez, she was practically tearing up. “It sounds like exactly the kind of place I’m looking for.”

  Chapter Three

  Ditching the tent on the trail was hands down the best decision she had ever made. Kate sipped her high-priced cabernet sauvignon and popped a dark chocolate truffle into her mouth.

  Who knew that a small town like Topaz Falls would have one of the best wine bars she’d ever had the pleasure of experiencing? The Chocolate Therapist was something out of a fantasy—all streamlined and modern and classy without crossing the line into pretentious. After meeting with Jessa Cortez and discovering that no one had contacted her about a lost dog, Kate had offered to keep Jane with her—a fostering situation, if you will—while Jessa checked around. It wasn’t only that she wanted an excuse to stay off the trail. She happened to love Jane Doe, too, so it was a win-win.

  Once that had been settled, Everly had driven Kate and Jane Doe straight over to the Hidden Gem, where Naomi had upgraded her into their best suite at no charge. Then Naomi and her husband, Lucas, even offered her an extra car they currently weren’t using, just in case she needed it while she stayed in town to help locate Jane’s owner.

  It didn’t matter what she needed; Kate’s new bestie Everly would say, “I have a friend for that.”

  After Kate had enjoyed an extended time-out in the marble-tiled steam shower of her new suite, Everly had insisted they walk Jane Doe to Main Street so she could show Kate around and they could have an afternoon treat. Her new friend had brought her straight to the Chocolate Therapist, where the owner, Darla Michaels, had hooked them up with the best wine and chocolate pairing that could possibly exist in this world.

  “I can’t remember the last time I felt this happy.” Kate took another sip of wine. She and Everly were sitting outside at a bright orange bistro table—with Jane Doe contentedly curled up underneath. The patio looked out on a downtown area where quaint shops with striped awnings lined the cobblestone sidewalks. Baskets of bright-colored annuals hung from the wrought-iron streetlamps, and the mountains hovered in the background like a beautiful barricade constructed to keep reality out. It was something straight out of a storybook fairy tale, safe and fictional and untouchable. “I might never leave Topaz Falls,” Kate told Everly, popping another truffle into her mouth.

  Everly laughed. “Watch out. That’s exactly what happened to me. I showed up here thinking I might stay a few months, and over two years later, I can’t seem to leave.”

  “I can see why.” It wasn’t only the mountains and the whimsical small-town charm. It was also the people, all connected, all watching out for each other—and even for the strangers who found themselves in their midst. “I can’t thank you enough for—”

  “What the hell are you doing with my dog?”

  The angry male voice came from behind. Kate turned at the same time Jane Doe shot to her feet, whining and yipping.

  A man stalked toward them, his chiseled features locked into a punishing scowl. He dodged people on the sidewalk, looking as out of place as Oscar the Grouch at Disney World.

  The dog immediately hurdled the fence and made a beeline for him, ending the dramatic scene with a leap directly into his midsection.

  “Bella.” The man caught her and knelt, setting her paws on the ground as he wrapped his arms around her. “Jesus, pup. Where have you been? I looked for you all night.”

  Kate glanced at Everly and mouthed, “Do you know that guy?”

  Everly shook her head with a pained expression. Yeah, he didn’t seem like a very personable man, but that had never stopped Kate before. She pushed back from the table and stood, calmly letting herself out of the patio’s gate before ambling over to where the joyous reunion was still taking place.

  “Ahem.” She cleared her throat.

  The man looked up at her, and immediately the soft relief on his face tightened into anger. Even with the tension that pulled his cheeks taut, there was something vaguely familiar about his features. Though he wore a stocking cap and sunglasses, she could swear she’d seen his square jaw and that exquisite mouth before…

  “Why the hell was my dog sitting under your table?” he demanded, standing upright. He was half a foot taller than her, easy, and had broad, fit shoulders, she couldn’t help but notice through his T-shirt.

  “How about you thank me for rescuing your dog from the woods during the storm last night?” Kate asked cheerfully. No one would ruin this perfect afternoon for her. “She wandered into my camp.”

  “Your camp?” He flicked his glasses off and swept an irritatingly skeptical look from her head to her toes. “You were camping?”

  Okay, sure. She would be the first to admit she didn’t exactly look the part right now. On the way to the Hidden Gem, Everly had driven past a boutique and Kate had seen this lovely sundress in the window. What could she say? It was love at first sight. The soft pink dress had layer upon layer of delicate, embroidered lace with eyelet trim at the neckline. You couldn’t find things like that in L.A. It was both modern and sentimental at the same time. And, since she would be staying in town for a few days, she couldn’t resist a few purchases. “Yes, I was camping.” Her smile dimmed at the smug look on his face. “In fact, I was on a seven-day backpacking trip,” she informed him, glaring right into the man’s eyes. They were steely and blue. Whoa. Unmistakable eyes. Famous eyes…

  Well, what do you know? J.J. Alexander—disgraced Olympic snowboarder—was walking the streets of Topaz Falls. She knew she’d recognized him!

  Kate kept her expression in check. He obviously did not want to be identified, given the hat and the sunglasses, which he’d quickly slipped back on.

  “So, what? You were going to keep my dog forever?” he asked, backing down a bit.

  “Of course not.” She gave him the dutiful smile of a Good Samaritan. “I hiked all the way down the mountain and brought her to the Helping Paws Animal Shelter first thing this morning.” And look where that had led her. Right to Jaden freaking Alexander. He’d hidden from the media ever since a reporter tried to accuse him of assault right after the accident. The accusations turned out to be bogus, but after that, J.J. had disapp
eared. No stories, no interviews, nothing. And now here he was, standing in front of her like some ruggedly wrapped gift from God. If she could score an interview with J.J. Alexander, she’d never have to go on another backpacking trip again.

  “I’m Kate Livingston, by the way.” She stuck out her hand, but the man simply stared at it.

  He hesitated, obviously not wanting to share his name.

  “Your dog is such a sweetheart,” she went on to compensate for his silence. He couldn’t walk away. Not yet. Not until she figured out an excuse to spend more time with him. “Bella is it? I was calling her Jane Doe. Anyway, she slept in my sleeping bag all night. Curled right up next to me and kept me warm. Didn’t you, girl?” She knelt and scrubbed behind Bella’s ears.

  The dog gave her a loving, slobbery lick across the lips.

  Laughing, Kate stood back up and wiped her mouth. “We definitely bonded.”

  “I can see that.” J.J. didn’t seem to appreciate it much either, judging from his frosty tone. “Well, thanks for bringing her back.” He turned. “Come on, Bella.”

  “Wait.” Kate flailed to catch up with him.

  The man stopped and eyed her like he was considering making a run for it.

  Humiliation torched her cheeks, but she muscled through it. Typically she didn’t chase men down the street, but this was an emergency. “Why’d she run away?”

  J.J. seemed to debate whether he was obligated to answer the question. Finally he sighed. “She hates storms. And I’m working long days at the resort. Sometimes nights too. I didn’t know there’d be a storm, so I didn’t lock her dog door.”

  Long days at the resort, huh? “Poor thing.” Kate petted the dog again, seeing the perfect opening into J.J. Alexander’s world. Thankfully, the dog ate up the attention, wagging her tail and whining for more. “When we were hiking this morning, she never let me out of her sight. She seems to get lonely easily.”

  “Yeah.” J.J. watched her interact with Bella. “She’s a rescue. Doesn’t like being alone.”