Meant to Be My Cowboy

by R. C. Ryan

  Annie put a hand to her mouth to stifle her little gasp. “How did you escape?”

  “Casey arrived at the ranch, and when I tried to send him away to save his life, he figured out something was wrong. He and his family stormed the ranch house, and though he took a bullet, he fought like a madman for me.”

  “As I recall, you fought just as hard for him.” Avery exchanged a grin with Liz, who nodded.

  Annie turned to Liz. “Okay. Two out of three. Don’t tell me you have a tale of danger to top theirs.”

  Liz was shaking her head when Avery said, “Hers is a real heartbreaker. The danger wasn’t physical, but it was a terrible blow to her heart.” Gently she asked, “Can you talk about it, Liz?”

  For a moment the shy woman paused, as though unsure how to respond. Then slowly, painfully, she told Annie about falling in love with Luke Miller, and how her best friend CC Farmer hated him and refused to be her maid of honor at their wedding. By the time she spoke about her wedding day, and learning that Luke and CC had run off together, her voice was little more than a whisper laced with pain.

  “Oh, Liz.” Caught up in the story, Annie reached over and gathered both of Liz’s hands in hers. “How horrible. I can’t imagine the pain and humiliation you must have suffered.”

  Liz looked up, blinking back tears. “For nearly fifteen years I avoided going to town and could barely speak to strangers. I’d locked myself away in my own private little prison.” She took a breath. “And then one night, over wine…”

  “An entire bottle of wine,” Avery said with a laugh.

  “That’s right. After an entire bottle of wine, I told Avery the whole miserable story, and she said something that changed my life.”

  Annie glanced at Avery, who merely smiled.

  Liz said solemnly, “Avery said this doesn’t define who I am. The shame is on Luke and CC. And the loss is theirs, not mine. She told me to walk through town proudly, with my head held high.”

  Annie turned to Avery. “Good for you.” She squeezed Liz’s hand. “And good for you, too.”

  Liz managed a wry smile. “To be honest, I still avoid going to town as much as I can. But when I have to, I refuse to feel any shame. And ever since I’ve opened up about my painful past, I have a new sense of freedom. To ride. To be myself. To travel the hills taking my photographs.”

  “That’s right, Jonah told me you’re a photographer.”

  “Wait ’til you see her studio,” Avery boasted. “Since Liz won’t brag, I’ll do it for her. You’ve probably seen her photos in all kinds of glossy magazines. Her work is amazing.”

  Liz blushed. “You’re welcome to visit my studio anytime, Annie.”

  “Is it in town?”

  Liz shook her head. “It’s right here on the ranch. Out in the barn.”

  “Oh, I’d love to see it.”

  “I’d love to show it to you. If you’re free tomorrow, let me know.”

  “Tomorrow I may join you.” Kirby stifled a yawn. “But right now, I need my beauty sleep.”

  “Me too.” Avery got to her feet, and Annie and Liz followed suit.

  Inside, as they called good night and went their separate ways, Annie climbed the stairs and let herself into the guest room.

  Her room, she thought. For the next few days or weeks, this would be her home.

  She sank down onto the edge of the bed and thought about all she’d heard tonight.

  What amazing women. And each of them with a story.

  As she went over again in her mind all they’d revealed, she realized that sharing their stories with her was their way of letting her know that she wasn’t alone. Each of them had faced a crisis and had survived. They were telling her that she would survive this, too. A soft sigh escaped her lips.

  Oh, this was what she’d feared missing the most when she left San Francisco and her best friend, Lori. This connection with other women.

  She closed her eyes on a wave of emotion. The kindness of those women, strangers just days ago, threatened to bring her to tears.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The following morning, while she showered and dressed, Annie heard doors opening and closing, voices lifted in greetings, in shouts, in sharp words, and in muted conversation. The difference between all this noise and the muted traffic sounds she’d become accustomed to had her shaking her head with a grin.

  “You’re not in San Francisco anymore, Annie my girl,” she said to her reflection in the mirror.

  When she stepped out the door of her room, she nearly bumped into Jonah. He was holding two lidded cups.

  “’Morning, Annie.” He held one out to her. “Coffee. One cream, no sugar.”

  “Thank you.” She felt herself blushing at the way he was staring at her. That long, steady look that was so like his great-grandfather Ham. Cool. Assessing.

  “If you’re a lover of breakfast, Billy is fixing steak and eggs for the hungry mob. Or, if you’d like to join me on a hike to my cabin, he’s fixing a to-go package of scrambled eggs on an English muffin.”

  “Is that his idea of a McBilly carryout?”

  Jonah chuckled. “Careful. Any suggestion of fast food will insult him.”

  “We wouldn’t want that.” She paused. “Let me grab a jacket. I’d love a morning hike.”

  A minute later, she joined Jonah and they descended the stairs together. In the kitchen, they called a greeting to the others before picking up Billy’s to-go bag.

  Jonah stood by patiently while Annie made small talk, assuring everyone that she’d slept well, that her rooms were more than comfortable, and that she would survive without eating the man-sized breakfast Billy was preparing.

  Liz walked over to take her hand. “I know I invited you to visit my studio today, but would you mind if we did it another day?”

  “Oh, Liz, that’s fine. I know what it’s like to have my workday get out of control. I’ll let you choose the day.”

  “Thanks for understanding.”

  Meg looked at the bag in Jonah’s hand. “You two aren’t staying for breakfast?”

  He gave his grandmother a smile. “It’s a great morning for a hike in the woods. We’ll eat on the run, Gram Meg.”

  “All right, dear. If you say so. You two enjoy yourselves.”

  With smiles all around, Jonah and Annie headed outside.

  The air was clean and crisp, and the sun was already climbing high enough to have them digging out their sunglasses.

  “Oh.” Annie looked around with a bright smile. “This is glorious. I’m so glad you decided to go on this walk.”

  Jonah led the way along a well-worn trail behind the barns. Soon they were leaving the open meadow and stepping into the damp, dim forest that smelled of earth and pine.

  When they reached his cabin, she stood still, studying the way it looked.

  Jonah paused. “Something wrong?”

  She shook her head. “Just thinking how perfect it looks here. The woods, the cabin, the solitude.”

  “It might not work for most people, but it works for me.” He unlocked the door and let her precede him.

  He set their breakfast on the table and walked around opening the windows, letting the fresh breeze blow in.

  He plugged in a coffee maker. “Mine isn’t as good as Billy’s. He grinds his own beans. But it’s hot and strong, and I like to think it clears the clutter from my brain while I’m working.”

  She studied the books on the shelves. “I can’t believe you actually wrote these. It must be so satisfying to see your book in stores and in someone’s hand at the beach or the library.”

  “Yeah. It’s a rush. But I do it mainly for myself. The story’s in me, and I can’t rest until I get it all out.”

  “And then you do it again. And again.”

  He laughed. “That’s my hope.”

  He pointed to the plank set on two sawhorses outside the window. “Want to eat out there?”

  She nodded and led the way.

  They s
at side by side, nibbling the egg sandwiches and sipping coffee and watching in silence as the wildlife stepped cautiously from the woods to entertain them.

  A short time later, Jonah gathered up their coffee containers while tossing the crumbs on the ground. “I’d better get to work. Do you want to head back to the house?”

  She shook her head. “Since I can’t report to work, I think I’ll hike into the hills.”

  “You know the way back?”

  “I do. And if I get lost, I’ll call you.”

  He laid a hand on her arm and she absorbed the tingle all the way to her toes. “Phone service in the hills is sketchy. Figure out some natural landmarks right now, so you can find your way back here.” He pointed. “In that direction, the mountains will always be in front of you. When they’re behind you, you’ll see the herds and then the ranch house. My cabin lies somewhere in the middle.”

  She smiled. “Got it. No matter where I end up, I’ll always make it back to you.”

  She set off at a brisk pace.

  Jonah stayed where he was, watching as she left. The words that had slipped so easily from her lips played through his mind.

  No matter where I end up, I’ll always make it back to you.

  Thoughtful, he turned away at last and forced himself to get to work.

  It could have been an hour later, or several hours, when his phone rang. He barely glanced at it, intending to ignore it as he always did when working.

  Noting the police chief’s name, he picked it up on the third ring. “Hey, Noble. Do you have some news?”

  The chief’s voice lacked its usual warmth. “I’ve been trying to reach Annie Dempsey, with no luck.”

  “She’s hiking the hills. You know what cell service is like up there. She should be back soon.” He glanced at the time, noting that he’d already been working for three hours. “I’ll have her call you.”

  “Tell her I want to meet with her.”

  “So, you have something?”

  “Nothing good.” Noble paused, as though considering whether or not to share. “The feds have uncovered the million-dollar theft.”

  “That was quick.”

  “That was the easy part. And since we know where the money ended up, the big question becomes who put it in Annie’s account and why? Why not just divvy up the spoils and blow town?”

  Jonah leaned back and propped his feet on his desk. “I’m sure you’ll find your answers just as quickly, Chief.”

  “Right now the feds aren’t convinced that Annie didn’t have a hand in all this.”

  Jonah sat upright, his feet dropping heavily to the floor. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Let me ask you something, Jonah. If you noticed a million dollars in a bank account you claim wasn’t yours, wouldn’t you immediately go to that bank and demand to know the identity of the person who opened it?”

  “I would but…”

  “I know you and your family have generously offered this young woman a safe haven. But I feel it’s my duty to warn you and your family that you may be harboring a criminal.”

  “Noble…”

  “Jonah, I don’t have time to debate you on this issue. When Annie Dempsey finishes her hike, I’d appreciate it if you would bring her into town to answer a few questions.”

  “Of course.”

  “And, Jonah, I think it’s best if you don’t tell her about this conversation. I’d like to hear her answers to my questions without giving her time to prepare some sort of phony defense.”

  “Phony…Noble, that’s not…”

  The line went dead.

  Jonah stared at the cell phone in his hand before tucking it slowly into his shirt pocket. Getting up, he paced to the window and back, letting the chief’s words play through his mind.

  It was true that though there had been an instant attraction between him and Annie, he really didn’t know anything about her, except that he’d defied his family’s lifelong mistrust of her uncle to pursue a relationship with her.

  But what was their relationship?

  Other than an attraction, there was nothing between them. They were two adults tiptoeing around one another. He didn’t even know if the attraction he felt was shared by her.

  When she’d learned his name, she’d been perfectly willing to walk away. In truth, he’d felt the same way. But something had propelled him to go after her. And then, witnessing that visit from a stranger, and the effect it had on Annie, all his protective instincts had kicked in.

  Maybe that was it. Maybe the only thing between them was the fact that she was a woman in trouble, and he felt compelled to help.

  Could the authorities be right in their suspicion that she’d had a hand in the theft and the subsequent bank account?

  He paused. Wasn’t he doing exactly what the authorities were doing? Assigning blame before all the facts were known?

  He continued pacing until he convinced himself to withhold judgment until he heard everything Chief Crain had to say.

  In the meantime, he would continue to trust his own instincts. And he would stick to his belief that Annie Dempsey was a good person who had been set up by someone out to do her wrong.

  He watched the approach of a deer and stood still. A slow smile came to his eyes. It didn’t hurt that Annie was just about the prettiest woman he’d ever met. And that she shared his love of solitude and wildlife.

  But a pretty face and a love of animals didn’t mean a thing if she was just using her wiles to hide out on his family’s ranch.

  Even as the thought took root in his mind, he was dismissing it. As the youngest in the family, and a writer, he considered himself an observer of the human condition. He’d had a lifetime sorting through family dynamics and knowing his brothers and his elders better than they knew themselves. He’d used that knowledge to flesh out flawed, very human characters in his books. That’s what made him a success. And right now, he had very definite thoughts about Annie Dempsey. No matter how it looked to others, until there was concrete evidence to the contrary, he would continue to believe that she was the innocent victim in this twisted scheme.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jonah looked up from his computer to see Annie moving briskly along the trail leading to his cabin.

  He walked to the window and watched the way the breeze took her hair, sending it sailing out behind her like a dark, silky cloud.

  She paused, and even from this distance he could see the smile that seemed to light up all her features. A doe and her fawn ambled into his line of vision, and he couldn’t help smiling as well.

  The fawn, no more than a couple of days old by the way she picked her way through the vegetation, jumped back when a low-hanging branch of an evergreen brushed her head. Seeing the doe moving ahead, the fawn did a little leap in the air, trying to run to catch up.

  When they’d drifted into the woods, Annie started toward the cabin and Jonah opened the door, smiling a greeting.

  “Did you see them?” Annie’s eyes were wide with pleasure.

  “I did. Mamas and babies are always entertaining.”

  “Oh, Jonah, just seeing them took my breath away.”

  He held the door open and she brushed past him.

  “Sounds like you had a good hike.”

  “A very good hike. I saw a herd of wild horses, or I should say I caught the quickest glimpse of them. They were there one minute, and the next they’d disappeared like ghosts.”

  “They’re adept at making themselves invisible. It’s a matter of survival.”

  She nodded. “What little I saw of them was almost mystical. A big red stallion watched me until the last of his herd was safely in the woods. Then, without a glance back in my direction, he was gone. The strange thing is, even though I watched him, within minutes I couldn’t distinguish him from the trees around him. It was as though the forest swallowed him up.”

  She nearly danced in her eagerness to tell him everything she’d experienced. “And I think I sa
w a big cat.”

  “You think you did?”

  She laughed. “Like the horses, this guy was there on a thick tree limb one minute, like a king surveying his kingdom, but when I blinked and looked again, he was gone.”

  “They’re famous for climbing high and hiding among the vegetation. If you’d looked closely, you might have caught a glimpse of his eyes peering through a veil of leaves.”

  “To tell the truth, I was a little afraid to look too closely. I had the feeling that if I lingered in his territory too long, he might decide I was a tasty meal.”

  Instead of the laugh she was expecting, Jonah touched his palm to her cheek and pinned her with that stern look he’d perfected.

  “Don’t tell me you agree.”

  “To what?”

  “That I’d be a big cat’s lunch.”

  “Tasty. I believe that’s how you described yourself.” His smile came then. “I’m afraid I do agree.”

  Aware of what he’d revealed, he lowered his hand and turned away before moving to his desk to carefully back up his work before shutting down his computer.

  “You’re finished for the day?”

  He nodded. “I heard from Chief Crain. He’d like to meet with you in town this afternoon to fill you in on what the authorities have learned so far.”

  “Oh.” She brought a hand to her throat in a gesture of excitement. “Already? That’s quick. Did he tell you anything?”

  Jonah busied himself at his desk, stacking his notes, setting aside his pens. “I guess we’ll learn soon enough.” He looked up. “How about some lunch at Nonie’s before we meet with Noble?”

  She was fairly twitching with anticipation. “Honestly, I couldn’t eat a thing until I hear what Chief Crain has to say.”