by Mia Ross
Setting his friend’s bag behind the seat, Ty levered it back into place and climbed in. “If Mustang Ridge was any closer to civilization, it would’ve lost its appeal for me a long time ago.”
“Good point.” While Ty found his way out of the parking lot, Craig pulled out his phone and growled something under his breath. “What part of ‘going off the grid’ do these people not understand?”
Without a word, Ty held out his hand. At first, Craig looked confused, then got the unspoken comment and handed over the sleek handset. While they waited at the ticket booth to pay for parking, Ty powered the phone off and slid it into the back pocket of his jeans. “That oughta do it.”
“I guess it will,” Craig agreed with a chuckle. Leaning his head back against the seat, he closed his eyes with a grin. “Thanks.”
“No problem.”
He and the young politician weren’t exactly longtime buddies, but Ty knew an exhausted person when he saw one. During the drive to Mustang Ridge, he kept quiet to let Craig relax for as long as he could. At one point, he heard light snoring, and he couldn’t help grinning. Better rest up now, he thought as he turned off the highway and onto the two-lane road that led to the ranches outside the town limits. Hurricane Morgan is waiting for you at the other end.
They stopped at his place to unload Craig’s bag and give him a chance to clean up before heading across the fence line to meet the neighbors. JD met them at the side gate, opening it with a flourish worthy of an old-time butler.
“Afternoon, Congressman Barlowe,” the old wrangler greeted him with an enthusiastic handshake and a sunny smile. “Welcome to Whittaker Ranch.”
“Thanks for having me,” he replied easily, but Ty caught him flexing his hand a little as they walked toward the house. “Ty tells me your family was one of the original settlers of this area. How long have you been here?”
The simple question kicked off one of JD’s favorite subjects, and he launched into the Whittakers’ history while the three of them settled on the wide front porch for some fresh cookies and iced tea. Ty caught a glimpse of Jessie in the kitchen, and he tapped on the window. When she looked out, he held up a cookie and gave her an approving thumbs-up. Cheerful as ever, she beamed at him as if he’d just made her entire day.
JD stopped for a sip of tea, and Craig said, “I understand you and your daughter are heading up the Mustang Ridge Conservancy. I’d love to hear what you’ve got in mind and how I can help. Is there any chance we could all meet while I’m here?”
“Oh, she’ll be along,” the older man replied in a vague tone that warned Ty something was going on. He’d learned long ago that Morgan Whittaker was the most unpredictable girl on the planet. While her innate spontaneity usually captivated him, in this case, it could prove to be a problem.
Out of the corner of his eye, he picked up some motion inside the barn nearest the house and subtly shifted in his seat for a better look. When he got a glimpse of what she had in mind, he couldn’t help grinning at her ingenuity.
Decked out in her best western gear of hand-tooled leather and plenty of shiny accents, Sadie jogged toward the house, leading a flashy bay he’d never seen. Clyde trailed behind the mare like a lovelorn colt, the slack line making it obvious that he was following out of devotion rather than because Morgan was leading him. When the little caravan stopped at the base of the porch steps, Sadie tossed her head in a greeting that jingled with the sound of well-polished silver.
Smiling like a country boy who’d spent too long in the city, Craig got to his feet and went down the steps. Tipping the hat Ty had loaned him, he said, “Morgan Whittaker, I presume.”
“I am.” Leaning down, she offered a hand gloved in fawn-colored leather. “Welcome to Mustang Ridge, Congressman Barlowe.”
“Craig.”
“Nice to meet you, Craig.”
They traded a not-very-subtle look of mutual interest, and Ty felt his eyes narrowing all on their own. Not that he cared if Morgan flirted with their visitor, he groused silently. Who she made eyes at was her own business. Besides, she was just doing it to make a good impression on someone who could bring the right kind of attention to her cause. Probably.
Craig stroked Sadie’s forehead, even while his eyes were still locked on Morgan. When he finally looked away, he said, “What a beauty.”
Whether he was referring to woman or horse, Ty couldn’t say. He also didn’t know why that mattered to him, but it did. Fortunately, Clyde moved forward to claim his share of the attention, effectively breaking their moment. Smothering a grin, Ty made a mental note to double up on his buddy’s grain that night.
“She’s half mustang,” Morgan explained, her voice ripe with pride. “She was born into the herd that lives on the wild land at the north end of the ranch. Since you’re here, I thought you might like to see for yourself what we’re fighting so hard to protect.”
“I’d love to. And it’d be a lot more fun to ride out there than drive.” Clyde bumped his shoulder, and Craig laughed as he reached out to ruffle the chestnut’s long forelock. “It’s good to see you, too, Clyde. How’ve you been?”
“Ty told us that you haven’t seen each other much lately,” Morgan commented. “How is it you remember his horse’s name?”
Craig tapped his temple with another grin. “Mind like a steel trap. Just don’t ask me what I had for breakfast, ’cause I’d say it was something gray and soupy.”
“Bad oatmeal?”
“At three a.m., everything’s gray and soupy.”
Morgan laughed as if that was the funniest thing she’d ever heard, and Ty clamped his jaw around a disgusted groan. The fact the she and Craig were hitting it off was a good thing, he reminded himself, and this meeting had been his idea, after all. He just hadn’t anticipated that they’d get along this well.
When he felt someone staring at him, he noticed JD watching him closely, a knowing look on his weathered face. Returning the look with a tight smile, Ty stood and went down to claim Clyde’s reins from Morgan. “If we’re riding out to the ridge, we’d best get going. The girls will be home from school soon.”
“Jessie’s got kid duty today,” Morgan informed him. Turning one of her spectacular megawatt smiles on Craig, she added, “I’ve got all the time in the world.”
“That sounded like an invitation to me,” the congressman replied, taking the bay’s reins from her. “And who is this?”
“Lucy. She’s gentle as a lamb, so you should do fine with her.”
“Hello, Lucy,” he said, rubbing her gleaming neck in the kind of getting-to-know-you gesture that clearly said he knew his way around horses. After a few moments, he swung himself expertly into the saddle and motioned to Morgan. “Lead on, boss.”
She loved being called that, Ty thought darkly, hearing her laughter trail behind her as she and Sadie moved off at a smooth jog. Almost immediately, she went into tour guide mode, pointing out the various animals they’d rescued over the years and farther out, the impressive herd of cattle that had been the lifeblood of Whittaker Ranch since the beginning.
And, like an afterthought, Ty hauled himself onto Clyde’s back to take up the rear. It was far from the position he would have preferred, and he nudged his horse into a lope to catch up with the others. Bookended between Ty and Morgan, Craig addressed comments from one to the other with an ease that made it obvious he had a lot of experience playing diplomat in just this type of situation.
“So, Ty,” he said at one point, “now I see what you meant about how special this place is. I’ve been all over the state, but Mustang Ridge has a quality all its own. Why do you think that is?”
“It’s far enough off the beaten path that no one’s ever bothered to monkey with it. All this,” he added, motioning to the wide-open landscape surrounding them, “has been here forever, but the only folks who know about it like the place just the way it is.”
“That’s not entirely true,” Craig reminded him in a serious tone. “I’ve gotten emails from people around town who are just as passionate about allowing the development as the conservancy is about preventing it.” Glancing at Morgan, he frowned. “Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I’d imagine you already know that.”
“I’d have to be deaf not to,” she shot back, clearly irked by his attempt to soften a blow she’d already taken. That was Morgan, Ty mused. Those breezy looks did a great job of masking a backbone that had been forged from pure steel. Now that he was getting to know her again, it occurred to him that he’d actually begun to admire the woman’s determination more than her beauty.
Although, quite honestly, both were pretty amazing.
“What are you grinning at over there?” the lady in question demanded, nailing him with a scorching look that could have withered an entire section of hay.
For some reason, her irritation only made him grin more. “Just admiring the day, MJ.”
“MJ?” Craig echoed in a curious tone.
“Morgan Jo,” she explained, her look sliding into the icy range in a heartbeat. “No one calls me that anymore.”
“Except me,” Ty continued, unable to resist yanking her chain. “’Cause I’m special.”
“Hate to break this to you, cowboy,” Craig commented with a chuckle, “but from where I’m sitting, I think you’re dead meat.”
“Aw, I ain’t afraid of her.”
“You should be,” his friend cautioned, sending their trail-ride boss a smile. “Morgan strikes me as the type of woman a smart man doesn’t mess with.”
“Got that right,” she retorted, kicking Sadie into a lope, as if daring them to keep pace with the half-mustang mare.
“She’s incredible,” Craig said, admiration lighting his tired eyes. “I can’t believe you were stupid enough to break up with her.”
He set off to catch up with her, leaving Ty behind with the comment ringing in his ears. “Yeah,” he muttered to himself as he spurred Clyde to follow. “Me, neither.”
Chapter Five
After their refreshing run, Morgan reined Sadie into a walk, stopping beside a gurgling creek to give the horses a chance to drink. Lucy began browsing the nearby trees for a snack, and Morgan clucked at her in disapproval. “Lucy, you know better than that. Craig, you need to get her head up or she’ll munch all day.”
“It’s not a big deal,” he said, reaching down to pat her gleaming neck. “She hasn’t even tried to throw me, so I’d say she’s earned a treat for being so nice to the city slicker.”
Morgan shrugged, figuring there was no harm in it, and if the mare’s habit didn’t bother him, then she wasn’t going to press the issue. When she noticed Ty staring off into the distance, she twisted in her saddle to follow his line of sight and frowned when she noticed a chromed-out 4x4 parked in a stand of trees.
“Who’s that?” she asked.
“No idea. One of the neighbors get a new car?”
She snorted at the suggestion. “Folks around here don’t have money for a flashy car like that.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Ty said absently, his eyes meeting hers in a somber look. “I was also thinking he’s set himself up on that public land you’ve been using for your wild ponies.”
“He could be from Cartwright Energy,” Craig suggested. “Surveying, maybe.”
Morgan was impressed that someone as busy as him could recall the name of a single development firm from among the dozens of petitions he must receive every week. Unfortunately, his curious tone didn’t sit right with her, and she glared at him. “You make it sound like it’s not something we should be worried about.”
“Surveying public land isn’t a crime,” he reminded her in a calm, legalistic manner that made her want to scream. “I don’t see any excavating or drilling equipment around, so if he’s just taking measurements or collecting surface samples, there’s not a problem.”
“For you, maybe,” Morgan spat, quickly losing patience with her handsome guest. “I have a big problem with it. That’s how these things start, looking all innocent and aboveboard. Then, before the locals know it, they’re living in the middle of a deconstruction zone.”
“Give ’em an inch, they take a mile,” Ty agreed, frowning in disapproval. “You know how businesses like these work, Craig. You must’ve seen every trick in the book by now.”
“Not every one, but enough to know you’ve both got a point.”
“That’s enough nonsense,” Morgan announced, lifting Sadie’s head and pointing her nose in the right direction. “Let’s go have a little chat with our visitor.”
Craig responded with a shake of his head. “Sorry, but I’ll have to beg off on that one. I might be dealing with this guy later, and it wouldn’t be good for me to give anyone the impression that I’m taking sides.”
Seriously? Morgan wanted to ask, then thought better of it. He was the politician, not her, and she had no idea how Washington worked. She had to trust that Craig knew what he was doing and that him staying out of this particular fray would prove to be beneficial to their cause later on. Turning to Ty, she gave him the I-dare-you look that had worked on him since they were kids. “How ’bout you?”
That earned her one of his wide-open country boy grins. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
Possibly not the smartest approach, she acknowledged as they moved toward the intruder, but she had to give him credit for stepping up. He hadn’t hesitated even the tiniest bit when she all but challenged him to come along. Dad would groan that they were both crazy, but at least it was the same brand of crazy. In spite of their rocky personal history, it was comforting to know that Ty wasn’t going to just stand by and let her confront this unwelcome stranger on her own.
Not that it mattered all that much, she amended grimly. She would’ve done it one way or the other.
As she and Ty approached their squatting visitor, he glanced up from his tablet with an annoyed expression. By the time they reined the horses to stand, he’d closed down whatever he was working on and stood up tall. “May I help you?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Morgan replied in the fake-polite tone she used on phone solicitors.
“I’m fine. Thanks.”
Well, that wasn’t helpful, she groused silently as he turned his back and strode away. So much for manners, she decided, spurring Sadie into a jog that easily overtook him. Careful to avoid crowding him, the horse stopped and spun, facing him head-on in the cutting horse stance that came naturally to her. Sadie had never tipped a barrel or lost the attention of any calf she’d ever faced, and this greenhorn was no match for her.
The man’s irritated look was back, but it quickly faded when Clyde came up on his other side, effectively cutting him off from his fancy rental SUV. Ty caught her eye and gave her a slight nod, as if to say that whatever happened next was totally up to her.
And Morgan wasn’t too proud to admit—at least to herself—that she liked it.
Swinging down from the saddle, she strolled up to the stranger and decided on a softer approach. She took off one of her gloves and extended her hand. “I think we got off on the wrong foot here. I’m Morgan Whittaker.”
“I know perfectly well who you are,” he informed her testily. His tone got Sadie’s attention, and she took a single step closer, pressing up against Morgan’s shoulder in a protective gesture so typical of the intelligent creatures Morgan was fighting to save. The man’s expression softened a bit, and his face cracked into something akin to a smile. “You have a beautiful horse.”
Morgan knew she couldn’t really take credit for that. The gorgeous palomino was God’s handiwork, but she appreciated the effort he’d made and forced a smile. “Thank you, Mr.—?”
“Nelson. Bill Nelson.” This time, he took her hand for a tentative shake. “
I’m an assayer for Cartwright Energy. But I’m guessing you already knew that.”
“Not the specifics, but I figured you were associated with them. This spread—” she indicated the expansive property they were standing in the middle of “—is pretty close to my family’s ranch. I thought Cartwright was interested in the Bridger Mountain slopes farther up. What are you doing this far south?”
“Covering all the bases,” he replied cryptically, obviously making an attempt to keep his mission as vague as possible.
He wasn’t exactly trespassing, but having anyone this close to her beloved mustangs made her uneasy, to say the least. While Morgan was hunting for a way to extend their conversation and find out a bit more about his purpose, Ty swung down to stand beside her. When Bill got a closer look at the former bull rider, his eyes nearly bugged out of his head.
“You’re Ty Wilkins.”
“Last time I checked,” Ty joked, offering one of his scarred hands with a disarming grin that still seemed to fool everyone but Morgan.
“I’m a huge rodeo fan, and I’ve seen you compete at least a dozen times,” Bill gushed in an excited voice. “My friends and I were convinced you must’ve been superglued to those bulls.”
“Not quite, but thanks.”
“What are you doing here? I mean, not that it’s any of my business, but I haven’t seen you on the circuit this year. You’re not thinking of retiring, are you?”
A twinge of sorrow clouded those hazel eyes, but it quickly vanished behind the friendly twinkle that normally warmed the gold accents. “Not sure yet. For now, I’m working with Morgan and the Mustang Ridge Conservancy. Since we’re against the prospecting your company is suggesting, you can see why we’d be interested in what you’re doing out here.”
“I can,” Bill conceded with a frown. “But I’m not allowed to discuss my assignment with anyone other than my boss. I’m sure you understand.”