Beneath Montana Skies

by Mia Ross

  She obliged him and then set the pot down in the center of the blanket. A partially eaten plate of cookies was there, too, and he noticed Skye staring at the treats intently. When she sent him a hopeful look, he snagged one and broke it neatly, tossing half to her before popping the rest in his mouth. “These are delicious. Did you girls make them?”

  “Mommy did,” Allie told him shyly.

  “You’re kidding.” She shook her head, and the unease that darkened her features made him want to kick himself. Very quickly, he said, “I believe you, honey. It’s just that I didn’t know your mom liked to bake.”

  “Mommy says whatever we do together is fun for her,” Hannah informed him sweetly. A gust of wind blew through the yard, toppling one of the dolls that had come in for the party. She reached over to set the toy upright and patted her bonneted head in a maternal way she must have learned from Morgan. “There you go, Chantilly. Would you like some more tea?”

  While she filled the doll’s cup, Ty looked around at his fellow partygoers. He counted a dozen dolls, four teddy bears and a stuffed something or other that was so ratty he couldn’t begin to identify it. Hoping to get an answer without sounding like a clueless adult, he said, “I haven’t met everyone here yet. Can you introduce us?”

  “Sure,” Hannah replied, listing their names in a rapid-fire manner that she’d clearly inherited from her mother. The bedraggled member of the group was named Freddie, which didn’t help much in the classifying department. So, Ty swallowed his cowboy pride and asked what kind of animal he was.

  “A koala,” Allie answered, stroking his furry head gently. “He’s from Australia.”

  “Allie knows a lot about animals,” Hannah added proudly, smiling over at her twin. “When we read books about them, she remembers way more about them than I do.”

  What a great kid, Ty thought. Whatever challenges Morgan had faced while she’d been raising them, she’d done an incredible job. He only wished he’d been part of the picture from the start. While his daughters traded girlie small talk, he stretched out on the grass and drank it all in, mulling over what had gone on before he knew they existed.

  He’d missed so much, he acknowledged with a heavy heart. Their first smiles, crawling, walking, all those baby memories that his friends with children treasured and shared with him through one social app or another.

  And then, he came to one that wasn’t so cheerful: the day they discovered that Allie had autism.

  He couldn’t imagine how that had been for Morgan, to learn that her precious child would need so much extra care, special classes, endless patience. The cowgirl he remembered with equal parts fondness and exasperation had never been the easygoing type, but clearly time and necessity had mellowed that part of her.

  At least where her kids were concerned, he recognized, grinning when he recalled the run-ins they’d had in the weeks since he’d come back to town. Around him, Morgan felt confident enough to be her old feisty self. Oddly enough, he didn’t mind her prickly nature all that much. So much had changed in his life recently that it was comforting to know there were still some things that had remained the same.

  “Hey, guys.”

  When he heard Morgan’s voice, Ty glanced over his shoulder to find her strolling up behind him. Her tone had sounded casual enough, but the set of her delicate jaw warned him that the temperamental cowgirl he remembered so fondly was very much alive and well. Hoping to defuse whatever had her riled up, he lifted his hand in greeting. “Hey yourself. Want some tea?”

  The muscles in her cheek relaxed just a bit, but it couldn’t disguise the fury sparking in her eyes. Still, she managed to keep her cool as she sat down on the blanket opposite him. “Sure, thanks.”

  While Hannah poured her a cup and Allie handed her a cookie, Ty was struck by the fact that a first-time visitor to the Whittaker Ranch would assume they were a nice, happy family taking time out in the middle of a warm afternoon for some snacks and lukewarm water in fancy teacups. If he hadn’t been so stupid all those years ago, this kind of scene could have been his reality instead of something he’d just stumbled upon by sheer good fortune.

  But thanks to his stubborn pride, all he could do was wish for more.

  “How’s it going out there?” Ty asked.

  His lame attempt at conversation got him a scathing look. “We lost three calves to wolves last night, and there’s a section of fence down on the pasture we were planning to move some cattle into today. You?”

  “Pulling rotted posts so I can replace them,” he replied, grateful to have something concrete to tell her. Spending his days cleaning and lounging had gotten old, and he felt better now that he was actually accomplishing something. Beneath the brim of her straw cowgirl hat, he saw the worried shadows around her eyes. Instinct told him that something beyond ranch concerns was bothering her, but he couldn’t begin to determine what it might be. She had so much on her plate, it could’ve been any one of a dozen things.

  Then he heard the front door creak open and glanced over to see JD coming onto the porch, a glass of iced tea in his hand. He sank into one of the redwood rocking chairs with a tired sigh, leaning his head against the high back and closing his eyes. He sat there like that, holding the glass but not drinking anything, for so long that Ty started to wonder if he’d fallen asleep that way. Finally, he took a sip and set the glass down, linking his hands together on his chest before going back to his power-napping pose.

  Slanting a look at Morgan, Ty realized she’d been closely watching her father since he’d emerged from the house. The worried expression she wore answered Ty’s question about what had been troubling her, and he hunted for a way to ease her mind without setting off her flash-fire temper.

  “I’ve got Clyde corralled on the other side of the barn, so he’s not going anywhere,” he said. “That means what I’m working on can wait. Would you like another set of hands out there?”

  “Ryan and I can handle it.”

  No mention of JD, he noticed. He wondered how she was planning to convince her father not to head back out when there was still work to be done. Hoping he’d read the situation correctly, Ty pressed a little. “It’s pretty hot today, and JD looks wiped out. I’d be happy to fill in for him so he can take the afternoon off.”

  Morgan’s sharp gaze softened a bit, and this time he got an actual smile out of her. “It’s nice of you to offer. I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell him he needs to call it a day. He’s not an invalid, but he’s not the bull he used to be, either. Don’t you dare tell him I said that,” she warned, pointing a stern finger at him for emphasis. “He’d be furious to find out I think he’s anything less than Superman.”

  “Not a chance,” Ty replied with a grin. “I’d prefer to keep my head attached to my shoulders.”

  She laughed at that, and joining in was the easiest thing he’d done in a long time.

  Hannah gave her mother a confused look. “I don’t get it. Everyone’s head is attached.”

  “Ty means that Grandpa would take his head off if he suggested Grandpa needed some help,” Morgan explained with a smile. “Not really, though. It’s an expression that means the person would get really mad at you.”

  “That’s bad,” Allie commented quietly.

  “It can be,” Ty allowed, directing his comment at the shy child. “But sometimes if you want to help someone, you have to risk making them angry.”

  “Why?” she asked, clearly baffled.

  “Because it’s better for them. Sometimes folks—especially stubborn ones like your grandpa—keep going the way they are even when they shouldn’t.”

  “You know all about that, don’t you?” Morgan asked. While it was clearly a challenge, her voice was calm now, and the anger had left her eyes. Ty wasn’t sure what she was trying to do, but he took her calmer demeanor as a good sign.

  “Yeah, I do. My grandfathe
r used to tell us that pride is a good servant but a terrible master.” He got two very blank looks and realized he needed to explain. “It means that being proud is good to a point, but sometimes it can get outta control. When it does, you’re in trouble.”

  “Did you get in trouble?” Hannah asked, eyes widening at the idea.

  “Yeah, I did. And someone I really loved got hurt because of it. I’ll always regret that.”

  “You should apologize,” his sweet daughter informed him in a very grown-up voice. “That way, they’ll know you feel bad about what you did. Right, Mommy?”

  “True,” Morgan agreed. Then, to his astonishment, she added an understanding look. “But I’m sure Ty has done that already. Sometimes it just takes a while for the other person to forgive you for what happened.”

  After that, their conversation swung to what was going on at school, and what their friends were going to do on their upcoming summer vacations. While Ty followed along and made appropriate comments here and there, part of his mind was focused on the bone Morgan had so unexpectedly tossed him.

  Was it possible that she’d begun to forgive him for abandoning her seven years ago? And if she had, was it possible that sometime in the future they’d be able to find a way to be a family? Granted, it wouldn’t be the traditional kind, where they got married and then had a bunch of kids. But given some effort and persistence, he thought maybe they could be friends and work together to raise their daughters.

  Right now, from where he was sitting, that looked pretty good.

  * * *

  “Ty, I gotta admit something to you,” Ryan began, leaning on a newly set fence post in the Whittakers’ expansive back pasture. When the former bull rider looked over, her younger brother grinned and shook his head. “You’re a better ranch hand than I figured you’d be. When Morgan texted me that you offered to help, I figured you’d make it twenty minutes and then we’d be carting you back to your place in a heap.”

  “Hard work’s good for the soul,” Ty replied, adding the kind of sheepish grin Morgan couldn’t recall ever seeing on him before his stunning downfall. “I always assumed that was one of Grandpa’s clichés, but it turns out he was right. As a bonus, on a hot day like this, you even drop a few pounds you don’t need to be carrying around.”

  His easygoing attitude was typical Ty, Morgan knew, but there was a slight tension in his jaw that told her he was putting up a good front for their sakes. The severe back injury he’d suffered wasn’t something that healed and disappeared. It was the sort of thing that dogged you for the rest of your life and had to be managed carefully to keep you out of a wheelchair.

  While she recognized that he was a grown man who was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, she couldn’t help worrying that in his eagerness to be helpful, he’d overdone it. And that he’d regret his generosity when he tried to drag himself out of bed tomorrow morning. His mention of the heat was her opportunity to let him off the hook, and just as she’d done while learning to cut calves from a herd, she dove into the opening.

  “We’re almost out of water, so I’ll drive back and pick up some cold gallons from the house. Could you give me a hand, Ty?”

  She half expected a protest from her brother, but Ryan caught her eye and gave her a slight nod. So, he’d noticed Ty laboring, too, she thought as she sent back a quick smile. Two years younger than her, Ryan could be a real pain, but he also had a big, generous heart. Like her, he wasn’t one to watch someone suffer quietly without at least trying to do something about it.

  “If you’re worried about me, I’m fine,” Ty objected stubbornly. “If I stay here, Ryan and I can set a couple more posts before you get back.”

  “Not a chance,” Ryan retorted, stabbing the handheld posthole digger into a pile of loose soil. “I’m past being ready for a break.”

  Striding past them both, he sprawled out underneath a slender oak whose shade was just wide enough to cover his lanky frame. Sliding his sweat-soaked cowboy hat forward, he crossed his arms over his chest in an obvious message to anyone passing by that if they disturbed him, they’d quickly be wishing they hadn’t.

  Ty stared at him for a few moments before shrugging. “Whatever. Let’s go.”

  Pleased to get even a grudging concession from the most intractable man on the planet, Morgan was feeling pretty proud of herself as she walked over to the beat-up ranch truck and climbed into the cab. Her buoyant attitude was short-lived, evaporating as she watched Ty laboriously haul himself into the passenger seat. He stared out the open window in a blatant attempt to avoid having a conversation with her, and she decided it was best to leave him alone as she started the engine.

  “My back’s gonna be fine, y’know,” he said, still not looking at her.

  Morgan was torn between humoring him and being direct. Coddling people wasn’t her style, even her girls, and she finally decided to heed her instincts. “Sure it will, but you’re not there yet. Until you are, you have to be smart about how much you do. You don’t want to push so hard that you set yourself back to where you were a few months ago.”

  That got her a groan from her difficult passenger. “All that physical therapy. Some days, I honestly thought I was gonna lose my mind.”

  “Apparently, they did a good job, because you’re in better shape than I thought you’d be.”

  Horrified that she’d basically just confessed that she’d been following his heartrending story in the news, she clamped her runaway mouth shut and prayed that he was too preoccupied with his discomfort to notice her slip.

  He wasn’t.

  Turning slightly to face her, he winced but managed a version of his old cocky grin. “You were keeping tabs on me?”

  “Not exactly. I mean, everyone in town was talking about what happened to you at that competition, and there was no way to ignore it completely.”

  The grin shifted into a knowing look, accompanied by a bemused twinkle of gold in his eyes. “Which you know, because you tried.”

  “Yeah,” she conceded with a sigh. Glancing over, she went on. “I’m really glad you’re doing better, Ty. In spite of what happened with us, I never wished you any harm.”

  “I’m not sure I deserved that kind of grace from you, but thanks.”

  So close on the heels of the humor, the remorse in his voice made her heart twist in sympathy. She’d made enough mistakes in her life to know that forgiving yourself was the only way to put them in the past where they belonged. But when you hurt someone as deeply as Ty had done to her, your own attitude was only part of the equation.

  Pulling off to the side of the field road, she put the truck in Park and swiveled to face him squarely. Meeting his confused gaze, she quickly ran over their shared past in her mind—good and bad—and came to the conclusion that it was time. Resting a hand on his shoulder, she took a deep breath and forged ahead. “You need to let this go. It’s in the past, and that’s where it needs to stay.”

  “You’re right, but it’s not easy. You know what I mean.”

  “Yes, but I also know that’s the only way you can get over it. We all make mistakes.”

  After a hesitant look, very quietly he said, “Does that mean you forgive me?”

  She thought that one over, even considered telling him she had just to put the matter to rest, but she was a straightforward person by nature. Beyond that, he knew her well enough that if she lied to him, he’d pick up on it in a heartbeat. “No, but I don’t think it’s impossible. Before we connected again, I couldn’t imagine it ever happening.”

  Relief flooded his rugged features, and the warmth in his gaze made her feel more confident about her decision to confront him and lay everything on the table. “This doesn’t seem like enough, but thank you. You don’t know how much that means to me.”

  Actually, she had a pretty good idea, she mused as she made another bold choice that was for this man’
s own stupid, stubborn good. When she looped around and headed for his place, his gratitude morphed into anger.

  “Just turn this thing around, MJ. Heat or no, I’m not quitting in the middle of the afternoon.”

  “Yes, you are, because I’m not hauling your sorry hide into the hospital tonight when you finally come to your senses and realize you overdid it.”

  “That’s not gonna happen.” When she shot him a really? look, he gave in with a noise somewhere between a growl and a groan. “Okay, it might happen, but if it does, I’ll deal with it then.”

  “Or you could avoid the problem altogether by being smart. We all have our limitations, cowboy. Even you.”

  After several seconds, he let out an exasperated breath. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Wish you weren’t, though.”

  “I know,” she commented, feeling genuine compassion for him. He was just shy of thirty, and had always been so strong, it must be killing him to be forced to concede that he couldn’t do things the rest of them took for granted. Come to think of it, he reminded her of her father, who had trouble admitting—mostly to himself—that he wasn’t as spry as he used to be.

  Thoughts of Dad gave her an idea, and as she pulled in to park beside Ty’s ranch house, she said, “If you want to be useful without killing yourself, you could give Dad a hand with all that paperwork we need to file for the injunction against Cartwright Energy. Stuff like that drives him nuts, and I’d imagine he’d be thrilled to have your help and your company.”

  “I figured you’d be doing that.”

  The suggestion made her laugh. “Sure, in all my spare time. Once the girls are on summer vacation, I’ll have even less than I do now. I was beginning to wonder how I’d ever get it all done, so Dad volunteered.”

  “And now he’s regretting it,” Ty guessed, chuckling. “You’re positive he won’t mind me stepping in like that? I know how he feels about handling things himself.”