Her Big Sky Cowboy

by Alissa Callen

  Trinity stopped Toffee beside Apollo.

  “A mini-horse drive sounds fun.” She paused as a large black stallion galloped to a rise and stared at them. The wind rippled in his mane. “As long as that stallion isn’t another Diablo?”

  Zane turned Apollo and continued to the top end of the meadow. “Spirit doesn’t live up to his name. He’s a gentle giant who’s smart enough to know we’ll be taking him and his mares and foals to somewhere where the grass is sweet and the water is cool. He won’t cause trouble.”

  They again rode in silence. A fence loomed and Zane guided the inexperienced gelding through the task of opening the gate.

  “We’ll head into the foothills, then down to the spring,” he said, as Trinity rode through the fence opening.

  As the two horses walked side-by-side toward the treeline, Trinity cast him a serious look. “Zane …”

  He braced himself. There was only one topic this conversation could be about. Their almost kiss at the creek.

  “I can’t stop thinking about … your mother.”

  He blinked. “My mother?”

  Apollo sensed his tension and shied at a badger hole. Zane breathed deeply and forced himself to relax. The skittish three-year-old didn’t need a rider sending him mixed signals.

  “Yes. I can’t understand how a woman who buys books on raising boys and parenting leaves and never has anything to do with her children.”

  He shrugged. “She hated the ranch and hated being tied to us.”

  He made sure his expression didn’t reflect the hurt even now as a grown man he felt at her abandonment.

  “Who told you this?”

  “My father.”

  Trinity stayed silent for a moment. “From what I understand you would have been too small to remember much about her. Has anyone ever said she may have left for another reason?”

  His father’s cold rages had led to the unwritten rule his mother’s name never be mentioned. It had only been in the stables where their father rarely went that Hank would tell stories about his mother and about her favorite horse of which Comet was a direct descendent.

  “Hank and Lesley. All Hank would say was that sometimes silence was the best answer but when it came to my mother there would come a day when words would have to be said.”

  “And they never were?”

  “No. My father died the way he lived his life. Angry and alone. We had no idea he had lung cancer until the very end.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” He glanced at the bare mountain peaks on which small patches of snow lingered. “He was as hard as nails and as cold as ice.”

  Zane threw Trinity a quick look to see if his words had shocked her. But she nodded, empathy softening her mouth. “And what did Lesley say?”

  “That our mother loved us and that her leaving was beyond her control.”

  “That explanation makes far more sense. Did you ever try and find her?”

  He shook his head. “She died when I was around eight, I think. My father said she’d been killed in a hit and run in the city.”

  Silence enveloped them and to his relief Trinity let Toffee lag so they no longer rode side by side. Talk about his mother always left him troubled. He’d given up years ago trying to form an image of her face. All he had stored in his subconscious were blurred memory fragments. The gentleness of her touch. The scent of lavender. The faint notes of her laughter.

  Zane altered Apollo’s course and led the way to where a meadow opened up in front of them. Blue shimmered as a water hole mirrored the late afternoon sky. Grasses rippled as a breeze blew by.

  They rode the horses to the spring and let them have a drink.

  “Everything look okay?” Trinity asked.

  “Yes. I needed to check the water was flowing before we bring Spirit and his band here next week.”

  Trinity gazed around at the knee-high grass. “They’ll love their new home.”

  Zane nodded as Toffee took a step into the clear water. He leaned forward, ready to grab her reins. It was a hot day and the mare loved to get wet. If she pawed the water with her hoof, it was a sure sign she’d roll.

  Toffee took another step into the cool spring as she drank but when she lifted her head, she backed onto solid ground.

  Trinity rode over to where a cluster of white oxeye daisies swayed in the breeze. “It’s so gorgeous here. Look at the wildflowers.”

  “It is.” Zane gazed across the meadow to where a faint trail wove through the pine trees. Higher up there was another meadow covered in wildflowers.

  Finn and Cricket would be fine with Cookie for a little longer. Trinity had said her plans for the summer were to ride and to see wildflowers. He owed it to her for all the time she spent with Finn to help her achieve her vacation bucket list.

  “Would you like to see some more wildflowers?”

  “Yes, please.”

  The beauty of her smile would have him ride Diablo bareback if it made her happy.

  He returned her smile. “Okay. It will be a climb but will be worth it.”

  *

  Sweat dampened the horses’ necks when they reached the higher-altitude meadow. But the spring in Apollo’s and Toffee’s steps as they walked through the carpet of vibrant wildflowers conveyed that even the horses thought the climb was worth it.

  Trinity reined Toffee to a stop. “Zane, thank you. This is incredible.”

  He nodded.

  “I’ve never seen so many colors together and there are wildflowers I didn’t know existed.” She examined the flowers near Toffee’s front hooves. “That tall crimson one is Indian Paintbrush but I’ve no idea what the small pale purple flower is.”

  “Moss phlox.”

  Her smile turned teasing. “I didn’t think tough cowboys knew their wildflowers?”

  “I apparently do.” He rubbed the base of his neck. “This might sound strange but I … think … my mother told me. I used to call it moss fox as a child.”

  Trinity nodded as if to more than just his thought. “I bet she did. The name of the flower isn’t the only thing she would have taught you. I don’t care what your father said, she loved you Zane.”

  The wind stole the last of Trinity’s words and lifted the wide brim of her hat. She caught the cream Stetson before it took flight. With the reins in one hand and her hat in the other she hunched a shoulder to brush away the hair blowing across her face.

  He nudged Apollo closer and reached over. But no sooner did he smooth away the long, dark strands from her cheek so she could see, the wind blew them back again. He leaned over further and cupped the back of her head to hold her hair still.

  Bad move.

  Laughing, she turned her face toward his. The mirth curving her lips ebbed as their gazes locked. He knew he was going to kiss her, even before his head dipped. And he knew she was going to kiss him back, even before her lips parted.

  His mouth sought hers. Her breath touched his lips.

  Then Apollo moved.

  *

  Zane closed the games room door. A game of pool hadn’t relaxed him, so his next stop was the library. Ever since he’d returned from his afternoon ride with Trinity he’d been as edgy as a bear that’d woken from hibernation. A young horse’s restlessness may have stopped him from crossing the friendship line with Trinity but he may as well have kissed her. The damage had been done.

  He climbed the stairs in the darkened hallway, using the weak moonlight to guide his way toward the library. All he could think about was the softness of her lips a breath away. All he could feel was the silken spill of her hair entangled with his fingers. All he could focus on was the deep green of her eyes as her gaze held his. Even with a book, he’d be lucky to get an hours sleep.

  He stopped at the library door and toed off his boots, leaving them beside the doorway. He pushed open the door, flicked on the light and registered two things. First, the reading light had been on over the wingback chair near the window. And second, Trinit
y sat curled up in the leather seat reading and wearing nothing but the thin and short pajamas she’d worn in the hallway the other night.

  She glanced up, eyes wide awake. He wasn’t the only person that sleep eluded.

  “Hey,” she said.

  “Hey.”

  She switched off the reading light and stood. He fought to keep his attention above her collar bones. The left strap of her top had slipped off her shoulder and the front of the top dipped low. She flicked the strap into place and approached, her gaze lingering on his chest. Only then did he remember he’d unbuttoned his shirt while walking up the stairs.

  “I was hoping to catch you, but left a note in the kitchen if I didn’t. There was a message on the answering machine reminding you and Finn that you have a psychologist appointment in Bozeman tomorrow.”

  “That’s right, after lunch.”

  Jaw tight, he turned to the closest shelf for a book. It was either that or pull Trinity against him to finish what Apollo had interrupted. He spoke over his shoulder. “You’re welcome to come to Bozeman too.”

  “I’ll pass. I’ll go to Marietta instead, ask Lesley about the photos and pick up a few things.”

  A random book in his hand, he faced Trinity. “Sounds good.” He nodded toward the book she held. “I’ll leave you to it.”

  Her eyes searched his. “Actually, I’m done. I was waiting for you to pass on the message.”

  “Thanks.”

  As one they turned toward the doorway. He let her exit before him and switched off the library light, plunging them into darkness. The moonlight would provide enough light to guide them along the hallway. Then he remembered his boots paired beside the door. He swung around to warn Trinity they would be in front of her but even as he turned she tripped. Her book, and then his, thudded on the floor but he managed to catch her before she too fell.

  A hand around her hip and the other around her ribs, he pulled her upright. Balance unsteady, she fell backwards against him and his arms settled around her. For a second they remained still, her back against his chest. Beneath his palm he could feel the rapid rise and fall of her chest. Against his throat he could feel the softness of her hair where his unbuttoned shirt had parted. He inhaled the scent of flowers that reminded him of the wildflowers that even after a bitter winter would bloom.

  Then Trinity turned.

  He didn’t know who moved first. All he knew was her hands slipped beneath his shirt and trailed over his back as she aligned her body to his. All he knew was that this time he was kissing her come hell or high water. And when his mouth slid over hers and her soft lips parted on a sigh, he could no longer think.

  Need fused with heat. Longing melded with hunger.

  Time, the past, reality – all ceased to exist.

  All he could feel was the urgency of her mouth. All he could taste was the sweetness of her kiss.

  They drew apart to breathe. Their ragged breaths filled the intense silence. Her legs were entwined with his and he had her backed up against the wall. The discovery was more effective than a pail of iced creek water.

  He’d lost both control and the battle to remain immune to Trinity. From the instant their gazes held at the bonfire she’d gotten under his skin. He’d fought long and hard but the moment of truth had arrived. Trinity moved him in ways no other woman had, even Marlisa.

  He loved her.

  Trinity filled the emptiness inside him like no one else could. Her beauty, her generosity and her free spirit spoke to something deep within him. But his demons refused to relinquish their hold.

  Love may have crept up on him while he wasn’t looking but he couldn’t now pretend that the scars of the past didn’t exist. He couldn’t place his heart in her hands. He couldn’t trust her and tell her that he loved her.

  Once summer ended he had to let her go.

  Lost for words, he could only rest his forehead against hers.

  He knew the instant she registered his tension. She stiffened.

  “Zane, it’s okay.” She drew back a little and touched his jaw. “This … thing … between us has simmered for a while now. What just happened doesn’t have to mean anything. We’re both adults. It’s no big deal.”

  Chapter Nine

  ‡

  She’d lied.

  She’d said last night that their hallway kiss was no big deal.

  Yeah. Right. Kisses that burned and incinerated like the one that had exploded between her and Zane didn’t happen every day. Actually, ever happen. Period.

  She’d wondered what it would feel like to have his strong arms hold her as if he’d never let go. Now she knew. It felt like pure magic. And she wanted more.

  She glanced up at the iron letters that spelled Hollyhock Creek as she drove beneath the wooden arch. Behind her lay the ranch house and in front of her the road that would take her to Marietta.

  The gravity of Zane’s face that morning and the troubled intensity of his gaze said a repeat performance wasn’t on the cards. Last night she’d sensed the tension hardening his body switch from hunger to regret and seen the dark glitter in his eyes become one of pain.

  She’d tried to reassure him by pretending that their kiss hadn’t meant anything. She could only guess at the anguish he suffered from Marlisa’s betrayal and then deception.

  But their kiss had meant something, even if it was only to her. So here she was running away to Marietta before Zane and Finn had left for Bozeman. She desperately needed time to think. She should call Ivy but for some reason she wasn’t yet ready to face the implications of her response to Zane’s kiss. So she’d call Ivy on the way home.

  She turned her radio up loud and concentrated on the drive until the roadside sign flashed by indicating Marietta was the next turn left. Her first stop was Z’s Hardware where she purchased a flat-pack dog kennel that only just squeezed into her trunk. Her second stop was the Copper Mountain Gingerbread and Dessert Factory to pick up a special cookie treat for Finn. Her third stop, Paradise Books.

  The door bell jingled as she pushed open the bookstore door and entered. The store was busy. A blond-haired woman and a little girl dressed in a fresh white dress were looking through the picture books Lesley had displayed on a table. A tall and willowy older woman held an armful of books and was reading the back cover blurb of a novel from the romance section.

  Lesley smiled as Trinity neared the counter.

  “Hi, Trinity, Finn like his spider book?”

  “Yes. He loved it and needless to say I’m back for another bug book. I’m also here to see if you have any old photos of Zane and Russ? Finn has asked about their childhood.”

  An indefinable expression flittered over Lesley’s face before she answered. “I would. Give me a minute to think where.”

  “Thanks.”

  The woman and child came to the counter, the little girl carrying a horse book. Trinity stepped aside to let Lesley serve them. She too went to the picture book section. She searched until she found a story about a click beetle that when the front cover opened an imbedded microchip mimicked a clicking sound.

  The door bell rang indicating the woman and child had left. Lesley moved to the older woman’s side and after a brief conversation, both women came over to Trinity.

  “Trinity, this lady is looking for a present for her grandson the same age as Finn and I was wondering if you could recommend a book?”

  “I sure can.” Trinity smiled at the customer. Her pale skin stretched over bones so fine she appeared fragile. Her glasses looked too heavy for her delicate face. “What does your grandson like?”

  “He’s like any little boy and into insects.”

  The woman’s quiet voice held the faint cadence of an accent. English?

  “I’m afraid there’s not many bug books left as I’ve exhausted Lesley’s supply, but …” she reached over beneath a nearby pile to pull out a caterpillar book. “Here’s one. Finn hasn’t read it so I don’t know what it’s like but he really enjoyed the spider one
written by the same author.”

  “Thanks very much. It will be perfect.” The woman added the picture book to the pile in her arms.

  She smiled and Trinity noticed the sadness in her eyes. It wasn’t only the passing years that had etched lines on this woman’s face. Her life hadn’t been easy. Trinity only hoped the grandson she bought the book for would for bring her much happiness.

  While Lesley served the woman, Trinity found a thriller Zane might enjoy and was certain he didn’t have in his collection.

  With the bookstore now empty, Trinity made her way to the counter.

  “Have you had lunch?” Lesley asked, as she slipped Trinity’s books into a paper sack.

  “No. Not yet.”

  She hoped Lesley wouldn’t hear her stomach growl at the mention of lunch. She’d skipped breakfast. She’d been so focused on seeing Zane, and whether he still regretted their kiss, to think about food.

  “Good. Because I feel like an early lunch. How about you follow me home, we’ll eat and I’ll look for any old photos?”

  *

  The drive to Lesley’s white-columned Bramble Lane home didn’t take long but it was long enough to make Trinity’s mouth water. The smell of the sweet cookies she’d bought for Finn filled the car. She parked behind Lesley in her driveway. Lesley had been widowed young and not blessed with children so she’d filled her life with books. Zane’s one room of wall-to-wall books was nothing compared to what lay inside the grand old home in front of her.

  Trinity left her sedan and as she closed the driver’s side door she glanced at Copper Mountain to her right. It remained a novelty to see the granite face shining in the midday sun. For the majority of the year snow draped the summit. She chewed the inside of her cheek. While the mountain might now be summer-bare, come fall and the first snow would again dust the jagged rock. And when it did, she would no longer be at Hollyhock Creek Ranch.

  Lesley called to her. She swung away from the mountain and all thoughts that the clock was ticking on her time with Zane and Finn. While Trinity made sandwiches out of what she found in Lesley’s refrigerator, Lesley went in search of photos. Trinity had barely sliced the two salad and ham sandwiches when Lesley returned carrying a long blue and black striped box.