“So, you don’t miss it?” Peyton asked. “The adventure business?”
“Nope.” Lily shrugged off the notion as easy as she would a horsefly. “I don’t need to be reminded I’m alive anymore. I’ve got Conner for that. That said, my job doesn’t require me to sit in a cubicle ten hours a day crunching numbers on a computer.”
“No.” Familiar tension moved up her spine. Why was she the one always being lectured about how her job made other people unhappy. “Your old job meant hours spent on a muddy trail, hiking mountains and racing down rapids. Not exactly safe, was it?”
“No.” Lily glanced at her, a quizzical expression in her eyes. “No, it wasn’t. We’re all opposite ends of the boredom spectrum. You and Georgie with your reports and books and analysis, and me and Fee always looking for adventure and excitement.”
“Leaving Amanda to be the practical anchor who balances us all out. Speaking of Amanda, does she have a date for her surgery yet?”
“Next week.” Lily winced. “I wish she’d told us all sooner what she was dealing with. Did you have any idea?”
“About the endometriosis? No.” Now it was Peyton’s time to flinch, even as she reached up to touch the earrings she wore. “Becoming a woman” for the Harrison girls meant another rite of passage, getting your ears pierced with Mom at the mall, but Amanda had been seriously late to that party. It had never occurred to Peyton, until after Amanda had told them about her fertility issues and Peyton had done extensive research, that that late start had been one of the early signs of the disease. “Maybe secrets really do run in our family.” Even as she said it, she wished she hadn’t. She didn’t need to think about the one she was keeping from Lily now: that she wasn’t here at the ranch because her boss thought she needed a break. She was here because she was hiding. “From what little she told me, the surgery should go okay. Blake is taking really good care of her.”
“He always has,” Lily said. “He’s a really great guy. He’s crazy about Amanda. I got to see that firsthand. Like over-the-moon crazy and so supportive. He’ll let us know if she needs anything.”
Peyton tried to put herself in Amanda’s place. Of all the sisters, Amanda had always wanted a family—not just a family, but a big one. Knowing now that her sister had gone through years of fertility issues and had never said a word was yet more proof Peyton was further out of touch with her sisters than she wanted to admit.
“I’m glad she has him.” A pang of envy struck, just hard enough to have Peyton looking to the fence line. Gino jumped down, spotted her and raced over. “What’s going on, Gino?”
“Do you know where my dad is?”
“Still out with Ty. Why? Everything okay?”
“Rosie said I can help her feed some of the animals. Can I?”
“Um.” Peyton hesitated, wishing Matteo had returned. “What kind of animals?”
“Rosie says she has a pet cow named Splinter! I didn’t know you could have a pet cow. And there’s a petting zoo with a goat and a rabbit and a hedgehog and...” He scrunched up his face. “I forget what else, but she says they’re really cool, and I want to see them. Rosie!”
The little redhead popped up and snapped around to see who’d called to her. Even from a distance Peyton could see her sparkling blue eyes and a grin that would set any heart to tipping. She said something to Katie, who nodded. Then the little girl ran over. “Hi! I’m Rosie Blackwell. That’s my Mama K.” She pointed at Katie. “Can Gino come to see the animals with me?”
“I suppose?” Peyton glanced nervously at the empty road with no Matteo. She noted Lily’s grin. “Just stay in sight, okay? And be gentle,” she added to Gino, remembering Matteo’s warnings to his son on the plane.
“Hi, Lily! How’s Mouse and Pearl?” Rosie asked.
“They’re doing great,” Lily said. “You and your mom and dad should come out and see them.”
“I’ll tell them. Come on, Gino. I’ll introduce you to Billy and Coconut. Come on, Hip!” Rosie yelled without looking back.
Peyton watched, a little stunned, when the dog at Katie’s feet bounded toward Rosie and Gino, all but herding them to a grouping of small outdoor pens. She wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about Gino coming to her when Matteo wasn’t available. Not that it was a huge surprise. As far as the little boy knew, his dad worked for her. “Who are Mouse and Pearl?” she asked before Lily prodded deeper.
“A horse and burrow I rescued from an auction,” Lily said. “They make the cutest couple. Well, maybe the second cutest. Those two look like they’re fast friends already.” She nodded her head toward Rosie and Gino, who was paying very close attention to whatever Rosie was telling him.
“She’s adorable.” Rosie also seemed to have made Gino’s attitude issues fade away. “Why does she call Katie Mama K?”
“Katie is actually Rosie’s aunt.” At Peyton’s confused look, Lily explained. “Long story short, Rosie’s mom was Katie’s older sister. She died when Rosie was two. When Chance came back to Falcon Creek a few years ago, he and Katie... Well, they found they had a lot in common,” Lily added with a smile. “You know that song he sings, ‘Sounds Like Home’?”
“Sure.” She’d played that particular ballad on repeat for weeks when it first came out as a single a few years ago.
“He wrote that for Katie. And Rosie.”
“I can’t believe we’re related to Chance Blackwell,” Peyton said. “Does that mean we get free concert tickets?”
“Probably,” Lily laughed. “But Chance is a regular at the barbecues, and he doesn’t go anywhere without his guitar these days.”
“Right.” Peyton nodded. “So, when do I get to meet Conner?”
“Anytime you want,” Lily said. “I can drive you back to the ranch now, in fact.”
Torn, Peyton shifted to find Gino. “Matteo might feel better if I kept an eye on Gino, at least for today. Rain check?”
“Sure.” It was the way Lily drawled the word, as if it carried an implication, that had Peyton eyeing her sister.
“What?”
“Nothing.” Lily’s eyes went wide. “It’s just nice, I guess. Seeing you with Gino. Thinking about what his father would want. Unexpected, but nice.”
“Matteo’s a friend,” Peyton said and wondered if she should get that tattooed somewhere obvious. “My assistant and my friend,” she stated. “There’s nothing...else going on.”
“Okay.”
“I’m serious, Lily. Everything between me and Matteo is strictly professional.” Except she did like him. A lot. Far more than she should. More than she wanted to. That meant anything else crossing her mind needed to be compartmentalized immediately. If ever there were two opposites in this world, it was her and Matteo. More importantly, while a lot of women believed they could have it all—marriage, family, career—Peyton knew if she tried it, something would suffer, and she wouldn’t want that something to be someone she cared about.
“Oh, I believe you. Anything else would mean you having to look up from your keyboard and monitor once in a while, and we both know you don’t do that.”
Peyton’s cell phone blared as if confirming Lily’s comment. Her sister looked at Peyton’s phone, offered an arched brow as if challenging her not to answer.
Seeing the name on the screen, however, had Peyton nearly jumping to her feet. “I have to take this.”
“Uh-huh.” Lily nodded and stood up. “I need to get back, anyway.”
“Lily.” Peyton could have just met Lily and she would have recognized the disappointment on her sister’s face. She also felt it dropping like a dull weight in her chest.
“Just do what you need to do, Peyton. Have a good night.”
Peyton answered her phone. “Just a second.” Then she held the phone against her chest and watched as Lily climbed into her truck and drove away. She pressed her lips together. She’d
talk to Lily tomorrow, apologize for whatever she needed to. “I’m sorry, Mr. Josiah,” Peyton said into the phone as she moved out of earshot from the other ranch guests. “I meant to contact you to let you know I’d been called out of town at the last minute, but I’m glad you got in touch...”
CHAPTER NINE
BY THE TIME Matteo and Ty returned to the main ranch yard with the injured horse, the sun was about ready to fade for the night. Matteo could see the flames of a firepit flickering and instantly wondered where Peyton and Gino were. The walk had taken longer than even he’d expected, but he’d let the horse set their pace, if for no other reason than to earn a bit more trust with the animal.
Ty circled the truck around in front of them, parked and motioned for Matteo to follow him into the barn that Ethan Blackwell used as his large-animal clinic. “We’ll put her in the stall farthest in the back,” Ty said as he pushed open the door and turned on the lights. Matteo heard rustling, as if they’d awakened something inside the barn. “That’ll be Goldie,” Ty said. “She’s a two-year-old filly who was abandoned when her owner died. Poor thing is heartbroken, I think. She won’t let anyone near her. She’s not dangerous,” he added as he softened his footfalls. “Just sad.”
Matteo couldn’t help but look into the stall as he led his own rescue horse into the space. She was another beauty—tan and white with a mane that looked like caught sunbeams. She blinked slowly at him and looked away, backing farther into the corner of her stall. Ty was right. The sorrow wafted off her in waves. “What are you going to do with her?”
“We aren’t sure yet. She’s not the right temperament for a trail horse. We might have Conner Hannah work with her, or Lily. They’ve both got that special touch. But for now, every time we even try to lead her out for a walk, she won’t have it. She just wants to—”
“Hide.” Matteo swallowed around the familiar sense of grief and fear. “Yeah. I’ll bet she does.” His own horse whinnied as Matteo led her into the stall, then removed the rope. When he closed the latch, he stood there, arms resting on the edge of the sill, to let her know he wasn’t leaving her yet. She walked toward him, knocked her nose against his outstretched hand. “You’re going to be okay. I promise.”
“I’ll get her some feed and give Ethan another call so he knows to look at her tomorrow.”
“I can do that,” Matteo said. “You wanted to go tell Hadley you were back. I can close up here, meet you at the guest house.”
“Uh, okay.” Ty nodded, gratitude settling in his eyes, and he smiled. “I’d appreciate that. Feed’s in the other barn. Maybe check Goldie’s food, too?” Ty asked on his way out.
“Not a problem.” Matteo ran his hand down the horse’s nose. A mixed blessing, for sure, he thought, finding her. He didn’t need another distraction, but that seemed to be how his life was running these days. First Gino, now this girl. “How about we get you some food, huh?”
He did a quick run to the other barn, found what he needed and a few minutes later returned and offered the bucket of food to the nearly starving mare. While she ate, Matteo turned his attention to Goldie, who had shifted positions and was in the other corner of her stall now. One that gave her a perfect view of her new roommate. “Hey, Goldie.”
Matteo moved slowly, refrained from making any quick movements as he approached the latch so he could check her food bag. Goldie remained still and watched every step he made, though, and she seemed to incline her head in question after he backed out and locked up again. “You’re okay here. You know that, right?” He stood there for a moment, meeting her gaze until she blinked away. “You miss your people, don’t you, girl? You miss your person. They went and left you.”
Goldie sighed.
Matteo squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the smell of hay and feed. The sensation of stray bits of both under his feet. How many nights had he hidden in an empty stall, burying himself in the hay to prevent being found so he didn’t have to hear all the shouting and fighting. Sleeping fitfully into the early-morning hours as he kept an ear out for booted footsteps that usually meant trouble.
“Matteo?” Peyton’s voice broke through the memories and had him looking over his shoulder. “Ty said you were back.” She had Gino with her, in front of her, her hands on his son’s shoulders. For a moment the world stilled, and he imagined what it would be like to come home to this scene every night. Where Gino and Peyton were waiting for him. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” He blinked quickly to get rid of the past as well as an impossible future. “Yeah, I’m sorry I’m so late. We found a horse while we were out. She’s sick, so I walked her back. Gino do okay?”
“He did fine,” Peyton said.
Matteo looked at Gino for confirmation. “Miss Peyton let me go to the petting zoo with Rosie. I got to meet Billy the goat and Coconut the rabbit and there’s a tiny horse named...um, I forget, but it was really neat. Can I see your horse?”
“She’s not mine,” Matteo corrected as he headed toward them. “And she’s a little skittish. If you are quiet and careful, then yes, you can meet her.” He stretched out his hand. “No running, okay, bud?”
Gino nodded and took very large, very deliberate steps beside Matteo. He could feel Peyton behind them, off to one side, as if not wanting to intrude but also wanting to see what had delayed his return. Matteo leaned down and hefted Gino up. The horse’s head came up, and she sniffed the air but remained where she was, near her feed bag, which Matteo could tell she’d already been using.
“What’s wrong with her?” Gino asked. “What’s that mark on her side?”
“I think someone wasn’t very nice to her,” Matteo whispered. “But we’re going to see about making her better. Right now she needs rest and food.”
“What’s her name?”
“She doesn’t have one.”
“Everyone needs a name,” Gino said.
Matteo agreed. Names were important. They meant something. Better he leave that to Ethan or Ty or whoever might take the animal in. “I’m sure she’ll have one soon.”
“How about this one over here?” Peyton stepped toward Goldie’s stall. Before Matteo could tell her to stop, Goldie approached and met Peyton halfway. “Hi there.” Peyton stretched out her hand. “You’re awfully pretty, aren’t you...” She glanced back at Matteo.
“Goldie,” Matteo said, watching as the horse nuzzled Peyton’s hand. “Maybe you have a bit of the Blackwell touch yourself.”
“The what?” Peyton asked as she petted the horse’s muzzle.
“Your sister seems to have it, from what Ty said. Natural way with horses. No doubt all the Blackwell brothers do, too. Ty told me Goldie’s avoided almost everyone since she got here.” But she certainly wasn’t avoiding Peyton by any stretch. “You said you used to ride.”
“That was a very long time ago,” she said without looking at them. “My dad, my real dad, Thomas, used to take me out once in a while. Some of my best memories have to do with him and horses.”
It was the first time she’d said anything about her real father. What must it be like to know who you came from, even if they hadn’t been part of your life for years?
He shifted Gino more securely in his arms. Somehow holding his son made the pain and loneliness from his own childhood fade to where it couldn’t hurt him anymore. But it didn’t stop the desire to belong to something, to someone, other than himself.
He saw that longing now, when Peyton glanced at the two of them, a soft smile curving her full lips. She seemed...different here. Not quite so buttoned-up and tight. As if the Montana air and atmosphere had loosened something inside of her.
“Let’s leave them to get some rest, okay?” Matteo lowered Gino to the ground.
“Can we visit tomorrow?” Gino asked.
“We’ll see. She needs to see a doctor first. Her well-being has to come before anything else.”<
br />
“Okay.” Gino didn’t look too pleased with that idea.
Matteo stopped and slipped an arm around Peyton’s shoulder. Goldie lifted her head and looked into his eyes for a moment before she let out a huff and moved back into the corner of her stall.
“She looks so lonely,” Peyton whispered as he drew her away and out of the clinic.
“Her owner died. Left her all alone.”
“That explains that. It’s not a good feeling. Being left behind.” Peyton tucked her hair behind her ear. “They’re serving dinner now up at the dining hall. Are you hungry?”
“Starved,” Matteo confirmed as they headed away, but he cast a last look back at the stable where the horses settled for the night.
* * *
PEYTON’S EYES SNAPPED OPEN.
The room was pitch-black and smelled of cedar and rain. The world was silent. She sat up, pushed her hair out of her eyes. Montana, she reminded herself. She was in Falcon Creek, Montana. On the Blackwell Ranch. With Matteo and his son.
What had woken her up? Normally she slept like the dead, but now that she thought about it, she’d heard something odd. Something that sounded... She reached up and snapped on the bedside lamp, leaping out of bed. When she pulled open her bedroom door, she looked immediately to the tiny figure sprawled half-in half-out of the blankets on the sofa bed. Gino continued sleeping, mouth open, snoring little-boy snores that would have amused her if she hadn’t shivered at the sudden cold.
The front door stood open. And just beyond, standing on the porch, hands braced on the railing, Matteo stood in the moonlight and the autumn rain. His head was bowed as he shifted his feet restlessly.
Barefoot, she padded silently toward him, drawing the door partially closed. “Matteo?”
“Sorry.” He answered as if he’d felt her presence. “Did I wake you?”
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