by Marin Thomas
Carson’s earlier question about a possible woman on Ross’s mind had hit a nerve. One day, I’ll have a family of my own.
* * *
THE JET FROM Denver taxied to a stop at the Jackson airport. Kit’s heart hammered in her ears. She undid the seat belt and got to her feet, glancing at her desperately unhappy son who was still sleepy from the medicine she’d given him for air sickness.
This was it. The day she’d been praying for had come.
Freedom.
Joy of joys, she and Andy were the only ones in the Wentworth family invited to stay on the Wyoming ranch. They would have a whole week to themselves to get closer and make plans for the future. When they left, they would be going to a new place to live. She had it all arranged. If her in-laws wanted to remain in her life and Andy’s, they would have to deal with her move and accept it.
The letter inviting them here had served as a stepping-stone to their new life. When these retired marines had shown such kindness and generosity, she’d been moved to tears, not only for Andy’s sake, but her own. Not that her son hadn’t had a different attitude than hers when she’d first told him.
“I’m not going.” He’d sounded so much like his obstinate deceased father, with that same mulish tone of voice that often crept in these days. “I don’t want to go anywhere.”
“Honey, this is a great honor for all of us. Think of it—these military men are trying to show you how much they care what your dad did to save lives.”
“I don’t want to go.” He’d kicked the end of his bed in anger.
“Andy—I never want to see you do that again!”
“But a dude ranch sounds stupid!” He’d turned away from her.
To her horror, he was becoming more and more unmanageable lately. He hadn’t seemed to enjoy the cruise vacation at all. His grandparents were so cold and controlling. Winn’s death only served to have brought a permanent winter into their lives. Though she’d been out of love with her husband for years, she ached for Andy and what he was going through, after losing his father.
“How could a vacation like this be stupid?”
“They’re a bunch of lame marines. I hate them!”
Kit thought she understood. To Andy, a letter from the marines represented death and was a terrible reminder of the many months over the years his father had been away on deployment.
This trip would be the first time in years the two of them were completely on their own without the family there to run Andy’s life. Though he’d finally stopped fighting her over the decision to bring him to Wyoming, she saw the deep misery in his eyes. Unfortunately, her darling son had no idea how much more misery was in store for him if they didn’t make the break from his grandparents, who were swallowing them alive.
Winn and his parents had decided years ago that when Andy turned nine, he would be sent to a special elite boarding school located an hour away from Bar Harbor where discipline was strictly enforced. He’d be granted a weekend pass twice a month if he kept up his grades. He was due to start school there in mid-September.
Winn had been sent to the same school at his age and expected that for Andy. It was tradition among the Wentworths, one of the founding families of Maine. Her husband had paid the $50,000 deposit years earlier to reserve his place.
It didn’t matter that he was no longer alive. Andy’s grandfather would carry out his son’s wishes and ignore hers. But Andy was her son and her raison d’être. When Kit had objected because she wanted Andy at home with her, he’d stated the matter was closed.
Since his death the tension at the Wentworth mansion had grown much worse. The out-of-the-blue letter from the ranch was a miracle, and had helped give her the jump start she needed to make some serious decisions. She knew that for her to move out and get a life of her own would be a huge change for both of them—not to mention traumatic for her in-laws.
That’s why she needed this week in Wyoming first to prepare Andy. It would mean treading carefully to broach this plan with her son. If his anger grew any worse, he could possibly require professional help. What if in time Andy turned into his grandfather, outgrowing the sweetness of his nature he’d been born with?
“Honey?” she said quietly. “We’ve arrived.”
His eyes blinked open. They were a lighter gray than Winn’s. His cheek had a line indented into it from lying against the seat. When he slept he became her dear son again, instead of the impossible nine-year-old child she no longer knew.
“Do you need to go to the bathroom before we leave the plane?”
“No.” His rude answer resonated in the jet’s interior. He unfastened his seat belt and got up with a scowl on his face. “I told you I don’t want to be here.”
She was sick for him, knowing he was a volcano ready to explode from all of the pain and emotion he held inside. Kit had lost her influence over him years ago, but she was his mother and he needed her. Even if he wasn’t aware of it.
Because the family had her trapped in an emotional vise of guilt, she’d been ineffectual in dealing with him. Now, that was going to change—she couldn’t live under the same roof with her in-laws any longer. She had to leave, and when she did there’d be no going back.
With his shoulders slumped, Andy started down the aisle behind the other passengers without saying anything else. She grabbed her handbag and followed him to the exit. When they reached the inside of the terminal, Kit saw a cowboy in well-worn boots striding toward them with unconscious male authority. A brown Western shirt and jeans covered his tall, fit physique.
The striking male looked to be in his early thirties. He tipped back his sand-colored cowboy hat, revealing a widow’s peak of raven-black hair. There were no rings on his fingers. “Mrs. Wentworth?”
As she moved closer his dark brown eyes sized her up. They were neither admiring or leering, one of the two looks she was used to receiving from men. For the first time since she could remember, she saw a guarded look coming from the stranger’s eyes and wondered why.
“Are you Mr. Lundgren?”
“No. I’m Ross Livingston, his business partner.” He possessed a deep voice, but his civil response didn’t have the Western twang she’d expected.
“I remember your name from the letter. It’s a great pleasure to meet you. This is my son, Andy. I’m sorry if you had trouble meeting this earlier plane. We’ve been in Norway and caught a flight out of New York to Denver that put us in here ahead of schedule.”
“No problem at all. We’re glad you arrived safely.”
Still feeling unsettled by the way he’d been looking at her, she said, “We’re very honored you would choose our family when there are so many others affected by the war. Andy’s father would be incredibly proud.”
“After your husband’s sacrifice, we consider it our pleasure.” He stepped forward to shake their hands but focused his attention on Andy. “Welcome to the Teton Valley Dude Ranch, son.” After a cough he asked, “Have you ever been to Wyoming?”
“No.” The peeved sound that came out of Andy was totally mortifying to her.
Kit glanced at their host. “I’m afraid he just woke up from a sound sleep.”
“I understand. Long transatlantic flights do the same thing to me.” He’d said it with urbane sophistication, acting as if nothing was wrong, but she knew he knew there was plenty wrong with her son. “Let’s gather your luggage.”
They walked over to the carousel. “We have three cases. They’re the navy ones with the red-and-white trim.”
He reached for them, and they followed him outside past the other passengers to a black, four-door Jeep. He stowed the suitcases in the rear with what looked like effortless ease. To her consternation, the play of hard muscle across his back and shoulders drew her attention without her volition.
Andy just stood there without help
ing, causing Kit more embarrassment. Their host spoke to him. “Do you prefer the front or backseat?”
“Back,” he mumbled.
“I’ll sit with you, honey.” Kit opened the rear door and climbed in before Mr. Livingston had time to help. Andy got in next to her and pulled the door shut. Their host slid his powerful body behind the wheel of the Jeep, coughing again before they took off.
She glanced out her window so she wouldn’t be tempted to stare at the way his black hair curled in tendrils against the bronzed skin of his neck. Since seeing him walk toward her in the terminal, she’d felt breathless, assuming it was because of the six thousand feet or more altitude after coming from sea level. But upon closer examination, she realized it was the stunning-looking male driving the Jeep who’d caused her lungs to constrict.
The farther away they got from the airport, the freer she felt, despite the tension emanating from both her son and the enigmatic male in front.
Maybe not enigmatic. That wasn’t the word she was looking for. Still, something wasn’t right. The cowboy’s attitude wasn’t as warm as the tone of his partner’s letter that had touched her heart. She would have to wait until tonight after Andy had fallen asleep before she’d be able to apologize to their host about her son.
Perhaps coming here for the first week of September rather than anytime in August had put them out, though they hadn’t seemed to mind when she’d asked if she could change the dates. After the generosity of these marines, changing the dates to please her in-laws had embarrassed her terribly. When she got the opportunity, she would explain what had happened.
Still troubled by her thoughts, she saw a jet climb into one of the bluest skies she’d ever seen. With the Grand Teton in the background, the sight was magnificent beyond words. She watched until the plane was a mere speck before she sighed with relief. They were really here, delivered to the small town of seven thousand people. It wasn’t just a dream.
She’d been living for this moment. From now on their future plans rested solely with her.
Suddenly she felt their host’s piercing glance on her through the rearview mirror. She could almost believe he was reading her mind. “If you’re hungry, say the word and we can stop for a bite to eat in Jackson. Otherwise dinner is served from five to eight in the dining room of the main ranch house.”
Anyone watching or listening would think he was being perfectly polite. He was, but behind his benign suggestion she still sensed he had reservations about her.
“I don’t want to eat,” Andy muttered to her before he turned and hunched against the door.
Kit didn’t know if their host had heard him or not. Her son had completely forgotten his manners. “Thank you for asking, but we had a meal before we landed so we’re fine until later.”
“You don’t even want something to drink?”
“No, thank you.”
He turned onto the main highway. “We’ll be at the ranch in fifteen minutes. There’ll be drinks and snacks in your cabin.”
“That sounds wonderful.” In order to shut his compelling image from her vision, she closed her eyes, but another cough from him reminded her he was still there. He must be getting over a cold.
The first stage in her plan had been accomplished. She and Andy were far away from Maine and her in-laws. Unfortunately she hadn’t expected a complication like Mr. Livingston. Despite the fact that he seemed to have reservations about her, she’d already become aware of him as a man, a disturbing one. This awareness hadn’t happened to her since before her marriage to Winn. She didn’t like it.
Chemistry had been responsible for their ill-advised union. Of course she could never regret Andy, who was the joy of her existence, but she was ten years older now and knew better than to get carried away a second time.
Kit’s one purpose in life was to make a new life for her and Andy. Beyond that she couldn’t think.
Chapter Two
Ross hadn’t known what to expect while he’d been waiting for the Wentworths inside the terminal. He’d spotted a nice-looking dark blond boy of about nine or ten, dressed in shorts and a collared shirt, emerge from the doors. When Ross saw the mother directly behind him with her dark hair styled in tousled waves, he let out a low whistle.
She might be close to thirty at this point, but he did have to admit that in her recent widowhood, she could have passed as a top model for a fashion magazine. He liked her pleated white pants and the chic, short-sleeved khaki blouse that tucked in at the waist. She looked polished and sophisticated. Her sex appeal stood out a mile, catching the eye of most of the males in her sight, including his.
Damn if Charles Wentworth’s daughter-in-law wasn’t a knockout. Because of his own privileged background, he had a tendency to cast a jaded eye on women who thrived in a culture he’d found too shallow to tolerate.
The affluent society he’d grown up in was what had finally caused Ross to join the marines. A complete break from the life plan his father had mapped out for him was his only way out. He’d needed to get out, or his life wouldn’t have been worth living. But his desire for a lifetime career in the military had come to an early end when he’d been discharged after six years of service because of his chronic cough.
Except to visit his parents after being released from Walter Reed Hospital in March, plus the monthly phone call home, he hadn’t been near that world until today. By some strange quirk in the universe, it had fallen to him to be the personal host of this woman and her son.
Ross saw himself in Andy at that age and was haunted by it. The boy had grown up in the same kind of environment as Ross. Better than anyone else, he recognized a kid who could be corrupted by that kind of money and lifestyle. A child who was born to walk one path with no room for deviation.
But before he allowed past bitterness to overwhelm him, Ross needed to remember this mother and son had lost their husband and father. They’d come to the ranch at the guys’ invitation and were his responsibility for the next week. Death came to every class of society, and they were still dealing with their grief.
Ross knew the usual tactics to win over a child the way Carson and Buck had done wouldn’t work with Andy. It had been ingrained in this boy from infancy that he was superior to everyone else.
He came from an establishment fueled by money and power beyond most people’s ability to imagine. Already he could see in the boy’s eyes what an insufferable week he would have to spend in this back-of-beyond place. Ross would have to rely on his gut instinct to make any headway.
Once he turned onto the road leading into the ranch, he pointed out the ranch managers’ complex with homes and bunkhouses, the machinery and hay shed, the calving barn, the horse barn and corrals. Maybe the boy was listening, maybe not.
“Oh, Andy. Look how beautiful it is here with the river and the pines, honey. I’m reminded of a Disney cartoon where everything in nature is so perfect. Don’t you think it looks like a peaceful little city immaculately laid out with the forest on one side and the Tetons standing guard on the other?”
To Ross’s surprise her words echoed his own thoughts the first time he’d laid eyes on Carson’s ranch.
Still no response from Andy, who looked and acted miserable.
“That’s the main ranch house on the right. The cabins are farther on.” Ross coughed again and kept driving until he came to the one reserved for them. As he pulled up to the front steps, she opened the door and got out to look around.
“We’re surrounded with sage!” she exclaimed. “It’s a heavenly smell.”
“I agree,” Ross muttered, confused by her reactions. Instead of a blasé view of everything topped off with a patronizing nod, she reminded him of a child who took delight in what she saw. If she was pretending to be something she wasn’t, he’d be hard-pressed to prove it.
Andy climbed out his side of the
Jeep. For the first time he looked at Ross. “How come you cough so much?”
“Andy!” she cried in embarrassment.
Contact at last. “It’s all right, Mrs. Wentworth, a perfectly normal question. I’m not sick in the way you might think, Andy. My partners and I picked up a cough in Afghanistan from breathing bad air, the contaminants of war. You can’t get it from being around me. Today it’s a little worse because there’s some smoke in the air from a forest fire. Smoke is our enemy. We always keep oxygen around to breathe in case it gets bad.”
Andy studied him for a minute without saying anything. Mrs. Wentworth’s exquisite sea-green eyes fringed with black lashes sought his. “Will you get better?” She sounded as if she really wanted to know.
“Maybe.”
“In other words, you might never recover completely. I’m so sorry.”
Ross shook his head, taken back by her seeming sincerity. “We’re fine.”
He transferred his gaze to Andy who was still eyeing him. “If anyone’s sorry, we are for what happened to your father. He was a very brave marine who made himself a decoy under heavy fire and saved eight lives. I’m sure you’ve already been told the circumstances, but it bears repeating.
“Hold that knowledge to you, Andy. Not every person born on this earth has a dad like yours, who was willing to give his life for his friends and country. What he did was remarkable. None of us will ever forget. It’s an honor to meet his son. If you’ll let us, we’d love to show you a good time while you’re here. Tomorrow I’ll take you riding if you want.”
If Ross didn’t miss his guess, the boy’s light gray eyes grew suspiciously bright before he looked down. Illness and death seemed to be the only two areas that had reached him so far. “You must be tired. I’ll take in your luggage so you can get settled.” He opened the back of the Jeep to get their bags.
“Come on, Andy. Let’s help.” She grabbed a case and handed it to him, then reached for one for herself. She kept surprising Ross. He took the other one and went up the steps first to open the cabin door.