by Marin Thomas
Keep this up, Ross. You’re a genius.
His grin was infectious. Kit felt it radiate until her toenails curled. When Ross turned around, she was caught staring at him. “What about you? You want the joy of sitting on a hay bale, as well?”
She chuckled. He could have no idea what she was feeling at the moment, but now wasn’t the time to try and put it into words. “I think I’ll ride in the cab.” In a minute she climbed in the passenger side of the truck and shut the door. Once settled, she turned to him, trying not to be distracted by his male charisma.
While they drove, she said, “When I accepted the invitation to come to the ranch, I didn’t expect to receive such personalized service. Since you mentioned your partners’ children, I assume you’re married, too. I don’t want any of you to feel you have to give us your attention round the clock.”
“This is my job. But to clear up any misunderstanding, I’m still single.”
Her heart fluttered in her chest. “Even so, you must have other calls on your time.”
“That’s true.”
He might not be married, but he’d just let her know he had his own love life. While she was immersed in contemplating that fact, she barely noticed they’d driven up in front of a fabulous glass and wood house beyond some pines. It overlooked the Snake River, and behind it she saw the majesty of the Grant Teton. The sight never ceased to thrill her.
He pulled to a stop. “I’ll see if Johnny wants to come and have breakfast with us.” Ross levered himself from the driver’s seat with that swift male grace particular to him. He called to Andy who jumped down from the back of the truck, and the two of them walked through the grass to the front porch.
Tracy, dressed in a robe, opened the door. A cute black-and-white Boston terrier ran circles around Ross and Andy, causing laughter before Tracy invited them in.
Several minutes later they came back out with Johnny, who was talking a blue streak. He’d dressed in a black cowboy hat and cowboy boots. Kit thought she’d never seen a cuter sight in her life. The dog followed him to the truck and then hurried into the house again.
While Andy climbed in the back, Ross helped Johnny, then he joined her in the cab, pinning her with his dark brown gaze. “Tracy wanted to say hi but it will have to be later, after she’s dressed. Carson has already left to do chores.” He backed the truck around, and they headed for the ranch house.
“That little boy is adorable.”
“You have a great son, too, but it’s clear he’s passed the adorable stage.”
She couldn’t hold back a chuckle. “You can say that again. But I heard him laugh a second ago. Yesterday I feared that sound had become extinct.”
“After losing his father, I’m not surprised. We’ll see what we can do to get him to do it more often.”
Kit decided that if anyone could perform that miracle, Ross could. She marveled over his dedication. There wasn’t anything about him she didn’t like...and the thought made her increasingly worried.
In a few minutes they reached the side parking of the ranch house. She got out so he wouldn’t walk around to help her. Andy jumped down. Johnny tried to copy him, but Ross, ever alert, was there to make sure he didn’t hurt himself. “Come on, everybody. Let’s find a table and chow down.”
* * *
BUCK WAVED TO their group from one of the tables. The dining room was full of guests, great news for business. “Over here. Jenny and I have been waiting for you guys.”
Ross could always count on his partners and introduced Andy to the two of them before they sat down. “Buck Summerhayes? Jenny Forrester? Meet Andy and his mother, Kit Wentworth. They’ve come all the way from Bar Harbor, Maine, to be our guests.”
“Andy and I are very pleased to meet all of you. Thank you for making us feel so welcome. We’re the luckiest people in the world to have been invited here.” When she smiled like that, she lit up the place.
Jenny looked up. She was a charming seven-year-old blonde girl who’d grow up to be as beautiful as her grandmother, Alex, one day. This morning she was wearing her white cowboy hat, ready to ride.
She looked at Andy with curiosity. “Did you fly here?”
“Yes.”
“Did you like it?”
“No. I got airsick and had to take medicine.”
“I got sick when I flew here, too. There was a big storm.”
“I didn’t get sick,” Johnny piped up, “but it was sure scary. I thought we were going to crash.”
Ross handed Andy a menu. “What do you like for breakfast?”
“I don’t like breakfast that much.”
“What do you eat?” Johnny asked. Now that they were seated, Ross could count on Carson’s son to carry the conversation from here on out. “I like Froot Loops.”
“I’ve never had those.”
“How come?”
“We always have to eat poached eggs and toast. My grandmother makes me eat grapefruit so I won’t get fat.”
“Ew!” the two children said in a collective voice.
Jenny looked at Andy. “Does your grandmother live with you?”
“We live with both my grandparents.”
Andy had just dropped a bombshell on Ross. Until this second he didn’t know Kit and her son lived in the famous Wentworth mansion, too. Had this been since her husband’s death? He remembered Andy’s surprise when Kit had told him they would sleep in the same bedroom at the cabin.
“After my mommy died, I lived with my nana, but she lets me eat what I want.”
Johnny made a face. “If my mom gave me grapefruit, I’d feed it to Blackie.”
Ross’s chuckle brought on a cough. “I don’t think your dog would like it either.”
Jenny’s blue eyes had widened. “You’ve never had cereal?”
“We had oatmeal sometimes,” Kit explained, “but not many choices for uncooked cereal.”
“That’s mean.”
“That’s really mean,” Johnny concurred.
Ross thought he was going to crack up with laughter and noticed Kit was trying hard not to laugh, too.
“Do you want to try Boo Berry?” Jenny asked. “It’s my favorite.”
“Okay.”
“It makes your teeth blue,” Johnny informed him. “Will your mom get mad if you eat it?”
“Of course I won’t,” Kit supplied with spirit. “When I lived with my grandmother, we ate a lot of cereal.”
Andy stared at his mother in surprise. “You did?”
“Yes. Lucky Charms were my favorite, along with eggs and fruit. Maybe Boo Berry will turn out to be yours.”
As Buck flashed Ross a private glance that sent a message of masculine approval, the waitress came over to take their orders. He heard Kit tell Andy that since they were on vacation, he could get whatever he wanted. After listening to the other kids, her son asked for Boo Berry and hot chocolate. Pure sugar. What else?
“When does your school start?”
The question caught Kit’s attention. “Since we’re here on this wonderful trip, we’re not worrying about that yet, Johnny.”
“You’re lucky. We have Back To School Night on Wednesday.”
Jenny nodded. “Our classes start on Thursday. I hope our teacher isn’t mean.”
Buck grinned. “What’s all this mean business, Red?” It was his nickname for her because she loved the color red so much. “When I was in school, I liked my teachers.”
“All of them?”
“Well, maybe one or two of them weren’t exactly my favorite people.”
Johnny giggled.
“My grandparents are sending me away to a private school,” Andy interjected.
Both children stared at him in shock. “Away from your mom?” Jenny asked.
/> He nodded.
Johnny put his spoon down. “How come?”
Kit wiped her mouth with the napkin. “Over the years all boys in the Wentworth family are sent to a special private boarding school when they turn nine. They can only come home twice a month if they’ve been good students.”
“Boy, am I glad I’m not you!”
“Me, too,” Jenny exclaimed. “My father and mother died. If I had to go to a school away from my nana, I’d run away.”
Ross groaned inside, remembering his own painful years when he’d been sent away to the same kind of school.
At this point the waitress brought their food, and they tucked in. Ross looked at Kit, who’d gone quiet and was busy eating. When he got her alone he’d find out what was bothering her. In the meantime he had an idea to change the direction of the conversation.
“Before we saddle up, we need to drive into town and get some cowboy hats and boots for Kit and Andy.”
“Goody!” Johnny enthused. “I need some more caps for my mustang. I’ve been saving up my allowance.”
“I’m going to buy some more caps, too,” Jenny chimed in.
“Let’s get Andy a mustang, Uncle Ross.”
“Only if he wants one.”
Kit’s son looked at Ross. “What’s a mustang?”
“A cap gun.”
“Yeah. Uncle Ross will be the bad guy and we’ll go hunting for him.” Johnny was one in a million. “Do you like cap guns?”
“I’ve never had one.”
“Neither did I until my dad got me one at the Boot Corral. They don’t have them in Cleveland. That’s where my grandparents live.”
Ross noticed a shadowed expression on Andy’s face and wondered what had put it there.
“I have my nana right here.”
“We sure do, sweetheart.” Buck hugged Jenny.
To Ross, the children’s conversation had been like a cacophony of enjoyable music until he’d looked at Kit’s son; then the music had stopped.
He pushed himself away from the table and got to his feet. “If everyone’s finished eating, let’s leave for town. The sooner we get the shopping done, the sooner we can go riding. We’ll take the van.” Ross shot Buck a glance. “I’ll look after Jenny.”
His friend nodded. “I’ll tell Alex. She’s going to be at the front desk this morning. That’ll give me time to finish installing that new cabinet in the office.”
The kids ran out of the ranch house to the parking area and piled in the dark green van with the Teton Valley Dude Ranch Logo. Andy followed with his mother, who climbed in the front seat. He got in back with Johnny and Jenny.
“Everybody buckle up.”
“You always say that.”
He eyed Johnny through the rearview mirror. “And I always will.”
“There’s sure a lot of cars,” Jenny observed as they turned onto the highway.
“That’s because it’s the Labor Day weekend.”
“I completely forgot about that,” Kit exclaimed. “No wonder the plane was full.”
Ross coughed. “A lot of families want to come and have fun before school starts. All our cabins are full.” So were the shops in town. Normally the Boot Corral wasn’t crowded this early in the day.
The kids looked at all the cowboy hats. “What color do you want, Andy?”
“I don’t know.”
While the kids tried to talk him into hats like theirs, Ross walked over to him. “My partners and I have seen pictures of your dad. You look a lot like him and should have a distinctive hat that suits your coloring. See anything that appeals to you?”
After a minute of looking he said, “Maybe that one.”
“You mean this brown Stetson?” He nodded. Ross picked it up. “This is a Seminole Gus Buffalo felt cowboy hat.”
His gray eyes rounded. “Buffalo?”
“Genuine buffalo felt. Nice, huh? I like the sloped pinch-front crown. Want to try it on for size?”
“I guess.” Andy put it on his head and looked in the mirror.
Ross lowered the brim a little for him. “With those gray eyes you have that make-my-day kind of look. I’d say you look like a real cowboy.” He glanced at Kit. “What do you say, Mom?” His question ended with a cough.
She studied her son with pride. “It transforms you, honey.”
The kids walked over. Jenny eyed him. “It makes you look taller and different.”
“That’s the whole idea,” Ross told her.
“Thanks.” Andy glanced at his mother. “You should get a hat, too.”
“You think?”
Johnny hurried over to her. “Get a black one like mine and Hoppy’s.”
Her gaze met Ross’s before she smiled. “You mean Hopalong Cassidy?”
“Yeah. I love him! So does my dad!”
“What a great idea! I happen to love him, too.”
“How come?”
“Because I’ve read a lot of cowboy books in my life and I have a collection of all the books about Hopalong.”
Kit didn’t know it yet, but she’d just made Johnny’s day and had given Ross a heart attack with that smile. Hopalong had been a fictitious cowboy of the Old West depicted in film whom Carson had loved. It had captured Johnny’s imagination.
“Why don’t you pick it out for me, Johnny?”
“Okay.” He walked back and forth inspecting all of them. “I like this one.”
Jenny smiled at her. “Put it on!”
“Go on, Mom.”
Ross watched as another transformation occurred. A good-looking woman in a cowboy hat had an allure you couldn’t beat. “You and Andy will have to get boots that match your hats.”
Once they were fitted, they decided to wear their cowboy boots and hats out of the store and carry their regular shoes in a bag to take home.
After the kids bought more ammo with their allowance money, Ross insisted on paying for everything else and threw in a couple of cap guns and ammo for him and Andy. Johnny had designated him the bad guy, so why not play the part all the way?
“Compliments of the ranch,” he told Kit when she protested.
Beneath the rim of her black hat, her eyes went a darker green, if that was at all possible. “Thank you for everything.” He knew what she was really saying. In his grief Andy might think a lot of things were dumb, but he hadn’t fought getting himself a hat. Progress, inch by inch.
“We aim to please.” He had trouble dragging his gaze away before turning to the kids. “I think we’re ready to leave.”
“Hooray! Daddy will be waiting for us at the stable.” Johnny was the first one out the door to the van. Ross drove them back to Carson’s house so he could get his cap gun, then they continued on to the ranch house. Jenny ran inside to get her gun while everyone got out of the van.
“Everyone in the truck for the ride over!”
Andy gave Johnny a nudge into the back before getting in himself. Good for him. Ross put the sack of shoes in back with the kids. Once he’d lifted Jenny inside, he shoved his hat on and they headed for the stable. Their little group was starting to mesh.
Kit watched them through the back window. “They’re loading up like they’re preparing to go to war, and Andy’s doing it right along with them. When we flew in yesterday, I couldn’t have imagined it. They all look so cute in their hats and boots. Can you see them?”
He could, but he preferred focusing on her. “Your son looks great in that Stetson.”
She flicked him a glance. “You keep saying and doing the right things. You and your partners had to have been inspired to carry out this program.”
“We needed to do something to justify our existence.”
“I’m glad it’s working out so well for you
,” she said in a husky voice. “Too bad there’s no magic wand to take away your cough. It isn’t fair.”
“Is anything?”
Kit bowed her head. “No, but you handle it without complaint. You men are role models for the rest of us.”
“Don’t we wish.”
The sound of the childrens’ laughter accompanied them all the way to the stable.
Chapter Four
Kit drank in the beauty of the surroundings, needing to pinch herself as a reminder that this pine-studded paradise was real. They’d only been here since yesterday, yet already she needed to tamp down her euphoria or she might jump out of her skin.
Some of the other dude ranch guests were already saddled and had started out on a trail leading away from the corral. Her host pulled to a stop near the barn and helped Jenny down from the back. The boys got out, and the children disappeared inside with him.
Kit followed. She watched with sheer feminine pleasure as he strode toward the barn on those long powerful legs. In cowboy boots he was probably six foot four of lean, hard muscle. The usual adjectives didn’t begin to describe Ross’s effect on her senses or her psyche.
Once inside he flashed her a comprehensive glance. “Kit Wentworth, this is Bert Rawlins, who’s been running the stable for years. He takes care of everything around here.”
She put out her hand to shake the seasoned cowboy’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Welcome to the ranch. Have you done any riding?”
“Some.”
“Then let’s get you up on Daisy. She’s a gentle mare, but she has spirit.” He brought out a tan horse from one of the stalls and saddled her.
Ross took over and walked her outside to the corral to help Kit mount. “Are you all right up there?”
If he only knew. She gripped the reins. “I’m fine, thank you.”
“I’ll go help Carson with the kids. He has a way with them and will make sure your son is perfectly safe on Raindrop.”
“I know that.” His letter had conveyed an almost spiritual essence that was very touching. If the owner of the ranch and former rodeo champion had half of Ross’s heroic qualities, she could believe anything about these remarkable retired marines.