by Marin Thomas
“I’ll live. My concern is how you’re going to live.”
“We’ll be fine. That is, if Andy can handle it. If not, we’ll go someplace else.”
While he pondered her brave words, he heard her cell phone ring. She pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the caller ID, but she didn’t answer it. No doubt Charles was harassing her again. The second time it started ringing he heard a muffled sound come out of her. “I’m sorry. I’ll turn the ringer off.”
“Your father-in-law?”
“No. Now it’s my sister-in-law Sybil. Corinne called earlier and left a message. They’re both upset with me.”
Kit had said she didn’t have anyone in her family she could turn to. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Thanks, but there’s really nothing to say. When Charles gets angry, it affects all of them. They just want me to bring Andy home, so the trouble will go away. They know how he and Florence dote on him.”
“Have you ever talked to them about the reason why you want to get a place of your own?”
She took a deep breath. “If I ever brought it up before Winn’s death, they told me I was crazy. They have lovely homes, but they’d both rather live at the mansion with their children and be pampered. I would have traded places with them in an instant, but they brushed me off.
“I know they think me ungrateful and undeserving, but they’ve never stopped to consider Andy. Long ago I decided they were jealous that Winn and I could live there. In fact, I know they were jealous of him. It’s been very sad, but there was nothing to be done about Charles always showing his preference for Winn.”
“Tell me about it,” Ross groaned. “My father doted on me. It didn’t bother my sister, but my brother has always had a hard time with it. What do you say we change the subject and enjoy the day?” He was getting to the point where he needed to take her in his arms and satisfy this longing for her.
“I’d love to.”
Past the trees now, they drove into full sunshine. In the distance Ross could see the oil company truck coming toward them from the road in the opposite direction. “Good. He’s right on time.”
“I’ll keep Andy in the truck.”
“You’re welcome to get out and join me. This won’t take long.”
He pulled to a stop. After grabbing his notebook, he climbed out to help her, needing any excuse to touch her. Andy jumped down, and the three of them approached the man getting out of his truck. “Mr. Dawson?”
“You must be Mr. Livingston.” They shook hands. His admiring gaze swept over Kit. “Mrs. Livingston? Nice to meet you, too.”
“This is Mrs. Wentworth and her son, Andy,” Ross corrected him. But the comment wasn’t far from Ross’s true thoughts. “They’re guests on the ranch and wanted to come on the ride to see the property.”
The man looked embarrassed. “Sorry about that. My wife tells me I should keep my thoughts to myself. I guess I assumed because you were riding in the truck that—”
“It’s a natural mistake, Mr. Dawson,” Kit cut in with a smile. “We don’t mind, do we?” She hugged Andy, who shook his head. “I just found out Ross is an oil engineer and is thinking of having a well drilled here.”
“You are?” Andy looked up at Ross with renewed interest. “How soon are you going to do it?”
“Hopefully soon, depending on my partners.”
Mr. Dawson nodded. “With all the natural gas in Wyoming, my instincts tell me it’s a pretty sure thing.”
“I hope you start before we leave the ranch. I want to watch.”
Ross chuckled. For a minute there, Andy reminded him of Johnny who was always curious about everything.
“Come on, honey. Let’s take a walk so the men can talk business. Nice to meet you, Mr. Dawson.”
“The pleasure’s all mine.”
Her eyes swerved to Ross a brief moment before she walked away. He watched her, mesmerized by the mold of her body. He enjoyed everything about her. Somehow in the past three days he felt she and her son had become a part of him.
* * *
ANDY RAN AHEAD of her to get the map out of the back. Before they climbed in the truck, he opened it for her. “Look, Mom. We’re right here. This is a lot cooler than a regular map.”
“I agree. It’s like a picture of the earth itself.”
“Ross knows so much neat stuff. I wish we didn’t have to go to Texas.”
It was his first admission that told her he was nervous about their plans and preferred to stay here. “You don’t even know what Galveston is like, honey. It’ll be exciting. Nila likes you so much, and you and Kim are friends. You can go to school with her. It’ll be a place for us to get a new start.”
“But what if we don’t like it?”
She understood his fears and couldn’t afford to ignore them. “Then we’ll find another place to work and live.”
“Maybe we could come back here.”
“No, honey. This is a dude ranch. Once our trip is over, we have to leave.”
“I know. I didn’t mean the ranch. I meant Jackson.”
Jackson? Kit hadn’t realized her son had done this much thinking. “We could live there and you could find a job. I could go to school with Johnny and Jenny.”
She needed to keep her wits about her. “You’re only saying that because these retired marines have become your friends and have shown you such a wonderful time. But they have their own busy lives. We’ll make new friends. You’ll see.”
“But I like Jackson.”
“You’ve only been there twice.”
He liked Ross. The man exuded confidence and made both of them feel protected. Already she could tell he felt a bond with the vet who instilled an intangible sense of safety. Kit felt it, too, which was one of the reasons it was equally hard for her to think of leaving.
She could feel Andy getting upset. “Tell you what. Let’s enjoy our vacation and then fly to Galveston. If we really don’t think it’s going to work there, then we’ll talk about other possibilities.”
“Promise?”
“Promise. Now, not a word to Ross. It looks like the men have finished their meeting. Let’s get in the truck.”
She quickly climbed in the front while Andy hopped in the backseat. Ross strode toward them on his long, hard-muscled legs. The sight of him never failed to thrill her.
“What do you two say we find ourselves a pretty spot and eat our picnic?” He levered himself in the truck, and they drove back into the forest. At a bifurcation, he took the upper road and they climbed into an area of tall, dark pines that grew close together.
“This is incredible, almost like we’re in a green cathedral.”
“It’ll get even more beautiful in a minute.”
Soon they came out in a small clearing of a lush meadow of wild flowers where she could see layers of pines beyond, each layer a different hue of green that went on and on. “What are those flowers?”
“Gentians and Indian paintbrush.”
If she looked in the opposite direction, there were the majestic Tetons in all their glory. “The beauty of this defies description,” she whispered in awe.
“I think so, too. That’s why I thought you’d like to eat here.”
“I’d like to live here,” her son piped up, echoing her own sentiments.
“I’ll let you in on a secret, Andy. This is the spot where I’m going to have Buck build my house. But don’t tell anyone yet.”
“How come?”
“Because he’s still building a house for his new family. When it’s done, then I’ll talk to him about it.”
“Okay. I won’t say anything. You sure are lucky. What’s it going to be like?”
“An alpine cabin, small and cozy.”
Kit could picture it. Wh
en she and Andy were in Texas, she’d remember this day and this man....
Ross got out and handed him a thermal blanket from the back of the truck. “Put it anywhere you want.”
“Okay.” Her son found a spot and she helped him spread it out. Ross brought the hamper. Soon they were munching on sandwiches and salad. He handed them a soda and they sprawled on the blanket, basking in the sun.
Andy reached for more potato chips. “You know that flat place where you’re going to drill?”
“Yes?” Ross had just finished off a second sandwich before coughing.
“It’s not very far from here, but you can’t even see it.”
“Nope. That’s the beauty of its location. It’s out of the way. If the well is a producer, it’ll be great news for Carson.”
“How do you drill?”
“It’s quite a process. A lot of different trucks come. One with pipes, another carries a cable, three others are pump trucks. There’s a detergent truck—”
Kit stopped chewing. “Detergent?”
His dark brown gaze fell on her. “That’s the material fed into the piping made up of water and sand and other chemicals. Once an open hole is made, you drive deep into the earth, hoping to find the gas.”
“How deep?” Andy questioned.
“In my estimation, 11,000 feet.”
“Are you teasing?”
Ross flashed them a white smile. “Nope. That’s where it’s lurking if it’s there. Hopefully we’ll get lucky. Then there’ll be gas 24/7, and clients will come to buy it.”
“I had no idea how much is involved.” Kit was as fascinated as her son.
“Will it make a lot of noise?”
“Not after it’s finished, Andy, but you’ll hear its continual flow.”
“I wish I could see you drill down. Are you going to let Johnny and Jenny watch?”
Amusement lit his eyes. “If I know those two, they’ll be over here a lot.”
“But what if there isn’t any gas?”
“Then we’ll close it back up.”
“And drill in another place?”
He raised up on one elbow. “No. This ranch shouldn’t be spoiled like that. I’ll just have to pray this one works.”
“I’ll pray, too.”
“Yeah?” Ross reached over and tousled Andy’s hair.
Kit felt a swelling in her throat. “We’ll all pray. You and your partners have given so much for so many, both in the war and here. It’s time you got something back in return.”
For a while they lay on their backs and rested in silence while Andy got up and walked around. In a minute she felt Ross’s hand grasp hers. She turned on her side and saw a longing in his eyes that couldn’t be mistaken for anything else.
“This is nice, Kit. You have no idea how nice.”
“But I do,” she said in a tremulous voice.
He rubbed his thumb over the inside of her wrist. “I want to kiss you more than you can imagine. If Andy weren’t with us...”
She sat up and reluctantly removed her arm. “It’s a good thing he’s where I can see him because kissing you wouldn’t be a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“We both know why. We’re ships passing in the night. Nothing else.”
His lids narrowed. “Would it surprise you to know I haven’t felt this strong an attraction to a woman in years?”
Her heart leaped. “Actually it would. Surrounded by women on the staff and in the Jackson area, let alone all the female guests who come to your ranch, an attractive man like you has ample, nonending opportunities.”
“Opportunities, yes. But not the accompanying desire I need to feel to act on them. You want me, too, so don’t deny it. I felt your pulse just now. It runs away with you whenever we’re together. I see the throbbing in the hollow of your throat, and I want to put my lips to it.”
She started putting things away in the hamper. “You’re a bachelor and will feel the same way about another woman before long. But I’m not in a position to give into an impulse, especially not with our gracious host. I’m in the most precarious circumstances of my life. One wrong step could jeopardize everything. Andy is so vulnerable right now, it terrifies me.”
Ross got to his feet. “I understand that, but the day is coming before you leave when I’m going to give in to my own impulse, so watch out.”
No. That day wouldn’t be coming. By the end of the week, she and Andy would be flying to Galveston. Much as she hated the idea of leaving here, she needed to be out on her own.
Having been confined at the mansion for too many years by her broken marriage and Charles’s domination, she needed freedom from any strings. Getting to know Ross any better would not be in her best interests. Intimacy blurred the lines, making it difficult to focus.
She closed the hamper for him to put in the truck. “Andy?” She waved to her son. “We’re leaving. Come on!”
Kit folded the blanket. As she started walking toward Ross, her cell phone rang again. Her gaze automatically flew to his. He stood there with a distinct frown marring his handsome features. It was as if the sound punctuated better than words the instability of her situation. No words passed between them as he put the blanket away.
Andy joined them. “I wish we didn’t have to go. I want to hike up higher and see everything.”
“There’s a lake up above those trees shaped like a sea horse.”
“A sea horse?”
Ross chuckled. “Cross my heart. Carson has a picture of it from the air. It’s got fish, but you have to work for them. What do you say we plan to come back here tomorrow? We’ll hike around and have an overnight campout. Whatever we catch, we’ll eat.”
“That would be great!”
As far as Kit was concerned, Ross’s plans had just made Andy’s whole trip for him. He was starving for attention, but the three of them alone for overnight probably wasn’t the smartest plan. Better to add to the group.
She put an arm around his shoulders, warm from the sun. “I think it’s a terrific idea.” Without looking at their host, she said, “If it’s all right with Ross, maybe Jenny and Johnny can come.”
“The more the merrier,” he said at once. “We’ll ask them at dinner.”
To her relief Andy didn’t complain about the other kids coming and got in the backseat. That was another relief. As long as he rode inside the truck with them, she wouldn’t be getting into another personal conversation with Ross she couldn’t handle.
She hadn’t stopped trembling since he’d told her he wanted her. You want me, too. The fact that what he’d said was true had really shaken her.
Thankfully Ross and Andy chatted on the way home about fishing and hunting. To her surprise it was already three-thirty when they arrived back. When she was with Ross, the time went by too fast.
Before her son asked Ross what he’d be doing later, Kit asked if he would drop them off at the ranch house. She announced that she wanted to get one of the puzzles from the game room. They’d walk back to the cabin and work on it until dinner. Without looking at him she thanked him for the outing, and they parted company.
“See you at dinner,” Andy called to him.
“I’ll be there.”
* * *
ROSS WATCHED THEM round the corner of the ranch house. His ache for Kit had grown. Knowing she wanted him too helped him keep his sanity. Tonight after Andy went to bed, he’d get her alone and end this insufferable hunger.
After returning the hamper to the kitchen, he walked down the hall to the office with his notebook in hand. Now that Ross had met with Mac Dawson, Carson needed to see the recent figures and calculations for the project and give his okay. Ross was crossing his fingers because, like Mac, he had a hunch the natural gas was there waiting.
Who would have thought all this had been hidden inside the unhappy boy who’d first arrived here? When Ross thought of his reservations at meeting her and Andy, he was ashamed.
A tap on the door caused his head to lift, bringing him back to the present. “Come on in.”
“Boss?” Willy closed the door behind him. “I’m glad you’re back. The Teton County Sheriff, Leo Barton, is out in the foyer wanting to speak to you personally about a missing person.”
Personally?
Well, well, well. The sheriff, no less. After all those phone calls Kit hadn’t answered this morning, Charles Wentworth had wasted no time.
“Do you want me to show him in here?”
“Please.” The less drama in front of their guests coming in and out of the ranch house, the better. “Thank you, Willy.”
The younger man paused at the door. “What’s going on?”
“When I know, you will, too.”
His brows lifted. “Okay.”
A minute later he heard another knock on the door. Ross got up to open it. “Sheriff Barton? Come in and sit down.”
“Thank you, Mr. Livingston.”
“How can I help you?”
“Do you have guests staying here by the name of Kathryn Wentworth? She’s with a nine-year-old boy named Andrew?”
“Yes, that’s her son. They arrived on Saturday. What’s wrong?”
“Her in-laws, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wentworth, have reason to suspect they might have gone missing since then. I have a warrant issued by Judge Otis Marcroft in Knox County, Maine, to look for them.”
Good grief.
Ross pretended to be surprised. “You mean the Wentworths think she’s been kidnapped while she’s been here on the ranch?”