“Don’t you worry about me. I’ve got a whole lot of eating to make up for. Besides Rhett’s coming to stay tomorrow and you know he’ll eat it all if I don’t.”
“Very true. He’s complaining Ivy isn’t baking because he needs to fit into his wedding suit.” Peta’s eyes clouded. “I’m sorry you won’t be coming on the roundup with us. You’ll be missed.”
Hal stopped eating to cover Peta’s hand. “It’s okay, honey. Rhett and I will be fine. We’re going to stay up late, watch old cowboy movies, and not talk at all about flowers, suits, or wedding waltzes.”
In Hal’s and Peta’s shared laughter, Garrett could see why Hal had remained at Bluebell Falls. Garrett had made sure Hal could afford to buy any ranch he wanted and yet he’d stayed on as foreman and showed no sign of ever wanting to leave. After losing everything, Hal had found a home where he was valued and loved for who he was and not what he had. Garrett could only hope that one day he too would be so lucky.
“Garrett?”
It was only when Peta spoke his name, he realized she’d stood and now stared at him. A question lingered in her blue eyes.
“Sorry?”
“If you’re all right to stay, I’ll take Scout for a quick ride as it will be our last one until after roundup?”
He too came to his feet. “I’m not going anywhere. I have a sudden hunger for chili and then Hal’s going to tell me what exercises the physical therapist told him he needs to do.”
Peta smiled as Hal groaned. Then with a kiss to Hal’s cheek, she left.
Hal laid his fork on the mat, his shrewd gaze on Garrett as he spooned chill into a bowl. “I take it by you not having your roundup talk with Peta you figured out she wasn’t just a pretty face, after all?”
“Yep.” Garrett sat at the table with his chili.
Hal didn’t resume eating. “Still think she’s trouble?”
Garrett picked up his fork. There was no use hiding his emotions or concealing his tension. Hal knew him too well.
Garrett nodded slowly. “A truckload.”
Chapter Six
‡
“Relax, Cloud.” Peta stroked the warm neck of the grey gelding pawing the ground beside her. “We’ll be off searching for cattle soon.”
Cloud was a seasoned roundup horse and he couldn’t wait to get started. She continued to stroke his neck. He had a full day’s work ahead and she wanted him calm and rested. He quivered as iron clanged to their left when the back of the horse trailer slammed shut.
All around her, horses milled, cowboys hustled, and Sam directed the steady stream of food boxes being ferried over to the large log cabin. The crisp, high altitude air carried the tang of wood smoke as the cabin’s chimney emitted a growing tendril of smoke. Soon the bellow of cattle would add to the noise of their annual winter roundup. She blew out a slow breath to temper her own excitement. Cloud wasn’t the only one keen to get going. She loved this time of year.
She searched the men getting ready to ride off around her until she saw Garrett. Amongst all the organized chaos, he remained relaxed and in control. Quick with a smile or an encouraging word, he made sure every cowboy understood what he expected of them. From the boys’ nods and the easy way they swung into their saddles, she had no doubt that, even without Hal, this year’s roundup would go to plan. The cattle that had scattered across the range during the summer would all soon be together again. They’d then be tagged, drenched, vaccinated, and trailed down to the foothills close to the ranch where they’d wait out the winter.
She only hoped Hal wouldn’t miss the roundup too much. Rhett had arrived early that morning to stay and to keep him company. From the mischief in Rhett’s gaze and Hal’s crooked grin, she suspected Hal had already bent the rules by eating chili for breakfast. At least she knew his exercises would be done. She’d seen Garrett having a serious word with Hal before he’d clasped his shoulder in farewell.
Cloud nuzzled her cheek. The warmth of the gelding’s breath reminded her it had taken three layers of clothing to combat the early-morning chill. But once the sun shone, the high elevation temperature would soar.
Footsteps approached. Dressed in a sheepskin coat, worn Wranglers, and chaps Garrett would make any woman’s pulse race. But she didn’t continue to focus on how gorgeous he looked; instead she focused on his eyes. As expressionless and impassive as his face could be, yesterday she’d learned his eyes could tell another story.
When their gazes had met while he’d hefted Hal’s bag from out of the pickup, she’d glimpsed raw and unfettered emotion. Having the man, who was like a father to Garrett, home had moved him. Beneath all his control and confidence he was capable of feeling, deeply. She swallowed. And the discovery rattled her. She’d already found it difficult enough to stay detached when around him. Knowing he had a good heart made it almost impossible to stop herself from being drawn to him.
“Someone’s ready to head out,” Garrett said, stopping in front of her as Cloud again pawed the ground beside Peta’s boots.
“And so is someone else.” She dipped her head to where Tank lay in a weak patch of sunshine. The border collie’s nose rested on his paws as he watched Peta with a fixed intensity. As soon as she gave the word, he’d race to her side.
“So what’s the plan?” she asked, attention again on Garrett. “Which direction do you want me to head off in?”
“Nowhere yet.”
She frowned. “You’re joking?”
The corner of his mouth kicked into a half-grin. “No, I’m not. I need to talk to Sam and then we can head out.”
Her frown deepened. “We?”
“Yes. You’re stuck with me for a partner. It seems you ride too hard and too fast. The boys know Hal will have their hide if anything happens to you on their watch.”
“I don’t need a babysitter. I’ve been doing this since I was sixteen.” She moved to tighten Cloud’s cinch. “I’ll take the western ridge. There are pockets of secret valleys the cows always find.”
“Peta …” Garrett’s voice was as hard as stirrup-iron as he took hold of Cloud’s reins. “I know you could do this roundup on your own but I’m just being careful.”
She faced him, hands planted on her hips. “Why? Because I’m a woman?”
A muscle worked in Garrett’s jaw before his grey gaze skimmed over her. “No. Your gender has nothing to do with it. Everyone has a partner today. Troy saw signs of a grizzly. You don’t need me to tell you that when grizzlies get ready to go to their den, they can be aggressive over food.”
She folded her arms. She wasn’t sure what spiked her temper more. The notion Garrett might still think of her as the helpless woman he’d believed her to be when they’d met. Or that when his gaze swept over her, his attention hadn’t dwelled on her curves. As attractive as she found him, he mustn’t feel the same physical pull.
“Fine. I won’t go out by myself. Two years back there was an old grizzly around here that caused Rhett a few problems when he found him with a cow carcass.”
Garrett nodded and released his hold on Cloud’s reins. “I’ll talk to Sam and then you can ride out with me.”
“No, Garrett,” she said, voice saccharine sweet. “You can ride out with me.”
His lips didn’t curve but his eyes smiled. “Okay. Trapper and I will join you, Cloud, and Tank and we’ll all ride over to the western ridge together, one big happy family.”
*
After a morning of combing through small clearings tucked away in golden aspen groves and dense pine forests, they were one tired family. When they reached a gentle stream flowing through an alpine meadow they stopped for a saddlebag lunch.
Peta slid from Cloud’s saddle and grimaced at the jolt of her boots hitting the solid ground. Her month long holiday had turned her soft. She was no longer used to spending hours on horseback.
Garrett shot her a grin but didn’t say anything as he dismounted. His stride remained lithe and long while she hobbled over to ease herself onto a g
ranite rock. Tank flopped down on the grass beside her.
“I hope the others have had better luck than us,” she said, removing her leather riding gloves so she could twist off the top of her water bottle. “We haven’t found a single cow.” She poured water into her hat for Tank to drink.
“I’m sure they have.” Garrett sat on a nearby rock and passed her one of Sam’s famous chicken wraps from out of his saddle bag.
“Thanks.”
The warmth filling her cheeks had little to do with the sun’s heat. As the day warmed up, they’d removed their jackets and other layers. Now all Garrett wore with his jeans and chaps was a grey Henley that he’d pulled up the sleeves on. The soft cotton outlined every hard-packed ridge and contoured muscle. He took off his hat and his tanned forearms flexed as he dragged his fingers through his dark hair.
She took a bite of her wrap and reminded herself for the tenth time since they’d ridden out she needed to keep everything businesslike between them. She was used to riding with men who looked good on horseback. Just because Garrett looked better-than-good was no reason to treat him any differently than she would any other cowboy.
She focused on the faint trail they’d followed. She’d make polite, but impersonal, small talk. “It’s amazing to think a century ago trappers would have travelled the very same trail we just did.”
“It sure is. And up here not many things would have changed since then.” Garrett studied the pristine blue sky. “At this time of year golden eagles still migrate and bull elk bugle as they form their winter herds.”
“That’s right, they still do.”
Garrett’s warm tone suggested he loved the mountains as much as she did. But discovering whether or not they shared such a passion would be straying into personal territory. So instead, she took another bite of her lunch and let the conversation lapse.
Once they’d finished eating, and the horses had drunk from the clear stream, they set off again.
When the trail forked, Peta led the way down a steep incline to their left. The first time she’d ridden this narrow path, she’d proceeded at a snail’s pace but she now knew the terrain well. Cloud and Trapper had also ridden this trail several times.
She turned in the saddle. “We usually find cows in the valley below. One cow we need to look out for is a big-framed Hereford. Her name’s Lola and she always finds the best places to hide with her calf.”
Garrett nodded, his attention on the uneven track.
Cloud stumbled on a loose rock, the sudden movement pitching Peta forward. She righted herself and then leaned back in the saddle to help the gelding deal with the sharp slope.
When she reached the bottom, she waited for Garrett to join her. But instead of giving his usual nod to go on, he pulled Trapper up alongside Cloud.
“No wonder the boys have bets on if I make it back to camp in one piece after riding with you. That was one curly track.”
Garrett’s words might be light but an unfamiliar huskiness deepened his voice.
Peta glanced at the trail they’d descended and that had been made by the small, hard hooves of mountain goats. “It’s not that bad and it’ll save us at least an hour of riding.”
Garrett stared at her, jaw tight. “It might be a shortcut but it’s also dangerous. Promise me you’ll never use it again unless you absolutely have to.”
Peta sighed. Instinct told her there’d be no point refusing to make such a promise. Garrett was stubborn and wouldn’t move until she did.
“You sound like Hal… but okay… even though the track really is fine. I’d never ask a horse to go anywhere they could be injured.”
Garrett didn’t answer, just urged Trapper forward to take the lead. Peta frowned but followed as they made their way toward the clearing visible through the pine trees.
As she’d predicted, the isolated valley had become the summer home for three cow and calf pairs. They gathered the cattle and headed them through the forest and across the ridge to take the long way round to the cabin. Once again, Peta’s main view of Garrett as they rode behind the small herd was his broad back.
When the sun lowered in the sky, and the wind carried the bite of winter, they stopped to put on their heavy jackets. Then, when they were a short distance away from the cabin, Garrett slowed their pace. Cloud and Trapper had worked up a sweat and would need time to cool down before they stopped and were rugged for the night.
They arrived back to the familiar methane scent of cattle and the glow of campfire flames. The cows and calves raced through the steel gate to join the other cattle already in the corral. Peta scanned the milling herd but couldn’t see Lola.
Garrett rode over, his gaze flickering across her face before he spoke. “Thanks for a good day. I hope you’re not too saddle sore tomorrow.”
“Fingers crossed.”
She kept her reply short and casual and hoped he didn’t notice her watching him ride away.
It had been a good day, even if she’d had to remind herself to keep things businesslike between them. She turned Cloud toward the makeshift horse corrals. Working alongside Garrett had felt comfortable and right, even when he took the lead. But it was something she couldn’t get used to. When Hal was back on his feet, Garrett would return to whatever he’d been doing before Hal sent his SOS.
Once Cloud was rugged and fed, Peta looked around for Tank. The border collie sat near the campfire and judging by his sleepy expression and the size of his belly Sam had treated him to an early dinner. She grabbed her duffle bag and entered the cabin.
Sam stood at the stovetop stirring custard in a large metal pot.
“Tank looks happy,” she said, with a smile. “Thanks for feeding him.”
“You’re welcome.” The baby-faced cook had been at Bluebell Falls almost as long as Hal but never seemed to age. “He’s just like his father. He used to wait at the door for dinner when he’d come back from chasing cows. Now if you’re quick you can have a hot shower before I serve up.”
“Thanks. I can’t believe how stiff I am. It feels like I haven’t been on a horse for a year not a month.”
She made her way to one corner of the cabin that had been sectioned off using two curtains printed with pictures of galloping horses. When she’d come on her first roundup, her mother had sewn the curtains and Hal had installed them to give her some privacy. She glanced at the beds in the open area against the far wall. Something told her Garrett wouldn’t sleep inside. He’d place his bedroll beside the fire. She pushed aside all thoughts about what he would, or wouldn’t, wear when he slept and headed to the shower out the back.
Warm, and with the ache in her muscles eased, Peta joined the others around the campfire. Garrett sat opposite her. She was sure every so often his gaze would rest on her but when she’d glance up, his attention appeared to be on the flames.
Sam rang the dinner triangle. It didn’t take long until his homemade burgers and hand cut fries had disappeared amongst much laughter and banter.
“So, Garrett,” Rod said, in between mouthfuls, “how did you go riding with the boss? Go down any goat tracks?”
Garrett grinned. “Nothing Trapper and I couldn’t handle.”
The group laughed.
Sam winked across at her. “Was that the short or long goat track?”
“Short,” she said, “the long one will be tomorrow. Today’s was just a test run.”
More laughter sounded.
Sam served generous helpings of custard and peach cobbler and after yawns proved contagious, people drifted off to bed. When she stood to also head to the cabin, Garrett’s eyes met hers. The shadows made reading his expression impossible, but when he gave her a goodnight nod she nodded in return.
As she lay in her sleeping bag, with Tank snoring at her feet, sleep proved elusive. She couldn’t erase the image of Garrett’s eyes when he’d made her promise not to use the mountain goat track unless she had to. She stared at the wooden log beams above her. If she didn’t know better, she’d
have sworn concern had darkened his gaze and deepened the grooves beside his mouth.
*
The dawn birdsong woke Garrett with the accuracy of an alarm clock. He left the warmth of his bedroll to stoke the campfire. In the gloom, he saw other cowboys stir and then roll over. He didn’t blame them for not wanting the day to start. Cold nipped at his ears and fingers and he returned to his bed. There was still time before light streaked the sky and he had some thinking to do.
He rested his elbow behind his head and waited for the pinpricks of starlight above him to fade.
He could only hope Peta had been joking about there being more goat tracks to negotiate today. Even though she’d be familiar with the terrain they travelled over, his nerves and his self-control couldn’t take another high-risk trail.
When Cloud had stumbled and Peta had lurched in the saddle, hot fear had lanced through him. It hadn’t mattered that Peta had righted herself and shown no concern, the image of her falling and tumbling into the ravine below had stayed with him. He’d worked with cowboys in dangerous situations before and, while he’d been concerned for their safety, he’d never experienced the same rush of alarm.
The intensity of his feelings left him in no doubt his plan to keep an emotional and professional distance between him and his boss was failing. The more time he spent with her, the more business and pleasure became entwined. Canvas rustled as he shifted in his bedroll to scrub a hand over his face. Even if it became harder to ignore how much her smile and her curves made his blood heat, Peta could never suspect he felt anything other than respect and a working camaraderie for her. The last star faded as the sky lightened. Wherever she led him today, or whatever happened, his emotions and attraction had to be firmly held in check.
The camp came awake. Voices murmured in the dawn stillness and breaths frosted in lazy, white puffs. Buckles clinked and horses’ hooves stamped. Lights filled the log cabin windows as plates were loaded with Sam’s hearty, cooked breakfast.
Garrett shrugged on his jacket and headed for the cozy cabin. He found Peta sitting at a table with a plate of pancakes before her. Fresh-faced, with her long, blonde hair tousled and her lips a natural pink, it took him a long second to look away.
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