“Mr. Branson is a fine horseman,” Mariah said, her throat tight. It had been depressing to see Luke again and have things so awkward between them. They’d always been so at ease with each other.
“Mariah?” called a voice. It was Caitlin and she was running toward them.
“We’ll go and let you get to work,” Edna said, giving Mariah a hug. “After all, we’ll be seeing you soon, neighbor.”
Mariah turned to Caitlin as she got there, breathless. “Hey, what’s the rush?”
“I just wanted to...that is, I’d really love it if you’d go on a picnic with us today. Maybe we could go for a ride and eat...you know, out on the range. Dad said yes.”
Oh, God. The hopeful look on the teenager’s face was inescapable. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a shirt they’d gotten at the Booteek, though she’d taken Mariah’s advice to break her boots in slowly and was wearing the athletic shoes she’d brought from Seattle.
“Pleeeeze,” Caitlin begged. “It’d be so fun and Dad said it’s a day off from work if we want.”
“Sure,” Mariah agreed reluctantly.
She knew the teen would be hurt if she refused, particularly after their shopping trip, but it was the enthused dad said that had gotten to her. Caitlin’s relationship with her father seemed to be getting better, and Mariah didn’t want to do anything that might upset the delicate balance.
“Tell you what,” she said, “I’ll see if Reid has plans and can come with us. Let’s meet by the main corral in a couple of hours. It’s warm today, so you might want to wear your swimsuit under your clothes in case we stop at the swimming hole to cool off.”
“Awesome. I’ll tell my dad. He was going to ask Reggie for sack lunches—we’ll need another if Reid is coming.”
She dashed off and Mariah’s annoyance with herself gave way to irritation with Jacob. He’d tried to corner her that morning and was probably snickering about this latest development. While she appreciated his sense of humor, she didn’t enjoy that it came at her expense. At least having Reid along might buffer the situation.
Mariah found her brother grooming the horses that the Sallengers had taken out for a ride before leaving.
“What’s up, sis?”
“Are you interested in a picnic with Caitlin and her father? You don’t have to go with us, but it would be nice if you’d want to—it’s difficult with Mr. O’Donnell right now and it would help having you along.”
“Yeah?” Her brother finished wiping the last horse with a soft cloth. “Why is it difficult?”
“He’s demanding and we don’t get along—I really blew up at him for taking over the U-2’s office the other day.” It was only some of the truth, but Reid didn’t need to know the grisly details. “So how about it? Kittie asked me to go and I couldn’t turn her down.”
He shrugged. “I don’t mind. She’s not bad once you get to know her.”
Not bad? A stellar recommendation, certain to infuriate any female unlucky enough to hear it.
“I wouldn’t put it that way to her,” Mariah advised.
“Don’t worry, I’m not an idiot.”
No, you’re smart, just not around girls, she thought wryly. Reid’s IQ was in the gifted range; his social IQ was still developing. He’d made Laura Shelton so angry at the dance he was lucky his classmate hadn’t sunk a pitchfork into his foot.
“Good. We’re meeting at the big corral at ten-thirty. I’ll see you then.”
* * *
THREE-AND-A-HALF HOURS later, Jacob leaned against a cottonwood tree, munching one of Reggie’s triple-chocolate brownies. They weren’t a gourmet dessert, but he couldn’t think of anything he’d ever eaten that he’d liked more.
Reggie had fixed a delicious picnic. Instead of sandwiches, he’d provided slices of ham and cold fried chicken and all the trimmings. They’d eaten until they were stuffed.
The sun was clear and warm, though a cooling breeze swept their shaded picnic spot. There weren’t any buildings in sight, and some of the tension in his shoulders eased. Mariah had claimed there were compensations for her ranching world, and he was seeing more and more of them.
“I wish we’d get some rain,” Mariah said, frowning faintly.
“Bite your tongue,” Jacob ordered. “I prefer it this way. Besides, Kittie and I are sleeping in tents, not a house.”
“The tents are waterproof and it’s a dry year. Rain would green everything up. In the two weeks you’ve been here, we should have had at least one or two showers.”
“Is drought that much of an issue in Montana?” he asked.
She exchanged glances with Reid. “It can be. And since we usually have rain in the late spring and early summer, we worry when it’s dry.”
Reid yawned. “Kittie, let’s take advantage of the warm weather. There’s a swimming hole nearby—we could ride over and cool off. Is that all right with you, Mr. Weston?”
Jacob bolted straight up, instant denial on his lips only to see Kittie’s excitement and Mariah’s averted gaze. She’d told him that he would have to deal with his daughter’s problems himself, though she hadn’t been shy about offering her opinion. No doubt she’d disagree with him this time as well if he denied Kittie some fun.
“Uh...you don’t have your swimsuit,” he said, stalling.
“Do, too. Mariah told me to wear it under my clothes.”
“Maybe we could all go,” he suggested.
Kittie glared. “You don’t trust me.”
His reluctance wasn’t a question of trust...exactly. Protecting her was an instinct he couldn’t escape. “It isn’t that, but you just ate a meal and could get stomach cramps.”
“Ha.”
“The swimming hole is mostly a curve in the creek,” Reid assured him. “It’s shallow. You can float in the water, but it’s no more than hip deep since we haven’t had any rain for several weeks.”
“See, Dad?” Kittie insisted.
Reid Weston was a reliable young man, and while Jacob wasn’t sold on Mariah’s less restrictive views on child rearing, swimming in a shallow creek was relatively harmless compared to other things that Kittie could be doing.
“I guess it’s all right, then. Go ahead, and we’ll see you at the ranch.”
The teenagers rode off and Jacob let out a heavy breath as he looked at Mariah. “I suppose you want to go back now.”
“Actually, I was considering riding fence lines. Granddad and Grams are seeing the departing guests off, and we’re not expecting anyone new until tomorrow. Might as well take advantage.”
Together they packed the remains of their meal into small coolers and tucked them in the saddlebags. They rode for nearly an hour without saying anything, yet it was curiously comfortable.
All at once, Mariah pulled in Shadow’s reins. “Good boy,” she said, rubbing his neck.
“What’s up?” Jacob asked.
“Just a broken line.” She got down and took a pair of pliers, gloves and other supplies from a saddlebag.
“Wait a minute.” Jacob dismounted himself. “Can’t you tell one of the wranglers there’s a repair needed and send them out?”
Mariah rolled her eyes. “You mean, send a man?”
“I didn’t say that. But your hand is still healing. Why do you have pliers anyhow? We went out for a picnic.”
“I always have them. That’s how we do things here—you have to be prepared.”
She put on her leather gloves, and visions of flailing wire, ripping and cutting, ran through Jacob’s head. Shocked, he realized he was having the same impulse to protect Mariah that he had for his daughter.
He didn’t want her to get injured.
After so many years of guarding his heart from pain, he’d slipped.... Mariah was beginning to matter to him far too much f
or his peace of mind.
“Wait, let me do it,” he called as she put her hand on the fence post and reached for the length of wire.
* * *
MARIAH LOOKED UP, exasperated. “You don’t know how and you don’t have work gloves with you.”
“I don’t care.” Jacob stepped close. “And anyway, I can think of much more appealing things to do right now. Can’t you?” He ran his thumb across her jaw, his gaze fixed on her lips.
Mariah’s pulse quickened. “You’re a guest. I don’t get involved with guests.”
“Whatever you say,” he whispered before kissing her.
The same heat streaked through Mariah as it had the previous night. Drat him, she thought fuzzily as the pliers fell from her hand. He drew her into his arms and everything spun as he dropped to the ground with her, stroking her hair, her face...her breasts. A faint popping sound came as he opened the buttons on her shirt and unhooked her bra.
Mariah couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt warm sunlight on her bare breasts, probably when she had gone skinny-dipping in high school. She certainly hadn’t...
Her back arched as Jacob’s tongue flicked the tip of her nipple, his thumb teasing the other with expert precision. The thoughts nagging her brain fled, banished by pure sensation.
Mariah yanked the tails of his shirt from his jeans and splayed her hand on Jacob’s smooth, hot skin. He groaned and sucked her breast deeply into his mouth as she traced up and down his spine. A thrill of feminine power went through her.
They rolled and Mariah found herself astride his hips, his arousal pressed snugly to her center, separated only by layers of denim. She rocked and Jacob gasped. He opened the snap at her waist and tugged the zipper open. It took some effort, but he eased his fingers inside the opening and slid them beneath the thin protection of her panties.
Then something cold distracted her.... It was his wedding ring.
Mariah returned to her senses and scooted off his thighs, her chest heaving.
“What’s wrong?” he groaned.
“You...” It took a moment for her to remember why it was a bad idea to kiss Jacob and what had started the whole thing in the first place. “You’re just trying to make me forget working on that fence.” Anger replacing desire, she fastened her bra and buttoned her shirt.
“I was trying to keep you from hurting yourself.”
“You’re a Seattle businessman. What do you know about it? I began mending fences when I was eleven. The ranch and Reid are my responsibility and I can handle them just fine.”
He sat up and crossed his arms over his chest. “What about your grandparents? Aren’t the ranch and Reid a shared responsibility? You may be his legal guardian, but Reid is their grandson. And how about Luke Branson? He must have wanted to be there for you, yet you seem hell-bent on doing most of it yourself.”
“That’s my business, not yours.”
“Maybe somebody should make it their business. You accuse me of being a workaholic, but how many hours do you work every week?”
“It isn’t the same. Summer is our busy season and we’re doing it together as a family.”
Jacob snorted. “Except you think it’s all on your shoulders. And I’m betting you didn’t share any of it with your fiancé. If I’m right, then Luke has more fortitude than most men if he had to stand by, prevented from truly being included in your life. He must have wanted to chew nails.”
A sick feeling hit Mariah’s stomach. She had never, ever intended to hurt Luke. Jacob was partly right, but she’d had her reasons for trying to manage things on her own. “It wouldn’t have been fair to ask him to take on more when we weren’t married yet.”
Jacob raised one eyebrow. “So why didn’t you get married? Maybe I’m not the only one concerned about losing someone special—is that why you got engaged to a man you didn’t really love? No one could blame you after the way your mother and father died. Especially your dad, giving up like that.”
Mariah hadn’t ever slapped a man, but she was within inches now. Jacob didn’t have any place questioning her relationship with Luke or bringing up her parents. She hadn’t told Jacob about their accident or her father’s despair in the hospital so it could be used as a point in an argument.
“For your information, we were talking marriage before I lost my mom and dad.” Mariah grabbed her gloves and hunted through the grass for the pliers. “So back off,” she ordered furiously, not letting Jacob say another word.
The repair took less than five minutes and she efficiently replaced the tools in Shadow’s saddlebag.
“We’re done,” she said shortly.
“No ‘we’ about it. You wouldn’t let me help.”
“Don’t push me, Jacob,” she warned. “I may not have liked the city, but I took self-defense classes when I lived there and you wouldn’t like being on the receiving end of what they taught me.”
To her utter aggravation, he just laughed.
* * *
MARIAH RACED THROUGH her work the next few days, staying away from Jacob as much as she could manage. She wanted to outrun the things he’d said, but it was impossible.
Again and again, Luke had wanted to help her and she wouldn’t let him. And what about the times she didn’t even tell him about something bothering her? She’d let Luke help with a sick animal or other small task, but never with anything essential.
It didn’t matter how often she told herself it was the Weston way—that ranchers were supposed to be strong and self-reliant. She’d also wanted a husband who was a partner, with shared values and interests. However much Luke had wanted to be a partner, she hadn’t let him be one.
Though Mariah wasn’t ready to talk with Luke about things until she’d sorted out her feelings, she spotted a faint hesitation in Moonfire’s gait that Wednesday. Her examination suggested a sensitive area on the mare’s right foreleg. While it didn’t appear serious, she was Luke’s horse, and Mariah wanted him to check for himself.
So Luke came over that evening and Mariah walked to Moonfire’s stall with him.
“What would have made a difference for us?” she murmured after a long moment.
He had crouched and was running his hand over the mare’s legs. “That’s easy—loving me enough.”
“Maybe I can’t love anyone enough.”
Luke shook his head. “I don’t believe that. The timing was just bad. We were shifting from friends to lovers and your folks’ accident happened in the middle. You had so much to deal with, and we never got back to the right place.”
He probed Moonfire’s right fetlock again.
“Mind if I take her out and see how she moves?” he asked, standing. “I don’t think it’s anything, but I want her in top form when she goes to California.”
“Why should I mind? She’s your horse. I’ll lead her so you can watch.”
Mariah led Moonfire from the barn and walked her up and down under Luke’s attentive gaze. From the corner of her eye she saw Jacob leave the mess tent and quickly looked away. She’d already discussed more intimate things with him than she ever had with Luke and it made her feel worse.
After a couple of minutes, Luke patted the horse’s shoulder. “I think you’re right. It’s nothing. She must have gotten hit with a rock or thrown her leg against the stable door and has a bruise. No big deal, at any rate. There’s no need to get Doc Crandall. Just keep an eye on her. I trust you the same as him anyhow.”
Oh, wonderful. He trusted her. He might as well pour hot coals on her head. She hadn’t cheated on him, but it felt that way with Jacob consuming more and more of her attention. And what would happen when Jacob was gone? It was remotely conceivable she’d come to her senses and realize she’d blown the greatest thing in her life.
“Luke, I’ve been thinking about us. What if—”
“No,” he interrupted. “Not if you’re thinking we could try again. It’s over and we both know it, but it means a lot that you’re concerned. I’d better get back to my spread. See you Saturday at the dance.”
* * *
JACOB SAW LUKE BRANSON drive away and, from the man’s bleak expression, guessed the final coffin nail had been driven into his relationship with Mariah. Jacob knew it was selfish to be pleased about it, particularly since he still wasn’t certain what he wanted from her. He was experienced with city women, not down-to-earth female ranchers. The decision he’d made to stay single had seemed best, but now he wasn’t so sure—Mariah made him feel things he’d forgotten were possible.
“Dad, come play Monopoly with us,” Kittie called.
Lately it had been a seesaw with his daughter—one minute pleasant, the next angry defiance. But, thanks to Mariah, he was recognizing that some of Kittie’s problems could have been caused by the way he’d tried to protect her. Was she improving simply because he’d let go a little?
It was hard for him. He wanted to keep her safe, but he might have gone overboard.
“I want to be the race car,” Jacob said, joining the Monopoly players in a corner of the mess tent. “’Cause I’m going to speed around the board buying up property.”
“Watch out for my dad,” Kittie told Shayla conspiratorially. “He’s a tycoon or something. He...uh...makes stuff.”
Jacob frowned thoughtfully, realizing Kittie didn’t actually know what O’Donnell International did. Of course, it would be hard to define his company, a conglomerate with multiple manufacturing and other business interests. Still, he’d rarely brought Kittie to the office, even on the annual national Bring Your Daughter to Work Day.
It was another opportunity he’d missed to spend time with her. Jacob knew he’d be awake that night, worrying that Kittie thought she was less important than his company. She wasn’t, but he might have given her that impression...he might have even buried himself in work instead of dealing with his life and the loss of his wife.
The Ranch Solution Page 20