On his knees, Chance scooted so he could lean against the back wall of the cave.
Jericho squatted beneath the rock overhang. “Now what are you supposed to do?”
Chance yawned. “Count to one hundred, shake this.” He jiggled the strand of bells. “Then repeat.”
“Good boy. I won’t be gone long.”
“Why can’t I come?”
“What if she comes back while I’m gone? You don’t want her to be sad, thinking we left without her, do you?”
Chance shook his head.
“Right. So your job is even more important than mine.” He squeezed the boy’s ankle and gave a wink as he scrunched backward out of the small cave.
Chance cocked his head. “Are you going hunting while you’re gone?”
Jericho raised an eyebrow.
“You have a gun in your pocket. I saw you look at it when you thought I was sleeping.”
“Good eyes.” He didn’t answer the boy’s question. No use making him even more scared about his mom. “Start counting.”
“One...two...three...do I really hafta?”
“One hundred.” Jericho hollered over his shoulder, and Chance resumed his count.
He gritted his teeth. Knee burning with hot fire, Jericho limped down the stone staircase, praying his leg wouldn’t give out altogether and send him tumbling over the edge.
What was she thinking? Any person with half a mind who lived by the mountains knew that a stroll at dawn meant borrowing trouble. Dawn and dusk were the most active hunting times for the predators here.
He picked up his pace.
Ali was the most incredible woman ever created. Strong and independent, but willing to accept help, she let a man feel like she needed him. Beautiful, even when drenched to the bone. Laughing and open often, but guarded when necessary. He didn’t understand what was happening between them, but the last few days felt different. Ali seemed to trust him more. Confusion reigned sovereign in the stampede of emotions, but he’d take whatever she wanted to offer.
Nothing remained of the original campsite. The tent and all the belongings they’d left last night had tumbled down the side of the cliff. His stomach lurched. That could have been them down there at the bottom of the ravine. A prickle ran up his neck. Where could she be? He inched toward the edge of the cliff. She wouldn’t try to free-climb to their stuff, would she? Nothing down there was worth risking her neck for.
A throaty cat cry ripped the still air.
Ali? Please, God, no!
With strength born out of terror, he sprinted toward the source of the sound, yanking the small revolver from his pants pocket as he ran. He swung around a tree, and the sight before him made his blood freeze. Not three feet from Ali, at eye level, a male mountain lion crouched. The animal spit hate in her direction. One swipe of his paw, and she’d be gone.
Aiming the gun into the air, Jericho pulled the trigger, and the crack of the shot resounded against the cliff face. Flinching, the lion dropped back, leaped on a higher rock and scampered away. On the other side of the small clearing, a moose cow and calf took off in a wild charge.
Weak with relief, he dropped the hand holding the gun to his side. On legs wiggly as rubber, he crossed to where Ali stayed rooted, mouth open.
The moment he was at her side, she came unglued. Ali bolted into his arms with a force that almost knocked him over. She burrowed her face into his chest. “He was going to kill me.”
Jericho rested his chin on her head, breathing in her sunshine smell. He let his fingers go to the tips of her hair. “Shh. You’re fine. You just got in the way of his breakfast is all.”
She trembled. “Th-they don’t usually go for moose.”
“He looked young. Probably still learning. A pretty string of bells would have saved you.”
Her hands came up, entwining around his waist as she laid her cheek right over his heart. “I thought he’d kill me. I kept thinking, what would happen to Chance...to you?”
Fear echoed within his racing heart. Every moment with this woman was a gift, and she needed to know it. Jericho licked his lips, relishing the feel of her body melding to his. “I love you. I don’t know if you heard when I said it last night. But I love you, Ali. Always have, always will. You know that, right?”
Sniffling, she nodded against him. He placed a kiss on top of her head and left his hand cupped against it.
* * *
Despite the morning chill, Ali’s entire body blazed. Jericho loved her.
Questions zinged through her mind. Should she say something? Did he only tell her that because she almost died?
As much as the words filled her with longing, they also terrified her. Her life with Chance was so routine. What if it bored Jericho after a time? What if he left again?
Thinking of her son brought her back to reality. A lion had almost ripped off her head. She trembled again. Who would care for Chance if something unexpected happened to her?
She sucked in a breath. “Chance is your son.” Had she really just said that?
Jericho went rigid. “What?”
She pushed back from him. “He’s yours.”
Grabbing her shoulders, his mouth hung slack. “I thought... But... You’re certain?”
Ali laughed at his shock. “Of course. You’re the only man I’ve ever been with.”
“Did you know? When I left?”
“That’s why I stayed up that night. I wanted to tell you, but you came in and��”
He pulled her back into his arms, wetness gathering around his eyes. “I’m sorry. All these years, you were all alone. I’m so sorry, Ali.”
She clung to him like a life preserver, needing his strength in that moment just as much as he seemed to need her. “Silly man. I forgave you already.”
“He’s my son.”
“Didn’t you already know? You two are mirror images of each other.”
“I thought. I hoped.” He let go of her, raking a hand over his matted hair. “But hearing it—this is wild.” Jericho’s hands shook. “What will he say? What if he doesn’t want me?”
Joy bubbling up, Ali laughed. “Want you? You’re his hero. He already loves you.”
“But I’m just flesh and bones. I’ll let him down someday. Then what? Maybe we shouldn’t tell him. What do I know about being a father?” He paced away, hands in his pockets.
“Jericho. Look at me.”
He obeyed.
“You’re already the best father he’s ever known. Hear me? You’re amazing with him. There’s nothing to worry about.”
They agreed to wait and tell Chance back at home, but the entire climb down the mountain, Ali caught Jericho staring at her. For the past month she’d been so worried about him finding out; now she wondered what took her so long. Ali snuck another glance at Jericho. Hope sung in her heart, but she silenced it quickly. Just because he loved her didn’t mean he’d stay forever. He supposedly loved her last time, too.
* * *
Ali knocked on Kate’s bedroom door.
“Come in.”
She pushed inside, and Kate stopped toweling off her hair. “Look at this. Our fearless adventurer back from her travels.”
Flopping down on her sister’s bed, Ali groaned. “On a scale of one to ten, the camping trip would rank around a two.”
“You looked tuckered out when you got home yesterday. I think you set a sleeping record. Was it sixteen hours? Jericho’s been here already to collect Chance. He said he had your permission.”
Ali sat up quickly, her hand flying to her head. “I did the stupidest thing. Oh, Kate.”
“I’m sure you’ve done stupider.”
“No. Seriously. I told Jericho that Chance is his son. Why did I do that?”
“I�
��m proud of you, Al. You did the right thing.”
Ali sprung to her feet. “He scared off the mountain lion, and then I thought about what would happen if I died and I just blurted it out.”
“Mountain lion?” Kate met Ali’s eyes in the mirror.
“What should I do? I told him he could take Chance for the day. Now it starts, this joint custody stuff Tripp warned me about. At least we live on properties that touch. That’ll make everything easier.”
“I think you’re missing the obvious solution.”
Ali jammed her hands onto her hips. “Being?”
“Take Jericho back. Live together. Be a family.”
“No. I can’t—I’m not ready for that. He still terrifies me.” Ali hugged her middle.
“Does Chance know?”
She shook her head.
Kate stopped putting on foundation and faced her. “When are you planning on telling him?”
A half laugh, half sob escaped from her lips. “Today.”
Her sister jumped up, crossed the room and hugged her. “This is huge.”
“We’re supposed to tell him tonight, together.”
A truck, kicking up a cloud of dust, bumped up the driveway. Ali watched from the window as the delivery man jogged to the back and pulled out a package. Megan trotted from the barn and signed for the box. As the truck pulled away, Megan hurried toward the house. Ali left Kate’s room, pounding down the stairs.
“Special delivery!” Megan waved the package.
Ali joined her in the kitchen. “Who’s it for?”
“You, sleepyhead.” Thrusting the package into her hands, Megan smiled. “Open it.”
Pulling at the tape, she pried open the long box. When she peeled back the top, a heady perfume infused the air. She peeked inside and gasped at the colorful bouquet of roses.
She motioned to Megan. “Hold the box for me while I pull these out.”
“Oh, they’re stunning! Who are they from?” Megan buried her face into the flowers, breathing deeply.
Ali fished out the pink envelope and peeled it open. She read the card out loud. “‘Missed you. Waiting for an answer. Tripp.’”
“Here. I’ll put these in water for you.” Megan grabbed a vase from on top of the fridge and began to fill it at the sink. She looked at Ali over her shoulder. “You know about the stud bull, right?”
Ali pulled a knife out of her pocket, cutting off an inch of the stems. “I know he’s ornery as an old schoolteacher.”
Megan handed her the vase. “Wait, no one told you?”
“Just say it, Megan.” Dropping the flowers into the water, Ali gave them a fluff before placing them on the table.
“He’s gone.”
Ali cocked an eyebrow. “Define gone?”
Megan tossed up her hands. “Vanished. Missing. Snatched.”
She grabbed the back of a chair. “Did anyone see anything?”
“No. We searched his field. There are no openings in the fence. No sign of tampering.”
“Someone can’t abduct a two-thousand-pound beast without being seen. I’ve had enough. I’m calling the cops.”
Megan caught her arm before she could get to the phone. “I don’t know. Don’t you still want to catch Rider in the act?”
“I think it’s out of my hands. I thought when I fired him, it would stop.”
“I don’t like this any more than you do. But let me help you. I’ll stick around later the next couple days and try to get some evidence on him. Then we’ll have something tangible when we go to the cops. We want them to take us seriously, after all.”
Ali rubbed her temples. “Two days. In two days, even if we find nothing, I’m calling the cops.”
* * *
Chance gave Jericho a toothy grin as they bumped up the driveway.
“So I’m a real cowboy now?”
Jericho winked. “Certifiably.”
“Can we tell Mom what I did?”
“Always.” He threw the Jeep into Park, and Chance burst out the door and up the porch steps to his mother before Jericho could unbuckle his seat belt.
A smile pulled at his lips as Chance rushed over everything they’d done that day. The kid had his mom by both hands, giving little jerks when something in the story really excited him. When Jericho joined them, Ali looked up and mouthed “thank you.”
She propped her hip against the porch railing. “Slow down, sweetheart. You sat on calves? No wonder you look like you haven’t bathed in a week.”
“Yeah. The ranch hands caught them. Then I’d have to sit on them and hold them real still because Jericho took a knife and castled them—”
“Castrated,” Jericho offered.
Chance made a face, and Jericho lifted his hands in surrender.
“The calves didn’t like it.”
Ali smirked. “I’d imagine not.”
“But Mom, you can ask Jericho. I am very strong. He said I had to be to hold the calves down. And I thought they’d hurt me, but I was too tough for them.”
Her eyes meandered over Jericho. “That so?”
He squeezed Chance’s shoulder. “He turned green for the first fifteen minutes or so, but he held it together. Took a second to find his cowboy grit is all.”
“I have it, Mom. Jericho said in spades, which sounds like a lot.”
Ali caressed Chance’s face. “Sure does. It seems like you had a good time today. Are you starting to like ranching?”
“Yes! Jericho said he’ll teach me all the cowboy things that I don’t know. They don’t use horses for stuff on his ranch. He said I have to go on the dirt bike and ATV before then so I can help. Right?” Chance looked up at him, and Jericho fought wetness in his eyes. His son.
Jericho cleared his throat. “Yep. You’ll have to ride with me until you’re older, but I’ll need you trained by the time I have to sort the herd in the fall.”
“Cool. I like spending time with you.”
His eyes skittered to Ali’s, and she nodded. “Hey, Chance, Jericho and I need to talk to you. It’s something very serious, okay?”
Chance spun, grabbing him by the hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do it.”
Mind reeling, Jericho hunched over. “Do what, bud?”
“I broke a tool at your barn today. I pretended to be a knight and used it like a sword, but it got stuck in the tree bark and bent, then I put it back and didn’t tell anyone.” His small chest heaved.
Dropping into an Adirondack chair, Ali laughed.
Jericho chuckled, too. “I don’t care about that. But c’mere.” He pulled Chance onto his lap. “Don’t ever be afraid to tell me something like that. You can talk to me about anything.”
“Okay. Then what do you wanna talk about, ’cause I didn’t do anything else wrong today.”
Ali took a deep breath, then leaned over and took her son’s hand. “Do you remember when you asked about your father?”
Chance nodded. “You said he left because he didn’t like you.”
Because he didn’t like you? Jericho bit down hard on the back of his teeth. Nonsense. He wanted to root that lie right out, but the blush blooming on Ali’s cheeks made him hold his tongue. He’d wait till they were alone.
“Yes. But you still want to know who he is, right?”
Chance licked his lips. “Yes. Because even if he doesn’t like you, he might like me. Right? Do you think he’ll want me?”
Jericho tightened his hold on the boy. “I know so.”
“Sweetheart. Jericho is your father.”
Chance stiffened in his arms. Jericho’s mind whirled. Then his son’s little shoulders started to shake, and Chance covered his face.
Jericho stared at Ali, who met his look with wide eyes.
“Chance, hey, baby, what’s wrong?” She ran her hand over the child’s head.
Sucking in his bottom lip, Chance faced Jericho. “You’re my dad?”
“Are you disappointed?”
His son sniffled. “No. You’re my favorite person in the whole world.” He flung his arms around Jericho’s neck, choking him.
But Jericho reveled in it, bear-hugging his son back. “I love you, Chance.”
“Can I call you Dad?” Chance whispered against his neck.
Jericho swallowed down a lump the size of the Bitterroot Range. “I’d like that a lot.”
Ali’s eyes swam with tears. She pressed her hand over her mouth as she watched them.
His son pulled back. “Are you going to live here? With us?”
“Well, I’m staying on your couch until we’re sure you guys are safe here.”
“But you don’t want to stay with us forever? Is it because you still don’t like Mom?”
Jericho’s heart squeezed. He wanted to reassure Ali so badly. He set Chance back so they could make eye contact. “I love your mom.”
Springing to the ground, Chance gave a loud whoop. “This is the best day of my life. So you’ll live with us and we can be a real family?”
“I’d like that. I’d like that a lot. But that’s between your mom and me.”
* * *
After sending Chance up to take a bath, Ali moved to leave, but Jericho caught her hand. “Sit out here. Watch the stars with me.”
He pulled her down onto his lap. He smelled like hard work and country air. He smelled like home.
She tucked her head against his neck. “I think that went well.”
Jericho ran his fingers into her hair. “Yep.”
A calf in a yonder field bayed as they sat there holding each other. With her eyes closed, Ali listened to the steady thump-thump of Jericho’s heart. Her stress was lost in the dependable rhythm.
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