Long before she’d fallen in love with the feel of conquering a raging river, and long before she’d made the mistake of falling in love with Morgan, threatening her dreams of seeing the world one river at a time.
The boys were definitely getting to her. There was no way on earth she could look at those grins and tell them she didn’t want to hang out with Morgan all day. So she’d agreed to come, and now she was suffering the consequences by having to corral the pitter-patter of her heart when he was near. No doubt about it, she was wrapped tightly around their wily fingers.
Giving them all a thumbs-up, she was rewarded by a grin from Sammy. B.J. giggled and Joseph returned the thumbs-up, then tipped his hat, copying Morgan. The kid was determined to walk in Morgan’s boot prints. Jolie couldn’t blame him—Morgan was a good, good man.
“Let’s roll,” Morgan called. Jolie took a deep breath, and off she went to spend an entire day with Morgan. She just hoped her heart could handle it.
A couple of hours later, Jolie rode over beside Sammy and Morgan just as Joseph charged after a steer that had cut and run for the gully.
“Catch it, Joseph!” Sammy yelled, startling the steers around him and making his horse jump.
Jolie’s heart skipped some beats but regulated when Morgan grasped the reins of Sammy’s horse before she bolted.
“Easy, Sammy.” His deep voice rumbled with gentle concern that pulled at Jolie’s heart strings. “Don’t go yelling like that and yanking on your horse’s bit. You’ll scare her. Okay, son?”
“Yes, sir.” Sammy’s knuckles were white as he clutched the saddle horn. “I got excited. I sure wish I could ride like Joseph.”
“You will someday. But until you’re more confident, you’ll have to remember to take it easy when you’re out here in the middle of a bunch of cattle.”
They all watched Joseph racing through the tall grass and around scraggly mesquite trees in pursuit. Whipping his rope from the saddle, Joseph had his loop instantly twirling circles above his head as he chased the steer.
“He’s really good,” Jolie said, watching the rope land in a graceful arch around the runaway’s head.
“Awesome!” Sammy exclaimed in a loud whisper.
“He’s a natural,” Morgan agreed. “Joseph took to cowboyin’ like a duck to water. Kinda like someone else I know. She just had more duck in her than cowgirl.”
Jolie tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she took his half-teasing, half-serious words into account. “Funny. But there is some truth in that.”
He nodded. “Believe me, I know.”
Better than most. Even though he didn’t say the words, Jolie heard them loud and clear.
All morning she’d been glimpsing the old Morgan, but now his shields slid back into place.
“I guess you do,” she said. It was all she could say, because they both knew it was the truth.
Their gazes caught, like magnets pulled to each other. Jolie wanted to say so much to Morgan—
“Are you gonna teach us to kayak?” Sammy’s question broke the moment—and it was a good thing, too.
“I’m not sure, Sammy. Like I said in class I’ll have to see how things go.”
“What things?” he persisted. “Wes said it looked real fun. We watched you on the computer and it was cool.”
It struck her that he’d said teach us to kayak. He was getting braver.
“It’s very dangerous.” She forced herself to remain calm. They were simply talking about kayaking, she reminded herself. She wasn’t in the water, wasn’t near the water....
She wasn’t under the water fighting for her life, finding the thrill of the ride not so thrilling when she held it up against being alive.
Sammy patted Cupcake. “Wes said I was too much of a scaredy-cat to ride a rapid.”
“That wasn’t nice of Wes to say,” Morgan interjected, his tone saying he wasn’t pleased with Wes. “He’s a lot bigger than you and he likes doing things that are risky. You have to do what’s comfortable for you, Sammy. Not what someone else wants you to do.”
“That’s right,” Jolie said, relieved that the conversation was heading away from kayaking. “We’re so glad you wanted to ride a horse this morning and help with the roundup. However, if it was something you really didn’t want to do, then we would have respected your choice.”
Sammy looked serious. “My momma was going to buy me a horse when I got older—I mean, she’s gonna buy me a horse. She’s probably trying to get the money to do it right now. So—so I need to learn to ride so I can be ready.”
Jolie didn’t know what to say. Maybe his mother had told him she was going to buy a horse. And what right did Jolie have to tell him he might never see his mother again?
Morgan shifted in his saddle. “It’s good for you to learn to ride. It will help you join in with the others. Now, ease on over to the outside of the left line and stay on the outer edge. That’ll help keep the cattle moving forward and not out. If a stray busts loose, let Joseph or Wes handle it. Got that? Today, your job is just to get used to the saddle and the cattle.”
Sammy let go of the saddle horn and took the reins. He nodded, looking intently at the cattle. “I’ll try.”
“You’ll do fine. Just do as I ask and stay safe. Okay?”
“Okay, Mr. Morgan.”
Jolie smiled at him. “I’m so proud of you, Sammy. You’re doing great.”
Sammy’s eyes widened as if he’d never heard a compliment before. “Thanks. I’ve been praying about my fears just like you told me. ‘When I am afraid, I will trust in you, O Lord!’” As he repeated the verse Jolie had taught him, he finished as if he were a fire-and-brimstone preacher. Jolie laughed and Sammy, grinning, tapped Cupcake with his heels and headed off.
Jolie watched him go, pride swelling in her as if he were her own child.
Morgan eased his horse closer to hers as they started moving with the cattle, keeping Sammy close by. “What’s the real story on why you won’t teach the boys to kayak?”
Jolie had known this was coming. She’d known it ever since she’d passed out.
“I have reservations about teaching them is all.”
“I’ve figured that out. But something’s going on here that isn’t right. Like I said in the arena, you leave your career, you’re having nightmares, you look like you haven’t slept in months. You get faint at the mention of kayaking—yes, I noticed exactly what we were talking about when that happened. And now you avoid even talking about teaching the kids the very thing that makes you tick.”
His expression had hardened as he spoke and his words were matter-of-fact. It was as if he had placed her inside a glass jar, and he was on the outside looking in without emotion.
She hated it.
And the realization that she hated it hit her like a cannonball.
“Like I told you, I’m having a little trouble.”
“And?” he prompted. He’d always had a way of pulling the truth out of her if he wanted it.
“I’m afraid—” She’d no more gotten the words out when they heard shouting at the front of the cattle drive. Another steer had broken loose from the pack and was heading for the hills as hard as it could run. This time it was Wes who took off after it, his rope spinning in the air. Suddenly his horse reared straight up, then began bucking wildly. Wes dug his heels in and hung on. He kept his hand on the reins and fought to control the animal that had suddenly turned into a bucking bronc.
The second the ruckus began, Morgan spurred his horse forward, as had Joseph and Rowdy. Jolie knew instinctively what was in the grass before she saw the rattler strike out at the horse’s legs.
It was huge—its head was as big as her fist!
The horse bucked far enough away that the snake missed its target. Morgan tugged his rifle
from its holder and fired before anyone else could get close.
He didn’t miss his target.
Morgan had always been steady with his aim and a sure shot, just like his dad and brothers. It was a known fact out here sometimes it took a bullet to protect the herd. Or the kids.
“Yee-haw!” Wes yelled. Getting his horse under control, he whipped his hat off and grinned as if he’d just won the bronc-busting event at the National Finals Rodeo. She remembered Wes mentioning he wanted to ride bulls, but it wasn’t allowed on the ranch. Even though she completely understood why the ranch wouldn’t put the guys in danger like that, she wondered just how good he might be if given the chance.
Morgan’s gun was back in its sheath before the smoke cleared and Jolie breathed a sigh of relief, sending up a prayer of thanks. It had been a very close call. If Wes hadn’t been as good a rider as he was, he’d have been on the ground with the rattler and things could have been really bad. Of course to him, it was all a great adventure.
She remembered being that way. Before.
Jolie let the idea of God’s goodness and protection wash over her. She knew in her case He’d been there for her, but she still couldn’t seem to let go of her fear. She wondered what it was going to take to find her courage again.
She rode up beside Sammy, who’d halted his horse and sat frozen, watching the scene play out in front of him.
“You okay?” she asked.
His smile took her by surprise. “That was awesome! Did you see that? Did you see how Morgan shot that snake?”
Jolie chuckled. “Yes, I guess it was pretty awesome.”
In the distance Morgan put a hand on Wes’s shoulder and grinned. Now that everyone was safe and sound, Jolie had to agree it was like a scene straight out of the movies. The way Morgan had charged to Wes’s rescue—he protected the boys in his care as though they were his own flesh and blood.
He was awesome.
Snared by his gaze across the distance, her whole being seemed to hum. Her breath caught and she suddenly felt lost. Why had she really come home? Was it to apologize to Morgan? Or was it to find out if she’d made a mistake leaving in the first place?
And the biggest question of all: Was it possible that she was still in love with Morgan McDermott?
Chapter Nine
Morgan nearly had a heart attack when Wes’s horse spooked. Standing there talking to the boy, he gave thanks that the snake hadn’t bitten the horse, and Wes hadn’t been thrown to the ground.
“That was some great riding you did,” Rowdy told Wes. “You can be proud of that. No doubt about it.”
“Yes, you can,” Morgan added. “That right there shows why it’s good to be prepared with your skills. And God had His eye on you, too. Don’t forget that.”
“I won’t, sir.” Wes’s wolfish grin faded for a moment. “I was ridin’ and I was prayin’ at the same time.” His smile popped back in place. “I was prayin’, ‘Good Lord, get me out of here!’” He chuckled as only Wes could, and the rest of them did, too.
After the excitement, Morgan didn’t get to finish his conversation with Jolie. He and Rowdy split up, each riding the perimeters of the herd, away from the boys, watching for any other rattlers. When they made it to the last watering hole, it had been a long day. They still had a way to go, but the longest part of the drive was done.
The guys were tired and hungry and the cattle were thirsty.
Nana and her “truck wagon,” as they’d named her version of the chuck wagon, were a welcome sight. The bed of the truck was rigged with all the essentials to fix a meal out on the range, and Nana also towed a barbecue pit behind the truck. This morning she’d started them off with a hearty breakfast in the chow hall, but they’d had only jerky and water in the saddle for lunch. The delicious smell of roasting meat and baked beans wafted through the air as Morgan dismounted.
“Want me to take your horse to the river for water?” Sammy asked. Morgan noticed he was riding with a little more confidence than he’d shown earlier. Riding all day could do that.
Morgan handed over his reins. “Thanks.”
“I think Jolie’s sick,” the kid said, worry in his tone. “She didn’t look like she felt good when she got off her horse. Caleb took it to the river for her.”
Morgan looked up and saw Jolie trying to hide a limp as she headed toward Nana. “Thanks for the heads-up, Sammy. I’ll check on her.”
Sammy grinned. “Yes! I mean, good. That’d be a real good idea.”
Morgan watched the kid lead the horses toward the river, a little confused but mostly amused by the kid’s over-the-top reaction. Then he headed toward Jolie. He knew she’d bitten off more than she could handle today with this long drive. She was in great shape, no doubt about it, but there was a difference between riding a rapid and riding a horse all day. A shorter drive to start on would have been better. But she’d let the boys talk her into coming today, even knowing what it would cost her. The thought that she would do that for them—well, it did his heart good. Real good.
“Sore?” he asked, striding up next to her and grabbing a paper cup to pour himself some of Nana’s sweet tea, which was a blessing all the way down.
Jolie cringed. “Just a little.”
Nana clucked her tongue at her. “Honey, I’m not going to say I told you so, but I will say you’re probably not going to be walking tomorrow. A long salty soak tonight might save you.”
“Oh yeah,” Jolie groaned. “I may soak all night.”
Morgan’s hand tightened on his cup. Laughing in the face of pain was pure Jolie—the Jolie he’d fallen for. He halted that line of thought and shoved it out of his head.
Massaging her thigh, she crinkled her nose, grinning at him. “There are just some muscles that are only used when riding a horse.”
“Yup.” Morgan fought being drawn to that grin with every ounce of strength he had. “But I have to say you’ve been a real trouper about it. Sammy’s worried about you, though.”
She clapped a hand to her forehead. “He saw me ease out of the saddle. I tried to throw my leg over the horn and hop off, but the leg just wouldn’t cooperate. It was pretty pathetic.”
Nana handed her the plate she’d fixed as they were talking. “Take this over yonder beside the river and hang your toes in the water while you eat. Take a load off.”
Jolie took the plate. “I wanted to help you, Nana.”
“You will do no such thing.” Nana shooed her with her hands. “You’ve been doing your part all day. This is pretty self-serve for everyone and little work on my part. Now go.” She shooed Jolie again. With a grateful look, she headed not toward the river but away from it, going to a stand of trees where the shadows of the evening settled.
Nana quickly stacked another plate high with brisket and beans and thrust it into Morgan’s hands and ordered, “You go with her.”
His boots dug in, drawing a stern look from Nana and leaving him no choice but to go. Crossing the grass, he caught some of the boys watching him.
“Enjoy,” Rowdy said with a smirk plastered on his face.
Morgan didn’t bother to reply to Rowdy’s teasing—he was too focused on continuing his conversation with Jolie. She’d been about to tell him why she wouldn’t teach the boys to kayak, and what exactly she was afraid of. He’d been thinking about it all afternoon.
Joseph crossed his path before he got to Jolie. The kid was fighting a grin and an odd glint lit up his eyes as he shot Morgan a thumbs-up.
What was that all about?
Continuing on toward Jolie, he caught sight of Caleb, so busy watching Morgan that he tripped on a log and fell flat on his face in the dirt. Jumping up, the lanky boy dusted himself off as he grinned at Morgan.
Something wasn’t right here. They were all looking too...happy. Watchful.
>
He sat down beside Jolie, then set his glass of tea between them on the flat rock she’d chosen.
“I’m thinkin’ Nana is right. I’m going to be in a world of hurt in the morning even with a salty soak.”
Morgan stabbed a piece of brisket. “I’m sure you’re used to being pretty beat up after a river run.”
“So right,” she answered, rolling her eyes as she scooped up a small forkful of beans and chewed. “These are so good.”
He watched her enjoying her food for a couple of stretched-out moments and suddenly he felt like a goldfish in a very small aquarium. Glancing around he caught the boys watching him, although they immediately became very busy when they saw him catching their curious gazes.
What was with all the watching?
Ignoring them, he cut to the question he’d been turning over in his mind all day. “You were saying, before Wes tangled with the rattler, that you were having some trouble and that you were afraid.” Jolie didn’t take the bait and start talking. Quietly he continued. “What are you afraid of, Jolie? What’s got you so tied up in knots that you’re struggling with nightmares?”
She toyed with the meat on her plate, finally expelling an exasperated breath. “Okay, I’m only telling you this because we used to be...good friends. And I know you’re going to pester me till I tell you and even pull the boss card, if needed.”
“Yup.” His mouth lifted at the corner—she knew him too well. “Right on both counts,” he agreed.
“So here it is—the ugly truth of it. I can’t bring myself to get back into my kayak.”
What?
She couldn’t have startled him more if she’d slapped him. She’d lived and breathed kayaking from the day he’d first introduced her to it when she was twelve—she’d already been after him to teach her for a year. He knew how dangerous it was when the water was up and had refused to take her out, but she finally convinced him, and they’d played around with the small rapids during the dry season, when the river had been low and slow. He wasn’t into crazy thrills—he’d used his kayak more for fishing—but he’d taught the kid a few things. Nothing fancy, because he didn’t know anything fancy. And he warned her to steer clear of the rapids when the rains came.
Her Unforgettable Cowboy Page 8