by Barbara Gee
“Did your fellow officers stick up for you?” Virgil asked.
“Every single one, male and female, along with the non-officer personnel. They were almost as angry as I was and they all vouched for me, but again, those phone calls and the news stories that followed were enough to cast doubt in the eyes of the public, and I didn’t have enough time to prove it was all a farce.”
“All that is bad enough,” Tuck said, “but it’s the escalation that worries me most. Whoever is out to get Ryan succeeded in knocking him out of the chief position, but that wasn’t enough. They went back, and from the looks of it, tried to kill him in the fire. That takes the problem to a whole new level.”
Libby saw Ryan’s jaw clench, but he didn’t reply. “Will your mail come here now?” she asked.
“I don’t want it to come directly here, because the post office makes forwarding addresses public. I have it going to a UPS Store about an hour away.”
“Actually I have a better idea, now that I think about it,” Tuck said. “I’ll get it forwarded to my office in Fargo. There’s no way anyone will get their hands on it that way.”
Ryan looked at his friend and nodded slowly. “The store employees are a weak link, for sure. Most people can be bought for the right price, and if they let someone go through my mail I’d have no way of knowing it.”
“I’ll get it done tomorrow,” Tuck promised.
“Thanks,” Ryan said. “On a brighter note, I was blown away by the building site for your retreat center. You guys are going big, huh?”
***
Ryan looked across the table at Libby, noticing how her eyes lit up when he brought up the project she was so passionate about. The girl was somehow even more beautiful than he remembered, and to his surprise they’d actually held a conversation in the kitchen earlier. He’d expected her to make an excuse and hightail it away from him, but she’d stood right there and talked to him. She’d even touched him. He could still feel her fingers on his skin. It made him want more, but those were dangerous thoughts and took him where he’d sworn he wouldn’t go with Tuck’s sister.
He listened as she described the steps they were taking to get the retreat center up and going. Her blue-green eyes sparkled and her excitement was contagious. Ryan found himself wanting to do whatever he could to help her dream take shape.
***
By the time the last of the peach cobbler had been polished off, the group was sated and mellow.
“It’s a full moon tonight,” Virgil pointed out. “You kids oughta saddle up and go enjoy it. Nights don’t get any more beautiful than this.”
Tuck looked at Maddy, who grinned back at him.
“We’re game,” she said. “What about you two?”
Ryan hadn’t ridden a horse in years, but he figured it would come back to him. And spending another couple hours in Libby’s company held a lot more appeal than being alone in his cabin.
“I’d be up for it, as long as you guys don’t mind taking it a little easy until I get used to being on a horse again.”
Kay beamed at them. “Go on then, enjoy yourselves. Virgil will help me get dinner cleaned up.”
Maddy and Libby insisted on at least helping to carry everything from the table to the kitchen, but then Kay shooed them out.
“I need to go change my shoes,” Libby said.
“Me too,” Maddy said. “You guys go on out to the stable and start getting the horses ready. Lib and I will grab a Gator and meet you there.”
The guys left and Libby promised to swing by the guest house to pick Maddy up. She ran upstairs to her bedroom, surprised to realize that she was actually excited about the chance to spend more time with Ryan. No, she didn’t suddenly feel perfectly at ease with him, but forcing herself to stand and talk with him in the kitchen had given her enough confidence to believe she could handle a horseback ride in his presence. She didn’t know whether another one-on-one conversation was in the cards for them tonight, but it didn’t matter. She was more than content just looking at him.
Libby pulled on boots and a jacket, then headed back downstairs, grabbing the keys to one of the large utility ATVs, called a Gator, on her way out the front door. Maddy came out of her cabin with her arms full.
“I grabbed a couple of Tuck’s sweatshirts. I know it’s June, but it’s going to get cool tonight and they’re only wearing tee shirts. I don’t think Ryan even owns a jacket. He came here with virtually nothing. We stopped at a mall in Grand Forks so he could get some clothes.”
“That was thoughtful of you.”
Maddy bumped Libby’s shoulder with her own. “I’m proud of you, Lib. You held your own during dinner instead of trying to disappear. That’s what I wanted.”
Libby steered the Gator out onto the lane. “It wasn’t easy, but even if he’s disgusted by my sexual exploits, I figure we can still be friends. Maybe.”
“I didn’t see any disgust,” Maddy said with a grin. “He could hardly take his eyes off you at dinner. You would have noticed if you hadn’t been trying so hard not to stare back.”
“Whatever, Maddy. You don’t need to give me a pep talk.”
Maddy laughed. “Something tells me you’re not going to need one. If you and Ryan spend time together, even if Tuck and I are around too, your friendship or relationship or whatever it’s going to be will take care of itself.”
“Let’s just go ride some horses okay? Don’t make more of this than it is.”
“You got it, Lib.” Maddy grinned. “We’ll just go ride those horses. Under a beautiful full moon. On a beautiful ranch. With the two most gorgeous men in the entire universe.”
“Madison!” Libby slapped her friend’s leg. “Stop! You’re making things worse, not better. And besides, you don’t know that for a fact—there might be some really handsome aliens out in the universe.”
***
They were both laughing when they entered the stable and Tuck looked up from the strap he was buckling around his big chestnut horse, smiling over at Ryan. “Hearing my wife laugh is one of my favorite things.”
“Well that’s good, because you’re likely to hear it again when I try to ride a horse for the first time in a decade.”
“You haven’t ridden in ten years?”
Ryan shrugged. “Maybe even longer. My grandmother lived on a farm in Virginia and I rode a lot growing up, but my dad sold the place when she passed away, and that was that.”
“About time you get back to it, then.” Tuck gave his horse a pat on his flank and hoisted another saddle onto his shoulder. “We’ll put you on Pablo. He can go as fast as you want, but he won’t dance around or take off on you. He’ll wait until you tell him it’s go time.”
Ryan looked over toward the girls and watched Libby swing herself up into the saddle of her big black horse. He couldn’t hide his smile of admiration. Libby was the picture of feminine grace. Beautiful.
“Come on, slowpokes,” she called, smiling over her shoulder at the rest of them. “That full moon is calling our names.”
Tuck looked at Ryan. “You ready?”
“Yeah, let’s hope it’s like riding a bike and it all comes back.” Ryan pushed his foot into a stirrup and mounted his horse with surprising ease.
“Not bad,” Tuck said with a grin. “Let’s go. Knowing the girls, they’ll leave us in the dust given half a chance.”
The two women were patiently waiting outside, though, and the four rode out of the corral together. Ryan quickly got a feel for his horse, and he found himself gradually relaxing and enjoying the night. The moon was incredibly bright, making it easy to see where they were going. It was cool, and he was glad for the sweatshirt Maddy had thoughtfully brought for him. He’d had at least a dozen sweatshirts at his house, most of them sporting the logos of his alma mater and the Carolina hockey and football teams. It was still hard to believe everything he’d owned was simply gone.
“How long since you’ve ridden?”
Libby’s soft voice interrup
ted his thoughts and he looked over to see her coming up beside him.
“At least ten years.”
“Looks like it’s coming back to you. You’ve got a good seat, as Uncle Virgil would say.”
“Oh yeah?” Ryan grinned. “Your seat isn’t too bad, either.”
She gave him a sideways look. “Somehow I don’t think we’re talking about the same thing.”
The moonlight glinted off her blonde hair and she looked ethereal and breathtakingly beautiful. Ryan felt a stab of desire so strong he had to look away. Of all the women in the world, why did it have to be Tuck’s little sister that affected him like this?
As if he’d read his mind, Tuck swung around and looked at Ryan. “You doing okay back there?”
“I’m good,” Ryan said quickly. I want to kiss your sister senseless, but otherwise, I’m good.
“Ready to pick up the pace?”
“Go for it.”
Tuck and Maddy urged their horses into an easy canter, and Libby and Ryan followed suit. Ryan adjusted to the different motion and moved easily with his horse, but he knew he would pay for it the next day in the form of stiff, sore muscles.
They followed a creek for a ways, then circled a butte and slowed to a walk, heading back in the direction of the stable. Tuck and Maddy were still a ways ahead, their horses close together, their bodies leaning toward each other. Then Tuck reached over and wrapped an arm around his wife’s waist, lifting her effortlessly off her horse and onto his lap, facing him. Maddy’s delighted laugh tinkled through the night.
“They’re still kind of newlyweds,” Libby said. “You’re going to have to get used to lots of that.”
“That’s the way it should be,” Ryan replied. “I’m glad Maddy’s found so much happiness, after what she went through.”
“Me too. Sometimes I’m not quite sure how to feel about it all. I mean, I hate what happened to Maddy when that monster abducted her, and yet it brought her and Tuck together, and they’re just so right for each other. I can’t imagine them apart.”
“Sometimes good comes out of bad.”
“I hope it does for you.”
Ryan glanced over at her, then looked away. “Thanks,” he said quietly.
Libby cleared her throat. “So, um, you ready to leave the lovebirds in the dust? It’ll take forever to get back at this rate.”
“Sure. You wanna race?”
That got her attention and he grinned at the challenge in her eyes.
“Seriously? You think you and Pablo can take Jet and me? You’re rusty, Ryan, and you’re already going to be so sore tomorrow you’ll be cursing when it comes time to get out of bed. Galloping will make it even worse.”
“Is that your way of saying you’re chicken?” he teased.
“Not at all, I’m just giving you a chance to save face.”
He gave her a slow smile. “Three, two, one.”
They took off, racing by on either side of Tuck and Maddy, who were so engrossed in each other it was doubtful they even noticed. Ryan’s thighs were screaming in protest long before they reached the stables, but he didn’t slow down. Pablo wasn’t quite in Jet’s class, but he gave it a valiant effort and ended up reasonably close.
Libby was beaming as she dismounted and began walking her horse around the edge of the corral to cool him down. Ryan realized she had quite a competitive streak.
“Not a bad effort,” she told him kindly. “How do those legs feel by now?”
“They feel fine,” he said, even though it was all he could do not to stumble when he swung down off the horse. He took Pablo’s reins and followed her, trying not to limp.
“You’re lying. Just wait until tomorrow morning when you get out of bed. You’re going to be so ticked.”
“You’ll never know. I’m a master at hiding weakness.”
“Hmm, we’ll see about that,” she said. “I just hope the ride was worth it. It really is a beautiful night.”
“It is.” Ryan looked up at the moon and contemplated whether to risk their current easy rapport with a question that might cause Libby to throw her wall back up. He decided to go for it, because it might be a while before he got another chance.
“Can I ask you something I’ve been wondering about for a long time?”
“Um, sure, I guess. I won’t promise to answer, though.”
Ryan picked up on her sudden tension and started second guessing himself. It might be best to just let the past lie, but unfortunately the detective in him couldn’t do that. When he had questions, he needed to get answers.
“Do you remember the letter you sent me after I got home from the ranch last year?”
She hesitated, then shrugged. “Um, I don’t remember it word for word, but I remember sending it. I was really mad at myself for not thanking you for all you did for us. I thought the least I could do was send you a letter.”
“Yeah, I get that part, and I appreciate the effort. But at the end you said something about not wanting to see yourself through my eyes. I wondered what it meant when I first got the letter, and then I found it last week when I was cleaning out my desk at the station and it made me wonder all over again. If I did something to make you feel like I disapprove of you in any way, I want to apologize. And I hope you believe me when I say that the view of you through my eyes is definitely not a bad thing.”
She didn’t answer and when he looked over at her he saw a tear drop off her lashes.
“Hey, hold up.” He took her arm and stopped her, leaving the horses to stomp and snuffle behind them. For a brief moment her eyes met his and he raised his hand to her face, smoothing the tear away with his thumb. “What did I say to make you cry?” he asked softly.
Libby pulled quickly away from him and began walking again. “Nothing. It’s not you, Ryan, none of it is you. But I don’t think I can talk about it. Not yet.”
He tugged on Pablo’s reins and caught up with her. “I shouldn’t have brought it up. I didn’t mean to ruin your night.”
“You didn’t ruin the night, and I knew it was going to come up eventually, one way or another. I’m just not quite ready to have this discussion.”
“That’s okay. I won’t push it.” He meant it, but he hoped it wouldn’t be long before she was ready to talk and clear up whatever was bothering her.
“Thanks,” she whispered. They walked a lap in silence, then she looked over at him, a tentative smile curving her soft lips. “You’re limping.”
He frowned and squared his shoulders. “Am not.”
That made her laugh, and man, the girl had a great laugh. “Tomorrow morning is going to be brutal,” she said knowingly.
“Nah, I’ll be fine. Probably go for my usual five mile run.”
“Oh yeah? Be ready at six. Tuck, Maddy and I run every morning.”
“Oh.” Darn, he’s stepped right into that one. He had no doubt he was going to be every bit as sore in the morning as Libby predicted, but admitting it was another matter. “I might oversleep, considering the long day I’ve had today, so if I’m not out at six, go ahead without me. I’ll go on my own later.”
She laughed again and it made him smile.
“You do know that being sore after riding for the first time in a decade doesn’t pull your man card, right?” she teased.
“I hold my man card dear,” he admitted.
Libby stopped at the door to the stable and looked up at him. “You don’t have anything to prove in that regard, Ryan. I haven’t forgotten what you did for us last year. I saw you after the fight and I heard every detail about what happened while you and Tuck were up on that butte fighting eight men. I didn’t thank you then, and my letter was inadequate, but I want you to know how grateful I am. Tuck needed you. He said you were the best partner he could have asked for. I’m not sure what would have happened if you hadn’t come along with him.”
“I’m glad it worked out the way it did.” He was uncomfortable when people thanked him, he always had been. He didn’t do wh
at he did for the accolades, he did it because it needed to be done.
They led their horses into the stable and to their adjoining stalls. After they removed the saddles and bridles, Libby held out a brush.
“Do you remember how to use this?” she asked.
“Yes ma’am.” He reached toward the brush, but instead of taking it, he wrapped his hand lightly around hers. “Are you sure you’re okay with me being here at the ranch, Libby? I don’t want to make things uncomfortable for you.”
She dropped her eyes but didn’t pull away. “This is a good place for you to be. It’s a healing place.”
Ryan nodded slowly. He knew she believed that, but he wasn’t buying it quite yet. There would be no healing until he found out who was messing with his life, and put an end to it.
***
Maybe her love for the ranch was irrational, but Libby truly did feel it was the best place for Ryan to be right now. As soon as she said it, though, she felt his tension return. She had inadvertently reminded him of his troubles. The moonlight ride had allowed him to let it go for a little while, but now the darkness was back.
He slid his fingers from her hand, took the brush, and began rubbing down his horse with long, strong strokes.
“You’ll figure it out, Ryan.”
“Yeah,” he said shortly.
Tuck and Maddy entered the stable then, leading their horses and still wrapped in each others’ arms.
Ryan looked at Libby with a raised brow, and she smirked back at him. “I told you, you just have to get used to it.”
“Do you think the full moon got to them?”
“Nope. They’re always like that. I’m not sure how long the newlywed stage officially lasts, but almost a year in they’re still caught in the throes.”
“I’m glad they’re happy. They deserve it.”
“They do.” Libby gave Jet a last swipe of the brush, then a kiss on his soft nose. She closed his stall and looked over at Maddy and Tuck, who had broken apart long enough to put their horses in the stalls.
“You two want some help?” she called.