by Gerri Hill
He nodded. “Good night, Kerry.”
“Good night,” Carson murmured, watching her go.
Cody turned on her as soon as Kerry was out of earshot. He bent lower, pointing his finger at her.
“You stay away from her,” he hissed. “She’s not like that. She’s a nice person.”
Carson simply couldn’t help herself. She smiled wickedly. “Oh, she’s very nice.”
“I swear, if you lay a hand on her—”
“You’ll what?”
He squared his shoulders. “This isn’t high school any longer, Carson,” he said. “Those same rules no longer apply.”
“I wasn’t aware there were any rules.” She glanced at Chase, seeing the warning in his eyes, so she relented. “Relax, Cody. I’m too old to be chasing after straight women. I’m just messing with you.”
“Yeah, right,” he snorted. “You suddenly got scruples or what?”
“Well, we all grow up someday,” she said. “Can’t I just come back and visit the old home place?” she asked.
“Yeah. Just don’t wear out your welcome.”
After he left, Carson held her glass out to Chase. “Hit me,” she said. He did, adding more scotch to her glass.
“Did you enjoy that?” Chase asked.
She grinned. “Yeah. Didn’t you?”
Chapter Fifteen
Kerry could pretend she was out on a stroll, but she’d made it a habit not to lie to herself. She was out looking for Carson and didn’t try to analyze it—she knew why. Of course, she could make excuses. And if she found her she undoubtedly would. But lie to herself? No. She simply wanted to see her, wanted to be with her.
She found her in much the same spot as the last time they had met up at the lake—standing near the shore, staring across the water. But unlike before, when Kerry had nearly made a hasty retreat, she walked up beside her. Carson didn’t turn and Kerry didn’t speak. She didn’t want to disturb the silence.
“How did you escape?” Carson asked quietly, finally turning toward her.
“They’re packing their gear,” she said. She smiled at Carson, then turned her gaze back to the lake. “Did you enjoy baiting Cody last night?”
Carson laughed. “Sorry. It was just too easy. I couldn’t resist. He’s so uptight.”
“Yes, he is.”
“But I think you did your share of baiting.”
Kerry nodded. “He caught up with me on the stairs. He said I needed to seriously reconsider having you show me around.”
“And will you?”
Kerry shook her head. “Should I?”
“No. I’m harmless.”
Kerry tilted her head and smiled. “Are you really?”
“Of course. As I told Cody, I’m too old to chase after straight women.” She shrugged. “Besides, we’re friends.”
Kerry looked at her, getting lost in her eyes. “Are we?”
Carson shifted, plunging her hands into her pockets. “I think we are,” she said, her voice quiet. “It’s been a long time since I’ve added a new friend to my life. Besides, it feels good.”
“Yeah. Yeah it does.”
Carson grinned and took a step away from her. “See how easy that was? Now we’re friends. No worries.”
“Do you think I’m worried?”
“I think Cody’s constant reminders of how bad I am have put some doubt in your mind, yes.”
Yes, it should have, Kerry thought. But no, it hadn’t. Quite the opposite. She felt completely safe in Carson’s presence. And why wouldn’t she? She’d spent much more time with Carson than she had Cody. Carson hardly felt like a woman she’d only met a few weeks ago.
“I’ve heard them mention more than once that you’re only here for the inheritance. Is that true?”
Carson laughed. “God, no. I don’t have any claim to the ranch. Our father made that perfectly clear. The ranch goes to the boys. As for money, it seems like that’s running a little thin anyway.” Carson started walking again, much like she had the first time. And as before, Kerry followed. “I guess they feel threatened. I haven’t been around in twelve years. Suddenly, the old man is dying and I show up.”
“So you don’t talk at all? I mean, I know you and Chase do. But the others?”
“No. The conversations we have at dinner are it. And really, it was always that way. Chance is six years older. We just never bonded.” She stopped. “What about you? Any siblings?”
Kerry shook her head. “No. My parents wanted a big family, but there were complications with her pregnancy. She had surgery, so, it was just me.”
“Where are you from?”
“Denver,” she said. “My parents still live there. Actually, I still have a room there. I traveled so much with Randall that there wasn’t really any point to get my own place.”
“Randall?”
“Randall Consultants,” she said. “My previous employer.”
“Oh, yes. Before selling your soul and signing a contract with the Cartwrights,” she said with a smile.
“Yes. Thanks for reminding me. I guess I should get back to it.”
“It’s Saturday. You don’t get a break?”
“No. That’s how I got out of having a date with Cody. I told him I couldn’t possibly spare an evening away from work. I should at least make good on that.”
She turned to go but Carson called her back.
“I’ll show you around the ranch on Monday, if you’d like.”
She nodded. “That would be great. Thanks.”
“Of course, it may be you teaching me to ride,” Carson said. “I haven’t been on a horse in twelve years.”
“I’m sure we’ll manage.”
She left Carson standing near the shore as she headed back to the ranch house. She wished she had an explanation for the way she felt. Her encounters with Carson always left her feeling a bit refreshed. And content in some way. She felt completely at ease with her. It was the feeling she had the very first time she met her. That familiarity she felt whenever she was around her. She wondered why she didn’t feel that with Cody, or with anyone else, for that matter.
And speaking of Cody, he greeted her at the back door and she was surprised to see a bit of suspicion in his eyes.
“Where have you been?”
The question, while not accusatory, had an edge to it. And unlike her rule to never lie to herself, it didn’t apply to clients. So she smiled pleasantly as she stopped beside him.
“I was making the drawings of the lake and decided to check it out again to see where we might put the piers. I know you guys want to keep part of it private so it’ll have to be a group decision,” she said.
His eyes slid past her and narrowed. No doubt he spotted Carson.
“Did she follow you down there?”
This time, the question was accusatory. Kerry turned, following his gaze, seeing Carson as she made her way up the trail. She shook her head. “No, she was already there.”
“I told you, you need to stay away from her. She’s—”
“Cody, why are you so adamant about this? She’s never done or said anything inappropriate. In fact, I find her to be very pleasant,” she said honestly.
“Pleasant? There’s nothing pleasant about her. She’s selfish and is only concerned about what she wants.”
“Well, you obviously have a history with her. I don’t. So my view of her is only what I see today.”
He took a deep breath. “Look, I don’t have any right to say this, but maybe you should consider leaving while we’re gone. There’ll be no one here but Martha. You’d be safer if—”
“You’re correct, Cody. You have no right,” she said briskly, cutting him off. “Now I need to get back to work.”
Chapter Sixteen
Kerry was leaning casually against a post, her camera held ready, and Carson sat on the top railing of the corral while they watched the guys get ready to head out. The air was filled with the sounds of bellowing cattle and the short, quick
barks of the two cattle dogs who tried to keep them together. Kerry had been busy trying to capture the scene for the website.
It was a sight Carson had seen many, many years ago and it brought on a rush of memories. Especially seeing Johnny Mac, now twelve years older, sitting astride the big, black mare, his sharp whistles as familiar to her today as they were back then. His greeting had been warm, even though she knew he had sided with her father when it came to her.
“There’s so many,” Kerry said. “How big is the herd?”
“Not sure. Chase said they’ve had to sell off quite a few. I’d say close to a thousand,” she said.
“The mules carry the supplies?” Kerry asked.
“Yes. Food, water for cooking, pots and pans. They each carry their own bedrolls and tents, but one mule carries the mess tent,” she explained.
Carson and Kerry watched in silence as they headed out, moving the herd slowly. They would spread them out, making a trail, as they got closer to the mountains. Chase said to expect them back in six days unless the predicted storm on Wednesday delayed them.
Carson kept catching the jealous glances of Cody as they worked the cattle. She refused to get into a battle with him and simply ignored his stares. Much as she’d ignored the last warning he’d given her early that morning.
“I swear Carson, if you lay a hand on her, I’ll kill you.”
“What’s up with you? Are you in love with her or something?”
“I like her,” he said.
“So do I. She’s very nice.”
“Exactly. She’s nice. She doesn’t need you to taint her.”
“Jesus, Cody, possessive or what? It’s not like you’re dating or anything. She works for you guys.”
“As soon as I get back, I’m going to tell her how I feel. So you leave her alone.” His stare was intense. “I’m not joking this time, Carson.”
She had turned away then, not wanting to get into a contest with him, but she couldn’t believe how naive he was. But then again, why wouldn’t he be. He had no experience in life. Like all them, he’d never left the ranch, never left the valley. Their high school was forty miles away. After graduation, they came back to the ranch to work and had never left. Of course their social skills would be lacking.
Except Chase. He got away. She wondered if his involvement in breeding Windstorm, in meeting breeders and making contacts had helped him break away from the bubble they lived in out here.
“Why so quiet?” Kerry asked.
Carson looked down at her, mesmerized by her soft features, the early morning sun warming her face. She was absolutely lovely. She realized she was staring, and she smiled quickly, looking back to the herd.
“I was just thinking about my brothers,” she said. “Do you know they’ve never left here.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, other than Chase, they’ve not traveled out of this valley. Oh, maybe a trip to Billings for something, but other than that, nothing.”
“Are you serious?”
“I was considering Cody’s...social skills,” she said. “I mean, after his little talk with me this morning, I—”
“What little talk?”
“The I’ll kill you if you touch her talk,” she said. “It’s really not his fault that he never learned how to interact with women. Their life is out here.”
“I’ve never met a more possessive man,” Kerry said. “Especially one I haven’t even slept with.”
“Oh, he’s just marking his territory,” she said.
“Well, I’m neither his territory nor his possession. In fact, I’m very tired of it. I thought he was going to kiss me this morning when he was telling me goodbye.”
Carson was surprised by the anger she heard in Kerry’s voice. “Sorry to say, but you probably should get prepared for a marriage proposal when he gets back.”
Kerry laughed, then stopped when Carson didn’t join in.
“You’re being serious,” she stated.
“Yes.”
“Oh, God. How did this happen?”
At this, Carson did laugh. “I believe you said something about desperately needing a contract,” she said.
Kerry sighed. “This is going to get ugly, isn’t it?”
“Probably.” Carson jumped off the railing, standing beside her. “Come on. Let’s go meet Windstorm.”
“He was your childhood horse?”
“No. I was in high school when we got him,” she said as they made their way to the stables. “He took a liking to me for some reason. Wouldn’t let anyone else get near him. He hasn’t been ridden since the day I left.”
“I’m surprised they kept him then,” Kerry said.
“Me too. But Chase said they breed him.”
“Will you ride him?”
Carson laughed. “You trying to get me killed? I haven’t been on a horse in twelve years. Windstorm is huge.”
The stables were as well-kept as she remembered. The stalls were enclosed, all opening up to the large fenced area to allow the horses room to roam. She spotted him off by himself, kept separate from the mares and foals.
“God, look at him. Isn’t he handsome?”
“Yes. And you’re right. He’s huge.”
Carson stared at the beautiful animal, her heart racing. She hadn’t said goodbye to him. It was as if she were blaming him for what happened, much like her father had blamed her. She took a deep breath, then whistled, the tone coming out as clear as a bell. His head jerked up and he stared at her. Amazingly, she felt tears threaten. Windstorm apparently remembered her call.
“Stay here,” she said as she climbed the fence and jumped into the pasture. She walked closer, staring in his big eyes. “Hey, boy,” she said softly. “You remember me?”
He snorted and pawed the dirt, never taking his eyes off of her. She stopped walking, but couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “Windstorm, come here,” she said and whistled again.
To her amazement, he came forward, albeit a bit warily. She stood still, holding out one hand to him. He stopped, then stretched his neck out, sniffing her hand. He snorted again and shook his head, his long white mane bouncing along his neck.
“Come on, boy. Don’t play hard to get,” she murmured. She stood perfectly still as he walked around her. She kept her back to him, then let her tears fall as she felt him nuzzle her hips, sniffing her back pockets. Oh God, he remembered. He was looking for a carrot. She always stuffed them in her back pockets, and he’d learn to steal them from her.
She turned to Kerry, not caring that she was crying. She had a big grin on her face. “He remembers,” she said. She then took a step toward the big horse, not afraid in the least as she hugged his neck. He stood still and allowed her affection. She imagined she felt him tremble and wondered if anyone had bothered touching him at all. Most had been afraid of him. He’d tossed his share of cowboys on their asses. He simply refused to be ridden. She, however, could climb on his back without a saddle, and he was the gentlest creature in the world.
“Come on in,” she called to Kerry. “Come meet Windstorm.”
Kerry was a bit hesitant as she came closer. She stared at Carson, seeing her tears, Carson knew. She seemed to know that the tears were just an emotional release and made no mention of them.
“He’s gorgeous,” she said quietly. She reached out a tentative hand, lightly rubbing his face.
He stood still and allowed this inspection of him. Carson suspected he was enjoying the attention.
“I used to put carrots in my back pockets,” Carson explained. “So when he walked behind me just then, that’s what he was looking for.”
Kerry smiled. “Were you afraid he wouldn’t remember you?”
“Yes. That would have broken my heart.”
She gave him one last scratch then turned, guiding Kerry back to the stables. Windstorm, however, hadn’t had enough and he followed close behind.
“He’s so big,” Kerry said.
“Don�
�t be afraid of him. He’s really gentle.” She turned, rubbing his nose again. “Aren’t you, boy?”
“I was never really around horses,” Kerry said. “Vacations and ponies, mainly.”
“Yeah? But you rode at Dry Creek Ranch?”
“Yes. That was my first time to actually ride without it being an old mare taking a guided tour,” Kerry said. “I really enjoyed it. It’s so...freeing,” she said with a smile.
“We’ll go out tomorrow,” Carson said, suddenly looking forward to the outing and no longer dreading it...and dreading whatever memories it might evoke.
“That’ll be fun. But we start on the bunkhouse in the morning,” Kerry reminded her.
“And you’ll get in the way. Mr. Burris will be happy I’ve taken you away.”
Kerry flicked her eyes at her and smirked. “You think I’m going to be the annoying anal female?”
“Aren’t you?”
Kerry laughed. “I just like things done my way. I don’t think that’s anal.”
They climbed back over the fence, Windstorm still at their heels. Carson felt bad about leaving him and again scratched behind his ears.
“I need to bring him something,” she said. “Carrots or sugar cubes. Something.”
“Let’s raid Martha’s fridge,” Kerry suggested.
Carson cocked an eyebrow. “You’re just dying to get into trouble, aren’t you?”
Chapter Seventeen
“You know, you didn’t have to go to all this trouble,” Carson said as Martha placed a plate in front of her.
Kerry smiled, watching as Martha put an identical plate in front of her. It was laden with a chicken breast, a broccoli and cauliflower medley, and scalloped potatoes.
“With your brothers gone,” Martha said, addressing Carson, “it gave me a chance to cook chicken. They think they have to have beef at every meal,” she said. “Now, I have a lot of chicken recipes. I’ll try them this week. I hope you won’t mind.”
Carson laughed. “Sounds good, Martha. Whatever you’d like.”
“I prefer chicken,” Kerry added as she cut into the tender breast.