Montana Cowboy

by Jillian Hart

  “We’ve been doing it since we were small. I know trouble when I see it. Did you get a good look at her? Those shoes, that bag. She shouts expensive.”

  “I have eyes. I saw.” The car she drove was probably worth three times what he’d paid for his pickup. She may be a schoolteacher, but she came from a family of means. “You can stop worrying, bro. I know how things are. So can we drop this?”

  He loved his brother, he really did. Hunter remembered the devastation Sonya had left behind years ago. A big city girl spending time with him, letting him fall for her and finding out she’d never intended to stay. She’d just been using him so she wouldn’t feel lonely. She’d been passing time, that was all. When she left town, she’d never looked back.

  “Fine.” Hunter pushed away from the post. “Your mind will be on work and getting Brandi settled come morning? I’ll be busy in the milking parlor.”

  “You know I will be.” He checked his watch. The online book chat was about to start. Looked like he wouldn’t get the last chapter finished in time. He climbed to his feet, gave Harry a scrub on the head and opened the door. Air-conditioning met him as his boots rang on the hardwood floor.

  Nell lifted her chin off her paws to greet him sleepily. She lay on her bed by the couch, drowsing.

  “Hey, girl. You’ve had a long day.” He knelt to pet her. They had been friends for a long time. “Are you ready to ride in the tractor with me tomorrow? Or are you going to hang with Hunter?”

  Nell perked her ears, interested, and tilted her head.

  “Maybe you’ll choose Brandi over both of us.”

  Nell panted, her eyes sparkling at Brandi’s name.

  “That’s what I thought.” He headed to the kitchen table where his laptop sat waiting. He plunked his unfinished book down beside it. It felt like his chest was tied in knots. He wished he could control how he felt.

  He leaned back in his chair while his laptop started up and stared out the big bay window in the kitchen nook. His land spread out before him and he took pride in it, eyeing the barn, the green pastures where cows grazed and the fenced fields of growing hay waiting to be cut. Those fields stretched for a mile. Foothills rimmed the rural ranching valley, a river winked in the distance and mountains framed it all. An incredible view, one he got to enjoy every day.

  He couldn’t imagine living anywhere else and wouldn’t want to. He was entrenched here. It wasn’t as if he could pack up and move to, say, Malibu.

  Luke? Are you there? A private message popped on his screen from California Girl.

  I’m wishing I’d managed my time better since I didn’t finish the book. I spent too much time yesterday with a certain pretty gal.

  Not sure who that would be.

  Me, either. Strange how his emotional connection to her strengthened every time they communicated. How did your day go?

  Let’s just say it was interesting.

  Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound good.

  True. I have a few problems to solve. How was yours?

  Busy. What kind of problems?

  The future employment kind.

  Still no job offer? He leaned back in his chair, picturing her at her computer. A crinkle of worry, the soft purse of her mouth and the self-conscious shrug of her slender shoulders when she wasn’t sure if she wanted to open up or not.

  Nope. With all the rejections I keep getting, it feels like I’m being blocked every which way I turn. I keep thinking, what are You trying to tell me, Lord? What am I missing?

  Sounds frustrating.

  More like a comedy of errors. Maybe I need to stop worrying about it and trust God has plans for me.

  I wonder who gave you that advice over a month ago?

  Let me think. Oh, right, it was you. Easy to picture her beautiful smile and hear the musical note of that little laugh she made. Tell me about your day.

  I got home last night in time to help Hunter deliver a late season calf.

  How sweet. Are mama and baby okay?

  Just fine. The newborn is a cute little thing, mostly black with one white ear and one black ear and a white blaze down her nose.

  Adorable.

  It’s my turn to come up with a name. Would you like to do it?

  Would I! Let me think…

  Let me describe her. Maybe that will help. She’s a little bitty thing with big chocolate eyes and long lashes. A little star on her forehead

  How about Faith?

  I like it. Faith, it is.

  Hey, there are a lot of upsides to your job. Baby cows, naming them, big brown eyes looking up at you adoringly.

  Only because I’ve got the bottle.

  I’d love to see that.

  Seriously? I could invite you out sometime.

  I’d like that. You know the chat has started without us.

  I know, but I didn’t finish the book.

  Then I guess we can keep chatting. No sense joining into the discussion and have them give away the ending. It’s a surprise. You’ll want to discover it for yourself.

  The next time Luke looked up, the sun had set, his reflection stared back at him in the black window and Nell was snoring.

  Waaay past his bedtime. 4:00 a.m. came early in the morning, but did he want to break off their chat? Not a chance. He stayed at his computer much longer than he’d intended, the book discussion they’d missed was long over and he still couldn’t bring himself to type goodnight no matter how many times he yawned. Honor brought light to his life he would never be able to replace when she was gone. In a little over two weeks she would be heading back to her life in California and she’d have little to no time to spend online with him.

  It was good he spent time with her while he could.

  * * *

  Okay, it’s ten-thirty and I really have to go.

  Honor read Luke’s words on her screen with a smile. They had been chatting online for over two hours. Her back hurt, her backside ached from the uncomfortable chair and her eyes were going blurry. You said that thirty minutes ago.

  And I hope I mean it this time.

  Because 4a.m. comes early?

  Yes, it does. Every morning.

  It was easy to picture him at his computer with his tousled sandy hair and his shy, lopsided grin. She could no longer deny the rather large flutter in her chest. She had a crush on the man. That was all. A tiny, hardly noticeable case of the isn’t-he-greats.

  Give Faith a pet from me, she tapped out on the keys. I’ve never named a calf before. I’m attached now.

  Remember you’re welcome to come meet her. Anytime.

  I’ll keep that in mind. Go. Get some sleep. We’ll talk later.

  And you can tell me how your job hunt goes.

  It’s a date. Ugg. Why had she used that word? She rolled her eyes.

  Same time tomorrow?

  Yes. Bye.

  Good night, my friend.

  Friend. Wasn’t that a word she used to love to use in reference to him? A word that made her feel safe and accepted without any of that pesky, turmoil-ridden romance stuff.

  Good night, friend. She typed back. A message popped onto the screen. Montana Cowboy has left.

  Her heart fluttered again. Probably it was best to keep ignoring it. Likely as not, it would pass. No need to get concerned.

  The silent room echoed around her as she checked her inbox, spotting the expected email from Colbie. She read the plans for Luke’s birthday party as the shadows deepened. The little studio apartment turned dark. Nightfall came late this time of year, and she pushed away from the table to flick on lamps. She was closing the blinds when she spotted a movement in the courtyard below. Hard to ignore the bad feeling arrowing into her gut.

  She leaned in for a closer look and recognized the fi
gure hiking across the grounds. It couldn’t be safe to hang out in the forest this time of night, right? She shivered, thinking of all the creepy crawly things as she headed out the door.

  The warm night surrounded her as she hurried down the steps, her flip-flops snapping. Realizing too late she wasn’t geared up for a trek in the woods, she almost turned around to fetch better shoes but the shadow in the distance stopped. He sat down on the ground and put his face in his hands.

  The poor kid. She headed in his direction. His shoulders stiffened when he heard her coming. He swiped at his eyes, so she took her time so he could hide all evidence of his emotions before she sat down beside him.

  “What’s up?” The wild grasses crunched beneath her. Daisies bobbed in the dark shadow of the towering trees. She tried to sound casual, as if she hadn’t notching his tears.

  “Nothing much.” He sounded stuffy. His voice bobbed up and down with the effort to sound casual. “Just needed to get out of the house. You know, get some fresh air.”

  “And commune with nature?”

  “Yeah. Something like that.” He stared into the dark shadows, where trees merged with the coming night.

  “You had a long day today.”

  “I guess.” His voice wobbled again, hiding something.

  “Your mom is bound and determined to get you into Wheatly.” C’mon, she thought. Talk to me, Jerrod.

  He hung his head and said nothing. She sat there, waiting. The last dregs of light faded from the horizon, leaving them in near total darkness.

  “I miss my dad.” Jerrod’s voice cracked. “I miss my friends back home.”

  “I know what you mean.” She thought of Kelsey and Anna Louise, who were probably wrapping up their weekly beach picnic and bible study about now. “If I were home, I’d be hanging with my friends, sitting on the beach with a big bag of take-out hamburgers and fries. We’d be sharing our favorite Bible verses. Probably eating Anna Louise’s cookies for dessert. She’s a fantastic baker.”

  “I’d be surfing. Well, probably not right now, but I’d have been up early on my board.”

  “I miss the way the ocean smells.”

  “And the sound of the waves.”

  “The way they sweep on the shore and wipe the sand clean, the way God’s grace can erase our mistakes.”

  “I miss the hot dog place near Surfrider Beach.”

  “Smoothies at the club.” She longed for the soft feel of the chaise lounges, the slick of sunscreen on her skin and the company of her friends. Yoga class and wading in the ocean and hopping into the car, having anything she wanted to minutes away. “Do you know what I miss most?”

  “Your friends.”

  “Bingo.” Kelsey’s laughter and Anna Louise always trying to feed them all. “Not that Montana is so bad. It’s pretty in its own way.”

  “I liked it when Dad would bring us up here for a couple weeks at a time.” Jerrod almost smiled. “We’d go hiking together. Just Dad and me.”

  “Sounds like you had fun.”

  “And we’d camp. We’d catch trout in the river and cook them over the campfire. Dad would teach me all about the stars and the constellations. He wanted to become an astrophysicist.”

  “Instead of taking over the family business?”

  “It’s what Mom wants me to do. I don’t care about owning hotels. It’s nice and all for people who want to do that, but I’d—” He stopped from saying what was on his mind and shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I have to get into Wheatly, graduate at the top of my class and get into Stanford. It’s business school for me.”

  “You never know how things turn out. I went to Wheatly and loved it.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” He nodded, holding up one hand. “I get it. I don’t want to let anyone down, but I’d just like to do my thing, too.”

  “I found a way to make it work. My parents wanted me to study finance in college, and I did. I got a double major in education and finance. I found a way to do both. By that time I was on my own and the captain of my life.”

  “It sounds good. Anyway, I’m pretty much stuck here.” He sighed. “You have a choice. You can leave.”

  “Are you kidding? I’m not going anywhere. I’m seeing this through with you.”

  “Do you think I can really pass the test?”

  “Are you kidding? You’ll ace it. Now, you’d better sneak back into the house before your mother sets the alarm system.” Something crawled across her bare big toe. She flicked it off, refusing to consider what kind of bug or spider it was. “C’mon, kid.”

  “Okay.” Jerrod followed her, dragging his feet.

  “Think of it this way. It’s another day down. There’s only, what, fifteen to go?” She led the way across the grass. The grand house blazed in the night. “Once tomorrow is over, it will be fourteen.”

  “I get what you’re saying. I’ll hang in there. I won’t have that test looming over my head forever.” Jerrod tried another smile. The deck lights spilled over him as he trudged toward the house. “See ya tomorrow.”

  “See ya.” She waited, watching until he was safely inside. Just fifteen more days, she told herself, and she was going back where she belonged—home.

  Chapter Nine

  “I can handle the rest of this, birthday boy.” Brandi grinned down at him from the tractor’s air-conditioned cab. Christian music blared from the speakers, disrupting the serenity of the sun-swept fields. “Go on and gussy up. You’ve got to get ready for a party in your honor.”

  “Big deal. I turn thirty-one. I’m getting older, that’s all it means.” He did his best to show what he thought of that, but honestly, he liked any excuse for a get-together. He loved his family. He’d just wished Mom had called.

  “You’re over the hill, big brother,” Brandi quipped sweetly. “Glad it’s not me.”

  “Sure, but at least we get cake.”

  “Bree’s bringing it from the bakery. Oops, that was supposed to be a surprise.” She slapped both hands over her mouth.

  “It’s okay. I already guessed.” He reached up to slide the compartment door closed. “See you in a bit and don’t rock out too hard.”

  “Too late!” She turned up the volume and Christian music boomed, drowning out the crackle of mown grass beneath his boots as he trudged across the field. Nell jogged at his heels.

  “Luke, hurry up!” Hunter’s call echoed across the acres of cut grass drying in the blazing sun. “There’s a call for you on the barn phone.”

  Probably business. He picked up his pace as Nell raced ahead, barking her pleasure at seeing Hunter in the barn’s open doorway. Grazing cows in the nearby pasture lifted their heads to watch the goings-on curiously. Sweat beaded Luke’s forehead and he swept off his hat, letting the hot puff of breeze dry him off.

  He thanked his brother, clomped down the main barn’s aisle and called out to the two late season calves awake in their pen. This time of day the barn was nearly empty with the doors thrown open and the milking parlor silent. His boots echoed in the rafters overhead as he stepped into the office.

  “Hello?” He leaned the receiver against his shoulder so he had both hands free. “This is Luke.”

  “Hi, there.” Mom’s voice greeted him, thin with strain. “Happy birthday. Did you get my card?”

  “The mail hasn’t come yet today. Hi, Mom. How are you?” He dropped into the desk chair, plopped his hat down next to the computer and felt torn, as he always did. This was his mother, but he’d learned not to expect too much from her. That didn’t stop him from wanting to be a good son. “How have you been?”

  “Oh, you know. Trying to stay busy. I don’t want to sit around too much and get fat.”

  It was hard to know what to say to that. “We’ll miss seeing you today.”

  “It’s
too bad you couldn’t come over here for your birthday.”

  “It’s haying season. I have to be here. I’m sorry about that. We missed you at Brooke’s wedding, too.”

  “It was arranged at the last minute, that’s no way to get married, and it’s such a long drive.”

  He could picture her in her house, soured on life, angry that her children had moved on without her. They’d had no choice. She’d stopped living long ago and opportunities had taken them far away from Miles City. He would always be thankful he and Hunter had landed a job at Wilson’s Dairy, where they’d learned all they could about the business. It had made the difference in successfully running their dairy. He rubbed his forehead, wishing the relationship with his parents could be easier.

  But you couldn’t change other people. No matter how much you loved them. The only one you could change was yourself.

  “You haven’t seen hide nor hair of your father, have you?” Mom went on, and he answered patiently, listening to her troubles until Hunter knocked on the door. Luke felt empty as he said goodbye to her, even though he’d done all he could to repair that relationship.