“The availability of water from the falls. And the bluff provided shelter from the north wind and whatever predators, animal or human, that were around in those days.”
Katherine looked around her and tried to imagine the area before there were highways and towns and lawmen to keep the peace. “Did Edmond Hollister first come here as a prospector or a rancher?” she asked.
“That’s a question that’s been tossed around the family many times down through the years,” he said. “Dad always thought Edmond was a rancher through and through. Personally, I think when he arrived at this part of the state, he was mostly searching for gold and silver. And when he happened to find a bit of both, he put the money into cattle. And the rest, as they say, is history.”
“Hmm. One thing’s for sure,” Katherine mused, “he must have been a true adventurer.”
They pushed their way through a thick stand of brush and pine boughs until they reached an opening. The tiny meadow was lush with green grass, making it evident that water had to be nearby.
Pulling her to a stop next to a twisted juniper trunk, Blake pointed to their left. “Over there. Can you hear the falls?”
She listened more closely and caught the faint sound of splashing water. “Yes! I do.”
“It’s not often the spring goes dry. But it does happen when a drought is going on. Thankfully, this year we’ve had a bit of rain.”
Bending, Katherine peered through the limbs of a desert willow and spotted a tiny waterfall trickling over slabs of rock. “Oh, there it is! Can we get closer?”
“I think so. Walk behind me—just in case a rattler has decided to find a nice cool spot in the shade.”
“Lead the way,” she told him. “I’ll keep a watchful eye out for reptiles.”
A dim trail curved through a stand of trees until they were standing next to a small pool of water surrounded by large boulders.
Katherine immediately kneeled and dipped her hands in the cool water. Except for the chirping and chattering of birds and a breeze sifting through the pines, the woods around them was quiet and still. “This is beautiful. And the water is almost cold.”
“Compared to the water hole on Joe and Tessa’s ranch, this one is like a teacup next to a bathtub. The falls on the Bar X are really tall and have a pool of water large enough to swim in. One of these days I’ll take you over there and show it to you. Do you know how to ride a horse?”
“Uh, no. But don’t tell Nick. He thinks his mother knows how to do everything.”
He chuckled. “Then you need to be taking riding lessons, too.”
She straightened to her full height. “Me on a horse? I’m not sure I’m brave enough for that.”
“You’re more than brave enough. You’ve raised a son for the past several years without any help. That takes real courage, Kat.”
He’d given her compliments before, but this one touched her deep inside, and before she knew it, she was stepping forward and resting her cheek against his chest. “Coming from you, that means so much to me.”
His hands were moving up and down her back, drawing her closer. “You mean, coming from a stuffed shirt like me?”
Even though there was a teasing note in his voice, she sensed a serious undercurrent in his words.
Slipping her hands to the middle of his chest, her fingers teased one of the pearl snaps on his shirt. “The day you came to my house for lunch, I discovered your shirt was stuffed with a very hot-blooded man. In fact, I, uh, eventually took off your shirt,” she said huskily. “Would you like for me to get this one out of the way?”
He smiled down at her and the glint she spotted in his brown eyes had her heart beating a rapid dance against her ribs.
“I think it’s time we went inside the house.”
With his hand on hers, he led her over the tangled trail until they reached the back of the little log house. A wide porch sheltered this end of the structure and Katherine stood to one side of the planked floor while he opened a heavy wooden door. The hinges creaked as he pushed it wide.
“Wait out here,” he instructed. “There’s no electricity and it’s pitch-dark inside. I’ll have to light a lamp and open the windows.”
He disappeared into the house and after a few short moments Katherine could see a faint light appear beyond the open doorway.
She ventured up to the threshold and peered inside. “Is it safe to come in now?”
He emerged from the shadowy room and reached for her hand. “Please come into the old Hollister homestead, my lady. It’s a bit dusty, but mostly clean. Right now you’re standing in the kitchen.”
Katherine glanced around the small area to see a small set of crude cabinets, a cast-iron wood-burning cookstove and a table with a white granite pitcher and matching wash pan.
“I’d probably burn everything to a crisp on that stove,” she said.
“It’s hard to imagine living this crudely,” he said. “All the water used in the house had to be carried from the falls.”
Blake guided her through a doorway and into the next room. The space was illuminated by the open window and the faint glow of a hurricane lamp sitting on a round wooden table.
Katherine looked around with interest. “Are the walls and floors original? I’m surprised how sturdy they are.”
“We’ve not done anything to the place, except patch the roof from time to time.” He gestured around the room. “It’s anybody’s guess how Edmond and Helena used this space. We call it the living room. Mom had the hands bring that sofa and chair up here a couple of years ago. Before those were brought in, there was only a rocker and some cane-bottomed chairs.” He urged her to the right, where a calico curtain covered another doorway. “And this is the bedroom.”
Katherine stepped past the curtain to find a tiny room with one open window. Fresh air was blowing through the small square, filling the space with the scent of evergreens and sage. A small iron bed covered with a patchwork quilt and two pillows was situated in one corner. At the footboard was a long cedar chest, the edges worn smooth by years of use.
Touched by the simplicity, Katherine stared at the bed as thoughts of Helena Hollister drifted through her mind. The woman had conceived a son in this room and Katherine didn’t have to wonder how she’d feel if she conceived Blake’s child. She would love his baby fiercely, just as she loved Nick.
Her throat thick with emotions, she turned and reached for him. He gathered her into his arms and then he was kissing her with a hunger that swept all thoughts from her head.
“I wanted to be alone with you,” she whispered as he lifted her onto the bed. “I just didn’t realize we were going to be this alone. We’re miles away from the ranch house—from everything. And it feels...wonderful.”
He sat on the side of the bed and began to tug off his boots. After he’d tossed them aside, he went to work removing hers. “There is no cell signal here. No one can call and say I’m urgently needed back at the ranch house. This afternoon belongs to us, Kat. And we’re going to enjoy every moment of it.”
Her boots joined his on the floor and then he was stretching out beside her, drawing her into the circle of his arms.
His kisses ravaged her lips and kindled a desire in her that knew no bounds. In a matter of moments their clothing joined the pile of boots on the floor and then he was inside her, moving slowly, teasingly, until she was writhing beneath him, crying out for more.
With her arms tight around his back, her legs tangled with his, she closed her eyes and let the pleasure of his body carry her away. Eventually she found herself in a velvety place where there was no sound, only bursting lights, rocketing her senses to the top of a mountain. The descent came much slower, and as she drifted back to awareness, everything inside her turned so soft and vulnerable that tears burned her throat and stung her eyes. A strange swelling filled her chest and it wasn’t until s
he opened her eyes and saw his handsome face hovering over hers that she recognized the feeling was her heart overflowing with love.
* * *
The following week was filled with ups and downs for Blake. Twice he’d made plans to drive into Wickenburg to spend time with Katherine and Nick and both times he’d been forced to cancel at the last minute.
Katherine had seemed to take the canceled dates all in stride. At least, she’d said all the right words about understanding the nature of his job. But Blake wasn’t tone-deaf. He’d heard the disappointment in her voice. And tonight he meant to make it up to her in a monumental way. Tonight he hoped to change his life and hers for the better.
“Hey, Blake! You going out tonight?”
About to climb into his pickup truck, Blake paused to see Matthew hurrying toward him.
“I am. Don’t tell me something else is going on. Let’s see, this week there’s been sick bulls, three lame horses, two missing saddles and a well pump on the blink. Not to mention the shipment of feed being four days late. Oh, yeah, I forgot the broken hydraulic lift on the tractor. A few feet closer and the damn bucket would have fallen on Rowdy’s head! Am I missing something?”
“Hell, Blake, what’s eating you? That’s a normal week for Three Rivers.”
Hating himself for sounding like such a jerk, he shook his head. “Sorry, Matt. You didn’t deserve that.”
“Forget it,” the foreman said. “The week has been hectic and you’ve had to carry the biggest load.”
“That’s what I’m supposed to do. It’s just that—”
“You’d like a little time for Katherine,” Matthew said, finishing Blake’s thought with a knowing grin.
Blake let out a long breath. “Is it that obvious?”
“No. It’s just that I sort of know how your mind works. And I can see she’s become important to you. That’s good, Blake. It’s time you had a woman in your life.”
Yes. But was he going to be able to keep her in his life? The afternoon they’d spent together at the old Hollister house had been magical. It would’ve been the perfect time to tell Katherine exactly how he felt about her.
He loved her more than anything and she needed to know the depth of his feelings. But try as he might, he’d not found the courage to speak the words. Each time he’d even come close to saying the word love, he’d choked up. Since then, he’d been kicking himself over and over for not finding the courage to tell her how he really felt.
Blake let out a wry grunt. “I wouldn’t have expected to hear that from you.”
Matt’s chuckle was a cynical sound. “Well, as long as it’s you and not me, I’m tickled for you.”
Blake glanced at his watch. “I’d better get going. Was there something you needed to tell me?”
“Only that I saw Farley Wilkins in town today. I don’t know what he was doing in Wickenburg. Trying to cheat somebody out of something, I suppose. Anyway, he said he wanted to buy two hundred head of Three Rivers’s heifers. I told him no and to get lost and stay lost.”
Blake gave Matt’s arm a playful swat. “Good man. He’s lucky you didn’t give him a pair of black eyes.”
Matt grimaced. “I won’t forget how he carried off two of our saddles, then tried to lie his way out of it. And one of these days I’m going to get the three thousand dollars that he owes us, or I’m going to beat it out of him.”
“Don’t fret about it. What goes around comes around. Farley will eventually pay for his bad deeds.” Blake opened the truck door and climbed in. “Just do me a favor tonight, Matt. If some catastrophe happens, don’t call me. Just pretend you manage this ranch.”
“Don’t worry. I got you covered. Big night planned, huh?”
The biggest night of his life, Blake thought. To Matt, he said, “I’m hoping so. See you later.”
* * *
“Blake, where are we going? To Prescott?” Twenty minutes ago, after he’d picked her up, he’d driven straight to the main highway and turned north. Now the evening sun was waning, sending pink-gold fingers across the desert floor and shrouding the distant mountains with purple shadows.
“If you’d like. But first I want to stop at a very special place.”
They were on the same route he’d taken her on their first date, oh, so many weeks ago, and Katherine couldn’t imagine what he had planned. So far he’d not given her any hint. Only that they’d eat at some point before the night was over.
“A special place? Where?”
He grinned at her and Katherine decided she’d never seen him looking more handsome. A crisp white shirt was tucked neatly into a pair of dark blue jeans, and a bolo tie fashioned with a piece of hammered silver set with turquoise was pushed tight against his collar. When he’d first arrived at her house, his dark hair had been slicked back away from his face, but now a few dark tendrils had plopped onto his forehead. He looked dashing and rakish at the same time and just looking at him stole her breath.
“We’ll be there in a few more minutes,” he assured her, then he asked, “Was Nick disappointed that he wasn’t invited?”
“Not at all. It’s been a while since he’s spent the night with Shawn, so he was looking forward to tonight. And I think I should tell you there’s a conspiracy going on with him and Hannah.”
“Really? What kind of conspiracy? They’re trying to think up some way to get me to take them to Turf Paradise?”
Katherine laughed. “No. Although, I don’t have to tell you that he had a blast watching the races on television with Hannah. Somehow he managed to pick a winner and now he’s hooked. As for the conspiracy, Nick confessed that he and Hannah wanted to stay behind at the ranch so that you and I could have time alone together at the old house. As if we needed to be thrown closer together,” she added sexily. “Thank goodness, the kids don’t know exactly how close we already are.”
“Are we close?”
The pointed question had her studying the serious expression on his face. “There’ve been times a thread couldn’t be wedged between us. I’d say that’s pretty darn close.”
“I’m not referring to closeness in physical terms, Kat.”
Her heart began to beat hard and fast. So far he’d not pushed her to talk about her feelings concerning him and their relationship. But he seemed to be pushing tonight and she didn’t know where it was all leading. Was he about to tell her that he thought they were getting too serious? That he wasn’t in the market for anything long-term?
Uncertainty swirled in her voice as she replied, “Oh. Well, yes. I like to think I mean something to you. And you certainly mean something to me. Does that answer your question?”
“Sort of.”
She reached across the console and felt a measure of relief as he closed his fingers tightly around hers.
* * *
Ten minutes later Blake parked the truck on the Yarnell Hill Lookout, while Katherine appeared surprised with the destination.
“Is this what you’re calling the special place?” she asked. “This is where we came on our first date.”
“I’m so glad you remembered.” He released his seat belt and opened the door. “Let’s get out and walk over to the railing.”
He helped her down from the truck cab, and though he wanted to pull her into his arms, he didn’t. If he started kissing her now, he probably wouldn’t be able to stop. And then his plans for the evening would be sidetracked.
Resting a hand against her back, he guided her over to the low stone fence surrounding the parking area. Except for a few pink streaks of dying sunlight, the valley below was dark. As Blake gazed out at the undulating hills, he kept remembering when he and Katherine had visited this spot. The first kiss they’d shared had knocked him sideways. And from that moment on, something deep inside him decided she was the woman he wanted in his life. Not just for a few days or weeks, but forever.
Katherine sighed. “It looks almost the same as it did the other time we came here. So beautiful.”
His heart thudding hard in his chest, he slowly turned her to face him. “Not nearly as beautiful as you, Kat. And that night we were here—it’s burned into my memory.”
“Mine, too. I was very afraid of you that night. I wanted to run as fast as I could.”
“Afraid? Of me? Oh, Kat, I would never hurt a hair on your head.”
The corners of her lush mouth turned upward. “Silly, I wasn’t that kind of afraid. It was the way you were making me feel—so wild and wanton. I knew if I didn’t run from you, we’d end up making love. And we did.”
“Yes. We did. And since then, I’ve decided I want to make love to you and only you for the rest of my life.”
The smile on her face turned to a look of confusion. “The rest of your life,” she repeated. “What are you saying?”
He spoke the words he’d been holding inside of him for the past few weeks. “I’m saying that I love you, Kat. I want you to marry me. To be my wife and the mother of my children. It’s that simple.”
“Children. Wife.” She whispered the words in stunned fascination. “Blake, are you proposing marriage to me?”
“That’s exactly what I’m doing.” His hands trembling, he dug a black satin pouch from the front pocket of his jeans and removed an engagement ring from its folds. “I drove to Phoenix this morning for a ring. I think it’s perfect for you. I hope you think so, too.”
Before she could gather herself to speak, he lifted her left hand and pushed the ring onto the proper finger. The huge square-cut diamond was flanked by smaller blue sapphires of the same shape. Even in the rapidly falling twilight, the gems glittered brightly. Like his love for her, he thought.
“Oh. Blake. This is—It’s incredible.” Clearly astonished, she held up her hand and gazed at the ring. “I’ve never owned such a piece of jewelry like this in my life!”
“You do now.”
Her face a picture of conflicting emotions, she traced a fingertip over the diamond and then the sapphires.
Her Man on Three Rivers Ranch Page 16