The Man from Montana

by Julianna Morris

  “Dishes on trips and for the ranch barbecue need to be mild to accommodate a wide range of taste preferences,” Clay explained. “You can add spice, not take it away. That’s why we provide crushed red pepper for guests who are more adventurous in their culinary preferences.”

  He ate a spoonful. Tessa was right about the chili being fiery, but it was delicious, full of diced chicken breast, garlic and green chiles. The contrast with the sweet, fresh corn bread seemed to heighten the flavor. She served herself and sat at the table across from him.

  “I didn’t know you could cook,” he said.

  A sad expression crossed her face. “I suppose Renee told you her sister was terrible in the kitchen, but I’m not bad. It’s just that she was a gourmet, which made my efforts pale in comparison to hers.”

  “Using specially ordered frozen green peppers seems fancy enough to me. But to be honest, I don’t remember Renee talking about her life in Arizona.” As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Clay wanted to call them back. Renee Claremont’s family probably hoped she’d spoken fondly of them before her death. “That is, I don’t recall what she may have said,” he added awkwardly.

  “I see.” Tessa rubbed her upper arms as if chilled.

  Clay leaned forward. “What is it that you think I know about your sister?”

  “Nothing.”

  He raised an eyebrow and Tessa shrugged. “Renee explained that you were involved, so it’s possible you have some insight into what she was thinking during those last few months. Her emails to us were filled with stories about you and the things you were doing together.”

  Clay stared. Renee Claremont had been a nice woman, but the idea of a relationship with her had never entered his mind.

  “Tessa, there was nothing like that between us. She was a client. We didn’t interact more than I do with any other guest. Less, in a way, because it was difficult to draw her into a conversation. I sometimes wondered if I annoyed her.”

  Tessa stirred the contents of her bowl and ate a bite. “You were the guide on almost every trip she took.”

  “That isn’t unusual. If clients prefer a certain guide, they often try to schedule trips based on who might be leading it or make a special request, but there was nothing going on with Renee. I have a personal rule about that sort of thing.”

  “You weren’t happy about Patrick Frazier flirting with me. I wondered if it was because...” She stopped and seemed to shake herself. “I guess not, and that explains why you didn’t come to the memorial service.”

  Clay drew a harsh breath. He could imagine how the Aldermans must have felt to think Renee’s boyfriend couldn’t be bothered to attend her memorial service. If he hadn’t still been under medical orders not to travel, he would have gone out of respect for the family. But how could he explain he’d been injured, without revealing too much about what had happened that day? Then there was the damage it had done to his business and reputation. Tessa and her parents didn’t need to know about that, either—it wasn’t their problem.

  Some of his anger and frustration ebbed away.

  Secrets weren’t necessarily about hurting someone. He was keeping secrets from Tessa because the truth would cause unnecessary pain. Spencer Maitland was concerned for the same reason, which was why he was dragging his feet about showing her the full accident report. The other clients on the raft had been furious with Renee Claremont when giving their statements—they’d told the unvarnished truth, describing her behavior in bitter, outraged terms, his brother among them.

  The effects of that nightmare day were still reverberating down through the months. When would it stop?

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t come to the service,” Clay said carefully. “And I’m sorry I couldn’t save her. I tried.”

  “I know.” Tessa swept a tear from her cheek and made a disgusted sound. “I really hate crying. It doesn’t accomplish anything.”

  “You could blame the spice in the chili.”

  She managed a weak smile and ate another bite. “This is mild compared to what I grew up eating. Dad says that my mother cooks like the grocery store in Hades had a closeout sale on their hottest products. Lately she’s talked about experimenting with a pepper called the Trinidad scorpion. They’re insanely hot, but Dad told her that he draws the line at anything named after a poisonous arachnid.”

  “The name says it all,” Clay murmured with an obliging grin. If the situation had been different, he might have enjoyed meeting Tessa’s family. They sounded like interesting people. “It would be great if you’d share your chili recipe with Uncle Lee. This would be a good option for guests who don’t eat beef, though he couldn’t make it this spicy.”

  “I threw it together without measuring anything, but there are dozens of recipes for white bean chili. He can find them on the internet. Some of them call for oregano, but I usually don’t put it in. And there are milder green chilies available that he can use.”

  “I’ll talk to him.” Clay’s humor vanished as he thought about her twin’s claim that they’d been dating. “Um, why would your sister tell you that she was involved with me when she wasn’t?”

  “I don’t know.” Tessa got up to put the lid on the pot. “I’ll reread the emails she sent us, but we all thought that’s what she was saying. Just add it to the list of mysteries that may never be solved when it comes to Renee.”

  “Is it possible she was jealous because you’d gotten serious with someone? What if she wanted her family to think she had somebody, too? You mentioned she’d been divorced. Maybe she was feeling competitive or left behind.”

  Tessa shook her head. “I don’t see how. There hasn’t been anyone special for me in a while. If ever.” She made a face. “My boyfriends seem destined to swiftly become friends and nothing more. I must be doing something wrong, or else the guys back home don’t see me that way. Renee, on the other hand, met a well-off art collector when she was in graduate school. They were a glam couple while it lasted. He was a nice guy, they just weren’t right together.”

  Clay thought the men in Arizona had to be complete idiots if they didn’t recognize Tessa as an utterly desirable woman. It wasn’t just Tessa’s face and figure—the way she moved and the silky timbre of her voice, often filled with humor, had been threatening his peace of mind since the day they’d met.

  The impulsive kiss she’d given him after finding Skeeter had only thrown fuel on the fire.

  Much as he disliked admitting it to himself, he’d even tried to discover whether Tessa was in a serious relationship. It was the real reason he’d asked if her sister could have been trying to compete with her.

  “Maybe you just haven’t met the right man,” he said. “Or you haven’t been ready for more and they sense it.”

  Tessa gave him a funny look. “That’s what my dad says.”

  “Oh, great, I’m in the mental head space of someone much older than me. How reassuring.”

  “My father is generally considered to be very wise.”

  “But I’m not fiftysomething. I don’t want to be wise, I want to be mad, bad and dangerous to know. At least that’s what I used to say when I was fourteen,” he clarified, realizing that it wasn’t the best goal for a wilderness guide, particularly a guide connected to her sister’s death.

  A smile tugged at Tessa’s mouth, so apparently she wasn’t bothered. It was nice that she didn’t look for reasons to take offense.

  “So you wanted to be like Lord Byron,” she said.

  “A poet who died young a few hundred years ago? That’s worse. Is that phrase really about Byron? When I was fourteen I thought it meant being a wild and crazy guy—one who was lots of fun and didn’t intend to settle down.”

  “A close friend of Byron’s described him that way, possibly because he seemed incapable of returning love. But the phrase has been used since then by other people.”

&n
bsp; “A close friend of Byron’s, as in...?”

  She turned around, the corners of her mouth twitching. “A very close friend.”

  “You mean a woman who had reason to understand how bad and dangerous he was to know?”

  “Look it up if you want the details,” Tessa interjected, still seeming amused, rather than prudishly offended.

  The brief repartee seemed to have eased some of her tension, and increased his own.

  He didn’t flirt with employees, though the exchange could barely be considered flirting. Of course, Tessa wasn’t an employee any longer—she was a contractor. He’d already called the payroll company he used to tell them about the change. Being a contractor gave her more autonomy; he wasn’t sure about himself.

  Tessa didn’t say anything else and Clay glanced at the large pad of art paper lying to one side of the table. It was open and he saw a pencil sketch of the company office, except in the drawing there were landscaping features that didn’t currently exist.

  “This looks interesting,” he murmured.

  “Just some ideas I had,” she said, seeming flustered as she grabbed the pad. “It’s an occupational hazard of being a landscape architect. For me, at least. I see a place and think about doing this or that or the other thing as an enhancement.”

  “Do you mentally rearrange rocks and trees when you’re in the backcountry? Perhaps reroute a river or move a lake or two?”

  Tessa shook her head. “Definitely not. That’s one of the reasons I find it restful. Nature does a far better job of making a place beautiful than humans. We just get in the way. But when we put in roads and parking lots and buildings, we can’t always let nature take over.”

  “Well, you’re welcome to do whatever you want on the ranch. I have a company account at the hardware store. They’ve got a section with yard stuff. Get what you need.”

  * * *

  YARD STUFF?

  Tessa bit her lip to keep from grinning. It was safe to assume that Clay wasn’t a gardening aficionado. She glanced out the window and saw the blue rise of mountains beyond the horses grazing in the rolling foothill pastures; he probably didn’t feel the need for landscaping with such a stunning backyard.

  Still, ideas kept popping in her brain, ways to make the office look more like a rustic cabin fitting into the sweeping landscape than a modern log building. First impressions were important. Right now it was entirely plain and basic around the different ranch structures—no trees or bushes or anything else to make them look inviting. Her thoughts involved a whole lot more than just putting plants in a few half barrels, though even that could help make the place more welcoming.

  “I’ll take a look at what’s available,” she murmured. She didn’t even know why she was interested in making Clay’s business look more appealing, other than her instinctive desire to create a pleasant setting. That, and because working in an environment outside of the desert would be a professional challenge.

  Then she returned her gaze to Clay and knew it had nothing to do with professional challenges.

  He was too interesting. Too compelling. And somehow, learning that he’d never been romantically involved with Renee had transformed the situation to something freer...and more risky. He was too controlled and emotionally distant to be the easiest man to know, which may have been another reason Renee had found him attractive.

  “Let’s go to the hardware store together,” Clay suggested. “After the interview with the newspaper.”

  Tessa gave him a long, considering look. He’d claimed that ducking the interview might make the reporter curious. On the other hand, he could probably find a reasonable way to explain her absence, one that wouldn’t raise questions. But did she want to take the chance?

  “All right,” she said reluctantly.

  “Good. We’re supposed to meet Ruby at her travel agency at four o’clock.”

  Exasperation filled Tessa. “You agreed before talking to me? That was presumptuous, though I suppose it’s good publicity for your company. Raises your profile and that sort of thing.”

  “My company profile has nothing to do with it,” Clay said, sounding annoyed. “The director of Elk County Search and Rescue called and asked if we’d do the interview, so I’d go whether you agreed or not. ECSR is a volunteer organization that supports the sheriff’s department. Donations go up when there’s a successful rescue.”

  “You should have told me that part in the first place. Of course, I’ll do it.”

  His eyes narrowed. “You just love giving me a hard time.”

  She shrugged. “Love is such a strong word. Enjoy is a better description.”

  “Fine. It’s close to four, so we should leave now.”

  Tessa was amused as they drove into Elk Point.

  She couldn’t recall the last time she’d sparred with anyone the way she had sparred with Clay. She’d forgotten how much fun it could be. As a matter of fact, lately she’d forgotten how to have fun.

  CHAPTER TEN

  “THEY CAN’T SERIOUSLY think people will buy lawns in pots,” Clay said at the hardware store following the interview. “Lawn that already needs to be mowed, no less. That grass must be eighteen inches long at the very least.”

  They were in the outdoor garden section, checking out the native grasses they had available. One of the employees was close enough to hear Clay’s remark and looked offended.

  “They’re supposed to be long—they’re ornamental,” Tessa said firmly. “And they have a very nice selection here. Much larger than I expected.”

  “It’s still just grass. We’ve got grass all over Montana, why would anyone buy it in a pot?”

  She pushed the cart forward a foot. Native grasses and plants were popular in landscaping, but Clay must be one of those people who needed to be shown how attractive they could look, rather than being able to conceptualize it. And even then he might not be convinced.

  “You don’t want people digging plants in wilderness areas, do you?” she asked.

  “Of course not.”

  “Then be grateful they sell this in pots. The challenge is when nonnative plants are sold or brought in and they start taking over. You mentioned growing up in ranching country. Isn’t that a problem for ranchers?”

  Clay’s face turned thoughtful. “Sure, they want to eradicate invasive growth that isn’t good for cattle.”

  “Well, it’s the same in most places, for various reasons. Scotch broom is a gigantic headache where I’m from. It crowds out native plants, offers little forage to wildlife or stock, and is a fire hazard. And don’t get me started on the kudzu vine.”

  “You seem to know a lot about the subject,” said the gardening employee who’d appeared offended by Clay’s comments.

  Tessa smiled at her. “I’m a landscape architect in Arizona. It comes with the territory.”

  “Cool. We have someone who knows stacks about Montana plants if you want to talk to her.”

  “We’re just looking at the moment, but I’d love to come back when I have more time.”

  “Okay. Let me know if you need anything.”

  “That was diplomatic,” Clay said when they were alone.

  “What happened to your diplomacy? Or are you only polite to your outdoor adventure clients and newspaper reporters?”

  He frowned. “I wasn’t rude.”

  “You ridiculed what they were selling.”

  “Oh. You’re right, sorry. I was just surprised. I’ve seen the grass they’re selling at the side of roads.”

  Tessa put the cart back into the rack. “Surprised or not, it wasn’t your finest moment. Let’s go back to the ranch. I’ll think about what they have here and consider the best options.”

  * * *

  CLAY WAS EMBARRASSED. Tessa was right, he hadn’t been courteous.

  He wanted to be on good relations wit
h the merchants in town and hadn’t intended to offend anyone. It was a reminder to be more careful about what he said, in case he was overheard. Even a joking comment could be taken the wrong way.

  At the Carson Double C, the ranch barbecue was in full swing, so he waited until it was over before getting the family together, along with Jillian, to explain about Tessa.

  “Tessa is Renee Claremont’s twin?” Andrew looked thunderstruck. “How is that possible? I wouldn’t have even guessed they were sisters.”

  “Their smiles are similar,” Clay found himself saying.

  The five of them had been meeting every few days to discuss the situation with Mallory, so his revelations about Tessa had come out of the blue. He’d considered keeping it to himself, only to decide they deserved to be told.

  “What does Tessa want?” Uncle Lee asked gravely.

  “She’s probably trying to find a basis to sue the company,” Andrew muttered, gazing into the playroom, where his son was fitting large plastic puzzles pieces together. Molly was lying nearby, looking back and forth worriedly, picking up on their emotions.

  “I can’t believe she’d be that devious,” Jillian protested. “The horses like Tessa, and they’re better judges of character than most people. They know when someone is untrustworthy. Coal Dust is particularly fond of her and he doesn’t warm up to very many people.”

  “Horses don’t need to consider the same things we do,” Andrew reminded her.

  They exchanged a glance and Clay thought he detected tension between them, which was odd because they usually got along. But then, the situation had to be wearing on their nerves. Jillian couldn’t have expected the fake engagement to last more than a few days or a week at most. Who could have guessed that Mallory would hang around Elk Point this long?

  “Tessa says that her sister didn’t enjoy outdoor sports or travel or doing anything that might be risky. She wants to understand why Renee came up to Montana and started behaving so much out-of-character,” Clay said quietly. “I don’t believe Tessa intends any harm, so I’m letting her stay at the ranch. But she’ll be a contractor from now on, rather than a Carson Outdoor Adventures employee.”