Aidan: Loyal Cowboy: Aidan: Loyal CowboyThe Family Plan

by Cathy McDavid

  Flynn couldn’t be more ready and happily dropped the subject of his health and listlessness. Maybe she’d phone her sister, Nora, tonight. See if she could convince their dad to open up about what was bothering him lately. Perhaps he was having a midlife crisis or had grown tired of being single all these years.

  Grabbing two cups of coffee at the concession stand for the drive, she and her father strode across the area between the barn and the field that served as a parking lot. A line of people had formed in front of the converted motor home that was being used as a consignment office. The door to the motor home opened, and Ace and Sarah emerged. Ace went first, turning to assist his mother. They both wore happy smiles, Ace’s devastatingly handsome.

  Flynn ignored the quickening of her pulse. That smile had been her undoing once too often.

  “Hold on a second.” To her surprise, her father started toward the Harts.

  “What is it?” She hurried after him.

  Her question was answered when they met up with Ace and Sarah.

  “Congratulations.” Her father shook Sarah’s hand, then Ace’s. “You got yourself a fine stallion there.”

  Flynn sensed Ace studying her, and her gloved fingers curled into tight balls. She would not return his look, not give him the satisfaction of learning the extent to which he affected her.

  “Thank you, Earl.” Sarah beamed. “I have to confess, he was almost yours.”

  “The right person bought him. Just wanted to tell you and that there are no hard feelings.”

  “I appreciate it. Truly, I do. Are you still considering adding to your string? There should be some quality livestock at the Miles City Sale.”

  “Naw. I’m going to quit the business.”

  Flynn exhaled. This time he sounded serious.

  “What will you do?” Sarah asked.

  “Sell off my string, the ranch, everything. Move to Billings to live near Nora and her husband.”

  “Oh, Earl. That’s a big step.”

  “What are you going to do?” Ace asked.

  It took Flynn a moment for her to realize he was speaking to her.

  She did look at him then, unable to stop herself.

  “Attend Montana State University,” she said with newfound determination. “Enroll in nursing school.”

  “I didn’t realize you wanted to be a nurse.”

  “For a while now.” She glanced at her father. “I’ve been talking to some of the nurses at the clinic, and I think I’d be good at it.”

  Not that she didn’t enjoy her job at the clinic—parts of it, anyway. But she was capable of so much more than grunt work. She wanted to have an impact. Make a difference. Contribute in a more meaningful way.

  “You’ll be a wonderful nurse.” Sarah gave Flynn a brief but affectionate hug. “Earl, you must be proud.”

  “I’m proud of her whatever she does.”

  Flynn’s triumph dimmed when she met Ace’s frown.

  Seriously? What did he have to be annoyed about?

  “We’re going to miss you,” he said stiffly, and stuffed the sale papers he’d been holding into the front pocket of his jacket.

  Your family, or you? Flynn wanted to ask, fairly certain she already knew the answer wasn’t him.

  * * *

  FLYNN WAS LEAVING! MOVING to Billings. And she wanted to be a nurse. Ace couldn’t believe it.

  Not that she wouldn’t make a great nurse, he just didn’t recall her ever mentioning it before.

  Of course, the last time they were together, their talk had centered on their lovemaking and how incredible they made each other feel. Not any potential career changes.

  “Heads-up!” Duke yelled.

  The warning came in the nick of time. Ace jumped onto the bottom rung of the fence and out of the way a scant second before two of their newly purchased bucking mares trampled him. He remained clinging to the fence until the coast was clear, then hopped off.

  “Three more to go,” Uncle Joshua hollered from the pen. “Coming your way.”

  Ace’s uncle lived on Thunder Ranch and was in charge of their remaining bulls and cattle. He’d moved to the ranch when his twin sons, Duke and Beau, were knee-high, as he was fond of saying. Before then, he’d spent many years working for Flynn’s grandfather.

  For supposed rivals, the Harts and the McKinleys were connected on many levels.

  Ace’s thoughts circled right back to Flynn.

  She was moving.

  As much as he hated her leaving, it probably was for the best. She deserved a man able to commit to her, not one dividing himself between his vet practice and managing his family’s various businesses.

  “Pay attention,” Duke complained.

  “Sorry,” Ace grumbled. “Got a lot on my mind.”

  They herded the remaining three horses down the narrow aisle and into the waiting stock trailer. Their hooves created a tremendous clatter as they hopped inside to join the other two horses, who shifted to accommodate the newcomers. A few squealed, defending their small territory against their neighbor.

  While some bucking horses were friendly enough around people, others weren’t. Driving them down a narrow aisle and up into a trailer was often the easiest and most effective method of loading them.

  “Midnight the only one left?” Ace had been so preoccupied with Flynn, he’d lost track of the horses they’d already loaded. He glanced over at the second trailer they’d brought and started counting.

  “The wranglers are bringing him round now,” Duke said.

  Ace didn’t wait. He disliked the manner in which the wranglers and livestock foreman had handled Midnight during the auction. Not that they’d hurt him, but they’d been unnecessarily heavy-handed.

  While Duke and Uncle Joshua made sure the horses were secure for the trip, Ace trudged up the aisle to the pen holding Midnight. One wrangler held the horse’s lead rope while the other manned the gate.

  “Thanks for your help, guys,” Ace told the wranglers. “I’ll take it from here.”

  “Your horse.” The wrangler at the gate stepped aside.

  Ace went right up to Midnight and grabbed the lead rope from the second wrangler’s outstretched hand. The rope went instantly slack. Well, well, Midnight was no longer fighting.

  “Good boy,” Ace crooned, stroking the horse’s neck.

  Midnight took a hesitant step toward the gate, then another.

  “That’s right.” Ace walked along beside him, pleased Midnight was going to make this easy. He could use something going his way after his encounter with Flynn.

  He and Midnight reached the gate. It was wide enough for only one of them to pass through at a time. Ace started to go first.

  All at once, Midnight charged through the gate, shoving Ace aside and into the railing. He tried but couldn’t hang on to the lead rope and it tore from his grasp.

  Free at last, the horse broke into a gallop.

  “Look out,” Ace yelled as Midnight bolted down the aisle.

  Wranglers scrambled out of the horse’s path, diving for cover. Ace ran after him, slipping and sliding in the muddy ground and nearly losing his balance twice. Pain sliced through his back from his collision with the railing.

  When Midnight reached the end of the aisle, he skidded to a halt and stared at the trailer, his flanks heaving, his high-arched tail swishing nervously. Thank goodness the opening was blocked by the trailer, or else the horse would have likely made for the hills.

  He swung his large body around as Ace approached, tossing his head angrily as if to say, “Drats, foiled again.”

  “Where exactly did you think you were going?” Ace stopped, bent, braced his hands on his knees and studied the horse, his lungs on fire.

  Midnight pawed the ground, then tur
ned back to face the trailer. A panel had been closed, separating the trailer into two compartments, the rear one empty. Ace could imagine the horse weighing his options.

  “Make this easy, pal. Go in the trailer.”

  Duke and Uncle Joshua came over, their faces split by amused grins Ace didn’t find the least bit funny. They’d exercised considerably more intelligence than him and remained on the opposite side of the fence railing, clear of harm’s way.

  “You should have seen yourself running after that horse.” Uncle Joshua broke into laughter and elbowed Duke in the ribs. “Where’s a video camera when you need one?”

  Duke, usually more somber, laughed along with his dad.

  “I just want to get this damn horse loaded,” Ace grumbled.

  Midnight snorted and pawed the ground again, his lead rope dangling in the mud.

  “Need help?” the livestock foreman asked. He strolled toward Ace, the buggy whip gripped at his side.

  “We’re okay.” In Ace’s opinion, that livestock foreman and his whip were the reason Midnight bolted in the first place.

  Raising his arms and waving them slowly, Ace clucked to Midnight. The two wranglers came up behind Ace, blocking any potential escape route.

  Duke started toward the slim opening between the fence and the rear corner of the trailer. “You want me to grab his lead rope?”

  “No, stay put,” Ace ordered. “The last thing we need is someone getting hurt.”

  Someone else getting hurt, he thought, and rolled his sore shoulder.

  Five minutes later, Midnight had yet to budge.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be a horse whisperer?” the livestock foreman asked, a slight jeer in his voice. “Can’t you just whisper him into the trailer?”

  If only it were that simple.

  Clouds gathered in the sky overhead, and the temperature had dropped by several degrees. It was going to rain again. Possibly snow. They really needed to be on the road soon to avoid any dangerous weather conditions.

  Midnight stared at the trailer holding his companions. He wanted to be with them. Horses were herd animals by nature and this was his herd. But he was also stubborn and unwilling to give an inch.

  “All of you, leave,” Ace said.

  “What?” Uncle Joshua scoffed. “You crazy?”

  “You heard me. Leave.” Ace turned to the wranglers and livestock foreman. “And no one comes round until that horse is loaded.”

  “I’m not leaving,” Uncle Joshua protested.

  “Come on, Dad.” Duke clapped his father’s shoulder. “Ace knows best.”

  The men shrugged and grumbled and complained, but they also did as requested. Ace was pretty sure he heard the livestock foreman refer to him by a rather colorful name.

  Walking casually down the aisle, Ace left Midnight alone. He waited at the pen, keeping an eye on the horse. Unless Midnight chose to jump the five-foot fence, an unlikely probability, his options were limited.

  “Let’s go, boy,” he muttered to himself. “Into the trailer. Nobody’s watching you.”

  Midnight lifted one front leg, held it poised in the air.

  Ace mentally willed the horse forward. “Come on, you can do it.”

  He noticed a few stragglers and the cleanup crew observing with obvious interest. His mother, too. He didn’t care, as long as they stayed away.

  A horse inside the trailer whinnied. Another one clanged a hoof against the sidewall.

  It was apparently the encouragement Midnight needed. Tentatively, he approached the rear of the trailer. Placing one front foot on the trailer floor, he waited. And waited. Finally he hoisted the front half of his body inside.

  “Halfway there, pal,” Ace murmured.

  With a mighty grunt, Midnight hopped into the trailer, settling himself in the empty compartment as if it were just another day, just another trailer ride.

  Ace held up a warning hand to his cousin and uncle when they would have climbed the fence. He let a full minute pass before he started down the aisle. When he reached the trailer, he swung the rear gate closed and latched it, the metallic clink making a very satisfying sound.

  “Hallelujah!” Uncle Joshua exclaimed. “Let’s get the heck out of here before the storm hits.”

  Ace checked Midnight one last time, chuckling to himself. He was going to like this horse.

  Chapter Three

  Ace and Duke climbed into the cab of the truck hauling Midnight and the mares. His mother and uncle got into the cab of the other truck. They formed a small caravan as they slowly navigated the road from the auction grounds to Highway 12.

  “You hungry?” Duke asked.

  “Starving.” Waiting out stubborn horses was hard work, as was an unplanned confrontation with an irate woman.

  “I’ll call Dad in a bit. Maybe we can eat at the truck stop we passed on the way here.”

  Ace removed his cowboy hat and set it on the seat between him and Duke. By prior agreement, they’d split the chore of driving. Ace had taken the first shift to the auction from Roundup, needing the distraction to combat his nervousness.

  He wished he was driving now, he could use another distraction. When he wasn’t contemplating Midnight’s puzzling behavior, he was imagining Flynn packing boxes and cartons in preparation for moving. She’d been a fixture in his life for much of it, except during the time she was married.

  He’d never liked her husband and was convinced the fool didn’t deserve Flynn.

  Ace didn’t deserve her, either.

  He recalled her face that morning three weeks ago and grimaced. Could he have treated her more cruelly? He’d told himself it was necessary, that to lead her on would be unfair. She’d form expectations, ones he couldn’t meet.

  The truth was he’d been running scared, that morning and every day since. Even before they’d gone to her house, before their first kiss outside the Number 1 Diner, something inside him had changed. He finally admitted to himself that Flynn was someone he could easily fall for, had, in all likelihood, fallen for years earlier and simply denied it.

  “Some news about Flynn going to school to be a nurse.” Duke glanced at the side mirrors before changing lanes.

  “Who told you?”

  “Your mom. She’s worried.”

  “About Flynn? Why?”

  “No, about you. She said you took it pretty hard.”

  “Why would I take it hard? I think it’s a great idea.” Ace shoved his fingers through his hair, wiping the sweat from his brow. “Want me to call your dad? The truck stop’s coming up soon.”

  “Not for half an hour.”

  Ace didn’t want to discuss Flynn. He hadn’t told anyone about the night they’d spent together and wouldn’t. Not even Duke. And they were more than cousins, they were good friends.

  In some ways, Ace had a better relationship with Duke than he did with his own brothers. Colt was frequently off to some rodeo and Tuf had enlisted in the Marines. On the other hand, Ace and Dinah were close. She was the little sister he ordered around, doted on, protected, and whose secrets he safeguarded.

  His gut clenched at the reminder. Flynn and Dinah talked on a regular basis. Had she confided in Dinah about her and Ace? It was possible.

  “I don’t know why your mom’s worried,” Duke said thoughtfully. “For a while there we all thought you and Flynn were going to hook up.”

  “That was years ago.” Duke was one of the few people who knew Ace and Flynn had dated.

  “I’m talking last month.” Duke slanted Ace a bemused smile. “We saw you and her leaving the Number 1.”

  Ace abruptly sat up, then slumped against the seat, afraid of giving himself away. “We?”

  “Dad, Beau and I.”

  Both his cousins and his uncle?
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  “Royce, Harlan and Gracie were there, too.”

  Three of the Harts’ ranch hands? Great. Ace and Flynn might as well have taken an ad out in the Roundup Record Tribune.

  “I don’t want to talk about it.” Which was not the same as saying nothing happened, and Duke probably picked up on the subtle difference.

  “Your business.”

  Duke respected Ace’s wishes for the remainder of the drive to Thunder Ranch, avoiding the topic of Flynn and Ace even when his mother brought Flynn up over dinner at the truck stop.

  Ace was never so glad to see the exit for home.

  They drove the mile-long driveway into Thunder Ranch, past the main house with its rustic charm and fieldstone wall to the various outbuildings, one of them a newly constructed mare motel. Luckily they beat the snow, which started falling in earnest the minute they pulled up in front of the horse barn.

  “It’s too late and too cold.” Ace reached behind the seat and retrieved his and Duke’s yellow all-weather ponchos. “Let’s just put the mares and geldings in the west paddock for tonight. We can move them tomorrow if there’s a break in the weather.”

  “And Midnight?”

  “The clinic.”

  Ace had constructed a pair of shaded corrals behind the horse barn, which also contained a small office he used for his vet practice. The corrals were for quarantining sick or injured animals while he treated them. It wasn’t an ideal location for Midnight, but it would suffice until the construction of his stud quarters was completed.

  Duke braked to a stop, letting Ace out long enough to dash through the snow and relay their plans to his uncle in the other truck.

  “Meet you at the paddock with the rest of the horses once we’ve unloaded Midnight,” he told his uncle.

  “You going to need some help?”

  “We can handle it.”

  Ace returned to the truck. Midnight, impatient to get out, had begun kicking the trailer wall. He was still creating a ruckus while Duke backed the trailer to the corral gate. If all went as intended, the horse would go right from the trailer to the corral without incident.

  Turning on an overhead floodlight, Ace positioned himself at the trailer door. Duke reached through the open slats and unfastened Midnight’s lead rope from where it was tied.