“Bernie, if you’re suggesting that Tom and I get married and raise this baby together, it won’t work. He’s not the commuter-marriage type and, although it kills me to admit this, neither am I”
Bernie grinned. “It’s very satisfying to be right So move to Montana.”
“Move to...? Are you out of your mind?”
“Toots, everything you think comes out in your photographs. I also looked through the contact sheets of the Montana landscape. What’s up with that psycho horse, by the way? Reminded me of Norman Bates.”
Cleo smiled as she imagined Bernie scratching her head over the shots of Dynamite, sleepy-eyed one minute, wild and rearing the next “Dynamite’s a lovable little mare, a real sweetheart.”
“Sure she is. Until the screeching-violin music starts. Anyway, it was obvious looking at those pictures that you adore the place. Make yourself happy and live there.”
Tears pressed against the back of Cleo’s eyes. Bernie was the best friend a girl ever had. “I couldn’t I couldn’t leave you in the lurch like that”
“What lurch? Assuming you haven’t decided to fire me for acting without orders, I’ll keep the New York office open. With phone, fax, e-mail and overnight delivery, who cares where you are? You can drop in for a visit now and then, and someday I might even bring George out there.” She winked. “Give him a ride on Dynamite the psycho horse.”
“I...I don’t know what to say.” But excitement bubbled in her, even though she couldn’t really do this, shouldn’t even consider such a wild and crazy idea.
Bernie nodded, her own eyes suspiciously moist
“You’ll go. I booked you on the first flight leaving for Bozeman tomorrow morning.”
CLEO HAD DECIDED not to call first She’d had no communication with Tom in six weeks, and she couldn’t imagine saying what was in her heart over the telephone. They’d had such a short time together, and fires that hot could burn out just as quickly. Once she looked into his eyes she’d know, but not until then.
As she drove the rental car over the winding road down through Gallatin Canyon, she couldn’t decide if the queasiness in her stomach was motion sickness, morning sickness or butterflies at the prospect of seeing Tom. The drive seemed endless, and she would have given her best telephoto lens to have Tom’s solid presence in the driver’s seat so that she could be a passenger, as she had been on her first trip down this road, when she’d spotted the pair of eagles.
A shiver ran over her spine, remembering those eagles. She’d never believed in signs or fate, or any of that, but still, all Bernie’s talk about finally finding a mate resonated in the deepest part of her soul. When she turned in at the gate leading to the Whispering Winds, she had the feeling of coming home.
Apparently lots of other folks had decided this was the place to be today, too. She stared through the windshield at the vehicles, mostly pickup trucks, crammed into the yard. People were milling around as if they were at a picnic, or at a... Her already jumpy insides twisted tighter.
She’d been so eager for the first sight of the ranch that she’d missed the small notice tacked to the right-hand side of the wooden gateway. She couldn’t read everything on it, but the words at the top was enough to ram a fist of fear into her stomach. Auction—2:00 p.m.
She stared at her watch in a panic. It was nearly four! But wait, that was New York time. The rental-car dock read five minutes before two. My God. If Bernie hadn’t made the reservations—but she had. Cleo leaped from the car and opened the gate. After she’d driven through, she forced herself to take the time to dose the gate again. Tom wouldn’t think much of her as a ranch-wife prospect if she couldn’t even remember to dose his gate.
On the drive down she sent up a cloud of dust, but she didn’t care. Nobody was getting this ranch away from the McBrides if she had anything to say about it Mentally she took stock of her assets and wondered if she had enough to bail out a ranch. Maybe not, but she could buy some time, time for the Montana calendar to come out.
With a screech of brakes she stopped just behind a pickup with California plates. As she got out of the car and slapped her hat on, she noticed another California license plate, and one from Idaho. Damn, they’d come from all over the place to scoop up this piece of prime real estate. Little did they know they’d be dealing with a New York chick.
She ran up the ranch-house steps, shoved past several people standing on the porch and flung open the front door. “Tom!”
He was standing by the stone fireplace with two men who wore western-cut sport coats, despite the heat of the August day. They looked warm but official. Cleo felt light-headed at the thought that these people were here to take the ranch away from Tom.
At her entrance, his head jerked up and he stared across the room at her. “Cleo?”
She tried to read his expression to find out if he was glad to see her, but the light was wrong. “Stop the auction.” She stood by the door and tried to catch her breath.
He said something to the men and came over to her, his quick strides eating up the distance. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
She looked into his eyes and all she saw was deep concern. Well, she had startled him, and she did feel a little faint He probably thought something was wrong. “I didn’t know I was coming until yesterday,” she said.
“And I didn’t want to have a phone conversation about—”
“Let’s go into the office.” He cupped her elbow and started in that direction.
His touch was all she needed in the world, she thought. But he needed this ranch. “Tell them to hold off on the auction, Tom.”
“They won’t start until I say it’s okay. We have a couple of minutes. Let me get you a glass of water. You’re pale.”
“We don’t have time for water. I’m fine.”
He took her into the office and practically pushed her into a chair. “I’m getting the water. Stay there.”
“Tom!”
“Dammit, stay there.”
So much for tender reunions, she thought. And he was trying to order her around, as usual. She walked into the living room and over to the men in the suit coats. They both touched the brims of their expensive-looking Stetsons and gave her a murmured greeting.
“You two look like the ones in charge of this shindig,” Cleo said.
“We’re handling the auction, if that’s what you mean, ma’am,” said the taller of the two.
“There won’t be an auction. Just so you know.”
“Excuse me, ma’am,” said the shorter one. “But there will be an auction, as soon as Tom takes care of his business with you.”
“His business with me is that I’m giving him whatever money it takes to stop this auction.”
“Over my dead body,” Tom said from behind her.
She turned and knocked her arm against the glass of water he was holding, spilling it down his shirt. “Sorry.”
He took her arm, less gently this time. “Excuse us, gentlemen. I’ll only be a minute.”
“Sorry about spilling water on your shirt,” she said as he propelled her into his office.
“I can see you’re still the same bullheaded woman you were when you left.” He kicked the door closed behind him and shoved the half-full water glass at her.
“And you’re still the same bullheaded man. Maybe I should throw the rest of this on you. It might cool you off.”
He tossed his hat on the desk and stood glaring at her. “Did Juanita call you?”
“No.”
Bracing his feet apart, he rested his hands on his hips. “Don’t lie to me, Cleo. I wouldn’t put it past her to call and tell you about the auction, just so you’d come out here and try to save me.”
For a long moment she stood there just taking in the sight of him. He was every bit as magnificent as she’d thought when she’d stepped out of the jetway weeks ago and found him waiting for her. And behind his blustering attitude burned the flame she’d hoped to see in his gray eyes. Not
hing had changed. They were going to have a wonderful future.
She took a sip of water. “Of course I’m going to save you.”
“Like hell.”
“You were man enough to make a woman out of me, Tom. Now let’s see if you’re man enough to swallow that huge pride of yours so we can get on with our life together.”
He stared at her.
“I’m asking you to marry me.”
“Why?”
“I think you can figure it out.” She watched as the realization of why she was there swept over him.
Fierce joy flared in his eyes as he closed the gap between them and took the glass from her hand, setting it on the desk beside them. Then he swept the hat from her head and kissed her with a desperate urgency that left her gasping. He leaned his forehead against hers. “You don’t have to marry me.”
She chuckled. “I think that’s my line.”
He lifted his head and looked into her eyes. “I know you wanted me to raise the baby here, but I’ll make a good life somewhere...else.” He swallowed hard. “It’ll be okay. You won’t have to disturb your career or get tangled in some legal bind you don’t want, just because we went a little crazy that night.”
She sighed and rested her hands on his shoulders. “I’ve never asked a man to marry me before. I wore the hat you gave me, thinking that would soften you up.”
His smile looked sad, but at least it was a smile. “You still look great in the hat. I’m glad you kept it. But Cleo, you don’t want me.”
“The hell I don’t. The thing is, once your calendar comes out, I won’t be the only one. So I figure I’ll have to hang out at the Whispering Winds and fight off all the eligible females looking for Rancher McBride. Otherwise you’ll never get anything done around here.”
He cupped her face in both hands. “Look, I know the ranch came to mean something to you while you were out here, but everything has to end someday. I won’t have you sacrificing yourself for some sentimental idea that the Whispering Winds has to stay the way it is.”
“First of all, I’m not sacrificing anything. My career as a photographer of hunks died a natural death.”
He caressed her cheeks with his thumbs. “You can’t know that yet. Maybe after you have the baby, and get back into the swing of things, you’ll—”
“I don’t want to get back into the swing of things. My whole focus has changed from sexy men to cute little kids, and fortunately, Bernie has already lined up a calendar deal to launch my new direction.”
“Even more reason for you to stay the hell away from this sinking ship. God knows I understand your attachment to this ranch. All week I’ve had people in my office, some with tears in their eyes, trying to find a way to stop the auction. It can’t be done. I’ve accepted it, and so should you. Conserve your resources for your new venture, Cleo.”
“But you are my biggest resource.”
“No. I’m—”
“Tom!” She looked deep into his eyes. “I’m not offering my hand in marriage because I love the Whispering Winds.” She paused. “I’m offering it because I love you.”
Finally, he was speechless. He looked, she thought, as if she’d whacked him over the head with a fence post.
She reached up and touched his parted lips. “Your line,” she murmured, “is I love you, too. Marry me.”
“Cleo....” His voice was hoarse with distress. “I’m penniless. We have a baby on the way. How can I—”
“By choosing love instead of pride. By being a big enough man to match the glorious country that is so much a part of you. By admitting that you need me and allowing me to give to you, after all you’ve given to me. Let me be your wife, Tom, in every meaning of that word.”
Slowly, the uncertainty cleared as his gray eyes began to glow with hope.
“Remember the eagles we saw the day we met?” she asked softly.
He nodded.
“I studied up on them. They mate for life.”
“That’s right.” His voice was husky.
“That’s what’s happened between us, Tom. That night in June we mated for life, like those eagles. It just took me a while to figure it out.”
His smile was gentle as he combed his hair back from her face. “Not me. I knew right away.”
“But you didn’t tell me because—”
“Because I love you. I love you so much I was determined to live without you, if that’s what you needed.”
Hearing him say it was so sweet she battled tears. “It’s not what I need. What I need is to live here with you, and raise our children, and take my pictures, and have you kiss me and tell me you love me on a very regular basis.”
“I’d say it’s already been way too long since I’ve done that.”
“Me, too.”
“I love you, Cleo.”
As he kissed her, she could have sworn that she heard, through the open window, the triumphant cry of an eagle.
ISBN : 978-1-4592-6413-7
MANHUNTING IN MONTANA
Copyright © 1998 by Vicki Lewis Thompson.
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