Trent Men of Clifton, Montana Book 9

by Susan Fisher-Davis

  Once he finished cooking the eggs, he pulled a plate down from the cupboard but hesitated about letting the dog eat off it. Shrugging, he decided he’d just put the eggs on the floor. That would be easy to clean up, and he wasn’t one for letting dogs eat off plates. He was also sure Becca wouldn’t appreciate it.

  “Looks like it’s the floor, girl, but first I have to let them cool, or you’ll burn your tongue.” He scraped the eggs onto the plate for them to cool then he leaned back against the counter, folded his arms, stared at the dog, and realized it was an Australian Shepherd. His boss had three of them running the ranch, and they were intelligent dogs. Who would let their dog out in this? His thoughts were someone had dropped the dog off. Bastards. The animals had a better chance of survival in a shelter than roaming all over. Trent grinned when the dog spun in circles then sat at his feet, stared up at him, and lifted her paw.

  “Don’t look at me like that. I know how you females are. You bat those eyelashes and think us males will do whatever you ask, and odds are we will.” He picked up the plate then scraped the eggs onto the floor and watched as the dog wolfed them down. When she finished, she looked up at him and belched making him laugh.

  “What a lady,” he said as he squatted down to rub her ears. “You’re definitely an Aussie and a very young one at that. Guess I have a dog, huh? For a while anyway. I’ll have to ask around town. Well, come on, girl, let’s take you out to do your business then we’ll watch some TV.”

  Trent carried the dog out onto the deck and set her down, but she wouldn’t move away from him.

  “Don’t worry I’ll be right here. Go,” Trent pointed to the snow then shook his head at thinking the dog would know what he was doing. Huffing, Trent picked her up again and took her out into the snow. “Go do what you need to do. I’m cold, damn it.”

  She ran around the snow then squatted and peed then came running back at him and fell on her face. When she raised it to look at him, he couldn’t help but laugh at her snow-covered face.

  Later that night, he lay in bed with his arms folded under his head and stared up at the ceiling while the dog slept curled up on the comforter beside him. This was when he had the hardest time, at night alone. His thoughts would go to his mother and the pain he felt at her passing. For a few nights, after he’d found the letter, he’d gone back and forth between being so hurt at her passing, and anger that she had lied to him. He knew she had her reasons, but if she would have told him sooner, he might have been able to meet his father. Now it was too late, and he hated that he’d disrupted Jake’s life and will do the same to Gabe and Wyatt’s. His mother had never gotten involved with another man, although she’d dated, it was never serious. She’d told him he was the only male she needed in her life, but he was beginning to think it was because she was afraid of being hurt again and according to the letter, she had loved his father so much, that Trent was sure no other man could compare. There was also the possibility that she was afraid he’d get too attached to a father figure and he would be the one who ended up hurt. Turning onto his side, he closed his eyes and willed sleep to come. Once the snow cleared up, he’d talk to the brothers to find out about his father then he’d return to Billings. Back where he belonged. There was nothing here in Clifton for him. Not even a beautiful dark-haired woman with eyes the color of summer grass.

  ****

  Jake sat in the recliner and stared at the fire burning in the hearth. He held a glass of whiskey in his hand but hadn’t even taken a sip. It was late, close to two in the morning, but sleep wouldn’t come. He hadn’t slept since Trent had shown up. He jerked when Becca appeared in front of him.

  “What are you doing, Stone?” she asked him as she moved to sit on his lap.

  “Can’t sleep, Red.” He laid his head on her shoulder, set his glass down, and wrapped his arms around her.

  “Don’t hate him. It’s not his fault.”

  Jake blew out a breath. “I know, and I don’t hate him. I can’t imagine what he’s going through. He just lost his mother, and then he comes here to meet his father and finds out he’s gone too.”

  “Poor Trent. I feel for him, but he does have three brothers he could know.”

  “Maybe I should tell Gabe and Wyatt before I spring Trent on them.”

  “No. Wyatt won’t want to meet him if you tell him first. He’s one hardheaded man. Runs in the family but Wyatt hates change, and this will definitely change his life.”

  “It will change all our lives. What I don’t get is Dad doing that to Mom. I thought he loved her.” He clenched his jaw.

  “He did, you know that. Maybe something happened that none of you are aware of.”

  “You’re right, and I know he loved her. I told you he died not long after she did. He just gave up, and we watched him fade away. I don’t think I told you, but he sold all the cattle right after she died. He had no desire to do anything with it.”

  “I didn’t know he had cattle,” Becca said.

  “Over two hundred head and he sold them all. Then the day he told me he made up his will, I knew he was just done trying to hold on without Mom and now this.” Jake shook his head. “I don’t know what to think.”

  “I know, Jake. It has to be so hard on you, but you can’t look at Trent and think he’s not your brother. I saw it when he grinned. The only difference is his hair curls on the ends a little more than Wyatt’s, but he’s a Stone.”

  “Yeah, he is, but I don’t know what I could tell him about Dad.”

  “Anything and everything.” She moved off his lap and put her hand out to him. “Come on let’s go back to bed.”

  “I won’t be able to sleep,” Jake said as he stood.

  “Who said anything about sleeping, Stone?”

  Jake chuckled as he took her hand in his. “I do like the way you think, Red.”

  Chapter Five

  Two days later, Lanie entered the diner and everyone waved or called out to her. She smiled as she moved behind the counter to grab a cup of coffee.

  “Good evening, hon. Did you work today?” Connie asked her.

  “No. Jake called me and told me to take the week off.” Lanie removed her hat and coat then hung them up.

  Connie moved closer to her. “Is he all right?”

  “He said he was when I asked, but he seemed like he had a lot on his mind. I’ll help out around here if you don’t mind.”

  “Of course, I don’t mind. I could always use the help.”

  Lanie smiled as she put an apron on then started waiting on customers. She was behind the counter talking with Brody Morgan when the bell over the door jingled, and she looked over to see Trent enter. Damn, that man was fine. He took a seat at the counter but didn’t look her way. Was he ignoring her? Well, she’d be damned if she let him. Picking up the coffee pot, she headed his way then stopped in front of him. When he didn’t look up from the menu, she cleared her throat. He glanced up.

  “Coffee?” she asked.

  “Yes, ma’am. Thank you,” he said then went back to the menu.

  “That menu must be interesting.”

  His head snapped up, and his eyes narrowed as he looked at her.

  “Just trying to figure out what I want. Is that a problem, Miss Gates?”

  “None at all, Mr. Personality. Oh, I’m sorry, I mean Mr. Donovan.” She poured his coffee and walked off.

  Damn man. What was his problem with her? She was a nice person so why didn’t he like her. Just because she’d almost ran into him shouldn’t make him such a jerk. She set the coffee carafe on the warmer a little harder than necessary, and when she heard him chuckle, she wanted to pour the coffee over his head. Connie came from the kitchen and looked in his direction then elbowed Lanie.

  “Did you take his order yet?”

  “No, and I’m not going to. You can wait on him.”

  “Honey, I’m busy. Take his order. Why wouldn’t you want to take his order?”

  “Because he’s a jerk,” she said through cle
nched teeth.

  “Good heavens. The man is drop-dead gorgeous, and maybe if you were a little nicer, he would be too.”

  Lanie gasped. “I am nice.”

  “Oh yeah, calling him Mr. Personality was so nice of you. Go.” Connie walked off to wait on other customers.

  “Oooh! All right.” She walked over to where Trent sat, with her pad in hand, and stopped in front of him. “Are you ready to order now…sir?”

  Trent looked up at her, and his sexy mouth twitched.

  “Yes, ma’am. Burger with lettuce, tomato, and mayo with onion rings, please.” He didn’t take his eyes from hers.

  Lanie’s cheeks warmed, but she forced a smile. “It’ll be right up.”

  She put the order on the wheel and spun it around then headed back to the kitchen and sat on a stool. She needed to take a few deep breaths. That man was trouble with capital T, and for the first time in a long time, she wanted to get into trouble—with him. When it was time to take his order out, she set it in front of him.

  “Can I get you anything else?”

  “No, thank you. I’m good.”

  “I bet you are,” she murmured.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Nothing. Enjoy your meal, Trent.”

  He stared at her, and she couldn’t stop herself from winking at him and when he chuckled, her belly filled with butterflies. His grin was gorgeous. Yeah, she’d bet he was good. Real good.

  A few days later, the sun was shining and warming the little town, and the weather had cleared. Lanie made her way to the diner again. Since she was taking a week off from training, she hated sitting around the house doing nothing, so she worked at the restaurant. When she entered the diner, the bell jingled, and everyone called out or waved. Her eyes went to the counter, but she didn’t see Trent. She’d been hoping he’d be here. Sighing, she walked behind the counter, poured herself a cup of coffee, then entered the kitchen.

  “Hey, you two,” she said to her aunt and uncle. “What do you need me to do?”

  “How about you deliver a pie for me?”

  “A pie?”

  “Yep, I promised Trent an apple pie the other day. When he was in for dinner and wanted a slice for dessert, but I didn’t have any left.”

  Lanie set her coffee cup down, folded her arms, and narrowed her eyes at her aunt.

  “I waited on him, and he didn’t ask for pie.”

  “It was while you were busy, and I had to tell him I was out.”

  “You were out of apple pie? Seriously?”

  “Yes,” Connie said but wouldn’t meet her eyes.

  “Uh-huh. You never run out of a pie.”

  “Well, I did. Can you take the pie to him or do I have to run it out there?”

  Lanie sighed. “Of course, I’ll take it to him, but you’ve never sent anyone a pie before.”

  Connie shrugged. “First time for everything.”

  Lanie picked up her cup and sipped her coffee. Her aunt was up to something, and it had better not be matchmaking. Lanie watched her box up an apple pie, tape it closed, then set it on the counter.

  “Be careful out that way. The roads may still be slick, and since the sun will be setting soon, there could be black ice.” Connie winked at her. “I’ll see you later, hon.”

  After putting her hat and coat back on, she picked up the box and moved around the counter. When she glanced back at her aunt, she saw her disappearing into the kitchen. Yep, that woman was up to something. Lanie grinned and shook her head. Aunt Connie was as subtle as a freight train, but she loved her. Since Connie and Owen didn’t have children, they doted on their three nieces.

  Lanie, her sisters, and their mother would try to visit Clifton every summer and stay with Connie and Owen. It had always been the highlight of her life anytime she was able to make the trip, and she’d dreamed of moving to Clifton, but Brett was an attorney in Albuquerque, and she knew he’d never leave. He had agreed to visit with her after they were married, but he’d probably lied about that too. Now she hoped she never saw him again. The last few times she’d visited here, her sisters didn’t make the trip with her and their mother. She missed them and her parents so much.

  Wrapping her gloved hands around the steering wheel, she drove along the snow-covered road toward the Clifton B and B. She passed Wyatt’s place, then Gabe’s, and Jake’s. The B and B sat next to Jake’s land. It was how Becca and Jake had met. He’d been friends with her late grandmother, Hattie Daniels, and when she died, Becca inherited the house and land. Jake went to meet her, and they fell in love, and that love was so strong that a person could feel it if they stood next to them. They had two beautiful children. A boy named William Josiah after Becca and Jake’s fathers and a girl named Hattie, after the grandmother Becca never knew. Lanie wanted that, but she sure wasn’t going to have it with Brett.

  She turned into the drive that led to the B and B. The large white colonial house stood alone in the snow. The black shutters made the windows look like eyes watching her. Driving past the house, she followed the road that led to the cabins. She’d been out here when she first arrived in Clifton and thought of staying in one of the cabins, but they were too expensive to stay in for an extended time, and Connie wouldn’t hear of her staying anywhere but at her little house on the edge of town. She and Owen had it up for sale, but when Lanie needed a place to stay, they took it off the market and let her stay in it. Spotting Trent’s truck, Lanie pulled in behind it and threw the gear into Park then turned the key to shut the motor off. Taking a deep breath, she picked up the box containing the pie, opened the door, and stepped out.

  The sun was beginning to set, and the sky looked like a painting with its colors of pink, yellow, and blue. She smiled thinking how beautiful Montana was. Shoving the door closed with her hip, she then trudged through the snow to the steps, walked up them and knocked on the door. She could smell the scent of wood burning. When the door opened, she forgot how to breathe. Lord! He was downright gorgeous. He stood there in low-slung jeans, a black T-shirt hugged his hard pecs and flat stomach, the sleeves wrapped tight around his strong looking biceps, and thick dark hair covered his forearms, and he was barefoot. She ran her eyes back up his long legs and lingered on his fly. The jeans were faded and hugged him like a second skin. They cupped his sex and her mouth watered. Tearing her eyes from his crotch, she looked at his face. He was clean-shaven, but she could still see a faint shadow. His hair was damp on the ends as if he’d just stepped from the shower. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she suppressed a shiver.

  “What are you doing here, Delaney?” he asked her.

  “Please call me Lanie.”

  “I prefer Delaney, but if you’d rather I didn’t, I won’t.”

  “Oh. Delaney is fine then.”

  “So, why are you here?”

  “Aunt Connie said she promised you a pie, so I brought it to you.” She held the box out to him.

  Trent didn’t take the box but frowned at her, and she knew. She knew Connie hadn’t promised him a pie. Oooh! She would so get her aunt for this! Lanie chuckled.

  “She didn’t promise you a pie, did she?”

  One side of Trent’s sexy mouth rose. “Nope. But I’ll take it. Come on in.”

  He took the box from her then held the door open wider. She stomped her feet to remove the snow, then entered the cabin. As she passed him, she could smell the soap from his shower along with his aftershave, and almost groaned. He set the box on the kitchen counter.

  “I’m sorry. I knew that woman was up to something.”

  “Let me take your coat.” He stood behind her. She closed her eyes and knew she should get the hell out of Dodge, but she really didn’t want to. She unbuttoned her coat, pulled off her gloves and stuffed them in the pockets, then removed her knit cap and smoothed her hands over her hair because she was sure it was standing on end from the static. Trent took her things and hung them on a peg by the door.

  “Do you mind if I take my boots off?”

/>   “Go right ahead then have a seat,” he told her as he walked to the French doors.

  “It’s cold out,” she said as she took a seat on the sofa and held her hands out toward the fire then untied her boots and toed them off.

  She looked over her shoulder to see him opening the door, and a bundle of fur ran inside and headed right for her.

  “Oh, my God! Look at you. You are so precious. I love that one blue eye,” she said to the dog then looked at Trent. “I didn’t know you had a dog. She’s gorgeous.”

  “I didn’t have a dog. I found her outside on the day we had the ice storm. No collar so I figure someone dropped her off.” He reached for a towel and grabbed the dog to wipe her off.

  “Are you going to take her to the shelter or keep her?”

  “I’ll keep her. We’ve slept together so I just can’t let her walk away.” He hung the towel on the back of a stool at the bar then picked up her boots and set them on the hearth.

  Lanie smiled and looked up at him to see him grinning. Wow! Drop-dead gorgeous didn’t cut it. Dimples peeked in his cheeks, and his teeth were white and perfect.

  “Well, at least you’re not the type of man to get away from a female right after you sleep with her.”

  Trent chuckled then took a seat on the sofa next to her, and the dog jumped up beside him. Trent rubbed her ears when she laid beside him.

  “What’s her name?”

  “I haven’t named her yet. I did ask around when I was in town, but no one knew of anyone missing a dog, so I guess she’s mine now.”

  “You should take her to Dr. Garrett, and she can see if this beauty’s microchipped.”

  “I can do that. I met her the other day in the diner with her husband.”

  “Oh, Sam. He’s so sexy.” She laughed when Trent smirked and shook his head.

  “I’ll take the pup to the vet to make sure someone isn’t missing her. Seems odd though that she’s this far out of town. If she belongs to someone, they’re not close to the area.”