Trent Men of Clifton, Montana Book 9

by Susan Fisher-Davis

  “No, it’s not. Trent had nothing to do with it. For some unknown reason, Dad cheated, and it hurts all of us because we know how much it had to have hurt Mom unless she didn’t know about it, but I can’t begin to know why he did what he did even if she didn’t know. To me, if a man loves his wife, he keeps that woman happy and cheating on her sure wouldn’t. I’d never do that to Becca. I love and respect her too much to do that to her. I’m sure Gabe feels the same about Emma, and I know you do about Liv.”

  “Hell, after what she said, I’d be too afraid to cheat on Olivia,” Wyatt said then chuckled making Jake laugh.

  “I know that’s true. She’d probably come after Gabe and me if we did that to her friends.”

  Wyatt shook his head. “I’ll never understand any of this. I’m sure none of us will. I suppose once we talk with Dirk, we’ll have a better idea about what to do.”

  “Just what will you do if he is entitled to part of the land and money?”

  Wyatt shrugged. “We’ll do what we have to do. We’ll have to see what Dirk says.”

  Jake nodded, pulled his gloves back on, and picked the rake back up then moved to the next stall. Wyatt gave him a nod then walked out of the barn. Jake knew none of them were sure what was going to happen once they spoke to their attorney. He didn’t look forward to any of it. What, if anything, could Trent take from them? Jake knew in his heart that Trent was their brother so didn’t that mean that he did deserve something. Would he even accept it if he was entitled? Jake didn’t know Trent well but what he did know of him, he seemed to be a proud man. Jake couldn’t see him taking something even if he did deserve it, and he’d never mentioned where in Billings he worked—if he worked at all. Jake set the rake aside, removed his hat and combed his fingers through his hair then resettled the hat. He just wasn’t sure what to think. He should have asked Trent what he did. Just because he wore ripped jeans didn’t mean a thing. Just as Becca had said, it could just be the way Trent preferred it. So what if his truck was ten years old? None of it meant a damn thing. But where did he work? Shit. It didn’t matter. Jake sighed then headed back to the house to his wife and children. He just hoped his life wasn’t disrupted any more.

  Chapter Ten

  A few days later, Trent drove into Clifton with Ginny on the seat beside him. She kept her nose pressed against the passenger side window steaming it up with her breath. Trent smiled as he looked at her. He sure hoped this wasn’t the last time she’d be in the truck with him but if Dr. Garrett said an owner was looking for her, he’d hand Ginny over. This was the first chance he’d had to get into town because of the snow. After pulling into the lot beside the animal hospital, he put the gear into Park, shut it off, and stepped out. He stood beside the door and waited for Ginny to come to him, but she stayed on her side of the truck.

  “Come on, girl. We have to do this. I’d hate like hell to find out you belong to someone else, but it’s only right. A little girl or boy could be heartbroken because you’re missing. Come on.”

  Ginny whined as she crawled on her belly across the seat to Trent. He picked her up and carried her inside to see a young woman sitting behind the counter, smiling up at him.

  “Hi, can I help you?”

  “Dr. Garrett told me to stop in anytime to see if this dog has a chip.”

  “What’s your name? I’ll call her.”

  “Trent Donovan. Thank you.”

  The young woman smiled at him and picked up a phone. While she spoke into it, he glanced around. It was a clean little hospital. A row of plastic chairs sat along a wall, and the black and white floor tiles showed signs of wear.

  “She’ll be right out,” the woman said.

  Trent nodded and waited for the doctor. She appeared in less than a minute and walked to him with her hand outstretched.

  “Hi, Trent. Bring her back, and I’ll check her for you.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate it.” He followed her down a hallway then entered a room behind her. He set Ginny on the table and waited while Tessa took a chip reader from a drawer. She looked up at Trent.

  “Have you named her?”

  “Yes. Ginny.”

  Tessa nodded then proceeded to move the instrument over the back of the dog’s neck. She turned it off then looked at him.

  “It looks like you have a dog.” She smiled up at him.

  He blew out a relieved breath. “I’m glad to hear that. If she had belonged to someone, I would have given her up but I really hoped she didn’t. I’ve come to love this dog.”

  “She looks about eight months old to a year. You should see about getting her spayed.”

  “I’ll do that once I get back to Billings. I’ll be leaving in a few days.”

  “I’m glad you’re going to be a responsible owner. Let me check her to make sure she isn’t pregnant. I know you’ve had her a while but who knows what happens when she goes outside.”

  “That’s true. I never thought about it but better safe than sorry. I try to keep an eye on her, but it’s not possible all the time when she’s outside.” Trent smiled.

  “It doesn’t take long for her to disappear and if a male is around and she’s in heat…well, that could spell trouble.” Tessa ran her hands over Ginny’s abdomen then listened with her stethoscope. She straightened up and looked at Trent. “I don’t think she is. We could do an ultrasound if you’d like.”

  Trent wasn’t sure what to do. He ran his hand around the back of his neck and sighed. It wasn’t that he didn’t have money…he did, but he wanted to try to build it back up and maybe, just maybe, he’d have a place of his own one day. He knew he’d never be able to walk into a bank and get a loan for his ranch without using most of his money if he decided to go that route. The ranch would be the collateral for the loan, but banks didn’t like getting stuck with a property they couldn’t get enough money out of to cover a mortgage if it came down to foreclosure. He had a long way to go to get back to that point. It could be years. But he also knew the dog needed to be spayed and get her vaccinations. Mentally shaking his head, he looked at Tessa.

  “I—”

  “It’s free, Trent. Anyone who takes an abandoned animal in is a good person in my opinion. It will just take me a minute.”

  “I can’t let you do that for nothing.”

  “Then donate to the shelter. Either monetarily or food. They need both.”

  “All right. I’ll pick up a few bags of dog food. Where is the shelter?”

  Tessa told him where the shelter was then she had one of her techs carry Ginny off to a room to do an ultrasound. Trent left the room and headed out to the waiting area. He took a seat on one of the plastic chairs, stretched his legs out in front of him, and waited. The door opened, and Trent glanced over to see who had entered. He tensed up when he saw Betty Lou Harper. Aw, hell. She spotted him and walked over to where he sat. He quickly got to his feet and removed his hat. She barely reached his shoulder.

  “Hello there, young man. We haven’t met, I’m Betty Lou Harper. I’m the sheriff’s dispatcher and secretary. Who might you be?”

  He cleared his throat. He remembered Jim Barton telling him that if Betty Lou or her sister wanted information, they’d get it.

  “I’m Trent Donovan, ma’am. It’s nice to meet you,” he said with a smile and hoped she didn’t smell his fear. He almost laughed when he thought of being afraid of this woman. He had nothing to hide, but he didn’t think anyone needed to know why he was here until his…brothers told them.

  “Well, Trent Donovan, are you sticking around? There are some beautiful single women in this town and the other two towns next to Clifton.”

  Matchmaking? “Uh, no, ma’am. I’ll be leaving soon.”

  Betty Lou looked him up and down, and he felt as if he were a slab of beef on display. Hell, the woman had to be close to seventy or possibly older but the way she was staring at him had him feeling damned uncomfortable.

  “Betty Lou? I’ll have one of the techs get your cat,” Tessa
said as she entered the room.

  Trent mouthed a thank you to Tessa as he took Ginny from her and the dog licked his chin. Tessa winked at him.

  “Ginny’s not pregnant, but please get her spayed soon. There are enough dogs and cats in this world without homes, we don’t need more brought in.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll get it done as soon as I get back home.” Trent watched Betty Lou follow one of the techs, but she kept her eyes on him until she disappeared down a hallway.

  Tessa chuckled. “Betty Lou is nosey, a gossip, and a pain in the ass but she’s loved by everyone. Sam says she drives him nuts most days, but he would never replace her. She’s his godmother and he loves her, but some days he leaves his office just to get away from her.”

  He grinned. “I admit, she made me feel like a bug under a microscope. I’ll get that dog food to the shelter.”

  Trent put his hat on his head, gave Tessa a nod, and walked outside. Snow whirled around him. Wonderful. Was he ever going to get out of Clifton and get home to the ranch? The good thing about staying though was Delaney, but it was just going to make it harder to leave her when the time came.

  ****

  Lanie rode Misty around the barrels at full speed. The horse was a natural at it when she wanted to be. Lanie lost count of the times she’d gone over the horse’s head but today, Misty seemed to be on her best behavior. As Lanie rode her over to the fence to dismount, she noticed Jake standing by the rail. Looking at him, she couldn’t understand why she hadn’t seen the resemblance before. There was no doubt in her mind that Trent was, indeed, a Stone.

  “Hey, Lanie. How’d she do today?” Jake asked her as she dismounted.

  “She was on her best behavior.”

  “Glad to hear it. Becca wants to know if you want to stay for dinner.”

  Lanie looked past Jake to the open barns and saw snow coming down heavily.

  “I don’t think I should stick around with the way it’s snowing. The roads were finally passable and now this.”

  Jake glanced over his shoulder. “Yeah, the weather report says it could snow up to another foot tonight. I suppose it would be best if you go.”

  “Tell Becca I appreciate the offer. I love her cooking,” Lanie said smiling then led Misty from the corral.

  “Do you want me to take care of Misty for you?”

  “No, thanks. You ride, you put the horse up. I know you don’t mind doing it if I have to get out of here fast, but I think I have time, Jake.” When Jake didn’t say anything, Lanie looked at him to see him staring off into space. “Are you all right, Jake?”

  “Huh? Oh, I’m sorry Lanie. I just have a lot on my mind these days.”

  Lanie knew precisely what was on his mind, but she couldn’t say anything. She didn’t want Jake to know she knew about Trent and she didn’t want to betray Trent’s trust in her. He hadn’t told her not to say anything to Jake just not to anyone in town. Nibbling on her bottom lip, she wondered what Jake would say if she told him, she knew. Mentally shaking her head, she didn’t want to upset Jake. He was such a good man who loved his family, and even though she was seeing Trent, it was none of her business. He gave her a nod, touched the brim of his hat, and walked off. Lanie led Misty to the washing and grooming area in the back of the barn. Misty pranced as if she knew she’d be getting a treat for being so good today. Lanie chuckled as the horse danced sideways.

  “You know you did good today, don’t you, girl?” Lanie laughed when Misty bobbed her head up and down. “I do have an apple for you, and you’ll get it once I get you cooled down. Then I’m out of here to head home and shower. There’s a hot, sexy cowboy I’m going to see tonight who I plan on riding.”

  ****

  Trent entered the cabin with an armful of logs and walked to the hearth to set them down. Delaney would be here in two hours, and he was more than ready to see her. It had been a few days since they’d been together. Standing, Trent removed his coat and hat then tossed them onto the sofa. He squatted down and went about stacking the logs on the grate. He’d wait a while before setting a match to it. There were steaks in the fridge, along with a salad and potatoes for baking but he didn’t give a rat’s ass about the food, he just wanted Delaney. He ran his hand down over his face and straightened back up. Hell. What was he thinking about getting involved with someone in another town? He’d be going back to Billings soon but if he was honest with himself, he wouldn’t change one minute of his time with Delaney. She was on his mind always. She was the last thing he thought of before he fell asleep and the first thing on his mind when he woke up. How could he just go and never see her again? Trent shook his head. He had to. He’d never ask another woman to spend her life on the ranch. He was glad Diana left him before they’d married. Women were strong, but the loneliness would get to anyone after a while. It happened too often, and it was best if he just left and forgot about Delaney Gates.

  “Yeah, right,” he muttered.

  He picked up his coat and hat then hung them up. Ginny jumped up and barked at him then ran to the French doors. Trent walked toward the doors then stopped in his tracks when he saw the snow coming down. He continued to the doors and opened one to let Ginny out. She paused, looked up at him, then back to the snow.

  “You have to go, so go.” He chuckled when she sat down. Trent shook his head. “If I didn’t know you were female before, I’d know it now. You’re stubborn as hell. Come on.” He stepped out onto the deck and Ginny followed him then ran down the steps. Trent watched as she did her business then ran back into the house leaving him outside. Shaking his head, he entered the cabin and closed the door. When he turned to look for Ginny, she sat in front of him with the towel in her mouth. He took it from her, squatted down, and began rubbing her with it to dry her off. She rolled to her back and closed her eyes when he started moving the towel over her. He could see he was spoiling her, but he’d never had a dog, and he loved how much she trusted him even after someone had dropped her off and left her to the elements. Trent clenched his jaw thinking how he’d like to get a hold of the person who would do that to any animal.

  Once he had her dried off, he stood and hung the towel over the back of a chair and watched as Ginny ran through the house. She did it every time, and it always made him laugh. She was a good dog, and he was glad he’d found her, or she found him. He had a feeling she’d found him. She already had a place in his heart. Just like Delaney but he couldn’t take Delaney with him. If things had turned out different, he’d have his own home by now. To think, he’d had enough for his own ranch, but it dwindled down to nothing over five years. He knew with that money, he’d never own a ranch the size of the Birch ranch, but he could buy one large enough to have a few cattle, along with some horses. He had planned to buy land and livestock then borrow money to build a home and some barns. That dream was gone now. His mother used to say, ‘Want to hear God laugh? Tell him your plans.’ Wasn’t that the truth?

  It was what it was. Nothing he could do about it now. He headed down the hallway to take a quick shower even though he hadn’t done much of anything today. He kept waiting to hear from Jake but hadn’t yet. He had to know that Trent couldn’t stick around forever. Of course, Trent had never told Jake what he did. Maybe Jake thought he didn’t work anywhere.

  Shrugging, he entered the bathroom, reached into the stall to turn the shower on then he stripped and stepped inside. He really hoped the snow didn’t amount to the point that Delaney couldn’t get here. Once she did, he didn’t care if it snowed six feet. That would just keep her here. He smiled thinking about waking up with her in the morning. The smile left his face when he knew he wouldn’t be spending every morning with her and Trent felt a pain in his heart.

  ****

  Lanie drove to Trent’s cabin while snow fell softly from the sky and covered the roads but as long as sleet didn’t mix in with it, she should be fine. Her vehicle had four-wheel drive, so the snow wasn’t an issue. As long as other drivers knew what they were doing, she woul
d make it. She wanted to be with Trent as much as she could because she knew he’d leave her soon and her heart would shatter into a million pieces. She thought her heart had been broken when Brett left her for Melody, but it was nothing compared to what she was going to feel when Trent left. Her heart already had a crack in it where he was concerned, and she really should stop seeing him, but she couldn’t. She had to admit if only to herself, that she was in love with him.

  “Why do you always fall for the wrong men?” she muttered as she peered through the windshield.

  Thing was, she didn’t think Trent was the wrong man. He was the right one—the one. It was just so wrong to find the one you knew was the love of your life, but you couldn’t spend your life with him. How screwed up was that? If only he’d stay, but she knew she was asking the impossible. He had nothing here, and she did understand what he meant by starting over. She knew ranch work was hard, harder than people realized. But since living in Clifton and working for Jake, she’d seen it firsthand. Jake’s ranch ran like clockwork. His ranch hands worked from dawn until late at night. It wasn’t a nine to five job, it was more of a five to nine job. She’d seen some of those men come in exhausted and head to bed before the sun even set, just to get up and do it all over again.

  The job didn’t consist of just riding horses around and checking fences. No, it was hard, demanding work and she knew that Trent would hate starting over again when he was a ranch foreman on one of the largest ranches in Montana. Blowing out a breath, Lanie slowed the SUV when she saw the driveway to the B and B. It had been plowed so she’d make it to the cabin just fine. Her stomach growled thinking of dinner. Trent had promised her steak, salad, and a baked potato. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast. She was also anxious about being with him. The man was fantastic in bed. She trembled just thinking about it. Driving up to the cabin, she threw the gear into Park, shut the engine off, stepped out, and closed the door. She raised her face to the sky and stuck her tongue out. She looked toward the cabin when she heard a chuckle and saw Trent standing on the porch, leaning against a post with his arms folded across his broad chest.