Her Cowboy Reunion

by Debbi Rawlins

  The presentation was scheduled for tomorrow afternoon and would take between two and three hours. Ron and Nina would give her their comments later, and then they’d fly back to Denver in the morning.

  Savannah would rest a lot easier once Ron was gone.

  It seemed as though the four days had flown by in a blur. And now she wasn’t that anxious to leave. Mike was the reason, of course. No denying that. But not just him. Yesterday at the creek, sitting on her favorite rock, then helping Buddy...it had all been, well, amazing. The serene beauty of the countryside and all the wildness she’d loved as a child hadn’t changed. Everything had been just as she’d remembered it.

  Mike had been a bonus. She hadn’t expected to see him yesterday. A lot of land stretched between his ranch and her family’s old cabin. But she hadn’t taken into account that the ranchers would be rounding up their herds this time of year. Still, what were the odds she’d have seen him? Well, she knew that answer.

  How many times had the image of him riding up with the calf’s skinny little legs wrapped around his waist sneaked into her thoughts?

  Nope. She wasn’t about to go there. Her peace and quiet wouldn’t last forever. Ron and Nina had driven to Kalispell to have more photos printed to include with the written report. An end was in sight. Only one more day to soldier through, and then things would be easier.

  She’d started sorting the photos when her phone rang. It was Rachel McAllister Gunderson from the Sundance dude ranch. Savannah had left a message requesting a quick peek at the operation for “a future getaway.” Rachel was pleasant and accommodating, and not only offered to have Savannah and Ron over later in the afternoon but also invited them to stay for the barbecue they were having for their guests.

  Smart. Very smart.

  The mayor had mentioned that Rachel was among the very few who were savvy when it came to attracting tourists. It would be good to see what that meant, exactly.

  After texting Ron about going to the Sundance ranch, Savannah separated the photos of all the shops on the west side of Main Street. The second she picked up the next stack, her cell phone rang. It was Ron.

  “I just texted you.”

  “I know,” he said. “Look, we haven’t gotten to Kalispell yet, so we might be cutting it close.”

  She glanced at the bedside clock. “What’s taking you so long?”

  “Sightseeing. Anyway, the service stinks out here, so I better make this fast. I want you to meet me at the town square as soon as I get back.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re cutting out.”

  “Why?” she repeated.

  “Don’t worry, it’s work-related.”

  “Fine.” She heard static and disconnected.

  Okay, back to work. She glanced at her notes then laid out the photo of The Boarding House Inn, with its white siding, dark green shutters and an inviting porch complete with rocking chairs. The inn dated back to the early 1900s, and the newest owner had kept the flavor of the old place, which had been an actual boardinghouse. The structure had been reinforced, and the cosmetic changes had resulted in a very cute boutique inn that she hadn’t expected to find here—though Nina said the rooms were tiny.

  Next, she laid down pics of the Cut and Curl and the pawnshop. Another storefront between the two was vacant, just like several others in town. On the upside, according to the mayor, four shops that had closed during the recession had reopened recently.

  Her cell phone rang again.

  With a sigh, she picked it up and saw it was Mike. She’d given him her number never dreaming he’d actually call. Automatically, she straightened and smoothed back her hair.

  Oh, for the love of— “Hello?”

  “Savannah?”

  “Mike?”

  “Got a minute? You asked me to update you on Buddy.”

  “Yes, of course. How is he?”

  “Happy. Back with his mom. But I think he misses you.”

  Savannah laughed. “Did he tell you that?”

  “Not in so many words.”

  Hearing the smile in his voice made her grin. Nice that Buddy had a home but... “I’m assuming he belongs to The Rocking J, then.”

  Mike hesitated. “You don’t sound too pleased. They’re a good outfit. We all lose strays now and again.”

  “It’s not that,” she said. “I just...well, I was hoping he turned out to be yours so I’d get to visit him before I left.”

  Silence, then Mike asked, “When is that?”

  “Could be late tomorrow afternoon.” Holding her breath, she added, “But more likely I’ll fly out Sunday evening.”

  “Okay, if you’re serious, I think I can swing a visitation.”

  Savannah laughed. “Yes, I’m serious. I am his foster mom, after all.”

  “He’s going to surprise you. They grow fast. By the weekend, you’ll have trouble picking him up.”

  “Wow. That quick?” She probably should leave things alone. What she wanted had little to do with Buddy, cute as he was. Being with Mike had been nice. But what good would come of seeing him again? She lived in Denver, and she’d been hoping this thing with Porter would turn into something. So far they’d only met for drinks or dinner when he’d come to Denver, but there was potential. “I didn’t even ask if you had the time to take me.”

  “I do.”

  “The thing is, I’m not all that flexible. I have the presentation to give tomorrow...” She trailed off, sighing, when she realized what she’d said.

  “Presentation? In Blackfoot Falls?”

  Oh, hell, it didn’t matter at this point. “Yeah, I’m actually here working. Your mayor hired my company—please, you can’t repeat what I’m about to tell you. Okay?”

  “Hey, if it makes you uncomfortable, don’t tell me anything.”

  Savannah smiled, not the least surprised he’d offered her an out. “By tomorrow afternoon everyone will know, so I don’t mind giving you a preview.” Being able to set the record straight about Ron was highly motivating, though Mike deserved the explanation regardless. “Ever heard of a secret shopper?”

  “I believe so.”

  “Well, the company I work for specializes in community branding and tourism marketing. Ron, my so-called fiancé, and Nina, who you met at the bar, and I, we’ve been secret-shopping the town and even the B & Bs, dude ranches and campgrounds in the outlying areas. Basically, we evaluate the town’s appeal and how it could do better to attract tourists.”

  “Please tell me you’ll recommend taking down the tacky Halloween decorations that just went up and continue to surface every lousy year.”

  Savannah laughed at his dry tone. “Yes, but I’ll try to be a bit more diplomatic.”

  “Huh. Interesting.”

  “You sound dubious.”

  “No, it’s just...you mentioned a presentation?”

  “That’s right. I’ll summarize our observations, point out where improvement is needed and offer my team’s suggestions to the city council and the merchants.”

  “Do you get many small towns asking for your services?”

  “Not this small, no. But the presentation isn’t at all confrontational, if that’s what you’re thinking. Mayor Thompson’s goal isn’t just to generate more tourism but to keep tourists here long enough to spend some money. So what we do is give everyone, merchants primarily, a glimpse of what we saw as first-time visitors.” Realizing how that could be viewed as a contradiction, she added, “It’s legit. I was only a kid when I left.”

  “Yeah, I remember,” he said in his easy drawl, then possibly remembering a little too much, he hurriedly asked, “Have you been living in Denver since you left?”

  Savannah figured she knew what he was getting at, but he didn’t understand the process. “We don’t point fingers or shame anyone. We’re here to help and we
make that very clear from the start. Small businesses generally don’t have a lot of disposable income, and keeping that in mind, we try to come up with low-cost solutions. Our presentations are always very well received.”

  “Well, you’d be surprised at how riled some of these folks get over the littlest thing. I hope Mayor Thompson warned you. I’d hate to see you step into a minefield.”

  “She explained that some older residents argue for the sake of arguing, but I’m not worried.” It was sweet of Mike to care, though.

  “I think I’m following. What has me stumped is why pretend you’re engaged?”

  “Sometimes there’s good reason for the ruse if a community is trying to attract honeymooners or destination weddings. This isn’t one of those times. Ron’s just being a jerk.”

  Mike laughed. “Yeah, well, I can’t say I blame the guy for trying.”

  Savannah sank to the edge of the bed, glad he couldn’t see her blush. Several photos slid to the floor. The way his voice had dipped low and sexy made her pulse flutter. “Um, can we back up to that conflict of interest thing? I honestly feel I’ve been completely unbiased. But I still don’t want anyone knowing who I am, including my coworkers.”

  “No one will hear it from me.”

  “Thank you.”

  “What happens after the presentation? You all pack up and leave?”

  “My colleagues are actually flying back tomorrow morning,” she said. “We don’t all need to be here.”

  “If you’re free after you finish tomorrow, how about having dinner with me?”

  Savannah lay back and stared at the ceiling. Would that be inviting trouble? Probably. It was far too easy to picture his dark, penetrating eyes and that slow, killer smile of his. Oh, for goodness sake, he’d asked her to dinner not to have sex.

  “I understand,” he said after waiting too long for her response.

  “Oh. No. I mean, yes. To dinner. That would be great.” Her heart had started pounding and she was afraid he could hear it in her voice. Dinner. That was it. If she kept things light and friendly, what was the harm?

  “Good. I look forward to it.”

  “Me, too.” Her pulse hadn’t slowed one bit. “Guess I should get back to work.”

  “I’ll be rooting for you,” he said.

  Long after they’d disconnected, she remained on her back, ignoring the photos she was no doubt creasing. It didn’t matter. They were only for her file. Duplicates had been set aside for the written report. The digital copies would be included in her PowerPoint spiel. The announcement hadn’t been posted outside the city office yet, but the mayor expected a large turnout. A lot of the townsfolk would come out of curiosity, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It would be easier all around if everyone was on the same page.

  For example, the hideous Halloween decorations.

  Savannah shuddered.

  It took no time at all for her thoughts to drift back to Mike. Over the years, she’d forgotten about him. He’d gotten lost in the horrific avalanche of memories of that last week before she’d left. For a while she’d convinced herself the whole disaster had been her fault. If only she hadn’t badgered her mom into letting her go to Blackfoot Falls High. If only she’d continued to be homeschooled, her mom would never have met her teachers.

  The first affair had begun two weeks after Savannah entered her freshman year. At least Mr. Miller had been separated from his wife. The next two affairs had occurred in rapid succession; and both teachers were married men.

  Savannah briefly closed her eyes. A vivid image of the way the other students had stared at her that last day took her breath away. Her mother had picked her up before lunch, but it had been too late. She’d felt like the scum of the earth.

  Before she could get swept back into that quagmire, she took several deep breaths. Soon enough, her heartbeat slowed to an easy pace again.

  Forcing herself to rally, she picked up the fallen photos. A few minutes later, her phone rang. Again.

  It was Porter’s ringtone.

  “Hey you,” she answered. “Aren’t you in Paris?”

  “Looking out at the Champs-élysées and L’Arc de Triomphe even as we speak. I wish you were here with me.”

  “I know. Me, too.” They both knew that wasn’t possible for now. She’d made it very clear she wouldn’t go anywhere with him until his divorce was final. He’d felt it was unreasonable and thought having filed the paperwork should count for something. And it had. She never would’ve gone to dinner with him in the first place if his divorce hadn’t already been in the works.

  Porter didn’t know about her mother, the home wrecker, but he was well aware of Savannah’s strong feelings about not becoming involved with a still-married man, which was why they’d only had a few meals together, nothing more.

  “You could’ve come with me,” he said. “I’d have bought your ticket and had Caroline make dinner reservations for us at Le Cinq.”

  “If you saw where I’m staying, you’d understand just how much that hurts,” Savannah said with a laugh.

  “After you wrap things up tomorrow, you could still meet me here.”

  “Come on, Porter, you know better.”

  “In fact, let Ron or Nina handle the presentation. Leave now. I’ll have Caroline book your flight.” Evidently, Porter didn’t care for argumentative women.

  Too bad. She didn’t like it when he ignored her wishes.

  “First of all, Ron and Nina are going home tomorrow morning. And more importantly, we’re not having this conversation—”

  “Clothes won’t be a concern. Shopping here will spoil you forever. Whatever you want...consider it a bonus,” he said, coaxing her in a very unsubtle way.

  Savannah wasn’t crazy about shopping to begin with and then to have a man pick up her tab? Oh, that just rubbed her so wrong. “Wait.” A comment he’d made finally registered. “How did you know Ron was here?”

  “I talked to him the other day. He probably mentioned it.”

  “Did he call to complain?”

  “No.” Porter paused. “Why? Is something wrong?”

  “Everything is fine. This just isn’t our usual type of client and Ron’s been—” Savannah stopped herself. When she’d started seeing Porter, she’d vowed to never discuss another employee with him. Or anything that went on in the Denver office unless it negatively impacted the company. Although the casual way Porter had mentioned that phone call made her wonder how frequently he and Ron spoke. “Everything is just fine.”

  “Good. So about you coming to Paris...”

  “Any news on how the divorce is proceeding?”

  “If I had anything to tell you, don’t you think I would have led with that?” He was never brusque with her. Nor had he been this insistent.

  Was dangling Paris supposed to make her change her mind? Did he think she was that shallow? Savannah was becoming too annoyed to care about what he thought. While she couldn’t deny being excited that a man of Porter’s stature had shown an interest in her, she wasn’t stupid or blind to his sometimes overbearing sense of entitlement. His father had been the brains behind the company, which he’d started over forty years ago.

  To be fair, Porter was no slouch in the intellect department—he’d earned his Ivy League degree. But having grown up without an understanding of the word no had done him no favors.

  “Are you there?” he asked softly.

  “I’m here, but I should go. I have a lot to do.” If he thought she’d cower and not bring up the divorce anymore, he was in for a rude surprise.

  “Honey, you’re upset with me. I understand completely and I apologize for being curt. It’s only because I miss you.”

  She sighed. “It’s been a hectic week.”

  “So, don’t you think some time—”

  “Please don’t bring up Paris
again.”

  The faint sounds of piano music and voices drifted over his silence. “Forgive me,” he said finally. “I understand and respect how you feel about this...precarious situation.”

  Did he? She wasn’t sure, but she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, mainly because she felt guilty. It wasn’t like her to find fault with every little thing he said. They’d only started getting to know each other two months ago, and mostly via phone. When he wasn’t traveling, which was a lot of the time, he worked in the corporate office in Dallas, and Savannah worked in the regional Denver office. And while their last dinner together had ended in suggestive banter, sex hadn’t entered into the picture. He knew she was adamant about waiting until he had that final piece of paper.

  Savannah just wished she was still feeling the little thrill that hearing his voice used to bring. Maybe she shouldn’t linger here, but that dinner with Mike was too tempting to let pass. He was so straightforward and had a calmness about him that she was very drawn to. A sense of security that he didn’t need to prove with money or innuendo. It would be a pleasant change.

  Startled at the thought, she almost forgot Porter was still on the line. “I’m sorry, did you say you...”

  He left her hanging for several awkward seconds. “I’m at a reception and being summoned to the bar. We’ll talk later.”

  “Yes. Have fun.” She wasn’t shocked that he disconnected before she finished speaking.

  All right. Perhaps she needed to think about a few things pertaining to Porter when she went back to Denver. The unbidden pleasant change thought still bothered her.

  So did the phone call between him and Ron. It wasn’t just Porter’s casual reference to it. She had the feeling they knew each other personally. It would certainly account for Ron still having a job. It didn’t matter to her, but if Porter had told Ron about them without clueing her in, that would upset her. A lot.

  Chapter Seven

  After hanging up with Savannah, Mike wondered if she intended to keep her identity secret once the presentation was over. In fact, he wondered why she’d come back here at all? To relive a bunch of bad memories? And worry someone might recognize her? On top of that, he’d bet her boss wouldn’t be happy to know that she could’ve compromised the job she was sent to do.