High Country Cowgirl

by Joanna Sims

  “Shane’s not coming?” Bonita asked Gabe, disappointed not to see the moody musician at the table. She had wanted to thank him again for his moving tribute to her mother at the funeral.

  “He’s not one for brunch,” he told her, but she had the distinct feeling that he had left a lot unsaid.

  The Brand family was a boisterous, loud, combative group that made Bonita feel like she was right at home. The food was different from what her father’s side of the family would serve, but the talking and laughing at a deafening decibel was comforting to her.

  Jock, who spoke in a booming voice, addressed her from his end of the table, “Bonita.” He said her name slowly and in segments, and it came out like Bow. Need. A.

  “That right there is one hundred percent Grade A Sugar Creek prime cut.”

  Bonita looked at a platter in front of her filled with thinly sliced pieces of beef.

  “She’s a vegetarian,” Gabe told him.

  “What was that?” Jock tilted his head toward his son as if he wanted to be able to hear him better.

  “Jeez, Dad! Seriously, get your hearing checked!” Jessie didn’t look up from her phone, which she had sitting on the table next to her plate. “She doesn’t eat meat!”

  Jock’s deeply lined face puckered as he dropped his elbow on the table with a thud and pointed his finger at Bonita. “Now, young lady—that just ain’t normal.”

  Bonita was about to respond when Gabe said, “There are plenty of people out there who don’t eat meat, Dad. It’s perfectly normal.”

  “Well.” Jock grumbled. “They should if they knew what was good for them.”

  “Actually, Dad,” Jessie chimed in. “Studies show that eating too much red meat is bad for you.”

  “Nonsense!” The man at the head of the table said in a loud voice. “I’ve eaten meat all my life for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and I still work twelve hours a day.” He turned his attention back to Bonita. “Now, just try a piece of this here prime grass-fed beef and see if doesn’t change your life.”

  “I can’t promise to try it.” Bonita smiled at Jock, liking him even in his gruffness. “But, I will promise to admire it from afar.”

  Other than offending Jock by not eating a Sugar Creek steak, meeting Gabe’s family felt easy and uncomplicated. She just fit in. She had a chance to catch up with Kate and they made a plan to meet for lunch in Bozeman the following week. In particular, Bonita liked Lilly.

  “I love your moccasins.” Bonita noticed a finely made pair of soft beaded shoes peeking out beneath the hem of Lilly’s prairie skirt. “Whose are they?”

  She was asking for the name of the designer, but Lilly looked at her a bit confused before she answered, “They’re mine.”

  That made her laugh. “No. I mean, who made them?”

  “I did.”

  “You made those?” Bonita was blown away by the craftsmanship of the moccasins. “That’s incredible.”

  Savannah was walking by, stopped and said, “Lilly makes the most amazing handcrafted jewelry and clothing. She made my wedding dress—I’ll have to show it to you sometime. It’s living artwork.”

  Lilly was kind enough to take Bonita to her craft room and show her some of her creations. Bonita had an eye for well-designed, high-end fashion and Lilly’s work was exquisite. The beading and the designs, all handcrafted, were truly special.

  “Do you sell these?”

  “Yes,” Lilly said as she looked through a heavy, wooden trunk. “I donate the proceeds to my tribe—all of this funds scholarships for students to attend college.”

  “I know fashion,” Bonita told her. “You could make a killing if you were in some of the high-end boutiques in DC.”

  “Please try these.” Lilly held up a pair of heavily beaded moccasins. “If these fit, I would like for you to have them.”

  Bonita was silent for a second or two, stunned by the offer of the beautiful moccasins. She took them, slipped off her boots and slipped on the moccasins.

  “They fit!”

  “Then they are meant for you to have and enjoy.”

  Bonita spontaneously hugged Lilly. “You have to let me pay you for them. It’s too much.”

  Lilly refused to take any money. “This is my repayment of your gift.”

  “What gift?”

  “We haven’t had Gabe with us for a summer in so many years. He is here with us now because of you.”

  * * *

  Gabe couldn’t have known what it would be like to see Bonita with his family. He hadn’t had a significant other at the family brunch for years; it had been difficult to watch his brothers with their wives and families, knowing that his love hadn’t been put in his path.

  But then along came beautiful, class act, intelligent Bonita. She was smart and funny and his family had accepted her without hesitation into their fold. It was particularly important to him that Lilly, whom he called Mom even though she was his stepmother, liked Bonita. To make a gift of her handcrafted moccasins, a skill that had been passed down to her through the generations of artisans at Rocky Boy Reservation, was all the validation he needed from Lilly.

  After breakfast, he and Bonita returned to Little Sugar Creek, and she had a chance to spend some time with Val. Her bond with the massive Oldenburg had progressed nicely, but Gabe would still like to see some smoothing out of Val’s bad behaviors before he returned to the Delafuente ranch full-time.

  After training, Gabe was able to talk Bonita into his cabin and into his bed. He stripped her out of her clothes, starting at her neck and kissing his way downward, loving the scent of her of skin and the taste of her body.

  She took charge, pushing him back on the bed and using those well-developed thighs to straddle him like her own personal stallion. While he watched, she rode him, taking her pleasure, moving her hips slowly. She was, in his mind, a goddess. A gorgeous, sexy, curvaceous goddess.

  They loved each other until they were exhausted and sweaty and entirely spent. Laughing, Bonita rolled onto the bed beside him and curled her body toward his. Still breathing heavy from the effort he’d just exerted pleasuring his woman, Gabe turned to his side to face the woman of his dreams.

  He reached out and touched her lovely face and then kissed her gently. “How do you say I love you in Spanish?”

  “Te amo.”

  With his hand still on her face, Gabe stared into Bonita’s eyes so she would feel, in her heart, the sincerity of the words as he said, “Te amo, Bonita.”

  He was rewarded with a sweet, pleased smile. “Te amo, tambien. I love you, too.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Bonita believed that she had accomplished everything that needed to be accomplished to fulfill her mother’s wishes regarding her physical possessions. Evelyn’s will had been executed and all inheritors addressed. Most of Evelyn’s extensive jewelry collection went to Bonita and she decided to have her father secure the jewelry in a vault in their DC family home. Everything had been handled, with the exception of Jasmine and Val.

  Now that her mother had passed, Bonita’s job in Montana was over. Yes, they had decided to keep the ranch in the family, but the place could be managed with a ghost staff. She wasn’t needed here anymore. So the question was—where was her next step and what plans needed to be made for the horses? Bonita wasn’t superstitious, but a reminder email in her inbox seemed to arrive at the exact moment she was at a mental crossroads. And it did feel as if Evelyn was giving her a nudge from beyond.

  The day the email arrived, Bonita visited her mother’s grave to exchange the old flowers with fresh. Kneeling by the headstone, she touched the ornately carved marble, still in pristine condition, and wished that her mother could still be with her. Evelyn always gave her the best advice and she had a big decision to make.

  “I have to decide, Mom. My acceptance to Georgetown expires nex
t week.”

  She had two semesters post-acceptance to join the program without going through the application process again. When she’d first arrived in Montana, the idea of not immediately jumping at the chance to attend such a prestigious program would have been unthinkable. But that was before Montana had made its indelible impression on her heart—that was before she had fallen in love with a cowboy.

  “What would you tell me to do?”

  Bonita stood up with a sigh and stared at her mother’s headstone a moment longer before turning and walking away. It seemed that no matter what she decided, she was going to lose something—or someone.

  * * *

  “This is the one.” Gabe studied the engagement ring closely. It was an antique setting in platinum with an old-mine-cut diamond that had a rounded-square shape with fifty-eight hand cut facets. It was a class act of a ring for a class act of a woman.

  “Bruce said this was coming, but I didn’t believe him.” Liam had met him at the jewelry store in downtown Bozeman. Bruce and Liam had bought rings for their wives from the same store, so Gabe figured that a third time would bring some charm to his purchase.

  He gave the clerk his credit card, confident in his decision about the ring and the woman he intended to make his bride.

  “I didn’t really see it coming,” he told his brother. “But they say when you know, you know.”

  “Kate loves her. So does Mom.”

  “That’s important.”

  “It sure is,” Liam agreed.

  The clerk brought the receipt for him to sign, along with a small bag that held the key to his future.

  “Congratulations.” The clerk smiled at him as she took the signed receipt.

  Gabe put his hat back on and tipped it to her. “I appreciate your help.”

  Outside the store, Liam asked, “When are you going to ask her?”

  “Tonight.”

  “Tonight?” His brother seemed surprised. “That’s fast, brother.”

  “Maybe. But I don’t see what the point of waiting is. She’ll either say yes or she’ll say no.”

  “What are you leaning toward?”

  Gabe laughed. “Well, I’m leaning toward yes obviously.”

  At the point where they were about to part ways, Liam faced him and had a serious look on his face. “The one thing that worries me, Gabe, is that you told me yourself she didn’t plan on staying in Montana.”

  “That was a while back.”

  That’s what Gabe said out loud, but his brother managed to land on his main concern about his relationship with Bonita. They were living in the moment, not really addressing the future, and that had been fine with him—until it wasn’t fine for him any longer. He believed that all evidence pointed to Bonita having the potential to be very happy in Montana, with him, but it was an open question as to whether or not she would choose that path.

  Liam was one of his more cerebral, diplomatic brothers, so he didn’t push the issue. Instead he gave him a hug and wished him good luck.

  “Hey.” Gabe tried to cover up his worry with humor. “She can’t turn me down if I don’t ask.”

  * * *

  Gabe had on a new suit when he picked her up for dinner. Up until that point, she had only seen him in his one every-occasion-wedding-or-funeral suit.

  “You look really handsome, Gabe.”

  He was still wearing cowboy boots and a cowboy hat with the suit, but they were new and fit the ensemble.

  “You look especially lovely tonight.” He was always quick to compliment her.

  She hadn’t really had an occasion to put on more glamorous makeup and wear her stilettos for a while. Gabe had said he was taking her to a restaurant with a dress code, which gave her the perfect excuse to wear one of her DC dresses and glam herself up a bit.

  She gave him a little twirl so he could get the full view. As she always did, she felt happy to see him. And she hoped that the night would end on a positive note for both of them.

  When they got in his truck, country music came on the radio. Gabe reached over to shut it off.

  “That’s okay. You can play it low.”

  He gave her an odd look that made her laugh.

  “Don’t get all excited. I still hate it,” she told him. “Just not as much as I used to.”

  Gabe had reservations for them at the Emerson Grill. The scent of the food and the warm ambience of the restaurant were a hit with Bonita right away.

  “Italian?” she asked as they were led to a small booth tucked away in a corner.

  Gabe waited for her to take her seat before he joined her. “You said it was your favorite.”

  “I love it. Second only to authentic Mexican cuisine.”

  Gabe had done his homework because he knew the sweetest red wine on the menu and he ordered them a bottle.

  “I’m impressed,” she told him after they ordered appetizers and their entrée.

  “You matter to me.” He held out his wineglass so they could toast. “To many more evenings like this one.”

  Bonita touched her glass to his, but her free hand went to her stomach and her fingers curled into a fist. She had something that she needed to tell Gabe—a decision she had made about her future—but she had wanted to wait for another time. She had known that he had gone to an awful lot of trouble to spoil her with a fancy night out on the town.

  “I was working with Val today,” Gabe said.

  She put her glass down on the table, glad for a change of subject to a neutral topic.

  “I think he’s ready,” he went on.

  “Ready?”

  “To go back to the ranch with you. Jasmine needs the company and now you’ve got a little room to breathe in your schedule. I figured this was the right time.”

  Her stomach clenched. A conversation about bringing Val back to the ranch was inevitably going to lead into another topic that she wanted to avoid.

  “I don’t know. Maybe.” She felt like a real jerk giving him that wimpy answer, especially when she knew it was a lie. Gabe had always been straight with her—he’d always told her the unvarnished truth. He deserved the same from her.

  His face changed. Up until that moment, he had been in a great mood—laughing, joking and admiring her with his beautiful aqua blue eyes. But, he was sharp—much sharper than she had realized when they first met. Her answer had set off an alarm bell in the man’s head and she could see it on his face.

  “Maybe?” he repeated, sitting back in the booth. “You used to be anxious to get him back on the ranch with you.”

  There was a definite question hanging in the air between them. Bonita breathed in deeply and blew the breath out slowly. She folded her hands in her lap; she was not going to get through the dinner as planned without broaching a potentially damaging subject. She loved Gabe—but the truth was, she didn’t really know how to make their relationship work long-term. Not really.

  “Actually,” she said, her heart beating anxiously, “Val isn’t going to be coming back to the ranch. He’s going back to Virginia.”

  Gabe didn’t say a word; he was waiting for her to finish, seeming to gauge each one of her words very carefully.

  “Look—he’s doing great with you. But he’s not a ranch horse. He needs to be at a facility with people who can keep him on a strict training program. That’s just not going to happen here. And let’s face it, Val and I are doing better, but we’ve never clicked. I think this will be what’s best for everyone. Especially Val.”

  “I’ll look at my schedule and see when I can haul him back.”

  “Thank you.”

  Gabe poured himself some more wine and topped off her glass as well. He seemed a bit more relaxed, but he seemed warier.

  “When I get back, I’ll help you find a good solid ranch horse so Jasmine has some company out there.” />
  Bonita’s hand tightened on the stem of the glass. “Well... Jasmine is going to Virginia, too.”

  The waitress brought out the antipasto, briefly interrupting their conversation. Neither of them reached for the food.

  “You aren’t keeping Jasmine with you?”

  Quietly, Bonita said, “I am keeping her with me.”

  She knew she was going to hurt him. She knew that she was going to hurt herself. But she wasn’t prepared for the look she saw in his eyes—he looked like someone punched him in the gut. Maybe in his mind he knew there was a good chance she would be leaving Bozeman; it was clear to her that his heart hadn’t believed it was possible.

  Bonita reached across the table to put her hand on his. He didn’t pull away but he didn’t take her hand in kind. After a second, she pulled back.

  “I didn’t want to bring this up tonight. I really didn’t. But, you brought up Val coming back to the ranch, and I don’t want to lie to you.”

  “When did you decide all of this?” he asked, his jaw clenched.

  “Today. This afternoon.” He didn’t seem to have anything to say, so she added, “My admission to medical school was about to expire.”

  She sensed that there were no words she could say to make the news any more palatable for him. He sat across from her, tapping his finger on the table. He didn’t look at her for what seemed like an hour, even though it was only minutes. Finally, he cleared his throat and caught her gaze.

  “Te amo, Bonita.” Gabe held up his wineglass in a second toast. “You’re going to make one hell of a fine doctor.”

  * * *

  Gabe hung his hat on the hook just inside of his door and jerked the knot in his tie loose. He pulled the tie off his neck, tossed it on the table next to the door and then picked up Tater, who was waiting to be loved. He carried the dog over to the couch and sat down heavily. Tater licked his cheek, which made him smile, just a little bit.

  “I was expecting a different kind of kiss tonight, Tater.”

  He envied the dog in that moment. Her life was uncomplicated. She ate, she slept, and she got a lot of love. End of story. He, on the other hand, was in love with a woman who was leaving the state—perhaps for good.