The Rancher's Prospect

by Callie Endicott

  “May I have a cup?”

  She sent him a wry glance. “I’m tempted to refuse, but I’ll be charitable. Sugar and powdered cream are in those containers.”

  Grateful, Josh accepted a battered enamel mug filled with steaming coffee. He flavored it the way he liked and drank quickly; the caffeine couldn’t hit his system fast enough.

  Walt returned to camp and hung a small towel on a tree branch. His hair was damp and he was clean shaven.

  “Good morning,” Josh told him.

  “It’s good so long as you understand I’m not leaving until I’m ready.”

  “This has to be hard on you. One night and I feel fifty years older.”

  “Then you should have brought a comfortable place to sleep and sit,” Walt retorted, lowering himself into the inflated chair.

  Tara snickered.

  “We only have two plates,” she said, handing Josh the frying pan, “so you’ll need to eat breakfast out of that. Luckily, we have an extra fork, so you won’t be doing the caveman thing with your fingers.”

  She passed a plate to Walt and began eating herself.

  Josh forked up a mouthful and chewed thoughtfully. It was tasty, especially for scrambled powdered eggs. Tara had added an herb, along with cheese, making them far more palatable than they might have been.

  “How did you learn to cook over a fire?” he asked.

  “I told you I’ve camped before.”

  True, but Josh wasn’t sure he’d believed her. She was so sophisticated that roughing it didn’t fit. Still, the ability to turn out a delectable breakfast in primitive conditions seemed proof enough. He insisted on joining her at the hot spring to wash their dishes, and when they returned, Grandpa was on his feet, leaning on a shovel.

  “Have a good ride down the mountain, son,” Walt told him. “I’ll see you when we get back.”

  “But—”

  “No buts. Tara, are you ready?”

  “Sure thing. I’ll just get my gloves.”

  “Wait,” Josh said as they started toward their dig site. “I’m not going until you do, Grandpa. I won’t leave the two of you alone on the mountain. It isn’t safe.”

  “In that case...” Walt tossed him the shovel. “You’ll have to help.”

  Josh felt helpless as they both grinned at him. But it couldn’t be long before they gave up. They’d run out of food—he wasn’t going to confess that he’d brought a supply with him—and be ready to head down.

  Almost as if his grandfather had read his mind, Walt pointed upward.

  “See that?” he asked. “We brought plenty, even for an uninvited third wheel. It’s really something how much of that freeze-dried stuff fits on a few pack horses.”

  Suspended where he hadn’t noticed it before, Josh saw three enormous supply caches in nets, suspended on ropes to keep them safe from animals.

  Damn, the old guy was really good.

  * * *

  LAUREN HURRIED DOWN to the café for lunch. She’d phoned in an order earlier to save time. They always offered to deliver to the clinic, but she liked going out; even a little exercise helped freshen her mind for the rest of the day.

  Carl was there when she arrived. Lately it seemed as if she kept running into him. In the week since Tara had gone on her sapphire hunt, Lauren had seen Carl at least four times, though not for long and he hadn’t asked her for a date or mentioned the kiss they’d shared. It was both disappointing and a relief.

  “Hi, Carl,” she said, determined not to get imaginative. Schuyler was a small town, unlike Los Angeles. It was unusual to run into someone you knew while shopping in LA. Here, she encountered friends and acquaintances all the time.

  “Hey, Lauren. How is everything at the clinic?”

  “Great. Another physician’s assistant is starting next month.”

  “Does that mean you won’t have to work so many hours?”

  “Maybe, but they’re also thinking of expanding to being open every Saturday, instead of once a month.”

  “I’m sure the town would be grateful.”

  “Yes. The clinic I worked at in Los Angeles was open seven days a week and until ten every night. I know those hours wouldn’t be practical here, but Saturdays would be nice.”

  He nodded. “Is Tara back from her camping trip yet?”

  With a hollow sensation in her stomach, Lauren wondered if he’d decided to ask her sister out for a date. After all, he was obviously interested in forming a relationship with someone. It would be nice for Tara—Carl was a great guy—yet she felt a sharp ache at the possibility.

  “No, she’s still gone.” Lauren checked her watch. “Sorry, I’d better get to my lunch.”

  “Right.”

  Betty called to Carl as he headed for the door. “Don’t forget your food, Sheriff.” She handed him a bag and a covered cup.

  He looked embarrassed. “Thanks.”

  Lauren wondered about it as she ate her salad. Carl had ordered takeout but had almost left empty-handed, though he must have prepaid his order. The other day he’d gone into the supermarket but hadn’t been carrying any groceries when he left. Of course, he could have purchased something small enough to fit in his pocket, but it still seemed strange.

  She sighed, wishing there was someone she could talk to about Carl. But Emily hadn’t been feeling well, so she’d been staying home with her feet up. Bothering her with this was out of the question. And Tara wasn’t available.

  Lauren ate, paying little attention to the food.

  Except for their hot kiss at the Boxing N dance, Carl had been friendly, nothing more. She was partially responsible for the embrace and didn’t blame him for being reserved since then. After all, she’d told him to find someone else, only to turn around and kiss him a few days later.

  Now they kept running into each other and it didn’t feel completely accidental. Maybe she just wanted to believe there was something more to the casual encounters.

  * * *

  A WEEK AFTER arriving in the high country, Tara was torn between wishing Josh would disappear...and being secretly glad he was there. She still found him annoying and disliked being attracted to the big jerk, but if there was a crisis with Walt, having a strong man available would be handy.

  Josh was hard to read. He plainly hadn’t changed his mind about the prospecting trip, but he’d stopped saying much about it. Of course, apart from worrying about his grandfather’s health, he was probably frustrated about being away from the ranch. His satellite phone helped him stay in contact with his new foreman, but it couldn’t be the same as actually being there.

  On the eighth morning, she was walking back from the spring when she overheard Josh talking on the phone.

  “...that’s right, upgrading the herd will have to wait till next year...yeah, I’m sorry, too...”

  At that point Josh looked up, and Tara felt her face get hot. She hadn’t deliberately listened, though he probably wouldn’t believe her. She hurried on, only to have him catch up within a few steps.

  “I meant to tell you before, you’re welcome to call your sister whenever you want,” he offered, rather than accusing her of eavesdropping.

  “That would be nice, mostly to let her know everything is okay. I love the solar unit you brought to charge the phone battery.”

  “Don’t say that to Grandpa... You know how he feels about modern folderol.”

  Tara chuckled. “Walt and I have agreed to disagree about technology. It must be hard for someone in his generation, trying to hang on to the old ways of ranching, wondering if accepting anything new means something else is being lost.”

  “The values are the same as they used to be, even though ranching has changed. Maybe it’s old-fashioned, but there’s a code we follow, and the basics haven’t changed sin
ce the Nelsons and McGregors settled in Montana.”

  Tara frowned thoughtfully. She loved cities and technology, but there was something to be said for the old ways. As frustrating as Josh might be, she didn’t doubt he was an honorable man.

  Back at the campsite, her gaze shifted between Walt and his grandson. She hated admitting it, but Josh would probably do a better job running the Boxing N than his grandfather. Still, surely they could work out a compromise for the benefit of everyone.

  As for Walt, he was just as difficult to read as his grandson. He appeared amused at times and withdrawn at other moments. Actually, being withdrawn wasn’t unusual for Walt, and she suspected those were times he was thinking about Evelyn. But the sly humor he seemed to find in the current situation was puzzling. Perhaps it was simply an aspect of his personality that was beginning to emerge again.

  * * *

  LATER THAT DAY Josh watched his grandfather leave the dig site and return to the campsite.

  “Too stubborn to admit how hard this is on him,” he muttered. “You’re both too stubborn.”

  Tara’s nerves tightened. “For your information, we agreed that he’d rest every afternoon. I didn’t tell you about it because I hoped you’d recognize he was being sensible. Yet all you see is frailty.”

  Josh instantly looked contrite. “I’m sorry.”

  She sighed. “How many times will you have to say that before you mean it? Do you honestly believe I don’t care what happens to him?”

  “I know you care. In fact, I’ve been wondering if...well, I know you grew up in foster homes and never had a dad or a grandfather.”

  Tara blinked. Josh was suggesting that Walt had become a father figure to her...?

  “Walt is a great guy,” she said slowly, “but he isn’t what I used to imagine a father would be like.”

  “Which was?”

  “A cross between Superman, St. Francis of Assisi and Abraham Lincoln.”

  “Ah, inhuman strength tempered by gentle wisdom.”

  “More or less. Anyway, I’ve always kept my distance from anyone who might embody a realistic parental image.”

  Jock cocked his head, looking curious. “Why?”

  “I’m an adult, and it isn’t fair to expect another person to fill that role. My mother and father died when I was a baby. That’s just the way it is.”

  “You deserved parents. All kids do.”

  “Sure, but not everyone gets them.” She stopped and thought for a while. “Walt isn’t a father figure, but I admit he crept under my defenses when I wasn’t looking. That’s unusual for me, but I don’t mind. Now I have both Lauren and Walt to care about when I leave.”

  “You’ve never had that before?” Josh asked, sounding shocked.

  “No. Every time I started letting myself care about a foster family, I got bounced somewhere new, so I learned it’s safer to keep a distance. It taught me to be tough, which is helpful in today’s world.”

  It could also be lonely, but that wasn’t his business.

  “How does Lauren fit into this?”

  She shrugged. “I’m still figuring out what it means to have a sister.”

  “Maybe meeting her helped you open up to my grandfather.”

  Tara laughed. “Are you trying to psychoanalyze me?”

  “Just making conversation.”

  Tara shrugged and bent over her shovel, thinking Josh’s guesses could be closer to the target than he might think.

  They’d fallen into a pattern while Walt was resting—they both dug, then sifted through stones and rocks in the sieve boxes. Then they took turns carrying the debris far enough away to prevent it from polluting the waterway more than necessary.

  Josh carefully examined a rock he found in the creek bed and then showed it to her. The stone was translucent, with streaks of rust brown and black ribbons floating through its depths. Beautiful, but not the sapphire color she kept hoping to see.

  “It’s Montana agate,” he explained. “They’re great for rock tumbling, which is a process for polishing stones. A motor spins a barrel around, with a special grit that slowly takes off the rough outer layers.”

  “That’s nice, but I hope you’re concentrating on gems, not rocks in general.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  “I don’t know, except that it seems to be your lifestyle, to concentrate on some things and ignore the rest.”

  He snorted, sounding remarkably like his grandfather. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Probably,” Tara agreed, unsure why she’d said it in the first place. Value was in the eye of the beholder, so maybe Josh just valued things differently than other people. Perhaps a beautiful agate was more important to him than a sapphire.

  Still, people made mistakes. The Boxing N had consumed Walt. It didn’t mean he’d ignored Evelyn—they’d obviously had a deep and loving relationship—but now he was filled with regret that he hadn’t put her first.

  Tara handed the agate back to Josh. His fingers brushed hers, sending an electric tingle up her arm.

  Gulping, she took an empty bucket to fill. The only reason she was having trouble concentrating was because she hadn’t expected Josh to be part of the trip into the mountains. It was high time to figure out the best way to deal with his presence.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  JOSH WOKE AS the sun was rising.

  He rolled onto his back and listened to the birds chattering in the trees. It was nice to be back in the mountains, though he was still concerned about Walt. Once he’d spent a lot of time camping and hiking, sometimes by himself and other times with the family, but it had been a few years since then. When he’d worked in Texas, his time off had been spent in Schuyler—partly to visit the family and partly to gauge how close Walt might be getting to retirement.

  At times he’d felt like a vulture. It might have been different if he hadn’t grown up being told about the deal that Grandpa and Uncle Mitch had made. Grandpa is going to retire when you’re out of college and you’ll own the Boxing N. It was part of the weaving of his life. Yet when the time came, Grandpa said, “Maybe next fall.” Year after year it was the same story.

  His whole family agreed that the summer he’d worked with Walt had been an unmitigated disaster. Grandma Evelyn had tried to intervene, without success. “The boy has book learning, but he needs seasoning,” Walt would snort before stomping away.

  Seasoning? Josh had grown up on a ranch and worked with his father since before he could remember. Even now, after years as a ranch foreman down in Texas, his grandfather often acted as if he didn’t know one end of a cow from the other.

  “I know it’s hard. But remember, you’ll be old one day, too,” Grandma Evelyn would whisper, squeezing his hand.

  Loath as Josh was to admit it, Tara was right about family expectations. If nothing had been said about him being given the Boxing N, he would have just bought a spread with his trust fund. His vision for having a top herd of organic cattle could already be a reality.

  Josh dressed inside his bedroll and inched out of the bag. Assorted items he’d emptied from his pockets were collected in his hat, and he shoved them back in his pockets without much thought. There was a natural pool nearby, fed by hot springs, and he wanted to take a plunge before breakfast.

  He felt pleasantly nostalgic as he followed the path. The hot springs were why his family called it Smaug’s Mountain—Smaug, after all, being a fire-belching dragon. Tara and Walt hadn’t chosen the McGregors’ usual campsite, but one on the other side of the ridge. Nevertheless, both locations took advantage of the area’s geothermal features.

  The unceasing flow of warm water was a boon, since prospecting was a grubby business. Josh also needed to do more laundry than Tara or Walt, since he’d brought fewer change
s of clothing. Though he’d hoped to return immediately, he was an experienced outdoorsman and didn’t go into the wild without basic supplies.

  Hmm. In a couple of days he’d have to make a trip back to the ranch to get the next payroll out. While he was there, he would also pick up some extra clothing, since it was clear that Grandpa wasn’t budging until every scrap of food had been consumed.

  He entered the clearing around the pool and stopped, transfixed by the sight of Tara floating in the water. At first he thought she was naked—an image that got him hot and hard in a split second—before realizing she wore a scant bikini that blended with her skin.

  Her eyes opened lazily, and she gazed at him.

  “Come on in,” she invited.

  Josh hesitated.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t have a suit.”

  “Wear your boxers. That way you can do some laundry at the same time.”

  It was true, except the boxers wouldn’t hide his arousal, wet or dry.

  Tara let out a musical chuckle. “If it makes you more comfortable, I promise not to look until you’re in the water.”

  Her eyes closed, and Josh rapidly shucked his outer clothes. A minute later he descended into the churning warmth.

  “You can open your eyes,” he said.

  “Mmm. These springs are pure luxury. Has your family ever considered opening a resort up here?”

  “Not a chance—we’re cattle ranchers.”

  Tara raised her head. “Is that why the Nelsons didn’t pay much attention to the possibility of sapphires? I understand there are mines nearby that have gems with stunning color.”

  “That doesn’t mean our land has been blessed with them.”

  “But it isn’t impossible.”

  Sighing, Josh tried to put a few more inches between them. Tara’s bikini wasn’t racy by some standards, but it revealed entirely too much for his comfort.

  “I was interested in the stories as a boy, but now I have to deal with reality,” he said. “My great-great-grandfather claimed he found sapphires, but he never produced any as proof.”