Riding Home

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  Not that he was complaining about that. God, no. He loved ranch work and was grateful for the opportunity Jack was providing. Even if switching his day off wasn’t possible, coming in after she left for the airport shouldn’t be a big deal. He wasn’t exactly a key man around here.

  That didn’t bother him, either. It was comforting to be a cog in a wheel for a change instead of the whole damned wheel with overhead up the wazoo. He was glad he no longer had an office full of employees who depended on him to bring in the big bucks.

  So what if he felt a little prick of irritation when he had to ask for time off? It was a small price to pay for the peace of mind he’d gained by downsizing his life. He’d done the right thing, no matter what Jeannette thought about it. She couldn’t see things from his perspective right now, but eventually she might.

  As luck would have it, Jack Chance, his boss, happened to pull up in his cherry-red truck. Zach decided that red worked way better than black in this environment. Anyone who had grown up here would know that, but he was from L.A. and had spent his life driving on freeways. He still had much to learn about the cowboy way.

  He walked over to the truck as Jack climbed down from the cab. “If you have a minute, I need to ask you something.”

  Jack shut the door of the cab. “What’s that?”

  “I’d like time off tomorrow so I can stay at the campsite until Jeannette leaves for the airport.”

  “I think that can be arranged. When does she leave?”

  Here came the embarrassing part. He should have checked it in advance. When he was in the swing of things as a lawyer, he always stayed up on details. “I’m not sure, but I figure middle of the day. She’s flying east, so she’ll lose time and won’t want to arrive too late.”

  Jack nodded. “You have no idea what time her flight is, do you?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “Hang on. Let’s call somebody who might know.” He consulted his phone and punched a button. “Yeah, Drake, do you know what time Jeannette’s flight leaves?” He paused. “That might be close enough. What airline did she come in on? Okay, thanks.” He disconnected. “He thinks it’s sometime between eleven and noon.”

  “That would make sense.”

  “I’ll look online.” Jack brought up a screen on his phone. “Here we go. I’ll bet she’s leaving on the eleven-fifteen out of Jackson Hole. That’s the right airline, and the timing matches Drake’s estimate.”

  “That’s probably the one, but I’ll confirm it with her.”

  Jack gazed at him. “Yeah, do that. But you might as well take the whole day off and then work Wednesday instead.”

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  “No problem.” Jack continued to study him. “How’s everything going?”

  “We have the new platform stowed.”

  “I mean with Jeannette, brainiac. Did you suggest that she might want to come back here and start a law firm?”

  “I did.”

  “And what was her reaction?”

  Zach didn’t want to have this conversation but it couldn’t be avoided without refusing to discuss it. After the interest Jack had taken that seemed rude. “She thinks the person opening the law firm should be me.”

  “Oh, really? And while you play legal eagle, is she gonna put up preserves and crochet afghans?”

  Picturing that very un-Jeannette scenario made him laugh. “Hardly.” But he hadn’t considered what might happen if he did what she wanted and started practicing law in Shoshone. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to get back into law.”

  “Oh.” Jack tipped back his hat. “And what does she think of that?”

  “Don’t know yet. Either she accepts my decision and decides to open an office here, or she disagrees with me and decides to stay in Virginia as a result.” He was proud of the calm way he laid out those two alternatives, even though option number two made his stomach clench.

  “Any idea how it’ll go?”

  “Hell, I don’t know. Last night she made it clear that she doesn’t want to be with me unless I...how did she describe it? I’m supposed to use my gift. She thinks I was put on this earth to be a lawyer. I think that’s bull. I’m hoping she backs down from that position, but if not, she’ll stay in Virginia because I have no intention of practicing law again.”

  Jack blew out a breath. “If she stays back East, it will suck for you, but it will also suck for me.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, I wasn’t going to bring this up and muddy the waters, but old Barnaby Hanks, who’s handled ranch legal issues ever since I can remember, is retiring and moving to Florida.”

  “So what? He must be transferring his clients to someone.”

  “Oh, yeah, some guy in Jackson, and I guess I can deal with that, but I’m spoiled. I’m used to having my lawyer right here in town. True, he’s been threatening to retire for years and I think we’re his only remaining client, so I get why he wants to leave, but I don’t have to like it.”

  “How long have you known about this upcoming retirement?”

  Jack tugged his hat back down so it shaded his eyes. “Oh, a while.”

  “More than a month?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Did you hire me with the idea I might come in handy when this guy retired?”

  Jack shrugged. “It’s possible that such a thing crossed my mind. And then Jeannette blew into town and you two became chummy, so I got all excited at the prospect of having two lawyers on hand. Now it seems I might go from two to zero and I’m stuck with some stranger in Jackson.”

  “I never said I’d help you with your legal issues, Jack.”

  “I know you didn’t.”

  “Besides, legally I couldn’t without getting a license to practice in Wyoming, and I have no plans to do that.”

  “Maybe not right this minute you don’t, but you’re supersmart. You could get licensed in no time flat if you had to.” Jack peered at him. “Couldn’t you?”

  “I don’t know. But the question’s moot because I don’t plan on doing it. Now I have a question for you. You hired me for my potential legal advice but if I don’t agree to take the bar exam, am I out of a job?”

  “Hell, no. That’s not how I operate, Powell. You’ve only been here a month, but you should know that I hired you as a ranch hand and as long as you do the job, you’re welcome to stay. If you choose to get licensed in Wyoming, that would be a bonus, but if you don’t want to, that’s your choice.”

  Zach smiled in relief. “Glad to hear it. I wish Jeannette had the same attitude.”

  “So do I, because at least then she might decide to set up shop here. I also think you’d be a much happier cowboy if she agrees to hang around. But I’ll work with what I’ve got.”

  “That’s a good approach.” Zach would do his damnedest to adopt that approach in the next twenty-four hours.

  “It’s just that Barnaby and I would sit on the front porch of the ranch house and drink coffee or beer, depending on the time of day, and hash out whatever legal question had come up. He did the same with my dad. I have a tough time believing some guy will drive down from Jackson to hang out on the front porch with me.”

  Zach glanced over at the two-story log ranch house with its long covered porch lined with rockers. “I don’t know, Jack. It’s a hell of a front porch. I’d invite him down and see what happens.”

  “Frankly, I’d rather sit with you in one of those rockers. Are you sure you won’t consider it? You’d have no trouble building a practice here. You could work fewer hours and make more money. Doesn’t that tempt you at all?”

  “Yes.” Zach shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at the rugged profile of the Grand Tetons. “And that’s what scares me.”

  “Scares you? I don’t under—”


  “We’ll have to table this discussion.” Zach watched two riders come toward them. “Your mother and Jeannette are back.”

  Jack turned. “So they are.” He lowered his voice. “Maybe Mom softened her up some.”

  “Softened her up? Is your mother part of this campaign, too?”

  “I wouldn’t call it a campaign, exactly, but she’s also angling for the two-lawyer solution.”

  “I hope to God she didn’t mention that to Jeannette,” Zach said in an undertone. He smiled and waved at the riders. “Jeannette might feel like she’s being double-teamed.”

  “Mom wouldn’t mention it. I warned her not to. I said the situation was still very tenuous.”

  “No shit.”

  Jack laughed. “Don’t give up, brainiac.” Then he raised his voice. “Welcome back, ladies! Have a good ride?”

  “Great ride!” Jeannette’s cheeks were flushed a becoming pink and her green eyes sparkled. “What a perfect day for it.” She looked completely at home in the Western saddle.

  Gazing up at her, Zach wished they’d met earlier. He could have taken her out riding last Wednesday. But if she agreed to move here, he’d work riding into his schedule on a regular basis.

  He’d considered buying the little rental cabin that sat just outside the boundaries of the Last Chance. Drake had lived in it when he’d arrived from Virginia and Jeannette had stayed there for a couple of days before moving to the Bunk and Grub. If Zach bought it and Jeannette agreed to live there with him, they’d be close enough to take a couple of horses out on his day off. He’d considered buying his own horse, although that might be a bad idea now that he was working full-time.

  “Zach?” Sarah’s voice broke into his thoughts. “Would you mind taking Bertha Mae back to the barn for me? I promised Morgan I’d babysit the grandkids and I’d like to freshen up before they arrive.”

  “Be glad to. I can handle both of them if you like.” He stepped forward and took hold of the mare’s bridle in one hand and the gelding’s in the other as the two women dismounted.

  “If nobody minds,” Jeannette said, “I’d like to unsaddle Spilled Milk and rub him down myself.”

  Sarah glanced at her with obvious approval. “I not only don’t mind, but I’m glad you want to. It’s the sign of a good horsewoman to take care of your own mount. Normally I do, but those grandkids will be here any minute.”

  “Then you’d better get goin’.” Jeannette held out her hand. “Thank you so much for the ride. I loved it.”

  Sarah beamed as she clasped Jeannette’s hand in both of hers. “It was fun, wasn’t it? You’ll just have to come back when you can stay longer. Believe it or not, we sometimes ride in the winter, too, if the snow’s not too deep. And I’ve also been agitating for a sleigh.”

  Jack laughed. “And I’m looking into it, Mom. You aren’t the only one agitating. Your grandchildren are all about the sleigh. I’m sure you’ve had nothing to do with that, though.”

  “Of course not.” Sarah winked at Jeannette as she released her hand. “You have a safe flight home. Hope to see you back soon.”

  “I’d like that.”

  “So would I. Take care.” With another warm smile, Sarah turned and hurried toward the house.

  “That sleigh’s going to be the death of me,” Jack muttered. “I ordered it from a guy down in Cheyenne who specializes in ’em and he’s taking forever to make it. First he promised it by Labor Day. Now it’s Halloween. It may actually show up next June.”

  “For one horse or two?” Jeannette asked.

  “One. It’ll be tricky enough to get one horse used to the thing, let alone two. Besides, the holiday song is about a one-horse open sleigh, so that’s what we’re going for.”

  “She’ll love it,” Zach said.

  Jeannette nodded in agreement. “She absolutely will. And the grandkids will go nuts over it. I would have when I was a little girl. Heck, I still love the idea.”

  Jack looked at her, his expression as warm as his mother’s. “Then come out this winter and give it a whirl. I’ve ordered cozy lap robes and the harnesses will have bells on them.”

  “Sounds wonderful.”

  “It will be if that little old sleigh-maker gets the lead out. Listen, Zach, why don’t you and Jeannette take care of the horses and head on back to your campsite after that? Stowing the platform in the tractor barn was my main objective for the day, so you might as well knock off a little early.”

  “Thanks.” Zach was appreciative, but he was all too aware that he wouldn’t have been allowed to leave without Jack’s permission. He might need another few weeks to get past that and accept that he was paid to work a given number of hours per week. Only the boss could set his own hours, and the boss was no longer Zachary Powell.

  He hadn’t minded that so much when he hadn’t had anything else to do. But having Jeannette here made a difference. He found himself wanting a little more freedom of movement.

  Jack held out his hand to Jeannette. “I probably won’t see you again before you fly out. I gave Powell the day off tomorrow so you two can spend a little time together before you drive to the airport.”

  “Thank you.” Jeannette shook his hand. “I’ve enjoyed myself here. I can see why Regan talked about the ranch so much, and I’m glad I finally was able to see it.”

  “The door’s always open.”

  “I’ll remember that. Goodbye, Jack.”

  “I prefer until we meet again.” He smiled and touched the brim of his black Stetson before heading off toward the ranch house.

  Jeannette gazed after him with a bemused smile. “He sure is rollin’ out the charm.”

  “Can’t blame him for that. You’re a beautiful woman.”

  She chuckled. “Thank you, but I don’t think this is about my looks.”

  “No, he also likes you.”

  “That’s good to hear.” She reached for Spilled Milk’s bridle. “I’ll take charge of this guy, now.”

  “Okay.” Zach turned the gelding over to her and they started back to the barn. “Sarah picked a great horse for you.”

  “She did. She seemed eager for me to have a good time out there.” They walked in silence for a moment. “Isn’t Jack the one who suggested to you that I could open a practice in Shoshone?”

  “Actually, it was Regan, but it turns out Jack would be very happy if you did that.”

  “Do the Chances have a good lawyer? I never thought to ask.”

  “They do, but he’s retiring.”

  “Aha! No wonder Jack and Sarah are bein’ so nice to me.”

  He tethered Bertha Mae to the hitching post and began unsaddling her. “It’s not only because you’re a lawyer.”

  “I know. They wouldn’t want me around if they didn’t like me, so that’s gratifyin’. But my profession doesn’t hurt my cause.”

  “Guess not.” From the corner of his eye he observed her efficiency as she unsaddled the gelding and set both blanket and saddle on the hitching post as he’d done. She’d be right at home on a working ranch.

  She paused to glance over at him. “Did Jack ask you to get back into law? He must have. It’d solve their problem.”

  “He did.”

  “And what did you say?” Hope glimmered in her eyes.

  He met her gaze. “I told him no.”

  16

  JEANNETTE HADN’T EXPECTED Zach to have a sudden change of heart, but she wished he’d at least say he was willing to give the idea some thought. “I’m sure he was disappointed to hear that.”

  “I’m sure he was.” He shrugged. “But I don’t want to hold out false hope to the guy.”

  Or to her, either. He hadn’t said that, but she was a smart woman. She could figure it out.

  He broke eye contact. “I�
�ll bring out the brushes so you can start on that while I put away the tack.”

  “Okay.” She watched him heft Bertha Mae’s saddle and walk into the barn. Too bad he looked so damned good doing it. She’d have an easier time being upset with him if he didn’t look so gorgeous.

  His jeans and sweat-stained T-shirt fit as if he’d been sewn into them. With his scuffed boots and his dusty hat, he looked a lot more like a cowboy than a lawyer. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear he’d been doing this job all his adult life.

  For the first time she wondered if she’d misjudged the situation. Maybe Zach would finish out his days as a ranch hand and be perfectly content. It was his life, after all, and if that was what he wanted, that was what he should get.

  He reappeared with a plastic carryall that she found quite familiar. It could have come out of her parents’ barn. As a kid she’d loved using the brushes, curry combs and hoof picks, but then she’d had her debut.

  After that rite of passage had been completed, her mother had insisted a young lady shouldn’t be mucking out stalls and grooming horses. The Trentons had employees to handle those chores. Jeannette had been taught never to lose sight of the fact she was a Trenton.

  At the time she hadn’t put up a fight. But as she brushed the gelding’s brown-and-white coat and pulled a comb through his mane, she realized that her mother had deprived her of something she’d loved, all in the name of gentility. Fortunately the attitude was different on the Last Chance. Women were encouraged, even expected, to help take care of the horses.

  After Zach had stowed the tack, he returned and picked up a brush. “When I saw you in the barn that first day, I recognized your love of horses, but I didn’t know you had experience taking care of them.”

  “I learned everything I know before I became a Southern belle and was told working down at the stables wasn’t ladylike.”

  “What were you supposed to do, sit on the porch and drink mint juleps?”