A Montana Cowboy

by Rebecca Winters

  That was her fault. She was being rude. “Sorry if I came across uncommunicative. Let’s agree we both have a lot on our minds.”

  “Do you want to talk?”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “Well I do. Today I happened to see your truck in front of an apartment complex with a for-rent sign in the manager’s apartment window. Has my presence made you so uncomfortable, you’re considering moving out right now?”

  Oh, boy. She should have known. White Lodge was such a small town, you couldn’t get away with much.

  Cassie lifted her head and stared straight at him. “After Mandy saw me out with you the night we went to the film, I realized how it must have looked to her. Your dad is a prominent man in town and people are finding out you’re back home. Friends like the people I volunteer with know I’m still living here on your ranch. But all it takes is one troublemaker to spread rumors about you and me living under the same roof together. They don’t know you’re moving to Colorado.”

  She watched him rub the back of his neck. It meant he was listening.

  “You know what I mean, Trace—the grieving widow and the hotshot bachelor pilot. Soon it will be all over town that I’m pregnant. I can just imagine the spin some people will put on it, saying that the last time you came to visit your father, you must have hooked up with the housekeeper when her husband wasn’t around.”

  “No one would think that!”

  “Yes they would and you know it.”

  His silence said it all.

  “There’s a base element of society that exists everywhere, Trace. We can solve the problem by not being seen together. The damage may already have been done when Ned hears about it from his friends. They visit him and have regular contact. Once he finds out you’re back and were seen with his pregnant sister, it could start a wildfire of gossip. I’ve told you he hates me. You’d be surprised just how ugly it could get.”

  Trace stood. “I know you’re frightened of him, but since he’s still living in the mental health facility, you don’t need to be in a rush. I had a long talk about him with Zane and Jarod. When and if Ned is released, you have a home with your cousins who plan to protect you.”

  Her face went hot, something it had been doing a lot since Trace had shown up in the fruit garden. “I know my cousins would do anything for me, but I would never impose on their lives that way because of Ned. They’re all newlyweds for heaven’s sake!”

  “But you’re forgetting one thing. If Ned is released soon, they’re not going to let you live in town by yourself.”

  “Then I’ll move to another part of the state!” she fired back.

  Trace shifted his weight. “We’re getting ahead of ourselves. For now I’m here to keep an eye on you until I leave for Colorado Springs. Until then, this is your home.”

  “It’s not my home!” Cassie exclaimed. “Your father left the ranch to you. Hopefully I’ll be able to move to the apartment in two weeks when it will be vacant.”

  “Have you put money down yet?”

  “A deposit. I want to see it without any furnishings. If I like it, then I’ll sign a year’s lease.”

  “Where are your furnishings? None of your things are here.”

  “They’re in storage,” she lied.

  Trace’s eyes looked pained. “I can’t let you leave because of what a few people might say, Cassie.”

  “Please stop feeling guilty. I can handle anything but that.”

  “If I’d known what was going to happen, I would never have suggested we drive into town to see a film.”

  “Please don’t say that. Don’t you know I’m glad Mandy saw us together? It got me going sooner on finding my own place to live. I need to get ready for the baby. This is all for the best. In four or five weeks when this place is sold, I’ll be another month along. I’d rather move now while I’m in good shape. That apartment is perfect for me.”

  His dark brows furrowed. “But you don’t have a job yet.”

  “I’ll get one. I know almost every store owner in White Lodge. If I can’t work in my chosen field for a while, I can always get a job at one of their businesses. Today I saw a dozen help-wanted signs in the shop windows.”

  “That kind of work isn’t for you, especially not at this stage in your pregnancy.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m perfectly healthy.”

  “And I want you to stay that way.”

  “I am over twenty-one and in charge of myself. You’re sounding like a husband—” she blurted before she realized her mistake. Heat washed over her in waves. “I—I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I didn’t mean to say that.”

  The faint glimmer of a smile hovered on his lips. “I’m sorry I provoked you. Chalk it up to the picture of your sonogram. Since looking at it, your pregnancy is very real to me. I don’t like being the person who is causing these sudden drastic changes in your life. I want to fix everything. Since learning more about Ned’s instability, I intend to keep you safe.”

  Cassie knew he meant it, and it touched her heart. “That’s not your job. When I move, everything’s fixed. It’s that simple. Tomorrow I’m going to ask Connor if he knows anyone who would like to buy the horses.”

  “When the time comes, I can help with that. While I have time on my hands waiting for a potential buyer, I’ll move everything from your storage unit into your apartment.”

  “You mean you’ve decided I’m allowed to make my own decisions and move out of here?”

  He shrugged his broad shoulders. “It appears there’s no stopping you.”

  “Good. I’m glad we understand each other.” She took a deep breath. “Just so we’re clear, I won’t need your help during the move.”

  He walked closer to her. “Naturally your cousins will be there for you, but I’m the one creating all the disturbance, so I intend to repair the damage.”

  “There’s no damage, Trace, and I’d rather you didn’t.”

  “Why?” he demanded in a quiet, yet compelling, tone. She knew he’d keep it up until he got the answer he wanted.

  “Because there are no furnishings.”

  He frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “I didn’t want you to know. Logan and I moved into this house without any possessions of our own except our clothes and a few personal items. My father forbade me to take one thing from my home.”

  “I don’t believe a parent could be that cruel.”

  She clenched her hands. “He thought that if I left destitute, I’d cave and decide not to marry Logan. Luckily my husband owned his own truck. We lived at a motel for a week before moving into your father’s completely furnished house. All of the furniture and pictures must be heartbreakingly familiar to you.”

  Fists formed at his sides. “He literally threw you out?” Trace had ignored her comments about the house.

  “Yes,” she whispered, blinking hard to keep her eyes from tearing.

  “Didn’t your brothers want to help you?”

  “Afraid not. We have a dysfunctional family with a capital D.”

  “So when you rent the apartment, you have nothing to put in it?”

  “Nothing, except for personal possessions. But that’s not a problem. I’m planning to make the rounds of the yard sales and find what I need.”

  “Then we’ll do it together.”

  “What? And cause even more gossip?” Her questions bounced against the walls of the house. “I have friends to help me. It’s not your concern. I’ll buy a new bed and crib from the furniture store and have them delivered. It will all work out.”

  “The hell it will.”

  “Careful, Captain. You’re not in the military now.” The second the words left her mouth, Cassie wished she could call them back. “I’m sorry, Trace. That was another terrible, thoughtless thing to say to you. I keep doing it. Forgive me.”

  “It’s my fault,” he said in a quiet voice. “I’ve done a terrible thing by badgering you.”

  “Neither of us i
s at our best. I’m missing Logan who’s never going to come back. You’re missing Nicoletta, but you’re fortunate because she’ll be flying over soon.”

  “Cassie—”

  “Don’t interrupt me. Please,” she begged. “Can’t you see how much better it will be when I’m gone so she can stay here with you alone? The two of you will be able to make plans for your future.”

  “I’m afraid it won’t be that simple.”

  “Give her some time to get acquainted with your world, Trace. Take her to Colorado Springs, then come back here. Who knows? Maybe she’ll love it here more and want to be a rancher’s wife. I guarantee that seeing you again, she’ll want to marry you on the spot.”

  His head lifted. “That’s because you grew up a Montana girl and love of the Pryors is burned deep inside you, but it’s not for everyone. My mother never took to this life.”

  “I always wondered about her. How did your parents get together?”

  “They met in Yellowstone Park while she was on vacation with some friends from Denver. Dad had just finished attending a veterinarian conference in Salt Lake and stopped there on his way back to Montana. He urged her to come and see him in White Lodge. One thing led to another and they got married, but she missed living in a big city and complained a lot.”

  “That would have been incredibly painful for you.”

  “It was. When she asked for the divorce, Dad begged her not to move so far away he couldn’t see me when he wanted. So she moved to Billings and eventually met a man from there. They married, and now he works for a company in Portland.”

  “Your father never met anyone else?”

  “There were women, but his hurt went deep. It made me glad when he met Ellen and wanted to marry her.”

  “Your dad seems to be so happy.”

  “He was until I came home and hurt him all over again.”

  “Not deliberately, Trace.”

  “You’re very sweet, Cassie.” He lounged against the back of the couch. “How’s the job hunting coming?”

  “I’ve made applications at several places. Now it’s a waiting game. All I can do is hope to be contacted for a first interview. You know how that goes. Except that you never went through that process. The Air Force wanted you immediately.”

  “Where did you get an idea like that?”

  “Your father.”

  He shook his head. “What did you study at the university?”

  When she told him about her college degree in wildlife conversation and experience with the American Prairie Reserve, he said, “I should think any of those places where you applied would be eager to hire you. With all those credentials, you blow me away.”

  “Thanks. I’m hoping someone will give me a call back.”

  “If Jarod knew about your application for the job on the reservation, he’d do whatever he could to help you.”

  “I know, but I need to do this on my own merits.”

  He smiled. “If I didn’t know anything else about you, I know that.”

  “So is anyone interested in buying the ranch yet?”

  Trace had hesitated talking about it, but since she brought it up, he might as well tell her the truth. “I heard back from my Realtor this afternoon. He’s going to put out some feelers, but not on the multiple listing. I’ve decided to keep this as quiet as possible. Naturally I’ll let you know when he’s found someone who wants to come out to the ranch to look around.”

  “It’s a choice piece of property and this house is darling.” Her voice throbbed.

  “That’s because you and Logan made this place your own and it shows. I feel worse than ever over the new situation facing you.”

  “Please don’t. With that eye injury you have your own cross to bear. For your sake, let’s hope the ranch is taken off the market in no time.”

  “We’ll see. Now I’ve kept you up too long. Get a good sleep.”

  “You, too. Good night.”

  Chapter Six

  Tuesday morning Trace had just come in after a ride on Masala when his cell rang. Hoping it was Nicci phoning him, he jumped down from the horse and let him run in the paddock. But when he looked at the caller ID, it was the Realtor. He clicked On.

  “Mr. Hawksworth?”

  “Bud, please.”

  “All right. I didn’t expect a call from you this soon.”

  “Are you kidding? A ranch like yours will be a piece of cake to sell. I’ve got some great news already.”

  Trace braced himself. “Go ahead.”

  “I keep a list of preferred clients who want to be notified if something they’ve been looking for suddenly comes on the market. One in particular is a potential buyer with money from the East Coast whose family is into the manufacturing business. His name is Lamont Walker. When I called him about your property, he said it was exactly what he was looking for and can meet your ballpark price. In a word, he was ecstatic.”

  The unexpected news twisted unpleasantly in Trace’s gut. This was all happening too fast. “Tell me about him.”

  “He’s a big game hunter who would use the ranch for hunting parties with his friends throughout the year when he’s not off to Africa.”

  Already Trace didn’t like the sound of him. The man had no plan to do any ranching. No interest in raising crops or running cattle. He’d have to hire someone to look after the place when he was gone on safari.

  “Mr. Walker has his own company jet and is already on his way to Billings after being in Chicago on business. He’ll come to my office tomorrow before we drive to your ranch.”

  Tomorrow? “Does he have family?”

  “He’s forty-seven and divorced. That’s all I know. I have to tell you that this is absolutely the right kind of buyer who knows what he wants and is ready to strike while the iron’s hot. I’ll let you know what time you can expect us at the ranch.”

  Trace wasn’t ready for this, but it was too late to put him off now. Bud Hawksworth was a go-getter. Probably the best in the business.

  “I’ll look out for your call, Bud. Thank you.”

  * * *

  CASSIE LOVED HER COUSINS and Liz. No one had a more loving extended family than she did, but she didn’t expect them to solve her problems.

  “Thank you for dinner, Liz, and everything you’re trying to do, but I could no more impose on Mac and Millie than I could any of the rest of you. You’re all newly married with plans and dreams of your own.”

  Cassie got to her feet, having been at their new ranch house too long already. Liz still had veterinarian work waiting for her. “I’ll be moved into an apartment in town within two weeks. I want to get ready for the baby in a place of my own.” She smiled at her. “No amount of generosity on your part will get me to change my mind.”

  “But you’re going to let us give you a baby shower, right?”

  “I’d love that!”

  “Good. Then it’s settled. I’ll talk with the others to plan a date and call you.”

  Thankful she had her own transportation, Cassie was able to leave so Liz and Connor could enjoy the rest of the evening. After leaving the Bannock ranch, she drove to White Lodge and bought a pot of white mums at the supermarket. From there she went to the cemetery at the northeast end of town.

  Logan’s grave was in the newer section. It would be several years before the planted trees grew to a significant size. She pulled up near his flat marker and got out of the truck with the flowers. One day when she had enough money, she would have a granite stone erected.

  She walked over and knelt down to put the pot at the bottom of the marker. “I haven’t been here for two weeks, Logan. Forgive me. So much has happened since my last visit. We’re going to have a little girl, but I bet you already know that. Sam’s son, Trace, is home from Italy to sell the property, so I’ll be moving to town within the next two weeks.

  “The family wants me to live with Liz’s parents. Can you believe how wonderful they all are to me? But I could never do that to them. I’ve go
t to make my own way. It was always you and I against the world. Now it’s our daughter and I facing it without you. In four months I’ll be a mother.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. “I promise to tell her all about her wonderful daddy and keep your pictures around her forever. I’m praying that by the time she’s born, Zane will have found out who shot you and can rule it an accident.” She shuddered. “For so many reasons I don’t want to hear it was Ned.” She started crying and buried her face in her hands.

  “I’ve asked Connor to take care of the sale of the horses. Trace said you did a beautiful job on the house. He’s planning to move to Colorado to be a flight instructor for the Air Force. I love the house so much I—I just know it will sell fast. We were so happy there.”

  Tears dripped everywhere. “While our dream lasted, you were such a marvelous husband to me. I loved every second we were together. I’m having a hard time leaving our little house in the forest. I’ve taken dozens of pictures inside and out so our little girl will know how happy we were there.

  “Trace asked me what you and I had decided to name her. I told him neither of us knew I was pregnant before you died. Since we don’t know who your parents were, I can’t name her after someone from your family’s side. I’ll just have to keep thinking about it. One day the right name will come to me.” She wiped the tears off her face and got to her feet. “Goodbye for now, Logan.”

  She turned and started for the truck. Evening had fallen. But this time as she left the cemetery, everything was different from all the other times because Cassie felt as if she’d reached the end of an era. All the way back to the ranch she thought of the new troubling era looming before her.

  Trace owned the home she’d been living in. When she arrived at the house, he would be there instead of Logan. He’d been the first person to see the ultrasound picture of the baby and ask the baby’s name. Besides her cousins, he’d been the one and only man to take her to a movie or anywhere since the funeral.

  Cassie had been preparing Trace’s meals, doing his wash. He’d walked and ridden the horses with her while they’d talked about the intimate, private issues of their lives. They’d been thrown together so hard and fast, it felt as if they’d skipped the normal period of getting acquainted. Last night during a heated conversation she’d actually accused him of sounding like a husband. To think she would even entertain the thought seemed like a betrayal of Logan’s memory.