Majestic Mountain Romance Series: Books One through Seven! (Clean Western Romances)

by Zoe Matthews

  Bridger watched her turn her head away from him and then sighed. He could tell she was upset, but he couldn’t force her to talk to him. At least, not about her doctor’s appointment.

  “So, I heard you got a good start on the old cabins. I haven’t had a chance to get over there and see for myself, but the guys seemed pretty enthusiastic about things.”

  Stephanie turned her head back from the window and nodded. “We thought we’d do a theme for each cabin. Maybe wildlife, Native American, western. There are so many options.”

  “It sounds like you’re enjoying this part of your job.”

  “I am,” she offered a small smile. Stephanie started talking about her plans for the lodge, and the drive back to the ranch passed quickly. As they drove along the canyon road, Stephanie seemed to relax as she talked.

  Bridger loved how animated she was when she was talking about something she liked and found his eyes straying to her eyes and her mouth over and over again. This woman had gotten under his skin, and her vulnerability only served to make his protective instincts rise to the surface.

  He parked his truck in the yard and then turned toward her. He noticed that the tense look had returned when she stopped talking and realized they had arrived back at the ranch. He wanted desperately to gather her into his arms and just hold her. He wanted to let her know he cared for her.

  “Thanks for driving me into town,” she offered him, biting her bottom lip as the air inside the vehicle grew tense with the chemistry that was flowing between them. She felt it, but right now, she was in no position to think about a romantic relationship.

  She was trying to think of something to say that would ease the tension, when Bridger reached across the seat and cupped the back of her neck.

  “You’re beautiful, did you know that?”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “You are,” he told her again, pulling her closer and placing his lips softly against her own. He kept his eyes trained on her own, letting his lips feel the softness of her own even as his hands registered the quickening of her heartbeat.

  He watched her eyes darken, and then fear cloud them. When she pulled away from him, he dropped his hands and watched her hurriedly gather up her things and leave the cab of his truck.

  He stepped out of the truck and called after her, “Steph?”

  She turned back to look at him over her shoulder, shaking her head, “I can’t do this right now. Maybe never.”

  Without further explanation, she hurried towards the Ranch House, leaving him to decipher her quick departure however he wanted.

  Chapter 9

  What was I thinking? His kiss was wonderful, but I can’t get involved with anyone right now, as wonderful as the man himself was. What if I really do have MS? Who would want to marry someone with a lifetime of medical problems to look forward to? No one, that’s who!

  Stephanie entered the house and hurried up to her suite of rooms. She didn’t want to see any of her family, she just needed to be alone.

  She immediately got on the internet and began researching MS. Over the next few hours, she learned more than she ever wanted to know about MS and what she learned scared her. No known cure. Life expectancy is 5 to 10 years lower than the normal population.

  She found out that there were several types of MS and she fervently hoped that if she did have the horrible disease, it was the relapsing-remitting type. It was the only form of MS that gave her any hope of living a normal life some of the time.

  She spent over two hours researching the disease and making a list of questions to ask the specialist when she saw him in Denver the following week.

  “Stephanie, we’re doing tinfoil dinners tonight out in the firepit. Are you coming down?” Sierra called through her bedroom door a little while later.

  Stephanie took a cleansing breath and then answered back, “Sure. Be right down.” She headed for the ensuite bathroom, washed her face, and reapplied her makeup. She’d promised Sheridan she’d tell him about her doctor’s appointment, but right now, she needed things to be normal. She needed to be with her family and for the moment forget about the dismal future that could be awaiting her.

  She headed down the stairs and found her sisters preparing to carry the trays of food out in the middle of some of the older cabins. Spencer had built a fabulous firepit a few weeks after he had arrived, and at least once a week, the family found themselves gathered around it to either cook dinner or make s’mores.

  Tonight’s meal was prompted by Stella. She was going to be overseeing the cooking and meals for their future guests, and wanted to try some different options. Tinfoil dinners was one of them.

  Sierra helped her daughter’s take out several bowls of vegetables that had been cut up and prepared for cooking, while Stella grabbed one of the trays of meat.

  “Hey, Stephanie, can you grab that other tray and bring it out?” she called as she pushed out of the kitchen door.

  Stephanie said a quick prayer that her hands would cooperate and then carefully picked up the tray. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found she was able to perform the task. Minutes later, the family was placing their prospective ingredients into large pieces of tinfoil and adding their own seasonings.

  Dinner was a fun affair and exactly what Stephanie needed. She was starting to look forward to this time with her family where everyone was getting to know each other better. Bridger had joined them, along with Jed and Kathy, and Logan and his boys. Annie had eaten and then gone back to her room in Jed and Kathy’s cabin, saying she was tired.

  The conversation revolved around the progress being made on the ranch and Stephanie was so happy to hear that everyone was actually using her lists. They may have given her a hard time about them at first, but now they were starting to rely upon them. Even Spencer told Stephanie that they were helping him stay on target and he hated lists.

  When the children began to tire, everyone grabbed platters, dishes, and extra food and began heading towards the Ranch House. Without thinking, Stephanie grabbed two bowls in her hands and turned to take them into the Ranch House when the strength in her hands suddenly gave out.

  Both bowls crashed to the ground, shattering in pieces and drawing the eyes of everyone.

  “Hey, Stephanie, don’t look so upset. Anyone can drop something,” Stella told her. She came over and started to pick up the mess.

  “Yeah, sis. Don’t worry about it,” Spencer said as he grabbed an empty garbage sack to put the broken pieces in.

  Bridger quickly made his way over to her, asking softly, “Are you cut?” When she looked up at him with unshed tears in her eyes, his heart broke in two. “Shush. It will be all right. We’ll help you clean this up.”

  “What’s going on, Stephanie?” Sheridan asked, bending down to help Bridger pick up the mess. His question stopped everyone in their tracks, and before Stephanie knew what was happening, she was surrounded by her family and friends. She knew this was Sheridan’s round-about-way of wanting to know what the doctor had told her that day.

  Bridger saw the fear on her face and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, “It will be all right. You need to tell them.”

  “Stephanie, you promised me you’d tell me what the doctor said,” Sheridan reminded her.

  “Doctor? What doctor?” Sierra exclaimed, letting Kathy take her daughters and Brooklyn into the house. “Stephanie, what’s going on?”

  Stephanie felt her tears drip over her cheeks as she looked at her brothers, sisters, and Bridger. Logan had already left with his boys and Jed had gone down to the barn to check on a horse that was due to foal anytime.

  “I’m sorry. I just…”

  Sierra pulled Stephanie from Bridger’s arms and into her own. “Hey! Dad wanted us to start helping each other. Please tell us what’s going on.”

  Stephanie hugged Sierra back and then pushed away, wiping her cheeks with her fingertips before she shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve been experiencing some symptoms lately. I saw the do
ctor in town and he thinks I have MS.”

  Everyone was silent for several long moments while they digested this information. Sheridan was the first to speak. “He thinks?”

  Stephanie looked at her older brother and nodded. “He’s got me scheduled with a specialist in Denver next week and wants to do an MRI.” She pulled up her long-sleeved shirt on her left arm and added, “He drew blood today.” She showed everyone the tell-tale bandage of someone who gets blood drawn.

  “Why didn’t you tell us you weren’t feeling well?” Sierra demanded.

  “I didn’t want to worry anyone. Not until I knew something. I thought it was just stress, you know, from dad passing away and my job in Denver.”

  “Well, no matter what is wrong, we’re all here for you,” Sadie told her, giving her another hug.

  “That’s right. You don’t have to go through this alone,” Stella added.

  “I’ll even fly you up to Denver for your appointment. No need to make that long drive when we can be there in under an hour by flying,” Spencer offered.

  Stephanie smiled at everyone and then hugged them each in turn as they headed back towards the house. Sheridan was the last one of the family to leave. “Are you coming in?”

  “Not just yet. I’ll just stay out here for a bit.” She was glad everyone finally knew about her health problems. She felt exhausted and she knew part of it was because she was trying to handle it all by herself.

  “Okay. Bridger, would you make sure the fire’s completely out before you head off?” Sheridan asked him.

  “Got it.”

  Chapter 10

  Stephanie turned, looking at Bridger, not having realized he was still standing behind her. He’d faded into the background once she’d started talking to her family members, and knowing that he was still there for her touched her deeply.

  She took a seat on the large bench, inwardly smiling when he joined her, his thigh touching hers from hip to knee.

  Neither of them said a thing for a while, just content to watch the fire and enjoy the night. She looked up and could see the many stars in the sky. The moon was full and beautiful. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to let herself relax and enjoy the summer night.

  He reached over and grabbed her hand, entwining their fingers together and rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand occasionally.

  After a while, Stephanie relaxed back against the bench, and it seemed natural when Bridger released her hand and laid an arm across her shoulders. When he pulled her towards him slightly, she laid her head in the crook of his shoulder and closed her eyes at the feeling of safety that washed over her.

  They sat there in companionable silence for over an hour before Bridger finally broke it by asking her, “So, would you like to go horseback riding with me tomorrow?”

  Stephanie tipped her head up to meet his eyes, “Horseback riding?”

  Bridger nodded, his eyes searching her own and trying in vain to keep from drifting down to her lips. He wanted to kiss her with everything in himself, but he held back. She needed comfort and a friend, and with everything she was dealing with, she certainly didn’t need to add romance to the mix. Not now at least.

  “Horseback riding. What do you say?”

  Stephanie smiled. “That sounds nice.” It had been awhile since she had been on the back of a horse.

  “Good. Now, someone needs their beauty sleep.” Bridger helped her up from the bench and then turned her towards the main house. “Goodnight.”

  Stephanie took two steps and then turned back. “Goodnight. And Bridger?”

  He looked at her very intently while he waited for her to finish her sentence. Suddenly, she didn’t know what to say, except for one thing.

  “Thanks.”

  ****

  Despite her worry over her medical condition, Stephanie slept soundly and woke up the next morning looking forward to her ride with Bridger. She felt the best she had felt since she had arrived on the ranch. She knew it helped that she wasn’t dealing with her problems by herself any longer, now that her entire family knew. She was in the kitchen grabbing a second cup of coffee when Kathy entered with Annie trailing behind her.

  “You are just the person we were looking for.”

  “You were looking for me?” Stephanie asked.

  “I made you something,” Annie told her, offering a stack of wash cloths she had crocheted. There looked to be about ten of them, all in different vibrant colors.

  Stephanie took the colorful cloths with a smile. “Thank you, Annie. These are beautiful. Did you make them?”

  Annie nodded her head. “All by myself.”

  Stephanie was touched and looked at Kathy. “These are good.”

  Kathy beamed at Annie and told Stephanie, “She does them mostly on her own. She needs a little help when she drops a stitch, so I will help her fix it, but other than that she does them all by herself.”

  “I thought you could put them in the guest cabins,” Annie told her.

  “That’s a great idea. Can you make more?”

  Annie nodded her head. “But I’m almost out of yarn.”

  “No problem. I’m going to Denver next week and I will get you some more. Thank you so much for these.”

  Annie was beaming from ear to ear when Bridger walked into the kitchen to see if Stephanie was ready to go.

  “What’s going on in here?” he asked with a smile.

  “Annie just gave me some washcloths for the guest cabins.”

  “Great job, Annie.” Bridger spent a few minutes admiring each one. After Kathy and Annie left, he turned to Stephanie and asked, “Are you ready to go?”

  “Sure.”

  Logan had picked out two horses for them and already had them saddled up and ready to go when they reached the barn. “Have fun you two.”

  “We will,” Stephanie assured him. “So are we heading for the hot springs?” she asked Bridger.

  They had discussed the newly finished path to the hot springs during dinner the night before, and Stephanie had put her swimsuit on underneath her clothing just in case the opportunity arose to check out the water.

  “I thought we might. Did you happen to bring your suit?” he asked.

  “I’m wearing it,” she told him with a grin.

  Bridger gave her a conspiratorial grin. “So am I. I guess we’ll be checking out the water after all.”

  They both mounted their horses and headed out of the meadow and down the path that would lead them to the hot springs. Stephanie grinned and urged her horse a little faster. The trails that Sadie had cut through the forest were amazing. They allowed visitors easy access to the forest landscape beyond the lodge and cabins, but still kept the beauty of nature intact.

  It didn’t take them long to arrive to their destination. Stephanie looked around at what she saw. She had always known about the hot springs, but rarely visited them because the area around them was always so muddy. She could see that Sadie had worked hard, along with Spencer’s help, making the springs more accessible. It was a beautiful area.

  Sadie and Spencer had also installed a natural log picnic bench a few yards from the hot springs, and flat stones had been stacked near the edge of the water, creating a natural staircase down into the warm water.

  They ate the small picnic she’d packed for them and then the allure of the water captured their attention. “Do you want to get in?” Bridger asked.

  Stephanie nodded her head and immediately began removing her outer clothes. “Last one in and all that.”

  Bridger laughed and easily beat her into the warm water by jumping it. He extended his hand as she approached the water and grinned when she sank into the warm water with a groan.

  “Does it feel good?”

  “Yes.” Stephanie reclined next to him and closed her eyes. The warm water soothed her muscles and after fifteen minutes she began to feel sleepy. “I think I need to get out now. The water is making me sleepy.”

  She tried to pu
sh herself up to a standing position, but her arms had no strength and her legs wouldn’t obey her mind’s commands. Stephanie panicked and then some of the information she’d read on the internet came rushing back to her mind.

  “Oh no! Bridger, help me!”

  Bridger was by her side immediately. “Steph, what’s wrong?”

  “The hot water…it’s making my symptoms worse. I read somewhere that they used to immerse people in warm water as a way to confirm they had MS. How could I have not remembered that?”

  Bridger picked up on her panic, but he didn’t let it alarm him. He used a calm voice and carefully scooped her up into his arms. “Hang on and calm down. We’ll have you out of the water in a jiff.”

  He walked with her to the picnic bench and sat down with her still in his arms. “Hey, don’t cry. We’re out of the water now.”

  Stephanie shook her head. “I’m so scared. I don’t want to have MS. I don’t want to be helpless!”

  “Shhh. How about getting into the colder water down at the river? Do you think that might help?”

  Stephanie nodded, remembering her research had stated something about cold baths helping to relieve the symptoms.

  Bridger didn’t need any other incentive but picked her up and carried her to the nearby river. He walked into the shallow pool where the river cut in towards the bank and sat down with her in his arms. He allowed her body to float in the current and after several minutes asked, “Do you feel better?”

  Stephanie felt the strength and ability to control her arms and legs coming back and nodded, “Yes. That was so scary.”

  “I can only imagine.” He held her until they were both shaking uncontrollably. “We need to get out for a while or we’re going to get hypothermia.”

  Stephanie nodded her agreement. “Okay.”

  “Do you think you can walk?” Bridger asked, not sure his own frozen limbs could support his own weight, let alone hers.

  “Yes.”

  Bridger helped her from the river, and then walked with her back to their picnic site. He pulled a blanket from the back of his horse and spread it out on the ground on a grassy area. “Why don’t you lie down and rest for a bit?”