The Rancher's Proposal (The Montana McGregor Brothers Book 3)

by Paula Altenburg

  A few male heads turned. More than Zack liked. A few women’s heads, too.

  “Holy shit,” Dan said. “Talk about hiding your light under a bushel. That’s pure gold, right there.”

  “Shut up,” Zack said.

  She scanned the crowd. Her gaze landed on him. He could read the relief in her eyes across the room. This wasn’t her element at all.

  Meaning she’d come here for him.

  Hallelujah.

  He started toward her, cutting a path through the mass of bodies. Dan followed behind him.

  “You made it,” Zack said when he reached her. He took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

  Dan reached around Zack, holding his hand out, too. “Hi. I’m Dan. A far better catch than Zack, I might add. For starters, I’m gainfully employed.”

  “I can tell you why you’re still single,” Zack said to him. “If that’s the best line you’ve got.”

  Posey shook hands with Dan. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “No, it’s not. He’s a jerk,” Zack said. “Don’t encourage him. Although since you’re the one gainfully employed,” he added to Dan, “why don’t you go buy her a drink?”

  “By all means. What would you like?” Dan asked Posey.

  “A pinot noir, please.”

  Dan looked at Zack. His expression clearly said, See? “I can guarantee it will be red and dry. I’m not sure it will be a pinot noir.”

  “Red and dry is fine. Thank you.”

  Posey’s smile for Dan was both gracious and sweet, exactly the kind a fairy princess might bestow on a court favorite. Zack got a great deal of enjoyment out of the effect it had on his jaded friend. Dan looked very confused as he left to stand in line at the bar.

  New arrivals jostled them aside. They were blocking the door. Zack drew Posey out of the line of traffic. Even with the air conditioning running full blast, the place was warm. It also smelled of bodies and beer.

  What a great spot he’d picked for their first time out without kids. He’d take her somewhere quiet for another glass of wine as soon as she finished the one Dan bought her, assuming it was fit to drink.

  Lou’s Pub wasn’t her style.

  “This is quite the sendoff. Your entire school must have turned out,” Posey said.

  Zack reclaimed her hand. “They aren’t all here for Andy, although everyone knows everyone else, so it does seem that way. Let me introduce you to a few people.”

  “Which one is Andy?”

  Zack tried to find her. She was no longer doing shots from the top of a table. Crowd surfing appeared to have worn thin, as well. She’d be looking for a new source of entertainment anytime now.

  He finally spied her on the edge of the dance floor to their right, talking to a few women from their graduating class. “There she is. The blonde in the khaki cargo pants and white T-shirt.”

  “She’s gorgeous,” Posey said.

  Zack hoped that was jealousy he heard. “I guess. That’s not a description she cares for,” he replied. “She’s GI Jane and proud of it.”

  “She should be. She’s serving our country.”

  And he should have known Posey would never be anything so common as jealous. She admired Andy.

  “Let’s go meet her, then.”

  It took them quite a while to work their way to the guest of honor. Everyone, it seemed, wanted to meet the newcomer who’d bought the McKinley place.

  Finally, Zack tapped Andy on the shoulder. “Andy, this is Posey. She wants to thank you for your service.”

  Andy, who had no concept of self-restraint or politeness, threw her arms around an astonished Posey and kissed her. “You are very welcome,” she said. “Come dance with me.”

  Andy dragged Posey onto the dance floor.

  Huh.

  Zack, left alone, hadn’t seen that one coming. He had no idea what to do about it, either. If Posey had any objections, he couldn’t tell. She was far too polite to make a scene in public.

  Dan reappeared at his side. He held two bottles of beer by the necks in one hand and a glass of red wine in the other. He nudged Zack with his elbow and passed him one of the bottles.

  “You are so outclassed, buddy,” he said, shaking his head.

  *

  Posey had stood outside Lou’s Pub, with its heavy, ominous wooden door and dubious address, looking the epitome of seedy, and almost turned around and went home.

  Except Eleanor had been so thrilled she was going out. And she didn’t want Zack to think she’d changed her mind.

  So she pushed through that wooden door and entered a room vibrating with bodies, stale odors, and loud southern rock. A low-beamed ceiling and dim lighting gave it a cavern appearance.

  Zack found her right away. His friend Dan seemed very nice, too. She liked the music and the people were friendly. She’d begun to relax.

  And then, she met Andy. If Posey had to describe an Amazon warrior, she’d use Zack’s friend’s picture. She had fearlessness written all over her. Exuberance, too. Posey had never been kissed by another woman with quite so much enthusiasm before.

  How they ended up on the dance floor together, she couldn’t say.

  The dance floor was packed, mostly with women, and they were all jammed close together. Since there seemed no polite way to escape, Posey followed Andy’s lead. Besides, this was fun. In Boston, she’d never been part of the “in” crowd.

  “How do you know Zack?” Andy shouted over the music. She had her arms above her head, swinging her hips with lithe, sexual grace.

  Posey did her best to copy her movements, but with more decorum, because the other woman had been drinking and she couldn’t use that as an excuse. She dodged the elbow of a woman dancing beside her. “We’re neighbors.”

  Andy cupped a hand over her ear. “What was that?” She shook her head, impatient. “Never mind. No one can carry on a conversation in this racket. Let’s go.”

  Posey found herself in the lineup in front of the ladies’ room next. Zack was nowhere to be seen. He hadn’t gone home and left her here, had he?

  Then she saw him, talking to his friend Dan. He smiled at her, letting her know he hadn’t forgotten about her.

  She was so glad she came.

  “Where are you from?” Andy asked.

  “Boston,” Posey replied.

  “Boston? What brought you to Grand?”

  “I wanted a new beginning,” she said. “I left a bad marriage. It was time to be me.”

  She might not have been as open if Andy wasn’t leaving tomorrow. Besides, the other woman was unlikely to remember their conversation. There was a distinct possibility she hadn’t heard her, either. The noise level was off the charts and Posey was soft-spoken.

  But Andy wasn’t as drunk as she appeared.

  “Zack is awesome,” she said. “He had a thing for me when we were in high school, and I used to think about acting on it, but we were too different. He was way too serious for me. I wanted adventure. I wanted to see the world. He could never understand that because he’s all about family. That makes it doubly tragic what happened to his. He was never going to leave Grand for long, but now that he’s back, he’s going to stay.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” Posey asked.

  “Because if you’re planning to stay in Grand too, and you’re serious about him, then make sure everyone knows it. Otherwise, the competition is going to be fierce.” Andy leaned in. “I know him. I saw the look on his face when you walked in the door. His says you’re the one and he’s completely invested. You didn’t look at him the same way.”

  No, Posey hadn’t. She wanted to, though. That was why she was here.

  She’d thought she’d found “the one” before, however, and she’d been mistaken. She was being more cautious these days.

  Which, as it turned out, was wise. If Zack had been drawn to girls like Andy in high school, then someone like Posey could hardly be the one for him now. She didn’t get drunk, kiss women, and give unsolicited ad
vice to strangers. She was never going to become a weapons expert or join the army to serve her country. She didn’t like violence. She couldn’t even claim to be all about family. Her one attempt at it had ended in failure.

  The lineup moved forward and they reached the door. Andy entered the ladies’ room. Posey veered left and went to find Zack and Dan.

  Dan passed her the glass of wine he’d bought her. She thanked him and sipped at it politely, content to let the men carry the conversation.

  “I’ve got to call it a night,” Zack finally said. “Lydia and I are scheduled for manis and pedis first thing in the morning.”

  Dan looked at him.

  “Someone’s got to teach her how to be a girl. You think Jake’s going to do it?” Zack asked.

  “Posey’s right next door. She’s got a daughter the same age as Lydia. Did it occur to you to maybe approach her for help?”

  “How about it?” Zack asked, turning to her. “You in for manis and pedis with us?”

  “Lydia’s a little young for manicures and pedicures. And I’m not sure ‘how to be a girl’ is something that needs to be taught,” Posey replied. “A lot of it is intuitive.”

  “Now you sound just like Luke,” Zack complained. “He said the manis and pedis idea was sexist.” He used air quotes when he intoned the word sexist.

  Posey laughed. She couldn’t help it. He could be so silly, sometimes. She wouldn’t be at all surprised if he really was planning to paint his nails with Lydia. Andy was right. He really was all about family.

  But she shoved aside the other woman’s warning regarding competition. Posey wasn’t quite ready to have people in Grand think she was serious about Zack. She was still at a point where she needed to look after herself. Letting him in would result in him taking over.

  “I’m ready to call it a night, too,” she said.

  Zack placed his hand on the small of her back, a slight, possessive gesture that made her head swirl. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

  They said goodnight to Dan.

  Outside the pub, the street was lively. Grand wasn’t a true tourist destination—it was too small to support any serious numbers—but on a Friday night, it saw its fair share of business.

  “Want to go somewhere quiet and grab a coffee or something?” Zack asked.

  She did. She wanted so many things. But he looked tired and his days started early. “What about your plans for the morning?”

  “That was an excuse to leave.”

  “A pedicure was the best you could come up with?”

  “It worked, didn’t it?”

  He sounded so pleased.

  She missed having him all to herself. Besides, she rarely got out in the evenings and Grand was pretty at night.

  “It’s too late for a coffee,” she said. “But we could walk the waterfront for a bit.”

  They cut down a side street to the river. The wooden boardwalk was quiet, but sound traveled far on the water. The faint swish of oars could be heard, likely somewhere upstream, along with the murmur of voices. The air carried a damp odor of mud and fresh fish from the river. She hadn’t yet gotten used to not smelling salt from the ocean when she was close to a body of water. Street lights were spaced far enough apart to break up the shadows, but not dissipate them entirely.

  A slight breeze spun off the slow current to lift Posey’s hair from her neck and bare shoulders, cooling her skin.

  Zack took her hand. “Cold?”

  “No.” Her fingers were warm inside his. The heat spread through her whole body. She glanced sideways at him.

  He really was patient. How long would he continue to wait?

  “What do you look for in a relationship?” she asked. There was no reason not be direct. He’d been quite open with her.

  “It’s not about what I look for. It’s what I find.”

  She started to shake, which happened whenever she tried to talk about her marriage. She tightened her hold on his hand, hoping he wouldn’t notice, or think she really was cold. “I found a nightmare.”

  “I know. And I understand.”

  He was so solid. So confident. He’d weathered his family disaster and come out more determined than ever to take care of the people he loved. He couldn’t possibly know what it was like to be small and weak and defenseless. Of having his sense of self-worth—his identity—stolen from him.

  The worst part for her, however, was the belief she’d been to blame, because accepting blame for a situation out of her control had led to an overwhelming burden of guilt she hadn’t yet fully shaken.

  “I don’t want you to think I don’t trust you,” she said.

  “I know that, too.”

  He was always so understanding and kind. It was obvious his friends thought he was great.

  Meanwhile, she wasn’t great—she was rich. She hadn’t even earned the money herself. She wondered how he’d react to it once he found out.

  “It’s me I don’t trust,” she said. “I don’t know who I am. I do know I’m nothing like Andy.”

  Zack glanced down at her. Her shoulder bumped against his arm. He rubbed his thumb across her knuckles. “Andy is unpredictable, and honestly, a little crazy. She has no concept of safety. She tandem jumps without her own parachute. Let’s hope she doesn’t make squad leader because she’ll drag her team straight into the middle of a firefight. Would you really want to be like that?”

  “Yes,” Posey said.

  “Well, I’m glad you’re not. I thought Andy was amazing when we were kids. Back then, I would have done anything to impress her. But she doesn’t give a damn about anyone but herself. She never has. That’s exhausting.”

  He found Andy exhausting?

  Posey came with a lot of baggage, herself.

  “I don’t want to give a damn about anyone but myself, either. And Trixie too, of course,” she added quickly.

  “Of course.” Zack gave her a light, good-natured shove. “You can’t even fantasize about not giving a damn without giving a damn. You say you don’t know who you are, but at least you know what you’re not.”

  “I do, don’t I?” Posey said, pleased by the discovery. She’d stopped shaking. That pleased her, too.

  “But,” he said, “I think I’m getting the message. You want to be friends.”

  She wanted so much more from him than that. He had so much life in him, it lit up the night. The whole world. But she had to find herself, first. She owed them both that. She owed it to her daughter most of all.

  She stepped in front of him, blocking his path. Broad shoulders obstructed the moon over the water. She leaned into his arms, lifting her hands to touch his face, and tilting her chin so she could see his expression. He held her close, watching her, too. She rose on her toes and pressed her lips to his. The kiss left her giddy with longing. Every nerve ending she owned came to life, leaving her aware of him in a way she hadn’t known she was capable of. She wanted him. Desperately.

  But if it turned out she wasn’t good enough for him either, this time, her heart wouldn’t recover.

  She eased out of his embrace. The moon reemerged, skipping across the glossy, slow-flowing ripples of the Yellowstone River that lapped along the shore.

  “Friends for now,” she said. “First, let me figure out what I’m capable of on my own. Stop trying to do everything for me.”

  “I can do that.” Relief filled Zack’s tone. He retrieved her hand and gave it a squeeze. “The next move is yours. For what it’s worth,” he added, “I think you’re capable of conquering the world. Let’s see you give it a try.”

  Chapter Nine

  It was mid-August. For more than a month, Zack had minded his own business.

  She’d finally asked for his help.

  “Hand me that narrow brush,” he said.

  The girls were at Posey’s house under the militant watch of Eleanor Fitzpatrick, the only person Posey appeared to trust with her daughter, so Posey and he could paint the trim around the windows and door
s in her newly rented preschool space.

  Technically, it was also a daycare. She’d made arrangements for five children under the age of three—Trixie, Lydia, and three more—who’d be under the supervision of another staff member.

  She’d rented space in a strip mall right next to a place named the Rage Room, which catered to frustrated housewives—or so he’d been told. He couldn’t think of a better marketing position for either business. Drop the kids off, go work out some issues…

  This preschool had goldmine written all over it.

  Posey had already registered for state-approved training and her first aid course refresher. She’d agreed to allow him to look after Trixie for her while she took them. She’d begun to get excited. Even the need to rent space and hire qualified staff hadn’t taken the edge off the thrill. She’d haggled her own rental deal with Angus McKillop, Dan’s skinflint grandfather who owned the majority of industrial property in Grand—meaning she’d likely been robbed.

  As hard as it was to sit back and let her do things herself, however, especially since this particular project had been his idea, he hadn’t interfered. He’d been busy enough with his niece and nephews and planning for his own future, too.

  He’d made his decision. Regardless of Posey, once the year he’d committed to the family was up, he wasn’t returning to Helena. Grand was his home. He’d have that conversation with Jake about keeping his shares in the Wagging Tongue. The ranch might be a few years away from financial stability, but it would get there again. Jake would need someone to handle the finances, and who better than Zack?

  Zack also debated borrowing against his shares in the Wagging Tongue Ranch so he could buy into the Running River operation.

  While Weldon might be a cantankerous old coot—his words, not Zack’s—he was also a practical one who recognized his own faults. Thanks to his cantankerousness, good hands never lasted long in his employ. His wife had deserted him years ago for the same reason. The writing was on the wall as far as how many more years he could continue to run the ranch by himself too, especially since he’d done zip when it came to modernization. Although he wasn’t yet at a point where it was worth taking any proposition he made to Jake and Luke, their meetings hadn’t been a complete waste of time.