“Not in the least. Nick and Hannah love being big bosses of their little siblings. And anyway, Viv has promised to take those two to a party on the res that’s just for teens and tweens.”
Missing out on spending time with her nieces and nephews was the one regret Camille often had about making her home here on Red Bluff. On the other hand, it would be difficult living back on Three Rivers and her being the only Hollister sibling without a spouse or a child. It was hard enough to deal with living two hundred fifty miles away.
Single and childless at the age of twenty-eight was not the way Camille had envisioned or hoped her life would be. But it had turned out that way and now she was determined not to lament the situation, but embrace her independence. As far as she was concerned that was far better than nursing a broken heart.
“Have you seen Emily-Ann lately?” Camille asked.
“No. But Katherine sees her regularly. She misses you. I know that much.”
Emily-Ann had been Camille’s best friend since their days in grade school. She ran Conchita’s, a tiny coffee shop in Wickenburg that served bakery treats and specialty coffees. “I miss her, too. I’m hoping she can come down for a visit soon.”
“Emily-Ann isn’t exactly flush with money,” Maureen pointed out. “I doubt she can afford to stay away from her job for more than a day or two.”
Camille’s friend was dependable and hard working. She’d be great as a waitress for the diner. But in spite of the struggles and stigma she’d suffered through, Emily-Ann would never move away from Wickenburg. It was her home.
“I’d make sure she wouldn’t have to spend a dime, Mom.”
“I expected you to say that. So why don’t you invite her down for Thanksgiving?” Maureen suggested. “You could take her to Tucson and do some Christmas shopping.”
“That’s a nice idea.”
“Good. I—”
Her mother’s words were suddenly interrupted by the sound of distant voices.
Camille asked, “Mom, do you need to get off the phone?”
“Uh—yes, I’m afraid I do. Blake needs me for something. Love you. And be sure and take extra good care of Matthew.”
“Yes—I will. And I love you, too.”
Camille punched the phone to disconnect the call, then rose from the lounge chair. As she walked back to the house, her mother’s words played over in her mind.
Take extra good care of Matthew.
What would Maureen think if she knew just how much Camille wanted to care for Matthew? Would she think her daughter was reaching for something she could never have? Last night, when he’d kissed her, she’d thought he was finally going to lower the barriers he’d erected between them. For those few brief moments he’d held nothing back and she’d met the reckless desperation of his lips with the same hungry need.
She’d never wanted any man to make love to her as much as she’d wanted Matthew at that moment. But he’d pulled away and implied that their kisses had been a mistake. Could he be right?
As Camille went to her bedroom and changed out of her church clothes, the question continued to circle through her thoughts. For the past two years she’d done a lot of growing, and now it was easy to see where and why she’d made the mistake in getting engaged to Graham. Yes, she’d learned her lesson. But what about now? What about Matthew?
Oh Lord, never in her wildest dreams had she thought his time here at Red Bluff would mean anything more than having a visitor in the house. She’d honestly expected him to be sullen and curt and she’d planned to ignore him as best she could.
How laughable was that? she asked herself as she pulled on jeans and a thin pink shirt. The moment she’d looked across the threshold at Matthew’s tired face, something had smacked her right between the breasts. And try as she might, she couldn’t get rid of the feeling.
But he wasn’t down here for romance, she reasoned with herself. Besides, he’d been divorced and single for nearly ten years. The man clearly had no desire to marry again. So what good would it do her to have a brief affair with him? No good. Matthew was right and she knew it. But for some reason her heart wasn’t listening to reason.
Chapter Five
After searching the southernmost range of the ranch for the entire day, Matthew and the small crew of cowhands helping him came up with six of the missing ten steers. Although the men were disappointed that they’d not found the last four, Matthew was pleased with the effort. They could’ve just as easily ended up with zilch for the day.
“When are we going to vaccinate and tag the new cattle, Matthew?” Pate asked, as he steered the double-seated work truck coupled to a long stock trailer over the rough ground.
Slumped in the passenger seat, Matthew was attempting to grab a bit of shut-eye during the drive back to the ranch yard, but with Pate hitting every rock in the old roadbed, his head was banging around like a punching bag.
Biting back a tired groan, he straightened on the worn leather seat and gazed out the window at the desert hills covered with purple twilight. Red Bluff was an enchanting place and not just because Camille was here, he decided. There were parts of the ranch that were incredibly green to be located in such a desert area. Then there were other parts that were full of high rocky bluffs and hundreds of tall saguaros with their arms reaching toward the wide, endless sky.
He wondered how much, if any, of this land Camille ever seen. Did any of it truly matter to her? Or did she only care about the house and having her privacy? Last night, when she’d talked about trying to help out with the ranching chores at Three Rivers, he’d gotten the impression that she’d wanted to be as much of a cowgirl as her mother and sister, but she lacked the confidence to keep trying.
Last night. Oh Lord, he wished he could quit thinking about last night. He wished he could block out every scent, every taste and touch his brain cells had gathered when he and Camille had kissed so passionately. If he lived to be a hundred, the memory would still be enough to curl his toes.
“Don’t you think we ought to be letting some of the other cattle loose?” Pate continued to throw questions at him. “Curly and Abel have already poured out tons of feed and hay.”
Since Pate had the least experience of all the men here and was constantly peppering him with questions, Matthew tried to hold on to his patience and remember how it was to be green and uncertain.
“And they’ll keep pouring out more tons until we have everything ready,” Matthew explained. “That includes finding the last four steers.”
“Pate, why are you concerned about the feed and hay?” Scott asked from the back seat. “You’re not paying for it out of your paycheck.”
Looking over his shoulder, Pate smirked at the other ranch hand. “No. But I’m riding for the brand. I don’t want Three Rivers to spend money unnecessarily.”
TooTall grunted. “No need to worry. We’ll find the four steers tomorrow. Right, Matthew?”
TooTall was always positive and a man of few words. More often than not, he called Matthew Yellow Hair. But tonight he’d used his given name, and the sound of it put a wry smile on Matthew’s lips.
“You’re always right, TooTall. And I don’t know what I’d do without your level head around.”
Scooting to the edge of the seat, TooTall poked his face between the bucket seats. “Does that mean you’re gonna let me stay down here on Red Bluff and work with you?”
Completely bewildered by TooTall’s question, Matthew twisted around to look at him. “What are you talking about? We’ll be going back to Three Rivers in a couple of weeks, or less.”
“Yes. But you’ll be coming back.”
“Not until next winter.”
TooTall shook his head. “No. You’ll be coming back sooner. And then you’ll stay.”
TooTall had always been the mystical sort. But even for him, this prediction was far out in left
field.
Tired as he was, Matthew had to laugh. “You’re way off base, TooTall. I won’t have any reason to come back here to Red Bluff, unless Blake wants me to come with him just for a look around.”
His expression completely serious, TooTall shook his head. “You’re wrong, Matthew. So do I get to come with you and be your right-hand man? Your ramrod?”
Matthew couldn’t think of any other man he’d rather have as his right-hand man. So, not to hurt his feelings, he said, “Okay, TooTall, if your prediction comes true, you’ll be my ramrod.”
“You promise?”
“I’ll put it down in writing,” Matthew assured him.
“No. You cross your heart, Yellow Hair. That’s better.”
Seeing that the cowboy was truly serious, Matthew complied by making an X mark across his heart. “Okay. Does that make you happy?”
“I’m happy,” TooTall told him.
Behind the steering wheel, Pate guffawed. “What a crock of crap. He’s been chewing agave!”
Matthew cut the young man a steely glare. “What the hell are you laughing at? No one has been chewing agave—unless it’s you! And if I ever catch you doing it, I’ll kick your ass all the way back to the ranch yard. Got that?”
Pate’s expression sobered instantly. “Yes. I got it.”
A half hour later, Pate parked the truck and trailer near the big red barn, and the four men climbed out and went to work unloading the steers and the horses. Once they had all the livestock settled for the night and their tack and gear stored away, Matthew started to the house, only to have his phone start ringing.
Seeing it was Blake, he answered, but the signal was too weak for the man’s voice to come through clearly.
Matthew hung up and walked on to the house. When he reached the inner courtyard, he sat down on a padded lounge chair and tried to return Blake’s call.
“Blake, can you hear me?”
“Clear as a bell now,” Blake answered. “I was just calling to see how things are going down there.”
“We’re making progress,” he told him. “No problems. I figure we can ship the steers up day after tomorrow. TooTall predicts we’ll find the last four tomorrow.”
Blake grunted with amusement. “And TooTall’s predictions always come true.”
Matthew wasn’t about to bring up the man’s other prediction. It was far too strange and frankly unnerving to repeat out loud.
“I’ll have a man ready to come after the steers,” Blake assured him. “Is there anything else you need? Is the feed and hay holding steady?”
“We’re okay there.”
“And the water? I don’t suppose you’ve had a chance to check the wells yet?”
Matthew wiped a weary hand over his face. “No. But we’ll get to it.”
Blake cursed under his breath. “I should’ve sent at least two more men with you, Matthew. There’s too much to do down there and you don’t have near enough help. I don’t want you collapsing on me.”
“Hell, Blake, I’m not going to collapse. Everything will come together. Don’t worry about any of it.”
The other man let out a long breath. “Both ranches are growing and Holt keeps telling me that more cattle means more men. I think my brother is right.”
Matthew massaged his closed eyelids. His mouth felt like he’d been eating dirt and his eyes had been scraped with sandpaper. “Are you thinking about running cattle down here all year round? I’m talking about more than just a few steers?”
“Funny you should ask that. Mom and I have been tossing the idea around. It would mean investing a lot of money. But we think it would pay off. Why are you asking?”
Because TooTall was making strange prophecies, Matthew could’ve told him. Aloud, he said, “With you buying the five hundred extra head, it crossed my mind.”
“Hmm. What do you think about the idea? And don’t be afraid to speak frankly, Matthew. I always value your opinion, whether I agree with it or not.”
“Well, I don’t think I’ve ever covered this whole ranch. Not on horseback or in a vehicle. At least, not for several years—since Joel was still with us. I couldn’t say how many cattle this land is capable of supporting until I had a good look at all of it.”
Blake went silent for a moment and then he said, “You know, you’ve given me an idea. And before you start cursing a blue streak, just hear me out. Once you get the cattle settled, I’d like for you to take a few extra days to really look the place over. I hate to admit that it’s been years since I’ve seen much of it myself. And since you’re already down there, it would be the perfect opportunity.”
Hell, no! He wasn’t going to stay down here any longer than he had to. Even though the thought was racing through his head, Matthew didn’t say it to Blake. He’d wait a few days, after things were smoothing out here, before he began to curse that blue streak at his boss.
“You don’t need for me to do it,” Matthew hedged. “Any of the men can have a look around and give you a report.”
Blake let out a loud laugh. “Sure, Matthew. Like I could trust just anyone’s judgment. Why do you think you’re the foreman of Three Rivers? Because of your good looks?”
Matthew snorted. “Not hardly.”
“Damn right, not hardly. It’s because you have an eagle eye and a rancher’s mind. But we’ll talk about this later. Right now Kat is helping the twins try on their cat suits and they want me to come watch.”
“Cat suits?”
Blake laughed and Matthew realized that in spite of the heavy load the eldest Hollister brother carried, he was a happy man now that he had Katherine and the children in his life.
“Yes. You know. Meow! Thursday night is Halloween and Mom’s throwing one of her big parties. The kids can’t wait. Sorry you can’t be here, buddy. I’ll eat some candy just for you.”
“Thanks, Blake. But I really think I’d rather have Holt drink a bourbon and Coke for me.”
Blake laughed loudly. “I’ll tell him. I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to do that little thing for you. Talk to you later, Matthew.”
Blake cut the connection, and Matthew dropped the phone back into his shirt pocket, but he didn’t immediately leave his seat on the lounge. His head was whirling and he needed a minute in the quiet before he walked into the house and faced Camille again.
Who are you kidding, Matthew? You’re not worried about facing Camille again. Your insides are tied into knots with worry about how you’re going to keep your hands off her, when every cell in your body is aching to make love to her.
Cursing at the damning voice in his head, he lifted his hat from his head and raked a hand through his hair. He was hot and dirty and sweat had dried to salty patches on the front and back of his shirt. Thank goodness he and the men had gotten in early enough tonight that he had time for a shower before he ate.
“There you are. I thought I heard someone out here talking.”
Camille’s voice startled him, and he jerked his head around to see her walking up the stone pathway to where he was sitting. She was wearing jeans and cowboy boots, and the front tails of her shirt were knotted at her waist. The clothes suited her, but it was the smile on her face that transformed her into an enchantress.
“I had a call from Blake,” he explained.
“Oh. I hope you told him hello for me.”
“No. I didn’t. I will next time.”
She sat down next to him on the lounge and he was suddenly assaulted with her sunny scent and the feel of her soft, warm shoulder pressing against his.
“Blake is annoyed with me because I’m down here instead of up there,” she said. “He blames me for Mom’s state of mind.”
“Not completely.”
“Humph. You don’t have to handle me with kid gloves, Matthew. Anyway, I’ve got news for Blake. Mom might like for me t
o move back to Three Rivers, but what’s really aggravating her is that her sons are ignoring her wishes.”
He studied her from the corner of his eye. “You’re talking about the investigation into Joel’s death now.”
“Right.”
Matthew wasn’t sure how much Blake, Holt, Chandler, or Joseph had told Camille about the information they’d discovered a few months back. Initially, when Joseph had learned that Joel had been spotted with a woman at the Phoenix livestock sale barn before his death, the brothers had decided to keep the information to themselves, their reason being that none of them wanted their sisters hurt by the idea that Joel might have been cheating on Maureen. But they could’ve changed their minds and let their sisters in on the development. Either way, Matthew wasn’t going to repeat something to Camille that might ultimately hurt her and anger her brothers.
“I wouldn’t dwell on it, Camille. Your mother is hardly falling apart. She’s too strong for that.”
“I wish my brothers viewed everything as sensibly as you do.”
He shook his head. “It’s always easier to see the whole picture when you’re standing on the outside looking in. It’s when a guy gets too close to something that he has trouble seeing everything.”
Even though he wasn’t looking at her directly, he could feel her gaze drop to his lips. He was trying to decide whether he should jump to his feet and leave the lounge, or jerk her into his arms, when she suddenly reached over and wrapped a thumb and forefinger around his chin.
“I’m close,” she murmured as she steered his face toward hers. “So what are you seeing?”
He needed to draw in a deep, cleansing breath, but his brain wasn’t communicating with his lungs. It was too busy thinking about having her lips next to his.
“I’m seeing a little vixen that’s asking for more trouble than she could possibly know.”
Her fingers moved to his cheek. “Yes,” she whispered. “But it’s worth the risk. Don’t you think?”
Even though it was dark, the footlights edging the stone floor of the porch were enough to reveal the inviting look in her eyes, and Matthew decided he was tired of fighting her and this unbearable need to have her in his arms.
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