A Town Called Valentine(74)

He recognized that wind-whipped strawberry blond hair trailing from beneath her helmet. What was Emily Murphy doing with his dad? Nate was used to keeping his private life separate from the women he dated—it had been that way ever since college. Now as they pulled up on the ATV, and he saw Emily’s wide-eyed excitement, he considered the way he’d always compartmentalized the people he was close to. But it was necessary. No one got hurt that way.

But he couldn’t frown long, seeing Emily’s happy grin. She waved to him, and he smiled and waved back. He saw the relief she couldn’t hide, and that took him aback. Did she think he’d be angry with her? He felt a bit defensive, then looked deeper, wondering if he’d made her feel that way.

His dad cut the power as Nate rode up beside him. Apollo showed no fear of the big machine, having spent his life around farm equipment. Scout jumped up on the rack behind Emily, his regular perch. She laughed and ruffled his fur, and something in Nate’s gut gave a funny squeeze.

Doug gestured with a thumb at Emily behind him. “She was making a flower delivery when you called. Thought she’d like a ride.”

Nate leaned on the pommel and grinned at her. “If I’d have known you liked four-wheeling, I’d have suggested a backcountry adventure.”

“I thought I could trust your dad to give me a more sedate ride than you, but I was wrong! I didn’t know a person could drive so fast!”

Doug glanced over his shoulder, wearing his usual small smile beneath his mustache. “Wait until we ride through a creek.”

“What?” she cried, her eyes glinting mischievously.

“Now you know why I made you borrow some of Brooke’s clothes,” Doug said.

Nate glanced down Emily’s legs and saw that she’d had to stuff the extra long material into waterproof boots. “New boots?”

“These are your mom’s. Her feet are more my size. Hope she won’t mind.”

“Nope, she’ll be glad we had an extra pair of eyes.”

Emily let relief flood through and settle her nerves as she watched Nate sober as he told his dad the various lands they’d already searched. She was still surprised and dismayed at how much Nate’s opinion of her mattered. It didn’t bode well for their simple dating—or more likely her reaction to it.

She couldn’t stop staring at him, with his cowboy hat shielding his eyes, the Carhartt jacket covering a flannel shirt, and fringed chaps over his jeans. The scarf at his neck was bright red and fluttered in the breeze. She was so busy admiring his fine form that she almost jumped when the ATV motor roared to life beneath her.

Mr. Thalberg glanced at her with amusement, and she gave him a sheepish grin. Her legs still trembled after the half-hour ride from where they’d left the pickup. Perhaps she was going to be sore tomorrow, but it was worth it.

Nate rode off ahead of them, and Scout jumped down and bounded after his master. Mr. Thalberg turned and went another way, and she clung to him as he raced through the meadow, high grass whipping against her legs. She turned her head and watched Nate, inhaling at the beauty of the scene as he headed across the meadow, the mountains framing him, the sky so blue above the snowy peaks. She felt almost hungry at the powerful way he moved so effortlessly with his horse.

For the next hour, Emily listened in awe at the coordination between the Thalbergs as they searched for each cow as if it were a member of the family—but of course, the sale of those cows was their profit at the end of the season. Nate’s voice over the radio was one of cool composure as he coordinated the rescue. Emily gasped with delight and awe when Mr. Thalberg veered toward the thundering cattle, who obediently changed their direction, swarming together almost like bees. Nate, Josh, and Brooke rode from different directions, adding cows and calves to the growing herd.

When every cow was accounted for and guided back through the damaged fence, shared grins appeared on Thalberg faces. Josh and Brooke dismounted and went to work with the spools of barbed wire that had already been stacked near the damaged fence. Josh smiled and tipped his hat to her, and she touched the brim of her helmet in reply.

To her surprise, Nate frowned at her, and she gave him a wide-eyed look of puzzlement, as if she didn’t know what was going on. But she knew—Nate Thalberg might be a little jealous over her. She felt giddy.

Then she sobered—she didn’t want him to be jealous.

The sky slowly darkened as speeding clouds caught up with the sun. Emily looked overhead in surprise. Where had the beautiful day gone?