Cardwell Ranch Trespasser(12)

“I’ve kept your secrets all these years, drunk or sober. Come on, there’s a bond between us that not even you can deny.” He touched her shoulder.

She pulled away. “I mean it. Don’t buy drugs with that money.”

“Don’t try to kill that blonde woman again.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Remember when you and I were little more than kids and I almost drowned? I know you, remember?”

“Then you know to stay out of my business, don’t you.”

By the time she returned to the ranch, Hud was busy saddling horses. She drove into the yard, but didn’t get out of the truck right away. She liked watching him, watching the muscles in his arms and back, imagining being in those arms. Desire hit her like a sucker punch. She wanted him, and she’d always made a habit of getting what she wanted, any way she had to.

“Best get dressed,” Hud called to her, as she climbed out of the truck. “Dana’s put out some clothes for you to wear in your room.”

She smiled. “Thanks.” Inside she went right to her upstairs room. She could hear Dana in the kitchen with the kids. How could the woman stand that noise all the time?

She quickly dressed in the Western attire her cousin had so thoughtfully put out for her, right down to the cowboy boots. Fortunately or unfortunately they were close enough in size that all the clothes fit.

“They’re my prebaby clothes,” Dana said when Dee came downstairs in them. “I knew they would fit you.”

They did, she thought, as she caught a glimpse of herself in the front window reflection. At a glance, she could pass for Dana. A slightly skinnier version, but still...

Dana had made her a breakfast sandwich since she’d apparently missed the usual ranch breakfast. She couldn’t believe how these people ate. It was no wonder Dana hadn’t gotten back to her pretwins weight.

Breakfast often consisted of pounded and floured fried deer steaks, hash browns, milk gravy, biscuits and eggs. She’d never seen anything like it in her life. There would be changes if she were running this house.

There would have to be a lot of changes. She realized with a start that she hadn’t thought this through. Getting Hud would be hard enough. But what to do with Dana and the kids? Dana would have to go. So would the kids. She wasn’t interested in having them even come visit on weekends or summers.

She thought of Rick. Maybe he could be helpful after all. She was debating calling him to tell him they should talk, when she looked out and saw with a groan that Hud was saddling five horses.

“I see Hud has saddled a bunch of horses,” she said nonchalantly to her cousin over the screaming of the children. “Did you decide you could go on the ride with us after all?”

Dana smiled but shook her head. “I need to spend some time with my babies.”

“Then Mary and Hank are going?” She was amazed that she finally remembered their names. They were cute kids. If you liked kids.

“No,” Dana said with a laugh. “They’re too young for this ride.”

Just then the front door opened. She turned and was unable to hide her shock as Hilde came in duded out in Western attire. “Hilde?”

“Dee,” the young woman said. She hurried to Dee and took both her hands. “I am so sorry about yesterday. Can you ever forgive me?”

Even if she hadn’t been good at reading people, she would have seen through this apology. But out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Dana was smiling, buying into every word of it. The only gracious thing to do was pretend it was real.

“Hilde, you don’t need to apologize, really. I was so scared for you. I’m just glad you’re all right. It was such a freak accident.”

“Wasn’t it, though?” Hilde agreed. “Thank you for being so understanding. I told Dana I couldn’t wait until I saw you to tell you how sorry I was for thinking you had anything to do with my almost drowning.”

I’ll just bet. “Well, it’s good to see you looking so well today. Thanks for coming by.”

“Hilde’s going on the ride up to the lake with all of you,” Dana said.

It took all her effort not to show how that news really made her feel. Hilde was smiling as if she knew exactly what Dee was feeling right now. Apparently such a close call with death hadn’t taught Hilde anything.

“That’s great,” Dee said. “But I would think you’d want to stay home and rest today after what you’ve been through.”

“That’s what I told her,” Dana said. “But Hilde is tougher than she looks.” She smiled and gave Hilde’s arm a squeeze.

“I’m not so tough,” Hilde said to her friend. “Look at your cousin. She almost drowned yesterday, too, and look how she’s bounced back.” Hilde turned back to her. “Oh, Dee, that bruise on your cheek looks like it hurts. Did I do that?”

“I know you didn’t mean to,” Dana said quickly.

Ha, Dee thought. “So who else is going with us?” she asked just an instant before Hud came in the door with Colt Dawson right behind him and Rick bringing up the tail end. “Is anyone protecting Big Sky?” Dee asked. “It seems the entire force is right here.”

“The other two deputies are holding down the fort,” Colt said. “So don’t worry about the canyon being safe while we’re here with you.”

Dee swore silently as Hud asked if they were ready to go. “I can’t wait,” she said. Rick was more of a dude than she was. She hoped he got saddle sores.

As they all filed out to the saddled horses, she wondered what the trail was like to this Elkhorn Lake. Hopefully it wasn’t too dangerous. She would hate to see anything happen to Hilde. Let alone Rick. Horses were so unpredictable.

Before she mounted her horse, she surreptitiously picked up several nice-sized rocks and stuck them in her pocket.

* * *

COLT MADE SURE that he and Hilde stayed behind the others as they rode away from the ranch. He liked riding next to her. It was a beautiful Montana spring day. The air smelled of new green grass, sunshine and water as they followed the creek up into the mountains. Sun dappled the ground as it fingered through the pine branches.

“So tell me about Hilde Jacobson,” he said, as their horses ambled along. The others had ridden on ahead, but Colt kept them in sight in case anything happened.

“There isn’t much to tell,” she said. Then, as if realizing he really was interested, she added, “I grew up in Chicago. My father was a janitor, my mother worked as a housekeeper. I was an only child. My father was determined that I would be the first in his family to go to college.”

“And you were?”

She nodded. “I went into business. My father had worked around corporate America and decided that would be the world that I should conquer. I gave it my best shot at least for a while.”

“How did you end up in Big Sky owning a fabric store?”

“My father died. My mother told me to follow my heart. I hated big business. I came up here skiing, met Dana and Hud, and the rest is history.”

“You and Dana are close, aren’t you?”

“We were.”

He heard the catch in her throat.

“Your turn,” she said after a moment. “Tell me your life story.”

“I grew up north of here. I married young. It didn’t work out. I went into law enforcement and got the job here.”

“You like Big Sky?”

He looked back at the country they’d just left behind and nodded. “It’s not as open as I’m used to—the mountains are so much larger—but it grows on you living in the canyon.”

“Doesn’t it?” she said. “Some people think its paradise and hate to leave.”

He saw that she was looking at the two riders ahead of them. Dee was in a deep conversation with Hud. Rick was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

DEE WAS LEANING toward Hud and pretending to be fascinated by the different types of rock faces ahead when Hilde and Colt came riding up. Colt cut Hud away from her as slick as the ranch cow dog she’d seen herding calves in the pasture.

A few moments later she found herself riding next to Hilde, also not a coincidence.

“Where’s Rick?” Hilde asked, looking behind her. “We seem to have lost him.”

“I think he needed to see a tree about a dog. Isn’t that what you locals say out here?”

“I’m not a local,” Hilde said. “I’m actually from Chicago, and I think it’s a dog about a tree.”

“Really? I just assumed you were like Hud and Dana, born and raised out West.”

“So is Rick from New York City, too? Is that where the two of you met?”

Dee smiled over at her to let her know she knew what she was doing and it wasn’t going to work. “I’m still surprised you were up for this ride today after your near-death experience yesterday.” She touched the bruise on her cheek. “I know I was still feeling the aftereffects this morning. I didn’t realize Montana was such a dangerous place.”