Cardwell Ranch Trespasser(7)

“I wouldn’t get too close to the edge,” Hud said, stepping to her. “I don’t want to have to explain to Dana how I lost her cousin.”

“No, we don’t want that,” she agreed, as she met his gaze.

“We should get back. The kids will be waking up and Dana will need help with dinner,” he said.

Disappointed, she pulled her hair up again and turned to walk back to the four-wheeler. For a moment, she had felt as if he was responding to her.

She hadn’t gone but a few feet when she stepped on a rock, twisting her ankle as she fell. Hud rushed to her as she dropped to the ground with a groan.

“How bad is it hurt?” he asked, frowning with concern.

“I think I just twisted it, but I can’t seem to put any pressure on it,” Dee said, wincing in pain as she held her ankle. “I’ve spent my life walking on sidewalks. I don’t know how to walk on anything that isn’t flat. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. It happens. Can you get to the four-wheeler?”

She made an attempt to put weight on her ankle and cried out in pain. “I don’t mean to be such a big baby.”

“I’m just sorry you hurt yourself. Here, I can carry you over to the four-wheeler. If it’s still hurting when we reach the ranch, Dana will take you over to the medical center.”

“Are you sure you can carry me?” she asked. “I’m so embarrassed.”

“Don’t be. I can certainly carry someone as light as you,” he said, lifting her into his arms.

She was quite a bit slimmer than Dana since her cousin had delivered twin sons not that long ago. Nice that he’d noticed, she thought. She put her arms around his neck, and he carried her with little effort over to the four-wheeler. She hated to let go when he set her down on the seat.

“How’s that?” he asked.

She lifted her leg over the side, wincing again in pain but being incredibly brave. “Fine. Thank you.”

“No problem.” He got on and started the motor. “Dana is going to have my hide, though.”

“I’m sure it will be fine by the time we reach the house. I don’t want to upset Dana or get you into trouble with her. It’s already starting to feel better.”

Dee wrapped her arms around Hud’s waist, leaning against him again as they descended the mountain. She breathed in the scent of him. She would have him. One way or the other.

* * *

AFTER THE HIKE to the falls, Hilde was still trembling an hour later back at the shop. The worst part was that there was no one she could tell. The shove had happened so quickly, even now she couldn’t be sure she’d actually felt it. And yet, she knew that Dee had pushed her. Was she trying to scare her?

Or to warn her to back off? The shove had come right after Hilde had asked how long Dee would be staying.

The shop phone rang, making her jump. She really was getting paranoid, she thought as she answered. “Needles and Pins.”

“Hi,” Dana said. “I just wanted to call and tell you what time we’re floating the Gallatin tomorrow.”

“Dana, I—”

“Do. Not. Try. To. Get. Out. Of. This.”

“You don’t need me,” Hilde said, and realized she was sounding jealous. “I really should work.”

“I know business is slow right now. Remember? I’m your silent partner. So don’t tell me you have to work. Come on. When was the last time you floated the river?”

“I’ve never floated it.”

“What? You’ve never been down the Mad Mile?”

“No, and I really don’t think I want to do it now when the river is so high. Dana, are you sure this is a good idea?”

“I’ve already talked to Dee. She’s excited. She was trying to get Hud to go with us. Stacy said she’d watch the kids, since Hud said he had something he had to do. Dee was excited to hear you were going with us.”

I’ll just bet she was.

“Come on. It’s going to be fun. You need a thrill or two in your life.”

“Don’t I, though.” What could she say? That there was something not quite right about Dee Anna Justice? That the woman had shoved her at the top of the falls? But then grabbed her to “save” her?

“Great,” Dana was saying. “We’ll pick you up tomorrow at your place so we can all ride together.”

“Great,” Hilde said. By the time she hung up, she’d almost convinced herself that Dee hadn’t pushed her. That there was nothing to worry about. That she was just jealous. Or crazy.

More likely crazy, she thought, glancing out the front window of the shop hoping to see Colt Dawson. His usual table was empty.

* * *

COLT WAS AT the marshal’s office filling out paperwork when Hud walked in.

“I would really appreciate it if you would go on this rafting trip with Dana and her cousin this afternoon,” Hud said. “Dana’s cousin is a little clumsy. Hell, a whole lot clumsy. I don’t want her falling off the raft and taking Dana with her.”

Colt looked at his boss. “You aren’t really asking me to babysit your wife and her cousin, are you? Why don’t you go?”

“I have to take care of a few things at the station. Oh, and I did mention Hilde is going, right?”

Colt swore under his breath. “You think that’s going to make me change my mind?”

Hud grinned. “I could make it an order if that would make you feel better.”

“You should be worried about Hilde drowning me.”

His boss laughed. “You’ll grow on her over time. Look how you’ve grown on all of us around here.”

“Yeah. What time do I have to be there?”

“You probably better go change.” He told him the name of the raft company and where they would be loading in about an hour. “Good luck.”

Colt ignored him as he left to head to his cabin. When he’d taken the job, he’d lucked out and gotten a five-year lease on a small cabin in the woods outside of Big Sky. One of the biggest problems with working in the area was finding a reasonable place to live.

At the cabin, he changed into shorts, a T-shirt and river sandals. As he did he wondered what Hilde would have to say when she saw him. He’d never been tongue-tied around women—until Hilde. What was it about her? She seemed unfazed by him. He really didn’t know what to do when he was around her.

He knew what he wanted to do. Carry her off and make mad passionate love to her. Just the thought stirred the banked fire inside him.

Colt shook his head, realizing how inappropriate his thoughts were under the circumstances. Hilde hadn’t looked twice at him. His chances of getting her to go out on a date with him didn’t even look good.

Well, he’d make this float with her and Dana and Dana’s cousin because Hud had asked him to keep an eye on them. But he would give Hilde a wide berth. She’d made it clear she wasn’t interested. The best thing he could do was move on. Maybe there’d be some young woman on the raft who’d want to go out to dinner later tonight. Best advice he had was to get back on that horse that had thrown him.

With that in mind, he drove down the canyon to where the rafting company was loading the rafts. Dana waved him over as he got out of his pickup. Her cousin stood next to her. He did a double take. The two looked a lot like each other, especially since they were both wearing their hair back. Her cousin was a little slimmer and not as pretty as Dana. There was a hardness to the woman that Dana lacked.

Hilde was standing off to the side, her arms crossed over her chest. He got the feeling she didn’t want to be here any more than he did. She wore white shorts and a bright blue print sleeveless top. Her honey-colored hair was pulled up in a way that made her look even more uptight.

He gave her a nod and turned his attention to Dana and her cousin.

“This is my cousin Dee Anna Justice,” Dana said.

“Just call me Dee.” The woman shook his hand, her gaze locking with his, clearly flirting with him.

“Colt Dawson.”

“Colt is a deputy marshal. He works with Hud.”

“How interesting,” Dee said, still holding his hand.

He didn’t pull away. He knew Hilde was probably watching him. Impulsively, he said, “Maybe you’d like to hear more about crime in the canyon at dinner tonight.”

“Maybe I would,” Dee agreed and looked to Dana.

“Oh, remember? My family is coming tonight for dinner at the ranch so they can meet you,” Dana said. “Colt, why don’t you come?”

“No, I couldn’t. I—”

“I know you don’t have other plans,” Dana pointed out.

She had him there.

“Hilde’s coming, too,” Dana said.

He glanced at Hilde. She was studying the ground at her feet, poking one sandaled foot almost angrily at the dirt.