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Looking around the table, Wyatt held each of their gazes with his own. “I say we owe it to Henry to pass the favor on.”
“Yes!” Garrett pumped his fist in the air.
Ford glanced at Dylan, commiserating in silence.
In case anybody had a question, the boss made his decision clear. “We are going to do everything we can to give those teenagers a summer they won’t forget.”
Chapter Three (#ulink_ee268035-abc0-504e-9be9-280ecf6a3ebf)
Caroline spent the afternoon and evening riding an emotional roller coaster. One minute she’d remember Ford’s infuriating insistence on walking home, his obstinate refusal to consider the advantages of her plan. The next minute she’d be wondering about the Marshall family meeting and what the verdict would be. She expected Garrett to vote for her. Dylan liked her, so maybe he would, too. Ford, of course, was a no. At least he had his reasons, wrong-headed though they might be.
So the outcome depended on Wyatt’s opinion, and she couldn’t predict what he would think. He’d been two years ahead of her in school, but he’d dropped out when he was sixteen to take the job at the ranch, so she’d never gotten to know him well. Among the people of Bisons Creek, he held a reputation for honesty, fair dealing and reliability. Her dad, of course, dismissed the Marshalls as not good enough to do business with. But then, her dad judged his friends by the sizes of their bank accounts. Caroline chose to use a different standard, though her self-determination had cost her the family and home she loved.
When the phone rang at eight thirty, she was eating her way through a pint of chocolate-chip-mint ice cream. Garrett had called her in the past, so she recognized the number of the Circle M Ranch. “Garrett? Tell me fast. Is it yes? Or no?”
On the other end of the line, someone cleared his throat. “I hate to disappoint you, but this is Ford.”
“Oh.” Damn, she said silently. I’ve probably bruised his ego. “I’m sorry. I was just so anxious. I’m glad to know you got to the house.”
“I had a pleasant stroll, as a matter of fact. And you have the chance you wanted for your teenagers. Wyatt voted in your favor.”
Tears stung her eyes. She swallowed hard, hoping they couldn’t be heard in her voice. “That’s...that’s wonderful. I’m so glad. And I’ll make sure you don’t regret it, Ford. I promise.”
“I already do.” Before she could react, he said, “Garrett wants to talk to you. Have a good night.” When he came on, Garrett was as relieved and excited as she had been. Celebrating with him, though, Caroline didn’t feel as thrilled as she should have.
Ford already regretted the agreement? The kids weren’t even there yet; nothing had changed. Was it just sour grapes, or was there something more to his words? And how would she ever find out?
Lying in bed, the lights out and chocolate-chip-mint replaced in the freezer, she asked herself the really important question.
“Why do I even care what he thinks?”
Luckily, she fell asleep before she had to face the answer.
On Monday morning, she went to the office early and tackled the paperwork, trying to get ahead of the never-ending stream of forms to be filled out for each and every case she handled. Her coworker, Randi Ames, came in at eight, as usual, and they spent a few minutes over coffee celebrating the acceptance of her project.
“It will be so wonderful for the kids,” Randi said. “And you’ll get to spend three months out there with four gorgeous men. Surely you can fall in love with one of them before the summer is over!”
Caroline blinked away a sudden vision of Ford’s solemn face. “I hope not. That would just complicate the situation. I’ll have my hands full keeping the teenagers under control. I won’t have time for romance.”
“There’s always time for romance.” Randi had recently gotten engaged and was now matchmaking for every single woman she knew. “It’ll hit you when you least expect it.”
“Don’t bet on it,” Caroline murmured, as Randi unlocked the outside door to the office. She was too busy to take care of a husband. There was so much she wanted to accomplish in Bisons Creek, so many people who needed a helping hand.
In fact, her first appointment of the morning was with Susannah Bradley, whose son, Nathan, was one of the kids she’d selected for the summer program. Nathan tended to be a loner at school, made grades lower than his test scores predicted and had a history of cutting classes.
The real problem with this family, however, was Susannah’s repeated visits to the medical clinic in Kaycee and the emergency room in Casper. She explained the incidents as “falls” or “stumbles,” but doctors had reported that they suspected abuse. Susannah refused to confirm those assumptions, but Caroline had convinced her to check in every few weeks, as a means of keeping an eye on the situation.
One of those visits was scheduled for today. But ten o’clock, and then eleven, came and went. Susannah didn’t appear.
“I’m going out for lunch,” Caroline told Randi as noon rolled around. “I’ll be back by one at the latest.”
“Be careful,” Randi said, because she knew perfectly well that eating wasn’t the only item on Caroline’s agenda.
“Will do.”
The Bradley family lived on the outskirts of Bisons Creek in a trailer that had seen better decades. Toys lay scattered in the dirt that passed for a yard, and a beat-up sedan sat in the driveway. Caroline hoped that Mr. Bradley wasn’t home as she knocked on the door.
“Susannah? Susannah, it’s Caroline Donnelly. Can I come in?”
After her third knock, the panel swung in a few inches.
Susannah peeked out, revealing half her face. “I—I’m sorry I couldn’t come today. I’m not feeling well.” Her voice was soft, with an East Coast crispness to her words. She wore dark black sunglasses inside the house.
“No problem. I was out of the office and thought I would stop by.” A little girl appeared at hip level, and Caroline smiled at Nathan’s five-year-old sister. “How are you today, Miss Amber?”
“Good.” Amber played with the ears of the stuffed bunny she clutched to her chest. “But Mommy’s head hurts.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Caroline looked back at Susannah. “Do you get migraines?”
“Yes. Sometimes.” She adjusted the set of the lenses on her face. “The light bothers my eyes.”
Caroline discounted the lie, putting a hand over Susannah’s fingers as she clutched the edge of the door. “Are you okay? Do you want to see a doctor? I can drive you to Kaycee.”
“Thank you, but it’s not necessary. Amber is great, and Nathan is okay. Really, everything is...fine.”
“Do you need somewhere else to live for a while? We have resources...”
Susannah shook her head. “I...can’t. The kids...” She seemed to want to say more, but nothing came.
Dropping her hand, Caroline swallowed her disappointment. “I’ve got some news on that front, actually. Remember the summer ranch program I was hoping to start? I got the go-ahead yesterday, and I’m planning to have everything in place so we can start next week. Nathan will be spending twelve weeks on the Circle M Ranch, learning and enjoying himself.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful.” Susannah lifted the edge of her shades to wipe her eye, and Caroline caught a glimpse of an ugly bruise. “He’ll be so excited. He won’t say so, of course. But I could tell when he talked to you about it that he wanted to be part of the program. As long as...as his dad says it’s okay.”
“I’d be glad to talk to him—”
“Oh, no. No, that wouldn’t be— It’ll be fine. I’m sure it will.”
Caroline couldn’t help trying once more. “You don’t have to stay. I can take you to a safe place.”
Susannah glanced down at Amber and stroked a hand over the girl’s blond curls. “Things will be better. Travis has a chance at a job with your dad, as a matter of fact. If he gets it, we’ll be doing well.”
That was bad news, as far as Caroline was concerned. Her dad was notoriously hard on his employees, especially the ranch hands. But maybe the work would keep Susannah’s husband out of the house more. “I wish I could put in a recommendation, but...”
“I know. Your dad is making a mistake, cutting you off. I hope he’ll regret it, and the two of you can reconcile.” She gave a small wave and withdrew into the shadows. The door shut with a rickety thud.
Driving back to town, Caroline consoled herself with the knowledge that she wouldn’t be losing contact with Susannah Bradley as long as her son was at the Circle M for the summer. And helping Nathan might add some energy to the situation; might inspire Susannah to improve her own security and that of her children. Maybe his father would make more of an effort to control his drinking. And his temper.
“I hope so, anyway,” she told her mom, when they sat across from each other at a table in Kate’s Café. “Or maybe he’ll impress Daddy and keep his job. It’s a possibility, I suppose.” She took a sip of iced tea. “Where’s Daddy off to today?”
“He and Reid flew to New Mexico to inspect some young bull stock. I jumped at the chance to have lunch with you while they’re away.” Linda Donnelly folded her hands together on the table and tilted her head. “I must say, you’re looking very pretty. Something special going on? Besides this summer program you’re so excited about, that is.” Her own dark hair and green eyes were Caroline’s fortunate inheritance. “I can’t believe you convinced the Marshalls to cooperate.”
“Garrett Marshall concocted the plan to begin with and proposed it to me.”
Her mother smiled. “You’ve been talking with him quite a bit, haven’t you? Just business, so to speak?”
At just that moment, Kate herself came over with their sandwich plates. “Don’t let her fool you, Mrs. Donnelly. She was in here yesterday with Ford Marshall. She’s gonna have all four of those boys wrapped around her little finger before the summer ends!”
At her mother’s expectant expression, Caroline groaned. “It’s nothing. And Ford Marshall doesn’t even support the project. We’re all working together for the kids, that’s all.”
“Ford, hmm?” Her mom finished off a French fry. “I remember you had a crush on him in high school.”
“How could you have known that?”
“Sweetie, you talked about him constantly. What else was I supposed to think?” She smiled at Caroline’s appalled expression. “But he went off to school, so I assumed you’d find someone else. Funny that you never have.”
“I’ve had plenty of guys in my life, thank you.”
“No one serious.”
“I don’t have time for serious.”
“Of course not.”
“So,” Caroline said with desperation, “who is Reid dating these days?”
Kate came to pour more tea. “Not me,” she answered.
They all laughed, and the break allowed Caroline to move the topic far away from the Marshall brothers.
As they walked toward the parking lot after lunch, Caroline put her arm around her mom’s shoulders. “Sure do miss you,” she said quietly.
Her mother returned the hug. “Me, too. I hate having to wait until your daddy goes away to talk to you. But...”
“I don’t want him yelling at you.” Caroline kissed her cheek. “Just know I think about you every day. And I wish things could be different. But I just couldn’t live by his rules anymore.”
“I understand. Maybe one day he’ll realize his mistake.” The doubt in Caroline’s mind was reflected in her mother’s face. “I keep praying, anyway. For now though, it was great to see you. Take care.” They shared another long hug. “I love you, Caroline.”
“Love you, too, Mom.”
Back at the office, Caroline worked until after four to finish the last of her appointments and the associated paperwork. She contacted most of the families of the kids she’d picked to participate in the ranch program and arranged for them to visit later in the week to fill out the forms. The parents seemed generally pleased, the teenagers less sure. She had to believe they would enjoy their ranch experience, no matter what doubts Ford might retain.
Keeping her perspective optimistic, she grabbed her purse and a clipboard and headed for the door. “I’m going to the Circle M to check out the buildings where the kids will be staying,” she told Randi. “Garrett says all they need is some soap and water to make them livable. I hope he’s right.”
“With four big strong guys to help out, I’m sure you’ll get those rooms whipped into shape in no time.”
“One of those big strong guys has a broken back, remember? And one of them opposed this plan from the get-go.”
“Who was that?”
“Ford, the lawyer. He kept talking about lawsuits.”
“That is his job.” Randi propped her chin on her hands and got a dreamy look on her face. “I remember Ford. Blond hair, chiseled jaw and those navy blue eyes. Oh, yeah.” Then she slapped her hand on her desk. “But you were voted Most Popular in our class. You can twist any man around your little finger, Caroline Donnelly. Just go out there and make him melt!”
Caroline blew out a sigh and left without bothering to protest. Had she really been such a...a tease? Why did people remember the flirting but forget the A average, the service-club presidency, even the barrel-racing wins, for heaven’s sake?
No, she’d never had a serious romance, because most men just wanted a good time. And good times were nice, but a relationship needed more. She’d already lost one family, and she’d seen many others fall apart. She wasn’t going to build her own unless she could be sure it would last.
For that she wanted a man with integrity, a man she could depend on and trust to make the right choices. A man who would make her his partner, put his family first and take care of them with everything he had. When she found that guy, she’d see about getting serious.
Inside the Circle M’s gate, she stopped the truck, rolled down the windows and took some deep breaths of clean, cool air. Then she put on new lipstick, ran a comb through her hair and prepared to greet the Marshall brothers with all the confidence she possessed.
* * *
RIDING TOWARD HOME, Ford felt every minute of his day on horseback, thanks to the aches in his calves, his thighs and his butt. It had been way too long since he’d spent time in the saddle. And tomorrow the real pain would set in. By tomorrow night, he wouldn’t want to move.
But he and Garrett and Dylan had moved about a hundred cow-calf pairs to nice fresh pasture near the mountains. He’d spent the hours outdoors, soaking up pure Wyoming sunshine. His favorite boots still fit, and his jeans were even a little loose. Whatever they cooked up for dinner tonight, he planned to eat a lot of it. All in all, a good day.
“Race you to the barn,” Dylan called, as he surged past on his Appaloosa gelding, Leo.
Ford shook his head. “Crazy.”
Garrett blew by, leaning over Chief’s black neck. “Loser makes dinner!”
Without a second thought, Ford flicked the end of the reins at his palomino, Nugget, and set out after them. He hadn’t been in a horse race in several years—he’d be lucky if he stayed on for the half mile to the barn, much less caught up.
At the end, the three of them came loping across the last field and up the road, their horses neck-and-neck. Dust clouds billowed around them while flecks of foam from the horses came back in their faces. They passed the finish line—the corner of the barn—and only then saw the truck parked in front of the house. The three cow ponies all came to a sliding stop right beside Caroline Donnelly’s bright red pickup.
It used to be bright red, anyway. Now a thick layer of dust had faded the color to dirty maroon. Caroline stood on the porch with Wyatt, watching with wide eyes, her mouth forming a big O of surprise.
“Busted,” Dylan muttered.
Ford threw him a warning glance. “You’re doing dishes.”
Garrett said, “Him and me both.”
Wyatt’s glare seared them even from a distance. “Is this any way to bring in a horse that’s been working hard for you all day long? I’d expect you three to know something about taking care of your animals, but I guess I was wrong. You can just go out again and walk those ponies till they’re cooled off—a good twenty minutes, I’d say, after that gallop. Once you’ve unsaddled, rubbed down and fed them, you can get over here and wash Caroline’s truck off. She’s staying for dinner, so when you’ve got the truck clean, you can come in and start cooking. I’d like to eat by seven.”
With a curt nod, he turned his back on them, opened the screen door and ushered Caroline into the house.
They didn’t make seven, but by seven thirty Ford had finished his chores and managed a quick shower, plus a change of clothes. He started to shave but stopped himself with razor in hand. It wasn’t as if he was going on a date.
In the kitchen, he checked the chili he’d thrown together, mixed a salad and took a stack of dishes off the shelf. Then, pulling in a deep breath, he went in to set the dining room table.
As he expected, Caroline stood in the doorway to the living room a moment later. “Can I do something to help?”
“Sure.” He’d meant just to glance over, but he got snagged by the sight of her in the last rays of sunlight, with copper glints sparking in her hair, her eyes shining, her skin glowing. She wore a red-and-blue-patterned dress that stopped well short of her knees. The long length of leg above her blue leather boots was a lovely thing to behold.
Ford struggled to get his brain back online. “We’re...uh...having chili and salad.”
