Authors: Kate Vale
He had asked her to
come with him, that
Kittie had invited her,
too, when he visited with Bill Ames
to discuss
breeding his
neighbor’s
mares to
Jonathan’s
new stud.
Should she go, and give people the impression they were a couple?
Jonathan had said they would take in a
movie, too, and she’d been
looking forward to
spending more time with him
.
Perhaps she should call it off. But she
did want
to chat with Kittie.
Hadn’t she married into
a ranch
ing
family?
Suzanna wanted to know more about that.
Leaving home had seemed such an easy way to simplify her life. Now
complications were piling on, one after the other
.
She sighed,
pulled under the ranch sign
and
turned
in the direction of
the cabin, deep in thought.
Chapter 11
“I’m glad you wanted to come with me.”
Jonathan glanced at Suzanna, as they headed
away
from the ranch.
He watched an almost shy smile play about her lips, lips he wanted to kiss. “That you’re
interested in what we do around here.”
“I like learning new things
.” She
gave him a fleeting look before concentrating on the passing scenery.
“How can I
learn to
appreciate what I know so little about?”
“A refreshing philosophy. Then l
et me
offer some
background
on
what
Bill and I are planning
.” He briefly described the quarter horse-breeding scene
, and
how he had cut their herd of horses after his father’s death, preferring to concentrate on beef cattle production.
“
Why
, if you cut back, did you buy that new stallion? He seems like quite a handful.”
“He’s
only four years old,
full of himself
, and not
that well-mannered yet
.
He’s like a twenty-year-old kid, newly at college, and just learning who he is. He needs schooling. That’s why
I
’m riding
him.”
“You’ve ridden him
already
?” Her eyes widened.
“I never buy a horse I haven’t ridden—unless it’s a colt
not ready for a rider my size
, and mostly we raise our own. But before I bought this one, I let him get to know me. After I sat in the corral with him, he came up to see what I had in my hand, and after I ignored him a bit more, he practically asked for my attention.” He removed his hat and tossed it into the back seat of the truck
before reaching over and squeezing her hand
.
“He’s intelligent
, with
great bloo
dlines. That’s why I bought him,
because he’s more than just good stock. I expect he’ll pass on his good temperament, as long as his foals are handled right. I don’t need or want a big herd of horses, only
some
very good ones.
And he’ll pay for his keep if he’s bred to other mares.
”
When they arrived at the Blue Moon Ranch,
Kittie greeted
Suzanna
and offered her
a brief tour
. Jonathan watched
as
Suzanna
talked with Kittie before following Bill into his office
to conclude the
ir
plans for breeding ten of
the Blue Moon
mares to the new Circle K stud.
Suzanna sat in the kitchen where Kittie was loading the dishwasher. She pushed a strand of her dark curls off one rosy cheek. “
You’re new around here, right? I think I saw you at the covered dish supper
. And weren’t you shelving books at
the library a while back?
”
She smiled
. “I love to help Emma.
Makes me think how things might have been
. I always wanted to be a librarian. I
nstead
of finishing college,
I got
married
and started
having babies.”
“I went to school for a time, too. But when Bill sweet-talked my mother into letting me get married, I quit and have been here on the Blue Moon ever since.
”
“So you’ve always lived on a ranch, a rancher’s daughter and now a wife?”
A ranch woman.
Kittie nodded. “
My folks own
ed
the spread next
to Bill’s
. Bill bought
out
my dad when he retired. Then
Papa
took my mom and went to live in Missoula. My two sisters and brother live there, so they have more help nearby than if they’d stayed here.”
She looked over at Suzanna as she wiped
off
the table before sitting down. “How long are you going to be here?
I think Jonathan told Bill
you’ve done quite a bit of traveling.”
“Yes, I was on
a road trip
before I found Willow Grove. I’m not sure about the winter—where I’ll stay then. The cabin I’m in now
…is probably
not the best during the winter
,” surprising herself that she was thinking of staying past September. Suzanna flashed to Jonathan’s original invitation for her to stay in the main ranch house. So tempting, but did she dare?
“Our winters can be hard, but aren’t you from Minnesota? I’d think you’d be used to snow and ice.”
Suzanna chuckled.
“I’m just not sure I want to stay used to it. How do you manage the short days and long nights
,
and being stuck
inside
when blizzards hit?”
“It can get wicked.
The ranchers in this valley…
we watch out for
one another.” She seemed to be taking Suzanna’s measure. “J
onathan is a good man. I hope you know that.”
“
I’m so grateful he let me rent his cabin for the summer.” S
he
gaz
ed out the window at the climbing roses working their way up
a
nearby trellis.
Kittie
rummaged in a drawer before pulling out a scrapbook of pictures
. “You must be someone special. Jonathan isn’t one to show a woman around. He had a bad time with his wife and after
. I guess he’s probably told you
he
pretty much
raised his kids b
y himself
.” She wiped her hands on the towel Suzanna handed her.
“I may be speaking out of turn,
if he hasn’t told you about that.”
“I’ve heard a few things. But it wasn’t my place to ask a lot of questions.
A
fter all, he’s my landlord. And…
we’re just friends.” She
felt her cheeks warm
.
“Yes, friends.
That’s good.”
Kittie pointed to three pictures of two small boys.” Here they are, my Billy and Jonathan, when they were little. They’ve been friends all their lives.” She sat back in her chair. “If you ask me, you’re more than a friend to Jonathan. He couldn’t take his eyes off you,
even when he’s talking horses with Bill.
” She closed the book when Suzanna bit her lip and looked away, hoping the warmth of her cheeks, the pounding in her chest, didn’t show.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have said that,” Kittie remarked.
“It’s okay. I worry that people might have the wrong impression…because I’m at his place.” She took a sip of her tea. “I guess I’m not used to people thinking something’s going on between us.” She gulped. “I mean, we’re friends and all, but…”
“Jonathan’s important in this community. We all care about him, and we hated the way his wife treated him, leaving the kids and what she did behind his back. You’ve probably heard about that, too. There aren’t a lot of secrets around here. Anyone he pays attention to… we want to know about them.”
“Emma said something about Maris being interested in Jonathan. I’ve met her a couple of times. She doesn’t seem to like me.”
Kittie laughed. “Oh. Maris. She’s been carrying a torch for him ever since they were in grade school, but he’s never paid her any mind. Why she doesn’t give up, I have no clue. Don’t worry about her. I’ll bet Jonathan hardly knows she’s alive, especially with you here.” She reached for Suzanna’s empty tea cup. “Let’s
get those men to stop talking business. They could do that all day.”
Kittie
led Suzanna outside to the large pasture near the barn that
hel
d
a
dozen mares, some with long-legged colts at their sides. “Bill tells me Jon
athan
wants to leave no later than five. It’s getting close to that.”
Relieved that the conversation had turned to horses, Suzanna exclaimed,
“Look at them run and buck!”
She
pointed at two colts, a bit bigger than the others, who reared against one another, as if boxing, and then wheeled in opposite directions before turning and appearing to chase
each
other along the far fence.
“They’re practicing for later in life,” Bill explained. “Those two may look like they were fighting, but they are the best of friends. Reminds me of Kittie and her sister
s
.” He laughed before putting his arm around his wife.
Suzanna thought of
Penny
and
Kevin. Were they getting closer
now that she wasn’t around
to intervene in their sibling squabble
s?
An hour later, Jonathan and Suzanna headed
down the road
, where they ate a light supper and went to a movie.
Suzanna remembered little of what they saw. She
kept thinking
about Kittie’s remarks. As the moon rose on their ride home, she looked over at Jonathan
, his hair riffling in the breeze from the side window
.
“A penny for your thoughts.” H
e smiled.
She remained silent, unsure whether to ask him what she wanted to know.
“How about a dime
then, or a quarter?” He reached for her hand
, his touch heating her
.
She decided to take a chance.
“I was wondering what you were going
to do with the cabin if I hadn’
t rented it.”
He drove for another mile before answering. “My children used to play there when they were young.”
“I remember the toys I found.”
Another mile sped by. “But
my ex-wife—she used it for other purposes. Keeping the cabin wasn’t something I was planning.” They swung behind a logging truck.
“
Actually,
I was thinking of tearing it down.” He looked over at her. “But—now that you’ve fixed it up, it doesn’t look quite the same, so I’m not sure what I’ll do with it—
if
you leave.”
If? Was he saying he didn’t want her to leave?
He pulled
in
to a rest stop overlooking a meandering stream with picnic tables scattered nearby. “Unless
you decide to stay.” He cut the motor. “L
onger than you said you were going to.”
He exited the truck, opened the door for her, and invited her to step outside. “I need to walk around, get the stiffness out of my back.” He took her hand and they walked toward the river.
The rising moon was shining red through the trees as they approached the river and began to walk along
the bank
.
“Is the cabin sturdy enough for a winter boarder?” She dared to think she might stay longer,
if
he
asked
her.
“The men have used it from time to time when they were caught in a white-out.” He pushed a strand of silken hair behind her ear, brushing her cheek with a finger as he did so. “They never complained th
at it wasn’t warm enough.” H
e pulled her into his arms. “You are so beautiful,” he whispered
. “I love the perfume of your hair.”
Suzanna’s heart pounded. She was sure he could hear it, feel it where she was pressed against his chest.
Then he
lift
ed her chin and leaned
his head down
to kiss her.
Why did she not pull away
? Part of her brain screamed,
Don’t do this!
The rest of her drank in his attentions, unable to get enough and wanting their embrace to last forever. With his second more insistent kiss, she was kissing him back, her hands and fingers exploring his back and then his chest. When she touched his skin where his shirt was open at the neck, h
e tensed and pulled her closer.
She felt their next kiss to the bottom of her to
es. She wondered idly why she di
dn’t burst into flame from
his
heat—and hers.
When h
e finally released he
r and held her at arm’s length, he murmured, as if having read her thoughts,
“You are much more to me than my tenant, Suzanna. I hope you know that.”
She didn’t dare say what she was thinking, so she simply nodded. “Good friends,” she finally whispered. “We’re good friends.”
Why couldn’t she admit it—to him? To herself?
She felt his eyes boring into hers
. Could he tell she wanted more than friendship? That her body had tingled with eager awareness at what his body had signaled?