Her Rodeo Cowboy (14 page)

T
he meal had been the most romantic meal Montana had ever had. The gentle lapping of the water against the deck, the soft moonlight that seemed to hover over the lake just for them. The swan gliding about on the water beside them added to the romance, along with the music that drifted lightly on the breeze to them. There was so much that made the night special, but it was the look in Luke's eyes that had her heart fluttering from moment to moment. The light touch of his hand when he'd grasped hers. And his words left her feeling like she was floating on cloud nine.

This was what falling in love was like…would be like, if it was happening to her.

When they were leaving the restaurant, Luke took her hand in his. “Would you like to walk along the lake path for a little while?”

The warmth of his hand felt so nice. She nodded. “I'd like that.”

They headed to the side of the restaurant and down
to the pier. There was a sidewalk that led along the edge for a distance, past benches that had been placed along the way, and they followed it. Ahead of them, several yards away, an older couple strolled hand in hand, enjoying the night. They paused in a shadow and the woman placed her hand on the man's cheek. He bent and kissed her. A tug of emotions washed through Montana as she watched them. How many years had they been together? They could easily be newlyweds, or they could have been married for fifty years. Either way, just the sweetness of the gesture inspired her.

Looking up, she found Luke watching her. “I love that,” she said, waving toward the couple as they disappeared.

His expression was thoughtful. “Makes you wonder what their story is, doesn't it?” He pulled her toward him.

Still holding his hand, Montana went willingly, her heart stopping, then it started racing. She felt off-balance. Luke Holden did that, set her world tilting.

“Yes, it does.” She forced her voice to work as her gaze rested on his lips.

He lowered his head slightly, looking into her eyes as he paused mere inches from her. “You shake my world up, Montana,” he murmured, and then kissed her.

The night was still, peaceful, easy. The instant his lips met hers, everything stopped, and she knew she was in danger. So many emotions she'd never experienced came into play in his arms. Her heart sighed
and she felt as if she could stay there forever. As if God were smiling down on her.

Was this love?

There were so many reasons why she didn't want to fall in love. But she had.

How had this happened? In his arms, the walls she'd built around her heart seemed to crumble. She pushed gently on his chest and he pulled away, looking as stunned as she felt. Letting go of her, he walked a few feet, studying the moonlit water. “Montana, I…”

Neither of them had been looking for anything serious, and yet they seemed on a collision course toward it. Was he feeling the same? Was that what had him turning his back on her?

“Montana, I've fallen in love with you.”

His words took her breath away, even though she'd been wondering if it was possible that he could be feeling what she was feeling.

“No,” she said, saying the first thing that came to her. “No, Luke.” She paced to the water's edge, and it was her turn to stare out across it, with everything inside of her clashing. “I don't want to fall in love and neither do you. Remember, this was all just an infatuation and a friendship. It's not love. You don't want that. You want to get your ranch up and successful before you think about a marriage and a family. And I—” She slapped a hand to her chest. “I'm going on the rodeo circuit. I don't have time to think about being in love—”

That slow smile of his spread with maddening
beauty across his face, lighting his eyes with humor. “Montana, it's true I wasn't looking for this. But it's also true that it's happened. Are you telling me that what I'm feeling from you isn't true?”

She glared at him. “You…you've taken a perfectly good evening and ruined it.”

His eyes were twinkling with mirth. “Montana, it's going to be okay. I wasn't expecting this any more than you were, but I love you, and there isn't anything I can do about it but tell you.”

“Well, don't sound so enthusiastic.” She tried to think. Tried to figure this out.

He laughed. “Hey, I'm just being honest.” He pulled her into his arms again.

“Montana, I've been feeling something inside myself, since knowing you, that I've never felt before. I feel joy every time I see you. And it runs deep and strong. I'm praying you'll see it, too.”

“We haven't even finished our first date,” she protested.

His grin widened. “I know a good thing when I see it, and you're the best thing I've ever seen. Montana, the first time I saw you racing around that barrel at Lacy's, I felt drawn to you. I wasn't expecting it to be more than a passing attraction, but there was no shaking it. One date, two, fifty. It doesn't matter, I'm in love with you.”

She backed away from him. “I'm going on the rodeo circuit, Luke.”

He stepped toward her and cupped her face. “Yes, you are. Nothing I'm saying is changing that. I'm just
telling you that I love you, and I want a life with you. I want to raise babies with you and watch them grow up on the ranch.”

Montana felt dazed. He was trying to sweep her off her feet. There couldn't be any sweeping going on right now. She had to focus. And she had to focus
now.

And not on Luke.
No.
The only male she needed in her life right now was Murdock…. “I need to go home,” she said. “I need to go home now.”

Heart pounding, she ran back to Luke's truck.

 

Monday came bright and early. Montana woke up and saw Lacy and Tate sitting on the bed looking at her.

“So, how was it?” Lacy asked, grinning like a sly cat.

Montana rolled away from her and covered her head with her pillow. She hadn't slept at all, or at least she hadn't felt like she did until Lacy woke her. The last time she'd remembered staring at the clock, it had been 4:30 a.m. “What time is it?” she asked from beneath the pillow.

“Six. Me and Tate couldn't wait for you to get up. The little fella is just a Curious George when it comes to knowing what's going on in his aunt Monty's love life.”

Montana groaned. “It was a disaster.”

“What happened?”

Montana yanked the pillow from her head and sat up, staring at Lacy in disbelief. “He told me he loved me! That's what.”

“Woo-hoo!” Lacy exclaimed, clapping Tate's hands between hers and bouncing him on her lap. “We knew it! We knew it, didn't we, Tater!” Tate was grinning, his little mouth wide-open and his eyes bright. “Hold it.” Lacy stopped midexclamation point. “What did you tell him?”

Montana was still reeling. “I told him we hadn't even finished our first date.”

Lacy gasped while making an are-you-crazy face. “Montana, y'all have too been on dates. Maybe not technically, but you've had dinner here. And then there was the barbecue. And all that time at the arena. Oh, and going to put the fire out. Y'all have spent lots of time getting to know each other—”

“None of those were dates.”

“You're being technical again. You've spent time with him. Don't forget all the time in the arena and the festival. You know there is something special there. I see those blue-green eyes of yours go dreamy when he enters the room.”

Montana's stomach did somersaults. She'd thought about her feelings all night. It had been a quiet trip home, both of them tangled up in their own thoughts. She'd wondered what he was thinking of her reactions. There was no denying that she was crazy about him and that she had never felt with anyone the way she felt when she was around him.

Love. Yes, the emotion had actually entered her thoughts last night, too. But she couldn't believe it. It was irresponsible—she actually heard her father saying
the words in her head, as she'd gone over and over her feelings toward Luke.

“How could he love me so soon?”

Lacy's expression was still stuck in a smile. “God has a way of letting hearts speak to each other. Don't get me wrong, I believe in knowing what you're doing. Yep, there is nothing worse than a woman letting a man sweet-talk her into making a bad mistake. But I do believe that some love happens quickly and some love grows slowly. To each his own love journey. You aren't denying your feelings because of your dad, are you?”

“Maybe in a way,” Montana said. “I loved my daddy. Trusted him. Lacy, have you ever found out that the one person in all the world who you thought was most honorable and upright was a liar? That's what I did. And worse, I gave up my dreams for him.” Her stomach lurched.

Lacy patted her knee. “I can't imagine how that must feel.”

Montana hugged her pillow, watching Tate as he played with his momma's necklace. “I feel like such a whiner. I'm an adult. I am a CPA—whether I like it or not. I'm a strong, independent woman and I'm acting like a baby. I hate this.”

Lacy was studying her with thoughtful eyes. “Do you love Luke?”

Montana buried her face in her pillow. “I think I do,” she said, her voice muffled in the pillow. “But I can't,” she said, sighing.

“The romantic in me is thrilled and happy and wants
you to go throw yourself into his arms and let's have a wedding.” Lacy laid her hand on hers. “But this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to continue to pray. I know God has a plan. He always does.” She nodded her head enthusiastically when Montana frowned. “I think y'all go together like pie and ice cream.”

“Only you would think that way,” Montana said, her lip twitching despite her misery.

“There's no rush on this. Take it one day at a time. Just do me a favor and don't close your heart to this wonderful man God has put in your path, simply because your dad messed up. God can mend all fences and bring good from all things bad. Life is full of bad things. Wrongdoings and devastating blows. But God is always, always, always steady as the rock that He is. He will never leave you or forsake you, and He will not give you more than you can handle.” Lacy rattled off promises from God like she was really expecting them to come true. “And I'm telling you that, in the process, He's making you stronger than you ever thought you could be.”

Montana thought of Luke and all he'd been through as a kid growing up, and the man he'd become. She admired him so very much. Talk about strong. He was amazing. There was so much he could have held against God, and his mother and his dad. But he didn't seem to. It was something she longed to understand.

Montana took a deep breath. There were so many things going on in her life. So many conflicts swirling around in her head and heart that she felt dizzy. “I'm
not going to think about any of that today. Today, I'm going to make a plan before I hit the road hard.”

“I told Clint yesterday to get the trailer and truck ready because you were about to shoot for the stars. You deserve it.”

Did she? Montana knew the anger that was still bolted inside her heart. Luke had somehow dealt with issues of his own, and she wanted to know how he'd done it. Her heart hadn't softened, and it wasn't because she hadn't prayed about it. She had.

She wondered what Luke would think of her if he knew exactly how angry she was inside? He was the honorable one, she wasn't so honorable.

How could she feel so angry and then feel so guilty for not being able to forgive her dad?

She was just one goofed-up cookie, was all there was to it. God was probably looking down, wagging His head and wondering if she was ever going to get things figured out.

Montana wondered that, too.

 

“Luke, we came to talk.”

It was practically the break of dawn, and the matchmaking posse was standing on Luke's front porch a couple of days after he and Montana had gone out. He pulled the door open, and there they stood with the rising sun at their backs. The roosters had barely stopped crowing it was so early.

“Okay. Shoot.” He stepped back and motioned them to come inside.

Norma Sue led the way inside, barreling past him to
stand beside the kitchen counter. Esther Mae and Adela followed. They were a work in contradictions as they passed him one by one. Norma Sue in her jeans and button-down shirt, topped off with her white Stetson, Esther Mae in her grape slacks and orange shirt that fought hard with her red hair. And then refined Adela, petite and fragile in her pale pink blouse and cream slacks. She gave him a lovely smile as she entered.

“We are so glad we caught you before you started your day,” she said, patting his arm. “We know how busy you are.”

He gave a wary smile, feeling oddly nervous with them looking like they were on official business. Matchmaking business, he presumed.

“We've come to ask you a favor.” Norma Sue crossed her arms, looking like she dared him to say no. Luke knew she was like a steamroller when she got going, and he wondered if he was about to get mowed down.

“You know I'll do my best to help y'all any way I can.” It was true. He loved and respected these ladies—despite being a bit scared of them. What were they up to?

“We think you should ask Montana to work for you,” Esther Mae proposed, looking as if she'd just told him he'd won a million dollars.

He laughed because he'd already thought of the same thing. “You do? And what makes you think that?”

“We overheard Jess telling Sam that the business was growing and that you had been thinking about hiring some bookkeeping help.”

He had been thinking that. He'd even thought about offering it to Montana last night, but then he'd gone and opened his big mouth and told her he loved her.

If he wanted to scare her off, he'd chosen exactly the right thing to say.