Foundation for Three (13 page)

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Even though Zoey had back-to-back patients to help pass the time the next day, getting through all of Friday had been excruciating. When the last of her patients had walked out of the office, she was finally able to leave. Not only was she excited about riding again, she was thrilled to have the chance to see Pete Banks without tears blurring her vision.

During her short lunch hour, she’d given some serious thought to both Thad and Pete. The dynamics between all three of them were quite unique. It was a help-and-be-helped kind of thing. Thad had saved her by shooting Garrett, and then Pete had been there for her as she’d tried to cope with the nightmare. Two days later, she’d helped Thad when he needed a ride home, though by no means what she did for him equaled what he’d done for her. The only missing ingredient was her helping Pete.

As soon as she entered her house, she headed straight to the bedroom. Knowing there would be little time to decide what to wear, she’d laid out her clothes last night. She wanted to be comfortable, but also look nice. The problem was that nothing fit the bill, but she didn’t have time to shop. They’d be outside, so her jacket would cover her less than sexy shirt. Just as she yanked on her boots, the doorbell rang. Yikes, he was here.

Zoey rushed to the door and opened it.
Wow
. Pete was wearing a sexy black shirt, jeans that flowed over his hips like molten steel, and well-worn boots. Through all her tears, she must not have noticed what a great-looking guy he was. “Hey, come in.”

“Ready?”

She smiled. “Just need to grab my purse.” After she set the alarm, Pete helped her into his truck then jogged to the other side and jumped in.

“Sorry about the mess.” He picked up a hammer and tossed it behind his seat. “I rarely go any place with a lady. Should have vacuumed it at least.”

Zoey wasn’t sure if that was a come-on or not, but she liked the sentiment. “I have no problem being in a work vehicle.”

He smiled. “You don’t mind getting a little mud on you then?”

Somehow this seemed like a trap. “Are we going to cross a muddy river?”

He smiled. “No telling where Dad’s beasts will take us, but I was referring to contractor’s mud. We use it to cover the cracks where the wallboard abuts.” He tapped a stain on the seat.

“Ah.” She had a lot to learn.

In no time, they arrived at his parents’ spread. Pete’s folks only lived about six miles from her house, on the northeast corner of Rock Hard, but she wasn’t sure if they technically were within the town limits. “How many acres do they own?” She didn’t see many homes nearby.

“Only four hundred, but there aren’t any roads between Dad’s house and the mountains, so no one lives back there. Someday it might happen.”

“It’s beautiful.” The rustic grandeur of Montana never failed to amaze her.

He stopped the truck and helped her out. “Just leave your purse here, unless you think you’ll need something.”

“I’m good.” Pete led her to a barn that was located to the west of the Banks’ mansion. The house had to be close to ten thousand square feet. “What do your parents do with all that space?”

He laughed. “Trust me, I asked them the same thing. Maybe now you can see why receiving their old home as payment might not have been the best deal for me.”

“Your dad didn’t give you any cash to cover the costs of labor and materials?”

“He did.” Pete placed a hand on her lower back and escorted her inside the barn.

From the way his jaw had tightened, talking about his father wasn’t his favorite subject. She wondered if after they rode she’d get to meet Mr. or Mrs. Banks. For now, she’d enjoy Pete—or rather Parker Banks.

The rich smell of hay reminded her so much of her high school days and stirred something deep inside her. At the sight of the five beautiful horses, she groaned.

“Bring back memories?” Pete escorted her over to a mare that was already saddled.

“Yes.”

“This here is Snow Cone.”

Snow Cone
. “Cute name.” The top of her head was white, and from her eyes down she was the color of a waffle cone. “Hey, there.” The horse whinnied. “How nice that the hands saddled her.” That way they wouldn’t waste daylight.

“Hands? No. I came out before I picked you up and got the horses ready.”

Pete was amazing. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He led Snow Cone out of her stall. “You need help up?”

“I’m good.” As if she was sixteen again, she mounted. Pete did the same. “What’s your horse’s name?”

“Winter Run.” He nodded to the outside. “Let’s get a move on it, cowgirl. I got a nice place I want to show you, and it gets dark soon in these here parts.” She loved his fake cowboy accent.

Side by side they walked their horses for a bit. Going slow allowed her to enjoy the scenery, as well as the scent of sage that was mixed with pine. Mountain vistas never ceased to amaze her. The big expanse took her breath away. When a gust of wind blew across the plains, it cut through her jacket, but the sun warmed her up in seconds.

By taking their time, Zoey got the feel back for riding. She was quite happy that her body had remembered how to sit and how to ride. But after all that had happened this past week, she wanted the adrenaline to pump through her veins, to make her feel alive again.

Time seemed to stand still. “Want to race?” she asked, hoping she wouldn’t fall off if he agreed.

He grinned. “Want to lose?”

“You are so going down, cowboy.”

Pete tugged on Winter Run’s reins and looked around. “Let me see. How about we stop fifteen feet in front of that large boulder?” He pointed to an outcropping of rocks about three hundred yards away.

She petted Snow Cone’s flank. “Ready, girl, to beat this old man?”

He laughed. “Old, huh? On the count of three. One, two—”

While Zoey was usually a stickler for rules, the urge to break one this minute seemed right. She nudged Snow Cone before he said three, and the horse took off. It was as if the animal sensed the competitive tone in Pete’s voice. A few seconds later, he was by Zoey’s side, his horse kicking up dirt. He looked over and waved. Damn him. Determined to win this bet, she leaned forward and urged on her steed.

Pete toyed with her, pulling ahead for a few lengths, and then falling behind. As they neared their destination, his horse charged and crossed the imaginary line first. Damn. By the time she pulled up, she was laughing hard.

Pete jumped off his horse, came over to her, and helped her down. “Nice riding there.”

His hands on her caused tingles to charge up her spine. “Thanks. I see I’ll need more practice if I’m going to win next time.” The excitement and thrill of the race was fantastic.

“Not a problem. Coming out here soothes the wild beast inside me, too.” He pounded his chest, but thankfully didn’t give a Tarzan yell. Pete’s eyes darkened as he moved close and wrapped his arms around her waist. “How about a kiss for the winner?” He tilted his head and tapped his cheek.

“Why not?” He’d earned it. Zoey leaned in and gave him a quick peck. She caught a slight hesitation on his part as if he was debating whether to go further. At the thought that he might, heat raced up her face.

He slid his hand to hers. “Come on. There’s something I want to show you.” He nodded toward a path that wove its way between the rocks. “You good with a quick climb?”

“Sure.” Now more than ever she wished she hadn’t let her running routine fall to the wayside.

Since the path was steep, Pete led. Every few steps, he’d stop and check to see if she was okay. His protective side appealed to her. In less than ten minutes, the trail ended.

“Come take a look at this.” He helped her over some boulders at the top.

She was a little out of breath when she stepped next to him. The wind at this altitude was strong and the space to stand meager, but the trip was so worth it. “It’s amazing.” The tip of peak, far in the distance, had a dusting of snow on top, foreshadowing the coming of winter.

Pete moved behind and wrapped his arms around her. “Don’t want the wind to carry you away.” As if to prove his point, a strong gust buffeted them, and his grasp tightened.

His warmth seeped through her, and the peace she’d been looking for finally arrived. He rested his chin on the top of her head. Without a word, they absorbed nature’s beauty.

Pete pointed to the peak in the distance. “That’s Ch-Paa-qn peak.”

“It’s magnificent.” The brown range below gracefully led up to the base of the rugged mountain. If there had been a good place to sit and chat, she would have suggested it, but there didn’t seem to be anywhere up here but against a steeply slanted rock.

“Now you see why Dad wanted to move here.”

“Totally.”

“Let’s head down. There’s a small cove inside the tree line that will offer some shelter.” He took her hand and together they picked their way down the trail.

The soles of her boots were rather slippery on the pebbles, and the few times she slid, Pete managed to keep her upright. When they reached the bottom, the horses were still there, nibbling on tuffs of grass.

Pete grabbed the reins of both horses and led them a hundred feet to the trees. “Just in case they get any ideas, I better tie them.”

Once the horses were secured, he grabbed a blanket and a thermos from his saddlebag. He then led her along a level path into the woods where the fresh smell of pine boosted her spirits. Less than a half mile later, the sound of rushing water greeted her. As soon as they passed a large bolder, a small stream appeared.

“This is awesome.”

“It’s one of my favorite spots on Dad’s ranch.” He spread out the blanket and guided her to the ground. He then held up the thermos. “Hot chocolate?”

“Sure.” She unscrewed the top, poured half a cup, and returned it to him. The intense smell of chocolate brought back good memories of when her friends would build a campfire and roast marshmallows.

He tipped the bottle to his lips and took a draw. “When I told my mom I was coming out here today, she said Dad wanted to meet you. Are you okay with that?”

She chuckled. “Sure. What do they know about me? Did you tell them about the shooting and my breakdown? I don’t want to say something about Thad and have your mom be shocked.”

He rubbed her arm. “Relax. I told her I was remodeling your home and had just met you. Nothing about the incident or the aftermath.”

The aftermath
. That sounded much better than a breakdown.

For the next few minutes, they just listened to the gurgling stream, the leaves rustling in the wind, and the birds singing. It was peaceful and natural. As much as she liked communing with nature, she wanted to learn more about him. “What was the toughest part about growing up as the son of Randall Banks?”

He glanced over at her and raised a brow. “Your shrink side is showing.” He worked his mouth as if he was trying not to smile.

“Well, I am a shrink. You asked me out. There are bound to be consequences.” She swallowed a laugh.

“Consequences?”

When he sobered, she shrugged. “I like to dig. It’s part of who I am.”

He grinned. “I’m good with a little unearthing. As I said once before, I have nothing to hide. The ladies I’ve always attracted seem to want to talk about themselves, but not you.”

“I can’t learn anything when I’m speaking.”

Pete stared out at the water, the trees, and then the sky.

“You want to know about me?” His voice had softened, almost as if it was laced with pain.

“I do.”

“Okay, then. Here goes.”

Chapter Eleven

P
ete couldn’t believe it. Zoey was even more fascinating than when he’d first met her. That initial encounter would be something he’d never forget. When he’d turned around in her bathroom, it was like she was holding out an emotional life ring meant just for him. It was an offering. A plea to connect. A gift really, and while it was laced with pain and confusion, it also held immense strength. He bet she had no idea that when she’d told him about her fear of dying and looked at him with both hope and despair over how she’d put another man’s life in jeopardy, that a frozen piece of his heart had cracked.