Keeper of the Stars (24 page)

“I thought I'd go for a ride,” she said. “I haven't been in the saddle in ages, and everything is so beautiful with the sunshine sparkling off the snow and the sky such an icy blue.”

“It's mighty cold out there,” Rodney said.

“I'll bundle up good.” Her gaze met Trevor's. “Would you like to join me?”

“You bet.” He stood so fast his chair started to tip over. He grabbed for it just in time.

Amusement twinkled in her eyes. “I'll run up to change my clothes.” She disappeared through the doorway.

Trevor sat down again.

“She always did like riding horses in the cold and snow.” Rodney gave Trevor a knowing look. “Seems you agree with her. As for me, I think I'll go sit by the fire and take a nap.”

Penny's and Trevor's breaths hung before their faces as they saddled and bridled their mounts. But Penny barely noticed the cold. She was dressed for the weather, of course, but the reason she didn't notice went beyond that. She felt . . . happy. A happiness that warmed her much more than the insulated underwear beneath her jeans and sweater. She had no interest in analyzing why she felt happy, only in enjoying it.

The horses ready, they led them out of the barn. Trevor closed the door behind them before stepping into the saddle. “Where are we headed?” he asked as his gaze swung in her direction.

She pointed toward the eastern mountains with an outstretched arm. “Thataway.” Then she nudged her horse's sides with her heels and they started forward. “Come on, Fred. Ginger.”

The two border collies didn't need further encouragement.

Trevor had mentioned that he wanted to own a horse again, and she realized, when she looked over at him, that she'd been skeptical about his interest. She shouldn't have been. The way he sat in the saddle, the way he held the reins, the pleasure written in the upward turn of the corners of his
mouth—all said he hadn't embellished his experience with horses or the enjoyment he took from them.

We should have done this before today
.

Trevor glanced her way. She wished the sunglasses didn't hide his eyes.

“This is great,” he said, grinning. “Thanks for inviting me to come along. I'll be sore tomorrow, but I'm loving it now.”

You look good in the saddle.
Her cheeks grew warm.

Perhaps not noticing her blush, he looked across the fields toward the mountains again. “I haven't been out this direction before. It's the visual definition of
winter wonderland
, isn't it?”

“I think so.”

“How far along this way is Cartwright land?”

She pointed ahead. “That clump of trees is the northeast corner. Beyond that fence line, there's about sixty acres that have been for sale for the last five years. Dad's always wished he could buy that land so he could increase the herd. But the owners haven't lowered the price any in five years, so I guess they aren't in a hurry to sell.” She shrugged. “It doesn't matter now. Can't afford it. And growing the ranch is the last thing Dad needs to do for his health.”

“He wants it because he's the real deal. You know what I mean. A modern-day cowboy. It isn't about the clothes he wears. It's the land and the livestock. It runs in his veins, I think.”

“Dad would love to hear you say all that.”

“Well, it's true. Me, all I've got are the boots, jeans, and hat. Oh, and the pickup truck.”

She smiled at him. “You forgot your love of country music. That's worth a point or two of cowboy cred.”

“Cowboy
cred
?” He laughed aloud. “Did a librarian really say that? Isn't it sort of a mixed metaphor or something? You know. The word
cowboy
mixed with urban lingo.”

She feigned insult. “I like it.” But she couldn't keep it up for long. Her laughter bubbled up to mingle with his.

They fell into a pleasant silence; the only sounds the crunch of crusty snow beneath the horses' hooves and the creak of leather saddles. Sunlight sparkled across the snowy landscape. At the foot of the mountains, smoke rose from a chimney, although the house itself was hidden from view. Penny thought she caught a whiff of burning wood, although it was probably her imagination. That chimney was a long way off, and the air was still, no breeze to carry scents any distance.

“Tell me something,” Trevor said.

She glanced over at him. “What?”

“If it weren't for your father, would you still be living in Kings Meadow?”

She pondered the question for a short while, finally answering, “I don't know. If you'd asked me a few years ago, I would have said no. Not because I don't like it here. I
love
it. But I wanted to see more of the country while I was young and unmarried.”

“Did you ever come close to marrying? Any special guy in your life?”

It surprised her, the personal nature of his questions, and yet she wasn't upset or even reluctant to answer. “No. Not really. There was somebody I dated in college for a number of months. I thought the relationship might turn into something special. But it never did. On either of our parts. We were better as friends. You know what I mean.”

A shrug was his answer.

“Have
you
ever thought about marrying?”

He answered quickly and firmly. “No. Never.” Once again his gaze lifted to the mountaintops ahead of them. “My parents' marriage wasn't the happiest I've seen. My dad was a . . . He was a hard man. Angry. Unkind.” He drew a breath. “He could be cruel at times.”

She'd guessed as much as she'd grown to know Trevor, but it hurt to hear him say the words aloud. “And because of that, you don't ever want to marry?”

“You know how they say cycles get repeated, passed along in families. Like adult children of alcoholics becoming alcoholics. Like those kids who were abused become abusers. What if I got married and had kids and ended up treating my wife and children the way Mom and I were treated?”

“It doesn't have to be that way, Trevor. Dad always says that God can break generational sins.”

He looked at her, emotions flickering across his face. It seemed as if he wanted to believe her but was afraid to. After a long while, he said, “The life of a traveling musician isn't exactly conducive to healthy, long-term relationships. Of any
kind. Romantic or otherwise. It always seemed best that I just keep my friendships casual.”

“Sounds lonely.”

He glanced her way again. “I never used to think so.”

“And now?”

Again he shrugged. “Guess I'm not so sure.”

Why did that answer make her pulse quicken?

As if needing her body to move as fast as her heart rate, she tapped the heels of her boots against her gelding's sides. The horse broke into a trot, the dogs running ahead. Trevor lagged behind only for a short while. When his mount pulled up beside her, he grinned but seemed content for them to lapse into silence once again.

It suited Penny as well.

Chapter 18

H
OURS LATER, THE SKY HAD GROWN OVERCAST, AND
the mercury had dipped sharply. Trevor and Penny led their mounts into the barn to unsaddle them. Rodney joined them before the cinches were completely undone.

“Have a good time?” the older man asked, leaning against the rails of a stall.

“Yes,” they answered in unison.

That caused Trevor to smile. He liked the sound of their voices blended together.

“Where did you go?”

Penny answered, “We rode as far as the old Riverton estate.”

Rodney's eyebrows arched. “That far? No wonder you were gone so long.”

“It didn't seem all that long.” Trevor lifted the saddle from his mount's back. “And it was great to see the valley from
horseback. Whole different perspective than I get driving around in my truck.”

Rodney nodded as he pushed off the stall. “You know, you two ought to think about doing something fun for New Year's Eve. You've been trapped inside taking care of me for much too long. That is, when you aren't outside tending the livestock.”

“Dad, I don't think—”

“You could go down to Boise to see a movie. At the very least, you should go have yourself a nice dinner at the Tamarack Grill. In fact, I called and made a reservation for you two at eight o'clock, just in case you'd want to do that. I heard Grant Nichols has a special menu for tonight, and supposedly they've got a treat in mind for those who stick around until midnight to see in the New Year.”

“But, Dad, if we go out to eat, you should come with us.”

He shook his head. “No, I think I'd better stick close to my own kitchen for a while. You know, watch the diet and all. But you young folk should go and enjoy yourselves.”

Rodney Cartwright was about as subtle as a freight train, Trevor thought, but since the older man was suggesting the exact thing Trevor had wanted to ask Penny himself, he didn't object. Maybe he could even help things along.

“Let's do it, Penny,” he said, looking at her over the back of the horse between them. “It'll be fun.”

Indecision played across her face.

“Come on,” he pressed. “Let's make it a date. We can dress up and do the town.” He tried to sound playful, teasing,
as if the invitation was all in fun. After all,
doing the town
in Kings Meadow would not make for much excitement, even on this night of the year. But he was dead serious about it being a date. Would she realize that? And if she did, would it scare her off or be what she wanted?

The waiting was close to agony.

“All right.” Her voice was soft and perhaps a little uncertain, but despite that, she'd agreed to go out with him.

“Great!” He looked at Rodney again. “I'll get the cattle fed and then go home to shower and change.”

Two and a half hours later, Trevor drove toward the Cartwright ranch again. Except for a little white trim on his shirt, he was dressed all in black, from the cowboy hat on his head to the boots on his feet. It had been one of his favorite outfits to wear when he performed. He hoped Penny would like it too. He wanted to impress her. He wanted her to find him attractive. With Penny, everything seemed to matter.

He silently prayed for God's will to be done, then felt a twinge of fear. What if God's will wasn't for Penny to fall in love with him? He knew he was supposed to want God's will above everything else, but praying for it when he wasn't assured of the outcome was more difficult than he'd expected it would be.

“I already love her, Lord,” he whispered. “Sure would be great if she could love me too.”

Arriving at the ranch, he drove to his usual parking spot
and cut the engine. As he exited the truck and climbed the porch steps, he felt as nervous as a teenager on his first date. He didn't enter the house of his own accord as had become his habit over the past couple of weeks. Instead he knocked and waited.

Rodney answered it. “Don't you clean up good.”

“I did my best, sir.”

The older man pulled the door open wide. “Come on in. Penny isn't down yet.”

“Thanks.” Trevor stepped into the entry hall, but before he could remove his hat or coat, a sound drew his gaze to the top of the stairs.

Penny stood there, wearing a dress that seemed both simple and formal. Sky blue, like her eyes and the gift he'd given her for Christmas. Silver threads in the fabric sparkled in the lamplight. Her long blonde hair had been swept up on her head and was adorned with a slender sequined band. It wasn't a tiara, but it seemed a crown in Trevor's eyes.

He waited until she was halfway down the stairs before he said, “Wow. You're beautiful.”

Her cheeks grew rosy. “Thank you.”

Why hadn't he asked her out before tonight? Why had it taken her own father to get the ball rolling? He knew the answer, of course. He'd been trying to avoid falling for her. He wasn't trying to avoid it any longer. It was a done deal.

She reached the bottom of the stairs. “You look rather handsome yourself.”

Behind Trevor, Rodney cleared his throat. “You two better
get a move on. Don't want to lose your reservation at the only restaurant in town.”

Trevor turned around and found Rodney holding up his daughter's coat for her. She walked to him, turned, and slipped her arms into the sleeves. Then she faced him again and kissed his cheek.

“Love you, Dad. We won't be late.”

“You stay out just as long as you please. I'm going to watch a documentary and then go to bed.”

“Aren't you going to see in the New Year?”

Rodney laughed as he touched Penny's cheek. “For a man my age, a good night's sleep is more important.” He took a couple of steps backward, stopping in the entrance to the living room.

Taking his cue, Trevor moved up to Penny's side. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.” She smiled up at him. “I'm ready.”