Suited to be a Cowboy (21 page)

Chapter Fourteen

Jimmy returned to the ranch house tired but enthused. The
horses were well on the mend. He washed up and went to the kitchen to find Melissa
and John already at the table sipping coffee.

“Officer Jacobs stopped in while you were out on the
range,” she said. “I was just telling John about the oleander growing in the
creek. The water for the house and creek tested clear today, so that’s a
relief. None of the ranchers downstream had any problems. The police think we
caught it in time to prevent damage to neighboring ranches and farms.”

“That’s good. Any idea where the plants came from?” Jimmy
asked.

“Yes, the soil stuck to the roots of the first plant you found
matches an area about fifty miles southeast of here, just outside Denver.” She smiled and
perked up, her eyes twinkling in excitement. “We knew they took him in for
questioning on suspicion yesterday, but guess what? They found Marcus’
fingerprints in the northern line shack, and the boot prints they found at the
creek matched the pair he was wearing. The police also discovered that Marcus
stayed at a hotel near Denver
the night before last.”

Jimmy nodded. “So that gives him access and opportunity. Seems
like they have enough evidence to hold him this time.”

She slumped in her chair. “Unfortunately, he’s already
been released. Although he was issued firm orders to stay out of Colorado until his day
in court.”

“Well, that’s something at least. The horses have made a
remarkable recovery, according to the vet.”

“Yes, John already filled me in on that.” She bestowed a
stunning smile on John and an arrow of jealousy pierced Jimmy’s heart. Would
she ever smile at him like that?

Jimmy finished his coffee and pushed away from the table. “I’ll
get back to the office. See you later.”

Mumbled goodbyes followed in his wake, but he never broke
stride and didn’t turn back. Melissa and John were laughing. He wondered
briefly what was so funny, then unlocked the office, closing the door firmly behind
him. Only then did he take a few calming breaths to get his emotions under
control.

On booting up the computer, he decided to check real
estate listings in the area. Once he caught up on Melissa’s accounts, he’d only
have to be here once or twice a week to keep the books current. It was time to
find a spread of his own.

After searching through listings for half an hour, he
found one that appealed to him. It was only about twenty miles Northwest of
Melissa’s ranch, toward Livermore.
Another ranch, southwest toward Drake, caught his attention, but the first one
was a much larger property for less money. Funny enough, the same river ran
through both properties. He palmed his phone and dialed the agent’s number.
When he hung up, he had appointments to view both properties in the morning. He
wondered how Melissa would take the news.

Maybe he just wouldn’t say anything—go look at the
properties and, if he decided to buy one, then tell her. Yeah, that would work.
He smiled and loaded the accounting program, pleased with himself as he settled
in to get the job done. He only had this month’s stuff left to input, so it
should go fairly fast.

Three hours later, he stretched out the kinks and paced
the office. He needed some fresh air. The patio doors opened silently and he
slipped through to walk around the courtyard. The lush flowers and greenery
always made it seem like a mini oasis in the midst of the range. He would miss
this when he left. He’d miss
her
. No,
he wouldn’t go there.

Hands in his pockets and his mind in turmoil, he strolled
the path toward the gazebo. At the final turn, he changed direction and headed
for the stable. It would feel good to take Sherry for a run. He’d ride out and
check on his Mustangs.

Should he go back and let Melissa know he’d be gone for a
while? Maybe she’d like to ride out with him. He felt a sudden twinge of guilt about
Aaron. The boy never did get to see the Mustangs. Maybe tomorrow. Today, the
only company he wanted was the one person he needed to steer clear of.

*
* * *

After Sheila’s confession, Melissa found herself needing
to rethink things. She escaped to the relative privacy of the courtyard,
admiring the different varieties of her grandmother’s roses as she walked the
flagstone path.

Had her grandmother known that their housekeeper had
fallen in love with her husband? Granny was a sensitive soul and wouldn’t have
said a word, unless Sheila had acted on her feelings. In all the years she’d
been visiting the ranch, Melissa had never once suspected.

Sure, Sheila had cried at his funeral service. She had
too, so she’d thought nothing of it. Of course, her main goal that day was in
consoling Aaron. He’d just lost his hero, the one man who’d been constant in
his life and enjoyed spending time with him. Marcus had had the gall to attend,
but she’d informed the ushers that he was no longer family, and he’d had to sit
among the community members who’d come to pay their respects.

He’d also insisted on being at the reading of the will,
but on denying him that right, she’d been adamant.

She wondered now if her grandfather’s last days might have
been happier if Sheila had openly acknowledged her love for him. But no, to his
dying day, he’d always said he was a one-woman man and his Rosie was the best
woman a man could have. Sheila never stood a chance.

Do I stand a chance of
winning Jimmy’s love? Or will he leave here never knowing how much I truly
care? How good our lives could be together?

Suddenly she tripped on a piece of raised flagstone and
would’ve fallen except for grabbing the nearest branch with her good hand.
“Ouch!”
Did it have to be a rosebush?
Good grief! How much pain could one woman stand?

On the verge of feeling sorry for herself, she willed back
the tears and kept walking—or tried to. She couldn’t put any weight on her
ankle and almost took a header into the same rosebush that had saved her.
Jeesh
! What next?

Balanced precariously on one leg, she reached in her jeans
pocket for her cell phone.
Urgh!
She’d forgotten it again. Hollering for help just wasn’t her style.
Pride be damned
. She hollered. “Help!
Someone help me. Please.”
Humph! So much
for that.
The gazebo was closer at this point, so she hopped the rest of
the way there, succeeding in jarring her sore ribs and hitting her busted arm
on the frame of the gazebo. Melissa sank down onto the cushioned bench seating,
glad to have a soft landing.

Time dragged slowly by as she waited to be rescued. Finally,
Melissa saw Jimmy coming and her body sprang to life in anticipation. Suddenly,
he looked up and changed direction, quickly striding away. Had he seen her? Was
he avoiding her? If she hadn’t tripped on the flagstone path and turned her
ankle, she’d hurry after him. As it was, she’d only made it this far by sheer
determination. She’d needed a quiet place to think and the garden beckoned. Now
here she was, sitting in the gazebo and wondering how she’d manage to get back
to the house. She could’ve called out to Jimmy, but if he really was trying to
avoid her, she’d let him have his space.

The problem was, she hated asking for help. She’d always
been independent. And now that she knew the extent of Marcus’s misdeeds, it was
doubly important to prove that she could stand on her own two feet. She
grimaced at the thought and glanced down at her leg where it rested on the
bench seat. Her ankle was badly swollen. The tender skin stretched painfully.
She needed to get some ice on it and soon.

Of all the times to
forget my cell phone.
It had become a habit to carry it with her, as she
never knew where she’d end up when working the ranch. She’d forgotten it the
day she fell off her horse too. When would she ever learn?

She made herself as comfortable as she could and waited.
Surely, someone would come looking for her when she didn’t show up for dinner. Of
course, with Jimmy gone too, Sheila would probably assume they’d gone somewhere
together. And Aaron was spending most of his time with Sasha. Maybe they’d
venture out to the courtyard some time today.

Lying back on the seat, her good arm cushioning the back
of her head, she studied the clouds drifting overhead. At least it was a beautiful
day. A squirrel ran across the top railing and up the post, chasing after a
low-flying blue jay. Melissa smiled in pure enjoyment, knowing the squirrel
would not even get close.

Then, she sobered abruptly. Was that what she’d been doing
with Jimmy? Had she been chasing after a man she’d never be able to catch? Their
attraction to each other was mutual. There was no second-guessing that fact. His
carrying her around had increased that initial attraction. And it wasn’t just
sexual, at least, not on her part. She really liked the man, correct that, she loved
him. They’d gone from friends to lovers within a short span of time. Maybe
things were just moving too fast.

She closed her eyes and the image of Jimmy standing before
her in the nude flashed through her mind. Not a blemish or scar marred the
perfection of his body. He was certainly a sight to behold. She’d hurt him by
turning him away that first morning, but hadn’t wanted to blurt out the truth.
At that point, it had been more prudent to think things through, and she had.

Her joy at the thought of carrying his child brought home
to her how much she loved him. Whatever time she had with him, she’d enjoy to
the fullest. If she ended up with a broken heart, so be it. At least with Jimmy
she felt like a woman…a very loved and cherished woman…if only in her own mind.

*
* * *

After an exhilarating ride across the range, Jimmy steered
Sherry back toward the ranch proper. He pulled up in front of the barn,
dismounted, and led her inside. “Hey, girl. That was a great run. Sorry I
haven’t spent much time with you lately.” He kept up a running monologue as he
brushed her down, her frequent whinnies and nudges telling him that she’d
missed him too. “We’ll soon have our own spread. I’ll still be busy a lot of
the time, but you and I will be a twosome during most of it.”

He put the currycomb away and brought her a ration of feed
and fresh water. “There you go, girl. I’ll be back to see you tomorrow.” Jimmy
closed up the barn and headed for the house, going by way of the courtyard so
he could wash up. His taste buds came to life as he anticipated another of
Sheila’s home-cooked meals.

A low groan from the direction of the gazebo caught his
attention and he ventured closer to see who was there. Melissa was stretched
out on the bench seat, sound asleep. God, she was beautiful. If only they
could’ve met on equal ground. He squatted next to her sleeping form and allowed
his eyes to drink their fill. Never in this lifetime would he get enough of
this woman. He reached out a hand to brush a strand of hair from her cheek. Her
skin was ice cold.

“Melissa, wake up. It’s time for dinner.”

Her eyes opened at the sound of his voice. “About time you
got here.”

He lifted one eyebrow in a questioning manner. “You were
waiting for me?” His pulse sped up with hope.

“Not exactly, but you’ll do nicely.” She tried to sit up,
but her grimace spoke of pain.

“Here, let me help.” Jimmy assisted her to a sitting
position while his mind mulled over her words. “Your ribs?”

“No, I stumbled over a loose rock in the path. I think I
sprained my ankle. It hurts like the dickens.”

He glanced down at her foot. “Holy
moley
!
You’d never get back to the house on your own. How did you manage to make it to
the gazebo?”

“With great difficulty. It was closer than going back.”

“You walked?” he said in total disbelief.

“More like hobbled, but I needed to be alone for a while.”
She looked up at him then. “I’ve been trying to figure out where things went
wrong for us, why there’s so much tension in the air, and it goes back to that
first morning after. I’m sorry if I hurt you, but I was in a rush for the
bathroom. I didn’t stop to think of how my words sounded until after you’d
gone.”

Jimmy studied her expression, decided she was telling the
truth, and nodded. “I shouldn’t have spent the night and we wouldn’t have had
such an awkward confrontation. I’m sorry.”

Melissa shook her head. “Don’t be sorry. I enjoyed waking
up in your arms.”

“Yeah?” He tilted his head to one side.

“Yeah, but if you don’t mind, I could use some help
getting to the house.”

“I would imagine. Is that why you were sleeping out here?”
He took another look at her ankle. “Never mind. Stupid question. Come on. I’ll
take you inside.” He lifted her into his arms, then lowered his head to sample
her lips. He didn’t linger, although he very much wanted to. Her kisses were so
sweet, so enervating, he could stay lost in them forever, but right now, she
needed some ice on that ankle.

When he lifted his head, he saw desire shining from her
eyes. He wasn’t alone in his passion and that knowledge gave a mighty lift to
his ego as he walked to the house, careful not to jar her too much. “The
kitchen or your room?”

“The kitchen. I’m hungry.”

A chuckle rumbled up from his belly. “It’s always time to
eat around here. The kitchen it is. I wonder what delights Sheila has for us
tonight.”

But the kitchen was empty when they entered.

“That’s weird. Where could Sheila be? She hasn’t even
started dinner. That’s not like her.” A worried frown creased her brow as he
set her down on a chair.

Jimmy grabbed an ice pack for her swollen ankle and one of
her painkillers. He was just pouring a glass of water for her when the back
door opened and in walked Sheila, her arms filled with grocery bags. Jimmy
rushed over to lighten her load, setting the bags on the counter.