A Wife in Wyoming

“Ford, hmm?” Her mom finished off a French fry. “I remember you had a crush on him in high school.”

“How could you have known that?”

“Sweetie, you talked about him constantly. What else was I supposed to think?” She smiled at Caroline’s appalled expression. “But he went off to school, so I assumed you’d find someone else. Funny that you never have.”

“I’ve had plenty of guys in my life, thank you.”

“No one serious.”

“I don’t have time for serious.”

“Of course not.”

“So,” Caroline said with desperation, “who is Reid dating these days?”

Kate came to pour more tea. “Not me,” she answered.

They all laughed, and the break allowed Caroline to move the topic far away from the Marshall brothers.

As they walked toward the parking lot after lunch, Caroline put her arm around her mom’s shoulders. “Sure do miss you,” she said quietly.

Her mother returned the hug. “Me, too. I hate having to wait until your daddy goes away to talk to you. But...”

“I don’t want him yelling at you.” Caroline kissed her cheek. “Just know I think about you every day. And I wish things could be different. But I just couldn’t live by his rules anymore.”

“I understand. Maybe one day he’ll realize his mistake.” The doubt in Caroline’s mind was reflected in her mother’s face. “I keep praying, anyway. For now though, it was great to see you. Take care.” They shared another long hug. “I love you, Caroline.”

“Love you, too, Mom.”

Back at the office, Caroline worked until after four to finish the last of her appointments and the associated paperwork. She contacted most of the families of the kids she’d picked to participate in the ranch program and arranged for them to visit later in the week to fill out the forms. The parents seemed generally pleased, the teenagers less sure. She had to believe they would enjoy their ranch experience, no matter what doubts Ford might retain.

Keeping her perspective optimistic, she grabbed her purse and a clipboard and headed for the door. “I’m going to the Circle M to check out the buildings where the kids will be staying,” she told Randi. “Garrett says all they need is some soap and water to make them livable. I hope he’s right.”

“With four big strong guys to help out, I’m sure you’ll get those rooms whipped into shape in no time.”

“One of those big strong guys has a broken back, remember? And one of them opposed this plan from the get-go.”

“Who was that?”

“Ford, the lawyer. He kept talking about lawsuits.”

“That is his job.” Randi propped her chin on her hands and got a dreamy look on her face. “I remember Ford. Blond hair, chiseled jaw and those navy blue eyes. Oh, yeah.” Then she slapped her hand on her desk. “But you were voted Most Popular in our class. You can twist any man around your little finger, Caroline Donnelly. Just go out there and make him melt!”

Caroline blew out a sigh and left without bothering to protest. Had she really been such a...a tease? Why did people remember the flirting but forget the A average, the service-club presidency, even the barrel-racing wins, for heaven’s sake?

No, she’d never had a serious romance, because most men just wanted a good time. And good times were nice, but a relationship needed more. She’d already lost one family, and she’d seen many others fall apart. She wasn’t going to build her own unless she could be sure it would last.

For that she wanted a man with integrity, a man she could depend on and trust to make the right choices. A man who would make her his partner, put his family first and take care of them with everything he had. When she found that guy, she’d see about getting serious.

Inside the Circle M’s gate, she stopped the truck, rolled down the windows and took some deep breaths of clean, cool air. Then she put on new lipstick, ran a comb through her hair and prepared to greet the Marshall brothers with all the confidence she possessed.

* * *

RIDING TOWARD HOME, Ford felt every minute of his day on horseback, thanks to the aches in his calves, his thighs and his butt. It had been way too long since he’d spent time in the saddle. And tomorrow the real pain would set in. By tomorrow night, he wouldn’t want to move.

But he and Garrett and Dylan had moved about a hundred cow-calf pairs to nice fresh pasture near the mountains. He’d spent the hours outdoors, soaking up pure Wyoming sunshine. His favorite boots still fit, and his jeans were even a little loose. Whatever they cooked up for dinner tonight, he planned to eat a lot of it. All in all, a good day.

“Race you to the barn,” Dylan called, as he surged past on his Appaloosa gelding, Leo.

Ford shook his head. “Crazy.”

Garrett blew by, leaning over Chief’s black neck. “Loser makes dinner!”

Without a second thought, Ford flicked the end of the reins at his palomino, Nugget, and set out after them. He hadn’t been in a horse race in several years—he’d be lucky if he stayed on for the half mile to the barn, much less caught up.

At the end, the three of them came loping across the last field and up the road, their horses neck-and-neck. Dust clouds billowed around them while flecks of foam from the horses came back in their faces. They passed the finish line—the corner of the barn—and only then saw the truck parked in front of the house. The three cow ponies all came to a sliding stop right beside Caroline Donnelly’s bright red pickup.

It used to be bright red, anyway. Now a thick layer of dust had faded the color to dirty maroon. Caroline stood on the porch with Wyatt, watching with wide eyes, her mouth forming a big O of surprise.

“Busted,” Dylan muttered.

Ford threw him a warning glance. “You’re doing dishes.”

Garrett said, “Him and me both.”

Wyatt’s glare seared them even from a distance. “Is this any way to bring in a horse that’s been working hard for you all day long? I’d expect you three to know something about taking care of your animals, but I guess I was wrong. You can just go out again and walk those ponies till they’re cooled off—a good twenty minutes, I’d say, after that gallop. Once you’ve unsaddled, rubbed down and fed them, you can get over here and wash Caroline’s truck off. She’s staying for dinner, so when you’ve got the truck clean, you can come in and start cooking. I’d like to eat by seven.”

With a curt nod, he turned his back on them, opened the screen door and ushered Caroline into the house.

They didn’t make seven, but by seven thirty Ford had finished his chores and managed a quick shower, plus a change of clothes. He started to shave but stopped himself with razor in hand. It wasn’t as if he was going on a date.

In the kitchen, he checked the chili he’d thrown together, mixed a salad and took a stack of dishes off the shelf. Then, pulling in a deep breath, he went in to set the dining room table.

As he expected, Caroline stood in the doorway to the living room a moment later. “Can I do something to help?”

“Sure.” He’d meant just to glance over, but he got snagged by the sight of her in the last rays of sunlight, with copper glints sparking in her hair, her eyes shining, her skin glowing. She wore a red-and-blue-patterned dress that stopped well short of her knees. The long length of leg above her blue leather boots was a lovely thing to behold.

Ford struggled to get his brain back online. “We’re...uh...having chili and salad.”

“Sounds delicious.” She came to the table and took the stack of bowls. “I didn’t know you could cook.”

“Ford did most of the cooking before he went off to college.” Garrett walked in, carrying glasses and silverware. “He figured out menus all of us would eat without getting bored. After working at the feed store, he came home and made dinner every night. We’ve never eaten so well since.”

She nodded, smiling. “That’s impressive.”

Ford’s face heated up at the simple compliment. “Yeah, but I hate grocery shopping.”

Caroline shook her head. “See, I don’t mind that part. I just make a list and speed through. I’ll even put it all away when I get home. But when I come in at night, the last thing I want to do is make a mess in the kitchen.” She shrugged, and he noticed her pretty shoulders in the sleeveless dress. “I end up eating cereal and bananas more often than not.”

“Not much of a dinner.” He was setting plates around the table, going in the opposite direction as Caroline until suddenly they stood side by side. They both moved back, laughing, and Caroline stepped forward to slide by, but somehow there wasn’t quite enough room in front of the table, and their bodies brushed together, her back to his front, as she moved across. Ford sucked in a breath, only to catch the scent she was wearing, flowers with a hint of musk. He couldn’t remember when he’d last thought a woman smelled so good.

“I’m starving.” Dylan came in from the living room. “When do we eat?”

“When you put on a clean shirt.” Garrett nodded at the dust and dirt he’d worked in all day. “We have company tonight, remember?”

Caroline shrugged. “Don’t bother on my account.”

Dylan held up a hand. “No, he’s right. I’ll jog down to the studio. Won’t take a minute.”

Grateful for the distraction, Ford escaped to the kitchen. He’d strategically set Caroline’s place between Wyatt and Garrett, so it was Garrett who pulled out her chair. By the time Dylan returned, dinner was served, and Ford was able to sit down at a safe distance from their guest.

Which was when he discovered that he was placed directly across from her and would see her every time he looked up from his plate. He watched as she smiled at Wyatt, at Garrett and Dylan, heard her parry his youngest brother’s flirtatious comments and witnessed, again, her excitement as she and Garrett and Wyatt discussed the plans for the kids. Even when she was giving serious thought to a suggestion, light danced in her eyes, like a smile biding its time. Ford barely managed to finish half of his one bowl of chili.

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