Cardwell Ranch Trespasser (4 page)

“Ready?”

Dee turned to smile at Hud. He had offered to teach her to ride a horse this morning. Her first instinct had been to decline. She’d never been on a horse in her life and she really didn’t want to now. But she loved the idea of Hud teaching her anything.

“Ready,” she said past the lump in her throat.

Hud must have seen her reluctance. “I’m going to put you on one of the kids’ horses. Very gentle. There is nothing to worry about.”

“If you say so,” she said with a laugh. “Let’s do it.”

Hud led the way outside. He had two horses tied up to the porch railing. She felt as if she was in Dodge City. This was all so...Western.

“Just grab the saddle horn and put your foot in my hands and I’ll help you up,” Hud said. She did as he instructed, wobbled a little and fell back. He caught her, just as she knew he would. The man was as strong as he looked.

“Let’s try that again,” he said with a laugh. Behind them, she heard Dana come out on the porch with the two oldest of their children. Dee had forgotten their names.

“Is she going to ride my horse, Mommy?” the little girl asked.

“Yes, Mary, she needs a nice horse since she has never ridden before,” Dana answered.

“Really?” The kid sounded shocked that anyone could reach Dee’s age and have never ridden a horse.

This time Dee let Hud lift her up and onto the horse. She gripped the saddle horn as the horse seemed to shiver and stomp its feet. “I don’t think it likes me,” she said.

“Star likes everyone,” the girl said.

Dee was glad when they rode away from the house. She’d always found children annoying. It was beyond her why anyone would want four of them.

Once she got used to the horse’s movement, she began to relax. The day was beautiful, not a cloud in the sky. A cool breeze blew through the pine trees, bringing with it a scent like none she’d ever smelled before.

“So this is what fresh air smells like,” she joked.

“A little different from New York City?”

She laughed at that. “It’s so...quiet.”

“You’ll get used to it. Did you have trouble getting to sleep last night? People often complain it’s too quiet to sleep.”

She hadn’t been able to sleep last night, but she doubted it was from the quiet. Dana had put her in a large bedroom upstairs at the front of the house. When she’d tested the bed, she found it to be like lying down on a cloud. It was covered with what appeared to be a handmade patchwork quilt, the mattress on a white iron frame that forced her to actually climb up to get into it.

The sheets had smelled like sunshine and were soft. There was no reason she shouldn’t have drifted right off to sleep. Except for one.

She found herself reviewing the day in small snapshots, weighing each thing that happened, evaluating how she’d done as Dee Anna Justice. She was much more critical of herself than anyone else could possibly be. But she’d learned the hard way that any little slipup could give her away.

“Dana tells me you grew up back East?” Hud asked, clearly just making conversation as their horses walked down a narrow dirt road side by side.

The real Dee Anna Justice had never been exactly forthcoming about her life growing up. But she’d always gotten the feeling that something had happened, some secret that made Dee Anna not want to talk about her life.

She’d found that amusing, since she would put her childhood secrets up against the real Dee Anna Justice’s any day—and win hands down, she was sure.

“It wasn’t like
this,
” Dee said now in answer to his question. Then she quickly asked, “Did you grow up here? I get the feeling that you and Dana have always known each other.”

“My father was the marshal,” Hud said. “I grew up just down the road from here. Dana and I go way back.” Something in his tone told her that there had been some problem before they’d gotten together. Another woman? Or another man?

Dee made a mental note to see what she could find out from the sister, Stacy. She’d only seen her for a few minutes, but Dee could tell at once that Stacy and Dana were nothing alike. And while the two seemed close, she got the feeling there was some sort of old friction there.

She’d spent her life reading people to survive. Some people were literally an open book. If they didn’t tell you their life story, you could pretty well guess it.

Glancing over at the cowboy beside her, she knew he was honorable, loyal and trustworthy. She considered what it would take to corrupt a man like that.

* * *

H
ILDE PUT THE
Open sign in her shop window. As she did, she glanced at the deli across the street. She’d gotten used to seeing Deputy Marshal Colt Dawson sitting in that front window and was a little surprised to find someone else sitting there this morning.

It surprised her also that she was disappointed.

She shook it off, chastising herself.

“Colt has a crush on you,” Dana had said a few days before. “Hud says he hasn’t dated a single woman since he asked you out and you turned him down.”

“I’m sure he’ll snap out of it soon,” Hilde had said. Colt Dawson could have any woman he wanted—and had. The man was too handsome for his own good. He’d gotten his straight, thick black hair from his father, who was Native American, and his startling blue eyes from his Irish mother. On top of that, he was tall, broad-shouldered with slim hips and long legs, and he had this grin that...

Hilde shook herself again, shocked that she’d let her thoughts go down that particular trail. It was flattering that Colt had asked her out, but she was his age, and he hadn’t dated a woman his own age since he’d come to Big Sky, let alone one who was looking for something more than a good time.

As she started to turn away from the front window of her store, she saw the man at the deli’s front table get up and leave. Colt Dawson quickly took his place, his blue-eyed gaze coming up suddenly as if he knew she would be standing there.

Hilde quickly stepped back, but she couldn’t help smiling as she hurried to the counter at the back of the store.

A moment later the bell jangled as someone came in the front door. Her heart took off like a shot as she turned, half expecting to see Colt.

“Just need some black thread,” said one of her older patrons. “It’s amazing how hard it is to keep black thread in the house.”

Hilde hurried to help the woman. When she looked out the window again, the front table at the deli was empty, Colt long gone.

“Why didn’t you go out with him?” Dana had asked her. “What would it have hurt?”

She hadn’t had an answer at that moment. But she did now. A man like Colt Dawson was capable of breaking her heart.

* * *

D
EE HATED IT
when the horseback ride ended, even though she could definitely feel her muscles rebelling. She’d insisted on helping as Hud unsaddled the horses and put them in the corral.
Helping
might have been inaccurate. She’d stood around, asked questions without listening to the answers and studied the man, considering.

Back at the house, Dana announced that Hud was going to take care of the kids while she and her cousin went for a hike and picnic at the falls. That is, if Dee wasn’t too tired.

She would much rather have taken a nap than go on a hike since she hadn’t gotten much sleep last night, but she couldn’t disappoint Dana, especially in front of Hud. So she’d helped pack the lunch to the pickup and the two of them had driven out of the ranch and toward what Dana called Lone Mountain.

“So this is the town of Big Sky?” Dee asked a few minutes later. “I thought it would be bigger.”

“It’s spread out. There is the upper mountain where the ski lifts are, and the lower mountain where the golf course is. Plus a bunch of houses you can’t see from the road,” Dana told her. “We’ll have to take the gondola to Lone Mountain, if you’re here long enough. I think you’ll like that—the view is nice. And tomorrow I’ve set up a rafting trip for the three of us.”

“Oh, Hud is going?” Dee asked.

“No, he’s taking care of the kids. Hilde is going with us. In fact, she’s joining us for the picnic today.” She turned onto a narrow road that went past a cluster of houses and businesses before climbing up through the pines. “Yep, there’s Hilde’s SUV already parked at the trailhead. Hilde is so punctual.” Dana laughed. “It’s amazing we’re best friends since we are opposites on so many things.”

Hilde. The best friend. Dee recalled yesterday feeling Hilde watching her a little too closely. Dana was so trusting, so open. Hilde was more reserved and definitely not trusting, Dee thought. Dana parked next to Hilde’s SUV, and Dee glimpsed the woman behind the wheel, her brown eyes so watchful.

* * *

D
ANA CHATTERED AWAY
on the hike up to Ousel Falls. Hilde dropped behind her friend and Dee. She hadn’t been up to the falls in several years and was enjoying the gentle hike through the pines. She could hear the roar of the creek. It was early in the year, so snow was still melting in the shade and the creek was running fast and high.

The cool air felt good. Hilde was wondering why Dana had insisted she come along. She felt like a third wheel. Not that Dee and Dana seemed to be hitting it off. Dee was quiet, nodding and speaking only to say, “Really?” “Oh, that’s interesting.” And “Huh.” Clearly she wasn’t finding anything all that interesting in the information Dana was imparting about the area and its history.

Dana stopped to wait for her in a sunny spot not too far from the falls.

At the falls, Dana opened the cooler she’d brought, and they sat on rocks overlooking the falls to drink iced tea and eat roasted elk sandwiches.

“It’s...interesting,” Dee said of the sandwich. “I thought you raised beef?”

Dana laughed. “Wild meat will grow on you,” she promised. “Hud always gets an elk and a deer each year. We both really like it.”

“I’m not sure I’ll be here long enough for it to grow on
me,
” Dee said.

This gave Hilde an opening. “So how long
will
you be staying?” she asked.

“I’m not sure,” Dee said, and looked to Dana, who appeared shocked that Hilde would ask such a thing.

“As long as she wants to,” Dana said.

Dee smiled. “That could definitely wear out my welcome. The more I see of this place, the more I love it here and never want to leave.”

“Montana does that to people,” Dana said.

“At least this time of year,” Hilde said. “You might not find it as hospitable come winter.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Dee stretched out on the ground and stared up at the blue sky. “I can see myself sitting in front of that huge rock fireplace at the house with a mug of spiked cider, being pretty content.”

“A woman after my own heart,” Dana said.

Hilde began to clean up the picnic, putting everything back in the cooler before she got up and wandered over to the edge of the falls.

“What has gotten into you?” Dana whispered next to her a few moments later.

“Sorry. I was just curious how long she’s planning to stay,” she whispered back. “I didn’t mean to be rude.” When Dana said nothing more, she glanced over at her.
“What?”

“You’re jealous of my cousin.”

“No, that’s not it at all.” But Hilde could tell there was no convincing her friend otherwise. “Fine, I’m jealous.”

“Don’t be,” Dana said with a laugh. “You’re my
best
friend and always will be.” She lowered her voice. “Not only that, Dee has had a really rough life.”

“She told you that?” Hilde asked, unable to keep the skepticism out of her voice.

“She didn’t have to,” Dana said. “I could tell. So be nice to her for me. Please?” Hilde could only nod. “I’m going to get my camera and take a photo.”

Hilde turned back to the falls, thinking maybe Dana was right. Maybe she
was
jealous, and that was all it was. The roar of the water was so loud she didn’t hear Dee come up behind her. She barely felt the hand on her back before she felt the shove.

She flailed wildly as she felt herself falling forward toward the edge of the roaring falls, nothing between her and the raging water but air and mist.

Dee grabbed her arm and pulled her back at the last second.

“I found my camera,” Dana called from over in the trees, and turned in their direction. “Look this way so I can get a picture of the two of you.” A beat, then: “Is everything all right?”

“Hilde got a little too close to the edge,” Dee said. “You really should be careful, Hilde. Dana was just saying earlier how dangerous it can be around here.” She put her arm around Hilde’s shoulders. “Say cheese.”

Dana snapped the photo.

Chapter Four

“I don’t think your friend likes me,” Dee said once they were in the pickup and headed back to the ranch.

“Hilde likes you,” Dana said, not sounding all that convinced. “But I think she might be a little jealous.”

“I suppose that’s it,” Dee agreed. “Well, I hope she accepts me. I feel so close to you. It’s almost like we’re sisters instead of cousins, you know what I mean?”

Dana readily agreed, just as Dee had known she would. “Hilde is just a little protective.”

“A
little?
” Dee said with a laugh. “I think she’s worried I will take advantage of you, stay too long.”

“Put that right out of your mind,” Dana said, as she parked in front of the house. “You’re family. You can stay as long as you’d like.”

“Hilde has nothing to be jealous of me about,” Dee said. “She’s beautiful and smart and self-assured and has her own business. She’s what I always wanted to be.”

“Me, too,” Dana said with a laugh.

“Oh, you have even more going on for you,” Dee said. “You have Hud. And the kids,” she added a little belatedly, but Dana didn’t seem to notice. “And the ranch. I bet you were practically born on a horse.”

“I have been riding since the time I could walk,” Dana said, then fell silent for a moment. “Do you want to talk about your childhood? I don’t mean to pry.”

Dee realized that she’d sounded jealous of both Dana and Hilde. The truth had a way of coming out sometimes, didn’t it? She would have to be more careful about that around both women.