Her Montana Man (17 page)

or the next several days, Eliza Jane blushed whenever their eyes met. He loved that about her, along with

everything else, like the sheen of her hair in the sunlight and the soft feminine fragrance that clung to her.

He’d decided to sit on the information he’d discovered. If he told her he knew, she might feel she

couldn’t trust him. Or she might fear he thought less of her, which couldn’t have been more wrong. But

he didn’t want to chance it.

His every instinct was to take action. Go in with his fists raised and his feet planted. But he risked losing

her, because exposure was exactly what she feared. He would rein in his anger and the need for answers

and wait. He needed to see how things played out.

Several times while they were alone in the office, he looked up to find her studying him. Occasionally

that week they shared heated kisses in the hallway. Twice he’d shoved a chair in front of the office door

and she’d willingly come into his arms.

Jonas wondered what it would take to earn her trust, or if he ever could. She’d been disappointed by

men, so the fact that she offered this bit of herself was already a concession on her part. But he had it

bad for this woman.

On Friday, Jonas invited Eliza and Tyler on an outing and had a surprise planned for the following

morning. Dressed in his usual trousers, shirt and felt hat, he showed up with a horse and buggy. As

always, his revolver hung at his hip.

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Tyler scrambled up while Jonas helped Eliza. “Where are we going?” he asked.

“You’ll see soon enough. Enjoy the ride.”

Eliza treasured the warm spring sun. She pointed to cascades of wild blue hyacinth flourishing on a rocky

hillside. “Aren’t they beautiful?”

“You can eat ’em in a pinch,” Jonas remarked. “But that—” he pointed to foliage with tiny yellow petals

growing in patches between sagebrush “—sagebrush buttercup is poisonous. Just a little will make you

sick.”

Purplish grass widows flourished on green hillsides and delicate fairy bells bordered a clear flowing

stream.

“I haven’t been out like this for a long time,” Eliza told him.

Reins held loosely between his fingers, Stetson shading his eyes, he met her gaze over Tyler’s head.

“’Spect you needed to get out then.”

“’Spect I did,” she replied.

His grin flooded her heart with warmth. He was too much. Too good. She’d let her feelings leak beyond

the parameters of emotional safety, and the knowledge made her uneasy.

“Once summer gets here, lupine and honeysuckle will take over the show on these hills,” he told them.

Eventually, a cluster of buildings, barns and corrals came into view. Tyler pointed. “Is that where we’re

going?”

“Yup. See that pasture yonder?”

Tyler shaded his eyes with his small hand. “There’s horses eating grass.”

Jonas nodded. “One of ’em is Jeremiah.”

“Oh, boy! Can I ride him?”

“Ever been on a horse?”

“Papa only has a carriage. I asked Mama before, and she said I could try it when I was bigger. Am I

bigger enough?”

Jonas looked to Eliza, and she gave him a nod. “You can ride ’im,” he said.

Tyler stood and let out a whoop that pierced their ears. Eliza took him by the arm and encouraged him

back onto the seat before he toppled out of the buggy.

They pulled up near one of the barns, and a sundarkened old fellow with worn leather suspenders over

his faded shirt hobbled out.

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“Land sakes, who’d you bring along?” he asked, with raised brows.

“Miss Sutherland and Tyler,” Jonas replied, then to Eliza, “This here’s Lilibelle’s pa, Willie.”

“How’ do, miss.”

“Pleased to meet you,” she replied.

Tyler shot in front of her to make his way down, and she waited for Jonas to tie the reins to the brake

handle and come around to assist her.

“I’ll keep ’im safe,” he assured her, as he settled her on the ground.

Jonas went into the barn for a harness. With Tyler on his heels, he strode past the corrals, climbed over

a fence and whistled.

A horse with a coat as dark and shiny as the surface of strong coffee, galloped toward him. The animal

drew up before Jonas, bobbing its head in recognition, and Jonas reached to pat its neck. The horse’s

mane and tail were black and wavy, the lower portions of its legs black, too.

Jonas rubbed the animal’s neck, found a spot at the base of its mane and scratched it hard. “Watch this,

Tyler. When I find a spot that feels good, his lips’ll quiver.”

Sure enough, the horse curled up its hairy upper lip, and it quivered. Jonas laughed. Tyler looked up at

Eliza with a wide grin, then turned back to observe Jonas’s every move.

Jonas showed him how to introduce himself to a horse that was unfamiliar with him. Tyler climbed on the

bottom rung of the fence to watch as Jonas slipped the halter over the horse’s head and led the animal

through a gate and toward the barn. Then he leaped down and followed.

“I’ll saddle ’im, and you can ride in the corral. He’s not skittish, but just the same don’t be whoopin’ and

hollerin’ around animals you don’t know, you hear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Some horses get scared at sounds or quick movements, and you don’t know which horses those might

be.”

“Yes, sir.”

Eliza trailed behind as Tyler dogged Jonas’s steps, following him into the barn and listening as Jonas

explained the tack and the procedure for placing it on the horse. The interior was warm and smelled of

hay, oiled leather and animals.

“Are you gonna ride ’im, too?” Tyler asked.

“Not today. I exercise him once in a while, but this old boy’s seen a lot of trail and too many battles.

He’s carried me while bullets flew around us, and he’s stood overnight in the freezin’ wind and snow for

plenty of winters. I figure he’s got only easy days comin’ to ’im.”

“He’s real pretty,” Tyler said.

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“Handsome,” Jonas corrected with a chuckle as he buckled the saddle under Jeremiah’s belly. “He’s a

Salerno. His breed comes from Italy. Has Spanish and Arabian blood in ’im.”

“Do they have more at Italy? Maybe I can get one.”

Jonas kept a straight face. “Italy’s a country across the ocean, and Jeremiah himself didn’t come from

there. Just his ancestors did.”

“Maybe Jeremiah can have a baby an’ I can get
him
.”

“Jeremiah’s a gelding.” Jonas’s patience as he explained the subject so the boy could understand

touched Eliza. She listened to his soothing voice with as much interest as Tyler.

Sun streamed though the open barn doors, creating a white-gold rectangle of light that illuminated the

lustrous animal, the broad-shouldered man, and the boy who listened intently with his sun-gilded head

tilted to the side. Dust motes danced in the air, creating an ethereal picture framed by the shaded and

ordinary world.

As Jonas stroked the horse, spoke to the boy and occasionally shared an amused look with her, Eliza

realized with resounding awe that she was in love.

Unquestionably, heart-in-her-throat crazy for Jonas Black.

Every inch of her being confirmed it: the knot in her chest; the flutter of her heart; the bittersweet ache

that brought the sting of tears to her eyes and took her breath away. The youthful feelings she’d had for

Forest paled in comparison to the passion she felt for Jonas.

She should never have let this happen.

She would never forget this moment.

How could she live a day without him?

By the time her heart had settled back to a normal rhythm, Jonas was helping Tyler onto Jeremiah’s

back. Jonas took the reins and led them outside.

Eliza stood in the shade at the corner of the barn and watched as Jonas walked the horse and Tyler

beamed from ear to ear.

“Look, Aunt Liza! Look at me!”

She waved, then stood with her fingers laced.

“Fine boy, your nephew,” Willie Grimshaw said from beside her, catching her attention.

She found her voice. “Yes. He is.”

“My Lily told me your sister passed on. My sympathies to you.”

“Thank you.”

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“Do you know the fella riding behind you?”

She arranged her thoughts to figure out what he’d asked. “Someone was behind us?”

“Stopped yonder by that outcropping of rock to the west. Stayed there when you came on to the ranch,

then rode off.”

“No,” she answered. “I didn’t see him.”

Willie limped toward the fence and leaned against it, thumbing his hat back on his head.

Eliza found a worn stump used as a mounting step and settled on it to watch the remainder of Tyler’s

ride. Eventually, Jonas had to convince the child it was time to let the horse go back to his pasture,

promising him they would return.

One of the ranch hands brought them a pail of water and tin cups before they headed back.

“Did you know someone was behind us on our way here?” she asked Jonas when Tyler ran ahead to

climb into the buggy.

“Saw ’im,” Jonas replied.

“Did you see who it was?”

“Too far out to say.”

They reached the buggy and Jonas helped her up to the seat.

Jonas recently being shot was fresh in her mind. “Do you think we’re being followed?”

The possibility of a shooting while Tyler was along struck terror into her heart. Jonas must have

recognized it, because he said, “Willie shouldn’t’ve said anything. Most likely a coincidence.”

Tyler could talk of nothing but the horse and his ride all the way home and for the rest of the day. Eliza

couldn’t shake the thought of a stranger following them.

Jonas joined them at supper in the dining room, and still the child chattered on about Jeremiah and his

hopes for a horse of his own. She’d never seen him so animated or happy. Having Jonas’s attention and

guidance brought out a side of him Eliza had never seen.

Every once in a while she forgot herself and imagined for a moment what their lives could be like with

Jonas. But then reality loomed and she heard Royce’s threats and saw his glare. He had the power to

expose her indiscretion to the world.

She could handle that, and she would if she thought putting an end to the deception would be her

solution. She could live with the taint. It was what Royce could do to Tyler that paralyzed her. And since

Royce couldn’t care less about him, he wouldn’t hesitate. If he exposed the fact that Tyler was her child

out of wedlock, Tyler would be ridiculed and ostracized by adults and classmates alike. He would have

to make a choice between being an outcast in the town where he’d been born or leaving in shame. She’d

always known the possibility was there. Always wanted to protect him. Taking him away was bad

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enough, but at least he didn’t have to learn the truth in a completely humiliating manner.

Ever since she’d known he was growing inside her, she’d loved and shielded him. When Forest had run

off, she’d been forced to do the only thing that would save Tyler shame. She’d given him a mother and a

father.

Jonas finished his coffee and set down his cup. He raised one dark eyebrow and mouthed the word,

“Pie?”

Smiling, she shook her head. “You and Tyler have a slice.”

“A slice of what?” Tyler asked.

“As soon as those parsnips are gone, you can have a piece of Lilibelle’s apple pie.”

He wrinkled his nose. “Do I gotta eat all of ’em?”

She nodded.

Nadine was serving in the dining room that evening, and she came past to pour Jonas more coffee and

offer Eliza tea.

“Thank you, yes,” Eliza replied.

“And we’ll have a couple man-size slices o’ pie,” Jonas added.

Eliza glanced at Tyler’s empty plate. He grinned at her. For some reason, she was drawn to look at

Jonas. He simply gave her a nonchalant smile.

Nadine was picking up their dirty dishes.

“I’ll be out with your tea and dessert,” Nadine said and walked toward the kitchen.

Eliza looked from Tyler to Jonas and back. She suspected Jonas had eaten those parsnips when she

hadn’t been looking. Tyler had never eaten that particular vegetable so fast in his short life. But she hadn’t

qualified that he must actually
eat
them, only that the buttered vegetables had to be gone, she realized.

“Just so you know, I’m aware that Jonas ate those parsnips. Next time I’ll be more careful in my

instructions.”

Tyler’s gaze shot to Jonas and they shared a look she couldn’t decipher.

Once the males had finished their desserts, Jonas excused himself to head over to the Silver Star and she

took Tyler upstairs. She didn’t know how many “next times” were in store for them. With sad-sweet

awareness, she acknowledged that Tyler was as taken with the man as she.

The next several days passed much too quickly, but the nights stretched into eternity. Each night Eliza lay

in their dark hotel room only feet from her boy and listened to the sound of his breathing. Too much time

to think. Too much time to explore regrets and hopeless dreams. She’d given away her baby. She’d

relinquished her maternal rights to spare him because she loved him so much. Every time she’d heard him