Love Inspired August 2014 – Bundle 1 of 2 (17 page)

That broke his heart. He hadn’t realized how much he’d assumed until her grandmother’s
easy words put him into his current tailspin.

Should he have spoken up sooner? Declared his intentions? And what were those, exactly?
To tie a smart girl like Livvie up to a ranch kitchen, raising calves and kids, wasting
the college degrees she’d worked so hard to get? How was that fair?

It’s fair if that’s where she wants to be,
tweaked his conscience.
You might actually try asking the girl. See where that gets you. That’s the sensible
thing to do.

Jack didn’t want to be sensible. He didn’t want to be turned down or pushed aside.
He didn’t want to be anyone’s second choice. Not now. Not ever.

So that’s it? You’ll just up and let her go? It’s only an hour away, for pity’s sake.
You don’t have enough gumption to date a girl an hour away? Dude, you deserve to lose
her if that’s the extent of your limitations.

It wasn’t the distance, Jack knew as he finally turned Roy-O back toward home.

It was desire.

Ranching was work, hard work, and if a marriage was to work on a ranch, it had to
be 100 percent on all levels. Sure, folks worked off the ranch, more so these days
than ever before. But a job an hour away, in the thick of winter?

He’d been born and raised in Montana blows. He understood the fury of storm after
storm, and why driving an hour wasn’t in anyone’s best interests. And if Liv wasn’t
interested enough to stay here, with him?

Then maybe she hadn’t forgiven him, after all. Maybe their time together had been
simply a sweet walk down memory lane.

His phone buzzed. He pulled it out, saw Liv’s number and stared at the readout for
long, drawn-out seconds. And then he turned the phone off and tucked it away.

Liv was smart and beautiful, she deserved the best God could offer her, and it certainly
wasn’t to waste her intelligence on a cattle ranch with someone who couldn’t guard
the bottom line. She deserved better than good. Liv Franklin deserved the best, and
that wasn’t him, a guy who failed to recognize a good thing when he had it. Whatever
this job was, he couldn’t justify asking her to miss an opportunity to shine as she
was born to do, beauty and brains, a stellar package.

He rode easy down the hills later that afternoon, giving Roy-O a break, horse and
rider both worn after a long day. And when the horse was cooled down, fed and put
up for the night, Jack crossed the yard, let himself into the house and went to bed.
Sleep was a long time in coming, and when it did, it came in fits and starts, with
images of Livvie, Henry Brower and bad checks running together. He got up less rested
than when he’d lain down, shrugged into the same dirty clothes he’d worn yesterday
and hit the trail again. There was nothing and no one on the Plow Creek pasture to
care how he looked, smelled or acted.

And today, that was just fine by him.

* * *

Whenever God closes a door, somewhere He opens a window.
The old quote took shape when Abigail Rose called Livvie first thing Tuesday morning
and offered her a job as the new curator of the under-construction museum. “We can’t
pay too much, and it’s really part-time for starters, but Livvie, if you’re staying
in Jasper Gulch, Chauncey and I think you’d be perfect for the job.”

“And the mayor approved?” That seemed more surprising than anything. She and Jackson
Shaw hadn’t seen eye to eye on too many things.

“When it comes to history, Chauncey and I usually get our way.” Abigail’s tone said
it was a given in history matters, and knowing Chauncey Hardman, Liv didn’t doubt
it. “Abigail, I’d love to take the position. And part-time is perfect right now. Thank
you!”

“None needed. We’re lucky to have someone of your caliber, Liv, and we know that,”
Abigail assured her. “And if you don’t mind my asking, what shade of polish were you
wearing on Friday? I’m not big on blue nails, it doesn’t seem quite right, but I did
like the color you had on.”

“Teal Stencil,” Liv replied. “It’s one of my favorite summer shades.”

“I’ll check it out,” declared Abigail. “Mind you stop by my office to get the applications
for employment forms in the next day or two, okay?”

“I will. And Abigail?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

Abigail’s soft laugh came through loud and clear. “Welcome home, Livvie Franklin.”

* * *

“Have you seen Jack?” Liv approached Mick as he pulled his pickup truck into the ranch
yard about an hour later.

“Not today. He was up and out early. Didn’t see him yesterday, either, but the dust
in the kitchen said he’d been through there.”

“Men,” she scolded, laughing. “Dust stays outside. That’s what porches and mudrooms
are for. I could have emailed him this stuff, but he said your printer was giving
you a hard time this past week, so I thought I’d print these off and leave them here
when I tended the horses. And I told Robin Frazier I’d teach her to ride if the heat
breaks this week like they’re predicting. Is that all right?”

“I’d be obliged.” Mick strode next to her as they approached Dilly’s pen. “The mares
were a good buy. I look at them and I see Mary Beth’s dreams for this ranch coming
to life. Both beauties, ready to breed. Long as you don’t mind spending some time
babying them.”

“My pleasure.” Liv ducked through the rail and grinned back at Mick when Dilly didn’t
shy away. Instead, he moved closer, plodding toward her in a show of trust. “Sweet
difference, right?”

“Yes, it is.” Mick raised a handful of mail and the notes Livvie brought along. “I’ll
put these inside, then pick up Maggie and Brian from their friend’s place. Carrie’s
car is in the shop again.”

“Cars are like plumbing and computers,” Liv agreed as she led Dilly forward for an
easy walk around the yard. “They’re great when they work. If I miss Jack, will you
see that he gets those, please?”

“Will do. But I can’t believe you won’t be seeing him later today.”

She hoped so. And she hoped she’d see him tomorrow, and the next day, and the one
after that, ad infinitum. How perfectly was this all working out?

Jack, her Jack. A job at the museum. A chance to help with Grandma and Grandpa. But
right now, she needed to get the horses cared for and head for City Hall, excited
to see Jack later.

Except she didn’t.

He didn’t call that day. Or the next. And when she called him to see if something
was wrong, her call went straight to voice mail.

Was he avoiding her?

Impossible. They’d been having so much fun together, such a wonderful time, and those
moments when their eyes met? Their hands touched?

The tenderness in Jack’s gaze made her long to jump into life with Jack, no hesitation.
And that was a big change from the timid, hands-off girl who drove into town a month
before.

He’s turned tail and run before,
her conscience scolded.
I do believe I warned you of that. You, of course, chose not to listen.

Liv shushed the negative voice. She wouldn’t listen now, either, not when she finally
felt right with life. With love.

Was she foolish to trust him, after what happened last time?

Maybe. But sitting by his side in church, sensing his smile as she tried to calm a
curly-haired little girl, made her see the deeper side of Jack McGuire. Kind, yes.
Honest to a fault. And self-sacrificial. He’d go the distance to help someone out.
A heart of gold with a rancher’s singular mindset. A good combination, all told.

But when he hadn’t called by Thursday, she wondered if she’d made the wrong leap of
faith again. She stared at her phone Thursday afternoon, willing it to ring.

It didn’t. And when Robin wondered what was wrong, she tried to shrug it off and failed.

“No call, no contact, no nothing? Since Monday?” Robin squared off as if ready to
fight for her new friend’s honor. “You left messages?”

“Several times.”

“And got no response?”

Liv sighed, not wanting to talk about it yet longing to share with someone. How funny
to be sharing her feelings with Robin Frazier, the one person in town who hadn’t known
her backstory with Jack from years before. “I can’t believe I’ve been stupid again.”

“You haven’t, Liv. You’ve—” Liv’s scowl got Robin to be quiet, but not for long. “I’m
shocked. Amazed. And downright angry.”

Her zeal made Liv smile, despite herself. “Robin. You barely know him. And you can’t
be mad at him. He hasn’t done anything except possibly break my heart. Again. I should
be used to it by now. Although at least he had a reason the last time. Or so he thought.
But this is exactly what he did then, employing ‘radio silence,’ which I now refer
to as pouting.”

“If the description fits,” Robin growled, clearly upset for her new friend. “I don’t
get it.” She stormed around the cell-size space, trying to keep her voice down and
failing.

Great. Now the entire town would be privy to Liv’s romantic foibles again. Three swings
at love? And three strikes. She was “out” now, by anyone’s game. Time for a change
of subject. Past time, actually. “Did you find anything in your searches that would
indicate why our blonde, husband-hunting, ice-cream-counter girl might be involved
in the disappearance of the capsule?”

“Nothing.” Robin shook her head and made a face. “Lilibeth might have Available for
Marriage stamped on her forehead, but Capsule Thief?” She negated that thought instantly.
“No way.”

At least they were in full agreement on that score.

Liv mentally scanned her choices as packed up for the day. Should she ride out to
the ranch and take care of the horses? She’d made a promise, but after days of not
hearing from Jack—and thinking she might run into him and how awkward that would be—it
made her second-guess the task at hand. But a promise was a promise. Even so, she
wouldn’t deny the apprehension building inside as the days slid silently by. Memories
converged, mounting an attack on her trust, her newfound faith, her already damaged
ego. Could he be doing the same thing again? The signs pointed to yes.

Would he?

Her heart said no, but she hadn’t been able to trust her heart for a long time.

Go see him. Force the confrontation. Get it over with, once and for all.

The stern voice within didn’t want to be shushed, but Liv hushed it anyway. She didn’t
want a confrontation. She didn’t want drama. She wanted sweet old-fashioned faith,
hope and love.

She drove to the ranch, uncertain about a lot of things, but sure of one: she was
in love with Jack McGuire and this time she’d stick to her guns. No knee-jerk replacements,
no foiled attempts at love. She’d learned that lesson the hard way, but she’d learned
it and had no desire to repeat the painful process. Although at least last time they’d
had the gift of distance to lessen the pain. Now, with her new job as the museum curator?

Her worst fears had come true, that Jack would dump her and they’d be stuck in the
same town together, nodding politely when they passed on the street.

Grim, she aimed the car for the Double M, determined to get on with things, one way
or another. And if she ran into Jack McGuire there?

Homicide might not be ruled out.

* * *

Jack tapped on Liv and Robin’s closet-turned-office door a few minutes later that
afternoon. When he poked his head in, there was no sign of Liv. Disappointment nailed
him, which meant his decision to let her find her own way wasn’t sitting well. “Robin?
Is Liv here?”

Robin looked surprised to see Jack when she first turned around. And then?

Oh, then she looked downright aggravated as she marched across the narrow room, her
eyes boring into his. “Shame on you, Jack McGuire. Shame, shame, shame!”

“Huh?” He pulled back, surprised, amazed and not a little worried because Robin’s
face said she was ready to do battle and he was the only other combatant in the room.

“Leading a nice girl like Livvie on, getting her all excited over falling in love
with you, wanting to be with you, have sweet little babies with you and then you go
and do this!”

Him? Livvie? Babies?
“Robin. Slow down. What in the name of Sam Hill are you talkin’ about, woman?”

“Olivia Franklin, that’s what I’m talking about!”

“Shh.” Jack grimaced, turned and shut the door behind him, but he was pretty sure
the dead silence from the front desk of the town offices meant all ears were tuned
to their rather loud conversation. Which meant they needed to tone it down. “I don’t
know what you mean.”

“You don’t?” She came right up to him and raised her hand in the air, her gaze locked
with his as she popped her fingers up, one by one. “You take a girl out, get her all
moony-eyed over your ranch, buy her a horse, let her play with puppies, and then,
after she’s helped you put together a great hometown baseball game geared toward a
good cause, you turn tail and run. That’s what, Jack McGuire. And if you’re not ashamed
of yourself—” she folded her arms across her chest and tapped one ominous foot on
the floor,
tap, tap, tap
“—I’m ashamed enough for both of us and I barely know you.”

“That would have been my next point,” Jack muttered, scrubbing a hand to his neck.
“Listen, Robin, I know you mean well, but it’s not like that with me and Liv. I mean,
I thought it was. I hoped it was. But then she got this really good job in the city,
and what kind of guy holds a woman back from an opportunity like that? What kind of
a jerk do you think I am?”

“Job? What job?”

So she didn’t know, either. Jack hauled in a breath and came clean. “Liv got a job
at the Bozeman campus of Montana State University. On Monday.”

“Who told you this?” Robin studied his face as he answered, and he was pretty sure
the ponytailed blonde might have missed her calling. Surely the FBI could use another
skilled interrogator.