The Cowboy Rescues a Bride (Cowboys of Chance Creek) (11 page)

The rest of the meal was a mighty quiet affair.

“That went better
than I expected,” Mia whispered to Fila when everyone had congregated in the front hall to leave. “What was all that about Holt liking Mexican food?”

“It was about me. He wants me to leave.” Fila tried not to let that get to her, but it did.

“He’s such a pain in the ass. Ignore him.” Mia linked her arm through hers. “Let’s wait for Ned and Luke outside. I’ve had enough of the Mathesons as a family for one night.” She pulled Fila through the throng, only pausing to hug Lisa and thank her for dinner.

Lisa patted Fila’s hand. “Under all Holt’s baloney, there’s a man who loves his family,” she said quietly. “Give him a chance and he’ll come around. When he does, he’ll be your biggest ally—you’ll see.”

Fila shrugged and thanked her for the meal, but she was relieved when they made it outside. Holt wasn’t going to come around. She was sure of that. She just wasn’t sure what that meant for her future. She trailed after Mia into the sharp chill of the January evening and they walked slowly together down the steps and toward the dirt road that led to the cabins, expecting the men to catch up with them at any time.

“What’s taking them so long?” Mia said finally, looking over her shoulder. “Oh.”

At the tone of her voice, Fila turned to look too. Ned and Camila were standing by Camila’s car, talking earnestly. They stood close enough together that their low tones didn’t carry to Fila’s ears. After a brief discussion, Camila laughed, the sound pealing out. “See you on Monday,” she said quite clearly. She leaned in and hugged Ned, then got in her car and pulled away. Ned stood watching her until her taillights disappeared before he turned and caught Fila and Mia waiting for him.

“Just making sure she remembered the way home,” he said when he caught up with them.

“What are you two doing on Monday?” Fila couldn’t believe she was asking, but she had to know. Ned and Camila had acted so familiar with each other. She couldn’t forget Camila’s hug.

“Nothing.” Ned’s answer was as sharp as Holt’s had been a half-hour ago. Fila pulled back, just as Luke pounded down the steps from the main house and loped their way.

“Sorry—Dad had some last minute orders for me.”

Ned turned on his heel and led the way toward the cabins. Neither Fila nor Mia said a word. After a moment, Luke filled in the uncomfortable silence.

“That Camila’s sure a live wire, isn’t she? Getting Dad to say he liked Mexican food? He wouldn’t have said that to anyone else. Guess he’s not immune to a pretty face, huh?”

“Shut up, Luke.” Ned picked up the pace.

“What’d I say? It’s true and you know it. Dad wouldn’t be caught dead eating that stuff. I love it, though. As far as I’m concerned, Camila can come by any time.”

Mia huffed out a breath and stalked off toward Luke’s place.

“Hey—Mia! Wait up! What’s wrong?”

“Unbelievable,” Ned said to Fila when they were gone. “He gets it wrong every time.”

You’re no better
, Fila wanted to say, but she kept her mouth shut. How could she blame him for preferring Camila’s company when she was so mousy and boring? Camila looked like a movie star compared to her. She was always talking and laughing. Always so full of fun. Beside her, Fila felt about as interesting as a stone. If he had been alone with Camila, what would Ned have done when he said good-bye? Would he have kissed her?

She felt certain he would.

But if they were getting together on Monday, he didn’t have to risk it when all of his family was here to see. He and Camila would have as much time and privacy they wanted to kiss then.

Fila picked up her pace, too. She was all too ready to call it a night.

‡
Chapter 14

“W
hen’s the last
time this happened?” Rob said as he came through the barn door, stamping the snow off of his boots.

Ned looked up from retying his own boots and saw what he meant—all three of his brothers were in the barn at the same time he was. Since Jake and Rob had split off from the family, taking on their own acreages and getting busy with their own plans, it wasn’t often that they worked all together.

“It’s the first time I can remember standing here with all of you and not wanting to take a swing at someone,” Jake said, chuckling. “I guess this new way of doing things isn’t all that bad.”

“I could still be persuaded to take a swing at someone,” Luke said, shooting Ned a look.

“That’s because Dad’s still got the two of you set against each other.” Rob shook his head. “It seems like this family won’t ever learn. You should see how we do things at the Cruz ranch—there isn’t any brawling there.”

“You choose your friends,” Luke said. “You don’t get to choose your family.”

“You can choose how you behave toward your family.” Jake turned to Ned. “How’s it going, being in charge?”

“Not that much to be in charge of right now. Wait until things liven up again in the spring.”

Luke snorted. “If you can hold on to the job that long.”

“Well, look at this. The whole gang’s here.” Holt let himself into the barn and shut the door against the cold wind blowing outside. “Hate to bust up the tea party, but those cattle are getting hungry.”

“I’ll get right on it,” Ned said, pulling his gloves on.

“Hold up. I want a word with you. No, the rest of you stay put—you can all hear this.”

Now what? Ned wondered. It wouldn’t be good—he could bet on that.

“I met up with Ethan in town again yesterday. He was asking after those girls again. Wondering when they’d be coming back.”

“What?” Luke stepped forward. “I don’t want Mia to leave.”

“He’s not concerned with Mia,” Ned said, meeting his father’s gaze and holding it. “He just wants Fila off the ranch. Right, old man?”

“Don’t old man me. But that’s right. She’s got no place here.”

“I told you she has a place with me.”

“And I’m telling you she doesn’t.” Holt pointed a finger at him. “She’s not the one for you. Pack her things, send her home. I got a job for you that’s going to take you out of town for a few days anyhow.”

“I’m not sending her home.” Ned raised his voice.

“Let me make this perfectly clear. She no longer lives on the Double-Bar-K. Don’t push me any further, Ned.”

All went silent in the barn as the two of them faced off.

“I don’t get it. You strong-armed Jake and Rob to get married. Now that I’ve found someone you’re trying to break us up? Come on, Pop—where’s my four week deadline? How come you’re not offering me a chunk of the ranch to try to get me to marry her?”

“You want a deadline? I’ll give you one. You’ve got one hour to get that foreigner off this ranch. And after you drop her off, you keep on driving. All the way to our hunting cabin.”

“Why the hell would I go there?” The change of topic threw Ned off guard.

“Because the roof’s about to collapse. Heard from Fitzgerald late last night. They’ve been getting snow and freezing rain alternating for the past week. It’s piled up more than three feet, he says, solid ice between the layers of snow. His kid just came and picked him up to take him to his house for the rest of the winter.”

“Damn,” Jake muttered as they all exchanged glances. Fitzgerald was their closest neighbor at the hunting shack. Situated on a large acreage down a long dirt road in a remote area in the northwest corner of the state, the hunting cabin had been in the family for several generations. Most of the cabins up there were primitive affairs used intermittently during hunting season. Fitzgerald had turned his into a year-round abode after his wife died ten years ago. Most winters, his grown son ended up bailing him out when the snow got too deep, but he stayed as long as he could. He used his satellite phone to relay any emergencies to the Mathesons. If Fitzgerald said the roof was in danger of collapsing, he was serious.

“I want you to get up there and shovel off that roof before we lose the whole thing. Figure you’ll be gone three to four days.”

“That’s not long enough to change my mind.” Ned settled his hat more firmly on his head.

“Well, then maybe it’ll be long enough to change hers. If you don’t bring her back to Ethan’s place, I will as soon as you’re gone.” No one spoke as Holt turned on his heel, walked out the barn door and slammed it behind him. All three of Ned’s brothers watched him warily as if he might explode at any moment. Finally, Luke ventured, “I can’t believe you didn’t haul off and punch him for that. Or at least try to.”

“You’ve changed,” Jake said, consideringly. “I’ve had that thought before in the last few months, but this clinches it. When did you get a handle on your temper?”

“That doesn’t matter. He ain’t going to throw me off this ranch, no matter what he says.” He looked from one to the other of his brothers. “You know he ain’t.”

“I don’t know,” Rob said. “I’m not sure he’ll budge this time.”

“I’m not taking Fila back to Ethan’s. No way.”

“I don’t think I’d leave her here at Dad’s mercy,” Jake cautioned him. “Not for four days.”

“Take her with you.” When the others all turned to him, Luke shrugged. “It’s the obvious solution.”

“But you came up with it and you want me off this ranch, too,” Ned said. “So what’s up?”

Luke looked angry. “You’re already going to be gone for four days. Who do you think is going to take up the slack while you’re away? Me, that’s who. I’m getting my chance. I plan to show Dad I’m way better at running things than you are. I don’t have anything against you hooking up with Fila.”

“So in other words, you’ll screw Ned over until the cows come home when it comes to the ranch, but you’re the first in line to support his love life?” Jake looked at him askance. “Or do you want Ned to stay with Fila so Dad will kick him out and you’ll get it all?”

“I don’t need to listen to this.” Luke left as well.

“What do you think I should do?” Ned asked Jake.

“Actually, I think Luke’s right; take her with you. If you leave her in Chance Creek, Dad will do something to screw with her while you’re gone. I wouldn’t put it past him to buy her a plane ticket, zip her into a suitcase and send her to Timbuktu.”

Ned sighed. It was the truth. “She’s supposed to be working on her restaurant.”

“The tasting party is week from Saturday, right? You’ll be back in plenty of time to set that up. Tell Fila to e-mail Hannah a plan for what needs to be done—shopping, prepping the restaurant, you name it. We’ll split up the work and handle it while you’re gone. She’ll still have several days to finish up preparations when you get home. I’ll tell Ethan and Autumn what happened today, too. I bet they have room for both of you at their place if Dad won’t back down. Like you said, he wants us all to stay on the ranch. Maybe if you leave for a week or two, he’ll think better of his methods. Things worked out for me and Rob. I bet they’ll work out for you, too.” Jake clapped him on the shoulder.

“How do I get him to change his mind about Fila?”

Neither brother could answer that.

“A six hour
drive?” Fila repeated when Ned broke the news about going to the cabin. She hugged her arms across her chest trying to squelch the worry that had bloomed there since last night. Holt had made it all too clear he wanted her to leave. Going to a remote cabin would be a respite from him, but it wouldn’t change anything permanently. She’d still have to deal with his dislike of her when they got back.

“Pack for more than four days, just in case,” Ned told her. “Anything can happen up there. It might take a couple of days to get everything dug out and most of a day each way to travel. Bring shirts, pants, sweaters, underthings. Lots of warm gear.”

Fila nodded reluctantly. She wondered if she should return to Ethan and Autumn’s place instead. Surely going with Ned would just antagonize Holt more.

But she didn’t want to give in to the old man, either. She wanted to stay with Ned. She’d grown accustomed to him.

“When you’re done, would you check through what I’ve packed from the kitchen? You might think of something I’ve missed.”

She nodded again. She headed upstairs, worry dogging her, but the act of packing calmed her somewhat. Maybe she and Ned could come up with a plan while they were there. Maybe the heavy physical work would distract her. Maybe fresh air and exercise were exactly what she needed, even if it meant going off into the wilderness.

She ended up repacking the kitchen gear entirely, taking out all the prepared boxed food Ned had included and substituting whole foods she could cook real meals from. That was one thing she hadn’t gotten used to since coming home; the salt-laden fatty foods Americans seemed to subsist on. Even the ones she remembered fondly from her childhood tasted wrong now. She used to love macaroni and cheese. Now it tasted… well… awful.

“Ready? Let’s get going,” Ned said when he rejoined her.

Fila nodded, a thread of fear creeping in at the thought of the long drive, the unfamiliar terrain. The empty cabin. What if something happened to her? What if she was attacked? What if men with guns came and—

No. Autumn would call this catastrophic thinking, a phrase Fila understood even if she couldn’t reliably spell it yet. Allowing a small fear to balloon into a huge one, until it blocked out common sense and made you act irrationally. There were no Taliban fighters here. She was in no danger with Ned.