The Sheriff Catches a Bride

Chapter Eleven



FILA WAS DISAPPOINTED when Catherine left the bus in the wee hours of the morning to head back to her college. She missed her company. She envied her, too. From her descriptions, Catherine’s life sounded like a heavenly mixture of learning and carefree playtime. She attended classes, studied in her afternoons, then went dancing, or to concerts, or to plays or to dinner. A whirlwind of parties and social occasions.

All that had been taken from Fila when she’d left for Afghanistan. She hadn’t attended school since she was twelve. She knew she must be as ignorant as a child compared to someone like Catherine. Would she someday go to a college or university? She didn’t see how; first she’d have to catch up with all the other students who’d graduated from high school. Traveling across North Dakota, the gray skies outside her window matched the fears and sorrow within her heart. What if this was all for nothing? What if no one in Montana would help her? What if the United States wasn’t her home anymore?

What if Wahid found her?

At a small station in Dickinson, North Dakota, a new bunch of passengers boarded the bus and a man in a tan cowboy hat paused in the aisle next to Fila’s row, stowed his duffel bag on the rack above them, sat down heavily in the empty seat beside her and rested his hat in his lap.

Fila cringed away from the cowboy. It was the first time a man had done such a thing since she stepped onto the AirTrain at JFK airport. She’d always tried to sit near other women, and when she hadn’t, no man had taken the empty seat next to her. Now what should she do?

A quick glance around the bus told her she had no options. There were only a couple of empty seats left, situated next to men who looked less trustworthy than this one. She inched as far away from him as she could get in her seat and clasped her fingers tightly together in her lap. There were still almost five hours to go on this trip. Could she survive that long sitting next to this… man?

“I don’t bite,” he drawled, startling her. He cocked his head and looked at her. “I mean it. I don’t bite. You can relax over there. In about five minutes I’ll be asleep and the only thing you’ll have to worry about is if my snoring keeps you awake.” He smiled at her and it wasn’t the lascivious grin of a man with mischief on his mind. It was a friendly smile, although he looked somewhat strained. Like maybe he hadn’t gotten much sleep recently. Fila relaxed a little bit, but only a little bit.

“I’m heading to Billings,” he added. “After that you’ll be quit of me.”

“That’s where I’m going,” she said, then bit her lip. Why had she suddenly developed this bad habit of blurting out facts no one else had the right to know?

“Usually I drive myself, but my truck’s in the shop, and I couldn’t wait anymore.” His face fell and he smoothed the brim of his hat with a thumb and forefinger. “Nope, need to go home and see things for myself.”

“Your home is in Montana?” Fila asked, surprising herself. When was the last time she’d questioned a man? Her Taliban relatives in Afghanistan wouldn’t stand for it.

He nodded after a moment. “My father is there. So is my fiancée. My ex-fiancée, I guess.” He sighed heavily. Looked her way again. “Name’s Jason. Jason Thayer.” He put out his hand.

She shook it uncertainly, almost paralyzed when she couldn’t remember the proper etiquette for this situation. Did American women shake hands? Of course they did. Right? Yes.

Jason’s hand enveloped hers, warm and dry and strong. He shook her hand and let it go, as easy as that. Fila felt a resurgence of confidence.

“And you are…” Jason prompted.

“Fila.” Surely this close to her goal she could use her name without fear. Or maybe not. Had she just compromised herself?

“What sends you to Montana? Family?” He seemed eager to talk. Perhaps eager to distract himself from thoughts of the woman who was no longer his fiancée.

“I’m going to meet someone who’s been very special to me. Someone who helped me,” she said.

Jason sat back. “Sounds like there’s a story there.”

She allowed herself a small smile. “There is. Unfortunately I can’t share it.” Did his shoulders slump? Had he wanted to know more about her? Somehow the idea of catching a man’s attention thrilled her just a little bit. Scared her, too. Back in the village men ignored her utterly, or if they didn’t, it meant trouble. “I’m not sure if the woman I’m going to see wants me to tell it.”

“Fair enough.”

She searched for something else to say. “Tell me about your fiancée.”

It was the right question to ask. Jason launched into a detailed description of a woman named Rose Bellingham, his high school sweetheart. “We grew up together in Chance Creek. I’ve known her since I was five years old…”

Fila didn’t hear any more past Chance Creek. This man was from Chance Creek. He was going there now. As long as she stuck close to him she’d reach her destination.

“Tell me, have you heard of Aria Cruz?” she interrupted him, all thoughts of keeping her plan secret fleeing from her mind. “Do you know her daughter?”

“Claire? Sure, I know Claire. And Morgan, too.”

Fila began to cry.

“WHAT GIVES WITH YOU and Rose?” Jamie said. He, Cab and Ethan stood beside a corral on the Cruz ranch, blowing on their hands and watching Rob put a gelding through its paces. Jamie usually took first crack at the new horses they acquired, but this one was meant for the rodeo, and the rodeo was Rob’s department.

“We’re friends,” Cab said. He tried hard to suppress a grin. Failed.

Ethan chuckled. “More than friends, maybe?”

“Maybe,” Cab conceded. He wasn’t one to kiss and tell, but this one time he wished he could. What a story he had. Better than any of the tall tales Rob and Jamie had swapped over the years.

“Not that it’s any of my business, but what about Jason?” Jamie said, resting a boot on the lowest rail of the corral.

“That’s over.”

“Happy to hear that. It’s about time you found yourself a woman.”

“Are you all talking about Cab and Rose?” Rob shouted from atop the gelding. He reined it in to a stop. “Don’t talk about Cab and Rose without me!”

Here it comes, Cab thought.

Rob urged the gelding closer to the fence. “Jason’s going to have something to say about the two of you when he gets home.”

“He’s not coming home,” Cab said. “Rose broke up with him.”

“You sure about that? It’s almost Thanksgiving. Jason might stay away the rest of the year, but he’s always home for Thanksgiving.”

“How the hell do you know that?” Jamie said, cocking his hat back to reveal his untidy dark hair.

Rob tapped a finger to his temple. “My mind is like a steel trap. I remember everything.”

“You remember everything?” Ethan said, straightening. “You sure about that?”

“Positive.”

Ethan held up his left hand, tapped his watch. “Remember what time you’re supposed to meet Morgan?”

Rob glanced at his own wrist. “Shit. Jamie, take over.”


Jamie climbed the fence with alacrity and dropped into the corral. A minute later he sat atop the horse and Rob joined them outside the enclosure. “If Morgan calls, I’m on my way,” he said and slapped Cab on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. If it comes down to a fight between you and Jason, my money’s on you.”

“Thanks,” Cab said as he and Ethan watched him take off toward the driveway in a loping run. Soon his Chevy pulled out into the lane in a cloud of dust.

“My money’s on you, too,” Ethan said. “Not in a fight, but as the better man for Rose.”

“That right?” It meant a lot to him to have Ethan on his side.

“She belongs here, not in some oil town in North Dakota. Besides, I’ve seen how she looks at you.”

Cab glanced at him in surprise. “Looks at me?”

“Yep.” Ethan grinned.

“The thing is,” Cab said, willing to discuss this only with Ethan; not with Rob or Jamie. “She keeps talking about needing to find herself. She says she doesn’t want a man who’ll tell her what to do.”

Ethan rested his elbows on top of the fence and considered this for a moment. “Uh oh.”

“Uh oh?” Cab was taken aback.

“In my experience, when a woman starts talking about finding herself, she’s ready to make a break for it.”

Cab figured he was talking about Lacey Taylor, the woman who’d broken his heart before he met Autumn. “If she’s ready to make a break for it, then why’d she hook up with me at all?”

“That’s a good question,” Ethan said. “Autumn was talking about something the other day.” He squinted as he searched his memory. “Right. She was worried about Rose going straight from Jason to you. I didn’t think much of it at the time.” He shrugged. “I figured Rose spotted the better man and switched horses mid-ride.”

“Autumn thinks Rose should have taken a break first? Spent some time on her own?”

“I reckon that’s about the size of it.”

Cab heaved a sigh. He wanted Rose right now. He wanted her in his bed tonight and every night. He didn’t want to wait while she discovered herself. She could do that right alongside of him.

“Why not let Rose take the lead for a while?” Ethan suggested. “See where she takes you?”

He supposed he’d better do just that.

But he didn’t have to like it one little bit.

“THANKS FOR PICKING ME UP,” Mia said as she climbed into Rose’s truck and shut the door.

“I’m so sorry I stood you up last night.” Rose started the truck and backed out quickly, eager to get out of the center of town before Emory spotted her.

“That’s okay,” Mia said, but Rose knew she’d disappointed the girl. She meant to make up for it now. She’d remembered Mia as she pulled out of Cab’s place, and called her immediately, full of remorse. She might be going through major life upheaval, but Mia was dealing with an unplanned pregnancy at twenty-one. That was much worse. She invited Mia to come along with her to a town some miles down the road to buy more supplies and then eat out together.

As Rose pulled onto Highway 90, Mia stared out at the passing scenery. Fall was rapidly verging into winter and Rose shivered at the thought of another night in the tree house.

“We’ll have to hurry to get all your shopping done before the store closes,” Mia said. “How come you didn’t want to shop in town?”

“It’s a long story,” Rose said.

“We have a long drive,” Mia pointed out.

Rose frowned. “The short version is I split up with Jason and got in a fight with his father, and I don’t want to see him or my parents until I’ve figured out exactly what I’m going to do next.”

“You’re not wearing your ring anymore.” Mia leaned forward to look at Rose’s hand on the wheel.

Rose fought the urge to hide it in her pocket. “No. We’re over.”

Mia flipped her straight dark hair over her shoulder. “Wow. I thought you two would get married for sure.”

“So did I up until recently.”

“What are you going to do now? I mean, will you still work for Emory? Will you still live in his carriage house after you tell him?”

Rose’s shoulders slumped. “No, I’ve already quit and moved out.”

“Where’s your new place?”

“I’m staying with Autumn and Ethan… most nights.”

Mia waited for her to elaborate. Rose was beginning to think this whole trip was a bad idea.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me,” Mia said after a pause and turned to look out the window again.

“It’s not that… it’s just I don’t want people to know where I’m staying. I don’t want Emory to know. Or my parents. Emory flipped out and burned a bunch of my paintings, if you can believe it. I’m afraid he might come after me again. And my parents…” She trailed off, not knowing exactly how to put that into words. “They’ll just tell me what to do.”

“I totally get it,” Mia said.

Rose realized she probably did.

She was relieved when they pulled into the parking lot of a sporting goods store. Mia trailed Rose through its wide aisles, but didn’t say a word as Rose loaded her cart with a down sleeping bag, thick sleeping mat, a better winter jacket and wool socks. After some thought, Rose added a small propane-powered heater, a camp stove, a pot and pan, and a small assortment of utensils to her load. When she circled around and grabbed a second down sleeping bag, Mia laughed out loud.

“What?” Rose turned on her.

“You’re squatting.”

“Huh?”

“You’re squatting on someone’s land. Or is it state land?” Mia looked at her, admiration plain on her face.

“Mia…”

“Rose, I won’t tell anyone. Heck, if anyone knows how to keep a secret, it’s me,” she said, resting a hand on her belly.

She had a point. “All right. I’m squatting. In the woods outside town.”

Mia nodded. “I knew it. And that lumber you bought last week? You’re building a cabin? You’ve got balls.”

“I built a tree house, actually. I’m beginning to think I might need to expand it.” Rose clamped her mouth shut before any other words could spill out.

“A tree house.” The longing was clear in Mia’s voice. “I always wanted a tree house.”

“Me, too,” Rose realized. It had never even occurred to her to build her hideaway on the ground.

“Rose,” Mia began. She stopped in the middle of the aisle and put a hand on Rose’s shoulder to stop her, as well. “I could use a place like that. Somewhere to escape. No, hold on,” she held up a hand to prevent Rose from speaking. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but with the baby coming things are going to get pretty hard on me. My parents… they’re pretty religious. It’s going to kill them when I begin to show. A few years back this other couple from church—friends of theirs—had a son who got some girl pregnant and refused to marry her. Every one acted sweet and charitable to their faces, but whenever they weren’t around people gossiped like crazy. They stopped getting invitations anywhere. They weren’t picked for church committees. All their so-called friends dropped them like hotcakes, even Mom and Dad. I know it killed my mother, but she knew if she didn’t go along with it, everyone she knew would drop her. She couldn’t bear that.” Mia shrugged miserably. “Now it’s going to happen to her, anyway.”


“Oh, Mia, I’m so sorry. That sounds awful.” Rose only attended services sporadically, but she couldn’t imagine such things going on at the simple church Reverend Joe Halpern oversaw. “Which congregation is that?”

Mia mentioned the name of one of the churches on the outskirts of town, a more conservative denomination. Rose shook her head. The behavior Mia had described didn’t belong in any house of worship.

A tear leaked out of Mia’s eye. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. Please, can I build a tree house, too? Just to get away sometimes and be by myself? A place where I can still dream it’s all going to be okay?”

Rose knew she needed to get Mia out of the store before she broke down completely. “Okay,” she said, almost cursing the day she’d ever befriended the girl. Now there would be three of them going in and out of Carl’s woods. What were the chances Cab wouldn’t discover them?

And how was Mia going to afford the supplies, anyway?

As if she’d read her mind, Mia wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her shirt. “I won’t even have to buy the wood. We’ve got a whole shed out back at home filled with it. If you’ll tell me what I need, I’ll load it up and bring it out tomorrow. Where’s your tree house again?”

“In Carl Whitfield’s woods,” Rose said, her heart sinking. This wasn’t going to end well. It couldn’t.

“Carl’s woods.” Mia looked thoughtful. “I bet you can pull right into the trees and hide your truck. I’ve got this huge old tarp, too. My dad used to use it as a makeshift garage before he built a real one. I’ll bring it when I come out. Once I pull in behind some trees and cover my car, no one will know it’s there.”

Her foresight relieved Rose a little. Maybe they’d pull this off, after all.

TWENTY-FOUR HOURS HAD GONE BY since Rose walked out of his house—well, out of Carl’s house—and Cab hadn’t heard a word from her. How long was he supposed to wait before he made his next move?

When she’d left his bed the previous afternoon, he’d still been in a daze from their unexpected and mind-blowing encounter, but when evening slipped into night and the minutes ticked on without her calling or even texting, he realized she wasn’t coming back any time soon.

He’d tossed and turned all night, and even got out of bed now and then to check out his window. He’d had the unsettling feeling that something was out there, but he couldn’t see anything. All he had to go by was a hunch that something wasn’t right.

Rose wasn’t sleeping with him; that’s what wasn’t right. Why hadn’t she come back? Was she too busy finding herself to give him a call? Why couldn’t they just jump over all this relationship gobbledygook and get right into the good stuff? She could move in with him, they’d divide the chores. At night they’d cuddle up, take in a show or two, and then hit the hay.

After a few hours of fooling around, of course.

Sounded like heaven to Cab. Only Rose apparently didn’t agree.

By Sunday afternoon, Cab had enough of Rose’s silence. It galled him to think she could sleep with him and then walk away while he couldn’t think about anything else. It galled him he didn’t even know where she was staying—she wasn’t at the Cruz ranch. What was up with that?

He decided to find out. He dialed her number and was relieved when she answered promptly.

“Hey, Rose,” he said and realized he hadn’t planned any further than that.

“Cab? Is that you?”

“Yeah. Where are you?”

“Um… at a friend’s,” she said, after waiting a beat too long. He figured if he could see her she’d be biting that bottom lip of hers. What was she hiding now?

“Want to get together tonight?”

“Um… tomorrow night is better. Does that work for you?”

He guessed it had to. “Sure,” he said, although he wanted to ask what was wrong with today.

“What time?”

“Five o’clock?”

Another pause. “How about six?”

“Fine. Where can I pick you up?”

“I’ll meet you. How about The Robin’s Nest in Silver Falls?”

“Silver Falls? That’s a bit of a drive.” Practically all the way to Bozeman.

“I don’t want to run into Emory in town.”

“It’ll save some gas if I pick you up,” Cab tried again. Why was she being so cagey about her location?

“Nah, that doesn’t work for me. See you there at six.” She hung up on him before he could answer.

He tucked the phone back in his pocket, disappointment weighing heavy in his gut. As much as he liked Rose and as much as he wanted this to work, he couldn’t handle the way she was giving him the runaround. He’d have to confront her tomorrow night; ask her how she’d spent her day and where she planned to sleep. He didn’t like secrets and he didn’t like the sense that something was going on he didn’t understand.

Meanwhile, he wasn’t going to hang around here by himself anymore. Grabbing his coat, he drove to the Cruz ranch to distract himself with a visit to his friends. He met up with Jamie when he parked in the driveway.

“Have you seen Rose today?” he asked as soon as he got out of his truck.

“No. I figured she was with you.”

Cab shook his head. “She stayed somewhere else last night.” He outlined the sequence of events and told Jamie his plan to confront her about her activities.

“Man, you suck at this stuff, don’t you?” Jamie leaned against his truck.

“Care to elaborate?”

“Don’t get your back up, I’m just telling it how it is.” Jamie clapped him on the shoulder. “Look, Claire’s been talking nonstop about you and Rose. She says you’re going to blow it if you push her too hard.”

“I’m not pushing her. I just want to know what she’s doing.”

“What damn business is it of yours? Do you think she’s sleeping around on you?”

“No.” He didn’t. Nothing in Rose’s behavior led him to believe that.

“Then screw the rest. Buddy, you’ve got a good thing there. Don’t mess it up because you’re a control freak.”

“What the hell did you just call me?”

“Control. Freak.” Jamie straightened and led the way toward the barn. “You always have to know everything and you always need everyone to do things your way.”

“Now that’s just not true,” Cab said, stung by his friend’s summation of his character. “I’m the laid-back one of the group.”

Jamie snorted and led the way inside. “Rob’s the laid-back one, Ethan’s the responsible one, I’m the good-looking one and you’re the control freak.”

“Hell, no.” Cab stopped short. “I am not the control freak. I’m the strong silent type that cleans up the messes the rest of you make.”

“Whatever.” Jamie flashed him a look, sauntered over to a bunch of tools piled up against one of the posts, and kicked them, sending them scattering across the barn floor. He sauntered onward into the dim recesses of the barn and started rummaging among the tack.

Cab waited near the scattered tools to see if Jamie was coming back, stunned by his friend’s behavior. When it became clear he wasn’t, Cab sighed and bent to straighten them up. He set the biggest pitchforks and rakes against the post, then leaned the shorter ones against them one at the time until the whole set was balanced. Tidier. Less likely to get in the way.


“See, I just cleaned up another mess,” he announced.

Jamie strode back toward him, gave the tools a quick look. “You just organized the rakes by size and function. Control freak. You know, you remind me of someone. Kind of an old dude that likes to rearrange Rose’s things and burn her paintings up? Know that guy?” He walked out of the barn laughing.

Cab remained behind, fists jammed deep into his jeans pockets. Yeah, he knew that guy, and if he was anything like Emory he had to change.

Fast.

ON SUNDAY, ROSE LAY LOW, hanging out in her tree house with a sketchbook and watercolor pencils. The small propane heater worked like a charm to keep the space warm, even if the tree house didn’t have a proper roof. She munched sandwiches and daydreamed and tried to sketch out some ideas for the paintings she would do when she finished the tree house’s interior and moved in her supplies. Since Cab could be at Carl’s place at any time today, she didn’t work on the tree house itself. She was afraid the sound of the hammer or saw would carry.

When her cell phone vibrated in her pocket late in the morning, Rose jumped but quickly answered it when she saw it was Cab. She was happy to plan a dinner date, but put him off until the following evening, determined to spend one entire day alone just to prove that she could. She felt it was important to establish a boundary with Cab—and herself, too. It would be far too easy to fall into a relationship with him that took over her life. That’s the way the old Rose would do things. New Rose kept her love life in line.

By four in the afternoon, however, Rose was getting restless. Try as she might, thoughts of Cab kept intruding on her plans and sketches. She relived every moment of their afternoon together and fantasized about new and different ways they could make love. The possibilities were infinite and before long she wanted nothing more than to climb down the treehouse ladder and dash over to Carl’s mansion.

When she found herself peeking out the window in that direction, she decided she needed a change of scenery. She made a run to a lumberyard in a neighboring town to get some extra supplies for Hannah and Mia’s tree houses. The corner posts took a day on their own to set in the cement, so she bought eight more posts and buckets, some brackets and screws and then took herself out to dinner. On her way home she stopped at a grocery store to stock up on food and a number of gallon jugs of bottled water.

Once it was dark she drove back, hid the truck again and brought everything to the site before mixing up the cement and anchoring the posts in the buckets. She had to use bottled water for the job and work by the low light of a flashlight with a ski hat draped over it, but it worked out. She’d picked out two locations some distance apart from each other and from her tree house, hoping Hannah and Mia would approve. Like hers, the new tree houses would be nestled among trees without being built into them; she was determined that if they were forced to leave, they could disassemble the houses and remove every trace of them without damaging Carl’s property.

As she settled in for another night in her tree house she was pleased with the progress she’d made and the fact that she hadn’t broken down and gone to be with Cab. She was a capable, competent woman, no matter what her parents or anyone else thought. She didn’t need anyone. She didn’t mind being alone.

But as she slid into her sleeping bag she wished more than anything that Cab was sliding in beside her.

On Monday morning she waited for Cab to leave for work before she finally finished the roof on her tree house. Then she got to work on digging the holes for Hannah and Mia’s posts. By rights they’d have come and done their own dirty work, but she didn’t mind. It gave her another reason to put off looking for a job.

She wasn’t sure why she was so reluctant to do so. Even though she wouldn’t get a reference from Emory, this was a small town; people knew who she was. But when she’d picked up the regional paper on her errands the day before she hadn’t found any ads for jobs she wanted to take.

She needed something flexible, and she needed a really cheap apartment to live in. That would leave her open to start classes for her degree.

She wanted a degree, she’d decided. Maybe it wouldn’t make her paintings more marketable, but she’d learn so much in the process she’d never learn on her own. She’d make connections with other artists, and—she thought triumphantly—it could lead to other artistic jobs. Maybe she could teach university classes someday. Those professors got good salaries, right?

The truth was, she didn’t give a damn about her salary. She did give a damn about art, though. She’d never gotten much support for it, apart from a teacher or two in elementary school who had encouraged her, and she wanted to know what that would be like. The thought that she could spend a few years among other artists filled her with longing.

Mia arrived in the afternoon and they quickly faced the same problem she had at the beginning; there was no electricity for a power saw to cut the lumber Mia brought from her family’s shed. They either had to cut it by hand, or risk going back to the Cruz ranch. After using the handsaw to cut a few boards they agreed to risk a trip to Autumn and Ethan’s place. While Mia looked over the list of board lengths and sizes Rose had drawn up for her, Rose placed the call to Autumn.

“You’re in luck,” Autumn said. “Ethan, Jamie and Rob are all going to visit another ranch tomorrow. They’ll be gone most of the day. Come over after nine in the morning and you’ll be fine. Speaking of which, I’d like to point out you have an excellent bed here going to waste. Are you coming home tonight? Or would you rather sleep in someone else’s?”

Great. Word about her and Cab had obviously spread already. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said and clicked off. She knew her friend would have plenty of questions for her then.

Hannah arrived just as Rose shoved the phone back in her pocket. Rose greeted her and followed her back to where she’d parked her car to make sure she’d hidden it well enough. Like Mia, Hannah seemed to take her rules seriously and Rose couldn’t fault the job she’d done.

“I put your posts in today. I hope you don’t mind that I didn’t wait for you.”

“I don’t mind at all. Do you mind if I get started building my corral? I brought a bunch of scrap wood along.”

“Sure,” Rose said checking her watch. “We have to wind down before Cab gets home, though, so you only have about an hour and a half. I’ll be at Autumn’s place tomorrow to cut more boards. Do you want to meet me there?”

Hannah hesitated. “I can’t take too much time off of work.”

“Don’t worry about it. We’re making the houses all the same size and shape. I’ll cut the wood you’ll need and be back here after lunch. Come by any time before four, but hide your car again, okay?”

“You’re a lifesaver, Rose. Thanks.”

Rose had wondered if the project would lose some of its luster with company around, but once Hannah took off deeper into the woods, to her surprise she found herself enjoying Mia’s presence. The young woman turned out to have a sly sense of humor that blossomed here away from prying eyes. They cleaned up the site and transferred Mia’s wood from her car to Rose’s truck. Mia had ridden from town with the boards sticking out one of her rear windows. Rose hoped she hadn’t attracted too much attention.


“I just always feel so… wrong… when other people look at me these days, like they can see inside my brain and know I had an affair with a married man,” Mia confessed to Rose some time later. “Out here with just you and Hannah, I feel… safe.”

“I’m glad,” Rose told her. “That’s exactly what this place is supposed to be—a hideaway from all the people who get you down.”

“I think it’s going to work.”

Rose wanted to ask her questions about her plans for the future, but she kept her mouth shut. After all, she was hiding here because she didn’t want to have to answer to anyone. Why shouldn’t Mia get the same privacy?

A faint sound of hammering came from the woods behind them and Rose tensed, focused on a new worry. She still had plenty of reservations about keeping a horse out here, but Hannah had assured her it was only temporary; just until she could find the critter a better home. When she emerged an hour or so later, Rose and Mia were tidying up for the day.

“Are you making any progress?” Rose asked her.

Hannah nodded. “I actually got it done. It’s not a very big corral. I’m going to call it a day.”

“Me, too,” Mia said. “I’ve got a five to nine o’clock shift tonight.”

Rose nodded. “I’m supposed to have dinner with Cab. I wish I had a way to clean up first, though. One thing this place lacks is a shower. I think I stink.”

“Aren’t you staying at Autumn’s? Why don’t you go there?” Mia asked.

Because she didn’t feel like getting the third degree. She knew the minute she entered the door of the Big House, Autumn, Claire and Morgan would pounce on her and want to know everything. They’d grill her about Jason and Cab and Emory… she couldn’t take it. Not yet. She’d face Autumn tomorrow.

“Want to follow me home?” Hannah said, taking in her expression. “I’m all the way across town from Emory and your folks. You can use my shower. They’ll never know you were there.”

She was being silly hiding out like this—Emory must know by now she’d broken things off with Jason—but she didn’t want to face him and his questions and accusations, either. She’d be taking a chance going to Hannah’s, but the lure of hot water and soap swayed her. After all, what could any of them do if they actually caught her, except make a stink? Sooner or later she’d have to face the world.

But not tonight, she hoped.

An hour later, she stepped out of the shower in Hannah and Cody’s small house and pulled on a clean set of clothes. Cab hadn’t mentioned anything fancy, so she wore jeans and a pretty blouse. As she folded her dirty clothes and packed them away in the backpack she’d brought, she heard Hannah call a greeting and a man’s voice answer. She stilled, listened, and decided it must be Cody arriving home. He and Hannah had dated for some time now, although she didn’t get Hannah’s attraction to him. Cody was… rough. Not physically, but in his mannerisms. A little too crude for her tastes, but Hannah seemed to like him well enough.

“Just a minute,” she heard Hannah say and she sped up her movements, knowing her friend probably needed to get ready for her own evening out.

When Rose opened the bathroom door, she met Hannah in the hall. “Sorry, didn’t mean to take so long.”

“Hush, you’ve been quick as a wink. Cody’s just early, that’s all.”

“I’ll get out of your way. See you tomorrow? I plan to be at the… place… all day.”

“I asked Bella for the day off so I’ll definitely be there, too. Just as soon as I get him out of bed and on his way. He’s slow in the mornings.” She made a face. “Real slow.”

“The nights must be good enough to make up for it, then,” Rose teased her.

Hannah looked uncertain. “I don’t know how long we’ll be together,” she whispered. “He’s…”

“I’m what?” Cody said loudly as he poked his head around the corner. “When I hear women whispering I know trouble’s coming. What are you two up to?”

“Nothing,” Rose said firmly, seeing Hannah’s face blanch. “I was asking Hannah what I can do to make tonight special for Cab. We’re kind of… celebrating,” she said, making up the story as she went along.

“Just take your clothes off for him,” Cody said, coming all the way into the hall, which suddenly felt much too crowded for Rose. “That’s every man’s favorite celebration.” He tugged Hannah into a one-armed hug but kept his gaze on Rose. For one horrible moment she thought he might reach out and pull her close under his other arm. Her skin crawled under his scrutiny. Was she imagining it, or was he vibing her—hard?

“I’d better run or I’ll be late,” she said, feeling anxious to get away. Hannah and Cody trailed after her as she made her way through the house and out the front door. She hesitated on the front walk, uncomfortable at leaving Hannah but unsure how to handle the situation. “Call me if you need anything,” she said to her friend, hoping she understood what she really meant.

“It’s all fine. You have a great time,” Hannah said. She leaned into Cody’s embrace and Rose relaxed a little. Cody was sleazy, but Hannah wasn’t in danger. She was just with the wrong guy.

Some relationships were messed up, Rose thought. Some people were messed up. She got in her truck, glad that wasn’t the case with Cab. She couldn’t ask for a steadier, more responsible man. She slid her key into the ignition, beginning to anticipate the evening to come.

The engine made a sick sound and then died altogether.

CAB PULLED UP at Hannah’s house just as the tow truck arrived.

“Sorry for the change in plans,” Rose said, coming to meet him.

“No problem,” he said as he took in the way her hair curled around her shoulders and her pretty blouse framed her cleavage. “I offered to pick you up in the first place. So this is where you’ve been staying?”

Rose shrugged and turned back to gesture at the tow truck driver. “He’s taking my truck to the shop. I won’t get it back until tomorrow, though. It’s too late for anyone to work on it now.”

“That’s all right. I’ll take you to dinner and then drive you wherever you need to go.”

“Thanks. Let me talk to Hannah for a minute, would you?” She hurried off to speak to her friend and the two women huddled together away from the action around the truck. Cab figured she needed to sort out the logistics of coming back here after their date. Would she let Hannah know she might not be back at all? He hoped so. He wasn’t going to spoil the evening straight off the bat, though, by suggesting she spend the night. She’d count that as him telling her what to do. Better let her think it was her idea.

“Did I ever tell you I’m going bison hunting?” Cody swaggered up to him. “Next week. Pretty cool, huh?”

“I think you mentioned it.” Cab resisted the impulse to roll his eyes.

“They say when the bison falls over, it shakes the ground.”

“If you manage to hit it,” Cab said. He hoped Rose would hurry up.

“I’ll hit it. They just stand there,” Cody said. “But when they fall, they shake the ground. You can feel it all the way from where you’re shooting.”


“All that way. That’s something.”

“It’s a rush.”

“I’m ready,” Rose waved good-bye to Hannah. The tow truck driver was ready to pull out, so Cab led her to his truck and opened the door for her to climb in.

“I suppose DelMonaco’s is out.”

“I’m afraid so. Mind taking a bit of a drive?”

“Not at all.” Cab swung his truck around to head back through town to highway 90. Rose remained quiet for the first few minutes of the drive until he began to worry she might be having second thoughts about spending time together.

“Everything all right?”

“Hmm? Oh.” Rose gave herself a little shake. “I was thinking about Hannah and Cody. I’m not sure that relationship is going to last.”

What about us? Cab wanted to ask her, but bit the words back. Sometimes talking too much caused all kinds of problems. Maybe action was called for here. “Rose—I’m going to tell you what to do and I don’t want you to get all riled up about it. You think you can hear me out?”

“I guess so.” Her tone told him it wasn’t likely.

He patted the seat beside me. “Come sit over here.”

She waited a beat. “That’s it?”

“That’s it.” Would she take the bait? Looked like she would.

She undid her seatbelt, slid over into the middle of the bench seat and rebuckled herself in.

“That’s better,” Cab said. He put a possessive hand on her thigh and waited to see what she would do next. When she inched nearer, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. They were going to be okay. He allowed himself to explore her thigh a little, stroking gently down and then up, each time sliding a little higher. When Rose let a small sigh escape he knew they were more than okay.

They reached an intersection in the center of town and stopped for a red light. Cab took advantage of the situation to lean over, tilt her chin up and give her a long, searching kiss. Rose answered him with equal ardor, placing a hand on his shoulder to steady herself. She leaned into him, letting him lead the way and when he slid a hand under her blouse, she moaned, letting him know she’d missed him as much as he’d missed her.

Cab pulled back an inch. “We could eat at my place,” he suggested. “Or skip eating all together.”

“That sounds good,” Rose said. “Real good.” She kissed him again, and he slipped his hand higher, cupping her breast underneath her shirt. He knew he should wait until they got back to Carl’s place, but suddenly he didn’t want to wait another minute.

“Or we could pull in behind the gas station and get it on right here.”

Rose giggled. “Better not. What if we get caught?” She slid a hand down his back and into the waistband of his jeans. If she were any closer to him she’d be in his lap.

The car behind them beeped and they both jumped.

“Whoops. Better keep my eyes on the road,” Cab said, chuckling. “Don’t want to cause an accident.”

Rose guided his hand back down to her thigh and wriggled to let him know she wanted him to stroke her again. He did so with pleasure, making the left-hand turn toward the highway. “You sure you don’t want to grab dinner first?”

She sat up and glared at him. “You’d better not stop this car until you reach Carl’s.”

Cab grinned. “Yes, ma’am.” He gave her thigh a squeeze.

Rose went rigid and gripped his wrist.

Cab glanced at her as he turned the wheel and pressed on the accelerator. “What’s wrong?”

She stared out the windshield across the intersection as they turned. Cab saw a taxi at the far corner. A man leaning over it. Then they were past.

“Rose, what’s wrong?”

“I… I don’t feel so well. Can you please take me to Carl’s as fast as you can?”