Mentally adding up the hours in the day, Gabe still couldn’t make heads or tails of his workload. Check the north range cattle, shoe horses, Ditch Witch the main irrigation…the list faded into eternity.
Yet here he sat in front of the church.
He turned off the engine of the truck and stretched his neck muscles until a joint popped. Wrist atop the steering wheel, he wiggled a finger as he thought up more chores waiting for him.
The memory of his dad hunched atop his stool, burning the midnight oil as he worked leather, smacked Gabe upside the head. His dad had built up the ranch with only Uncle Bob to help. How could Gabe complain about too little time and too few resources when all he had to do was check cattle and finish paperwork? Zac managed the assets; Nick worked PR…sort of. All Gabe had to do was tend this little chunk of land.
Come to Me all ye who are weak and heavy laden….
The familiar verse from the Sunday sermon wove through his mind like twenty-pound test line. This wasn’t a heavy burden. This was frustration. Frustration over having too much to do and not enough time in the day to do it right.
Grabbing the keys from the ignition, he swung the door open and stepped out. The sun warmed the top of his head before he slapped on his hat. He wasn’t about to waste a day in self-pity when the good Lord had just answered his biggest prayer. Melanie running herd on the ladies gifted Gabe with the time he needed. An hour or two spent making sure his help stayed happy didn’t begin to empty the coffers of his appreciation.
Nope. Not one bit. He stepped up on the stoop and opened the door.
“Hello, ladies.” The kitchen stood empty. His grin faded. He poked his head into the all-purpose room. Empty. RJ said he’d dropped them off. Gabe paced through the rest of the church. Nothing.
Through the window, he could hear children squeal in the backyard. He retraced his steps and headed toward the kitchen and out the door, skirting a sandbox and jungle gym at one end of the playground that kept the younger set happy.
The older kids stood around the swing tree, encouraging someone down in the pit. Gabe chuckled as Ben caught the swing and tethered it in place. That simple swing offered more enjoyment in its two stout ropes and simple seat than all the mechanized play sets in the world.
His chuckle stalled in his throat as Melanie climbed over the edge. She swatted at the dirt on her jean shorts and patted her shirt into place. Light bounced in her eyes as she shook her hair back. “Okay, boys, who’s next?”
Gabe couldn’t believe his ears. Melanie had tried the swing? What had happened since yesterday morning?
“You were great. Almost as graceful as Jason.” Jennifer stepped up and brushed pine needles and twigs off of Melanie’s backside. “Want to try it again?”
“I don’t want to hog all the fun.”
“We can swing anytime,” Jennifer reassured her. “Go ahead. Try again.”
The grin of pure joy on Melanie’s face almost brought Gabe to his knees. Not a hint of fear lined her face and her smile radiated. She reached for the rope and climbed aboard.
“Okay, Jay. Give me a push.”
Not one to let the moment pass him by, Gabe came up behind Jason and put his finger to his lips. The boy giggled and moved aside. Melanie flew back toward Gabe, her hair a golden mass in the sunshine. He caught her back and pushed her off. She kicked her legs and gained height. One more time, she sailed back. Gabe spread his palms around her waist, her cotton shirt soft against his skin. Silky hair threaded through his fingers and the scent of lemons teased as he pushed her back into the air.
Her body twisted and her eyes grew wide as she caught sight of him. She flew back toward him. “Gabe! This is great!”
“I know.” He caught her hip and palmed her back into the air. “Look out over the ridge.”
Her chin tucked to her chest, she swung upward. “Wheeeeee.”
Gabe shoved her back toward the clouds; his joy surged at the freedom of the simple act.
“Let go, Mom,” Jason instructed like an old pro.
Melanie swept up into the sky and released the rope just as the swing reached its zenith. She flew upward for a moment longer, then dropped to the ground with all the grace of a sack of peanuts.
“What a ride.” She bounced on the cushion. “Closest I’ll ever come to flying without a plane.”
Gabe dropped to his belly and peered over the side. “Having fun?”
“The best.” She squinted into the sun. “What a blast.”
“I’m glad.” Glad to see her relax; glad to see her let loose; glad to see her smile. “This swing has quite the reputation around here.”
“Oh, really?” She twirled around on the cushion and crawled over to him. “What does it do?”
Gabe stared into the most incredibly blue eyes he’d ever seen. A blush of pink from the sun settled on her cheeks and a smattering of light freckles dusted over her delicate nose. He swallowed and tried to find his voice. “It makes people throw caution to the wind.”
A light sparked in her eye and he thought he saw her wink. “Me? Throw caution to the wind? Not in a million years.”
Yep, he’d seen the wink. “Forgive me for my misinterpretation of the moment.”
Her blush deepened as her lashes lowered and her chin tilted low. “It was fun.”
“Hey, Melanie.” Jennifer stood on the other side of the pit. “You got some great air.”
Tension dissolved from between his shoulders as she shifted away from the edge and stood up. Brushing the debris from her shorts and shirt, Melanie grinned at him. Jennifer ran up.
“Did you see her, Gabe?” Jen flopped down beside him. “Her second time on the swing and already a pro.”
Balanced on his knees, Gabe offered Melanie a hand. She latched on and scrambled out, her fingers warm in his palm. Gray dirt sifted beneath her foot as she hopped up onto the grassy edge.
Jennifer rose and pulled a pine needle off Melanie’s shorts. “Zac used to push me in the swing. I’d get just as high.” She swung her hands back and forth then held them high. “I’d let go, certain I’d fly off the edge. But I never did.” Her arms slapped against her sides. “I’d just land and then beg for him to do it again.”
Melanie caught her breath. “I’ve got to do that again.”
Gabe locked gazes with Melanie and couldn’t tear away. His insides churned. Another turn on the swing and he’d be in heaven, too.
With timing that couldn’t be beat, Jason ran up and wrapped his arms around her. “You were great!” He turned toward Gabe. “My turn. Will you push me, Gabe?”
Gabe nodded. Melanie looked away and broke the spell between them. She ruffled Jason’s hair.
“Okay. Just once.” She glanced back again with a shy smile. “Then my turn.”
All Gabe could do was nod.
Melanie meandered through the fringe of foliage lining the acreage behind the barns. Sweet air breezed around her. She squeezed her eyes shut and filled her lungs. At times over the past twenty-four hours she’d almost been able to shake the sensation of Gabe’s gentle touch as he’d pushed her in the swing.
Almost.
“Careful where you step around here. Plenty of places to twist an ankle.”
Her sweet reminiscing vanished in a heartbeat. Opening her eyes, she found RJ standing beside the wheel of the tractor. The puzzled look on his face told her he’d caught her daydreaming.
“Thanks for the warning.” She regained composure. “There’s so much to explore around the barn and buildings. Don’t know what belongs to the Davidsons and what doesn’t.”
He pushed away from the tractor with an easy shove and tipped back his hat. “You can walk for hours in any direction and you’ll still be on the Davidson spread.” He pointed all around. “They own the flats up here, most of the valley around the lake.” With his thumb, he indicated behind him. “They own this whole mountain.”
Did people own mountains? Melanie stared out over the flats and remembered the ride they’d taken up the slope. Martin had mentioned a developer needing water. No wonder they couldn’t build. Not if the Davidsons owned miles of acreage surrounding the lake. “That’s a lot of land.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He nodded. “But a nicer family you’ll never meet. Thoughtful, too. Gabe stops by the barn every night to see how Manny is coming on the repair of your truck. Don’t worry about nothing. They’ll make sure your truck is as sound as any of the horses on the place.”
Every night? From her cabin window she could see the light in the ranch office. Something told her it stayed on well after hers turned off. “I wish they wouldn’t go to all that trouble.”
“I don’t believe Gabe sees it as trouble.”
She gave RJ a halfhearted smile. Everything about this trip had become trouble. Funny, she couldn’t quite call it an inconvenience anymore. Now that worried her more than anything else.
Beyond the shining tractor and matching mower, a trail snaked up the mountainside. Melanie stepped toward it. “Well, I’m glad I won’t trespass onto some other ranch. Thanks for the chat, RJ.”
“You plannin’ on hiking up the side of this mountain?”
“Just a little way. I won’t be gone long.”
“Don’t get lost. Easier to do than you think.”
“I’ll be careful.” It couldn’t be that tough to find her way around. First she’d go up, then come down. The laws of gravity had never done her wrong yet.
She picked her way along the path worn through the thick brush. Jagged rocks poked out of the carpet of pine needles, and pine boughs hung low ahead of her. Every so often, she’d stop and listen to the melody of larks and jays, and the lazy hum of flies.
The warmth of the sun heated the blend of fragrances. She took a deep breath of the rich, earthy air. Excitement rose as she fingered a patch of spongy moss on a rock beside her. This was what she’d gone to school for—to study creation in all its natural beauty.
Lord, You’ve outdone Yourself with the beauty of the Rocky Mountains.
At the top of the ridge, blue sky framed layer upon layer of barren mountaintops. She maneuvered around a large rock and found a comfortable spot at the base. Below her, a small barn and pens bordered the edge of the fire pit. She recognized Gabe’s house. The memory of the taste of grilled fish and roasted potatoes renewed her appetite. All the ordinary food had tasted extraordinary that night. The entertainment hadn’t been bad, either.
She nestled back and stared at the green metal roof capping the log house, a smile teasing the corner of her mouth. A wet fish in one hand and the awkward handle of the knife in the other…Gabe’s solid palm wrapping around her grip, guiding her as she cleaned the fish…his strong chest supporting her.
She frowned and took a breath, this time to clear her head. Succulent beef ribs, chilled macaroni salad and hot apple pies. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the picnic tastes melding together until the clean scent of summer sunshine on a cotton shirt penetrated her defenses.
“Keeping an eye on me?”
Melanie screamed, sending an echo through the valley beyond. She clutched her chest as she twisted around. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”
Gabe eased beside her and sat on a smaller rock. “I didn’t sneak. I made enough noise to scare every whitetail and muley away for a mile.”
“Lost in my thoughts, I guess.” Her palm flattened over her pounding heart. “Sorry.”
“You shouldn’t be walking off by yourself. You’ll get lost. Deer and elk aren’t the only critters up here.”
Melanie glanced over her shoulder. The well-defined trail she’d followed up didn’t seem to exist any longer. Not wanting to confess she’d imagined herself above the cardinal rule of responsible mountain hiking, she nodded toward his house. “I see help.”
“Umm, you and the mountain goats.” The casual shrug he gave her sent tingles skittering up her back. He stretched out to the side and selected a pinecone. “Nothing prettier than summer in the Rockies. Jason enjoying his vacation?”
“Better than I’d hoped.” It was true. Since they’d become involved in the ranch, Jason hadn’t played his video games but a couple times. And those times had been with Gabe. “He’s living the dream of any boy. I appreciate you and your family making him feel welcome.”
Gabe frowned. “Don’t you feel welcome?”
I don’t even want to go there. “I appreciate you fixing my truck.”
“Small price to pay for a party planner on such short notice.” He picked at the pine needles stuck to the cone. “Having Jason around has been great. I hope we haven’t put you out too much.”
Melanie looked into the depths of his gorgeous, root-beer-colored eyes—something she’d been avoiding since yesterday. She didn’t want to admit she’d had fun on the swing. She tilted her head and gave what she hoped appeared a careless shrug.
“If Jason has a great time, so do I. The only thing I’m worried about is his disappointment after the barbecue. Life back home pales compared to the cowboy life he’s living.” Her gaze roamed around the mountain range before her—better that than the cowboy at her side. “This is going to be a tough act to follow.”
“Didn’t mean to make things difficult.”
The gentle warmth in his voice rammed a timber in her defenses. She forced a smile. “You didn’t. You’ve given Jason memories he’ll cherish for a lifetime.”
He tilted his chin and grinned. “And you?”
She raised her hands in helpless effort. “Well, if I ever get tired of classifying plants, I guess I can always go into catering.”
“My pleasure, ma’am. Glad we could expand your horizons.” The corner of his mouth lifted and the killer crease in his cheek deepened. “We’d hate to have you go home empty-handed.”
Joy faded at the mention of home. She would leave empty-handed, but not the way he meant. The richness and fullness of Hawk Ridge wasn’t something you stumbled across every day of the week. She thanked the Lord for the gift of a few weeks.
Gabe tossed the cone with a flick of his wrist. “So, what’s life like in Colorado Springs?”
“Pretty mundane. I catalog plants for research, and then assemble materials for the guys to work with and write reports to back our findings.” Her life didn’t interest her. His did. “How about you? Is ranching enough to tide you over for this lifetime?”
Gabe studied her with his gentle gaze. “It’s a family project.” He shifted his shoulders until his back leaned against her rock and his elbow rested beside her knee. “Dad has had his hands full with the place for close to fifty years. He knows every inch of the pasture, timber and hills. I’ve watched him my entire life and pray I’ll be as good as him when he’s ready to sit back and relax.”
Gabe spoke with such admiration for his father. She scuffed her foot along the edge of the rock, sending pebbles dancing down the smooth surface. Gabe wanted to make his folks proud.
She’d done nothing for her parents but bring shame.
“Good for you.” She gave silent thanks her voice didn’t catch.
“Maybe. Maybe not.” He tapped a small stone against the larger rock. Flakes of moss danced with each strike. The muscles in his forearm stood out as he gripped the stone and flicked it halfway down the rock face before it struck the ground. “I’m doing what I want to do. Sometimes I wonder if it’s enough.”
“How do you mean?”
“People come and go, market prices fluctuate, ranching practices are refined, yet the Circle D doesn’t change. It’s hard to explain.” He tossed another pinecone down the hill. “Stability is probably a good thing.”
“What would you like to change?”
He angled his chin and looked at her. Stared deep and long without blinking. Melanie wished she could read his thoughts. For the first time in years, she wished she could open up and offer a man more than simple surface placation. She wished she could summon the courage to crawl right in under his skin to encourage, confide, maybe even unite. Her heart pounded in anticipation, and when he looked away—when he broke the fragile connection—she deflated.
“I don’t know. Maybe I’m looking for something that doesn’t exist.” He reached around the rock and twisted to get a good foothold and pulled himself up. “We better get back before they send search parties out after us.”
He offered his hand. She accepted the help, his palm engulfed her hand to her wrist. She scrambled from her perch, not fearing in the least that she’d fall over the ridge. He steadied her while she hopped to the ground and then released her, his fingertips sliding over her knuckles.
“I know it’s bad manners for a man to precede a lady, but for safety’s sake, follow me. I’ll be a lot softer to land on than a tree stump if you slip and fall.”
She searched his face for traces of mockery. No one thought of her as a lady, much less showed concern for her safety. She couldn’t remember the last time a man held a door open for her.
“Glad you know your way down from here,” she puffed.
“I’ve traipsed up and down this mountain a thousand times.”
He took off ahead of her and picked a trail down the mountain, his broad shoulders dipping with each confident step. Melanie tried to watch her steps, but her gaze insisted his well-worn jeans and crisp cotton shirt were far more enticing, not to mention the wave of thick hair at his collar.
The ranch house came in sight. Melanie shook away her wayward thoughts of gallant cowboys and handsome ranchers. Instead she concentrated on the soft crunch of pine needles beneath her every step, the cloud of gnats buzzing around her ears, the wayward splotch of sunshine heating her face. Gabe stopped at the bottom of the trail and offered her help over a fallen log. His small courtesies touched her heart.
A screen door slammed in the distance. Hank raced across the drive toward them. “Gabe. Quick! It’s your dad.”