Susana sat up on her bed when she heard the engine outside. The spot where she’d collapsed on the quilt was now a soggy mess. She used her towel to mop up her face and quickly slid into the robe Reede had given her.
Footsteps sounded on the porch. He was back.
She raced out of the room. Three loud knocks shook the door, and she slowed her steps. It wasn’t him.
Opening the door, she spotted her car in the driveway and Hart standing in front of her, hat in hand.
“Ma’am.” He looked away from her red eyes and blotchy face. “I’m sure sorry to see you go. I hope you’ll be back someday.”
Her chin quivered. “That’s so kind, Hart. And I’ve got your phone number. I’ll get you connected to my friend in the corrections department.”
He gazed at her with those amazing green eyes. “Thank you, Ms. Susana, but I’m not sayin’ that for me. I truly would like to see you and Reede...." He jerked his head aside. “That’s more than I meant to say.”
She forced a smile. “I had hopes for me and Reede, too. But...." She shrugged one shoulder. “Life isn’t that easy for us, is it.”
“Nope. No, ma’am. That’s for certain.” A small sound came from his vest pocket.
He handed her the car keys, then reached in his pocket and pulled out the orange and white kitten she’d gone googoo over in the barn the day before. “They’re old enough to leave their mama now. They’re on soft food.” He fidgeted, holding the tiny ball of fur in his big hand. “I put a box with a blanket in your car and some cans of food, bowls, water. And I okayed it with Reede.” He cussed quietly. “I’m sorry if this is a dumb idea.”
She laughed and started crying at the same time, reaching out with one arm to hug the man. “You’re so amazing, Hart.” She used both her hands to scoop up the little angel. “Thank you. I will love her to pieces, and when I have to travel, she can stay with my grandmother in the home. They’ll love her, too.”
“Aw, you’re welcome.” He stepped back. “Can I help with anything?”
She shook her head. “Thank you, but no. I’ve got very little to pack, and I want to spend a few more minutes here before I go.”
“Yeah, sure. Well, good luck.” He turned and trotted down the steps, snugging his hat on his head. The man would make someone a good husband someday. And would make a bunch of little somebodies a wonderful father.
Closing the door, she set down her ball of fur. “Looks like it’s you and me, babe.” She choked on a sob. Reede’s pet name for her. She couldn’t name it something that would constantly remind her of him.
The kitten walked right into a chair leg, then sat down and mewed up at her.
She laughed. “You’re kind of a klutz, huh? Can’t name you klutzy. That’d scar you for life. How about bumpkin?”
The cat mewed again and walked onto her foot. She picked him up. “Bumpkin it is. ‘Cause you’re goin’ to the city now, but you’ll always be a country bumpkin. Right?” She rubbed her chin in the cat’s soft fur and walked toward her room. Her gaze caught on the phone. Susana planned to leave a note for Cheyenne, but she should really call her and thank her personally for everything. Lifting the receiver on the wall phone, she pressed the number for Thad.
“Thad here.” His low voice sounded rushed.
“Susana here. Is Cheyenne busy?”
“She’s packing, but I know she’ll want…wait…is the ghost back?” She could hear his concern.
“No. I just wanted to talk a minute. I promise not to keep her long.”
“Take your time, ma’am. We’re not in a rush.” His voice called, “Honeybee. Phone. It’s Susana.” Kissing sounded, then Cheyenne giggled into the phone. “Hi. What’s up?”
Her joy made Susana smile. “What’s up with you? You’re packing?”
“I confessed my good news to Thad this morning. He whipped out an engagement ring he’d been waiting to give me, and badda-bing, we’re heading to Las Vegas to get married.” The woman practically sang the words.
“Good news?” Was it something about...? “Are you pregnant?”
“We are!” She sang the words.
Susana’s eyes flooded. “Congratulations!”
“Thank you. I wasn’t sure until this morning, but the signs were there. Thad’s kind of excited.” As she spoke, an off-key whistled version of the wedding march came through the phone.
“Kind of? He sounds like he’s the happiest man on earth.” Would she ever be in the same wonderful position? A man who loved her, a baby on the way, and a wedding just hours away?
“You don’t sound so good, Susana. Do you want me to come over there?”
“Oh, heck no. You get packed and get to your wedding. I just called to...." She had to take a fortifying breath. “I need to get back to Billings, but I wanted to say goodbye.”
“Oh, no. So soon? It was so nice having you here. When will you be back?”
“Not sure, but I’ll let you know.” Probably not ever, but that was Susana’s anchor to carry. They exchanged phone numbers. “Cheyenne, send me pictures of the wedding.”
“I will. Drive safe, and keep in touch.”
She hung up and looked around the kitchen. This could have been her life. Hers and Reede’s. And Bumpkin’s. She’d really screwed this up. She should have acted like a professional and avoided the temptation Reede provided until everything was cleared up, then pursued the chemistry she felt. But he was a temptation she couldn’t resist, and now she’d have to live with only memories of him.
In less than ten minutes, she had the car packed and Bumpkin in his designated box, sound asleep, on the floor of the front passenger side. She stood in her little guest room, changing her shoes from the ones Cheyenne had given her to her own stiletto heels. Wearing her blouse and skirt again, it seemed like she had only been here a few seconds. As if it had been a lovely dream she was just waking from.
Reede had not come back to the house. She would be leaving without one last chance to say goodbye.
She stepped out onto the porch and closed the door, taking a moment to look around. The mountains rose like monuments to the clean air and beautiful scenery of this part of Montana. She’d miss it. A movement caught her eye. Down the fence line a ways, a person sat on a small vehicle. Reede on his four-wheeler? Was he waiting for her to leave so he could get back into his house? Get on with his exciting new life? Call the next sweetie in line and get started finding a replacement for Susana in his bed?
She stomped down the steps and walked to her car, turned to face him, and even though he couldn’t see it, she gave him the finger. With a laugh, she got into her car. It wasn’t something she usually did, but oh mama, it sure helped to provide her some closure.
Heading out of the ranch, she waved at Thad as he put a suitcase in the back of his big truck. He held up a hand and watched her go.
The lump in her throat threatened to cut off all air, so she softly hummed a lullaby that Granny always sang her to sleep with. “Goodbye, Reede. Good luck, cowboy.” At the main road, she took a right toward Libby instead of a left toward Billings. There were a few more things she wanted to research before she left town. And she wanted to talk to the sheriff and alert him to the things Reede had told her about the cattle being shifted around.
That was her reasoning, anyway. She was mostly looking for an excuse to stay, just for a little while longer. Just in case… “Aw, hell. Who am I fooling, Bumpkin? He’s never going to change his mind. Not without divine intervention, and we both know, the Almighty has better things to do than to finagle a way for me to get my cowboy back.” She sighed and set her mind on work, pushing love and happiness away.
****
Reede sat on his porch long after sunset, stayed long after a half-moon rose in the sky, and had nearly set on the far side of the horizon. He went over every minute, every touch, every sigh she’d made. “Damn forsaken crap.” How had he let that woman get so far under his skin? Her laugh haunted him, her pretty eyes flashed into his brain, her voice echoed through the empty house.
And he couldn’t even get himself stumbling drunk to try to forget. Thad and Cheyenne had gone off to get married and left him in charge. He smiled. A baby. Jeez, his boss was the luckiest man alive.
He wanted that kind of luck. That kind of love. He’d thought he might find it with Susana, or at least a good chance at it. Every time he thought of her face when she’d said she’d fallen in love with him, his heart missed a beat. As if it were warning him that it didn’t want to go on beating without her.
What had she done that was so bad? She hadn’t lied to him, exactly. She’d danced around a few things that he would have liked to have known, but she was doing her job. He couldn’t have expected her to throw away her mission after meeting a down-on-his-luck cowboy and sharing a night in bed. Could he? Is that what was eating away at him? Did he expect her to be so overwhelmed by his lovemaking that she’d confess everything and profess her undying devotion to him?
“Idiot.” He was a thoroughbred idiot, pure stupid, through and through.
His phone rang, and he hauled it out of his pocket. A Montana number, but he didn’t recognize it. “Reede Munro.”
“Mr. Munro, is this the High Paradise ranch?” A woman’s voice, all business.
“Yes, it is. How can I help you?”
“This is the Missoula County Hospital. We have a woman here who has been in an accident.”
Reede sat up straight, dread cramping his stomach. Cheyenne? Susana. “Who?”
“It’s Susana Kader. We found a box in her car with your ranch’s address label on—"
“Is she okay?” He stood. “What happened?” He could barely breathe.
“She’s fine. She was blinded on the highway, and…well, she zigged when she should have zagged.”
“Ma’am. Please.” He was not in the mood for humor.
“I’m sorry. She ran into the back end of a car that was slowing to take a turn. She hit her head, dislocated her shoulder. She’ll be fine, but she can’t be released unless we know she has someone to look after her.”
He snorted. Wasn’t that the story of her life? Reede had a tough choice here. He could send one of the ranch hands to get her and drive her to Billings. Reede’s way of wiping his hands clean of her and letting her know there was no chance in hell. Or he could man up and go to her, admit he’d been a stupid fool who was as socially inept as corn. “Thank you, ma’am. Someone will be there in three hours.”
“I’ll let her know. Thank you.” She ended the call.
Reede called the bunkhouse. “Let me talk to Hart.”
“Hart here.” The man’s voice sounded gruff like he’d been sleeping.
“It’s Reede. I want you to...." What the hell did he want? Shit. He had to at least try to get Susana back. “I have to go to Missoula. Thad’s gone. You’re in charge.”
“Yes, sir.” He yawned, evidently underwhelmed by the responsibility. “Drive safe, and say hi to Ms. Susana for me.”
“What…?” Reede groaned. The guy was too fucking smart for his own good. “Yeah, I will.”
Hart laughed as he hung up the phone.
“Cocky bastard.” Reede reached inside the door and grabbed his truck keys, leaped off the porch, and ran to his truck. His chest, his whole body, tingled with excitement. Miss Susana was going to get one hell of a get-well present.