Chapter Four

Dan pushed open his door and threw his hat on the table inside the cabin entryway. Spying the note he’d left on the kitchen island, he took three long strides swiped it up, and crumpled it with more force than the damn paper deserved. Tossing it into the trash on his way, he grabbed a glass out of the dishwasher and poured some orange juice, despite wishing it was something stronger.

He should have known sneaking off in the middle of the night wouldn’t get him anywhere. Any time he’d ever tried to do something less than honorable, fate stood up, punched him in the face, and demanded he act like a man.

Message received. If he wanted to leave, he needed to own it. Speak it. Tell Shelby and the rest of Sky Lake the truth. He wasn’t happy.

Only the thought of facing his surrogate mother when he told her there was nothing here for him scared him more than his first attempt at taming a mustang. He cringed. He would rather be dragged behind a horse through the blizzard than hurt Shelby

But it was the truth. Did that make him selfish? Arrogant? He didn’t know, but a man was entitled to his own feelings, and these feelings were eating him up. Now when he did something for someone he was torn between wanting to help and feeling taken for granted. Like they didn’t really need him, they just asked him because that was who he was. He liked to give, but lately, it felt like all anyone did was take.

Slamming his glass down, he swiped up his hat and headed back out. He wasn’t leaving today and probably not anytime this week now that he’d mucked up so bad. He might as well get back to what he knew. Horses. Ranching. Helping people make memories. Being dependable because that was what he did. At least for now.

“Dan.”

Spinning on his boot heel, he saw Becky Jane, the veterinarian, hailing him. Her bright orange scarf muffled up to her nose, while her telltale red locks were covered with an equally bright knit hat.

“You know the horses hate your choice of outerwear.”

She snorted. “Those cattle of yours love me, and you know it.”

A gust of wind crossed through the grove of aspens, and Becky shrank her face even farther into the scarf, resembling something of a turtle, not that he would tell her that. At five-foot-one, she was testy at any mention of her height. Somehow he imagined being likened to a turtle probably wouldn’t go over too well, either.

“So, I just left Rainbow. Nothing active yet, but the signs point to any time in the next three weeks. I had Max move her into a birthing stall.”

“Thanks, BJ. I know you’re not usually on this type of duty at this time of year.”

“I don’t know why I’m shocked. That Winston of yours has had his eye on her for years. Leave it him to find a way to knock her up for Christmas.”

A grin slid across Dan’s face. Good ole Winston knew what he wanted and made sure he got it. Perhaps he needed to take a page out of his stallion’s book.

Becky Jane scoffed. “Men.”

Dan threw his gaze back to her, only to find fire snapping from her barely visible green eyes.

“You know you’re worth isn’t measured in your sexual prowess, right?”

“I wasn’t—”

“Weren’t you?” She stomped back toward the main lodge.

Of course he was. Not that he always thought in that respect, but these days, he felt like anything that gave him worth was something to cling to, especially since he didn’t seem to know anymore where his worth came from.

Lately, his relationships hadn’t been anything more than flings. He’d had a long, unrequited love for a close friend, but that had come to a close a few months ago. Until Sofie blew into town, he hadn’t felt more than a passing interest in a woman.

Tugging his gloves tighter, he pushed Sofie out of his mind and thought about where best to spend his time. When he’d decided to leave last night, he’d made sure his posts were covered for the day. He might have planned on sneaking out, but he would never have left Sky Lake in a lurch. That meant, though, that he wasn’t really needed anywhere at the moment.

A little voice whispered that he could leave now. Everyone would be busy. If someone saw his truck heading out now, they would assume a delivery or an errand. He could take the road to Cheyenne and figure out how to heal the exposed spots on his soul. By the time someone figured it out, he would be well on his way.

Own it. Despite all the positive, the guilt that swamped him this morning returned. No, he wouldn’t slink out. He would voice his reasons, whether they were understood or not, and then he would leave.

Reviewing the lists of activities for the day, he figured the lake and ice fishing might be his best bet. Heading off down one of the minor trails that was a shortcut to the lake, he kept an eye out for any of the permanent hands that he’d conscripted to take over for him. While he didn’t owe anyone an explanation, he didn’t want to have to lie. Since he was here at least for another day or two, it was probably best no one got wind of what he was up to. Especially Shelby.

He came through the tree line to see a couple of boys sitting on a bench swinging their legs. Their breaths made cloudy puffs in the air as they pointed and exclaimed over the visitors already out on the lake.

“Hey, guys, why aren’t you out there?”

The smaller one looked him up and down. “Not enough people to watch right now.”

Dan smiled. “Well, you’re in luck. I’m free, and I have good eyes.”

Both boys beamed and brightened, their pink cheeks turning pinker as they hopped down and snatched up the rods lying beside the bench.

“You guys staying in one of the new cabins?” They nodded as Dan helped them with their bucket of bait.

“Pretty nice for Christmas, huh?”

The other boy grinned. “The tree’s as big as the ceiling, and we had decorations waiting for us to hang up.”

Warmth on the heels of happiness spread throughout his chilled body. The beaming smiles and eagerness of his two charges wiped the last lingering thoughts of his failed plan away. Memories were the only thing on his mind—making sure these two left with some really good ones.

Dan followed them out onto the ice, confirming both were steady on their feet. Ryder and Peyton had outdone themselves with the lakeside cabins, managing to get two of them up and ready in record time.

He could admit when he was wrong. He’d been convinced they would change Sky Lake, and even though Ryder’s motives had been pure, Dan hadn’t liked the process he’d used to bring them about.

But now? Now he couldn’t imagine a better addition to the ranch. He was only sorry he wouldn’t see the final result come this spring and summer when the rest of the cabins opened.

Showing the boys the right way to bait the hook for the type of fish still biting on the frozen lake, Dan absorbed their simple smiles and carefree laughs. They were brothers for sure, the similarities too close to dismiss. He didn’t have any siblings. Not blood at least. He and Ryder had grown up together, raised like brothers, but they’d been apart for the better part of ten years, and neither quite knew the man the other had become. Ryder had taken off to prove he could be successful on his own, while Dan had stayed and taken on the role he’d abdicated. They were healing that breach little by little, with Sky Lake as common ground. When Dan left, would he break the bond for good this time, or would Ryder understand, since he, too, had fled to find and make something of himself?

One of the boys punched the other playfully, and Dan gently reminded them of safety on the ice. They looked appropriately contrite and immediately refocused. It made him wonder whether he’d have sons like this one day. Whether he’d get to share his knowledge and make memories with them. Unbidden, an image of Sofie cradling her bump came to mind. Would she be out here one day, making memories with her child? Would there be someone alongside her? Did she have a husband hot on the heels of her arrival in Sky Lake?

As he looked out at the families enjoying the lake, he pictured himself out there…and the woman by his side looked an awful lot like Sofie.

Well, crap.

…

Sofie tightened her grip on Emily’s arm as she picked her way across the uneven road.

“Sis, I love you, but if you plan on staying here in Fly Creek, you’re going to need to do some shopping.”

She’d already figured that out last night, right around the time Dan had pointed it out to her. Knowing that didn’t stop disappointment from rearing its ugly head. She’d failed at the simplest of things—choosing what to wear in winter in Wyoming. If she was going to be a mom, and that was a definite at this point, then she needed to be smarter in her choices. Not too long ago, someone else had been making all the decisions in her life, a switch that had happened so subtly she hadn’t realized control had been wrenched away until it was almost too late.

“If this place wasn’t basically an entryway to the artic, maybe I would be faring better.”

Emily laughed. “You’ve always preferred fashion over function.”

“I don’t understand why the two have to be mutually exclusive.”

“Do you now?”

Sofie ducked her head a little farther into her coat and nodded. She would wear wool sacks and flannel-lined anything if it meant being warm again.

“It’s a shame neither of us can ride horses right now. It’s so peaceful exploring Sky Lake on horseback. The trails take you all over and the views are so inspiring.”

“Since when did you become a horse expert?”

“Since I married a hot rancher who tames wild stallions.”

Sofie wasn’t going to touch that innuendo with a ten-foot pole.

Squeals reached their ears, and they both headed in the direction the sound was coming from. Sofie saw the lake peeking through the trees, and when they cleared the branches, she noticed several groups out on the ice. The source of the squeals, however, was two boys and a ranch hand closest to shore. Before he even looked up, Sofie knew it was her cowboy. His tan hat bent toward her, concealing his face, but she recognized Dan’s duster coat and, despite it not being possible, his movements, determined and precise, but with a confident smoothness.

He looked up then and smiled. Lord. She ordered her stomach and knees to behave. It wasn’t for her specifically. It was just who he was. He waved, and she and Emily waved back, settling in on the bench a few feet away.

“What did you think of him?”

Sofie stared at her sister. “Who, Dan?”

“No. Isaac the bellhop. Of course Dan.”

“Don’t you dare.”

Emily gave her an innocent, wide-eyed look. “Don’t I dare what?”

“Play matchmaker.”

“What? I would never and definitely not right now. The last thing you need is a man. I just wanted your opinion. You’re new to town and surely you have thoughts.”

Oh, she had thoughts. The wrong kind, which she was still blaming on hormones. Insta-lust couldn’t really be a thing. Regardless, she wasn’t sharing her thoughts with anyone. “He seems nice. A little cocky. He was very helpful and good at keeping me calm. Though his ‘I Know What’s Best’ demeanor is a tad annoying.”

Emily stared out at the lake and nodded. “He really is a good man, which is why I cannot figure out why he hasn’t met someone and married. I don’t know a single bad thing about him. I think maybe he had a thing for Peyton, but she was always stuck on her ex, Ryder, and now they’re back together. Still…there are lots of great women in town, and he’s most definitely easy on the eyes.”

Jealousy had heated her frozen body at the mention of another woman and Dan. She drowned that puppy faster than it could thaw.

“It’s probably a case of what you see is not what you get. Too good to be true. Trust me, I know that snake oil salesman first hand,” she said, watching as Dan worked with the kids.

Emily’s eyes widened. “What did Brent do?”

Crap. Not the conversation she wanted to be having right now. “Nothing I haven’t overcome. Now, please, can we go somewhere and thaw out?”

Emily nodded, and they waved goodbye to Dan, who was helping one of the super-excited boys get a fish off his line. Sofie dropped her gaze. She was absolutely not going to think about his hands and fingers and how good they felt helping her last night and this morning. Or how natural he looked out there with the boys.

Choices, she reminded herself. She was choosing not to be baited by hormones.

The sisters made their way back to the lodge and settled into two big rocking chairs in front of the fire.

“So what’s on your agenda?” Emily asked. “I mean, you are staying, right?”

She’d wondered how long it would take her sister to ask for more details in regards to her plans. “Well, a place to live first and foremost, then a doctor and hospital. Is Fly Creek General all you have?” A job, too, was on the agenda. Hopefully, she’d find a teaching position after the baby was born, but thankfully she had enough money saved that she could take some time to be with her son before jumping back into the workforce. She supposed she needed to add daycare to the ever-growing list of things to decide on.

Emily nodded. “I have a great doctor if you’re interested.”

Sofie smiled. “That would be awesome. Thank you.”

Emily opened her mouth to say something more, but her phone chirped.

She held up a finger. “Hello? Hey ba—” Blood drained from her sister’s face, leaving her paler than the snow topping the peaks. Emily’s fingers trembled as she nodded, and Sofie grabbed her free hand and squeezed. The call was brief, and once Emily ended it, she just stared into the fire.

“Em, what’s wrong?”

Emily’s hands shook as her eyes darted from the phone in her hand to the wall to the window and back to Sofie.

“It’s Adam. He’s been hurt.”

Oh God.

Sofie squeezed her hand. An ache settled in her heart, and she wished she could take all the anxiety and concern from her sister. She’d lost her late fiancé, and it had devastated her. It had been that loss that had spurred Emily to move to Fly Creek in the first place. “Was that him?”

A nod was all Emily could manage. Her throat swallowed over and over.

“That’s good. He called and is well enough to speak.”

Glazed eyes met Sofie’s. “Yes.”

“Good.” She smiled. “So I’ll drive you there.”

Emily shook her head.

“What? Why not?”

“No, I mean you can’t. I’m flying. He already arranged it. He knew.”

Sofie understood. Emily and Adam’s history started way before they met, and Adam would understand what hearing he was hurt would do to his pregnant wife.

“Okay, well, I’ll help you pack and drive you to the plane.”

Another nod was all her glassy-eyed sister managed. She bundled Emily and herself up and steered them toward the huge double doors of the main lodge.

“We’ll take my truck. That way you can use it while I’m gone. Your car isn’t going to do much if it snows more.”

Sofie pursed her lips at being reminded once again at how unprepared she really was but continued walking toward the big blue monstrosity. Now was not the time to take offense.

A shrill whistle had both sisters turning their heads. Dan waved from atop a spotted horse. His hat sat low, shading his eyes and adding a mystery to an already intriguing package. Sofie refused to admire it. Refused to see the way his thighs gripped the side of the horse easily keeping it under control, or how his forearms bulged, controlling the bobbing head attempting to reach for the fence.

Yep, she didn’t notice any of that.

“Hold on a minute,” her sister said, before taking off toward Dan, who slid easily off the horse, drawing the reins over its head. Sofie itched to follow, but by the time she maneuvered around and moved at her turtle pace, Emily would probably be back at the truck honking the horn.

Dan glanced up at her, and Sofie felt the heat rise in her cheeks. Good thing he couldn’t see. She needed to indulge in the privacy of her room, not in the middle of the parking lot with her sister and said object fifteen feet away. For a woman who claimed she had man issues, this particular one did all sorts of things to her.

Emily hugged Dan and headed back toward her truck. Dan had an odd look on his face, but when their eyes met, a corner of that wicked mouth quirked up, and he waved. Sofie returned the gesture, her cheeks once again heating to an uncomfortable degree. Surely this was all pregnancy-related and hormone emotional imbalance thanks to what had happened with her ex. Nothing else could account for the problem. He was being nice and it had been a long time since a man had been nice to her. Then again, Brent was nice, too, when he wanted something.

Emily slid in, and Sofie followed suit at a much more uneasy and comical manner.

“What did you need from Dan?”

“I made sure he’ll take care of you while I’m gone.”

Sofie stood suspended, half in, half out of the truck. “You what?” She was no longer sure she wanted to be in a confined space with her sister, no matter how worked up she might be.

“Get in, I don’t have much time.”

Sofie muttered several things about sisters and family and choices, all while leveraging and giving one final boost from the running board of the truck and yanking the door closed.

Sofie managed to stay silent until they crossed under the arch of the ranch. She could not have Dan babysitting her. “Umm, Em, I’m fine. I can stay at your cabin and take care of it while you’re gone.”

Emily shook her head. “No way. I’ll have Peyton and Ryder keep an eye since they’re across the street. You need to be near people. You can stay in your room at Sky Lake. Dan will keep you entertained.”

“I’m not a child. I do not need to be entertained.”

“Sofie, you’re eight months pregnant. You ran clear across the country to escape something I’m sure you’re not giving me the full details on. You know nothing about Wyoming or the weather, and I am not going to leave you to fend for yourself in an unfamiliar cabin.” She slammed on the brakes and narrowed her gaze. “I’m already worried about Adam. Please don’t make me worry about you, too.”

Game. Set. Match. All in one simple argument.

With a heavy sigh, Sofie shifted, readjusting the seatbelt so it rode lower on her thighs.

Emily took her silence as agreement, and they drove the rest of the way. Sofie would stay at Sky Lake, but that didn’t mean she’d agree to be “entertained” by a cowboy who caused her already hyperaware body to combust by simply sitting on a horse.

Nope. No way.