The business in town didn’t take long. After getting her prepaid Visa, Nikki was able to get online at an Internet café. Another phone call ensured that the processing of her new license would be expedited and sent by express mail to Wade’s office in Virginia City.
“It should be here by Monday afternoon, but then I’ll need to get the death certificate before they’ll let me take care of my father, right?
“That’s correct.” Wade nodded.
“Can you at least tell me if his will says anything about what he wanted? I don’t even know if he desired to be buried or cremated.”
“I’m sorry, Nikki.” Wade shook his head. “Until I see your ID, I’m not at liberty to disclose anything more about Ray Powell’s will.”
“After I get my license and the death certificate, how long will it take to settle things?”
“Montana probate law is relatively uncomplicated, but there’s still a process that needs to be followed. It will take several weeks at least, and could even extend to a few months to close the estate. I can’t be any more specific until I examine the will and catalogue everything.”
“But I’ve already requested the last of my vacation days, and that only takes me through Friday. If I’m not back home by next weekend I’ll lose my job.”
“That’s almost a whole week away,” he reassured. “A lot of things could happen between now and then.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. Like maybe I’ll find an untapped vein of gold?”
“Stranger things have happened here. Do you know how that gold was discovered over in Alder Gulch?”
“Of course not. I never even heard of Alder Gulch until yesterday.”
“It’s a perfect illustration of how unexpectedly life can change.”
“All right, cowboy, I’m all ears.”
“In the spring of 1863, a couple of prospectors—most likely Civil War deserters—made camp along Alder Creek. They were looking for a spot to picket the horses and decided to prospect a section of exposed bedrock. One of the guys joked that with any luck they might score enough gold to buy some tobacco. As it turns out the lucky bastards hit one of the richest gold deposits in North America. It was like winning the lottery. So you see, Nikki? Life can change in the blink of an eye.”
“Did you know that most people who win the lottery end up bankrupt?”
“I think you’re missing my point,” he said.
“No I’m not,” she replied. “It’s all about self-control, isn’t it? Letting things happen to you, instead of taking charge. What happened to those two guys anyway—the gold prospectors?”
“I don’t know what happened to the first guy, but Fairweather pissed away all his money, and drank his way to an early grave. He didn’t even leave enough behind to bury himself.”
“You see! He had no self-control and look how it turned out. Every time I’ve let my emotions get the upper hand, it’s ended in disaster.”
“Trust is always a gamble, Nikki. But it sometimes pays off.”
Nikki snorted. “I don’t buy into that fallacy. Las Vegas is proof that most gambles don’t pay off.”
He shook his head on an exasperated sound. “Damn, but you’re the most cynical woman I’ve ever met. Don’t you ever let your guard down?”
“Did last night, didn’t I? And look where that almost led.”
“You sound like it would’ve been a bad thing, but I promise you, darlin’, you’d have awakened with a smile on your face. I know I would’ve.”
She let that one go unremarked. “Was that prospector story part of the ten-cent tour you promised me?”
“It’ll have to be the sneak preview because I’m promised back at the ranch.”
“To help the brother who looks like he wants to break your face?”
“To help my father who’s still recovering from a triple bypass. Dirk can go straight to hell for all I care.” He looked at his watch. “Time’s a-wastin.’ I’d better get you back to Virginia City now.”
“You’re taking me back to your office?”
“Yeah. I’ll be back in the morning. Although the accommodations aren’t plush, at least they’re free. ’Sides, I figure you probably had some phone calls and such you’d like to make. I’m sure you’ve got family and friends who are worried about you.”
“None that I can think of,” she remarked dryly. “My family’s not like yours, Wade. Truth be told, I’d rather go with you.”
He regarded her quizzically. “Back to the ranch? First you didn’t want to go there and now you don’t want to leave?”
She nodded. “Yes. Don’t you know? Women are fickle that way.”
He scratched his chin. His hesitation made her feel strangely deflated. He was right to be confused by her mixed signals. She didn’t seem to know what she wanted from one minute to the next. But the thought of spending the rest of the day alone in his office, and sleeping on a pull out sofa was singularly unappealing.
“So you don’t want me to come?”
“It’s not that I mind,” he answered. “It’s just that I can’t entertain you, Nikki. I have work to do and don’t know how long it’ll take or when I’ll be back. ’Sides, if I bring you back, Mama’s sure to get some false notions about you and me. Remember what I told you about her yen for grandkids?”
“I already told her I’ll be gone in a few days.”
He chuckled. “Don’t make any difference. She’s a typical woman and sees what she wants to believe.”
Nikki scowled. “I resent that remark.”
He smirked. “The truth hurts sometimes.”
Nikki restrained the impulse to swat his arm. “Can’t I help you with the cattle?”
“What do you know about cows?”
“Nothing,” she confessed. “But what am I going to do alone in Virginia City? There must be some way I can make myself useful to you.”
He considered her with pursed lips. “All right,” he conceded at last. “I’m sure if I chew on it long enough I’ll come up with something. Besides”—he grinned shamelessly—“it will piss Dirk off to no end when I show up with you in tow.”
* * *
It was almost two o’clock when they got back to the ranch.
“Damn!” Wade cursed as soon as they pulled into the yard.
“What’s wrong?” Nikki asked.
“The pickup and ATV are both gone. I was hoping the ol’ man would’ve come back by now, but he must still be out moving cattle with Dirk. I’d best get out there before Mama skins me alive for letting him overtax himself.” He shot her an apologetic look. “You don’t mind, do you? I hope to be only a few hours. Mama will be only too happy to bear you company. Just don’t let her jaw your ear off about me.”
He grabbed his hat, a pair of leather gloves, and a Sherpa-lined denim jacket from the backseat. After helping her out of the truck, he started briskly toward the barn. Nikki almost had to skip to keep up. “I thought I was going with you,” she protested.
“That was before; when I thought we’d have use of the ATV. As it stands, I’ve got to do this the old-fashioned way.” He jerked his head in the direction of the pipe corrals.
“You mean with horses?”
“Yeah.”
Nikki could hardly contain her excitement. “Let me come along. I won’t slow you down.”
He regarded her skeptically. “Do you ride?”
“Yes. I ride. For the record, Wade, I can’t stand tobacco-dipping, beer-swilling, swaggering cowboys. I never said I held it against the horses. In fact, I never said jack about horses. I happen to be very fond of them. I’ve ridden since I was a kid. I even had a pony that my Grandpa kept for me.”
“On the chicken farm in Lavonia?”
“Yes. Until I outgrew him. After the pony, I used to muck stalls at a riding stable just to ride the horses.”
“A working cow horse is a whole different animal from a show pony, Nikki.”
“I know my way around a horse,” she insisted. “I’ll prove it to you. If I can’t keep up, you can send me right back.”
“All right, you win. I don’t have the time or the energy to argue with you. We’ve got a couple of old geldings in the herd that are good babysitters. Redman or Copenhagen will take care of you…just don’t fall off and break something.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” she replied.
“What about your clothes?” he asked. “There’s no time to change.”
“What’s wrong with my clothes? They’re comfortable jeans and I’m wearing sturdy boots.”
He eyed her backside. “You aren’t wearing a thong are you?”
She spun her ass away from him. “What business is it of yours what kind of underwear I have on?”
“Because a thong’ll likely rub you raw in very delicate places.”
“Why don’t you worry about your own delicate places, cowboy, and let me worry about mine?” Nikki snapped. The implication, that he’d taken other thong-wearing women out on long rides, was what really chafed her.
“Suit yourself.” He shrugged. “But don’t come crying to me later.”
Wade spun toward the barn and disappeared into a huge tack room with walls adorned with saddle and blanket racks, and miscellaneous bridlery. Following him inside, Nikki drank in the old familiar scents of oiled leather and horse sweat.
He pulled a fleece-lined oilskin drover off a coat rack and tossed it to her. “Here. It’s Mama’s. Might be a little big, but best take it.”
“It’s at least seventy-five degrees, clear and sunny.”
“The weather here can change at the drop of a hat and the temperature plummets once the sun goes down. Even in summer it can hit the forties.” He handed her a pair of leather gloves. “This time of year it can get even colder, well below freezing in the high country.”
“You expect us to be out that long?” He took a rifle down from its rack. Nikki frowned. “What’s that for?”
“Out here you have to anticipate anything and everything.” Suddenly all business, he turned toward the saddles. “Do you know how to tack up?”
“It’s been a while, but I’m sure I can manage.” Nikki looked at the saddles with consternation. “Which one should I take?”
He grinned. “Whichever you think you can carry.”
Nikki scowled at him and then grabbed the horn and cantle of the first one she could reach. One strong tug pulled it free of the rack—and nearly knocked her on her ass. “Good golly! How much does this sucker weigh?”
“I’d say close to half of what you do. It’s a roping saddle, designed to stand up to the rigors of working cattle. You’d best let me take it.” He tossed it over his shoulder with ease, and then jerked his chin toward the opposite wall. “You can get the halters, bridles, and blankets.”
She gathered up the ones he indicated, following him out to the pipe corrals where about two dozen horses were penned. She hung up the bridle, took the halter in hand, and climbed up and over the rails. A pretty palomino mare caught Nikki’s eye. “Look at you!” she crooned. “Such a pretty girl.”
“How’d you know it was a mare?”
“I have eyes, don’t I? It’s pretty obvious she’s missing some vital male anatomy.” She stroked the horse’s muzzle. The animal nickered back. “What’s her name?”
“Sunshine.”
“I’ll take her.”
“I don’t know about that, Nikki.” He pulled on the brim of his hat with a frown. “Mares can be—”
Her hackles instantly rose. “Hormonal? Touchy?” She arched a challenging brow. “Bitchy? Is that what you mean?”
His mouth kicked up in that taunting kinda way. The way that made her want to slap him and kiss him all at the same time. “I was about to say sensitive.”
“Oh.” She instantly deflated.
“And don’t let that one fool you. She’s worse than most. She’s grown spoiled and lazy.”
“Why do you keep her then?”
A strange look passed over his face. “I don’t know. Maybe because she’s bred up the wazoo…maybe because she was born here. Dirk originally trained her and then gave her to…a friend.”
“Dirk trained horses?”
“Yeah. He used to be one helluva bronc rider too, but that’s all over now.”
“I s’pose he can’t ride at all anymore, huh.”
“Not true. He rides when he has too, but he avoids it because it’s a bitch for him getting on and off. On top of that, the prosthesis tends to throw him off balance. Still, when he wants to, he can ride circles around most anyone.” He threw a halter on a big sorrel gelding. “Redman’s not so flashy, but he’ll suit you.”
“But she likes me, Wade.” She regarded the mare wistfully. “We’ve already bonded.”
“Women and horses.” He shook his head with an exasperated sound. “Just trust me on this, Nikki. I know what I’m about. Sunshine hasn’t had a saddle on her back in four years. You’ll ride the gelding or you don’t ride.”
She jutted her chin as if to challenge him, but thought twice. It wasn’t worth fighting him just to fight. He was right after all. She hadn’t been on a horse in several years and even then, she had ridden English rather than Western. Still, how different could it be?
Two hours later, he proved right about something else—the thong she’d chosen that morning just in case he honed in on her backside again. It chafed like hell between her butt cheeks.
* * *
After riding fence for miles, they finally caught up with Wade’s father and brother in the north pasture, surrounded by countless lowing cattle. “I’ve never seen so many cows. How many are there?” she asked in amazement.
“At last count, around four hundred head, but Dirk could tell you for sure. At one time we ran almost a thousand, but had to scale back substantially a few years ago when prices bottomed out and we had to let some hands go.”
“Do you have any extra help now?”
“Dirk and the ol’ man handle most of it with my help on the weekends, but we also hire a couple of part-timers during calving and branding seasons.”
“And how many horses do you have?” she asked.
“Only about thirty now, also a fraction of what we used to keep in the old days when Dirk also worked them to sell. He gave it up when he lost his leg, but then again, horses aren’t as profitable as they used to be either. Now he mostly uses the ATVs to move cattle—except when we have to push them up into the mountains for summer grazing. We still have to use the horses for that.”
“And to bring them back down again?”
“Yeah, like now when they don’t all come down on their own.”
At their approach, the older man looked to Nikki and tipped his hat. Wade made the introduction. “Nikki, this is my father, Justin Knowlton.”
She dismounted, and extended her hand. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
A broad smile broke his craggy face. “Pleasure’s all mine, miss…”
“Nicole Powell, but please just call me Nikki.”
“Just like Wade to avoid all the work and show up for the party,” Dirk mumbled.
“It’s hardly done,” the older man said. “There’s at least a dozen strays still out there if I counted right—unless the damned wolves got to ’em.”
“Wolves?” Nikki felt her eyes bulge.
“Yeah,” Dirk said. “The damned Wildlife Service reintroduced them to these parts ten years ago and now they prey on our stock like it’s a friggin’ buffet table. And if you shoot one of the sombitches, you’re likely to face an inquisition.”
“Not that that’s ever stopped you,” Wade said.
“Hell no,” Dirk replied with a grin. “Only good wolf on this ranch is a dead one.”
“Where do you think the strays are?” Wade asked.
“Spotted a few up toward Bulldog Mountain.” Dirk scowled up at the sun. “Not much daylight left. Late as it is, we’ll probably need to overnight at the spike camp and drive ’em down in the morning.”
“Spike camp?” Nikki asked.
“It’s a cabin a little farther up into the mountains,” Wade explained. “We mostly use it now for hunting elk and big horns, but it’s handy when we have to recover cattle from the mountain. Dirk and I’ll go up there. You can go back to the ranch with the ol’ man.”
“Why can’t I go?” Nikki protested.
“We’re not talking a vacation chalet,” Dirk said.
“He’s right, Nikki,” Wade agreed. “It’s just a rough shelter with a couple of cots. It keeps the bears and wolves out, but that’s about it.”
“Bears and wolves?” she repeated, wondering if he was pulling her leg.
Dirk smirked. “You ain’t in Georgia anymore, Peaches.”
Wade gave his brother a warning look, and then explained to Nikki, “It’s also going to be pretty cold up there tonight. I doubt you’d enjoy it very much.”
“But I’ve camped out before,” she protested. “I’d really like to ride up that mountain with you. You said yourself that I should see some of the sights while I’m here.”
“It’s gonna be rough going,” Wade cautioned.
She jutted her chin. “I haven’t slowed you down yet, have I?”
* * *
Wade regarded her for a long, thoughtful moment. In truth, she really hadn’t slowed him that much, which had actually surprised him. They’d left the ranch at a good clip. He’d pushed a bit harder than he maybe should have, given she wasn’t used to it, but after two hours of hard riding, she hadn’t complained. She had a halfway decent seat on the horse, too. He’d enjoyed making that observation.
Although common sense should have told him to leave her behind, Wade couldn’t deny the temptation of having her alone for the night. The ride up the mountain would be slower going and treacherous in places, but Redman was as surefooted as a bighorn sheep.
“Got overnight gear?” he asked Dirk.
Dirk inclined his head to the packs in the bed of the ATV. “Everything we need, but we’ll have to take a pack horse to get it all up there.” He jerked his head toward the mountain.
“You really think you can rough it?” Wade asked Nikki. “Once we set out there’s no turning back.”
“Yes, I can,” she insisted. “I’ve camped out before and can even cook over a fire. I make a mean pancake breakfast.”
“Using my stomach against me is mighty close to blackmail,” Wade drawled.
“Whatever it takes.” She shrugged and grinned back at him.
“Just listen to this shit,” Dirk mumbled to his father.
Wade ignored the remark. “All right, just don’t say I didn’t warn you about the cold, the spiders, and the lack of amenities.”
“I can handle it,” she insisted.
“Three’s a damned bit crowded for me,” Dirk interjected.
“That’s just fine, big brother,” Wade retorted with a big smile. “’Cause I don’t recall inviting you.”