CHAPTER 26

Vince had intended to talk with RJ Steele. He didn’t want to piss him off when he might take an interest in the trail rides and spread the word to his other well-heeled buddies. Vince appreciated the significance of having someone like Steele on the ride and he would cater to him if necessary.

But the good people of Bickford had other ideas about how the evening would go, and Steele was surrounded by a crowd the entire night. Charmaine stuck close to him, but Vince didn’t notice any romantic sparks flying. Steele had seemed far more interested in Georgie, and she in him.

When he’d come over to their table earlier, her color had been high and she’d looked embarrassed. He wasn’t sure how he should take that, but she hadn’t seemed overjoyed to see him. He certainly didn’t want to get in her way if she found herself interested in Steele.

That’s how it should be, in fact. A quality woman like Georgie should be drawn to a man who’d accomplished so much, and vice versa. Vince was glad to see it. He really was.

The hell he was. When he’d walked into Sadie’s and noticed Georgie and Steele with their heads together, his first instinct had been to walk over there, haul the guy up by his shirtfront, and demand to know his intentions toward Georgie.

Good thing he hadn’t. That would have screwed things up royally and Georgie might have decked him. He wouldn’t have been surprised if she had a mean right hook to go with her whip-cracking skills.

But after she’d left and he’d made himself more presentable, he looked for an opportunity to have a conversation with Steele. The guy had sounded as if he had something on his mind. Whatever it was, Vince wasn’t destined to hear it, because by ten he was fading. Lack of sleep combined with plenty of physical labor had caught up with him.

He managed to get Steele aside and explain that he was bushed and needed to hit the hay.

“No worries.” Steele clapped him on the back. “We’ll catch up later. And thanks for giving up your room. Myra told me it’s the best one in the hotel. You didn’t have to do that.”

Vince dredged up a smile. “Yeah, I did. Enjoy.” Then he went upstairs and got the first full night’s sleep he’d had in more than a week. He didn’t even dream, which was a blessing.

*   *   *

The following two days were a blur of last-minute preparations, so he didn’t have time for that talk with Steele, after all. He and Ed rode the trail one more time to make sure Ed had the route down. Ed would lead and Vince would bring up the rear, a position that gave him the best view of how everyone was doing.

The chuck wagon was loaded with camping supplies and the tack cleaned and ready. The horses were as well-trained as he could get them, and he wasn’t worried. They’d all be fine, including Storm Cloud.

He and Georgie had a couple of hurried conversations about little issues that had cropped up—a person with food allergies and another who wanted to use a cell phone during the ride. He and Georgie had agreed on that—no cell phone use except for emergencies. That would destroy the ambiance and scare the wild horses. Other than those two discussions, he didn’t see much of her except in passing.

That was just as well. The way things were going, he wouldn’t be around much longer. He’d called Mac and Travis to let them know the project seemed likely to succeed. Assuming it did, he knew Georgie would be thrilled if one or both of them would take over for him. They’d sounded excited about the idea.

On Saturday morning, even the weather cooperated—mostly blue skies with a few puffy clouds to make the view more picturesque. If the cool breeze continued, nobody should get overheated.

Georgie was there to see them off. No doubt she wanted to make sure Charmaine felt comfy on her horse. Vince had given her Skeeter, the calmest animal of the group, and planned to position her at the back where he could keep an eye on her. She broke a nail mounting up, but after a little wailing, she shrugged it off.

“Heading out!” Ed called from the lead position.

Georgie gave her sister’s leg a squeeze. “Have fun!”

“I actually think I will.” Skeeter started to move and Charmaine clutched the saddle horn. “At least this thing has a handle!”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, sis.” Georgie smiled. Then she turned to Vince as he approached, and her smile faded. “Well, this is it.”

“It’ll go well. Don’t worry.”

“I won’t. After all, you’re in charge.”

He opened his mouth to contradict her, but then changed his mind. For the trail ride itself, that was mostly true. Besides, he liked the way she’d said it, as if she had complete faith that he’d carry this off. “I’ll do my best.”

“I know.” She held his gaze for a moment. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He touched the brim of his hat. “See you tomorrow.” Then he nudged Storm Cloud into a trot so he could catch up with Skeeter and Charmaine.

It seemed weird that Georgie wasn’t going, but he knew she’d had trouble finding the right person to cover the store. For now it would be a part-time job, but it could work into more hours later on. Once people started moving back to town, someone probably would show up who was perfect for that position, but that person wasn’t here now.

Riding away from Georgie this morning gave Vince a little taste of what it would be like to leave her for good, whenever that turned out to be. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling. He stuffed it down so he could concentrate on his duties as trail boss.

The ride went like clockwork. The lunch stop came right when everyone was starting to sag, but they perked up after that, and by late afternoon seemed excited about making camp for the night. Everyone exclaimed over the campsite and the beauty of the little box canyon.

Vince would consider the event a brilliant success except for one thing. They’d seen no trace of the wild horses. But he had a scheme in mind that might increase their chances, and after their excellent chuck-wagon dinner, he got everyone’s attention.

“I know we didn’t guarantee that you’d see the Ghost and his wild herd, but I’m betting you’re all hoping to get a glimpse.”

Everyone nodded and murmured their agreement.

“Now that it’s dark, I think we might find them down in that meadow we passed through, but we’ll have to walk back there. If we take the horses, we’ll make too much noise.”

“I don’t mind walking,” Charmaine said. “How about the rest of y’all?”

“Fine with me,” said Steele.

In the end, everyone agreed to go except Henry, who was busy putting away the food in critter-proof containers. Someone needed to keep tabs on the campfire, and Henry had seen the horses before, anyway.

“Everyone has flashlights,” Vince said. “If you keep them on low beam and we’re very quiet, maybe we won’t startle them. That’s assuming they’re in the meadow. If not, we’ll have a stroll in the moonlight before turning in. So follow me. Stay close. And don’t talk.”

Vince used his flashlight mostly so he could demonstrate the technique of keeping the beam pointed at the ground a little ahead of where they were walking. But he’d built this trail. He could walk it in his sleep. Mentally crossing his fingers, he led the group back to the meadow.

As they drew close, he heard them before he saw them. His pulse rate shot up at the distinctive sound of blunt teeth pulling at grass and the soft thud of hooves as the horses shifted their weight. He held up his hand.

Charmaine was right behind him. She sucked in a breath and her whispered “They’re here” was carried on down the line.

Moonlight bathed the meadow, and Vince shut off his flashlight as he crept along the perimeter. When he’d gone far enough to allow everyone behind him to see, he stopped. The breeze blew toward them, which was lucky.

Everyone froze in place and the horses showed no sign that they were aware of the humans watching them. Vince counted eleven, including Jezebel, the mare taken from the Double J corral. But no gray stallion was among them. He had to have been nearby, though.

Then, as if he’d been waiting for his cue, the Ghost stepped out into the clearing. Head high, he surveyed the meadow as moonlight gilded his coat. Vince held his breath and didn’t move a muscle.

Yet somehow, as if he’d communicated with the stallion, the Ghost looked straight at him. The horse trembled, snorted once, and with a shrill cry, issued a command. Galloping toward his herd, he sent them running toward the water. The ground vibrated with the pounding of their hooves. Then they leaped over the narrow creek and bolted into the trees beyond.

Everyone started talking at once with words like amazing and thrilling peppering the excited conversation.

“Hey, y’all!” Charmaine clapped her hands. “Listen up. We should go. We disturbed their dinner, but maybe if we leave, they’ll come back and finish it.”

Vince smiled. “I couldn’t have said it better myself. Thanks, Charmaine.” He hadn’t thought he’d like her, but she was growing on him.

Once they were settled around the campfire again, Henry brought out drinks and snacks. He also mentioned that he had a ukulele if anybody played. Once again Vince was surprised when Charmaine volunteered.

During a break in the sing-along, Steele came over and sat on the ground next to Vince. “That stallion of yours is magnificent.”

“He’s not mine. He doesn’t belong to anybody. That’s what’s so great about him.”

“Oh, he belongs to somebody—his herd. We just saw how much responsibility he takes for them.”

Vince hadn’t thought of it that way. “I guess you’re right.”

“Anyway, I have a proposition for you.”

“For me?” Vince put down his tin mug of coffee and stared at him.

“Yep. You have a great concept here, a chance to make the general public more aware of what a treasure we have in our wild horses, both these and others scattered around the West. That’s the main thing, but it can be economically beneficial to the town, too. I want to be a part of it.”

“You’ll need to talk to Georgie, but I can tell you she’s going to be really excited. She’s devoted to those wild horses and she wants to see this town like it was, better than it was.”

“It will be, although there are potential obstacles. Betting on a live animal, especially a wild horse, is chancy. Anything could happen. He could get sick or be injured, maybe even die, so this is far from a sure thing. But you’re the one I want to talk to first, because I see you as the spokesperson for Wild Horse Canyon Adventures. You’d be a tremendous asset for a media campaign.”

Vince gulped. “Uh, no, I’m afraid you’re heading down the wrong path there. Once this thing gets off the ground, I’m moving on.”

“But it was your idea.”

“That may be true, but I don’t stay anywhere for very long. I’m like that stallion. I value my freedom.”

Steele gazed at him for a few moments. “I see.” He was clearly disappointed by that response.

“You could get somebody else to be the spokesperson, no problem. I’m really glad you’re thinking this way, and I can see why you’re so successful, but I’m not your guy.”

“So let me get this straight. You’re willing to give up the chance to watch this town prosper as a result of your efforts, the chance to travel the country promoting humane stewardship of wild horses, and the chance to be with a woman who’s crazy about you, all in the name of preserving your precious freedom?”

Vince had to admit when he put it that way, it sounded pretty damned stupid. And Georgie was crazy about him, just like he was crazy about her. He took a deep breath. “Here’s the problem. All that sounds wonderful, but I really am used to being able to pick up and go whenever I want. What if I agree to this thing you’re suggesting, and months down the road, I want out? I’d get everyone’s hopes up and then disappoint them.” Mostly Georgie’s hopes.

“How old are you?”

“Thirty.”

Steele nodded. “That thirst for freedom makes sense when you’re raising hell in your twenties. I was like that, too, but now that I’m thirty-five, things look different.”

“I don’t think we’re much alike, you and me.”

“You might be surprised. Listen, I’ll give you some time to consider it. I’m staying on a few days.”

“Good. I wasn’t prepared for this.”

“Vince, you’ve been preparing for this all your life. You’re a natural with people and you’re the real deal, a genuine cowboy.”

“Nah, I’m not—”

“Don’t sell yourself short. I’d like to invite a small news crew in here and get some buzz going, but I’ll need to check with Georgie and the other folks first. It’s the town’s project, not mine.”

“I appreciate that you said that. They might let you take over, but that wouldn’t be a good thing. Everybody needs to have a stake in the project.”

“I agree, and I won’t take over. But I will make suggestions.” He gave Vince another long look. “If they agree to the camera crew, I’d sure like to get some shots of you on that black horse of yours. Think about it.”

Vince figured he wouldn’t be doing much else but think about it. Steele was asking him to change his entire approach to life. But sometimes he wondered if falling in love with Georgie had already done that.

Later that night, as he lay in his sleeping bag looking up at the stars, he remembered something else about the conversation. Steele had pointed out that the Ghost wasn’t as fancy-free as Vince liked to think. The stallion was responsible for the welfare of the herd.

The realization struck him like a blow, one that made him suck in a breath. Without his herd, the Ghost was just another horse. Watching over the herd gave him a purpose beyond just living for himself.

That’s what RJ had been trying to say. Without Georgie and this trail-riding project, Vince was just another guy. Until now, that had been fine with him. It wasn’t fine anymore.

*   *   *

Georgie kept thinking that at some point Vince would seek her out to discuss this exciting new idea of RJ’s. People in town could talk of nothing else. They were ecstatic that a news crew was coming at the end of the week and that RJ had asked Vince to take on the job of spokesperson for Wild Horse Canyon Adventures. But Vince himself was MIA.

When Monday came and went with no contact from Vince, and Tuesday looked as if it would turn out the same way, Georgie concluded that he didn’t want to talk to her about the job offer or anything else. She would have loved to hear his version of how the trail ride had gone, but he hadn’t briefed her on that, either.

Technically she could have called his cell and demanded that he do so because he was an employee. But she didn’t actually need his recap. She knew the ride had been a huge success.

Vince’s truck wasn’t parked in front of the hotel as usual all day Monday, and Georgie had finally called Steve to make sure he hadn’t checked out. Nope. But Steve didn’t know where he was. His truck was gone again Tuesday when she walked to work. She’d considered hanging out at Sadie’s because he had to eat sometime, but when she did talk to him, she didn’t want it to be in front of a bunch of people.

Finally on Tuesday night she found herself in Anastasia’s room pouring out her woes to both her sisters. Because Charmaine ran her own business, she’d been able to stretch out her visit a few more days.

“Well, I know what I’d do.” Charmaine sat propped by pillows against the headboard of Anastasia’s bed while her sister painted an exotic design on her toenails.

“What?” Georgie had commandeered the desk chair and she swiveled it back and forth, unable to be still.

“Stop that.” Charmaine gave her a stern glance. “Tormenting that poor chair isn’t going to help.”

She stopped swiveling, but then she had to get up and pace. “It’s driving me nuts, not knowing. I realize he’ll have to give RJ his decision before the news crew arrives, but I really think he’s going to turn it down and I want to be prepared.”

Anastasia blew on Charmaine’s toes. “If he’s going to turn it down, wouldn’t he have done it by now?”

“Yes. No. I don’t know! That’s the problem! I don’t know, and after all we’ve been through, I just wish he’d talk to me.”

“So go to him,” Charmaine said. “Repeat your little trick from before and pay him a visit at midnight. Beard the lion in his den, as they say.”

“You don’t think I’ll look too needy if I do that?”

Charmaine rolled her eyes. “You are needy! Look at you! If he doesn’t know he’s making you suffer, and guys can be dense about those things, then he needs to know. If I had to make a guess, I’d say he thinks he’s sparing you by working this out on his own.”

Georgie groaned. “He probably does, the idiot. That sounds just like him. Okay, I’ll go.”

She coincided leaving the house with the chiming of the grandfather clock at midnight because it seemed appropriate. This would probably mark the absolute end of their relationship. Travis and Mac were due to arrive sometime next week. Whether Vince accepted RJ’s offer—not likely—or left town—more likely—his buddies would be needed.

She’d told herself that he’d leave. She’d rather do that than allow herself to hope that he might stay. Maybe by going tonight she’d push him out the door that much faster, but her sisters were right. He needed to know that his behavior was putting her through hell.

Her outfit was the opposite of the one she’d worn the first time she’d come to his room. She wore old jeans, tennis shoes, and a Dallas Cowboys sweatshirt that had seen better days. But her heart was pounding as wildly as it had that first night when she’d knocked on the door.

The sound of his footsteps made her hyperventilate. This had been a dumb idea. But she couldn’t do anything about it now. She’d see it through. The door opened. She stared. RJ Steele stared back.

She clapped her hand to her mouth. Dear God, she should have thought of this. Of course Vince would have given up his premier room to RJ. Pulling her hand away, she launched into her apology.

He quickly interrupted. “It’s okay,” he said gently. “Were you looking for Vince?”

“Um, yeah.” Heat flooded her cheeks. He had to know this wasn’t her first midnight visit to Vince’s hotel room.

“Two doors down on the left.”

“Thanks. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be. I hope you knock some sense into his thick skull.”

“RJ, if he really doesn’t want to stay, then I’m not going to force him to.”

“No?” He grinned. “I heard about that incident with the whip. I was hoping you’d brought it.”

She held out her empty hands. “Nope.”

“Too bad.” And he closed the door.

She took her time going down to Vince’s room. She wondered if he’d heard any of that. The doors were flimsy, so he very well might have. Then she thought about that day she’d charged toward him cracking a whip.

That woman wouldn’t meekly accept his stubborn decision to leave town. That woman would give him a piece of her mind and tell him he was a complete idiot for even considering leaving this place, this job opportunity, and mostly her, the love of his life.

She’d worked up a good head of steam by the time she raised her hand to knock on his door. As she brought her fist down with a little more force than normal, he opened the door and she almost lost her balance as she pulled it back. RJ might have suggested knocking some sense into him, but she didn’t want to take that too literally.

She recovered quickly and straightened. “You’re a complete idiot, Vince Durant.”

“I know.”

“I’m the best thing that ever happened to you, and if you don’t get that, then you don’t deserve me.”

“You’re absolutely right.”

“So what’s with the disappearing act? What the hell have you been doing for two solid days? Because I want an explanation. I’ve been going crazy wondering—”

“Come in here.” He grabbed her arm, pulled her through the door, and shoved it closed. “No point in keeping Steele awake.”

She faced him. “Just so you know, he hopes I knock some sense into your thick skull.”

“I heard.”

“Well, what do you have to say for yourself?” She became aware of a nearly overpowering sweet smell and glanced around. The room was filled with flowers—roses, carnations, gerbera daisies, tulips, and several she couldn’t identify. Eyes wide, she looked at Vince, who wore a sheepish expression. “What’s all this?”

“It’s sort of embarrassing.”

“You’ve decided to open a florist shop in Bickford?”

“No, they’re for you.”

“Me? Why?”

“Because . . .” He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “I never expected to propose to anyone, and I had no idea how to do it, so I—”

“Hold it.” Her throat tightened. “Back up the bus, cowboy. Propose?”

He nodded. “I only plan to do this once in my life, so I’ve spent the last two days in Amarillo at the library, reading up on the best way to—”

“Propose?” This didn’t seem real, yet the scent of the flowers nearly knocked her over. “You want to marry me?”

“God, yes. And let me say up front that I’ll probably disappoint you every damned day, but I’ll love you every damned day, too, and I hope that makes up for all the times I’ll be a complete jerk.”

She flew at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and peppering his face with kisses. “I accept. I totally accept.”

He gathered her close. “But this isn’t the way it’s supposed to go. You need a grand gesture. Lots of flowers, a flashy presentation, me down on one knee.”

“Bull. I need you.”

He captured her face in his big hands and gazed down at her. “But Georgie, you’ll only do this once, too. Don’t you want it to be special?”

“It is special, you big goof.” Her smile trembled. Her heart was so full that she wondered if she could hold all that joy without blubbering. “This will make a great story for the grandchildren. You tried to plan a grand gesture and I jumped the gun. They’ll love it.”

“I love you.”

“And I love you.” She gazed into his beloved face. “This is a terrific proposal, Vince. The best.”

“Yeah?” His blue eyes sparkled. “Why?”

“Because it’s from you.”