In a Cowboy's Arms (Hitting Rocks Cowboys) (10 page)

“You look cute in that.”

“Thanks. When I saw it in the sack you brought in, it brought back memories. I thought, why not look the part.”

“All you need is a cowboy hat.”

She smiled. “I’m afraid my old one got lost years ago. While Ryan’s asleep, I’ll run into town and pick one up when I get the groceries.”

“Take as long as you want. I plan to devote the rest of the day to him once he wakes up.”

“He’ll love that. We’re so glad you’re back safely.”

“Me, too.” His eyes glinted with curiosity. “That horse is a beauty. For Jarod to give you a present like that means he still cares for you a great deal.”

She shook her head. “He feels sorry for me.”

“Sadie—”

“It’s true. He knew Dad sold my old horse. Before you say anything else, you need to know Jarod’s involved with another woman and it’s serious.”

Zane frowned. “Did he tell you that?”

It was more a case of his not answering her question about Leslie Weston when they’d been out riding the other day. “I’ve heard it from his grandfather and from Liz, who’s very close with Avery. Now, I’d better get going. See you later and we’ll talk.”

They only had two weeks left to work out an arrangement with Mr. Bree. So far she’d been living on some of her savings while they’d pooled their resources. With the days passing so quickly, Sadie’s fear escalated that their best efforts might not be enough. But she refused to think about that yet, or the possibility that Jarod might be getting married in the near future. Millie had sounded as though she thought it could happen.

After loading up on groceries in White Lodge, Sadie put the bags in the truck, then decided to buy herself a treat in the hope it would make her feel better. The Saddle Up Barn was just down the street. She’d drop by there for a cowboy hat.

It didn’t take her long to find the one she wanted. Black, like her new filly, like...Jarod’s eyes and hair. The band and sides of the brim were covered in a delicate gold floral pattern that picked up the gold-and-silver cowboy concho on the band. She was partial to the pinch-front, teardrop crown that gave it character.

After paying the bill, she walked out of the shop wearing the hat and was met by a barrage of wolf whistles from various guys passing by in their rigs. Their response reminded her of her barrel racing days in her teens. She’d almost forgotten what that experience was like.

Every time she and Liz performed at the county rodeo she’d watch for Jarod, hoping he’d be in the crowd with his family to cheer on Connor, who was a fabulous bulldogger. Being a contestant, she often carried the Montana State flag as they paraded around the arena for the opening ceremony. During those times when she was all decked out in her hat and fancy Western shirt with the fringe, she’d feel Jarod’s piercing black eyes staring at her and almost faint with excitement.

The memories swamped her, causing her to forget she was headed for the post office. She needed to mail the thank-you notes she’d written to all the people who’d sent flowers for the funeral. While she was buying a book of stamps from the machine, she heard her name called out in a familiar voice and turned around.

“Avery!” Her heart raced to see Jarod’s sister come up to her, a smile lighting her gray-green eyes. Avery and Jarod shared similar facial features that identified them as Bannocks.

“I’ve been following you since I saw you walking across the street. Do you know you caused about a dozen accidents out there?” Sadie laughed in embarrassment. “It’s true. You used to knock them dead at the rodeo, but your impact is more lethal now.”

“It’s the new hat.”

“That’s bull and you know it. In high school the guys voted you Queen of Montana Days your senior year. To get that nomination, let alone win, you had to be able to stop traffic for
all
the right reasons.”

“Stop—” She gave her friend a hug. Avery could make her blush.

“I’m glad I ran into you. Since Connor will be home, we’re going to throw a surprise family birthday party on Monday the twenty-ninth, for Grandpa, who’s going to be eighty-four. He’s feeling so well we thought it would be fun to invite a few close friends. Our cousin Cassie will be coming from Great Falls, of course, and can’t wait to see you. Naturally everyone on the Farfields Ranch is invited, including the Hensons, Ryan’s uncle Zane and that cute little brother of yours.”

Sadie could hardly breathe. It would mean facing Jarod, who would be there with Leslie Weston. Maybe they were celebrating more than a birthday. She felt ill at the possibility, but she’d have to go even if it killed her.

“Sadie, don’t worry about Ned,” Avery added. “Connor has orders to keep him away from you.”

“Thanks.” But Ned had been the furthest thing from her mind. “We’d love to come.” Sadie marveled that she was even able to get the words out. “I’ll tell Millie as soon as I get back to the ranch.”

“Wonderful. It’ll be very low key. Please, no gifts. I’m making his favorite homemade hand-cranked pineapple ice cream, Grandma Myra’s recipe. When he sees what I’m doing, he’ll want to help me.”

“Don’t let him do it, Avery!”

She chuckled. “Try telling him that. Come any time after six-thirty. Grandpa gets tired fast and goes to bed early.”

“We’ll be there. What can I bring?”

“Yourselves!”

Sadie gave her another hug. When Jarod had asked her to marry him, she’d been so thrilled that Avery was going to be her sister-in-law. Instead, Leslie Weston would be the luckiest woman on earth to become a part of that family.

“See you then, Avery.” She watched her leave, then put the stamps on the envelopes and mailed them. With her heart dragging on the sidewalk, she headed back to the truck. How in the name of heaven would she get through the party when she knew Jarod would be there?

Maybe at the last minute she could claim Ryan was running a temperature. Zane could go without her. She’d send Ralph her apologies in a written note. Zane would deliver it with her gift and tell him she’d be over when Ryan was better. She and Ralph would celebrate with a card game.

On impulse she drove to Chapman’s Drugstore and bought him two packs of playing cards and a card shuffler with new batteries. She also bought some wrapping paper and a silly birthday card Ralph would understand with his sense of humor. It said, “Grandfather still looks pretty good on his birthday. If it just hadn’t been for_____.” You could fill the line in with anything you wanted.

Without having to think about it Sadie wrote “the neighbors.”

Chapter Seven

Avery had coordinated their grandfather’s birthday party with Jarod and Connor’s help. She’d hired caterers to do the cooking and serving out on the back patio. Jarod couldn’t have been happier when he’d learned she’d included Sadie and the Hensons in the guest list.

Because of Ned, Jarod’s afternoon ride with Sadie had ended abruptly, leaving things hanging. Since then he’d broken it off with Leslie, but due to the long hours of calving season, this would be Jarod’s first opportunity to get Sadie alone and answer the question of Leslie’s importance in his life.

The evening of the party, after a shower and shave, he put on a silky black sport shirt and gray trousers. This was a special occasion. Six weeks ago his grandfather had been in the hospital and Jarod had feared he wouldn’t come out again. But he’d rallied and in some respects seemed better than he had been in several months. Jarod was convinced Sadie’s presence on the Corkin ranch had had a lot to do with the change in him.

Ralph was furious over Daniel’s shameless treatment of her. To help her keep the ranch in her family was a gesture that revealed the depth of his affection for her. Like Jarod, he was in this fight to win. The end of the month couldn’t come soon enough for either of them. After Harlow bought the ranch, they could all breathe more easily again.

Once he was ready, he went downstairs. “You look distinguished in that new gray suit, Grandfather. It matches your eyes.”

Ralph chuckled. “You think?”

“Connor has excellent taste.”

“Come to think of it, you and I match,” he said with a smile.

Just as he spoke, Connor walked into the bedroom wearing a tan suit. “Come on, you two. Everyone has started congregating out on the patio.”

Jarod hoped that meant Sadie had arrived. He needed to tamp down the frantic pounding of his heart. He and his brother both linked arms with their grandfather and walked with him to the back of the house. Before they could see people, Jarod heard voices and smelled steaks cooking on the grill.

As they stepped out onto the patio, everyone clapped and sang “Happy Birthday.” Jarod estimated the whole Bannock clan had showed up with at least twenty other family friends. His grandfather looked pleased with the turnout—sixty-odd people including grandchildren, young and old, sitting at the tables set up for the occasion.

Ralph thanked everyone for coming. “Go ahead and eat because that’s what I intend to do. I’ll bore you with a speech later!” His remarks drew laughter as Jarod and Connor helped him to his place at the head table.

“I’ll get his food,” Jarod said to his brother, who nodded.

He walked around the other side of the smorgasbord to fix his grandfather a plate. A quick glance at the assembled group revealed the Hensons had come, but to his disappointment no Corkins or Lawsons yet. His gaze traveled to Tyson and his wife’s table, which included Grant and Pat. No sign of Ned, either.

Jarod needed to keep the line moving. His grandfather liked his steak medium-rare. After filling the plate, he carried it to the table and sat with him. Jarod wasn’t hungry and told Connor to go ahead and get his food. His eyes went to Avery, looking particularly lovely in a deep red dress. She moved around, setting up a mike that could be passed around for people to make toasts.

In another five minutes Ned showed up. His father motioned him over to his table and the two men got into a lengthy discussion. Clearly, Grant wasn’t happy about something, but that was nothing new.

As Jarod continued to look around, he saw Sadie and Zane slip in from the side of the house to sit with Mac and Millie. Zane held Ryan in his arms.

Sadie had dressed in a sophisticated orange, yellow and white print cocktail dress, an outfit she’d probably worn to dinner in San Francisco with some lucky man. The short sleeves and scooped neck exposed the tan she’d picked up since moving back to the ranch. Her windblown blond hair had the luster of a pearl. Jarod could find no words.

Before long one of the caterers wheeled out a cart carrying a chocolate birthday cake with lighted sparklers. The cake was in the shape of a giant cowboy boot with the word
Ralph
written in red frosting down the side. More of Avery’s doing. Jarod gave his sister a silent nod of approval.

Their grandfather did the honors of cutting the cake. To facilitate matters, Connor and Jarod helped pass the dessert. When he neared Sadie’s table and she looked up, it struck Jarod how the years had added a womanly beauty to her that he found irresistible. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. “Enjoy your meal?”

“It was delicious,” she said in a quiet voice, but a glance at her nearly full plate told him she hadn’t been hungry, either. “I brought a present for Ralph. Where shall I put it?”

“I’ll take it for you and give it to him.”

“Thank you.” She handed him a gift bag. The touch of her fingers sent a live current through his body. He walked to the head table and put the small bag in front of his grandfather. “It’s a gift from Sadie,” he whispered, then went back to handing out the cake.

A little while later Avery announced it was time for people to give toasts. Using the mike, everyone got in on the act, telling anecdotes about Jarod’s grandfather that brought smiles and laughter. Finally it was Ralph’s turn. With their help, he got to his feet.

“What a gratifying sight! If only Addie could be here with me. Thank you all for coming to help me celebrate. I don’t know what I’d do without my three wonderful grandchildren who made this night possible. It’s a very special night because one of our long-lost neighbors, Sadie Corkin, has come back to us after an eight-year absence, along with her new little brother, Ryan, and his uncle, Zane Lawson. I look forward to us being neighbors for years to come.”

Only Jarod understood the meaning behind his grandfather’s words and loved him for it. After Ralph showed Jarod the card she’d given him, emotion swamped him to realize what a burden her father’s hatred had been to her.

“Thanks for this, Sadie.” Ralph held up the card shuffler. “Sadie used to play canasta with me and Addie. I look forward to another game soon. I taught her how to play, you know.” He winked. “Maybe this time I’ll slaughter
you
instead of the other way around.”

Amid the laughter and cheering, Jarod saw Sadie smile. A few minutes later she got up from the table with Ryan, who’d become restless. Anticipating her departure, he asked Connor to take care of their grandfather, then excused himself to walk through the house and catch up to her out front. No way was she going to get away from him tonight. He’d been living for it. Zane was right behind her.

“Leaving so soon?”

She looked shocked at Jarod’s approach. “I’m sorry to just slip out like that, but it’s past Ryan’s bedtime and he was getting too noisy.”

“Understood.” He darted the little boy’s uncle a glance. “There’s no need for you to leave, too, Zane. Stay as long as you want. There’s going to be dancing. I know three unattached females at the party who’ve been dying to get to know you. Since my duties are done for the evening, I’ll drive Sadie and Ryan home in my truck.”

Zane’s brows lifted. “Would that be all right with you, Sadie?”

“What do
you
think? You’ve done so much baby-tending, it’s time you had a night off. Jarod’s right about the ladies. What’s nice is, they’re
all
beautiful.”

With a chuckle, Zane kissed Ryan, and after a thank-you to Jarod, he headed around the ranch house to join the party.

* * *

S
ADIE
WAS
TREMBLING
so hard, she was thankful she had Ryan to cuddle. For some reason Jarod had been alone tonight. She didn’t know what that meant, but at the moment she didn’t care because he wanted to take her home.

After she was settled, he reached around to fasten the two of them in with the seat belt. His nearness made her feverish. “I don’t have a car seat for him, but I think we can manage to get you home without a problem.”

“I’m not worried.”

“Good.” He shut her door and went around to the other side to climb in. “Your gift made Grandfather’s night. Especially the card. He laughed till he cried.”

“Cried would be the right word. My father pretty well ruined everyone’s lives for years.”

“Well, you’re back where you belong and he couldn’t be happier about it.”

And you, Jarod? Are you happy about it, too?

Sadie wished she knew what was going on inside him. It wasn’t long before they reached the ranch and she hurried inside with Ryan. Jarod followed. He’d never been allowed on Corkin property before, let alone to step across her threshhold. The moment was surreal for her.

“I’m trying to wean him off the bottle, but tonight he needs a little extra comfort after being around so many strange faces.”

Jarod plucked him out of her arms. “Come on, Little Wants His Bottle.”
Sadie broke into laughter.
“I’ll change him while you get it.”

There was no one in the world like Jarod. “I’m afraid he might not let you.”

“We’ll work it out, won’t we,” he said to Ryan. “I’ve changed my fair share of diapers at my uncle’s house.”

Delighted and intrigued to see him in this role, she left them alone long enough to half fill a bottle with milk. When she returned, she found Ryan ready for bed in a sleeper. There’d been no hystrionics. Jarod was holding him in his strong arms as they examined the animal mobile attached to the end of the crib. She paused in the doorway to listen.

“Dog,” he told Ryan as he pointed.

“Dog,” Ryan repeated. His blue eyes kept staring in fascination at Jarod.

“Now can you say horse?”

“Horse.”

“That’s right. One day you’ll have a horse of your own.”

Her eyes smarted. Jarod had always had a way with animals, but it was evident that the invisible power he possessed extended to little humans, too.

“I hate to break this up, but it’s time to go night-night, sweetheart.”

After she handed Ryan his bottle, Jarod lowered him into the crib. She tucked his rabbit next to him and Ryan started sucking on the nipple as he stared up at the two of them. Sadie went through her routine of singing his favorite songs to him. Pretty soon he’d finished most of the bottle and his eyes had fluttered closed.

They tiptoed out into the hall and went down to the living room. She turned to Jarod. “Thank you for helping me with Ryan. You were such a big distraction, he forgot to be upset.”

A faint smile lingered at the corner of his compelling mouth. “I’m glad to know I’m useful for something.”

She got this suffocating feeling in her chest. “I happen to know your grandfather couldn’t get along without you.”

They stood in the middle of the room. Jarod’s eyes swept over her face and down her body, turning her limbs to water. “Do you realize this is the first time I’ve ever been inside your house, except at the funeral?”

“I was thinking the same thing, but I try not to let the ugliness of the past intrude. Ryan makes that a little easier.”

“He’s a sweet boy.”

She could feel herself tearing up. “I just hope I’ll be the mother he needs. It’s a huge responsibility.”

“You’re a natural with him, Sadie.”

“Thanks, but it’s early days yet.” Clearing her throat she said, “Shouldn’t you get back to the party before Ralph is missing you?”

“Connor’s with him. I don’t need to be anywhere else tonight. What I’d like to do is continue a certain conversation that came to an abrupt end when we discovered Ned waiting for us after the rainstorm. Mind if I stay awhile?”

Jarod...

Sadie was terrified she was going to hear news that would ruin the rest of her life.

“Of course not. Please, sit down.”

After all the years her father had spouted his hatred for Jarod, it was nothing if not shocking to see him take a seat on the couch and make himself at home, arms spread across the top of the cushions. She sat rigidly on one of the chairs in front of the coffee table opposite him.

“When you asked me how important Leslie Weston was to me, I had my reasons for not answering you at the time.”

Here it comes, Sadie.
“I should never have asked you that question.”

He leaned forward. “You were right to ask. Leslie wouldn’t have understood about Velvet. How is your filly, by the way?”

“Wonderful.” She stirred restlessly on the chair. “Jarod...you don’t owe me any explanations.”

“Then you’re not interested to know why Leslie wasn’t at tonight’s party with me?”

Sadie lowered her head. “It’s none of my business.”

“Don’t play games with me, Sadie. There’s too much history between us to behave like we’re strangers.”

“I agree,” she confessed before eyeing him directly. “I thought she would be with you tonight. In fact, I was half expecting Ralph’s birthday party would turn into an announcement of your engagement.”

“You and a few other people, but it’s never going to happen.”

The finality of his words shocked her. “Why not?”

“We’ve stopped seeing each other.”

Her heart ran away with her. “But I thought— I mean, I was led to believe your relationship was serious.”

“I cared for her a great deal, but she wanted more from me than I could give her.”

“You mean marriage.”

“Yes. As long as we’re being truthful, why don’t you tell me how many men have proposed to you since you left Montana?”

There was no point in pretending there hadn’t been men in her life after Jarod. “If any of them wanted to get married, I didn’t give them a chance to get that close to me.”

“Why not?”

She sucked in her breath. “Like you, I could tell they wanted a permanent relationship, but I wasn’t ready to make a commitment.”

For years she’d been in too much pain to even look at another man. When she finally did break down and start dating, no man came close to affecting her the way Jarod had done. He was an original. “How’s that for honesty?”

“It’s a start.”

“Since we’re going to be neighbors, I hope we can still be friends.”

His black brows met in that fierce way they sometimes did. “That would be impossible.”