The Sheriff Catches a Bride (20 page)

“If they tell me what to do and it’s what I want to do anyway, then I don’t mind doing it.”

“Spoken just like a woman.” He leaned back to get a better look at her. “Do you really have to go? I could be up for another game of pool.”

“I just bet you could.” Rose gave him one last kiss and pushed him away. “I really have to go.”

“When will I see you again?”

She glanced around, realizing she had another icy cold night ahead of her in her tree house, and she’d have to rush to get more supplies down the highway if she wanted to get back before dark. Should she just stay here with Cab and forget all about establishing her own identity?

No. What Autumn said was true. First she had to find herself. Then maybe someday she could give herself heart and soul to Cab.

‡
Chapter Eleven

F
ila was disappointed
when Catherine left the bus in the wee hours of the morning to head back to her college. She missed her company. She envied her, too. From her descriptions, Catherine’s life sounded like a heavenly mixture of learning and carefree playtime. She attended classes, studied in her afternoons, then went dancing, or to concerts, or to plays or to dinner. A whirlwind of parties and social occasions.

All that had been taken from Fila when she’d left for Afghanistan. She hadn’t attended school since she was twelve. She knew she must be as ignorant as a child compared to someone like Catherine. Would she someday go to a college or university? She didn’t see how; first she’d have to catch up with all the other students who’d graduated from high school. Traveling across North Dakota, the gray skies outside her window matched the fears and sorrow within her heart. What if this was all for nothing? What if no one in Montana would help her? What if the United States wasn’t her home anymore?

What if Wahid found her?

At a small station in Dickinson, North Dakota, a new bunch of passengers boarded the bus and a man in a tan cowboy hat paused in the aisle next to Fila’s row, stowed his duffel bag on the rack above them, sat down heavily in the empty seat beside her and rested his hat in his lap.

Fila cringed away from the cowboy. It was the first time a man had done such a thing since she stepped onto the AirTrain at JFK airport. She’d always tried to sit near other women, and when she hadn’t, no man had taken the empty seat next to her. Now what should she do?

A quick glance around the bus told her she had no options. There were only a couple of empty seats left, situated next to men who looked less trustworthy than this one. She inched as far away from him as she could get in her seat and clasped her fingers tightly together in her lap. There were still almost five hours to go on this trip. Could she survive that long sitting next to this… man?

“I don’t bite,” he drawled, startling her. He cocked his head and looked at her. “I mean it. I don’t bite. You can relax over there. In about five minutes I’ll be asleep and the only thing you’ll have to worry about is if my snoring keeps you awake.” He smiled at her and it wasn’t the lascivious grin of a man with mischief on his mind. It was a friendly smile, although he looked somewhat strained. Like maybe he hadn’t gotten much sleep recently. Fila relaxed a little bit, but only a little bit.

“I’m heading to Billings,” he added. “After that you’ll be quit of me.”

“That’s where I’m going,” she said, then bit her lip. Why had she suddenly developed this bad habit of blurting out facts no one else had the right to know?

“Usually I drive myself, but my truck’s in the shop, and I couldn’t wait anymore.” His face fell and he smoothed the brim of his hat with a thumb and forefinger. “Nope, need to go home and see things for myself.”

“Your home is in Montana?” Fila asked, surprising herself. When was the last time she’d questioned a man? Her Taliban relatives in Afghanistan wouldn’t stand for it.

He nodded after a moment. “My father is there. So is my fiancée. My ex-fiancée, I guess.” He sighed heavily. Looked her way again. “Name’s Jason. Jason Thayer.” He put out his hand.

She shook it uncertainly, almost paralyzed when she couldn’t remember the proper etiquette for this situation. Did American women shake hands? Of course they did. Right? Yes.

Jason’s hand enveloped hers, warm and dry and strong. He shook her hand and let it go, as easy as that. Fila felt a resurgence of confidence.

“And you are…” Jason prompted.

“Fila.” Surely this close to her goal she could use her name without fear. Or maybe not. Had she just compromised herself?

“What sends you to Montana? Family?” He seemed eager to talk. Perhaps eager to distract himself from thoughts of the woman who was no longer his fiancée.

“I’m going to meet someone who’s been very special to me. Someone who helped me,” she said.

Jason sat back. “Sounds like there’s a story there.”

She allowed herself a small smile. “There is. Unfortunately I can’t share it.” Did his shoulders slump? Had he wanted to know more about her? Somehow the idea of catching a man’s attention thrilled her just a little bit. Scared her, too. Back in the village men ignored her utterly, or if they didn’t, it meant trouble. “I’m not sure if the woman I’m going to see wants me to tell it.”

“Fair enough.”

She searched for something else to say. “Tell me about your fiancée.”

It was the right question to ask. Jason launched into a detailed description of a woman named Rose Bellingham, his high school sweetheart. “We grew up together in Chance Creek. I’ve known her since I was five years old…”

Fila didn’t hear any more past Chance Creek. This man was from Chance Creek. He was going there now. As long as she stuck close to him she’d reach her destination.

“Tell me, have you heard of Aria Cruz?” she interrupted him, all thoughts of keeping her plan secret fleeing from her mind. “Do you know her daughter?”

“Claire? Sure, I know Claire. And Morgan, too.”

Fila began to cry.

“What gives with you
and Rose?” Jamie said. He, Cab and Ethan stood beside a corral on the Cruz ranch, blowing on their hands and watching Rob put a gelding through its paces. Jamie usually took first crack at the new horses they acquired, but this one was meant for the rodeo, and the rodeo was Rob’s department.

“We’re friends,” Cab said. He tried hard to suppress a grin. Failed.

Ethan chuckled. “More than friends, maybe?”

“Maybe,” Cab conceded. He wasn’t one to kiss and tell, but this one time he wished he could. What a story he had. Better than any of the tall tales Rob and Jamie had swapped over the years.

“Not that it’s any of my business, but what about Jason?” Jamie said, resting a boot on the lowest rail of the corral.

“That’s over.”

“Happy to hear that. It’s about time you found yourself a woman.”

“Are you all talking about Cab and Rose?” Rob shouted from atop the gelding. He reined it in to a stop. “Don’t talk about Cab and Rose without me!”

Here it comes,
Cab thought.

Rob urged the gelding closer to the fence. “Jason’s going to have something to say about the two of you when he gets home.”

“He’s not coming home,” Cab said. “Rose broke up with him.”

“You sure about that? It’s almost Thanksgiving. Jason might stay away the rest of the year, but he’s always home for Thanksgiving.”

“How the hell do you know that?” Jamie said, cocking his hat back to reveal his untidy dark hair.

Rob tapped a finger to his temple. “My mind is like a steel trap. I remember everything.”

“You remember everything?” Ethan said, straightening. “You sure about that?”

“Positive.”

Ethan held up his left hand, tapped his watch. “Remember what time you’re supposed to meet Morgan?”

Rob glanced at his own wrist. “Shit. Jamie, take over.”

Jamie climbed the fence with alacrity and dropped into the corral. A minute later he sat atop the horse and Rob joined them outside the enclosure. “If Morgan calls, I’m on my way,” he said and slapped Cab on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. If it comes down to a fight between you and Jason, my money’s on you.”

“Thanks,” Cab said as he and Ethan watched him take off toward the driveway in a loping run. Soon his Chevy pulled out into the lane in a cloud of dust.

“My money’s on you, too,” Ethan said. “Not in a fight, but as the better man for Rose.”

“That right?” It meant a lot to him to have Ethan on his side.

“She belongs here, not in some oil town in North Dakota. Besides, I’ve seen how she looks at you.”

Cab glanced at him in surprise. “Looks at me?”

“Yep.” Ethan grinned.

“The thing is,” Cab said, willing to discuss this only with Ethan; not with Rob or Jamie. “She keeps talking about needing to find herself. She says she doesn’t want a man who’ll tell her what to do.”

Ethan rested his elbows on top of the fence and considered this for a moment. “Uh oh.”

“Uh oh?” Cab was taken aback.

“In my experience, when a woman starts talking about finding herself, she’s ready to make a break for it.”

Cab figured he was talking about Lacey Taylor, the woman who’d broken his heart before he met Autumn. “If she’s ready to make a break for it, then why’d she hook up with me at all?”

“That’s a good question,” Ethan said. “Autumn was talking about something the other day.” He squinted as he searched his memory. “Right. She was worried about Rose going straight from Jason to you. I didn’t think much of it at the time.” He shrugged. “I figured Rose spotted the better man and switched horses mid-ride.”

“Autumn thinks Rose should have taken a break first? Spent some time on her own?”

“I reckon that’s about the size of it.”

Cab heaved a sigh. He wanted Rose right now. He wanted her in his bed tonight and every night. He didn’t want to wait while she discovered herself. She could do that right alongside of him.

“Why not let Rose take the lead for a while?” Ethan suggested. “See where she takes you?”

He supposed he’d better do just that.

But he didn’t have to like it one little bit.

“Thanks for picking me up,”
Mia said as she climbed into Rose’s truck and shut the door.

“I’m so sorry I stood you up last night.” Rose started the truck and backed out quickly, eager to get out of the center of town before Emory spotted her.

“That’s okay,” Mia said, but Rose knew she’d disappointed the girl. She meant to make up for it now. She’d remembered Mia as she pulled out of Cab’s place, and called her immediately, full of remorse. She might be going through major life upheaval, but Mia was dealing with an unplanned pregnancy at twenty-one. That was much worse. She invited Mia to come along with her to a town some miles down the road to buy more supplies and then eat out together.

As Rose pulled onto Highway 90, Mia stared out at the passing scenery. Fall was rapidly verging into winter and Rose shivered at the thought of another night in the tree house.

“We’ll have to hurry to get all your shopping done before the store closes,” Mia said. “How come you didn’t want to shop in town?”

“It’s a long story,” Rose said.

“We have a long drive,” Mia pointed out.

Rose frowned. “The short version is I split up with Jason and got in a fight with his father, and I don’t want to see him or my parents until I’ve figured out exactly what I’m going to do next.”

“You’re not wearing your ring anymore.” Mia leaned forward to look at Rose’s hand on the wheel.

Rose fought the urge to hide it in her pocket. “No. We’re over.”

Mia flipped her straight dark hair over her shoulder. “Wow. I thought you two would get married for sure.”

“So did I up until recently.”

“What are you going to do now? I mean, will you still work for Emory? Will you still live in his carriage house after you tell him?”

Rose’s shoulders slumped. “No, I’ve already quit and moved out.”

“Where’s your new place?”

“I’m staying with Autumn and Ethan… most nights.”

Mia waited for her to elaborate. Rose was beginning to think this whole trip was a bad idea.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me,” Mia said after a pause and turned to look out the window again.

“It’s not that… it’s just I don’t want people to know where I’m staying. I don’t want Emory to know. Or my parents. Emory flipped out and burned a bunch of my paintings, if you can believe it. I’m afraid he might come after me again. And my parents…” She trailed off, not knowing exactly how to put that into words. “They’ll just tell me what to do.”

“I totally get it,” Mia said.

Rose realized she probably did.

She was relieved when they pulled into the parking lot of a sporting goods store. Mia trailed Rose through its wide aisles, but didn’t say a word as Rose loaded her cart with a down sleeping bag, thick sleeping mat, a better winter jacket and wool socks. After some thought, Rose added a small propane-powered heater, a camp stove, a pot and pan, and a small assortment of utensils to her load. When she circled around and grabbed a second down sleeping bag, Mia laughed out loud.