Rancher To The Rescue

At the magnificent Wyoming dude ranch run by Ross Livingston and two fellow ex-marines, families of fallen soldiers find hope and healing. When lovely widow Kit Wentworth and her son arrive, Ross immediately finds himself drawn to them. Soon he’s able to bring young Andy out of his shell—and touch Kit’s heart as no other man has.

But this isn’t just a vacation for Kit. She is running from her domineering father-in-law—a situation Ross understands all too well. After Kit reveals her terrible secret, Ross realizes his love alone won’t be enough. Charles Wentworth is a man who will stop at nothing to control his family. Can Ross convince Kit to stand her ground—and help her fend off the forces that threaten to tear them apart?

“He said you needed watching and he shouldn’t have let you come.”

Kit looked down. “Charles will stoop to any level to achieve want he wants.”

“What does he want?” Ross prodded her.

“He wants Andy to be the son he lost!”

“There’s more to it than that for him to phone the ranch asking for one of us in charge.”

A tortured moan escaped her. “No—I mean there is a reason, but it’s not what you think.”

“Then explain it to me.”

“I—I don’t know where to start,” she stammered. “It’s complicated.”

“Nightmares usually are. I’ve got all night and you’re my responsibility while you’re here.”

“I don’t want you mixed up in this.”

His temper flared. “I already am. Does he have a case against you for being an unfit mother?”

He heard her sharp intake of breath. “In his mind he does,” she said.

Ross felt as if he’d been kicked in the gut.

Dear Reader,

The heroine in my story Her Wyoming Hero finds herself in a situation where she’s being controlled and manipulated and can no longer tolerate it. To change her life, and the life of her son, she will have to summon all her inner strength and courage to do what she needs to do.

Kit began her marriage naive and starry-eyed, but that state of bliss soon passed, and her struggle began. At the end of this struggle she emerges a strong, capable woman ready to stand on her own two feet. But when she meets Ross Livingston, she’s faced with a new, unexpected challenge and doesn’t want history to repeat itself. I hope you’ll find this story compelling and cheer Kit to the end. She deserves a happy ending, but how will she get there? That’s for you to discover.

Enjoy!

Rebecca Winters

Her Wyoming Hero

Rebecca Winters

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rebecca Winters, whose family of four children has now swelled to include five beautiful grandchildren, lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the land of the Rocky Mountains. With canyons and high alpine meadows full of wildflowers nearby, she never runs out of places to explore. These spaces, plus her favorite vacation spots in Europe, often end up as backgrounds for her romance novels. Writing is her passion, along with her family and church. Rebecca loves to hear from readers. If you wish to email her, please visit her website, www.cleanromances.com.

To all strong women everywhere with the courage of their convictions to make a difference in their lives despite the odds.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Excerpt

Chapter One

July 10

Bar Harbor, Maine

Kit read the letter postmarked from Wyoming one more time, positive it had been sent to her by mistake. The honor to her deceased marine husband thrilled her, but didn’t make sense.

Dear Mrs. Wentworth,

My name is Carson Lundgren. You don’t know me from Adam. I served as a marine in Afghanistan before I got out of the service.

When we returned to the U.S., I, along with Buck Summerhays and Ross Livingston, fellow retired marines, went into business at the Teton Valley Dude Ranch. Our idea was to offer what we could to the families of the fallen soldiers from our various units.

Your courageous husband, Winston Pettigrew Wentworth, served our country with honor and distinction. Now we’d like to honor him by offering you and your son Andrew an expense free, one week vacation at the dude ranch anytime in August. We’ll pay for your airfare and any other travel expenses.

You’re welcome to contact your husband’s division commander, Colonel Hodges, at the phone number below. His office helped us obtain your address. If you’re interested and have questions, please call our office. We’ve also listed our web address, where you’ll find a brochure with more details about the ranch. We’ll also be happy to email you any additional information.

Please know how anxious we are to give something back to you after his great sacrifice.

With warmest regards,

Carson Lundgren.

His words touched Kit beyond measure, but she was the daughter-in-law of Charles Wentworth, an East Coast billionaire. Such an honor should go to a grief-stricken family whose loss of the husband and father from the home would have affected them financially.

Without hesitation she reached for the phone. In a few minutes she was able to speak to Colonel Hodges. When he came on the line she explained the reason for her call.

“I think this invitation is the most wonderful thing that has happened to me and Andy since the funeral. But I fear it was sent by mistake. There are so many soldiers who’ve died in this ghastly war. They’ve left families who are now struggling to make a decent living without them. I’m not in that category and wouldn’t dream of accepting this generous offer.”

“Mrs. Wentworth, I don’t think you understand. These retired marines out in Wyoming know who you are. I’ve talked with them at length. They admired your husband for serving when he could have stayed home and enjoyed all the privileges of his life, but this invitation is about something much more important. A rich man can suffer as much as a poor one, don’t you agree?”

“Well, yes. Of course, but—”

“They want you and your son to know that your husband’s heroism hasn’t gone unnoticed. Perhaps you don’t realize that these men are trying to deal with their own grief and the many losses they’ve seen.

“This isn’t about money. It’s about helping you find a way out of your grief any way they can. During your week there, they would like to get to know your son and talk to him about his father’s great sacrifice. The truth is, they need healing, too. Does that help you to understand and accept their invitation?”

Kit was so humbled by his comments, she could hardly speak. “Yes,” she whispered. “You’ve given me a new perspective about a lot of things. I appreciate your kindness more than you know. Thank you, Colonel.”

After hanging up, she stared into space while she digested the full impact of Winn’s commander’s words. He could have no idea what this meant to her. For once she and Andy were being offered something that hadn’t been prescribed and paid for by her father-in-law.

Little did the colonel know she and Andy had both been grieving in silence for years—long before Winn’s death. Now the loss of his father had caused a change in her withdrawn and morose son. Lately he’d been acting out in negative ways, and Kit was so heartsick for him she didn’t know where to turn.

This letter was one he needed to see. It would make him proud of his father, and a trip to a ranch out west would be something neither of them had ever experienced before. The idea of getting away from her grieving in-laws for a whole week where she could be fully in charge of her son filled her with guilty excitement.

While Andy was still at his piano lesson, she hurried through the house to her father-in-law’s den. It was almost time for dinner. She needed to talk to him before she mentioned anything to Andy.

She found him at his desk, where he was studying some papers. “Charles?” Since the day Winn had brought her to the Wentworth mansion after their wedding ten years ago, her father-in-law had told her to call him that. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

He lifted his graying head. “If this is about that notion of yours to move out on your own, we’ve had this conversation too many times before. It’s out of the question.”

Winn had wanted to live with his parents following their marriage, and he had dismissed Kit’s questions about living away from the mansion. Now that her husband was gone, she intended to get a job and a place of her own for her and Andy. But she had to figure out all the details first before she told her son what they were going to do. Once she’d discussed it with Andy, then she’d find the right moment to tell her in-laws.

“No, I’m here about this letter I received.” She placed it on the desk in front of him.

He put on his glasses. After reading it, he cleared his throat. Mr. Lundgren’s words had gotten to her father-in-law, too. “I’m pleased they would like to honor Winston this way, but you can’t think of accepting. This offer is for widows who have no money.”

She told him about her conversation with Colonel Hodges. “He helped me understand that going to the ranch is for those retired marines, too, so I’d like to accept. I’ll let Mr. Lundgren know we’ll be coming for the last week of August.”

“You can’t go then. We have other plans.”

Her cheeks grew warm battling him for every inch of ground. “But I’m in charge of the Cosgriff Memorial Library benefit. There’s so much to do throughout the beginning of August, I won’t be able to get away until it’s over. When Andy realizes these men want to do something wonderful for him—because of his father’s heroism—I’m hoping it will help him to feel a little happier before he starts school. Please. You and Florence take the rest of the family on that cruise of the fjords without us and enjoy yourselves.”

“What do you mean, without us?” Florence spoke behind her.

Kit turned around to face her always stylish mother-in-law. “Andy and I are going to take a trip to Wyoming the last week of August. We’re to be the special guests of some retired marines who want to honor Winn by inviting us to their dude ranch. It’s all there in the letter.” Her eyes darted to the desk.

“Have you forgotten we’ve had this trip planned for months?”

“No.” What to do... “I could call Mr. Lundgren right now and find out if it will be all right if we come the first week of September. We could leave on a Friday and come back the next Saturday. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go get Andy ready for dinner.”

August 31

Teton Valley Dude Ranch

“YOU’VE GOT A faraway look in your eye, Ross.” A cough had preceded the statement. “Is it possible there’s a woman on your mind?”

On this beautiful Saturday morning, Ross Livingston and his partner Carson Lundgren had been inspecting the border of Carson’s Teton Valley Dude Ranch, located fifteen minutes from Jackson, Wyoming. They could exercise the horses and talk business at the same time.

Buck Summerhayes, the other retired marine making up their triumvirate, had just married a woman who had come to the ranch in July as their invited guest. At the moment he was understandably detained, so he couldn’t attend this meeting. Carson had married in June, leaving Ross the lone bachelor.

“I’m thinking a lot of things, but not about a woman.” They’d ridden to the eastern section of the property away from the forest that provided spectacular blocks of color. It was the last day of August. Another week of temperatures in the lower seventies, and then it would be fall. Carson had told his friend from a more southern clime that the cold came a little earlier here, so enjoy the warm weather while they could.

Ross’s dark brown eyes followed the flat, treeless sweep of sage with no sign of civilization in sight. He loved every square inch of this fabulous property watched over by the magnificent Grand Teton.

“If you’re having reservations about our recent decision to keep the dude ranch running year round, I’m open to anything you have to say. This place hasn’t operated in the black for years. It’s nothing new.”

That’s what worried Ross. Though their regular dude ranch business was growing, he wanted Carson to be able to get out from under the constant worry of making ends meet, a problem Ross had never been forced to deal with.

“No reservations. Like you, I’m anxious to keep this going for a year to see how we do in our venture.”

Turning the working ranch into a dude ranch had been Carson’s idea when the three of them had been hospitalized together at Walter Reed in January. He’d inherited it from his deceased grandfather and wanted to make it into a profitable business.

The guys had gotten together and pooled their resources. Once they’d been discharged from the hospital, they’d started making their dream a reality. Besides building new cabins and making renovations to the ranch house and other structures, they’d created a website and done enough advertising to attract people from all over the country who wanted to experience life on a ranch. It had been a major endeavor that had included the hiring of staff.

Throughout all that process they’d also discussed how to manage their guilt for surviving the war and had come up with the idea to give a week’s free vacation once a month to a son or a daughter of a fallen soldier. To be a substitute daddy for a week to the fatherless children had been a part of their goal, but there was much more to it.

The guys hoped that in helping the mothers and children explore the outdoors on horseback and take in the wonders of the rugged natural world, they’d let go of some of their grief and learn that there was joy in being alive despite their loss. The children needed to know their fathers were good men who’d made an invaluable contribution to their country and would always be remembered. Hopefully the activities the ranch provided would help restore their confidence.

So far the “daddy dude ranch” experiment, as they called it, had produced wonders far beyond anyone’s expectations. Not only had the two women and children who’d come this summer found new joy here, his partners had lost their hearts to them and there’d been two marriages.

Ross found it uncanny what had happened, marveling over the happy coincidences. Now there was one more military widow with her son due to arrive this evening—Kathryn and Andrew Wentworth. Their husband and father happened to have been the son of Charles Cavanaugh Wentworth from Maine, an established and wealthy East Coast family.

According to Colonel Hodges, Mrs. Wentworth had been hesitant to accept the guys’ invitation, feeling it should go to a family in financial need. That piece of information did her credit, but her husband’s exceptional valor had decided them on giving him and his family the special recognition he deserved.

Ross had still to decide what it was going to be like taking care of two people who’d been given every luxury life had to offer. Having been born a Livingston of the billionaire oil barons of Texas, he knew firsthand the kind of society she and her son had come from. He would reserve judgment, however, until after he’d spent some time with them.

As for now, he was excited about an idea he wanted to explore with Carson. It had been percolating in his mind for a long time, but he hadn’t wanted to bring it up until he could see how well their dude ranch business had been doing.

“So, what gives?” Carson prodded him.

Ross would have answered, but like Carson and Buck, he had a cough they’d picked up in Afghanistan that had ended their military careers. This morning there was a hint of smoke in the air from a forest fire in nearby Yellowstone. It had aggravated their coughs. He pulled out his inhaler prescribed by the doctor. Pretty soon he got some relief, but the medicine had a tendency to make him sleepy, something he had to fight while they were out on the range.

When he finally caught his breath, Ross began. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you once tell me your great great grandfather obtained the mineral rights to this place before the government could get their hands on them?”

Carson eyed him with curiosity. “I did.”

“I’ve been giving it a lot of thought since Sublette and Fremont Counties bordering you have been seeing a boom in natural gas.”

“That’s right. You graduated in petroleum engineering. You think there’s gas under my land?” he asked before letting go with a cough.

“With more and more energy companies springing up around Lander and Thermopolis, I think there’s a pretty good possibility you’re living on top of a big pocket of it here in Teton County. Wyoming has the second largest proven natural gas reserve in the U.S. behind Texas.”

I ought to know, he thought with a grimace. His last name was synonymous with oil in the Lone Star State, where he’d been raised.

“The money you’d derive from a producing well could keep the ranch solvent for years to come. It’s just a thought.” One Ross would like to see happen for his friend.

“A few years ago my grandfather told me he’d been approached by a gas company, but he wouldn’t hear of doing anything about it.”

“I can understand that. Wyoming is a pristine environment that has been underexplored and underexploited. I’m sure he wanted to keep it that way.”

“He feared the onslaught of progress.”

“You can’t blame him. But the ever-increasing demand for gas in the U.S. has led to a quadrupling of the price, causing companies in Russia and Venezuela, both big natural gas suppliers, to have shut off access to foreign companies. The same in the Gulf of Mexico where easy-to-drill reserves have been depleted. Progress has made its way to your door.”

Carson pushed his cowboy hat back on his head. “You’re talking about drilling for it right here?”

“This is the flattest uninhabited section of your land away from people and animals. Bringing in a road over this section would cause the least amount of disturbance to the environment and would be virtually invisible. Naturally I can’t give you proof there’s gas here without doing some preliminary drilling.”

His friend was quiet for a minute. “Wouldn’t that cost a ton of money I don’t have?”

Ross nodded. “But I have some savings I can draw from. It would be my way of investing in your ranch to give you something back after what you’ve done for me. Then I’d feel a real part of it.”

“You already are,” Carson answered solemnly.

“I’d like to do more for you.”

After a pause Carson asked, “What all would be involved?”

Ross was pleased his friend was at least listening to his proposal. “Wyoming’s gas is unconventional. It doesn’t sit in easy pools above oil, but thousands of feet beneath the earth in pockets of sandstone and coal formations. If the gas is there, the steel pipe will have to drive 11,000 feet into the ground to capture it.

“One good thing. Nowadays gas companies can put the derricks down on mats instead of the ground in order to preserve the top soil and roots. But there’s no way around the fact that there are still a lot of negatives, and always will be.”

“You’ve got me thinking,” Carson said as Ross’s phone rang, interrupting their conversation.

When he saw it was the ranch calling, he clicked on. “Hey, Willy. What’s up?” The part-time mechanic helped run the front desk.

“There’s been another change in the Wentworths’ itinerary you need to know about.”

He coughed. “What’s that?” Earlier in the week their latest invited guest had already indicated she wouldn’t be able to make it on Friday and would come Saturday instead.

“The fax says she and her son will be flying into Jackson Hole at three p.m.”

He frowned while Carson looked on. “I wonder why they aren’t coming in on the flight we arranged.” They weren’t supposed to be due in until six-thirty this evening.

“I don’t know. Since you’re out touring the ranch, do you want me to go for them?”

Ross checked his watch. There was time to get back and shower if he and Carson left now. “No.” This was his responsibility. “I’ll do it. Thanks for the heads-up, Willy.” He clicked off.

“What’s going on?”

“Mrs. Wentworth will be here at three instead of six-thirty. I need to get going.”

“I’ll ride with you. I promised to spend part of the day showing Johnny how to ride bareback.”

“That boy gets better every day.”

“He’s a natural.”

“Just like his new dad.” Ross smiled at his friend. “Carson? Give what we talked about some thought and let me know later.”

“Why don’t you get a few bids together and we’ll go from there.”

“I’m going to get on it pronto.”

They took off at a gallop. Carson hadn’t said no. Drilling a hole from start to finish would take a month. It would be better to do it before winter set in. Ross would arrange to meet an oil engineer out here on Monday. Then he could present it to Carson with more information to back up his idea.

But right now he had other things on his mind. For the next week he would have his hands full entertaining a nine-year-old boy who’d lost his father and was grieving.

Ross hoped he was as sweet as Johnny Lundgren, Carson’s newly adopted seven-year-old son. The boy had charmed everyone on the ranch with his curiosity and good nature, and had walked right into his friend’s heart. For that matter so had Buck’s new stepdaughter, Jenny. Ross was crazy about both the kids.

Once they’d returned their horses to the barn, Carson took off for his new house, the one Buck had built for him, Tracy and Johnny on the property near the Snake River. Buck came from a family who owned a construction business. As for Ross, he drove the Jeep back to the main ranch house to get cleaned up.

Since Buck had moved downstairs with his wife, Alex, and her granddaughter, Jenny, Ross had the whole top floor of the place to himself. For the first time since his return from Afghanistan last January, he was aware of his “aloneness” and didn’t like it.

With his mood becoming decidedly morose on that score, Ross was lucky he had guests to pick up.

Carson’s earlier question about a possible woman on Ross’s mind had hit a nerve. One day, I’ll have a family of my own.

* * *

THE JET FROM Denver taxied to a stop at the Jackson airport. Kit’s heart hammered in her ears. She undid the seat belt and got to her feet, glancing at her desperately unhappy son who was still sleepy from the medicine she’d given him for air sickness.

This was it. The day she’d been praying for had come.

Freedom.

Joy of joys, she and Andy were the only ones in the Wentworth family invited to stay on the Wyoming ranch. They would have a whole week to themselves to get closer and make plans for the future. When they left, they would be going to a new place to live. She had it all arranged. If her in-laws wanted to remain in her life and Andy’s, they would have to deal with her move and accept it.

The letter inviting them here had served as a stepping-stone to their new life. When these retired marines had shown such kindness and generosity, she’d been moved to tears, not only for Andy’s sake, but her own. Not that her son hadn’t had a different attitude than hers when she’d first told him.

“I’m not going.” He’d sounded so much like his obstinate deceased father, with that same mulish tone of voice that often crept in these days. “I don’t want to go anywhere.”

“Honey, this is a great honor for all of us. Think of it—these military men are trying to show you how much they care what your dad did to save lives.”

“I don’t want to go.” He’d kicked the end of his bed in anger.

“Andy—I never want to see you do that again!”

“But a dude ranch sounds stupid!” He’d turned away from her.

To her horror, he was becoming more and more unmanageable lately. He hadn’t seemed to enjoy the cruise vacation at all. His grandparents were so cold and controlling. Winn’s death only served to have brought a permanent winter into their lives. Though she’d been out of love with her husband for years, she ached for Andy and what he was going through, after losing his father.

“How could a vacation like this be stupid?”

“They’re a bunch of lame marines. I hate them!”

Kit thought she understood. To Andy, a letter from the marines represented death and was a terrible reminder of the many months over the years his father had been away on deployment.

This trip would be the first time in years the two of them were completely on their own without the family there to run Andy’s life. Though he’d finally stopped fighting her over the decision to bring him to Wyoming, she saw the deep misery in his eyes. Unfortunately, her darling son had no idea how much more misery was in store for him if they didn’t make the break from his grandparents, who were swallowing them alive.

Winn and his parents had decided years ago that when Andy turned nine, he would be sent to a special elite boarding school located an hour away from Bar Harbor where discipline was strictly enforced. He’d be granted a weekend pass twice a month if he kept up his grades. He was due to start school there in mid-September.

Winn had been sent to the same school at his age and expected that for Andy. It was tradition among the Wentworths, one of the founding families of Maine. Her husband had paid the $50,000 deposit years earlier to reserve his place.

It didn’t matter that he was no longer alive. Andy’s grandfather would carry out his son’s wishes and ignore hers. But Andy was her son and her raison d’être. When Kit had objected because she wanted Andy at home with her, he’d stated the matter was closed.

Since his death the tension at the Wentworth mansion had grown much worse. The out-of-the-blue letter from the ranch was a miracle, and had helped give her the jump start she needed to make some serious decisions. She knew that for her to move out and get a life of her own would be a huge change for both of them—not to mention traumatic for her in-laws.

That’s why she needed this week in Wyoming first to prepare Andy. It would mean treading carefully to broach this plan with her son. If his anger grew any worse, he could possibly require professional help. What if in time Andy turned into his grandfather, outgrowing the sweetness of his nature he’d been born with?

“Honey?” she said quietly. “We’ve arrived.”

His eyes blinked open. They were a lighter gray than Winn’s. His cheek had a line indented into it from lying against the seat. When he slept he became her dear son again, instead of the impossible nine-year-old child she no longer knew.

“Do you need to go to the bathroom before we leave the plane?”

“No.” His rude answer resonated in the jet’s interior. He unfastened his seat belt and got up with a scowl on his face. “I told you I don’t want to be here.”

She was sick for him, knowing he was a volcano ready to explode from all of the pain and emotion he held inside. Kit had lost her influence over him years ago, but she was his mother and he needed her. Even if he wasn’t aware of it.

Because the family had her trapped in an emotional vise of guilt, she’d been ineffectual in dealing with him. Now, that was going to change—she couldn’t live under the same roof with her in-laws any longer. She had to leave, and when she did there’d be no going back.

With his shoulders slumped, Andy started down the aisle behind the other passengers without saying anything else. She grabbed her handbag and followed him to the exit. When they reached the inside of the terminal, Kit saw a cowboy in well-worn boots striding toward them with unconscious male authority. A brown Western shirt and jeans covered his tall, fit physique.

The striking male looked to be in his early thirties. He tipped back his sand-colored cowboy hat, revealing a widow’s peak of raven-black hair. There were no rings on his fingers. “Mrs. Wentworth?”

As she moved closer his dark brown eyes sized her up. They were neither admiring or leering, one of the two looks she was used to receiving from men. For the first time since she could remember, she saw a guarded look coming from the stranger’s eyes and wondered why.

“Are you Mr. Lundgren?”

“No. I’m Ross Livingston, his business partner.” He possessed a deep voice, but his civil response didn’t have the Western twang she’d expected.

“I remember your name from the letter. It’s a great pleasure to meet you. This is my son, Andy. I’m sorry if you had trouble meeting this earlier plane. We’ve been in Norway and caught a flight out of New York to Denver that put us in here ahead of schedule.”

“No problem at all. We’re glad you arrived safely.”

Still feeling unsettled by the way he’d been looking at her, she said, “We’re very honored you would choose our family when there are so many others affected by the war. Andy’s father would be incredibly proud.”

“After your husband’s sacrifice, we consider it our pleasure.” He stepped forward to shake their hands but focused his attention on Andy. “Welcome to the Teton Valley Dude Ranch, son.” After a cough he asked, “Have you ever been to Wyoming?”

“No.” The peeved sound that came out of Andy was totally mortifying to her.

Kit glanced at their host. “I’m afraid he just woke up from a sound sleep.”

“I understand. Long transatlantic flights do the same thing to me.” He’d said it with urbane sophistication, acting as if nothing was wrong, but she knew he knew there was plenty wrong with her son. “Let’s gather your luggage.”

They walked over to the carousel. “We have three cases. They’re the navy ones with the red-and-white trim.”

He reached for them, and they followed him outside past the other passengers to a black, four-door Jeep. He stowed the suitcases in the rear with what looked like effortless ease. To her consternation, the play of hard muscle across his back and shoulders drew her attention without her volition.

Andy just stood there without helping, causing Kit more embarrassment. Their host spoke to him. “Do you prefer the front or backseat?”

“Back,” he mumbled.

“I’ll sit with you, honey.” Kit opened the rear door and climbed in before Mr. Livingston had time to help. Andy got in next to her and pulled the door shut. Their host slid his powerful body behind the wheel of the Jeep, coughing again before they took off.

She glanced out her window so she wouldn’t be tempted to stare at the way his black hair curled in tendrils against the bronzed skin of his neck. Since seeing him walk toward her in the terminal, she’d felt breathless, assuming it was because of the six thousand feet or more altitude after coming from sea level. But upon closer examination, she realized it was the stunning-looking male driving the Jeep who’d caused her lungs to constrict.

The farther away they got from the airport, the freer she felt, despite the tension emanating from both her son and the enigmatic male in front.

Maybe not enigmatic. That wasn’t the word she was looking for. Still, something wasn’t right. The cowboy’s attitude wasn’t as warm as the tone of his partner’s letter that had touched her heart. She would have to wait until tonight after Andy had fallen asleep before she’d be able to apologize to their host about her son.

Perhaps coming here for the first week of September rather than anytime in August had put them out, though they hadn’t seemed to mind when she’d asked if she could change the dates. After the generosity of these marines, changing the dates to please her in-laws had embarrassed her terribly. When she got the opportunity, she would explain what had happened.

Still troubled by her thoughts, she saw a jet climb into one of the bluest skies she’d ever seen. With the Grand Teton in the background, the sight was magnificent beyond words. She watched until the plane was a mere speck before she sighed with relief. They were really here, delivered to the small town of seven thousand people. It wasn’t just a dream.

She’d been living for this moment. From now on their future plans rested solely with her.

Suddenly she felt their host’s piercing glance on her through the rearview mirror. She could almost believe he was reading her mind. “If you’re hungry, say the word and we can stop for a bite to eat in Jackson. Otherwise dinner is served from five to eight in the dining room of the main ranch house.”

Anyone watching or listening would think he was being perfectly polite. He was, but behind his benign suggestion she still sensed he had reservations about her.

“I don’t want to eat,” Andy muttered to her before he turned and hunched against the door.

Kit didn’t know if their host had heard him or not. Her son had completely forgotten his manners. “Thank you for asking, but we had a meal before we landed so we’re fine until later.”

“You don’t even want something to drink?”

“No, thank you.”

He turned onto the main highway. “We’ll be at the ranch in fifteen minutes. There’ll be drinks and snacks in your cabin.”

“That sounds wonderful.” In order to shut his compelling image from her vision, she closed her eyes, but another cough from him reminded her he was still there. He must be getting over a cold.

The first stage in her plan had been accomplished. She and Andy were far away from Maine and her in-laws. Unfortunately she hadn’t expected a complication like Mr. Livingston. Despite the fact that he seemed to have reservations about her, she’d already become aware of him as a man, a disturbing one. This awareness hadn’t happened to her since before her marriage to Winn. She didn’t like it.

Chemistry had been responsible for their ill-advised union. Of course she could never regret Andy, who was the joy of her existence, but she was ten years older now and knew better than to get carried away a second time.

Kit’s one purpose in life was to make a new life for her and Andy. Beyond that she couldn’t think.

Chapter Two

Ross hadn’t known what to expect while he’d been waiting for the Wentworths inside the terminal. He’d spotted a nice-looking dark blond boy of about nine or ten, dressed in shorts and a collared shirt, emerge from the doors. When Ross saw the mother directly behind him with her dark hair styled in tousled waves, he let out a low whistle.

She might be close to thirty at this point, but he did have to admit that in her recent widowhood, she could have passed as a top model for a fashion magazine. He liked her pleated white pants and the chic, short-sleeved khaki blouse that tucked in at the waist. She looked polished and sophisticated. Her sex appeal stood out a mile, catching the eye of most of the males in her sight, including his.

Damn if Charles Wentworth’s daughter-in-law wasn’t a knockout. Because of his own privileged background, he had a tendency to cast a jaded eye on women who thrived in a culture he’d found too shallow to tolerate.

The affluent society he’d grown up in was what had finally caused Ross to join the marines. A complete break from the life plan his father had mapped out for him was his only way out. He’d needed to get out, or his life wouldn’t have been worth living. But his desire for a lifetime career in the military had come to an early end when he’d been discharged after six years of service because of his chronic cough.

Except to visit his parents after being released from Walter Reed Hospital in March, plus the monthly phone call home, he hadn’t been near that world until today. By some strange quirk in the universe, it had fallen to him to be the personal host of this woman and her son.

Ross saw himself in Andy at that age and was haunted by it. The boy had grown up in the same kind of environment as Ross. Better than anyone else, he recognized a kid who could be corrupted by that kind of money and lifestyle. A child who was born to walk one path with no room for deviation.

But before he allowed past bitterness to overwhelm him, Ross needed to remember this mother and son had lost their husband and father. They’d come to the ranch at the guys’ invitation and were his responsibility for the next week. Death came to every class of society, and they were still dealing with their grief.

Ross knew the usual tactics to win over a child the way Carson and Buck had done wouldn’t work with Andy. It had been ingrained in this boy from infancy that he was superior to everyone else.

He came from an establishment fueled by money and power beyond most people’s ability to imagine. Already he could see in the boy’s eyes what an insufferable week he would have to spend in this back-of-beyond place. Ross would have to rely on his gut instinct to make any headway.

Once he turned onto the road leading into the ranch, he pointed out the ranch managers’ complex with homes and bunkhouses, the machinery and hay shed, the calving barn, the horse barn and corrals. Maybe the boy was listening, maybe not.

“Oh, Andy. Look how beautiful it is here with the river and the pines, honey. I’m reminded of a Disney cartoon where everything in nature is so perfect. Don’t you think it looks like a peaceful little city immaculately laid out with the forest on one side and the Tetons standing guard on the other?”

To Ross’s surprise her words echoed his own thoughts the first time he’d laid eyes on Carson’s ranch.

Still no response from Andy, who looked and acted miserable.

“That’s the main ranch house on the right. The cabins are farther on.” Ross coughed again and kept driving until he came to the one reserved for them. As he pulled up to the front steps, she opened the door and got out to look around.

“We’re surrounded with sage!” she exclaimed. “It’s a heavenly smell.”

“I agree,” Ross muttered, confused by her reactions. Instead of a blasé view of everything topped off with a patronizing nod, she reminded him of a child who took delight in what she saw. If she was pretending to be something she wasn’t, he’d be hard-pressed to prove it.

Andy climbed out his side of the Jeep. For the first time he looked at Ross. “How come you cough so much?”

“Andy!” she cried in embarrassment.

Contact at last. “It’s all right, Mrs. Wentworth, a perfectly normal question. I’m not sick in the way you might think, Andy. My partners and I picked up a cough in Afghanistan from breathing bad air, the contaminants of war. You can’t get it from being around me. Today it’s a little worse because there’s some smoke in the air from a forest fire. Smoke is our enemy. We always keep oxygen around to breathe in case it gets bad.”

Andy studied him for a minute without saying anything. Mrs. Wentworth’s exquisite sea-green eyes fringed with black lashes sought his. “Will you get better?” She sounded as if she really wanted to know.

“Maybe.”

“In other words, you might never recover completely. I’m so sorry.”

Ross shook his head, taken back by her seeming sincerity. “We’re fine.”

He transferred his gaze to Andy who was still eyeing him. “If anyone’s sorry, we are for what happened to your father. He was a very brave marine who made himself a decoy under heavy fire and saved eight lives. I’m sure you’ve already been told the circumstances, but it bears repeating.

“Hold that knowledge to you, Andy. Not every person born on this earth has a dad like yours, who was willing to give his life for his friends and country. What he did was remarkable. None of us will ever forget. It’s an honor to meet his son. If you’ll let us, we’d love to show you a good time while you’re here. Tomorrow I’ll take you riding if you want.”

If Ross didn’t miss his guess, the boy’s light gray eyes grew suspiciously bright before he looked down. Illness and death seemed to be the only two areas that had reached him so far. “You must be tired. I’ll take in your luggage so you can get settled.” He opened the back of the Jeep to get their bags.

“Come on, Andy. Let’s help.” She grabbed a case and handed it to him, then reached for one for herself. She kept surprising Ross. He took the other one and went up the steps first to open the cabin door.

“I love it!” she announced once they were inside. “Yellow and white are my favorite colors. This place is charming, Mr. Livingston. We’re going to be so happy here, aren’t we, Andy?”

Ross didn’t expect him to answer, and the boy didn’t disappoint him.

“There are two bedrooms.” They followed him past the front room to the hallway. “The bathroom is behind that door. Which room would you like, Andy?” One room had a queen-size bed, the other contained twin beds.

“I guess that one.” He meant the one on the right with the two beds.

“Good.” Ross set down the case.

His mother joined them and lowered her case to the floor. “This cozy room will be perfect for both of us. We’ll figure everything out later. Let’s go check out the snacks.”

Andy put the other suitcase down and gave his mother a startled glance before they all moved to the other room. “We’re going to sleep in the same room?”

“Why not? We don’t ever get to do it at home. I think it will be fun. We’ll read stories to each other.” She walked over to the table near the minifridge. “What’s in these little pouches?”

“Pine nuts gathered on the ranch.”

She smiled at Ross before putting a couple in her mouth. “Umm...nummy. Here, honey. Try some. Put out your hand.” When Andy did her bidding, she poured a few in his palm, then she turned to Ross. “What about you?”

How could he say no? He didn’t like admitting it, but she had a disarming way about her. “Thank you.” He tossed back a few. “Just so you know, the maids come in daily to do housekeeping. If you need wash done, put it in the laundry bag hanging on the bathroom door and they’ll return your clothes before evening.”

“Talk about being pampered,” she murmured. Just as he was thinking what a statement for her to make when you considered her background, her cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket to check the caller ID. It wiped the smile from her face.

“Excuse me. I need to answer this.” She clicked on and said hello. After a minute she said, “I planned to call you, but we just walked in our cabin with Mr. Livingston.”

Another pause, then, “Yes. He’s right here.” She called to Andy, who was looking in the minifridge. “Your grandfather wants to talk to you.”

“Do I have to?” he grumbled.

“I think you better.”

Andy didn’t look happy about it, but he walked over and reached for the phone. “Hello?” There was more silence before he said, “It’s a nice ranch. I guess we’ll be going riding. Mr. Livingston’s going to take us.” Whether that explanation was meant to satisfy his grandfather on some level or whether the idea of it actually sounded interesting to Andy, Ross didn’t know yet.

“I’ll be careful, but I’ve got to go now.” Another pause. “I will.” He hung up and whispered something to his mom.

Mother and son needed to be alone. Ross eyed them. “If you’ll forgive me, I have an errand to run before dinner.” Because of the smoke in the air he needed to take his medicine. “The dining room will be open in an hour. Shall I come by for you in the Jeep, or would you like to walk and meet me there? We’ll discuss an itinerary for you while we eat.”

“Oh, walk! Definitely.” She escorted him to the door where he stepped out on the porch. “Thank you for everything, Mr. Livingston.”

He detected a catch in her voice. His little talk to Andy would have affected her, too. She’d lost her husband, yet was trying to remain upbeat for her son. Ross admired that. Somehow her emotion had gotten under his skin. Facing her he said, “You’re welcome, Mrs. Wentworth. Call me Ross.”

“I’m Kit.”

His brows lifted. “Is that your given name?”

“No. I was named Kathryn, but the grandmother who raised me after my parents died called me Kit and it stuck.”

Ross liked it. She was the antithesis of the woman he’d been expecting once he’d known her background. Despite his initial misgivings, there were a dozen questions he wanted to ask, but this wasn’t the time.

“I’m sorry about Andy,” she said in a quiet voice.

“What do you mean?”

“He’s been going through a bad time and knows better than to whisper in front of company. My father-in-law wants me to call him before I go to bed, that’s all.”

She hadn’t owed him an explanation. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll see you later then.” He climbed in the Jeep and took off without looking back.

After parking at the rear of the main ranch house, he entered the back door and strode swiftly down the hall to the stairs. He kept his medicine in his bathroom on the second floor.

“Hey, Ross?” At the sound of Willy’s voice he swung around. “I saw you drive up when I was outside. You had a phone call that sounded important, if you know what I mean.” He handed him a piece of paper with a phone number on it with a wink.

Ross was afraid he did. “Thanks.” He took the stairs two at a time. When he reached the bedroom, he medicated himself and then lay down on the bed to find out who’d called him. It was Cindy. He needed to put an end to her hopes. She answered on the second ring.

“Hey, cowboy. Am I going to see you tonight?”

Cindy Lawrence had been a lot of fun, but the hungry kiss she’d given Ross last night had offered too much. He should have enjoyed it. The beautiful moonlit night, unusually warm, should have worked its magic. But if Ross hadn’t known on the bar’s dance floor that it would be the one and only hour he spent with her, he knew it now.

He’d made the mistake of asking the flirtatious waitress to do some line dancing with him because he hadn’t wanted to go back to the ranch house last night until he was ready to crash. The upstairs of the house was too empty.

“Much as I’d like to drop in tonight, I won’t be able to,” he said, trying to let her down gently. “A new family of a fallen marine just arrived in Jackson this afternoon. They’re our guests on the dude ranch for a while and I’m in charge. Thanks for the dancing. It was fun.”

The eagerness faded from her voice. “In other words you’re not coming back anytime soon.”

No. The attraction simply wasn’t there. He’d been with a lot of women since coming to Wyoming, but so far all his relationships had been fleeting. “You never know. It’s a busy time on the ranch. See you around, Cindy.”

Without wasting any more time, Ross phoned the oil company he’d been researching and arranged for a meeting on Monday out at the site. Then he hung up and set his watch alarm. The medicine was working on him, making him drowsy. He closed his eyes, realizing that when he was awakened in an hour, he’d be seeing Kit Wentworth again. The thought shouldn’t matter to him, but somehow it did.

* * *

KIT WATCHED HER son go through the DVDs in the entertainment center. “Have you seen a movie you’d like to watch?” She got up from the kitchen table with a granola bar in her hand to look through the stack with him. The luxury of them being free like this had already gone to her head.

“How about Up? I know you haven’t seen that one.” The grandparents had his life so regimented, he rarely found time to watch TV or films.

“No. That’s a dumb kid’s movie.”

“Dumb” had made up most of his vocabulary since he’d found out they were coming to the ranch. Kit had hoped a new adventure might put him in a little happier mood. But it was possible the few friends his grandparents allowed him to play with had said something negative about going to a dude ranch and he was only echoing their comments.

Kit’s eyes took in the attractive surroundings. All the comforts of home were included in this small rectangular log cabin: a table and minifridge, a couch and upholstered chairs in front of the fireplace. After living in the Wentworth mausoleum, she loved its rustic simplicity and the lightness of the decor.

Everything a person needed was right here, reminding her of the tiny home she’d once lived in with her grandmother in Point Judith, Rhode Island, where she’d been happy. It was there she’d met Winn.

The Blue Attic Book Shop where she’d worked had an outdoor display of discounted books. She’d been busy taking them all inside when Winn had walked by and begun chatting her up. He’d taken out one of the family yachts from Bar Harbor and had sailed down the coast with his friends. They’d pulled in at Point Judith to eat dinner. But he hadn’t told her that information at the time and had only explained he and some buddies had been out sailing.

Kit had fallen hard for him and they’d married soon after. He’d taken his nineteen-year-old bride home to meet his family in Maine. They’d ended up living there in a controlling world of wealth and privilege she grew to detest.

It devastated her that the twenty-two-year-old man with the sun-kissed blond hair, smiling eyes and dark tan she’d fallen in love with had changed so much after they’d exchanged vows. Once under his parents’ thumb, nothing she’d done had been right. The way she’d looked and behaved hadn’t satisfied him.

In an effort to please him, she’d transformed herself into the woman he’d seemed to want, a style maven like his mother Florence, or his two older married sisters, Corinne and Sybil, who considered themselves the original aristocrats of Bar Harbor. Still, Kit had never fit in.

After Andy had been born, Winn hadn’t shown as much interest in her except when they’d gone to the family’s various exclusive clubs where they’d been seen in public. Then it had all been show. They’d grown so far apart, she’d begged for them to get a home of their own. His sisters and their husbands had their own homes. But Winn had told her there was no reason for them to move when they were living in the mansion and offered every luxury.

The years had gone by—empty years for her. Winn’s long deployments in the military had driven them further apart. When she’d found the courage to tell him she wanted a divorce, he’d told her the Wentworths didn’t divorce. If she filed, she’d lose Andy because he wouldn’t let her take him anywhere.

As a member of the family now, she had the responsibility of carrying on as his wife and widow. The man she’d married had disappeared, never to return. The best part of him, the part she preferred to remember, lived in Andy.

But her son’s life had been strung out with long periods of waiting for his father to come home on leave. Even when he came, they hadn’t spent enough quality time together because his parents had had other plans for him. For the long months in between visits, Andy had been expected to mind his grandparents who ruled his life.

She’d cried herself to sleep at night for years worrying about her darling son. Though he would be good-looking like Winn when he was grown, it wouldn’t be long before he turned into a clone of his rigid grandfather.

Kit had kept her demons hidden from Andy the best she could, but now that they were here, she would have the conversation with him she’d been waiting for since Winn’s death. Maybe tomorrow or the next day when he’d had a good sleep and was more relaxed.

She went in the bedroom to open one of the suitcases. After gathering up some items, she put them on the bedside table in their room. Besides a pocket radio, there was a photograph of Winn and another of her grandmother. She carried some treasured books to the living room. Kit planned to read aloud to Andy if he’d let her.

Once that was done, she went to the bathroom to brush her hair. When she came out she said, “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Let’s walk to the ranch house.” He mumbled something and went out the door. She followed with the cabin card key Mr. Livingston had left on the table and made sure the place was locked before starting off.

The magnificent Tetons were right there in her vision, stunning her with their beauty. They headed for the fabulous ranch house in the distance. She was reminded of one like it on the cover of one of her favorite Louis L’Amour Western novels. That was among the books she’d packed for this trip.

Kit had loved books in her early teens and had grown into a voracious reader. Her grandmother had gotten her hooked on all kinds of fiction, especially Westerns. One of the rooms in the house she’d rented had been turned into a virtual library.

After her grandmother died, Kit had kept a few favorites and donated the rest to the bookshop where she’d worked. The owner had allowed her to establish a lending library with the understanding that Kit would take the collection back when she had her own place. Winn didn’t want them at the mansion. It almost killed her when last year she’d found out the shop had been sold and turned into a restaurant. All those precious books were gone....

Just seeing the ranch house with the pines clustered around the side brought back fond memories for the girl who’d grown up on the cape of Point Judith with her sweet grandmother and her books. But besides horses, this Western scene included the Jeep and all sorts of modern vehicles that must have belonged to the staff.

They followed some other guests inside and entered a large foyer. The mid-twenties guy behind the front desk flashed her a friendly smile loaded with a lot of male interest, the flattering kind. “Hi! Can I help you?”

“Yes. I’m Kit Wentworth, and this is my son, Andy. Mr. Livingston told us to meet him here for dinner.”

His eyes widened. “You’re our special guests from Maine?”

She smiled. “That’s right.”

“Welcome to the ranch. Here’s another card key so you can both have access to your cabin.”

“Thank you.” She handed it to Andy, who looked surprised before putting it in the pocket of his shorts. “We’re very grateful to have been invited.”

“I guess you haven’t had the grand tour.”

“Not yet.”

“The dining room’s right through the great room across the foyer. There’s a games room at the other end, and beyond the doors you’ll come to a swimming pool with a lifeguard on duty. Go ahead and look around. I’m sure he’ll be along shortly.”

“Thanks so much.”

They walked through the next room past the massive fireplace and into the dining room filled with the regular dude ranch guests, many in Western gear. One of the first things on her list was to buy them some fun cowboy stuff so they’d fit in around here.

Andy looked up. “They’ve got wagon wheels for lights!”

Her gaze went to the vaulted ceiling. “These are the kind of chandeliers I prefer any day. Pretty cool, don’t you think?” Red-and-white checkered cloths covered the tables. She liked the yellow-and-white daisy centerpieces that reminded her of their cabin’s colors.

“I guess.” Though he played it down, the fact that he’d noticed gave her hope he was starting to thaw a little at having to be here.

She found them an empty table over on one side of the room. They each took a menu and studied it. “What do you think you want, honey?”

“A hamburger?” Hamburgers weren’t on the menu at the Wentworth mansion. She had come to dread their five-course meals where the inevitable question-and-answer period lasted at least an hour. She knew Andy hated the length of time they had to stay at the table.

“That sounds good to me, too, with lots of French fries. Shall we splurge and get chocolate malts for dessert?”

“Can we?”

Why not? This was a night of celebration. “We can have anything we want here.” She eyed him with concern. “This dude ranch isn’t turning out to be such a bad place. Right?”

He looked away without answering, but when the friendly waitress came over, he gave her his order instead of just sitting there silently. This was the Andy she needed to see come back.

“How are you feeling by now? I know that medicine made you feel kind of strange.”

“I hate the way it makes me so sleepy.”

“I know, but at least it kept you from throwing up.”

Before long the waitress returned with their food. He swallowed his in no time. It was surprising to her, considering he hadn’t shown much appetite on the cruise. She was only halfway through her meal but could tell he was already restless. Who wouldn’t be after their long flights?

“While I finish eating, why don’t you go have a look around? The man at the desk mentioned a games room and swimming pool.”

“You mean you’ll let me?”

His grandparents had kept him on a short leash. “Sure.”

He eyed her in surprise. “Thanks.” Kit hadn’t heard that word from her son in a long, long time.

Kit watched him dart away with more energy than she’d noticed in ages. Relieved to see him behave like a normal boy for a few minutes, she ate some more French fries and kept an eye out for her host. Just when she decided something must have detained him, she saw him walk through the door from the kitchen.

His dark brown gaze panned the room. The male charisma oozing from him took her breath. Judging by the female guests in the room, they had the same reaction. Though there were quite a few men seated around, none of them affected her like Ross Livingston. Marine or cowboy, he seemed a breed apart.

He still hadn’t seen her and started walking through the tables. As he drew closer, she called to him. His head turned in her direction. The second their eyes met, it grew into one of those moments when the world stood still for her. It was happening again. That awareness...

Ross moved toward her. Without his cowboy hat, his head of wavy black hair and arresting male features pretty well dazed her. She wondered who the lucky woman was who’d captured this attractive man’s attention. There had to a woman, maybe a wife, even if he didn’t wear a ring, and she would be exceptional.

“I’m sorry I was too late to eat with you. Business detained me.” He sounded disappointed.

“Please don’t apologize for anything.” The pulse in her throat was throbbing so hard, she couldn’t finish the last bites of her meal.

“Where’s Andy?”

“When he was through eating, he went out exploring. I’m almost done and was about to look for him.”

“Then let’s go together.”

“What about your dinner?”

“I had a snack already and will eat later.”

* * *

ROSS WALKED HER out into the warm air. The sun wouldn’t be going down for a while. There were half a dozen people in the pool. He nodded to the lifeguard.

“Hey, Uncle Ross—over here!”

A dripping wet Johnny Lundgren stood by the diving board talking nonstop to none other than their latest guest. Johnny was a little short for his age. Andy seemed to be tall for a nine-year-old. But the difference in height and age didn’t mean a thing to Johnny. He was the friendliest kid on the planet. Ross smiled at the scene.

“That’s Carson Lundgren’s adopted son talking Andy’s ear off,” he said in an aside to Kit. “He’s already adopted me and Buck as his uncles.”

“How sweet,” she murmured with genuine tenderness. She’d just described Carson’s son. They walked to the end of the pool.

“Johnny? This is Andy’s mom, Kit. They’re from Maine.”

“Hi, Johnny,” she said with warmth.

“Hi! I just asked Andy if he wants to come riding with me and Jenny in the morning. He’s never ridden on a pony before.”

“I think that sounds fun, but we don’t know what Ross has planned for us yet.”

Johnny turned to Andy. “He’ll probably take you fishing, but I think riding is more fun. Do you want to get in the pool and swim with me?”

If anyone could make a dent in Andy’s armor, it was Johnny, who’d just given Ross an opening he’d take. “Why don’t we all swim? I’ll go inside and put on my suit. It’s the perfect temperature out here.”

“Hooray!” Johnny cried in excitement.

Andy turned to his mother. In a quiet voice he said, “I don’t want to.”

“Then you don’t have to, but after sitting on a plane for hours, I feel like a swim. I’m going to run to our cabin for my suit.”

“Mom—”

“I’ll be right back, honey.”

Ross could see and feel Andy’s frustration as she disappeared. The fact that she’d taken Ross up on the idea meant she wasn’t about to coddle her son. Again he gave her marks for expecting Andy to deal with this new situation despite his unhappiness.

“Don’t you guys have fun without me!” he said to the two of them.

Johnny laughed. “You’re funny, Uncle Ross.”

No sound came out of Andy. He just looked at him in bewilderment before Ross took off. At least that was a change from the scowl he’d worn during the drive from the airport.

Ross reached his room and changed into his black trunks. After grabbing a towel, he hurried back down and belly flopped next to Johnny on purpose, causing him to laugh. Ross noticed Andy sitting in a deck chair by himself.

“Come on, Johnny. Let’s go talk to him.” As he hoisted him on his shoulders, he saw Kit come out on the patio carrying a rolled-up towel.

“Hi, everybody!” In seconds she removed her wrap. Ross’s breath caught to see her shapely body clad in a light blue bikini dive into the deep end of the pool from the side. When she surfaced, she swam over to her son. “I brought your suit in the towel. If you change your mind, use the cabana.”

When he didn’t respond, Ross said, “We’re going to play sharks and minnows.”

Johnny’s head jerked around. “Hey—I haven’t played that game before.”

“It’s a new one I’ve been waiting to teach you. I’m the shark and you guys are the minnows. I’ll be at the end of the pool. You and Kit get up on the side of the deck. I’ll call out, sharks and minnows, one two three, fishies, fishies swim to me. That’s when you’ll dive in and swim to the other side. If I don’t catch you, then you’ll be the shark for the next round. If I do, then you’ll stay a minnow.”

Johnny giggled. “That sounds silly.”

He grinned. “You think? Just wait until I come after you.” His gaze swerved to Kit who’d climbed up on the deck ready to play. Ross had a devil of a time concentrating when he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“Come on, Johnny. Let’s see if we can beat this big shark at his own game.” The way she’d said it heightened Ross’s anticipation.

“Yeah!” Johnny got out of the water and walked over by her.

“Sharks and minnows—” Ross called out after coughing. The game was on. They must have played six rounds, but Ross beat them every time. Both she and Johnny came up laughing and spurting.

“How come you guys can’t catch me?” Ross baited them. “I thought you said this was a silly game, Johnny.”

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Andy, who’d come out of the cabana in his suit and was watching. Well, what do you know. Nothing like a little healthy competition.

“Come on, Andy,” Johnny shouted when he saw him. “Help us win!”

Once again they lined up along the side, but this time Andy had joined them. “Sharks and minnows—” Ross called out. There was plenty of splashing as everyone dived into the pool. Ross went after the other two first so he would barely miss tagging Andy.

“Hey—now Andy’s a shark!”

“He sure is, Johnny.” Ross smiled at Kit’s son. “How did you learn to swim so fast?”

“I don’t know.”

“You’re good!” Ross climbed up next to Johnny and Kit. She thanked him with her eyes. While he was still staring into them Andy shouted, “Sharks and minnows—” The boy was a quick study.

By Ross losing his concentration, Andy tagged him and Kit with no problem. That made Johnny the winner.

“Bravo!” another voice called out.

“Mom!” Johnny cried. Tracy had just come out to the pool. “Uncle Ross taught us a new game and I won this time! Put your suit on and get in.”

“Honey, it’s late. The pool is closed now. Time to get out.”

“Oh, heck.”

“Your mom’s right, Johnny. But there’s always tomorrow.”

He scrambled out of the pool to his mother who wrapped him in a towel. After kissing him, she said, “It looks like we have some new guests.”

“Yup. That’s Andy and his mom, Kit. They’re from Maine.”

Ross took over. “Kit Wentworth? Meet Carson’s wife, Tracy.”

“It’s so nice to meet you, Mrs. Lundgren. Andy and I are thrilled to be here.”

“We’ve all been looking forward to your arrival, haven’t we, Johnny.”

“Yeah. Please, will you come riding with us in the morning?”

Andy shrugged. “I guess.”

“Goody! We’ll let you pick out one of the ponies to ride, but I think you’ll like Raindrop. She’s a dappled gray. You’re older than we are and she’s a little bigger than the others. She likes apple nuggets for a treat.”

Ross chuckled. “She does love those.”

Kit smiled. “I can’t wait to see her. With that settled, we’d better get out of the pool and change. After our long flight we’re about ready for bed and will see all of you tomorrow. Come on, Andy.”

“Bye, Andy. See ya later.” Johnny walked away with his mother.

“Bye.”

Ross turned to his guests. “I’ll meet you in the foyer in five minutes to drive you back to the cabin.”

“We’ll hurry,” she assured him.

Before long the three of them met by the front desk where there were a few guests checking in. Ross was pleased to see their normal dude ranch business was continuing to grow.

Willy looked up. “Hey, Ross—I see they found you.” But his eyes were so focused on Kit, Ross would have laughed if the situation weren’t so precarious. Her dark hair still had natural curl when it was damp. She looked good. Too good. He had to remember they were honoring her husband’s memory.

“We did,” Kit spoke up. She appeared oblivious to Willy’s gawking. “Thank you.”

Ross walked them through the front door to the parking area on the side of the ranch house. “We’ll go in the truck.” He opened the rear passenger door for them, and they climbed inside.

Once on their way, he heard Andy talking to his mother in the back. “That Johnny’s funny.”

“He’s very cute. I think it will be fun to go riding with him.”

“Ponies are for babies.”

“Johnny didn’t look like a baby to me.”

Good for Kit.

When they reached the cabin, Ross shut off the engine and turned in the seat to expand on her comment. “When you’re seven, a pony is a lot easier to handle. Johnny’s adoptive father, Carson, is a champion rodeo rider who owns this ranch. He got him started on Goldie in June. You should see how he rides already.”

Ross could hear the boy mulling everything over in his mind. “What happened to his real father?”

Andy didn’t miss much. “He was a brave marine like your dad who died in the war. Like you, we invited him and his mom to come to the ranch for a week. They ended up staying, and now they’re married.”

“How wonderful for them,” Kit murmured.

Ross agreed, but the boy had gone quiet. Figuring he’d said enough for now, he climbed down from the truck and opened the rear door for Kit. They both got out the same side. Kit pulled the key card from her pocket to unlock the cabin door, drawing his gaze to the shape of womanly hips below her waist. As for the curves above...it was no wonder Willy couldn’t keep his eyes to himself.

She turned to him. “Good night. Thank you for everything.”

To his surprise he didn’t want to leave. “I’ll come by for you at eight in the morning, and we’ll have breakfast together before planning our day. Good night, you two.”

Ross got in the truck and took off for the ranch house. Before heading upstairs he made a detour to the kitchen for a sandwich and bumped into Buck stealing a donut on his way to bed.

These days his friend wore a continual smile. That’s what being deeply in love did for you.

“Hey—” He nudged Ross, then coughed. “Willy just told me about Mrs. Wentworth and her son. Apparently she’s one gorgeous babe. His words, I swear.”

“If you like brunettes.”

“You don’t?”

“I never said that.” The last word came out on a cough.

He studied him. “What’s she like? Don’t tell me she’s nice.”

Ross bit into his ham sandwich. “What if she is?”

Buck chuckled. “And her son?”

“He’s got problems.”

“But nothing you can’t handle.”

“I don’t know. It’s early days yet.” The conversation Andy had had with his grandfather earlier still puzzled him. Until the phone call, the boy hadn’t said two words. Then he’d switched to talking mode, but only after he’d been urged by his mother to come to the phone. Ross didn’t know what to make of the tension.

“Are you all right?”

“Ask me in a week.” Ross couldn’t take more of the interrogation. He finished off his sandwich, knowing sleep wouldn’t come for a while. “Good night.”

The guys had warned Ross that lightning could strike three times in the same place, and they had the documented video to prove it. He’d laughed off their teasing, but for some reason he wasn’t laughing now.

Chapter Three

After washing and blow drying her hair, Kit got ready for bed. When she peeked in their bedroom, she discovered that Andy had fallen asleep. Considering their long day, it didn’t surprise her. Without waiting another minute, she went into the living room to phone her in-laws.

“Hello, Florence? Andy told me you wanted me to call before we went to bed.”

“We expected to hear from you before now.”

“I’m sorry, but we swam until late with the owner’s son, Johnny Lundgren. He’s two years younger than Andy, but a real joy and a lot of fun.”

Ross’s suggestion that they all swim had turned out to be inspirational. By dreaming up that little competition, Ross had nudged Andy out of his mood. Andy hadn’t been able to resist joining in and had won a round. The praise their host had given him had made a subtle difference in her son, increasing his confidence. Kit could have hugged Ross for it.

“Where’s Andy?” Charles spoke up from another extension.

“In bed, sound asleep.”

“What are your plans for tomorrow?”

She frowned. “I don’t know yet. Probably riding. Why?”

“I’m concerned about Andy. The weather can change on a dime out there. I don’t want to hear you took my grandson up on the Grand Teton with all those lightning strikes. You shouldn’t have gone to Wyoming.”

He’s my son, Charles, she wanted to shout at him. But she understood that after losing Winn, her in-laws were fearful of other losses. Instead she said, “There are too many other activities planned right here on the ranch for you to worry about that. It’s supposed to be warm weather the whole time while we’re here. We’re going to concentrate on riding horses and fly-fishing on the Snake. This is a glorious place.” Like a piece of heaven.

“I was there years ago. The Snake River can be dangerous.”

She took a deep breath. “Charles? I promise our hosts aren’t going to allow us to do any activity where we can get hurt. They’re trying to make this an exciting adventure for Andy.” Kit had already been given proof of that at the pool with Ross.

“But you’re there without Winn.”

“Andy and I have each other, Florence. Now if you’ll forgive me, I’m exhausted and need to get to bed. It’s late for you, too.”

“We’ll talk tomorrow,” Charles announced in his imperious voice.

Oh, she knew that. Twice a day and every night like clockwork. “I’ll have Andy call you after our ride tomorrow. He’ll have lots to tell you, I’m sure. Good night.”

She hung up and hurried to bed. Moonlight kept the cabin room from being totally dark. Sleeping in the same room with her son was a brand-new experience. When Winn had been home, he’d never allowed Andy to get in bed with them, even when he was a small child.

And when he’d been away, he’d insisted Andy stay in his own bedroom on the next floor, and his parents had enforced his rule. She’d slept by him a few times over the years when he’d been sick and needed comfort, but this was different. While they were on vacation, she relished this time alone with him so they could really talk.

Kit turned on her side to face him. As she drifted off, her mind relived those moments in the swimming pool with Ross. She wished she didn’t find him so appealing. She hadn’t come here with the idea of meeting a man. Anything but.

Unfortunately, Ross was the first person on her mind when she woke up the next morning. The knowledge that he’d be coming for them in a few minutes gave her stomach flutters.

Andy had already gotten out of bed and was watching TV. She called to him to come and get ready.

“How did you sleep?”

“Good.”

“Are you hungry?”

“Yeah.”

She mulled over his answers while they put on their shoes. “Good” and “yeah” were signs his mood had improved. If only he would stay this way...

“Mom? Did you call Grandfather last night?”

He’d been her little worrier for years. “I did, but let me ask you something. What would you think if I hadn’t phoned him?”

Andy swung his head toward her. She saw that nervous look he often got. “You know,” he muttered.

She’d finished doing her hair and put the brush down. “You mean he’d get mad. You can say it, honey.”

His eyes slid away.

“It’s not much fun to be around someone grumpy, is it?”

He didn’t respond.

“He and your grandmother get mad at me, too.” She applied some lipstick.

“I know.”

Her son understood a lot, but she still had to probe to get at the truth of how he truly felt about his life.

“That’s why it’s nice you and I can be on vacation by ourselves. We all need a break, don’t you think?”

His faint nod gave her the sign she’d been hoping for, but they both heard a horn honk out front. She would have to continue this conversation with him later.

“Let’s go.” She put the card key in her pocket. With a happier heart, she followed him out the door into another day filled with sunshine, sage and Ross Livingston as she lived and breathed. He’d dressed in a brown-and-white plaid Western shirt and a pair of jeans that molded powerful thighs.

She felt his eyes on her as they filed out to the truck. Then they flicked to her son.

“Hey, Andy—how’s it going?”

“Good.”

“If you want, hop up in the back of the truck. You can ride on one of those bales of hay.”

“Sure.” Kit watched him heave himself up without Ross trying to help. Their host was the opposite of Charles who micromanaged him every second of his life.

“One of these days Johnny will be able to do that,” he confided to Andy.

Thank you, Ross. His way with Andy, combined with his goodness, wrapped itself around Kit’s insides, warming her through to the empty spaces in her heart.

“On the way to breakfast we’ll pick up Johnny. Between him and Buck’s new stepdaughter, Jenny, you’ll be among friends. I know they’re two years younger than you, but they’ll like being with you. You’ve lived in Maine and know a lot of neat stuff they don’t. And one more thing. They’re fun.”

“Johnny makes me laugh.”

“He makes me laugh, too.”

Keep this up, Ross. You’re a genius.

His grin was infectious. Kit felt it radiate until her toenails curled. When Ross turned around, she was caught staring at him. “What about you? You want the joy of sitting on a hay bale, as well?”

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