“The Golden Nugget is a permanent fixture here. I’m not.”

At Mia’s words, Marshall’s spoon paused in mid-air as he frowned. “You’re not leaving soon, are you?”

His finger slid beneath her chin and lifted her face up to his. The serious look she saw on his handsomely carved features sent her heart into a heavy rapid thud.

“We’re just getting to know each other, Mia. I’d really like you to stay longer.”

His voice tugged at her every feminine particle. “I – uh – I’ll think about it.”

Suddenly his head was bending towards hers, and the whisper that passed his lips skittered down her spine.

“Maybe you should think about this.”

Longing held her motionless as his lips descended onto hers…

To my family –

the real golden nuggets in my life

STELLA BAGWELL

sold her first novel in November 1985. She still loves her job and says she isn’t completely content unless she’s writing. She and her husband live in Seadrift, Texas, a sleepy little fishing town located on the coastal bend, where the water, the tropical climate and the seabirds make it a lovely place to let her imagination soar and to put the stories in her head down on paper.

She and her husband have one son, Jason, who lives and teaches maths in nearby Port Lavaca.

Dear Reader,

I was thrilled when asked to do a MONTANA book, and when I learned the theme – striking it rich – I knew it was a subject that would touch everyone. After all, haven’t we all wondered what it would be like to win the lottery or fall into sudden fortune? Ahh, the things we could do with all that money. Shopping till we dropped. Travelling around the world. Indulging ourselves with anything and everything we’ve ever wanted. Sounds good, huh? Sounds like all our problems would be solved. Or so my heroine thinks.

After scratching her way through years of poverty, Mia believes money is all she needs to fix the troubles in her life. But when a fortune suddenly befalls her, she slowly and painfully begins to see that being rich in money is not nearly as great as being rich in love.

I hope you enjoy reading how Mia finds the real treasures in her life!

God bless you with life’s true riches,

Stella Bagwell

Mr Right?

STELLA BAGWELL

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Chapter One

Was this his lucky day or what?

Using the back of his arm, Marshall Cates wiped the sweat streaming into his eyes and peered a second time at the woman sitting on a boulder some twenty feet below. From his precarious position on the rock ledge, the only view he had was of a portion of her back, the long fall of her raven-black hair and her nipped-in waist; but those tempting glimpses were enough to tell him it was the heiress.

For the past three weeks every male employee at Thunder Canyon Resort had been talking and fantasizing about the mystery guest. So far Marshall had only gazed at her from afar and wondered what a beautiful young woman with money to burn was doing here alone in Thunder Canyon. True, the small western Montana town was growing in leaps and bounds and Thunder Canyon Resort, where he worked as staff doctor, was garnering a reputation for fine hospitality surrounded by scenic splendor. The clientele was becoming ritzy, flying in from all corners of the nation. Still, Marshall couldn’t help but figure a woman with her apparent class would rather be vacationing on the French Riviera than in the middle of a cowman’s paradise. The fact that she appeared to be here without an escort intrigued him even more.

This morning, Marshall had risen early, wondering what to do with his off-duty time. With his brothers and his buddies all tied up with other interests, he’d eventually decided to do something he loved, climbing, and had headed up one of the mountains near the resort. When he’d set out on this trek, he’d never dreamed that the chance to meet Ms. Heiress would present itself on the edge of a rocky bluff. Since he’d only ever spotted her lounging around the lodge, he hadn’t figured her for a nature girl.

Quickly, he rappelled the last few feet of the layered rock until his boots hit solid ground. Once there, he gathered up his climbing equipment and left his ropes, rings and anchors in a neat pile with his backpack.

As Marshall walked over to the woman he noticed she was sitting near an opening in the trees, looking out toward the endless valley that swept away from the mountain range. The view was majestic, especially to someone who’d never seen the landscape before. But this woman didn’t appear to be enjoying the scenery; she was deep in thought. So much so that she was completely unaware of his presence.

Fearing his approach might scare her so badly she’d fall from the boulder, he stopped ten feet from her and called out.

“Hello there.”

The moment she heard his voice, her head whipped around and her palms flattened against the rock in preparation to push herself to her feet. Surprise was etched upon her parted lips and wide eyes, telling him she’d definitely believed herself to be totally alone on this particular piece of mountain. She was dressed in khaki shorts that struck her mid-thigh, a pale pink T-shirt that hugged her breasts and sturdy brown hiking boots. Her hair hung like shiny satin against her shoulders.

An enchanting princess sitting on her throne, he thought, as he felt every male particle in him begin to buzz with excitement.

“Sorry if I scared you,” Marshall went on before she could gather herself enough to speak. “I saw you sitting here and thought I’d say hello.”

Slowly, warily, she eased her bottom back on the boulder and her dark eyes carefully monitored his movements as he came to stand a few feet beside her. Marshall wondered if he really looked that sinister. It was an odd thought for a doctor who’d taken an oath to save lives, not harm them. But Ms. Heiress didn’t know him and he supposed she was wise not to trust a strange man out in the wilderness.

Finally, she returned his greeting with a faint nod of her regal head. “Hello.”

Spoken quietly, that one word was clear and without a hint of accent, giving little clue as to where she might live. However, it did tell Marshall that she’d not traveled up to Thunder Canyon from a Southern state.

Giving her the sort of smile he reserved for skittish female patients, he asked, “Enjoying the warm weather?”

Actually, it had been downright hot. Not an unusual occurrence for August, but it would take a native like himself to know the nuances of Thunder Canyon climate and right at this moment he wasn’t ready to let this beautiful sophisticate know he was a born-and-bred local. She might just snub her straight little nose at him and walk off, and he was too curious about the woman to take that chance.

“Very much,” she quietly replied.

Marshall took two steps forward, all the while feeling her dark eyes gliding over him, weighing him as though she were trying to decide if he was worthy of conversation. The idea irked Marshall just a bit. Especially since he was accustomed to women smiling warmly at him, not studying him like a bug on a leaf.

“The view is beautiful from here,” she suddenly went on. “The sky seems to go on forever and I was thinking about hanging around to see the sunset this evening, but I suppose being caught out here in the dark wouldn’t be wise.”

At least the woman had a little common sense to go with all that beauty, he thought, as his gaze covertly slid down a pair of long shapely legs. Her skin was slightly kissed by the sun and the warm gleam told him it would be butter smooth beneath his hand.

Trying not to dwell on that pleasant thought, he shook his head. “No. I wouldn’t recommend being here on the mountains after dark. Black bears and mountain lions are spotted in this area from time to time. You wouldn’t want to meet up with any of those.”

Glancing at the forest surrounding them, she said, “I’ve noticed the warnings signs on the hiking trails and read the information posted in the lodge.” She lifted one hand and shook a bracelet adorned with sleigh bells. “Just to be safe I wore a bear bracelet. I was told the sound would scare the creatures away.”

“So they say.” He didn’t go on to tell her that as a teenager he’d had his own run-in with a black bear and that the sow had refused to back down until his brother had shot a round from his hunting rifle over the angry animal’s head. Scaring the woman would hardly be the way to entice her into further conversation.

To Marshall’s surprise, she suddenly climbed down from the rock and stood within an arm’s length from him. The short distance was enough to give him a clear view of her face. High rounded cheekbones, a dainty dimpled chin and full lips were perfectly sculpted out of creamy skin. Her eyes, which appeared dark from a distance, were actually a blend of earthy green and brown, outlined by a thick fringe of jet-black lashes. Above them, delicate brows of the same color arched into a smooth, wide forehead. At the moment, the corners of her pink lips were curved faintly upward and Marshall could hardly tear his gaze away.

“You’ve been mountain climbing?” she asked, her gaze sweeping past him to the mound of equipment he’d left beneath the rocky bluff.

“Since this morning,” he answered. “I didn’t make it all the way to the top, but far enough for a good workout.”

Her gaze pulled back to him and he could feel it sliding over his sweaty face and down to the damp patch in the middle of his black T-shirt. Normally when a woman looked at him, Marshall didn’t give it a second thought. But Ms. Heiress was studying him in a way that left him close to blushing. Something he hadn’t done since his sophomore year in high school.

“I hiked up this far, but when I ran into the rock bluff I realized this would be as far as I could go,” she said a bit wistfully. “Is this something you do often?”

His smile crinkled the corners of his eyes and exposed a mouthful of snow-white teeth. “You mean, find a beautiful woman up in the mountains?”

The faint flare of her nostrils said she didn’t appreciate his flirty question and Marshall inwardly sighed. He should have known the woman would be cool. Rich, pampered women usually were. The words friendly and down-to-earth probably weren’t in her vocabulary.

“No. I mean rock climbing,” she said a bit curtly.

“Oh. Well, actually I do quite a bit of climbing and hiking. Along with biking and kayaking. Once the snow leaves the slopes, that is.”

She looked faintly interested and Marshall felt momentarily encouraged. Maybe the woman was approachable after all.

“You obviously like outdoor sports,” she said.

“Yeah. Skiing is my first love. I could do that every day of the year. But of course, my wallet would get pretty empty if I didn’t work once in a while,” he added with a grin.

Like the flip of a light switch, her back went ramrod straight and her lips compressed to a tight line. Her gaze shifted from him to a magpie squawking from a branch on a nearby spruce tree. Apparently she preferred the bird’s talk to his.

After a moment, she asked in a cool tone, “Or find a willing woman to pay for your sporting games.”

Stunned by this abrupt change in her, Marshall stared at her profile. She might look like an exotic princess, but that didn’t mean he was going to let himself be insulted. Hadn’t she ever heard of a joke?

“I beg your pardon?” he asked.

Her head swiveled back around and she stared down her straight little nose at him. “Oh, come on, I’m sure you do this all the time. Strike up innocent conversations with single women, turn on the charm and eventually get your hand in their pocketbook. Isn’t that the way your game is played?”

So she thought he was after her money. Marshall was so incensed he would have very much liked to turn her over his knee and whack that pretty little bottom of hers until she apologized. But he wasn’t about to use caveman tactics on a woman. She’d probably miss the point of a spanking anyway.

“Sorry, Ms.—uh—Smith, isn’t it? Mia Smith?”

A mixture of surprise and suspicion suddenly crossed her face. “How do you know my name?”

“I’m Marshall Cates—the staff doctor for Thunder Canyon Resort. I’ve heard your name mentioned by some of the other staffers. And in case you didn’t know, there are people, like me, who can make it just fine in life without a pile of riches. My salary easily takes care of my wants. I certainly don’t need a woman to take care of me financially,” he added coolly.

Completely stunned now, Mia stared at the man standing a few steps away. She’d assumed he was also a guest at the resort. She’d jumped to conclusions and figured he’d heard she was a single woman with money and thought she would probably be an easy prey to his good looks. To learn that he was a doctor at the resort—no doubt a well-to-do one—both rattled and embarrassed her.

Hot color washed across her face as her fingertips flew up to press against her lips. Too bad she hadn’t kept them shut earlier, she thought. No telling what the man was thinking of her.

“Oh, I—I’m sorry, Dr. Cates. I don’t know what else to say.” Glancing away from him she let out a loud, inward groan. Why couldn’t she do anything right anymore? Is that what inheriting money had done to her? Turned her into a mistrustful snob?

Drawing in a deep, bracing breath, she turned her gaze back to him and once again felt the jolt of the man’s presence. He wasn’t just a good-looking guy in a pair of sweaty shorts and T-shirt. He was so masculine that she could almost feel the sexuality seeping from him. Waves of coffee-brown hair naturally streaked by the sun were tousled around his head. Eyes the color of a chocolate bar peered at her from beneath thick, hooded brows. A straight nose flared slightly over a pair of lips that at the moment were compressed into a tight, angry line. A faint shadow of evening stubble covered a strong jaw and a chin that jutted proudly forward, telling her more about his personality than his words.

At the moment he appeared to be waiting for her to explain the meaning of her insulting comments and she supposed he deserved that much from her. Yet how could she really explain without telling the man things about her that she didn’t want anyone to know?

“I thought— I took it for granted that you were a guest, Dr. Cates, and I was afraid— Well, you see I’ve had to deal with the problem of men…approaching me for financial reasons.” Her features crumpled with remorse. “I’m sorry I was so quick to misjudge you. Please accept my apology.”

He continued to study her with a guarded eye and Mia realized he was weighing her words and her sincerity. She couldn’t blame him for that. Even so, she didn’t know why his opinion of her should matter so much. She wasn’t at Thunder Canyon Resort to find herself a man, even a respectable man like Dr. Cates. In fact, she’d run almost blindly to this area of Montana, hoping that no one from her past would be able to follow. She’d come here seeking peace and privacy, nothing more.

“I’m curious, Ms. Smith. Just exactly what is it about me that made you think I was a gigolo?”

More hot color washed up her neck and over her face and her gaze dropped guiltily to the toes of her hiking boots. “There wasn’t— You don’t look like a gigolo, Dr. Cates. I guess it was that flirty line about finding a beautiful woman in the mountains that set my alarm bell off.”

She glanced up to see the doctor folding his arms across his chest while studying her with curious amusement.

“I’m sure a woman like you runs into flirty men on a daily basis. I hope you don’t insult them all the way you just did me.”

So he wasn’t going to make this easy for her, Mia thought. Well, it didn’t matter. She had apologized to him. He could accept her offer or not. Either way, she’d probably never see the man again.

Stifling a sigh, she reached up and shoved back a strand of hair being tossed about by a lazy wind. “Look, Dr. Cates, I’ve apologized. There’s not much more I can say.”

He grinned at her in much the same way that he had earlier and, in spite of the rigid resistance she’d been trying to hold onto, she felt herself drawn to the man.

He said, “Except that you’ll walk down the mountain with me.”

His offhand invitation took her by surprise. Even though that flirty smile of his was aimed straight at her, she wasn’t expecting him to take this meeting between them a step further. And though her first instinct was to withdraw and tell him she preferred her privacy, the feminine side of her was intrigued and flattered by his overture.

“That is,” he added, “if you are ready to leave the mountain. I wouldn’t want to rush you away from this spot. Not after the laboring hike it took to get up here.”

The idea that he appreciated her physical effort to climb to this particular shelf of the mountain warmed her even more and she found herself smiling back at him.

“It was quite a trek for me to make it this far,” she admitted. Twisting around, she bent down and picked up a small backpack lying at the base of the boulder. As she shouldered it on, she said, “But I am ready to go. The sun is beginning to dip.”

“Great,” he said with a smile. “Just let me get my things and we’ll head down the trail together.”

Mia followed him over to the rock ledge and waited while he shoved his climbing equipment into a vary large backpack. After he’d secured the straps over his shoulders, he gestured toward the direction of the trail.

“Shall we go?”

Nodding, Mia fell in step with him and was immediately staggered by his nearness. Since less than a foot separated their shoulders, she was close enough to pick up the faint spicy scent of cologne mingled with sweat, an odor that was extremely masculine, even erotic. And for the first time in ages, Mia found her senses distracted by a man.

“I guess getting outdoors is a nice break from working in an office,” she commented as they picked their way down the rocky trail.

“I’d go crazy if I couldn’t get out and do something physical,” he told her. “But I do enjoy being a doctor.”

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. Looking at his lean body, Mia could plainly see he got plenty of strenuous exercise. His arms and legs were roped with hard muscles.

“Are you a general practitioner?”

A hint of amusement grooved his cheeks and Mia couldn’t help but wonder about his odd reaction to her question. Did he think being a general practitioner was a joke? She hated to think he was one of those specialists that went around with their nose up in the air.

“No. There’s not much need for one of those at the resort. I specialize in sports medicine. Twisted ankles, broken bones, strained muscles and pulled tendons. We have lots of skiers and hikers here.”

For some reason, she could easily imagine him examining a blond ski bunny’s strained leg. She’d bet a pile of money that the majority of his patients were female. But she wasn’t about to suggest such a thing to Dr. Cates. She’d already stuck one foot in her mouth this afternoon. Mia wasn’t about to try for a second.

“What about sniffles and fever? Can you treat those, too?”

He tossed her a wide grin. “Sure I can. Why? You’re not feeling ill, are you?”

Her nostrils flared at his suggestive question. “I feel very well, thank you. I was just wondering about those guests that might get colds or tummy aches.”

He chuckled and Mia realized she liked the warm husky sound that rolled easily past his lips. It said he was happy with himself and his life. She was envious. Desperately envious.

“Well, wonder no more, Ms. Smith. I can do what any general practitioner can do, plus a little more.”

The teeny thread of arrogance in his voice was just enough to give him an air of confidence rather than conceit. And she realized she liked that about him, liked the self-assurance he possessed. If only she could be that sure of her own abilities and decisions, she thought wistfully. Maybe then she could step out and begin to live again, instead of hiding herself here in Thunder Canyon.

“If that’s the case, the resort must be getting a lot for their money.”

He chuckled again. “I like to think so.”

The trail suddenly turned a bit steep and treacherous, forcing them to focus on their steps rather than their conversation. But despite her best effort, Mia’s boots slipped on the loose gravel.

Her arms were flailing about, snatching for any sort of bush to help her regain her balance, when she felt the doctor’s arm wrap around her waist and his strong hand grip the side of her waist.

“Careful now,” he said in a steadying voice. “I’ve got you.”

Breathing deeply from the physical scramble to stay upright, she tucked her long hair behind her ears and darted a grateful glance at his face.

“Thanks,” she murmured between quick breaths. “I…almost went over head first.”

Their gazes collided and Mia felt as though everything around them were slowing to a crawl. Except for her heart, which suddenly seemed to be going at breakneck speed, pumping hot blood straight to her face.

“It would be a steep tumble from here,” he said, his voice husky. “I’m glad that didn’t happen.”

His brown eyes left hers and began to glide over her face as though they were fingers reverently touching a beautiful flower. The idea so unsettled Mia that she nervously swallowed and looked away from him.

Tall, pungent spruce along with white-barked aspen grew right to the edge of the hiking trail. The branches blocked out the sun, making it appear later in the evening than it really was and leaving Mia feeling as though the two of them were cocooned in their own little world. She wasn’t ready for that much togetherness with a man who took her breath away each time she looked at him.

“Uh, we should be going,” she quickly suggested. “The shadows are getting longer.”

“Let me go first so I can help you down this rough patch,” he told her.

To her relief he released his hold on her waist and carefully eased down the path a few feet in front of her. Once he found solid footing, he reached a hand up to her.

“Take my hand. I don’t want you to fall.”

She could have sat on her rump and scooted down the washed out part of the trail, but that would have been a little humiliating to do in front of a man who climbed mountains. Besides, he was only watching out for her safety, not merely trying to find an excuse to touch her, she told herself.

Leaning forward, she latched her fingers around his and with a firm grip he steadied her as she maneuvered over the last few treacherous steps.

“Thanks,” she told him. “I’ve got to admit I was dreading going over this area again. I had to practically crawl on my way up.”

He nodded. “I think this washout needs to be reported. The resort has maintenance people for repairing just this sort of thing. It might save a guest from a bad injury.”

Mia suddenly realized he was still holding her hand and she was letting him.

Feeling like a naive teenager, she disengaged her fingers from his and carefully stepped around him. To her relief, he didn’t try to delay her. Instead, he followed a few steps behind her.

She was trying hard to focus on the trail and the birds flittering among the limbs of the aspens, rather than the man behind her, when his voice suddenly sounded again.

“Are you a Montana native?”

His question put her on instant alert. If his questions grew too personal she didn’t know how she could evade them without coming off as snobbish.

“No. Actually, I’m from Colorado.”

“Oh. Then you’re used to the mountains,” he casually commented.

Truthfully, she’d grown up in a southern area of the state where most of the land was flat and used for farming and ranching. But that was more information than she wanted to give this man. He might inadvertently say something to other employees at the resort and if Janelle, her mother, just happened to be searching for her, the information might put the woman on her trail. And seeing Janelle right now was the very last thing Mia wanted in her life.

“Well, you could say I’m used to gazing at them from afar. I…uh, live in Denver.”

He chuckled. “There’re hundreds of beautiful vacation spots all over your state and you chose to come to Thunder Canyon. I’m amazed.”

Put like that it did sound strange, even ridiculous. But she wasn’t about to explain her motives for coming to Montana. Dr. Cates was obviously a man with wealth and prestige, maybe even a family. He would be outraged if he knew the real Mia. Mia Hanover. Not Mia Smith. That name was just as phony as the person she was trying to be.

Stifling a sigh, she said, “I’d never been up here. I wanted to see more of the state than just pictures.”

Her simple excuse sounded reasonable enough. Lord only knew it was a mistake for a man to try to understand the workings of a woman’s mind. Still, something about Mia Smith being here didn’t feel right to him. Even so, he wasn’t going to press her with any more questions. Something about the clipped edge to her words told him not to pry, at least, for right now.

“I’m glad you did. I hope you’re having a nice stay,” he told her. “Do you have plans to stay much longer?”

Long moments passed without any sort of reply from her and Marshall had decided she was going to ignore his question completely when she suddenly paused on the trail and looked over her shoulder at him.

“I’m…not sure. I’m taking things a day at a time.”

A day at a time? Most normal folks went on vacation with a planned date of arrival and departure. They allotted themselves a certain amount of time for fun and mentally marked a day to go home. Work, school and other responsibilities demanded a timetable. But then Mia Smith wasn’t like “normal folks.” She was obviously rich. She didn’t have responsibilities, he reminded himself. More than likely she was a lady of leisure. She didn’t have to worry about getting back to a job.

She’s out of your league, Marshall. You’d do well to remember that.

The tiny voice running through his head made sense. But it also irked him. He wasn’t a man who always wanted to play it safe. He liked excitement and pleasure and getting to know Mia Smith would definitely give him both.

The next five minutes passed in silence as the two of them carefully made their way to the bottom shelf of the mountain. Here the ground flattened somewhat and the trail they’d been traveling split, with one path looping by the river before it headed back to the resort. The other trail was a more direct path to the ski lodge.

Shifting his backpack to a more comfortable position, Marshall paused at the intersection of trails to look at her.

“Would you like to walk down by the river?”

Her gaze skittered over his face before it finally settled on the horizon. Even before she spoke a word, Marshall could feel her putting distance between them.

“Sorry, but I have a few things I need to do back at my cabin. In fact, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll get on down the trail.” She reached to briefly shake his hand. “Thank you for helping me with the trip down. Goodbye.”

Before Marshall could make any sort of reply, she quickly turned and headed down the beaten path that would lead her back to the lodge.

Amused by her abrupt departure, Marshall stared after Mia Smith, while wondering where he’d gone wrong. He wasn’t accustomed to women walking away from him. In fact, most of the time he had to think up some polite excuse to get rid of unwanted advances.

Mia Smith had just given him a dose of his own medicine and though the idea should have had him throwing his head back and laughing at the irony of it all, he could do nothing but stare down the trail after her and wonder if he would ever have the chance to talk with her again.

Chapter Two

Thunder Canyon Resort’s infirmary was a set of rooms located on the bottom floor at the back of the massive lodge. When Caleb Douglas, wealthy businessman and cattle baron of Thunder Canyon, decided to build the resort, he’d spared no expense. The multistories of wood and glass spread across the slope of mountain like a modern-day castle. By itself, Marshall’s office was large enough to hold a Saturday night dance. In fact, he’d often thought how perfect the gleaming hardwood floors would be for boot scootin’ and twirling a pretty girl under his arm. Not very professional thoughts for a doctor, Marshall supposed, but then he hardly had the job of a normal doctor.

One whole wall of his office was constructed of glass; it was an enormous window to the outside world. His desk, a huge piece of gleaming cherrywood, had been placed at the perfect angle for Marshall to view the nearby mountains and a portion of the ski slope. At this time in the summer, it wasn’t rare for him to look up from his paperwork to see elk or mule deer grazing along the slopes.

Yes, it was a cushy job. One that Marshall had never dreamed of having. At least not while he’d been trudging through medical school, burning the midnight oil over anatomy books while his friends were out partying.

When Marshall had finally received his doctorate, he’d come home and taken a job at Thunder Canyon General Hospital. At the time some of his friends had wondered about his choice. They had all continually reminded him that his specialty in sports medicine could possibly open up big doors for him. Wouldn’t he like to work for a major league team in baseball or the NFL where he could make piles of money?

Marshall would be the first to admit that he liked money and he’d gone into the medical profession believing it was a way to make a fortune without breaking his back. But he hadn’t necessarily had his eye on a job that would take him away from his hometown.

By the time he’d finished medical school and his internship, he’d been too homesick to even consider going off to some major city on the East or West Coast to look for a job. Instead, he’d returned to Thunder Canyon, never dreaming that his hometown was about to undergo a sudden and drastic change.

A little over two years ago the discovery of gold at the Queen of Hearts mine had quickly changed the whole area. Businesses, mostly catering to tourists, were sprouting up in Thunder Canyon like daffodils in springtime. The resort, which had started out as a single lodge with a ski slope, had expanded to an upscale, year-round tourist attraction with all sorts of indoor and outdoor enticements for the young and old. And the resort was continuing to build and expand. Under the management of Marshall’s longtime buddy Grant Clifton, the recreational hot spot had become a gold mine itself. And Marshall was definitely reaping part of the rewards.

This morning, as soon as he’d entered his office, his assistant Ruthann had placed a steaming cup of coffee along with a plate of buttered croissants on his desk. The woman had been a registered nurse for nearly thirty years and three years ago had just settled into retirement when her husband suddenly died of a heart attack. The tragedy had put her in financial straits and when Marshall had heard she’d needed a job, he’d decided she’d be perfect as his assistant.

Now after a year of working with her, he realized he’d been more than right about the woman. She was an excellent nurse with plenty of experience, plus he didn’t have to worry about her ogling him as something to take home to meet mother. In fact, in her early fifties, Ruthann was more like a mother to him than an assistant.

“Surprise, surprise. You actually have three patients this morning,” she said with dry amusement as she watched him chomp into one of the croissants. “Any clue as to when you’d like to see them?”

“Are any of them critical?” he asked, even though he knew if any patient had arrived with serious injuries, Ruthann wouldn’t be standing around gabbing.

“A sprained ankle, a cut knee and a jammed finger. I think the finger case is just a ruse to see you. She’s young and blond and drenched with designer perfume.”

“What a suspicious mind you have, Ruthie,” he scolded playfully.

Her laugh was mocking. “I see the sort of games that go on in this infirmary. Frankly, it amazes me how brazen women can be nowadays when it comes to you men.”

The memory of Mia Smith’s aloof, even shy behavior toward him yesterday had been something entirely different from the sort of women Ruthann was describing. Maybe that’s why he couldn’t get the heiress out of his mind.

“Okay, Ruthie, I’ll forget my breakfast and go see if Ms. Blonde really has a finger problem.”

The petite woman with short red hair and a face full of freckles snorted with playful sarcasm. “That’s no way for a doctor to eat.”

Grinning, he retorted, “Then why did you put it here for me?”

“Because I knew you’d sleep instead of get out of bed and make yourself breakfast.”

Marshall shook a finger at her. “I’ll have you know I was up early this morning. I just didn’t make breakfast because I was chasing Leroy halfway down the mountain. He dug a hole last night beneath the backyard fence. Guess he was mad at me for not taking him hiking yesterday.”

Marshall’s Australian blue heeler was often so adept at understanding his master that it was downright eerie. No matter how he tried, Marshall couldn’t fool the dog.

“You went hiking? I thought you were going to help your dad paint that workshed of his.”

Shaking his head, Marshall wiped bread crumbs from his fingers and picked up the three files Ruthann had placed in front of them. Since they all belonged to current guests of the lodge, each of the manila folders held only a single sheet inside them. Being a doctor at a place where people resided for only a few days or weeks didn’t allow the opportunity to make longtime patients. Temperature and blood-pressure readings didn’t tell him much about a person. But that was okay with Marshall. He’d never set out to be one of those kind family doctors who knew all the townsfolk by name, made sure they kept all their routine checkups and often served as their counselor and therapist. That sort of doctoring took commitment and he was too busy enjoying himself in other ways to chain himself to an office.

“He and Mom had to do something with some friends—something about an anniversary celebration. We’ve planned the painting day for another time.”

He rose to his feet, a signal to Ruthann that it was time for them to get to work. As they walked to the door, he said casually, “I met the heiress yesterday.”

Pausing, Ruthann twisted her head around to give him a bemused look. “The heiress,” she repeated blankly. “What are you talking about?”

He rolled his eyes. Normally Ruthann was the one who kept him up on resort guests. He couldn’t believe she was unaware of Mia Smith.

“The heiress. You know, that black-haired beauty that everyone has been talking about. The one that’s always alone.”

Ruthann’s brows suddenly lifted with dawning. “Oh, that one. I didn’t realize she was an heiress. Where’d you get that information?”

“Well, I don’t know for a fact that she’s an heiress. Grant was the one who insinuated that she must be from a rich family. She’s been here more than two weeks now. Only a person with money to spare could afford that much time at a luxury resort. He said she rented a safety deposit box for her jewels, too.”

“Grant! Isn’t he supposed to be engaged to Stephanie? What’s he doing gossiping about a female guest?”

Marshall sighed. Yep, Ruthann was just like a mother, he decided, maybe worse. “Don’t go jumping to the wrong conclusions. I was the one asking Grant about Mia Smith.”

Ruthann shot him a frown of disgust. “I should have guessed.” She clucked her tongue in a disapproving way. “A grown man, a doctor at that, prying for information about a woman you don’t know from Adam. Shame on you, Marshall Cates. Now what was she like?”

Marshall laughed at the nurse’s abrupt turnaround on the sins of gossiping. “Cool. Very cool,” he told her. “But as pretty as the rising sun. I got the sense, though, that she’s like that beautiful actress, uh—” he paused as his mind searched for the name “—Greta Garbo. She wants to be alone.”

Nodding shrewdly the nurse said, “In other words she didn’t fall for any of your nonsense.”

Reaching for the doorknob, Marshall yanked it open and taking Ruthann by the shoulder ushered her over the threshold.

“Don’t count me out yet, Ruthie. Besides, for all you know the woman has been pacing her room, wondering how she can get a second chance with me.”

Ruthann chuckled. “I’m sure she’s tearing her hair out for an opportunity to get her hands on you.”

That was the last thing Mia Smith was probably doing, Marshall thought wryly. But then he wasn’t going to let her snub get to him. He’d never had to beg or cajole any woman into having a date with him and he’d be a fool to start now.

With a good-natured chuckle, he nudged Ruthann on toward the first examining room. “Let her pine. Why would I need a beautiful heiress when I have you?”

Behind the lodge, several hundred feet farther up the mountain, Mia paced through the suite of rooms she’d been living in since she’d arrived at Thunder Canyon Resort. A day ago she had considered the luxurious log cabin as a refuge. But now, after the encounter on the mountain with Dr. Marshall Cates, her peace of mind had been shattered.

She’d gone there hoping the quietness and the beauty would allow her to meditate, maybe even help her decide what to do next with her life. But then he showed up and her senses had been blown away by his charming smile and strong, masculine presence.

Now she was afraid to step out of her cabin and especially leery of walking down to the lodge, where the infirmary was located. The lodge meant maybe running into Dr. Cates and Mia didn’t want to risk seeing him again. He was trouble. She’d felt it when she’d first looked into his eyes and felt her heart race like a wild mustang galloping across a grassy plain.

So what are you going to do, Mia? Stay in your cabin for the next month?

Groaning with self-disgust, Mia sank onto a wide window seat that looked down upon the lodge and the cluster of numerous other resort buildings, imagining what it would look like in the dead of winter. Everything would be capped with white snow and skiers would be riding the lifts and playing on the slopes.

Suddenly, her cell phone rang, the shrill sound jangling her nerves. She stared warily at the small instrument lying on an end table.

There were only a handful of people that had her number and she’d left all of them behind in Colorado. She’d told what few friends she had that she was taking an extended vacation and didn’t know when she might return. As for her mother, Mia hadn’t told Janelle Josephson anything. She’d simply left the woman a note telling her that she was going away for a while and to please give her the space she needed.

That had been nearly three weeks ago, and Janelle had rang Mia’s cell phone every day since. And every day Mia had refused to take her call.

Mercifully, the ringing finally stopped and Mia left the window seat to look at the caller ID. Just as she expected. Janelle wouldn’t give up. She wanted to be a part of her daughter’s life. And as much as Mia hated to reject her, right now she couldn’t even think of Janelle as her mother. As far as she was concerned her mother was dead and nothing, not even a pile of money, would ever bring her back.

There are people, like me, who make it just fine in life without a pile of riches.

Dr. Marshall Cates’ words had pierced her heart like a flaming arrow and even a day later they continued to haunt her, to remind her of the awful, selfish choices she’d made in her life.

Money. She desperately wished that she’d never needed or wanted it. She wanted to take what she had of it and throw it into the nearest river. At least then maybe she would feel clean. At least then maybe she could start over. But something told her that even that drastic measure wouldn’t heal the wounds she was carrying.

Angry with herself, she put down the phone, walked over to the dining table and grabbed the handbag she’d tossed there earlier. Seeking privacy didn’t mean she had to totally hide from life. And if she did cross paths with Dr. Marshall Cates, she could handle it. After all, he was just a man.

A man who would look at you with disgust if he knew you’d once been Mia Hanover, a woman who’d killed her own mother.

For a brief moment, Mia shut her eyes tightly and swallowed hard as the memory of Nina Hanover’s death filled her mind like a dark cloud. Her adoptive mother had been a woman who’d worked hard as a farmer’s wife, who’d always tried to give Mia the best in life. She’d been a sweet, loving woman until the alcohol had taken her into its awful grip.

With a groan of anguish, Mia shook her head and hurried out of the cabin, wallowing in guilt and self-pity wasn’t going to fix anything. She had to get out and get her mind on other things.

A half hour later, in downtown Thunder Canyon, she parked her rental car in front of the Clip ’N’ Curl. Even though Mia had made use of the fancy beauty salon and spa located on the resort, she felt much more comfortable here in this traditional, down-home beauty parlor. Here the women dressed casually and everyone talked as though they were all family.

Since the majority of the women at the resort appeared to use the Aspenglow for their beauty treatments, Mia figured the patrons of the Clip ’N’ Curl were local residents. In fact, a few days ago when she’d visited the place, she’d heard a couple of the women complaining about the traffic problems that the influx of tourists had brought to Thunder Canyon.

Since Mia was one of those tourists, she’d simply sat quietly and listened to the other customers discussing the Queen of Hearts mine and how the recent discovery of gold there had turned the town topsy-turvy. Several of the women felt that the new money was a wonderful thing for the little town, but others had spoken about how much they hated the traffic, the crowds and the loss of Thunder Canyon’s quaintness.

Money. Gold. Riches. The subject seemed to follow Mia no matter where she went. If she could manage a walk-in appointment today, she hoped the shoptalk would be about something different. The last thing she wanted to think about was the money Janelle, her birth mother, had showered upon her and how drastically it had changed Mia’s once simple life.

Leaving her small rental car, Mia walked into the Clip ’N’ Curl and waited at the front desk. The small salon was presently undergoing major renovations. Only three stations were up and working amid the chaos of working carpenters. And today all three styling chairs were full while only three empty chairs remained in the small waiting area.

Figuring she’d never get an appointment, Mia turned to leave the shop when one of the hairdressers called out to her.

“Don’t leave, honey. We’ll make a place for you. Just have a seat. There’s free coffee and muffins if you’d like a snack while you wait.”

“Thank you. I’ll be glad to wait,” Mia told her, then took a seat in one of the empty plastic chairs.

As Mia reached forward and picked up one of the style magazines lying on a coffee table, the woman sitting next to her said, “Your hair looks beautiful. I hope you’re not planning to cut it.”

Easing back in the chair, Mia glanced over to see it was a college-aged woman who’d given her the compliment. Short, feathery spikes of chestnut hair framed a round face while a friendly smile spread a pair of wide lips.

Mia smiled back at her. “No. Just a shampoo and blow-dry. I’ve tried short hair before and believe me I didn’t look nearly as cute as you.”

The young woman let out a quiet, bubbly laugh. “Thanks for the compliment, but compared to you I’m just a plain Jane.” She thrust her hand over toward Mia. “Hi, I’m Marti Newmar.”

Mia shook Marti’s hand and as she did she realized it had been months, maybe longer since she’d felt a real need to communicate with another woman just for the sake of talking and sharing ideas. Dear God, maybe this quaint little western town was beginning to help her heal, she thought.

“Mia Smith. Nice to meet you.”

Marti’s nose wrinkled at the tip as she thoughtfully studied Mia. “I think I’ve seen you somewhere. You live around here?”

Trying to push away the cloak of wariness she constantly wore, Mia said, “No. I’m a guest at Thunder Canyon Resort.”

Marti’s lips parted in an O, then her fingers snapped with sudden recognition. “That’s it. That’s where I’ve seen you. In the resort lounge.”

Mia relaxed. She should have known this young woman had to be a local and not someone from Denver or Alamosa, Colorado, where she’d lived for most of her adult life.

“Yes, that’s probably where it was,” Mia agreed.

“I just started working at the coffee shop in the lounge a few days ago.” She laughed. “I’m still learning how to make a latte. I grew up on a nearby ranch and the only kind of coffee my parents ever drank was the cowboy kind. You know, throw the grounds and water into a granite pot and let it boil. This fancy stuff is all new to me.”

Warmed by the woman’s openness, Mia smiled at her. “I’m sure you’ll learn fast.”

“I hope so. Grant Clifton, the guy that manages the resort, was kind enough to give me a job doing something. You see, I’m trying to get through college and the cost is just awful. I got a partial scholarship on my grades and this job should help with the rest of the expense.”

Marti’s situation was so familiar to Mia that she almost felt as though she were looking in a mirror. Five years ago she’d entered college with hopes of getting a degree in nursing. But at that time her father had already passed away and, using what little money she and her mother could earn at menial jobs, she’d had to settle for taking one or two classes at a time. Those years had been very rough and discouraging. It had been during those terribly lean times in her life that her priorities had gone haywire. She’d begun to think that money could fix everything that was messed up in her life. She’d been so very, very wrong.

“Whatever you do, don’t give up,” Mia encouraged her. “It may take you a while to find your dream, but you will.”

Nodding, Marti said, “Yeah, that’s what my mother keeps telling me.” Tilting her head to one side, she continued to study Mia. “Have you met many people at the resort?”

The young woman’s question instantly brought the image of Marshall Cates to Mia’s mind.

“A few. I’m not…much of a social person.”

“Hmm. Well, there’re all sorts of good-looking men hanging around there.” She gave Mia an impish grin. “But I only think of them as eye candy. I’m not about to let some smooth-tongued devil change my plans to become a teacher.”

“I’m sure some day you’ll want to marry. When the time is right for you,” Mia told Marti, while wondering if that time would ever come for herself. At one time, Mia had dreamed and hoped for a family of her own. Now she would just settle for some sort of peace to come to her heart. Otherwise she’d never be able to give her love to anyone.

Marti shrugged in a ho-hum way. “I don’t know. I’ve seen my older sister get her heartbroken over and over again.” She looked at Mia. “You know Dr. Cates? The hunk that works at the resort?”

Every nerve in Mia’s body suddenly went on alert. What was she going to learn about the man now?

“Vaguely,” she said, not about to elaborate on the surprise encounter she’d had with the man.

Marti sighed, telling Mia that the young woman definitely considered Marshall Cates eye candy. “Gorgeous, isn’t he?”

“He’s, uh—a nice-looking man.”

“Mmm. Well, my sister, Felicia, thought so, too. They dated for a while and she was getting wedding bells on the brain.”

Mia was afraid to ask, but she did anyway. “What happened?”

Wrinkling her nose, Marti said, “She found out the good doctor wasn’t about to settle for just one woman. Not when he had a flock of them waiting in line.”

So the man was a playboy. That shouldn’t surprise her. No matter where he was or who he was with, the man was bound to turn female heads. The best thing she could do was forget she’d ever met him. Still, she couldn’t help but ask the question, “Is your sister still dating Dr. Cates?”

Marti chuckled. “No, thank goodness. She finally opened her eyes wide where Marshall Cates was concerned. She recently moved to Bozeman and got engaged to another guy.”

Across the room, one of the hairdressers called out. “Marti, I’m ready for you, honey.”

Smiling at Mia, the young woman hurriedly snatched up her handbag and jumped to her feet. “Nice meeting you, Mia. Maybe I’ll see you at the coffee shop. Come by and say hello, okay?”

Nodding, Mia returned Marti’s smile. “Sure. I’ll look forward to it.”

Later that afternoon, at the resort lodge, Marshall finished up the small amount of paperwork he had to do, then left Ruthann in charge of the quiet infirmary and headed down to the lounge bar for a short break.

Three couples were sitting at tables, busy talking and sipping tall, cool drinks. One older man with graying hair and a hefty paunch was sitting at the end of the bar. He appeared to be sleeping off his cocktail.

Lizbeth Stanton was tending bar this afternoon, and the pretty young woman with long auburn hair smiled when Marshall slid onto one of the stools.

“Hey, there. I was about to decide you weren’t going to show up today.” She glanced at the watch on her wrist. “This is late for you.”

Marshall chuckled. “I’m so relieved that at least one woman around this place is interested enough to keep up with my comings and goings.”

She shot him a sexy smile. “Awww. Poor Marshall,” she cooed. “Had a bad day?”

With an easy grin, he raked a hand through his dark, wavy hair.

“I’ve never seen so many patients in one day. Several were suffering from altitude sickness and one had taken a nasty fall on a hiking trail. But they’ll all be okay.”

Not bothering to ask if he wanted a drink, Lizbeth went over to a back bar and began to mix him a cherry cola. At one end of the work counter, a small stereo was emitting the twangy sounds of a popular country music tune.

“Well,” Lizbeth said to him, “that is what you’re paid for. To doctor people who have more money than sense.”

Yeah, he thought, that’s right. But sometimes in the darkest part of the night, when everything looks different, he wondered if he was just as shallow as some of the guests he treated. He’d not gone to school for eight years intending to doctor women who’d ripped off nail beds trying to rock climb with false fingernails. But on the other hand, Marshall was making an enormous salary and most days he hardly had to lift a hand to earn it. He’d be crazy to want anything else. Wouldn’t he?

Lizbeth carried the tall glass over to the bar and placed it on a cork coaster before she pushed the frosty drink in front of him.

“Here, since you can’t drink anything alcoholic on the job, maybe this will perk you up.”

“Thanks, beautiful. Remind me to do something for you sometime.” Giving her a wink, he took a sip of the drink, then lifted the stemmed cherry she’d placed on top and popped it into his mouth.

As he chewed the sweet treat, Lizbeth’s brown eyes studied him in a calculating way. “Well, if you really mean that you could take me out to dinner tonight. I’m getting tired of taking home a sack of fast food and eating it in front of the television.”

Marshall chuckled a second time. He doubted Lizbeth ever had to spend a night alone, unless she wanted it that way. Even if she was known as a big flirt, she was pretty, bubbly and enjoyable to be around, the perfect type of woman for Marshall, who didn’t want any sort of clingy hands grabbing hold of him.

“If you’d really like to go out to dinner tonight, then I’m all for it.”

A faint look of surprise crossed her face. “You really mean that?”

Marshall shrugged. He and Lizbeth both knew that neither of them would ever be serious about each other, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy an evening together. Besides, eating dinner with a warm, appreciative female was better than being snubbed by a cool, beautiful heiress.

“Sure,” he answered. “Let’s splurge and eat at the Gallatin Room. The grilled salmon is delicious.”

Lizbeth’s brown eyes were suddenly sparkling and Marshall wondered what it would take to see Mia Smith react to him in such a way.

Damn it, man, forget the woman, Marshall scolded himself. You’ve got plenty of female distraction around here. You don’t need to get hung up on a woman who’s apparently forgotten how to smile.

“Oh, this is great, Marshall! I can wear my new high heels. Just for you,” she added with coy sweetness. “What time shall we meet?”

“When do you get off work?” Marshall asked.

“Six this evening. But I can ready by seven.”

“Okay, I’ll meet you in the lounge at seven-thirty,” he told her. And by then he was going to make damn sure that the winsome Mia Smith was going to be pushed completely out of his thoughts.

Chapter Three

Mia wasn’t at all sure why she’d bothered going out to eat this evening, especially at the Gallatin Room. Before she’d found Janelle, Mia had never been inside a restaurant where the tables were covered with fine linen and the food was served on fragile china. After her father, Will Hanover, had died of a lung disease, she and her mother had been lucky to splurge on burgers and fries at the local fast-food joint. The sort of life she was experiencing here at Thunder Canyon Resort was the sort she could only dream about back then.

Today at the Clip ’N’ Curl, her brief visit with Marti Newmar had reminded her even more of how simple and precious those years on the farm had been with her adoptive parents. Maybe she’d not had much in the way of material things, but she’d been wrapped in the security of her family’s loving arms. Mia had learned at an early age that she was adopted; yet that hadn’t mattered. She’d been a happy girl until her father had died. And then things had gotten tough and she’d made all sorts of wrong choices. She’d begun to believe that money was all it would take to fix everything wrong in her life. Well, now she had it, but she was far from happy.

With a wistful sigh, she realized the Gallatin Room was the sort of restaurant that a woman should visit with her husband or lover. The small table where Mia sat near a wall of plate glass gave a magnificent view of the riding stables and several corrals of beautiful horses. Far beyond, near the valley floor, a river glistened like a ribbon of silver in the moonlight. Yet the pleasant sights couldn’t hold Mia’s attention. Instead she was imagining what it would be like if the handsome Dr. Cates was sitting opposite her, reaching across the fine white linen and clasping her fingers with his.

“Ms. Smith, your steak will be ready in a few minutes. Would you like more wine?”

Mia looked around to see a young waiter hovering at her elbow, willing to jump through hoops, if necessary, to please her. After the first few days at Thunder Canyon Resort, Mia had become aware that some of the male staff seemed to bend over backward in an effort to make her happy. She’d not been fooled into thinking they were at her beck and call because they liked their job. No doubt they’d heard gossip or simply assumed that she was rich. The fact that she was rich, only made her resent their behavior even more.

“Yes, I will take more wine, thank you,” she told him.

The young man filled Mia’s goblet with the dark, fruity wine she’d selected, then eased back from the table. As he moved from her sight, Mia got a glimpse of movement from the corner of her eye. Turning her head slightly to the right, she was shocked to see the handsome doctor and a sexy redhead taking their seats several tables over from hers.

Mia stared for a moment, then purposely looked away before either of them could spot her. She’d seen the redhead before, but where?

Recognition hit her almost immediately. She was the bartender here at the lounge. Mia had visited the bar on a few occasions, just to enjoy a cocktail and a change of scenery from the rooms of her cabin. The redhead had always been working behind the bar, but Mia had never seen Dr. Cates there. Were the two of them an item? It certainly appeared that way to Mia. But from what Marti Newmar had told her at the Clip ’N’ Curl earlier today, the man liked women in the plural form. The bartender was probably just one in a long line waiting for a date with Dr. Smooth.

Across the room, at Marshall’s table, he and Lizbeth had ordered and the waiter was pouring chilled Chablis into Lizbeth’s stemmed glass when he looked slightly to the left and spotted the woman. She was sitting alone and, even over the heads of the other diners, Marshall couldn’t mistake the black-haired beauty. It was Mia Smith, wearing a slim pink sheath and black high heels with a strap that fastened around her ankles. Her black hair was swept tightly back from the perfect oval of her face and knotted into an intricate chignon at the back of her head. She was a picture of quiet elegance and Marshall found it hard not to stare.

“Dining here in this posh part of the resort is quite a treat for me, Marshall. You must be feeling generous,” Lizbeth teased.

Jerking his head back to his date, Marshall plastered a smile on his face. Lizbeth was the sort of woman who’d be happy to let a rich man take care of her for the rest of her life. Since it wasn’t going to be him, he could afford to feel generous.

“Maybe I just felt as though I had earned my paycheck today,” he told her.

She laughed. “Oh, Marshall, you’re so funny at times. I hope you never go serious like that brother of yours. He should have been a judge.”

Marshall had three brothers. At thirty, Mitchell was four years younger than him. And then there were the twins, Matthew and Marlon, who were just twenty-one and trying to finish up their last year of college.

At one time in their young lives both Marshall and Mitchell had walked somewhat on the wild side. And while the two boys had lived on the edge, they’d both loved a passel of ladies and broken more than a few hearts. But age had slowed both of them down, Mitchell especially. He’d founded a farm and ranching equipment business and spent nearly all his time making the place turn big dollars.

“That’s why Mitchell has made a big success of Cates International,” Marshall said to her. “He takes his business seriously. When I’m out on the slopes skiing, he’s usually at work. That’s the difference between him and me.”

Lizbeth playfully wrinkled her nose at him. “What’s the use of money if you can’t have a little fun with it?”

Marshall sipped at the beer he’d ordered, then licked the foam from his lips. He would surely like to ask Mia Smith that question, he thought. But then maybe she was having fun. Maybe being alone was how she liked things.

He looked back to the table where Mia was dining and before he could catch himself he was gazing at her again. At the moment she was eating one slow bite at a time. There was something very sensual in her movements, as though she was a woman who savored each and every taste. Marshall could only imagine what it would feel like to have those lush lips touching him.

“In case you don’t know, her name is Mia Smith.”

Lizbeth’s comment doused him with hot embarrassment and he quickly jerked his attention back to his dining companion.

“You caught me. What can I say, Lizbeth, except that I’m sorry?”

Laughing lightly, she reached over and touched the top of his hand. “Don’t bother. I know when a man considers me just a friend. It might be nice if you looked at me the way you’re looking at her. But you don’t.”

Relief washed through him. Jealous women were hard to handle, especially in a place that required good manners. “Thanks for understanding, Lizbeth,” he said wryly. “I guess I’m pretty transparent, huh?”

“Well, if I knew the Gettysburg address I would have had time enough to recite the whole thing while you were staring at Ms. Smith.”

Shaking his head with a bit of self-disgust, he said, “I’m sorry. It’s just that—well, I met her yesterday. On the mountain while I was hiking.”

Intrigued by this morsel of news, Lizbeth leaned forward. “Really? Did you exchange words with the woman?”

The two of them had exchanged words, glances, even touches, but apparently none of it had affected Mia Smith the way it had Marshall. She’d walked away from him as though he were no more than a servant.

“A few.”

“That’s all? Just a few?”

“The lady is cool, Lizbeth. She—uh—wasn’t interested in getting to know me.”

Picking up her wineglass, Lizbeth laughed, which only caused the frown on Marshall’s face to deepen. “That’s hard to believe. I’ve talked with her at the bar and she seemed friendly to me.”

Now it was Marshall’s turn to stare with open curiosity at Lizbeth. “You know the woman?”

Shrugging, Lizbeth said, “She comes in the bar fairly often. Drinks a piña colada with only a dash of alcohol.”

“Does she ever have anyone with her?”

“No. She’s always alone,” Lizbeth answered. “Can’t figure it, can you? The lady is beautiful. Men would swoon at her feet, but apparently she won’t let them. Maybe you ought to ask her for a date. If anyone can change her tune about the opposite sex, it would be you, dear Marshall.”

He chuckled with disbelief. “Me? Not hardly. I offered to buy her a drink. She pretty much gave me the cold shoulder.”

“Maybe you should try again. That is—if you’re really interested in the woman.”

Unable to stop himself, Marshall glanced over at Mia’s table. At the moment she was staring pensively out the window as though she were seeking something in the starlit sky.

“Frankly, I wish I wasn’t interested. I have a feeling the lady is trouble. She doesn’t come across as the other rich guests around here. She’s different.”

Lizbeth smiled coyly. “And maybe that’s why you can’t get her off your mind. Because she is different.”

He thoughtfully studied his date. “Hmm. Maybe you’re right. And maybe once I got to know her, I’d find out she’s not my type at all. Then I could safely cross her off my list.”

Lizbeth let out a knowing little laugh. “You’ll never know until you try.”

The next morning on his way to work, Marshall entered the lodge by way of the lounge and headed to the coffee shop. After the busy day in the infirmary yesterday, he wanted to pick up one of those fancy lattes and present it to Ruthann when she walked through the door. No doubt the surprise treat would make his hardworking nurse want to whip out her thermometer and take his temperature, he thought wryly.

At this early hour, the coffee shop was full of customers sitting around the group of tiny tables, reading the Thunder Canyon Nugget and the daily newspaper from nearby Bozeman while drinking ridiculously expensive cups of flavored java. Marshall found himself waiting at the back of a long line and wondering if he had time to deal with getting the latte for Ruthann after all, when a vaguely familiar voice spoke behind him.

“Looks like we have a long line this morning.”

Turning, he was more than surprised to see Mia Smith. She was dressed casually in jeans and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled back against her tanned arms. Her black hair was loose upon her shoulders and the strands glistened attractively in the artificial lights.

The sight of her put an instant smile on his face. “Yes. Everyone must have had the same idea for coffee this morning.”

Mia could feel his gaze sliding over her face and down her throat to where her shirt made aV between her breasts. The sensual gaze made her wonder if he’d looked this same way at his date last night. Then just as quickly she scolded herself for speculating about the playboy doctor. The man’s private behavior was none of her business.

Even so, she couldn’t stop the next words out of her mouth. “How did you like your dinner last night at the Gallatin Room?”

His brows lifted ever so slightly. “I didn’t realize you saw me there.”

This morning he was obviously dressed for work in a pair of dark slacks and a baby-blue button-down shirt. A red tie with a blue geometric print was knotted neatly at his throat. She could see that he’d attempted to tame the wild waves of his thick hair, but several of the locks had already fallen onto his forehead. Just one look at him was probably enough to cure most of his female patients.

“I…uh—spotted you and your date when you were arriving.”

“Oh. Well, Lizbeth wasn’t actually a date. I mean—she was—but we’re basically just friends. Actually, she was the one who asked me out.”

Mia shot him a droll look. Was this the sort of line he handed out to all unsuspecting females?

“Good for her.”

The line of customers began to move forward and she tried to peer around his shoulder to gauge how much longer the wait would be, but the man held her gaze.

“I stopped here at the coffee shop this morning to pick up a latte for my nurse,” he explained. “She’s always treating me so I thought I’d do something for her.”

Figuring his nurse was a twenty-something blonde with long eyelashes and a come-hither smile, Mia said, “Why settle for just a coffee? Perhaps you should take her to the Gallatin Room, too.”

To her amazement a look of dawning swept over his face and he nodded in agreement. “You know, that’s a wonderful idea. Ruthann has been a nurse for more than thirty years and she’s always taking care of other people, even when she isn’t on the job. Her husband died of a heart attack about three years ago and she’s having a hard time making ends meet with just his social security to help her along. Dinner at the Gallatin Room would be something really special for her. Thank you, Mia, for suggesting it.”

Feeling suddenly like a heel, she hoped he never guessed that her suggestion had been given in sarcasm. Damn it, why did she continually want to believe this man was only out for himself? Because Marti had described him as a ladies’ man? Or because a user could always spot another user, she thought dismally.

But you’re not a user, Mia. Everything you have has been given to you freely. You haven’t taken anything from anybody—except your adoptive mother’s life.

Trying to shut away the guilty voice inside of her, Mia gave him a hesitant smile. “I—uh—think that would be a very nice gesture for your nurse.”

“Well, I’m not always as thoughtful as I should be. Blame it on my male genes.”

The grin on his handsome face was as wicked as the images going through Mia’s head. She’d never been around a man who continually made her feel like she needed to take deep breaths of pure oxygen. Dr. Cates was making her think things that definitely belonged behind closed doors.

Smiling in spite of herself, she said, “I’m sure your nurse will think you’re very thoughtful.”

At that moment a customer carrying a portable cardboard holder filled with several cups of coffee was attempting to work his way through the crowd. As he jostled close to Mia, the doctor’s hands closed around her shoulders and quickly set her out of the customer’s path.

The abrupt movement brought her even closer to Marshall and he realized her thigh was pressed against his and the thrust of her breasts was almost touching his chest. His breathing slowed, while the faint scent of gardenia filled his head like a gentle breeze on a hot night.

“I—uh—thought that man’s drink was going to topple right on you.” Reluctantly, he eased his grip on her shoulders. “Sorry if I startled you.”

He watched a pretty pink flush fill her cheeks. “I—it’s okay. Better to be a little startled than scalded.”

The line ahead of them moved again and Marshall quickly glanced over his shoulder to see he was next to place an order. If he was ever going to make his move on this woman he needed to do it now and fast.

“You— I noticed you were dining alone last night and I was wondering if you might like some company tonight? I’m free if you are.”

Faint surprise crossed her face, an expression that puzzled Marshall. Surely a woman who looked like her was used to men asking her out to dinner.

“Actually, I don’t think I could take the Gallatin Room two nights in a row. It’s a little stuffy for my taste.”

Hope sprang up in him like an exploding geyser and he wondered what the hell was coming over him. The world was full of pretty women and willing ones at that. Why had getting a date with this one suddenly become so important?

“Mine, too. I only took Lizbeth there because she— Well, she enjoys that sort of thing, but she can’t really afford such a splurge on her own.” Another quick glance over his shoulder told him the customer was about to step away from the counter. He turned a beseeching look on Mia. “We could go downtown and maybe grab a burger or pizza. How does that sound?”

She opened her mouth as though to speak, then just as quickly her pink lips pressed thoughtfully together. Behind him, the coffee shop attendant said, “Dr. Cates, it’s your turn to order now.”

With his eyes riveted on Mia’s face, he tossed over his shoulder, “A large latte with plenty of foam.”

His dark brown eyes were pulling her in, making her forget there was a crowd of people around them. In the back of her mind, she understood he was a man who would be dangerous to any woman’s heart. Yet there was something about his smile that made him impossible to resist.

“Sure,” she heard herself saying. “A burger would be nice.”

“Great. Where shall I pick you up? Are you staying here in the lodge?”

Not yet ready to give him that much information, she said, “I’ll meet you here at the lounge.”

A wide smile suddenly dimpled both cheeks and Mia felt her insides go as gooey as warm taffy.

“Great. I’ll be here. Six-thirty okay?”

Why not, she thought. It wasn’t like she had anything important to do and maybe it was time she did something about this aimless path she’d been on for the past few months. “Six-thirty is fine. I’ll see you then.”

After he’d picked up his latte and given her a quick farewell, Mia found herself standing at the counter staring straight into Marti Newmar’s smiling face.

“Hi, Mia! I didn’t expect to see you here so soon. What can I get you this morning?”

“Hi yourself,” Mia greeted the bubbly young woman. “I’d like a cappuccino with sugar and a pecan Danish.”

Marti repeated the order to another worker who was busily preparing the drinks and rang in Mia’s purchases.

While they waited on the cappuccino, Marti leaned slightly over the counter and said in a hushed voice, “Looks like Dr. Cates has his eye on you. Be careful, Mia. I wouldn’t want you to end up like my sister.”

Shaking her head, Mia smiled at the young woman’s earnest face. “Don’t worry, Marti. I’m not about to let the doctor turn my head.”

“Yeah, well that’s what Felicia said, too.”

Thankfully, a worker set her order on the counter and Mia quickly scooped it up. Now that she’d agreed to a date with Dr. Cates, the last thing she wanted to hear were warnings about the man’s character. She’d rather find out such things for herself than listen to gossip.

“I’ll keep that in mind. See you later, Marti.”

At the back of the lodge, in Marshall’s airy office, Ruthann sipped leisurely at her latte while Marshall playfully tap-danced around her chair.

“Have you lost your mind, doc?” she asked with a laugh. “First you surprise me with a cup of coffee that cost more than my wristwatch and now you’re trying to imitate Fred Astaire. What else do you have planned for today?”

Laughing, he grabbed her swivel chair and spun her in a wild circle that had her yelling for him to stop.

“How about a date with the heiress? That’s what I have planned.”

She planted her feet on the hardwood floor and stared at his smug face. “Oh. So that’s what this display of joy is all about. You’ve proved me wrong and talked the mystery beauty into a date. I should have guessed. How did you do it?”

Still smiling, he sauntered over to his desk and took a seat in his plush leather chair. “Frankly, Ruthie, I don’t have a clue. I ran into her at the coffee shop and—” He stopped and held up a hand. “Wait a minute, I’d better tell you about last night first. I saw her, the mystery beauty, dining at the Gallatin Room last night.”

Ruthann lowered her coffee and frowned at him. “It’s a good thing we don’t have any patients waiting this morning, cause I’d like to hear what you were doing having dinner in the Gallatin Room. You have so much money that you’ve decided to start throwing it away?”

His expression suddenly sheepish, Marshall shrugged. “I took Lizbeth out to dinner.”

Ruthann groaned out loud. “Oh, Lord, Marshall, what were you thinking? She’s nothing but a big flirt.”

He batted a dismissive hand at her. “Never mind Lizbeth. I’m not serious about her.”

Ruthann’s expression turned incredulous. “And you are serious about the mystery woman?”

Marshall chuckled at his nurse’s question. “Ruthie, you know me, I don’t have plans to get serious about any woman. Why should I? I’m having too much fun.”

She smirked. “Why indeed? Have you ever thought of children? Of someone to spend your golden days with?”

Marshall’s barked laugh said he was worried about Ruthann’s sanity. “Just how old do you think I am, Ruthie? I’ve got years ahead of me before I think about anything like a family. Right now I’ve got mountains to climb.”

She leveled a thoughtful look at him. “And what are you going to find when you reach the top?”

Tilting the plush chair to a reclining position, he linked his hands at the back of his neck and let out a smug sigh. “The satisfaction of getting there. That’s what I’ll find.”

“Satisfaction, huh? Well, you go on climbing, doc. I’d rather have two loving arms around me.”

Chapter Four

Later that evening, before it was time to meet Marshall, Mia sat on the bed in her cabin and slowly sifted through the stack of photos in her hand. She wasn’t at all sure why she’d packed the snapshots when she’d left Colorado.

Maybe she’d brought them along as a reminder of all she’d left behind. The photos were the only images she had of herself with her birth mother. They’d been taken during Mia’s twenty-sixth birthday party, which had been held at Janelle’s lavish home.

A frown tugged at the corners of her mouth. She still couldn’t think of the mansion in Denver as her home. But for nearly two years Mia had lived there with her birth mother. During that time she’d tried to fit into Janelle’s rich social life and accustom herself to the role of an heiress. All of which had been a drastic change for the young woman who until then had been struggling to work her way through school.

With a sigh, Mia stared at the snapshot in front of her. No one could mistake the identity of the tall woman with her arm draped affectionately around Mia’s shoulders. She was almost the mirror image of Mia, only older. One minute Mia had been a young woman in nursing school who longed for the safe and secure home she’d had when her father had still been alive and working their potato farm, a young woman on a long and seemingly fruitless search for her birth mother. The next minute she’d not only found Janelle Josephson but she also discovered the woman was unbelievably rich. After that, Mia and her adopted mother’s life had taken a drastic turn.

For years Mia had hunted her birth mother and for just as many years Nina had tried to dissuade her from the search, insisting that Mia’s birth mother didn’t want to be found. But Mia had felt driven to find the woman who’d signed her baby girl over to a stranger.

In the end, both Janelle and Mia had been shocked at the occurrences that had separated mother and daughter. Controlling parents had led a teenage Janelle to believe her baby was stillborn. She’d had no idea that her daughter was alive and searching for her. As for Mia, it was difficult for her to absorb the fact that she had a wealthy mother, one who seemingly loved her and was only too happy to lavish her with all the treasures and resources that money could buy.

What happens when a person goes from poverty to riches? Mia was a good example of that age-old question. Suddenly she could have any material thing she wanted, but none of it had made her happy.

For a moment the turmoil in Mia’s heart brought a stinging mist to her eyes. But then she determinedly pressed her lips together and shoved the photos in the nightstand drawer.

Right now she needed to put her troubled reflections away and put on the cheeriest face she could muster. It was almost time for her to walk down to the lodge and meet Dr. Cates. And she wanted to give the jovial, flirty doctor the impression that she was just as carefree and happy as he.

Minutes later, Mia walked into the lounge and spotted her date sitting on the end of a plush leather couch. He was focusing intently on the BlackBerry in his hand and for a brief moment Mia paused to study his sexy image.

Even after she’d become an heiress, she’d never dreamed a man of his stature would show interest in her. But she realized that if the doctor knew the real truth of her past, he wouldn’t be sitting here waiting to have an evening with her.

Tonight, however, she wasn’t going to dwell on that, she wanted to have fun and see if she could remember how to enjoy herself on a simple date.

Mia was walking across the lounge and had almost reached the couch where he was sitting, when he happened to look up and spot her approach.

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