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  I strained not to miss a word. Maybe her father was in on her scheming.

  “Aunt Margery and Uncle Floyd are in; they sent me $300 to put toward the cruise. Aunt Edna only sent $25.” She giggled at whatever her daddy said. “Yeah, she is. Madeline and Roy promised to send $700. I still haven’t got a hold of Uncle Les, but I bet I can wheedle a few hundred from him. He loves to show off his generosity.”

  She paused. “Don’t ask me to do this again. A reunion at the park’s more my style. But I know Grandpa and Grandma haven’t been on a real vacation, so hopefully they like this. Are you and Mom still planning on going with them? Okay. I’ll try to have the money to you by the end of the month.” She groaned. “No. You have to book the tickets.” Pause. “I’m not lying. I really do love it here. Miss you too, Daddy, but I’m almost twenty. I can’t be your little girl forever.” She giggled. “You’re the best. Love you too.”

  As the woman—no girl! She was only nineteen for criminy’s sake—crept back inside, I stood next to the old spruce feeling sick. I compared everything she’d said last time to what she said to her daddy tonight and realized I’d jumped to the wrong conclusion. Big time. Miss Ruthersford wasn’t the monster I’d made her out to be. Still, she’d turned everything on its head around here, and I refused to make life easy for her. She’d either earn her position of trust Dad had given her or she’d run back to her daddy crying. I hoped for the latter.

  Chapter 22

  Bentley

  A gust of wind lifted the brim of my baseball cap, making me regret not wearing my Stetson. Pulling it down, I urged Han to catch up to Lizzie’s three-year-old paint.

  “How much further to the creek?” she asked.

  “Quarter hour that way.” I pointed east.

  We chatted over the next rise, and Liz let it slip that it was her birthday.

  “Are you kidding?” I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought to ask before now. “Why didn’t you say something? Now I feel bad I didn’t get you a gift.”

  “That’s why I didn’t tell you. I hate people feeling obligated to buy me a present. Your friendship’s my gift.”

  “Lame. I’m going to paint you a picture.”

  “I’ll take you up on that. I love your art.”

  “How old are you now?”

  “I’m not a teenager anymore.”

  “You’re twenty?”

  “Yep.” She grinned. “I’ve officially been alive for decades.”

  I laughed and we chatted over the next rise about ways I could change my status when school started in another six weeks. I didn’t want to be known as the handicapped kid. Junior high would be a new beginning. I meant to grab hold of that for all it was worth. Liz had inspired me to get outside myself and help others. I loved her for that—not in an I want to kiss her kind of way, although I wouldn’t turn one down if she offered, but in a bosom friend way. That sounded sappy, but Mom put on Anne of Green Gables for Addie last Sunday, and I was bored enough to watch. That’s where I learned about bosom friends.

  When we reached the stream, I found a rock near the bank and took my boots off to soak my feet as the horses watered. Liz stretched out beside me and closed her eyes.

  I studied how strands of her hair curled about her face. She had the prettiest hair ever. It always looked different depending on the weather. Humidity turned her curls frizzy, reminding me of wisps of cotton candy. Usually, they curled into tight ringlets that bounced behind her. I’d only seen her wear it down a few times for church, and she looked beyond gorgeous then. Her curls hit her back a couple inches below her shoulders and framed her angelic face to perfection.

  “You think I could go to church with you…if Rawson lets me?” For the past three months, I’d noted her Sunday routine and hoped she would ask me to tag along. I’d take any excuse to leave the house.

  “Why do you need your brother’s permission?”

  I shrugged. “He’s my bud.”

  “Well, your bud hates my guts. So H-E-double toothpicks will have to freeze over before he okays that.”

  I frowned, knowing she was right.

  My arm tingled as she placed her hand on mine. “I’d love you to come, but don’t want to cause strife. If you work it out with Rawson, let me know and you can drive into town with Mackay and me.”

  As she helped me onto my horse, a gust of wind grabbed my cap. “Crud,” I muttered as I watched it perform a Mexican hat dance on its way toward a tree-covered hill. “That’s my lucky Red Sox hat.”

  “I’ll get it.” Lizzie jumped onto the young paint and dug her boots into its side. Shoshone balked, but she brought him under control and guided the gelding in the direction of my evasive headgear. My cap taunted her by blowing just out of reach whenever she approached. When she managed to corner it against a tree, she hopped off to snatch it.

  A loud voice from the wooden shack nestled in the trees startled both of us. “Hey, baby!”

  Lizzie spun around and jumped. I didn’t blame her. My brother’s friend, Damon, made an intimidating picture with his massive frame, black stringy hair hanging to his shoulders, and thick mustache that drooped over a sneering mouth. What the heck was he doing out here?

  Liz grabbed my cap and turned to mount Shoshone.

  “Now, hold on. Don’t go.” Damon wore a nasty grin as he draped himself over the porch railing. “You just got here, sugar. Come on in and stay a while.”

  Not liking how he looked at her, I nudged Han’s side with my boots to move in front of Liz.

  “Hey, howz it goin’, Benny-hana?” He snorted as though he’d said something funny. “Who’s yer purty friend?”

  “Is Rawson here?” That was the only reason I could think for him being there.

  He pointed behind him. “He’s still nappin’. We got a bit wild last night, if you know what I mean.” As he wheeze-laughed, I grimaced.

  “Let’s get out of here.” Liz handed me my hat and mounted her horse.

  As she put distance between her and Damon, I saw my brother peeking out. I nudged my horse closer my brother would know I knew he was hiding his garbage out here.

  “Big Ben,” he called as he walked onto the porch and scratched his crotch. “What brings you out to this neck of the woods?”

  “My hat blew away. Lizzie chased it.”

  His enthusiasm cooled as he noticed her waiting by the fence.

  “Roz, ask Benny’s gal to stay,” Damon whined. “She looks fun.”

  My brother marched over like a tornado touching down in Kansas. “As fun as falling into a cactus.” I cringed in my saddle at he yanked the reins from my hands and tugged Han in front of Damon. “Hold him.” He shoved the reins into his friend’s hands.

  “I’m not staying here.”

  He ignored my protest and stalked over to Lizzie. “You have no business being out here. You need to leave. Now.”

  “Don’t talk to her that way. It’s her birthday.” I struggled to grab the reins from Damon, but he lifted them above my reach.

  “What about Ben?” I heard her ask.

  “I’ll bring him home. Now shoo.” Rawson whacked Shoshone’s buttocks. “Yaw!”

  Lizzie’s touchy mount lunged, making her scramble with the reins and hunch over to keep from falling. I clenched my fists as I watched her disappear into the trees.

  “You jerk!” I kicked at Rawson as he took my reins from Damon. “Let me go. I don’t want to stay here.”

  “Settle down, kid.” He tied the rope to the railing.

  “Why’d you make Lizzie go?”

  He hissed under his breath and wrapped an arm around Damon’s shoulders, leading him up the stairs and into the weathered log cabin. I glared at the back of his head, wishing I could dismount. But no, I had to sit and wait for him to untie my horse and lead me home like a kid at a pony party.

  When he returned and we headed home, he made excuses for his friend being where he didn’t belong. “Damon and I just met up this morning. Thought we’d hang out
at the homestead for old times’ sake. ”

  I didn’t respond.

  “Come on, Benny. Don’t be mad.”

  When I still refused to speak, he shut up. At the house, he lifted me down from my horse and held me by the shoulders. “I wish you’d talk to me, kid.”

  My lips curled. “I can’t believe you were hanging out with that loser.” I shrugged out of his arms and hobbled to the porch.

  “Benny.”

  I almost turned, but his next words sucked the wind out of my sails.

  “Damon’s always had my back. Please don’t blame him.”

  Every muscle in my body clenched. “I’ll always blame him.” I hobbled through the door, furious that he dared ask such a thing after what his stupid friend had done to our family.

  Chapter 23

  Rawson

  My brother was ticked at me, and it was all Miss Ruthersford’s fault. Everything was fine and dandy until she started working here, and now nothing was right. So, she was no con-artist out to swindle my family. But she snooped where she shouldn’t and now Damon had become obsessed with her. That was worse.

  When I left the old homestead with Benny yesterday, I told Damon to stay put, promising I’d send Chance out with a sack of groceries and a case of beer later. “That’ll get you by until we can rustle up some gals for the weekend.” I’d promise him anything to keep him away from the crank.

  “I want Benny’s girl,” he said with a lusty grin.

  Shaking my head, I cursed the girl again for showing up where she didn’t belong. “She’s a hired hand, dude. Leave her alone. We don’t need Dad catching wind you’re out here.”

  The eerie smile he wore as I rode away haunted me. I knew he was thinking about that troublesome girl, which wasn’t good. She was too innocent for the likes of my screwed-up friend. And what if she ratted me out to Dad? Just another reason, on top of a mountain of others, why she needed to go.

  As I entered the arena and turned toward the tack room, I spotted the object of my irritation. She glanced up from brushing her horse and wrinkled her nose.

  “So you decided to show up. What gives?”

  “You may dispense with the pleasantries, commander.” I paused to breathe heavy like Darth Vader. “I am here to put you back on schedule.”

  She didn’t look amused. “I could’ve used your help the last two weeks, but I’m fine now. Maybe your father can utilize your on-again/off-again skills with the cattle.”

  “If the work’s all done, I showed up right on time.”

  Her scowl pushed onto center stage, making me fight a grin.

  “Sorry I was a little hard on you yesterday.”

  Her expression turned wary.

  “My friend gets crude around pretty girls. I didn’t want him mouthing off and offending you. That’s why I asked you to leave.”

  “You ordered me to leave and almost made me fall off my horse by swatting it.”

  I gave her a half-smile, the kind that usually got me whatever I wanted from the weaker gender. “Forgive me?”

  My humble act threw her off balance. She blushed and averted her eyes, making me think I’d gone about getting rid of her all wrong. Instead of fighting her, I should embrace her. After all, females tended to lose their heads around me, and she didn’t appear any different. If I threw her some crumbs, I was certain she’d gobble them up. It’d be fun to mess with her like that.

  I swaggered over and grabbed the curry comb from her hand. “Let me finish brushing him. I owe you for slacking off this week.”

  As her big, brown eyes met mine, I swallowed and reminded myself how Benny had acted when we rode home together. He hadn’t said one word except to lam-blast my friend. Puberty had made him stubborn, but Librarian Liz had magnified his negative traits.

  “Don’t worry about it. I like brushing horses. It’s soothing.”

  So was her voice. I’d never noticed.

  I cleared my throat. “I’m taking Benny kayaking this Saturday for an early birthday present. He mentioned it was your birthday yesterday. Would you like to join us?”

  She pursed her lips. “I don’t think so.”

  “Oh, come on. Benny would love it.” He really would. I could already imagine how the day would play out. My brother would throw all his attention her way and I’d be left with nada, zip, zilch. When she still acted hesitant, I tossed out more crumbs. “We haven’t used the kayaks for over two years, and the lake is one of the most spectacular settings within two hundred miles. You haven’t really lived until you see it.”

  She studied me as I brushed the mare’s glistening coat. “Are you sure I won’t rain on Benny’s parade?”

  “Positive. You’ll make his day.”

  “Okay. If you’re sure. I’m a sucker for beautiful places.”

  And faces, I added silently.

  Chapter 24

  Liz

  Darkness still blanketed the ranch as I approached Rawson’s massive black beast. Benny had told me his brother purchased the decked out truck as a welcome home present for himself. Though I thought the man had more money than brains, I had to admit he struck a powerful image in the vehicle.

  “Morning, Miss Ruthersford.” He leaned out his window on a muscled arm.

  Though his greeting sounded condescending, I tried to imbue mine with cheer. “Good morning.” I hoped to overcome our earlier enmity and become friends…or at least non-fighting acquaintances. I’d be content with that.

  “Did you get the mucking done?”

  I smiled, even though I sensed subtle mockery. “The arena’s done. Chance will finish the rest after breakfast.”

  “I wish I could bat my eyelashes and get someone else to do my work.” He said it with a mischievous twinkle in his gorgeous eyes.

  “You don’t have to bat your eyelashes, Mr. Law. All you have to do is get in your truck and drive off to who knows where to get out of work.”

  He raised a brow. “Touché.”

  I rolled my eyes and hopped into the backseat.

  “Hey, Lizzie.” Benny hobbled toward us.

  “Hurry up, slowpoke,” Rawson called.

  I thought Ben would get in front with his brother, but he climbed in the back with me.

  “Am I the damn chauffeur?” Rawson quipped. “There’s plenty of room up here.”

  “You can sit up with your brother,” I said to Benny.

  “I’m comfortable here.” He made a goofy face that made me laugh.

  Rawson bristled as he pulled away from the house. My first experience with him in the driver’s seat had been awful. This wasn’t much better. Even hauling two kayaks, the speedometer needle rested above seventy on the dirt road. To take my mind off my teeth jarring into my nasal cavity, I made small talk.

  “So you love Star Wars like Benny?”

  “More,” Rawson replied.

  “No way,” Benny objected.

  “Yes way. I’ve had longer to like it than you.”

  The brothers squabbled back and forth. When they ended without a victor, I threw out another question.

  “How far is this lake?”

  Rawson shrugged. “Maybe forty miles as the crow flies.”

  Benny grinned. “It’ll take us a couple hours to drive there. The last twenty miles aren’t much more than a game trail.”

  My stomach flip-flopped. Maybe I should have found out those details before I agreed to come.

  “It’s my favorite spot,” Benny gushed. “The lake’s surrounded by snow-covered mountains and a rocky cliff. It’s crystal blue and beyond beautiful. Isn’t that right, Rawson?”

  “Sure, kid.”

  “Is it very big?”

  “Depends on your definition of big,” Rawson answered.

  “It’s decent size.” Benny was more helpful.

  “How long will it take to kayak across it?”

  “As long as it does.”

  I controlled the urge to roll my eyes again. Rawson was a pain.

  “It�
�s been a few years, but if I remember right, it took us an hour. Isn’t that so, Rawson?”

  “I guess.” Mr. Vague didn’t seem interested in conversing, so I focused my attention outside. Montana falls were gorgeous. With the temperatures dropping at night, leaves had started changing color. I couldn’t help but smile as I compared this autumn to the monochromatic Vegas ones I knew.

  Since I’d been up since four, I dozed until we got there. When I looked out my window, I sighed. Benny hadn’t been lying.

  Rawson hopped out to unlash the kayaks. His contagious grin energized me as I gazed out at the serene lake. Benny and I took the double kayak and Rawson followed in the smaller one. It took us over an hour to paddle to a distant island. When we reached our destination, Rawson beached his kayak and helped pull us in; he even helped me out so I didn’t get wet. Maybe he wasn’t the arrogant jerk I’d judged him to be.

  The brothers traded jokes while we picnicked. After we finished eating, Rawson unfastened his watch and set it on the blanket next to some sort of pocket toolkit. When both brothers started stripping, I found it hard not to stare. Rawson looked delicious without a shirt. His toned arm muscles and chiseled abs did weird things to my core.

  “Want to jump in with us, Miss Ruthersford? There’s nothing more refreshing than a dip in a mountain lake.” He waggled dark brows.

  “I’ll pass.”

  To resist gawking, I stretched out on the blanket and listened to them scream, splash, and play like little boys. When I heard them getting out, I took towels over to them.

  “How was the water?”

  “Fr-fr-freezing,” Benny said with a blue-lipped grin.

  As I turned to Rawson, he puffed out his chest. “You should’ve joined us.”

  I studied the wildflowers by my feet. “I don’t do freezing.”

  “What about hot?” When I glanced back at him, he gave me a salacious wink and flexed his biceps.

  “Uh, no. I like things just right.”

  “Like Goldilocks?” He tugged a frizzy curl loose from my ponytail.

  “Stop.” I batted his hand away. “I don’t have a brush.”