A Real Cowboy Page 19

  Sammy frowned at his mother. “Just watch out for that mean Lloyd man.”

  “Don’t you worry,” Nicolette assured him. “Lloyd and his friends won’t bother us. We’re just going for a nice lunch and some girl talk.”

  Sammy rolled his eyes. “You girl-talk all the time.”

  Nicolette laughed and told her son to head upstairs to make his bed and get ready for his big day. When he was gone, Lucas and Cassie talked about the plans to take down the shed on Tuesday.

  While they spoke, Nicolette found herself only half listening. She was grateful that the morning had held no awkwardness between Lucas and her. Her heartfelt confession of love the night before seemed like nothing more than a dream they hadn’t even shared.

  She felt as if she’d spoken the words to herself, to the wind, with only the stars overhead to hear, and there was a certain amount of both hurt and relief in the fact that he acted as if nothing was different between them this morning. The truth of the matter was despite her telling him what was in her heart, nothing had changed between them.

  But something had changed inside her. She’d awakened this morning with a new resolve to get on with her life, the life that she had decided was best for herself and her son.

  Joseph had given her the means to make her own future, and today was the beginning. The first step was letting Cassie know what she had decided.

  She hoped their friendship was strong enough to survive Nicolette’s choices, but if it wasn’t, Nicolette wouldn’t be pulled off the path she’d chosen for her son and her.

  “I think I’ll go check on the bed making,” Lucas said. He got up from the table and disappeared from the kitchen.

  “So, are you really going to buy some cowboy boots?” Nicolette asked.

  “I suppose it does make sense. I’m spending a lot of time outside these days.” Whatever else she was about to say was interrupted by a knock on the front door.

  Nicolette’s heart leaped. Maybe it was Dillon with some news about the investigation. She and Cassie left the table side by side and met Lucas coming down the stairs, his gun drawn.

  He got to the door first and peered outside. “It’s Raymond Humes and one of his men.” He took a step back so that Cassie could answer.

  Cassie opened the door with Nicolette just behind her. She wanted to get a look at the man who had the likes of Lloyd Green in his employ.

  “Good morning. Cassie Peterson?” he asked, his voice deep and pleasant. Tall and muscular, with silver hair and lean, hawkish features, Raymond appeared to be in his sixties.

  “Yes, I’m Cassie,” she replied and then reached back to grab Nicolette’s arm. “And this is my friend Nicolette Kendall, and I’m sure you already know Lucas Taylor.” Lucas stood to one side, his gun back in his holster. “What can I do for you, Mr. Humes?”

  He offered her a smooth smile. “I just thought it was way past time I come by and introduce myself to my new neighbor. Is this a good time for the two of us to have a little chat?”

  “Actually, I’m afraid it isn’t a good time right now. We have a trip into town planned in a little while.” Cassie’s voice was also pleasant.

  “Then perhaps later this evening,” Raymond replied. “I think it’s important that neighbors work together and get to know each other.”

  Cassie finally nodded. “Okay, why don’t you come by for coffee after dinner this evening? Let’s say around six-thirty or so.”

  “Wonderful. I look forward to it.” Raymond nodded to Nicolette and Lucas and then smiled at Cassie. “Then I’ll see you this evening.”

  As he and his ranch hand, who hadn’t been introduced, left, Cassie closed the door with a frown. “I wonder what that’s all about.”

  “If I was to guess, he wants to get the lay of the land, find out what your intentions might be and how he can profit from them,” Lucas said. “I imagine he’d be the first in line with an offer if you decide to sell. He coveted everything Cass had here. Just be careful, Cassie. Raymond Humes is a snake, but he can be a charming one when it benefits him.”

  Sammy came down the stairs, each boot clomping as if he weighed a thousand pounds. “Mom, when are you and Cassie leaving? Lucas and I have stuff to do and we can’t do it until after you’re gone.” He stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked at them expectantly.

  “Okay, I’m off to shower and dress,” Cassie said. “I know when I’m not wanted around.”

  “I’ll get ready to go, too,” Nicolette said. “If we leave a little early we’ll have time to shop for those boots for you.”

  “Pink. I want pink boots,” Cassie said as she climbed the stairs.

  Lucas laughed. “Good luck with that, and don’t expect any sparkles on any of them either.”

  It was just before eleven when the two women got into Cass’s car and headed toward town. Lucas had assured Nicolette that when she got home she’d find her son no worse for the wear of the horse riding lesson.

  “Promise me one thing,” Nicolette said once they were on their way.

  “What’s that?” Cassie asked.

  “Please don’t sell the ranch to Raymond Humes. I think your aunt would roll over in her grave if you did that. We both know there’s bad blood between the two ranches.”

  Cassie shot her a quick glance. “But we really don’t know what started it. Maybe Aunt Cass did something that wasn’t so nice that began the bad blood. What am I supposed to do if Humes is the only one who makes a decent offer on the place?”

  “You own some of the best pastureland in the state. The Holiday Ranch is more than financially stable. You’ll have plenty of offers to choose from. I just know a sale to Humes would ensure that your cowboys would all have to find new places to work.”

  “They aren’t my cowboys,” Cassie replied drily. “As Lucas reminded me not too long ago, they’re all still Cass’s cowboys in their hearts and it’s going to take a while for me to earn their respect.”

  “A pair of cowboy boots might go a long way in starting the process,” Nicolette said teasingly.

  Cassie laughed. “Enough with the boots. I’ll buy me a pair, although I doubt I’ll be here long enough to earn the complete trust of any of the men.”

  The rest of the ride was accomplished in a comfortable silence. True to her word, once they reached town the first store they entered was the boot and cowboy ware shop.

  Cassie not only found a pair of denim and black leather boots, but also walked out with a cute denim blouse with pearl buttons and short sleeves.

  When they finally headed to the café, Nicolette’s nerves pumped up as she thought of the conversation she was about to have with not just her best friend, but her business partner and the woman who had taken her and her son in when they’d had no place to go.

  The place was jumping at noon on a Tuesday but Daisy led them to an empty two-top next to the front window. Thankfully it was on the opposite side of the counter and stools where Lloyd and his creepy buddies often ate their lunches.

  White blinds were pulled closed to shield diners from the bright midday sunshine, and a centerpiece of fake daisies gave each booth a fresh spring look. Their orders were taken by a cute waitress with a name tag that identified her as Trisha, who promised to return as quickly as possible with their food and drinks.

  Cassie settled back in the booth and looked at Nicolette expectantly. “So, tell me what this lunch out is really about.”

  A nervous laughter escaped Nicolette. “Can’t I just take my best friend out to lunch without an ulterior motive?”

  “Yes, but you have a son you’ve been afraid to let out of your sight. You’ve been on pins and needles waiting to hear from Dillon about the investigation into Samuel. This just doesn’t seem like the time you’d invite me out for a leisurely lunch, unless you have an ulterior motive.”

  The conversation halted as Trisha returned with their glasses of iced tea. “Okay, you’re right,” Nicolette confessed once Trisha had left their table. “I do hav
e an ulterior motive.”

  “You want out of the store,” Cassie said. “I knew when you found out about the inheritance from Joseph you’d want out. It was never really your thing to begin with.”

  “That’s part of it,” Nicolette agreed. “I certainly don’t expect you to buy me out or anything like that. I’ll just sign the appropriate paperwork to dissolve the partnership and leave all assets with you.”

  Once again the conversation was interrupted as Trisha returned with their meals. “A cobb salad for the blonde and a burger and fries for the brunette,” she said as she placed each plate before them. “Is there anything else I can get for either of you?”

  “I think we’re good, thanks,” Cassie replied. She forked a bite of her salad and once again focused on Nicolette. “What are you going to do?”

  “Go back to school and get my teaching degree. Being a teacher was all I really wanted to do before I met Samuel. I’m reaching for the dreams I’d once set for myself.”

  “Then I can’t be mad at you. You know I love you and just want you to be happy. So, does this mean now that you have the means I’m also losing my roommates?”

  Nicolette smiled. “You know that Sammy and I living with you was never supposed to be forever. It’s time we find our own place and let you have your apartment back to yourself.”

  Cassie took a bite of her salad and then chased it with a gulp of iced tea. “I can’t say I’m really surprised, although I’ll miss having the little monkey underfoot.”

  Nicolette drew a deep breath. “That’s not all I have to tell you.”

  Cassie leaned back in the booth, her eyes narrowed slightly as she gazed at Nicolette. “What else could there be?”

  “I’m not going back to New York City.”

  Cassie stared at her as if she’d suddenly spoken a foreign language. “What are you talking about?” She set her fork down as if her appetite had fled. “Of course you’re going back to New York with me. That’s your home. That’s where you belong.” Her eyes narrowed once again. “Does this have something to do with Lucas?”

  A small burst of sad laughter released from Nicolette. “I wish it had something to do with Lucas. I told him last night I was in love with him.”

  Cassie’s eyes widened. “And what did he say?”

  “That he was sorry I felt that way about him. He’s told me from the beginning that he has no interest in relationships or building a family. I just couldn’t help allowing my emotions to get involved with him.”

  “Honestly, I would have sworn that he was in love with you. When he looks at you it’s with the eyes of a man in love. When the three of you are together you look like a family. I was already worried about the feelings growing between the two of you. Are you sure he isn’t in love with you?”

  “I think he has desire for me. I know he cares about what happens to me and Sammy, but none of that matters now. He intends to live his life alone and there’s no place in it for us.” Tears pressed against her eyelids and rose up the back of her throat. She swallowed hard against them, refusing to allow herself to cry another tear for Lucas Taylor.

  “Then I don’t understand. Why aren’t you coming back to the city with me?”

  “I’ve realized over the last couple of weeks that this is where I really belong, that Bitterroot is where I want to live and raise my son.”

  “I would think with the way you feel about Lucas this would be the last place you’d want to live.” Cassie picked up her fork again. “Even though he said he doesn’t love you, he’s obviously got you under a spell.” She took another bite of her salad, and Nicolette knew Cassie wasn’t really taking her seriously.

  “If I’m under a spell, then it’s been cast by Bitterroot and Oklahoma,” Nicolette protested. “After weeks of smelling the air, of seeing a canvas of stars at night, I can’t imagine going back to the city. I feel it in my heart, in my very soul, that this is where Sammy and I belong. I truly believe both of us will thrive in this small town and find true happiness here with or without Lucas.”

  Cassie looked at her in dismay. “Now, how can I argue with you when you talk like that? It would be totally selfish of me to want anything for you and Sammy except your true happiness.”

  “There are planes and trains that go to and from here and New York. It’s not like we’d be saying goodbye forever.”

  “So what exactly do you intend to do? Buy some ranch and learn how to muck out stalls?”

  Nicolette laughed. “I don’t see me going quite that big, but I would like to find a nice ranch house on a bit of property where Sammy could have a horse if he wanted one.”

  “Does he know your plans?” Cassie asked.

  Nicolette shook her head and picked up a French fry. “I haven’t told him yet. I needed to be a hundred percent sure of my decision before sharing it with him.”

  “He’s going to be over the moon and I’ll be back in New York crying in my martinis every night.”

  Nicolette laughed. “You don’t even drink martinis.”

  “But if I did I’d cry and miss you terribly.”

  “You’ll be so busy reinventing the store you won’t have time to miss me.”

  For the next few minutes they ate in a comfortable silence. The conversation had gone far better than Nicolette had ever imagined. She should have known that ultimately Cassie was a good friend who would want only Nicolette’s happiness, no matter where that happiness occurred.

  “So, when are you planning this next phase of your future?” Cassie asked and pushed her nearly empty salad plate to the side.

  “I’d like to stay at your ranch until hopefully we solve the mystery of who is behind the attacks on Sammy, but my plan is to start looking at property in the next couple of days. I figure it will take me a while to find my dream property.”

  “Nothing new from Dillon?”

  “No, nothing. According to the New York detectives working the case, they can’t find any way to tie Samuel in to what’s been happening here.” Nicolette popped the last French fry off her plate into her mouth. “It’s just all so frustrating.”

  For a moment a vision of Lucas filled her head, bringing with it not just frustration, but a piercing ache that she knew she was going to have to learn to live with until it finally faded away.

  Right now the wound of Lucas was too fresh, too raw. Instead she focused on how happy Sammy would be to learn that he and Nicolette were not going back to the city, but rather making a home someplace here in Bitterroot.

  Granted, he would be upset when he realized Lucas wasn’t going to be a part of his everyday life, but once school started Sammy would make new friends and occasionally maybe Lucas would find some time to visit with the kid who had been his little partner for a while.

  Trisha returned to their booth. “How about some dessert? I can tell you that the apple dumplings are fresh today and are awesome with a dollop of ice cream on top.”

  “You sold me,” Cassie said. “I’ll take one with a cup of coffee.”

  “Make that two,” Nicolette agreed.

  “You know, somehow I’m not surprised by your decision to stay here,” Cassie said. “You’ve been happier and more relaxed here than I’ve ever seen you.”

  “This feels like home, Cassie. It feels like home in a way that no place ever has before.”

  “I should have made you stay back in the city manning the store instead of insisting you take the trip out here with me,” Cassie said teasingly.

  “Honestly, Cassie, you’ve been the best friend I could ever want. It’s important to me that I have your support as I move forward with these new plans.”

  Cassie waved a hand dismissively. “You know you will always have my complete support. Besides, the two of you can at least fly back to the city during the holidays every year.”

  Trisha arrived with their desserts, and when she left the table Nicolette’s cell phone rang. She hurriedly grappled it from her purse and answered, worried that it might be Lucas t
elling her Sammy had fallen off a horse and was now in the emergency room.

  “Don’t say a word,” the deep familiar voice said. “I’ve got Sammy in a car in front of the café. Don’t tell Cassie what you’re doing, but get up and get out here. We need to talk.”

  “Okay,” she replied calmly, although her heart beat so fast she felt ill.

  “Who was that?” Cassie asked.

  “Wrong number.” Nicolette stood. “I think I need a bit of fresh air. Sit tight and I’ll be right back.”

  She didn’t wait for Cassie’s reply, but hurried for the front door. Her mind could hold only two thoughts, and both of them scared her to death. The first was how Samuel was here in Bitterroot, and more frightening was wondering how he’d managed to get Sammy away from Lucas.

  Chapter 16

  “Can we ride more after lunch?” Sammy asked as he, Nick and Lucas entered the dining room, where most of the other cowboys were already seated.

  “We thought you three were going to miss lunch altogether,” Dusty said when the latecomers had filled their plates and sat at the table next to him.

  “We lost track of time while getting Sammy up on Candy’s back,” Nick said.

  “I’m a natural,” Sammy announced with pride to anyone who might be listening.

  Lucas grinned. The kid was right. He was a natural. Despite his encounter with the big black beast that had carried him away, he’d shown no fear when faced with mounting Candy.

  He’d listened to everything Lucas and Nick had told him about equipment, how to sit properly in the seat and how to hold the reins with just the right amount of pressure. By the time they’d knocked off for lunch, Sammy had been riding a small circle area of pasture all by himself.

  Lucas had been grateful for the distraction of Nick and Sammy’s company, for the last thing he wanted to dwell on was Nicolette’s confession of love for him the night before.

  Despite his desire to the contrary, as they ate their lunch her words played over and over again in his head. He hadn’t wanted her to love him even though he’d seen it happening. He’d watched her growing affection for him and he’d not only allowed it, he’d encouraged it.