Chapter Fourteen
T hankfully, Sam found old Stubby along the fencerow that separated the Miles ranch from the one where Miss Petunia lived, standing with his head resting against a mountain hemlock, his good horn stuck in its trunk.
He must have worn himself out trying to get unstuck, because he didn’t fight Sam and Carlos when they worked to pull him free.
The other escapees were grazing nearby, six cows and their eight calves.
With a little prodding, the cattle got turned in the right direction and began the slow trek back to the feed lot.
It was dark by the time the animals were all secured and horses fed and watered, and Sam’s stomach was a’growlin’.
He went into the lodge to see if there were any leftovers to be had and found a container of stew with his name on it in Gran’s handwriting.
His grandmother might be tough, but she had a heart the size of Montana.
Sam reheated the stew and dropped into a seat at the family table to devour his belated meal.
In between bites, he read through the text messages he’d missed.
His parents checking in—they must have caught wind of Stubby’s latest path of destruction.
Madison let him know she was back and that they’d all had so much fun with Norah up north today.
He loved seeing that; his sister was an amazing aunt.
And then a message from Natalie, letting him know she’d stuck around to help Sunnie get the fish put away before heading into town.
She couldn’t wait to come back and go ferret hunting with him and Madison, and thanked him for an amazing day.
His smile widened. He couldn’t wait for her to return to the ranch, either. Plus, it would be interesting to see how she and Madison got along out on the range. Sure, they seemed to play nice at the dinner table, but what would happen when they were all outdoors, away from the others?
“Everything go okay?”
He looked up to find Norah walking in. “Yep, found them all. That damned bull. He either needs to be castrated or allowed to scratch his never-ending itch with Miss Petunia.”
“Everyone’s got an itch to scratch now and then.” She eased into a seat across from him. “But not all itches are such a good idea to scratch.”
It took him another bite or two before he realized his sister’s comment might not have been about old Stubby. He looked up and found her with her hands clasped on the table, eyes fixed on her dueling thumbs. That was the Norah look of consternation—he’d seen it a hundred times.
“What’s on your mind, sis?”
Where Jaxon was sweet like their mama, Norah had always been a little tougher around the edges like Gran. Heart just as big, but her tongue had a reputation for being sharp. Helping run the lodge had mellowed her some, but Norah would always be Norah. Frankly, Sam wouldn’t want her any other way.
“I just don’t want to sit back and watch you get hurt again, Sam,” she said, her voice lower than when she first sat down.
He didn’t want to get hurt again, either. That was why he’d spent half the ride back from rescuing Stubby thinking of ways to convince Natalie to give Montana a try. Sam didn’t have the perfect solution just yet, but he’d keep at it. “Appreciate that.”
“Gran said she’s coming back for dinner again tomorrow. Said you guys caught a lot of fish while you were out together today. You see that big beaver dam about a quarter mile past Snake’s Bend?”
Sam grinned at the nickname they’d given that spot as kids after seeing an aerial photograph of their ranch for the first time. “Saw it? We about capsized trying to avoid it. Crept up on us out of nowhere.”
Norah laughed as he elaborated on the story of those damned beavers slapping their tails trying to scare them away.
“I was more worried about the logs—I just bought that boat not too long ago. But Natalie admitted she was worried the beavers were going to swim out and bite us.”
Norah’s gaze went back to her thumbs. “She admit she’s got a meeting with Chuck Banyard Monday morning, too?”
Sam’s spoon paused halfway between his bowl and lips. “No. Where’d you hear that from?”
“Gran.”
That explained why their grandmother wasn’t overly friendly when they’d returned from fishing. He’d assumed it was just her being angry with him over not answering his phone. Now, he wasn’t so sure.
Norah met his gaze. “I want to like her, Sam. Really, I do. Natalie’s fun and easy to get along with. And you like her, so I’m trying to keep an open mind. But…”
“But?”
His sister shrugged. “Sometimes I’m just not sure whose side she’s really on.”
Sam wasn’t sure how to respond to that. If he’d known about her upcoming meeting with Chuck, he might have been able to offer Norah an explanation. As it was, he knew less than she did.
“Please don’t tell Gran I said anything,” Norah said, rising from the table. “But I thought you should know.”
She bent to give him a hug; Sam gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Thanks, Nor.”
He sat by himself after she left, the stew before him lukewarm and his confidence lessened.
Surely, there had to be a logical explanation of why Natalie hadn’t told him about Monday’s meeting with Chuck—who, like Gran, was one of the voting members of both the planning committee and board of works.
In all fairness, though, she wasn’t obligated to tell him anything about her project that didn’t relate specifically to the Flying J Ranch.
But the thought of her holding back information from him did sting some.
He was curious to see how she would respond when he brought it up tomorrow.
Because he would be bringing it up, so he understood the ongoing process.
And to prove to his family that Natalie didn’t have some secret, ulterior motives.
That, he wanted to believe.
Sam just hoped like hell his heart wasn’t steering him wrong.
*
Natalie was responding to a few random work emails Sunday after lunch when a knock sounded at her door.
Confused, she rose to answer it. Had room service forgotten something?
She cracked the door open and was surprised to find Sam and Madison in the hall.
Madison looked adorable as ever; the turquoise top she was wearing brought out the blue in her eyes.
And Sam—well, Natalie felt that smile of his all the way down to her toes.
“Well, hey, guys! This is a lovely surprise. What brings you two into town?”
“Gran sent us to pick up her grocery order,” Madison said. “So Dad thought we could stop by and see if you wanted a ride out to the ranch. We were hoping you could go for a ride with us before dinner, to look for the ferrets.”
Oh God. A ride? On horseback? She wasn’t sure her muscles would be a fan of that again so soon. Heck, she wasn’t entirely sure she’d be able to stay on a horse today, as tight as everything felt.
“I told you she’d assume the worst,” Sam said to Madison, laughing. “We have four-wheelers, Natalie. Enough for each of us. No big scary horses required.”
Relief washed over her.
“Now you’re speaking my language. Those I can do.”
She invited them in, then hurried to snap her laptop shut and change her clothes. Those emails could wait; she’d only been checking her work inbox out of boredom. Though there was one at the bottom of the stack from her boss with an odd subject line. Something about a baby on the way.
Who the heck on their team was having a baby?
The minute she stepped outside into a gloriously sunny afternoon, the mystery email was quickly forgotten.
Natalie rode in the truck’s surprisingly spacious back seat, not wanting to disrupt the father-daughter time going on, despite both of their efforts to convince her to take the front seat.
Besides, it would also keep her from reaching across the center console to hold his hand—something they’d done quite a bit of yesterday after their beach time.
Plus, sitting behind Sam allowed her to talk ferret-sighting strategies with Madison.
By the time they got to the lodge and had the groceries unloaded, they’d devised a plan of attack.
The trio would start along the fencerow between the Miles and Nelson properties and follow it back half a mile or so, then turn and follow the Marietta River another half mile, turn near where Norah had seen a new beaver dam—Sam winked at her in the rearview mirror—and angle back toward the lodge.
According to Madison, that would encompass the majority of locations where she and her friends had seen the ferrets.
Soon they’d grabbed water bottles and snacks and were headed outside toward a large pole barn away from the stable and cow pens. She hadn’t been in that building before. Natalie was curious to see what all was stored inside.
“Going out to spy on the ferrets?” Eli called after them.
Natalie turned back, shielding her eyes from the sun. “We sure are! Want to join us?”
“Heck no—the lodge is quiet and I’ve got a pretty wife all to myself.” He waggled his brows. “But hold up, I’ve got something for you.”
Natalie looked to the others, who shrugged, just as clueless as she was. A minute later, Eli was shuffling toward them, holding something behind his back. As he came to a stop before her, he produced a ball cap with the Flying J’s logo stitched on its face.
“Can’t have you squinting into the sun all day,” he said, handing it to her. “It’ll give you wrinkles.”
Natalie blinked back a rush of emotion. He was so kind.
She took the hat and gave him a hug. “I love it. Thank you.”
“Oh, that’s not to keep. It’s the loaner we give all the city kids when they come to stay out here. But don’t worry, it should be clean. Mostly.” At her slight recoil, Eli burst into a full-blown belly laugh. “I’m just a’ joshin’ with you, Natalie girl. That hat is new and all yours.”
Natalie shook her head and laughed. He’d had her fooled for a moment and he knew it.