The Right Cowboy
Rebecca Winters
Righting the pastReclaiming his futureCole Hawkins has been keeping secrets for nine years – and made a promise to never share the truth. Now, almost a decade later, Cole is back in Wyoming: with every intention of reclaiming Tamsin Rayburn. When Tamsin’s family ranch is targeted by an arsonist, Cole wants to help catch the culprit. Can Tamsin give Cole a second chance ten years on…?
RIGHTING THE PAST
When Cole Hawkins left Whitebark, Wyoming, nine years ago, he couldn’t tell a soul the real reason why—not even the love of his life. It had killed him to keep secrets, but he’d made a promise to his father to never share the truth. Now after nearly a decade, Cole is back. And he has every intention of reclaiming Tamsin Rayburn.
When her family’s ranch is targeted by an arsonist, Cole, working for the local fire department, wants to help catch the culprit. Tamsin has moved on—but she’s conflicted when she sees Cole. Could she consider giving him a second chance? That is, if the truth behind why he left doesn’t break her heart all over again.
REBECCA WINTERS, whose family of four children has now swelled to include five beautiful grandchildren, lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the land of the Rocky Mountains. Living near canyons and high alpine meadows full of wildflowers, she never runs out of places to explore. They, plus her favorite vacation spots in Europe, often end up as backgrounds for her romance novels, because writing is her passion, along with her family and church.
Rebecca loves to hear from readers. If you wish to email her, please visit her website, www.cleanromances.net (http://www.cleanromances.net).
Also by Rebecca Winters
A Valentine for the Cowboy
Made for the Rancher
Cowboy Doctor
Roping Her Christmas Cowboy
The Texas Ranger’s Bride
The Texas Ranger’s Nanny
The Texas Ranger’s Family
Her Texas Ranger Hero
In a Cowboy’s Arms
A Cowboy’s Heart
The New Cowboy
A Montana Cowboy
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
The Right Cowboy
Rebecca Winters
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ISBN: 978-1-474-07745-3
THE RIGHT COWBOY
© 2018 Rebecca Winters
Published in Great Britain 2018
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
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www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To my darling hairdresser Alicia, who has
become a friend and has kept me looking great.
(Great as I can look.) The poor thing has had to
listen to some of my stories—which she has done
with patience— even though she just wanted a simple
sentence or two of explanation. Never ask a writer
what she’s been working on! If you want to hear some
of her brother’s terrific country-and-western music,
check out his website: www.jaredrogerson.com (http://www.jaredrogerson.com).
Contents
Cover (#uaf7344c5-ec89-5dfd-9406-8b844b88eadf)
Back Cover Text (#u5431beb0-de2e-5184-b1ba-3cb3df350958)
About the Author (#ua8d0a652-905a-5cc7-9c8d-f982a460e7a4)
Booklist (#u92905204-6c14-51dd-908b-3f86dd2ed6a8)
Title Page (#u19af7b81-8617-535d-94b7-9ea5baaefb8f)
Copyright (#u86f95376-5bf6-5520-88cf-5f9c4d86eaa1)
Dedication (#u0a7f45fb-1ec9-5da4-a3cc-0425688dd6b5)
Chapter One (#u9b1c8904-5cc8-5d73-a341-087f49e50e24)
Chapter Two (#u4a4a5661-fe00-58a3-bc29-14c1d2cf92bf)
Chapter Three (#ua5bf69dd-f64b-5030-b128-4d0d9c52adfc)
Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One (#u3fa36ed6-630f-5374-b8f2-241691c4b95a)
Tamsin Rayburn pulled in her parking space in front of Ostler Certified Accounting Firm in Whitebark, Wyoming. She was running late to get back to the ranch. Dean would be picking her up for dinner and she needed to hurry.
With her light chestnut hair swishing against her shoulders, she got out of the car and rushed through the reception area to her office. Her boss would be pleased to know she’d finished auditing the books for Beckstrand Drilling earlier than planned and could start on the Whitebark Hospital audit.
In her haste, she almost ran into Heather Jennings, a coworker who’d become a close friend over the last two years. It looked like everyone else had gone home. Smiling at her she said, “I’ve never needed a weekend more. How about you?”
Heather studied her for a moment with an anxious expression. “You don’t know, do you?”
She was being very mysterious. “Know what?”
“I’ve been hoping you would walk in here before I left. Now I’m almost afraid to tell you.”
“Heather—what’s wrong?”
Her friend drew in a deep breath. “There’s only one way to say this. Today I had lunch with Amy Paskett.” Amy was a girl Tamsin had known from high school who worked at Paskett’s feed store. “It turns out her father waited on Cole Hawkins this morning. Apparently he’s back in Whitebark for good.”
Tamsin grabbed the edge of her desk while her world whirled for a moment. “Wh-what did you say?” she stammered.
“I knew this would be hard for you to hear.”
Cole was home for good? The cowboy who’d left the state nine years ago, riding off with her heart?
The last time she’d seen him was at a distance when he’d come home for his father’s funeral six months ago. He’d been driving down the street in a friend’s truck, but he hadn’t seen her. Once the funeral was over, he’d left again.
Shock didn’t begin to describe what she was feeling. “How long has he been here?”
“I don’t know. That was all Amy said in passing. I’ve been waiting to tell you in case you hadn’t heard. If you hadn’t come, I would have phoned you.”
Tamsin looked at Heather, still reeling from the incredible news. “Thank you for being such a good friend.” Heather knew some of her past history with Cole, but not all.
“I’m not sure thanks is the right word.”
“Yes, it is.” She gave her a hug. “I’m grateful to have heard it from you first. Now at least I’m prepared should someone else tell me.”
“Look—I’ve got to go, but call me this weekend and we’ll talk.”
She nodded. “I’ll walk out with you.”
Tamsin waited while Heather locked up, then she hurried to her car. She was so shaken by what her friend had told her, she trembled all the way to her family’s ranch located two miles south of town.
There’d been an article in the Sublette Gazette four months ago about the rodeo legend Cole Hawkins being involved with a country singer from Colorado. It didn’t surprise Tamsin since he was a talented musician and songwriter himself. Maybe he’d married the woman and had brought her home to settle down.
If he were recently married, how would Tamsin be able to handle it, knowing she’d be seeing them coming and going?
After he’d left Wyoming, she’d worked through her sorrow day and night for several years to earn enough money to put herself through college. Once she’d finished her schooling, she’d spent the last four years throwing herself into her career as a CPA.
At twenty-seven she had dreams of opening up her own agency one day, and she’d been dating Dean Witcom, an amazing man. Their relationship had grown serious. Lately she was excited about where it was headed. He’d be a wonderful, devoted husband just like his brother Lyle who adored her sister.
Yet the mere mention of Cole—let alone that he was home to stay—sent stabbing pain through her as if it were only yesterday he’d said goodbye to her. She couldn’t bear it, not when she’d fought with everything in her power to put his memory behind her. If her sister Sally knew about Cole, she’d kept quiet about it.
Once Tamsin reached the ranch house, she felt a guilty pang when she saw that Dean’s truck with the Witcom-Dennison Oil Association logo was parked out in front. How could she be thinking about Cole when Dean was here waiting for her? What was wrong with her?
She drove around the back and rushed inside to find her sister. Sally and her husband, Lyle, who also worked at WDOA, were living temporarily at the ranch. They were probably in the living room talking to Dean while he passed the time until Tamsin got home. No one else was in the house. Their parents were on a vacation in Afton to visit extended family.
Dean had told her to get dressed up. Tamsin had the suspicion he’d planned something special. She’d been looking forward to it and had bought a new dress, but there was no way she could enjoy an evening with him tonight and pretend nothing was wrong.
“Sally?” She knocked on their bedroom door in case she was in there. The family’s golden retriever came running up to lick her. “Hey, Duke. Is Sally in there?” She rubbed the dog’s head.
Her pregnant younger sister opened the door, finishing pulling a loose-fitting top over her maternity jeans. “Tamsin—” She looked surprised to see her.
“I’m so glad you were in here.” Sally was the one person who knew everything about her heartbreak over Cole and had consoled her through the worst of those early days when she’d thought her life had ended.
“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Not a ghost.” She hugged her arms to her waist. “Cole’s back.”
Her sister’s eyes—sky blue like Tamsin’s—narrowed in disbelief. “Come on in.”
Tamsin stepped past her. Duke rushed in before Sally shut the door behind her. “You actually saw him?” The question revealed that her sister hadn’t known anything, either.
“I just came from work. Heather told me he’d been seen at Paskett’s feed store this morning. Do you think Lyle knows?”
“No. Otherwise he would have told me and I would have phoned you.” She put a hand on Tamsin’s arm. “Did you know Dean is here? Lyle’s out in the front room with him.”
Tamsin nodded. “I saw his truck, but I need time to recover from the shock. Ever since I started seeing your brother-in-law four months ago, I assured him there’d been no other man in my life for a long time. At this point I’m totally involved with him, but Dean’s not going to trust me if he finds out the real reason why I’m so upset tonight. I can’t believe how this news has affected me.”
“I can. Let’s face it. You never got over him.”
“Yes, I did!” she defended.
“Then why has this news caused you to lose all the color in your face?”
She lowered her head. “You’re exaggerating.”
“Look in the mirror.”
“I’m going to be fine.”
“I hope that’s true. As far as I’m concerned, Cole Hawkins made the biggest mistake of his life by walking away from you. He was a fool and never deserved you. What astounds me is that he still has the power to do this to you after being gone for so long. Don’t let him do this to you.” Her voice shook.
“You think I want to feel like this? Oh, Sally. What am I going to do? I guess this day had to come and I’ve made too much over it because—because I always wondered what it would be like to see him again. I just need tonight to put everything into perspective. Can you understand?”
“Of course I do.”
“Dean’s the man I care about now.”
“I know, and he’s so crazy about you it’s sickening.”
“Thanks.”
“You know what I mean. Look. Stay in here. I’ll go out and tell Dean you’ve come home with a migraine and will call him later.”
“I hate doing this to him, but there’s no way I can hide my reaction right now. I’m afraid it will show and ruin the evening he has planned. I’ll have to sleep on it. In the morning, everything will be all right. I’ll phone him and let him know I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be convincing.”
Tamsin hugged her sister who was only two years younger. Some people actually thought they were twins. “Thanks, Sally. What would I do without you?”
“I say that about you all the time. If you hadn’t been there championing me during my barrel racing days when I couldn’t get it together, I don’t know how I would have made it. I’ll be back in a minute and we’ll talk.” Duke followed her out the door.
* * *
COLE HAWKINS HAD only been asleep five hours Sunday night when the pager on the side table went off at ten after three in the morning. He shot out of bed and put on jeans and a T-shirt. After grabbing his keys, he hurried to the back porch of the ranch house to pull on his turnout gear. His Ford-350 diesel truck was parked nearby for a quick exit in the warm late-June air.
He climbed inside and headed for the fire station in Whitebark, three miles away. The small town of thirteen hundred people was nestled at the base of the Wind River Range of the Rocky Mountains, known as “The Winds” by those who’d been born and raised there like Cole.
Located in the west-central part of the state, the crest of the magnificent range silhouetted under tonight’s half-moon ran along the Continental Divide. Gannett Peak rose 13,804 feet, the highest in Wyoming. That image of home had been inscribed in Cole’s mind and heart forever, having grounded him during his nine years away.
During the time he’d been at the University of Colorado in Boulder to complete undergraduate and graduate school, he’d also managed to become a firefighter. After working his tail off, he was finally back in Whitebark, ready to get started on his career, and do something drastic about his aching heart.
There was only one woman in this world who could fix it. He knew Tamsin didn’t want to see him...not ever. But that was too damn bad because when he’d come home for his father’s funeral six months ago, he’d heard she wasn’t married yet. Now that he was back in Wyoming territory, he planned to stake his claim no matter how long it took.
More determined than he’d ever been in his life, Cole roared into town and drove around the back of the station to park. Grabbing his helmet, he ran through to the bay and climbed in the tender truck.
Wyatt Fielding, an old friend who’d done bull riding with him in high school, was driving. They took off with the blare of the siren and lights flashing. This baby held twenty-five hundred gallons of water; an accident could be disastrous. He grinned at Cole.
“It’s so great to have you back after all this time. I couldn’t believe it the other day when Chief Powell told us you’d signed on with the department here.”
“Only when I’m available. There’ll be times when I’m up in the mountains working.”
“Understood. I guess you realize you’re still a rodeo legend around these parts.”
“So were you.”
“That’s bull and you know it. I was never good enough to go on the circuit.”
“Well, those days are over for me, Wyatt. I’m just thankful to be home at last.”
“You and I have a lot of catching up to do, but we’ll have to do it later. A fire has broken out on the Circle R Ranch. The ladder truck already took off. Captain Durrant is waiting for us.”
Circle R... “You don’t mean Rayburn’s—”
“There’s only one Rayburn in Whitebark.”
Cole’s heart started to thud unmercifully. Tamsin Rayburn, the girl he’d come home for, if she was still living there. A fire had broken out on her family’s ranch? He couldn’t believe it. Maybe he was going to see her sooner than he’d planned, but fear seized him that she could be in danger.
While Wyatt took the turnoff for the ranch, Cole’s mind relived their history that went back to his senior year in high school when they’d fallen madly in love. But circumstances beyond his control had separated them. She’d stopped returning his letters and phone calls. She’d even changed her phone number.
When he did visit his father periodically during those years, he knew she wanted nothing to do with him. Until he was home for good, he couldn’t do anything about their situation.
Cole had only been back in Wyoming five days. His first responsibility lay with his family’s longtime friend and foreman, Sam Speakuna, and his wife, Louise. They were Arapahoes from the Northern Arapahoe reservation who’d come to work for his father early on. Over the years they’d spent part of the time in their apartment on the Hawkins’ ranch, and commuted to Lander where they had a home and could be with their family.
All the time Cole had been away, those two had shouldered the full responsibility of the ranch house and the crew of two wranglers who handled their herd of forty head of beef cattle. They were like family to him at this point. Now it was time to discuss their future and the future of the Hawkins’ small cattle ranch.
After a meeting with Fire Chief Owen Powell, who’d received Cole’s credentials from Colorado, he took him on board immediately. After his father’s funeral, Cole had talked to Chief Powell about the possibility of his coming on board when his time in Colorado was over.
The chief was overjoyed at the prospect, telling him Whitebark could never have enough firefighters. Cole knew that was true. It helped to know he would have a place in the department. It wasn’t just the extra income, but that sense of belonging he needed to feel after being away so long.
His own father had combined firefighting and ranching. Now that Cole was back, he’d honored his father’s wishes to follow in his footsteps and do his part for the community, too. But he’d hardly had a chance to catch his breath before the pager had awakened him tonight.
The Circle R lay outside Whitebark at the other end of town. Cole had been there many times before in the past saying good-night to Tamsin. He could have found it blindfolded. Tonight he could see flames shooting up in the sky from the barn before they even drove in.
When they arrived, Cole heard quiet pandemonium and horses squealing. A mob of ranch hands had assembled. They were rescuing the animals and leading them toward the paddock in the distance. His eyes searched frantically for Tamsin but saw no sign of her or her parents. Maybe she wasn’t even here.
While the guys on the ladder truck were working the hoses, the captain signaled Wyatt to go to the other end of the barn. As they drove around, Cole whistled. “Somebody left an old wooden work ladder against that window. My gut tells me an arsonist has been at work.”
“I think you’re right.”
The second Wyatt parked the truck, they both jumped out and started pumping water. Their job was to put out any new spots of flames shooting up through the boards. Black smoke was curling out from the seams.
After a few minutes, everything looked under control from their side. They turned off the pump and racked the hoses before driving around to the front of the barn. A couple of the crew were inside looking for hot spots.
Captain Durrant worked as incident commander. He and another fire department official walked over to him and Wyatt. “It’s good to have you aboard, Cole.”
“I’m glad to be here, sir.”
“Call me Jeff. This is Commissioner Rich, head of the arson squad.”
The older man nodded to Cole. “Did you see anything that caught your attention around the other side?”
“There’s an old work ladder propped by the window. We figured the arsonist used it to either get in, or climb up on the roof and make a hole to whip up the speed and intensity of blaze. Evidently he didn’t have time to hide it.”
“Good.” The commissioner eyed Wyatt. “Do you have anything else to add?”
“Yes. The black smoke indicates an accelerant was used. I couldn’t smell it around the side, but I can smell gasoline fumes here.” The barn had become an unusable disaster.
“There’s been a series of ranch fires that have broken out in Sublette County over the last three months,” the older man informed them. “Not all have been the same and we haven’t been able to solve the logic of them yet, but every bit of information helps. Thanks for the creditable information. It ties in with the forensics evidence on these other cases that an accelerant was used.”
After he walked away to do his own inspection, Cole turned to the captain. “I used to know the people who live here. Where are they?”
“Howard Rayburn and his wife are out of town. Apparently their dog started barking and woke up the other members of the family. They’re probably with the horses. I believe their son-in-law, Lyle Witcom, called 911.”
Cole reeled. “Did you say son-in-law?”
“Yes. He’s married to one of their daughters.”
Maybe his information about Tamsin had been wrong. Please God, let it be her younger sister, Sally. The very thought of it being the woman who’d always had a stranglehold on his heart shook him to the core of his being.
Before he lost his grip, he said, “Their horses are going to need a new home until this barn is rebuilt. The barn on my ranch has room for six more horses. I could drive home and bring my rig to transport them.”
“I have no idea what arrangements they plan to make, but I’ll let them know of your generous offer.”
Before Cole could say anything else, another member of the crew called to Jeff, diverting his attention. Cole turned to Wyatt. “While we walk around the barn again to find more hot spots, tell me which Rayburn sister is married. Do you know?”
Wyatt eyed him curiously. “It’s Sally. She married Lyle Witcom last year.”
With that news Cole was able to breathe again. Everything about this unexpected night had him so tied up in knots he was losing his concentration.
They started another inspection. After twenty minutes they finished examining the exterior of the barn, looking for any evidence that could help identify the arsonist.
“If this guy loves to set fires to watch things burn up for the hell of it, he got careless here.”
“Something must have frightened him off,” Cole murmured. “If there’ve been a lot of fires lately, I’m thinking this freak has a definite agenda and that means he needs help to coordinate these raids. I’d be willing to bet he’s doing this with a bunch of guys out for some kind of revenge.”
Wyatt flashed him a glance. “For what reason?”
“Fire bugs don’t need much to go on a rampage. I saw it over in Colorado. The motive in that case had to do with a group trying to intimidate a legislator on the marijuana issue. They were caught and brought up on criminal charges, but not before a lot of damage was done to his property and he spent time in the hospital.”
“Incredible.” They waved to the guys on the ladder truck who were cleaning up. “Shall we go back to the station?”
“Give me a minute, Wyatt. I’ll be right back.”
Cole broke into a run as he headed for the corral where he could see some hands gentling the horses. A little closer now, he glimpsed the woman he’d been searching for rubbing her horse’s forelock. Her back was toward him. The ponytail looked painfully familiar.
The blood pounded in his ears. “Tamsin?” he called to her.
She turned around, causing his second shock for the night because it was her sister in the last stages of pregnancy who faced him, not Tamsin.
The last time Cole had seen Sally, she’d been sixteen and had just ridden in the local teen rodeo. But her disappointing marks had devastated her and she’d cried against Tamsin’s shoulder. Both sisters bore a strong resemblance to each other and had been touchingly devoted.
“Do I know you?”
Whoa. With his five-o’clock shadow and helmet, she obviously didn’t recognize him. Or maybe she did and pretended not to. Probably the latter since he knew she had no love for him. He removed his helmet.
Her features tightened as she studied him. “So the rumors really are true. The great rodeo legend who rode off chasing his dreams is back and working as a firefighter, no less. Who would have thought? If you turn your head, you’ll see my sister—she’s right over there.” Her eyes narrowed. “You just can’t help yourself, can you? But if you approach her, you do it at your own peril.”
Sally turned back to her horse.
A kick in the gut from a wild mustang couldn’t have been more debilitating than her warning. But he shouldn’t really be surprised when he knew the girls had been each other’s best friend all their lives.
Without saying another word, he looked around and saw Tamsin talking to one of the stockmen while she patted her horse’s neck. He walked closer to her, holding the helmet under his arm.
The unremarkable jeans and T-shirt she must have put on when the alarm sounded only emphasized the gorgeous mold of her body and long legs.
First light had already crept across the sky. That pink tone added a tint to her skin and highlighted the shape of the delectable mouth he’d dreamed of kissing and tasting every night.
Her hair hung to her shoulders. He picked out the streaks of gold among the light chestnut sheen no artificial color could improve upon. Once again her natural beauty took his breath.
Maybe she heard his quickly indrawn breath because her eyes suddenly swerved to his. Though she made no motion of any kind, he could sense the stiffening of her body.
“I’m sorry about the fire, Tamsin, but I’m happy to see all your horses are safe. If you need a place to stall them for a while, I have space in my barn and will transport them for you. I’ve already informed the captain. All you have to do is say the word and I’ll be back to load them within the hour.”
“Thank you,” she said through wooden lips. “We’ve already had three offers and my brother-in-law is taking care of the arrangements as we speak.”
“Tamsin—” He said her name again, but by now another man with brown hair wearing chinos and a polo shirt had come running into the corral and threw possessive arms around her as if she belonged to him. Cole watched her melt against his body. She’d obviously done it before and buried her face against his shoulder.
If this was the kind of peril Sally had been talking about, then Cole got the point. It was more like he’d been run through by Tamsin’s twelve-foot lance on the field of battle. He turned away and walked back to the burned barn where Wyatt was waiting for him.
The ladder truck had already started back to town. Cole climbed in the tender truck and they took off. His body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.
Wyatt flashed him a side glance. “Are you all right?”
“I don’t know. Ask me in the morning.”
“It already is morning.”
So it was.
“Do you want to stop for coffee and doughnuts at Hilda’s?”
No, but he knew Wyatt wanted to. “Sure. I could use both. Does this mean you don’t have a wife at home who will fix your breakfast when you get there?”
“What woman would that be?”
Cole actually chuckled. “Amen to that. You’ve just described my life, Wyatt. A half hour ago I was warned that if I approached the woman I was looking for, I had to do it at my own peril. That turned out to be true, unfortunately.”
“You’re talking about Tamsin. I remember back in high school when you two were so close during our senior year, I couldn’t imagine that changing.”
“At the time, I couldn’t, either. Now we live in separate universes.”
“So that’s why you came back to the truck looking like one of the walking dead.”
“Thanks.”
“Hey—have you taken a good look at me? We could be brothers. Welcome to the club. We’re great at wrangling steers, herding sheep or fighting fires. Give us any task, but get us around a woman and we just don’t know how to do it right.”
“You said a mouthful.”
“I don’t mean you, specifically, Cole. I’ve been a mess for a long time and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. There are more guys like us in the department. Take Porter Ewing, who’s a recent transfer with the forest service from New York. He swings in when needed. The dude’s convinced there’s no woman alive who would want him.”
Cole laughed out loud despite the pain of seeing Tamsin in that other guy’s arms. He’d always liked Wyatt. His sense of humor was a welcome balm to the horrific experience he’d just lived through. Only one thing saved him from oblivion. She wasn’t married yet.
Welcome home, Cole.
Chapter Two (#u3fa36ed6-630f-5374-b8f2-241691c4b95a)
While some of the hands stayed with the horses in the paddock, Dean walked Tamsin back to the house with his arm around her shoulders. “Thank God none of you were hurt. When Lyle phoned me, I was terrified that the ranch house might have caught fire, too.”
“But it didn’t, and I’m fine.” She appreciated his trying to comfort her over the loss of the barn. Naturally she was thankful they’d gotten the horses out in time. But he had no clue what a traumatic night this had turned out to be when she saw all six foot two of Cole Hawkins walk toward her.
He was a firefighter? She was incredulous.
Was he out of his mind after the horrific fire in the Winds nine years ago?
Her best friend Mandy had lost her father in that fire. Tamsin had loved her dad. She and Cole had gone to his funeral. Everyone was grief-stricken over the loss. Eleven other firefighters from their county alone had been trapped and killed in the blaze that had brought other firefighters from around the country to fight it.
Maybe she’d been hallucinating.
But no... When she’d opened her eyes again, there he’d been. In cowboy hat and boots or firefighter gear, no man could touch his dark blond masculine beauty. He was an outstanding athlete with a rock-hard body that made him a breed apart. Over the years that he’d been gone and all the dates with other guys, his image had always gotten in the way. Damn, damn him.
For him to have stood there now with a quiet authority while he offered his barn for their horses—the first words she’d heard him speak in years, as if there’d been no separation or pain—she’d surprised herself that she could respond to him at all. When Dean came running up to her, she’d clung to him because she’d thought she was going to faint. Thank Heaven he’d attributed her state of mind to the fire while she watched Cole walk away on his powerful legs.
Of course it had been frightening to see flames shooting up from the barn, but they’d soon gotten the horses out and the firefighters had come. The shudders she was experiencing now had their roots in coming face-to-face with Cole, knowing he made his living by walking into danger.
The teenage guy she’d fallen crazy in love with existed no more. In nine years he’d turned into a breathtaking man who’d come home a firefighter. She couldn’t comprehend this new image of him. It meant his life could be snuffed out at any moment.
When she and Dean walked in the kitchen, they heard Lyle on the phone making final arrangements for the horses. He’d fixed coffee for them, but one look at Sally’s drawn pale face while she drank some bottled water worried Tamsin. Duke stood guard.
“Excuse me for a minute, Dean.” She eased herself away from him and put a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “Come on, Sally. You need to get back to bed. There’s been too much excitement and I’m sure it has raised your blood pressure.”
“Okay.”
At Sally’s six-month checkup, the doctor had said he wanted her to lie down part of every day until she delivered. At that point, their mom had asked her and Lyle to stay at the ranch until the baby was born, where she could be waited on while Lyle was at work. So Sally and Lyle had given up their apartment in town, with plans to move into another one after the baby was born.
Tamsin walked Sally to their bedroom and Duke followed. She waited for her to emerge from the bathroom in her nightgown. Once she got in bed, Tamsin sat down next to her. Duke plopped down at her feet.
“How are you feeling? I have half a mind to call Dr. Ward.”
“No, don’t do that. I’m fine now. Duke woke us all up in time. He’s a hero.”
Tamsin smiled down at the dog. “He sure is. I almost had a heart attack when I looked out the window and saw the flames. It sounds like Roy next door will be letting us board our horses at his place until we get the barn rebuilt. We’re so lucky.”
Her sister stared at her with unswerving intensity. “I agree, but I’m afraid you’re the one I’m worried about now. You’re so pale.”
She couldn’t pretend with Sally. “I admit I’ve been a mess since I heard the news Cole was back. But seeing him tonight in firefighter gear gave me another shock.”
“Don’t you mean seeing him in the flesh? That expression took on new meaning for me tonight, too. He’s really something. Did I ever tell you I used to have a crush on him?”
Tamsin smiled without mirth. “You and everyone else. What helps me is knowing that he’s either married or getting close to marrying that singer I read about in the Sublette Gazette a few months ago.”
“I saw him talk to you. What did he say?”
She sucked in her breath. “As calm as a hot summer day, he said he’d be happy to board our horses. He even offered to bring his rig over and load them.”
Sally gripped her hand. “What did you say back?”
“Don’t worry, sister dear. I learned my lesson a long time ago. As Dean was coming toward me, I told Cole that arrangements had already been made. You have no idea the joy I felt to shove the offer in that good-looking face of his before he walked away.”
Her sister took another drink of water. “I don’t get it. I thought he rode the circuit to make money because he was the hotshot bull rider and wanted the fame. All that pain he caused you when he could have stayed right here and become a firefighter... What was the point?”
“To get away from me, of course,” Tamsin murmured. Nothing else made sense. The circuit meant being surrounded by women who would idolize him. Why would he stay in Whitebark? Tamsin had been such a fool, and what a consummate liar he’d turned out to be!
The letters she’d stopped reading and the phone messages she wouldn’t listen to were tokens of his supposed guilt. What a joke! It sickened her. Sally spoke the truth. He could have stayed here to become a firefighter. But no. He had to strive for fame and glory. She’d never have thought he was that type of man back when they were dating.
“I don’t want to talk about him. Married to some singing celebrity or not, free to do whatever he wants, he’s been out of my life for nine years. Compared to Dean...” She shook her head. “I’ve got my own life to think about, and I’m furious I’ve spent one more minute thinking about him. You know?”
“I believe you.”
Tamsin smiled sadly at her sister. “No, you don’t, but I’m going to prove you wrong.”
“Where are you going?”
“To talk to Dean. Try to get some more sleep, Sally. I’ll see you later.”
“Okay.”
Duke stayed by her sister while Tamsin walked through to the kitchen. “Your wife is comfortable now, Lyle. She’s going to catch up on some sleep.”
“Good.” He looked relieved and had made breakfast. She joined them at the table. “Dean’s going to help me load the horses to take over to the Ingram ranch.”
“I’m going to help you, too. It’ll go a lot faster. Did you phone Dad?”
He nodded. “Sally and I did it together earlier. They’re coming home today. We talked about whom to hire to start rebuilding the barn.”
“How upset was he?”
“Your father believes it’s someone working for the forest service who has a grudge against the government and some of their policies. Your dad has seen this behavior before. A few crazies out there try to take the law into their own hands and start fires. In your father’s case, they want him to stop allowing his cattle to graze on forest land even though he has the legal right.”
“That’s horrible.” She looked at Dean. “Do you think Dad’s insurance will cover the arson damage completely?”
“I’d have to take a look at the policy.”
“When the police catch the man who did this, I hope he goes to prison for the rest of his life!”
On that note, they finished eating. Lyle got up from the table first. “While I go in and check on Sally, will you find the keys to the horse trailer rig? Then we’ll start loading the horses.”
Tamsin nodded. “They’re in Dad’s study. I’ll get them. Be right back.” She hurried through the house and got the keys out of his desk. When she returned to the kitchen, Dean was loading the dishwasher.
“You don’t need to be washing our dishes.”
He turned his attractive head in her direction. “What if I want to?”
Dean was that kind of guy and so rock solid. She could never find a better man who would always be there for her. Loving him for those qualities, she walked over and gave him a hug.
“You’ve done enough. Let’s go load the horses.”
He kissed her thoroughly before they left the house. For the last month he’d wanted to take their relationship to a more intimate level. Tamsin had held back, but for the life of her she couldn’t understand why. He was a terrific man and had been so understanding the other night about breaking their date.
Because he and Lyle were brothers, he was over at the ranch a lot. The cozy situation threw the four of them together all the time. She and Dean didn’t have enough privacy. Maybe that needed to change. Not for the first time had she thought about getting her own apartment.
What was she waiting for? Seeing Cole again made her realize she’d been living in a deep freeze while he was out having the time of his life. It was time to do something about it.
The more she thought about it, the more she realized she needed her independence. It was long past time Tamsin lived on her own. She’d stayed around her family too long. They’d been there for her after Cole had ridden out of her life, helping her to recover. And she’d gone along allowing it to continue.
She’d saved enough money to get a place of her own. With the horses having to be boarded for at least a couple of months away from the ranch, now would be the time to leave. Her family could wait on Sally.
Once Tamsin was on her own, maybe she would discover just how in love she was with Dean. It was time to find out. After seeing Cole again, all she knew was that she needed perspective to get her head on straight. His arrival in town seemed to have served as a wakeup call, pulling her out of a deep sleep.
All this and more ran through her head while she and Dean helped Lyle load the horses from the paddock and drive them to their new temporary location. Before the day was over, she planned to get online and see what housing rentals were available. The sooner the better.
Two hours later, they’d accomplished their objective. Tamsin did everything in her power to make the horses comfortable in their temporary home, especially her mare Flossie. While she fed her some treats, Dean put his arm around her shoulders.
“You love her the way some people love their children.”
She chuckled. “I guess I do.”
He turned her around. “Last night I almost lost it when I thought you might have been hurt in that fire. It’s all I’ve been able to think about.” With that admission he gave her another long kiss she welcomed.
“I was so thankful you came over when you did!”
“I never want to be separated from you. I wish I didn’t have to leave now, but I have an important meeting at work. I’ll call you later and we’ll get together tonight.”
“I’d like that.” She meant it. Cole had come home and she’d survived seeing him again. But it was Dean she cared about now and she wanted to show him.
* * *
AT EIGHT O’CLOCK Tuesday morning Cole walked into the fire station wearing jeans and one of his long-sleeved denim shirts. He’d been getting ready to go to work on his new job when Chief Powell summoned him to attend an emergency meeting.
When he entered the conference room, he saw a large group of firefighters assembled plus Chief Powell and Commissioner Rich, head of the arson unit. Other men had been called in, too, several of whom wore police uniforms.
Wyatt sat in one corner and signaled to Cole, who joined him in the empty seat next to him. “What’s going on with the big confab?”
“I guess we’re going to find out.”
Another couple of guys walked in the room and found a seat before Chief Powell got to his feet. “Gentlemen? Thanks for coming on such short notice. We’ve had a serious arson problem here in Sublette County for the past three months. Commissioner Rich, the head of the Arson Task Force, has called a meeting of all of us for help. As I read your names, will you please stand?
“Whitebark Police Chief Holden Granger—
“Director Arnie Blunt of the Wyoming State Fire Services Department—
“Norm Selkirk, head of Sublette County Law Enforcement—
“Orson Perone, regional head of Wyoming forestry that includes fire prevention—
“Thank you, gentlemen. Now I’d like to turn over the meeting to Commissioner Rich.”
The sixtyish-looking, sandy-haired man got to his feet. “I’ve been interviewing the owners of the other ranches who’ve been hit with fires in the last three months. I’ve just come from interviewing the owner of the Circle R Ranch, Howard Rayburn, the latest victim in this rash of fires. It happened just two days ago.
“He wasn’t home at the time, but he believes he’s being targeted for using forest land to let his cattle graze there despite his legal right. Occasionally someone comes out of the woodwork upset over this practice. He’s seen it before.”
Cole bowed his head. The memory of those few painful moments with Tamsin in the paddock were still too fresh not to be affected by what he was hearing.
“What I’d like is to get an opinion from each of you, especially the crew from this station who fought the fire the other night. Anything you tell us in this meeting could be valuable no matter how insignificant you think it might be.
“Before I call on you one at a time, I’ll pass out a map that shows the location of each fire and read the list I’ve compiled of what we know about them. In all cases, a ranch was targeted.”
Once the maps were distributed, he began talking. While Cole listened, he kept studying the areas of Sublette County where the fires had been set and thought he saw a pattern in their locations. His mind kept harkening back to something his mentor had explained in detail during the last year of his graduate studies.
“They were all started in the middle of the night with no witnesses, and an accelerant was used every time,” the commissioner explained.
“Eight fires were set inside the fencing that holds the stacked hay bales. None were locked. No lightning was involved.
“The other two were set inside barns where it was estimated that the large fire load of hay inside the barn must have been burning twenty to thirty minutes before it was detected. The electrical wiring and all other potential accidental causes of the fires have been ruled out and no lightning was involved.
“The public outcry is mandating a response to solve these crimes despite the availability of only circumstantial evidence. These fires have now become a priority for the criminal justice system. We’re preparing a flier to distribute to every rancher in the county. They need to be alerted to the impending danger to their property and figure out ways to safeguard it.
“We’re hoping those warnings will make a difference, but we need to pick the brains of you men who fight these fires every day. Your instincts could help to save lives and millions of dollars. Why don’t we go around the back row first and get your opinions? Please state your name and tell us how long you’ve been with the department.”
Cole heard a lot of grudge theories, but nothing specific. When it came to his turn, he got to his feet. “I’m Cole Hawkins. I grew up right here in Whitebark and went to college in Boulder, Colorado. While I was studying, I also trained to become a firefighter with the Boulder Fire Department. I planned to come home to the ranch after graduation and combine my work with firefighting the way my dad did.”
He looked at the commissioner. “When you were giving the statistics, I was curious to know if this kind of an outbreak with this same set of circumstances is unique to this year only.”
The older man shook his head. “We saw this happen last year to six ranches, but this year’s number of outbreaks has increased and summer isn’t over.”
“Were the fires set at the same time of year last year?”
“Come to think of it, yes, around the end of April and running through August.”
“If you had a map of last year’s locations of fires, where would they be?”
He stared at Cole. “I’m not sure.”
Chief Powell broke in. “I’ll get on the computer right now and we’ll find out.” Within minutes he had the answer. “All of them were near the Winds.”
Cole got excited. “Then that cycle fits with the fire locations on the map you just handed out to us. Notice that every ranch targeted this year and last is close to the Bridger Wilderness.”
At this point he’d caught everyone’s attention.
“There’s a war going on between the ranchers hunting the elk coming down from the mountain onto their property, and the ranchers who are against elk hunting.”
“Go on,” the commissioner urged him.
“Years ago, the elk in the snow country came down to the desert to find food, hay particularly. They ate in the cattle feed grounds where the cattle carried brucellosis disease that caused the cattle to abort. It was transferred to the elk. By the 1930s, calves were dying and humans started getting sick with undulant fever, until pasteurization came along. It’s been a battle ever since to eradicate the disease.
“You want a reason for these fires? I believe they’ve been set to warn the ranchers allowing the hunting. The conservationists want the elk rerouted down to the desert in different migration paths that don’t come into contact with the cattle feed lines so the disease won’t spread.
“But other ranchers want to bring in the big game hunters who pay a lot of money for the elk hunt. With the hay left out and exposed, the elk are lured to the ranches, thus ensuring plenty of elk for a good hunt. A lot of hay could feed a thousand cattle a day, and the elk, too.”
“How do you know so much about this?”
“When I was young, my father used to complain about the brucellosis disease that caused cattle to abort. He hoped that one day it would be eradicated. By the time I went to college, I decided to go into that field and ended up getting my master’s to be a brucellosis ecologist.
“I learned that some cattle brought into the States by early European settlers carried this disease. In my role as an ecologist, we’re trying to manage the disease and lower it in the elk herds so it’s less likely to spill over into cattle.”
Orson Perone stood up. “Mr. Hawkins is absolutely right about this. A few years ago there was a small town near the Owl Creek Mountains where the elk had spread disease to a local cattle herd. The fish and game had to depopulate the herd. This caused the ranchers to go bankrupt and the pattern is still the same today. Unfortunately it made for bad relations.”
The commissioner looked at Cole. “So it’s your contention that there’s a group of cattle ranchers sending messages to the ranchers who allow elk hunting to stop luring the elk with hay, and they’re resorting to arson to make their point.”
Cole nodded. “It makes sense to me considering that all sixteen fires were set in an attempt to destroy the hay as soon as it’s harvested.”
A collective silence filled the room. The older man smiled at Cole. “Well, aren’t we glad you came back home and joined our fire department? I think you’re really on to something here.”
“I know he is.” Holden Granger had gotten to his feet. “I was born and raised in Cody, Wyoming, before I moved here. Our family’s ranch suffered a loss of cattle from that disease when I was young. No one ever established a link with the diseased elk that often came to the cattle feed grounds from the Absaroka Mountains.”
At this point Chief Powell took over. “Now that we’ve been educated, we’ll explain about the disease in the warning fliers and have them ready by next Monday. By hand or through the mail we’ll make certain they’re distributed to all the ranchers, urging them to take emergency precautions to ward off the arsonists plaguing parts of Sublette County.”
“Excellent,” Holden commented. “With this information, I’m going to get together with the county prosecutor. With the cooperation of Norm and Orson, particularly, we can start making lists of ranchers who’ve never applied for hunting licenses or permits. I’d like to know when and where this group of arsonists meets. That means we’ll need a warrant from the judge.
“Setting fires isn’t the solution to eradicating the disease. We’ll canvas every store that sells accelerants. This is only the beginning.” He nodded to Cole. “I’d like to talk to you alone. When you have time, drop by the police station.”
“If you want, I’ll come now because I’ll be leaving for the mountains on my job as soon we’re finished and be gone four days.”
“Then come with me.”
Cole turned to Wyatt. “I’ll see you when I get back.”
“I plan on it.”
Everyone shook Cole’s hand before he left with the sheriff. But he was weighed down with worry because Tamsin’s father had been targeted and it could happen again before the summer was over. He needed to talk to her and warn her, but he’d have to do that when he got back.
While he was packing his gear to leave for the mountains, he got a text from Patsy Janis.
Call me ASAP. I’ve got big news.
Cole shook his head. He’d only been home five days and already she couldn’t leave him alone. She never gave up. He’d met the good-looking local country singer two years ago in Colorado at a concert in Boulder. He’d grown up on country music, playing the guitar and composing his own songs. Early on he’d made certain to sign up with ASCAP to get his songs copyrighted.
Patsy had a lot of talent and was featured weekends at a local club near the campus with lots of college students and wannabe musicians who got together to jam. It was definitely his kind of place and a great outlet when he’d had a surfeit of studying and needed to get away from it for a little while.
She’d found out he composed music, too, and coaxed him to let her sing some of his songs. Pretty soon, he was accompanying her on his guitar while she sang his tunes for their enthusiastic audience. Everyone wanted to hear more.
Little by little, she encouraged him to do a few recordings at the studio with her just for fun. It wasn’t long before they’d recorded two albums.
But he could see where this togetherness was leading when she invited him to her apartment one night after a session. He wasn’t into Patsy that way and had to tell her as much. Tamsin had ruined him for other women.
“I hate your honesty, Cole Hawkins,” she said with a bitterness in her tone. “So, ‘Stranglehold on My Heart’ was about her?” He nodded. “In fact all the songs you’ve written about the woman with the bluebell eyes were about her, right?”
“Yes. I fell in love with her years ago, and never fell out. I’m sorry, Patsy.”
“So am I.” Her pain sounded real. “You and I make great music together and could earn a lot of money. I could see a future for the two of us on the road.”
“That’s your dream, but I’m a cowboy at heart. I thought you knew that. I traveled around the country on the circuit, but the truth is, I miss home.”
“And the girl you’re still hung up on?” He frowned at her persistence. “When are you going to do something about her?”
“Just as soon as I get home next week.”
“You’re leaving that soon?”
He nodded.
“What if she doesn’t feel the same way about you anymore?”
He didn’t want to think about that possibility. “That’s something I plan to find out.”
“Would you hate me if I told you I hope it doesn’t work out? You and I could be so good together if you’d give us a chance, Cole. I thought you realized I’m in love with you.”
“We both love making music and have that in common, but I never saw it as anything else.”
“Not ever?” she questioned.
“I was always in love with Tamsin, but you have to know I didn’t mean to hurt you. All along I’ve been convinced you’re on your way to the big time in Nashville and I couldn’t be happier for you. You have an amazing talent.”
“So you’re going to walk out on me without even a hug or kiss goodbye?”
“Of course I’ll give you a hug, and I’ll be listening to you on the radio. Call me when you want to talk shop. Good luck, Patsy, but you don’t need it.” He gave her a warm kiss on her cheek and left the apartment. Right now only one person was on his mind. Cole’s need to be with Tamsin was consuming him.
Chapter Three (#u3fa36ed6-630f-5374-b8f2-241691c4b95a)
By Friday, Tamsin had found a furnished one-bedroom apartment in town that suited her just fine. She took the day off from work to get settled in. Her parents were great about it when she talked to them. They’d probably wondered why a move like this hadn’t happened a long time ago. But she urged them to say nothing to Sally or Lyle.
Her sister had been resting while Tamsin had made half a dozen trips to her car with her things. She would tell her and Lyle she’d found an apartment after she’d settled in. The last person she wanted to know about her plans was Dean. She wanted to get everything done and then surprise him with a homemade dinner once she told him her new address.
When he called to make arrangements for Friday night, she told him she’d be working late and hoped they could have dinner on Saturday night instead. There were still things she had to do to get ready.
Though he’d said that would be fine, she sensed he wasn’t happy about having to wait until Saturday. But she’d make it up to him when he realized what she’d done.
At 10:30 p.m., she drove to the all-night grocery store a few blocks away to pick up some batteries for her remotes and some sodas. Then she was going to kick back on the couch and watch an old movie while she hung a few pictures and put books away in the bookcase.
As she was pulling a pack of colas from the refrigerated section, her gaze collided with a pair of brown eyes smoldering beneath a black Stetson.
Her breath caught to see Cole, who’d just reached for a pack of root beer to put in the cart with some other groceries, including a quart of vanilla ice cream.
Root beer floats. One of those treats they’d whipped up on many a weekend their senior year. He still loved them, apparently.
For a moment she was attacked by memories of those times when they couldn’t stay out of each other’s arms. For a moment she was blinded by the way his body filled out a pair of well-worn jeans and a crew neck brown shirt. Somehow he seemed a little taller in his cowboy boots than she’d remembered. Had he grown another inch?
The other night she’d noticed he wore his dark blond wavy hair a little shorter than he used to. There were more lines around his eyes. His compelling mouth looked a little harder. All in all, he was a gorgeous twenty-seven-year-old man. And she was staring at him, something she’d sworn she would never do if she saw him again. But she’d been caught doing it now.
To see the grown-up version of Cole in firefighter gear or otherwise sent an unwanted thrill of excitement through her body. She couldn’t suppress it, no matter how hard she tried.
Tamsin guessed he was a disease she’d caught years ago. It had lived inside her all this time. What haunted her was the possibility that there was no cure. That was why she was making changes in her life. A new place to live with more privacy for her and Dean.
Cole’s return to Whitebark was putting her through a refiner’s fire. Her greatest fear was that Dean get trapped in it or hurt by it. When he came to her apartment for dinner tomorrow night, she would tell him some things about her relationship with Cole she’d kept private so Dean would understand.
Even if he’d been told a little about her history with Cole through his brother who would’ve learned it from Sally, Dean needed to hear certain details from Tamsin herself.
For the time being she didn’t know where their relationship would end up. But she was hoping that living on her own, she would now have the breathing room to figure out her life. If she ended up with Dean, she wanted it to be with her whole heart and no reservations.
“I’m glad we bumped into each other.” Cole’s low voice filtered through her turmoil to her brain. “It has saved me from having to find you.”
To her horror she almost sighed in relief to see that he didn’t wear a ring. Did it mean he wasn’t married yet?
“Why would you have to do that?” she asked, trying to fight off the effect he was having on her.
His eyes narrowed between his darker lashes. “To warn you and your family that the arsonists who set fire to your barn will probably set fire to your haystacks before the summer is over.”
She frowned. “You honestly think it will happen again?”
He nodded. “I was in a big conference on Tuesday with state officials. We’re pretty certain why ranchers like your father have been targeted.”
“Why my father?”
“He has always allowed hunting on his property in the fall. There’s a contingent of ranchers who want to ban the elk hunters, but since they can’t stop them legally, they’ve resorted to arson on the lands where they hunt.”
Tamsin still didn’t understand. “But Dad isn’t the only rancher who allows it.”
“That’s true. So far in the last two years, sixteen ranches near the Bridger Wilderness that have allowed elk hunting have undergone losses by these arsonists.”
“What’s wrong with elk hunting?”
“Nothing, as long as the elk aren’t transmitting brucellosis disease to the cattle when they both come to feed at the same feeding grounds. The bailed hay on your father’s property, both fenced and in the barn, invites the elk to come. In my line of work, we’re dedicated to eradicating the disease.”
What line of work was he talking about? He was a firefighter!
She blinked. “Isn’t that the disease that causes calves to abort?” He nodded. “How do you know so much about it?”
“I received my master’s degree in environmental wildlife at the University of Colorado in Boulder. But my technical title is a brucellosis-feed-ground-habitat biologist, and my specific job is to test the elk for the disease. I also work for the fire department here if I’m not up in the mountains tracking elk.”
Tamsin was stunned by what he’d just told her. She was having trouble taking it all in. All this time she’d accused him in her heart of going off to be a famous rodeo celebrity.
“These arsonists want the elk to migrate down the mountains away from the ranches. But the lure of the hay makes it impossible. There’s a group of men so serious about stopping this, they’ve been willing to commit crimes like the one on your property in order to make their point.”
She put a hand to her throat. “Is this happening all over Wyoming?”
“In parts where a ranch that allows elk hunting is located near a range of mountains. As you’ve found out firsthand, these men are endangering the lives of people and horses. After we put out the fire, I looked for you to tell you of the danger when I saw Sally. Her being pregnant makes her even more vulnerable in a situation like this and I’m afraid it’s not going to stop.”
His prediction increased Tamsin’s fear, but she fought not to show it. “I had no idea you’d been in college all this time besides becoming a firefighter. How amazing that you know so much about what has been going on around here. How long have you been back in Whitebark?”
Here she was, asking him questions when she’d promised herself she would never show him the slightest interest. Never again.
“I’d been home five days when I was called out on the fire at your father’s ranch.”
Only five? “Where did you get your firefighter training?”
“In Boulder while I was in graduate school.”
Her eyes widened. “So you did both while you were there.”
“Yes. When I left the ranch nine years ago, I was honoring a promise to my father that was ironclad.”
“What promise was that?”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about the reason I had to leave. A reason my father wouldn’t let anyone know about. Even on his deathbed he swore me to secrecy.”
That revelation only deepened her pain. He didn’t give her an explanation then, and wouldn’t be giving it to her now. “What about your ranch?”
“It’s still here. I’m managing with the help of Sam and Louise. You remember them?”
“Yes.” Of course, she did. But how on earth could he handle everything? All this time she’d thought he’d been with that country singer, planning a new life with her. How wrong could she have been? Or maybe not. Already he’d shot her peace of mind to pieces. Before she left the store, she needed one more bit of information.
“An article about you in the Sublette Gazette a few months ago indicated you were involved with a country singer. Are you—”
“Patsy Janis you mean?” He cut her off. “We did a few records together. She wanted me to stay in Colorado, make records and marry her. But I told her I wanted to go home. I take it you’re involved with the man who threw his arms around you the night of the fire.”
Without thinking, she said the first thing to come into her head. “That was Dean Witcom, Sally’s brother-in-law.”
“And your boyfriend?” After firing the question, he tipped his cowboy hat. With a rakish smile he said, “Be sure to pass on my warning to your father.”
Tamsin smothered a groan as he headed for the front of the store pushing the cart. She waited until he’d checked out before she paid for her groceries. By the time she went out to her car, he’d left. After she got back to the apartment, she was no longer in the mood to watch a movie.
Cole was back and he didn’t want anything from her. Why would he when she’d cut him off a long time ago, believing he didn’t love her enough to stay in Wyoming?
To think he’d become a firefighter and a biologist!
Feeling frustrated and heartsick, she hurried into the bedroom to get her laptop. She set it up on the little kitchen table and began researching brucellosis. That led her to studying about the disease in Wyoming and its history. Never during their time together had he mentioned being interested in biology, let alone fighting fires. He’d been a bull rider for Heaven’s sake!
When she’d exhausted every possible avenue of information on the subject, it was three thirty in the morning. She fell into bed physically exhausted from her move, and emotionally spent over a man who’d left her a long time ago.
He’d returned a man she didn’t recognize. Tamsin didn’t know how long she sobbed before oblivion took over.
Late Saturday morning she awakened to the sound of her phone ringing. She checked the caller ID before answering.
“Hi, Sally.”
“Hey—what’s going on? Mom just told me you moved to an apartment in town.”
Tamsin sat up on the side of the bed. “Yesterday you were sound asleep, so I planned to tell you today.”
“This has to do with Cole, but I don’t know in what way.”
“Why would you say that? I decided I needed more privacy. Getting an apartment will give me a chance to see how I really feel about Dean.”
“Does he even know you’ve moved?”
“No. I’m going to call him this afternoon and tell him my new address. I’m going to make dinner for him.”
“I know why you’re doing this. It’s because of Cole. Admit that if he wants to see you again, he’ll be able to come to your apartment and not the house where he’d be sure to run into Dean.”
“That’s not true, Sally.”
“You’ve been with Cole, haven’t you?”
“No! In fact, last night I bumped into him at the grocery store. He has no interest in me anymore. I’ve moved on and want to concentrate on Dean.”
After a silence Sally said, “I’m sorry for him and you.”
“Why are you saying that? It’s long past time I stopped living in the past. Isn’t that what you’ve always said to me?”
“Yes. Forgive me. You’re absolutely right to do what you’ve done. Being on your own will give you the time you need to see where it’s going with Dean without everyone else being around.”
“Exactly. Thank you for being so understanding. Now enough about me. How are you?”
“I feel all right.”
“You have an appointment with the doctor on Tuesday, right?”
“Yes.”
“Please be careful. Only three more weeks and your baby will be here.”
“I know. I’m going crazy waiting for it to happen.”
“I am, too. I can’t wait to be an aunt. Love you, Sally. Call you tomorrow.”
Once they’d hung up, Tamsin decided to phone Dean and tell him where she’d moved. Over dinner she would explain her feelings. To her relief, he answered his phone rather than it going to voice mail.
“Hey, honey—I was hoping you’d call.”
“I’m sorry I’ve been MIA until now.” She got up from the side of the bed and started pacing. “Yesterday I moved out of the ranch house to an apartment in town, and I’ve just finished settling in.”
There was a long silence. “You moved?”
“Yes. I should have done it a long time ago.”
“You never mentioned anything about that to me before.”
“I know, but it’s been on my mind for a long time. The other day I saw the right apartment for me and grabbed it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? I would have helped you move.”
She knew she’d hurt him. “I would have asked for it, but since this apartment is furnished, all I had to do was bring over my clothes. If you’ll come for dinner, I’ll explain more.” Tamsin told him her new address.
There was another pause before he said, “I’d rather take you out for dinner. I’ll be there at seven.”
“Then I’ll be ready.”
“Does Chinese sound good to you?”
“Perfect.”
After she hung up, her sister’s observation that she’d moved so she could have private time with Cole had struck a deep nerve. It made her question her own motives. Sally had a way of doing that. If Tamsin had made this move because of Cole, it had to have been on a subconscious level. It terrified her that it might be true because that meant she wasn’t over Cole and never would be!
“Tamsin—”
She gripped the phone tighter. “Yes?”
“Nothing,” he murmured, before hanging up.
Oh, boy. Dean was no fool. He knew something serious had gone on for her to move from the ranch without saying a word to him.
For the rest of the day she did laundry and took a few outfits to the cleaners. When he came to her apartment at seven, she didn’t invite him inside. After explaining that she was hungry, they left for the restaurant.
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