A Maverick's Heart (11 page)

Seeming to come to her senses with a jolt, Lila wiggled out of his arms. “I’m so embarrassed. What must you think?”

He touched her shoulder, enough to gain her full attention. “I think you’re lovely. I’ve wanted to kiss you since the morning you came out to the barn. But I think you’re dead on your feet from a long, eventful day. And I’m being a little unfair. That kiss was only partly because I promised Rory I’d talk you into letting him go to a batting cage. The other part was purely personal.”

She rubbed her upper arms. “You’d better go. I’ll agree to let him bat at a cage. But my day isn’t done, and you’ve sufficiently scrambled my brain.”

Seth wanted to say more. He wanted to smooth things over. But he could see retreat was best. He scooped up his mitt and told Rory to come relock the door after he left.

Chapter Seven

In the morning Seth got up early and set out for the corral to take care of the horses. On the way he met Lila’s four new guests. All retired, they were avid fishermen who had a boat attached to their vehicle. One man told Seth this was their third year at the B and B and they intended to catch the biggest steelhead and win the contest. Amid good humor the four climbed into the van.

Seth watched them drive off before continuing on his way. It delighted him when the horses crowded up to the fence to greet him. He took them into the barn to feed and groom. Afterward he turned them out into the grassy corral again and leaned on the fence to watch them cavort like kids at a new playground.

The last person he expected to see after the way they’d parted the previous night was Lila. So he was a bit astounded when she joined him at the fence.

“I missed catching you at breakfast.”

Seth let his booted foot slip off the bottom rail. “I came here first. Is something wrong? I locked Ghost’s doggy door last night after our run.”

“You must have run him hard. He was sawing logs when I got home and looked in on him. But it was funny, his paws were moving as if he were chasing rabbits in his sleep.”

“Yeah, well, we ran faster than normal.” He stopped short of admitting he’d had some sexual frustration to run off.

“Uh, what you didn’t mention last night, something Rory chattered about all the way home...he seems to think you planned to ask me about accompanying him to the regular Little League practice today after school. If you think he’s ready, I need to give you a check to pay his fees. But if he’s suckered you into any of those things, tell me, please.”

Seth forced his thoughts away from how pretty she looked this morning and murmured, “Once I saw you in the kitchen I had other things on my mind.”

Lila looked away and cleared her throat. “Should I apologize?”

“Geez, no. Should I? Should I stay away? It’s plain your mother thinks so.”

“My mother lumps you with a cowboy who became important in our lives when I was about Rory’s age. One day he up and left for a job in another state. I hurt for a while. Mom apparently never got over it.”

Seth felt the breath leave his lungs. To adjust, he swung away and braced both arms on the fence. “Myra thinks like your mom. Yesterday she said if I’m not staying indefinitely I should keep my distance from you. Or that was the gist. I’ll be honest, Lila. I like it here and I like you. But I can’t promise I’ll stay. I have to earn a living.”

She set her hand on his arm, leaving it until he faced her again. “I told Mom I make my own decisions. I’ll tell Myra the same. All I ask, Seth, is that no matter what happens between us, if you leave you’ll say goodbye to me and Rory. Clay Shafer took off without a word.”

“I’ll promise that.” Seth took her in his arms then and kissed her with enough desire to erase any doubt lingering in either of them that this was more than a casual friendship.

“Mom!” Rory’s shout from the porch abruptly ended their kiss.

“I’m coming, honey,” Lila called, tugging down her shirt, which Seth’s hands had rucked up.

“Are you asking Seth about ball practice at my school?” Rory yelled.

“Is it okay?” Seth asked, touching her chin. “He needs to play with kids his age. I’m going riding this morning, but I’ll be back in time for practice.”

“How can I say no? I’m needed even more at the café. But playing ball is all Rory wants to do. With your help he’s already gained confidence. I’ll tell him okay, and send the school a note giving permission for you to pick him up.”

“Good. I never thought of that.” Seth set his hand at the back of her waist and walked beside her. It felt so right—so natural he thought maybe Lila was the woman he’d been hoping to find to complete his life. And Rory—the fact she had a really great kid was a bonus.

Since the other guests had gone, Seth joined Rory to eat in the kitchen. He didn’t know how a boy who talked nonstop managed to consume eggs and toast. Only after he finished and trucked off to dress for school did Seth get to talk more to Lila. “Because the batting cage was my idea, would you be insulted if I pay for those sessions? Rory said school’s out Friday for summer. We could go an hour or so every day before League practice. It would help him tremendously.”

“Aren’t you working with Zeke to roof their barn?”

“Yes. He wants to start tomorrow. But that shouldn’t take more than three days and it won’t be all day, either.”

“Rory would be in seventh heaven,” Lila said slowly. “But you already left too much money at the table for your dinner. I need to give that back.”

“Don’t. I caused you extra work. Plus, you fit me in. I know ball fees add up. Rory’s a good kid. He’s concerned about your finances.”

Lila bit her lip. “I hate that money’s tight, but it is. I can only say thank you. But if it turns out he ties you down too much, please say so, Seth.”

“Sure.” Her comment caused him to think about the only other call he might have on his time—hunting sapphires if the permit came in. Unexplained guilt shivered up his spine. Should he mention it? But why create potential discord until he knew for sure he’d be going into the old mine? Today he only planned to scout the area.

Lila handed him the check for Rory’s fees.

He put it in his billfold. Then, when she said she was running behind and needed to get ready to take Rory to school, Seth studied her. “Do you ever get any time off from the café? I know it’s not possible now with your mom’s injury. I’m jumping ahead to when Rory may get to play in a real game. Might the person helping Doreen cook in the mornings be able to work an afternoon or two?” He pulled her into a loose embrace.

Lila ran her hands up his chest. “I help Mom every day. When Rory started begging to join Little League I began to see how my juggling two jobs impacts him. In fact it has for a while. Last year Jewell took him to the Wild Horse Stampede in Wolf Point. I wanted to go, but I had guests here and the café was swamped.”

She looked so downcast, Seth lifted her chin and kissed her tenderly. “You need to carve out some time for fun,” he murmured against her lips.

She sighed. “Fun? I’m not sure I’d recognize it. Wait, I take that back. It was fun the evening we played catch with Rory.”

“See?” He hugged her tighter and splurged on another lengthy kiss. “Fun is possible.”

“Mmm-hmm,” she said, eyes still closed as he straightened away. “It’s been a long time since I’ve done any kissing, too. I was afraid I’d forgotten how.”

“Definitely not.” Smiling, Seth reluctantly called a halt. Primarily because he felt the effect kissing her was having on a crucial part of his anatomy. It would be so easy to explore with her the kind of fun adults could have in bed. But they weren’t at that stage and she had to work. And he had his morning planned. Plus, Rory might bounce in at any minute ready to go to school.

Taking her hands from his chest, Lila made a space and gazed up at him. “Are we embarking on something foolish?” she asked, her voice husky.

He rubbed an eyebrow and waited for her to reach her own conclusion. She had been under his skin from the moment he’d walked her down the aisle at his twin’s wedding. Halfway there, as candles flickered and piano music filled the church, he’d fallen under the spell of her sweet perfume and the soft touch of her fingers tucked around his arm. But he hadn’t been prepared then for her to feel the same way. Then that first day in the barn he wanted to kiss her and sensed she sort of liked him, too.

As if she’d tapped into his thoughts, she tilted her head and said, “I confess when our paths first crossed I’d hoped to get to know you better. My friends in the wedding party saw and razzed me. So, I guess if it’s up to me, I’m game to see what develops.”

He expelled a breath. “Me, too. A hundred percent. Except now I’d better hit the trail and quit keeping you from your day.” He pressed a last kiss to her forehead and strode to the front door, where he plucked the cowboy hat he’d bought at the airport off the antique hat rack. Putting it on, he realized he’d meant to ask Lila something. With a snap of his fingers he spun back, almost bowling her over.

“Wow, new hat? To swipe Rory’s favorite phrase, it looks cool.”

“I bought it and the boots when the other guys left. Hey, would it be okay to take Ghost on my trail ride?”

“Sure, if you think he’ll behave. There’s a rope leash hanging by the saddles.”

“I’m not in a rush. And he’ll be company for me.”

Rory came out then. “Mom, Kemper said we could play catch before school. I need to go now.”

Lila said she wasn’t quite ready and sent him off to fetch Ghost.

“Are you going to take him for another run?” Rory asked Seth when the excited Lab bounded up.

“I’m riding Merlin into the foothills. I thought Ghost might like the outing.”

“But you’ll be back in time for my practice?” The boy was clearly anxious.

“Count on it,” Seth said then left with the dog.

He caught Merlin and saddled him. It’d been a while since he’d ridden. But the horse had an easy gait. The weather was sunny and breezy. Ghost loped along fine.

As they climbed into the foothills following what remained of a mining road, Seth noticed two large birds circling overhead. He reined in, thinking they were buzzards, thus signifying something dead. On closer inspection with the binoculars he’d slung around his neck, he identified a pair of snowy owls. “I thought owls were night hunters,” he said aloud, drawing a throaty woof from Ghost.

He rechecked his phone’s GPS. The owls appeared to be circling directly above the Opportunity Mine. The mine was much closer to town than he’d anticipated.

Moderately concerned the birds’ presence meant other people poking around, Seth kept Merlin at a walk. Experience had taught him that if a permit had been issued to another gem hunter, that person wouldn’t take kindly to having a stranger barge in.

He approached the mine entrance, but detected no movement. No vehicles were visible. From where he sat atop a shifting horse, he identified a warren of once-active roads now overgrown with brush. The entrance wasn’t blocked, which surprised him, though he saw several no-trespassing signs.

Seth didn’t spot any perimeter cameras, but that didn’t mean none existed. Ultimately he decided against dismounting. He’d wait to explore further once he knew whether or not he’d be granted a permit.

From the articles he’d read at the library, he knew miners had dug into the hill for about five hundred yards before splitting into two shafts. The decision to dig deeper and go beneath the original trenches had been blamed for the collapse. He wondered why the families of those who’d died hadn’t sued the owners. Tunneling beneath prior excavations didn’t strike him as smart. From the drawings on file, short tunnels fanned out on both levels. Sapphires had been found in one fairly straightforward offshoot.

It wasn’t until he decided to ride past the mine to check out a river he could hear meandering through the landscape that he realized the owls had gone. Now everything was still except the river, Merlin and Ghost.

As they traveled along a riverbank strewed with patches of yellow flowers, Seth was struck by the peaceful beauty he recalled his brother so eloquently describing shortly after he’d arrived in Snowy Owl Crossing. Seth thought he could be happy here—providing he could make a living. Helping Lila around the B and B while he was on vacation was one thing. It’d go against his grain to even consider doing that on a more permanent basis unless he contributed to expenses more than paying rent.

Eventually he came upon a low spot where he climbed off Merlin and let both the horse and dog drink from the cold, bubbling water. He sat to enjoy nature and to also think about his future. Depending on whether the mine still held sapphires, how many and what grade, he could conceivably earn enough to last a couple of years. He’d be thirty-four years old.
Then what?
He wasn’t without savings. He’d socked a decent amount away with retirement in mind. But not at thirty-four. Along his journeys he’d met a few fairly old gem hunters. Most had bad knees, worse backs and lived from find to find. He’d always known he didn’t want to trek the globe forever. He wanted more from life. He wanted a wife and kids. But he’d want to support them or to help support them. And he honestly had no idea what type of job he might do.

He broke off a daisy and stared at its cheery face. Maybe he should have looked into whether or not he’d had what it took to play big league baseball. If he’d made the pros, his career would have ended about now, but he’d be richer. Providing he hadn’t gotten injured.

Sobered by his thoughts, he swung back into the saddle and set out at a brisk trot for home.
Only, it wasn’t home
.

Once back at the Owl’s Nest, he exercised the other horses and mucked out the barn because he liked keeping busy and needed the exercise. But it barely left him time to shower and rush off to meet Rory at his ball practice.

He parked in the school lot five minutes after classes let out. It surprised him to have Rory fly down the steps and nearly knock him off his feet in a massive hug. “Whoa! What gives?” he asked around a laugh as he unwound Rory’s arms from his waist and smiled at a teacher.

The teacher said, “He’s anxious, Mr. Maxwell.”

“I was afraid you’d forget.”

“Hey, you need to stop expecting the worst. Is that the field where you’ll play?” Seth indicated a field with a mesh backstop.

“Nah. That’s for older guys. Come on, I’ll show you our ball diamond.” He held his mitt in one hand, but latched his other to Seth’s larger one.

The duty teacher flashed Seth a smile.

At the field Rory dragged him from parent to parent, telling them all that Seth could’ve played pro ball if he’d wanted to. It was endearing but also embarrassing.

Seth found it amusing that many of the dads wore suits and ties. And that the oft-touted Kemper Barnes’s father had a wimpy handshake.

The coach took Lila’s check and glanced down at Rory. “I hope he’s improved. Midway through the year I came and observed his age group. I told Matt Barnes to tell Rory’s parents not to waste money paying his fees.”