Matt (2 page)

“Hah.” Nelson sipped his martini and frowned. “Food fanatics. That's what they are. Now in my day—”

“Not now, Dad.” Grace kept her tone light, but there was a hint of steel in her words. “Let Reed enjoy the moment. This is something he's been preparing for since he was barely out of his teens.”

“You got that right, Gracie Girl.” Frank Malloy patted his wife's hand before turning to his grandson. “You realize this means you'll have to work twice as hard to see that you have enough healthy cattle to fulfill this contract with Leone.”

“I don't mind the work, Grandpop.”

“I know you don't, sonny boy, and you never have. You've been tending your own herd since you were knee-high to a pup.”

Reed flushed with pride. “I'll need to get busy segregating one herd and seeing that they meet all the requirements to be truly organic.”

“And I'd like to get in one more trip to the mountains and see if I can spot a herd of mustangs for Gram Gracie before I settle down and do my lonesome cowboy routine.”

At Luke's deadpan expression, they all burst into laughter.

“Yeah. That'll be the day, sonny boy.” Frank squeezed his wife's hand.

All of a sudden, with so much good news springing from Matt's Italian trip, everyone seemed to be talking at once.

Matt sat back, looking around the table, listening to the chorus of voices, and smiling with satisfaction.

He'd missed this. All of it.

He'd grown impatient to get back to his roots.

But now, seeing the animation on their faces, hearing the excitement in their voices, he knew without a doubt it had all been worth waiting for.

M
att descended the stairs, feeling like a new man. There was nothing like a night spent in his own bed, after so many nights away.

Spying Yancy alone in the kitchen, he helped himself to coffee. “Am I the first one up?”

The cook set crisp bacon on a nest of paper napkins to drain. “The last.”

“I am? Where is everyone?”

Yancy looked over. “Colin drove Great One to town. Luke, Reed, and Frank are up on Eagle's Ridge for the next week or so. Ms. Grace is out trailing one of her herds. No telling when she'll be back.”

Matt walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows to stare at the mountain peaks in the distance just as Burke stepped into the kitchen from the mudroom.

“Then I guess I have some downtime coming. I think I'll head up to the hills for a week or so.”

The ranch foreman's face creased into a smile. “I figured as much. Every time you come back from one of those fancy, high-powered trips, your first order of business is to get back to your roots. You going to drive one of the trucks, or ride old Beau?”

“I'm thinking Beau needs a workout as much as I do.” Matt idly drained his coffee before setting the empty cup on the counter. “If anybody asks, I'll be up on North Ridge for a while.”

“I'll let them know. You going to take time for breakfast?”

Matt shook his head and turned to Yancy. “Would you mind packing up some of that food?”

“I'll send as much as you can eat.”

Matt shrugged. “I guess I'll take enough for a week or so.”

“Done.” The cook was already opening a pantry door and reaching for an array of zippered bags and pouches in various sizes.

Matt disappeared up the stairs and reappeared a short time later carrying a duffel filled with his gear, along with a rifle and ammunition.

Yancy handed him a parcel containing the food packets, all carefully labeled. “I sent a similar cache along with your grandmother. There's no telling how long Ms. Grace will be gone.”

“As long as it takes to get the pictures she's aiming for.” Matt tucked the parcel under his arm and started toward the mudroom, where he snatched up his hat before heading for the door.

“I'll see you in a week or so.” He walked out the back door and headed toward the barn.

Not long after he was astride a big bay gelding, saddlebags overflowing, riding across a meadow that led to the hills, black with cattle.

Though it was early April, it still felt like winter in the hills surrounding the Malloy Ranch.

Matt stood in ankle-deep snow chopping wood. It was a chore he always found soul satisfying. Especially after weeks away from home.

It wasn't that he didn't enjoy wheeling and dealing with high-powered lawyers and corporate executives all over the world. And he certainly couldn't complain about the front-row seats at sporting events and the expensive dinners and shows. But even in the Eternal City, with its fine wines and fabulous food, after a week or more, it was like eating too much candy. He found himself craving the simple food, familiar chores, and nights with only the lowing of cattle to break the silence.

He slipped into his parka, which he'd tossed over a log, before filling his arms with fresh firewood. Nudging the door to the range shack open, he tracked snow across the floor to the fireplace, where he stacked the logs neatly before heading out for more.

When his cell phone rang, he plucked it from his pocket. “Hey, Gram Gracie. How's that herd of mustangs?”

“As wild as ever. They've added six pretty little fillies to the herd. There's a third mare big as a house and ready to deliver any day now.”

“You hoping to capture the birth on film?”

“That I am. I've already been planning where to set up my cameras for the best angles. Now if only she'll cooperate and have that foal nearby. With these feisty mares, I never know where I'll end up having to track her. I just hope she doesn't wander down one of those ravines. I really want these pictures for my collection.”

“My money's on you, Gram Gracie.” Matt paused. “Are you calling for my help?”

“In a way. But not with the herd. I just got a text reminding me about a meeting I'd agreed to. Some lawyer who represents a group of wild-animal federations had set it up, hoping for my take on the best way to preserve wild animals, especially those being removed from the government's endangered list. Since I'm away, I was hoping you could take my place at the meeting.”

“Sorry. I'm not at the ranch. I'm up on North Ridge, spending some time at the range shack.”

Everyone in the family knew about Matt's love of that particular section of land. From the time he'd been very young and missing his parents, he'd always found solace in this special place. He'd already staked it out as the spot he'd like to build his own house one day.

“Oh dear. How about Luke or Reed?”

“Up on Eagle's Ridge with Grandpop.”

He heard his grandmother blow out a breath. “I guess this calls for desperate measures. Since the lawyer is traveling all this way, I'd say it isn't too much to ask him to travel just a bit more. Would you mind an intrusion on your privacy for an hour or two?”

Matt gave a dry laugh. “Never mind my privacy. What about the time he'll waste getting up here by horseback and down to the ranch again?”

“Since Burke is picking him up from his plane, maybe Burke could drive him up and wait until the two of you exchange views before he takes him back to town.”

Matt shrugged. “I'll call and arrange it. Providing the phone service continues.”

Gracie's tone softened. “I know. It's the same here. One minute a clear line, and the next my phone is dead for hours. Thank you, Matt darlin'. I owe you for this.”

“I'm happy to help out.”

“I know you are. I know, too, how much you value your alone time in the hills, especially after a long business trip. I'll find a way to make it up to you.”

When she hung up, Matt dialed a number and spoke in staccato tones. “Burke. I promised my grandmother I'd meet with some animal activist lawyer. Instead of driving him to the ranch, would you mind driving him up here?”

The old man's tone was incredulous. “You're inviting someone to invade your privacy?”

“It's for Gracie. And it's only for an hour or so. I'd really like you to wait and take him back down as soon as we're through with our meeting.”

“Sure thing. When should I expect him?”

“I don't have a clue. Gracie said it would be sometime today. I guess he'll call you when his plane gets in. And you may as well pack a bottle of Grandpop's good Irish whiskey while you're at it. A lot of these Eastern lawyers aren't happy with the local wine and longnecks we've got stashed up here. While I answer this guy's questions, maybe you could deliver supplies to the crew up in the pasture, and then drive him back to town when we're finished.”

“Sure. I could do that.” Burke cleared his throat. “Hell, son, I'll be happy to sit a spell with the wranglers. I haven't been up there for weeks. I'll head out as soon as the lawyer gets here.”

Matt disconnected and stowed his phone in his pocket before bending to retrieve another armload of firewood. As he hauled it to the cabin, he thought about Burke. It didn't take much to make the old man happy these days. He'd been positively bubbling over with joy at joining the wranglers, if even for an hour or so.

He glanced out the window. He and Beau had time to ride across the north pasture and back before his precious solitude was interrupted by this unplanned bit of business.

Matt unsaddled his horse and filled the troughs with feed and water before stepping out of the lean-to behind the range shack that served as a storage shed and stall.

He'd had a great time riding across snow-covered pastures, drinking in the sights and sounds that nourished his soul. Using high-powered binoculars, he'd followed the path of a pair of eagles soaring on currents of air, and had paused to watch a pure white mustang stallion leading his herd toward a box canyon that offered shelter and food. He intended to relate the location to Gram Gracie, since she'd been hunting that stallion for a year or more. Every member of the family had spotted it at one time or another, but it always managed to disappear before she could capture it on film.

Hearing the sound of an engine, Matt ran a hand through his scruffy beard and rounded the cabin in time to see Burke just stepping down from the driver's side.

The old man was grinning like a fool as he circled the truck and opened the passenger door.

Matt stopped in midstride at the sight that greeted him.

The passenger was tall, blond, and gorgeous. She was wearing a charcoal suit jacket over a skinny little skirt that barely skimmed her thighs. When she stepped into the snow, her high-heeled shoes sank ankle-deep, causing her to hiss out a breath before she gamely forged ahead, extending her hand.

“Matthew Malloy? Vanessa Kettering.” Her smile might have been forced, but the handshake was firm. It was obvious that she was a woman who didn't get easily flustered.

“Vanessa.” Matt's hand closed around hers while he looked beyond her to old Burke, who was clearly enjoying this little turn of events as he retrieved a laptop case. “Do you prefer Vanessa or Miss Kettering?”

“My friends call me Nessa.”

“Okay.” He glanced down. “Sorry about the snow. This is springtime in Montana.”

“It isn't something you can control.” She managed a smile as she removed her sunglasses and looked around. “Though if I'd known our meeting would be in the hills, I'd have dressed more…appropriately.”

“I'm sorry about that, as well. I agreed at the last minute to stand in for my grandmother.” Matt led the way to the door and held it while she entered.

He shot the old cowboy a killing look before following her inside.

Burke set the leather bag on the table before walking to the door. “I'll just get those supplies you asked for, boss, and I'll be on my way up to the herd.”

“Make yourself comfortable, Nessa.” Matt turned. “I'll give you a hand with those supplies.”

He trailed Burke out to the truck.

“Very funny. You could have called and told me to expect a woman.”

“Yeah. I could have.” Burke chuckled. “I even packed some of your grandpa's whiskey, just in case she drinks like all those other Eastern lawyers.”

“You're enjoying this, aren't you, old man?”

Burke chuckled. “More than I should. I wish you could've seen your face. It was priceless.”

Matt burst into laughter. “Okay. You got me. But you have to know I'll find a way to get even for this.”

“Oh, don't I know it.” Burke was whistling as he hauled a box of supplies to the cabin. He was still whistling as he walked back to the truck and drove away.

Matt glanced at the young woman, who bent to remove first one shoe, then the other, all the while wiping away the snow with a tissue. As she did, Matt found himself admiring her backside in the trim skirt that fit her like a second skin.

When she turned and caught him staring, he tried to cover himself by indicating a rocker in front of the fireplace. “Why don't you sit here and I'll crank up the heat?” Not that he wasn't already feeling more heat than he cared to admit.

While Vanessa settled into the rocker, he added a fresh log and kindling to the embers and soon had a fire blazing.

She gave a sigh of appreciation. “Oh, that feels good.” She glanced around the tiny cabin. “Is there someplace I can freshen up?”

“Bathroom's over there.” Matt pointed and she slipped into her shoes before crossing the room.

Matt remained where he was, clearly enjoying the view. She had a way of walking that he found fascinating. He figured she'd honed that power walk while competing with her male counterparts. Along with the trim skirt and softly flowing hair, it was a potent mix.

Minutes later she emerged and took her time looking around the room. “This is a lot more comfortable than it looks from the outside. When we first got here, I really thought Burke was having fun with me. Especially since he was grinning from ear to ear.”

“Yeah. That's Burke.” Matt clenched his jaw, wishing he could have a do-over for the day. If he'd known he would be stuck entertaining some female, he'd have sent her packing without the benefit of a meeting. After dealing with lawyers for the past three weeks, he was weary of the nitpicking that was a part of every negotiation. But having to deal with a female lawyer, and one with a killer body that already had him off stride, was more than he wanted to handle so soon after returning. “That old cowboy's always the joker.”

Matt nodded toward the kitchen counter, where he'd unpacked the supplies he'd requested. “Would you like to warm up with coffee, beer, wine, or whiskey?”

She laughed. “I think I'd better keep a clear head while we have our discussion. I'll settle for coffee.”

Matt filled a coffeemaker with water and freshly ground coffee. Soon the little cabin was perfumed with the fragrance.

He poured two cups and turned. Vanessa had already laid out several documents on either side of the wooden table in the center of the room, and her laptop was humming.

“Efficient. I like that.” Determined to make the best of this, he set a cup in front of her and rounded to the other side. “The sooner we talk, the sooner you can get back to civilization.” And the sooner he could get back to his privacy.

She nodded. “My thoughts exactly. Especially since the company jet will be returning from Helena to fly me back to Chicago as soon as I'm ready.”

“Your wild-animal federations can afford a jet?”

“I'm afraid not. They're a loosely bound group of animal activists who pay me to represent them in Washington. But one of the board members, Clayton Anderson, made his company jet available, since he was heading on to Helena for business, and he'll be back to pick me up in a couple of hours.”