Nothing But Trouble (21 page)

“I want to stay,” he said quickly.

Joshua nodded.  “I can pull a cot in from the back room for you to sleep on tonight.”

“I appreciate that.” 

Stoney forced his hand through his disheveled hair and turned to Ivan Collins. 

“I owe you.”

The Ranger waved him off, then shook Stoney's hand.  “All in a day's work.  Lucky for you I was out doing an aerial scan of that ridge.  I'm glad she's doing okay now.  Whatever possessed her to go that deep into the mountains without her insulin?”

“She had her medicine.  Her mount got spooked by a clap of thunder and shot off.  Somehow the saddlebag with her insulin got lost.  We weren't able to find it.”  He left out the part about not knowing Melanie was diabetic and absorbed Joshua's questioning stare.  “She wanted to see some of the wildlife in their nature surroundings.  She's a zoologist.”

Ivan's blond, bushy eyebrows lifted.  “A zoologist, huh?  Now that's interesting.  Where does she do her work?”

Stoney sobered, his jaw squared.  What was he implying?  Melanie had just gone to hell and back and he was thinking of sending her back out there.  “She’s fixin' to go to Africa to do some research for a few years.”

“Hmm, then that's our loss.  We're always looking for a good naturalist to work with the Park Services.  The pay's not great, but you can't beat the view.” 

“That's for sure,” Joshua said lightly.  Stoney caught his cousin's stare and knew what was on his mind.

The Ranger pushed his hat on his head.  “Mention it to her, if you will.  Just in case she decides Africa is too far for her liking.  Have her give me a call when she’s feeling up to it and we'll talk.”  He strode down the hall, his footsteps echoing on the tile floor.  Stoney and Joshua were left with an eerie silence. 

“You can’t keep her locked up because of her illness, man,” Joshua said after a moment.

“Who said anything about locking her up.  Like I said, she has plans,” Stoney countered, not meeting his gaze.

“What makes you think she's going to want to leave Wyoming now?”

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

Joshua leaned against the wall.  “You're in love with her.  That much I saw the second you walked in yesterday, and you haven't left her side until just now.”

“She has big plans that don't include me,” Stoney said.

“They could if you'd just ask.  Maybe that's what brought her here?”

Stoney didn't say anything.  How could Joshua understand?  He'd always known what he wanted and it was right here on the reservation. 

“I've got to go,” Joshua said, motioning to the waiting room.  “The house is packed and I've got vaccines to administer by noon.”

Stoney shook Joshua's hand, giving it a firm squeeze.  “Thanks, man.”

Joshua nodded.  “I'll be in to check on Melanie as soon as I'm finished here.”

Stoney turned and walked back to Melanie's room.  His stomach burned with the memory of her words.  I know they love me, but they keep me locked up until I feel so suffocated.  Sending her out into the kind of life she wanted almost killed her.  As much as he hated to admit it to himself, the thought of locking her up to keep her safe was somehow more comforting than letting her follow her dreams.

Telling her about Ivan Collins could keep her here in Wyoming.  The thought of having her in his life and in his arms was incredible.  But how could he send her out into the wilderness again, not knowing if she'd come home to him?

# # #

Chapter Eleven

Two days in the clinic had Melanie ready to break out.  Joshua had insisted that although he was a healer of the body, she needed a blessing by the tribal spiritual healer.  But with or without the blessing, Melanie insisted she was leaving.  Knowing the woman as he did, Stoney gently advised Joshua that as long as there was no risk to her physically, he'd better release her.  For all concerned parties. 

Stoney had promised he wouldn't make the call to Melanie's father and to his great relief, no phone calls had come in at the ranch.  That left them with where to go next.  They hadn’t talked about the future while they were trailing in the mountains.  Melanie hadn’t been in much of a mood to talk during her stay in the clinic, either. 

She'd needed to prove to herself that she could live the kind of life she'd always dreamed of, despite her diabetes or any deal she'd made with her father.  By not fulfilling what she'd set out to do, in her mind, she’d failed.

But not in Stoney’s eyes.  He’d vowed not to give her any special treatment in the beginning because she insisted she could hold her own.  He’d seen the fear in her eyes each time she was clearly out of her element.  The lightning storm that passed over their heads, wading into the river and almost drowning would have rattled the most experienced trailer.  She was harder on herself than he could ever be.  And she had a determination and fire that he could only admire.  She hadn’t failed at all.

But what he believed of her didn't count.  Not this time.

The ride back to Black Rock was made in virtual silence.  Melanie curled herself into the front seat of Stoney’s late model pickup truck, staring out at the white capped mountain range they'd been lost in just a few days ago, watching as it whisked past them.

“You can stay at the ranch as long as you like,” he finally said, reaching out to take her hand.

She turned her head and gave him a weak smile.  “That’s kind of you.”

He wondered what she was thinking.  Somehow, he didn’t think he really wanted to know.  He guessed that whatever was spinning circles in her head was going to bring her farther away from Wyoming.  Away from him. 

But what was he thinking?  Melanie was a woman with big dreams, and money to make them all come true.  Did he really think that she’d hang around now that her reason for coming to Wyoming was gone?

No.  Even if she didn’t go to Kenya, she’d go back to Long Island, back to the life she'd led with the social circle.  He was a simple man, a cowboy with simple values.  What could hard living on a ranch that had a shaky future possibly give her that could compare to the exciting life she’d led before she walked into his life?

He thought of Ivan Collins and his mention of a job with Park Services.  As much as Stoney knew that telling Melanie about the job was what he should do, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.  He couldn’t bear the idea of her going back out into the mountains.  This time without him. 

He felt a sense of calm wash over him as he pulled his pickup onto the dirt road leading to Black Rock.  He’d had his days on the road going from rodeo to rodeo.  But in the last year, he realized just how much this place meant to him.  It was his home, where he belonged.

Adele sprang out of the side door when she saw them pull up.  Stoney got out of the pickup first and waited by the side of the truck for Melanie.  Her mood immediately lifted when she saw Adele.

Adele pulled Stoney into her arms.  “I’m so glad you’re home.”  Turning to Melanie, she reached out and gave her a hug.  “How are you feeling, honey?  I’ve been so worried.”

“Better, thank you.”  Melanie felt the weight of tears behind her eyelids.  There was so much love and concern for each other here.  It wasn’t that she didn’t have that back in Long Island.  She knew her parents' love for her ran as deep as the earth was wide.  But unlike with her family, Melanie didn’t feel the same controlling attitude at Black Rock.  Only pure love and concern.

She turned to the sound of horses' hooves in the distance.  Mitch was at the stable, leaning down from his mount and talking to Wally, who sat in his wheelchair craning his neck to look at Mitch.  On the other side of the stable, she saw Thunder, Chester and Dolly in the corral.  Stoney hadn’t told her much of what had happened once they’d made it to the reservation.  She hadn’t thought about how the horses got back to the ranch and now that she saw them dancing circles around the paddock, she was happy they were safe.

“Why don’t you come inside and rest a while.  I’m sure you’re tired from the ride.”

Melanie managed a smile for Adele sake.  “My backside is numb from sitting in that hospital bed these last two days.  If you don’t mind, I’m just going to check on Dolly.”

Turning away, she felt Stoney’s worried eyes on her back as she dug her boots into the gravel leading to the corral.  As she drew closer, Dolly spotted her and pranced over to the side of the fence.  “No apple chips for you today I’m afraid.”  She gripped the dry wood rail with one hand and reached up to stroked the mare's coat with the other.  “How are you doing, girl?” she murmured.

As if answering, Dolly bobbed her head up and down, and stomped her front hoof into the ground.

“She’s doing just fine.”  Stoney brushed his hand on her back.  She closed her eyes, taking his comfort.  “How about you?  Are you okay with all of this?”

The last thing she wanted was for Stoney to feel sorry for her.  She wasn’t exactly sure what she was going to do now.  Maybe she’d take him up on his offer and stay a few days at the ranch to clear her head before returning to Long Island to face her father.  But she couldn’t bear to see the pity on Stoney's face.  She’d given it her best, and she’d failed.  Her body failed.  Now she had to pick herself up and figure out which direction to turn next.

“I’ll be okay.  I just need a few days to regroup.”

He drew her into the circle of his arms and kissed her lightly on the forehead.  “Stay here at Black Rock.  With me,” he said softly.  He was warm and hard, and in his strong arms Melanie felt safe.  All the craziness of her life didn’t seem to matter as much when Stoney held her like this.

“I have to face my father at some point.”

“I know.” 

She smiled up at him.  She didn't want to think of going back to Long Island just yet.  She just wanted to feel this way, the way she felt in Stoney's arms.

She rested her cheek against his iron chest.  “The horses.  How did they get home?” 

“The Park Rangers rode them back to the ranger station.  Mitch drove the trailer out and picked them up there this morning.”

“I’m glad they’re okay.  I would have hated it if anything had happened to them.”

“Mitch is taking a ride out in a bit.  I’m going to go with him to check on things.”

She'd given her opinion about the ranch.  Now it was Stoney's decision to do what he thought was best.  She didn't intend to say anything again, but she found herself going against her better judgment.

“It might be a good time to talk to him about the ranch.  It might help,” she said.

He hesitated a second.  “I don't know.  I've got a dust my hat off and do some thinking before I can commit to something like selling part of the ranch.  Right now I'm going to get on my horse and take a ride.”

That’s what she needed to do, too, Melanie realized.  She’d just taken one hell of a spill out in the wilderness and scraped herself up more than she ever had.  That didn't mean she was a failure.  Like Stoney, Melanie had to find a way pick herself up with all she had, get back on that horse and ride again.

“I think I'll join you.”

* * *