Kathy’s hand went to her hip. “I hope you’re hurting like Hades, young lady.”
“Gee, thanks. Yes, I am.”
Kathy’s big hair barely moved as she nodded. “Serves you right for getting in that mess with Pinocchio. You should’ve let him work himself into a frenzy until he passed out. Then you could have cut him free, and not got yourself in trouble.”
Oh, God. Annie knew everyone meant well but she did not want to hear the same thing for a month. “He also could have died.”
The older woman sighed. “There are always risks. Pinocchio might’ve died, and that would have been sad, but if you got sidelined...”
“Point taken. I’ll do better next time.”
“Levi finally got that part in for the feed truck. Should be working by this afternoon.”
Annie grinned at the news. “Fantastic.”
“Now might be a good time for you and Mr.... Um, sorry, my short-term memory’s shot, don’t take it personal.”
“It’s Tucker,” he supplied.
Kathy smiled. “You and Mr. Tucker should take a ride out. Show him the field.”
Annie and Tucker exchanged glances and laughed.
“What?” Kathy frowned at them.
“Nothing, really.” Annie cleared her throat. “Tucker is his first name.” It was weird for her, sharing a private joke with someone. No, not someone...with him. “We will get a ride in, but first we have to go over the books.” She squeezed Kathy’s shoulder, then moved over to give one of the baby goats some attention. “When are you two planning on leaving?”
“Not until this afternoon. We worked it out with Will. You’re covered tonight. For as late as you want. This meeting is important to all of us, so take the time you need.”
“Thank you,” Tucker said. “The attitude of the volunteers tells me a great deal about an organization.”
“Well, sir, we’re all simple folks from around Blackfoot Falls. We believe the sanctuary helps everyone. To my mind, a community should be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable creatures. We’re doing what we know in our hearts is right.”
“I agree,” he said.
“And I need coffee. I’ll see you when we’re done inside.” Annie started walking before Tucker could see her sappy grin.
* * *
H
ALFWAY
TO
THE
CABIN
, Tucker decided to change things up, take a chance. See what happened. “As long as you’re covered here at Safe Haven, how about dinner tonight?”
Her inhale told him the suggestion had thrown her off balance. So did the pause in her step. She hadn’t expected the invitation. For a moment there, she’d been frightened. He’d seen it, but only because he’d been paying close attention. So far, they’d kept things professional. Dinner could mean anything.
“I’ve been wondering what motivated you to take over the sanctuary. I don’t know much about you, and it’s always interesting to discover what leads someone to this kind of life. It’s not an easy one. You have to want it badly to put up with all the obstacles. I thought we could talk about it over a meal.”
The flash came again, only for a second, and more contained this time, but it was important that he push her. More than ever, he needed to get to the bottom of this mystery. If she had acted under duress, as he suspected, he had to know. Not that he was forgetting about Christian. His brother was still his priority, but if he could get to the truth, it would solve both their problems.
“You know what? Let’s see how the day goes.” She hurried the rest of the way to the cabin, held the door for him. “Why don’t we have that coffee and go over the books? Then see where we are. I mean, you’re going home tomorrow, so—”
“I’ve moved some appointments around. Thought I’d attend your first meeting tomorrow, meet the rest of the board.”
She looked at him as if he’d slipped a rug out from under her feet. He supposed he had. Trouble was, instead of taking satisfaction in throwing her off kilter, it seemed he wanted to catch her before she fell.
8
T
HE
HORSE
A
NNIE
GAVE
T
UCKER
TO
ride had been named Ronald Weasley, by a committee of four from the high school. She assured him that at one time, the majority of the cast from the
Potter
series had been in residence, but that a lot of them, including Harry, had found homes.
She rode Candy Cane, who’d become something of a favorite among the staff. The names and explanations behind them had taken them past the first and second corrals. Annie was grateful for the distraction, knowing she couldn’t put Tucker off for too much longer. After the ride was over, she planned to shower and change, sending him to town on his own. After all, it was foolish to take one vehicle when he’d be going back to Kalispell for the night. She’d meet him at Marge’s.
She’d debated calling him with an excuse after he’d gone to the diner, but that seemed like a surefire way to kill any chance of getting foundation funds. A man like him was used to conducting business over dinner. In New York she’d done it more often than not. There was no reason for her to think he wanted to share a meal for any other reason. At least him driving ahead would give her time alone to figure out what to tell him.
When she’d first arrived in Blackfoot Falls, people were curious about her and of course they’d had questions. But she’d been vague and firm, and for nearly two years no one had pressed her about her past. God bless cowboys. Not that everyone didn’t gossip about her—she knew they did. But that was fine.
Tucker had caught her off guard, that’s all. Sure, he had money, but at heart he was a cowboy. She’d been ready to tell him every last detail about Safe Haven and all her plans. She wasn’t comfortable telling him lies.
It was bad enough she’d donned Annie Sheridan like a new skin. On the few occasions anyone asked, she said she was from back east. True. When they asked her why she wanted to run Safe Haven, she said she’d always had an affinity for animals, horses in particular. Also true. Then she changed the subject. That wasn’t going to work with Tucker.
“This is gorgeous country.” Tucker rode in a way that made her feel like a klutz. “I’d forgotten what a real spring looks like.”
She wasn’t a klutz. In fact, she was a good rider. But Tucker had been born to the cowboy life.
“The drought has hit everyone in Texas hard,” he said, his baritone laced with sadness. “It’s a different landscape from when I was a kid. It breaks my heart.”
“I’ll bet,” she said. “This is all Safe Haven land, you know. It doesn’t belong to the state or the Bureau of Land Management. That’s good, because we need the space. But we’re not incorporated, and if there’s a fire, unless it threatens buildings or livestock, it’s only going to be managed, not fought. So the more snow and rain we have, the better it is for everyone. Thankfully, this far north, we still get a lot of snow.”
“You have trouble with predators?”
“Much as any ranch out here. We’ve lost our share, but that’s the way of it. The price for free range. Most of the cattle are just passing through, though. We’re not equipped to take care of many, but people are quicker to take cows.”
“That’s good. What about the horses?”
She found herself urging Candy Cane to move faster. “We get a lot of abandoned horses. Too many folks have lost their homes, lost their property, including their ability to care for their stock. Cows are typically bought, but horses... There’s a lot of sentiment around horses, even if the old-timers want to deny it. Nobody likes to send a horse to slaughter. Unfortunately, those same people aren’t able to find them new homes. I’m sure it’s the same story on your end.”
“Every rescue shelter we support has a different set of circumstances unique to their location.” Tucker looked around at the distant prairie, spread as far as they could see. “There are plenty of lakes here. Shade trees. Underground water flow. A horse might find a decent chance.”
She nodded. “Good thing we have that because there’s never a time we’re not at capacity. Not a week goes by we don’t have to turn someone away.”
“That won’t change if you get funding.”
“It’ll happen less. That’s something to hope for.”
He seemed to study her with a different kind of interest. “Safe Haven is lucky to have you. Whatever happens from this trip, the work you’ve put into this place is something you can be proud of.”
“Thank you.” Annie rode ahead a bit, trying not to let him see her confusion over the oddly ominous compliment. Had he already eliminated Safe Haven as a worthy nonprofit? Then why bother to stay for the board meeting?
Maybe they weren’t ready for a gift yet. She’d run across that in her fundraising efforts, where an organization would hold back money until certain goals had been met.
That would be a blow, but only because she was letting herself hope too much. Nothing was ever guaranteed. Especially when things looked brightest.
They weren’t far from the field she wanted Tucker to see. Putting aside her worries, she let the excitement of this amazing project spur her forward. Candy Cane caught her enthusiasm and Weasley trotted along. The perfect breeze lifted Annie’s hair, taking her out of her myopic panic for the first time since he’d mentioned dinner.
The day couldn’t have been better. Green leaves and buds and early flowers were everywhere she looked, the scent of spring vivid, the sky an astonishing blue. Realizing she’d let this pass her by for half an hour reminded her to grab what she could while she could.
When Tucker caught up to her, she truly saw him, not as the man who could solve her financial problems or the nosy stranger who asked too many questions. He wasn’t smiling or anything so obvious, but he looked happy. As if he belonged in Montana, at least for this day.
It was the contrast that made it so clear to her. Yesterday, this morning, Tucker had walked with an air of gravitas about him. Even when he joked around or drank beer from the bottle, he made an impression. You wouldn’t want to tangle with this guy. She had the feeling if he went after someone, they wouldn’t know what hit them until the dust had long settled.
“What’s this?” he said as they got closer to the five-acre experiment. “How tall is that fence?”
“Seven and half feet. It’s not finished, though. But we’ll need to keep the deer out, so we had to go high.”
“What’s it guarding?”
“The future,” Annie said, her voice tight with anticipation of his reaction.
When he looked at her, sparks lit up all through her, but she decided they were a result of the project, not Tucker. “Show me.”
“Well, the view’s not impressive. Yet.” She urged Candy Cane into a burst of speed and led Tucker around the fence to the western gate. Of course, he could see through the wires, see that there was nothing but flat ground, not even plowed yet. But she wanted him to get a feel for how big the plot was, how big the idea was, so she slowed, dropped from her saddle and waited until he’d done the same.
They walked beyond the gate. “This is going to be a field of alfalfa,” she said. “Five acres. Before the tractor engine blew, we’d just started to amend the soil, so it won’t be ready for planting until next year. There are some issues with irrigation that need to be handled before we can truly make this work, but I know we’ll do it. All old school. No motors, no generators. Just wind to push the water through.”
“Huh,” he said, mostly to himself, turning his head as if trying to picture what this land would look like in five years. In ten.
“If it works, which it will, it’ll be the first of many plots growing feed. Not only to make Safe Haven more self-sustaining, but to help future interns learn about alternative agricultural methods. We want to train ranchers to be able to take care of their land using creativity to build and grow.
“This fence has been a large-scale project guided by the high school kids. They did all the fundraising and recruited the help they needed to get the fencing equipment. They’re still working on it, and maybe it’ll take more than a year, but I don’t think so. We’ve discussed making it a cooperative, so that other ranches might be able to start rebuilding. But that’s pretty far in the future.”
When he turned to her this time, his smile made her blush. There was no doubt that Tucker was impressed. More than she’d hoped. “This is remarkable. Really outstanding. It was your idea?”
“I’d mentioned it as a faraway dream, but Melanie and the students, they ran with it. She’s so committed to using the sanctuary as an educational resource that great ideas are all stacked up, just waiting to come to life. She’s amazing.”
“She isn’t the only one.”
Annie’s cheeks burned. She ducked her head and tucked her hair behind her ear. When she looked up again, though, something had changed. The smile had frozen on his face, and his gaze seemed troubled. A second later, the grin lifted, and if she hadn’t looked up at the right time, she would have missed it entirely. “Is something wrong?”
“Not at all,” he said. “I’m very glad you brought me out here.” He moved closer, and for a moment she thought he was going to touch her arm, but then he ended up running his hand through his hair. “You have any more surprises up your sleeve?”
“Nope. This was it.”
He nodded. “Maybe we should head back, then. I’ve got some phone calls I need to make, and I know you have things to do. We’ll figure out dinner arrangements on the way.”
“Sure, no problem.” Annie mounted her horse, unsettled and disappointed. The moment had been so perfect. What had changed? She couldn’t think of anything she’d done wrong, but then, she wasn’t always quick to see beyond her own enthusiasm. So much for her ace in the hole.
* * *
M
ARGE
’
S
DINER
WAS
...
A
DINER
.
It wasn’t crowded. Only two men sat at the counter sipping from white mugs. Tucker nodded to them as he passed on his way to a booth in the back. A waitress appeared, poured the men refills, then brought him a menu along with a curious smile.
Strangers had to be infrequent guests in Blackfoot Falls. The interstate was an hour away, and the town was small. And, except for the Sundance, didn’t seem much like a tourist attraction.
He’d arrived early, but he didn’t mind waiting. He was still worrying over a moment of clarity he’d had when Annie had shown him the five acres. She’d swept him away, as thoroughly as if she’d been a magician. Standing there, he could see her vision of the future, her commitment to changing her slice of the world for the better. For one powerful moment, he’d been ready to take out his checkbook.
And then it had hit like an unexpected tackle. She wasn’t Annie Sheridan. He had no idea who she really was. Except that she had to be one of the best fundraisers he’d ever encountered. He didn’t give his money away, not without a lot of forethought and reason, but she could have taken him for a completely different kind of ride.
He didn’t doubt his intuition. He believed that there was far more to the story of Leanna’s skipping town than Christian had said, because she wasn’t the greedy, unscrupulous woman he’d described. Tucker had more faith in himself than to think his judgment was so far off. But that didn’t change the fact that he didn’t
know.
She could still be under someone’s thumb, still need money to get herself out of a desperate situation. Although that was a stretch. Running an animal sanctuary was the worst way he could think of to raise a lot of cash. And her enthusiasm for the place...she hadn’t been faking that.
He raised his gaze just as she walked through the front door.
She’d changed into a different pair of jeans, a fresh shirt. He couldn’t help wishing she’d worn a dress, something more sophisticated that would have shown off her tall, lean body, the way she carried herself. She must have amazing legs.
He stood as she approached the table, then sat when she slid into her side of the booth.
“You’re early,” she said.
“I’ve only been here a few minutes. It’s a nice place.”
She grinned as she looked at the row of uniform booths along the window facing Main Street and the old-fashioned counter with black vinyl and metal stools. “It’s the only place.”
“There are more restaurants in Kalispell. We could go right now.”
She picked up the menu, shaking her head. “Cocoa might foal tonight, so I can’t even be here for long.”
He picked up his menu, too, noticing straight off that they had a homemade beef stew featured. “You know, you never did answer my question about how you ended up in northern Montana.”
She studied him, her lips pressed together and her eyes grave. “Serendipity. I’d heard about Safe Haven when I was traveling. I’ve always been into horses, and animal sanctuaries were a passion. When I came to Blackfoot Falls, I never intended to take over Safe Haven. That just sort of happened.”
“Traveling from...?”
“Back east.” She studied the menu, then smiled up at him. “I haven’t eaten here much, but I do know about the popular dishes. The chicken fried steak is homemade, battered right here, and the burgers are supposed to be off the charts. Oh, and if you like crispy fries, Marge’s is the place.”
Instead of calling her on her subtle misdirection, Tucker found himself caught in her gaze. He leaned forward, aching to break down the walls that she’d built so well. There were no obvious lies in anything she’d said. She hadn’t blinked or given any tells that he could see. It only made her more of an enigma.
God, but she was beautiful. His hand moved across the table until he almost touched her. It was a near-miss, stopping himself just before contact. There was too much he wanted from this woman to let his attraction subvert his plans.
Unfortunately, what he saw reflected in her eyes wasn’t the hint of fear he’d been expecting, but a want he understood too well.
Her lips, pink and lush and unpainted, parted, revealing her white top teeth. If she were his, he would kiss her for hours, make them both crazy for more. But he wouldn’t give in. Not until she was quivering in his arms.