Page 202 of Ride a Cowboy

Matt shook his head. “Nah. I figure they’ll want to start a family pretty soon. Since Mark and I run the ranch, it’s hard for us to move out. We need to be close to the stables. Caleb mentioned building his own house closer to the main road to make it easier for him during the winter when he’s on call. We have a fairly long driveway, and after it snows, it takes some effort to plow it so he can get out.”

She was used to snowy winters in New York. It was one of the things she’d missed this year. She and Rodney had spent a great deal of the last few months hopping from safe house to safe house in the south. They’d celebrated Christmas in Phoenix and the temperature had been in the eighties that day. At the time, she’d considered the lack of snow a blessing. With the heat and unfamiliar surroundings, she could pretend it wasn’t Christmas, and it kept her homesickness at bay.

“Sounds like you own quite a bit of property.”

Mark nodded. “We do okay. Our family’s lived in this area for several generations. It’s home.”

“It must be nice to have such solid roots. I grew up in the city, but my parents were originally from Jersey.”

“You have any other brothers or sisters besides Rodney?” Matt asked.

Bridget sucked in a sharp gasp of air. It had been on the tip of her tongue to say she was an only child. She knew she was treading on thin ice, tempting fate by talking to them, but Matt and Mark were so easy to be with, they made her forget what a fucking mess her life was at the present. “No. It’s just him and me.”

Mark frowned. “No parents?”

She shook her head because it was easier than making up another long story she’d likely screw up later. She hated lying to them. Her folks were alive and well and retired in Hoboken. She was also certain her mother hadn’t slept a wink since Bridget had gone into protective custody. Another pound of guilt she’d had to carry around. Her heart ached at the thought, and for one very foolish moment, she wanted to confess the truth to Matt and Mark, to tell them about Lyle, the judge, the murder. She had nearly convinced herself it was a good idea to unload all her burdens on their very capable, strapping shoulders and had even opened her mouth to speak the words when fate stepped in.

“Hey, Bridget. I wondered where you were.”

Rodney walked up to the table. He didn’t seem as annoyed to find her out and about today as he was yesterday. She suspected that was because he’d spent some time getting to know the James brothers. He’d confided last night this seemed like a safe place and the people were genuinely nice.

Maybe she’d talk Rodney into telling Matt and Mark about their plight. They seemed like the kind of men who’d be willing to help.

She smiled and held out her hands. “Looks like you found me. Matt and Mark treated me to the best omelet in, hmmm, I’m trying to remember.” She looked at Matt. “Did you say in the state or in the world?”

“Universe,” Matt replied, adding to her joke.

“Gotcha, the best omelet in the universe,” she finished. When Rodney looked at her empty plate with an expression of hunger and jealousy, she felt a pang of guilt for not saving him half. “I should have saved some for you.”

He shrugged good-naturedly. “That’s okay. I’ll grab something later.”

“Actually,” Todd said, coming out of the kitchen with a full plate, “I’ve kept this warm in the oven, hoping you’d come back soon.” He placed the dish at an empty spot at the table and gestured for Rodney to sit down. “This is on the house, to say thank you for helping us move the dinosaur stove out of the kitchen yesterday.”

Rodney quickly claimed the chair, not remembering to speak until he’d shoveled in two enormous mouthfuls. “Thanks.”

Matt laughed. “I can tell you two are related. Never seen two people go after a plate of food with the same level of enthusiasm.”

Mark turned to Rodney. “We were just trying to convince your sister to come over to the James Ranch for riding lessons.”

Rodney swallowed quickly. “Riding lessons? I don’t think we’ll have time for that. We’re leaving soon.”

“Oh, darn,” Todd said. “I thought Steven said you’d be here through the week.”

“That was the original plan,” Rodney said, “but now I’m not sure we’re going to be able to stay that long.”

Bridget tried to ignore the sudden ache she felt at the idea of picking up and moving on yet again. Hanging out with the twins had been a nice change after months of monotony. It had been so long since she’d allowed herself to let herself feel pure, simple attraction. Lyle’s murder had skewed her ability to judge people and their motives and while she longed to accept Matt and Mark’s offer of friendship, fear held her back.

“Well, you have to stay through tonight at least. I’m making a Valentine’s Day feast. We thought we’d follow that up with dessert and games,” Todd offered.

Bridget glanced Rodney’s way, trying to determine exactly how fast he wanted to move. She couldn’t tell from his facial expression if he’d even found them somewhere new to hide.

Rodney nodded. “That sounds great. We wouldn’t leave until tomorrow or the day after at the earliest.”

Bridget released a slow breath. One more night. She looked at the twins. “Will you two be here?”

Matt gave her a wickedly sexy grin. “You looking for a Valentine, Bridget? Because if so, I’m your man.”

Mark rolled his eyes. “Did you ever consider that she might be interested in a real man, rather than a guy who acts as old as his shoe size? What size are your feet again? Eleven?”

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