Page 47 of Wyoming Tough

Of course, nobody knew who Morie really was, or her real background. If they had, Gelly would have had her own head on the block. Morie was rich beyond the dreams of avarice. Gelly, however, would love to be rich. She just wanted to marry Mallory, so that she’d have whatever she wanted. Morie had been in the way. Gelly had been jealous of her from the start, and she had to know that Mallory was feeling something more than professional regard for his newest hire.

Those hungry kisses had knocked Morie off guard. She’d never expected that things would end like this. She choked back tears of anger and loss. Maybe it was just as well, she told herself. Mallory believed in her guilt. If he’d cared about her, nothing would have convinced him that she’d take something from him. That was absolute proof that anything he felt was just physical. He didn’t care about Morie. He couldn’t have cared, and treated her so coldly.

She dabbed at her eyes with her battered handkerchief. Her father was going to be livid when he found out where she’d been. But Shelby would stand up for her. It would be all right. She’d just have to get through the next few days and it would start getting better. She’d go on with her life, and Mallory would fade into the past, day by day, hour by hour. Maybe in a year she wouldn’t even be able to remember what he looked like. Time was kind.

HER FATHER AND MOTHERwere waiting at the ranch’s airstrip. They were standing close together, as they always were, smiling at each other until Morie came down the steps of the small jet.

“Morie!” Shelby ran to her and embraced her, hugging her close. “Oh, it’s so good to have you home again!”

“Been rolling in wheat straw?” her father asked, his black eyes that were so much like her own narrowed in suspicion.

She grinned and hugged him tight. “Yes, I have. Don’t fuss, Daddy.”

He hugged her, laughing. “Okay. Good to have you home, brat.” He held her at arm’s length. “Now. Where the hell have you been for the past few weeks?”

She sighed. “Working on a ranch as a cowgirl,” she confessed.

“Good God Almighty!” he raged. “Hell, I wouldn’t even let you lift a hay bale here and you went to work on a…!”

“Please don’t fuss,” she interrupted. “I learned so much about ranching. I learned about calving and feed and fences, all the things you’d never teach me. I learned ranching from the ground up. And I had a good time doing it.”

“Where did you work?” he persisted.

“In Wyoming, for people who had no idea who I was,” she said. “And that’s all I’m going to say about it. Ever.”

“Was it a big ranch?” he asked.

She shrugged. “A family one.”

“I see.”

“Some brothers. They were nice. I even had my own room in the bunkhouse and all the cowboys looked out for me. It was just like here, only smaller,” she added, to cover herself. “Much smaller.”

“Did you tell them who you were when you left?” Shelby wondered.

“No. I just said I had to come home.” She dropped her eyes.

Shelby, who knew her very well, was certain that there was much more to this story that Morie didn’t want to tell her parents.

“Well, we can talk about it later.” Shelby said gently. She smiled at King. “Right now, let’s get her home and cleaned up. Honestly, Morie, you do look ragged!”

Morie laughed. “It was fun, while it lasted.”

“It’s nice to have you home.” Shelby sighed, hugging her again. “I’m surrounded by men when you aren’t here. Nobody wants to discuss recipes or Paris sales and shopping.”

King made a face. “I’ll talk about the production sale late this month,” he volunteered.

Shelby glowered at him. “I’m already tired of hearing about it. Who do you think is having to make all the arrangements, my darling? Not you! I’ll bet you have no clue about caterers and musical entertainment and tables and chairs and awnings….”

“Gosh, is that the time?” King glanced at his big watch. “I have cattle to brand!”

Shelby made a face at him. “Then you can drop us off at the house on your way,” she told him with a chuckle.

He smiled back. He shouldered the box and the rucksack that Morie had brought with her and headed for the big ranch SUV.

LATER, SHELBY CORNEREDher daughter in the bedroom and closed the door.

“You can fool your dad,” she said, “but you can’t ever fool me. Now come clean,” she told Morie and sat down beside her on the spotless comforter with its exquisite pastel floral design. “What really happened?”

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