Page 19 of Choosing the Montana Cowboy

Sam appeared fresh out of the shower, his dark hair still damp, giving him a slightly boyish look. Tonight’s jeans were lighter than what he usually wore, faded to perfection in all the right places. His dark shirt was simple but fit like it was made for him, hugging his biceps nicely. It was too bad they didn’t make guys like that back home.

As his gaze met hers, she tipped her head toward the giant canines. “Will they bite?”

He angled for her car, an amused look on his face. “CC and Larwill? Heck no, they wouldn’t hurt a fly. Worst guard dogs in the world. That’s why we keep them at the lodge. Only thing they’re good at is keeping our guests’ feet warm.”

He opened her door, and that sandalwood cologne of his tickled her senses. After a moment’s hesitation, Natalie grabbed her crossbody purse and stepped from her rental. She peered around Sam and was relieved to see neither dog rise from their place on the porch. Hopefully, they would do the same when it was time for her to leave.

“See? Nothing to worry about.”

He closed her door and started for the lodge. Natalie followed, her shorter steps sounding hurried compared to his long, easy stride. Had she ever been around a man so sure of himself, so comfortable in his own skin?

“Besides, Gramps would be disappointed if you left before he got a chance to see you.”

“Well, I certainly wouldn’t want to let poor Eli down.”

They exchanged a grin.

“Come on,” Sam said, tipping his head toward the door. “We don’t have enough time before dinner for me to show you the grounds, so let’s head inside and I can at least show you the lodge.”

Natalie cast one last wary glance at the oversized dogs. They’d lowered their heads but had their eyes trained on her still. “Uh, great. Thanks.”

Natalie followed him up the front porch steps. No ring on his finger again today, which still surprised her. A guy like this? Single? He’d mentioned being divorced, but not his current relationship status. Maybe he was the kind of guy who didn’t wear a wedding band. She could only imagine the wear and tear those strong hands of his went through each day. Those hands that’d caught her as she’d gone tumbling into him that first night and held her steady like she weighed nothing.

“This is our main lodge, in case you hadn’t pieced that together,” he said, bringing her back to the here and now. Sam held the front door open for her to pass through then took the lead once more inside. A small reception area sat to the right, a small office to the left.

“We try to keep things simple here. Guest check-in. Main office.” Sam led her past each and down a short hall then into the room beyond. “And this is the parlor where guests come to relax or congregate. Norah updated the interior last spring. I think it turned out pretty nice.”

The space before them was two stories tall, with walls, floor, and ceiling all cut from the same reddish-golden timber. Twice the size of the parlor at the Bramble House, the space held several sitting areas each with their own dedicated end tables and coffee tables. The furniture fabrics were durable, their turquoise, yellow, and rust colors and patterns common for the western region. Windows all along each side of the room kept the space feeling open and bright, and provided spectacular views of Big Sky country. But it was the mammoth floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace that quickly caught her eye.

“Wow—that fireplace is amazing.”

Sam nodded in agreement. “In the cooler months, Norah likes to keep the fireplace lit. During the summer, we use LED inserts to give the illusion of flames.”

“I can imagine how cozy it would be to sit in front of this fire with a good book.” She dropped onto a love seat nearby. It was as comfortable as she imagined. “So, your sister does interior design?”

“Among other things. Norah runs the hospitality side of our ranch. While we still have one, anyway.” He winked.

Shot fired across the starboard bow.She was surprised it’d taken him this long to get a jab in. “That does make sense.”

“What, Norah doing interior design?”

She grinned. “No, her running the hospitality side instead of you.”

Sam pursed his lips. Natalie knew she shouldn’t poke the bear, but she’d be lying if she didn’t admit it was kind of fun. Also, he’d started it. But rather than fire back, Sam simply shrugged.

“You’ll be disappointed to know that I do help run the lodge when she’s on vacation. And I haven’t run any guests off yet.”

“The key word beingyet.” She should have let that go but couldn’t help herself. He had that effect on her.

Sam’s right brow rose. “Fair warning. Lodging guests and dinner guests are not one and the same.”

“Touché.”

They continued onward, down a short hall that opened into a large dining room. Another beautiful stone fireplace stood in the corner, opposite an opening she guessed led toward the kitchen.

“Are both fireplaces original to the lodge?”

He nodded. “My great-grandfather set those stones by hand. Found them while clearing land for the cattle and hauled them here by cart and oxen. We don’t keep those animals anymore—too much work and they could sure be mean.”

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