Page 23 of Choosing the Montana Cowboy

Natalie sat insideher rental car back at the Bramble House as night fell across Marietta, forehead resting on the steering wheel. An endangered species. Unknown leases and competing small-scale lodges she could work around, but there was no getting around the US Environmental Protection Agency. This project was as good as done for.

Foiled by a ferret.

IfI tell anyone.

And therein lay the moral dilemma. If what Madison had told her tonight was correct, only a small number of people had seen the black-footed ferrets near the Nelson property. With corporate missing yet another potential development conflict, reporting the sighting rested squarely on Natalie’s shoulders.

For now, anyway. Once the land-moving equipment arrived on-site, anyone working for Terakion would have the opportunity to see them for themselves. But how many people would know what they were looking at was an endangered species? Then again, if someone did recognize it as such or heard down the road that the Miles family had told Natalie of their findings, she could be in trouble for not reporting it to corporate.

And if that happened, she might as well kiss her promotion—and possibly her job—goodbye.

On a sigh, she stepped from her car and headed inside to call her best friend back. It was Cyn who had called during dinner—a planned interruption, to provide her an excuse to leave in case dinner hadn’t gone well. But it had gone well, incredibly well, up until that stupid ferret burst her bubble.

“I don’t see what the big deal is, Nat,” Cyn said across the miles a few minutes later. “So the project can’t happen. Why would corporate deny you this promotion for some endangered species crawling out of the woodwork? Besides, isn’t it their job to vet all this out ahead of time?”

Nat dropped onto the bed in her room and stared up at the ceiling, grateful her bestie had taken her call despite the two-hour time difference. Sometimes, she just needed to talk things through in order to wrap her head around the best outcomes. Tonight was one of those times.

“Because the job descriptions specifically states the prerequisite of thirty successful projects. I’m sitting at twenty-nine.”

“Well, that seems dumb.” Cyn snorted. “What if you’re an amazing person with really bad luck?”

Natalie laughed. “Then you’re probably not who corporate would want in the higher position because the bad luck would follow.”

“Oh. Good point.” Cyn laughed softly. “But theyknowyou, Nat. Look how many great projects you’ve helped get across the finish line.”

“Yeah, but there are other people who have been there longer who are about to hit thirty successful projects as well.”

“But are they as good as you?”

It was a fair question. “I mean, the numbers sort of speak for themselves.”

“Which means you’re being modest again.” Cyn paused, and Natalie could nearly hear the eye roll across the line. “Listen, spare your conscience, and tell your boss. Let him go to bat for you. That’s his job.”

Technically, it wasn’t his job to help her get promoted, but Natalie didn’t want to bemoan the point. “Yeah, but—”

“Nat, seriously, why are we even having this conversation? You know you’re going to tell him because it’s the right thing to do. And you always do the right thing. Even when I tell you not to.”

Natalie grinned. She’d known Cyn since grade school, which meant her best friend had witnessed countless scuffles between her and her older sister, Julianna. Time and again, when Julianna had badgered Natalie about one thing or another, Cyn had offered to put Jules, as she’d nicknamed her, in her place. But each time, Natalie had spared her sister the strife and pledged to take care of it herself. Which, usually, meant bowing to her sister’s will and keeping the peace. Not ideal, but no one ever seemed worse for the wear.

“I know. And you’re right—I can’t not tell him. It’s just…” She blew out a sigh, her smile slipping. “I’m kinda homesick, Cyn.”

“You? Little Miss I Love to Travel?”

A door closed somewhere down the hall, the sound followed by muted footsteps and voices. When she’d first taken the job at Terakion, Natalie had loved the novelty of the position. Traveling to places she’d never been. Getting to meet people, to learn about all these amazing small and midsized towns. And she still loved that part of it; she just wished she could do it from the comfort of her own home.

“Right? And other promotions will come along eventually, but after this opening it could be a while. Like, a long while, which is why I’m in a bit of a panic. Cyn, I’m starting to miss my house, my stuff. Heck, I miss sleeping in my own bed. The one I bought just before getting let go from Thinkology. I swear, I’ve only slept in it few dozen times and that was more than fouryearsago.” She barked a soft laugh. “I know, first world problems.”

“So, what I hear you saying is you miss me?”

Natalie’s vision swam, fatigue setting in. “More than you know, my friend.”

“Ah, girlie, I miss you, too. Want me to jump on a plane and fly out for the weekend?”

“Oh, no. I see what you’re doing there, and I’m not falling for it.”

Cyn’s voice took on a higher pitch as she played innocent. “What am I doing?”

“You’re trying to find an excuse to come out and size up the cowboy who’s been giving me fits since I got here.”

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