Page 44 of Choosing the Montana Cowboy

His sister shrugged. “Sometimes I’m just not sure whose side she’s really on.”

Sam wasn’t sure how to respond to that. If he’d known about her upcoming meeting with Chuck, he might have been able to offer Norah an explanation. As it was, he knew less than she did.

“Please don’t tell Gran I said anything,” Norah said, rising from the table. “But I thought you should know.”

She bent to give him a hug; Sam gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Thanks, Nor.”

He sat by himself after she left, the stew before him lukewarm and his confidence lessened. Surely, there had to be a logical explanation of why Natalie hadn’t told him about Monday’s meeting with Chuck—who, like Gran, was one of the voting members of both the planning committee and board of works. In all fairness, though, she wasn’t obligated to tell him anything about her project that didn’t relate specifically to the Flying J Ranch.

But the thought of her holding back information from him did sting some. He was curious to see how she would respond when he brought it up tomorrow. Because he would be bringing it up, so he understood the ongoing process. And to prove to his family that Natalie didn’t have some secret, ulterior motives.

That, he wanted to believe.

Sam just hoped like hell his heart wasn’t steering him wrong.

*

Natalie was respondingto a few random work emails Sunday after lunch when a knock sounded at her door. Confused, she rose to answer it. Had room service forgotten something? She cracked the door open and was surprised to find Sam and Madison in the hall. Madison looked adorable as ever; the turquoise top she was wearing brought out the blue in her eyes. And Sam—well, Natalie felt that smile of his all the way down to her toes.

“Well, hey, guys! This is a lovely surprise. What brings you two into town?”

“Gran sent us to pick up her grocery order,” Madison said. “So Dad thought we could stop by and see if you wanted a ride out to the ranch. We were hoping you could go for a ride with us before dinner, to look for the ferrets.”

Oh God. A ride? On horseback? She wasn’t sure her muscles would be a fan of that again so soon. Heck, she wasn’t entirely sure she’d be able tostayon a horse today, as tight as everything felt.

“I told you she’d assume the worst,” Sam said to Madison, laughing. “We have four-wheelers, Natalie. Enough for each of us. No big scary horses required.”

Relief washed over her.

“Now you’re speaking my language. Those I can do.”

She invited them in, then hurried to snap her laptop shut and change her clothes. Those emails could wait; she’d only been checking her work inbox out of boredom. Though there was one at the bottom of the stack from her boss with an odd subject line. Something about a baby on the way.

Who the heck on their team was having a baby?

The minute she stepped outside into a gloriously sunny afternoon, the mystery email was quickly forgotten. Natalie rode in the truck’s surprisingly spacious back seat, not wanting to disrupt the father-daughter time going on, despite both of their efforts to convince her to take the front seat. Besides, it would also keep her from reaching across the center console to hold his hand—something they’d done quite a bit of yesterday after their beach time.

Plus, sitting behind Sam allowed her to talk ferret-sighting strategies with Madison. By the time they got to the lodge and had the groceries unloaded, they’d devised a plan of attack. The trio would start along the fencerow between the Miles and Nelson properties and follow it back half a mile or so, then turn and follow the Marietta River another half mile, turn near where Norah had seen a new beaver dam—Sam winked at her in the rearview mirror—and angle back toward the lodge. According to Madison, that would encompass the majority of locations where she and her friends had seen the ferrets.

Soon they’d grabbed water bottles and snacks and were headed outside toward a large pole barn away from the stable and cow pens. She hadn’t been in that building before. Natalie was curious to see what all was stored inside.

“Going out to spy on the ferrets?” Eli called after them.

Natalie turned back, shielding her eyes from the sun. “We sure are! Want to join us?”

“Heck no—the lodge is quiet and I’ve got a pretty wife all to myself.” He waggled his brows. “But hold up, I’ve got something for you.”

Natalie looked to the others, who shrugged, just as clueless as she was. A minute later, Eli was shuffling toward them, holding something behind his back. As he came to a stop before her, he produced a ball cap with the Flying J’s logo stitched on its face.

“Can’t have you squinting into the sun all day,” he said, handing it to her. “It’ll give you wrinkles.”

Natalie blinked back a rush of emotion. He was so kind.

She took the hat and gave him a hug. “I love it. Thank you.”

“Oh, that’s not to keep. It’s the loaner we give all the city kids when they come to stay out here. But don’t worry, it should be clean. Mostly.” At her slight recoil, Eli burst into a full-blown belly laugh. “I’m just a’ joshin’ with you, Natalie girl. That hat is new and all yours.”

Natalie shook her head and laughed. He’d had her fooled for a moment and he knew it.

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