Page 42 of Choosing the Montana Cowboy

Push her to choose to stay.

“Oh, and Sam?”

He turned back, the view of his girl—yes, dammit,hisgirl—making him smile. “Yeah?”

“Be safe out there.”

Knowing that she cared made his smile widen that much more. “I’ll do my best.”

*

Natalie could tellSunnie was preoccupied with helping coordinate cattle rescue efforts, so she helped put the fish away then said goodbye and headed out to her rental car. She sat there for a moment, catching her breath from a whirlwind of a day. Had Sam really gotten her on a horse? Heck, that was almost as shocking as him convincing her to make memories on the Marietta River shoreline.

But then, with Sam, she always felt safe, like he had everything under control. And after living on her own for so long now, it was kinda nice letting someone else make decisions for a while.

Speaking of, it was probably time to check in with her aunt and uncle and make sure all was well back in Indiana. So Natalie headed back into town, got herself cleaned up and fed, and then dialed. Uncle Ralph picked up on the second ring.

“Well, hello there, Natalie. How’s life treating you in Montana?”

She shifted on the chaise lounge in her room and bit back a groan. Between riding and paddling, she was going to be a bundle of sore tomorrow. “Pretty well, actually. You should see it, Uncle Ralph. It’s gorgeous out here. Those nature shows on TV don’t do it justice.”

He chuckled. “Actually, we vacationed out there a number of years back. Stayed in Wyoming but went up through Yellowstone far enough to say we’d made it to Montana before turning back. It truly felt like God’s country.”

Sam intended to live and die here. She’d have a hard time leaving, too, if this was all she’d known. Even loving her hometown as much as she did, Natalie sensed it wouldn’t be easy to leave Big Sky country behind. Leaving, however, was inevitable. While it was fun to play cowgirl today, she still had a house to take care of and friends and family she was missing.

But how much will you be missing Sam?

She pushed that thought aside. There would be plenty of time to think about how to say goodbye before that time came. For now, she was intent on living in the moment and enjoying the time with him that she had.

“It sure does,” she replied. “How are things back home?”

“Not too bad. Your aunt and I drove into Fort Wayne last weekend, had some shopping to do at the Barr Street Farmer’s Market. She’s found a plant lady who makes these little hanger things. Sara, what’s that called again?” A muffled voice sounded in the background. “Oh, yeah. Macramé. Anyway, she fell in love with the first one she bought and had to go back for more. If I don’t watch her, she’s going to have plants hanging in every room of our house.”

Natalie laughed softly. Her aunt and uncle had the kind of marriage she’d always envied—they did everything together and always seemed to get along. Sure, there were small squabbles from time to time, but deep down, she knew they’d be together forever. So if Aunt Sara liked these macramé plant hangers, Uncle Ralph was probably the one suggesting they go shop for more. He liked to keep her happy.

“Well, I can’t wait to get home and see them,” she said. “Maybe I’ll want a few, too.”

“There you go. And then you can ride up to Fort Wayne with us and meet this gal yourself. Her sister sets up a table next to her sometimes—she sells homemade jewelry. Darned talented family if you ask me. Speaking of which, how’s your sister?”

Good question. Natalie would have felt bad about not knowing the answer, except phones worked both ways. “Haven’t heard from her in a few weeks. Maybe I’ll reach out after we’re done talking.”

“Or maybe not.” Uncle Ralph laughed. Yes, he knew her and Julianna’s relationship well. “Oh, before I forget—when I took your mail inside yesterday, the battery backup to your sump pump was beeping. I refilled the water reservoir, but that didn’t fix it, which is usually a sign that it’s starting to go. Seems like I remember when you bought the place that the owner said those things only last a few years. There are newer types of batteries out there that last longer, though. If you’d like, I can stop and pick you one up the next time I’m at the Home Depot.”

Natalie sighed. “Scope one out and I’ll send you some money for it. Or, if you think it will last a little longer, I can go with you after this project.”

“Can do. We’ve got some rain in the forecast at the end of the week, so I’ll see if I can’t get one in before then.”

Thank goodness for her kindhearted uncle. “You’re the best, Uncle Ralph.”

“Oh! Aunt Sara asked if you heard on that promotion yet.”

“No, not yet.” Natalie’s gaze shifted to her bird’s-eye view of Marietta. Would this town help her achieve her goal or be the project that held her back? And could she even be upset about that, knowing Marietta had also brought her and Sam together? Whether they kept in touch after she headed home or not, he’d always hold a special place in her heart. “But I’ll keep you posted.”

She hung up with her aunt and uncle, took a deep breath, and then called her sister. Julianna let it roll to voice mail. Natalie left a short message, letting her know she was just calling to say hi, then set her phone aside. There was no sense getting worked up about not talking to the sister she rarely talked to anyway.

A yawn rattled her, the long, physical day beginning to take its toll. She sent Sam a text, saying she hoped everything had gone okay with Stubby, then climbed into bed. And though her body was exhausted, her mind wandered, not yet ready for sleep.

Why hadn’t Julianna answered? Was she okay? Busy? Just didn’t want to talk?

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