Page 5 of Moonlight Over Montana

Maggie let her eyes close as Jed drove out of town. “You know, besides being strong women, me and Annie, we have something else in common.”

He said, “Well, it’s not pie making. Annie can’t cook, much less bake.”

She smiled at the truth to that statement and opened her eyes. “Annie is the first one to admit to that, but I was talking about Mr. Lucas Gasperini. Remember the guy who wanted to buy Riverbank Orchard and then Grace Star Ranch so he could turn our little slice of heaven into the mecca of dude ranch resorts?”

“I remember him.” Jed’s voice held a hint of reserve.

“Gasperini was at the diner today and made me quite an offer if I’d sell him the Filler Up.”

He glanced her way, his gray eyes unreadable in the dashboard light. “And what did he say when you turned him down?”

“You know me so well.”

He gave her a wink. “Again, remember who you’re like?”

“Well, right before I showed him to the door, he said I might come to regret my decision.”

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Jed slowed the truck and controlled his voice so he didn’t scare Maggie unnecessarily. “Did he threaten you?”

She waved a hand in the air. “Nothing like that; he said he was going to continue to make offers to the businesses around town and either way he was going to achieve his goals and one of those was putting me out of business.”

His blood boiled in his veins. “You’ll need to tell that to Sheriff Blackstone in the morning.”

She glanced his way. “You don’t think he would have done something like this, do you?” Her voice trembled as it grew softer. “We could have died.”

He took her hand in his and applied gentle pressure. “But you and Susie are safe and we’ll find out who or what is responsible for the fire. At Grace Star Ranch, you’ll both be safe.” Jed hoped Maggie would trust that he and everyone at the ranch would protect them should the need arise. Her hand was ice cold as she clung to his as they spent the rest of the trip in silence.

The moon glinted off the sign, Grace Star Ranch, as Jed turned under it and drove down the gravel road. “We’ll go right to the cabin and you can see Annie in the morning.”

Maggie nodded. “Thanks. How close is this place to yours?”

“I’m in cabin four which is next door. Odds on one side, evens on the other. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to shout and I’ll give you my cell too.”

She turned to look at the passing pastureland. Despite the darkness, the vastness of the property was evident.

From the back seat, Susie said, “This was really nice of Annie and Linc, but how will I get to school?”

“We’ll figure that out, but for tomorrow”—she glanced at the clock on the dashboard—“I mean today, you can hang out with me. We need to buy some clothes and heaven only knows what else.”

Jed hated that her voice was filled with raw emotion. Holding back tears, anger, and disbelief were just a few that he could think she might be feeling. He drove past the main house and all the lights were on, but he didn’t stop. If Maggie wanted to get to the cabin, that is what he’d do. Five minutes later, he pulled up in front of the wood structure next to his. Light shone through the slats of the blinds and the front door opened. Annie stepped onto the small porch and Linc was right behind her. Before Maggie had time to get out of the truck, Annie had opened the door and pulled her into outstretched arms, and she wiggled her fingertips in Susie’s direction too.

“Group hug.”

That was the last straw for Maggie as she burst into fresh tears. Before her body crumpled and connect with the ground, Linc grabbed her and slipped his arm around her waist. He caught Jed’s eye and he knew that look. Controlled anger simmered under his calming façade. Even without knowing that just today Maggie had refused to sell the diner, they both knew she was extremely protective when it came to the diner and her home. She would never have been careless. The fire had either been due to an electrical issue or something far worse.

“Maggie.” Jed was opposite Linc. “Let’s go inside. Annie and Susie are coming too.”

Nodding, she gave Linc a weak smile. “Sorry about the late arrival.”

“Don’t give it another thought. Annie tells me I’ll need to get used to it once we open the resort cabins.”

She took a few slow, unsteady steps before pulling herself upright, and with Jed holding her elbow, she climbed the few stairs to the porch. The door was standing open, and she sucked in a breath. “Annie, this wasn’t necessary.” Inside there was a small fire burning in the woodstove; flowers were on a side table, and all the lights were on, as if welcoming them.

She said, “The bedrooms are down the hall and we’ve got fresh sheets on the beds. The bathroom is between the bedrooms, and I added a couple of toiletries. We can get what you need tomorrow in town. I also set out some sweatpants, tee shirts, and cozy socks on the beds for you both—oh, and a fleece in case you feel chilled. When Mary heard what had happened, she put together some breakfast items and snacks and they’re in the refrigerator, which is just through the arch.”

“You didn’t need to.”

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