Page 11 of Hiding in Montana

“Hey, Margo, I hope it’s not too late to call?”

“Paulina, this is a pleasant surprise and you can call me anytime, day or night. How’s life in big sky country?”

They had agreed never to say where exactly she was living, even though Margo had reassured her Matthew had moved on and was no longer interested in stopping her from living her life. But they both knew he could change his mind at any time.

“All good here. I had a date tonight with a super nice guy.”

Polly heard Margo give a whoop of excitement.

“The woman is living again!”

“It was one date, nothing that amazing. It was dinner and a stroll through town.” But it had been one of the best nights of her life, even if she was downplaying it to Margo.

“Anyone I know?” She laughed and they both knew that was impossible. Margo hadn’t been able to come out and visit yet and it had been two years since they had seen each other. Not because they hadn’t wanted to, but Polly felt it wasn’t safe.

“Remember I told you about the man I met a few years ago?”

“Dimples?” Margo released a dramatic sigh.

Polly laughed. “Yes.” Everything they said was always some kind of code which was dumb, especially since Matthew had said he would take a deal with the courts and was now a free man, supposedly reformed. However, leopards couldn’t change their spots, and neither could Matthew.

“If things go well, how about you come out for the holidays this year? It should be safe. I need to live my life again. As far as Matthew is concerned, he got his point across when he asked for the divorce and had me disappear. There’s no way I’d ever say a word against him now.”

An icy chill filled her heart. At the end, her marriage to Matthew had been filled with worries of unsavory characters and missing money. He had said even law enforcement had gotten involved. When Matthew convinced Polly she needed to leave Portland, it was for her safety and his, and even Margo’s. So she had. But she missed her sister.

“I’m sorry you had to go through so much, but for the first time in a few years, I feel like my sister is coming back to me.”

“I miss you a lot, Margo. Promise me we’ll make plans.” Her heart lurched when she thought of all the time that had been lost between them. “And maybe when you come out, I can introduce you to a handsome cowboy or two.”

6

The next afternoon Clint was in the barn setting out tack. He’d picked Nahla, a gentle mare, for Polly’s first riding lesson. His cell phone vibrated in his back pocket. After he withdrew it and glanced at the screen, he couldn’t help but smile. It was a text message from Polly, and she wanted to know where to meet him.

He tapped out a text and said he’d meet her in the dining hall in fifteen minutes if she was done for the day. A smiley face and the thumbs-up emoji came back within seconds.

He ran his hand down Nahla’s sleek dark neck and leaned close. Talking in her ear, he said, “I’m going to introduce you to Polly. I really like her, so you be extra sweet today and there’s an apple and a carrot as a special treat.” Her ears twitched as he spoke, and then she nickered softly after he rubbed her velvety nose.

A low chuckle drew his attention to Linc, who was hovering in the wide barn doors.

“So that’s how you get around the horses. Promise them extra treats?”

“Hey, man, I didn’t hear you come in.” Clint wasn’t embarrassed to be caught talking to the horse. Most cowboys had a tight bond with their mounts.

“That was obvious.” Linc strode toward him. “What’s with having Nahla out? Are you going riding?”

“What’s with the questions? Can’t a cowboy help this little mare stretch her legs?” His smile grew. “But if you need to satisfy your curiosity, I am giving Polly a riding lesson and I thought Nahla would be a perfect mount for her.”

“Lesson from beginning to end?” He inclined his head to the saddle stand, blanket, and bridle.

“I believe you have to know how to do it all with the horse, and I hope she enjoys the entire process.”

Linc scratched between the horse’s ears. “It’s been a long time since you put this much effort into anything for a woman.” He gave Clint a side-eye. “What is it about this girl that’s special?”

Clint ignored the reference to his past and shrugged. “I feel like I know her.” He tapped the center of his chest. “I can’t explain it, but from that first day she came out here to talk with Annie.”

“But you’d seen her around town. What was special about last year?”

Clint glanced at his watch. “I gotta get to the dining hall to meet Polly, but I never saw her around town much. I’d occasionally bump into her at The Trading Post, but never out and about. Besides, she wouldn’t even look me in the eye; she always avoided me like the plague or something. I thought she was standoffish.”

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