Page 17 of Hiding in Montana

“I can see that now.” He stood still, not moving to either walk into the barn or kiss her again. He liked her take-charge ways and wondered what she’d do next.

“The next time you think about kissing me, do it.”

He gave one quick nod. “Good to know.” He cleared his throat as his heart hammered in his chest. He’d give up riding if she wanted to do more of that.

“Are you going to have me saddle Nahla?”

It was like a snap of a lariat roping a calf. The conversation had veered in a new direction. She took his hand again, and he liked the weight of hers in his as they walked into the barn.

“I am. It’s the best way for you to bond with her. But I’ll be right with you in case you need help.”

“I won’t.” She grinned. “Well, maybe just a little. But one of these days, I intend to be a pro.”

He had no doubt. She was a quick study. “Come on, I’m ready to ride, and I thought we’d head out to one of my favorite spots near the river. The horses will be able to drink and it’s near the mountains, so the views are stunning.”

“I’d hazard a guess to say there isn’t an unpleasant view anywhere in the state.”

“Correct statement.” He placed the wicker basket Polly had packed on a bale of hay and whistled softly. Nahla and his horse Blaze poked their heads over the stall doors.

Polly cooed as she crossed the space and took the apples Clint handed to her. It was another way for her to reconnect with Nahla, although she was a smart horse and no doubt would remember Polly. And, well, giving Blaze a treat was just fair. What’s good for one horse is good for the other.

They made quick work of saddling the horses, and Clint transferred their lunch to the saddlebags. “You packed enough for eight people.”

“I wasn’t sure how hungry we’d be and I’d hate to run out.”

The woman was definitely full of surprises. He could see the crispiness of the chicken’s skin through the container top and everything else looked delicious, but it was the cookies that made him pause. They were huge and he could see there were chock-full of nuts. In his opinion, that was the only way to enjoy a cookie.

They set a slow and easy pace. The sun overhead was high in the sky, but they weren’t in any rush. Polly glanced at him and then looked down the path.

“Have you ever been married?”

Blaze was plodding down the trailhead and he wasn’t in any rush to get anywhere just like Clint. He had to wonder, where did this question come from? Surely, she knew he hadn’t been married, but he answered her anyway.

“No, never married.” Taking a page from her book, he continued to look straight ahead. “You?”

A heavy silence fell over them. Which in itself was an answer, but he would not jump to any conclusions. The way she was quiet, maybe she was a widow; that would explain why she moved to town by herself to start over, leaving painful memories behind her.

“Once, but it’s been over for a long time. I’m in a good place now.”

“Divorced?”

“Over five years.”

Her answer was simple, but it was easy to read between the lines. There was more to this story, but he wouldn’t press. She’d tell him when she was ready. He wasn’t going anywhere. For right now, the moment was almost perfect, especially now that he knew he was welcome to kiss her.

“No kids?”

She shook her head. “No, that turned out to be a blessing.”

Again, much was left unsaid, and he wasn’t about to push. In time, the truth always came out, and he wasn’t one of those guys who was jealous of the past. Heck, as far as he was concerned, he didn’t have a jealous bone in his body. Protective, yes. Jealous, no.

“Did you ever want to have kids?”

He wasn’t about to tell her his hope for the future unless she asked. But he wanted a few rug rats hanging around the house, doing things that families do, and he wanted to teach his offspring to love the outdoors as much as he did.

Her voice was so faint that if he hadn’t been listening closely, he would have missed her next sorrow-laden words. “Yes, I wanted to have a couple, but I don’t think I can. At least not anymore.”

She forced a bright smile to her face, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Tell me more about the ranch and what’s so special about this river. I heard Daphne and Annie talking about some excursions they were going to add for visitors.”

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