The Cowboy's Sweetheart Read online

  Cowboys were clapping and whistling, and calling out. All for Missy. His girl.

  Yep, he could call her his girl now. At least he thought he could. They hadn’t discussed it. Just like they hadn’t discussed her hanging around. At one point she’d told him she didn’t know if she was staying around. The work might not be there.

  But he wanted her to stay. Would beg her to stay if that’s what it took. But he knew that wouldn’t cut it with her.

  He was willing to support her, but she wouldn’t have it, he knew she wouldn’t. She was stubborn. He’d already seen her stubborn side. More than once.

  The crowd applauded again, and as the music stopped, Missy spoke into the microphone. “I’m taking a short break, but I’ll be back soon y’all.”

  That meant he had her to himself, even if only for a few minutes. It was selfish, he knew it was, but he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. Before she moved on.

  The thought made him miserable. He didn’t want to feel down, and he didn’t want to lose her. As she came to his table and sat down, Rory got up and walked around to her. He stood behind her and leaned down to put his arms around her.

  “What’s wrong with you,” she asked. She wasn’t comfortable with public displays of affection, she’d told him recently. Well too bad. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips.

  The cowboys in the audience had a field day.

  “Yee ha!”

  “Go Rory!”

  Much whistling and cajoling could be heard throughout the room. He grinned. Now everyone would know she was his girl.

  The music got louder and Missy stood, to the sound of more whistling and shouting. She turned bright red, and Rory kissed her again before she returned to the stage.

  He hoped she would see how much he loved her, and wanted to her stay. The hardest part was going to be allowing him to look after her.

  * * *

  Missy sat out on the porch surveying the scenery. At the paddocks and the mountains that overhung the valley. She watched the horses as they pranced and played, and listened to their musical voices.

  She felt more comfortable here than she had a right to feel.

  Rory had made her feel more than welcome, and had given her the biggest of the spare rooms. Not that she’d remained there long. After their afternoon of love-making, he’d moved her into his room. Not that she was complaining. Having him next to her while she slept was what she wanted more than anything, but she wondered if she was being fair to Rory as she had no long-term plans to stay.

  With the situation she was in, she simply couldn’t make long-term plans.

  In recent months, her thoughts only went as far as the next gig in the next town. Surprisingly, she’d settled into River Valley very quickly. The strangest thing was, it felt like she was meant to be there.

  She shook her head.

  She needed to stop thinking like that. Her contract with the Bar and Grill was nearly up, so it was almost time to move on. That notion took her breath away.

  Nearly every day she’d taken Mishka out for a ride, with Rory by her side. He had given up his time to show her more of the ranch each day, and she felt guilty about it. But it was obvious he loved Star and loved riding him. He certainly looked after the horse the way he deserved.

  This was all too much. She was way too comfortable here. How would she bring herself to leave when the time came?

  “Well, hello!” An unfamiliar voice disturbed her thoughts. He extended his hand as he moved closer. “I’m Chase Callahan, River Valley’s Sheriff.” He indicated to his badge, and Missy cringed inwardly. How had they found her?

  “I’m also Rory’s brother,” he added, smiling at her, but she noticed, the smile didn’t go all the way to his eyes.

  She let go of the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

  “I, um.” She got up off the lounger to shake his hand. “Missy. I’m Missy. Rory is letting me stay for awhile.” She felt awkward, but also worried about what the Sheriff knew about her. “I’m the entertainment at the Bar and Grill,” she added, as though it explained her presence.

  “Right. I haven’t had the pleasure of catching the show yet.” He pushed his hat up his head a little further. “Rory around?”

  “Stables, I think.” She pointed in the direction of the stables, then realized Chase likely knew where they were.

  She lay back on the lounger, but soon heard talking. Soon the two men came out of the stables, and Rory was pushing his finger into his brother’s chest. It wasn’t long before Chase tipped his hat to her and left.

  * * *

  Rory went straight to Missy. “You alright?”

  She looked confused. “Why wouldn’t I be?” She shrugged her shoulders. “What’s going on, Rory?”

  He was annoyed. His brother needed to mind his own damned business, and leave Rory’s well enough alone.

  “What did he say to you?” He snapped at her, his brother had gotten him so darned riled up. “Sorry, I’m not mad at you, only my darned brother!”

  Missy looked cautious. “Your brother? What did he say? He introduced himself to me then went to find you.”

  Rory looked relieved. “Seems there’s a killer on the run. And since you suddenly ‘appeared out of nowhere’ to use his words, he wanted to check you out.”

  Missy went pale, then stared at him. She took a deep breath before she spoke. “Me, a killer? Not likely.” She laughed it off and turned away from him, but Rory could see she was troubled by the news, and that worried him somewhat.

  Then there was the backpack. She clutched that thing like her life depended on it. What the heck was inside it? What was this amazing woman hiding?

  He shook his head to clear his thoughts. She didn’t look like a killer. Didn’t act like a killer. How on earth could this sweet thing kill anyone? He was positive his brother was wrong.

  He knew deep in his heart he would not have invited Missy into his home if he’d had any doubts whatsoever.

  He turned her to face him. “If there’s something you need to tell me, now’s the time. My brother said he’s looking into it. Investigating, to use his words.”

  Her eyes opened wide. He could see the shock, and wondered what was going through her mind.

  She shook her head. “There’s nothing to tell. I’ve got nothing to hide.” She said it with conviction, and had him convinced she was innocent.

  How could his brother even think such a thing? She was a singer. Of course she moved around a lot. She went from town to town for work. That’s what entertainers did.

  On the other hand, he knew nothing about this pretty little lady.

  A shiver went through him. What if his brother was right?

  Chapter Four

  The two weeks Missy had cited for her contract had come and gone – ages ago. She was still here, but not talking about how much longer she’d get to stay. It appeared her contract had been renewed as she was still performing, but she hadn’t told him how long this new contract would last.

  It bothered him. A lot. He was trying to be open with her, and hoped she would do the same.

  One thing Rory knew for sure was that he didn’t want her to leave. Not now. Not ever.

  Her shows were still drawing the crowds night after night, with people coming from far and wide to see her.

  The owner of the Bar and Grill was happy as the revenue had increased ten-fold, and it had also increased revenue of the local shops and cafes.

  No one in River Valley, but especially Rory, wanted Missy to leave.

  He sat in his office doing paperwork. He didn’t get to do a lot of the physical stuff these days. But riding with Missy, that was one of the highlights for him.

  Mishka had taken a shine to her, which was odd. The mare didn’t like people much, but she sure liked Missy.

  Missy had the day off, so he thought a picnic would be nice. They could take the horses to one of the rocky outcrops at the base of the mountains, where it was peacefu
l.

  The ride would take an hour or so, then they could relax, talk, and see what happened. He was particularly interested in that backpack.

  She changed the subject very quickly whenever he tried to talk about it. Not only was he curious, he was also worried.

  What could possibly be in that bag that could have her frightened of letting it go?

  His mind was not on paperwork at all, so he abandoned it, went to find Missy.

  She was reading a book on the porch, and glanced up as he came closer. She smiled and his heart felt happy. Her hand reached out to him. It seemed such a natural thing for her to do.

  He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. “Care for a ride? And a picnic?”

  Her smile said it all.

  This was what he wanted to do, not mindless paperwork.

  These days he rarely got to do what he loved; spending time with the horses. His business centered around horse breeding. His ranch was renowned for it, and he’d built his reputation on it.

  Star and Mishka were not part of that breeding business. They were his personal horses. He’d had Star since before he’d taken over the ranch. Mishka came with the ranch. They were both getting on, and it would break his heart to lose either of them.

  “Right then,” he said, leaning in for a quick peck on her cheek, “Let’s get moving. We’ll need to make some lunch and grab a few snacks.”

  Missy headed for the kitchen, and Rory strode out to the stables. “Pete, can you get the horses ready for a ride, please?”

  “Sure boss,” Pete answered, and headed for the paddocks where the horses were running free.

  Rory headed back to the kitchen to help Missy with the food. By now she was very familiar with his kitchen, but that didn’t deter him. Any opportunity to spend some time with her.

  He wondered if she would take the backpack along on this trip. He wasn’t even sure where she had it stashed. Somewhere in the spare room, no doubt. Not that she slept there anymore. He’d moved her in with him after their first night of love-making.

  He smiled to himself when he recalled his comments when he’d asked her to move into the ranch. “Not live together, live together,” he’d said. But as it turned out, that was exactly what they were doing.

  And he wasn’t unhappy about it.

  Missy disappeared to change into riding clothes – her short shorts were totally unsuitable for riding – and came back wearing jeans and a hat. She had the backpack. She probably thought he didn’t see it, since she was holding it behind her back, and would no doubt try to keep it hidden from him.

  His curiosity was really trying his patience. He mentally slapped himself. He shouldn’t be worrying about something as simple as a backpack. Everyone had their secrets. But what if her secret was way too big to bear, and was going to get her into a heap of trouble?

  He tried to put it out of his mind, and soon they were on their way.

  * * *

  “It’s so beautiful out here,” Missy said, enjoying the wind in her hair, and the sun on her face. Luckily, she’d used sunscreen, and her hat kept the hair out of her eyes.

  Mishka was behaving perfectly, not that she’d expected anything else.

  The scenery was amazing. She could see the mountains ahead of them, they seemed to go on forever.

  She was hoping to find the perfect hiding place out here. Just as well she didn’t want it to be found. Ever. She’d never find her way back out here to claim it again.

  Rory rode closer, then leaned in to cover her hand with his. “A penny for them.” She’d been deep in thought, he was right, but there was no way she could disclose her thoughts. He would never understand.

  She also knew he would condemn what she was about to do, but she had no choice.

  It was a matter of life or death.

  Her life. Her death. The thought made her shiver.

  “Cold?” His voice made her jump.

  “No, someone just walked over my grave.” It was a strange saying, but one her mother always used. She averted her eyes. Rory wasn’t stupid. Far from it. He would soon work out she was in danger.

  More than anything she didn’t want to put him in harm’s way, which was why she had to move on soon. They were getting too attached and he’d end up in the firing line.

  Missy straightened her back. She hated the thought of leaving. She loved it too much here. Loved him too much, which was why she had to go. She felt terrible about hiding the backpack on his property, but it was so large, no one would ever find it, even if they spent weeks searching.

  And hopefully, they wouldn’t know she had hidden it there.

  It was definitely the perfect hiding place.

  “We’ve arrived.” He began to dismount, but Missy sat motionless atop Mishka and took in the scenery. It was breathtaking and she wanted to take it all in, knowing she may never see it again.

  She could see the mountains in the near distance, made even more beautiful by the light mist above them. At the base, the ground was rugged, rocky more than anything.

  Closer to where they stood was a small stream. Probably the one she thought she could hear earlier, but it must run somewhere near to the ranch house for her to have heard it there.

  Alongside the stream were several Western Snowberry shrubs, their white berries standing out in the sunlight.

  Dotted around the area were Green Ash trees, as well as Great Plains Ponderosa Pines trees.

  The Prairie Coneflower looked so pretty with their yellow flowers, and she was tempted to go and smell them.

  Where they were about to picnic was lush with grass. The nearby Ash Trees would give them plenty of shade.

  “It’s stunning,” she said, still taking in the surrounding area as she dismounted. Before she knew what had happened, she found herself on the hard ground.

  “Heck!” She heard Rory, then felt him lift her up to a standing position.

  “I’m fine. Really,” she said, as she brushed the dirt from her clothes. She saw the worried expression on his face and laughed. “I’ve fallen off horses more times than you could count on both hands.”

  She stopped talking abruptly as she realized what she’d said.

  Rory looked shocked. She’d said too much. Way more than she’d intended.

  It was part of her former life, not the one she’d made for herself now. Not the one she wanted him to know about either.

  “I knew it! I knew you were an experienced rider.” His grin was wide, but suddenly there was a mask over his face, as though he realized she’d given away a part of her she hadn’t intended to give away just yet.

  Missy stood there staring down at her boots, wondering what else he was going to say. What he was going to work out. But he didn’t. Not yet.

  Give him time, she thought. With any luck, he wouldn’t work it out. Any of it.

  The more he knew, the more danger he would be in.

  * * *

  The picnic was nice. Relaxing.

  Time spent with Missy was always nice.

  They’d taken some sandwiches and little cakes, and a bottle of wine.

  Rory had thought to put in a picnic blanket, and they’d laid across it, talking most of the afternoon. She’d asked him about his childhood and his ranch, and he’d explained how the Elliot’s had sold it to him for much less than it was worth. He’d spent years working for them, since he was a teenager, but he didn’t know they were grooming him to take over.

  In his wildest dreams, he would not have thought it possible. It had always been his dream to own a ranch, but he’d thought he would have to save hard for many years before realizing that dream.

  He’d had the ranch several years now, and it was coming along nicely. Enough that he no longer worked himself to death, and could rely on his ranch hands to do most of the hard work.

  When it came time for her to talk about herself, Missy balked. He watched as she warred with herself, with her emotions, and wondered why.

  Eventually she told him abo
ut her childhood, which was very uneventful. And she told him she’d worked in a rodeo, but that was as far as it went. She abruptly halted the conversation.

  He found it all rather confusing. And also intriguing.

  But then, Missy was intriguing. From the moment he’d met her, something didn’t seem quite right. He still couldn’t put his finger on it.

  She suddenly jumped up and looked around. “I have to go,” she told him.

  “You want to leave already,” he asked, confused.

  She grinned at him. “Uh, no. I have to go. You know,” she leaned down and whispered in his ear. “To the little girl’s room.”

  He grinned. Why was she was whispering? They were totally alone. Out in the middle of nowhere.

  “There’s a big clump of trees over there. Might be a good spot?” He pointed north, trying to hold back his grin. “Look out for snakes,” he called to her retreating back.

  She looked back at him and pulled a face. Did she think he was joking? There were loads of snakes in Montana, including rattle-snakes. But he’d never seen one on his property to date. But there was always a first time for everything.

  “We have rattle-snakes, as well as a variety of other snakes,” he called to her, but she seemed unaffected by the news.

  He got up and stretched his legs while Missy did what she had to do. He hoped she was okay, she’d been gone an awful long time.

  Then it hit him. She’d bought the backpack with her for a reason, and she had the perfect hiding place for it right here.

  Should he mention it? Put her on the spot? Or should he just pretend he hadn’t noticed?

  For now he would let her think he didn’t know.

  She finally reappeared, and strolled back to their picnic area.

  Without the backpack.

  He could just make out her rolling her shoulders as she walked toward him, making him wonder what she’d been up to back there. Perhaps she’d had a small shovel in that bag, and had dug a hole to bury it in.

  He would probably never know. The thought worried him.

  “The sun is starting to go down, so we’d best head back.” He picked up the picnic blanket and shook it out. It was a pity they hadn’t started out earlier. If he’d had more time, he might have been able to extract little bits of information that would assist him in putting together her story. The real story – the one she was hiding.