women who’d kill to be in her boots right now.
Too bad she wasn’t one of them.
To Ty’s knowledge, there wasn’t a word for how bad the cabin smelled.
His concerns about rodents had turned out to be right, but he hadn’t counted on there being so many corpses scattered around. Opening all the windows had helped a little, but he was going to need some heavy-duty cleaner and a good measure of patience to rid the house of the smell entirely. Fortunately for him, there weren’t any storms in the forecast for the next week, so he should be able to air it out in a few days.
For the past couple of days, he’d been relegated to being outside, cleaning up years’ worth of fallen limbs and rotting leaves. Behind him, he heard a mellow nicker and said, “Not now, Clyde. I know you’re antsy, but I’ve got a ton of stuff to do today. We’ll take a ride tomorrow.”
“How ’bout now?”
Startled by the sound of another voice, Ty whipped around to find Morgan and Sadie trotting up the grassy aisle that separated his property from the Whittaker place. Setting aside his rake, he strolled over to greet them. “And here I thought he was talking to me. Weren’t we meeting up on Friday?”
“I don’t get out as much as I’d like these days, so I was going to ride out and watch the sunset anyway. If you want to come along, we can talk on the way.”
Translation—I don’t want to give you home field advantage. She was the only woman he’d ever known who strategized that way, and it was comforting to know she hadn’t lost that sharp quality over the years.
It was also more than a little intimidating, he mused as he quickly tacked up and hauled himself into the saddle. She’d always been smarter than him, and chances were the gap hadn’t closed up enough to make much difference. He’d do well to remember that.
The horses were old friends, and the two of them traded looks occasionally while they trotted companionably side by side, as if they’d last seen each other earlier that week instead of seven years ago. Morgan seemed content to ride in silence, and Ty followed her lead, taking the opportunity to reacquaint himself with his surroundings.
Wild prairie and barely tamed pastureland stretched out like a quilt of grass and flowers for miles around them. Ringed by thick stands of pines, the broad valley was cut through by the winding currents of the Calico River. Modest in width but dependable even in the driest years, the deep-running mountain stream supplied the local ranches with a reliable source of water for their livestock.
Beyond that rose the majestic Bridger Mountains, which ran along the northern boundaries of Mustang Ridge and several other small towns nearby. Home to everything from mountain lions to grizzlies to bighorn sheep, those ragged peaks were the image that always came into Ty’s head when he thought of home.
As he and Morgan gained altitude, they got an ever-broader perspective of the valley below. When a small herd of horses came into view, he asked, “Where did they come from?”
“Everywhere. A few years ago, the state took an interest in our mustangs and managing the population. I didn’t like their solution, so I stepped in and petitioned to adopt the herd.” Gazing over at the milling animals, her face softened with affection for the creatures she’d managed to save. Pointing, she explained, “Over there is public land available to anyone for open grazing, and the strip with access to the river belongs to a local family. They gave me permission to use it, so I relocated the ponies and started a mustang rescue. I break and train some of them for people who want to use them as pleasure horses, but the others stay here, where they belong.”
Her very practical approach to the problem didn’t surprise him in the least, but he was impressed all the same. “That’s awesome. Not many folks would go to that much trouble for some wild ponies.”
“They’re the symbol of everything the Mustang Ridge Conservancy stands for,” she told him firmly, her jaw set in determination. “If the animals who’ve always lived here lose their birthright, chances are we won’t be far behind.”
When Sadie and Clyde reached the southern bank of the creek, Morgan finally stopped and turned to him. Her eyes held a resigned look that he tried not to take personally.
Letting Sadie drop her head for a drink, Morgan said, “So, you wanted to talk.”
“Can we get down first? My back’s not as limber as it used to be.” Plus, he didn’t want her taking off if she didn’t like something he said. Clyde was a gamer, but there was no way he could catch the half-mustang mare at a full run.
“Fine.”
Swinging down, she led Sadie to a nearby clump of elms and tied her reins to a branch to let her graze. Ty did the same and then joined Morgan on a fallen log near the creek.
When he noticed her pained expression, he asked, “Something wrong?”
“You weren’t exaggerating about your back, were you?”
“Nope. I’ve got a bunch of fused vertebrae and a doctor’s warning to never get on another horse for the rest of my life.”
“But you’re still riding?” Giving him a hard look, she shook her head. “That’s crazy.”
“Maybe, but Clyde’s as safe as one of those carousel horses kids ride on at the fair. Besides, life’s too short to be afraid of things that might happen. When you’ve had the misfortunes I have, you learn to appreciate what’s left.”
That got him a nod, which he took as a tacit sign of acceptance, if not understanding. They sat for a while, trading small talk while they admired the gradually sinking sun as it began its nightly descent over the mountains. He recognized that she had children to get home to, and he moved on to the subject he’d insisted they discuss.
“Morgan.” When he had her attention, he summoned his courage and forged ahead. “I want to help out with Allie and Hannah. You’ve carried all the weight for long enough, and I’m ready to take on my share.”
That got him a derisive snort. “I doubt it.”
Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a folded paper and handed it to her. “I’m serious. Maybe this’ll convince you I mean what I’m saying.”
She carefully took the certified check from him as if it was a rattlesnake coiled to strike and opened it with a wary expression. When she saw the amount, her mouth fell into a shocked O, and those gorgeous blue eyes met his in astonishment. “This is a lot of money.”
“Delivered my truck to the new owner the other day,” he explained, feeling proud of himself for the first time in ages. “I found a used one cheaper than I expected, so the rest is for you and the girls. I talked to a lawyer buddy of mine and found out that six years of child support for two kids adds up to a lot. This is a down payment. Once I get myself sorted out, he’ll help us come up with a permanent arrangement so you won’t have to worry about money anymore.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, clearly stunned by the offer. “I never would’ve expected this, Ty. It’s very generous of you.”
It was, which was what he’d been counting on when he devised a plan for approaching this very independent woman about their daughters. Having offered his help, he now moved on to what he considered to be the more
