Nadia Nichols - Montana Unbranded

“Let me get this straight. He walked out on you two months ago, and you didn’t tell me?”

“I didn’t want to upset you. Your wedding’s coming up and you were working so hard on raising the money to save Madison Mountain and...”

“Oh, Dani.” Molly embraced her fiercely, causing more pins to pop out. “How could he do that to you? You’re the smartest, sweetest, most gorgeous girl on the face of the planet and he’s the biggest idiot of all time. I’m so sorry it didn’t work out. Or maybe I shouldn’t be. You deserve a whole lot better and now you have the chance to find that person.”

Dani shook her head with a rueful laugh. “Not me. I’m done with men. Come on. Get out of that dress, very carefully, and I’ll buy you lunch.”

“I can’t eat for another month, remember?”

“You’re eating for two now, and don’t worry about your gown. I’ll alter it this week, but you might want to think about bumping the wedding date up.”

“I’d rather not,” Molly said with a shake of her head. “The invitations are in the mail. But I’ll think about it.”

Molly’s cell phone rang while she was in the midst of peeling out of the wedding dress, and in her haste the last of the pins scattered onto the floor. Dani rescued the gown and the pins while her friend rummaged in her purse for her cell phone. “Ferguson,” she said. Then, a heartbeat later, she squealed, “Joseph!” and her face lit up so bright that even if she hadn’t cried out his name, Dani would have known it was Molly’s beloved older brother.

“Joseph, saints be praised. Mom told me this morning you were doing much better! When are they letting you out of the hospital?” She paced across the room, then stopped abruptly. “You mean, you’re here? In Helena? At the airport? Here? Right now? Jesus, Mary and... Oh, Joseph, you should have let me know you were coming!” Another pause. “Well, you’re just lucky I’m in town because I don’t even live in Helena anymore.” After a brief pause, she continued. “Yeah, I’m only here because I’m visiting Dani. She took Friday off from work to alter my wedding gown.” Molly caught her eye and made a face. “I live outside Bozeman now, with Steven, about two hours away. But don’t tell Mom! She’ll have a fit. You’ll love Steven’s place—it’s really pretty and you’ll have your own bedroom and private bath and you’ll get to meet Steven and, oh, Joseph, it’s so good to hear your voice! Are you sure you’re really all right?” Another pause. “Well, you did the right thing, coming here. There’s no place like Montana. We’ll take good care of you. You’ll love it, you’ll see. You won’t want to leave. Dani and I will pick you up and then take you to lunch before heading south. Sit tight, we’ll be there in two shakes of a lamb’s tail!”

She hung up and spun around with an incredulous laugh, beaming. “Joseph’s here! His flight just got in. He was released from the hospital this morning and decided to come here for a visit! Can you believe it? Big-city cop from back east finally meets the Wild West!”

Dani held the discarded wedding dress in her arms and watched while Molly shimmied into her skirt and pulled on her blouse, fingers flying down the buttons. She made another face as she zipped the skirt. “I won’t be able to wear this much longer, either.” She slipped her feet into her leather pumps and reached for her handbag. “Come on, Dani, you have to meet my big brother. He’s the coolest, handsomest and nicest guy in the whole world.”

“You told me Steven was the coolest, handsomest and nicest guy in the whole world.”

Molly laughed. “They’re the two coolest, handsomest, nicest guys in the whole world.”

“He must have made a miraculous recovery. Just last week he was in critical condition and you were ready to hop a plane back east and hold his hand while he died.”

“He’s a Ferguson, tough as they come. It’ll take more than a few bullets to keep Joseph down. Come on, he’s waiting!”

Dani shook her head. “You two have a lot of catching up to do, and I should stay here and get to work on this gown.”

Molly took the gown from her and tossed it over the nearest chair. “You’ve got a whole month to figure out how you’re going to alter the dress. I want you to meet my brother. Now that Jack’s out of the picture, I think Joseph would be perfect for you. You’ll get along great. And so you know, he’s unbranded, just like those wild horses you dote on. Doesn’t belong to anyone. Footloose and fancy-free. Let’s take him to our favorite deli for lunch. Like you said, I’m eating for two now.”

* * *

TEN MINUTES LATER Molly was circling her bright red Mercedes sedan past the terminal looking for a place to pull over and park. She huddled over the wheel, scowling with impatience. “I’ve never seen so much traffic at this airport. I can’t double-park—I’ll get a ticket for sure. Dani, jump out here, run inside the terminal and bring him out, would you? He’ll be at the Delta gate and he already knows you look just like Julia Ormond in Legends of the Fall—I’ve told him a dozen times.”

“What does Joseph look like?”

“He’s tall, dark and handsome, a rugged Tom Cruise type, you can’t miss him, and he always wears a dark leather jacket and looks a little dangerous.”

“Does he have red hair like yours?”

“No, I’m the only one in the family who was cursed with that. Quick, get out, I’m holding up traffic. I’ll drive around again and pick you up.”

Dani obeyed reluctantly. She entered the terminal and headed toward the Delta gate, where she spotted Joseph easily, seated in a corner chair just outside the gate, back to the wall, forearms resting on denim-clad knees, hands holding a paperback. Head down, reading. Dark glossy hair. Dark leather jacket. Had to be him.

“Joseph?” He glanced up from the paperback and she felt a jolt clear to her soul. Dark eyes, sharp and wary, measured her in a split second and deemed her safe. “I’m Dani Jardine, Molly’s friend. She sent me in to find you because she had to stay with the car—there’s no place to park.”

He stood and shoved the book into his jacket pocket. “The name’s Joe,” he said, extending his hand. “Molly’s the only one in the family who calls me Joseph.” His handshake was warm and firm.

“Do you have any luggage?”

He shook his head. “Spur of the moment trip.”

They exited the terminal together and stood at the curb. Dani was relieved when the red Mercedes appeared almost instantly. Molly slowed as she drew abreast of them and then stopped abruptly with a chirp of brakes. She jumped out, leaving her door ajar and ignoring the driver behind who laid on his horn. She raced toward her brother. “Joseph! Sweet Mary, Mother of... What have they done to you? Oh, Joseph, you look like death warmed over.” She plastered herself against him and burst into tears.

“I’ll move the car,” Dani offered, and beat a hasty retreat to the driver’s side, slamming the door and pulling ahead of the stopped traffic. She drove around the circuit, and by the time she drew near the terminal again, Molly and her brother were ready and waiting. She double-parked, brother and sister climbed aboard and she drove off.

Molly sat in the back and made Joseph sit in the front. “There’s more leg room,” she explained, and she blew her nose as Dani pulled back into traffic. “I can’t believe they let you out of the hospital, Joseph. Mom said you were much better. She lied!”

Joe hitched himself carefully sideways to look at his sister. “I’m just tired, that’s all. It’s a long flight to the Wild West. Where’s this deli you were talking about?”

“I bought a rotisserie chicken for dinner last night. How about we go to my place and I’ll fix us chicken sandwiches,” Dani said, wondering just how much more activity Joe was up for, considering the injury he was still recovering from and the journey he’d just made.