Charlotte Carter - Montana Wrangler

She held his gaze in the starlight for a long moment as though she wanted to say something important. Instead, her jaw tightened. “I’ll think about it.” Whirling, she hurried up the steps and into the house.

Jay jammed his hat on his head. He wasn’t anything to Bryan except his friend. Grandpa Henry should be fighting on the boy’s side. Not going along with Krissy’s cockamamy idea of letting Paige raise her son.

So why was the idea of the boy moving away bugging him so much?

He thought of the son he’d lost, the tiny baby who had never drawn his first breath. The boy he’d dreamed of having. He’d planned to teach him how to ride. How to raise the best-bred quarter horses in the West. To live and work on the ranch he’d sold after Annie and the baby had died.

He’d wanted to teach his son to track animals through the woods. To hunt and fish.

But he’d never had the chance.

He scrubbed his face with his hand, remembering all of his dreams that had never come to pass. He hadn’t been able to bear the thought of remaining on the ranch after he’d lost Annie. Not with all the memories that haunted him.

Bryan wasn’t his own flesh and blood. But there were times, he admitted, when the kid looked at him with such—was it hero worship? Or could it be love? Despite himself, Jay had relished those moments.

However well-meaning Paige might be, he didn’t want her to take Bryan away.

And he had no idea how to stop her.

Chapter Three

Jay had given Paige plenty to think about, which resulted in a restless night. Her head was still spinning with all that she had to do when she woke the next morning.

She dressed in a black wool skirt and fitted yellow sweater with three-quarter-length sleeves, and headed for the kitchen. She planned to attend church this morning. To thank the pastor again for presiding over Krissy’s funeral.

Plus, she hoped with some concentrated prayer, the Lord would provide the guidance she needed.

The smell of rich coffee and the sound of male voices drew her. She stopped at the kitchen doorway and gawked. Bryan and Grandpa were sitting at the table. Jay, wearing a frilly pink apron that had to have been Grandma Lisbeth’s, was cooking pancakes on the griddle. He flipped one in the air. It landed smack in the middle of the plate he was holding in his hand.

“Very impressive.” She had no recollection of Jay preparing meals during any of her prior visits. Yesterday he’d already left to see to the horses when she’d come in for coffee. “You have an unexpected talent.”

He shot her a grin that crinkled the corners of his eyes and sped gooseflesh down her skin. A man had to be seriously macho to carry off a pink apron with such aplomb.

“When I lead a trail ride into the wilderness, the clients expect good eats and plenty of it.” He flipped a second pancake onto the plate and handed it to Bryan.

The boy grabbed the butter, slathered the pancakes, then reached for the syrup.

“Sit yourself down,” Jay said. “I’ll cook up a couple for you.”

“No, that’s not necessary. I only have coffee for breakfast.”

“You’re too skinny, girl.” Grandpa forked a bite of pancake into his mouth. “Jay’s pancakes will put some meat on your bones.”

She put an affectionate hand on her grandfather’s shoulder. “A woman my age has to be careful not to put too much meat on her bones.”

He harrumphed and ate another bite of his breakfast.

“You look like you’re dressed to go somewhere fancy,” Jay said, pouring two more circles of batter on the griddle.

She got a mug from the cupboard and poured herself some coffee. “I thought I’d go to church this morning. Anyone like to come with me?” When no one responded, she turned to Bryan. “How about you? We could hang out.”

He looked up at her with hooded eyes and shook his head.

The prick of rejection hurt. She shrugged it off. Bryan was asserting his independence. Understandable under the circumstances. Eventually he’d come around. She hoped. “How about you, Grandpa?”

“My arthritis is acting up bad this morning.” He downed a gulp of coffee. “There must be a storm coming.”

So far the day looked as sunny as yesterday had. But Paige knew not to challenge her grandfather’s weather predictions. She remembered all too well a picnic down by the dock at the lake with her mother, grandmother and Krissy with baby Bryan. They’d ignored Grandpa’s warning about the weather and he’d been right. Their picnic had been rained out.

Jay slid another plate of pancakes onto the table and sat down. “I’ll drive you.”

Her mouth gaped open. She hadn’t expected him to volunteer to take her to church. She wasn’t sure she wanted to spend time with him alone after the animosity he’d shown her last night. Besides, she was perfectly capable of driving herself.

She sat at the table opposite him. “That’s all right. There’s no need. I drove my car here.”

He crooked a single dark brow. “No sense to take two vehicles.”

“Don’t you have a trail ride this morning?”

Jay swallowed his bite of pancake. “Nope. Sundays are a day of rest for us and our horses. So it’s all settled. We’ll go to church together.”

Bossy cowboy! She closed her hands around her coffee mug, letting the heat seep in. “Fine. As long as you promise not to wear Grandma Lisbeth’s apron.”

He looked down at himself. Color darkened his ruddy cheeks. “Yeah, I think that’s a promise I can make.”

Suppressing a smile, Paige lowered her gaze. Sometimes a little teasing went a long way to smooth troubled waters. Or to gain the upper hand.

As soon as Bryan finished his pancakes, he was out the door heading for the stable and his horse.

With a grimace, Grandpa gathered himself and stood. “Think I’ll go have a sit-down in the living room.”

“Can I get you something for the pain?” Worried, Paige hopped up to take his elbow and walked with him into the living room.

“Don’t worry your head about me, girl. A little sit-down and I’ll be right as rain.”

Paige didn’t share his optimism. “Has the doctor given you a prescription for your arthritis?”

“Doc Johansen’s not much older than Bryan and still wet behind the ears. He’s as like to poison me as not. I keep my distance from that youngster. There’s not much he can do anyway about me getting old, is there?” He eased himself into the recliner and let out a sigh.

Smoothing the few strands of gray hair on his balding head, Paige crouched down beside him. “Maybe I shouldn’t go to church. I could stay home with you.”

“Nonsense.” He waved his hand like he was shooing a fly away. “I’m fine. You and Jay go on to church. It’ll do you both good.”

“If you’re sure...”

“Go on, girl. I’ll be fine.”

Reluctantly, Paige agreed to leave him on his own. She’d only be gone for a couple hours at the most.

But what would happen when she returned to Seattle? Who would take care of him then? At least when Krissy was alive, she had been around to watch out for Grandpa.

When she returned to the kitchen, Jay had already put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and cleaned up the counter. A handy man to have around.

“You ready to go?” he asked.

She checked her watch. “I guess so. I’m worried about Grandpa, though.”

He glanced in the direction of the living room and lowered his voice. “He really took Krissy dying hard. He’d been pretty lively before. Now...” He shrugged. “I’ll go change and meet you at my truck in ten minutes.”

He strolled toward the back door and plucked his hat off the peg.

“Jay,” she called after him.

He looked back over his shoulder.