Rebecca Winters - One Summer At The Ranch - The Wyoming Cowboy / A Family for the Rugged Rancher / The Man Who Had Everything

Bert waved them off. “Have a good ride!”

“Thanks. We will!” Johnny called back. “See ya tomorrow, Bert.”

“Okay, young fella.”

Add another fan to Johnny Baretta’s list. To charm old Bert wasn’t an easy feat. So far the waitresses and desk staff, not to mention Carson’s buddies, found him delightful.

Carson hadn’t personally known Anthony Baretta, but he had a reputation in their division for being well liked and easy to get along with. Like father, like son.

Carson led them along a track through the sage in a northeastly direction. Johnny followed, and Tracy brought up the rear. When they’d been going for a while, he fell back alongside Johnny and told him to start working on Goldie.

The first few times the boy said giddyup, he didn’t use his heels fast enough and nothing happened. Johnny’s frustration started to build.

“You have to be patient and listen to Carson, honey.”

“But I am listening, Mom.”

“Sure you are,” Carson encouraged him. “The trick is to use your heels at exactly the same time you call out. Try a louder voice the next time.”

“What if it doesn’t work?”

“Then you keep trying until it does. Did I ever tell you about the first time I learned to ride a bull?”

“No. What happened?”

“I was training for the junior bull-riding competition. It was awful. I got unseated so fast every time, I was ready to cry.”

“Did you?” came the solemn question.

“Almost. But then I looked at my grandpa. He was just standing there by the gate with a smile, telling me to try it again.”

“What did you do?”

“I got so mad, I walked back behind the barrier and climbed on another bull. When the gate opened, I concentrated on what I’d learned, and guess what? I stayed on long enough for the other cowboys watching to clap.”

“I bet your grandpa was happy.”

“Yup, but not as happy as I was.”

“I think I’ll wait a little while before I try again,” he announced.

Carson understood Johnny’s sentiments well enough. He’d been there and done that many times before. “That’s fine. We’re in no hurry.”

Tracy drew up along the other side of her son. “I hope you don’t wait too long. We’re coming to the forest.”

Carson could sense her desire for Johnny to conquer this moment. It managed to fire her son who got a determined look on his cute face. All of a sudden they heard a loud giddyup rend the air and Goldie took off trotting. Johnny let out a yelp.

“Pull on the reins and she’ll stop.”

To Carson’s delight, Johnny had the presence of mind to follow through and ended up doing everything right. He turned his pony toward them. “She minded me.”

“Yup.” Carson couldn’t be more proud if Johnny were his own son. “Now she knows who’s boss.”

“You were amazing, honey!”

“Thanks.”

When Tracy beamed like that, her beauty took Carson’s breath. She stared at him through glistening eyes. “You’ve worked magic with him.”

“He’s your son, don’t forget.”

“I can’t take any credit for this. His confidence level is through the roof. How do I thank you?”

“With that smile, you already have.”

“Hey, you guys—aren’t you coming?”

Johnny’s question broke the odd stillness that had suddenly enveloped them. Both their shoulders shook with laughter at the same time. “What’s the hurry?” Carson called out when he could find his voice.

“I want to keep riding.”

“You mean you’re not tired yet?”

“Tired? No way! Come on! Goldie wants to keep going.”

“We’re coming. Since you’re in the lead, we’ll continue to follow you.”

“What if I get lost?”

“Hey, partner—we can’t get lost. This is my back yard.”

“Back yard!” Johnny laughed hysterically. “You’re so funny, Carson.”

He blinked. “No one in the world has ever said that to me before.”

“Sometimes you really are,” Tracy concurred. “As my son has found out, it’s a very appealing side of you.”

Carson felt an adrenalin rush. Is that what you think too, Tracy?

“Mom? How come you guys keep talking?”

He heard her clear her throat. “Because we’re waiting for you to get going.” She darted Carson an amused glance.

“Oh.”

With less trouble than he’d demonstrated earlier, Johnny turned the palomino around and headed into the forest. The three of them were on the move once more, this time with Tracy at Carson’s side. But after they got into the thick of the pines, the trail became less discernible in spots. Carson pulled alongside Johnny. His mother stayed right behind them.

“Seen any bad guys yet?”

“No, but I’m keeping a lookout.”

“Got your mustang handy?”

“It’s in my pocket. How far is the lake?”

“We wind up the slope for two more miles.”

“What’s it called?”

“I call it Secret Lake.”

“Who else knows about it?”

“Only my best friends.”

“You mean Ross and Buck?”

“That’s right. And a few others. It’s my favorite place. I can’t let just anybody come up here. Otherwise it wouldn’t be a secret.”

Johnny looked over at him with those serious dark eyes. “Thanks for bringing me. I’m having the funnest time of my whole life.”

Chapter Six

It was the second time Tracy’s son had expressed the very sentiment she felt. She had to admit she was enjoying this trip a lot more than she’d anticipated. But along with this newfound excitement, her guilt was increasing.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t the guilt some war widows experienced, making them cling to the memory of their husbands. The love she and Tony shared would always be in her heart. They’d talked about the possibility of his dying, and she’d promised him she would move on if—heaven forbid—something happened to him. Since that horrible day, she’d been doing her best to make a full life for herself and Johnny.

This was a different kind of guilt, because she didn’t feel guilty about enjoying Carson’s company. To be honest, she was attracted to him. Very attracted.

Her biggest fear was that he’d already sensed it. Last night he’d sounded relieved after they’d had their talk. As he’d explained, when he and his friends had put their plan into action, they’d done it purely to brighten up the lives of a few families affected by the war.

Neither Carson nor his friends wanted or expected some love-starved woman with a child to come on to them because she’d lost her husband. The thought had to have crossed his mind when they’d first met at the airport.

According to Carson, the three men had been bachelors when they’d joined the Marines. And they were still living that lifestyle outside of this special project that was bringing so much joy to Johnny’s life. Since Tracy couldn’t help what they were thinking, there was no point in being embarrassed. What she needed to do was be friends with all of them, the way she was with Tony’s brothers. That was going to be especially hard when she was around Carson, but she could do it. And she would!

“Mom—there’s the lake!”

Johnny’s exultant cry jolted her back to the moment. They’d moved on ahead of her. “Good for you for finding it! Does it look like Lake Erie with lots of barges and a lighthouse?” she teased.

“Heck, no. It’s little, with pine trees all around it.”

She smiled. “Can you see any fish?”

“Can you?” she heard him ask Carson. Oh, Johnny. Her son was so predictable.

“See all those dark things moving around?”

“Yeah.”

“The lake is full of rainbow trout.”

“I don’t see their rainbows.”