Debbie Macomber - Montana

So he wasn’t going to be able to dodge that bullet. Taking Sinbad’s halter, Sam led the gelding back into his stall and closed the gate.

“I can come back, can’t I?” Tom asked his mother.

“If … if Sam agrees.”

Tom swiveled to look at Sam, his heart in his eyes. Sam couldn’t disappoint him. “Sure. We’ll start by learning about the tack, then once you’re familiar with that, I’ll show you how to saddle Sinbad and we’ll go from there.”

“You’re doing all of this tonight?” The question came from Molly.

“I’ll stick with the tack lesson for now,” he assured her.

Taking small steps backward, Tom was clearly reluctant to leave.

“It’ll be fine,” Sam said, hoping the boy understood his message.

Tom nodded once, gravely, then turned and raced out of the barn.

The moment they were alone, Molly let him have it.

“Tom is my son and I’m responsible for his safety,” she began. “I’d appreciate if you’d discuss this sort of thing with me first.”

Sam removed his hat. If he was going to apologize, might as well do a good job of it. “You’re right. This won’t happen again.”

His apology apparently disarmed her because she fell silent. Still, she lingered. Walking over to Sinbad’s stall, she stroked his neck, weaving her fingers through his long coarse mane. “Was there something I said earlier that offended you?” she said unexpectedly. Her voice was softer now, unsure. “Perhaps this afternoon while we were in town?”

“You think I was offended?” he asked, surprised.

She slowly turned and looked at him. Sam had never seen a woman with more striking blue eyes; it was all he could do to avert his gaze.

“Gramps was concerned when you didn’t join us for dinner.”

He wasn’t sure how to put his feelings into words. The simplest way, he decided, was to tell her the truth. “You’re family. I’m not.”

“It’s silly for you to cook for yourself when I’ve already made dinner.”

“I don’t mind.”

“I do,” she insisted, her voice flaring with anger. She tamed it quickly by inhaling and holding her breath. “Both Gramps and I would like you to join us for meals.” She paused. “It’d mean a lot to Gramps.”

“What about you? Would it mean anything to you?” Sam had no idea what had prompted the question. He was practically inviting her to stomp all over his ego!

“It just makes more sense,” she said. “But—” she took another breath “—whether you come or not is up to you.”

So that was it, Sam reasoned. She’d done her duty. No doubt Walt had asked her to issue the invitation.

“Will you?” she asked, then added, “I need to know how much to cook.”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“Don’t do me any favors, all right?”

What Sam did next was born of pure instinct. It was what he’d been thinking of doing from the moment he first set eyes on her. What he’d wanted to do the instant he heard Russell Letson invite her to dinner.

Without judging the wisdom—or the reasons—he stepped forward, clasped her shoulders and lowered his mouth to hers.

Their lips met briefly, the contact so light Sam wasn’t sure they’d actually touched until he felt her stiffen. Taking advantage of her shock, he parted his lips and was about to wrap his arms around her when she pressed her hands against his chest and pushed him away.

“Don’t ever do that again!” She wiped the back of her hand across her mouth. “How dare you!”

Sam wondered the same thing.

“Gramps would fire you in a heartbeat if I told him about this.”

“Tell him,” Sam urged. He didn’t know why he’d done anything so stupid, and he wasn’t proud of himself for giving in to the impulse. But he’d be selling snow cones in hell before he’d let her know that.

“I should tell him—it’d serve you right!”

“Then by all means mention it.” What Sam should do was apologize—again—and let it go at that, but the same craziness that had induced him to kiss Molly goaded him now. He might have continued with his flippant responses if not for the pain and uncertainty he read in her eyes.

“I’d like your word of honor that it won’t happen again.”

Without meaning to, he laughed outright. Honor? Ex-cons weren’t exactly known for their honor .

“You find this humorous, Mr. Dakota?” Her eyes narrowed and her voice rose in a quavery crescendo.

If he hadn’t riled her earlier, he sure had now. Unintentionally. She whirled around and marched out of the barn. Sam sighed, leaned against the center post and rubbed one hand over his face, still wondering why he’d kissed her.

Then again, maybe he knew. He didn’t like the idea of her dating Letson. His dislike of lawyers was instinctive, following the less than fair treatment he’d received from his own defense attorney. Which, to be honest, wasn’t Letson’s fault. In any case, it was more than that.

Sam had seen the way Letson looked at Molly—like a little boy in a candy store, his mouth watering for lemon drops. Letson would take Molly to dinner and afterward he’d kiss her. And when he did, Sam wanted Molly’s thoughts to be clouded with the memory of his kiss. The memory of his touch.

Why, though? He reminded himself that he didn’t even like Molly all that much. So why was he competing with Letson?

Damned if he knew.

And which kiss would Molly prefer—his or Letson’s? Sam groaned at the thought.

If he were a betting man, he’d wager it wouldn’t be his.

Russell Letson was by far the most attractive man Molly had ever dated. When it came to looks, Sam Dakota took a distant second. Actually, she told herself, he wasn’t even in the running. Nowhere close.

If she was interested in remarrying—which she wasn’t—Molly wanted a man like her grandfather. While Gramps was no Mr. Personality, he was solid and strong in all the ways that mattered. The world needed more men like him. His body had deteriorated with age, but in his prime he’d been a man who inspired others. He was honest and good and fair, and he’d loved her grandmother to distraction. Just as her grandmother had loved him.

From her conversation with the bank manager and from the infrequent letters Gramps had sent her, Molly realized that over the past few years, he’d alienated a number of people. When her grandmother was alive, she’d smoothed over quarrels and difficulties, but with her gone, Gramps had turned cantankerous and unfriendly. Molly hoped all that would change now that she’d moved in with him. And while he had his faults, Gramps was her knight, her compass, her guiding light. Molly couldn’t imagine life without him.

At least Gramps seemed to approve of Russell—and Russell had gone out of his way to make this a special evening.

The restaurant was everything he’d claimed. The interior was elegant, the booths upholstered in a plush rust red velvet, and the lights low. There was a small dance floor and a live band every Friday and Saturday night, according to the sign outside. Molly was surprised a town the size of Sweetgrass could support an upscale restaurant like The Cattle Baron.

“I’m delighted you could see me on such short notice,” Russell said as he closed his menu. His smile was cordial and Molly smiled back.

She’d gone to some lengths with her appearance. Even Gramps had noticed how long she spent fixing her hair and applying her makeup.

The move to Montana offered a long-overdue opportunity for a social life. Molly was ready to set aside the mistakes of the past and look to the future. As a member of the Sweetgrass community, she wanted to meet and mingle with other adults, and this dinner date was a step in that direction. Marriage didn’t interest her, but a social life did.