Page 17 of Montana Groom of Convenience (Montana Cowboys #5)

“Your father told me how to identify the boundaries and what cows were yours.” He reached for the reins, intending to mount.

“Checking the cows is my job.” She crowded his horse back into the barn, scooped up her saddle and blanket, and tossed them on Sunny’s back.

Sawyer left his horse and followed her. “What about Jill?”

She reached under for the cinch.

He persisted. “Our agreement was for you to provide a home for Jill.”

She didn’t even look at him to see if his expression had changed. She heard the warning note in his voice, and that was enough.

He tried again. “She needs a real home.”

Carly slowly straightened, keeping her back to Sawyer. She’d heard Jill cry out in her sleep last night. Had seen the almost hidden uncertainty in her face throughout the day.

More than that, she recalled the days after her own mother’s death when she felt so alone and afraid.

That’s when she’d begun riding the range, and soon after, began taking care of the cows.

She’d found solace and purpose and so much else there.

She loved the wide-open spaces, the heat of the sun, and the scents on the breeze.

She loved seeing the wild animals—big and small—and the birds.

She came round to face Sawyer. “I can’t give it up.”

He watched her calmly .

She had to make him understand. “The ranch is mine. You need only concern yourself with Big Harry. I could do that, too, but Father has made me promise not to. I believe in honoring my promises. From what you said, I thought you did, too.”

He continued to watch her, revealing nothing of what he thought.

His steadfast indifference set off a reaction in her. “She has a home. Father is there. She doesn’t need me.”

“What about our agreement?” His words were soft, but she wasn’t fooling herself into thinking they carried no weight.

She couldn’t hold his challenging gaze and looked past him to the sunny, beckoning outdoors. “You need someone to show you around.”

He recognized her stalling. “Jill will be home alone with your father.”

“We could take her with us. Wait here.” She rushed past him and out to the corral behind the barn to catch up Daisy, her gentle old roan-colored mare that she had learned to ride on. She led Daisy inside. “Meet Daisy. Jill can ride her.”

Again, that silent, steady challenge from him.

This time, she held his gaze. “It’s the perfect solution.”

“Your father will be home alone.”

“He often is. He can get around fine with his crutch.”

“He must get lonely.”

She thought of the pleasure she’d seen in his face as he entertained Jill. “You can’t have it both ways. We can’t leave her here for Father’s company and take her with us. It’s one or the other. ”

“Those are not the only options.”

They were back to his demand that she stay home with Jill and Father.

“Look at me.” She flipped her hand across the legs of her trousers and touched her battered cowboy hat.

“Do I look like a homebody?” She would not give into him and stay at the house.

Not that she minded cooking, cleaning, and housework.

The laundry was a different matter. It took far too long.

But her mother had trained her well in all those chores.

She’d enjoyed them when Mother was alive.

Yes, she’d often ridden out with Father, but for the most part, she was content to help her mother. That had changed after Mother’s death.

“I know what it’s like to lose a mother when you’re as young as Jill.” He spoke as if that clinched the argument.

Carly considered his words. She’d been older, almost ready to leave home if she’d chosen to do so.

Jill was so young, dependent on others to provide a home and care.

And then someone had said such awful things to her.

She felt sorry for the child and would stay with her except—“You heard her. She doesn’t want me. ”

“What she wants and what she needs are two different things.”

“Sawyer, I’m sorry you misunderstood the terms of our agreement. I never once thought you’d expect me to give up what I’ve been doing.” She hated that she had to plead, but he’d left her little choice. “Please don’t ask me to do so.”

His expression never changed, yet, somehow, she knew she’d disappointed him.

She tried to tell herself that didn’t bother her, but it did.

Seems she was always to be a disappointment to the men in her life.

Father, who wanted and needed sons. Bart Connelly who wanted her to be a pretty ornament and provide him with a ranch. And now Sawyer, who wanted?—

She wasn’t even sure what he wanted. A mother for his little sister? A wife who wasn’t a wife? A family without love?

They both turned at the sound of a wagon driving into the yard and hurried to see who approached.

“It’s Dawson,” Carly said. “He has Grandfather Marshall with him. I better go see what he wants.”

Sawyer stayed at her side as they hurried to the house.

Dawson jumped down before they got there. He reached up to help his grandfather down.

“Howdy,” he called. “Grandfather wanted to see your father. I can leave him for a visit while I conduct my business in town.”

“He’ll like that.” And it provided Carly with the perfect setup. She escorted them inside, and Sawyer followed her. She put the coffee pot on and put out a plate of cookies.

The two older men were eager for a chin-wag, so Dawson drove away.

“Can I talk to you?” Carly asked Sawyer, and they stepped outside. “Father has company. He doesn’t need me to babysit him. He and Grandfather will visit and play checkers until Dawson comes back.”

Sawyer said nothing. She could only conclude that he didn’t see that this provided the answer for them.

“Jill will be okay here with them. But even better, she can come with us. It will give her a chance to see the rest of her new home.”

This most certainly was not what Sawyer had expected.

No. He’d thought to replace Jill’s mom. Judith would be teaching Jill to bake cookies or sew a hem or make a cake or something.

He recalled the times he’d visited and had seen Jill standing on a stool at the cupboard, helping her mother with whatever there was to do.

When he agreed to this marriage contract with Carly, he had no idea what she had in mind.

..and that it was vastly different from what was in his mind.

Carly confused him. She was a good cook.

The house was clean and tidy. But she was determined to run the ranch.

It wasn’t that he was opposed to a woman riding after cows.

There had been a woman on one of the trail drives he was on—the trail boss’s daughter.

She was as good as any man in the outfit.

No, what he was concerned about was what was best for Jill. He mulled over the question.

Jill had donned trousers again this morning, giving him a look of such defiance he’d chomped off any comment.

She seemed to like Mr. Morrison fine. And then it hit him.

Jill would resent any attempt to make her think of Carly as a replacement for her mother.

Perhaps seeing Carly out on the range would make it possible for her to accept a friendship between them.

“Fine, if she wants to go with us, she can.”

Before he finished the sentence, Carly had gone to speak to Jill. “Jill, we’re going to ride out and check on the cows. I have a horse for you if you want to join us. ”

Jill’s eyes brightened, and then she banked back her reaction and looked at Sawyer, perhaps wondering if he’d contradict Carly.

“Do you want to come?” he asked.

She looked from the two old men at the table to Carly and then again to Sawyer. She rumbled her lips. “I suppose I might as well.”

Carly chuckled. “Your enthusiasm is overwhelming, Jill. Come along. You can help me saddle up.”

Sawyer followed them to the barn, where Carly handed Jill a saddle blanket and took her to the little roan mare. “Meet Daisy. She was my horse before I trained Sunny. She’ll be glad for someone to ride her again. I’ll get a saddle while you put on the blanket.”

Jill looked surprised. Sawyer guessed she’d never before saddled her own mount, but she sucked in air and hid her uncertainty. By the time she’d adjusted the saddle blanket, Carly was back with a small saddle. As she put it in place, she talked, explaining to Jill how to do it.

Sawyer stood back and watched, enjoying the patient way Carly explained things and how Jill did her best to follow instructions. Perhaps taking the child away from the house might prove to be a good idea.

Carly reached for her horse, and Jill did the same with Daisy. Sawyer followed with his mount. After listening to Carly talk about Daisy, he felt he needed to introduce his horse. “This is Dusty. I’ve had him for three years.”

Well, it wasn’t much but he didn’t feel like going into details about how he’d chosen and bought the horse.

Besides, it wasn’t interesting. Just a careful business deal.

He saw the dark bay horse, liked his size, and he was for sale.

The horse had proven to have heart. His head jerked back as he realized he’d never before admitted any sense of gratitude or appreciation for the horse. A horse was just a horse.

Seeing Carly’s open affection for her animals made him want to tell Dusty what a fine and loyal friend the horse was to Sawyer. Sawyer shook his head. When had he ever been so...so...absurd?

Carly cupped her hands to help Jill mount.

Sawyer swung to his saddle, and the three of them rode from the yard. Carly stayed close to Jill, quietly offering instructions. They kept to a walk as they rode north.