Page 27 of Montana Groom of Convenience (Montana Cowboys #5)

Sawyer came from his room, looking as pleased about the day as Carly felt.

“Jill,” Sawyer said. “We’re going for a ride today to see what’s west of the hill behind the barn.”

“Aye, I can tell you,” Father began.

“Let them see for themselves,” Carly said.

He nodded, a twinkle in his eyes. “’Twill be for them to discover.”

“Can I take Skippy?”

“Ye can leave the kitten with me,” Father said. “She’ll like that better than being carried on the back of a horse.”

Jill considered her options, looking from one adult to another and then whispering something in Skippy’s ear. She handed Skippy to Father and went to Sawyer’s side. “Okay. I’ll go with you.”

Because of all the baking she’d done over the last week, there was plenty of food to take with them so they could spend the day out if they wanted. She made sandwiches using the roast meat she’d cooked the day before and packed the food in saddlebags. They were soon on their way.

Carly and Sawyer rode side by side. Jill sometimes rode beside them but more often ventured ahead or fell behind and seemed lost in her own thoughts, leaving Carly and Sawyer to visit with each other.

Sawyer asked about who lived in every direction, and she told him about the distant neighbors. She told him more about the Marshall family and how Annie and her brothers had all married in the last few months. She told him of adventures she and Annie had experienced .

He listened with a thoughtful look, and she grew silent. Then asked, “Do you disapprove of how I’ve conducted myself?”

He chuckled. “Not at all. If you weren’t a daring young lady, you would have never agreed to my suggestion of marriage. No, I was thinking how nice it is that you have friends you share the past with.”

At the lonely note in his voice, she reached out to touch his arm. “You can have that from now on.”

Their gazes found each other and stayed there while their horses moved restlessly.

Her heart flooded with a foreign feeling of longing and warmth as they continued onward.

Knowing the way, she led them round the hillside to another and another, always climbing.

The vegetation thickened. Ragged pine and spruce were more abundant.

They scrambled up another hill, and before them lay a tiny, blue-green lake, not dissimilar to the color of Sawyer’s eyes; Carly thought with a start and couldn’t stop staring at the water.

Sawyer chuckled. “So this is your little secret? I like it.”

Jill rode to his side. “Are we going to have a picnic here?”

He slanted a questioning look at Carly. “What do you think?”

She studied the position of the sun and pretended to be quite concerned. “It’s early yet.”

“But I’m hungry,” Jill pleaded.

Carly laughed. “Me, too. So let’s eat.” They left their horses to graze, and Sawyer spread a groundsheet for them to sit on.

Carly put the food out .

Sawyer tossed his hat to one side. “I’ll ask the blessing.”

Knowing she had more to be grateful for than the food, Carly offered her own silent thanks for the many things God had sent her way. And if she thought of Sawyer and Jill, she expected God wasn’t surprised.

As they ate, a doe tiptoed from the trees with two spotted fawns at her side and went to the water to drink. She slipped away as quietly as she’d arrived.

They finished, and Sawyer leaned back on one elbow. Carly wished they had cushions as they had when picnicking with the Marshalls. She might have been tempted to lean back, using the pillow as an excuse to be close to him.

Instead, she sat with her arms wrapped about her drawn-up knees and watched Jill playing nearby.

She recalled her mother’s admonition to not let embarrassment—and surely she also meant fear—stop her from acting, but when she turned to rest her elbow close to Sawyer’s, he’d fallen asleep.

Poor man had worked hard for the past two weeks, putting in the crop. He deserved a rest. And she didn’t mind the opportunity to watch him unobserved and edged back so she didn’t have to turn to see him.

He looked younger with worry and caution gone from his face. Lines fanned out from his eyes from squinting into the sun. He wasn’t as big as the Marshall men and yet he gave off an aura of strength and determination even in his sleep.

She was still studying him, memorizing every detail of his features, when he snored and jerked to a sitting position, looking startled and defensive .

Seeing her beside him, he relaxed and stretched. “I think I fell asleep.”

She grinned. “You surely did.”

He studied her teasing smile. “Did I snore?”

“Loud enough to wake yourself up.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

“Fall asleep or snore?”

“Both, and you’re teasing me.” He grabbed her and pulled her down.

She lay in his arms, looking into his eyes as they darkened to piney green. His breath fanned her cheeks. She lifted a hand and touched his strong promising lips.

He captured her hand and pressed it to his chest. “Carly.” His voice sounded deep and distant, or was it that her ears heard differently?

Time waited as they studied each other, the moment heavy with indecision. She wanted him to kiss her. Didn’t want him to kiss her.

His gaze lingered on her mouth. Was he as undecided as she? Was he willing to break their agreement?

“Carly, Sawyer, look what I found.” Jill’s voice called Carly back to reality, and she sat up, edging over a foot and a half so he wouldn’t think she wanted more.

He pushed to his feet. “Let’s see what you have.” He took a step away, stopped and returned to hold out a hand for Carly.

She knew she should refuse. She didn’t need help to get to her feet, but it wasn’t help she wanted, and she took his hand and didn’t pull away when he retained it as they went to see the rock Jill had found.

“I’m sure it’s gold,” she said, pointing to the golden-colored fragments. “Carly, maybe there is gold on your land. ”

“It’s likely fool’s gold. See how sharp the edges are, and it shines when the sun hits it. That proves it.”

“Oh.” She quickly swallowed her disappointment. “I ’spect there’s gold around here. I just have to find it.” Jill pocketed the rock and went in search of gold.

Carly shuddered. “I wouldn’t want gold found here. Miners would destroy the land.”

“This is good cattle country. Let’s hope it stays that way.”

They watched Jill examining rock after rock. Tossing away one after another with a grunt of disappointment.

Sawyer laughed. “It doesn’t look like gold is here for the picking.”

Sawyer watched his sister and thought what he said was true on so many levels.

Most things weren’t as easy as stooping down and plucking them from the ground.

Or even as easy as reaching out and pulling Carly into his arms. Though, it had felt so right when he’d held her.

He’d ached to kiss her. He had the right as her husband.

But their marriage was not real. Their agreement, however, was.

And he was a man of his word, though he had to remind himself of such with increasing frequency.

Even so, he wasn’t eager to return to the ranch and Carly seemed happy enough to walk around the lake and look for birds’ nests and watch the geese and ducks on the water. Jill followed them, still looking for gold.

A few hours later, they returned to the horses. There seemed no reason not to go back to the ranch, so they mounted up and rode home.

If only he could change their agreement. But did he really want that? Was he willing to take the risk of opening up his heart? To do so held the allure of love and acceptance but also the possibility of disappointment. Hadn’t he long ago decided to guard his heart against that risk?