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Chapter Three
During the long drive home, Noelle cried so hard the flood of tears made it difficult to see the road. She’d always prided herself on being emotionally stable. Not once since she’d moved to Nevada to start a new life had she shed a tear. Not for the death of her beloved aunt and uncle. Nor for the divorce, the break with her parents or even the loss of her brother. None of those things had melted her resolve to stay strong and in control.
So, damn it, why was she crying tonight? Why had a lawman with a lump on the side of his head and a goofy grin on his face turned her into a ball of jumbled emotions?
She was ashamed of herself for many reasons. If she was half the woman she wanted to believe she was, she would turn the truck around, drive back to that big mansion and apologize to the man. But tonight she was discovering she wasn’t nearly as strong as she thought, and that jolted her. Whether he knew it or not, Evan Calhoun was forcing her to look at parts of herself she didn’t want to see. Tonight or ever.
When she finally arrived home, she left her truck and walked straight to the barn. The horses were hanging their heads over the top rail of the corral, waiting impatiently for their supper. Earlier this evening, before she’d driven Evan to the emergency room, she’d turned his paint into the corral with her horses, and so far they weren’t trying to kick or bite each other to death. Which was a relief. If his horse came up lame or injured while under her care, Evan’s family would no doubt hold her responsible.
The fact that she’d asked him about selling the animal stung her cheeks with embarrassment. She’d recognized the horse was from good bloodstock, but she’d never imagined he’d come from a ranch like the Silver Horn. A horse of Lonesome’s quality would carry a hefty price tag. One that would never fit into her budget.
At one time, she could’ve bought dozens of horses like the paint and never made a dent in her bank account. Money had been at her fingertips to buy anything she’d desired. But the cost of living the same sort of lifestyle as her parents had been too high for Noelle. Especially when she’d learned that her father, Neal, had earned a portion of his millions by not-so-honest business practices.
The best decision Noelle had ever made in her life was to turn her back on all that wealth, and the phoniness, and move here to Nevada. Even if it meant she ate canned tuna for dinner instead of beef steak and wore work boots instead of stilettos.
At the barn, she wasted no time pouring grain for the horses and filling their hay manger. The cow she’d penned next to the horses had been recuperating from a respiratory infection. Noelle injected her with a shot of antibiotics, then spread hay for her and the calf.
Once her chores at the barn were finished, she returned to the house and went straight to the bathroom to shower. It wasn’t until she was standing in front of the vanity that she caught sight of her image in the medicine-chest mirror. The reflection shocked her. Her eyes were swollen, and tears had marked tracks down her dusty cheeks.
Disgusted by her unreasonable attitude toward Evan and her emotional breakdown, she pulled a washcloth from the vanity and stepped into the shower. But even after her face was drenched clean from the warm water, she still couldn’t shake the memory of Evan’s wounded expression.
He’d been not only offended by her sharp retorts but also hurt. Why had she said all that to him? Why had she deliberately set out to make him dislike her?
You know why, Noelle. Just when you’d started thinking he might be different, he’d talked about teenagers as if they were all potential criminals. He dug up those painful memories you’ve been trying so hard to bury. You might as well face it now. Evan Calhoun is no different from the officer who shot and killed Andy. And the sooner you realize that, the better off you’ll be.
Trying to shut out the terrible voice in her head, Noelle finished her shower, then wrapped herself in a heavy robe and walked out to the kitchen to fix something to eat.
Tomorrow would be a new day, she told herself as she shoved a piece of bologna between two pieces of bread. And she was going to do her best to put this one behind her.
* * *
The next morning when Evan opened his eyes, he was shocked to see daylight seeping through the curtains and the digital clock on the nightstand clicking to 7:35.
He was going to be late for work!
He bolted upright in the bed before the ordeal of yesterday had time to creep into his sleep-fogged brain. The sudden movement sent pain crashing from one side of his skull to the other, causing him to grab his head with both hands and curse.
“Oh, hell!”
Evan was still waiting for the ache to subside when a light knock sounded on the door, but he dared not go open it. Instead, he called in a strained voice, “Whoever you are, come in. Just walk softly.”
The door creaked open, and a female voice spoke softly. “It’s me, Tessa. Greta sent me up with your breakfast and a pain pill.”
Evan wasn’t at all sure he could eat. But since he’d not had a full meal since yesterday morning, he realized he needed to try.
He glanced at the tall, slender maid as she placed the breakfast tray on the nightstand. Even though she was barely out of her teens, she’d worked for the Calhoun family for a few years now. Evan thought of her as a sister more than anything and treated her as such.
“I fell asleep last night before remembering to set my alarm,” he mumbled. “Why didn’t someone wake me? I’m going to be late for work.”
Tessa eyed him with disbelief. “You’re not going to work today. Didn’t you read the orders the doctor sent home with you?”
Read? After listening to Grandfather Bart rake him over the coals for allowing a horse to dump him, Evan had done well to make it upstairs and fall into bed.
“I don’t care what those orders say. As soon as I eat and shower, I’m going to the office.”
She handed him a thin china cup balanced on a matching saucer. “You feel that good?”
Even though he felt as if an earthquake was rattling his insides, he managed to take the coffee without spilling it. “No. I feel like hell. But the office is overloaded with cases right now.”
Tessa walked across the room and pulled back the drapes to reveal a view of the distant mountains covered with tall evergreens. Silver Horn land went beyond those mountains to the west and across the desert hills to the east. Thousands of acres belonged to one family. His family. The fact would probably be mind-boggling to a woman like Noelle, who was trying to eke out a living with the barest necessities.
Dear God, he didn’t need to be thinking about her and her smart mouth. It would only make his head hurt worse. But even with the pain crowding every bit of space inside his skull, she’d managed to find room enough to insert herself.
“Tessa, would you like living on an isolated ranch alone?”
The young woman paused and looked at him with a puzzled expression. “No. Why? Am I going to be transferred to a line shack or something?”
He laughed and immediately regretted it as shards of pain splintered the left side of his head. “Not hardly. We couldn’t do without you. I was just wondering. I met someone yesterday who…puzzled me.”
Tessa gave him an understanding smile. “I meet people like that every day. And then I remind myself that I can’t expect everyone to be like me. We all want different things. That’s what makes each of us interesting, don’t you think?”
Ignoring the food on the tray, Evan reached for the pain reliever and swallowed it with a swig of coffee. “You’re too smart to be nineteen,” he told her.
Lifting her chin, she started toward the door. “You know very well that I’m twenty-one. And eat your breakfast before it gets cold.”
Fifteen minutes later, Evan felt human enough to follow Tessa’s suggestion. By then the food was cold, but that didn’t matter. The eggs and bacon would ease the gnawing in his stomach.
He’d finished the meal and was swinging his legs over the edge of the bed when a hard rap sounded at the door and Finn stepped into the room. His younger brother was a lanky, good-looking guy with curly auburn hair that was usually hidden beneath a gray cowboy hat. At twenty-eight, he’d been manager of the horse division of the ranch for four years. It was a job that kept him going from daylight to dark and beyond.
“What are you doing in the house at this hour?” Evan asked.
Finn walked over to the tray on the nightstand and plucked up a piece of half-eaten toast. “I’ve already been down to the barns. I came back to check on you. Dad tells me that Lonesome dumped you. That horse has never bucked in his life. What happened?”
Evan frowned. “He didn’t buck yesterday. A bird flew up in his face and scared him. He sort of reared up and jumped sideways at the same time. I wasn’t expecting it and fell off. That’s all. And before you start in on me, I know I should keep up my riding skills, but it’s not like I have the time.”
“I’m not going to preach. Even the best of us can lose our seat from time to time.” Munching the toast, Finn leaned down to inspect the gash on Evan’s head. “That looks nasty. How do you feel this morning?”
“Okay. Just a little headache,” Evan lied.
Finn looked relieved. “Good. When Dad said you had a concussion—well, the whole family and I couldn’t help thinking about Mom. Are you sure the doctor looked you over good?”
“Finn, they took so many scans and X-rays of my head yesterday, you could stand me out in the yard tonight and use me as a Christmas light. Thanks for worrying about me, though.”
Finn laid a hand on his shoulder. “We love you. That’s all,” he said, then turned and started toward the door. “You need anything? I’ll tell Tessa to bring it up.”
What he needed most was to get one tall cowgirl out of his head. “No thanks. But wait a minute, Finn. About Lonesome, he’s—”
Finn turned back to him. “Yeah. I’ve already heard. You left him at the house of the woman who found you. I believe Dad said her name was Barnes. Is that right?”
“Noelle Barnes. She lives on a small spread over by Douglas County.”
“Okay. Give me the directions to her place and I’ll have one of the hands pick him up today and pay her for her trouble.”
“No. Don’t offer her money. I’ve already tried that. I…” Evan broke off, shocked to feel his face getting hot. Maybe, if he was lucky, Finn would put the flush down to the three cups of coffee he’d swallowed with his breakfast. “I wanted to see if you could do without the horse for a while. Just leave him there. As a favor to me.”
Finn frowned with confusion. “What?”
Evan blew out a frustrated breath. “The woman—she took a liking to Lonesome and wanted to know if the ranch would sell him to her. But, Finn, I doubt she has two pennies to rub together, and she’s not the sort to accept charity. I thought maybe we could simply forget to pick up the horse.”
An understanding grin suddenly spread across Finn’s face. “Look, as far as I’m concerned, the woman rescued you from a bad situation. I’d be glad to give her two or three horses for saving your life.”
“One will be sufficient.”
“Fine. We’ll leave Lonesome where he is. And if anyone asks about him, I’ll just say he found a new home.”
“You’re the best, brother.”
Waving away his thanks, Finn left the room. Evan rose shakily to his feet. Doctor’s orders or not, he had to get back to work and focus his mind on solving crimes instead of a barbed-tongued woman with velvety brown eyes.
* * *
Nearly a week later, Noelle drove into town for a load of feed and stopped on her way out at the Grubstake Café for coffee and a fat cinnamon roll that was a specialty of the old diner.
Even at nine in the morning, the large rustic room was still full of breakfast diners and coffee drinkers. Noelle took a seat at the long wooden bar and looked around the old eating place.
Since she’d been here last, someone had put up a blue spruce in the far corner of the room and decorated it with lights, candy canes and silver tinsel. Overhead, huge ornaments hung from the rafters, while Christmas music played from a nearby radio.
It was the time of year for celebrations, gift giving and family gatherings. Noelle would participate in none of that. She would, however, put up a small tree in her house and give her livestock an extra helping of feed on Christmas Day.
Through the years, when her aunt Geneva and uncle Rob had been alive, she’d spent wonderful holidays with them on their ranch near Prescott. Her aunt had always cooked for days before the event, and her uncle had decorated the house and lawn and even the barns with lights and evergreen branches. On Christmas Eve, they had attended church services. The next morning, they sat around the tree and opened simple but meaningful gifts.
Noelle’s mother and father had never understood why their daughter hadn’t wanted to travel with them to some exotic island or exciting city to celebrate the Christmas season. They’d not understood that their children hadn’t wanted extravagant vacations for a gift. They’d simply wanted their parents to be home and attentive. But that scenario wasn’t Neal and Maxine’s style. As a result, Noelle had always chosen to go to her aunt and uncle’s, while teenage Andy had spent his Christmases with one of his grungy friends.
“Noelle, has anyone waited on you yet?”
At the sound of Jessi’s voice, Noelle looked up at the redheaded waitress standing directly behind the bar. The young woman was one of the few friends Noelle had made since she’d moved to the Carson City area. “Not yet.”
Resting a pencil over her ear, Jessi leaned forward and said under her breath, “We got new help and she’s as slow as molasses. But she’s so nice, I can’t help but like her.”
Smiling vaguely, Noelle shook her head. “Have patience. She’ll get into the swing of things. And I’m in no hurry. All I need is coffee and a cinnamon roll.”
“Coming right up,” Jessi told her.
When the waitress returned a few moments later with the order, she placed it in front of Noelle and added a small box next to the plate.
Surprised, Noelle stared at the gift wrapped in bright red-and-green paper. “What is this?”
Grinning impishly, Jessi shrugged. “Just a little something from me. You always give me tips when I know you can’t afford them. That means a lot to me. Open it.”
“It’s still a while before Christmas,” Noelle pointed out.
“So it’s a few days. We’re supposed to give to our friends all through the year.”
Since Jessi wasn’t about to let her take the gift without opening it, Noelle quickly tore off the festive paper and lifted the lid on a white cardboard box. Nestled in a bed of cotton was a barrette covered with colored rhinestones. It was feminine and sparkly and something that she would’ve never splurged on for herself.
“Oh, it’s lovely, Jessi.” For the second time in a matter of days, tears filled Noelle’s eyes. Feeling foolishly emotional, she tried to blink them away. “You shouldn’t have done this.”
“Don’t be silly. It didn’t cost much.”
Noelle gazed at the hair jewelry and couldn’t help but remember one particular Christmas Eve. It was Noelle’s birthday and since her parents had rarely acknowledged the day separately from Christmas, she’d been hopeful when they’d given her a gift to open early that whatever was inside the box was just for her special day. But then she quickly learned that the matching barrettes covered with real diamonds and emeralds had been purposely given to her to wear to a Christmas Eve party the family was planning to attend. Those barrettes hadn’t been given with the same sincerity as this gift from Jessi. That made all the difference to Noelle.
“I realize that,” Noelle said in a husky voice, “but you need to watch your pennies, too.”
Jessi laughed. “It’s just money. And I think it’s high time I saw you in something pretty.”
Before Noelle could thank her properly, a diner at the end of the bar called to Jessi. The young woman hurried away to tend to the customer.
Noelle put the lid back on the box and was digging into the cinnamon roll when someone sat down on the stool next to her. Always one to keep to herself, she didn’t bother looking around until the man spoke in a deep, familiar voice.
“This is a surprise,” he said. “I’ve never seen you in here before.”
Evan Calhoun! How had she managed to come across him here in the Grubstake this morning? Some sort of crazy fate was throwing them together.
Turning her head in his direction, she said, “I’ve never seen you here, either. But I don’t drop by that often. Maybe once a week in the midmorning.”
“Oh. I usually come in every day before duty.”
His gaze roamed over her face and Noelle had never been more aware of her appearance. Although she hadn’t taken great pains when she’d dressed that morning to come to town, she had put on a nice black sweater with her jeans and dabbed a bit of pink color on her cheeks and lips. Was he noticing that? Or trying to figure out some way to insult her as she’d insulted him the other night? Either notion made her cringe inwardly.
Trying to clear away the tightness in her throat, she asked, “How’s the head?”
“Back to normal. Thanks for asking.”
Drawing in a deep, bracing breath, she stared at the half-eaten sweet roll. “I—uh—hadn’t expected to see you again, but now I’m glad I ran into you like this. It gives me the opportunity to apologize to you. I behaved rudely the other night, and I regret it. You didn’t deserve that from me.”
She could sense him looking at her, yet she didn’t have the courage to turn and face him. Something about his eyes made her feel as though he was looking right into the deepest part of her, and that was a place she definitely didn’t want him to see.
“We’d both had a tough day,” he replied. “As far as I’m concerned, all’s forgotten.”
“That’s kind of you.”
She lifted the thick coffee mug to her lips. While she sipped, Jessi returned to take Evan’s order.
“Coffee and one of those things that Noelle’s eating,” he told the waitress.
Surprised, Jessi glanced at the both of them. “I wasn’t aware that you two knew each other.”
Evan smiled. “Noelle saved my life a few days ago.”
Noelle spluttered with embarrassment, and Jessi leaned curiously over the bar toward Evan. “Really? You’re the lawman. Aren’t you supposed to be the one saving the lives around here?”
He laughed. “The tables were turned this time.”
Groaning, Noelle said, “It was no big thing, Jessi. Evan fell off his horse and I just happened to help him get home. That’s all.”
The waitress was clearly disappointed. “Oh. And here I was thinking I would hear about you collaring some criminal.”
To Noelle’s relief, Jessi was called away at that moment. She used the distraction to turn her attention back to the last of the sweet roll.
Evan said, “I hope Lonesome isn’t giving you any problems.”
She glanced over at him. This time she allowed herself to take note of his clean-shaven face, the brown leather jacket covering a white shirt and the pistol holstered at his side. He looked strong and in total control today, and she had to admit to herself that he was too damned attractive to be walking safely among the female population.
“So you’re aware he’s still at my place?”
“Uh, yes. My brother Finn is in charge of all the Silver Horn horses, and he let me know it might be some time before he could send a hand out to pick up the paint.”
She frowned. His excuse hardly made sense, especially when a ranch as big as the Silver Horn probably had dozens of hired hands. “Then I could deliver him. It wouldn’t be that big of a problem.”
“Oh, no. I mean, there’s no urgency about it. The ranch hands have more than enough horses to ride. Just keep Lonesome there and use him like he’s yours. He’ll be needing some exercise anyway.”
“I wouldn’t want to do that. If he came up lame, I’d be responsible.”
“We have a vet on the ranch. If that ever happened, he’d deal with the problem. In the meantime, just take good care of Lonesome until someone eventually comes around to pick him up.”
Seeing she couldn’t argue with him, she simply shrugged her acquiescence. “Okay. I’ll be glad to.”
Jessi returned with Evan’s coffee and roll. As he began to eat, Noelle placed a tip by her empty plate and rose to her feet.
As she picked up the little box containing her Christmas gift, he asked, “You’re not leaving, are you?”
“Yes. I need to get home and unload the feed before it starts to snow.”
He glanced over his shoulder and looked out the window at the parking lot. “That’s your truck? The black one with the feed sacks stacked in the back?”
“That’s it,” she answered. “Guess you were too groggy the other day to remember it.”
Dismayed, he turned back to her. “You’re not going to unload all of that by yourself, are you?”
She smiled vaguely. “Like I told you, I take care of the ranch by myself. I’m strong. Lifting a fifty-pound feed sack is nothing new to me.”
His appreciative gaze traveled over her. “Then the other day in the gulch, you probably could’ve slung me over the saddle.”
“I’m not so sure. But I would’ve certainly tried.” She turned to leave. “Goodbye, Evan.”
Before she could step away from the bar, he caught her arm. “Please. Wait a minute,” he said. “I have something to ask you.”
Curious, she eased back onto the stool. “About Lonesome?”
“No. I’m not worried about him. He’s in good hands.” He released his hold on her arm, even while his gaze held fast to hers. “I was wondering—do you have anything pressing to do tomorrow?”
His question caught her completely off guard. Instead of being able to think quickly and give him a resounding yes, she paused too long to make anything sound convincing. “Not exactly. Just routine chores.”
“How would you like to take a drive with me up to Virginia City? My maternal grandparents, Tuck and Alice Reeves, live close to there, and I’ve been promising them a visit. Tomorrow is the only day off I’m going to have for a while.”
The invitation stunned her. She had been rude to this man, and the two of them were barely acquainted. “Why would you want to take a stranger with you to visit your grandparents?”
He smiled at her and as Noelle’s gaze followed the line of his white teeth, she inwardly shivered. The mere idea of being close to this man shook her senses. Behind that incredibly masculine face and rock-hard body, he was a lawman. How could she be attracted to him?
She couldn’t answer that. She only knew that for the first time in years, she remembered that she was a woman. And the feeling was too good to pass up.
“Oh, I think I’ll be safe in your company,” he said with a lazy grin. “And I thought you might enjoy seeing something other than that little ranch of yours. Just in case you’re wondering, my grandparents love having company. You’d be very welcome.”
Since she’d moved to the Carson City area, she’d been asked out on a few dates by men she’d met through connections to her work. She’d refused all of them. And something told her if she was smart now, she’d give Evan Calhoun a loud, decisive no.
But something strange was going on inside her. For the life of her she couldn’t seem to form the word, much less say it to the man.
“Actually, it might be nice to see Virginia City,” she said before she could stop herself. “I’ve never driven up that far north.”
Before she could guess his intentions, he reached for her hand and clasped it tightly between both of his. “Great. I’ll drive out to your place and pick you up in the morning. Is ten okay?”
Across the room, she spotted Jessi staring curiously at the two of them. Noelle wondered whether the heat from Evan’s hands was racing straight to her cheeks and staining them red. They definitely felt as if they’d turned a hot scarlet.