One Summer at the Ranch
The Wyoming Cowboy
Rebecca Winters
A Family for the Rugged Rancher
Donna Alward
The Man Who Had Everything
Christine Rimmer

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

The Wyoming Cowboy

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

A Family for the Rugged Rancher

About the Author

Dear Reader

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

EPILOGUE

The Man Who Had Everything

About the Author

Dear Reader

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Extract

Copyright

The Wyoming Cowboy

Rebecca Winters

A Cowboy Who Cares

Former marine Carson Lundgren’s Wyoming ranch is a place where families of fallen war heroes can find joy and healing. The wounded vet is eager to give back, while rebuilding his own life. The last thing he expected is to fall for his first guest and her young son.

Widow Tracy Baretta and six-year-old Johnny have been struggling since losing their husband and father. When they meet Carson, his strength, patience and generosity—along with how great he looks on a horse—leads little Johnny to call him “king of the cowboys.” They’ve fallen in love with the place…and maybe with the man himself.

But is Tracy just looking for a surrogate father? Or could this incredible cowboy really be the one who’ll make her and her son believe in love again?

“There’s been an awareness between us from the first instant,” said Carson.

“Whether it’s an infatuation that will burn out, only time will tell, but at least we can admit to what we’re feeling right now and go on from here.”

A tortured look entered her eyes. “We can’t go on. This has to end tonight and you know it.”

“Tonight—”

He searched the depths of her eyes. “We’ve only just begun, and we have three more precious days and nights together. How can you say it has to end now? How do we do that, Tracy?”

“Because we can’t afford to start something we can’t finish.”

“Who says we can’t?” he cried fiercely. “It already started Friday evening. Don’t you know I don’t ever want you to go home?”

Dear Reader,

In my latest trilogy, Daddy Dude Ranch, three injured veterans have opened up a dude ranch in the Teton Valley of Wyoming to honor the families of fallen soldiers. Their wish is to be substitute daddies for a week to one child at a time. In this first book, The Wyoming Cowboy, you’ll meet guilt-ridden Carson, who survived his tour of duty yet felt he’d abandoned his grandfather when he went to war. He meets the heartbroken Baretta family, suffering from the loss of their husband and father. Together the three of them begin to heal. Enjoy their journey to a life of happiness and fulfillment none of them knew was awaiting them at the beginning.

Rebecca Winters

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

REBECCA WINTERS, whose family of four children has now swelled to include five beautiful grandchildren, lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the land of the Rocky Mountains. With canyons and high alpine meadows full of wildflowers nearby, she never runs out of places to explore. These spaces, plus her favorite vacation spots in Europe, often end up as backgrounds for her romance novels. Writing is her passion, along with her family and church. Rebecca loves to hear from readers. If you wish to email her, please visit her website, www.cleanromances.com.

I want to dedicate this series to the courageous men and women serving in our armed forces, who’ve willingly put their lives in harm’s way to keep the rest of us safe. God bless all of you.

Chapter One

MARCH 1

Pulmonary Unit

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Bethesda, Maryland

Carson Lundgren was sitting in the hospital ward’s common room watching the final moments of the NASCAR race when he heard a disturbance. Annoyed, he turned his head to see Dr. Rimer passing out a document to the eight vets assembled. What in blazes was going on?

“Ray? You’re closest to the TV. Would you mind shutting it off?”

Ray nodded and put an end to one of the few distractions the men looked forward to.

“Thank you. You’ll all be going home tomorrow, so I urge you gentlemen to read this and take what you can from it to heart. It’s a good letter written by a former serviceman. I like a lot of things it says. While you’re doing that, I’ll go find our special guest and bring him in.”

Special guest?

The guys eyed each other with resignation. Who knew how long this would take? They were all anxious to watch the end of the race. Carson looked down to scan the page.

Consider how different and difficult it is to go from a life of service, where every day has a mission, and someone depends on you to make life-and-death decisions, to a life with civilians who are making decisions about what client to call back first or what is the best outfit to wear to work.

Life would be different, all right. In Carson’s case he didn’t need to worry about choosing the proper clothes. He was going back to his Wyoming ranch, where a shirt and jeans had been his uniform before he’d signed up for the Marines. It would be his uniform again, now that he was out of the service.

In the beginning it feels as if you are so much more experienced than the people around you, and in a lot of ways you are. But that kind of thinking will only further alienate you from others. Practicing humility is the best possible advice I can give to help with reintegration into civilian life.

Carson did feel more “experienced.” He’d seen things in the war that he could never explain to people who hadn’t gone through the same thing.

Veterans need to recognize that even a short tour in a combat zone can have an effect on them. While it takes everyone some time to recover after coming home, those who have seen, or been directly affected by a traumatic or horrific event (using your own definition or a generally accepted definition of such an event), need to be able to reconcile that it may have an impact on their lives and relationships with others after the deployment is over.

Since Carson had no family and his grandfather was dead, he didn’t need to worry about that.

Seeking help is not a sign of weakness, no more than asking your buddy to cover your backside. The body may heal from scars and wounds readily, but the scars and wounds of trauma can last much longer and are more difficult to heal.

Difficult? A caustic laugh escaped from him. The cough he’d developed in Afghanistan would never go away, and no one could convince him otherwise.

I promise that, in time, you will see that your civilian counterparts are skilled and have a perspective that you may not have ever considered. And through a respect for what they do and what they have done, you will learn that you, too, are valued and respected.

Carson had always respected the ranch staff and knew he could count on their support.

Just as you are on edge in the beginning, they too may be a little unsure of how to treat you and how to act around you.

They’d treat him just the same as always.

So, take the first step. Be patient, be kind and be humble, and you will see that the transition is much easier.

“Gentlemen?” Dr. Rimer came back in the room where most of them were coughing because of the same affliction. He was followed by a five-star general decked out in full-dress uniform. Carson glanced at his buddies, Ross and Buck, wondering what was going on.

“I’m pleased and honored to introduce General Aldous Cook. He’s anxious to talk to you men recovering in the unit. He’s been asked to do some investigating for the Senate committee examining the troubling findings of the Millennium Cohort Study of 2009.”

The eight of them got to their feet and saluted him before shaking his hand.

The General smiled. “Be seated, gentlemen. I’m honored to be in your presence and want to thank you for your invaluable service to our country.” He cleared his throat. “I understand you’re all going home tomorrow and have a great deal on your minds so I’ll make this quick.

“As you’re well aware, a significant number of returning American veterans like yourselves have reported respiratory problems that started during deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. The study of 2009 revealed that fourteen percent of the deployed troops reported new breathing problems, compared with ten percent among those who hadn’t deployed.

“Though the percentage difference seems small when extrapolated for the two million troops who’ve been deployed since 2001, the survey suggested that at least 80,000 additional soldiers have developed post-deployment breathing problems.

“There’s a fierce debate under way over just how long-lasting and severe these problems really are. We’re tracking the numbers accrued among the troops based in Southern Afghanistan since 2009, particularly the Marines.

“After ruling out other factors, it’s apparent that the powerful dust storms, plus the fine dust from metals, toxins and burn pits used to incinerate garbage at military bases, are the potential culprits. Steps need to be taken to reduce the hazards, and I’m concerned that this exposure isn’t getting the serious review it needs.

“Dr. Rimer has indicated you’ve all improved since you’ve been here, but we’ll continue to track your progress. He assures me that with time, most of you will overcome your coughing and shortness of breath.”

Tell us another fairy tale, General.

“My concern is that every one of you receives the post-deployment care you need for as long as you need it. I’m fighting for you in the congressional hearings.”

Along with the others, Carson stood up and applauded. At least the General had bothered to come to the hospital in person and make an attempt to get at the root of the problem. Carson admired him for that. The General chatted with each of them for a few minutes, then left. With the end of the NASCAR race now missed, everyone left the lounge except Carson and his two roommates, Ross and Buck.

They hadn’t known each other until six weeks ago, when the three of them had been flown here from their various divisions and diagnosed with acute dyspnea. But even if they were hacking, coughing and wheezing, at least they’d arrived at the hospital on their own two feet. It tore them up that some of their buddies—especially those who’d been married with families—hadn’t made it through the war.

The behavioral psychologist who’d been working with them suggested that, once they were discharged, they should find a positive way to work through their survivor’s guilt.

In addition to the guilt Carson already struggled with for personal reasons, he was barely functioning. During the long hours of the night when they couldn’t sleep, they’d talked about the wives and children who’d lost husbands and fathers from their own squads. If the three of them could think of a way to help those families, maybe they could forgive themselves for coming home alive.

At one point in their nocturnal discussions, Carson threw out an idea that began to percolate and gain ground. “What if we invited the fatherless kids to my ranch for a summer vacation? The ranch has lots of outdoor activities for kids who may not have spent much time out-of-doors. We could take them fishing and camping, not to mention horseback riding and hiking.”

Ross sat up in his bed. “All of those are good confidence builders. Heaven knows those children will have lost some confidence. How many kids are you talking about?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you have enough room for guests?”

“No. We’d have to live in the ranch house, so that wouldn’t work. We’d have to put up some cabins.”

“I could build them with your help,” Buck offered. “Construction is what I was raised to do.”

“I’m afraid I don’t have much money.”

Buck said, “I have a little I’ve put away.”

“I have some, too,” Ross chimed in. “Looking down the road, we’d have to hire and pay a cook and provide maid service.”

Encouraged, Carson said, “No matter what, we’ll have to start out small.”

“Their moms will have to bring them.”

“You’re right, Buck. How long should they come for?”

“This is a bit of an experiment, so how about we try a week with one family and see how it goes?”

“For working mothers, I think a week sounds about right,” Ross theorized. “One thing we can do is help the kids if they need to talk about death, since we’ve been through a lot of grief counseling ourselves.”

“Good point. That’s one thing we know how to do. What ages are we talking about?”

“I’m thinking about my nieces and nephews,” Buck murmured. “How about little guys who are really missing their dads? Like six on up to maybe ten.”

Carson nodded. “That sounds about right. They’d be school age. Younger than six might be too young.”

“Agreed,” they all concurred.

Before long, enthusiasm for the project they envisioned wouldn’t let them alone. They soon found themselves plotting to turn Carson’s ranch into a dude ranch where tourists could come along with the families of fatherless children. They would establish a fund to take care of the costs. If their pilot program went well through the summer, they’d talk about keeping it open year-round.

Their plan was a good one and sounded feasible, except for one thing. None of them had gone home yet. Anything could happen when Buck and Ross were reunited with their families. Their parents had dreams for them when their beloved sons returned to their former lives. For that reason, Carson wasn’t holding his breath—what little he had at the moment. He had to admit the inhalers were helping. When he’d first been brought in, he’d been gasping for every breath and thought each was his last.

Of the three men, Carson was the only one who didn’t have living family. The grandfather who’d raised him had passed away five months ago of a surprise heart attack, leaving the ranch and its problems to him. Not even his grandfather’s doctor had seen it coming. Carson had flown home on emergency family leave to bury him.

In that regard, he wouldn’t have to run their brainchild past the older man he’d abandoned when he’d entered the military. At the time he hadn’t seen it as abandonment. They’d corresponded and phoned whenever possible, but in the end Carson wasn’t there for his grandfather when the chips were down. Now it was too late to make it up to the man he’d loved.

“Tomorrow’s the big day, guys.” Once they were all discharged from the hospital in the morning, he knew anything could happen to change his friends’ focus.

Buck nodded. “I’ll join you before the week is out.”

Maybe. But knowing Buck was the oldest son in a large, close-knit family who wanted and needed him back in the construction business, maybe not. “Give me a call and I’ll pick you up at the airport. What about you, Ross?”

“Three days at the most.”

“You think?”

He eyed him narrowly. “I know.”

Put like that, Carson could believe him, but his family who’d made their mark in oil for generations would have its way of pressuring the favorite son who’d made it home from the war. His politician father had long laid hopes for him set in stone. Time would tell if their master plan would get off the ground.

“I can hear the carts arriving with our dinner. Let’s get back to the room and eat before our final session with the shrink.”

It couldn’t come soon enough for any of them. The war had been their world for a long time. Tomorrow they’d leave it forever. But fear clutched him in the gut that it would never leave them.

MAY 2

Sandusky, Ohio

AT THREE O’CLOCK, Tracy Baretta left her office to pick up Johnny from elementary school. When she joined the line of cars waiting for the kids to come out, she hoped she’d see Clara Brewster. Her son, Nate, was a cute boy who’d invited Johnny to his birthday party last month. Johnny hadn’t wanted to go, but Tracy had made him.

Maybe Nate would like to come home with her and Johnny to play, but she didn’t see him or his mom. Her disappointment changed to a dull pain when she had to wait until all the kids had been picked up before her skinny, dark-haired first grader exited the school doors alone.

He purposely hung back from the others. His behavior had her worried sick. She’d been setting up some playdates with a few of the other boys in his first-grade class, but they hadn’t worked out well.

Johnny preferred to be alone and stay home with her after school. He’d become a very quiet child since Tony’s death and was way too attached to her. The psychologist told her to keep finding ways to get him to interact with other kids and not take no for an answer, but she wasn’t gaining ground.

He got in the rear seat with his backpack and strapped himself in. She looked over her shoulder at him. “How was school today, honey?”

“We had a substitute.”

“Was she fun?”

“It was a man. I didn’t like him.”

She eyed him in the rearview mirror. “Why do you say that?”

“He made me sit with Danny.”

“Isn’t he a nice boy?”

“He calls me squirt.”

His tear-filled voice brought out every savage maternal instinct to protect him. Praying for inspiration she said, “Do you want to know something?”

“What?”

“Your father was one of the shortest kids in his class when he was your age. By high school he was five feet ten.” The perfect size for Tracy. “That’ll happen to you, too. Do you think your father was a squirt?”

“No,” he muttered.

“Then forget what Danny said. When we go to Grandma’s house, she’ll show you lots of pictures to make you feel better.”

Of course Johnny couldn’t forget. Silence filled the car for the rest of the drive home to their small rental house. She parked in front of the garage. While he scrambled out of the back, she retrieved the mail and they entered through the front door.

Once inside, he raced for the kitchen. “Wash your hands before you eat anything!” He was always hungry for sweets after school.

While her six-year-old grumbled and ran into the bathroom, Tracy went to the kitchen and poured him a glass of milk before she sorted through the mail, mostly ads and bills. Among the assortment she saw a handwritten envelope addressed to Mrs. Anthony Baretta. It had a Jackson, Wyoming, postmark.

She didn’t know anyone in Wyoming. Her glance took in the return address. Lundgren’s Teton Valley Dude Ranch was printed inside the logo of a mountain peak.

A dude ranch? She’d heard of them all her life, but she’d never been to one. Truth be told, she’d never traveled west of the Mississippi. Every trip had been to Florida, the East Coast, New York City, the Jersey Shore or Toronto. Tony had promised Johnny that when he got out of the service next year, they’d take a big driving trip west, all the way to Disneyland. Another pain shot through her.

She took a deep breath, curious to know who would be writing to her from Wyoming. After slitting the envelope open, she pulled out the handwritten letter.

Dear Mrs. Baretta,

My name is Carson Lundgren. You don’t know me from Adam. I served as a marine in Afghanistan before I got out of the service.

The word Afghanistan swam before her eyes. Tony. She closed them tightly to stop the tears and sank down on one of the kitchen chairs. Her husband had been gone eleven months, yet she knew she would always experience this crushing pain when she thought of him.

“Mom? Can I have a peanut-butter cookie?” He’d drunk his milk.

“How about string cheese or an apple instead?”

“No-o,” he moaned.

“Johnny—” she said in a firm voice.

“Can I have some for dinner?”

“If you eat everything else first.”

“Okay.” She heard him rummage in the fridge for the cheese before he left the kitchen to watch his favorite afternoon cartoons.

When he’d disappeared into the living room, she wiped her eyes and continued reading.

Buck Summerhays and Ross Livingston, former marines, are in business with me on the Teton Valley Dude Ranch. We put our heads together and decided to contact the families of the fallen soldiers from our various units.

Your courageous husband, Anthony Baretta, served our country with honor and distinction. Now, we’d like to honor him by offering you and your son John an all-expenses-paid, one-week vacation at the dude ranch anytime in June, July or August. We’ll pay for your airfare and any other travel expenses.

Tracy’s eyes widened in total wonder.

You’re welcome to contact your husband’s division commander. His office helped us obtain your address. If you’re interested and have questions, please phone our office at the number below. We’ve also listed our website. Visit it to see the brochure we’ve prepared. We’ll be happy to email you any additional information.

Please know how anxious we are to give something back to you after Anthony’s great sacrifice.

With warmest regards,

Carson Lundgren

His words made her throat swell with emotion. With the letter still open, she phoned the commander’s office and learned that the offer was completely legitimate. His assistant had nothing but praise for such a worthy cause and hoped she and her son would be able to take advantage of it.

Tracy’s thoughts flew to her plans for the summer. When school was out, it was decided she and Johnny would spend six weeks in Cleveland with Tony’s parents. They saw Tony in their grandson and were living for a long visit. So was Tracy, who’d been orphaned at eighteen and had no other family.

Luckily, she had June and the first half of July off from her job as technology facilitator for the Sandusky school district. Both she and Johnny needed a huge dose of family love, and they would get it. Grandma planned for them to stay in Tony’s old room with all his stuff. Johnny would adore that.

The Barettas were a big Italian-American family with aunts, uncles and lots of cousins. Two of Johnny’s uncles were policemen and the other three were firefighters, like their father. Like Tony, before he’d joined the Marines to help pay for a college education.

Their loving kindness had saved her life, and Johnny’s, when news of the tragedy had come. He needed that love and support more than ever. She wondered what his reaction would be when he heard what this new invitation was about.

But before she did anything else, she called her sister-in-law Natalie to feel her out. When Tracy read her the letter, Natalie cried, “You’ve got to be kidding me! A dude ranch? Oh, my gosh, Tracy. You’ll have the time of your life. Ask Ruth. She went to one in Montana with my folks a few years ago. Remember?”

“Vaguely.”

“Yeah. It was a working ranch and they helped feed animals and went on trail rides and stuff. She got to help herd some cows.”

“I don’t think this is that kind of a ranch, but I don’t know for sure. The thing is, Johnny’s been difficult for so long, I don’t think he’d even like the idea of it.”

“If you want, I’ll tell Cory about it. I could have him call Johnny and tell him he’s thinks it would be super cool.”

“That might work. Johnny loves Cory and usually goes along with anything his favorite cousin says.”

“Cory will want to go with him. But seriously, Tracy, I can’t believe what a wonderful thing these ex-marines have decided to do. You hear a lot of talk about remembering our fallen heroes, but this is the first time I’ve heard of a group of soldiers doing something like this.”

“I know. Believe me, I’m blown away by this letter. If Tony knew, he’d be so touched.” The tears came. She couldn’t stop them. “There’s just one problem. The folks are expecting Johnny and me to visit there as soon as school is out. Since my vacation is over in mid-July, I would have to make arrangements to do this trip before then.”

“True.” Natalie’s voice trailed. “It will cut into the time you planned with Mom and Dad Baretta.”

“Yes. You know how they’re looking forward to spending time with Johnny.”

“Well, don’t say anything to them until you find out if he wants to go.”

“You’re right. First things first. I’ll let you know what happens. Thanks for being there and being my best friend.”

“Ditto to you. Ciao.”

Deciding there was no time like the present to find out, Tracy picked up the letter and walked into the living room. Johnny was spread out on the floor with his turtle pillow-pet watching Tom and Jerry.

“Honey, do you mind if I shut off the TV? There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

He turned to look at her out of eyes as dark a brown as Tony’s. She picked up the remote and turned the set off before sitting down on the couch. “We just got an invitation in the mail to do something we’ve never done before. It was sent by some men who used to be marines, like your father.”

That seemed to pique his interest enough to sit up cross-legged. “Are they going to have a party?” In his child’s world, an invitation meant a party. Since Tony’s death he’d shied away from them. He seemed to have lost his confidence. It killed her.

“No. Let me read this to you.”

He sat quietly until she’d finished. “What’s a dude ranch?”

“It’s a place to go horseback riding and probably lots of other things.”

Her son had never been on a horse. Neither had she. “You mean like a cowboy?” She nodded. “Where is it?”

“In Wyoming.”

“Where’s that?”

“If you’re interested, I’ll show you on the computer.”

“Okay.”

He followed her into her bedroom where she had her laptop. In a second she’d brought up a map of the United States. “We live here, in Ohio.” She pointed to Cleveland. “Now, watch my finger. You have to cross Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and South Dakota to get to Wyoming, right here.”

She could hear his mind working. “How long would we be gone?”

“A week.”

“That’s a long time.” His voice wobbled. “I don’t want to go.”

Tracy had been afraid of that answer, but she understood. It meant leaving the only security he’d ever known. Going to stay with his aunt Natalie and play with his cousin Cory, or having an overnighter on the weekend with his grandparents, who only lived an hour away, was different.

“We don’t have to. These men know your daddy died and they’d like to do something nice for you, but it’s your decision, Johnny. Before I turn off the computer, would you like to see some pictures Mr. Lundgren sent so you could see what it looks like?”

He sighed. “I guess.”

Tracy typed in the web address and clicked. Up popped a colored photograph of the Teton Mountain Range with a few pockets of snow. The scene was so spectacular she let out a slight gasp. In the bottom of the picture was the layout of the Teton Valley Dude Ranch surrounded by sage.

A “whoa” from Johnny told her his attention had been captured. She read the description below the picture out loud.

“The dude ranch is located along the legendary Snake River in the shadow of the magnificent Teton Mountain Range. It’s just five miles from the town of Jackson, a sophisticated mountain resort. Fifteen minutes away are world-class skiing areas.

“This 1,700-acre ranch operates as a cattle ranch with its own elk and deer herds, eagles and bears. There’s fishing along the three miles of the Snake. At elevations from 6,200 to 7,300 feet, summers bring average temperatures of eighty degrees and low humidity.

“Mountaineering, fly-fishing, white-water rafting, wildlife expeditions, horseback riding, photo safaris, hiking and camping trips, stargazing, bird watching, ballooning, a visit to the rodeo, are all included when you stay on the ranch. Among the amenities you’ll enjoy are a game room, a swimming pool, a babysitting service, laundry services and the use of a car for local transportation.”

Johnny nudged her. “What’s white water?”

She’d been deep in thought. “There’s a picture here of some people in a raft running the rapids. Take a look.”

His eyes widened. “You mean we’d do that if we went there?”

“If we wanted to.”

He looked up at her. “When would we go?”

So he was interested. She felt a sudden lift of her spirits. “How about as soon as school is out? After our trip is over, we’ll fly back to Cleveland and stay with Grandma and Grandpa for a month. Why don’t you think about it, and let me know tonight before you go to bed?”

“Can I see the rest of the pictures?”

“Sure. You know how to work the computer. While you do that, I’m going to start dinner.” With her fingers crossed, she got up from her swivel chair so he could sit and look at everything. He needed something to bring him out of his shell. Maybe a trip like this would help.

A half hour later he came running into the kitchen where she’d made spaghetti. “Mom—you should see the elks. They have giant horns!”

“You mean antlers.”

“Oh, yeah. I forgot.”

She hunkered down and gave him a hug. “It’s pretty exciting stuff, huh.”

He stared at her with a solemn expression. “Do you want to go?”

Oh, my precious son. “If you do.”

JUNE 7

Jackson, Wyoming

IT WAS LATE Friday afternoon when the small plane from Salt Lake City, Utah, started to make its descent. The pilot came on over the intercom. “Ladies and gentlemen, you’re about to land at the only commercial airport located inside a U.S. national park.”

Johnny reached for Tracy’s hand.

“We’re flying over the Greater Yellowstone region with forests, mountains, wilderness areas and lakes as far as the eye can see. Ahead is the majestic Teton Range. You’ll see the Snake River and the plains around it in a patchwork of colors.”

Tracy found it all glorious beyond description, but when the Grand Teton came into view, knifing into the atmosphere, every passenger was struck dumb with awe.

“If you’ll look below, we’re coming up on Jackson Hole.”

Seeing it for the first time, Tracy could understand the reason for its name. It was a narrow valley surrounded by mountains and probably presented a challenge for the pilot to land safely. She clung to Johnny’s hand. Before long, their plane touched down on the tarmac and taxied to the gate.

After it came to a stop, she unclasped their seat belts. “Are you all right, honey?”

He nodded. “That was scary.”

“I agree, but we’re here safe and sound now.” She reached for her purse above the seat. “Let’s go.”

They followed the other eight passengers out the exit to the tiny terminal. The second they entered the one-story building, she heard a deep male voice call her name.

Tracy looked to her left and saw a tall, lean cowboy in jeans and a Western shirt. With his hard-muscled physique, he stood out from everyone else around him. This was no actor from a Western movie set. From his well-worn black Stetson to his cowboy boots, everything about him shouted authentic.

Johnny hugged her side. “Who’s that?” he whispered.

The thirtyish-looking stranger must have heard him because he walked over and reached out to shake Johnny’s hand. “My name’s Carson Lundgren. I’m the man who sent your mom the letter inviting you to the ranch. You have to be John.” His eyes traveled over Tracy’s son with a compassion she could feel.

He nodded.

“Have you found your stomach yet, or is it still up in the air?” His question made Johnny laugh. He couldn’t have said anything to break the ice faster. “I’ll tell you a secret. When I was your age and my grandpa took me on my first plane ride around the Teton Valley, I didn’t find my stomach for a week, but you get used to it.”

While her son was studying him in amazement, his hot blue gaze switched to Tracy. Her medium height meant she had to look up at him. He removed his hat, revealing a head of dark blond hair, attractively disheveled.

“Mrs. Baretta, it’s a pleasure to meet you and your son.”

“We’re excited to be here, Mr. Lundgren, and honored by the invitation. Please call us Johnny and Tracy.”

“Terrific. You can call me Carson.” He coughed for a few seconds. “Forgive me. I do that quite often. Something I picked up overseas. It’s not contagious.”

Johnny’s head tipped back to look at him. “You used to be a marine like my dad, huh?”

“Yup. I have a picture of him and his buddies.” He pulled a wallet from his pocket. Inside was a small packet of photos. He handed one to Johnny. “I didn’t know him, because I’d just been transferred in from another detail when the picture was taken. But I learned Tony Baretta came from a long line of firefighters and had the reputation of being the toughest marine in the unit. You can keep it.”

“Thanks.” His young voice trembled. “I loved him.”

“Of course you did, just like I loved my grandpa.”

“What about your dad?”

“My parents were killed in a freak flood when I was a baby. My grandparents raised me. After my grandma died, it was just Grandpa and me.”

“Didn’t you have cousins?”

“Nope. How about you?”

He looked at Tracy. “How many do I have, Mom?”

“Let me think. Twenty-two-and-a-half at the present counting.”

Carson’s brows lifted. “You’re lucky. I would have given anything for just one.”

That sounded like a lonely statement. Tracy looked over Johnny’s shoulder while he studied the photograph. She counted a dozen soldiers in uniform. When she found Tony, her eyes glazed over.

Johnny’s next remark surprised her because it wasn’t about his father. “You look different in a helmet.”

“We were just a bunch of metal heads.” Johnny laughed again. “None of us liked them much, but the gear kept us protected.”

“I like your cowboy hat better,” Johnny said before putting the picture in his pocket.

Carson grinned. The rugged rancher was one striking male. “Shall we get you a hat like it on our way to the ranch?”

“Could we?” Tracy hadn’t seen him exhibit this kind of excitement in over a year.

“Of course. You can’t live on a dude ranch without your duds.”

“What are duds?”

“Everything I’m wearing plus a lot of other things.”

“What other things?”

“Chaps and gloves for bull riding.”

“Do you ride bulls?” Johnny’s eyes grew huge.

“I used to when I was training for the rodeo.”

“Can I see one?”

“Sure. I’m planning on taking you to the Jackson rodeo on the last night you’re here. You’ll see barrel racing and steer wrestling too.”

“Mom!” Johnny cried out with uncontained excitement.

“Come on, partner. Let’s get your luggage and we’ll go shopping.”

“As long as you let me pay for everything,” Tracy interjected.

He shook his head. “While you’re here, we take care of everything for the kids.”

“I can’t allow that,” she insisted. “A free vacation is one thing, but I’ll be buying whatever Johnny wants or needs while we’re here.”

His blue eyes flickered before he shoved his hat back on. “Yes, ma’am.”

Johnny had to hurry to keep up with the larger-than-life cowboy whose long powerful legs reached the baggage claim in a few strides.

“I bet you’re hungry. Do you like buffalo burgers?”

“Buffalo?”

Tracy tried to hide her smile. Her son turned to her. “Mom? Are there really buffalo burgers?”

“Yes, but I’ve never eaten one.”

He looked at Carson. “Are they good?”

“Do you like hamburgers?”

“Yes.”

“Then you don’t have anything to worry about.” His lips twitched when he glanced at Tracy. “Which bags are yours?”

“The two blue ones and the matching shoulder bag.”

“Here you go.” He handed Johnny the shoulder bag and he reached for the other two. “The van’s right outside.” Her son had to be surprised, but she noticed he carried the bag like a man and kept up with Carson.

They walked outside into a beautiful, still evening. She loved the dry air, but could tell they were at a much higher elevation than they were used to. The mountain range loomed over the valley, so close she felt dwarfed by it.

Their host shot her a concerned glance. “Are you all right, Tracy?”

“I’m fine.”

“The air’s thinner than you’re used to in Ohio.”

“It isn’t that as much as the mountains. They’re so close to us, I feel like they’re pressing in.”

“I had the same feeling in reverse when we reached Afghanistan and I got off the plane with no mountains in sight where we landed. I felt like I was in a constant state of free-fall. Without landmarks, it took me a while to get my bearings.”

“Coming from a paradise like this, I can’t even imagine it. Tony and I grew up on Lake Erie. He told me that after he got there, with no water in sight, he went into shock.”

“We all did,” Carson murmured. “On every level.”

She hadn’t talked to anyone about Tony’s war experiences in a long time and hadn’t wanted to. But this was different, because Carson had made a connection by being there, too. With that photo in his pocket, her son wouldn’t forget, either.

He guided them to the dark green van. It was easy to spot, with the same logo on the side she’d seen on the envelope. He stowed their luggage in the rear, then helped her and Johnny into the backseat.

“First we’ll head to the Silver Dollar Grill for some grub.”

“What’s grub?”

“That’s what the ranch hands call food. After that, we’ll drive over to the Boot Corral and get you outfitted. I think they even sell some mustangs.”

“What are those?”

“Cap guns. When I was little I had a mustang and played like I was Hopalong Cassidy.”

“Who was he?”

“Hoppy was a straight shooter and my favorite cowboy.”

His dark head jerked around to Tracy. “Did you ever see Hoppy?”

Her quick-study son was soaking up all this fascinating information like a sponge. “When I was a little girl my father had some old Western movies and we’d watch them. Hoppy was the good guy who always played fair. He had white hair and wore a black cowboy hat.”

“Hey—” He looked at Carson. “So do you!” Johnny cried in delight.

“Yup. I wanted to be just like him.”

Tracy smiled. “He had two partners. One old duffer was called Gabby, and the young one was called Lucky. I was crazy about Lucky. He was tall and good-looking.”

Johnny giggled.

“All the girls loved Lucky,” Carson commented. “That was mushy stuff.”

“Yeah,” her son agreed with him.

“Now we know where Lucky got his name, don’t we.” Carson winked at her. “I have a couple of old Western movies on CD, and you can see him in action.”

“Can we watch it tonight?”

“No, young man,” Tracy intervened. “When we get to the ranch, we’re both going straight to bed. It’s been a long day.”

“Your mom’s right, Johnny. Tonight we’ll load you up with one of those mustangs Hoppy used to use and all the ammo you want. In a few days, when I take you out riding, we’ll scout for bad guys.”

“I’ve never been on a horse.”

“Never?”

“No.”

Those blue eyes flicked to Tracy. “How about you?”

She shook her head. “I’m afraid we’re a pair of the greenest greenhorns you ever met. When I saw your dude ranch logo on the envelope, I never dreamed Johnny and I would end up spending time on one.”

His chuckle slid in under the radar to resonate through her. “With a couple of lessons that problem will be rectified and you can explore to your heart’s content. There’s no place like it on Earth. My grandfather used to tell me that, but it wasn’t until I came home for his funeral last November that I realized what he meant.” She heard the tremor in his voice.

He’d had a recent loss, too. Tracy sensed he was still suffering.

Carson broke their gaze and looked back at Johnny. “We have four ponies. I think I know the one that will be yours while you’re here.”

“Yippee!” Until this moment Tracy hadn’t thought her son’s face would ever light up like that again.

“You can name her,” he added.

Johnny looked perplexed. “I don’t know any girl names for a horse.”

“You think about it tonight, and tell me tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

Carson smiled at both of them before closing the door. She heard him cough again before he walked around the car and got in behind the wheel. Something he’d picked up after being deployed, he’d said.

“What makes you cough so much?”

He looked over at Johnny. “There were a lot of contaminants in the air in Afghanistan. Stuff like smoke and toxins. Some of the soldiers breathed too many bad fumes and our lungs were injured. When I got sick, I was sent to a hospital in Maryland for special treatment. That’s where I met Ross and Buck. We became such good friends, we decided to go into business together after we got home.”

“Oh. Does it hurt?” Johnny almost whispered the last word.

“It did in the beginning, but not so much now. We’re a lot better than we used to be.”

“I’m glad.”

Her sweet boy.

“Me too, son.”

War was a ghastly reality of life. Carson and his friends were some of the fortunate ones who came home alive. She admired them for getting on with living despite their problem, for unselfishly wanting to make a difference in her life and Johnny’s. What generous, remarkable men....

As he drove them toward the town, she stared out the window. With night coming on, the Tetons formed a giant silhouette against the growing darkness. She shivered in reaction.

Instead of Johnny, who carried on an animated conversation with their host about horses and breeds, she was the one who felt oddly troubled for being so far away from home and everything familiar to her. This new world had taken her by surprise in ways she couldn’t understand or explain.

Chapter Two

Carson pulled the van in front of the newly erected cabin designated for the Baretta family. He’d asked one of the girls from town who did housekeeping to keep the lights on after she left. Earlier he’d made certain there were snacks for the Barettas, and in the minifridge he’d stored plenty of juices and sodas.

It had grown quiet during the drive from Jackson to the ranch. When he looked in the rearview mirror, he saw Johnny was fast asleep. The cute little guy had finally conked out.

Carson got out and opened the rear door of the van. His gaze met Tracy’s. He handed her the key. “If you’ll open the door, I’ll carry him inside.”

She gathered the sacks with their purchases and hurried ahead of him. The front room consisted of a living room with a couch and chairs and a fireplace. On one wall was an entertainment center with a TV, DVD player and a supply of family movies for the guests. Against the other wall was a rectangular table and chairs. A coffeemaker and a microwave sat on one end near the minifridge.

The back hallway divided into two bedrooms and a bathroom. He swept past her to one of the bedrooms and deposited Johnny on one of the twin beds. He didn’t weigh a lot. The boy was built like his father and had the brunette hair and brown eyes of his Italian ancestry.

He was Tony Baretta’s son, all right. You wouldn’t think he belonged to his blonde mother until you saw his facial features. Pure northern European, like hers. An appealing combination.

As for Tracy Baretta with her gray-green eyes, she was just plain appealing. Unexpectedly lovely. Womanly.

In the guys’ desire to make this week memorable for their family, he simply hadn’t counted on...her.

While she started taking off Johnny’s shoes, Carson went back outside to bring in the luggage. “If you need anything, just pick up the phone and one of the staff will answer, day or night. Tomorrow morning, walk over to the main ranch house. We serve breakfast there from six to nine in the big dining room. Lunch is from twelve to two and dinner from five to eight.

“I’ll watch for you and introduce you to the guys. They’re anxious to meet you. After that, we’ll plan your day. For your information, different sets of tourists are staying in the other cabins, but you’re the only family here at our invitation for this coming week. In another month we’re expecting our next family.”

She followed him to the front door of the cabin. “Thank you for everything, Carson.” Her voice cracked. “To be honest, I’m overwhelmed. You and your friends are so good to do what you’re doing. I could never repay you for this.” Tears glistened in her eyes. “From the time you met us at the airport, my son has been a different child. That picture meant everything to him.”

To her, too, he wagered.

“Losing your husband has been a traumatic experience for you. My friends and I know that. Even though anyone in the military, and their family, is aware that death can come, no one’s ready for it. When our division heard about Tony, we all suffered because he left a wife and child. We’re like brothers out there. When one gets hurt, we all hurt.”

She nodded. “Tony talked a lot about his buddies. He was so proud to serve with you.”

“That goes both ways. There’s no way we can bring him back to you, but we’d like to put a smile back on your son’s face, if only for a little while. I promise that while you’re here, we’ll treat him with sensitivity and try to keep him as happy and safe as is humanly possible.”

She smiled warmly. “I know you will.” He could feel her sincerity.

“We have other guests coming to the ranch all the time, but you and Johnny are our special visitors. No one knows that we’ve nicknamed this place the Daddy Dude Ranch. What we hope to do is try to lend ourselves out as dads to take some of the burden off you.”

Her hazel eyes glistened with tears. “You’ve already done that. Did you see Johnny in that shop earlier, walking around in those Western clothes with that huge smile on his face? He put that cowboy hat on just the way you wear yours and tried walking like you do in his new cowboy boots. I never saw anything so cute in my life.”

“You’re right about that.” Carson thought he’d never seen anything so beautiful as the woman standing in front of him.

“That mustang we bought was like giving him a bag of Oreos with just the centers.”

Carson chuckled. “He likes those?”

“He has a terrible sweet tooth.”

“Didn’t we all?”

“Probably. Let me say once again how honored I feel that you picked our family. It was a great thrill to receive your letter. Already I can tell Johnny is thriving on this kind of attention. What you’re doing is inspirational.”

From the light behind them, he could pick out gold and silver filaments in the hair she wore fastened at her nape. Opposites had attracted to produce Johnny. Carson was having trouble concentrating on their conversation.

“Thank you, Tracy. He’s a terrific boy.”

“For a man who’s never had children, you’re so good with him. Where did you learn those skills?”

“That’s because my grandfather was the best and put up with me and my friends. If it rubbed off on me, then I’m glad.”

“So am I. Johnny’s having a marvelous time.”

“I had a wonderful evening, too, believe me. If I didn’t say it before, welcome to the Teton Valley Ranch. Now I’ll wish you good-night.”

He left quickly and headed for the van. It was a short drive to the main house where he’d been raised. He pulled in back and entered through the rear door. Ross was still in the den working on the accounts when Carson walked down the hall.

“Hey—” Ross called to him. “How did everything go with the Baretta family?”

“Hang on while I grab a cup of coffee and I’ll tell you.”

“I could use one, too. I’ll come with you.” They walked down another hall to the kitchen, both coughing up a storm en route.

“Where’s Buck?”

“In town, getting some more materials to do repairs on the bunkhouse. He should have been back by now.”

“Unless he made a stop at Bubba’s Barbecue to see you-know-who.”

“Since his last date with Nicole after she got off work, I don’t think he’s interested after all. She called here twice today. He didn’t return the calls.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Buck was a confirmed bachelor, as were they all.

Carson grabbed a donut. The cook, who lived in town, had gone home for the night. They had the kitchen to themselves. No sooner had he brewed a fresh pot of coffee than they heard Buck coughing before he appeared in the doorway.

In a minute the three of them filled their mugs and sat down at the old oak table where Carson had eaten most of the meals in his life with his grandparents. Until he’d gone into the Marines. But he didn’t want to think about that right now. The guys wanted to know how things had gone at the airport.

“Johnny Baretta is the cutest little six-year-old you ever saw in your life.” He filled them in on the details. “He swallowed a couple of bites of that buffalo burger like a man.”

They smiled. “How about his mom?” Buck asked.

Carson took a long swig of his coffee. How to answer them... “Nice.”

Ross burst into laughter. “That’s it? Nice?”

No. That wasn’t it. “When you meet her in the morning at breakfast, you can make your own assessment.” He knew exactly how they’d react. “She’s very grateful.”

Both men eyed him with speculation. Buck drained his mug. “What’s the plan for tomorrow?”

“After breakfast I’ll take them over to the barn and give them a riding lesson. Later in the day I thought they’d appreciate a drive around the ranch to get their bearings, and we’ll go from there. What about you?”

“I’m going to get the repairs done on the bunkhouse in the morning. Then I’ll be taking the Holden party on an overnight campout. We’ll be back the next day.”

Ross got up from the table to wash their mugs. “The Harris party is planning to do some fly fishing. If Johnny wants to join us, come and find me.”

“That boy is game for anything.” Tony Baretta had been a lucky man in many ways. He shouldn’t have been the one to get killed by a roadside bomb. Carson could still hear Johnny say, I loved my dad. The sound of the boy’s broken heart would always haunt him.

He pushed himself away from the table, causing Buck to give him a second glance. “What’s up?”

Carson grimaced. “When we thought up this idea, we hadn’t met these people. It was pure hell to look into that little guy’s eyes last night and see the sadness. I hadn’t counted on caring so m—” Another coughing spell attacked him, preventing him from finishing his thought.

He needed his inhaler and headed for the hall. “I’ll see you two in the morning.” Ross would do a security check and lock up.

Carson had taken over his grandfather’s room on the ground floor. The other two had bedrooms on the second floor. It was a temporary arrangement. At the end of the summer they’d assess their dude ranch experiment. If they decided it wasn’t working, either or both of them could still work on the ranch and make Wyoming their permanent home. He’d already told them they could build their own houses on the property.

Once he reached the bedroom, he inhaled his medication and then took a shower followed by a sleeping pill. Tonight he needed to be knocked out. His old friend “guilt” was back with a double punch. He couldn’t make up to his grandfather for the years away, and no power on earth could bring Johnny’s father back.

Carson must have been out of his mind to think a week on the ranch was going to make a dent in that boy’s pain. He knew for sure Tracy was barely functioning, but she was a mother who’d do anything to help her child get on with living. She had that hidden strength women were famous for. He could only admire her and lament his lack of it.

After getting into bed, he lay back against the pillow with a troubled sigh. He realized it was too late to decide not to go through with the dude ranch idea for the fallen soldiers’ families. He and the guys had put three months of hard labor into their project to get everything ready. The Barettas had already arrived and were now asleep in one of the new cabins.

They had their work cut out for them, but Carson was afraid they’d fall short of their desire to make a difference. In fact he was terrified.

* * *

THE NEXT MORNING Tracy pulled on a pair of jeans and a sage-colored cotton sweater. It had a crew neck and long sleeves. She’d done some shopping before this trip. If it got hot later in the day, she’d switch to a blouse. The cowboy boots she’d bought last evening felt strange and would take some getting used to.

After giving her hair a good brush, she fastened it at the nape with a tortoise-shell clip. Once she’d put on lotion and applied lipstick, a shade between coral and pink, she was ready for the day.

“Who’s hungry for breakfast?” she asked, coming out of the bathroom into the sunny room with its yellow and white motif. But it was a silly question because Johnny didn’t hear her. He’d been dressed for half an hour in his new duds, complete with a black cowboy hat and boots, and was busy loading his mustang again. Already he’d gone through a couple of rolls of caps, waking her up with a start.

She’d bought him three dozen rolls to keep him supplied, but at this rate he’d go through them by the end of the day. It was a good thing the cabins weren’t too close together.

Tracy slipped the key in her pocket. “Come on, honey.” She opened the door and immediately let out a gasp as she came face-to-face with the Grand Teton. In the morning sun it looked so different from last night when she’d had the sensation of it closing in on her. Against an impossibly blue sky, she’d never seen anything as glorious in her life.

Between the vista of mountains and the strong scent of sage filling the dry air, Tracy felt as if they’d been transported to another world. Even Johnny stopped fiddling with his cap gun to look. “Those sure are tall mountains!”

“They’re magnificent!”

She locked the door and they started walking along the dirt road to the sprawling two-story ranch house in the distance. It was the kind you saw in pictures of the Old West, owned by some legendary cattle king.

“I hope they have cereal.”

Tracy hoped they didn’t. He needed to get off candy and sugar-coated cereal, his favorites when he could get away with it. His grandmother made all kinds of fabulous pasta, but he only liked boring mac and cheese out of the box. “Carson mentioned eggs, bacon and buckwheat pancakes.”

“What’s buckwheat?”

She smiled. “You’ll have to ask him.” The poor man had already answered a hundred questions last evening. She’d been surprised at his patience with her son.

Her eyes took in the tourist log cabins where she saw cars parked. Many of the outbuildings were farther away. Last night, Carson had pointed out the ranch manager’s complex with homes and bunkhouses. He’d mentioned a shed for machinery and hay, a calving barn, horse barn and corrals, but it had been too dark to pick everything out. To Tracy the hundred-year-old ranch resembled a small city.

At least a dozen vehicles, from trucks, vans, and four-wheel-drives to a Jeep without a top and several cars, were parked at the rear of the ranch house. She kept walking with Johnny to the front, admiring the workmanship and the weathered timbers. The house had several decks, with a grove of trees to the side to provide shade. The first Lundgren knew what he was doing, to stake out his claim in this paradise.

They rounded the corner and walked up the steps to the entrance. An office was located to the left of the rustic foyer. At a glance to the right, the huge great room with a stone fireplace led into a big dining room with wagon-wheel chandeliers.

“Hi! Can I help you?”

Johnny walked over to the college-aged girl behind the counter. “Hi! We’re waiting for Carson.”

The friendly brunette leaned over to smile at him. “You must be Johnny Baretta from Ohio.”

“Yup. What’s your name?”

“Susan. Anything you need, you ask me. Mr. Lundgren told me to tell you to go right on through to the dining room and he’d meet you there.”

“Thank you,” Tracy spoke for both of them.

“Welcome to the ranch, Mrs. Baretta.”

“We’re thrilled to be here. Come on, honey.”

They were almost to the dining room when a handsome, fit-looking man, probably Carson’s age and height, came forward. Though he wore a plaid shirt and jeans, with his shorter cropped black hair she could imagine him in Marine gear. His brown eyes played over her with male interest before they lit on Johnny.

“I’m Ross Livingston, Carson’s friend. You must be the brave guy who ate a buffalo burger last night.”

“Well...” He looked at Tracy. “Not all of it,” Johnny answered honestly. “It was too big.”

“I know, and I’m impressed you got through most of it.”

Tracy laughed and he joined her, provoking the same kind of cough she’d heard come out of Carson. “Excuse me,” he said after it had subsided. “It’s not contagious in case you were worried.”

“We’re not. Carson already explained.”

“Good. He got detained on the phone, but he should be here in a minute. Come into the dining room with me, Johnny, and we’ll get you served.”

They followed him. “Do you know if they have cereal?”

“Sure. What kind do you like?”

“Froot Loops.”

“You’re in luck.”

“Goody!”

Tracy refrained from bursting his bubble. Tomorrow they’d choose something else.

Ross guided them across dark, vintage hardwood floors in keeping with the Western flavor to an empty table with a red-and-white-checked cloth. A vase of fresh white daisies had been placed on each table. She found this setting charming.

When he helped them to be seated, he took a chair and handed them Saturday’s menu from the holder. “In a minute the waitress will come to take your order.”

She scanned the menu.

“Mom? Do they have hot chocolate?”

Tracy couldn’t lie. “Yes.”

“Then that’s what I want with my cereal.”

“I’ll let you have it if you’ll eat some meat. There’s sausage, bacon or ham.”

“And brook trout,” Ross interjected, smiling into her eyes as he said it.

She chuckled. “I think after the buffalo burger, we’ll hold off on the fish for another day.”

As he broke into laughter, the waitress came to the table, but she hadn’t come alone. Their host had arrived without his hat, wearing another Western shirt in a tan color. The chiseled angles of his hard-boned features drew her gaze for the second time in twelve hours. He was all male.

“Carson!”

“Hey, partner—” He sat down next to Ross and made the introductions.

“Where’s your hat?”

“I’ll put it on after breakfast.”

“I want to keep mine on.”

“Except that it might be hard to eat with it,” Tracy declared. “Let me put it on the empty chair until after.”

“Okay.”

The waitress took their orders and left.

Ross got up from the table. “Hey, Johnny, while you’re waiting for your food, I’ll take you out to the foyer and show you something amazing before I leave. Since I’ve already eaten, I have a group of guests waiting for me to take them fishing.”

“What is it?” Ross had aroused his curiosity.

“Come with me and see.”

“I’ll be right back, Mom.”

“Okay.”

As they walked away, she heard Ross say, “I’m glad you came, Johnny. We’re going to have a lot of fun while you and your mom are here.”

“Your friend is nice,” Tracy told Carson.

He studied her features for a moment, seeming to reflect on what she’d said. “He’s the best. Right now he’s showing Johnny the big moose head that was mounted years before I was born. It’s the granddaddy of them all, but you don’t see it until you’re leaving to go outside.”

“He’s fascinated by the big animals.”

“Did your husband hunt, or any of your family?”

“No.”

“I’ve never been much of a hunter, either, but my grandfather allowed licensed hunters to use the land during the hunting season, so I do, too. I much prefer to see the elk and deer alive. There’s great opportunity here to photograph the animals. I’ll show Johnny lots of spots. He can hide in the trees and take pictures of squirrels and rabbits, all the cute little forest creatures.”

“He’ll go crazy.”

“That’s the idea.”

To her consternation, Tracy found herself studying his rugged features and looked away. “There’s so much to do here, it’s hard to know where to start. When I read your brochure on the internet, I couldn’t believe it.”

He had an amazing white smile. “Most people can’t do it all. They find something they love and stick to it. That’ll be the trick with Johnny. We’ll try him out on several things and see what he likes most.”

“Mom—” He came running back into the dining room, bringing her back to the present. “You’ve got to see this moose! It’s humongous!” That was Cory’s favorite word.

“I promise I’ll get a look at it when we go outside.”

“Its head is as big as the Pierce’s minicar!”

Carson threw back his head and laughed so hard, everyone in the room looked over. As for Tracy, she felt his rich male belly laugh clear through her stomach to her toes. The laugh set off another of his coughing spells. His blue eyes zeroed in on her. “Who are the Pierces?”

“Our neighbors down the street in Sandusky.”

Johnny sat back down. “Ross thinks he looks like a supersize Bullwinkle.”

“He’s that, all right.”

Tracy smiled at him. “I have a feeling you and Ross are both big teases. Can I presume your other friend is just as bad?”

“He has his moments,” he drawled. “You’ll meet Buck tomorrow when he’s back from taking some guests on an overnight campout.”

“Can we go on one of those?”

Carson’s brilliant blue gaze switched to Johnny. “I’m planning on it.”

Johnny’s face lit up. “I want to see that elk with the giant antlers.”

“You liked that picture?”

“Yeah. It was awesome.”

“I couldn’t agree more, but I don’t know if he’s still around. My grandpa took that picture a few years ago. Tell you what. When we’re out driving and hiking, we’ll look for him.”

The waitress came with their food. Tracy’s omelet was superb. She ate all of it and was gratified to see Johnny finish his ham. Carson put away steak and eggs, then got up from the table.

“Give me five minutes and I’ll meet you out in front in the Jeep. We’ll drive over to the barn.” He coughed for a moment. “Normally we’d walk, but I’m planning to give you a tour of the property after your riding lesson. It’ll save time. The restrooms are down the hall from the front desk.”

“Thank you. The breakfast was delicious by the way.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” He turned to leave.

“See you in a minute, Carson! Don’t forget your hat!”

That kid made him chuckle. He’d done a lot of it since last evening. More than he’d done in a long time.

He walked through the doors to the kitchen and nodded to the staff. After putting some bottled water and half a dozen oranges and plums in a bag, he headed down another hall to the bedroom for his Stetson.

Making certain he had his cell on him, he headed out the rear door of the ranch with more energy than usual. Susan would phone him if there were any problems. After stashing the bag in the backseat, he started the engine and took off.

Try as he might, when he drove around the gravel drive to the front, he couldn’t take his eyes off Tracy Baretta. From the length of her sinuous body to her blond hair gleaming in the morning sun, she was a knockout. But she didn’t seem to know it. That was part of her attraction.

“There’s nothing wrong with looking,” his grandfather used to say to him. “But if a woman’s off-limits, then that’s the way you keep it.” Carson had adopted that motto and it had kept him out of a hell of a lot of trouble.

This woman was Tony Baretta’s widow and still grieving for him.

Shut it off, Lundgren.

Johnny started toward him. “Can I ride in front with you?”

“You bet.” He jumped out and went around to open both doors for them, trying to take his own advice as he helped Tracy into the backseat.

Once they got going, Johnny let out a whoop of excitement. “I’ve never ridden in a Jeep before. This is more fun than riding on a fire engine.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“It’s true!”

Carson glanced at him. “I’ve never been on one.”

“If you come back to Ohio, my uncles will let you go on their ladder truck.”

“Sounds pretty exciting. But wait till you ride a horse. You’ll love it so much, you won’t want to do anything else.”

“What’s your horse’s name?”

“I’ve had a lot of them. My latest one is a gelding named Blueberry. He’s a blue roan.”

Johnny giggled. “You have a blue horse?”

“Seeing’s believing. Wait till you meet your palomino. She’s a creamy gold color with a white mane and tail.” Almost as beautiful as your mother. “Have you thought of a name yet?”

“No.”

“That’s okay. It’ll come to you.”

They headed for the barn. He’d talked to Bert ahead of time. The pony had been put in the corral so Johnny would see it first off. He drove the Jeep around till they came to the entrance to the corral. There stood the pony in the sun. Carson stopped the Jeep.

“Oh, Johnny—look at that adorable pony!”

The boy stared for the longest time before scrambling out of the front seat. He’d left his mustang behind.

“Wait!” His mother hurried after him, but he’d already reached the fencing before she caught up to him.

Carson joined them. “Isn’t she a little beauty?”

Johnny’s head jerked toward him. The excitement on his face was worth a thousand words. “I’m going to call her Goldie.”

“That’s the perfect name for her.” The pony walked right over to them. “Good morning, Goldie. This is Johnny. He’s flown a long way to meet you.”

Carson lifted the boy so he could reach over the railing. “You notice that pretty white marking? That’s her forelock. Watch what happens when I rub it. She’s gentle and likes being touched.”

The pony nickered and nudged closer. “See?”

Johnny giggled and carefully put out his hand to imitate Carson’s gesture. He got the same reaction from Goldie who moved her head up and down, nickering more intensely this time.

“She loves it and wants you to do it some more.”

As he patted the horse with increasing confidence, Tracy flashed Carson a smile. It came from her eyes as well as her mouth. That was a first.

He dragged his glance away with reluctance. “Come into the barn with me, Johnny. We’ll go in the tack room to pick out her saddle.”

“Tack room?”

Carson shared another smile with Tracy. “It’s a room where we keep the saddles and bridles for the horses.”

“Oh.” Johnny jumped down. “We’ll be right back, Mom.”

Carson had a hunch the boy was hooked. You never knew. Some kids showed little interest or were too scared and didn’t want to ride. This little guy was tough. Like his father.

“I’ll be waiting.”

Johnny asked a dozen questions while they gathered everything, impressing Carson with his bright mind that wanted to learn. This was a new world for Carson who, as an adult, had never spent time taking care of anyone’s child. He found Johnny totally entertaining and quite wonderful.

As a kid, Carson had grown up around the children whose parents worked on the ranch, and of course, the neighbor’s kids. A couple of the boys, including his best friend Jean-Paul, wanted to be rodeo champions. So did Carson, whose grandfather had been a champion and taught him everything he knew.

In between chores and school, they’d spent their free time on the back of a horse, learning how to be bulldoggers and bull riders. As they grew older there were girls, and later on women, prize money and championships. But it still wasn’t enough. He’d wanted to get out and see the world. He’d joined the Marines on a whim, wanting a new arena.

Through it all, Carson had taken and taken, never giving anything back. The pain over his own selfishness would never go away, but Johnny’s enthusiasm wouldn’t allow him time to wallow in it.

He carried the equipment to the corral and put the bridle on Goldie. Johnny stood by him, watching in fascination. “Here you go. Hold the reins while I get her saddled.”

The pony moved forward and nudged Johnny. He laughed and was probably scared to death, but he held on. “She likes you or she wouldn’t do that. You’ll get used to it.”

Carson threw on the blanket, then the saddle. “Okay. Now I’d like you to walk around the corral leading Goldie. Just walk normally, holding on to the reins. She’ll follow. It will help her to learn to trust you, because she’s nervous. Do you want me to walk with you, or do you want to do it yourself?”

He thought for a minute. “I can do it.”

“Fine.”

The whole time this went on, Carson was aware of his mother watching in silence from the fence as her brave son did a slow walk around the enclosure without a misstep. At one point she took some pictures with her cell phone.

“Great job, Johnny. Now walk her to that feeding bag. Dig in and pull out a handful of oats. If you hold them out to her with your hand flat, she’ll eat them without hurting you, but it’ll tickle.”

Johnny laughed nervously, but he did what Carson told him to do. In a minute he was giggling while the pony enjoyed her treat. “It feels funny.” He heard Tracy laugh from the sidelines.

“You’ve made a friend for life, Johnny. Think you’re ready to get up on her?” The boy nodded. “Okay.” Now the next lesson was about to begin. “I’m going to seat you in the saddle, then I’ll adjust the stirrups.” Carson lifted him. “You hold on to the reins and the pommel. Are you all right? I know it seems a long way up. Did you ever fall off the tricky bars at school?”

“Yes.”

“Well, this is a lot safer because you’ve got this pony under you and she loves you. She doesn’t want you to fall. Okay if I let go of you?”

“Okay,” he said in a shaky voice.

Carson took a few steps back, ready to catch him if he suddenly wanted to get off. But he didn’t. “Good man.”

“You look like a real cowboy!” his mother called out. “I’m so proud of you!”

“Thanks.”

Moving to the front of the pony Carson said, “I’m going to take hold of the bridle and walk Goldie. You keep holding on to the pommel so you can feel what it’s like to ride her. Does that sound okay to you?”

Johnny nodded, but was biting his lip.

“We’ll only go a few feet, then we’ll stop.”

“Okay,” the boy murmured.

Carson started to walk. Goldie cooperated. When he stopped, she stopped. “How did that feel? Do you want to keep going?”

“Yes.”

“Good for you. I’ve seen ten-year-olds out here who started bawling their heads off for their moms about now.” He moved again and just kept going until they’d circled the corral. “You just passed your first lesson with flying colors, Johnny.” He heard clapping and cheers from Tracy.

A big smile broke out on his face. “Thanks. Can I go around by myself now?”

That’s what he’d been hoping to hear, but you never knew. “Why not? Let me show you how to hold the reins. If she goes too fast, just pull back on them a little. Ready?” He nodded.

“I’m going to give Goldie a little tap on her hind quarters to get her going. Okay?”

“Yup.”

Suddenly they were off at the same speed as before, but without his help. Carson walked over to the fence where Tracy was hanging over it.

“Hey—I’m doing it. I’m riding!” he cried out.

“You sure are,” she called back. “I can’t believe it!”

“It’s easy, Mom.” He circled one more time. “Now it’s your turn.”

Carson saw the expression on her face and chuckled. “Yeah, Mom. It’s easy. Now it’s time for you. Better not let your son show you up.”

“He already has. I’m quaking in my new leather boots.”

“I shivered my first time, too, but I promise it will be okay. Annie’s a gentle, sure-footed mare.”

She got down off the fence and walked around to enter the corral. Carson waited until Goldie had come up to him before he removed the boy’s feet from the stirrups and pulled him off. “Give her a rub on the forelock, then she’ll know you had a good time.”

Johnny did his bidding without any hesitation. “Can I give her some more oats?”

“Of course.” He handed him the reins. “Go ahead. You know what to do.”

While he walked her over to the feed bag, Carson called to Bert to bring out Annie, and then he made the introductions. “Bert Rawlins, this is Tracy Baretta. Bert has been running the stable for years.”

Tracy shook his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The feeling’s mutual, ma’am. Annie’s saddled and ready to go.”

Carson reached for the reins and handed them to Tracy. “Let’s see how good a teacher I am.”

There was more green than gray in her eyes today. They were suspiciously bright. “You already know. My son’s over there feeding that pony like he’s been living on this ranch for a month.”

Nothing could have pleased Carson more. He watched her move in front of the bay and rub her forelock. She nickered on cue.

“This is my first time, Annie. Don’t let me down.” Pulling on the reins, she started walking around the corral just as her son had done.

Carson decided the brown horse with the black mane and tail provided the perfect foil for her gleaming blond hair. When she came around, he helped her into the saddle and adjusted her stirrups. “Would you like me to walk you around?”

“I think I’ll be all right.” What did they say about a mother walking into a burning building for her child?

He handed her the reins and gave the horse’s rump a tap. Annie knew what to do and started walking. Halfway around the arena, Carson knew Tracy would be all right.

“Hey, Mom—it’s fun, huh?”

“It will be when I’ve had a few more lessons.”

Annie kept walking toward Carson. He looked up at Tracy. “Want to go around one more time, pulling on the reins to the right or left?”

“Sure.”

He was sure she didn’t, but she was game.

“This time, give her a nudge with your heels and she’ll go.”

The second she made contact, Annie started out. It surprised Tracy, knocking her off balance, but she righted herself in a hurry.

“If she’s going too fast, pull on the reins and she’ll slow down.”

Little by little she made it around the enclosure, urging the horse in one direction, then another.

“You’re doing great, Mom!”

“You both are. I think that will be all for today.”

Carson signaled Bert to take care of the horses. “Come on, Johnny.” He walked over to help Tracy, but she was too quick for him. She flung her leg over and got down on her own. Whether she did it without thinking or didn’t want help, he didn’t know.

“Are we going for a Jeep ride now?”

“Would you like that, partner?”

“Yes. Then can we come back to see Goldie? I think she’ll miss me.”

Johnny was showing the first signs of a horse lover. Either it was in you, or it wasn’t. “I’m sure she will.”

The three of them got back in the Jeep. For the next hour, he gave them a tour of the property so they could get their bearings. Johnny talked up a storm while a quieter Tracy sat back and took in the sights. As they neared the ranch house, his cell phone rang. The caller ID indicated it was the district ranger for the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

“Excuse me for a minute. I have to take this,” he said to them before answering. “Dave? What’s up?”

“There’s a man-made fire started up on the western edge of the forest bordering your property.”

Carson grimaced. Tourist season always brought on a slew of forest fires.

“I’ve assembled two crews and am asking for any volunteers who can help stamp it out to meet up at the shadow rock trailhead,” Dave continued. “There’s not much wind. I think we can contain it before it spreads.”

Before hanging up, Carson said, “I’ll rustle up as many of the hands as I can and we’ll be there shortly.”

This would happen today, of all days. The hell of it was, with his disease, he didn’t dare help fight the fire. Smoke was his enemy. All he could do was bring help and wear his oxygen apparatus.

Johnny looked at him. “Do you think I can take another ride on Goldie after dinner? I want to turn her in different directions and do stuff with her.”

“I suppose that’s up to your mother.” Carson’s gaze flicked to Tracy. “Did you hear that, Mom? What do you say?”

Chapter Three

Tracy heard it. In fact, she heard and saw so many things already, she was starting to experience turmoil. Johnny was eating up all the attention Carson showered on him. It would continue nonstop until next Saturday when they flew home.

With all their own family and work responsibilities, none of Johnny’s uncles could give him this kind of time. Not even Tony had spent every waking hour with their son in the due course of a day. No father did, unless they were on vacation. Even then there were other distractions.

Few fathers had the skills or showed the infinite patience of this ex-marine rancher who seemed to be going above and beyond any expectations. He had to be a dream come true for her son, who’d been emotionally starving for a male role model since Tony’s death.

When she’d accepted the invitation to come to the ranch, she hadn’t realized these former soldiers would spend their own personal time this way. She had assumed the ranch staff would offer activities to entertain them. Period.

This was different.

Carson was different.

By giving Johnny that photo of his father, Carson had formed a bond with her son that wasn’t going to go away. Carson might not see what was happening, but every moment invested for Johnny’s sake increased her son’s interest.

Tracy couldn’t allow that to happen. Before long they’d be leaving this place, never to return. Johnny was still dealing with his father’s death. They didn’t need another crisis after they got home. She had to do something quickly to fix things before he got too attached to this incredible man. Tracy had to acknowledge that, so far, he was incredible, which was exactly what made her so uneasy.

While he’d driven them around the breathtaking property, giving them fruit and water, she’d sat in the back of the Jeep planning what she would say to Carson when she could get him alone. Another lesson at the corral after dinner was not an option.

Tonight after they’d eaten, she and Johnny would watch a movie in their cabin until he fell asleep. Then she’d phone Carson and have an important talk with him. Once he understood her concerns, he would make certain his partners spent equal time with Johnny. By the time he pulled up in front of their cabin to let them out, she felt more relaxed about her decision.

“I kept you longer than planned, but we’re still in time for lunch.”

Johnny looked up at him. “What are you going to have, Carson?”

“I think a grilled cheese sandwich and a salad.”

“Me, too.”

Since when? Tracy mused.

Carson tipped his Stetson. “See you two inside.”

She slid out, not wanting to analyze why what he just did gave her a strange feeling in her tummy, as Johnny was wont to say. “Come on, honey. Don’t forget your mustang.”

To her relief, Carson drove off. “Let’s use the restroom first, then maybe we’ll find some other kids and you can play with them.”

A few minutes later they entered the dining room. Ross was seated at a larger table with some tourists, including a couple of children. He waved her over. “Come and sit with us, Tracy. We’re all going to do some more fishing after we eat and hope you’ll join us.”

Bless you, Ross.

“Johnny? Meet Sam Harris, who’s seven, and Rachel Harris, who’s nine. They’re from Florida. This is Johnny Baretta from Ohio. He’s six.”

“I’m almost seven!”

Tracy smiled. “That’s true. Your birthday is in a month.” He’d be one of the older ones in his class in the fall.

After they sat down, Ross finished introducing her to Monica and Ralph Harris, who were marine biologists. The Tetons had to be a complete change of scenery for them, too.

Soon the waitress came over and took everyone’s order. Carson still hadn’t come. Tracy knew Johnny was looking for him.

Sam, the towheaded boy, glanced at Johnny. “How long are you here for?”

“A week.”

“Same here. Then our parents have to get back to work.”

“Oh.”

“Where’s your dad?” Rachel asked.

Johnny had faced this question many times, but Tracy knew it was always painful for him. “He died in the war.”

“That’s too bad,” she said, sounding genuinely sad. “Do you like to fish?”

“My dad took me a couple of times.”

“We’ll catch our limit this afternoon,” Ross chimed in, no doubt anxious to change the topic of conversation.

By the time lunch arrived, Carson had come into the dining room and walked over to their table, but he didn’t sit down. Ross introduced him to everyone while they ate. “Mr. Lundgren’s great-great-grandfather purchased this land in 1908 and made it into the Teton Valley Ranch.”

“The ranch house was a lot smaller than this in the beginning,” Carson informed them.

“You’re sure lucky to live here,” Sam uttered.

“We’re lucky you came to visit.”

Carson always knew the right thing to say to make everyone feel good.

“To my regret, something’s come up and I won’t be able to join you this afternoon, but Ross is an expert and will show all of you where to catch the biggest fish. When you bring them in, we’ll ask the cook to fix them for your dinner. There’s no better-tasting trout than a German brown.”

“He ought to know,” Ross interjected. “He was fishing the Snake with his grandpa when he was just a toddler.”

Everyone laughed except Johnny, who’d become exceptionally quiet.

“Enjoy your day. See you later,” Carson said. His glance included Tracy and Johnny before he hurried out of the dining room.

“Where’s he going?” her son whispered.

“I don’t know, honey.” Something had come up. Though he’d shown nothing tangible, she’d felt his tension. “He runs this ranch with his friends and has a lot of other things to do.” Thank heaven.

“Do we have to go fishing?” He’d only eaten half of his grilled cheese and didn’t touch the green salad, which was no surprise.

“Yes.” Her automatic instinct had been to say no, because she was afraid to push him too hard. But right now she decided to take the psychologist’s advice and practice a little tough love. “It’ll be fun for both of us. I’ve never been fly fishing and want to try it.”

“Okay,” he finally muttered. At least he hadn’t fought her on it. “But I bet I don’t catch one.”

“I bet you do. Think how fun it will be to phone your grandparents tonight and tell them everything.”

This was the way their vacation was supposed to be. Doing all sorts of activities with different people. Unfortunately, Carson had gotten there first and had spoiled her son. Nothing and no one was more exciting than he was, even Tracy recognized that.

Ross got up from the table. “I’ll bring the van in front and we’ll go.” He came around to her side. “Is everything all right?” He’d assumed there’d been a hard moment at the table for Johnny. He’d assumed correctly, but for the wrong reason. She couldn’t tell Ross what was really going on inside Johnny, not when these wonderful marines were doing everything in their power to bring her son some happiness.

She smiled at him. For once this wasn’t about Tony, or Johnny’s sensitivity to a child’s question. This was about Carson. “Everything’s fine. Honestly. See you in a minute.”

Sam got out of his chair and came over to Johnny, who was putting another roll of caps into his mustang. “Where did you get that cap gun?”

“In Jackson. Carson took us.”

He turned to his parents. “Can we go into town and buy one?”

“I want one, too,” Rachel chimed in.

Their mother gave Tracy that “what are you going to do?” look. Tracy liked her. “Maybe after we’re through fishing.”

Tracy took her son aside. “Why don’t you go out front and let them shoot your gun for a minute?”

“Do I have to?”

“No, but it’s a good way to make friends, don’t you think?”

A big sigh escaped. “I guess.” He turned to Sam. “Do you guys want to try shooting some caps outside?”

“Heck, yes!”

They both ran out and Rachel followed. Tracy walked over to the parents who thanked her.

“I’m glad Johnny has someone to play with. After dinner we could all drive into town and take you to the Boot Corral. You can get a cap gun and cowboy hats there, in fact, everything Western.”

“That’s a wonderful idea!”

“I’m afraid my son would sleep in all his gear and new cowboy boots if I let him.”

Both Harrises grinned as they headed out of the dining room for the foyer. “This is a fabulous place,” Ralph commented. “I wish we could stay a month.”

Tracy understood how he felt. She was grateful his children would be here for Johnny. If she could drum up enough activities that included them until they flew home, maybe a talk with Carson wasn’t necessary. She needed to let things play out naturally before she got paranoid. No doubt other families with children would be staying here, too, and her worries would go away.

The next time Johnny brought up Carson’s name, she’d impress upon him that the owner of the ranch had too many responsibilities to be on hand all hours of the day.

Unfortunately, his name surfaced after their wonderful trout dinner when they’d all decided to go into town and do some shopping.

“I don’t want to go, Mom. Carson’s going to give me another lesson on Goldie.”

“But he’s not here, honey. We’ll have to wait until tomorrow. Tell you what. After we get back from town, you and the kids can go swimming. How does that sound?”

He thought about it for a minute before he said, “Okay.” Convincing him was like pulling teeth, but he liked the Harris children well enough to give in.

As it turned out, once they were back from town loaded with hats, guns and more ammo than they could use in a week, they realized it was too cool outside to swim. Monica suggested they play Ping-Pong in the game room off the dining room.

Tracy agreed and told Johnny to go along with them. She’d come back to the ranch house as soon as she’d freshened up. When she walked in the bedroom for their jackets, her cell phone rang. She checked the caller ID. It had to be her mother-in-law calling.

“Hello, Sylvia?”

“No, it’s Natalie. We came over for dinner before we leave on our trip in the morning. I’m using her phone to call because I can’t find mine. How are you doing by now? Or, more to the point, how’s Giovanni? Is he begging to go back home? I’ve wondered how he would handle things. I guess you realize our father-in-law is worried about him.”

That was no news. Since Tony’s death, his father had tried to step in as father and grandfather.

“If you want to know the truth, things are going so well it’s got me scared.”

“What do you mean?”

“Mr. Lundgren might be a former marine, but he’s the owner of this ranch and is this amazing cowboy who’s showing Johnny the time of his life. My son has a new hero.”

“Already?”

“I’m afraid so. You wouldn’t recognize him.”

“Why afraid?”

“That was a wrong choice of words.”

“I don’t think so. How old is this guy?”

Natalie always got to the crux. “Maybe twenty-nine, thirty. I don’t know.”

“Is he a hunk?”

“Nat—”

“He is!”

“Listen. I’d love to talk more, but I don’t have time. This nice couple with two children is watching out for Johnny in the game room and he’s waiting for me.”

“You mean he’s playing on his own without you?”

“I know that sounds unbelievable. In a nutshell, he’s had his first horseback ride on the most beautiful golden pony you’ve ever seen, and he’s in love with her.”

“Her?”

“He named her Goldie. You should see him riding around in the saddle like a pro, all decked out in Western gear and a cowboy hat. We’ll bring the same outfit home for Cory.”

“You actually got him over his fear long enough to ride a horse?” She sounded incredulous. Tracy understood. Since Tony’s death, Johnny showed reluctance to try anything new.

“Mr. Lundgren gave him his first lesson.”

“How did he accomplish that?”

Tracy told her about the photo of his father Carson had given him at the airport. “That was the magic connection that built his trust.”

“You’re right. He sounds like some wonderful guy. What’s his wife like?”

Tracy gripped the phone tighter. “He’s not married. Now, I really have to go. Have a great time on your trip to New York. We’ll talk when I get back. Give our love to the family. Ciao, Nat.”

There were no words to describe the ex-marine that would do him justice, so it was better not to try. No sooner had she disconnected than the phone on the bedside table started ringing. She assumed it was the front desk calling. Maybe it was Monica. She picked up. “Hello?”

“Hi, Tracy. It’s Carson. Am I disturbing you?”

His deep voice rumbled through her. She sank down on her twin bed. After discussing him with Natalie, she needed the support. “Not at all. I was just on my way over to the ranch house to play Ping-Pong with the others.”

“That sounds fun,” he said before he started coughing. “I’m sorry about today. I’d fully intended to take you fishing and give Johnny another horseback riding lesson.”

She gripped the phone a little tighter. “Please don’t worry about that. Ross did the honors. Even I caught a twelve-incher. It was my first time fly fishing. I must admit it was a real thrill to feel that tug and reel it in.”

“How did it taste?”

“Absolutely delicious.”

“That’s good,” he murmured before coughing again.

She moistened her lips nervously for no good reason. “I take it you had to deal with an emergency.”

“You could say that. A couple of college kids out backpacking in the forest didn’t do a good enough job of putting out their campfire. It took several crews of rangers and forest service workers to keep it from spreading too far onto ranch property.”

Her breath caught. That was why she’d felt his tension at the table. “How much did it burn?”

“Only a few acres this time.”

“This time?”

“It happens every year.” Suddenly he was hacking again. “Some fires are more devastating than others.”

“Does that mean you were breathing smoke all day?”

“No. I rounded up the hands and drove them to the fire in shifts, but I took oxygen with me.”

“Even so, you shouldn’t have been near there with your problem,” she said before she realized her voice was shaking.

“There was no one else to do the job. Undeserving as I am, I have to try to save what my grandfather willed to me.”

She got to her feet. “What do you mean by undeserving?”

“Forget my ramblings. It slipped out by accident.”

“And I heard it, which means you inhaled too much smoke today and don’t feel well. You ought to be in bed.”

“A good night’s sleep is all I need. I’ll let you go so you can join your son. It would be better not to tell him about the fire.”

“Agreed.” She couldn’t let him hang up yet. “Carson, how long were you in the hospital?”

“About five weeks. From the end of January to the beginning of March.”

“Were you all suffering from the same illness?”

“On our ward, yes.”

His cough worried her. “Are you getting better?”

“We’re certainly better than we were when we were flown in.”

“I mean, are you going to get well?”

“We don’t know.”

She frowned. “You mean the doctor can’t tell you?”

“Not really. They’re doing studies on us. The day before we left the hospital, a general came to talk to us about asking Congress for the funding to help our cause.”

“The Congress doesn’t do enough,” she muttered.

“Well, at least he came to our floor and said he’s rooting for us, so that’s better than nothing.”

“Then you could have a lifelong ailment.”

“That’s right, but we can live with it, even if no one else can. The ranch house gets pretty noisy when the three of us have a coughing fit together.”

He tried to make light of it, but she wasn’t laughing. “You’re very brave.”

“If you want to talk brave, let’s talk about your husband. Why did he join the Marines?”

“His best friend went into the military and got killed by friendly gunfire. It tore Tony apart. He decided to join up to finish what his friend had started. We were already married, but I could tell he wanted it more than anything. We were lucky to go to Japan together before he was deployed to Afghanistan. It doesn’t happen often that a marine can go there with his wife.”

“You’re right.”

“During 9/11 I saw those firefighters run into those torched buildings and I wondered how they did it. Then I met Tony and understood. It’s in his genes, I guess.”

“Those genes saved lives, Tracy. That’s why you can’t talk about him in the same breath you talk about me and the guys. We’re no heroes.”

But they were.

“You shouldn’t have gone near that fire today.”

“That’s the second time you’ve said it.”

“I’m sorry. Johnny’s been worried about you, too.”

“Tracy,” he said in a deep voice, “I appreciate your concern more than you know. I haven’t had anyone worry about me in a long time. Thanks for caring. We’ll see each other at breakfast. Good night.”

He hung up too fast for her to wish him the same. Afraid he’d be up all night coughing, she knew that if she didn’t hurry to the game room she’d brood over his condition. And his state of mind, which was none of her business and shouldn’t be her concern. But to her chagrin, she couldn’t think about anything else on her way to the ranch house.

* * *

CARSON HAD MEDICATED himself before going to bed, but he woke up late Sunday morning feeling only slightly better. It wasn’t just his physical condition due to the smoke he’d inhaled the day before, despite the oxygen. When he’d phoned Tracy last night, he hadn’t realized how vulnerable he’d been at the time. His sickness had worn him down and caused him to reveal a little of his inner turmoil, something he regretted.

She was a guest on the ranch. He was supposed to be helping to lift her burden for the week instead of talking about himself.

He grabbed his cell phone to call his ranch foreman and get an update on the progress with the fencing in the upper pasture. After they chatted for a few minutes, he dragged his body out of bed to shower and shave.

Once dressed, he walked through the ranch house to the kitchen and poured himself some coffee. He talked to the cook and kitchen help while he drank it, then entered the dining room and discovered a few guests still eating, but no sign of Tracy or Johnny. Ross would know what was going on.

Carson went to the office, but the place was empty. Since Buck wouldn’t be back until lunchtime, he headed for the foyer to talk to Susan. “How’s everything going?”

“Great!”

“Have you seen Ross?”

“Yes. Another couple of groups went fishing with him. Did you know that by this evening we’ll be all booked up?”

“That’s the kind of news I like to hear.”

Like most ranches, the cattle operation on the Teton Valley Ranch had little, if any, margin. But the value of the land kept rising faster than the liability from raising cattle. It was either sell the hay, grass and cows to someone else, or borrow on the land when the market was down. In time he hoped the dude ranch idea would bring in its own source of revenue.

“Johnny Baretta was asking about you this morning. He can’t wait for another horseback riding lesson.”

That news pleased him even more. “Do you have any idea where he and his mother might be?”

“I heard him and the Harris children talking about going swimming. You should have seen how cute they all looked in their cowboy outfits when they came in for breakfast.”

“I can imagine. Talk to you later.”

He walked outside and headed around the other side of the house to the pool area. The swimming pool had been Buck’s idea and was a real winner for children and people who simply wanted to laze about. The kids’ shouts of laughter reached his ears before he came upon the two families enjoying the water.

“Carson!”

Johnny’s shriek of excitement took him by surprise and touched him. “Hey, partner.”

The boy scrambled out of the pool and came running over to him. Above his dark, wet hair he saw Tracy’s silvery-gold head as she trod water. Their eyes met for a brief moment, causing a totally foreign adrenaline rush. “Can we go horseback riding now?”

“That’s the plan,” he said before breaking the eye contact.

Like clockwork, the other two children hurried over to him dripping water. “Will you take us riding, too?”

He chuckled. It brought on another coughing spell. “Of course. Anyone who wants a lesson, meet me at the corral in fifteen minutes!” he called out so the parents would hear him. They waved back in acknowledgment. As he turned to leave, he heard Rachel ask Johnny why Carson coughed so much.

“Because he breathed all this bad stuff in the war.”

“What kind of stuff?” Sam wanted to know.

“Smoke and other junk.”

“Ew. I hope I never have to go.”

“I wish my dad had never joined the Marines.” Johnny’s mournful comment tore Carson apart.

He hurried back inside the ranch house to grab a bite of breakfast in the kitchen. While he downed bacon and eggs, he phoned Bert and asked him to start saddling Goldie and two of the other ponies.

After they hung up, he packed some food and drinks in a basket. In a minute, he left through the back door and placed the basket in the back of the truck, then climbed in. The interior still smelled of acrid smoke.

If the kids wanted some fun after their lesson, he’d let them get in the back and he’d drive them to the pasture to see the cattle. When he’d been a boy, he’d enjoyed walking around the new calves and figured they would, too.

When he reached the barn, he saddled Annie, but held off getting more horses ready for the Harrises. They might not want to ride, only watch their children.

Another lesson for Tracy and her son ought to be enough for them to take a short ride down by the Snake River tomorrow. With enough practice, they’d be able to enjoy half-day rides around the property.

If Johnny could handle it, they’d camp out in the Bridger-Teton forest where there were breathtaking vistas of the surrounding country. Even if the journey would be bittersweet, he longed to show them his favorite places. Since joining the Marines, he hadn’t done any of this.

Once Annie’s bridle was on, he grasped the reins and walked her outside to the corral where Bert had assembled the ponies. In the distance, he saw the children running along the dirt road toward them. All three were dressed in their cowboy outfits.

Johnny reached him first. “Do you think Goldie missed me?”

“Why don’t you give her forelock a rub and find out?”

Without hesitation he approached the golden palomino. “Hi, Goldie. It’s me.” He reached out to touch her. The pony nickered and nudged him affectionately. “Hey—” He turned to Carson. “Did you see that? She really likes me!”

While Burt grinned, Carson burst into laughter. It ended in a coughing spasm, but he didn’t care. “She sure does.”

“I’m going to feed her some oats.” Seizing the reins without fear, he walked her over to the feed bag.

Knowing Bert would keep an eye on him, Carson approached the fence. Beneath the brim of his Stetson, his gaze fell on Tracy whose damp hair was caught back with a hair band. This morning she wore a tangerine-colored knit top and jeans her beautiful figure did amazing things for. “Are you ready for your next lesson?”

“I think so.” Her smoky green eyes smiled at him before she entered the corral.

“Would you like some help mounting?”

“Thank you, but I’d like to see if I can do this on my own first.”

This was the second time she hadn’t wanted him to get too close. The first time he might have imagined it, but the second time led him to believe she was avoiding contact. He forced himself to look at the Harrises, who’d just come walking up.

“Should I ask Bert to saddle some horses for you?”

They shook their heads. Ralph leaned over the fence. “We’ve been riding before. Right now, we just want to see how the kids do.”

“Understood.” He turned to Johnny. “Hey, partner—why don’t you help me show Rachel and Sam what you do before you get on.”

“Sure! Which pony do you guys want?”

“That was a good question to ask them, Johnny.”

Sam cried, “Can I have the brown one with the black tail?”

“Bruno is a great choice.”

“I like the one with the little ears and big eyes. It’s so cute.”

Carson nodded. “That dappled gray filly is all yours, Rachel. Her name is Mitzi.”

The children loved the names.

“Okay, Johnny. What do they do now?”

“They have to rub their noses so the ponies will know they like them.”

The next few minutes were pure revelation as Tracy’s son took the kids through the drill, step by step, until they were ready to mount.

Ridiculous as it was, Carson felt a tug on his emotions because Johnny had learned his lesson so quickly and was being such a perfect riding instructor. He glanced at Tracy several times. Without her saying anything, he knew she was bursting with motherly pride.

Soon all four of them were astride their horses. They circled the corral several times and played Follow the Leader in figure eights, Johnny’s idea. Carson lounged against the fence next to the Harrises, entertained by the children who appeared to be having a terrific time. Since Tracy rode with them, Carson had a legitimate reason to study her without seeming obvious.

He threw out a few suggestions here and there, to help them use their reins properly, but for the most part, the lesson was a big success. Eventually he called a halt.

“It’s time for a rest,” he announced and was met with sounds of protest. “Bert will help you down. I know it’s fun, but you need a break and so do the ponies. I’ll give you another lesson before dinner. Right now, I thought you might like to ride to the upper pasture with me and see some Texas Longhorns.”

Johnny looked perplexed. “What are those?”

“Beef cattle.”

“We’re not in Texas!” Sam pointed out.

“Nope, but they were brought from there to this part of the country years ago. Want to get a look at the herd?”

“Yeah!” they said with a collective voice.

He turned to the Harrises. “I’ll bring them back for lunch. You can come along, or you’re welcome do something else.”

Ralph smiled. “If you don’t mind, I think we’d like to take a walk.”

“Good. Then we’ll meet you back at the ranch around one o’clock.”

While they talked to their children about being on their best behavior, Carson walked over to Tracy who’d once again gotten off her horse without assistance. “Are you going to ride with us?”

“Please, Mom?” Johnny’s brown eyes beseeched her.

Apparently she had reservations. Maybe she hadn’t been around other men since her husband’s funeral and didn’t feel comfortable with him or any man yet. Operating on that assumption he said, “I was going to let the kids ride in the truck bed. If you’re with them, you can keep a close eye on what goes on. Those bales of hay will make a good seat for you.”

She averted her eyes. “That ought to be a lot of fun.”

Johnny jumped up and down with glee. “Hey, guys—we’re going to ride in the back of the truck!” The other two sounded equally excited.

Pleased she’d capitulated, Carson walked over to the truck and lowered the tailgate. One by one he lifted the children inside. Before she could refuse him, he picked her up by the waist and set her down carefully. Their arms brushed against each other in the process, sending warmth through his body. After she scrambled to her feet, he closed the tailgate and hurried around to the cab.

With his pulse still racing, he started the engine and took off down the road, passing the Harrises. The children sat on the bales and clung to the sides of the truck while they called out and waved. Through the truck’s rear window, Carson caught glimpses of her profile as she took in the scenery. Haunted by her utter femininity, he tried to concentrate on something else. Anything else.

There’d been a slew of women in his life from his teens on. One or two had held his interest through part of a summer, but much to his grandfather’s displeasure, he’d never had the urge to settle down. It had been the same in the military.

Carson couldn’t relate to the Anthony Barettas of this world, who were already happily married when deployed. Though foreign women held a certain fascination for Carson, those feelings were overshadowed by his interest in exotic places and the need to experience a different thrill.

Then came the day when his restlessness for new adventures took a literal hit from the deathly stench of war. Suffocation sucked the life out of him, extinguishing former pleasures, even his desire to be with a woman. Of no use to the military any longer, he’d been discharged early but had returned to the ranch too late to make up to his grandfather for the lost time.

Since he’d flown home from Maryland, the idea of inviting the Baretta family and others like them to the ranch had been the only thing helping him hold on to his sanity. Giving them a little pleasure might help vindicate his worthless existence, if only for a time.

Never in his wildest imagination did he expect Tony Baretta’s widow to be the woman who would arouse feelings that, to his shock, must have been lying dormant since he’d become an adult.

Somehow, in his gut, he’d sensed her importance in his life from the moment they’d met at the airport. Nothing remotely like this had ever happened to him before. He couldn’t explain what was going on inside him, let alone his interest in one little boy. But whatever he was experiencing was so real he could taste it and feel it.

Next Saturday they’d be flying back to Ohio. He already felt empty at the thought of it, which made no sense at all.

Chapter Four

After passing through heavily scented sage and rolling meadows, the truck wound its way up the slopes of the forest. The smell of the hay bales mingled with the fresh fragrance of the pines, filling the dry air with their distinctive perfume.

To the delight of both Tracy and the children, they spotted elk and moose along the way. Carson slowed down the truck so they could get a good look. Rabbits hopped through the undergrowth. The birdsong was so noisy among the trees, it was like a virtual aviary. Squirrels scrambled through the boughs of the pines. Chipmunks chattered. Bees zoomed back and forth.

Tracy looked all around her. The earth was alive.

Life was burgeoning on every front. She could feel it creeping into her, bringing on new sensations that were almost painful in their intensity, sensations she’d thought never to experience again.

For so long she’d felt like the flower in the little vase Johnny had brought home from school for Mother’s Day. The pink rose had done its best, but after a week it had dried up. She kept it in the kitchen window as a reminder of her son’s sweet gift. Every time she looked at it, she saw herself in the wasted stem and pitiful-looking petals—a woman who was all dried up and incapable of being revived.

Or so she’d thought....

After following a long curve through the trees, they came out on another slope of grassy meadow where she lost count of the cattle after reaching the two hundred mark. They came in every color. In the distance she saw a few hands and a border collie keeping an eye on the herd. Carson brought the truck to a stop and got out.

“Oh,” Rachel half crooned. “Some of the mothers have babies.”

Tracy had seen them. With puffy white clouds dotting the sky above the alpine pasture, it was a serene, heavenly sight of animals in harmony with nature. “They’re adorable.”

Carson walked around to undo the tailgate. Beneath his cowboy hat, his eyes glowed like blue topaz as he glanced at her. “Every animal, whether it be a pony or a calf, represents a miracle of nature. Don’t you think?”

“Yes,” she murmured, unexpectedly moved by his words and the beauty of her surroundings.

Johnny’s giggle brought her head around. “Look at the funny calf. She’s running away.”

“Buster won’t let her get far.” Carson lowered the children to the ground. Tracy stayed put on her bale of hay. “Wouldn’t you like to walk around with us?”

“They won’t hurt you, Mom.”

She chuckled. “I know. But from up here I can get some pictures of you guys first.” Tracy pulled out her cell phone to make her point. “I’ll join you in a minute.” She didn’t want Carson’s help getting down. To her chagrin she still felt his touch from earlier when he’d lifted her in.

After she’d snapped half a dozen shots, she sat down on the tailgate and jumped to the ground. The children had followed Carson, who walked them through the herd, answering their myriad questions. Why were some of the calves speckled and their mothers weren’t? How come they drank so much water? He was a born teacher, exhibiting more patience than she possessed.

Soon the dog ran up to them, delighting the kids. Tracy trailed behind, trying not to be too startled when some of the cows decided to move to a different spot or made long lowing sounds.

Carson cornered one of the beige-colored calves and held it so the children could pet it. Their expressions were so priceless, she pulled out her camera and took a couple of more pictures for herself and the Harrises, who would love to see these.

The hour passed quickly. When he finally announced it was time to get back to the ranch house, the children didn’t want to go. He promised them they could come again in a few days.

“Do you think that calf will remember us?” Johnny wanted to know. All the children had to run to keep up with his long strides. Luckily their cowboy hats were held on with ties and didn’t fall off.

As Tracy looked at Carson waiting for his answer, their gazes collided. “I wouldn’t be surprised. The real question is, will you remember which calf you played with?”

“Sure,” Sam piped up. “It had brown eyes.”

A half smile appeared on Carson’s mouth, drawing Tracy’s attention when it shouldn’t have. “I’m afraid they all have brown eyes. Every once in a while a blue-eyed calf is born here, but their irises turn brown after a couple of months.”

Rachel stared up at him. “Do you think there might be one with blue eyes in this herd?”

“Maybe. Tell you what. The next time I bring you up here, you guys can check all the calves’ eyes. I’ll give you a prize if you can find a blue pair.”

“Hooray!” the children cried.

On that exciting note, he lifted them into the truck and shut the tailgate without reaching for Tracy.

Perhaps he wasn’t thinking when he did it, but it meant she’d be riding in the cab with him. He must have been reading her mind because he said, “Riding on top of a hay bale might work one way, but you’ve got more horseback riding to do and deserve a break.” Flashing her a quick smile, he turned to the kids.

“That basket in the corner has water and fruit for you guys. How about handing your mom a bottle, Johnny?”

“Okay. Do you want one, too?”

“I sure do. Thanks. Your mom’s going to ride in front with me. That means everyone sits down the whole time and holds on tight to the side.”

“We will,” they said in unison.

“That’s good. We don’t want any accidents.”

“Please be careful,” Tracy urged the kids.

“Mom—we’re not babies!”

Carson’s chuckle turned into a coughing spell as he helped her into the passenger side of the truck. Their fingers brushed when he handed her the bottle of water. This awareness of him was ridiculous, but all she could do was pretend otherwise.

He shut the door and went around to the driver’s side. She could still smell residual smoke from yesterday’s forest fire. Carson should have been spared that.

Before he got in, he drank from his bottle. She watched the muscles working in his bronzed throat. He must have been thirsty, because he drained it. After tossing it in the basket in back, he slid behind the wheel.

She drank half of hers, not so much from thirst but because she needed to occupy herself with some activity. “What do you call the color of that calf the children were petting?”

“Slate dun.”

“I knew it couldn’t be beige.”

In her peripheral vision, she noticed him grin. “In a herd of Longhorns you’ll see about every color of the rainbow represented, including stripes and spots.”

“Thank you for giving us this experience.” She took a deep breath of mountain air. “There’s so much to learn. Johnny’s going to go home loaded with information and impress his relatives. That’s saying a lot since they always sound like they know everything about everything and don’t hold back expressing it.”

His chuckle filled the cab. “Is he homesick yet?”

“I thought he would be. When we were flying into Jackson, I was afraid he would want to turn right around and go back. But nothing could be further from the truth. The second he caught sight of the tall dude who told him he’d take him shopping for some duds like his, he’s been a changed child. For your information, tall doesn’t run in the Baretta family. Neither does a Western twang.”

He darted her a quick glance. “Johnny wasn’t outgoing before?”

“He was...until Tony died. Since then he’s been in a reclusive state. The psychologist has been working with me to try to bring him out of his shell. When I get back to Ohio, I’m going to give him your business card and tell him to send all his trauma patients to the Teton Valley Dude Ranch. It’s already doing wonders for his psyche.”

“That’s gratifying to hear, but let’s not talk about your going home yet. You just barely got here. I’m glad we’re alone so you can tell me what kinds of things he wants to do the most. I don’t want him to be frightened of anything.”

“Well, I can tell you right now he’s crazy about Goldie and would probably spend all his days riding, pretending he’s a cowboy.”

“He seems to be a natural around her.”

“That’s because of the way you introduced him to horseback riding. You’ve given him back some of the confidence he’s lost this last year. That was a masterful stroke when you handed him the reins and suggested he walk the pony around first so she would get used to him. In your subtle way, you sent the hint that Goldie was nervous, thereby taking the fear from Johnny.

“I held my breath waiting for him to drop the reins and run over to me. To my shock, he carried on like a trouper. When he was riding her around, he wore the biggest smile I’ve seen in over a year. That’s your doing, Carson. You have no idea the wonders you’ve accomplished with him already. I’m afraid you’re going to get tired of my thanking you all the time.”

“That’s not going to happen. If my grandpa could hear our conversation, he’d be gratified by your compliment since he was the one who taught me everything I know about horses and kids.”

She bit her lip. “You miss him terribly, don’t you?”

“Yes. He and my grandmother were kind, wonderful people. They didn’t deserve to be burdened with a headstrong, selfish grandson so early in life.”

Tracy took another drink of water. “There’s that word deserve again. Don’t you know every child is selfish? The whole world revolves around them until they grow up and hopefully learn what life’s really about.”

His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Except I grew up too late. I should never have left him alone.”

“Did he try to keep you from going into the Marines?”

“No. Just the opposite in fact,” he said before another coughing spell ensued.

“He sounds like a wise man who knew you had to find your own path. Tony’s two brothers who wanted to be police officers instead of firemen got a lot of flack from the rest of the family, especially from their father. He thought there was no other way to live, but two of his sons had other ideas. It has left resentments that seem to deepen.”

“That’s too bad. How did he handle Tony going into the Marines?”

“He didn’t like it. But by then Tony was a firefighter and planned to come back to it when he got out of the service. As long as his sons fell in line, he was happy. To this day, he’s still angry with the other two. He needed to take lessons from your grandfather.”

“Unfortunately nothing removes my guilt. I was his only family left.”

“It sounds like he wanted you to be happy. That was more important to him. He took on a sacred trust when he took over your upbringing. I feel the same way now that Tony’s gone. It’s up to me to guide my son. I’m terrified I’ll make mistakes. What worries me is the struggle Johnny’s going to have later on.”

“In what way?”

“His grandfather will expect him to grow up and take his place among the Baretta firefighters. Imagine his shock when we go home and Johnny announces he’s going to be a cowboy like his friend Carson when he grows up.”

Her comment seemed to remove some of the stress lines around his mouth that could grow hard or soft depending on his emotions. “These are early days, Tracy. Your son’s going to go through a dozen different stages before he becomes a man.”

She moaned. “Let’s hope he doesn’t end up suffering from your problem.”

His brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

Tracy looked through the back window to make sure the children were all right.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on them,” he murmured, reading her mind again. Of course he had. He had a handle on everything, inspiring confidence in everyone, old or young.

“I don’t want Johnny to be afraid to reach out for his dreams for fear of leaving me on my own. He’s especially aware of it since learning I lost my parents at eighteen. Sometimes he shows signs of being overly protective. A few months ago he told me he would never leave me and planned to take care of me all my life.”

“There’s a sweetness in that boy.”

“Don’t I know it, but I refuse to exploit it. That’s one of the main reasons why I decided to accept your invitation to come to the ranch. If I don’t help him to live life the way he should, then I’m failing as a mother. You and your friends have done a greater service for our family than you can possibly imagine. I know I said this before. You were inspired, and I—I’m indebted to you.” Her voice caught.

He sat back in the seat. “After so much heartache, do you have any idea how much I admire you for carrying on? Tell me something. How did you continue to function after your parents were killed? I can’t imagine losing them both at the same time.”

“We had fantastic neighbors and friends at our church. Between them and my close friends, they became my support group and helped me while I was in college. Then I met Tony and was swept into his family.”

He cast her a glance. “Swept off your feet, too?”

She nodded. “Natalie, my sister-in-law who’s married to Joe, one of the out-of-favor police officers in the family, has become my closest friend. They have an eight-year-old son, Cory, who gets along famously with Johnny. I’ve been very blessed, so I can’t complain.”

After a silence Carson said, “What’s the other reason you decided to accept our offer?”

“To be honest, I was becoming as much of a recluse as Johnny.” She told him about the Mother’s Day flower. “Your letter jerked me out of the limbo I’d been wallowing in. Once I caught sight of the Tetons in the brochure, I lost my breath. Like your stomach that flew around in the air for a week after your first flight with your grandpa, I haven’t been able to get my breath back since.”

“After a visit to the Tetons, some people remain in that state.”

“Especially you, who came home from war struggling for yours. You and your friends have paid a heavy price. I admire you more than you know.”

She’d been struggling, too, but it was from trying to keep her distance from him, which was turning out to be impossible. Tracy didn’t understand everything going on inside him, but she realized that keeping her distance from him would be the wrong thing to do at the moment. Johnny was beginning to thrive. In a strange way she recognized they were all emotionally crippled because of the war and needed each other to get stronger.

“Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”

“Go ahead.”

“Why isn’t there a Mrs. Lundgren?”

“You wouldn’t like to hear the truth.”

“Try me.”

“The psychiatrist at the hospital did an evaluation on all of us. That was his first question to me. When I told him I preferred new adventures to being tied down, he told me I was an angry man.”

“Angry—you?”

Carson laughed. “That was my response, too. He told me that was a crock. He said I’d been angry all my life because my parents died. That anger took the form of flight, whether it was sports, travel, the military. He said I was too angry to settle down. But with this illness that cramped my style, it was time I came to grips with it and let it go, or I’d self-destruct.”

“And have you let it go?”

“I’m trying, but when I think of what I did to my grandfather, I can’t forgive myself. There’s so much I’ve wanted to say to him.”

“Don’t you think he knew why you were struggling? Did he ever try to talk to you about it?”

“Thousands of times, but I always told him we’d talk later. Of course that never happened. Then the opportunity was gone.”

“As my in-laws used to tell me when I wallowed in grief over my parents’ death, ‘You’ll be together in heaven and can talk everything over then, Tracy.’ I’ve come to believe that. One day you’ll have that talk with your grandfather.”

“I’d like to believe it, but you’ve got more faith than I have.”

Tracy sat there, pained for him and unable to do anything about it. Quiet reigned inside the cab as they drove through the sage. The children, on the other hand, were whooping it up, firing their cap guns. Johnny was becoming her exuberant child again. She had to pray it wasn’t solely because of Carson.

The Harris family couldn’t have come to the ranch at a better time. Tracy would involve them in as many activities as possible, because every new distraction helped.

As they drove around to the front of the ranch house, a cowboy with an impressive physique whom she hadn’t seen before stood talking to some guests. He had to be the third ex-marine.

The moment he saw Carson, he left them and walked over to the truck. He removed his hat and peered in his friend’s open window, allowing his green eyes to take her in. He wore his curly light-brown hair longer than the other two men and was every bit as attractive.

“Welcome to the ranch, Mrs. Baretta. We’ve been looking forward to your visit.” His remark ended with the usual cough. The sound of it wounded Tracy because she knew at what cost they’d served their country.

“Tracy? This is Buck Summerhays. Now you’ve met all three amigos.”

“It’s a privilege, Mr. Summerhays. Johnny and I can’t thank you enough for making us so welcome.”

“The honor of meeting Tony Baretta’s family is ours. Call me Buck.”

Carson opened the door. “Come on. I want you to meet Johnny and the other two children.”

While he got out, Tracy hurriedly opened her door and jumped down, not wanting any assistance. Everyone congregated at the rear of the truck. The men helped the children down, and Carson made the introductions.

Buck shut the tailgate before turning to everyone. “Where have you dudes been?”

“To see the cows,” Sam spoke up.

Rachel nodded. “Next time we’re going to look for calves with blue eyes. Carson’s going to give us a prize if we find one.”

His lips twitched. “Is that so.” His gaze fell on Johnny. “Now that you’ve been to the pasture, what do you want to do this afternoon after lunch?”

“I’d like to ride Goldie some more.”

“Who’s that?”

“My pony.”

“Ah.” His twinkling eyes sent Carson a silent message. “I was thinking I’d take you guys on a float trip down the river.”

“That sounds exciting,” Tracy intervened. “How about we all do that with Buck? After dinner you can have another horseback ride before bed.”

“Yeah!”

Johnny wasn’t quite as enthusiastic as the other two, but he didn’t put up an argument for which she was thankful. “Then come on. Let’s go in and wash our hands really well. After that we’ll find your parents and eat.” She herded the children inside the ranch house so the men could talk in private.

* * *

CARSON NOTICED BUCK’S eyes linger on Tracy as she disappeared inside the doors. He knew what his buddy was going to say before he said it.

“You’re a cool one.” He switched his gaze to Carson with a secretive smile. “Nice has to be the understatement of all time.”

“Her son’s nice, too.”

“I can see that.” Suddenly his expression sobered. “Tony Baretta shouldn’t have had to die.”

His throat swelled with emotion for their suffering. “Amen.” After more coughing he said, “I’ll park the truck around back.”

“I’ll come with you.”

In a minute they’d washed up and entered the kitchen to eat lunch.

“How was the pack trip?”

“It went without a hitch, but I noticed there are a lot of tourists already.”

“There’ll be a ton more as we get into summer.”

They devoured their club sandwiches. “I’m thinking that on this first float trip we’ll stay away from any rapids. If they enjoy it, then we’ll do a more adventurous one in a few days.”

“Sounds good.”

“Ross is busy fishing with another group for the afternoon. Are you going to come?” Buck eyed Carson over the rim of his coffee cup.

“No. I need to lie down for a couple of hours.”

Buck frowned. “Come to think of it, you don’t seem yourself. What’s going on?”

Carson brought him up to speed on the forest fire. “I kept the mask on as much as possible, but I still took in too much smoke.”

“You shouldn’t have gone near there.”

“That’s what Tracy said.” He could still hear the concern in her voice.

His buddy’s brows lifted in surprise. “Did you tell her about the fire?”

“I had to so she wouldn’t think I was abandoning Johnny. When I called her to explain, I was hacking almost as badly as when we were first brought into the hospital. If I ever needed proof of how bad it is for us, yesterday did it. None of us should ever get anywhere close to a fire if we can possibly help it.”

“Tell me about it. Last night I had a few coughing spasms myself and realized I needed to stay away from the campfire.”

“We need to take oxygen and inhalers with us everywhere, in case we’re caught in a bad situation.”

“Agreed.”

“Tell Johnny and the kids I have ranch business and will meet them at the corral after dinner for another lesson. Let Willy know I’m here if an emergency arises.” The part-time apprentice mechanic from Jackson alternated shifts with Susan and Patty at the front desk for the extra money.

“Will do. Take it easy.” He looked worried.

Carson got up from the table. “I’ve learned my lesson. See you tonight.”

He left the kitchen and headed for his bedroom. Though he was a little more tired than usual after yesterday’s incident, he was using it as an excuse to stay away from Tracy. Carson felt like he was on a seesaw with her.

Sometimes she seemed to invite more intimate conversation, particularly when she talked about not wanting to manipulate her son’s feelings. Despite the blow that had changed her life, she had a healthy desire to be the best mom possible. He felt her love for Johnny, and it humbled him.

But other times, she’d keep her distance. He didn’t know how to penetrate that invisible wall she threw up, no doubt to protect herself.

She’d married into a family that kept her and Johnny close. If she’d done any dating since her husband’s death, it couldn’t have made much of an impact. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have left Ohio to come here for a week.

He stretched out on the bed. The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced this was her first experience being around a man again in such an isolated environment. A few more days together and he’d find out if she saw him in any other light than her host while she was on vacation.

This was new territory for him, too. He needed to take it slow and easy. Like the stallion he’d broken in at nineteen, you had to become friends first. The trick was to watch and key in to all the signals before you made any kind of move. One wrong step and the opportunity could be lost for a long time. Maybe forever.

And there was Johnny.

It was one thing to be the man who taught him how to horseback ride. But it was something else again if he sensed someone was trying to get close to his mother. She’d said Johnny showed signs of being overly protective.

No man would ever be able to replace his father. It would take her son’s approval and tremendous courage on Carson’s part before he could begin to establish a personal relationship with her, even if she were willing.

Last but not least would be the great obstacle of the Baretta family, who would resent another man infiltrating their ranks. Worse would be their fear of Carson influencing Tony’s son. He was their beloved flesh and blood.

Frustrated, he turned on his side. His thoughts went back to a certain conversation his grandfather had initiated.

“What are you looking for in a woman?”

“That’s the whole point. I’m not.”

“You don’t want children some day?”

“I don’t know.”

“One of the things I love most about you is your honesty, Carson. Wherever the military takes you, don’t ever lose that quality no matter what.”

“Grandpa, are you really okay about my becoming a marine?”

“The only thing I can imagine being worse than your staying home for me when you want to be elsewhere, would be for me to have to leave the ranch when it’s the only place I want to be. Does that answer your question?”

Oh yes, it answered it, all right. Carson had gone to do his tour of duty until it was cut short because he could no longer perform. Then he’d come home to the birthright his grandfather had bequeathed him without asking anything in return.

What tragic irony to be back for good, wanting to tell his grandfather that, at last, he could answer those questions. He wanted that talk so badly, tears stung his eyes. But it was too late to tell him what this woman and her son already meant to him.

When he couldn’t stand it any longer, he got up to shower and change clothes. There was always ranch business that required his attention. Work had proved to be the panacea to keep most of his demons at bay. But when he left his room, instead of heading for the den, he turned in the other direction and kept on walking right out the back door to his truck.

After reaching the barn, he saddled Blueberry. On his way out he saw Bert and told him he’d be back at seven to give the children another riding lesson. The other man said he’d have the ponies ready.

Carson thanked him and rode off. His horse needed the exercise, and needing the release, Carson rode hard to a rise overlooking the Snake River. In his opinion, this spot on the property captured the view of the granddaddy Teton at its most magnificent angle. He’d often wondered why his ancestor, Silas Lundgren, hadn’t chosen to build the original ranch house here.

While he sat astride Blueberry, his mind’s eye could imagine a house of glass, bringing the elements inside every room. Not a large house. Just the right size for a family to grow. Maybe a loft a little boy and his dog would love. From their perch they could watch a storm settle in over the Tetons, or follow the dive of an eagle intent on its prey.

The master bedroom would have the same view, with the added splendor of a grassy meadow filled with wildflowers coming right up to the windows. While she marveled over the sight, he would marvel over her, morning, noon and night.

A cough eventually forced him to let go of his vision. When he checked his watch, he saw it was almost seven o’clock. He had to give his horse another workout in order not to be too late.

As he came galloping up to the corral, he saw Tracy’s hair gleaming in the evening rays of the sun. She was surrounded by both families, mounted and ready for another lesson. He brought Blueberry to a sliding stop.

“Wow—” Johnny exclaimed from the top of Goldie. “Will you teach me how to do that? It was awesome!”

Chapter Five

The man and horse truly were one.

Talk about rugged elegance personified in its purest form!

Except for Johnny, everyone else sitting on their mounts was speechless. Tracy realized she was staring and looked away, but she’d never get that picture of him out of her mind. The quintessential cowboy had been indelibly inscribed there.

“If you’ll follow me,” came his deep voice, “we’ll take a short ride past the cabins. On the way back, I have a surprise for you.”

“Won’t you tell us?” Sam called to him.

“No,” his sister chided him. “Then it won’t be a surprise.”

Tracy exchanged an amused glance with the Harrises. The three of them rode behind the children. Johnny caught up to Carson. Two cowboys—one short, one tall—both wearing black Stetsons. She would love to hear their conversation, but the only sound drifting back was the occasional cough.

To see her son riding so proudly on his pony next to his mentor brought tears to her eyes. They’d been here such a short time, yet already he was loving this and showed no fear. Coming to the Tetons had been the right thing to do!

In the last twelve hours she hadn’t heard him talk once about his father. In truth, Tony hadn’t been actively in her thoughts, either. Neither she nor Johnny had memories here. The new setting and experiences had pushed the past to the background for a little while. As Natalie had reminded her, this was what the right kind of vacation was supposed to do for you.

Tracy hadn’t believed it was possible, but this evening she was confronted with living proof that Johnny was enjoying life again. So was she. The old adage about a mother being as happy as her saddest child could have been coined with her and her son in mind. But not tonight. Not tonight.

At one point, Carson turned his horse around. Flashing everyone a glance he said, “We’re going to head back now. The first person to figure out my surprise gets to choose the video for us to watch in the game room afterward.”

The children cried out with excitement and urged their horses around, which took a little doing. Carson gave them some pointers. Tracy listened to his instructions so she wouldn’t be the only one who had trouble handling her horse.

Pretty soon they were all facing west. Sam’s hand went up like he was in school. Johnny’s hand followed too late.

“Tell us what you think, Sam.”

“The mountains have turned into giants!”

“That’s what I was going to say,” Johnny muttered. Tracy hoped he wouldn’t pout.

Carson’s horse danced in place. “They do look pretty imposing, but I’m still waiting for the special answer.”

“I know.”

“Go ahead, Rachel.”

“The sun has gone down behind them, lighting up the whole sky with colors.”

“Congratulations! It’s the greatest sight this side of the Continental Divide.” Carson lifted his hat in a sweeping gesture, delighting her. “The lovely young cowgirl on Mitzi wins the prize.”

After the grownups clapped, Monica let out a sigh. “It’s probably the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen, and we’ve watched thousands of them over the ocean in Florida, haven’t we, Ralph.”

“You can say that again.”

Tracy agreed with them, especially the way the orangey-pink tones painted Carson’s face before his hat went back on.

A sly smile broke the corner of his mouth. “First person to reach the corral wins a new currycomb.”

Sam’s brows wrinkled. “A curry what?”

“A kind of comb to clean your ponies after a ride. They love it.”

“Come on!” Johnny shouted and made some clicking sounds with his tongue the way Carson had shown him. Goldie obeyed and started walking. In her heart of hearts, Tracy wanted her son to win.

In the end, the ponies hurried after Goldie. They kept up with each other and rode in together. Carson smiled at them. “You all win.”

“Yay!”

While Bert helped the children down and unsaddled their ponies, Carson went into the barn and brought them each their prizes. Once he’d dismounted, he removed the tack from his horse and showed them how to move the round metal combs in circles. They got to work with a diligence any parents could be proud of. Then they watered the horses and gave them oats.

He was a master teacher. Tonight they’d learned lessons they’d never forget—how to appreciate a beautiful sunset, how to care for an animal, how to handle competition. The list went on and on, increasing her admiration for him.

“Who wants a ride back to the house?”

“We do!”

“Then come on.” He punctuated it with a cough. “There’s room for everyone in the back.”

The men lifted the children. While Ralph helped Monica, Carson picked up Tracy. This time the contact of their thighs brushing against each other flowed through her like a current of electricity. She tried to suppress her gasp but feared he’d heard it.

On the short trip through the sage, the kids sang. They sounded happy, and Tracy started singing with them. It took her back to her youth. She’d had a pretty idyllic childhood. When Carson pulled the truck up in front of the house, she didn’t want the moment to end.

Ralph moved first and helped everyone down, including Tracy. That was good. She didn’t dare get that close to Carson again tonight. He’d kept the engine idling and said he’d see them in a minute before he took off around the back of the house. Everyone hurried inside to wash up.

Soon Carson joined them, bringing sodas from the kitchen. He sat on one of the leather chairs while the rest of them gathered round the big screen on two large leather couches. Fortunately, they had the game room to themselves.

To the boys’ disappointment, Rachel chose The Princess Bride, but Tracy enjoyed it and got the feeling all the grownups did, too. Before it was over, both Sam and Johnny’s eyes had closed. Ralph took his son home, leaving Rachel to finish the film with her mom.

Carson eyed Tracy. “Johnny’s had a big day, too. I’ll walk you to your cabin.”

Her heart jumped at the idea of being alone with him, but to turn him down would cause attention. Instead, she said good-night to the others and followed him out of the ranch house while he held Johnny’s hand. Her son was pretty groggy all the way to the cabin.

Tracy had to laugh when he staggered into the bedroom. Carson looked on with a smile as she got him changed into pajamas and tucked him into bed without a visit to the bathroom. “My son is zonked.”

He nodded. “Johnny’s gone nonstop all day. This altitude wears a man out.”

She turned off the light and they went into the front room where another bout of coughing ensued. Tracy darted him an anxious glance. “You should be in bed, too.”

Carson cocked his head. “Is that your polite way of trying to get me to leave?”

She hadn’t expected that question. “No—” she answered rather too emotionally, revealing her guilt. “Not at all.”

“Good, because I rested earlier and now I’m not tired.” He removed his hat and tossed it on the table.

“Please help yourself to any of the snacks.” She folded her legs under her and sank down on the end of the couch.

“Don’t mind if I do.” He reached for the pine nuts. The next thing she knew, he’d lounged back in one of the overstuffed chairs, extending his long legs. “We need to have a little talk.”

Alarmed, she sat forward. “Is there something wrong?”

“I don’t know. You tell me.” Between narrowed lids his eyes burned a hot blue, searing her insides.

“I don’t understand.”

He stopped munching. “I think you do. You need to be honest with me. Are you uncomfortable around me?”

She swallowed with difficulty, looking everywhere except at him. “If I’ve made you feel that way, then it’s purely unintentional. I’m so sorry.”

“So you do admit there’s a problem.”

Tracy got to her feet. “Not with you,” she murmured.

“Johnny, then?”

Her eyes widened. “How can you even ask me that?”

The question seemed to please him because the muscles in his face relaxed. “Does your family wish you hadn’t come?”

“I know my in-laws were astounded you and your friends had made such an opportunity available in honor of their son. They were really touched, but I believe they thought Johnny would want to turn right around and come home.”

One brow dipped. “Is that what you thought, too?”

“When I first told Johnny about the letter, he said he didn’t want to go. I knew why. Wyoming sounded too far away.”

“What did you do to change his mind?”

“I asked him if he at least wanted to see the brochure you sent. He agreed to take a look. The second he saw that photo of the Tetons, he was blown away.”

Their gazes fused. “Those mountains have a profound effect on everyone.”

“Then he wanted to know about white water. But something extraordinary happened when he saw that gigantic elk with the huge horns...” Carson chuckled. “He looked at me and I felt his soul peer into mine before he asked me if I wanted to go. He always asks me first how I feel when he wants something but is afraid to tell me.

“I still wasn’t sure how he’d feel after he got here. In retrospect, even if he’d wanted to turn right around, that airplane trip from Salt Lake would have put him off flying for a while.”

Carson’s smile widened, giving her heart another workout.

“My sister-in-law Natalie thought it was a fantastic opportunity and urged me to accept the invitation, but I don’t know how my in-laws really felt about my taking their grandson to another part of the continent.”

The tension grew. “Now that you’ve ruled out all of that, we’re back to my original question, the one you still haven’t answered.”

Naturally he hadn’t forgotten where this conversation had been headed and wouldn’t leave the cabin while he waited for the truth. “As you’ve probably divined, I’m the problem.”

“Why?”

He had a side to him that could be blunt and direct when the occasion demanded. It caught her off guard. “I guess there was one thing I hadn’t thought about before we left. After we arrived here, it took me by surprise.”

“Explain what you mean.” He wasn’t going to let this go.

She took a fortifying breath. “I assumed we’d be coming to a vacation spot with all the activities mentioned, but it has turned out to be...more.”

“In what regard?”

“I—I didn’t expect the one-on-one treatment,” her voice faltered.

“From me and my buddies?”

“Yes.”

He got to his feet. “But that was the whole point.”

Tracy nodded. “I realize that now. But for some reason, I didn’t think your business enterprise meant it would be a hands-on experience involving you so personally.”

His brows met in a frown. “A dude ranch is meant to cater to the individual. If the three of us weren’t here, there’d be others giving you the same attention. After losing your husband, does it bother you to be around other males again? Is that what this is about? I’ve half suspected as much.”

She felt her face growing red as an apple.

“Have you even been out with a man since he died?”

“I’ve been to faculty functions with men, but they’ve always been in groups.”

“In other words, no, you haven’t.”

“No,” she whispered.

“And now you’re suddenly thrown together with three bachelors practically 24/7.” He put his hands on his hips in a totally male stance. “I get it. And I’ll tell you something.”

At this juncture, she felt like too much of a fool to know what to say, so she let him talk.

“I haven’t been out with a woman since I was transported from the Middle East to Walter Reed Medical Center. When we were discharged, I felt like I was going home to die. The only thing that kept me going was this plan I dreamed up with Ross and Buck to bring a little happiness to the families who were suffering the loss of a husband and father.

“Lady—when I saw you walk through the airport terminal, I was as unprepared as you were. It was one thing to visualize Anthony Baretta’s widow and his son in my mind, but quite another to be confronted with the sight of you in the flesh.”

Tracy lowered her head. “After thinking of you in the abstract, the sight of you was pretty overwhelming, too,” she confessed. “I guess we’d been picturing three marines in uniform whom we’d get to meet at some point during our stay so we could thank you. Instead, we were greeted by the king of the cowboys, as Johnny refers to you in private. He wasn’t prepared, either, and clung to me for a long moment.”

“I remember,” he said in a husky-sounding voice before another cough came on. “From a distance, he was your husband’s replica. That is, until I saw both your faces close up.”

She eyed him covertly. Close up or at a distance, Carson Lundgren was no man’s replica. He was an original with a stature to match the mountains outside the cabin door. “I’m glad we had this conversation. I feel much better about everything.”

“So do I. From now on we each understand where the other is coming from. It’ll make everything easier.”

Not necessarily. Not while her pulse was racing too hard.

“Pardon the expression, but you and Johnny are our guinea pigs in this venture. The next family we’ve invited will be arriving next month. Because of you, we’ll be much better prepared for the emotional upheaval created by war, whatever it is. Thank you for being honest with me. It means more than you know.”

“Thank you for a wonderful day.”

His eyes deepened in color. “There’s more to come tomorrow, if you’re up for it. But after Johnny’s experience flying into Jackson, maybe not.”

She took an extra breath. “You’re talking about a hot-air-balloon ride? The kind mentioned in your brochure?”

“It’s an unprecedented way to experience the Teton Valley. Buck will be taking some groups up.”

“I’d love to go, but I’ll have to feel out Johnny in the morning before breakfast. If it’s mentioned at the table and the other children want to g—”

“I hear you,” he broke in. “Johnny might be afraid, but will be too scared to admit it. I don’t want to put him under any pressure. When you know how he feels, call the front desk. They’ll put you through to me. If necessary, I’ll give Buck a heads-up.”

“Thank you. You have unusual understanding of children.”

“I was a child once and had my share of fears to deal with. Peer pressure was a killer. I’m thinking that if he doesn’t like the balloon idea, then we’ll take a longer horseback ride tomorrow and enjoy an overnight campout on the property.” He put his hat back on, ready to leave. For once she wasn’t ready to let him go, but she had to.

“I can tell you right now he’ll be in ecstasy over that option.”

“Good. If it turns out to be successful, then he’ll probably be ready to do another one in Teton Park. We’ll take the horses up to String Lake. It’s a great place to swim and hike around.”

“Sounds heavenly.”

She had to remember that he was working out the rest of their vacation agenda rather than making a date with her. Yet that’s what it felt like. Her reaction was ridiculous considering she was a mother of twenty-seven instead of some vulnerable nineteen-year-old.

The only time she’d ever felt like this before was when she’d driven to Cleveland with some of her girlfriends from college. They were having a picnic at Lakefront State Park when a crew of firefighters had pulled up to eat their lunch and toss a football around. The cutest guy in the group started flirting with her. Mr. Personality. He could talk his way in or out of anything. Tony was a mover who told her after one date that he was going to marry her.

When she thought of Carson, there was no point of comparison because he wasn’t pursuing her. That was why she was a fool trying to make one.

“All we’ve talked about is Johnny’s pleasure. Since this vacation is for you, too, why don’t you tell me something you’d like to do while you’re here?”

She laughed gently. “If he’s happy, then that’s what makes me happy, but I have to admit I enjoy riding. I had no idea I’d like it this much. You’re a great teacher.”

“That’s nice to hear.”

“It’s true.” After a brief pause because she suddenly felt tongue-tied, she wished him goodnight. He tipped his hat and left.

Tracy closed the door behind him and locked it. Though he’d walked away as if he was glad the air had been cleared, she was afraid she’d offended him. It was humiliating to realize he’d figured out her lame hang-up about being around a man again before she’d articulated it.

To make certain she didn’t get the wrong idea about him, Carson had revealed his own surprise at meeting her. Then, in the nicest way possible, he’d let her have it by spelling it out she wasn’t the only one suffering emotional fallout from the war.

When she finally got into bed, she felt worse than a fool.

* * *

WHEN TRACY STEPPED out of the shower, she could hear Johnny talking to someone. Throwing on a robe, she walked into the bedroom just as he put her cell phone on the bedside table.

“Who was that, honey?”

“Grandma and Grandpa.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you were in the bathroom. They said they’d call back tomorrow morning ’cos they were in a hurry.”

“How are they?”

“Fine. They want to see me ride Goldie. I told them Carson’s been teaching me and took us to get my cowboy outfit and cap gun.” He ran over and gave her an exuberant hug. “I’m having the best time of my whole life!”

“I’m so glad.”

“When are we going home?”

Uh-oh. “Next Saturday morning. Why? Are you missing them too much?”

“No. What’s today?”

“Monday.” Time was flying.

She could hear him counting in his head. “So we have five more days?”

“Yes.”

“Goody! I don’t want to go home. I can’t leave Goldie.”

Tracy knew he’d said it in the heat of the moment, and she was happy about it, but the implication for what it might portend for the future stole some of her happiness.

Though home would be wonderfully familiar to her son after they got back, he would suffer his first attack of culture shock, because nothing in Sandusky or Cleveland compared remotely to Wyoming’s Teton Valley.

“Mom? Do you like it here?”

That was one of his trick questions. He needed to find out what she really thought before he expressed exactly what he thought. No doubt her in-laws had asked him the same question.

She ruffled his hair. “What do you think? I got on a horse, didn’t I?”

“Yes,” he answered in a quiet tone.

Something else was definitely on his mind, but she didn’t know if he was ready to broach it yet, so she asked him a question. “How would you like to go up in a hot-air balloon today and see the whole area?”

Tracy had to wait a long time for the answer she knew was coming. “Do you?” That lackluster question told her everything.

“I don’t know. There are so many things to do here, it’s hard to pick. We could fish or swim, or go on a hike.”

No response.

“Maybe we ought to have a break and drive into town to do some sightseeing. I’ll buy you some more caps.”

“I don’t want to do that,” he muttered.

“Or...we could go horseback riding. I like it.”

He shot up in her bed. His dark brown eyes had ignited. “I love it.”

His reaction was no surprise, but the intensity of it had come from some part deep inside of him. “Then it’s settled. Hurry and have your bath. After we’re dressed we’ll have breakfast and walk over to the corral.”

Johnny pressed a big kiss right on her mouth. That told her everything she needed to know before he scrambled out of her bed to the bathroom. When he was out of earshot, she called the front desk and was quickly put through to Carson.

“Good morning, Tracy.” His voice sounded an octave lower, sending vibrations through her. Maybe it was due to his coughing, or maybe he sounded like that when he first awakened. “What’s the verdict for today?”

She smiled. “Surely you don’t need to ask.”

“Well that answer suits me just fine, since there’s nothing I’d rather do than be on the back of a horse. I’ll tell Buck to go on without you. After you’ve eaten breakfast, I’ll come by the cabin. You’ll need saddlebags to pack your things to stay overnight and go swimming.”

“Swimming?”

“Yes. We’ll be camping next to a small lake on the property. If Johnny has a camera, tell him to bring it. He’ll have a field day taking pictures of the wildlife I was talking to you about.”

An unbidden thrill of excitement ran through her. “We’ll hurry.”

* * *

FORTY-FIVE MINUTES later Carson swung by the cabin in the Jeep, having sent some of the hands to the lake to make preparations for everyone. Johnny was outside shooting off caps.

“Carson!” Like a heat-seeking missile, Tracy’s boy came running in his cowboy hat. “Mom said we’re going on a campout!” He clasped him around the waist, hugging him with such surprising strength, his hat fell off. Johnny had never been this demonstrative before.

Without hesitation, Carson hugged him back. “We sure are, partner,” he answered in an unsteady voice, loving the feel of those young arms clinging to him. Nothing had ever felt so good.

As he started coughing, he looked up and saw Tracy on the porch step, but was unable to read her expression. She’d told him Johnny was protective of her. Without saying more than that, Carson got the point. Her son had a tendency to guard her.

But she couldn’t have missed witnessing his exuberance with Carson just now. It had probably shocked her as much as it had him. Needing to return the situation to normal as fast as possible, he reached in the back of the Jeep and handed Johnny some gear.

“These saddlebags are for your stuff. The bigger one is for your mom. Will you take them into the cabin so she can pack what you need?”

“Sure.”

“Remember to bring a jacket.”

He flashed him a huge smile. “I will. I’ll be right back.”

Carson kept his distance and lounged against the side of the Jeep to wait. Pretty soon they came out. Johnny carried both bags and handed them to Carson to put in the back. It warmed his heart to see the boy was a quick learner.

“Can I ride in front, Mom?”

“If it’s all right with Carson.”

“Anything goes around here. Come on.” He opened both passenger doors for them, avoiding eye contact with her. So much for the talk they’d had last night. Considering he was more aware of her than ever, it had accomplished absolutely nothing. “We’ll drive to the barn and mount up.”

“How come Rachel and Sam didn’t come to breakfast?”

In the rearview mirror he noticed a pair of hazel eyes fastened on him.

“They ate early and went on an activity with Buck. He’ll bring them to the camp later, but they won’t be riding up with us.”

“Hooray!”

“Johnny—” his mother scolded. “That wasn’t nice to say.”

“I’m sorry, but their ponies always come right up to mine.”

Carson glanced at him in surprise. “So you noticed.” He had natural horse sense. Everything the boy said and did pleased him.

“Yeah. They get in the way.”

“I know what you mean. When it happens again, I’ll teach you a simple trick so they’ll leave Goldie alone.”

“Thanks! How come they do that?”

“Have you ever heard of the three blind mice who hung around together?”

Johnny giggled. “Yes.”

“That’s what the ponies do, because they’re friends. When you’re on Goldie, you have to show them who’s the boss.”

“But how?”

“Have you ever heard the expression giddyup?”

“Yup.”

“Well, you’re going to practice saying that to Goldie today. And when you say it, you’re going to nudge her sides with your heels. That’ll make her go faster. Pretty soon she’ll start to go faster every time you say the word and you won’t need to use your heels. When she understands, then you wait until you’re riding with the other kids. If their ponies start to crowd in on you, just call out ‘giddyup’ and see what happens.”

“But what if that makes the other ponies go faster, too?”

Carson threw his head back and laughed, producing another cough. When it subsided, he could still hear Tracy’s laughter. “That’s a very astute question, partner. In all probability it will, so you’ll have to ride even harder and make a lot of noise. But you’ll also need to be prepared to pull on the reins so you don’t lose control.”

“That’s going to be fun!”

Johnny bounced up and down on the seat all the way to the barn where their horses and pony were saddled. Carson parked the Jeep outside before grabbing the bags, including his own. He fastened a set behind each saddle while Bert helped Tracy and Johnny to mount.

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.”

“You will when you catch one.” Carson was ever the patient teacher. “We’ll cook it for your dinner tonight.”

“Won’t there be anything else to eat?” was her son’s forlorn reply.

Carson’s laughter warmed new places inside her. “We’ve got lots of stuff.”

“That’s good.”

Tracy drew closer to them.

“Hey—I can see some tents and a table! Someone else is camping here.” He didn’t sound happy about that.

Carson laughed again. “Yup. That someone is you, partner. Those tents have already been set up for us.”

“Whoa!”

“Maybe you’d like to sleep in that three-man tent with Sam and Rachel.”

“Oh, yeah. I forgot they were coming. Where will you sleep?”

“Right next to you guys in my tent.”

“What about my mom?”

“There’s a tent for her and one for the Harrises. The one on the end is for Buck.”

“But there are six tents.”

“Yup. The extra one is where we keep the food and all the supplies we’ll need. After we take care of the horses, we’ll fix ourselves some lunch.”

“Goody.”

Their entertaining conversation was music to Tracy’s ears. She finally broke through the heavy cover of pines to discover a small body of deep green water bathed by the sun. “This place looks enchanted.”

While Carson put out some hay and water for the horses, he slanted her a hooded look. “It is.”

She felt a shiver run through her. They’d already dismounted and he’d removed the saddles and bags.

“Come over here, Mom. I’ll tie your reins to this tree the way Carson showed me.”

“Such wonderful service deserves a kiss.” She got down off her horse and planted one on her son’s cheek.

“The latrine is around the other side in the trees, away from the camping area,” he informed her.

Latrine. Since their arrival in Jackson, Johnny’s vocabulary must have increased by a couple of hundred words at least. He was becoming a veritable fount of knowledge.

“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.” Without being asked, Tracy picked up their bags. “I’ll take these.”

“Put mine in the big tent.”

“Didn’t you forget to say something?”

“Oh, yeah. Please. I forgot.”

“I know, but it’s so much nicer when you remember.”

Carson’s eyes smiled at her before she started walking along the tree-lined shore toward the tents pitched some distance away. She undid the tie on the screen and entered the big one where three sleeping bags and extra blankets were rolled out. It was getting hot out, but the temperature inside was still pleasant.

She emptied his saddlebag and put his things in little stacks against the side of his sleeping bag. Then she left and picked out one of the other tents for herself. It didn’t take her long to unpack.

When she emerged, she discovered Carson putting out picnic food on the camp table beneath some pine boughs to give them shade. Johnny had the duty of setting up the camp chairs.

Tracy approached them and looked all around. “With the smell of the pines so strong, this is what I call heaven on earth.” She eyed her son. “Do you know how lucky we are, Johnny? Can you believe Carson and his friends have gone to all this trouble for us? We’re going to have to think of something really special to do for them.”

“I know.”

They settled down to eat.

“Guess what?” Carson said after swallowing his second roast beef sandwich. “You’ve already done something special.”

Johnny stopped chewing on his sandwich. “No, we haven’t.”

“Want to bet? You accepted our invitation to come. We hoped you and your mom would like the idea.” He darted her a penetrating glance. “That’s all the payment we needed.”

Carson.

“At first I didn’t want to.” Her son was nothing if not honest.

“I don’t blame you. I’d have been scared to go someplace where I’d never been before. I think you were very brave to come.”

“I’m not brave, but my mom is.”

“She sure is.” In an unexpected gesture, Carson pulled out his phone and clicked on the photo gallery. “Now take a look at this.” He handed it to Johnny.

“That’s me riding Goldie!”

“Yup. How many kids do you know your age who can go on a trail ride in the mountains on their own pony?” Tracy hadn’t seen him take a picture. She was amazed. Had he taken one of her, too?

Johnny’s brown gaze switched from the photo to study Carson. “I don’t know any.”

“Neither do I. So don’t ever tell me Tony Baretta’s son isn’t brave.” Carson’s expression grew serious. “You’re just like your dad and I’m proud to know you.”

The conviction in his tone shook Tracy to the core and affected Johnny to the point of tears. They didn’t fall, but they shimmered on the tips of his lashes with every heartbeat. “I’m proud of you, too. You’re sick all the time and still do everything.”

If Tracy wasn’t mistaken, Carson’s eyes had a suspicious sheen. As for herself, a huge lump had lodged in her throat.

“If everyone’s finished eating, what do you say we put the rest of the food in the bear locker and go for a swim? Remember we have to fasten it tight. Occasionally a black bear or a grizzly forages through this area, but unlikely you’ll ever see one.”

Johnny looked at Tracy. “Don’t worry, Mom. Carson brought bear spray. He’ll keep us safe.”

She lifted her gaze to a pair of blue eyes that blinded her with their intensity. “I have no doubt of it.”

The three of them made short work of cleaning up and went to their respective tents to change into their bathing suits. When Johnny was dressed, he came running with his beach sandals and towel to her tent. She’d put a beach cover-up over her one-piece blue floral suit.

Before leaving Sandusky, she’d searched half a dozen shops to find something modest. Other women didn’t mind being scantily clad, but she wasn’t comfortable walking around like that.

Once she’d covered them in sunscreen, she grabbed her towel and they both left the tent in search of Carson. He’d beaten them to the shore and was blowing up a huge inner tube with a pump. Johnny squealed in delight.

The only thing more eye-catching than the sight of this pristine mountain lake was Carson Lundgren dressed in nothing more than his swimming trunks. Tracy had trouble not staring at such an amazing, hard-packed specimen of male beauty.

She felt his keen gaze play over her before he said, “Johnny? I want you to wear the life jacket I left on the table. Even if you’re a good swimmer, I’ll feel much better if you wear it while we’re out here. Don’t be fooled by this lake. You can only wade in a few feet, then it drops off fast to thirty feet.”

Johnny’s dark head swung around. “Okay.” He ran over and put it on. Tracy made sure he’d fastened it correctly.

“I think we’re ready!” Carson announced. He tossed the tube in the water, then dove in and came up in the center with a lopsided smile that knocked her off balance. “Come on in, and we’ll go for a ride.”

Johnny needed no urging and started running. Tracy threw off her cover-up and followed him in. “Oh—this water’s colder than I thought!”

“It’s good for you,” Carson said, and then promptly coughed. The moment was so funny she was still laughing when he helped her and Johnny to grab on to the tube. Once they were all comfortable, he propelled them around.

They must have been out there close to an hour, soaking up the sun and identifying wildlife. Sometimes they swam away from the tube. Carson flew through the water like a fish and played games with them. When everyone was exhausted, they went back to shore to dry off and get a cold drink.

“I think it’s time for a little rest.”

“But Mom, I have to go talk to Goldie. She’s missed me.”

“You can see her in a little while. Come on. It’s time to get out of the sun.”

“What are you going to do, Carson?”

He’d been coughing. “I’ve got a few phone calls to make, partner. It won’t be long before Buck arrives with the Harrises.”

Tracy didn’t know how he was able to spend so much time with them when he had the whole operation of his cattle ranch to worry about. “Thank you for another wonderful day, Carson.”

He flicked her a shuttered glance. “It’s only half over.”

She knew that, yet the fact that he’d mentioned it filled her with fresh excitement. With an arm around Johnny, Tracy walked him to her tent, but stopped by his to get him a change of clothes. Once he was dressed, he lay down on top of her roomy sleeping bag. After she got dressed, she joined him. In two seconds, he was asleep.

Tracy lay there wondering if Carson’s calls were all business. Since he’d come home from war, surely he’d been with women he’d met in Jackson or through his business contacts, even if it hadn’t been an official date. That would go for his friends, too. Any woman lucky enough to capture his interest would be wondering why he hadn’t been as available lately.

When she realized where her thoughts had wandered, she sat up, impatient with herself for caring what he did in his off time. She was supposed to be thinking of him as a friend, but her feelings weren’t remotely like anything she felt for her brothers-in-law.

He would have been a charmer during the years he was competing in the rodeo. He had to be driving a lot of women crazy, these days, too. Carson was driving one woman crazy right here on the ranch and she didn’t know what to do about it. Tracy had to admit those blue eyes and the half smile he sometimes flashed were playing havoc with her emotions.

After she’d met Tony, nothing had kept her from responding to him in an open, free way. Now, she had a son who came first in her life and the situation with Carson was so different it was almost painful. If he had feelings for her—sometimes, when he looked at her, she felt that he did—he hadn’t acted on them. But then again, he was naturally kind and generous. She didn’t dare read more into a smile or an intense look than was meant. He’d told her that she and Johnny were their guinea pigs.

The daunting thought occurred to her that Carson’s emotions weren’t invested, which explained why he never did anything overtly personal. Next month, another family devastated by the war would be arriving. He and his friends would welcome them and be as kind and attentive as they’d been to Johnny and her.

Maybe he’d meet a widow this summer who would be so desirable to him, he’d reach out to her because he couldn’t help himself. Tracy groaned. What kind of woman might she be?

Tomorrow was Tuesday, and they only had four more days here. With her attraction to Carson growing, she’d found herself dreading the march of time, just like Johnny. But it suddenly dawned on her that without some signal from him, those days would seem like a lifetime.

Another worse thought intruded when she heard voices in the distance. Johnny heard them, too, and sat up, rubbing his eyes. She reached for her watch, which she’d taken off to go swimming. It was four-thirty. Buck appeared to have arrived with the others.

What if Carson had picked up on certain vibes from Tracy and had been including the Harris family in all their activities to keep everything on an even keel?

Was it true?

Maybe she was wrong, since she didn’t know Carson’s mind, but she cringed to think it could be a possibility.

“Hey, Johnny!” Sam was right outside her tent. “What are you doing? We’re going swimming!”

“I’m coming, but I’ve got to get my suit back on!”

“Okay. Hurry!”

Off came his clothes. Soon he was ready. “Aren’t you coming, Mom?”

“In a minute. You go on.”

In case Carson was up for more play time in the lake, she decided against going swimming again. Grabbing her hairbrush and Johnny’s beach towel, she left the tent and walked toward the others. Monica and Ralph waved to her. They were already in the water with the inner tube. “Come on in!”

“I just barely got out! How was the balloon ride?”

“Fantastic! You should try it before you leave the Tetons.”

“Maybe I will!”

The children were clustered around Carson and Buck, who were handing out life jackets. She sat down in a camp chair, ostensibly to keep an eye on the children. But it was hard to focus when there were two tall, well-built ex-marines ready to enter the water. She finally closed her eyes and gave her damp hair a good brushing while she soaked in the heat.

* * *

THE COLOR OF Tracy’s hair shimmering in the sun was indescribable. The fine strands could be real silver and gold intertwined. While the kids played with the Harrises, Carson kept his eyes above the waterline to take in the curves of her exquisitely proportioned body.

Buck emerged from the depths next to him, coughing up a storm. “I agree she’s quite a sight,” he whispered when he’d caught a breath. “When are you going to do something about it?”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Not to anyone but me and Ross.”

“We didn’t invite her family to the ranch for me to make a pass.”

Buck scowled. “Hey, it’s me you’re talking to. I damn well know that. Tell me the truth. You haven’t gotten any signals from her that she’d like you to?”

“I don’t know. It’s hard to read her. She’s warm and friendly enough when she’s with Johnny, which is most of the time.”

“Maybe we need to arrange something this evening so she isn’t with him. Time is fleeting. Saturday will be here before you know it.”

Carson threw back his head. “Thanks for making my day, Buck.”

“Just trying to help things along for a buddy.”

“Sorry for snapping.”

“Forget it. There’s only one cure for your problem. I’ll tell ghost stories in the kids’ tent after everyone goes to bed. No adults allowed. While the Harrises retire to their tent, you and Tracy can sit around and talk. That ought to give you plenty of time to get creative.”

“She’ll probably go to her tent.”

After a pause Buck said, “Like I said, get creative and follow her.”

“That’s been my idea since the moment we set up camp.”

“Then I don’t see a problem.”

“I wish I didn’t.”

“Don’t let me down, buddy. You take first watch tonight and see where it leads. Wake me up when it’s my turn.” Buck did a backflip away from him and swam underwater to surprise the kids.

That was easy enough for his friend to say, but Carson intended to follow through, all the same. The hourglass was emptying every second. He needed to mind his grandfather’s advice when he’d been teaching Carson how to wrestle steers. “Put your fear away and seize the moment without hesitation, otherwise the opportunity is lost.”

Tonight might be one of the few opportunities left to find out what was going on inside her. Armed with a plan, it helped him get through the rest of the evening.

While Carson and Buck explained why they were wearing canisters of oxygen and masks, Ralph Harris volunteered to build a small fire along the shoreline away from everyone. It would help them to avoid breathing too much smoke.

Instead of rainbow trout, they served roasted Teton hot dogs and Snake River marshmallows. The menu was a huge hit and met with Johnny’s wholehearted approval.

With their meal finally over, Carson put the food away. Ralph volunteered to douse the fire and make sure there’d be no sparks. Now that it was time for bed, Buck made his exciting announcement and the children scurried to the big tent for stories.

The Harrises eventually said good-night. Before Tracy could say the same thing, Carson told her he’d walk her to the latrine. “In case Bigfoot is lurking.”

“Carson!”

He stood chuckling at a distance until she came out. “Maybe you’d better sit with me and have a soda until you’re not so jumpy.”

“Are you intentionally trying to frighten me?”

His pulse rate sped up. “Is it working?”

“Yes.”

“That’s good. I don’t feel like being alone on a perfect night like this.”

“It’s incredible.”

He liked the sound of that. They walked back to the camp in companionable silence. Carson waited for her to tell him she really was tired and needed to go to bed. Instead she sat down near him, staring out at the water.

Before dinner she’d put on a navy pullover with long sleeves over her jeans. Everything she wore suited her. Earlier, while she’d been roasting her hot dog and the flames from the fire were turning to embers, they’d cast a glow that brought out the creamy beauty of her complexion. She’d left her hair free, flowing to her shoulders. It had a lot of natural curl. He’d never met a more feminine woman.

“Tracy?”

Her gaze swerved to his. “What is it? I can tell something’s on your mind.”

He’d been about as subtle as a sledgehammer. “How would you like to go into Jackson with me tomorrow night?”

“You mean me and Johnny?”

“No. Just you. I want to take you dancing.”

After a slight hesitation, she smiled. “I don’t recall that being listed on your brochure.”

He took a deep breath. Damn if it didn’t always cause him to cough. “It isn’t. I’m asking you out on a date, strictly off the record. If the answer’s no, tell me now and we’ll pretend I never brought it up.”

She looked pensive. “I’m afraid I’m not a very good dancer.”

Carson still hadn’t been given the right answer. As far as he was concerned, this evening was definitely over. He got to his feet, too filled with disappointment to sit still. “Do I take it that’s a no?”

“No!”

His heart gave a big kick at her emphatic response. “So it’s a yes?”

“Yes, but let me warn you now, I’m out of practice.”

“It’s been a while for me, too.” He studied her classic features in the near darkness. “If you remember, we listed babysitting on the brochure. Do you think Johnny could handle that?”

“I think he could, but I’d rather feel out Monica. Maybe we can trade nights. If she’s willing to let Johnny stay at their cabin tomorrow night, I’ll tend her children at mine the following night.”

It thrilled him that Tracy was so ready with a solution. He was beginning to get the impression she wanted this date as much as he did. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have agreed to go out alone with him. “Sounds like a plan that will make our little cowboys and girls happy.”

A gentle laugh escaped. “Johnny really likes them.”

“They’re great kids.” He reached for the flashlight on the table. “Plan on wearing something dressy.”

“I only brought one outfit that would qualify, but I didn’t think I’d wear it.”

“I’ll wear something a little dressier, too. Come on. It’s late. I’ll take you to your tent.”

“I’d appreciate that.” She got up and started walking. “Will you shine the light inside to make sure Bigfoot’s brother isn’t waiting for me?”

He smiled to himself. “I’ll do that and one better. Buck and I are taking turns tonight keeping watch so everyone’s safe.” Once they reached her tent, he made a thorough inspection. “It’s all right to go in.”

As she stepped past him, their arms brushed. It was all he could do not to pull her to him.

She turned to him in the darkness. “Thank you for everything, Carson.” Her voice sounded husky. “With two ex-marines guarding each other and all of us, I won’t have a care in the world tonight.”

He needed to get away from her now. “Keep the flashlight with you. If Johnny wakes up and wants you, one of us will bring him to you. See you in the morning, Tracy.”

With the adrenalin pumping through him, Carson headed for the food tent and grabbed another flashlight from the box. Needing some exercise, he took a walk to check on the horses and make sure all was well.

Their little group had been making enough noise all day to scare off any bears. But on the off chance that one was hungry enough to come around and investigate, he was taking every precaution to safeguard their guests. The thought of anything happening to Tracy or Johnny in his care was anathema to him. He’d never had such intense feelings before.

With time on his hands, he got on the phone and chatted with Ross. They talked about plans for the rest of the week. There were bookings for regular guests extending into August already. It appeared their brainchild was showing the promise of success.

This kind of news should make Carson happy. It was making him happy, but he had two people on his mind who were sleeping in tents very close to him. He was going out of his mind thinking about them leaving so soon and told Ross as much. That’s when he heard a child’s voice cry out, “Mom—”

It could have been any one of the three children. “Ross? One of the kids is awake. Got to go.”

He took off for the bigger tent and almost ran into Buck who was holding Johnny’s hand. The second the little guy saw him, he cried Carson’s name and ran into his arms.

Carson got down on his haunches to hug him tight. “It’s okay, Johnny. You were just having a bad dream.”

“Mommy and I were at this big airport looking for you, but we couldn’t find you. I kept calling for you, but you never came. Then I couldn’t find my mom.”

Carson looked up at Buck who’d heard everything. They’d both assumed the ghost stories had given him nightmares. Maybe they had. But Carson had featured in this one and Johnny had been looking for him.

It seemed Carson wasn’t the only one hating the thought of Johnny and Tracy leaving the Tetons this coming weekend. The implication sent a shockwave through his body and wasn’t lost on Buck, either.

Mercifully, the other kids stayed asleep.

“I’ll take over now,” Buck murmured.

Carson nodded. “Come on, Johnny. Let’s go find your mom.”

The boy put a trusting hand in Carson’s and they walked to her tent. “Tracy?” he called to her from the opening. She stirred and sat up. “Johnny had a bad dream and wants to sleep with you.”

“Oh, honey, come here.” Johnny ran to her. Carson turned to leave, but Johnny’s cry stopped him. “Don’t go, Carson!” He sounded frantic.

“Johnny, Carson needs to go to his tent and get some sleep.”

“He can sleep right here by me. Please, Mommy. I don’t want him to leave.”

In order to avoid a bigger disturbance he said, “Tell you what, partner. I’ll stay here until you fall asleep. How’s that?”

“You promise you won’t go away?”

“Not until after I hear you snoring.”

“I don’t snore. Do I, Mom?”

She laughed softly. “Sometimes.”

Tracy turned on the flashlight to find the blanket. “I’m not using this, Carson. Why don’t you put this down next to Johnny.” She was wearing pajamas with little footballs on them and looked adorable.

As Johnny might say, this was the funnest sleepover in the whole world.

Carson arranged the blanket into a pillow and stretched out. Their close quarters made everything cozy.

Tracy kissed her boy who’d climbed into the sleeping bag with her. “Do you want me to leave the light on?”

“Heck, no. Carson’s here.”

Tears stung Carson’s eyes.

Tracy turned it off. “What kind of a bad dream was it?”

Johnny told her exactly what he’d told Carson.

He heard her deep sigh. “I’ve had dreams where I couldn’t find somebody.”

“You have?”

“Me, too,” Carson interjected.

“Well, we’re all here now and it’s time to go back to sleep.”

“Mom?”

“Yes?”

“I don’t want to go home.”

Carson’s heart skipped a beat.

“Shh. We’ll talk about it in the morning.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“I love you, Mom.”

“I love you, honey.”

“Good night, Carson. I love you, too.”

Carson closed his eyes tightly. “The feeling’s mutual, partner. Good night.” What else could he have said that wouldn’t have upset Tracy?

When he’d had thoughts earlier in the day of being in the tent with her, he never dreamed he’d end up here in the middle of the night under these circumstances. In order to prove to her he wouldn’t take advantage of the situation, he waited until he could tell they were asleep, then he crept out of the tent. He found Buck sitting on one of the chairs with his legs propped on another one.

“Go to bed, Buck. I’ll never sleep tonight.”

“Why not, besides the obvious?”

Carson brought him up to speed. “I’m afraid this plan of ours may be backfiring big-time. We were supposed to give them a fun vacation, but now he says he doesn’t want to go home. I know you’re going to say he’ll get over it, but until he does, Tracy’s probably going to wish she’d never come.”

“Speaking of Tracy, what happened out there tonight when you two were alone?”

“I asked her to go dancing with me tomorrow night. She said yes.” The “yes” came out a little louder because he had to cough.

Buck moved his legs to the ground. “You weren’t really surprised, were you?”

“I don’t know. Ever since she got here, I’ve been turned inside out.”

He got to his feet and stretched. “Do you wish she hadn’t come?”

“If this becomes a nightmare for her because of Johnny, then yes. I have no doubt it was his father he was looking for.”

“I’m sure you’re right. It’s only natural. But she chose to accept our invitation. There’s a risk in everything and nothing’s perfect in this imperfect world. You have to know they’ve been having a wonderful time.”

“But at what cost?”

“That’s your old guilt talking, Carson. You’ve got to stop taking on what can’t be helped.”

Buck was right. “I don’t know how to do that.”

“It’s the only flaw I find in you. See you in the morning.”

Chapter Seven

“Come on, honey.” Johnny was slow putting on his cowboy boots this morning. “Now that we’ve had breakfast, they’re calling us to pack up.” So far he hadn’t talked about his bad dream last night. That was good, because now wasn’t the time for the serious discussion with him about Carson.

Johnny reached for his cowboy hat and put it on. “Do we have to go back to the ranch today?”

“Yes.” She finished putting his things in the saddlebag.

“But I like it here.”

“There are a lot more fun things we’re going to do. Remember what Buck said while he was cooking our pancakes? Ross is taking us on a hike over in Teton Park. We haven’t been there yet.”

“Why isn’t Carson coming with us?”

“You know why. He has business matters to take care of today.”

“I’d rather stay home and ride Goldie.”

Home?

“You can ride her after dinner. Here. You carry your saddlebag and I’ll bring mine.”

After fastening her hair back with a clip, she opened the tent flap and they joined everyone congregated by the horses. She could hear the men coughing. Carson’s black Stetson stood out as he finished saddling Goldie. He darted her a private glance before his blue gaze fell on Johnny. He took the bag from him and attached it.

“Up you go, partner.” He helped him mount and handed him the reins.

“Who’s going to take down our tents and stuff?”

“Some of my ranch hands. They came yesterday to set everything up for us.”

“Oh.”

“Remember what to do when the other ponies crowd in,” he whispered. Tracy heard that and smiled.

Johnny’s face brightened. “Yup.”

Carson moved to Tracy’s horse, Annie, who was ready to go. In a deft move he fastened Tracy’s saddlebag. While she mounted, he undid the reins and put them in her hands, giving them a little squeeze.

* * *

TRACY HAD BEEN so excited about the date he’d made with her last night, she’d had trouble getting to sleep. When he’d brought Johnny to the tent in the middle of the night, his presence had made it impossible for her to settle back down. With that squeeze just now, she felt breathless.

He mounted his horse with effortless masculine precision. “Is everyone ready?”

“I am!” Sam called out.

“How about you, Rachel?”

“I’ve been ready for a long time.” Her comment produced chuckles from everyone, including her parents.

“Then let’s move out.” Carson sounded like the hero in a Western film. Johnny fell in line right behind him, followed by the other kids, then the parents. Tracy stayed in front of Buck, who brought up the rear. A wagon train without a wagon. She loved it. In fact, she loved it too much. She was as bad as Johnny.

At first when they moved through the forest, she thought it was the trees making it seem darker than usual. But she soon realized clouds had moved in over the Tetons, blotting out the sun’s rays. She felt the temperature drop. The sight of clouds after so many days of sunshine came as a surprise.

She dropped back to ride alongside Buck. “We had blue sky at breakfast. I can’t believe how fast the weather has changed. Do you think there’s going to be a storm?”

He nodded. “This cold front has moved in with more force than I’d anticipated. If it keeps up, we may not be able to go on that hike today.”

Johnny wouldn’t mind that at all. But he wouldn’t like it if he couldn’t go riding. “In that case, it’ll be a good day for the children to play in the game room. A marathon Monopoly session will keep them occupied.”

He laughed. “When we were young, my brothers and I used to play it all night. It drove my parents crazy.”

“Where did you grow up, Buck?”

“Colorado Springs.”

“I’ve heard it’s beautiful there.”

“It is, but I’ve decided nothing beats this place.” A cough followed.

“How long do you plan to stay here?”

He flicked her an enigmatic glance. “If our business venture bears fruit, I’ll build a home here and put down roots.”

“What did you do before you went into the Marines?”

Buck’s eyes got a faraway look. “My dad’s in the construction business. Our family didn’t know anything else.”

“I see.”

There was so much he didn’t say, she heard pain and decided not to question him further. “While I have the chance, I want to thank you for all you’ve done to make this trip possible for Johnny and me. This is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that so few people will ever enjoy. We won’t forget your kindness and generosity for as long as we live.”

“We’re glad you’re having such a good time. It makes everything we’ve done worthwhile, believe me.”

While they’d been talking, they’d come out of the trees into the sagebrush. The track widened. “I’m going to ride up to Johnny and see how he’s doing.”

“Go right ahead. It’s been a pleasure talking to you.”

“For me, too, Buck.”

She spurred her horse on past the others, delighted at the sight of her son moving along so comfortably on Goldie. Before he saw her, she whipped out her phone and took some more pictures of everyone. Carson was right in front of Johnny so he got into the pictures, too, without his knowledge.

As she put her phone away, she noticed the ponies edging up on Goldie. It really was funny how they wanted to be by her. In a minute they’d reached Johnny. She couldn’t wait to see what would happen.

“Hey, Carson—here they come!”

His mentor moved to the side of the track to make room for him. She watched Johnny brace himself before he cried, “Giddyup!” and kicked his heels at the same time. Goldie was a smart little girl and trotted off, leaving the others behind. Sam and Rachel looked totally surprised.

Unable to help herself, Tracy urged her horse forward so she could catch up to her son. Once abreast of him she said, “Well done, cowboy.”

“Did you see that, Mom?” Excitement filled his countenance.

“I sure did.”

By now, Carson had caught up on his other side. “Thanks for teaching me that trick, Carson.”

“Any time, partner.”

Over Johnny’s hat her gaze fused with Carson’s. She could tell he was proud of her son. So was she. It was one of those incredible moments. “At this point I feel like we’re actors in a movie on location out West.”

He grinned. “We are out West, but instead of the Ponderosa, our star actor, Johnny Baretta, is headed with his posse for the Teton Valley Ranch on his wonder pony, Goldie!”

Johnny giggled. “You’re so funny, Carson.”

Oh, Carson—you’re so wonderful, it hurts.

During this halcyon moment, they all heard thunder, the kind that could put a crack in those glorious mountains in the far distance. It kept echoing up and down the valley.

“Whoa!” Johnny cried out along with the other kids.

Carson whistled. “Now that’s the kind of thunder that grows hair on a man’s chest.” Johnny burst into uproarious laughter. It set the tone for the ride in, calming any fears the children might have had. Their host turned in the saddle. “First person to reach the corral gets a banana split for lunch!”

“Goody!”

By the time the barn came into view, sheet lightning was illuminating the dark clouds that had settled in over the area. Tracy shot Carson a glance. “I’ve never seen anything so spectacular.”

“During a storm it gets pretty exciting around here.”

Almost as exciting as he was.

The first drops of rain pelted them as they rode into the barn to dismount. Bert came out of his office and helped the children down. Buck smiled at everyone. “Looks like we got home in the nick of time.”

Ralph eyed the children. “I wonder who won?”

“Carson,” all three kids said in unison.

He shook his head. “You were all there right behind me. I say everyone gets a banana split.”

“Hooray!”

While the men removed the saddles and bridles, Johnny walked over to Carson. “Do you think the horses got scared?” Sometimes Tracy marveled over her son’s sensitivity.

“After that first clap of thunder, I think they were a little fidgety, but since we didn’t show any fear, they did fine out there. Tell you what. I’m going to take everyone back to the ranch house in the Jeep. But we’ll have to make two trips. Why don’t you kids come with me first, because I know you’re hungry.”

“Whoopie!”

Tracy watched them follow Carson into the drenching rain. She walked over to Ralph and Monica. This was the perfect time to talk to them in private. “Now we’re alone for a minute, I have something to ask you, but please don’t worry if you don’t feel it’s something you want to do.”

When she told them, Monica’s face lit up. “We were just going to approach you about the same thing. The kids like each other and trust you.”

“Johnny thinks you guys are great, too. This is perfect. I’ll babysit for you tomorrow night.”

“Thank you. We’re dying to go into Jackson and have a little time alone.”

Tracy could relate to that. She gathered the two saddlebags while they waited for Carson’s return. Tonight was going to be a special time with a very special man and she planned to enjoy it to the fullest. After she and Johnny were back in Ohio, it would be a memory she would pull out and relive when the going got tough again. But she didn’t want to think about the tough part right now.

* * *

CARSON HAD ONLY seen Tracy in jeans or a bathing suit. When she opened the cabin door at seven-thirty, he was treated to a vision of a different kind. With her blond hair loose, the champagne-colored skirt and gauzy blouse looked sensational on her. Soft and dreamy. Her high-heeled sandals showed off her shapely legs.

“Carson—” Her hazel eyes played over him longer than usual. “I almost didn’t recognize you in a regular suit minus the boots and hat. I don’t think Johnny would, either.”

“A man has to be civilized around here once in a while. Are you ready?”

“Yes,” she said quietly. “I’ll grab my purse and jacket.”

They left the cabin and he helped her into his Altima. The storm had passed, leaving everything cooler. He loved the smell of the sage after the rain. “Is Johnny all right with this?”

“I wondered about it when I broached the subject this afternoon. When he found out he’d be staying at the Harris’s cabin until I got back, he didn’t exactly mind we were going somewhere without him. Of course, I had to promise I’d come and get him.”

“Of course.” Carson started the engine and drove off. “Since you’ve told me how protective he can be, I guess I wondered if he put up a fuss that I’m taking you out.”

“Are you kidding? The king of the cowboys?”

Her comment removed the bands constricting his lungs. The result was another bout of coughing. “After his nightmare, I worried his father was on his mind.”

“I’m sure he was, subconsciously, but he didn’t mention Tony at all. In fact, he hasn’t talked about him once since our arrival here. That tells me you and your friends have achieved your goal to bring our family some happiness. Today made it evident that my son has come out of his shell. Your goodness and generosity are the sole reason for that. I told Buck the same thing earlier today.”

Carson had noticed the two of them talking as they’d headed back to the ranch. “And what about you, Tracy? Are you enjoying yourself?”

“You know very well that question doesn’t need an answer. I could never imagine myself being with another man again. Yet I found myself saying yes when you invited me out. I thought, why not? If Johnny could get on a small plane and dive-bomb into Jackson Hole, then it was time I took a risk. That should tell you a lot.”

It did, but it wasn’t enough. Patience had never been Carson’s strong suit. “I’m taking you to the Hermitage, a French restaurant I haven’t been to since my return from Maryland. It’s in the Spring Creek Ranch area, a thousand feet above the valley floor.

“The view is superb. I thought you might like a change from authentic Western and enjoy some great French food along with a live band that plays a lot of romantic French songs. On Friday night after the rodeo, I’ll take you and Johnny to a fun place for Western music and line dancing. Everyone gets in on the act in their duds. He’ll be in his element.”

He felt her eyes on him. “Be careful, Carson. You’re spoiling us too much. If you treat all the families who come here at your invitation the way you’re treating me and Johnny, no one will ever want to leave.”

“Can I quote you on that when the time comes?” He pulled up to the crowded restaurant and turned off the engine. Luckily he’d made reservations. Even in the semidarkness, he saw color fill her cheeks.

She looked away. “You know what I meant.”

“My friends and I appreciate the compliment.” Levering himself from the car, he went around to help her out. The place had been built to resemble one of those religious retreats in the French Alps. He ushered her through the heavy wooden doors. The high ceilings and huge picture windows were unexpected and provided a contemporary twist.

“Carson! I couldn’t believe it when I heard you’d made a reservation.” A wiry older man came rushing over to the entry and kissed him on both cheeks. “Are you on leave? I haven’t seen you since your grand-père’s funeral.”

“I’ve left the military, Maurice, and am back for good.”

“That’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time.”

His throat swelled with emotion. “It’s good to see you.”

“And who is this ravishing creature?”

“Please meet Tracy Baretta, one of the guests staying at the ranch with her son. Tracy, this is Maurice Chappuis, the owner.”

The restaurateur’s warm brown eyes studied her for a long moment. “How do you do, Tracy.”

“It’s very nice to meet you.”

Carson would have said more, but a coughing spell stopped him. Maurice frowned. “That doesn’t sound good.”

“I got it when I was overseas, but I’m not contagious, so don’t worry.” He glanced at Tracy. “His son Jean-Paul and I were friends back in high school. Jean-Paul was a local bull riding legend. Maurice came to all our competitions. What’s he up to these days?”

“Same thing as usual. Helping me here and on the ranch. Except...he got married four months ago and they’re expecting!”

“You’re kidding!” Carson was truly happy for him.

Maurice crossed himself. “He’s off tonight. When I tell him who walked in here, he’ll be overjoyed.”

“Tell him to come by the ranch and bring his wife.”

“I will. Now come. Sit, sit, sit. Only the best champagne in the house for you. I don’t need to tell you we serve the best coq au vin in the world, and we have a new chanteur performing with the band. He does wonderful Charles Aznavour renditions.”

“That’s why we’re here.” He gave Maurice another hug. Seeing him like this brought the past hurtling back. Once again his guilt took over. Jean-Paul hadn’t gone away. He wasn’t restless, as Carson had been. Once his rodeo days were over, he’d stayed in Jackson. He’d built a life here, helping his father. Now he had a wife.

After Maurice seated Tracy, Carson took the seat opposite her at the window with its amazing view of the valley. The wine steward came over to pour them champagne. When he was gone, she eyed her dinner companion with concern.

“Maurice is wonderful, but I can tell something’s wrong.” Her naturally arched brows lifted. “Memories?”

He nodded soberly. “Too many. They all came rushing in at once.”

“I know the feeling. When you handed that photograph to Johnny at the airport, and I saw Tony, it was like instant immersion into a former life.”

“Immersion’s a good word.” He drank some champagne. “Mmm. You should try this. It’s like velvet.”

But she remained still. “You loved your grandfather, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Then why do I sense so much sadness?”

“You know the old saying, act in haste and repent at leisure? That’s me. But I don’t want to talk about me tonight.” He lifted his wineglass. “I’m dining with a beautiful woman and don’t want anything to spoil it. Here’s to an unforgettable evening.”

She lifted her glass to touch his, and then sipped. “Oh—” She smiled. “That’s really good.”

“Isn’t it?”

The waiter brought their meal and a basket of freshly baked croissants. Maurice didn’t usually serve these with dinner, but he knew how much Carson loved them.

“You have to try one of these. They literally melt in your mouth. I’ve eaten a dozen of them in one sitting before.”

She took a bite. “I believe you.”

While they ate their meal, he saw the dance band assemble across the room. A man in a turtleneck and jacket took over the mic. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said in heavily accented French. “I’ve been told we have a very special guest in the restaurant tonight. Monsieur Lundgren, it is up to you to choose our first number before the dancing starts.”

Carson chuckled. Trust Maurice to pull this. He glanced at Tracy, whose smile haunted him. “Go on. I’m curious to know what you pick.”

“How about, ‘Yesterday When I Was Young’?”

Many people in the restaurant clapped because they knew the song, too. Once the man started to sing, Carson’s eyes slid to Tracy’s. Their eyes didn’t leave each other until the singing was over.

“I first heard that song before I was sent to the hospital,” he told her. “Remember the opening lines about being young and the taste of life sweet on the tongue, of treating life as if it were a foolish game?” She nodded. “All of it burned through me like a red-hot poker. That’s what I’d done, and now that time was gone.

“I looked back at my own life, knowing I could never return to those times. I felt older than my grandfather who’d passed away. Opportunities had been missed. Too late I learned that the now of life is the essence.”

Her eyes filled and she reached across the table to squeeze his hand gently.

“Let’s dance.” Carson stood, and reached for her to join him.

They gravitated to each other on the dance floor. When he pulled her into his arms she whispered, “You’re still young, Carson.”

He drew her tighter against him without saying anything. They danced every dance. He forgot the time, the place. Carson needed the warmth of her lissome body. With each movement he inhaled her sweet fragrance and felt every breath she took.

“I need to be alone with you, Tracy. Let’s get out of here.” He felt a tremor shake her body as he led her back to the table. Once he’d left some bills, he ushered her out of the restaurant to the car.

A few residue clouds obscured the moon. Except for his coughing, they drove back to the ranch in silence. It was after eleven, but there was no way this evening was over. Maybe she wouldn’t like it, but he pulled around to the rear of the ranch house and shut off the engine.

“This is my home. I’d like you to see how I live. I want you to come in and be with me for a while. If that doesn’t—”

“It’s what I’d like, too,” she broke in. He sensed she wanted to be with him. What surprised him was how forthright she was. That’s the way the whole night had gone.

He got out and went around to help her from the car. “The guys live upstairs. I have the back of the house to myself.”

They walked down the hall to his bedroom, where Buck had done some remodeling for him. His grandfather’s former room had been turned into a suite with its own sitting room and bathroom, but Carson wasn’t thinking about that right now. He started to help her off with her jacket, but the moment he touched her, he couldn’t help kissing the side of her neck.

“So help me, I promised myself I wouldn’t do this, but I don’t seem to have any control when I get close to you.”

She twisted around until she faced him. That beautiful face. “Neither do I.”

“Tracy—”

Carson lowered his head and covered her mouth with his own, exultant that at last he was tasting her. The singing line of her mouth had been tempting him for days. By some miracle she was kissing him back and she went on giving kiss after kiss. Like their dancing, they couldn’t stop. It felt too wonderful to love this way.

He’d been empty for too many years. He wanted to go slow, but he didn’t know how. She wasn’t helping him. This merging of lips and bodies was so powerful, their desire for each other took on a life of its own. Carson didn’t remember picking her up and carrying her to the bed. But there she was, lying on the mattress, looking up at him with a longing he could hardly credit was for him.

After crushing her mouth once more, he lifted his head, but he was out of breath. “I brought you here to...to do this...and to talk.”

“I know,” she half moaned. “That’s why I came. We have to talk.”

“How are we supposed to do that now? Do you have any idea how much I want to make love to you?”

“That makes two of us.” Her voice trembled. “Don’t hate me too much if I confess that I wanted you to kiss me to see if what I was feeling was real.”

“You mean I was an experiment.”

“Yes. But so was I to you—be honest about that.” Her eyes beseeched him to understand. “After Tony, I—”

“You don’t need to explain anything to me,” he cut in. “I’ve been wondering about that, too, but no longer. It’s real, all right.” He buried his face in her fragrant hair.

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