Mountain Country Cowboy

Chapter Two

Lorilee hadn’t wasted any time.

Muscles tensed, Cash stood between Joey and the two men facing him across the parking lot, his instincts at peak alert. Like the last time, would he be arrested? What would happen to Joey? Would they haul his boy off to social services or deliver him to his irresponsible mama’s doorstep—wherever that might be?

Please God, this can’t be happening. Not again.

And not here, not smack in the same place where his father’s sorry behavior had gotten the whole family kicked off the Hunter property. Cash had taken a big risk accepting a position where people would remember his dad and judge him by that long-cast shadow. But this was by far the best job offer he’d gotten. Did the deputy, not much older than Cash, come from around here and recall the legacy of Hodgson Herrera?

Heat coursing up the back of his neck, aware that Rio and his son were watching curiously, he forced himself to take a calming breath as he strode across the parking lot to where the men stood.

As he cautiously neared, a grin suddenly appeared on the red-haired deputy sheriff’s face. The man thrust out his right hand.

“I’m Braxton Turner, friend of your buddy Will Lamar.”

Cash’s gaze flicked from one man to the other. Both the deputy and Luke Hunter were smiling, with no undercurrent of anything that might threaten him or his boy. He shook the man’s hand with a firm grip that didn’t acknowledge a need to show deference to the badge.

“I was chattin’ with Will last night,” the deputy continued, “and he mentioned you’d be in my neck of the woods. That I should come on over and introduce myself.”

This was a social call?

Or was Deputy Lamar—his friend and ally since that last arrest—having second thoughts concerning him moving so far from his oversight? Was he passing the baton, so to speak, to another officer of the law?

“Will roped you into checking up on me?”

The deputy laughed. “Actually, I was bemoaning to him the bad habits of a mare I recently picked up at a bargain price. Wild Card’s living up to her name, a real handful. Rio won’t touch her with a ten-foot pole, but Will said you’d be the man to see.”

Was that the truth? That’s all this was?

The tension in his shoulders eased slightly. He scuffed a toe in the dusty gravel, anchoring his mind to the present, reining it in from alarmist excursions. The man wasn’t here to arrest him for child abduction. To take Joey away.

Cash offered what he hoped was a relaxed smile. “Bargain price, was she?”

The other man chuckled. “For good reason, I soon found out. Think you could give my new nag deportment lessons?”

Cash rubbed the back of his neck, kneading still-tight muscles. Always enjoying an equine challenge, he’d love to get his hands on the ornery horse. Success there might further enhance his growing reputation as a horse trainer, as well. But first things first. He got the distinct impression his primary mission would be proving himself to Rio Hunter. “I arrived this morning, so my time’s not yet my own. You probably should talk to Rio about my availability if the horse needs attention right away.”

The deputy glanced in her direction and, if Cash wasn’t mistaken, there was a glimmer of interest in the lawman’s eyes he didn’t much care for. Not that it was his business, but an unexpected protectiveness welled up for the sassy little girl he’d once known. He didn’t know her now, though. And, like Lorilee, it appeared she might have a string of love-struck males queued up awaiting her beck and call.

The man’s smile widened. “I just may have a word with her, then.”

Cash, too, glanced back to where Rio now crouched next to his son. Having gotten the German shepherd settled down between them, she was talking quietly to the boy as they patted the animal, effectively distracting Joey from what was going on with the deputy and his dad. His heart swelled with gratitude.

But what was she finding to talk to the boy about? With prompting, kids could be blabbermouths. He didn’t need the whole world knowing that up until now he hadn’t played as much of a role in his son’s life as he’d have liked. Even now he was clueless as to where to start.

“So what do you think of mountain country, Cash?” Drawing his attention from the woman and the boy on the porch, the deputy folded his arms and leaned back against the door of his SUV. “Quite a contrast to the Valley of the Sun where you hail from.”

Cash’s law-enforcement friend obviously hadn’t filled Braxton in that he wasn’t entirely a stranger to this more-than-mile-high forested territory well north of Phoenix, and Cash breathed easier. Horse business. This visit from a deputy amounted to nothing more. But he’d touch base with Will as soon as he could. Let him know of the potential legal hot potato of Joey’s arrival. He should have done that sooner. But he’d been reluctant to risk being advised not to relocate until the custody transfer was finalized.

“Pine country,” Cash agreed, “sure beats the one hundred degrees the Valley hit yesterday.”

Through the rolled-down window of the county vehicle the deputy’s radio crackled to life. Braxton jerked open the door, slid in behind the wheel, then buckled his seat belt. “Duty calls, gentlemen. Good meeting you, Cash. I’ll be in touch. See you around, Luke.”

As the SUV pulled away, Rio’s older brother again welcomed Cash to the Hideaway, then headed off in the direction of a crew-cab pickup. Still wound tight, Cash nevertheless gratefully returned to the main Hideaway building.

Talk about a close call.

It underlined the importance of getting legal custody. He couldn’t live like this on a daily basis, never knowing when Lorilee might rethink things and turn on him. Nor did he want his heart knotting every time Deputy Turner’s vehicle pulled in at the Hideaway. And from the man’s expression when he looked in Rio’s direction, he’d be back often.

Rio rose to her feet as he approached, her gaze cautious. “Everything okay?”

She would have been out of earshot of the conversation, left in the dark. How much her grandmother had shared with her regarding his past run-ins with the law, he didn’t know. But probably at least some of it, which would account for the look of concern at the deputy’s need to see him. And maybe, too, why she didn’t seem overly thrilled with his acceptance of the job.

Despite what his record showed, though, he’d never struck a woman. And he’d never hit a man who hadn’t swung at him first. But that was behind him. He was a changed man from the inside out, although it might take time for others to recognize and accept that.

“As you know, the deputy has a horse needing work. A friend of mine who knew I was signing on here pointed him my way. I told him he’d need to speak with you before I could take that on.”

Rio rolled her eyes in apparent exasperation. “It’s fine with me if you want to give it a shot, but you’re at least the fourth person he’s asked to tackle that horse, me included. The mare is beyond beautiful, but Brax won’t admit he needs to divest himself of a bad investment and move on.”

“What seems to be the animal’s problem?”

“You name it, she specializes in it.” She ticked off the offenses on the fingers of one hand. “Biting. Kicking. Balking. Bolting. Talk about headstrong.”

Watching her animated expression as she related the horse’s shortcomings, Cash raised a brow. “Sounds like a little girl I used to know.”

Brought up short by his teasing tone, she stared at him for a long moment. Then a hint of a smile touched her lips. “Very funny.”

“You gotta admit, Princess,” he said, enjoying the sudden flash of irritation in her eyes when that long ago nickname rolled off his tongue. “You were trouble with a capital T.”

“Don’t go princessing me, Cashton Herrera.” She indignantly tossed her ponytail over her shoulder. “You’re one to point fingers. Between your and my cousin’s pranks, it’s a wonder I wasn’t permanently traumatized.”

“You held your own, and you know it.”

She cut him a look out of the corner of her eye. “I can still hold my own, and you’d better never forget it.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He was serious, too. Years ago he’d learned never to turn his back on her if it could be helped, and he wasn’t starting now. He’d do whatever he had to do to stay on her good side in the coming days.

While accepting this job was risky, it looked to be the fresh start he needed. A significantly increased income. Responsibilities he could sink his teeth into. It had the potential to be his dream job with a future, even though it landed him back in one of the many places he’d had no intention of ever returning. To a town where he—and no doubt plenty of others—could still smell the lingering stink of his no-good father.

* * *

“I understand your concerns, but I have reason to believe Cash will be a good fit,” Grandma Jo assured her for what seemed the hundredth time since Rio appeared at her office door an hour ago. “You’re like I was at your age. Restless. Independent. Wanting to strike out on your own. Bringing Cash on will allow you to do that.”

But Grandma’s striking out on her own had involved marrying Rio’s grandfather and joining him in overseeing Hunter’s Hideaway. Not exactly the same thing as Rio’s desire to, as her brothers teased, “save the world.”

“I don’t think Cash is the best we can do.”

“So you’re willing to stick around indefinitely to give us more time to drum up and try out additional candidates?”

“That hardly seems fair, does it?” She’d had everything worked out months ago with her cousin J.C., only to have his abrupt departure and her own looming one send her Grandma Jo scrambling to find someone to take over the management of a critical segment of the family operation. Grandma had nixed Rio’s suggestions of pulling Grady back in to oversee it. He’d moved on to other business-related responsibilities.

“Well, then, there’s your answer. Cash is our man.”

She wasn’t leaving her granddaughter grounds on which to further an argument, but Rio had to give it one final try. “Did you know he was bringing a kid, or did he just show up with one?”

“I didn’t know initially, but he did call ahead to confirm that bringing his son was okay. I assured him it was. So, sweetheart—” Grandma Jo put her arm around Rio as she walked her to the office door “—even if you were willing to delay your departure, an offer has been made and accepted. Give Cash the benefit of the doubt and focus on getting him up to speed on our operation. Not only are we preparing for that events contractor’s visit, but in a week we’ll see a big uptick in guests coming from the Valley and elsewhere for a cool weather retreat.”

“I know the drill, Grandma. I’ve lived and breathed it since I was old enough to sit on a horse.”

“Then take care of business here and before you know it—” Grandma gave her a hug “—you’ll be free to take care of business elsewhere.”

So this wasn’t a ploy to get her to stay after all. Could it be that the whole family was tickled pink to see her depart?

When a disheartened Rio entered the lobby, her mother was manning the front desk. At sixty-one, Elaine Hunter looked amazing in jeans and a light, mint-green sweater. Nobody who didn’t know the shoulder-length sandy brown hair was a wig would ever guess she’d been battling breast cancer since early last fall.

Rio’s heart swelled with love. “Hey, Mom.”

“Hi, honey.” Her mother’s face lit up at the sight of her. “I’m sorry I missed you when you got back this morning. Then I had lunch with your dad in town.”

“Grady told you I needed to see Grandma, right?”

She nodded, her gaze probing. “How did that go?”

“As expected, I guess. I was basically instructed to forget the fact that her new hire has a past we don’t need in our present. Just keep my chin up and carry on.”

“That’s how your grandmother’s dealt with life—the death of her parents when she was a teen, the loss of an infant child, your grandpa’s sudden death. It’s not a bad thing.”

“I’m not saying it is. It’s just that...” If only someone understood. Understood why Cash wasn’t a good fit.

“It’s that,” her mother echoed quietly, “you don’t want to look back on your departure with regrets.”

Rio searched her mother’s eyes. Having come face-to-face with her own mortality this past year, did Mom look back over her life with regrets? Things she wished she’d done—or hadn’t done? Things she might not now have time to do?

But far more than the fear of regret was now driving her daughter. Rather, it was a secret she’d never told anyone—that when Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer last September, Rio had told God she’d make her own life count for Him in exchange for Him saving her mother. That she’d no longer ignore the earlier inner promptings to devote herself to counseling those who—like her—were victims of all-too-common dating violence.

As much as she loved her family, the horses and the Hideaway, what she was doing here now fell far short of fulfilling the vow that kept her mother safe.

“Rio!” One of her two sisters-in-law waddled—for want of a more flattering word—into the lobby, her arms filled with pillows and bedding. With a huff of breath from the exertion, she plopped them atop the front desk. “You’re exactly the person I need to see.”

Rio eyed her warily. “What’s up?”

Shaking back waves of long blond hair, a weary-looking Delaney Marks Hunter slipped her hand protectively over a well-rounded belly. Rio’s formerly widowed brother, Luke, was ridiculously proud of that upcoming addition soon to put in an appearance not even a year after he and his new bride tied the knot.

“Someone needs to take these out to the new hire’s cabin. There’s a double bed, but Grandma Jo’s also having a single rollaway delivered for his boy.” She patted the stack. “That’s quite a hike for me and Junior here...so we’re looking for a volunteer. Any takers?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Very funny, but you don’t fool me, Rio. I caught a glimpse of that guy this morning when he was here to see your grandma. Whoa.” Delaney fanned her face with her hand. “I can’t imagine dropping this stuff off will be too much of a hardship.”

Rio made a face. No doubt female guests at Hunter’s Hideaway would more than approve of Cash. Admittedly, there had been a time when she’d have been hyperventilating in the presence of a good-looking, well-built man like him. But she’d learned her lesson. God looked not at the outside of a man but at his heart, something she was learning to do, as well.

And as far as she was concerned, any man who’d struck a woman had the darkest of hearts imaginable.

But there was no point in going into that with Delaney. Rio lifted the bedding off the front desk and pulled it into her arms, noticing that her sis-in-law, mindful of the cool nighttime temperatures at this higher-than-Denver elevation, included light blankets. “I’ll take care of it.”

Delaney’s eyes twinkled. “Cabin 10. Junior and I both thank you.”

Once outside, Rio chose to walk rather than drive and followed the perimeter of the parking lot, diving off into the trees to pass by the barns and corralled horses that made up her world. The familiar scent of horses and hay, as well as a horse’s welcoming whinny as she strode by, tugged at her heart. She’d miss them. But God had more important plans for her life now.

Branching off from the horse facilities, she entered a pine-lined, winding trail that led to bunkhouses and cabins sheltering employees of Hunter’s Hideaway. Overhead a raven squawked, and afternoon sun filtered through the pine boughs. She found her steps slowing as her mind wandered, trying to piece together what she knew of the grown-up Cash and his son.

Cash wasn’t wearing a ring, for one thing. She’d checked that out immediately, much to her shame. So he was a single dad who’d once punched out his ex-wife. But how was a man with his background able to gain custody of Joey?

Lost in thought as she continued past the cabins scattered along the trail, she was brought up short as someone behind her shouted her name. She spun to look back at one of the cabins, its door now standing open, and a hatless Cash on the porch staring in her direction.

“Are you looking for us?”

“I am.” Her face warmed as she backtracked, noting as she approached the number “10” prominently tagged on the porch railing that she’d obliviously strolled right by. “Has the rollaway been delivered yet?”

“It has.” He stepped off the porch. “I’ve rearranged the furniture so Joey will have a corner to call his own.”

She handed off the bedding, noticing a dusky, masculine shadow gracing Cash’s determined jaw. It gave him a rugged appearance and yet, without his hat, he looked surprisingly boyish. Even vulnerable.

With effort, she shook off the beguiling impression. “Have you had a chance to talk to Anna about sitting Joey?”

“Yes, and she’s interested.” His forehead creased. “Unfortunately, she’s tied up this weekend with church youth group activities. And although Joey’s school has already dismissed for the summer, classes here don’t let out until Memorial Day weekend.”

Great. A full week. She plopped her hands on her hips. “So what’s the plan?”

“Anna doesn’t want to be passed over for the job, so she’s going to talk to her stepmom. See if maybe she’ll fill in until Anna’s available.”

Rio shook her head. “Cash, her stepmother is almost eight months pregnant and looks and feels every day of it.”

“Anna didn’t mention that.”

“What were your plans for childcare when you applied for this position?” Surely he hadn’t thought a kid that young could be left on his own.

Cash glanced back at the open cabin door, then lowered his voice. “Childcare wasn’t an issue at the time I applied.”

They’d received his application a few weeks ago. So had he only recently gained custody?

“Well, we’re going to have to figure something out.” Her gaze met his, and her face warmed as hope sparked in his expressive eyes. “I mean, you are.”

He shifted the bedding in his arms. “I preferred the promise of assistance in that ‘we.’”

White teeth flashed in contrast to his warm complexion, a smile that had probably broken more than a few female hearts. But if Cash thought he could walk in with nothing but a cowboy swagger and an engaging grin and have her eating out of his hand, he had another think coming.

“Your kid, not mine,” she quipped, not caring for the way her heartbeat had ramped up a notch at that engaging smile. But the sooner she could get Cash brought up to speed the better, or she’d never get away from this place. Like it or not, it looked like this childcare problem would take a team effort after all.

Suddenly feeling the need to put some distance between them, she moved a short way down the trail, then paused. “Let me check around. See what options I can turn up.”

“I’d be much obliged.”

He looked genuinely relieved, but despite Grandma Jo’s support, was bringing him on a good idea? Even aside from the looming events contractor’s visit and a child underfoot, was he the right man for the job? Could he be trusted?

And yet...there was that business about not judging others so you wouldn’t be judged yourself. Grandma had pointed that out more than once in their postlunch tête-à-tête.

“Cash?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s not my intention to revisit the past. But I know none of what happened with your dad when you were here before was your fault.”

Chapter Three

Cash tensed. Why was she bringing that up now?

If nothing else, it was a continued reminder that while people didn’t blame him for his father’s sins, they wouldn’t be quick to forget where he’d come from. That they’d be on guard, watching for him to make a wrong move.