Good Together (7 page)

She leaned over the fence, resting her head. Jake’s hand settled on her shoulder, warm and solid.

“Makes me wonder what I’ve been doing the past twenty years when I thought I was investing in my family.”

“That’s exactly what you did. And you were successful at it. Some people think that if something isn’t permanent, it doesn’t count. But everything changes in this world. You’ll still have your family Mattie—and good memories besides. Keep them close. You earned them.”

For Jake, it was quite the speech.  Mattie straightened her back. “You’re a wise man, Jake. Makes me wish you were more of a talker.”

He chuckled. “Me a talker? Not likely.” He pushed away from the fence. “Better get back to work. You got time for a ride this afternoon? Valley Girl could use some work.”

Mattie nodded. The fresh air and exercise would be good for her as well as the horse. Of course no one understood that better than Jake.

“Make sure you take your phone with you,” Jake cautioned.

It was Mattie’s turn to chuckle. “Never thought I’d hear you say those words to
me,
Jake.”

“Change, Mattie. Happens to all of us.”

* * *

A
fter lunch Mattie worked Valley Girl in the arena for half an hour, taking her through her paces, before heading out on one of her favorite, and shorter, trail rides, following Chatterbox Creek up into the low hills, then running along the crest of Ponderosa Hill before returning along the lake-side slope which offered one of the more picturesque views of Bishop Stables.

Mattie took her time showering, drying, and grooming Valley Girl, crooning to the horse as she worked, the radio playing softly in the background, set as usual to Jake’s favorite country station.

He’d gone out to buy parts for the pump, but he’d be back in time to handle the evening feeding. She knew he wouldn’t mind if she left him to it, and went inside for a shower of her own. But before she made it to the house, Nat Diamond’s grey truck appeared on the road and she watched as he slowed and pulled into her lane.

Mattie rubbed her hands clean on her jeans as she walked toward him. She didn’t want to analyze why her heart suddenly felt lighter. Nat was a neighbor and a friend. Why shouldn’t she be glad to see him? She waited for him to park and open his door. “You have a knack for catching me at my best.”

He stepped down from the cab, wearing jeans, boots, and a sheepskin jacket. The man was so damn handsome, all decked out like a model on the cover of
Western Horseman
. It wasn’t fair.

“Dirt suits you. Been out for a ride?”

“Yeah.” The sun had broken through the clouds around one o’clock and the day had actually turned quite warm. “Enjoying the last of the fall colors.”

“Good. I brought you a gift. But maybe you don’t need it.” He pulled out a shopping bag and handed it to her.

She peered inside and grinned when she saw several boxes of tissues and canisters of tea. “Seems like I’ve got myself a reputation.”

“Some women like flowers. But you’ve always been unique.” He hesitated. “I brought something else. You don’t have to keep it. Just thought it might come in handy...”

It was unusual for Nat to look unsure of himself. She watched as he reached down to the floor on the passenger side of the truck and then gasped when he pulled out a small dog carrier. Inside were two border collie puppies.

“Twelve weeks old,” Nat announced, as he freed them from the padded carrier. The two puppies looked to be all hair, with dark noses and adorable round eyes. “I ordered one of them a while ago. Asked to bring along one of her litter mates. In case you wanted one. But I can see you’re not a dog person.”

She was on the ground, scooping up the puppies, petting them and laughing. “Oh, they’re so sweet. I wish Wren and Portia could see them.”

“Take a video with your phone, then send it to them.” Nat kneeled beside her and scooped up one of the dogs. “This is Buffy. She’s mine.”

Mattie could tell they’d already bonded. “You named your dog after a vampire slayer?”

Nat looked confused. “The breeder named her. I didn’t know Buffy was a—what did you say? Vampire slayer?”

“I’ll lend you the DVDs sometime. Portia has the entire collection.” As she spoke, her eyes were on the other puppy. Almost identical to Buffy, but with a different look around her eyes. “Did the breeder name this one?”

“Tuffy,” Nat admitted, his tone somewhat apologetic. “Want to guess what the other two puppies were called?”

“Fluffy?”

He laughed. “Yup. And the last?”

“Hopefully not Huffy.”

“Nope. Muffy.”

“Buffy, Muffy, Fluffy and Tuffy,” Mattie repeated. “Wow.”

“You could always change the name. If you want to keep her, that is. Like I said before, no obligation. I just thought having a dog around the place might be a good idea.”

Mattie picked up Tuffy and buried her nose in her soft hair. She understood what Nat was thinking. A woman living on her own in the country needed protection. A dog could offer that. But by the time Tuffy was big enough to ward off strangers, would Mattie still be living here?

If not—where?

The truth was, getting a dog right now didn’t make any sense. What if she ended up living in town? Or, God forbid, back at her father’s place on the Circle C? Having a dog in tow could make things really complicated.

But then Tuffy cocked her head to one side. God, she was cute.

It was too late for logic. She was in love.

“I’ll keep her.”

“T
he puppy was genius. Tell me again about this neighbor who brought her?”

Sage was on the floor by the fireplace, playing tug-of-war with Tuffy with one of the toys Nat had left behind.

Turned out he’d come prepared with everything Mattie needed to become an instant dog owner. There was special puppy food, a dish, a bed, and several toys. And the cutest little collar.

Once he’d helped her carry everything inside, Nat had left, refusing her invitation to stay for dinner, which was just as well because no sooner had Mattie taken the puppy with her to the bathroom and had a shower, than her sister Sage had shown up unexpectedly. It was a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Marietta, and so not an easy trip. Mattie had hugged her sister fiercely.

“You didn’t have to do this.”

“I just wanted to. But I can’t stay long. We have a big party at the store on Halloween so I’ll have to leave after lunch tomorrow.”

Sage had brought dinner—butter chicken and rice—which was now reheating in the oven. She’d also packed chocolate, of course. A box of her salted caramel chocolates and several of her signature milk-chocolate cowboy hats. Since Sage preferred dark chocolate, Mattie knew these were for her.

Mattie was thankful she’d not only showered, but dried her hair and put on jeans and a nice sweater as well, because Sage looked fabulous.

She’d recently cut her thick, wavy red hair, and was wearing a new shade of lipstick that suited her ivory complexion perfectly.

Or... maybe it wasn’t the haircut and lipstick that made Sage look so beautiful. Happiness glowed like a halo around her. Mattie remembered her talking about a cowboy the last time they’d been together, at the Copper Mountain Rodeo in their hometown of Marietta.

Back then Sage had sounded annoyed that this dude from her past had the nerve to come to
her
town. What was his name again?

“Oh, you’re so sweet!” Sage kissed the puppy, then released her end of the tug toy. “You win. It’s time for me to make a salad to go with that curry.”

“It smells delish,” Mattie admitted, not sure whether to follow Sage to the kitchen and help chop veggies, or stay here and make sure Tuff didn’t have an accident. Fortunately most of the flooring in her house was wood, however so far Tuff was showing a preference for the handmade Pendleton rug that she and Wes had splurged on five years ago.

Wes. She couldn’t go five minutes without thinking of him. She wondered how he’d feel about the puppy. They’d had a dog when the twins were little, but when Sparky died at the age of twelve, they’d all been so heartbroken they’d decided to wait a few years before getting another.

Noticing a sudden restlessness in Tuff, Mattie picked her up and took her out to the yard. Sure enough, after wandering and sniffing for a few minutes, Tuff peed beside one of the maples.

“Good, Tuff. Good.” Mattie heaped her with praise and gave her one of the doggie treats from her pocket before taking her back inside. The rich, spicy aroma of Sage’s cooking had her immediately feeling hungrier than she’d been in weeks.

She blockaded the dining area with chairs, so Tuff couldn’t escape, then set out plates and cutlery while Sage served the curry, rice and salad. “It sure is nice to be waited on.”

“Good. You deserve it.” Sage took the spot—Wes’s spot—to Mattie’s left. “Now, tell me about the neighbor who dropped off Tuff.”

“Not much to tell. We’ve known Nat Diamond forever. He has a huge ranch, even bigger than the Circle C. Back when we had more horses we used to graze on some of his land.”

“Does he have a family?” Sage spooned a mound of fluffy brown rice onto her plate.

“Both his parents have passed away. A few years later, he did marry a woman from Seattle, but that didn’t last long. She couldn’t hack the ranching lifestyle.”

“Not everyone can.”

Mattie knew Sage included herself in this category. “So what happened with that cowboy friend of yours who came to Marietta for the rodeo? Callan told me he helped with the fall roundup this year. Did pretty well for a greenhorn, she said.”

Down in Paradise Valley winter came early and cattle were moved out of the hills at least three or four weeks sooner than here by the Flathead.

“Callan invited him, not me. But I ended up being glad she did. Dawson and I—well, we’ve mended fences, you might say.”

“Didn’t you tell me he’d been married? And that he has a daughter?”

“Savannah is a great kid. As for the wife—that’s over. Before we hooked up again, I made sure Dawson had the official divorce papers.”

The word hit the air like a bomb blast, reverberating long after both sisters had fallen silent.

Divorce. Divorce. Divorce.

A word that just one month ago, Mattie never would have thought would apply to her.

Her first few tastes of the butter chicken had been delicious. Now she set down her fork, convinced she couldn’t handle another mouthful.

Sage looked concerned and apologetic. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Don’t be silly. No sense avoiding the subject, since I know that’s why you’re here.” She reached over to squeeze Sage’s hand. “Something I very much appreciate by the way.”

“Of course I came. I’ve been worried sick since your call. Have you heard anything from Wes?”

“Nothing. Not a word in sixteen days.” She watched the puppy... tired from all her frolicking, she’d finally fallen asleep on the fuzzy dog bed Nat had given them. “I don’t even know where he is.”

Sage’s eyes widened. Mattie could tell that she hadn’t expected the situation to be this dire.

“Rodeo weekend you told me he’d been badly shaken when a buddy was killed last spring.”

“Yes. Dex Cooper. He was about five years younger than Wes. And it must have been awful for Wes to see it happen to someone he knew personally. Normally he talked to me about stuff like that, but this time he didn’t say a word. It was eating at him, though, I could tell. I thought maybe he’d finally retire. I didn’t expect—"

She stopped, not needing to say the rest.

“Why would you expect him to leave you? You guys were so good together.”

“I thought so,” Mattie said softly.

“You
were,
” Sage insisted. “And you will be again. Don’t give up too easily. Sixteen days seems like a long time now, but when you compare it to twenty years of marriage, it’s just a hiccup.”

Mattie really wished her sister was right and this stormy period was something that could pass. But she hadn’t told Sage everything. So she filled her in about the key and the phone call from the mystery woman. “The signs point to Wes having an affair...”

She waited for Sage to disagree. But she didn’t.

“Maybe he is. Maybe he isn’t. But even if Wes has been unfaithful, that doesn’t have to spell the end.”

“Are you kidding me?”

Her sister studied her closer, her gaze intense. Then she took a deep breath. “I have a secret to tell you. I’ve kept it from you, Dani, and Callan for a long time. But I think it may help you see your current situation differently.”

“What is it?” She could tell the secret was a big one. And if anyone in their family was capable of keeping quiet about something important, it would be Sage.

“Let’s talk in the family room,” Sage said. “I’ve lost my appetite and I see you have too.”

Mattie cleared the plates, feeling guilty for ruining a meal that her sister had gone to so much effort to prepare. While she stored the food in the fridge so they could eat it later, Sage set a couple of birch logs in the fireplace, started the fire, then brewed a pot of tea.

Once the work was done, Mattie tucked herself into her favorite corner of the sofa, feeling cozy and safe. Sage curled up at the other end, resting her feet on the large oak coffee table.

“So what’s the big secret?”

Sage looked uneasy. “I hope what I’m about to tell you doesn’t change how you feel about Mom.”

Suddenly apprehensive, Mattie asked, “Why would it?”

“I know how close you two were. You were always her favorite.”

“Not true,” Mattie said automatically, though she suspected it sort of was. Not that her mother had loved her more than her sisters. But she’d been the only one of Beverly Carrigan’s daughters to give birth to grandchildren and after the twins were born, during the weeks Mom came to stay with her on the ranch, they’d had so many opportunities to share stories and experiences, to bond as women, rather than as mother and daughter.

“You’re the oldest. Which automatically means you had more years with her than the rest of us.”

Their mother had died, tragically, when the twins were only two years old. The accident happened after midnight, on a cold night in March. She’d been in the barn with her husband, trying to help a cow manage a difficult delivery.