Montana Wrangler. Charlotte Carter

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СКАЧАТЬ retrieved her jacket from the sewing room and went out onto the front porch.

      The spring air had a snap to it. She stepped off the porch and wrapped her arms around herself. The stars in the darkening sky twinkled in the clear air, a view rarely seen in Seattle. As she watched, more and more stars began to appear, each one filling its special place in the heavens.

      Where was her special place? She’d dreamed of living in European capitals, caught up in their history and culture. In college she’d taken both French and German to help her achieve her goal. For the past three years, she’d used her vacation time to visit Elite Hotel properties overseas, immersing herself in the ambience, making contacts, planning her future.

      In the course of one day, her future had taken a sharp turn and now included the welfare of a twelve-year-old boy.

      * * *

      As he headed to the barn for his last check on the horses for the night, Jay spotted Paige gazing at the stars. Cast in the faint rays of starlight, she looked vulnerable. Not the corporate executive who had shown up for her sister’s funeral yesterday. More approachable. More appealing and not so standoffish.

      Even though he knew it wasn’t wise to test how welcoming she might be, he strolled toward her.

      “How about a nickel for your thoughts?” he asked.

      She started then glanced in his direction. “Is it part of your Native American thing to be able to sneak up on people?”

      “Nope. My Scottish ancestors used to slip into English castles and make off with barrels of whiskey without making a sound.”

      The trill of her soft laughter tickled down Jay’s spine. He hadn’t responded to a woman’s voice so strongly for a very long time.

      “I gather they were well motivated,” she said.

      “According to the stories my great-grandfather told, fooling the British was a mark of honor in the old days.”

      She nodded before looking up at the sky again.

      “So have you decided what to do about Bryan?” he asked.

      “Krissy wanted me to be his guardian. I owe her that and more. I have to respect my sister’s last wish.”

      Jay balled his hands into fists. That might have been Krissy’s wish, but it sure wasn’t Bryan’s. “You’re going to move him to Seattle?”

      “That’s where I live. Where my job is.”

      “Just curious, but how many horses do you own there in Seattle?”

      “None, thank goodness! I live in a condo.”

      He pictured shoulder-to-shoulder apartments with no room to breathe, and he shuddered as much for himself as for the boy. “So there’s a stable nearby where Bryan can board his horse?”

      “Not that I know of. But Bryan won’t need a horse in Seattle.”

      Jay moved a little closer and lowered his voice in frustration. “Miss Barclay, horses are that boy’s life. He lives and breathes for the chance to ride the trails in the mountains. Spot a bear. Or a mountain lion. Being able to see to a horizon that’s farther away than the building across the street.”

      She straightened her shoulders. “The city has all kinds of advantages he doesn’t have here. He’ll be able to go to museums, art galleries, hear a symphony orchestra. He can learn to sail on the Sound. Play any sport he likes. It’s a wonderful place to live.”

      His jaw was going to crack, he was biting down so hard not to tell Miss Barclay exactly what he thought of that kind of life for Bryan. “You don’t know a thing about raising a boy, do you?”

      She backed up a step. “No, but I’m perfectly capable of learning.”

      Pacing away from her, Jay struggled to keep calm. Krissy might have been reckless, but her sister was downright stubborn.

      He circled back to her and got inside her personal space. “You’re going to take Bryan away from all that he knows and loves and stick him in some condo with neighbors close enough to hear them brush their teeth?” Jay couldn’t imagine any worse way to live, cooped up inside a building where he couldn’t smell the sweet scent of spring or the biting cold of a real winter.

      Not budging an inch, she planted her fists on her hips, showing more spunk than Jay thought she had. If she were a couple inches taller, she’d be right in his face. In this case, that would be a bad thing. He might just kiss her, and wouldn’t that fry her beans?

      “I know there will be adjustments we’ll both have to make, but that’s what Krissy wanted.”

      “And precisely what adjustments are you going make? Take weekends off so you can be home with Bryan?” He was guessing. He didn’t know what her schedule was but he figured working at a hotel she had to work some crazy shifts.

      Hooking her hand around the back of her neck, she hesitated. “I can’t do that. I’m the conference manager for the hotel. Most of the conferences are scheduled for—”

      “Fine. Then Bryan’ll stay home alone. He’s old enough. Of course, he won’t know anyone except you. Hope you’ve got a lot of video games for him to play.”

      She folded her arms across her chest. “All right, I haven’t worked out all the details yet. I just found out today—”

      His jaw muscle twitched. “How big is your condo, Miss Barclay?”

      “Will you stop calling me Miss Barclay?” she snapped. “My name is Paige, and I’m dealing with this guardian business the best I can.”

      “Okay, Paige.” He shouldn’t be pressing her, but the thought of her dragging Bryan off to Seattle really stuck in his craw. “You didn’t answer my question about your condo.”

      “It’s small, all right?”

      “How small?” he demanded.

      “One bedroom plus a home office,” she admitted grudgingly. “It will do until I can sell and buy a bigger one.”

      “That ought to be cozy.” He snatched off his old work hat and speared his fingers through his hair. She seemed to honestly believe she could take on the responsibility for a twelve-year-old, move him hundreds of miles away from the only home he’d known and everything would work itself out. Not likely!

      “It’s getting late.” She glanced over her shoulder toward the house. “I think I’ll go back inside. Good night.”

      “Wait!” He didn’t want to stop sparring with her. Challenging her to think things through. He hadn’t yet convinced her taking on parental responsibilities for Bryan wasn’t such an easy thing to do. “When are you planning to leave?”

      “Early Monday morning. I have to be at work Tuesday.” She took a few steps toward the porch.

      “You’re taking Bryan with you?”

      “I, um, I suppose СКАЧАТЬ