The Rancher's Prospect. Callie Endicott

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      “Is there something you need?” Josh’s voice came from behind, startling her.

      Tara turned. “Not exactly. I’m leaving and didn’t know whether the office should be locked.”

      “You’re leaving? It’s only noon.”

      She gave him a tight smile. “I set my own hours. And need I remind you that it isn’t any of your business?”

      “I see.”

      “It doesn’t matter whether you see or not. Walt knows my hours will vary depending upon my sister’s schedule and my other commitments.”

      “You don’t have to work here at all,” he offered quickly.

      “Yeah, I understood that the first time you mentioned it,” she returned. “Now, should the office door be locked or not?”

      “I’ll lock it and have a key made for you.”

      “Thank you.”

      To the left of where they stood, the porch was secluded, the view of the ranch obscured by a blooming vine that released a lovely scent, teasing Tara’s senses. She could see how it might be hard to find a private outdoor space, even out in the country, and this was the kind of quiet spot where a husband and wife could steal a moment together.

      Josh cocked his head. “What are you thinking about?” he asked, curiosity in his eyes.

      “Oh.” She gestured at the corner of the porch. “I was just thinking how the vines must have given your grandparents a nice place to share a kiss in the middle of the day. You know, where no one else was likely to see.”

      She’d made the comment specific to his grandparents, uncomfortable with the thought that any couple might find it a pleasant place for intimacies. The scent of the flowers was evocative, making her mind conjure images that didn’t belong there. After all, she wasn’t good at physical intimacy. Or any form of intimacy, for that matter.

      “Nice thought, but off base, I’m afraid,” Josh responded quietly. “My grandparents led somewhat separate lives. They had little in common. Grandma came from the city, and city girls don’t adjust well to Montana ranches. I’m sure they cared for each other, but I doubt their marriage would have lasted in today’s world.”

      Tara hid her shock at Josh’s blunt statement. It seemed at odds with Walt’s painful declaration about his wife earlier that morning. What had he said...that he’d have done anything for her?

      Josh gave her a narrow look. “I’m only telling you because if you have a sentimental belief that Grandpa is desperately pining for his wife and needs your support, you can relax.”

      “No worries,” she answered evenly. “Thanks for being original this time. Were you hoping I’d lose sympathy for Walt and want to leave?”

      “That isn’t what I was doing,” he insisted, though the faint chagrin in his face told her differently. “I meant to ask before, what about all those boxes I saw my grandfather bringing to the office?” It was an obvious effort to changes the subject.

      “They were for the nonoffice items. Walt is going to store them somewhere else. I couldn’t catalog the contents since I didn’t recognize most of the stuff, but I took pictures so there would be a record.”

      “Isn’t that overkill?”

      “It seemed best under the circumstances. Uh... Walt told me there might be sapphires on the Boxing N.”

      “That’s a family myth. I ordered a survey ten years ago, and there’s nothing here.”

      “Surveys can be wrong. Walt was so energized when he told me about searching for them as a kid, it occurred to me that another search might give him a new purpose.”

      Josh’s eyes flared. “The last thing he needs is to get revved up about something utterly pointless.”

      “I thought you’d prefer getting him interested in something other than the ranch.”

      “That wouldn’t stop his interfering—it would just add a new layer of complication.”

      “Well, I think you’re wrong, and I’m going to talk with Walt about it.”

      She went to her rental car, refusing to look back to see if Josh was watching.

      It was only in the car that she glanced at the rearview mirror. While Josh was still standing in front of the large house, it was hard to know if he was looking her way or at one of the nearby barns.

      Not that it mattered. She wasn’t interested in him as a man. With that reminder, Tara started her sedan and drove steadily down the gravel road.

       CHAPTER FIVE

      JOSH DIDN’T SLEEP WELL; he was too frustrated over the way Tara was making his life even more of a challenge. Sapphire hunting was fine for children to dream about, but Walt was an old man with disabling injuries. He didn’t need to get excited about something he couldn’t possibly do. Josh enjoyed rock hunting and polishing as a hobby, though he had little time for it these days. But it had been a long time since he’d wasted his energy on thoughts of finding gemstones.

      Despite his lack of rest, Josh was out before dawn the next morning so he could deal with the boxes Tara had packed. He’d wanted to do it the previous afternoon, but there hadn’t been time after a series of panicked calls from one of the young cowhands he’d finally managed to employ.

      “I wouldn’t have hired such a kid,” Walt had snorted.

      “He was the best of the applicants,” Josh had returned as politely as possible. He didn’t want to explain that word had gotten around about Walt’s behavior and experienced hands were avoiding the Boxing N. With a little luck, that would begin changing soon. In the meantime he was trying to pair the new guys with ones who’d been around longer.

      Fortunately his grandfather had been kept too busy in the foaling barn to think about anything else—hired hands, boxes or sapphires. Walt had two mares on the verge of foaling and tended to baby them. Otherwise he probably would have moved the boxes himself. At the very least he would have tried, but there were times when he barely managed to keep himself upright; the last thing he needed was to fall under a heavy load. Several surgeries had saved his leg, but it didn’t have the strength to do much.

      Josh stacked the boxes in the foreman’s house; he’d go through them when he had a chance, although it was unlikely they contained much of value.

      After a quick breakfast, he went out to give orders to the ranch hands; at least they’d all shown up for work and nobody had quit for several days. Perhaps he should be grateful for small blessings.

      He returned to the office, hoping that Walt wouldn’t decide to go, as well. But his grandfather was already there, glaring at the empty space next to the door.

      “What did you do with everything?” he demanded.

      “Hauled it out.”

      “I СКАЧАТЬ