The Cougar and the Cowboy

She was grinning, quite aware of some subtle undercurrents of something. She just didn’t know what it was. She brought her focus back to Jace and started the conversation. “Okay, let me begin by making sure we are on the same page as to our mutual acquaintance. I assume you know Calvin Frasier from Magnolia, Texas and his son, Ben?”

“Yes, I do. In fact, I spoke to Cal just a few days ago.”

“Okay. Well, I recently lost a mare that was going to be the foundation of my herd. Cal has graciously offered me a mare from their herd which he insisted was too closely bred to their stallion and …never mind. The whole thing comes down to this: he and his wife, Lucy, are attending a wedding in the Denver area. He wants to bring the mare that far if I can meet him there. He also said he is getting a horse from you, so he thought we could make the trip advantageous to all parties concerned.”

Jace was nodding as he was processing the proposal. “So, you’re offering to take my horse with you to Colorado and then bring your new mare back?”

“Yes, that’s the basics but there are a few other parts to it.” She traced one of the water droplets down the side of the glass mug with a finger while seeming to decide how to proceed. “I don’t trust my truck to make it that far but I have a decent stock trailer. So I thought perhaps we can make this a joint effort. Your truck, my trailer, we split all costs and we can take turns driving. That way, there’s no need to get a hotel and we can make the trip quickly.”

Jace wasn’t sure if her face was suddenly pink from the warmth in the bar or if it was from talking about getting a hotel…or not getting one. Either way, it made her smooth, tanned complexion even prettier.

He cleared his throat and nodded his head. “It sounds like a great idea to me. I was wondering how I was going to get Jasper all the way back to his original home in Texas, but it seems as though you have just solved that problem.”

She shook her head slightly. “It really is Mr. Frasier who had the idea. I’m just the messenger.”

“Well, I will be certain to thank him for his ideas. Do you know exactly when this wedding is taking place?”

“Yes, it will be in two weeks. If we leave early on Friday morning, I figure we should arrive in time to do the switching before the wedding and then we can be on our way back.”

“Okay. It’s a deal, Danielle. Here’s my phone number so we can stay in touch until then,” Jace mumbled as he scribbled the information on an old receipt.

“Should I have your email address too or maybe you don’t want anyone to have that.”

Jace cast a ‘look that shot daggers’ in Maggie’s direction and answered her, “Oh no. It’s perfectly fine. It seems that every female in the state of Montana now has my email address.”

Danielle didn’t know what that meant but it was time to leave. She stood, thanked him for the water and shook hands again. “I’ll stay in touch.”

As she walked to her pick-up, she was thinking, ‘Jeepers, Cal Frasier, you could have warned me this Jace guy was as handsome as all get out.’

CHAPTER 10

CAMILLE STAYED HOME and tried to sort through a

ll the arrangements that would need to be made if she was truly going to be gone for six months. Six months…she asked herself what kind of stupidity or desperation makes someone go to an area they know nothing about and where they know absolutely no one…not one single soul…and stay in a house that is probably not comfortable?

At this point, those were moot questions. The die was cast or whatever that saying was. She was going. She had spoken to her mother and asked permission to stay at her home. At first, Barbara was hesitant but Camille assured her it would be just her, no friend or friends coming along and she would pay rent.

Barbara’s curt answer was to be belligerent about the idea. “That’s not necessary, Camille. Don’t insult me by insinuating I would need your money.”

Of course she didn’t. The property was paid for and it was a shame it sat empty all the time. Initially, Barbara purchased it as an investment and thought she might like to spend some time there during the ski season, but she could never drag herself away from her social life in Paris long enough to do that. At least that’s the story she told Camille.

She did question why Camille needed to stay there. She told her it was a six-month project that she needed time alone and solitude with no distractions to accomplish. Barbara didn’t ask any further questions, obviously accepting her daughter’s explanation, if she even heard it.

Convincing Will had been a bit more difficult. She gave him the same story she had given her mother, only he had a thousand questions.

“Why can’t you stay here and pretend you’re away from your work environment and alone? I’ll even make meals for you and deliver them to your office upstairs if you really want to be reclusive. I’ll slide the tray under your door.”

She laughed at that suggestion, picturing it in her mind. She reminded him that she wouldn’t be alone if he was still there.

“Thanks, Camille. Thanks a lot. Do you really believe I would bother you if this was an important project? You don’t give me much credit.”

Exasperated at his childishness, she nearly shouted, “Will…think about this…I’m not talking about holing up in my home office for six days or six weeks. This is a frickin’ six months’ time frame. As in, half a year! Are you not hearing me?”

He raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, don’t get so testy. Go. Leave…I don’t care. What am I supposed to be doing in these six months?”

“Looking for gainful employment, hopefully,” she retorted.

“Funny, very funny. You never miss an opportunity to jab me with the monetary side of everything. You know you’re going to miss me, Camille. Who are you going to say nasty things to, if I’m not around?”