The Cougar and the Cowboy

“It was your mother’s house? It isn’t hers any longer?” he asked.

“No. It’s mine now. She died a few weeks ago and left it to me.”

‘Way to go, Jace. Put your big foot in your mouth. Maybe she came back to grieve and you come to attack her. Good job.’

“I’m so sorry. Sorry about your mother dying and sorry I showed up when I did. Please accept my apologies. I’ll go now and don’t worry about the article. You did what you had to do…it wasn’t illegal or immoral so forget it. I hope you decide to stay in Bozeman.”

Collier was on his way to his next job when he saw a vehicle in Camille’s drive. As he came closer, he saw a second one…Jace’s truck. Just as he began to turn in, Jace came around the side of the house. He walked to Collier’s truck and indicated Collier should roll down the window.

“Hello Jace. What are you doing here?”

“I came to return something of Camille’s. She’s on the back deck and if I were you, I’d go back there and talk to her. I think she could use a shoulder to cry on…maybe.”

With that, he got into his truck and left. Collier wasn’t sure what to do. He had no idea Camille was back. If she wanted to see him, she certainly could have contacted him and let him know she was coming.

CHAPTER 41

COLLIER SAT IN his truck in the drive for a few minutes, debating what he should do. She left without a word…not a goodbye note, not a text…nothing. Are you going to throw a possible future away because your pride is hurt? Be an adult, Collier.’

He stepped onto the deck and sat down beside her without saying a word. She was looking at the mountains in the distance and occasionally, she would turn a snow globe over and watch the snow fall. Neither of them spoke but eventually, she placed her hand on his knee.

“Have you come to chastise me for my actions, also, Collier?”

“No, Camille. I came to sit with you for a bit…plain and simple. I didn’t know you were back until Jace told me when I saw him out front.”

She nodded slowly and turned the globe over again.

“My mother left me this property and this snow globe. One portrays her wealth and one symbolizes her frustration with me when I was a child and…my entire life.”

They sat in silence for an extended period of time. He put his arm around her shoulders and drew her close. “Have you shed any tears over your mother’s death yet?”

“No and I don’t expect to. I didn’t shed any tears all the years I was a lonely kid and knew without a doubt, she never wanted me, so I don’t think one lengthy letter will change that.”

Collier didn’t know what letter she was talking about but he let it pass.

“The articles you wrote for your magazine…I assume you know or have heard that Maggie is certain one is about Jace and one is about me.”

“Have you read them?” she asked.

“No but I was told the one supposedly depicting your evening with Jace is pretty descriptive, for lack of a better word.”

“Yes, it is. I used our few kisses as an opener and then built the rest of it…all fictitious.”

“Why didn’t you embellish the one that’s supposed to be about me?”

She turned to him and without blinking, she stated, “I didn’t want to imagine what our time together would be like, Collier. I wanted to experience it firsthand. I wanted to live it, not write about it.”

“I’d like that too, Camille.”

Turning the globe, she told him, “I began living a lie the day I set foot in Montana. I didn’t tell you the entire truth about anything. Just as this snow falls and then needs to be turned over again, I need to turn over some things in my life. I want to tell you everything about me but not today, okay?”

“Would you like to revisit the place we went on my friend’s ranch? If you remember, it’s a perfect spot for talking and thinking.”

She nodded. He helped her up and put his arms around her. “Trust me, Camille. I’ll never intentionally hurt you. Can we go tomorrow?”

“Yes, I’d like that.”

He turned her toward him and kissed her…softly at first but when she put her hands behind his head and pulled him in, the kiss became more intense.