Cowboy Accomplice Part 11

But he knew that a cowhand could disappear down a gully chasing cows and the others could lose track of time while doing their own work. Any one of them could have sneaked back here and that's what scared him. Reggie had been here alone. Until she decided to take a walk.

Had her walk been a blessing in disguise?

He glanced at his watch, wanting to hear the whine of a truck engine coming up the mountain. Worry settled like a heavy dark blanket over him as he tried to imagine what kind of trouble Buck might have run into.

Reggie came out on the porch as he approached. Her step seemed a little lighter. No doubt due to just the thought of a bath. He was glad to see that the bear didn't appear to have come back.

"Here, let me help you," he said, taking the bag with who knew what in it from her and slipping her arm around his waist to take the weight off her sprained ankle.

They moved slowly through the thick green canopy of pines in companionable silence, the sound of the creek growing louder and louder.

WATER. Regina could hear the rush of it, smell it in the air. She practically ran when, through the trees, she spotted the stream pooling in the rocks.

She heard McCall chuckle next to her. Her excitement at even the prospect of a bath must show. She hadn't even tried to talk to him about the commercial on their walk through the woods. True, she was almost too tired to argue about it.

"There's a nice pool the right depth through there," he said when they reached the river. "I'll wait for you over here. Do you know how to sing?"

The question took her by surprise. "What?"

"Sing. If you sing, I promise not to look. That way I'll know you're all right."

He actually looked serious.

She nodded, more intent on the bath than anything else. If she had to sing, she'd sing. She limped toward the spot where he'd indicated and began to sing, "My home's in Montana, I wear a bandana, my spurs are of silver, my pony is gray." Those were the only words she knew. She hummed loudly, turning to see what he was doing.

He had sat down under a large pine, arms folded, his back against the trunk, his hat over his eyes.

She stripped down, the retreating sun warm on her back. She knew the water would be cold.

She kept humming, wavering only a little when she stuck her foot in the water and felt how cold it was. Wading out into the water to where a circle of rocks formed a deep pool in the stream, she lowered herself in slowly.

It wasn't bad once you were all in. She breathed in the damp, pine-scented air and dunked below the surface to wet her hair.

J.T. PUSHED BACK his hat at the sound of the sudden silence. He sat up and looked toward the pool.

She surfaced just then, coming up in a shower of water, her hair a dark wave, her back slim and pale.

"Hum," he called to her and leaned back, pulling the hat down over his eyes.

This had been a terrible idea, he thought, listening to her hum, sounding happy. After that one glimpse he could imagine her sudsing her hair, chest deep in the creek.

The ache he felt surprised him. It was pure s.e.xual. h.e.l.l, he was a normal, red-blooded male. But the desire to protect her was even stronger.

"Stopping humming to rinse hair," she called.

He counted to ten and was getting nervous, when he heard a splash. He waited for her to hum. Hum, dammit, woman.

"My home's in Montana," she sang and he realized she was closer than she'd been. She was no longer in the creek, but standing on the rocks directly in front of him.

He didn't dare move, listening as she sang softly, her voice growing nearer and nearer until he could smell her clean scent. Her damp hair brushed across his hand resting on his knee.

Still he didn't move, didn't breathe.

He felt her fingers on the brim of his hat, felt her shove back the brim.

He opened his eyes.

She had knelt down, and was leaning toward him so her hair hung down on each side of her face.

Her gaze was on his, bluer than his own eyes.

He let out the breath he'd been holding slowly, still not moving.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He let himself smile. "You're welcome," he whispered, afraid she would kiss him, afraid she wouldn't.

He sat up, determined not to let her distract him again. He had to have answers. Especially after the noose he'd found in the woods today.

"Reggie, I need you to be honest with me."

She leaned back, looking disappointed that he hadn't kissed her again.

"I have been honest-"

"Listen to me. We're a long way from the ranch, even farther from town, we don't have a way to get out of here except on horseback because the truck won't run." He paused, his gaze holding hers. "This is very dangerous, Regina."

Regina? She could hear the fear in his voice. It echoed in her chest and she had the feeling that something else had happened. "I thought Buck was bringing a truck back?"

His gaze bored into hers. "I'm afraid something has happened to him."

She swallowed, tears stinging her eyes at the thought. She liked Buck. He'd been kind to her. If something really had happened to him, it was her fault. He would never have left the mountain alone except for her. She felt sick.

"Regina, if you know what's going on here, I need you to tell me now," he said quietly.

She realized she liked it better when he called her Reggie. "You think I had something to do with Buck's disappearance, too?" She shook her head. "How is that possible?"

"You tell me. Is this really about a TV commercial?"

"Yes. What else?"

"That's what I was hoping you would tell me." Clearly he didn't believe a word she said. "Who did you meet in the woods last night?"

She blinked. "What?"

"I saw you meet someone in the trees outside the cabin last night," he said, sounding angry. "I heard you talking to him."

She was shaking her head. "Last night?" She remembered the only time she'd ventured past the porch. "I went to the bathroom."

"The outhouse is back the other way."

She felt her cheeks warm. "The outhouse was too far away. I went into the trees."

"Who were you talking to?"

She stared at him. "No one."

"I heard heard you." you."

She thought for a moment, remembering walking around out there barefooted, stepping on p.r.i.c.kly pine needles and twigs, muttering to herself.... "I was talking to myself."

"You weren't talking to Luke?"

"Luke?" she echoed. "I wasn't talking to Luke or anyone else."

He glanced toward the creek. "Did you happen to go in the men's tent for any reason?"

She couldn't believe this questioning. "No. Why would I?"

"I don't know. Someone ransacked the tent."

She stared at him in shock. First someone fixed the truck so it wouldn't run and now someone went through the cowhands' tent? Worse, J.T. was acting as if he didn't believe that Luke just quit without notice and rode out of camp before anyone else got up.

"You're worried because his horse came back," she said.

He nodded. "I found his saddle, tack and gear in the box at the back of the cabin. I think he just wanted us to believe he left. Or someone else did."

She stared at him. "Why would anyone do that?"

He shook his head.

"If something is going on here, it has nothing to do with me," she said, wishing he would believe that.

"All you want from me is a TV commercial?" he said.

She hesitated only a moment. "That's it."

J.T. had seen her hesitate. She wanted something else but he still didn't think it had anything to do with his cattle or this roundup. The way she was looking at him... "You promised you'd be honest. You want something else from me. What is it?"

"I want to learn to ride a horse."

"What?"

"I want to learn to ride a horse."

"I thought you were afraid of horses?"

She nodded, rocking back a little on her heels as she flashed him a knock-you-to-your-knees smile. "I was but after riding with you, I've changed my mind."

"If this is some new plot-"

"Isn't it possible that I might want to learn to ride a horse and it has nothing to do with the commercial?"

"No." He felt a chill. Dark shadows pooled under the pines, the sun gone. "We need to get back to camp and start supper."

Her disappointment was so acute and so clear in her face that he almost weakened. Rising, he helped her to her feet, wrapped one of her arms around his waist as he helped her back to the cabin.

"I think you underestimate me," she said as they neared the porch.

He hoped not. "You can take riding lessons when you get back to L.A.," he said, realizing that he liked thinking of her as a city girl who didn't fit in here, could never fit in here. It distanced him from her and he wanted that distance between them. She was was a city girl and she a city girl and she didn't didn't fit in here. It was that simple. And even if she did learn to ride, what would that change? Nothing. fit in here. It was that simple. And even if she did learn to ride, what would that change? Nothing.

"But what would be the point once you're back in L.A.?" he added.

"I watched you ride and I want to be able to feel that confident in the saddle," she said seeming to ignore his jibe.

He could tell she was still afraid of horses. Why the sudden interest in learning to ride? "I've been riding a horse since I was a toddler," he said, waiting for her to bring up the commercial. That was where she was going with this, wasn't it?

But she didn't.

Nothing about this woman should surprise him and yet it did.

"I could start learning to ride here in Montana and then continue with cla.s.ses in Los Angeles."

"Do they have horses in California, let alone enough open s.p.a.ce to ride them?" he asked facetiously as he wove his way through the pines.

"Have you ever been to California?"

"I've never felt the need to leave Montana."

"Well, you might want to someday," she said smoothly.

He didn't have to look to know she was arching one brow. He could feel the heat of her look and hear the invitation in her voice as clearly as if it had been engraved and hand delivered. And he cursed himself silently for kissing her earlier. Who knew what he'd gotten this woman thinking now.

"In the meantime, would you teach me to ride?" she asked.

"What?" He knew he must sound like a moron but keeping up with this woman was giving him whiplash. Would he teach her to ride? He helped her up on the porch and looked into her face. Her eyes were that deep bottomless blue he was so fond of. "h.e.l.l, no. What do I look like? An equestrian center?" But even as he said it, he realized it wasn't such a bad idea. She might have to ride out of here. And soon.

What would he do if Buck didn't return? He shoved the thought away. He knew Buck. If there was any way in h.e.l.l, the old foreman would be back.

"Did you forget that I have six hundred head of cattle to round up and get out of these mountains before the snow falls?" he demanded.