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“What do you want, Holden?”
He sighed as he sat down on an adjacent rock the sun had dried. These warm days teased Montanans, giving them hope and quickly taking it away. He’d lived here long enough to know better and yet he wanted to believe winter was waning. He missed the color green, the smell of new grass, the hot sun lolling in all that blue above him as the cottonwoods leafed out and the air took on that feel that reminded him of days spent with Lottie in this very spot. But for now he relished in what little warmth the sun provided.
“I have a proposition for you.”
She laughed, turning back to him, her smile fragile and not in the least convincing. “I can’t wait to hear.”
“I want this war between us to end.”
Lottie huffed at that. “Doesn’t sound like much of a proposition.”
“We need to join forces.”
Her eyebrow rose. “What exactly do you have in mind, Mr. McKenna?” There was a teasing in her almost seductive tone now and a light in those green eyes that had been missing only moments ago.
“I think we should pool our money and buy the Turner Ranch together.”
She registered shock, followed quickly by anger as she rose to her feet. “I should have known.” Her lips formed a straight line, her green eyes glittering now with malice.
He hurried on even though he doubted she would hear a word of reason. “It makes sense, Lottie. You take the portion next to your ranch, I take the land along my ranch border. We both get water. We both get what we want.”
She cocked her head and frowned as if confused. Or was it amused? “We both get what we want?” She laughed. “You think I want the Turner Ranch for the land, for the water?” Her laugh echoed through the bare-limbed cottonwoods. When she sobered, she glared at him, no humor left. “I want that land and that water because you want it.”
Holden shook his head. “How long do you want to do this? Hate me. I can see that you do. But please let’s stop dragging our kids into it. No good has come from it. Can’t you see that?Weare the only ones who can stop this. We can rise above it.”
Charlotte shook her head slowly. “Such big talk. Such gallant talk. Where was that man all those years ago?”
“He was young and foolish. Now he’s just old and often foolish still. But the last thing he has ever wanted is for the two of us to be at such odds because he still loves you, will always love you.”
She brushed angrily at the tears that fell with that admission. He saw her swallow and take a ragged breath. “You need to get off my property,” she said quietly. “I’ve warned you about coming here.” Her gaze locked with his. “Next time, Iwillshoot for trespassing.”
“If the Turner property means this much to you, then you can have it. I won’t stand in your way.” He turned to walk away, not all that sure she wouldn’t make good on her threat this time.
“You know you’ve lost. That’s why you came here with yourproposition,” she called after him. “I’ve already won.”
He could hear the emotion in her voice as if it would take so little to break the restraint she was fighting to keep. He stopped to turn back to her. “Oh, Lottie, we have both lost and it breaks my heart.”
He reached his horse and turned to look back at her. She was hugging herself as if trying to hold her anger and hate in. He felt so bad for her, so guilty. He’d created this woman, this woman he would love until the day he died.
His biggest regret was that he had no idea how to reach her, how to ease her pain, how to erase the past so they didn’t have to feel the way they did until their dying days.
After mounting his horse, he tipped his hat and reined around to head home, his own eyes filling with tears of pain.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
PICKETTHANSONSTAREDat his phone as another text came in much like the others he’d been getting recently. He’d ignored them and did the same with this one. He’d put his past behind him when he’d come to Powder Crossing. It had been so many years that he’d almost forgotten about that part of his life and who he’d been.
He was a ranch hand on the McKenna spread. The thought made him smile because he was happy being that man. He’d learned to be good at the job even though when he’d started he didn’t know the front of a horse from the back. He laughed to himself as he stood in the barn doorway and looked out toward the river and the thick cottonwoods, limbs dark and tangled-looking like his thoughts of the man he used to be.
The day felt almost spring like. Was that why he was in this mood? He stared at the phone, wanting more than anything to hear from Oakley. He thought about calling her. Another text came in, this one more urgent. He killed it, telling himself if he kept ignoring them, the woman sending them would get the hint. He had nothing to say.
“Pickett, please can you teach me that one trick where you hang upside down from the horse?” said a young female voice behind him.
He turned, already smiling before he saw Holly Jo standing there all duded out in her Western attire. Like him, she’d come a long way since being dropped off here on this ranch. He was happy for her, knowing what a place like this could do for a person. Fresh air, horses, wild open land, a reason for existing.
“Shouldn’t you check with Holden first?” he asked.
“I did and he said, ‘You just be careful.’”
