Читать книгу The Wrangler's Woman - Ruth Dale Jean - Страница 7

ALL THE INTERESTING STUFF happened at the Elk Tooth Community Center.

The picturesque log structure at the edge of the little Montana town served as the site for parties and wedding receptions, political meetings and club gatherings, summer youth programs and holiday galas.

Tilly Collins, aka Mrs. Santa Claus each December for as long as anyone could remember, had seen them all during the past fifty years. But she’d never seen anything quite like the outpouring of woe on this particular occasion. And understandably so: a town as small as Elk Tooth could hardly enjoy saying goodbye to three of the most eligible women in the entire state of Montana—not to mention their always-ready-with-a-cookie-and-a-smile grandmother.

“Care for a cup of punch, Tilly?”

Mason Kilgore, the middle-aged photographer who also served as part-time manager of the local chamber of commerce, handed over a small paper cup. Tilly took it with a smile of thanks.

Mason shook his gray head in apparent disbelief. Sitting on the folding chair next to hers, he said mournfully, “I sure do hate to see you and the girls leave. I go out of town for two weeks and look what happens.”

“Surprised us, too,” Tilly admitted with a chuckle. “We had no idea what happened to the triplets’ no-account pa after he deserted them and their mother all those years ago. This inheritance came out of the clear blue sky.”

Mason grimaced. “I can’t hardly blame them for wanting to claim a deluxe-type dude ranch, but in Texas?”

“Even in Texas.” She nodded for emphasis. “It’s the only decent thing Wil Keene ever did for his girls.”

“When are you folks leaving?”

“Tomorrow morning. We’ve sent what we need ahead. Me ’n’ the girls will drive down pulling a horse trailer.” Now it was Tilly’s turn to make a face. “Dani wouldn’t go anywhere without that horse of hers.”

“Don’t blame her. That Appaloosa is worth a lot of money and she’s smart enough to know that.”

Tilly sought out Danielle across the crowded room. Oldest of the twenty-five-year-old Keene triplets, Dani was universally acknowledged to be “the smart one” of the bunch: the sister with the quick wit, the sharp tongue and the overdeveloped work ethic.

Dani stood near the punch bowl, deep in conversation with the middle-aged owner of the ranch where she’d worked for the past several years. Her brown eyes gleamed with intelligence as she nodded in understanding. Cute as a button, she wore the local costume—denim and boots—and she’d let wavy hair the color of chocolate fall free to the middle of her back.

Dani Keene was as pretty as she was smart, and her proud grandmother wasn’t the only one who noticed.

“How’s Toni taking it?” Mason inquired. “I know she’s been going with that Barnes boy, but don’t know if it’s serious.”

“Not on her part, anyway.” Tilly knew, but didn’t say, that Antonia had been looking for a way to let Tim Barnes down easy. She was known around this part of Montana as “the nice one” among the triplets, and this proved the point; she was too nice to hurt Tim’s feelings with the truth. She’d had no romantic interest in him from day one, because he wasn’t a cowboy.

Standing near the door, Toni give Tim Barnes an encouraging pat on the arm, her dark eyes distressed. There was a sweetness about Toni that everyone seemed to see at once, even before they noticed how attractive she was with her curly, light brown hair and pert figure.

Tilly glanced at the glum man beside her. “I guess the one you really hate to see go is Niki,” she announced, not guessing at all.

“We’ll never see her like in this town again,” Mason said sadly. “Our loss is Texas’s gain.”

Tilly understood his cheerless state. Niki had worked for Mason for five years, both in his photography studio and at the chamber of commerce office. Known as “the pretty one,” she’d won the Miss Elk Tooth contest three years running and she’d never even entered; Mason had entered for her. She’d probably still be Miss Elk Tooth today but she’d refused the title the fourth time it was offered.

Spotting Niki was easy, even in this crowd; she was always surrounded by men. Taller than her sisters, she wore her thick hair long and straight, cascading in a heavy fall all the way to her waist—and it was black instead of brown like theirs. She was the only one who’d got Wil Keene’s blue eyes instead of their mother’s brown ones, and where she’d got those cheekbones and long legs was anybody’s guess.

Bottom line: Nicole Keene was the most drop-dead-gorgeous woman anyone in Elk Tooth had ever seen, and probably the most modest to boot.

Mason stood up, his knees creaking. “Guess there’s nothing to be done,” he said. “I better go see if the wife is ready to go home. Good luck in Texas, Tilly.”

“Thanks, and good luck to you, too.” She watched him thread his way through the crowd, thinking that Texas was sure to be a great adventure. She only hoped her granddaughters would find the happiness and security—the love—that had eluded them in Montana.

THE KEENE TRIPLETS and Grandma finished loading up the Jeep Cherokee on a blustery Montana March day. After hooking up the horse trailer and loading Dani’s prized Appaloosa gelding, they stood for a moment looking nostalgically at the little house on the edge of town. They’d called this place home for as long as they could remember—since before their mother’s death in a riding accident when they were only seven. After that, it had been just Grandma and the girls all the way.

Toni sighed and shoved wind-tossed hair away from her cheeks. “Now that it’s time to go—” her voice faltered “—I feel a little funny about leaving this old place. Do you think the new owners will be as happy here as we were?”

“Absolutely.” Niki, managing to look gorgeous as usual without even trying, hugged her sister. “It’s just an old house,” she said encouragingly. “As long as we’re together, it doesn’t matter where we live. Besides, we’ll have a better home in Texas.”

“I suppose.” But tears sparkled on Toni’s lashes.

Dani grinned at her sisters. “I knew you two would get all choked up,” she teased, “so I decided to do something about it. Wait right here!” She disappeared around the corner of the house at a run, heading for the little corral in back.

Her sisters looked at Grandma, who merely shrugged. Tilly had no idea what Dani was up to, but had faith that it would be something to cheer their departure.

Sure enough, Dani reappeared carrying a flat slab of wood. “Take a look at this,” she said proudly, turning it so they could see what she’d written there in big black letters: GTT. Beneath that, in parentheses, she’d translated: Gone to Texas!

Toni frowned. “I don’t get it.”

“Because you slept through history class,” Niki accused. “Early settlers posted signs like these on their doors when they pulled up stakes to head for the promised land. GTT—Gone to Texas!”

Toni giggled. “I never thought of Texas as the promised land,” she protested.

“Well, it is,” Dani declared. “We’ve fallen into the lap of luxury, ladies, and all we have to do is go claim it. One of you grab the hammer out of my coat pocket and the other help me hold this sign in place so we can nail it on the door.”

This they accomplished with much giggling and horseplay. Then, flanking their grandmother, they stood arm in arm for one final look before piling into the Jeep.

“Gone to Texas!” Dani sang out as she turned the car and trailer south. “Hey, it worked for the pioneers and it’ll work for us!”

In the back seat, Tilly sent up a silent prayer.