Love Thine Enemy

The cat chose that moment to leap into her lap. Cheryl jumped, startled by the animal. “Bonkers, you scared me to death. Don’t you get tired of attacking people?”

“Hardly ever,” Walter supplied as he came in with a steaming mug in each hand. He gave one to Sam.

Cheryl avoided looking at Sam or his grandfather. “I have such a headache this morning. I think I’ll go lie down for a while.”

“Is there anything we can do?” Walter asked, his concern evident.

“No, thank you.” She pushed the cat off her lap and left the room moving slowly on her crutches.

Sam watched her go and realized she hadn’t answered his question. And what had caused the dark pain that filled her eyes so briefly? Maybe it had been her headache, but he had the feeling there was more to it than that. She presented an interesting puzzle. One minute she was smiling and laughing, the next minute she looked like a scared, lost waif.

She’s not your puzzle to solve, Sam reminded himself. Don’t forget that fact.

After discussing his plans for the day with Gramps, Sam headed downstairs to his office, but he couldn’t get his mind off his houseguest. He admitted he was attracted to Cheryl, intrigued by her even, but he wasn’t a fool. For his own peace of mind, it would be best to remember she’d be gone soon.

He busied himself in his office for the remainder of the morning and worked on his latest project. He loved designing homes almost as much as he loved ranching, and he’d missed it since he came back to take over the homestead. In spite of his father’s and grandfather’s experience, years of poor cattle markets, dry weather and bad investments had left the ranch on the verge of ruin.

It’d taken every scrap of Sam’s time and most of his money to get the place back on its feet. This year, with the income from his breeding program, he stood to make a real profit for the first time in years. Enough to let the ranch survive.

That time might have come sooner if he hadn’t spent so much money building this house. He had used the construction to try to keep Natalie happy. And she had used it to dupe him.

Every trip she’d taken to Kansas City for the best glass, the right tile, the most unique rugs, had only been a cover to meet her lover, and Sam had never suspected anything until it was too late. It had been a bitter lesson to learn.

He turned his attention back to his design. Thanks to his former partner in Kansas City, he now had the chance to work for the firm again. The added income would provide a much-needed cushion for the ranch. A lot hinged on the home he was designing here. If all went well, construction would begin on the massive stone house on a hillside outside of Kansas City within the month. The only drawback was that it meant he’d need to travel to Kansas City frequently over the next few weeks.

A little after one o’clock, he put his plans away and headed upstairs. There was no sign of Cheryl, so he fixed a tray of toasted cheese sandwiches and a salad, then knocked on her door.

“Come in,” her groggy voice called.

He opened the door and carried the tray inside. “I thought you might like some lunch.”

“Um, sounds great.” She raised up on one elbow and pushed her hair out of her face. “What time is it?”

“One-thirty. The wind’s died down, and I’m going to ride over and check the cattle. I wanted to let you know I was leaving.”

“Be careful out there.” Worry tinged her voice and put a small frown between her beautiful blue eyes.

“I will. Besides, Dusty always comes straight home after work.”

“Make sure you’re on him.”

She looked adorable with her hair mussed and her eyes still cloudy with sleep. He deposited the tray and quickly turned to leave. Bonkers made a dash inside as Sam started to close the door. The cat jumped on the bed and began to butt his head against her side for attention.

She ran a hand down his back and he purred loudly. “I think your cat is beginning to like me.”

“I think you’re beginning to like my cat.”

“He’s persistent. I admire that.” She picked Bonkers up and rubbed a knuckle under his chin. A look of bliss crossed the big cat’s face.

Sam turned and stomped out of the room feeling ridiculous. He couldn’t be jealous of a cat. What he needed was a long, cold ride in the snow to take his mind off his very charming visitor.

Hours later, Cheryl sat in Sam’s living room waiting with his grandfather. Both of them anxiously watched the clock. Sam had been gone far longer than he should have been. It was almost dark. At the sound of the door opening, she and Walter hurried out to the entryway. Sam paused inside the doorway and set her suitcase down. He looked cold, tired and worried.

“Is everything okay?” she asked.

“I’ve got some bad news, New York.”

“Did we lose some calves?” Walter asked.

She crossed her arms over her chest and shivered in the cold draft. She knew the loss of even a few head could spell financial disaster for some ranchers. How many ranchers had been put in financial jeopardy by her family? She hated to think about it.

“The cattle are all okay, but your wallet wasn’t in the car, Cheryl.”

“What? Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

Walter said, “You look terrible, Son. Cheryl made hot cocoa earlier. Would you like some? I could make coffee if you’d rather.”

“Cocoa sounds great.”

Cheryl hobbled to the kitchen with them. Sam shed his coat with a weary sigh. Walter filled a thick, white mug with the steaming drink and held it out to Sam. He took the cup and sipped it. “Man, this hits the spot.”

He sank into a chair at the table. “I searched all through your car. There weren’t any tracks in the snow, so no one else had been in it since the snow stopped. Is it possible it fell out on the ride back?”

“I guess it’s possible—my purse was unzipped. Did you look around the outside of the car?”

“I tried, but there’s too much snow yet. Hey, we know we only rode along the highway and down my lane, so it’s out there somewhere. We’ll find it when the snow melts.”

“When the snow melts! When might that be?” Cheryl snapped. She couldn’t wait for the snow to melt. The longer she stayed, the more likely it was that Sam would find out who she really was. The daughter of a felon, one of those “thieving Thatchers,” as people in the community had labeled her family. Someone who had spent time in reform school instead of prison only because of her age.

It wasn’t fair. She wasn’t that person anymore. She was the “Steel Ballerina,” the darling of New York’s young ballet set. How would her fans or the press react when they heard she had been convicted of cattle rustling and assaulting a sheriff’s deputy? At best, she’d become a laughingstock. At worst, her career would suffer. All because she’d taken this stupid side trip.

“I can’t believe my rotten luck!” She shuffled to the far side of the room, narrowly missing the cat’s tail with her crutches when she swung around. Bonkers scrambled out of her way.

“Take it easy,” Sam cautioned. “You’re making me feel like I should take cover with the cat.”

“This is serious, Sam!”

“I know, but don’t worry. We’ll find it. Have a little faith.”

“Don’t worry? I need my driver’s license, my money and my credit cards. I need to catch up with my company before they leave Kansas City. If I’m not dancing by then, I’m out of a job for the entire spring. Don’t worry? I can’t even go back to New York. I sublet my apartment until the end of June because I was going to be on this tour.”

She was tired, her foot ached like a bad tooth and all he could say was, “Don’t worry.”

“What about your sister? Can you stay with her?”

“Yesterday was my sister’s wedding, remember? She’s on her honeymoon in Hawaii. I doubt the happy couple booked an extra room for me.”