Husband for a Year

“Are you injured, ma’am?”

“No. Just anxious.”

“What kind of a car are you driving?”

“It’s a dark blue 1989 Honda Civic.”

“Stay put. In this kind of weather you never know what’s moving out there.” Stefanie shivered, wondering if the man was talking about wild animals, like a bear or something. “We’ll get help to you as fast as we can.”

She swallowed her fear. “Thank you so much.”

When Gabe’s cell phone rang, he’d been riding through fresh snow in the lower pasture, checking to make sure there was enough feed for the herd. No one from the ranch house would be bothering him during this blizzard unless it was important.

He reined in his horse, then pulled the phone from his jacket. Another gust of snow forced him to lower the tip of his Stetson as a shield so he could be heard.

“Gabe here.”

“Gabe? It’s Marva. A minute ago the sheriff’s office phoned the main house. Apparently a woman named Teri Jones, driving a blue Honda, is stranded on the road near the gate to the ranch, but it seems all police rescue vehicles are out on emergencies right now. Since they’re shorthanded, the dispatcher wondered if somebody around here could investigate. Whom shall I send?”

His horse pranced in place. Every available stockman and ranch hand, including Mack, were checking for strays in the other pastures, making sure there was plenty of feed. Gabe realized he was probably closest to the main road.

“I’ll see about it. Keep the coffee hot.”

“You bet.”

“Thanks, Marva.” He slipped the phone back in place. “Let’s go home.”

He hurried back to the barn where he asked one of the hands to take care of Caesar. Within minutes he’d climbed in the Explorer. Fortunately in that short amount of time the wind had died down and the worst of the blizzard seemed to have passed over.

One thing about the early spring storms. They didn’t last long. A strong sun had been making inroads on the snowdrifts built up over the winter. Large patches of green meadow were springing up everywhere. He’d even seen some yellow primroses at the higher elevations, pushing through the ice. The sight had been glorious.

Still, the sun was nowhere to be found right now. He imagined the stranded woman was wondering if help would ever arrive. It was past dinnertime. If she hadn’t planned for an emergency, she was probably hungry and frightened.

The seven-mile drive to the gate through the wet virgin snow presented little problem. But after reaching the main road, he didn’t see a sign of a car or any tire tracks. Deciding to take a right, he proceeded in that direction for a couple of miles. When nothing showed up, he turned around and headed back the other way.

A mile past the gate he spotted a snow-covered vehicle, which had gone into the ditch headfirst. He pulled up alongside and turned on his hazard light. Still keeping the engine running, he levered himself from the seat and walked over to the car.

“Ms. Jones?” After knocking on the left rear window to announce his arrival, he climbed into the shallow culvert. With a gloved hand, he started removing snow from the driver’s window so he could see inside. Before he’d finished the job, the glass slid down.

“Thank you for coming!” she cried with undisguised relief.

For a brief moment his eyes glimpsed the profile of a stunning woman with short, glossy black curls. Combined with her husky voice, he was strongly reminded of someone else whose beauty had taken his breath the first time he’d ever laid eyes on her.

He thought he must be hallucinating until she turned to face him. The seductive floral scent that had enticed him on too many other occasions drifted past him.

Her makeup and earrings might be different, the brown lenses fake, but he’d know the bewitching lines of that exquisite face and mouth anywhere.

The blood pounded in his ears.

“Stefanie?”

“Yes,” came her terrified whisper. Beneath the makeup, her complexion had paled. “Please don’t be angry with me, Gabe. Please.” Her gently rounded chin quivered. “You have to hear me out! No one knows I’m here. Your secret is safe. I swear it!”

He was so shocked to see her, the meaning of her words didn’t register right away. All this time he’d imagined her in Paris, charming every damn male in sight.

His gaze followed the involuntary movement of her hand to her heart, drawing his attention to the gorgeous mold of her body. The black sweater proved faithful to her rounded curves.

“How in the hell did you find me?”

Even to his own ears he knew he sounded furious, but he felt out of control, unable to quell the myriad of conflicting emotions that were exploding inside him.

She moistened her luscious red mouth nervously. The color was one she’d never worn before. The sight of it on her lips was incredibly erotic. “I—I had you followed. But don’t worry!” she blurted. “They’ll never tell anyone.”

He fought not to erupt again, but it was almost impossible. “Who are they?” he demanded in a deceptively silky tone.

She swallowed hard, once again distracting him as his gaze studied the creamy column of her throat rising out of the material. No woman in the world had such flawless skin.

“A team of p-private detectives. I paid them well.”

“What’s this all about, Stefanie?” He fired the question before he noticed she’d been gripping the steering wheel to keep from falling sideways. When he realized how she was straining, he yanked the door open and pulled her out.

Obviously unprepared, she fell against him like a rag doll, leaving the imprint of her beautiful body against his, turning his legs leaden until his breathing constricted.

Though he knew it was insane, he found himself unwilling to break the contact. Without conscious thought he picked her up in his arms and carried her through the snow to the passenger side of the Explorer.

During their marriage he’d made certain they never experienced this kind of physical closeness, not even when they’d danced together at fund-raiser galas. Especially not then. Now he knew why.

For a year a fierce hunger had been burning inside him. A hunger he’d never dared feed, not when there couldn’t be a future for the two of them.

Not when she would never love a man for the only reason that mattered.

The discovery that the woman he thought he’d said goodbye to forever had secretly followed him to Montana had all the components of some fantastic dream. But it was a flesh-and-blood Stefanie he deposited on the seat before removing her arms from his neck.

Determined to get this over as soon as possible, he stowed her purse and suitcase in his car, then started down the road.

She darted him an anxious glance. “Where are we going? The ranch is the other way.”

“I’m taking you to Marion where there’s a garage. The sooner your car is repaired, the sooner you can be on your way.”

“No, Gabe!” Her body jerked toward him. “I—I mean, I need to talk to you. I had no idea the sheriff’s office would send you to help me. Naturally I’m very grateful it was you who came.” After a slight pause, “Now that you’re here, couldn’t we pull over to the side of the road for a minute?”

His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “It’s getting late. We’ll be lucky to catch the mechanic before he goes home for the night.”

“I don’t care about the car. This is more important.”

With a grimace he asked, “You’re not worried about where you’re going to sleep tonight?”

“I was hoping I could stay with you,” came the quiet response.