Montana Unbranded. Nadia Nichols

tough as they come. It’ll take more than a few bullets to keep Joseph down. Come on, he’s waiting!”

      Dani shook her head. “You two have a lot of catching up to do, and I should stay here and get to work on this gown.”

      Molly took the gown from her and tossed it over the nearest chair. “You’ve got a whole month to figure out how you’re going to alter the dress. I want you to meet my brother. Now that Jack’s out of the picture, I think Joseph would be perfect for you. You’ll get along great. And so you know, he’s unbranded, just like those wild horses you dote on. Doesn’t belong to anyone. Footloose and fancy-free. Let’s take him to our favorite deli for lunch. Like you said, I’m eating for two now.”

      * * *

      TEN MINUTES LATER Molly was circling her bright red Mercedes sedan past the terminal looking for a place to pull over and park. She huddled over the wheel, scowling with impatience. “I’ve never seen so much traffic at this airport. I can’t double-park—I’ll get a ticket for sure. Dani, jump out here, run inside the terminal and bring him out, would you? He’ll be at the Delta gate and he already knows you look just like Julia Ormond in Legends of the Fall—I’ve told him a dozen times.”

      “What does Joseph look like?”

      “He’s tall, dark and handsome, a rugged Tom Cruise type, you can’t miss him, and he always wears a dark leather jacket and looks a little dangerous.”

      “Does he have red hair like yours?”

      “No, I’m the only one in the family who was cursed with that. Quick, get out, I’m holding up traffic. I’ll drive around again and pick you up.”

      Dani obeyed reluctantly. She entered the terminal and headed toward the Delta gate, where she spotted Joseph easily, seated in a corner chair just outside the gate, back to the wall, forearms resting on denim-clad knees, hands holding a paperback. Head down, reading. Dark glossy hair. Dark leather jacket. Had to be him.

      “Joseph?” He glanced up from the paperback and she felt a jolt clear to her soul. Dark eyes, sharp and wary, measured her in a split second and deemed her safe. “I’m Dani Jardine, Molly’s friend. She sent me in to find you because she had to stay with the car—there’s no place to park.”

      He stood and shoved the book into his jacket pocket. “The name’s Joe,” he said, extending his hand. “Molly’s the only one in the family who calls me Joseph.” His handshake was warm and firm.

      “Do you have any luggage?”

      He shook his head. “Spur of the moment trip.”

      They exited the terminal together and stood at the curb. Dani was relieved when the red Mercedes appeared almost instantly. Molly slowed as she drew abreast of them and then stopped abruptly with a chirp of brakes. She jumped out, leaving her door ajar and ignoring the driver behind who laid on his horn. She raced toward her brother. “Joseph! Sweet Mary, Mother of... What have they done to you? Oh, Joseph, you look like death warmed over.” She plastered herself against him and burst into tears.

      “I’ll move the car,” Dani offered, and beat a hasty retreat to the driver’s side, slamming the door and pulling ahead of the stopped traffic. She drove around the circuit, and by the time she drew near the terminal again, Molly and her brother were ready and waiting. She double-parked, brother and sister climbed aboard and she drove off.

      Molly sat in the back and made Joseph sit in the front. “There’s more leg room,” she explained, and she blew her nose as Dani pulled back into traffic. “I can’t believe they let you out of the hospital, Joseph. Mom said you were much better. She lied!”

      Joe hitched himself carefully sideways to look at his sister. “I’m just tired, that’s all. It’s a long flight to the Wild West. Where’s this deli you were talking about?”

      “I bought a rotisserie chicken for dinner last night. How about we go to my place and I’ll fix us chicken sandwiches,” Dani said, wondering just how much more activity Joe was up for, considering the injury he was still recovering from and the journey he’d just made.

      Molly dabbed at her eyes and blew her nose again. “I think that’s a much better idea, if you’re sure it’s no trouble, Dani.”

      But of course it turned out to be big trouble, because Dani hadn’t considered the fact that she’d not done any real grocery shopping since Jack moved out. She had no bread, no lettuce, no mayonnaise and nothing to drink except tea, but Molly was too distraught to notice and her brother was too polite to do anything but thank her for the cup of hot tea she handed him, along with half the cold chicken sliced and arranged as artfully on the plate as she could manage, with a garnish of two dill pickles, one on each side of the plate. “Do you take sugar in your tea?” she asked.

      “No, thanks, this is fine,” he said. He sat at her kitchen table and deftly kept her two golden retrievers at bay while he ate. “Thank you, that was great, way better than hospital food,” he said after finishing off all of the chicken, both pickles and his second cup of Earl Grey. “Eat up, Molly.”

      “I am eating.” Molly’s eyes were red-rimmed from crying.

      “No, you’re not. You haven’t touched a thing,” he chided. “What’re your dog’s names?” This he asked of Dani, who was nibbling on a chicken wing with about as much appetite as Molly.

      “Winchester and Remington.” She smiled at his expression. “Jack liked to duck hunt.”

      “Jack?”

      “My ex. He left me his dogs when he moved out, but I’m not complaining. They’re great company, better than Jack ever was.”

      He grinned at her words, and all at once Dani saw what Molly had been talking about. Take away the hospital pallor and the shadows beneath those wary eyes, add about ten pounds and Joseph Ferguson became the handsome brother Molly had bragged about. Not handsome the way Jack had been handsome. Not smooth, well-groomed, airline-captain handsome. More of a tough, streetwise and dangerous handsome. “I’ve heard dogs tend to be better company than most people,” he said.

      “They go everywhere with me, except to work. Jack got them as eight-week-old pups, siblings, after we moved in together, but he’s an airline pilot and was gone most of the time. I think that’s the only reason he hung around so long, because he loved the dogs.”

      “I find that a little hard to believe,” he said, and Dani felt her cheeks warm.

      “Molly tells me you live in Providence,” she said, changing the subject. “That’s a big city compared to here.”

      “It’s bigger, all right, but not nearly as good-looking.” He grinned that crooked grin again and Dani was completely disarmed.

      “You’ll love it here, Joseph. You won’t want to go back to that smelly old city,” Molly said. “Besides, you can’t, at least not for a while. My wedding’s in less than a month, and from the looks of you, you’ll need at least a month of Montana living to get you back on your feet. Maybe little Fergie can come out early and stay with you. I haven’t seen him since last year and I bet he’s growing like a weed. It would do the two of you good to spend some time together out here.”

      “I’ve never taken a month of vacation time all at once, but right about now that sounds pretty good.” He pushed out of his chair. “Thanks for the lunch, Dani.”

      “You’re welcome. It’s nice to finally meet you, Joseph.”

      “Joe,” he said, wandering into the living room, flanked by both dogs. “Did you take these photos?”

      He was studying the gallery of prints she’d hung on her living room wall. “Yes,” she replied.

      “They’re really good. You obviously like horses.”

      “These shots are of the wild horse band in the Arrow Root Mountains. I’m documenting them for the Wild Horse Foundation, so I camp there