A Valentine For The Cowboy. Rebecca Winters

visit the mine, but it was much easier to shop at the store owned and run by Roce’s mother, where you could see the sapphires on display.

      Brianna’s thoughts were still concentrated on finding the perfect sapphire for her aunt when the large, two-story ranch house sitting at the base of one of the foothills came into view. When the Escalade pulled up in front, Brianna slowed to a stop and waited for Roce. He got out and walked over to her.

      She lowered the window. “Your ranch is fabulous.”

      “It is to me because it’s home.”

      Home. How would it be to go back to Marysville and find her parents there? She could only hope that one day she’d stop hurting so badly.

      “I’ll go inside and find Mom. Be right back.”

      “It’s okay. I’m not in a rush.”

      She expected to wait a while, but to her surprise Roce came back out in no time. “I just spoke to the housekeeper, Solana. It seems Mom decided to take advantage of this warm break in the weather and went up to the gem shop this afternoon.”

      Brianna smiled. “I guess thirty-four degrees in Montana in December is warm.”

      He grinned back. “Yup. Why don’t you get in my car? I’ll drive you and bring you back here. It’ll be easier than giving you directions.”

      “If you’re sure, that would be great.”

      “Of course.”

      She climbed down from the cab and got into the passenger side of his car. Her aunt and uncle had been so wonderful to her that she really hoped to find a stone that her uncle would be excited about to give his wife.

      * * *

      AFTER WORKING ALL day in the winter pasture, Eli took care of his horse and then left the barn and drove his blue rattletrap of a truck down to his house to shower and change his clothes. He made himself a couple of peanut butter sandwiches before leaving to pick up his daughter at the main ranch house. The ranch foreman, Luis, and several stockmen waved to him from a distance.

      When Eli pulled up to the house, he saw an unfamiliar Ford pickup truck parked in front. It could be someone here to talk business with Wymon, except his brother’s truck wasn’t around. Neither was the Land Rover.

      Anxious to give his little girl a hug, he hurried inside, but no one seemed to be about. There weren’t any voices coming from the front office. No patter of little feet. He walked through the foyer and down the hall to the kitchen where he found the dark-haired housekeeper at the sink, washing vegetables.

      “Solana? Whose truck is out in front?”

      She looked over her shoulder. “Roce came home from Missoula and brought a woman with him. I suppose they’ve gone up to the gem shop in his car.”

      Whoa.

      Maybe his brother had finally found the perfect woman to settle down with. He’d certainly had his share of girlfriends over the years. Roce had probably invited her to tonight’s rodeo. Their brother Toly and his partner, Mills, were competing in the team roping event. “Did you meet her?”

      “No.”

      “Where’s Mom?”

      “She took Libby to the shop with her. They’ll be back soon.”

      He checked his watch. “She’ll need to be since we’re leaving for the rodeo in an hour and a half. Are you sure it won’t put you out to watch Libby while we’re gone?”

      “Of course not. I love her.”

      “She loves you, Solana. Even so, I’m trying to find the right person to take care of her so you and Mom don’t have to shoulder the whole load. Libby’s my responsibility after all.”

      “Stop your worrying,” the housekeeper said. “We’re happy to help.”

      “And I appreciate it,” Eli said. “But I want you to know that I am looking.” Now that his daughter was fourteen months old, she was a real handful. His mother insisted that taking care of Libby helped her deal with her husband’s death, but it was still hard work and no one knew that better than Eli. “I’ll drive up there and relieve her.” He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge to wash down the sandwiches and went back out to his truck.

      After starting the engine, he took off up the road past the barn and outbuildings, but a great weight had descended on him. It wasn’t fair for his mother to be taking care of Libby when she’d already raised four sons and had found fulfillment running the gem shop. Though he was trying to be a good father and pull his weight on the ranch, his guilt about the impossible situation was growing heavier with every passing day.

      Sadness filled Eli’s soul when he thought about his ex-wife, who’d become too ill to raise their daughter and had suffered a nervous breakdown. He’d loved Tessa and they’d had a good marriage. Yet after the baby was born, she’d become a different person. He fought hard to keep their love alive and would have done anything to make their marriage work.

      When she’d said she wanted a divorce, he was shattered. The word itself—the whole painful thought of it—was the last thing he’d wanted to hear, but she didn’t relent. It left him with no choice since her happiness had to come first. Paying for it had been costly.

      He’d been saving money to pay for a woman to watch Libby. But it couldn’t be just any woman. She’d have to be a saint! Could there ever be a replacement for Eli’s mother? She was so wonderful with Libby, but it pained him that she couldn’t spend more time at the gem shop she owned and loved while she was taking care of his daughter.

      Before he reached the shop at the base of the mountain, he spotted Roce’s Escalade parked in front next to his mother’s Land Rover. He shut off the engine and climbed down, eager to take his little girl back to his house. She’d become his whole world.

      As he opened the shop door and felt the warmth envelop him, he saw his precious Libby in the arms of a shapely woman in a light-colored sweater and jeans standing at the counter talking to his mother. She had to be Roce’s girlfriend. There was no sign of his brother. Where was he?

      Eli couldn’t help staring. She had the kind of otherworldly gossamer hair he’d always longed to run his hands through. While he was still mesmerized by her, Libby saw him and called out, “Dada!” His brunette daughter started squirming to get to him.

      He moved toward her as the woman turned around. Eli was almost blinded by eyes that were the same deep blue as some of the sapphires in his mother’s shop. Libby reached for him and hugged him around the neck, breaking the spell that had held him captive.

      “All the light bulbs have been replaced.” Roce’s voice came from the back room. He emerged and gave their mother a kiss. “Hey, bro.” He smiled at Eli. “How are things going? Libby gets bigger and cuter every time I see her.”

      “I think so, too,” he muttered, caught totally off guard. “She’s my little cowgirl. Aren’t you, sweetie?” After kissing her cheek, he eyed his mother. “Thanks, Mom. Just so you know, I’m headed home. If you’re going to the rodeo with us, you need to be at the ranch in an hour.” On that note, he headed for the door.

      “Wait—don’t forget this.” His mother held up Libby’s little parka.

      He’d forgotten because he couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Eli reached for the coat and put it on his daughter, aware of the younger woman’s engaging smile.

      “Bye-bye, Libby.”

      He suffered another shock because his daughter smiled back. “Bye.”

      Their exchange trapped the air in his lungs because Libby had never said that word before. Once back at the truck, he fastened his daughter in the car seat and started down the mountain road.

      Eli knew he’d been rude to leave like that. So rude, in fact, that he hadn’t even answered his brother’s question