She kept her gaze on Grouchy. “You wake up each morning and know what you need to do. You’re living the kind of life that most people can only dream about. Half the time I lose myself in the hustle and bustle of the city. People aren’t as straight forward as they are here.”
“It sounds as though the job offers in Bozeman and Washington, D.C. could be good for you.”
“I think so, too. I spend a lot of time at cocktail parties and gala evenings in New York. Most people are friendly, and they’re there for a worthy cause, but it isn’t as real as living here.” Ashley patted Grouchy’s back. The old cat twitched, then went back to eating the grits. “It wasn’t until I started investigating The Reaching High Foundation that I felt excited about being a reporter.”
“You wrote some great articles.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you or Bonnie and Harry. It was a team effort.”
“Most things are. Even running a ranch is a team effort. Nathan has some interesting ideas about making the land more sustainable. He listens to what Sean and I think, then we decide what we’re doing together. There’s a whole team of ranch hands and suppliers working alongside us. It’s no different to being a reporter, except we aren’t followed by private investigators or interviewed by the FBI.”
“It all feels so surreal. I still can’t believe Jasmine hired a private investigator to follow me.”
“She was desperate to find out what you knew.”
“And to protect Congressman Welsh.” Ashley sighed. “I heard from the FBI yesterday. They’ve finished their financial audit of The Reaching High Foundation. Now that Jasmine has stepped down from the board, they’ve unfrozen their accounts. At least the staff will be paid.”
Matthew knew that a lot more would be happening soon, but he couldn’t say anything to Ashley. “Do you want to go for a ride after dinner? I could show you the Bison we bought a few weeks ago. Nathan’s hoping to grow our herd over the next few years.”
Ashley’s smile caught at his heart and made him wish for things that might never happen.
“I’d love to. Dad won’t mind staying behind.”
“He can come with us.”
“Unless Trisha managed to get him on a horse in San Francisco, he hasn’t ridden in years. I think he’d be more worried about falling off than seeing the ranch.”
Matthew stood and held out his hand. “You might be surprised.” Ashley’s hand fitted into his and he pulled her upright.
She overbalanced and stumbled forward. “Oops.” Her hand connected with his chest, branding him with the heat of her skin.
“Sorry. I, umm…”
She stepped away and his heart sank. He didn’t know what Ashley wanted from him, but he knew what he wanted. Her.
***
The next morning, Ashley woke with a smile on her face. She’d enjoyed every minute of her time on the Gray ranch and so had her dad.
Matthew had been right. Her dad had surprised everyone by deciding to go for a ride. They’d spent more than an hour on the horses, seeing the changes that Nathan, Sean, and Matthew had made.
The quiet solitude of the land reminded her of the times she’d spent on the ranch when she’d been dating Matthew. There was nothing more inspiring than seeing the sun set on the Bridger Range, or watching the evening shadows drift across the fields, cloaking the land in mystery.
She pushed the blankets off her legs and opened the curtains. The hotel her dad had booked was in the center of town. Tess’ café wasn’t far away and that’s where they were heading for breakfast.
Her cell phone blasted a tune across the room. Rushing to her bag, she pulled it out and smiled. “Hi, Bonnie.”
“You sound happy for seven o’clock on a Sunday morning.”
“Dad and I went horse riding last night.”
“You’re the only person I know who loves being around horses.”
“That’s because I’m the only person you know from Montana. It’s in our DNA.”
“True, but that’s not why I called. The youth center manager contacted me yesterday. Their building has been sold.”
Ashley sat on a chair. “I didn’t expect it to sell so quickly. The FBI didn’t unfreeze their accounts until two days ago.”
