Montana Unbranded Page 2

  She hung up and spun around with an incredulous laugh, beaming. “Joseph’s here! His flight just got in. He was released from the hospital this morning and decided to come here for a visit! Can you believe it? Big-city cop from back east finally meets the Wild West!”

  Dani held the discarded wedding dress in her arms and watched while Molly shimmied into her skirt and pulled on her blouse, fingers flying down the buttons. She made another face as she zipped the skirt. “I won’t be able to wear this much longer, either.” She slipped her feet into her leather pumps and reached for her handbag. “Come on, Dani, you have to meet my big brother. He’s the coolest, handsomest and nicest guy in the whole world.”

  “You told me Steven was the coolest, handsomest and nicest guy in the whole world.”

  Molly laughed. “They’re the two coolest, handsomest, nicest guys in the whole world.”

  “He must have made a miraculous recovery. Just last week he was in critical condition and you were ready to hop a plane back east and hold his hand while he died.”

  “He’s a Ferguson, 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 a lot. I’m actually going up this weekend for the first time this year. I think the snow’s melted enough to hike to the forest service cabin I stay at.”

  “Molly tells me you’ve climbed every mountain west of the Missouri.”

  “Not quite, but I like to hike and mountain climb. How about you?”

  “We don’t have many mountains in Providence, but I wouldn’t mind climbing a few of yours,” he said, casting that grin in her direction. Dani wondered if he always flirted so blatantly, and she also wondered why she was blushing like a schoolgirl.

  “Joseph,” Molly scolded. “You’re in no condition for that sort of thing. The mountains out here are tall.”

  “I’m sure we could find a short one,” Dani said.

  “Just as long as it’s not Braveheart,” Molly said.

  Dani shook her head. “We’ll leave that one for you and Steven, but you’d better climb it soon or Luther Makes Elk might not officiate at your wedding.”

  “Luther Makes Elk?” Joe said.

  “He’s a Crow holy man,” Dani said. “You’ll meet him at Molly’s wedding, if not before. Luther Makes Elk saved Steven’s life.”

  “This Montana story just gets better and better. My baby sister’s been holding out some key information from her big brother.”

  Molly jumped up and grabbed her purse. “Come on, Joseph, we better hit the road. I told Steven I’d be home for supper.”

  Joe cast his sister a questioning look, and Molly sighed. “I promise to tell you all about Luther Makes Elk on the way to Bozeman. Thanks again for everything, Dani. I’ll call you tonight.”

  “You’d better,” Dani said. “In the meantime, don’t worry about your wedding gown. It’s going to be beautiful.”

  “It’s not the gown I’m worried about,” Molly confided as they hugged goodbye.

  “Everything will be fine,” Dani said.

  Joe shook her hand once more upon leaving, and Dani watched them descend the porch steps and walk out to Molly’s red Mercedes.

  She waved them out of sight, then closed the door and leaned against it with a sigh. Her hand was still tingling.

  So that was Molly’s big brother, Joseph.

  Wow.

  * * *

  JOE WATCHED THE scenic vistas roll past his window as Molly pulled onto the highway heading south toward Bozeman. Mountains loomed in every direction, walling off the horizons. He’d never been west of New York before and, as exhausted as he was, he found himself captivated. He also found himself wondering about Dani Jardine. Attorney, great photographer, down-to-earth and drop-dead gorgeous. What sort of man would walk out on a woman like that?

  “You’re being mighty quiet for a Ferguson, Joseph,” Molly prodded after a while.

  “Just thinking.”

  After ten more minutes of silence his sister cast another sidelong glance and nodded sagely. “You’re thinking about Dani. It’s written all over your face.”

  “Not me, baby sister. I swore off women after my divorce.”

  “I might have believed that two hours ago, but Dani’s smart, beautiful and has a heart of gold. I don’t see how any red-blooded man could help falling in love with her, especially after she fed him lunch.” Her teasing smile faded and her face grew serious. “Why are you really here, Joseph? You didn’t come just to see me. You would’ve called first, and Mom would’ve told me you were coming when I spoke with her last night. She doesn’t even know you’re here, does she? Does this have anything to do with Marconi?”

  He gave her a sharp look. “What do you know about it?”

  “Honestly, I wasn’t born yesterday. There’s this thing called the internet. I have access to legal search engines, and I tend to dig a little deeper than your average newspaper reporter. And don’t forget, I grew up with some of your friends. Rico always gives me the straight scoop.”

  “Do Mom and Dad know anything about Marconi?”

  “If they do, they didn’t get it from me.” She cast him a curious glance. “What did you tell them?”

  Joe shook his head. “Same thing the newspapers said, that I stumbled into the middle of a drug deal and stopped a few stray bullets.”

  “Have they caught him yet?”

  “Not yet, but they’ve got him cornered. It’s just a matter of time.”

  “You think you’re safe here?”

  “Marconi’s too busy running from the cops to be running after me. Nobody knows I’m here, and I traveled under a false name. The hospital’s keeping me on the patient list for the time being, stringing the press along with updates on my ‘guarded’ condition. I’m safe here.”

  “But, Joseph, we’re talking the big time. Isn’t Marconi one of the biggest cheeses on the East Coast, and aren’t you the undercover cop and key witness whose testimony will be sending him to jail for a very long time when they catch him? Aren’t we talking witness protection plan here?”

  Joe gazed out the window. He’d forgotten how annoying his baby sister could be. “Stop worrying about nothing and tell me about Luther Makes Elk and how he saved Steven’s life and why you’ve never told anyone in the family about this.”

  She drove in stony silence for a few minutes before responding. “Luther’s a holy man and he’s Steven’s adopted grandfather and...” Molly blew out an exasperated breath. “I’ll do better than tell you about him. I’ll take you out there while you’re here and introduce you to him. And if we go this weekend we might even run into Dani. She always takes Luther something when she camps in the Arrow Roots.” Molly cast him a teasing glance. “Just so you know, I think it would be perfect to have Dani as my sister-in-law, and you’d make one cool cowboy.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  DANI LOVED THE utterly luxurious sensation of waking with a start, thinking she might have overslept and then realizing it was the weekend and she didn’t have to jump out of bed and get ready for work. It wasn’t that she didn’t like her job. Estate planning was okay. Predictable. No courtroom drama, but she liked the law firm she worked for and got along well with her coworkers. Still, she loved her days off better. Loved planning her weekend adventures. Loved having the dogs pad into the bedroom while the sunlight laid banners of warmth across the bed.

  She pulled the goose-down duvet up to her chin and peered over the edge of the bed at her dogs and their questioning eyes. “Good morning, boys. No doubt you’re wondering why I’m lying here in bed when I should be up getting your breakfast, and no doubt you’re also wondering what’s on the docket today and what sort of grand adventures we’ll have. We haven’t been camping all winter, but I’m thinking today’s the day. It’s the end of May. The snow should be mostly gone in the mountains. We’ll hike up to the forest service camp and see if we can find Custer’s band.”

  She stretched like a cat under the covers and reached a hand to stroke the pair of retrievers, who laid their blocky heads on the edge of her bed and wagged their tails in unison. “You miss Jack, don’t you?”<
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  Their tails wagged faster at the mention of his name. She sighed. “I did, too, for a while, but I’m not sure why. He was hardly ever here. We were almost always alone, weren’t we? Nothing much has changed. It’s mainly been just the three of us since you were puppies. I know he really cared about you, and maybe he’ll come visit you some day. But I can love you and take care of you and take you camping, and that’ll just have to be enough.”

  The dogs heaved simultaneous sighs and Dani heaved another of her own.

  She’d stayed up past midnight last night, redesigning Molly’s wedding gown to compensate for the first trimester of her friend’s unexpected pregnancy, the inspiration for the new design having struck her after Molly left with her brother. She’d also thought about Molly’s brother a lot last night. Too much, truth be told, but it was the wedding gown that mattered, not Joe Ferguson. This would be no ordinary wedding gown. This was going to be a graceful sweep of elegance suitable for the red-haired Scots/Irish goddess who was marrying Steven Young Bear, the hard-hitting environmental attorney thought by many to be one of the rising stars in Montana’s political arena.

  Molly’s gown had to be perfect. She wouldn’t let her best friend down on such an important day, but creating the perfect gown for the mother-to-be would require a big investment of time. This weekend’s excursion into the Arrow Roots to photograph the wild horses might be her last until after the June wedding. Which meant she shouldn’t be lying in bed, squandering one precious moment of this fine spring day.