Always Dakota - Debbie Macomber [21]
“I love him,” she stated simply.
“But I want you to promise me you’ll be careful about starting any kind of relationship with him.”
So Maddy was afraid Matt would take advantage of her. Margaret understood why her friend might react that way, but deep down, Margaret knew otherwise. She’d seen his surprised look after he’d kissed her. He hadn’t come to seduce her; she would have bet the ranch on that. Nor was she as naive as others, including Matt, assumed. Inexperienced, yes. Naive, no.
They sat and visited for another thirty minutes before the baby cried and Margaret decided it was time to go. Maddy collected the still-sleepy infant and walked Margaret to the door, promising to call in a few days.
As she drove back to the Triple C, Margaret remembered something her father had often told her. If you have a question or a doubt, go straight to the source. She didn’t know why she hadn’t thought of that earlier. If she had any questions about Matt’s kiss or his motives, all she needed to do was ask him.
With renewed purpose, she drove past her own ranch and headed toward his, pulling into the large yard. The Stockerts had been neighbors and friends of her father’s for years, but had moved when beef prices plummeted dramatically. The house had sat vacant until Matt arrived, leasing the property from the retired couple. He’d started out small, which was smart, building his herd each year. The house needed plenty of repairs and a coat of paint. But why should he paint a house that wasn’t his? Matt put everything he earned back into his herd.
Margaret parked the truck, then got out and glanced around. It appeared that Matt wasn’t there. She was about to leave when she saw him walk out of the barn. Once again she was struck by his stunning good looks—stunning at least to her.
Suddenly Margaret felt insecure and self-conscious, and she experienced those emotions as a physical sensation. She didn’t like the uncomfortable feeling that settled in the pit of her stomach.
“Margaret.” He touched the brim of his hat in welcome.
“Matt.” She touched her own.
They stood three feet apart with the cold drifting in around them. She supposed other people would gradually lead into the purpose of a visit, but she was beyond pretense.
“Why did you kiss me?” she asked, surprised by how cool and even her voice remained. The question had plagued her for days, had practically consumed her, yet she’d made it sound as if she was asking about the price of feed.
His eyes met and held hers. Then, looking discomfited, he shrugged. “I can’t rightly say.”
“You plan on doing it again?”
His gaze shifted away from hers. “What makes you ask?”
Wait a minute. She was the one asking the questions here. “Don’t answer my question with one of your own. That’s unfair.”
“There are rules to this conversation?”
“You just did it again,” she cried, exasperated.
At that, Matt burst out laughing.
Despite the seriousness of her concerns, Margaret laughed, too.
“You’re fortunate you caught me. I was out on the range earlier, looking for stray cattle.”
“We’ve had a lot of rain lately.” They both knew what that meant. The wet weather could bring about symptoms of bloat in the calves; they required careful watching.
As it happened, Matt had brought a sick calf into the barn and before long, Margaret was down on her knees, checking him over.
“What do you think?” he asked.
If Margaret knew anything, it was cattle. “I’d get the vet out here if you hope to save him.”
Matt nodded gravely. “I already put in a call to Doc Lenz in Devils Lake, but he said there’s not much he could do that I haven’t already done.”
Talking softly to the sick calf, Margaret stroked his sleek neck. Hardened rancher or not, she hated to see anything suffer. She comforted the calf as it lay dying, tears springing to her eyes. She continued to stroke the calf’s face long after it was gone. When she realized Matt was watching her, she got abruptly to her feet and glanced at her watch. “I’d better go home.”
He stood, too. “I’ll walk you out.”
They strolled