“We
haven’t finished the game.”
“She can’t crow about her win until she cries checkmate,”
Morgan said, amusement riding high in her voice.
“Sure she can. Go ahead, ma’am, crow all you want. I won’t
take offense.”
“But I can’t until we’ve moved all the pieces. It’s wrong.”
“Move ’em, then. I don’t mind.”
“Why, I have an idea,” Mel said in her sweetest voice. “The Montgomerys
have yet to enjoy the view from the mountains. Maybe they’d like to take a ride
up there.”
“Hey, that’s a good idea, Melinda,” Jim said, flashing a
mischievous grin at Nick. “The views from up there, are they ever pretty. When
you get high enough you can see almost all the way back to Boston!”
“Upon my honor, Nicholas, you are the most vexing man,” Star
said, frowning at him even as a gleam entered her eye, the kind that did not
bode well for his comfort. “ And a surprisingly poor loser. Do you know,
Melinda,” she said turning to her hostess, “that strikes me as a capital idea.
I’ve only passed through the Rockies when traveling to San Francisco, and you
must know that a train moves along too fast for one to truly appreciate the
scenery. I should love to ride through the mountains.”
“I’m not a poor loser,” Nick interjected hastily, hoping to
drag the conversation back to the game. “You bested me four times and I’ve got
no problem admitting to it. Just don’t see any reason to pile on the agony, is
all.”
“You know the mountains best, Nick,” Mel continued without
missing a beat. “I’m sure you’ll volunteer to be the guide.”
Volunteer? Shanghaied, more like. Nick glowered at Jim,
whose amusement at Melinda’s matchmaking glowed on his face, even though he,
like all of them, knew that Miz Montgomery was dead-set on being an old maid.
She sure didn’t mind teasin’ a man with thoughts of the bedroom, though. Damn,
damn, damn. “It’s powerful cold up there this time o’ year,” Nick said.
“We’re from Boston,” Star pointed out reasonably. “We’re
accustomed to the cold.”
“What’s more is,” Nick added, “the trails are kinda rough
for ladies, ’specially in the winter.”
“Well that cuts me out,” Morgan said with a sigh, and shook
her head as Ward dropped a hand over hers. “Try as I might, I have never been
an adept horse woman.”
“That’s quite all right, my dear,” Ward said. “We might
return in the summer when you can ride without fear.”
Morgan lifted her head and gave him a loving smile, which
sent shots of soft memory through Nick’s heart—of his mother looking just that
way at Pa. For the shortest of seconds, it hurt. Then the pain evaporated,
leaving behind the sweetness of recollection.
“Might we?” she asked. “You know that may suit the purpose.
It would be nice to escape the city heat in the mountains. But we should miss
sailing, shouldn’t we?”
He shrugged. “Some of it, perhaps.”
Nick nodded at him. “You’re welcome either way.”
“Yes, but the views are also very beautiful in the winter,”
Melinda interrupted, glancing at Miz Montgomery in a damnably meaningful way.
“It truly isn’t all that dangerous if you are a good rider. How are you on a
horse, Star?”
Another tug at Ward’s mouth. “My daughter is as accomplished
a horse woman as she is a chess player. She’s a member of the Manchester Hunt
Club.”
Miz Montgomery smiled affectionately Ward. “You ought not to
brag about me, Father. You’ll bring me to the blush.”
“It’s not just the trail,” Nick pointed out, scowling at
Melinda, who blinked innocently in return. “There’s the danger of avalanches,
too.”
Jim shook his head. “We haven’t had fresh snow in a week,
and it’s been two since anything close to a thaw. Not much risk under those
conditions, ’specially if you steer clear of the steeper slopes, which you
would, anyhow. ”
Miz Montgomery raised an eyebrow. “Why then I suppose
haven’t finished the game.”
“She can’t crow about her win until she cries checkmate,”
Morgan said, amusement riding high in her voice.
“Sure she can. Go ahead, ma’am, crow all you want. I won’t
take offense.”
“But I can’t until we’ve moved all the pieces. It’s wrong.”
“Move ’em, then. I don’t mind.”
“Why, I have an idea,” Mel said in her sweetest voice. “The Montgomerys
have yet to enjoy the view from the mountains. Maybe they’d like to take a ride
up there.”
“Hey, that’s a good idea, Melinda,” Jim said, flashing a
mischievous grin at Nick. “The views from up there, are they ever pretty. When
you get high enough you can see almost all the way back to Boston!”
“Upon my honor, Nicholas, you are the most vexing man,” Star
said, frowning at him even as a gleam entered her eye, the kind that did not
bode well for his comfort. “ And a surprisingly poor loser. Do you know,
Melinda,” she said turning to her hostess, “that strikes me as a capital idea.
I’ve only passed through the Rockies when traveling to San Francisco, and you
must know that a train moves along too fast for one to truly appreciate the
scenery. I should love to ride through the mountains.”
“I’m not a poor loser,” Nick interjected hastily, hoping to
drag the conversation back to the game. “You bested me four times and I’ve got
no problem admitting to it. Just don’t see any reason to pile on the agony, is
all.”
“You know the mountains best, Nick,” Mel continued without
missing a beat. “I’m sure you’ll volunteer to be the guide.”
Volunteer? Shanghaied, more like. Nick glowered at Jim,
whose amusement at Melinda’s matchmaking glowed on his face, even though he,
like all of them, knew that Miz Montgomery was dead-set on being an old maid.
She sure didn’t mind teasin’ a man with thoughts of the bedroom, though. Damn,
damn, damn. “It’s powerful cold up there this time o’ year,” Nick said.
“We’re from Boston,” Star pointed out reasonably. “We’re
accustomed to the cold.”
“What’s more is,” Nick added, “the trails are kinda rough
for ladies, ’specially in the winter.”
“Well that cuts me out,” Morgan said with a sigh, and shook
her head as Ward dropped a hand over hers. “Try as I might, I have never been
an adept horse woman.”
“That’s quite all right, my dear,” Ward said. “We might
return in the summer when you can ride without fear.”
Morgan lifted her head and gave him a loving smile, which
sent shots of soft memory through Nick’s heart—of his mother looking just that
way at Pa. For the shortest of seconds, it hurt. Then the pain evaporated,
leaving behind the sweetness of recollection.
“Might we?” she asked. “You know that may suit the purpose.
It would be nice to escape the city heat in the mountains. But we should miss
sailing, shouldn’t we?”
He shrugged. “Some of it, perhaps.”
Nick nodded at him. “You’re welcome either way.”
“Yes, but the views are also very beautiful in the winter,”
Melinda interrupted, glancing at Miz Montgomery in a damnably meaningful way.
“It truly isn’t all that dangerous if you are a good rider. How are you on a
horse, Star?”
Another tug at Ward’s mouth. “My daughter is as accomplished
a horse woman as she is a chess player. She’s a member of the Manchester Hunt
Club.”
Miz Montgomery smiled affectionately Ward. “You ought not to
brag about me, Father. You’ll bring me to the blush.”
“It’s not just the trail,” Nick pointed out, scowling at
Melinda, who blinked innocently in return. “There’s the danger of avalanches,
too.”
Jim shook his head. “We haven’t had fresh snow in a week,
and it’s been two since anything close to a thaw. Not much risk under those
conditions, ’specially if you steer clear of the steeper slopes, which you
would, anyhow. ”
Miz Montgomery raised an eyebrow. “Why then I suppose
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