“What are those?”
“Cap guns. When I was little I had a mustang and played like I was Hopalong Cassidy.”
“Who was he?”
“Hoppy was a straight shooter and my favorite cowboy.”
His dark head jerked around to Tracy. “Did you ever see Hoppy?”
Her quick-study son was soaking up all this fascinating information like a sponge. “When I was a little girl my father had some old Western movies and we’d watch them. Hoppy was the good guy who always played fair. He had white hair and wore a black cowboy hat.”
“Hey—” He looked at Carson. “So do you!” Johnny cried in delight.
“Yup. I wanted to be just like him.”
Tracy smiled. “He had two partners. One old duffer was called Gabby, and the young one was called Lucky. I was crazy about Lucky. He was tall and good-looking.”
Johnny giggled.
“All the girls loved Lucky,” Carson commented. “That was mushy stuff.”
“Yeah,” her son agreed with him.
“Now we know where Lucky got his name, don’t we.” Carson winked at her. “I have a couple of old Western movies on CD, and you can see him in action.”
“Can we watch it tonight?”
“No, young man,” Tracy intervened. “When we get to the ranch, we’re both going straight to bed. It’s been a long day.”
“Your mom’s right, Johnny. Tonight we’ll load you up with one of those mustangs Hoppy used to use and all the ammo you want. In a few days, when I take you out riding, we’ll scout for bad guys.”
“I’ve never been on a horse.”
“Never?”
“No.”
Those blue eyes flicked to Tracy. “How about you?”
She shook her head. “I’m afraid we’re a pair of the greenest greenhorns you ever met. When I saw your dude ranch logo on the envelope, I never dreamed Johnny and I would end up spending time on one.”
His chuckle slid in under the radar to resonate through her. “With a couple of lessons that problem will be rectified and you can explore to your heart’s content. There’s no place like it on Earth. My grandfather used to tell me that, but it wasn’t until I came home for his funeral last November that I realized what he meant.” She heard the tremor in his voice.
He’d had a recent loss, too. Tracy sensed he was still suffering.
Carson broke their gaze and looked back at Johnny. “We have four ponies. I think I know the one that will be yours while you’re here.”
“Yippee!” Until this moment Tracy hadn’t thought her son’s face would ever light up like that again.
“You can name her,” he added.
Johnny looked perplexed. “I don’t know any girl names for a horse.”
“You think about it tonight, and tell me tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
Carson smiled at both of them before closing the door. She heard him cough again before he walked around the car and got in behind the wheel. Something he’d picked up after being deployed, he’d said.
“What makes you cough so much?”
He looked over at Johnny. “There were a lot of contaminants in the air in Afghanistan. Stuff like smoke and toxins. Some of the soldiers breathed too many bad fumes and our lungs were injured. When I got sick, I was sent to a hospital in Maryland for special treatment. That’s where I met Ross and Buck. We became such good friends, we decided to go into business together after we got home.”
“Oh. Does it hurt?” Johnny almost whispered the last word.
“It did in the beginning, but not so much now. We’re a lot better than we used to be.”
“I’m glad.”
Her sweet boy.
“Me too, son.”
War was a ghastly reality of life. Carson and his friends were some of the fortunate ones who came home alive. She admired them for getting on with living despite their problem, for unselfishly wanting to make a difference in her life and Johnny’s. What generous, remarkable men....
As he drove them toward the town, she stared out the window. With night coming on, the Tetons formed a giant silhouette against the growing darkness. She shivered in reaction.
Instead of Johnny, who carried on an animated conversation with their host about horses and breeds, she was the one who felt oddly troubled for being so far away from home and everything familiar to her. This new world had taken her by surprise in ways she couldn’t understand or explain.
Carson pulled the van in front of the newly erected cabin designated for the Baretta family. He’d asked one of the girls from town who did housekeeping to keep the lights on after she left. Earlier he’d made certain there were snacks for the Barettas, and in the minifridge he’d stored plenty of juices and sodas.
It had grown quiet during the drive from Jackson to the ranch. When he looked in the rearview mirror, he saw Johnny was fast asleep. The cute little guy had finally conked out.
Carson got out and opened the rear door of the van. His gaze met Tracy’s. He handed her the key. “If you’ll open the door, I’ll carry him inside.”
She gathered the sacks with their purchases and hurried ahead of him. The front room consisted of a living room with a couch and chairs and a fireplace. On one wall was an entertainment center with a TV, DVD player and a supply of family movies for the guests. Against the other wall was a rectangular table and chairs. A coffeemaker and a microwave sat on one end near the minifridge.
The back hallway divided into two bedrooms and a bathroom. He swept past her to one of the bedrooms and deposited Johnny on one of the twin beds. He didn’t weigh a lot. The boy was built like his father and had the brunette hair and brown eyes of his Italian ancestry.
He was Tony Baretta’s son, all right. You wouldn’t think he belonged to his blonde mother until you saw his facial features. Pure northern European, like hers. An appealing combination.
As for Tracy Baretta with her gray-green eyes, she was just plain appealing. Unexpectedly lovely. Womanly.
In the guys’ desire to make this week memorable for their family, he simply hadn’t counted on...her.
While she started taking off Johnny’s shoes, Carson went back outside to bring in the luggage. “If you need anything, just pick up the phone and one of the staff will answer, day or night. Tomorrow morning, walk over to the main ranch house. We serve breakfast there from six to nine in the big dining room. Lunch is from twelve to two and dinner from five to eight.
“I’ll watch for you and introduce you to the guys. They’re anxious to meet you. After that, we’ll plan your day. For your information, different sets of tourists are staying in the other cabins, but you’re the only family here at our invitation for this coming week. In another month we’re expecting our next family.”
She followed him to the front door of the cabin. “Thank you for everything, Carson.” Her voice cracked. “To be honest, I’m overwhelmed. You and your friends are so good to do what you’re doing. I could never repay you for this.” Tears glistened in her eyes. “From the time you met us at the airport, my son has been a different child. That picture meant everything to him.”
To her, too, he wagered.