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  “But if I have to, I’ll perform the C-section here, because there’s no way either of them would make it to the hospital in Laramie in time.”

  They both finished their water and went back to the mother-to-be, then, after explaining their plans to the distressed woman, Julie did an internal examination, then set about pulling and pushing the baby’s head into the down position.

  It seemed like forever, but, with near brute force and a very cooperative mother, Julie finally managed to engage the baby’s head in the proper position, and forty minutes later Trevor did the honors of birthing the baby.

  “It’s a girl!” he said, handing the infant off to Julie.

  Soaked in sweat and looking weak as a kitten, Mrs. Jardine smiled. “This one’s going to be as stubborn as I am.” Then she flopped back onto the bed as Julie placed her newborn on her chest and snipped the umbilical cord.

  He glanced at the women, wondering if Julie had had that same look of unconditional love on her face when she’d first held James. Who’d been with her through labor? Had she had to go through everything alone? He fought off that familiar sad pang lassoing his chest every time he wondered about his son and Julie, and forced himself to concentrate on putting his soiled equipment into a thick plastic bag for the return trip to the clinic. If only he’d gotten in touch with her after their first night.

  Trevor took one more look at Julie and the new mother, fighting off that unnamed yearning that had sprung up lately, then drew a long cleansing breath and gave a quick thanks for the healthy birth of this baby, and for Julie coming back into his life.

  “Mrs. Jardine’s kids are due home from school soon. I’ll stay with her,” Julie said. “But maybe Charlotte can arrange some child care for the tots before Dad gets home and while Mom and baby bond?”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Trevor flipped out his cell phone and made the call, and glanced peacefully at Julie and Francine as they fussed and cooed over the newest addition to the Jardine household. There went that yearning again.

  As his respect and admiration for Julie grew, something else wagged its hand, insisting on being acknowledged—animal attraction. Pure, unadulterated, gut-level physical attraction to the woman.

  This wasn’t how it was supposed to go with his newest employee. Hell, he hadn’t been the slightest bit ready to find out he was a father, but this, oh, no, this part of the equation—being attracted to the boy’s mother—wasn’t a good sign at all. He’d quit getting involved with women beyond physically for the past few years. So far, that approach had worked just fine. Not at all a possibility with a colleague, though, and especially a friend.

  This tugging on his heart and body by Julie Sterling was definitely messing with his logically thought-out five-year plan. Women, beyond a purely peripheral position, had never been added into the mix. And he couldn’t let that change now.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  FRIDAY MORNING, JULIE arrived at work smiling. She’d gotten to talk to James on the phone Thursday night and knew that Sunday she’d be able to see him for the first time in four weeks. She couldn’t wait to sneak a hug in before he could protest. He’d sounded good, but complained about being homesick. If she wanted the best for him, she’d have to stand firm and make sure he finished out the semester.

  As she booted up the computer in her office she took a deep breath, realizing she’d made it through the entire week without Trevor suggesting they have another “not a date” date. His solid voice carried down the hall as he talked to someone on the phone, sounding happy.

  She looked at her schedule of appointments for Friday and prepared for another busy day. This was what she loved doing: helping people, figuring out what was wrong and finding the best way to treat it. She’d felt meant to be a nurse from the time she’d made up her mind to go into the health profession, and knew the skills would always provide her with a job. Even back home in Cattleman Bluff.

  Thank you, Trevor Montgomery, for giving me this job.

  And speaking of Trevor—he’d suddenly materialized at her office door.

  “Hey,” he said, smiling, standing tall and looking like he belonged in a Western Living advertisement instead of a medical clinic.

  “Good morning.” She smiled back, unable to prevent it.

  “I just got off the phone with my brother. Do you remember Cole?”

  All she remembered, being that he was probably eight years older than her, was that he’d been the kid everyone talked about, especially her parents. “Look at this, Julie…” Her father or mother would share an article from the local newspaper with her about Cole Montgomery winning the statewide geography bee or participating in the National Academic Decathlon competition and being the captain of the team the one and only time Cattleman Bluff High won. She’d seen the trophy in the display case in the high school foyer, where it probably sat to this day.

  Wait a second, she also remembered something about an accident, a bad accident, and it had to do with the junior rodeo competition one summer.

  “Who doesn’t know Cole? Well, I’ve actually never met him.”

  “So this is your chance. He’s home for a quick visit to see the old man. Thought it might be nice to have you over for dinner tonight.”

  “Tonight?” There it was: he’d swooped in for another surprise attack. What was it with Trevor, always waiting until the last minute to make his move? Not that she had big plans, but she had hoped to finish up unpacking the house this weekend before she made the trek to Laramie on Sunday to see James. And until this very minute, she’d hoped he’d forgotten about their conversation on the doorstep last Friday night. After all, he hadn’t said a peep about it all week.

  “I know it’s last-minute, but Cole just dropped this on me, too.”

  She’d cut him some slack since the clinic had gotten off to a quick start on Monday and had never slowed down since, and evidently Cole had made last-minute plans, too. Must run in the family. But did this mean he wouldn’t have invited her out if his brother hadn’t decided to come for a visit? For some crazy reason, she felt miffed.

  “Wouldn’t you rather have family time together? Just the three of you?”

  Trevor scratched the back of his neck. “Well, you might think so, but Cole and Dad have a knack for arguing and, to be honest, I thought you might be a buffer. You know, put them both on good behavior with a lady present.”

  She had to laugh about being used as protection by big ol’ Trevor Montgomery. “Are you kidding me?”

  He shook his head, looking chagrined. “You probably think I’m a jerk, but, honestly, I meant to invite you out to dinner all week, just never got the chance.”

  “So, we’re still going to do that becoming unstrangers thing, then?” She’d unintentionally lowered her voice.

  “I think we should.” He’d lowered his, too, plus added an earnest-as-hell expression.

  She sighed. How could she resist that kind of charm even if it was only out of obligation? “So what’s for dinner?”

  Now he grinned and the office seemed to brighten by a shade. “I don’t have a clue, but you can rest assured that Gretchen will whip up something special for her favorite Montgomery boy.”

  Did Trevor inadvertently leave off the s in boys? “Who’s Gretchen?” And how did it feel to always be the second-best kid? Being an only child carried stress and responsibilities, but it did have a few advantages, such as she never had to wonder who Mom loved best.

  “She’s been our cook since Mom took sick—that’s years ago now. And she was old then, so she’s got to be pushing seventy.”

  “Well, I hope she doesn’t work herself to death on my and Cole’s account.” Half teasing, but a touch concerned, too.

  “She’ll love every minute of it, and you better clean your plate, too.” Now that he’d sealed the deal, his thumbs slid easily into the belt loops on his Western-style slacks.

  Julie was subtly taking it all in when Charlotte rushed down the hall as if competing in a speed-wa
lking event. “Dr. Montgomery? Alan Lightfoot showed up with a nasty cut. I think he’ll need stitches.”

  They made quick plans for that night, and Julie insisted on driving out to his house, then Trevor rushed off to see his add-on patient. Yep, looked like Friday would be the same as the rest of the week. Busy!

  Julie had offered to drive to the ranch herself, mostly to be able to make a quick getaway in case the Montgomery clan started tearing into each other. Or, in case being around Trevor got to be too unnerving. Who knew what to expect? But, to be safe, she’d be prepared.

  She grabbed the clinic laptop and walked toward the exam room with her first patient, wondering why her stomach suddenly felt a tiny nervous knot over an introduction and a meal that wouldn’t happen for hours and hours, and a big question mark about why Trevor had insisted she meet the family.

  *

  Being early March, the days were still short, and Julie drove slowly once out of town and on the open and dark roads of Cattleman Bluff. There were very few streetlights in these parts, so she depended 100 percent on the GPS in the small car she’d purchased with some of her parents’ estate money.

  With plains that seemed to go on forever and that were rich with the native grasses in this southeast section of Wyoming, the area was perfect for grazing cattle. But the expanse of land left a girl wondering if she might get lost and never get found if she took one wrong turn.

  Just when she’d decided she was definitely lost, she saw the lighted Circle M Ranch sign off in the distance at the beginning of a long and winding road. She sighed, relieved, then quickly took a deep breath to tame the jitters licking her insides over seeing Trevor on his home turf. Not to mention meeting his father and brother.

  “Relax, Sterling, it’s not like Trevor is going to drop the bomb about being a surprise dad to his own father tonight,” she muttered, fingers mentally crossed that that wouldn’t be the case. Nah, that wasn’t exactly the kind of competition a younger brother wanted to win.

  A minute later, still driving the entry road without a building in sight, she began to wonder if she’d made a wrong turn after all, and then around the last curve, in the distance, sat a sprawling single-story ranch-style home, a manmade front lawn complete with shade trees, and across the paved driveway, sitting farther back, a classic barn and stables. All spotlighted by perfectly placed lights along the yard.

  As she got closer she took note of the interestingly stained wood that fronted the house. At first the house looked more red than brown, like an old barn, but on closer examination the wood looked naturally bleached with red, brown, blond and even some greenish sections. She wondered if the floodlights made that effect.

  Smack in the center of the sprawling ranch house was a silo covered with the same antique wood, and the rest of the house seemed built around it, then down on the far end the roof rose up to a second story.

  Wow. She’d definitely never been here, and couldn’t wait to see how it looked on the inside.

  Trevor must have been watching for her because before she could finish parking he was out on the huge front porch and taking the steps down to meet her.

  “This is something else,” Julie said, getting out of the car. “I never got to this side of town when I lived here.” She joked, but, as with all jokes, it stabbed at the truth.

  “Yeah, we are out of the way a titch. Have any trouble finding us?”

  “No, but that Circle M sign about twenty acres back is a little misleading.” She understood his family owned thousands of acres and heads of cattle. This was what the Montgomery name stood for in Wyoming, except for the fine-print disclaimer that both of Monty’s sons had gone into medicine instead of cattle ranching.

  “Well, come on in and warm up. Dad’s eager to meet you.”

  Why? “Really?”

  He took her by the arm and led her toward the porch. The pressure from his firm grasp, even though over her coat sleeve, set off a warning. Don’t get used to this attention. It’ll never go anywhere. See to it.

  “Sure. He knew I was hiring. Plus I admit I’ve been bragging about you a little since you started working at the clinic.”

  He’d just paid her a huge professional compliment, which stunned her, causing a hesitation before she said, “Thanks.”

  Once inside, as he helped her shed the coat, she took note of his jeans and blue plaid shirt, and then the tooled dark brown leather belt and firmly broken-in boots. Totally in his element, he embodied a natural-born cowboy appeal, and Julie found it hard to look away.

  “Come on, let me introduce you to my dad and Cole.”

  Those simmering jitters in her stomach started stroking her spine at the prospect of meeting his family. He guided her into the living room that had a two-story-high ceiling. Huge and grand and very Western with a floor-to-ceiling rock fireplace taking up a good portion of one wall. There was a small staircase that led to a furnished loft and library toward the back of the room.

  “Dad, Cole, this is Julie Sterling, my new RNP.”

  “What’d I tell you about using all those medical abbreviations with me?” Tiberius Montgomery said, standing with the aid of a quad cane. “Nice to meet you, young lady. Thanks to you I’ll be able to see my son a little more often.”

  She wondered, considering Monty’s condition, if he ever got up to the library to read anymore.

  “You mean ride him hard and hang him up wet, more likely, Dad,” Cole jumped in. A slightly taller, darker version of his brother, he painted an imposing picture. Flashing dark eyes, his face all sharp angles and curves, oozing with character. Thick dark hair cut shorter than Trevor’s, and styled for a sophisticated big-city look.

  Then Julie zeroed in on the scars, one on either side of his temples, and a couple smack in the middle of his forehead above each eyebrow. They were the marks of wearing a halo brace for cervical fractures. So there had been an accident. Had it happened at the junior rodeo? The long-ago story was vaguely familiar.

  Mr. Montgomery had walked to meet her, no easy feat with the one weakened side and the heavy quad cane in tow. She reached for his extended hand.

  “It’s so nice to meet you, Mr. Montgomery.”

  “Oh, hell, just call me Monty like everyone else.”

  She smiled, took his hand and glanced into the old man’s eyes, the exact same shape as the ones she saw in both of his sons, but his were green. Though his face was craggy and worn, and his hair thinning and silver, the intensity in those eyes was still alive and strong.

  Next she officially greeted Cole, the bigger-than-life version of Trevor. No wonder Trevor had spent his life overachieving!

  “So nice to meet you.”

  “The pleasure is mine. And thanks for helping out my brother. He’s got a lot on his plate helping at home and running that clinic.”

  “It is a busy clinic, that’s for sure.”

  A short, plump woman with dyed red hair appeared in the arched doorway in front of the silo section of the house, drawing Julie’s attention away from Cole’s scars. “Dinner is ready.”

  The family cook, Gretchen, looked as if she knew how to handle a house full of men with her stern expression and sturdy schoolmarm shoes, and Monty dutifully responded. “Well, let’s eat, then.”

  To get to the dining room, they walked through the round silo section of the house where hardwood floors and Western antiques filled the space. With the amount of oil paintings hanging on the walls, it was apparent this section of the house was their museum. Imagine, a house big enough to have its own art gallery inside.

  It made her wonder if Trevor’s mother might have been an artist.

  Incredibly inviting aromas from the kitchen changed the course of Julie’s thoughts.

  If the little comments she’d picked up here and there at work from Trevor about Gretchen’s fantastic cooking were true, Julie was in for a treat. Too bad her tummy was tied in a knot.

  The dining room was long and rectangular with the entire outside wall made of fl
oor-to-ceiling windows. A rustic dining table long enough to easily seat a dozen people looked like it weighed a ton. They all sat at one end.

  As the plates of food got passed around, everyone starting by serving Julie first, the Montgomery men made easy banter about Cole’s flight in, Trevor’s ranching-accident patient that morning at the clinic, a man his father knew of and Monty’s ongoing in-home physical-therapy rehab—which he hated.

  Julie soon realized from the conversation that the man had been having a series of small strokes, TIAs, over the past few years. No wonder Trevor felt compelled to stick around Cattleman Bluff.

  Behind Monty on the wall was another oil-on-canvas painting of a lovely middle-aged woman, and Julie quickly understood where both Trevor and Cole got their dark, thick hair. It had to be their mother who had Native American blood somewhere in her family tree.

  Trevor must have noticed Julie studying the painting.

  “That’s a self-portrait.”

  “Is it your mother? Was she an artist?”

  “Yes.”

  “So, Julie.” Monty refocused the conversation toward Julie when the topic of his health issues and now his deceased wife came up—a man still in command of his castle, or ranch in this case. “How does it feel to be home again? Trevor told me you’re originally a Cattleman Bluff girl.”

  “I’m still getting used to it. I’ve been out in California for so long, my blood must have thinned. I can never get warm enough.”

  “Spring will be here soon enough,” Monty said, dabbing a piece of biscuit into gravy and taking a huge bite. “You’ll warm up then.”

  “How’s business, Cole?” Trevor asked, accepting the roasted potatoes and carrots from Julie.

  “Going well.” All three men appeared to enjoy eating, as they spoke in short sentences in order to shovel more of Gretchen’s man-style food into their mouths.

  “What is it exactly that you do?” Julie asked innocently, as, beyond his being a cardiac doctor, she didn’t have a clue about his business.