Forever Dreams (Montana Brides, Book 1)

Chapter Five

Tossing the salad one last time, Gracie put it on a tray and headed out of the kitchen. This time tomorrow night, the first guests would be arriving for the best barn dance Bozeman had ever seen. For the last few days every ranch hand, wife, and girlfriend had been working hard to get the Triple L ready for the big night.

Smoke from the barbecue stung her eyes as she walked through the French doors. She put the tray on the wooden table and passed Trent a drink.

"Thanks, Gracie. How was your ride with Jordan?"

The sausages and steak sizzled on the hot grill. "Spectacular, breathtaking, inspiring...and that's only for starters."

"I take it you're talking about the scenery and not Jordan?"

Gracie laughed. "If I told Jordan he was all those things his head would swell so much that he wouldn't be able to get through the kitchen door. And I wouldn't do that to him because I know how much he loves Adele's cooking." Smiling at the warmth in Trent's gaze, she ducked her head and fiddled with her glass. "In between admiring the mountains, we managed to find enough wildflowers to fill the barn to overflowing."

"I take it you're hooked, then?"

In more ways than one, a little voice whispered. "It kind of puts your life into perspective when you're sitting on top of the world, watching nature do what it's done for hundreds of thousands of years."

Trent nodded and turned over the meat.

Gracie took a sip of her drink. "I'm beginning to understand how you feel about the land. If I'd grown up here, I'd want to raise my family on the ranch as well."

Trent's mouth dropped open. "Be still my beating heart. Does this mean you'll marry a lowly cowboy?"

"No," she laughed. "Life isn't supposed to be that easy."

"You're a cruel woman."

She blew him a kiss. "That's what they all say." Thinking about his desperate bid to find a wife reminded her of the reason she'd come to Montana. Over the last week she hadn't had any luck tracking down any more J. Greens.

She'd even caught a ride into town with Jordan, convincing him to do a drive-by of two addresses she'd found in the phone book. He'd taken his beat-up work truck, sitting hunched in the driver's seat with his hat pulled low, just in case someone recognized him. He hadn't wanted to add stalking to his colorful reputation around town.

"I had a call from Gerald today." Trent turned back to the barbecue. "His mom's not doing as well as they expected. He's going to stay with her for another few weeks. He wants to know if you're happy to spend the first six weeks here and the last two in Bozeman."

Gracie held the cold can of lemonade to her flushed face. "How do you feel about that?"

"Fine by me. As long as you're happy?"

Gracie stared long and hard at his back. He didn't seem worried about living together for another four weeks. She'd almost been looking forward to going into Bozeman. At least that way she could get on with her life and leave Trent to find the perfect Mrs. McKenzie. Wanting to jump his bones every time she saw him hardly made for a stress-free living arrangement.

"Gracie?" Trent's back muscles clenched under his fitting T-shirt as he turned to look at her.

She dragged her gaze back to her drink. She really had to do something about her fascination with his body. "Okay, let's give it a go. But if I start annoying you, just tell me and I'll stay in town."

"Can I have that in writing?"

Gracie sighed. "I'll leave it on the kitchen counter in the morning. What time are you leaving for tonight's poker game?"