Lone Valley: A Fresh Start (Mountain Man Book 6) Read online

  Unexpectedly it was while he held the baby, thinking of how much she'd have grown by the time he got back, that it really sank in just how big an undertaking he was embarking on. Just how long he'd be gone, and how much would've changed in the lives of his loved ones by the time he got back.

  And what if he never did?

  He shook off his moment of doubt, kissed Dot's bald little head and handed her back to Fiona, then continued with his goodbyes.

  Things weren't quite as emotional with the ranch hands and their families, for those who had them, as well as the handful of his mom's guests visiting at the moment; Mother Kristy, as she was known in New Emery and the surrounding area, often hosted women who'd been prisoners of Sangue and were looking for a place of peace and quiet to get away to for as long as needed.

  She didn't see as many guests these days as she once had, after more than two years since the official end of the war. But there were always those who needed a break from their lives, and his mom had a reputation as an excellent host and shoulder to cry on.

  The ranch really had become a crowded and prosperous place in the years since the war ended. Skyler was fine with that, since he got on well enough with everyone there.

  Although it had to be said that he'd spent most of his life in more solitary circumstances. First growing up on the farm in Utah Valley, with just his mom around a lot of the time while his dad went out “hunting”, or more often scavenging in the fallout zone. Aside from the rare visits from friends and neighbors, usually the Hendricksons, and the even rarer visits to friends or to the nearby town, he'd spent a lot of time left to his own devices.

  His home after that had been the ranch, with just him and his mom and Trapper and the Hendricksons, and sometimes Brandon and Logan and Fiona. The visits to Emery were more frequent, and visits from friends more frequent as well, especially the women his mom invited to rest and recuperate.

  And Tabby, although back then with Lisa there she'd been just a friend. That is, she was still a friend, or still just a friend, but . . .

  Anyway, Skyler had spent a lot of time on his own on these slopes, or with Trapper or Brandon or Logan or Lisa. But it had always been just a few people at most, not this crowd in the green that threatened to engulf him with good-intentioned attention.

  Which was why by the time the first round of goodbyes were done with, he was in a hurry to retrieve Junior's reins from Trapper, mount up, and wave a last farewell to everyone. It was obvious some of his loved ones were a bit disappointed by his haste to get out of there, but he'd be getting hugged all morning if he didn't set foot in the stirrup and put his stallion's nose to the wind streaming down the valley.

  Also, the cowardly part of him couldn't help but point out, the longer he let friends and family delay him at the ranch, the more time a certain young woman might have to make an unexpected appearance and complicate things. And not the young woman he was setting out looking for.

  Skyler squashed that thought, feeling like a terrible person for thinking it in the first place. Although almost without realizing it he also nudged Junior to a faster pace.

  His loved ones shouted their best wishes, clapped, and whistled behind him as he rode up the flat towards the upper meadow. Molly and Thomas ran on the grass off to one side for as long as they could keep up, waving wildly, while Brandon strode along behind them to make sure they didn't suddenly veer closer to Junior's clopping hooves. Although both kids, even young as they were, knew better than that.

  If you counted fences and the like, it took a while to leave the ranch behind; Skyler was almost to the top of the valley before he felt like he was truly in the mountains.

  He led Junior out onto the broad, gently sloping meadow at the top leading to the cliffs to the northwest, where he'd saved Trapper and Gray against those Sangue riders, and the mountain slope that began the path to the bowl valley that had once housed Camptown closer to due north. Then of course, off to the east was the narrow canyon winding down out of the mountains just north of Emery, which the riders had used in their pursuit; there were a lot of memories here.

  Lot of memories.

  Skyler paused and looked back at the ranch below. Built on the ashes of the one they'd burned to keep it out of the hands of Sangue, twice as big and grand this time. Almost too big for this little valley, if he was being honest; the lower meadow was all buildings and fenced-in pastures, now, and the upper meadow not nearly big enough to accommodate the burgeoning herds of livestock. These days they had to be grazed deeper in the mountains, or on the rare green patches down in the valley.

  New Emery was similarly flourishing. The former refugees from Emery and Grand Junction had beaten their swords into plowshares, ie sold off all the weapons, body armor, and other gear captured from Sangue to buyers in the Northern League. Even with keeping enough firearms to protect the fledgling town as it was being rebuilt, the sale had allowed them a proper start.

  That was no small thing, when so many other refugees returning to their homes as Sangue was finally pushed south had struggled just to survive and rebuild their lives. Thanks to it, and the general goodwill the Camptown fighters had earned with the League, trading convoys came south on a regular basis to continue to bring prosperity to the booming town.

  The refugees had all been able to come home, the ranch and New Emery were doing better than ever in spite of all their hardship. But even with all that, even after Sangue had fled back into Mexico and the area was now safer than ever, the Hendricksons had never come home.

  Why? Hadn't they missed Trapper's valley, the ranch and the lives they'd built there? Their friends and loved ones?

  Hadn't Lisa missed him?

  Sunk into the same musings that had occupied so much of his thoughts in the last three years as he said a last goodbye to his home, Skyler nearly had a heart attack when a piercing whistle that would put Trapper to shame came from behind him. It didn't sound like his dad's, but was just as familiar, and his heart simultaneously sank and lifted at hearing it.

  Biting back a sigh, he turned his back on the ranch to greet the unexpected arrival.

  Sure enough there was Tabby, riding up the canyon that led down to New Emery. He wasn't sure how she'd known he was leaving at all, let alone that she needed to head him off this way since he wouldn't be going through town on his way north.

  Logan, probably, or more likely Mer; if you thought Fiona was on Team Tabby . . .

  His friend was riding sidesaddle, which was unusual for her. And the reason for it was even more unusual . . . because she was wearing a dress. Most of the time she visited the ranch to work, or more informally as a guest, unless of course Skyler's mom was throwing a party.

  Actually, she was looking awfully dressed up for so early in the morning to begin with. Truth be told, she looked like she'd gone to more effort to make herself look nice than she had for some holidays and parties he'd seen her at.

  Her hair was done up in some sort of fancy braid on top, that let it hang loose down her back in a golden wave that had been brushed until it shone. She was wearing her good blue dress with the white ribbons that complimented her cornflower blue eyes, and delicate riding gloves of the same color. She even had on her good calf leather shoes, which must've been a pain for riding since they didn't have heels.

  It reminded Skyler of that time before he'd gone skirmishing during the Mountain War, when they'd shared a picnic and he'd had to gently let her down and remind her of his feelings for Lisa.

  Which he had a feeling was going to be about how this meeting went as well. Although something about Tabby's expression suggested she wasn't going to be let down so gently this time.

  His mom had always called the young woman cute as a button, but that wasn't really fair to her. Tabby was inarguably one of the most beautiful girls in New Emery. Their friends always ribbed Skyler for being blind for not chasing her, usually with a bit of envy for how she didn't seem interested in any of them.

  But it wouldn't be fair t
o either Tabby or Lisa to make his friend think there was something there that wasn't. Or at least, something that couldn't be there as long as his heart belonged to the girl who'd left three years ago.

  Tabby had seemed determined to stick by his side even so. It actually filled Skyler with a bit of trepidation, knowing his friend had gone to all this effort to make herself look this good just to see him off.

  And the most likely reason why.

  “So that's it, huh?” she called as she closed the remaining distance. There was no heat in her voice, no accusation, but even so he felt a surge of guilt. Maybe because of the hurt, of which there was more than a little. “You were just going to ride off without saying goodbye?”

  “It was kind of spur of the moment, and New Emery wasn't really on the way,” he replied lamely, wondering who he thought he was fooling. But he couldn't bring himself to say what he was really thinking: I wasn't sure I'd be able to leave if I saw you first.

  Well, at least he had his answer there. Happy as he was to see his friend, and sad and guilty as he was to have to say goodbye, his resolve to find Lisa remained just as strong. He wasn't swayed by the sight of Tabby's beautiful face, her big blue eyes full of love and unwavering support, the obvious hurt in her expression that his leaving without telling her caused, which tore a hole through his heart . . . none of it made his decision any tougher.

  Who was he kidding?

  She reined in close enough she could've reached out and touched him. “So I guess you're really doing it,” she said quietly, eyes meeting his full of sorrow and a touch of controlled anger. “You're going off to find Lisa.”

  Skyler did his best not to get defensive at her tone. “I don't know why you're acting so surprised. I've always talked about doing this.”

  “And I've always told you it's a bad idea, and you should just accept that she's been gone long enough to have moved on with her life, and you should too.” His friend shook her head in exasperation. “Guess that serves me right for thinking you actually listened to me.”

  “I listened!” he protested. “I just disagreed.”

  Tabby made a frustrated noise he generously decided not to call a shriek. “You know, whenever you use that argument on your mom she says you're using Trapper's playbook.” Skyler just stared at her stubbornly until she took a deep breath, the hurt returning in force. “So let me get this straight, Sky. You always do what you think is best, even if your parents threaten to tie you up to stop you. But in spite of that, and the fact that Sangue's been gone for years, for all your talk of looking for Lisa you haven't actually left until now.”

  He hunched his shoulders warily. “What're you getting at?”

  His friend threw up her hands. “What, you think we're all idiots? That it's just a coincidence that you finally decide to go just after we celebrate your eighteenth birthday?” She snorted. “Skyler Graham's finally all grown up, and now he's going to find his lost love and go a-courtin'.”

  He felt his face flushing, trying to tell himself she was being unfair. But he had to admit, when she put it like that it was kind of hard to argue.

  Not that he was about to actually admit it. “Don't be stupid, that's not it at all.”

  Tabby looked like she was about to explode again, then just sighed and shook her head, looking almost forlorn. “Skyler, how often do I have to point this out? Lisa's been gone so long, by this time she'll have her own life. One that doesn't involve you. She's probably moved on . . . she doesn't need Lobo Solitario to come riding to her rescue.”

  Skyler's flush deepened at her almost taunting use of the nickname Sangue had used for him back when he'd hunted them as a skirmisher. “It's not about rescuing her,” he snapped, more heatedly than he'd meant to. “I've spent all this time wondering where she went, if anything bad happened to her out there. I just want to see for myself that she's okay. See for myself if she still-”

  He cut off, realizing that much openness would probably hurt his friend.

  But Tabby finished for him. “If she still has feelings for you.” She sucked in a pained breath, straightening her shoulders in determination. “I hate to be like this, Sky, but if you leave then this is goodbye.”

  Skyler felt a hollow ache in the pit of his stomach at the dire import of her words, although they were a bit ridiculous. “I'm going to go scour the Northwest until I find our friend, which might take years. Of course this is goodbye.”

  His friend closed her blue eyes, and when she opened them again they shone with tears. “I mean it, Skyler. I've given you three years while you've carried a torch for another girl. Waiting for you to get over Lisa and see what's right in front of you. I can't give you any more . . . if you ride away right now, I'll do what you were never able to and move on.”

  Ouch.

  An uncomfortable silence settled as he struggled to find a response that would show her how much she meant to him. Just, just not in that way. Or at least, not in any way he could express without betraying Lisa.

  Ugh, why-

  Tabby apparently lost patience with him, because she abruptly whirled her horse around, making to ride off. “Tabby!” he said hastily. She stiffened, but didn't turn back around. “You know I love Lisa, and I've never given up on her. I just regret we couldn't have what you wanted. You deserved better.”

  She turned her head enough to look back, expression softening somewhat. “Try not to get yourself killed on your search, Sky. Sangue may have long since fled back across the border, but there are plenty of other ne'er-do-wells out there.”

  Without another word she rode away, back towards the canyon she'd come up. Skyler watched her go, hating himself and how their goodbye had gone, but not knowing what else he could've said or done.

  The thing was, he liked Tabby. He liked her a lot. In a different world he would even say he loved her and would be happy to spend the rest of his life with her.

  But it wouldn't be fair to her. He'd professed his love to Lisa when they were just kids and she was about to ride out of his life, possibly forever. But whether she was there or not, his feelings for her hadn't gone anywhere.

  Maybe he could've gotten over her, maybe he should've, but he hadn't.

  And as long as he didn't know where she was, didn't know if she was still alive and there may be some hope for the two of them after all, he couldn't let himself feel anything but friendship for Tabby. Pursuing her romantically would be almost like saying she was his fallback love, second best, and it would hang over anything they had together.

  She deserved better than that. That's why he was going to go find Lisa, give that hopelessly romantic cinder clunking around in his heart the chance to come alight again.

  And if he never found his first love, or she'd found someone else already, well . . . at least he'd know. Maybe he'd come back and try to find a happy life here at that point. Although realistically, his search would probably take years before he gave up, assuming he didn't let it turn into an obsession that kept him from living life until he was as old and gray as Trapper.

  By the time he ever came back Tabby would've found someone else. Probably within a few weeks, even; his friend had no shortage of male admirers hoping for a glance their way.

  He hoped whoever she found would make her as happy as she deserved.

  That thought was harder to deal with than he'd expected, confirming that in the last three years he'd developed deeper feelings for the young woman than he'd realized. For a moment he wondered if he was being an idiot, if he shouldn't just abandon this trip and enjoy the incredible life that had practically fallen into his lap, if he just was willing to accept it.

  Then he clicked his tongue and guided Junior forward, towards the route that led to the bowl valley. He'd originally been planning to head down the canyon Tabby was using and ride north on Highway 10, but that seemed like an incredibly awkward idea under the circumstances.

  So he'd take the slower, scenic route through terrain he'd known well during the Mountain War. Tr
avel through his past as he made his way to his future.

  He was going to find Lisa, no matter what.

  Chapter One

  New Arrival

  Able Dryden paused taking his spade to a new furrow at a sharp, reedy whistle from the edge of his property.

  He straightened with a weary groan and turned towards the noise, relieved to have an excuse to take a break from the hard work of plowing a field by hand; never had he missed the tractor he'd taken for granted before the Ultimatum more. Especially with the knot behind his shoulder blade that had started acting up over the winter, sometimes making his arm go painfully tingly if he stood around idle letting it hang motionless for too long.

  Well, silver lining he didn't have many opportunities to do that these days.

  There was a man in threadbare but clean clothes dismounting on the other side of the fence, waving amiably as he did. Older, late 40s or early 50s, gray mostly done conquering the remaining dark red streaks in his hair and the stubble on his cheeks. The mare he rode was getting up in years too, although she seemed healthy enough. Her coat was freshly brushed, mane and tail carefully combed.

  “Trouble you for some water?” the man called.

  Able obligingly grabbed the jug he'd kept cool in the shade of a nearby fencepost. The traveler produced his own camping cup, so Able filled it up and then settled back, taking a few sips straight from the jug to cool off.

  His guest drank his cupful in several grateful gulps, throat working. “Obliged,” he said when he finished. “Name's Simon.”

  “Able,” he replied, offering his hand across the fence and returning Simon's firm grip. “Want more?”

  “That sets me for now.” The traveler had the sort of posture and tone that set folks at ease, helped even more by his ready smile as he continued. “Now if I had something besides grass to fill my gut . . .” He reached back and patted his horse's neck. “Bess here is eating much better than I am these days.”