Forever My Cowboy

by June Faver

  “That’s for damned sure.” Cade looked dazed. “So, what do you think, Jennifer? We should go ahead and list the property to sell to the highest bidder?”

  “Um, well, I guess so, but—”

  “Fine,” Breck said. “I’ll get in touch with the broker on Monday and get the ball rolling. You’re making a good decision, for the present and for the future.”

  Jenn nodded absently. She was being promised huge bucks and wouldn’t have to worry about how to support the children…ever.

  Breck leaned forward, looking each of them in the eye. “Well, if you’re both agreed, I can contact the broker and set up a listing contract for you to sign. I would think the offers will come pouring in quickly.”

  “Hot dang!” Cade said. “We might as well get it over with, right, Jennifer?”

  She nodded, her stomach caught in a tight clench. “Yeah, right.” She felt as though she had been dealt a physical blow. As she left Breck’s office, she took long, slow breaths. Let it go. Let it all go.

  Cade, on the other hand, was elated. He couldn’t stop grinning. When they were on the sidewalk, he let out a little whoop of pleasure. “That’s about the best news we could get. The kids will be set for life.”

  “Um, yeah…for life.” She didn’t know what was wrong with her. She should be elated. She stepped down off the sidewalk and almost fell. She flailed her arms like a windmill and grabbed for the front of the truck. She had twisted her ankle and broken the heel off her shoe. “Guh-rate! Just what I needed.”

  Cade stepped down to steady her. “Are you hurt?”

  She huffed out a sigh. “Only my pride…”

  Cade helped her up into the passenger seat.

  She slipped off the remains of her shoe and examined the heel, hanging on one side by a few threads.

  Cade climbed into the driver’s seat and started the motor. “It’s a little early for lunch. I need to stop at Sunny’s Western Wear.”

  “Sure,” she said, aware that she sounded grumpy as she cradled her broken shoe in her arms.

  He stopped the truck two blocks away and climbed out.

  “I’ll just wait here,” she said as he opened her door.

  “Nope. Not gonna happen.” He unhooked her seat belt and scooped her out of the truck.

  Jenn grabbed Cade’s neck, almost decking him with her stiletto. “No, I could wait for you.”

  “Nope. I need you inside.” He stomped up the steps and into the store.

  She glanced around, seeing a store filled with Western shirts, cowboy hats, boots, and a whole wall of jeans. There were racks of hand-tooled leather belts and, of course, boots.

  A big cowboy with a belly protruding over his large belt buckle ambled over to help them. “Whut kin ah dew fer yew?”

  “She needs everything,” Cade said.

  “Oh, for goodness’ sake. I do not need everything.” She frowned at Cade, who completely ignored her protests.

  The big guy grinned and turned, gesturing for them to follow. “Start at the top or at the bottom?”

  “Bottom,” Cade said. “Here. This is her shoe size.”

  The big guy reached for her stiletto, but she clasped it to her bosom. “No! I wear a size seven.”

  “She needs socks, boots, blue jeans, a belt, and some tops.”

  “We got ladies’ underwear too,” the man said.

  “Oh hell no!” Jenn glowered at him, which was largely ineffective as she was being carried to the back of the store.

  “Here we go.” Cade set her on her feet…well, on one foot and one shoe.

  “What are we doing here?” she demanded.

  “Jennifer, you need to adapt to your environment. I hope you’re gonna stay here forever, but you dress like you’re going to a fancy dress ball. This is Langston, Texas. And I’m taking you to the Eagles Hall tomorrow night…and we’re gonna dance.” His laser-blue eyes penetrated all her defenses.

  “I see.” She backed off her annoyance, suddenly realizing that Cade was sincerely trying to solve one of her problems. She had nothing to wear.

  “So, Freddie here”—he gestured to the big guy—“is gonna help you find a good pair of boots that you like. Make sure they’re comfortable because we’re gonna dance the soles off your brand-new boots tomorrow night.” A flash of dimples softened his words.

  Jenn swallowed hard. “Okay,” she breathed.

  What followed was an onslaught of offerings displayed for her pleasure. Boots in brown and black. Boots with colorful stitching and boots with flowers and butterflies.

  At first she thought the boots were clunky and unattractive, but most were very comfortable and looked remarkably good on her long, slim legs, even with a dress. In the end, she settled on basic black with a squared-off toe.

  Cade then insisted she try on jeans and tops.

  She had to admit she was having fun with this country fashion show. It was a whole new look for her. The jeans she liked were Lees, and they made her butt look stellar.

  Cade was grinning. “I must say, Miss Jennifer, you’re looking mighty fine all dressed up in your Western wear.”

  Jenn drew in a breath. Cade’s admiration made her chest swell with pride. “And all this is just so I don’t embarrass you at the Eagles Hall tomorrow night?”

  Cade’s dimples flashed. “Aw, honey. I’m always proud to be seen in your company. I just thought you would be more comfortable…” He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. “And to be fair, I have been known to step on my dance partner’s feet…so be forewarned.”

  Jenn gave him a coy smile. “Why, Cade Garrett. I cannot believe you would mangle my tootsies.”

  “Those boots should keep you safe.”

  She glanced down at the shiny black leather. “Good to know.”

  When they left the store, Jenn was wearing her new cowboy boots with her dress, and Cade had an armload of packages.

  They dropped her broken shoe at the local shoe repair shop, where Jenn asked the owner to have them ready for her to wear the following Sunday.

  * * *

  On Saturday morning, Jenn loaded both children into the car and drove out to the airfield. She knew that she could have called Cade and he would have been happy to accompany them, but she wanted to get the feel of the place without any pressure from him. He seemed anxious to sell the property, and she was unsure if this was the best move. It was probably just guilt over the idea of selling off the property that Jason had worked so hard to build. She felt as though she would be betraying him if she shirked her responsibility. If there was a way to manage the facility, she thought that she should be strong enough to take it on.

  Now she sat in the car with both children strapped into their car seats behind her. She stared at the office, feeling totally inept. How could she have thought that she was up to this task?

  Jenn heaved a huge sigh. Ridiculous.

  She had just turned the motor back on, preparing to drive back to the house, when someone knocked on the driver’s side window. She about jumped out of her skin but turned the motor off when she saw an attractive, dark-haired woman who was probably in her forties. The woman was smiling, and her hair was blowing in the breeze. Jenn remembered that this was one of the interested parties—the woman from Dallas with all the money.

  Jenn lowered the window. “Yes, can I help you?”

  “You sure can. You’re Jennifer LaChance, aren’t you?”

  Jenn nodded.

  “Do you remember when we met? I’m Maggie Swearingen and I really want to buy this property.” She gazed at Jenn with what appeared to be sincerity.

  Jenn glanced in the back seat, noting that Lissy and Leo had fallen asleep. She opened the door as silently as possible and stepped out of the vehicle. She reached to shake the woman’s proffered hand.

  “Do you mind my asking w
hy you’re interested in the airstrip?”

  “It’s in my blood,” Maggie said. “My family has rented a hangar from your brother for years. We all fly our own planes, and I would love to be the owner.”

  Jenn swallowed hard. “So you’re not going to close the airstrip and turn it into an apartment complex or a strip mall?”

  Maggie threw her head back and laughed so loud Jenn was afraid she would wake up the children. “Heavens, no. We want the airstrip to remain a viable business. I’m told that it’s important to the community, and it’s certainly important to me.” She stood, hands on hips, staring at Jenn encouragingly.

  Jenn drew a deep breath and let it out. “I see. Well, I know it’s important that the airstrip stays open. I totally do not understand anything about the business, but my brother worked so hard to make it successful, I’m feeling a little guilty for even thinking of selling everything off.”

  “Oh, I understand, but you can be sure that my family and I will be very responsible and manage everything just the way Jason would have. He was a great guy.”

  Jenn leaned back against the fender of the car. “I hate to tell you that our lawyer wants us to list the property with a commercial real estate broker. He says we owe it to the children to get top dollar for it.” She shrugged, detecting a glimmer of anger in Maggie’s eyes.

  “Well—well, that’s to be expected.” Maggie’s lips tightened. “Just promise me you won’t agree to any sale before you talk to me. I’m willing to beat any offer you receive.” She dug in her hip pocket and drew out a business card. “You can reach me at this number any hour of the day or night. Don’t let me down.” Her smile was soft again.

  “Sure, I’ll do that.” Jenn put the card in her pocket and watched Maggie drive away in her silver BMW.

  The children were still fast asleep in the back seat, so Jenn opened the windows and stepped up to the office door. She unlocked it and entered the building, leaving the door wide open so she could keep an eye on the children.

  The office had a musty, closed-up feel. It seemed that Jason had just stepped out, giving her an even more eerie feeling.

  There was a barrier with a counter, which apparently functioned as a workspace, and a small desk. Then, the desk in the rear of the office that had been where Jason worked. She touched the desk surface and gave the chair a twirl.

  “Oh, Jason. I wish you could tell me what to do.” She opened the top drawer and found a date book calendar shoved in the back.

  Jenn stared at it for a moment before reaching to scoop it out of the drawer. Just touching the leather-bound volume caused a shiver to coil around her spine.

  She glanced out the doorway and saw that Lissy was rubbing her eyes furiously. Tucking the date book under her arm, she strode out the door and locked the office up again. Sucking in a deep breath of fresh air, she vowed that the next time she came here, she would open all the windows to air the place out. She wanted to sit in Jason’s chair and go through everything tucked away in that desk.

  “I don’t want to let you go, Jason.” She slid behind the wheel and turned on the ignition. “We’re going home now,” she announced.

  Chapter 21

  Big Jim and most of his family were planning to go to the Eagles Hall that evening, eager to dance to a live band and kick up their heels after a hard workweek. The entire family would be there, even his youngest son, Beau; his wife, Dixie; and their daughter, Ava, who usually holed up on Saturday nights to read together and engage in other family pursuits.

  But this weekend, all three of his boys would be in attendance, along with their families, plus a couple of cousins to boot.

  Each of his sons would be arriving in his own truck, but Mark Dalton and Gracie, Leah’s daughter, would ride with Big Jim. He enjoyed spending time with the young ones. And he wanted to give his sons some private time with their wives as well.

  Big Jim and Mark were polishing their boots. It was a ritual for the Garrett men to polish their boots before stepping foot on a dance floor.

  “Them boots are lookin’ good, boy.”

  Mark appeared to be pleased. “Thanks, Big Jim.”

  “Now, I picked out our Wranglers and dress shirts, so we can get dressed and head to town ahead of the others. That a-way we can stake out the very best table for the family.” Big Jim reached for Gracie’s boots to dab a little more polish on the scuff marks. That girl was growing like a weed. She was eight but would have her ninth birthday in a couple of months. He was glad his middle son, Tyler, had married Leah and adopted Gracie. Now they had a son, delivered a few months ago just before Christmas. Big Jim was thrilled that Tyler’s son was being raised in such a loving family. “Mark, you might want to grab your shower now so you can get started on gettin’ dressed.”

  “Yes, sir,” Mark said, and got up from the table. His boots had been placed on a couple of sheets of newspaper. He stood, gazing at Big Jim as though he wanted to say something but couldn’t seem to find the words.

  Big Jim set Gracie’s boot down and wiped his hands on a paper towel. “What can I do for you, son?”

  “It’s just…I’ve been thinking about what you said…about being a Garrett.”

  Big Jim held his tongue, trying to keep his expression neutral, not wanting to influence the boy.

  “You and Colt have been so good to me. I want to do what you want me to do, but I’m just not sure what the right thing is.”

  Big Jim laid his big paw on the boy’s shoulder. “The right thing is whatever you want. There is no right or wrong answer. Whatever you decide is right for you is right for me.” He gave Mark’s shoulder a pat and drew his hand back. “You have all the time in the world, so no hurry.”

  Mark looked relieved. “Yes, sir. I’ll think about it some more.”

  “Good boy. Now run and get your shower, and save me some hot water.”

  * * *

  Jenn was nervous.

  “You look great,” Ollie said. “What’s the problem?”

  Jenn was pacing around, checking the front window to see if Cade’s truck was out there. “No problem. It’s just that there are so many Garretts…and just one LaChance.”

  “You know what I think?” Ollie arched her brows.

  “No, what do you think?” Jenn sat down at the dining table beside Ollie, glad her friend was willing to babysit for the children.

  “I think Cade Garrett is a very nice man, and he is truly a pleasure to look at.”

  Jenn drew a deep breath and expelled it. “I agree. He’s a babe.”

  “And he seems to be crazy about you, girl.”

  “I’m pretty crazy about him, y’know?” Jenn felt a little tightness in her chest when she visualized Cade’s handsome face.

  “But I can’t believe how good you look now.” Ollie waved her hand, indicating Jenn’s new Western wear. “You look more…down-to-earth.”

  “Cade said he bought the boots because he was going to step on my toes tonight.”

  Ollie guffawed. “I’ve seen that sucker dance. I would be very shocked if he stepped on your toes.”

  Well, that was comforting…somewhat. Jenn was envisioning Cade with his arms around someone else, and that was not comforting. She cleared her throat. “So has Cade had a lot of girlfriends?”

  Ollie put her finger against her cheek, pantomiming confusion. “Define ‘a lot.’ I’m not sure how to quantify that.”

  Jenn rolled her eyes. “That bad, huh?”

  “Why, whatever do you mean, dearie?”

  “Brat! You know what I mean.” Jenn fisted her hands on her hips. “Is Cade a playboy? Does he have girlfriends waiting in the wings to pull my hair out? Is he going to break my heart?”

  “I’ve seen Cade with different females over the years,” Ollie said, suddenly earnest. “But I don’t think I’ve heard about anything serious. He seems to have b
een spending most of his time working on his ranch and building his herd. Everybody likes him, as far as I know.”

  There was a knock on her door, and Jenn’s stomach grabbed. “It’s him.”

  Ollie smiled. “Well, go let the man in.”

  Jenn could hear her heart pounding in her ears as she hurried to the door. When she threw it open, Cade was standing on her porch with an armload of roses.

  “Oh, Cade! How lovely. I haven’t gotten flowers in a long time.” She blinked fast to avoid tearing up.

  “Well, that’s too long.” He handed off the bouquet and stepped inside.

  Jenn brought the roses to the table and went to look for a vase, while Cade and Ollie chatted. “I think this will do.” She returned to the table with a glass vase, but Ollie took it from her hands.

  “You two run along. I’ll take care of the roses. You have to cut the stems on an angle, underwater, so they will last a long time.” She made a shooing motion with her free hand.

  “Thanks, Ollie,” Jenn said. “I really appreciate you taking care of the kids.”

  “Don’t be silly.” She beamed at them. “I adore these two. I get to play mom and then walk away. Just enough diaper changing to let me know how nice it is to be single.”

  Cade ushered Jenn out to his truck and opened the passenger door. When he started to lift her, she waved him off.

  “I can do this.” Jenn put her booted foot on the lower step and grabbed for the handhold inside the door and hoisted herself up and into the seat. Yes, it was a strain, but she was proud that she could at least lift her own weight. Small victories.

  Cade stared up at her, admiration in his expression. “Awesome, but I really liked holding you in my arms.”

  Jenn’s heart clutched. She held out her arms to him and slid down to the ground.

  Cade’s kiss was stellar, transporting her into a high altitude of euphoria. Man, can this guy kiss. She heaved a satisfied sigh, and he lifted her into his truck as though she were the helpless little female in high heels and short skirts. Some things did not need to change.

  He closed the door and rounded the vehicle, a wide grin in place.