Blue Roan Colt

by Dusty Richards

  A few days before the event, when preparations were in full swing, Mark went to Dirty Shirt with his concerns.

  “What if no one comes? What if Conroy turns down my invitation? Maybe the shrimp will arrive spoiled. What if Julie changes her mind and doesn’t want to marry me? After all, I haven’t asked her yet.”

  Dirty Shirt sat and patiently listened to all of his friend’s concerns, shaking his head in wonderment. “How can a man who has the golden touch be so worried about such a thing as a little cookout?”

  “Golden touch? Little cookout?” Mark rose from his chair and paced round and round, practically banging into walls in the small bunkhouse. “Fifty people have accepted their invitations. I have spent nearly four thousand dollars on this little cookout. My touch better be golden, whatever that means.”

  Dirty Shirt’s eyes bugged out and, for a moment, it looked to Mark like he had silenced the outspoken man. But he hadn’t. His friend had an answer for everything. “Then perhaps you should act like it.”

  The final straw came three nights before the big blowout event, when he and Julie went to the movies in town. On the way home, he decided to take Dirty Shirt’s advice and act like a rich man throwing a big party.

  “Have you seen the list of people coming to my barbecue?”

  “No, but I know they’re from all over the county.”

  “Excellent.”

  “What are you doing, Mark?”

  “What do you mean?

  “In all the months I’ve known you and we’ve dated, you’ve never acted snobbish. Now, all of a sudden you are doing everything you can to impress all these so-called important people. Why?”

  He pulled over, afraid he’d wreck the truck if he let out the head of steam he’d built up over her question. “I’m doing it for you. For us. Don’t you understand?”

  “Hmm. I guess I don’t. A big party is not what I wanted—especially when you’re only inviting all these bigwigs and ignoring others. Like Rosita, and Charlie. All the others who have helped you along the way but aren’t considered rich and famous.”

  He hammered at the steering wheel. Gawdamn if he’d ever figure out women. Couldn’t she see what was going on? What he was trying to do? He’d tell her so if he wasn’t so blamed frustrated. Infuriated. All those other words that meant failure to understand.

  “Mark, please. Don’t be angry with me. I think the party will be a lot of fun. I just question your reason for having it. You are trying to impress my father, and I get that. But you know what would really impress him?”

  “No.” He sputtered out the word. “Please tell me.”

  “Take me home. Come in and sit down with him and tell him that you love his daughter and would be pleased if he would get off his damn high horse and accept that fact.”

  “And have him knock my block off? No, sir.”

  “Not true. What he respects is men who stand up to trouble and never back down. You have let him bumfuzzle you.”

  Mark stared at her as if she had come from New York City. “Do you mean I’ve spent four thousand dollars for nothing?”

  She turned to look at him, staring for close to a minute. Laughter built in her chest and rumbled out like a volcano erupting. “Leave it to you. I love you, Mark Shaw, but sometimes you do the dumbest things. I’m not some buckle bunny after the richest or most famous cowboy on the circuit. You can’t impress me, and neither can you impress my father with money. He was a miner as a young man and he got what he has the same way you did. With grit and determination and a will to never give up. He likes people who are like that. So, show him that side of you.”

  A knot swelled in his throat.

  God, he was an idiot.

  “Don’t look so stricken. I think this barbecue is a fabulous idea. Why not tell my father tonight that you intend to announce our engagement there and you hope he will still attend? And be firm. That is—if you still want to marry me.”

  “I’ve wanted to marry you since I first saw you. It’s just been the only thing I’ve run up against that I couldn’t manage to get. I’ll gladly try it your way if you’ll promise me you won’t break my heart.”

  “I’ll gladly promise that. I’ll be by your side till we’re old and gray.”

  He took her in his arms and kissed her face all over till she giggled with delight. Then he took her home to face her father down.

  Lights burned in the downstairs rooms when Mark pulled up and cut the ignition. He couldn’t just let her out. He had to go inside and get this settled. She opened her own door, stepped out, and slammed it. He cringed. If her father was asleep, that surely had awakened him. The way the windows glowed, the entire family was up. He had no idea how her mother felt about him. He’d never met the woman. For some reason, Bryce had seen to that.

  Julie curled an arm through his when he started toward the front door. “I’m right here with you. You’re not doing this alone.”

  He gripped her hand against his body. “You sure about this? Absolutely sure?”

  “Couldn’t be more so. I love you.”

  The words went straight through to his heart, making it beat like a drum. “I love you, too, but that wasn’t what I meant. Are you sure this is the way to handle your father? I don’t want to lose you.”

  “Whatever comes of this, you are not going to lose me. I promise. I always get what I want, same as you do. That should guarantee our success.”

  She led him up the steps and opened the door, pulling him inside behind her. “Come on. Don’t back down now. I can’t believe a man who’s accomplished all you have can be so nervous about such a thing.”

  But he was. He hadn’t been so nervous since the day he stepped off the ship to face the enemy. Bryce might as well be holding a gun to his head.

  “Julie?” Her dad’s voice rumbled out into the foyer. “Send that young man in here and go upstairs to bed.”

  She frowned, then smiled at him. “I’ll go in with you if you’d like. I won’t abandon you to him.”

  He patted her hand. “No, you go on up. It’s best if you don’t have to hear this.”

  She kissed his cheek and at the same time Bryce roared. “Mr. Shaw, now if you please.”

  “Where is he?” He whispered, so Bryce wouldn’t hear.

  With one hand on his back, she guided him toward an open door a few steps down the long hallway. “Good luck. We’ll elope if necessary.”

  Oh, God. What was he going to do?

  Well, she was behind him, whatever he did, so he took a deep breath and stepped through the doorway, shaking in his boots. How could a grown man feel so much like a complete fool?

  Well, he did.

  “Mr. Conroy? I’m here.”

  “I see that. I trust you and my daughter had a good time tonight.”

  “Yes sir, we did. I’m here to ask you—no, I’m here to tell you that I intend to marry your daughter, whether you like it or not.” There, he had it out and it didn’t look like the man was going to shoot him.

  “Is that so? And where will you live? In that sorry bunkhouse on your ranch?”

  “No, sir. I’m building us a house there. It’s already in the works.”

  “And all this so soon. You don’t even know each other that well, though I suppose you may have gotten better acquainted spending a week together. My daughter is a good girl. I won’t have her reputation sullied by you or any other man.”

  “I would not dream of hurting her. She loves me and I love her. I want your blessing so we can announce our engagement at the barbecue Saturday. But we will get married, whether you like it or not. I want our families to remain friendly, but I want Julie more.”

  Conroy leaned back in his leather recliner, pinning Mark with a hard stare. “Is that so? Well, I don’t like it one bit, but I can see you’re set on this. I don’t suppose I can stop you. She’s as hard-headed as you. You and her can do what you please at that damned barbecue, but my wife and I will be out of town that weekend. I will not be ther
e to see such nonsense. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve had my say and it appears you’ve had yours. Close the door on your way out.”

  Furious, Mark stomped out and slammed the front door as hard as he could. The old fool hadn’t uttered his daughter’s name one time during the entire conversation.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  THAT DAMN FOOLISH OLD MAN. How could he be willing to lose her to get his own way?

  Mark stopped in Lehi to call Julie, but the phone just kept ringing. Conroy probably didn’t let her have one in her room, even though she was a grown woman. He finally hung up and drove on out to the ranch, tires spitting gravel and dirt. There was no way around that stubborn old man, and Mark could not give up Julie. First thing the next morning, he went to Phoenix to pick out her rings. Maybe he should’ve taken her, but he’d rather surprise her. Besides, there was still no answer down in Sonata. No matter what, he would have them before the barbecue. The engagement ring came in a set and the jeweler promised he would size them if they didn’t fit, so he bought both. She would marry him despite her father. Hadn’t she said so?

  Still, Saturday morning came, and no one answered the phone. Mark slammed down the receiver. He had to get himself one of those so he didn’t have to come to Lehi to make a call. Time to get back to the ranch to help Rosita herd those boys into shape, and make sure all the orders for food had arrived and were on ice. She’d be there. He had to believe that. He had chairs to get set up. He’d hired a crew, but someone had to keep order just the same.

  One thing he couldn’t bear was disorder. Everything in its place and finished on time. No sense in it being any other way.

  By noon, cars and trucks were coming in a long line. Two of the crew made sure they were parked in an orderly fashion. His eyes continued to sweep over the arrivals, searching for Julie.

  Dirty Shirt Jones brought along a couple of his cowboys to help with the heavy work. In the midst of the hubbub, Jones showed up out of nowhere to stand beside Mark.

  He touched his elbow. “You look overwrought. Something wrong?”

  “I’m worried about Julie. She should be here.” In his mind was that day he’d waited for Alma and all he got was someone riding up to tell him she was dead. The vision wouldn’t stop replaying itself. “What if something happened to her?”

  Jones looked worried. “I could run down to Lehi, give her a call.”

  Mark shook his head. “I came up from there an hour ago. No one answers. I get a feeling her dad took her away somewhere. I’ve got everything I ever set out to get. Suppose I’m going to have to pay for that by losing her? First Alma, now Julie. I can’t lose her, Jones. I just can’t.”

  “She will come. I will just bet she is on her way right now. That is why she does not answer on the telephone.”

  A long black limousine emerged from the line of cars amidst a noisy welcome. Senator Hayden had arrived and, just behind him, two more impressive cars parked and unloaded Linda and the other movie people. Their arrival caused laughter and shouts and greetings from those who were already milling about, visiting and clamoring to be noticed by everyone who was important.

  About then, Mark began to wish he’d never planned this gathering. What good would it do now anyway? He couldn’t announce his and Julie’s engagement. How could he enjoy anything without her here?

  Someone grabbed his arm and he turned. Linda stood there, her beauty outshining all the others now lining up to fill their plates and find a place to sit. Delicious smells filled the air. Roasting meats, vegetables of every variety, baking bread, all being served from the portable grills brought in and set up last night.

  She threw her arms around Mark and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Well, this is quite something you’re throwing here. It’s good to see you. You look fit.” She pounded him on the arm.

  He hugged her, hanging on too long and feeling sorry for himself. He managed a mumbled greeting, telling her how pretty she was.

  “I hear great news is afoot. Where is the lucky lady?”

  All he wanted to do was run away. When Senator Hayden finally stole Linda for a publicity shot, he escaped to the outer corral and stood there, leaning on the fence and staring out across the pasture. Off in the distance, almost too far to make out their markings, a herd of wild horses grazed as if nothing was going on. He fetched a pair of binoculars from the tack shed and swung them around to study the mustangs. Next week, maybe he and Dirty Shirt would go out and track them, bring back a few new additions to train for their remuda. It would take his mind off what he couldn’t have.

  He was about to turn the glasses to study late arrivals at the party when a long-legged yellow mare walked into sight, mane waving in the wind. It was like a shot in a movie, like she had posed and said, “Here I am. Come and get me.”

  Lord, she was beautiful.

  He drew in a deep breath, then nearly gasped aloud when, at her side, appeared a blue roan colt, prancing on its toes. A desperate need suddenly welled up within Mark. A need for the beautiful mare and her colt.

  Somehow, they were a sign that everything would be okay.

  A foolish thing to believe, he knew, but he couldn’t help it. He just knew he would have his Julie, just like he would have that blue roan colt. Both were meant for him. All he had to do was go after them like he had everything else he wanted.

  Behind him, someone shouted with laughter. The mare’s head came up and she spooked, took off at a run, the colt right behind her. My God, the beauty of the two of them running to catch up with the rest of the herd. It was about time for them to skedaddle, and so they did. Mark watched them gallop out of sight through the glasses.

  Just as he went to take them back to the tack shed, someone touched his elbow.

  Even before he turned around, he said her name. Julie. She smelled like fresh flowers and new cut leather. She wore jeans tucked into blue cowboy boots and a red and gold shirt with pearl buttons. No fancy dress and diamond necklace. Her long hair hung free past her shoulders, lifted by the wind to play around her lovely face. It was just her, Julie—the woman he needed above all else. Everything he’d ever wanted paled with the thought of having her. He let go of the glasses and they swung around his neck when he grabbed her, lifting her off her feet. Round and round he twirled her, laughing, kissing, nuzzling her throat, and kissing some more.

  She kept saying his name and I’m sorry, over and over, but he flat out wasn’t listening to much of anything but her name repeating in his head and in his heart.

  Together, they leaned against the top rail, fingers entwined, talking one over the other. All he got out of it was the family had received a message that Conroy’s mother was ill, and they had to go. She was okay now, this grandmother who almost messed up her granddaughter’s life.

  “Daddy says if I absolutely have to get engaged to that big dumb cowboy, then he won’t try to stop it.”

  That, he heard loud and clear. It brought about another round of swinging, nuzzling, kissing and joy—pure joy.

  Another voice cut into the melee. “Mark. Mark Shaw, you better introduce us. Is this the lucky lady?”

  He sobered enough to study the pretty woman. Keeping Julie’s hand, he introduced the two. “Julie Conroy, this is Linda Acosta.”

  The two sort of froze, their gazes taking a long toll of each other.

  Linda broke the silence. “So, this is the mystery woman.”

  Julie appeared stunned for a moment, then she smiled real big. “And this is the lady from the magazine cover.”

  Linda took Julie’s hand. “You better treat this big ‘ol boy right. He’s a keeper.”

  “Oh, you can bet your bottom dollar I will.”

  The two of them stood there, grinning silly-like at each other for a solid minute before they began to chatter like old friends.

  Mark finally broke it up. “You know, I’m starving, and everything smells great. How about we fill our plates and sit somewhere so we can visit?”

  By the time they settled
at a table, others around them were joining the group, joking and telling stories.

  It was finally time for Mark to make his big announcement. He stood, took Julie’s hand, and rang a cowbell Dirty Shirt handed him with a sly grin. Everyone quieted and turned to see what was up. He stepped onto a table and took her hand to help her up there, too.

  “Attention friends. I want to thank you all for coming out here for this real special event.” He chuckled. “Oh, yeah, I know the food is good and all, but the real reason for this here gathering is to announce my engagement to this lovely lady, Julie Conroy. Can you believe she’s actually promised to marry this old cowboy? I couldn’t be happier.”

  He slipped the glittering diamond engagement ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly. Of course, what could Mark Shaw ever do wrong? He couldn’t think of anything, now that he had the woman of his dreams.

  Dirty Shirt whistled, and everyone cheered. Soon, people were milling about, congratulating him and shaking Julie’s hands till they were numb.

  Later, a band tuned up and played some good dance music. When it grew dark, dozens of lanterns were hung on cords, though a bright harvest moon shone on the festivities and couples danced into the night.

  It must’ve been three a.m. before everyone drifted away toward home. Mark laughed so hard he couldn’t breathe when Rosita came out, gave him a stern look, fetched Julie and took her to her trailer to sleep. He was still shaking his head in wonderment when he retired to the bunk house for the night.

  That night, he dreamed of Julie astride a blue roan, the most beautiful pair he’d ever laid eyes on. When he awoke, he vowed to capture the second-best thing he’d ever wanted­—that yellow mare and her blue roan colt.

  —

  WITH THE WEDDING SET FOR around the holidays, Mark got serious about getting the house built. He’d made an uneasy peace with Bryce Conroy, as he was acquainted with a contractor who could take care of whatever Julie and Mark wanted. The architect, John Deavers, had an office in Scottsdale where they toured some of his spaciously designed homes. They wanted a rambling Spanish hacienda with air conditioning, not swamp coolers. So, he’d been working on plans which included fireplaces and a swimming pool with a large area to entertain.