My One and Only Cowboy

by A. J. Pine

The chair he was on wobbled again, and she could see one of the legs looked as if it was about to go.

  Delaney’s heart thundered in her chest as the man’s voice crescendoed. She was the wrong person for this job. Up until a week ago, she was a stranger to this man. She was in over her head, but it wasn’t going to stop her from trying. Not this time.

  She stood slowly and reached out a hand for him.

  “That chair’s in bad shape, Mr. Callahan. If you’ll just come down, we can send for Sam and Ben.”

  The chair shook again, and even though she knew she couldn’t catch him, she reached for him anyway, just as he decided to jump down.

  “Oh, thank goodness,” Delaney said, instinctively resting a gentle hand on Nolan’s forearm.

  “Don’t touch me!” he roared, violently shaking his arm free and accidentally backhanding her across the face.

  “Dad!” Sam’s voice boomed from behind her.

  Nolan looked at Delaney, stricken. “I didn’t mean to,” he said. “I swear I didn’t.”

  He was a child pleading with his parent, only the roles were reversed now.

  “Are you okay?” Sam asked her, his tone caring but his eyes distant.

  She nodded, hand to her cheek, still in shock.

  He stepped in front of her then and turned back to his father. “Mom moved to Tahoe, Dad, remember?”

  Ben jogged into the room as well.

  “Ben and I run a ranch now. We let you name one of the horses.” He shook his head. “Gotta say it’s a little weird having a horse named after my mother, but you insisted. And people don’t take kindly to name-calling or hitting. I know it’s disorienting when you get lost, but if you want people to help you…”

  His voice was gentle, but Sam trailed off, and Delaney knew that he must have had a similar conversation with his father before. She also guessed he was realizing the futility of the argument, of asking a man who didn’t have control of his own memory to remember.

  Sam moved closer to his father, but Ben hung in the doorway, frozen where he stood. Delaney took a step closer to Sam and reached for his hand, but he shook it free.

  “You’ve done enough,” he snapped.

  She forgave him for how he behaved when they realized Nolan was missing. But they’d found him. Nolan was going to be okay. Delaney knew Sam was under intense stress, but the words and his tone hurt. She thought Sam was finally letting her in. All she’d wanted to do was show him he had someone in his corner, and he’d shrugged her off as if this was her doing and not something beyond anyone’s control.

  “I don’t know what’s happening, Sam,” his father said. “Why do you and Benny look so damned old? And where the hell are we? This isn’t Oak Bluff.”

  Sam shook his head and held a hand out for his father. Thankfully, Nolan took it. “I think we pushed things too far this time, Dad. Let me take you home.”

  Ben, still standing in the doorway, cleared his throat. “I can give Delaney a lift back to the ranch.”

  “The hell you will,” Sam said softly, turning to his younger brother. “It’s about time you got involved in this. It’s not enough to just pay the bills. He’s our father. And the more we know about the progression—you can’t ignore it. Not anymore.”

  Ben’s shoulders slumped, and suddenly the overconfident player facade fell away, and Delaney saw what Sam never tried to hide—the weight on his shoulders of caring for his father and likely wondering if someone would need to do the same for him someday.

  “What do you want to do about getting the guests back to the ranch?”

  “Colt’s on it,” Sam said. “A lot of them said they wanted to walk back, so he’ll only have to make one trip.”

  “And Delaney?” Ben added.

  “I’m right here,” she said.

  “I can drive you,” Pearl told her. “As soon as the fireworks are over.”

  “Thank you,” Delaney said. At least someone was acknowledging her presence.

  “Come on, Dad,” Ben said. “Revolver’s parked down the street.”

  Nolan Callahan let out a breath. “How did my truck get here when I don’t remember driving?” He waved the hand that was still holding the cob of corn. “I think I just need to sleep this one off, boys. One of those days, you know?”

  Revolver was Sam’s father’s truck? How much did she still not know about the man who’d been in her bed and she in his?

  The younger son led his father out of the common room and toward the inn’s entrance. Delaney heard the older man mumble something about the corn he was holding, and asking if it was okay to eat it.

  “Sure thing,” Ben said. “It’s the best grilled corn in town.”

  Sam pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes. Either where she’d hit him no longer hurt or he was simply numb to the pain by now, because he said nothing other than emitting a long, exhausted sigh.

  “I’m sorry, Pearl,” he finally said.

  Pearl held out her arms, and Sam let her pull him into a warm, understanding hug.

  “On his good days, he knows how lucky he is to have you,” she said, then stepped back to look at him. “You’re a good man, Sam. Now that brother of yours…” She shook her head ruefully. “You make sure he doesn’t break my granddaughter’s heart.”

  Sam laughed. “From what I’ve heard, Charlotte can definitely hold her own. I wouldn’t worry too much.”

  Finally, Sam turned to Delaney. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something was missing in his eyes, something that was there every other time he’d looked at her today. It was as if a candle had been snuffed out.

  “Thanks for finding him. I’ll see you back at the ranch.” That was all he said before he brushed past her out of the room and seconds later out of the inn’s front door.

  After a few beats, Pearl held her hand out to Delaney. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you some ice for that cheek and go watch the rest of those fireworks.”

  They stopped in the kitchen, where Pearl grabbed a soft ice pack from the freezer and handed it to Delaney. Then Pearl led her out to the front porch, where they stood at the railing and looked out over the darkened main street of town. Seconds later, green sparks lit up the sky as the next firework soared into the air in the distance.

  Delaney pressed the pack to her cheek and let out a shaky breath as she waited for the pop and crackle to dissipate before breaking the silence between them.

  “Look,” she said. “I know you don’t approve of me being here or making Sam’s life any messier than it is, so if there’s some sort of talk coming my way, just let me have it so I can stop anticipating.”

  Pearl laughed. “Oh, honey. You think you have everyone all figured out, don’t you?”

  Delaney shook her head adamantly. “Not even a little. Remember who I was married to the first time I came to Meadow Valley? I don’t have anyone figured out, least of all Sam Callahan or anyone else in this town.”

  Pearl placed a hand over Delaney’s where it rested on the porch railing. “You’re right. I didn’t think you coming back was a good idea, and that was no fault of yours. But Wade Harper brought some not-too-nice folks into our town when you two came here. Once you left and he sold the property, things went back to the way they were supposed to be. I’m not saying any of that was your doing, but you have to understand that we look after our own here. And seeing you after thinking Wade and his antics were behind us, well, it got my spine to tingling. And I don’t like when that happens. Then I hear you’ve been introducing yourself as Spence, and I wonder what you’re hiding. I guess old habits die hard.”

  Delaney got it. It was the same way her own spine had tingled when she heard Wade’s voice on the other end of the phone line last weekend. She was struck with a sudden pang of guilt for how she’d just spoken to Pearl.

  “It was for Ben and Colt. The Spence thing. Sam didn’t want them putting two and two together about who I was until after the festival. Didn’t want them worrying about why I was here.”<
br />
  Their conversation paused each time a new color streaked through the sky. She expected the third degree from Pearl about what really brought her back to town, which was why she didn’t understand what Pearl said next.

  “I’ve never seen that man smile so much as when you’re around.”

  Delaney’s brows drew together. “Wade? He only smiled because I was his next meal ticket, not because he actually loved me. He was damned good at playing his part, though.”

  Pearl gave her hand a squeeze. “I’m talking about Sam. That man has the weight of the world on his shoulders, and you somehow lifted much of it off in a matter of days.”

  Delaney scoffed. “I also got him stung by a wasp, almost broke his nose, and threatened to steal half his land.”

  Pearl’s eyes widened.

  “Not steal,” Delaney corrected. “Only take back what was mine when Wade illegally sold it out from under me.”

  She wasn’t sure why she was admitting everything to this woman. There was simply something about her that Delaney trusted—that made her feel safe.

  “Oh, honey,” Pearl said. “That man really did a number on you.” And then the other woman did for Delaney what she’d done for Sam—pulled her into a hug so warm, so reassuring, that Delaney half believed this night could still end on a good note. “And I know Sam didn’t handle himself with you the best way he could tonight, but don’t give up on him yet.”

  Delaney forced a smile as the woman released her from the temporary safety of what she would hereafter refer to as a Pearl hug. “He really is a good man, isn’t he?” she asked, even though she knew the answer to the question.

  “The best,” Pearl said. “And if you’re willing to put your heart on the line for a future as uncertain as his, then I’d say they broke the mold when they made you too.”

  That was when it finally clicked. In all her whirlwind feelings for Sam Callahan, Delaney never once feared what it would mean if Sam’s path were to follow his father’s. She’d wanted him to get tested for his own peace of mind. So he could maybe lessen some of the weight he was carrying. But never once did she think he’d be any less worth fighting for if she knew that test was positive.

  The fireworks finale cut their conversation short, but that was okay. Pearl had renewed Delaney’s hope. Tonight was tough, but they’d gotten through it. They’d get through more. Together.

  “Stay for a quick cup of tea, and then I’ll bring you home?” Pearl asked.

  “That sounds perfect,” she said.

  Delaney sure liked the sound of that word. Home.

  Pearl dropped Delaney in front of the registration cabin, otherwise known as the secret entrance to Sam’s apartment. The building was still unlocked, which she took as a good sign. Sam had asked her to spend the night, and he’d left the main door open for her. She took a deep breath and blew it out. He’d had one hell of a night. Make that one hell of a week. She could cut him some slack for being curt with her while trying to talk his father down from yet another chair.

  She passed the registration desk and made her way down the small hallway to the right but stopped short when she heard voices coming from Sam’s place, the door not completely closed.

  “After all your lectures to me about what I do and don’t do for the ranch, you’ve been shacking up with someone who wants to steal half of it away from us? I can’t believe you waited until now to tell us.”

  Delaney’s breath caught in her throat. The voice was unmistakably Ben’s. Sam told them—without any warning or any discussion with her. What about what she’d said about dealing with Wade and leaving the ranch alone?

  “Look,” Sam said. “That’s part of the reason I’ve been keeping her close by. I figured after a few days of showing her around the place, of her seeing how important it is to all three of us, she’d change her mind. We bought the property well under market value, and we’ve definitely done enough in the past couple of years to increase what the property is worth. If we take out a loan against equity, we could offer her half of what we paid for the land, and she can take that money and go anywhere—do anything she wants with it.”

  She could barely breathe. A week wasn’t much, but she’d thought it was something. But Sam had only been keeping her close to get what he wanted from her. And here she was, ready to walk through that door and do exactly that. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go down.

  She couldn’t listen anymore. There was no way she was letting another man keep her around for his own gain.

  “I don’t know,” another voice said, and she recognized it as Colt’s. “Business is shaky as it is. We’re only in our first six months. If this goes belly-up…”

  “It’s not going to,” Sam said. “And if we give Delaney what she came here for, she’ll be able—”

  Delaney pushed the door all the way open and strode into the apartment with her head held high. She just hoped none of them could see her shaking.

  Colt and Ben were sitting at the table, and Sam seemed to have been pacing right in front of them. But they all froze when she stormed in—all except for Scout and Butch. Scout scurried toward her, tail wagging and tongue hanging out of her mouth as she waited for a scratch behind the ears that didn’t come. Butch scampered off the table and stopped at her feet, rubbing his head on her ankle. It pained Delaney to ignore the only people—or, at least, living things—whose affection was without ulterior motive.

  “You don’t have to worry about paying me off,” she said, her voice cool and even. “I get it. You want me gone. I’ll grab the deed in the morning and go.”

  “Delaney, I—you saw what happened tonight. This is the only—damn it, I’m trying to help you!” He ran a hand through his hair as she watched him try—and fail miserably—to explain why he’d just lied to Ben and Colt, why he’d all but told her he loved her only to run her out of town, but she was done listening to excuses for why someone betrayed her trust. The only person she could count on was herself, and she was finally ready to accept that.

  “I don’t need help,” she said. “Why don’t you tell them the truth?” She turned to the other two men. “I only want the deed to prove that Wade committed fraud and hopefully get back at least some of what he owes me. The ranch is safe.” She cleared her throat. She wasn’t going to last much longer holding everything in. “Thank you all for your hospitality.” She dropped down and scooped Butch into her arms. “And I’m taking my cat!”

  Then she spun on her heel and strode back the way she came, cat in tow and her pace increasing along with the thunderous beat of her heart. She heard paws scrabbling on tile behind her but didn’t dare turn back or slow her steps until she’d made it to the guest house, her hand shaking as she reached in her bag for her key card to open the outside door.

  In the distance she heard a dog barking, but the sound grew nearer by the second until Scout skidded to a halt next to her before she made it through the door.

  “Scout!” she cried. “What did you do?”

  The dog panted and wagged her tail, and Delaney couldn’t help but laugh. She crouched down and scratched behind both of the canine’s ears. “Did you run all the way here for this?” she asked as Scout gave a small howl of approval. Then her heart sank when she realized the impact of her bold, don’t-look-back exit was about to be diminished since Sam was likely only a few paces behind his runaway pooch.

  She pulled her phone out of her bag and shot off a quick text to hopefully cut him off at the pass.

  Scout’s with me. She’s safe. I’ll leave her with Jessie at the front desk, and you can pick her up there.

  Sam’s reply was instantaneous.

  I was hoping we could talk.

  She shook her head, even though he couldn’t see her.

  No need. My car’s fixed. I’ll be out of your hair by late morning. Good-bye, Sam.

  She turned off her notifications and headed inside with her two companions.

  Jessie, Delaney learned, was a local firefighter who m
oonlighted at the ranch for the overnight shift whenever she was off duty. It gave Sam, Ben, and Colt a few nights off a week from dealing with issues like replacing lost key cards at ungodly hours, and it also meant that now Delaney could “return” Scout without having to face Sam again.

  Jessie greeted Delaney with a smile. “Hope you enjoyed the fireworks,” she said. “We could see most of them from here. Looked like a great finale.”

  Delaney forced a smile. “It was.” She glanced down at the dog. “You think Scout could hang here with you for a bit? Sam should be here any minute to get her.”

  Jessie smiled. “Sure thing. Hope you have a great rest of your stay.”

  Delaney nodded. Then she and Butch made a beeline for the stairwell, making sure she was out of sight before Sam came through the door.

  When she was finally alone in her room, she dropped the cat on the bed and let out a long, shuddering breath. She’d have to get him some food and litter and—she needed to gather her thoughts first.

  “You are not going to cry over a man who did wrong by you. Again.” Delaney said out loud. God, her life was like a sad country song where in the chorus she exacted her revenge by keying a car or poisoning some black-eyed peas. Except she wasn’t the vengeful type.

  She let out a bitter laugh. All she wanted was for Wade to give her what was rightfully hers so she could find a new town, make friends with a new veterinarian, and start her dream all over again.

  Actually, right now, she really wanted a long, hot shower. So she peeled off her clothes, left them in a pile on the floor, and padded into the bathroom where she and Sam had—

  “Nope.” She cut herself off from thinking things she shouldn’t think and turned on the water, letting the room fill with steam. Then she turned on her nineties female artist playlist, cranked up the volume, and stepped under the warm spray to the musical stylings of No Doubt.

  She washed away as much as she could of the past week, reminding herself that she was fine on her own when she got here, and she’d be fine on her own when she left with the forged deed in her hand.