Aiming for the Cowboy

by Mary Leo

  It held all his memories.

  How could he possibly... “I’m all for starting new. We could add another bedroom or two, and upgrade the kitchen. Put on a new coat of paint to the inside and out. Buy new furniture. Give the place a whole new look. Add a bathroom.”

  “That’s not exactly what I had in mind. With Milo’s help, I want to buy the M & M Riding School and open it up again, under a new name of course, along with a few improvements. We can live there.”

  His stomach did a huge flip and the sweet and sour pork went completely sour.

  She continued. “The house on the property is big enough so everyone can have a room of their own and with Travis’s help, we can make the kitchen bigger and add a couple bathrooms and maybe a family room. It would be perfect for us. And the best part is that I can teach there. I’m good with kids, boys especially. You are, too. Not that I’m saying you won’t still run this place. It’s an option for you to consider. I need something that’s mine, Colt. Something I can shine at, win at. I’m used to being on the road a lot, but with at least one child I have to raise, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I won’t be able to do that anymore, at least not enough to compete like I used to. The school will fill in that void, that’s what I’m hoping for anyway. What do you think?”

  He had no problem with her wanting to start her own riding school now instead of later, and needing her own thing to succeed at. Plenty of women were successful at holding down a demanding career and motherhood. But did she have to want to do her own thing on the very piece of land he’d just put a bid on that morning? A bid that he suspected would be accepted? A bid that would bulldoze all the buildings?

  He scratched his head, the heat from the fireplace felt as if it was cooking his skin. He moved away from it and sat on the overstuffed chair next to the sofa, wanting desperately to somehow talk her out of this idea.

  “It sounds like a lot of work with a baby and potentially three boys to look after.”

  “Joey will be easy to have around all day until he starts school. And Buddy and Gavin will be in school during the day, and when they’re not, they can help out. Buddy will especially love it. I just know he will. And I bet we can get Edith to help out with the baby. We can start out slow with just a few students, and even rent out the arena to riders who want to train during the winter.”

  He was reeling on the inside while he tried his darnedest to appear calm and rational.

  “Maybe you should think about it for a while. Try it on for size, so to speak.”

  He was stalling, making excuses as panic tightened his throat. He knew he had to come clean and tell her the truth, but telling her required all his courage, and he wasn’t so sure he had any at the moment.

  “I’m too afraid someone’s going to put in a good offer on the property and we might lose it. I want to make an offer as soon as possible. Milo’s been a big help. He pulled in all the funds we need for a nice down payment. He’ll make a good business partner. He’s good with finances. I really want this, Colt. It means a lot to me.”

  He ran his hand through his hair, completely baffled. He wanted to tell her the truth, but terrible fear of losing all they had kept him from saying the words. He had no idea how she would react to what he’d done and what he wanted to do with that land.

  “Someone already did, this morning.”

  “But how do you know?”

  “Because that someone was the Grangers and two other families.”

  “You put a bid on my riding school without telling me first?”

  “Okay, for one thing, it’s not your riding school. It belongs to the Miltons. And for another, you told me you weren’t ready to open your own school. That you still wanted to compete.”

  “That was before I fell in love with you.”

  Her words took him by surprise. “Hold on. You’re in love with me?”

  “Yes, but that’s beside the point right now.”

  He went and sat across from her on the floor. “No. That is the point. This changes everything.”

  “You’re right. It makes things tougher. I want this school because I’m in love with you. I want a home, our home, not the home where your boys were born, but the home where your daughter will be born. That’s our home.”

  “You might be right, but the storage facility is a necessity for my family and two other families in this valley. We’ve needed a new one for a long time. It’s not a risk. It’s a smart business decision that’s already been made. I can’t change that now. I can’t take back the offer.”

  “So you’re saying my school is not a good business decision?”

  “That’s not exactly what I said. Have you put your offer in yet?”

  “No, and there’s no reason to now.”

  She slipped her coat back on, and wrapped her scarf around her neck. Colt didn’t want her to leave. Not like this.

  She stood, walked out of the living room and opened the front door. A blast of snow came swirling in and he knew she’d probably have second thoughts about going out in that if he handled the situation better.

  “Please don’t go. We finally have a night to ourselves. We’ll settle this. It’s going to take a bit of negotiating, is all.”

  She turned and looked at him, sticking her chin out, looking determined to make her opinion known. “It doesn’t sound like you can negotiate.”

  There may have been room to negotiate if he didn’t have two other farmers who were in on the deal, but because he did, at this point, there was almost nothing he could do.

  He felt as if he was trying to stand on water.

  “You’re right, but that doesn’t mean that you and Milo can’t still put in your offer. Then it’s up to the Miltons to decide who gets the land.”

  “But even if I get it, you won’t want to leave this house or this land.”

  “Let’s have that discussion when the Miltons make their decision. If I’ve learned one thing in this relationship, it’s not to jump to any conclusions. Okay?”

  But she didn’t budge. Helen was just as muleheaded as he was and needed more coaxing.

  “It’s dangerous for you to leave now. The weather’s unforgiving, and it’s late. You don’t want to drive to Milo’s house tonight. Sweetheart, we’re both used to doing things on our own. That’s all changing now and we’ve got to learn how to work with each other. We both know it won’t be easy, but we need to try, so please stay.”

  He walked over to her and gently slid her hair off her face. “Let me love you. Tonight. In my bed. Tomorrow morning everything will look different. I promise.”

  “I won’t feel any differently in the morning. I won’t live here.”

  “I know you won’t, but you can stay here for one night, right?”

  Her face lost some of its fire as she gazed up at him. “There’s still a matter of that picture in your bedroom.”

  He immediately walked into his bedroom, claimed the picture off his nightstand, went into Buddy and Gavin’s room, placed it on the nightstand between their beds and returned to Helen feeling as if he’d just crossed over some sort of threshold.

  “Done. Anything else?”

  “I’m hot in this coat and scarf.”

  She allowed him to slip off her coat and unwrap her scarf from around her neck. He tossed both of them onto the bench next to the door, which he closed.

  “Feel better now?”

  She nodded.

  He kissed her neck, and tickled her earlobe with his tongue. She smelled like gardenias and roses and her skin tasted like honey. She pressed her body up against his, her sweet belly pushing against him.

  “I love you,” he whispered. “We’ll work this out.”

  Her face tilted up to his, and he brushed her silky cheek with his hand, glad they weren’t headed down the
road to Milo’s house in his pickup.

  “I love you, too, Colt.”

  That was all he needed to hear.

  “I have something for you.”

  He led her back into the living room and handed her a small box wrapped in light blue colored paper that he’d put up on the mantel a few days ago hoping for the right moment.

  He knew now was the moment and he handed her the box.

  “What’s this?”

  “Open it and find out.”

  She tore the paper off the tiny silver ornate box that his mom had kept on her dresser ever since he could remember. Then she opened the top and the simple three-carat ruby ring Dodge had given his mom on their tenth wedding anniversary caught the overhead light. It looked even more lovely than Colt had remembered it.

  She sucked in a breath. “It’s beautiful, Colt.”

  “It was my mom’s. I had it cleaned and sized for you.”

  “But how did you know my size?”

  “Crystal Glows from Glow Your World Jewelry in town had it on record.” He pointed to the ring. “May I?”

  She nodded and he plucked the ring from the box, and slipped it on her finger. “Helen Shaw, will you marry this stubborn, backward cowboy who loves you like crazy?”

  Her face lit up with a smile that captured his heart as she wrapped her arms around him. “Yes, I’ll marry you, even if you are a stubborn, muleheaded cowboy who loves his kids like there’s no tomorrow, and would do anything for his family. Colt Lincoln Granger, I wouldn’t want to think of my life without you in it.”

  They kissed; a soft and sweet kiss to begin with, then hard, with urgency, as he pulled her in tighter.

  Even though he should have been thinking about how much he wanted her, which he did with a fire that raged through his body, he couldn’t help wondering how the heck they were ever going to come to terms.

  Chapter Nine

  Confusion reigned supreme on her drive back to Milo’s and then lingered as she took a seat at his kitchen table. Colt had been called out early about a missing calf so he’d left her a note and snuck out. Just as well. Helen was a mix of emotions.

  “Something smells delicious,” she said after she took her first sip of hot black tea.

  “You’re gonna love these,” Milo told her as he placed a lacy crepe filled with melted chocolate, swirls of creamy peanut butter and sliced bananas on her plate, then garnished it with a generous dollop of real whipped cream. It looked like more of a dessert than breakfast.

  “What’s this?”

  “It’s my favorite chef’s favorite lunch. She makes them whenever she needs her spirits lifted or when she wants to celebrate an event. With that fancy new ring on your finger, I’m thinkin’ we got ourselves somethin’ to celebrate.”

  “We do.” She stared down at her stunning ring and, yes, she did want to celebrate, but there was still a tiny hold on her happiness. “Colt asked me to marry him, and I said yes. This looks wonderful.”

  He made himself the same plate and took a seat across from her. The small functional room painted a golden-yellow with dark maple cabinets, a dark wooden plank floor and a rustic table was serviceable but way too small. Every room had a rustic cowboy motif going on and the kitchen was no exception. Helen longed for her own place with her own things surrounding her. Living out of a suitcase just didn’t have the appeal it once had.

  “That’s it? One of the biggest moments of your life and that’s all I get? I have a feelin’ that you’re not as happy as you should be about hitchin’ up with that cowboy?”

  “It’s complicated,” she said as she scooped up sliced banana and thick chocolate on her fork, and to get the full effect, opened her mouth wide and shoved it in.

  It tasted even better than it looked.

  “He did right by you.”

  “I wouldn’t have agreed if that were the case.”

  “Do you love him?”

  She put her fork down and grinned. “Something awful, but I don’t want to talk about it.”

  Neither of them spoke for a few minutes, until Milo broke the silence.

  “How do you like my crepes?”

  “They’re amazing! I can’t believe you made this.”

  “I told you, that TV chef is teaching me the tricks of the trade. And I have my own good news.”

  She put her fork down. “Please tell me.”

  “I made it to the final round of the show’s contest. I’m gonna bust wide open I’m so excited!”

  “You did? Congratulations! So what does this mean?”

  “It means I’ve got a good chance of winning. Now I have to send them an essay of why I think I should win in five hundred words or less.”

  “If you need any help, just let me know.”

  “Me and Amanda already wrote it. She’s an English major, wants to be a writer.”

  “What kind of writer? Literary or a genre?”

  “Horror.”

  “Little, quirky Amanda?”

  “She has a wicked mind...but in a good way. But tell me why you’re not floating on a cloud over your engagement.”

  Helen took two more big bites before she had the courage to tell him about what she and Colt were arguing over. When she finished the sordid tale, he said, “Seems to me you two have some major issues to sift through.”

  “The easier thing to do would be to back off on the school and let him have it. I could simply go on competing like I planned. At least I know how to win at that one.”

  “Now don’t be hasty, cousin. You got a baby to take care of. I can see Colt’s point, but I can also see yours. And seein’ as how I want to make you happy, I’ll have that offer sent over to the Miltons this morning. That way, like Colt said, it’s up to the Miltons to decide who gets their land.”

  “Cousin, you always know how to make me happy.”

  “I try my best, cousin.”

  Helen downed the last bite of Milo’s wonderful creation. “Could you do one more thing for me?”

  “Anything. You name it.”

  She held out her plate. “Could you give me more, please?”

  He chuckled and his round belly bounced. “Comin’ right up!”

  * * *

  “SHE WANTS TO reopen the riding school,” Colt told Dodge as they rode together to check on the calf. Travis, who normally took care of the livestock, was busy with a sick pony on the other side of the ranch.

  Even though the sun was shining, the air was bitter cold. Colt wore his black beaver fur hat, two shirts, a deep blue bandanna around his neck, a thick wool overcoat, wool gloves and brown suede chaps over his jeans to keep warm. Dodge was dressed in the same manner, except for a brown beaver fur cowboy hat, and black chaps. Mush and Suzie followed alongside them eager to round up some cattle. The dogs loved to work and there was never any shortage of it on the Granger ranch.

  “I had a feeling that would be the case,” Dodge offered as a toothpick hung from the corner of his mouth. Dodge used to chew tobacco when he was young, but gave it up for Colt’s mom soon after they were married. Problem was he never got over the need to chew on something in the morning, so he chewed on a toothpick around in his mouth every morning for as long as Colt could remember.

  The new snow was about three inches deep with some high drifts. It sparkled with a rainbow of colors in the early morning sun. The long night had been brutally cold and both Colt and Dodge worried they may have lost a calf or two in the drifts with all that frigid wind blowing. At least one calf that they’d been concerned about was missing.

  “Why didn’t you say something when I was putting this proposal together?”

  “I reckon it was your decision, son, not mine.”

  “But you could have warned me this would cause a rift.”
<
br />   “You’re s’posed to know that woman better than me.”

  Colt gazed over at his dad. “It never occurred to me that she’d want to take such a big risk now. She told me she wanted to wait until she retired.”

  Dodge rolled the toothpick to the opposite side of his mouth. “If I recollect proper, she was the only girl in these parts who jumped off that dang barn roof with you in the middle of the night when you two were just newly made teens. Seems like her risk-takin’ has always been clear.”

  It was true. There was one summer when she and her dad were staying at the Gump ranch, right after her mom passed, when she snuck out and rode over to visit Colt in the middle of the night. It had been her idea to jump off the roof and Colt had gone along with it.

  “How’d you know about that night? You never mentioned it before and I never told you about it.”

  “There ain’t nothin’ I didn’t know about you boys. Even when you thought you was getting’ away with somethin’, I knew about it. If it wasn’t gonna kill you or get ya in trouble with the law, I let it happen. That was just my way. Looks like you got a little of that going on with your boys.”

  “A little.” But Colt knew he wasn’t quite up to his dad’s level. At least not that he was aware of. He could barely keep up with his boys and their homework, much less what they were doing with their free time. He was hoping Helen could help resolve that with him once they were married. Maybe then he could be more like his dad.

  Still, Colt couldn’t believe his dad knew about that night, and wondered what else the man knew about him. Some of his antics were less than smart, and he wasn’t very proud of them, but that night with Helen wasn’t like that.

  They had snuck out of their houses and spent the entire night in the barn up in the loft, talking about their futures. It was the first time she’d told him about wanting to learn how to be a mounted shooter. Back then it was a new sport and only a handful of men were doing it. He couldn’t understand why in the world Helen would want to compete in a man’s sport and not stick to barrel racing.