by R. C. Ryan
She was still laughing as he rounded the truck and lifted her out of her seat. Instead of setting her on her feet, he continued carrying her across the street and through the door, where he stood a moment, allowing them both to adjust to the dim lights, the smoky interior, and the sound of the jukebox cranked up to an ear-splitting volume.
Before he could set her on her feet, a pretty woman who looked more like a nursery school teacher than a saloon owner sauntered up. She wore a prim white blouse and black tailored slacks. Her short auburn hair was curled softly around a face with minimal makeup, warm blue eyes, and a welcoming smile. “Casey Merrick, I hope that sweet young lady in your arms is here willingly, and not being carried in against her will.”
He turned up his megawatt smile. “Nonie, you get prettier every day.”
“And you get more charming, Casey.” She eyed Kirby, still being held easily in his arms. “Who’s your friend? Or should I say ‘prisoner’?”
“This is Kirby Regan. She’s new to town, so you’ll want to make a good impression on her.”
“Don’t I always?” She smiled at Kirby. “Regan? Any relation to Frank Regan?”
“My uncle. He used to bring me here when I was little.”
“Of course. Kirby. I remember. I’m sorry for your loss.”
At her words Kirby swallowed hard.
“How Frank doted on you.”
That had the smile returning to Kirby’s eyes.
“Welcome back home. Are you just passing through, or are you thinking about staying?”
“I’m hoping this will be permanent. I took a transfer from the DC office of the Association of Land Management back to my home state of Wyoming.”
“I’m not surprised you’ve come back.” Nonie glanced around and spotted an empty booth in the rear of the room.
Indicating that Casey should follow her, she led the way, all the while continuing her conversation with Kirby as though it wasn’t at all strange that she was being carried in Casey’s arms. “Most folks who thought they’d like to see Wyoming in their rearview mirrors usually end up coming back home, and are so happy to do so.”
Kirby took advantage of a break in conversation and leaned close to whisper into Casey’s ear. “Isn’t she going to ask why you’re carrying me?”
He was grinning from ear to ear. “What makes you think I don’t carry in all my women this way?”
She gave a little giggle and was still laughing when they reached the booth. Casey paused to set Kirby on the empty seat before sliding in beside her.
Taking that as her cue, Nonie slid onto the seat across from them.
“Now then.” She glanced around, as though checking if anyone was near enough to overhear. When she leaned across the table, Kirby was certain she would ask about why she wasn’t walking.
Instead, Nonie turned to Casey. “How’s your daddy these days?”
Casey reached across the table and took Nonie’s hand in his. “He’s still the same. Working hard. Playing even harder. And as far as I know, still alone.” He winked at her. “Anything I’ve missed?”
Nonie slapped his hand playfully. “That’s enough for now.” She paused before adding, “At least the alone part. He doesn’t need to be. There are…some ladies in this town who wouldn’t mind keeping him company.”
“Anyone I know, Nonie?”
She got to her feet, suddenly all business. “What’ll you two have?”
Casey exchanged a look with Kirby before saying, “Two cold longnecks, and two bowls of your hottest chili.”
She turned to Kirby. “You letting this cowboy order for you?”
Kirby couldn’t help laughing. “Is there anything else you’d rather recommend?”
Nonie gave a shake of her head. “My chili’s the best thing on the menu.”
“Then I’ll have what he ordered.”
“Done.”
As Nonie walked away, Kirby looked at Casey incredulously. “She still hasn’t asked why you carried me in.”
“Told you.” He closed a hand over hers. “And here you thought you were the first. You should just be glad you’re not built like Georgia Preacher. I had to toss her over my shoulder like a sack of Georgia peaches. It was that or order a honey wagon, but then I’d have had to wheel her back out after she polished off three bowls of Nonie’s chili.”
“You’re making this up.”
“You don’t believe there’s a girl named Georgia Preacher here in town?”
“If there is, you never carried her into this place the way you just said.”
He sat back with a satisfied grin. “You can ask Nonie when she comes with our order.”
Kirby shook her head. “The way Nonie looks at you, she’d probably swear to any lie you told.”
He merely smiled. “That’s nothing compared to the way she looks at my dad whenever he comes in here. You’d think he was the best thing on the menu.”
They were both chuckling as Nonie returned with their drinks, two bowls of steaming hot chili, and all the trimmings. There was a little bowl of chopped onions, a bowl of grated cheese, and two separate hot sauces, one marked HELL HATH NO FURY and the other marked DON’T EVEN ASK, as well as a basket of crackers.
With sighs of pleasure, they clinked their bottles and took long pulls of cold beer before digging in.
Chapter Ten
Nonie settled onto the bench across from them and sipped from a tall glass of water.
Casey looked around between bites. “Looks like business is good, Nonie.”
“It’s picked up some since the snow. The minute we get a storm, folks think about hot chili and a burger on the grill.”
“Nothing wrong with that.”
She smiled. “Nothing at all. When I first heard about that escaped convict, and the order to shelter in place, I worried that folks around here would lock their doors and stay put. But after a day or two, I guess they were suffering cabin fever. With each passing day business has just gotten better and better.”
Casey nodded toward the identical twin servers with long blond hair falling straight past their shoulders, wearing snug denims tucked into tall boots and T-shirts that read: FOR THIS I WENT TO COLLEGE. They were kept busy moving between tables delivering plates of burgers and fries, bowls of steaming chili, and trays of longnecks. “That has to make Gina and Tina happy.”
“You bet.” Nonie beamed as she watched the two young women laughing and talking with the customers.
At a signal from one of them she slid from the booth. “Okay. I knew this wouldn’t last. Back to work.” Before leaving she said, “If you want anything more, just give me a holler.”
“Will do.” Casey gave her a thumbs-up as she walked away.
Kirby glanced at the two pretty servers. “Her daughters?”
Casey shook his head. “Her nieces. Her brother’s girls. He and his wife died when the twins were five. Nonie took them in and made a home for them. They’re in their last year of college now. They take online classes so they can help out with the lunch and dinner crowd, but Nonie’s determined that they take their final semester in Laramie so she can watch them receive their degrees with the rest of their graduating class.”
“That had to be a big commitment on both sides. Nonie took on the care and feeding of the two, and they have to be overwhelmed by juggling work and college classes.”
“They’re all up for it. But I think raising them was a much bigger commitment than Nonie bargained for.”
At Kirby’s questioning look he shrugged. “According to my dad, Nonie was engaged at the time. The guy called off the wedding and left town, saying he didn’t sign on to raise somebody else’s kids.”
Kirby huffed out an angry breath. “I’d say Nonie got a lucky break when he left.”
At Casey’s arched brow she shook her head. “He sounds like a selfish loser. She’s better off without him. Who needs a guy who can’t handle a few bumps in the road?”
Casey looked at her thoughtfully.
“I never thought about it that way. Most folks in town figure she paid a high price for opening her home to her brother’s girls.”
Kirby watched as one the girls whispered something to Nonie that had them both convulsing in laughter. She shook her head. “I’m betting she got back every bit as much love as she gave.”
Casey followed her gaze and broke into a wide smile. “Yeah. They’re as devoted to Nonie as she is to them.”
As Kirby and Casey lingered over their lunch, the two girls found time to amble over. “Hey, Casey.”
He looked up with a big smile. “Hey, Gina. Tina. This is Kirby Regan.”
They both greeted her enthusiastically.
“It’s so nice to meet both of you. Casey told me you’re going to graduate college this year.”
Two heads nodded in unison.
“And then what? Got any plans for the future?”
The two exchanged smiles before Gina said, “Aunt Nonie wants us to go into business for ourselves. But we’re not sure we’d ever be happy leaving here. We love working with her.”
“Yeah.” Tina nodded. “Besides, this place is our second home.”
“And that’s the best feeling in the world.” Kirby arched a brow. “Who knows? Maybe if you stay, you two will use what you’ve learned to grow this business.” She glanced around. “Maybe bring in some live music on the weekends. Open up that high ceiling all the way back to the beams and turn that second story into balcony seating.”
Gina’s jaw dropped. “We’ve been talking about that very thing.” She peered at Kirby. “Are you a mind reader?”
Kirby gave what she hoped was a witchlike smile. “I’ll never tell.”
At that, they all joined in the laughter.
A request from a table nearby had the two sisters turning away. “Nice to meet you, Kirby. Maybe someday we could pick your brain. But right now, we need to get back to work.”
As they hurried away, Casey put a hand on Kirby’s. “My great-grandfather would call what you just did ‘planting before harvesting.’”
At her curious look, he explained. “You just planted a seed in their minds. Maybe, if you stick around long enough, you’ll see if it grows into something that can produce a good harvest.”
“I like that.” She met his steady gaze. “How I wish someone would plant a seed in my mind about how to deal with all my losses.”
“One step at a time.” Casey drained his beer. “Let’s pick up the supplies Billy ordered and head back to the ranch. I’m betting my family will have plenty of suggestions on how to move forward.”
As they slid from the booth Casey surprised her by once again scooping her up in his arms.
“Hey.” She put her hands on his shoulders, attempting to draw back. She went along with it earlier but was unwilling to wrap her arms around his neck again. It seemed too intimate. “I’m not an invalid.”
“Humor me.” His voice, murmured against her ear, sent an electric current sizzling through her system.
Before she could argue he began threading his way among the tables, and she had no choice but to wrap her arms around his neck and hold on.
“Hey, Casey. What’ve you got there?”
At the deep voice, Casey paused. “Hey, Ben. This is Kirby Regan. Kirby, Ben Harper. He owns the hardware store and grain and feed store.”
“Hello.” Her face flaming, she could do nothing more than nod a greeting.
“Just picked her up, did you?”
“Something like that.”
“Your order’s all loaded.”
“Thanks, Ben.” Casey moved on until a portly man with a drooping mustache stood in his way.
“’Afternoon, Casey. I see you picked yourself a pretty flower.”
“That I did, Wilson. This is Kirby Regan. Kirby this is Wilson Tremont. He is the mayor of Devil’s Door.”
“Mayor Tremont.”
“Just Wilson,” the man said with a grin. “‘Mayor’ sounds too stuffy. Besides, I’d happily resign the job if I could talk anybody else into taking it. Nice to meet you, Kirby.”
“And you.”
Casey turned away. “See you soon, Wilson.”
As Casey strode toward the exit, he heard his name again and turned to see the police chief seated with a couple.
“Noble.”
“That ankle giving you some trouble, Kirby?”
She looked down at the police chief from Casey’s arms. “No more than when I saw you earlier. But Casey is convinced I need to be carried.”
“I don’t blame him one bit. Nothing like having a pretty woman in a man’s arms to make him walk taller and straighter.” The chief motioned toward his companions. “Kirby Regan, this is Carrie and Ray Spence. They own the new spa in town.”
She nodded a greeting. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Ray Spence couldn’t resist the urge to hype his business. “If you’re in the mood for a soothing therapeutic massage, Kirby, come see us.”
“Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”
After that quick exchange Casey carried her outside and across the street to his truck before setting her in the passenger seat.
Once he settled into the driver’s side and turned the ignition on, he looked over and saw the flush on her cheeks. “Something wrong?”
“I feel so silly, meeting all those strangers while being carried like a baby.”
“I’m sorry, that wasn’t my intention. I just want to make sure you don’t reinjure your ankle. But look at it this way. They won’t soon forget you. And they won’t think of you as a baby, but a babe.”
He winked, and whatever complaint she’d been about to voice was forgotten.
After composing herself she thought about the past few minutes. “Do you realize that not one of them asked why I wasn’t walking?”
“They were being polite. Besides, I’m sure Chief Crain’s lovely wife already told them all about your fall in the hills, the theft of your truck, the trashing of your apartment, and the fact that you’re staying at my ranch. Maryanne considers it one of the perks of her job. She gets the news first and feels it’s her obligation to pass it along as quickly as possible. You’d be surprised at how warmly she’s welcomed everywhere in this town whenever there’s good gossip to share.”
He drove from the loading dock and started along Main Street, with the radio cranked up to Willie Nelson wailing about the perils of loving a cowboy.
Kirby found herself singing along as the truck ate up the miles back to the Merrick ranch.
When they parked alongside the trucks lined up by the back porch, Kirby felt a lightness in her heart. All the troubles of the day, which had felt so overwhelming, now seemed to melt away. She was aware that she would have a lot to deal with in the coming days. But knowing she had a place to stay relieved so much of the pressure. Especially since the Merrick family was so easy to be around.
It wasn’t, she told herself, because she’d been given a little more time to spend with this easygoing cowboy. But there was something about Casey Merrick. Just being with him, and enjoying that zany sense of humor, and that easy-as-Sunday-morning attitude, had her feeling that no matter what went wrong in her life, it would somehow turn out all right.
Chapter Eleven
Casey opened the passenger door and reached for Kirby.
Realizing what he intended, she shrank back. “You can’t carry me into your house, Casey.”
His grin was quick and sexy. “Says who?”
“Your family will think I’ve been hurt again.”
“Not again. Still.”
When she assented, he easily scooped her into his arms and carried her up the steps, through the mudroom and into the kitchen, where most of the family was gathered.
The conversation ended in midsentence as soon as they walked in.
Egan was on his feet at once. “Another fall, Kirby?”
“No. It’s your grandson’s idea of a joke. I told him to let me walk.”
�
��Just following the doctor’s orders.” Casey crossed the room and settled her in an overstuffed chair by the fireplace. “Dr. Peterson said she should stay off her feet as much as possible.” He pulled a footstool close and lifted her two feet onto it. “And to elevate the leg whenever she could.”
Meg’s look turned serious when she caught sight of the walking boot. “So this wasn’t a simple sprain?”
“A fracture.” At her look of concern, Kirby hurried to add, “But it’s healing nicely—the doctor is just taking precautions to see that it continues to do so. He said in a week or so he’ll take another X-ray to determine that everything’s proceeding as it should. If it is, he’ll remove the boot and allow me to resume normal activities.”
“I’m glad he’s not taking this lightly.” Meg accepted a kiss on her cheek from her grandson. “When I was a young nurse-in-training I saw a lot of simple medical situations go wrong because so many people got impatient and pushed themselves too far, too fast.”
Kirby blushed. She knew she was being gently reprimanded.
Bo put a hand on her shoulder. “Casey called and told us what happened with your truck and apartment.”
Egan’s hand fisted at his side. “That’s a heap of trouble for one person, Kirby. I hope you know we’re all here for you.”
She ducked her head, afraid their kind acceptance would make her embarrass herself by weeping. “Thank you.”
Bo reached for a longneck. “Noble Crain considers any crime committed in his town to be a personal insult. I’m sure he’ll be working overtime to locate your truck and find out who vandalized your place.”
Billy paused beside Kirby’s chair. “Hot tea?”
She nodded gratefully and he handed her a steaming cup.
“Thank you.” Kirby knew, by the sympathetic smile he gave her, that he was aware of her discomfort at being the center of attention. It only brought more color to her cheeks.
“Well, look who’s back.” Jonah nudged Brand as they walked into the kitchen. “There’s a pitchfork with your name on it hanging in the barn.”
