Her Kind of Cowboy

by Charlotte Douglas

  As if reading her thoughts, Jodie reached for her hand and squeezed. “You’ll have to fly home for the christening.”

  Caroline nodded. “With Mama running a bed-and-breakfast, I’ll always have a place to stay when I visit.”

  * * *

  LATER, WHEN Caroline climbed out of Jodie’s van at Blackberry Farm, she heard the purr of a well-tuned engine. Headlights sliced through the darkness on the road from Orchard Cottage, and the car slowed as it reached the main farmhouse. Rand rolled down the window of his Jaguar and waved before continuing toward the highway.

  “Wonder where he’s been?” Jodie said.

  “Probably answering Ethan’s questions about how Eileen’s death affects his lease.”

  “It’s eleven o’clock.”

  Caroline shrugged, but she was more curious than she let on. “They could have been watching a baseball game.”

  Jodie nodded. “Male bonding with the new neighbor.” She sighed. “Living in close proximity to all that teen and Marine testosterone, I’ve become an expert on male bonding.”

  “Thanks for the ride,” Caroline said. “And I’m really happy about your baby.”

  “Sure you won’t stick around until he arrives?”

  “What?” Caroline teased. “Need another sitter close by?”

  Jodie shook her head. “Another friend. I was really looking forward to you being my nearest neighbor.”

  “I’ll come back to visit.”

  “But it won’t be the same as having you here every day, to run into town with or come up for coffee.”

  “I never had time for either while I was working for Mama.” The prospect of socializing was appealing, but Caroline was determined that nothing—not friendships, not tenants, not a nine-year-old orphan—would change her plans.

  Jodie gazed at her through the open van window, her face visible in the bright moonlight and the lights from the dash. “Don’t burn your bridges.”

  Caroline shook her head. “You’ll always be my friend.”

  “You bet, but that’s not what I meant. Don’t sell the farm.”

  “How else can I afford to buy a ranch?”

  “Rent this place out for a while first. That way, if things don’t work out in cowboy land the way you hope, you’ll have a home to come back to.”

  “Why wouldn’t things work out? Moving west is what I’ve always wanted.”

  “What if you get lonesome in the wide-open spaces?”

  “I’ll be okay.”

  Caroline had always been the most solitary of her friends, partly because of the demands of the bed-and-breakfast, but also by temperament. Often a good book was all the company she needed. But being alone was different when she was surrounded by friends and family. How would she feel in a new place where she had no one?

  Jodie put the van into reverse. “What’s important is that you’re doing what you’ve always wanted. But we’ll still miss you.”

  “I’ll be around for a while. We’ll get together again soon.”

  “Call me.” Jodie waved goodbye, backed into the road and headed for the highway.

  * * *

  ETHAN STOOD on the porch in a rectangle of light from the open front door and watched the taillights of Rand’s Jaguar disappear down the narrow dirt road. The lawyer’s appearance at his house several hours earlier had taken him by surprise.

  Ethan had been unpacking boxes in the kitchen when a knock had sounded on the door. Probably another neighbor with a cake or covered dish. Pleasant Valley with its friendly population had no need for a welcoming committee.

  Ethan had gone to the front entrance to find a tall, dark-haired stranger, dressed in jeans and a Clemson University T-shirt, with a large pizza box in his hands, standing on the other side of the screen.

  “Welcome to Pleasant Valley,” the stranger said with a friendly grin. “I’m Rand Benedict. Lillian said you were settling in, so I brought dinner—or supper, as they call it in these parts.”

  “I’m Ethan.” He opened the door for Rand to step inside. “But you already knew that.”

  Rand nodded. “I got your call on my office voice mail. No need to worry about your lease. Orchard Cottage is yours for as long as you want it.” He hefted the pizza box. “You want this in the kitchen?”

  “Sure. Will you join me?”

  “I was hoping you’d ask. My wife Brynn is eating out with her girlfriends.”

  “With Caroline? She offered to fix my supper, but I told her not to bother if she was going out.”

  “Brynn’s with Caroline, Jodie Davidson and Merrilee Nathan. The men in this valley are in big trouble when those four put their heads together.” From the affection in his voice when he mentioned his wife and her friends, Rand seemed more amused than worried about the women’s meeting.

  Ethan followed him into the kitchen, took the pizza box, and set it on the large pine table next to Lillian’s chocolate pound cake and Mrs. Mauney’s peach cobbler. “We’re all set for dessert.”

  “The women in this valley will feed you till you pop, if you let them. But what a way to go. I’ve never met so many great cooks in one place, except New York City. You’re a lucky man. Caroline can cook up a storm. Two meals a day with her, and in a few weeks, you’ll be needing bigger clothes.”

  Ethan relished the prospect of that much time with Caroline and silently thanked Eileen for providing him the opportunity. He’d need to work fast, though, with Caroline bent on leaving. He glanced up to find Rand observing him closely.

  “I won’t gain weight with all the work I need to do around this place,” he said quickly and turned to the stack of boxes he’d yet to unpack. “Now, which one has the plates?”

  “Forget plates.” Rand grabbed a roll of paper towels off the counter. “These’ll do fine. Help yourself to pizza. Fresh from the freezer to Lillian’s oven to you.”

  Ethan selected a slice of pizza smothered with melted cheese and pepperoni. “I guess delivery pizza is one of the sacrifices of country living.”

  “Yeah, but it’s worth it.” Rand straddled a chair, took a bite of pizza, chewed and swallowed. “I feel ten years younger since leaving the city. Life’s slower here, the people friendlier. It’s easier to keep your priorities straight.”

  Ethan opened the nearest box and searched for a knife to slice the pizza. “Great company and pizza. Nothing wrong with your priorities.”

  * * *

  LATER, SITTING WITH Rand on the back porch and listening to the Yankees-Red Sox game on the radio, Ethan swatted a mosquito and raised the question he’d been itching to ask all evening. “So, have you known Caroline long?”

  Rand, his face illuminated by the light streaming from the kitchen window, raised an eyebrow. “I met her last year while she was working for Eileen. Why?”

  Ethan shrugged, unwilling to divulge how Caroline had fascinated him from the first moment he’d seen her. “Just wondering what kind of landlady she’ll be.”

  “Caroline is as sweet-tempered as they come,” Rand said with obvious approval, “although how Agnes Tuttle produced such a good-natured child is a miracle. Agnes is infamous for her sharp tongue and busybody meddling.”

  “I met Mrs. Tuttle when I stayed at the bed-and-breakfast. She seemed nice enough.”

  “Until you cross her. I’m sure she gave Caroline hell for abandoning her.”

  “Abandoning? By moving out? Caroline’s a grown woman and Agnes looks
like the type who can take care of herself.”

  Rand stretched his long legs in front of him, crossed them at the ankle, and took a slow drink of iced tea. “Agnes uses illness as an excuse to keep Caroline at her beck and call. No wonder her only daughter wants to move to the other side of the country. That’s the only way she’ll get away from her mother.”

  “Caroline does seem enthralled by all things Western,” Ethan said. “I caught a look at her book collection when I was unloading boxes for her yesterday. Zane Grey, Louis L’Amour, Larry McMurtry. And lots of DVDs of Westerns. She must like cowboys.”

  “Which reminds me.” Rand reached behind him and tugged an envelope from his back pocket. “Thought you might want these. A client gave them to me, but Brynn and I have plans for that evening already. Maybe you can get Caroline to go with you.”

  Ethan took the envelope and extracted four tickets to a rodeo at the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville. Rand’s gesture was generous, but Ethan wasn’t sure he wanted to fan the flames of Caroline’s obsession. “Thanks.”

  Rand must have heard the hesitation in his tone. “You like rodeos?”

  “Don’t know. Never attended one.”

  But, on second thought, maybe the rodeo wasn’t such a bad idea after all. If he could make headway with Caroline, he’d gladly sit through an opera, even though he hated the art form, so a rodeo would be a piece of cake by comparison. But taking her to a rodeo could backfire, sharpening her appetite for moving west and accelerating her timetable. What Ethan really wanted was to persuade her to remain in the valley. He needed time. Not for himself. All the time in the world wouldn’t change his mind. Or his heart. He’d known from the day he met her that Caroline was the woman for him. He wanted her in his life, every day, for as long as he lived. But so far Caroline appeared oblivious to him, except for her awareness of her obligation to feed him twice a day. He wanted time to make her fall in love with him. Then, if she still wanted to leave the valley, he’d take her back to Baltimore. Or even move out west with her.

  How can you ask Caroline to share your life when you’re a walking disaster?

  But he didn’t intend to remain an emotional wreck. He’d come to the valley to pull himself together. Caroline provided a great incentive to overcome the trauma that had devastated him.

  “Hannah will be here by then,” Rand observed, nodding at the rodeo tickets. “Maybe you could take her and Daniel, too. Give the kids a chance to be together.”

  “Great idea. Thanks.”

  Ethan was counting on Hannah. If the little girl was as lovable as her picture portrayed, Caroline would be a goner once she met the child. Ethan was hoping Hannah would win Caroline’s heart, make her reluctant to turn the little girl over to someone else, and cause Caroline to delay her departure. Because the longer Caroline remained at Blackberry Farm, the more time Ethan would have to…to what? How could he make her fall for him?

  He needed time and he needed patience. And he needed somehow to figure out what on earth he was doing.

  * * *

  THE MORNING AFTER Rand’s visit, Ethan still didn’t have a plan to capture Caroline’s interest. He’d spent another night filled with terrors and flashbacks and awoke determined to conquer the demons that had haunted him all night. Staying busy was his best weapon.

  Standing on the back porch with his morning coffee in hand, he surveyed the backyard of Orchard Cottage. An unsightly compost heap, head-high and covered with scraggly weeds, occupied one side of the picturesque barn and marred the rustic beauty of his view. As soon as he’d had breakfast, he’d clear the area, start another compost pile out of sight of the back porch, and prepare the leveled site to plant spring bulbs come fall. As a child, he’d helped his mother in her garden, and she’d taught him well. With a little effort, he could turn not only Orchard Cottage but also its surroundings into a showplace.

  And the physical activity would keep him from remembering and help him think of what to do about Caroline.

  Breakfast could wait, he decided. He downed his coffee, set his cup on the rail and headed to the barn to search for a wheelbarrow and shovel.

  * * *

  SATURDAY MORNING, Caroline sat at the kitchen table. Sunlight streamed through the east window, a cup of her favorite tea steamed at her elbow and the melodies of songbirds were the only sounds that broke the peaceful stillness. Caroline, however, didn’t feel peaceful. Now that she’d made the break with her mother, she itched to continue her journey. She’d moved west, she thought with a wry smile, but only by ten miles. She had a long way to go to fulfill her dreams.

  But first she had to fulfill her obligations to Eileen. She stared at the blank pad and pencil on the table. She’d intended to make a list of prospective foster parents for Hannah, but she had come up with only one name, Amy Lou Baker, owner of the Hair Apparent. A middle-aged widow with a good heart, Amy Lou had a lot of love to give, but not much time. Her beauty shop was open six days a week and kept her busy. And Caroline had no idea if Amy Lou would want the responsibility of a nine-year-old.

  After Amy Lou, Caroline had drawn a blank. Times in the valley were tough, what with record-high gasoline prices and an economic slowdown. Most families she considered as foster parents were farmers, scratching to make ends meet. Even with social services providing support checks for Hannah, taking in another child would cause a financial burden. And those who owned businesses in town were short on time and funds, as well. Ironically, thanks to Eileen’s sizable stock portfolio, Caroline herself was the best candidate for fostering Hannah. She had the time and the means. All she lacked was the inclination.

  Although lacking inclination wasn’t entirely true. Hannah’s picture, propped against the sugar bowl, stared at her with big, sad eyes. The child obviously needed lots of love, attention and care. Her father had deserted her, her mother had died, the woman who’d wanted to take her in had also died, and now Caroline was preparing to give her away. Poor kid, shuffled from pillar to post. She probably felt as if nobody cared. And here Caroline was, trying as hard as she could to hand her off to someone else.

  But Hannah didn’t know Caroline, she assured herself, so surely the little girl wouldn’t feel rejected, not if Caroline could find someone who’d give her a loving home. The problem was, who? She stared at the pad with the solitary name at the top, but it provided no answers.

  The noise of a vehicle on the cottage road dragged her from her thoughts. She threw down her pencil and strode to the front porch as Ethan’s truck came to an abrupt stop in her driveway.

  He jumped from the cab and sprinted up the front walk. A man in a hurry, he moved with fluid grace and unmistakable purpose, a sight that took her breath away, even though his hair was mussed and his clothes were covered with dirt. As he came closer, she noted that his face was flushed, and concern filled his hazel eyes.

  “You’d better call the police,” he said before he reached her.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He mounted the stairs two at a time and stood at arm’s length from her, shaking his head, as if in disbelief. “You don’t find something like that every day.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “A body.”

  Now he had her complete attention. “A body? Where?”

  He looked her in the eye, his expression grim. “Buried beneath the compost heap beside the barn at Orchard Cottage. And from the looks of it, it’s been there a long time.”

  CHAPTER SEV
EN

  “ARE YOU SURE it’s human?” Caroline couldn’t believe her ears. “If it’s beside the barn, maybe somebody buried a farm animal, like a pig or a cow.”

  “It’s human all right, unless folks around here are accustomed to putting clothes on deceased animals,” Ethan said with a grimace.

  His answer shook her. Unexplained dead bodies were as rare as hen’s teeth in the valley. To know he’d found one on property she now owned was incredible. “You don’t have a phone?”

  “I have a cell, but it’s not an emergency call, so I didn’t want to use 911. Do you know the administrative number?”

  “It’s listed in the phone book.” Stunned by his claim, she could only stare at him.

  He glared at her with obvious impatience. “Can I borrow your directory, then?”

  She snapped into action. “Not necessary. I’ll make the call.”

  Ethan waited on the front porch, refusing to track the dirt that caked his work boots inside. Caroline raced to the phone in the hallway, checked the directory beneath it, and punched in the number of the Pleasant Valley Police Department.

  Todd Leland, the dispatcher, answered.

  “This is Caroline Tuttle at Blackberry Farm. My new tenant tells me he’s unearthed a body at Orchard Cottage.”

  “Is it human?”

  “Yes, and he says it looks as if it’s been buried a long time.”

  Todd informed her that Lucas Rhodes was on patrol nearby and would arrive at her place shortly. “And don’t touch anything before he gets there.”

  With questions buzzing like deer flies in her brain, Caroline returned the handset to its cradle. She didn’t know what Ethan had touched or exactly where he’d found the body or even why he’d been digging.

  She stepped outside to find him pacing on the front porch. “Lucas Rhodes is on his way.”