Bighearted Cowboy (Tarnation, Texas Book 5)

by Rhonda Lee Carver

  Meka swiped away a tear that had fallen to her cheek. “You’re right. I guess I already knew what I needed to do, but I needed to hear the words. Thank you.” Meka hugged her tightly.

  “I didn’t do anything. I’m always here if you want to talk. I appreciate that you told me.”

  “You’re easy to talk to.” She grabbed her slice of pizza and chomped down hungrily. “So you and your fiancé didn’t get married? He really didn’t want a future with you?” she said around a mouthful.

  Charlotte have a half shrug, plucking at the label on the plastic lid to her salad. “No, he wanted a future, he just didn’t want the same future that I did. I’m glad I found out earlier than later.”

  “His loss. You’d make a great wife and mother. You definitely make a great friend.” Meka chewed on the corner of her lips. “After I tell Randy I’ll have to speak to Mom and Dad. They’re going to kill me.” Some of the sadness returned.

  “Sweetie, they might be disappointed at first, but I’m sure once they realize a grandchild is on the way they’ll be supportive, probably even excited. Either way, you can do this and you can figure out what your future looks like, even if that means standing on your own two feet.”

  “My phone is vibrating.” Meka lifted the cell and read the screen. “It’s Randy.” Her eyes widened.

  “Speak to him,” Charlotte encouraged.

  “Okay.” She clicked the button and said, “Randy, give me just a second.” She pressed the phone against her chest and gave Charlotte a cautious smile and mouthed, “Thank you.”

  Charlotte grabbed a cucumber from the salad and took a bite, feeling a bit sad. She remembered how she’d felt herself when she thought she was pregnant, and she’d been filled with heavy emotion. A child wouldn’t have been a burden, but it certainly would have changed her life. Now at thirty, she realized she needed to start thinking about her future. She saw herself with a child or two, but she couldn’t skip over the most important parts of making a baby. She hadn’t met Mr. Right yet.

  The image of a handsome cowboy filled her head. She bit back laughter at the image of Brennan passing out and then flashing her. She didn’t mind that he never wore underwear. And the way he’d sang her a song. He’d made her smile and she liked that about him.

  But she had so much on her plate.

  She’d taken double shifts at the clinic each week earning more money, hoping she could buy a car soon and possibly rent a place. Betty Sue wasn’t home much, but she wanted a place so she could settle down. Decorate. She wanted to pick out a bed and couch.

  Charlotte also had been sending Lucy money too. She didn’t go back to the market and hadn’t found a job yet.

  “Hello, Charlotte.”

  She had been so wrapped in her own thoughts she hadn’t realized Dr. Healey had come into the break room. “Oh, hello. Sorry. How are you?”

  “I’m wonderful.” Dr. Healey was tall, dark, and handsome and he had a nice friendly smile. He also had a very good bedside manner. Not every doctor she’d worked with had a proper balance between respect and knowledge. A few had treated her like she’d received her nursing degree over the counter at a local store. Since Charlotte had started working with Dr. Healey, he had treated her with reverence and cared for her opinion about the treatment for patients. She appreciated using her skills. “Not hungry?” He looked from her uneaten salad and back to her.

  “Not really.” She closed the lid, stood and tossed it into the trash can.

  “Did you get it out of the vending machine?” He lifted a thick brow.

  “Yes.”

  “Well then that’s why. I have something for you to try.” He opened the refrigerator and took out a clear plastic container. “Do you like sushi?”

  “I haven’t tried anything outside of a California roll.”

  He chuckled. “Then you don’t know what you’re missing. I drive an hour to get here and I pass a Japanese restaurant owned by a friend. I stop by several times a week and pick up fresh spider rolls. They are delicious. You haven’t lived until you’ve eaten one.”

  Peering into the container, the rolls did look appealing. “They look amazing.”

  “Try one.”

  Picking one, she bit into the sushi and her taste buds came alive. “Oh my lands.”

  “Can you taste the crab, cucumber, and avocado? Some restaurants use too spicy of a mayonnaise, but Lee makes them with a perfect combination of mayo and sriracha.”

  “Mm.” She chewed. “You’re right. They are delicious.”

  “If you’d like, I could take you there one evening.” He gave her a wide smile.

  It took her a long couple of seconds to realize what he’d asked and when it finally clicked that he was asking her out it caught her by surprise and a bit of the sushi went down the wrong pipe. She coughed.

  “Here. Let me grab your drink.” Dr. Healey grabbed the bottle, uncapped it and handed it over.

  She downed half the water and finally the sushi went down. “Oh my. Sorry about that.”

  “Did the sushi offset you or was it that I’m asking you out on a date?”

  “I-I didn’t expect it.” She placed the rest of the roll on a napkin thinking it best to save it for once the shock passed—or rather the conundrum. Charlotte had decided to never date a co-worker because things could be blissful one day and the next, she would find herself encapsulated in a situation where she had no choice but to resign.

  “I understand. It might be a bit awkward since we work together.”

  “It’s an unwritten rule for me.”

  He nodded. “If you change your mind though, the offer still stands. I’m going to go enjoy my food in my office.” He took his container and left.

  Charlotte stuffed the rest of the roll into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. Why did she react like a middle schooler? And why didn’t she jump at the chance? Rule or no rule? It wasn’t as if she was desperate, or looking, but it had been a long time since she’d been on a date. Dr. Healey was kind and he seemed genuine.

  Now was not the time to start crossing forbidden boundaries.

  Dropping her napkin into the trash, she reached for the chocolate bar from her pocket and ripped open the wrapper. The rich scent of dark chocolate, nougat, and peanuts instantly made her feel better.

  “Charlotte, we have two patients. Can you take one?” Meka asked from the doorway.

  “Sure. I’ll be right there.” Taking a bite of the candy, she rewrapped it to save the rest for later.

  The rest of the evening was spent with patients and toward the end of the day Dr Healey asked, “Do you have a ride home?”

  “Thank you. Yes, I do.”

  “Just checking.” She liked him. More than liked him, she respected him, but when she thought about a date, it wasn’t the doctor who came to mind. Brennan filled her thoughts, but after he told her he needed to get married she wasn’t sure what to think…or feel. For the first time in her life what she wanted was to have normalcy. To meet someone, date, get to know one another, and allow things to build organically.

  Nothing with Brennan had gone “normal”.

  She was working with her last patient, a seventy-year-old woman who was in later stages of Parkinson’s Disease. Her daughter had brought her in because her mother was experiencing signs of a urinary tract infection. Dr. Healey ordered a urine test and blood work to be sent to lab.

  “As Dr. Healey said, he did find some bacteria under the microscope, but we won’t know exactly what it is until we get the results back. In the meantime, make sure you give her the antibiotic at the same time every day. If she doesn’t improve within two days bring her back in. The clinic will call with results when we get them.”

  “Thank you so much.” The daughter patted Charlotte’s hand. “Things have been getting tougher at home, especially since she’s no longer walking on her own.”

  “It’s very brave of you to take care of her. Have you thought about having a nurse come in and help?”
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  “Yes, but Mom is very timid around strangers.”

  “I understand. If you need anything let me know.”

  She walked them to the door and flipped the sign to closed. Her cell buzzed. Betty Sue had left her a message.

  “I have a late client, so I’ll be later than expected picking you up.”

  “You okay?” Meka must have read Charlotte’s expression.

  “Betty Sue will be late picking me up. You go ahead and take off. I’ll stay tonight and clean the exam rooms.”

  “I’ll run you home. It’s not far out of my way.”

  “If you don’t mind.” She automatically looked down the hall toward Dr. Healey’s office. She could have asked him but riding with Meka would be best. “I’ll let Betty Sue know.”

  They worked together in cleaning and once they finished, they left the clinic. Charlotte felt like a zombie and was grateful for the ride.

  At home, she grabbed an energy bar, took a long hot shower, pulled on a soft robe, and sat down at the corner of the couch. The sun had set, her hair had long dried, and she didn’t bother turning on the light. Finally she saw headlights feather over the wall, then heard the key in the lock and the door opened. She flipped on the lamp and caught Betty Sue tiptoeing toward the hallway.

  She jumped and slammed her hand over her chest. “Lord have mercy, Charlotte. You about made me pee my pants. Why are you sitting in the dark?”

  “I was waiting on you. No company tonight?” she teased. After she’d told her cousin that she had a ride home she’d decided to see Benny.

  “No. Benny had to practice with the band.” Betty Sue dropped down beside Charlotte on the couch.

  “Shall I meet Benny and give him a stamp of approval?”

  Betty Sue placed her purse on the table then clasped her hands into her lap. “I think I’m in love. Really in love.”

  “In love? Seriously?”

  “Wait just a minute. This calls for something.” She got up and went into the kitchen Charlotte heard tinkling of glasses and cabinet doors opening and shutting and finally Betty Sue came back with a half full bottle of wine and two glasses. “I could use a drink.”

  Accepting a glass, Charlotte asked, “Are you sure this is what you need at a time like this?”

  “I can’t think of a better time.”

  Charlotte watched her cousin down her glass. “Are you sure that you’re in love? You barely know him.”

  “I’ve never felt anything like this before.”

  She set her glass down on the table and propped her feet on the edge of the table. “Is he still a perfect gentleman?”

  “Well…” She wriggled her brows suggestively.

  “Oh…I see. So Benny is naughty after all.”

  Betty Sue laughed and held up the bottle. “Another?”

  “No thank you. I have to work in the morning.”

  “He’s amazing. He’s cute. And I love his tattoos.”

  “Everyone is falling in love these days.”

  “How about you?”

  “No.”

  “You could find someone too if you’d stop working all of the time,” Betty Sue groaned.

  “Work is my boyfriend. There I feel like I’m in control of what I’m doing. Outside of work I’m a bit awkward. Proof in how I responded when I was asked out today.”

  Betty Sue’s eyes widened. “On a date? Really? Brennan Colt finally asked?”

  “No, not Brennan.”

  “Then who?”

  “Dr. Healey.” She couldn’t hold back the smile, especially at the expression on Betty Sue’s face.

  “When are you going out?”

  “We’re not.” Charlotte covered her shoulders with the fuzzy throw.

  “What do you mean you’re not?”

  “Actually, I didn’t say yes or no, but I would have said no. He didn’t give me the chance because he came to his senses fast. He realized how messy work relationships can be.”

  Betty Sue moaned, rubbing the wrinkles in her forehead. “What is life if you’re not taking risks?”

  “Come on. He’s the doctor. I’m a nurse. That’s a cliché.”

  “Maybe there’s another reason why and you’re just not wanting to admit it.”

  “Let’s not go there.”

  “You were kissing the cowboy this morning and now you don’t want to talk about him? Yes, I’m right. He’s the reason.”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “How?”

  “Fine. He’s gorgeous, but…” Charlotte cleared her throat.

  “See, you can’t think of one reason why.”

  “There’s more to this than you know.”

  Betty Sue tucked her knees to her chest. “Sharing is caring. Maybe I can help.”

  “Brennan has to get married.”

  “Oh…”

  “You don’t seem surprised,” Charlotte said.

  “There have been rumors about the Colt men and their need to marry.”

  Charlotte jumped up from the couch. “And you didn’t think to tell me?”

  “Why would I tell you?”

  “Oh I don’t know. Maybe because this changes everything.” Charlotte paced the floor.

  “How does this change anything? Has he asked you to marry him?”

  Stopping in front of Betty Sue, Charlotte threw her hands up. “Are you kidding? That wouldn’t happen.”

  “What if it did?”

  “It won’t. I came here to find myself not to find a husband.” She was back pacing again.

  “Will you please stop walking and sit down,” Betty Sue whined.

  Agitated, Charlotte took a seat on the corner of the table. “I can’t believe you didn’t think you should share the rumor with me.”

  “Do you like him?”

  Looking down at her clasped hands, she brought her chin up, then said, “Yes, I do.”

  “Then don’t let the little fact that he needs a wife be a deterrent.” Betty Sue dropped her feet to the floor. “I need to ask you a favor.”

  “Oh no! What favor?”

  “It’s not a biggie. Trust me.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “Afternoon, Brennan.”

  He looked up from the booth. “Hey, Stella. It’s a scorcher outside today.”

  “We got the air cranking in here, but I’ve been running around like a chicken with its head cut off.” She blew a tendril of hair off her cheek that had fallen from the messy bun. “What can I get you? A drink? A pool to cool down in?”

  “I’m expecting someone so I’ll wait to order food, but can I grab a strawberry lemonade with extra ice while I wait?”

  “One strawberry lemonade coming up. Do you want one of my buttery rolls too? I just took them out of the oven.”

  “You know I love your rolls. I’ll take two.”

  “I’ll even do you one better. I’ll pack you up a peach pie to take with you for your brothers. Tell them rowdy boys I said hello.”

  “They’ll forever be in debt to you, Stella.” He dipped the brim of his hat. “I’ll relay the greetings.”

  Once she stepped away Brennan stared through the window. He was supposed to meet Charlotte here.

  That is if she wanted to see him again.

  After he told her about the will stipulation, he figured she’d run the opposite direction when she saw him.

  Maybe that was for the best.

  Who was he kidding?

  He’d never chased a woman in his life but with Charlotte he didn’t mind buying himself a pair of running shoes. But he didn’t want to come off too strong, or rude, or that he was looking for a savior to help him out.

  Blowing out a long breath, he eased back into the cushion of the vinyl seat and stared outside but focused on nothing but his internal whirling of thoughts.

  What the fuck?

  Brennan gritted his teeth and felt the need to pound a punching bag to get rid of some of his pent-up energy.

  Then he saw her walking toward the
diner, and he felt his world turn upside down. Her hair bounced around her shoulders. Her cheeks were flushed and the white sundress she wore fluttered around her curves. Although she seemed confident, he had a feeling she had a wide vulnerable streak that she hid well. So what was her story? Everyone had a story to tell but he wanted to hear hers. He wanted to know what made her tick. What did she see for herself in the future?

  She swept into the diner and glanced around, then she saw him. Her eyes widened slightly, followed by a shy smile. She sashayed toward him and the slit in the dress opened to show off the toned length of her legs. “Why am I getting the feeling that you’re the one I’m meeting about the benefit?”

  “You’d be right. Betty Sue didn’t tell you?”

  “Of course not. How’d she talk you into this one?”

  “Have a seat and I’ll tell you.”

  Her shoulders were visible in the dress, showing off satin smooth skin scattered with faint freckles. She slid into the booth bringing with her a breath of fresh air—and a need he hid under the table.

  “So? What did she promise you?”

  He leaned his elbows on the table. “Only one thing. That I’d get to see you.”

  With a quivering of her bottom lip, she laid her purse on the table. “You got the worse end of the deal.”

  “Says you.”

  “While Betty Sue is on a trip with Benny, you and I are finishing up her job to collect donations.”

  “If it’s too hard, I can always do this myself.”

  “And let you have all the fun? Are you kidding?” Her smile returned. “Just so we’re clear, I’m going to kill my cousin. Does she think she’s Cupid?”

  “Well, you can’t do that on an empty stomach. You’re here so how about food?” He took two menus from the metal rack on the table and handed her one. “Order whatever you want but I’ll tell you, Stella can make a mean burger.”