The Texan and the Cowgirl

by Victoria Chancellor

  Cassie was sound asleep now, so he decided to leave her alone. They could talk later if she wanted to. If she didn’t…well, he’d hold her or do whatever he could to make her feel better. He went back out the door and closed it softly behind him.

  The kitchen was cleaned up, so he wiped off the table, put away the place mats and settled on the couch. What was on television on Monday afternoon? He hadn’t watched TV during the day since he’d been in L.A., killing time between calls from his agent and the shooting schedule for The Next Cowboy Star.

  He retrieved the remote for the new flat-panel TV Cassie had given him as a wedding present. He should have turned it on before now, but he’d been too busy turning Cassie on, he thought with a smile. That had been a lot more fun than anything that might have been on television.

  Someone had gone to the trouble to hook it up to a satellite dish, because he had a good variety of channels to choose from. Lots of sports and several movie options. He’d been surfing for maybe five minutes when his cell phone rang.

  His ring tone, Rascal Flatts’s “Life Is a Highway,” was so loud it was sure to wake up Cassie if he didn’t answer right away. He jumped up from the couch and grabbed it.

  “Hello,” he said, heading for the front door so he could talk in a regular voice.

  “Charlie, Marilyn Drake here. How are you?”

  “Fine, Marilyn. Newly married and living on the ranch.”

  “Really? Well, that’s certainly a surprise.”

  “Yeah, it happened fast, but we had to work around her family visiting town.”

  “Can you get back out here right away?”

  “No. I’m on my honeymoon.”

  “This is one of those ‘must do’ situations, Charlie.”

  “Why? What’s up?”

  “I’ve booked an audition for you with Ravi Sahir, the director for a major commercial for a credit card company. Rumors are it will be a Super Bowl-caliber thirty-second commercial. He saw you on the reality show and is very interested.”

  “A commercial?” Interrupt his honeymoon for that?

  “Not just any old commercial. A Super Bowl commercial. You remember the Budweiser Clydesdales, don’t you? The ones where they’re playing football?”

  “Of course.”

  “Along that line, only he wants a genuine rodeo cowboy. Someone who can rope and will look good in the saddle. I told the producer that you’re their man.”

  “Sounds interesting. How does it pay?”

  “We can negotiate that once they meet you.”

  Some extra money would be good about now. Opening the rodeo school would be expensive, plus there’d been a lot of renovations on the house. “Are you sure about this?”

  “This is a great opportunity. Lots of our best actors started in commercials.”

  It could be just the entry he needed. He’d finally have a real clip to show people what he could do. And hell, being in a Super Bowl commercial would be almost as good as playing in the game itself. “Okay, I’ll do it. When do I need to be there?”

  “First thing Wednesday morning.”

  “Hell, I’ll have to leave tomorrow!”

  “You should plan on being here for three days. I’ll try to schedule something else for you while you’re in town. I’ll check movies in preproduction to see if anything has come up.”

  “Okay,” he said, resigned to tell Cassie he had to leave town. He had a feeling she wasn’t going to be happy, especially coming so soon after her aunt and uncle had upset her. “But Marilyn, I really need to get back here Friday night. Did I mention I’m on my honeymoon?”

  “I won’t schedule anything for you late on Friday so you can get a flight out.”

  “I’ll call you when I get in on Tuesday night.”

  “You do that, cowboy. I have a good feeling about this one. It’s a perfect fit for your skills and your looks.”

  Charlie disconnected the call and stood outside, staring at his new house. It might be a perfect fit for him, but not great timing for his marriage.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “You’re leaving?”

  “I have to, darlin’,” Charlie said, looking genuinely full of regret. “I can’t pass up this opportunity.”

  “But what about getting your roping school started?”

  “I’ll be back on Friday night. I told my agent I want to spend the weekend with you before you go back to work on Monday.”

  That was thoughtful of him, but leaving her for four days of their one-week honeymoon wasn’t something she’d anticipated. What had happened to his claims that he was done with Hollywood?

  “And this is just to audition for a commercial?”

  “A Super Bowl commercial, darlin’. That’s like the difference between building a toolshed and constructing a five-bedroom house. It could open up a whole new career.”

  “But you’ve already decided on a new career, teaching aspiring professional cowboys how to rope and rein and all that.” He’d talked about what a sensible plan it was, something suited to his abilities that took advantage of his name recognition and PRCA standing.

  He walked up and put his arms around her. “And I can still do that, but I’ve got to strike while the iron is hot. Right? Besides, we could really use the money. To start the school, pay for the renovations to the house, and have plenty for the baby. You understand, don’t you, darlin’?”

  No, not really. I want you to stick to the plan we agreed on. I want you here for the rest of our honeymoon. “If this is something you feel you have to do, what can I say?”

  “I’m really sorry the timing is so bad, but I knew you’d see how important this is.”

  No, she didn’t, but obviously he did, and he thought she would be right on board with his change of plans. She’d had a rocky day; maybe she wasn’t thinking straight. She didn’t want to argue any more with anyone and she didn’t want to think at all. “So, what do you want to do for supper?”

  He pulled back and looked at her, a question in his eyes. He didn’t ask anything else, though. “You want to get out of the house for a little while? We could run over to Dewey’s, have a steak. Maybe dance a little?”

  As much as she liked their house, the walls did seem to be closing in on her. Getting out seemed like the best idea. “I need to freshen up.”

  Charlie nodded. “You go ahead. No rush.” He picked up the remote and settled on the couch.

  She went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Her eyes were bloodshot, either from crying earlier or sleeping with her makeup on. A crease from the pillow bisected her cheek and there was smudged mascara beneath her eye. She shook her head. Best to start over.

  Life had been much simpler before she wore makeup, back when she had no personal life and never disappointed her aunt and uncle.

  But she hadn’t been happy then, she thought as she wiped away the makeup she’d carefully applied that morning. She’d been afraid to live, much less to risk loving someone. Now she had a chance for a family of her own, but living was messy. Emotionally draining, to say the least.

  She reapplied her makeup, straightened her clothes and left the bathroom. “Your turn,” she said to Charlie, feeling a little like a roommate in a dorm at the moment.

  He hugged her to his chest as they passed. “You look fine, darlin’. Don’t worry. Everything’s gonna be okay.”

  I don’t want things to be okay. I want them to be great like they were yesterday. Like last night and this morning, before family and auditions and worries.

  She settled on the couch and watched a sports program on the big TV. Not that she cared one bit about sports, but she didn’t have anything else to do, and maybe, just maybe, she’d forget about the questions in her life for a while.

  AFTER A STEAK DINNER at Dewey’s, Charlie suggested they dance a little to loosen up. Cassie knew she was still tense and so was he. They hadn’t talked about his trip tomorrow or her conversation with Aunt Helen, which was probably best. They weren’t g
oing to be able to resolve anything by talking, so they might as well dance.

  He took a handful of quarters and picked several songs while she sipped a soda at a small table next to the dance floor. No matter how uptight she felt, she still admired the way he looked, hands braced on the jukebox, jeans tight across his butt, shirt stretched across his wide back. The multicolored lights of the display lit up his face and gilded his sun-streaked hair. Charlie Yates, her husband, was one handsome cowboy. Maybe it made sense for him to pursue his dreams of being a movie star. Or an actor. She knew there was a difference but she didn’t know what he really wanted. She’d thought he would be happy opening the rodeo school, but was he just settling for second choice?

  Did he enjoy expressing himself in front of the cameras, or was it more about regaining some of the spotlight he’d had as a champion cowboy? Maybe she’d find out when she knew him better.

  Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now” began to play. Charlie walked across the floor and smiled. “Our song is playing.”

  “Yes, it is.” The first time they’d danced was to this song. She’d been excited to dance with the famous cowboy who seemed to have eyes only for her. She reached out her hand and he pulled her to her feet.

  “Come on, darlin’. Let’s show ’em that we haven’t forgotten how to dance just because we’re married.”

  She smiled as he drew her close and began a brisk two-step around the floor. Before long she started to relax. She’d never enjoyed dancing as much as she did with Charlie.

  After a few more songs, she began to feel tired. The day had been stressful and the dancing brisk. When the last song ended, she turned to Charlie. “I’m ready to go home if you are. It’s been a long day.”

  He took a sip of his nearly forgotten beer and left a tip on the table for the waitress. “Let’s go.”

  Later, Charlie slipped into bed after a quick shower. They made love slowly and without the wild craziness of last night, which seemed perfectly reasonable. Except it wasn’t quite right. They weren’t the same people as they’d been after the reception, when they couldn’t keep their hands off each other.

  Cassie didn’t know what had changed, but something had, and as she lay in the dark, spooned against Charlie, she knew she’d have several days to try to figure it out. He wasn’t going to be back until late Friday night. They’d spend the weekend together and then who knew what would happen? He could settle down and begin building his new school, or he might announce that he’d be back on a plane for L.A.

  She had never realized that being married came with so much uncertainty.

  CASSIE SAID SHE WAS FINE, but Charlie felt something was bothering her that she either didn’t want to talk about or wasn’t ready to face. After showing her around the ranch on Tuesday morning, he had to pack and head to the DFW airport, which was over an hour’s drive.

  “I’m sorry I have to leave, darlin’,” he said as he stood beside his truck. “If you need anything at all, you just tell Colby. If you don’t feel comfortable stayin’ by yourself, you let him know. I know you have a lot of friends around town, but he’s close by, and he’s family now.”

  “I understand,” she said, hugging him. Her cheek rested next to his heart and he felt another wave of protectiveness wash through him. She’d talked to her aunt and uncle earlier and suggested they go ahead with their trip to Memphis to visit Jim’s relatives. Maybe they could stop by here on their way back to California. Charlie was glad they weren’t going to be around to upset Cassie while he was gone.

  “I’d do anything for you. You know that, don’t you?”

  She leaned back and looked at him. “Would you?”

  “Of course. You’re my wife and…and I care about you—how you’re feelin’ and if you’re happy.”

  She looked at him a few more seconds. He felt as if he’d said the wrong thing, but he didn’t know what she wanted. He was trying to be truthful.

  “Have a good trip,” she finally said. “I’ll miss you.”

  “I’ll miss you, too. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He leaned down and kissed her, trying to show her how much he wanted to be with her. She kissed him back but didn’t cling or act as if she couldn’t let him go.

  That was good, he supposed, except…he wished she would ask him to stay. Maybe get a little angry that he was leaving her. Didn’t she care? She said she did, but she was so reasonable and even tempered.

  He’d been in relationships with other women who pitched a fit if he had a few beers with the guys instead of spending time with them. Now he was leaving Cassie alone during their honeymoon to fly to L.A. and he got a polite kiss.

  She stepped back. He forced a smile and climbed into the truck. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  She nodded.

  He started the engine and backed away from their little house. Maybe some time apart would be good for them. Give them a chance to figure out what was missing here. Because something had gotten out of sync in their relationship ever since they’d told her family about the baby.

  ON WEDNESDAY MORNING, Cassie had nothing to do. She’d slept fairly well considering she was all alone. Colby was maybe a hundred yards away in the main house. The ranch was so quiet at night, though, that she felt as if she were the only person in Texas.

  She needed to be around people. She needed her friends.

  She waited until nine o’clock, then called Toni at the office. “I could come in and get caught up on some of the paperwork.”

  “It’s your honeymoon! Your week off. What’s wrong?”

  Cassie sighed. “Charlie had to go to L.A. for an audition. He won’t be back until late Friday and I’m going stir-crazy already.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  “The house is so perfect I don’t have anything to do here. I haven’t gotten my thank-you cards yet, so I can’t even work on them.”

  “I suppose just sitting around, watching television is out of the question?”

  “I’ve never been good at that.”

  “I know,” Toni said in a resigned voice. “In that case, you do whatever you want to do. There’s not much here that needs your attention, but you could come in and clean up your email, I suppose. How much offensive junk mail can you delete in an hour or so?”

  Cassie laughed. “I can do that. I’m going to lunch at the café to see who’ll show up.”

  “I’m sure the regular Lunch Ladies will be there. If I’m invited, I’ll go, too.”

  “That would be great. I want to thank everyone for what they did over the past week.”

  “Don’t worry about that. We’re just glad we could get it done.”

  “I’ll see you in a little while.” Cassie said goodbye and ended the call. After lunch she’d stop by the apartment and get some more of her things from the bedroom she’d occupied for over a year. Soon it would be as if she hadn’t lived there at all. Darla could get a new roommate or maybe move to a one-bedroom apartment when the lease was up.

  With a plan in mind, she went to the bathroom for a shower. Her spirits were lifted by just the idea of having something constructive to do.

  CHARLIE CAME OUT OF THE audition, which had ended up with a catered lunch at the production offices, feeling pretty confident about his chances. He’d thought he and the Indian director would have a huge cultural chasm, but he found they had similar ideas about the image of the American cowboy.

  Most cowboys did seem to have the same moral standards. There was a sense of fairness that evolved from each individual competitor’s race against the clock or battle with a bronc or a bull. Unlike team sports, you alone were accountable. And there weren’t any referees or umpires or line judges to hand out subjective penalties.

  You came, you did your job, you got points for it. Rodeo was simple compared to regular life.

  Married life was nice, but definitely not simple.

  He’d thought a lot about Cassie on the flight to California, and last night in his hotel room. The problem, as he’d b
egun to see it, was that he and Cassie had chemistry but none of the shared experiences that most couples had when they got married. He wasn’t sure how much private space she needed in order for her not to feel smothered. He was used to being alone a lot. Maybe she wasn’t. Or maybe being around him too much had made her antsy.

  And then there was that relationship with her aunt and uncle. He didn’t have much experience with people who were that critical. His parents had expected certain things like chores and curfew from him and Colby, but they’d never judged them like Helen and Jim did Cassie. How strange it must have been for her to grow up knowing their love was conditional. They’d taken her in when she was a little girl; did they hold that over her head? Did she feel so obliged to please them that she’d lost a bit of herself?

  Yeah, theirs was a really complicated relationship. He wanted to stay out of it, let Cassie work it out. After all, she knew them better. But since they’d upset her, he couldn’t. He wanted Cassie to be happy and she couldn’t ignore Helen and Jim’s disapproval.

  Maybe he could bring up the things that were bothering him in a conversation about the baby. He’d have a valid reason for asking Cassie what she thought about parenting, and maybe he’d get a better understanding of her relationship with her aunt and uncle from that kind of discussion. He sure hoped so. Normally, he’d just give a person room and not interfere in their personal life. He couldn’t do that with Cassie.

  He wasn’t sure why, but he couldn’t. Her happiness, or lack of, really bothered him.

  His cell phone rang, jarring him out of his deep thoughts. It was Marilyn.

  “How did the audition go?” she asked.

  “Pretty well, I think. We talked for quite a while about how to best portray the American cowboy, and then we had lunch there in the office.”

  “I just got a call from Ravi’s assistant. He said you impressed them and they’d like to shoot some film of you outdoors, preferably at an arena or somewhere you can be on a horse.”

  “I can do that, as long as we can set it up quick. I’m leaving for Texas on Friday, no matter what.”