One Texas Cowboy Too Many (Burnt Boot, Texas)

by Carolyn Brown

  “That means we don’t talk about my hired hand, who is a damn fine man, or the shit war, right? Does that mean you’ve got something up your sleeve to get back at Naomi?”

  “It means that she shouldn’t have done what she did,” Mavis answered. “We still on for a game of canasta Saturday night?”

  “Yes, we are.”

  Chapter 10

  “Good mornin’,” Leah answered her phone. “I hear an engine. Did you get another truck?”

  “No, thought I’d wait a while to do that. Gladys says I can use the work truck to go back and forth to the bar. I can’t risk getting my cycle messed up, so I’ve been leaving it locked up in one of the barns.”

  “If it’s your only way to get around, I sure understand, especially with the Gallaghers and Brennans both up in arms.”

  “Feud doesn’t have a lot to do with it. There’s this gorgeous woman who likes to go for rides on it. I hear a lot of noise and people in the background. Where are you?” Rhett asked.

  So he thought she was gorgeous, did he? “On the ferry going out to Ellis Island. You must be in a tractor with the radio playing, right?” she asked.

  “First part, yes. Second part, no. That would be George Strait on CD.”

  “No MP3 player?”

  “Tried that and didn’t like it. Guess I’m gettin’ old. I like plain old CDs turned down low so I can hear the words,” he answered.

  “Then you wouldn’t be much for a real loud concert?” Leah asked.

  “No, ma’am. I prefer listenin’ to the music on a quilt under a shade tree with a beautiful woman beside me and the stars and moon above,” he drawled. “Where are Honey and Kinsey?”

  “Honey is flirting with some fellow she met last night in a bar, and Kinsey is in the corner with a bottle of wine, whispering to some guy she met last night while she and Honey were out partying.”

  “Are the men in that state all blind?” Rhett asked.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Then they’re stupid.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  “Because if I were on a ferry with you, I damn sure wouldn’t be drinking wine with Kinsey or flirting with Honey. They wouldn’t even be dots in the rearview mirror with you in the picture,” he answered. “Where would you be if I were there?”

  She blushed and be damned if Honey didn’t look back over her shoulder and start in her direction. Kinsey did the same thing, both of them leaving their fellers behind.

  “Well, you can damn sure bet I wouldn’t be on this boat, with my two cousins coming to see why my face is so red,” she answered. “Got to go so I can think up a plausible lie.”

  “Sunburn.” He chuckled.

  “I don’t think that one will fly. Talk to you later,” she said and hit the end button.

  Honey flipped her dark hair back over a shoulder that only had a thin strap holding up her flowing, floral top. It barely reached the top of her white shorts that looked like she’d been melted down and poured into. “Are you okay? Was that Granny on the phone, telling you that you can’t even talk to Rhett while we’re away?”

  Kinsey patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t pay any attention to her.”

  “It wasn’t Granny. It was Rhett,” Leah said.

  “Oh, then we interrupted phone sex. Forgive us.” Honey laughed.

  “Only phone foreplay. Y’all don’t have to babysit me.” Leah smiled.

  Honey leaned forward and whispered, “Tell him thank you. I decided that guy I was talking to isn’t worth even a day of my vacation and taking care of you was a perfect excuse to get away from him.”

  Kinsey nodded. “Me too. After a couple of strong drinks last night, I thought that guy was Mr. Right. But now that I’m sober, he’s gone from a nine and a half to a zero. I really have to stick close to you because you might faint. You are the delicate cousin.”

  “Crap! I’m the designated driver all over again,” Leah said.

  Honey and Kinsey sat down on either side of Leah and let the breeze blow their hair back away from their faces.

  “Do you ever wish this damn feud would be done with?” Leah asked.

  “Hell yes,” Kinsey said.

  Honey nodded. “Only before it ends, I want to knock Betsy Gallagher on her ass one time. What do you think Granny is planning? She called a meeting with Uncle Russell and two of the cousins.”

  “Which two?” Leah asked.

  “I heard it was Declan and Quaid,” Kinsey answered. “They’re the heavy lifters when it comes to the feud, so I know she’s got something up her sleeve.”

  Leah shook her head slowly. “When the older generation is gone, I hope we can start to tear down the whole feud.”

  “It’ll take two generations, and we’ll be old as dirt by then. Uncle Russell is as solidly into the feud as Granny.”

  Leah flicked a bug off her khaki shorts. “Do either of you remember my mama?”

  “Wow, that was an abrupt topic change,” Kinsey said.

  “I know, but she’s been on my mind. I asked Granny about her the day before we left, and she said that they threw her out because she was cheating on Daddy. I found her on the Internet last night. Do you think I should reach out?” Leah’s voice sounded hollow and unsure in her own ears.

  “I remember Aunt Eden playing with us out on the lawn. She was always smiling and laughing from what I remember. I asked my mama about her when I was a teenager, and she said that she and Uncle Russell never were meant to be together. That they got caught up in a rebellion and wound up married to the wrong people,” Kinsey said.

  Honey took a ponytail holder from her pocket and whipped it around her hair, pulling it to the side in a messy ponytail. “My mama told me that you look like her and Granny has always been scared that you’ll go huntin’ for her.”

  “Was she scared Declan would too?” Leah asked.

  “He did, but don’t tell anyone I told you. He was about sixteen when he found her. I walked in on him sitting in a horse stall, and he was crying so hard I thought you or Granny had died,” Honey whispered.

  Leah had never seen her big, strong brother cry before, not once in her whole life, and the picture in her mind brought tears that hung on her long lashes.

  Honey patted her on the leg. “That was years ago. Don’t get all misty-eyed about it now.”

  “What did Declan say?”

  “He said that he called her and she told him there were two sides to every story and that she’d given her word she wouldn’t talk to or see him again as long as he was living on River Bend Ranch. When he asked her why, she told him to ask his grandmother and hung up the phone,” Honey answered.

  “Did he talk to Daddy?” Leah asked.

  “I asked Declan about it a few days later, and he said that all he got out of his dad or Granny was that his momma was gone and it was best to let sleeping dogs lie.”

  “So the Brennans have secrets,” Kinsey said. “I wonder if the feud figures into it and that’s why they don’t want anyone to know. It’d be a trick to keep gossip from spreading in Burnt Boot, so whatever it is must be buried real deep. So are you going to contact your mama?”

  “Maybe I’ll talk to my dad first,” she said.

  Kinsey raised an eyebrow. “You think he’ll tell you anything more than he did Declan?”

  Leah shrugged. “Won’t know until I try. And I’m not sixteen. That could make a difference.”

  “Girl, underneath that sweet little facade, you’ve got some nerve. I wouldn’t go askin’ Granny or Uncle Russell anything,” Honey said. “But we’re not here to worry about the past or the future. We’re here for the present and to have a good time.”

  * * *

  Rhett had baled hay until five thirty, parked the tractor in front of the bunkhouse, and made a mad dash for the bathroom to clean up for bar duty that Saturday night. He felt like he washed a bushel of dirt and sweat down the drain before he got out of the tub and stood, dripping on the bath mat.

  �
��Hey, we’re going to go on and open up for business,” Sawyer yelled at the door. “I quit a little before you did, and business was slow at the store, so Jill closed ten minutes early.”

  “Sure thing, but if you wait five minutes, I’ll ride with y’all and leave the old truck here,” Rhett hollered back.

  He wrapped the towel around his waist, checked to be sure Jill wasn’t in the living area, and hurried into his room. The ringtone that he’d set up for Leah’s calls sounded out loud and clear from his dresser. He picked up the phone with one hand and deodorant with the other.

  “Hey, are you finished with your tour?” he asked.

  “We’re about to go out for supper. How are things in Burnt Boot? Never thought I’d think this, much less say it out loud, but I wish I’d stayed home,” she said.

  “Me too. Do I hear water running? I’m picturing you in the shower.” He drawled seductively.

  “I just got out of the shower and forgot to turn off the water.”

  He groaned at the visual. “I wish I was there beside you right now.”

  “Why don’t you run away from Burnt Boot? You could be here by morning if you grabbed a red-eye flight,” she said.

  “Sounds tempting, but who would take care of the chores? I was hired on to do a job, so I guess I’d best stick around and make good on my word.”

  “A woman can dream.” She sighed.

  “Will you dream about me tonight?” he asked.

  “I’d love it if I did.”

  “Then I hope you have sweet dreams.”

  “I’m sure they will be,” she whispered. “Good night, Rhett.”

  He dressed in record time, throwing on the first T-shirt he dug out of a dresser drawer and a pair of jeans. He flipped his hair back into a ponytail and immediately the curls started working their way out. A fast look in the mirror showed that he should have shaved, but he hadn’t had time for that. Tonight he’d rock the scruffy look, but it didn’t matter. The only woman who had caught his eye in Burnt Boot was over a thousand miles away.

  Chapter 11

  Leah escaped out onto the patio at the restaurant while Honey and Kinsey were in the gift shop, buying souvenir T-shirts for their friends and some of the favorite cousins. She found a table in the corner, under the awning, and ordered a shot of Jack with a back of Coke and watched the people still out and about after eleven o’clock. Back in Burnt Boot, even the bar closed at eleven and then the whole town was totally dead. A couple sets of lovers walked past Leah, and two became one in silhouette in the distance as they hugged up close to each other.

  She sipped the whiskey, letting the warmth slide down her throat as the taste took her back to the Burnt Boot Bar and Grill. Even without closing her eyes, she could see Rhett with that little soul patch below those lips that felt like pure, white-hot coals when he kissed her.

  “I bet she’s dreaming about Rhett O’Donnell,” Honey said as she and Kinsey joined her at the table.

  “Why on earth would you think that?” Leah asked.

  Kinsey raised her hand to get the waiter’s attention. “There’s a look in your eyes when you think about him, something that I’ve never seen there before.”

  “Oh, really? Maybe your vision is blurry from three margaritas and mine are twinkling from this Jack Daniel’s,” Leah said.

  “I’m glad we’re only a block from the hotel, since I might have to carry both of you home,” Honey said.

  “I’m only having one drink and I’m chasing it with a Coke, but I’m ready to go back to the hotel,” Leah said.

  “Then you go right on, darlin’. We’re not through partying or drinking either one. Don’t wait up for us,” Honey said.

  “I can stay.” Leah sighed.

  Kinsey shook her head. “No, ma’am, you can’t.”

  “Why?”

  “Be honest with yourself, Cousin. Do you really want to be on this vacation? Where would you rather be?”

  Leah nodded. “I’m going to sit here awhile and finish my Coke, go back to the hotel, and do some thinking about where I really want to be now that you’ve brought up the question.”

  “Think real hard about Rhett and the ultimatum Granny gave you.”

  “And about my mother,” Leah said.

  “Girl, you’d best let that one go. Granny won’t go back on her word when it comes to Rhett, but she’ll disown you if you talk to your mother,” Honey said.

  “Doesn’t seem quite fair for you to be in such a dilemma when we’re out having a good time,” Kinsey said. “We should be there supporting you.”

  Leah’s smile was almost shy. “This is my burden, not yours, and there’s not a better place to figure it all out than right here. At least I’m not in the middle of the forest, where I can’t see the trees.”

  “Leave it to you to find a silver lining in a jet-black cloud,” Honey said.

  I wonder if Eve can do the same, Leah thought. “I hope there’s one to find when I rip open the black clouds. Y’all get on out of here and have fun. I’ll be up before you two, so I’ll order waffles from room service for breakfast.”

  Honey pushed her chair back and patted her on the shoulder. “And tell them to send up some scrambled eggs and bananas. They’re great for hangovers, and I’ve got a feeling Kinsey might have one.”

  Kinsey popped her on the shoulder. “Speak for yourself, girl. The way you’ve been knocking them back, it’ll be you who’s whining in the morning.”

  “You got it,” Leah said.

  She waited until they were gone and then held up her hand to get the waiter’s attention. When he came to her table, she asked him to put her Coke in a to-go cup.

  He lingered beside her table. “I’ll be glad to do that for a beautiful woman like you, ma’am. You here on vacation or did you move to the area?”

  “Vacation.”

  “And you’re all alone?” He wiggled his eyebrows.

  It came off more sinister than sexy. How could she have felt so comfortable with Rhett from the beginning and yet so uneasy around this man? It didn’t make sense unless her inner voice, the one that she had dubbed Eve, was telling her not to be so trusting.

  “Not for long. I’m meeting someone as soon as I leave.” She smiled.

  “Lucky man,” he said with a long, sly wink.

  She nodded but didn’t answer and left before the waiter returned. She walked back to her hotel, and fifteen minutes later, she’d changed into a long, flowing caftan and was sitting on the sofa. It was so late that there was no way her mother would answer her if she did send a message.

  She opened her laptop and went straight to the Internet and her mother’s Facebook page. She felt like she was making the right decision—right up until she looked at her mother’s face again, and then an icy chill shot down her spine.

  “Well, no freakin’ wonder,” she mumbled as she scrolled down and noticed her mother’s favorite music. “Lady Gaga and Jason Mraz. It’s a wonder Granny didn’t string her up for that alone. Anyone who doesn’t listen to country music on River Bend might get beheaded.”

  She looked up the songs mentioned. Lady Gaga came first because she liked the title of the song, “The Edge of Glory.” She flipped over to YouTube and found the song. The first time she listened to it, she had to remind herself to breathe. The second time, tears rolled down her face, bathing it salt water.

  The lyrics said she was on the edge of glory and she was hanging on the moment with her love. She played it through a third time, reading the lyrics as Lady Gaga hit all the high notes. It was exactly where she was right then—hanging on the moment on the edge of glory, and Rhett O’Donnell was the cowboy holding her hand as they climbed up the cliff together. But was it her alter ego, Eve, or Leah that he was with when they were together?

  Her phone rang, so she hit the pause button and dried her eyes with the sleeve of her caftan.

  “Hello, Granny,” she said.

  “I don’t hear music or dancing,” Mavis said.

&n
bsp; “I’m in the hotel,” Leah said.

  “Honey and Kinsey?”

  “Probably dancing the leather off their sandals.”

  “Have you gotten over your folly?”

  “No, ma’am.”

  Leah heard a muffled cussword. “Well, work harder at it. You know the Sadie Hawkins Festival is the day after you make it back home, and I damn well do not expect you to catch Rhett O’Donnell,” Mavis told her.

  “I don’t want to talk about this right now.”

  “Well, we will talk when you get home, and that’s a promise,” Mavis said, and the phone went dead.

  That’s when the Leah’s new alter ego surfaced, and she hit the message button on her mother’s Facebook page and wrote, “Hello, this is your daughter, Leah. I’ve got questions. Got time to give me answers?”

  The three little dots at the end of her note said that it had been seen, and then a line appeared, saying that Eden was typing.

  The two minutes that it took for a reply lasted three days past eternity, but it finally flashed on her screen. “Are you still living on River Bend?”

  Leah wrote, “For the time being, but the future is getting shaky.”

  The next one read, “When you divorce River Bend, get back with me. Until then, I signed a paper and gave my word.”

  Evidently, Eden did not go back on their word either. Now her curiosity was piqued. There were skeletons hiding, and they were rattling loud enough that Leah wanted to open the door.

  Her phone rang again. She hoped it wasn’t Granny for the second time that night, but the picture that came up was one of Rhett at the bar.

  “Hey, what’s happening? Talk to me. I’m homesick,” she said.

  “After only two days?” Even his deep drawl was sexy.

  She closed her eyes and pretended that he was sitting beside her. “I sent my mother a Facebook message.”

  “Wow! That was a change in subject.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  “Don’t be. What did she say?”

  “To get back to her if I divorced River Bend,” she answered.

  Rhett chuckled. “And have you even talked to a lawyer?”