A Cowboy's Duty

by Marin Thomas

  You’ve hardly thought of Nate the past few weeks.

  The realization shook Gavin. Nate had been more than a friend—he’d been a brother. Nate wouldn’t want you to feel guilty over his death. Yeah, well, Nate hadn’t seen the look in his mother’s eyes when Gavin had stopped at her home to deliver the few possessions Nate had accumulated while in the army.

  “Have you given any thought to baby names?” Dixie asked.

  “No, have you?”

  “If it’s a girl I’d like to name her after my grandmother.” Dixie peeked at Gavin. “But Ada’s old-fashioned.”

  “Is Ada short for anything?”

  “Adelle. My grandmother’s people were French.”

  “Adelle is a nice name. Maybe we could call her Addy instead of Ada.”

  “I like that.”

  “I have a suggestion for a boy’s name,” Gavin said.

  “As long as it isn’t a country-western singer.”

  Gavin chuckled. “I was hoping...if you agreed...maybe naming him after my buddy Nate.” Gavin couldn’t go back in time and save his friend but he could honor Nate’s memory by naming his son after him.

  “Nathan. That’s a nice strong name,” she said.

  “You’re sure?”

  “Positive.”

  Changing the subject, Gavin asked, “Are you planning a grand opening for the shop?”

  “I guess I should,” Dixie mumbled.

  “What’s the matter?” Gavin snagged her hand and rubbed the callused pad of his thumb across her knuckles. “Having doubts about managing your own business?”

  “No.” She sighed. “I’m worried I won’t sell enough inventory to pay the mortgage.”

  “My child-support checks will make up the difference if sales fall short.”

  “It’s going to be difficult to watch the store and keep up with making new products.”

  “You’ll figure out a way.” With Johnny’s help Gavin had poured a cement slab in the backyard for the potbelly stove, which they’d brought from the barn and hooked up yesterday. “What else is troubling you?”

  “Susie gave me the cold shoulder when I picked up the rest of my soaps from her shop.”

  “You’re her competition now.”

  “I guess, but I worry that you wasted your money, Gavin. Dixie’s Desert Delights is just one of several gift shops along Main Street. What if I don’t make enough money to reimburse you for the down payment?”

  “I don’t want to be reimbursed.” He threaded his fingers through hers. “We should set a wedding date and tie the knot before the baby’s born.” Gavin hated the thought of his child being labeled a bastard, but the desire to marry Dixie had more to do with making Gavin feel safe. With Dixie by his side there was hope that he’d conquer the demons chasing him and live a normal, fulfilling life—as normal as possible for a soldier returning from the war front.

  Fearing if he revealed the truth behind his proposal, Dixie would run for the hills, he focused on what was best for the baby, not him. “Most people today don’t give a hoot if a couple marries before, after or if ever once the baby’s born, but I care, Dixie. I want to be married to the mother of my child before my son or daughter makes an entrance into the world.”

  “I thought—”

  “I realize we’re still feeling our way as a couple, but I hope I’ve proved my intentions are sincere.”

  “You have.”

  “Then pick a date.”

  “What about your rodeo schedule? Would you continue to ride after the baby’s born?”

  “That depends,” he said.

  “On what?”

  “On whether or not you want to make this a real marriage.”

  Chapter Ten

  “Dixie, I swear I’ve never smelled anything better than this.” Skylar Riggins held up a bar of soap from Dixie’s Christmas collection.

  “That’s one of my favorites.” The Christmas-tree-shaped bar spawned fond memories of Dixie and her grandmother experimenting with herbs and oils in the barn. The Christmas before her grandmother had passed away they’d worked on a new holiday scent, and when Dixie had suggested adding nutmeg to the recipe her grandmother had hugged her and said with pride, “I’ll rest easy knowing my recipes will be in good hands.”

  “Have you seen my new romance line?” Dixie nodded to the decorative hatbox brimming with delicate heart-shaped pink and peach soaps. While Skylar walked off to do more sniffing, Dixie milled about the customers—all women—attending Dixie’s Desert Delights Grand Opening Saturday afternoon.

  Gavin and her brothers had worked tirelessly all week to ready the shop for business and Dixie had spent endless hours making soap and putting up flyers in town advertising the event. Next to the front door she’d placed a basket of soap samples and a gift certificate to a local restaurant to be given away in a drawing to one lucky customer who stopped by the store today. Dixie couldn’t have asked for a better turnout and was surprised and pleased when the gals she’d rodeoed with this past summer had showed up to support her.

  “Dixie,” Hannah Buck spoke from across the room. “Do you have any soap for men?”

  The question caught the attention of several women. “I do.” Dixie opened the glass door of her grandmother’s dining-room hutch and pointed to the bars on the top shelf. “The scents are called Bad Boy, Charmer, Swashbuckler and Cowboy.” Several women rushed over to examine the products.

  “My favorite is Cowboy,” Dixie said. After smelling Gavin’s cologne all week she’d been inspired to create a line of soap for men. Cowboy contained a hint of sandalwood and musk.

  “Mmm. Sexy. I’ll take a Cowboy and a Bad Boy.” The woman winked at Dixie. “Either of these will be an improvement over what’s waiting for me at home.”

  “Dare I ask who’s waiting at home?” Dixie smiled.

  “The mailman.” The women laughed.

  “You think that’s bad, I’ve got a mechanic at my house.”

  Dixie took Hannah by the elbow and led her to the checkout counter. She nodded at the soap in her friend’s hand. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

  “I don’t want to jinx anything but I met this really nice guy at work and I think he likes me except...” Hannah waved a hand in the air. “Never mind.”

  “What she’s not saying—” Kim Beaderman joined the women at the counter “—is that this really nice guy is my brother.”

  Dixie waggled an eyebrow. “Sounds like a soap opera...As the Yuma Medical Center Turns.”

  “Mike and I are just friends,” Hannah insisted, her cheeks turning pink.

  Dixie gave Hannah the sale’s slip to sign. “Thanks for coming by today. I was worried about a poor turnout.”

  Kim waved a hand. “The place is packed. Your store’s a hit.”

  “I hope things stay this way through Christmas.” She pointed to the raffle gift by the door. “Don’t forget to fill out your email address for the drawing.”

  The women walked off, and Dixie turned her attention to the front window. Each time she caught a glimpse of Gavin using his cowboy charm to hawk her soaps and entice women into her shop, Dixie’s heart melted.

  Instead of heading off to a rodeo, Gavin had remained in Yuma for her grand opening. Last night her brothers had informed her that they were competing in Payson today, so when Gavin waltzed into the store this morning with breakfast burritos and orange juice she’d been caught off guard. He’d done so much for her already and she’d felt guilty he’d passed up a rodeo to stay behind and help her. Although she insisted she could handle the opening by herself, Dixie was secretly grateful for Gavin’s support.

  “So...” Wendy Chin slipped behind the counter and hugged Dixie. “I hear congratulations are in order.” Wendy’s gaze dropped to Dixie’s stomach. “
When’s the baby due?”

  “March.”

  “How are things between you and the baby’s father?” Wendy nodded to the front window.

  “We’re fine. Why?”

  “Judging by the way Gavin ogled you a few minutes ago I’d say you two are more than fine.”

  Gavin had been watching her?

  “He was staring at you like a serial killer eyes his next victim.”

  Dixie gaped.

  Wendy flashed a cheeky grin. “I don’t read romance books. I read thrillers. It was meant as a compliment.”

  “Gavin’s a great guy.” No matter how things turned out between them, Dixie would always hold him in high regard. “He’s been a huge help—”

  “Oh, yeah, I bet he has.” Wendy laughed.

  “What’s so funny?” Julie Kenner asked.

  Dixie moved from behind the counter and hugged Julie. “Thanks for stopping in.”

  “Sorry, I’m late. I had to work a half day.” Julie motioned to the crowd of women. “The store looks great, Dixie. I can’t believe you opened your own business.”

  “I couldn’t have done this without Gavin’s help.” Dixie spied him chatting with Mildred Hinkle. He handed her a soap sample and darned if he didn’t make the old biddy blush.

  “Excuse me a minute.” Dixie cut through the crowd. “Hello, Mrs. Hinkle,” she said when Mildred stepped through the door. “Nice of you to drop by. While you’re browsing help yourself to cookies and punch in the kitchen.”

  “Never mind refreshments. That nice young man out front told me if I use this—” she held up a sample from Dixie’s romance collection “—my Walden’s headaches will completely disappear.”

  Dixie swallowed a laugh, then guided Mildred to the pink hatbox. “Use any of these soaps from my romance collection and Walden won’t be able to keep his hands off you.”

  “The sign in the window says you’ll refund my money or offer an exchange if I don’t like the soap.”

  “That’s right. Return it and—”

  “You want customers to bring back used soap?”

  “I certainly do. Have you heard of Clean the World?” Mildred shook her head. “Clean the World is a soap recycling program that collects bars of used soap and distributes them to needy communities all over the world.”

  “How awful to give someone dirty soap.”

  Dixie laughed. “All the used bars are run through a sanitization process first.”

  “Hmm. Never heard of the group but I guess it’s nice to help people when you can.”

  “Why don’t you try one bar and if Walden doesn’t care for it, exchange the soap for a different scent until you find his favorite.”

  “All right. I’ll do that.” Mildred handed Dixie a bar wrapped in rose-colored ribbon and followed her to the cash register. “Is that young man outside related to you?”

  Dixie didn’t want Mildred to know that she and Gavin were engaged. If things didn’t work out between them she’d have to answer the woman’s nosy questions. “He’s a friend.”

  “Well, you should work harder at making him more than a friend, young lady. Men like him don’t come along often.”

  Dixie couldn’t agree more. She handed Mildred her change and gift bag. “Thank you for stopping in, Mrs. Hinkle.”

  “You’re welcome, dear.”

  Dear? There went another reason Dixie needed Gavin—he converted her enemies to friends.

  “Hey, Dixie, we’re heading over to the Dude Ranch if you and Gavin want to stop by later,” Hannah said. The Dude Ranch was a saloon, which featured local country music bands and a huge dance floor.

  “Maybe next time.” Dixie hadn’t gone out with the girls in forever—since the Boot Hill Rodeo in July, but her dogs were barking and the day wasn’t over.

  “Don’t be a party-pooper, Dix,” Shannon said. “Next week I’m heading to Florida with C.J. I won’t be back for at least a month.”

  “Thanks for the invite, but it’s been a long week.” Not to mention she couldn’t drink alcohol and she wasn’t in the mood for loud music and greasy buffalo wings. Her gaze drifted to the window. With her brothers away at a rodeo she had the house to herself tonight. What really appealed to her was soft music and sharing the porch swing with Gavin.

  “Take care, Dixie,” Skylar said. The rest of the gang waved goodbye and left.

  Three hours until closing.

  Three hours until she was alone with Gavin.

  * * *

  GAVIN STOOD BY THE DOOR watching Dixie straighten the gift shop for tomorrow’s crowd. She looked frazzled, tired but happy. Her stomach growled and he chuckled. “I heard that all the way over here. C’mon. You need to eat.”

  “I want to get things ready for tomorrow.”

  While Dixie locked up the cash and credit card receipts in the small safe Gavin had installed in a kitchen cupboard, he mulled over the day. He knew diddly-squat about women’s buying habits and fancy-smelling soaps but he’d kept track of the number of people who’d visited the shop with his handy dandy counter gadget. If half the hundred-thirty-two customers purchased a bar of soap then the grand opening of Dixie’s Desert Delights had been a success.

  “Okay, I’m ready.” Dixie flashed a tired smile as she put on her coat.

  Gavin held the door for her, then took the key from her fingers and secured the lock.

  “I’m not so tired that I’m unable to lock the door,” she grumbled.

  He handed her the key. “I locked the outside shed earlier.”

  “I forgot about the shed. I’m used to leaving the barn doors wide-open and not worrying about thieves.”

  Gavin grasped Dixie’s elbow and escorted her to the side of the house where he’d parked his truck. “This area of downtown seems safe but I wouldn’t test your luck and leave the doors or shed unlocked.”

  “I promise I’ll be more vigilant.”

  He helped Dixie into his truck and slid onto the driver’s seat. “What are you hungry for?”

  “Anything.”

  Gavin had ordered a sandwich for Dixie at noon and had had it delivered to the shop but he doubted she’d eaten it. He refrained from lecturing her about taking better care of herself for the baby’s sake because he didn’t want to ruin what had been a great day for her. He opened his mouth to suggest a nice meal at a sit-down restaurant but Dixie yawned. “We’ll stop at the drive-through in Stagecoach and grab a couple of burgers to go. How does that sound?”

  “Great.” Dixie slouched into a comfortable position. “Go ahead and turn on the radio—” she yawned again “—while I rest my eyes for a minute.”

  She was fast asleep before Gavin left Yuma city limits. He switched on the radio, lowering the volume, then sang along in his head with Kenny Chesney. The city lights faded to black in the rearview mirror and snoring sounds escaped from Dixie’s mouth. She looked soft and kissable.

  Gavin gripped the wheel tighter and willed his libido to cool. This past week he’d woken each morning with a hard-on. Shoot, he hadn’t been this horny since the age of thirteen when he’d wanted to kiss Stephanie Quaker in study hall.

  Get a grip, man.

  He managed to steer his thoughts and the truck onto the county road that led into Stagecoach. He decided not to stop at the drive-through because he hadn’t the heart to wake Dixie. They’d scrounge up something to eat at the farm. Fifteen minutes later he turned onto the road to the Cash property. The house was dark when he pulled into the yard. He shut off the truck and set the brake.

  Dixie remained sound asleep...tempting him. He unsnapped his belt, leaned across the seat and kissed her neck. She swatted at him but missed. Grinning, he blew in her ear. This time she jumped, the movement sending her shoulder cracking against his jaw.

  He ru
bbed his chin and chuckled. “Ouch.”

  Dixie blinked. “We’re home.”

  Home. An unfamiliar yearning pulled at Gavin’s heartstrings. He hadn’t considered anyplace home in years. He tried to envision him and Dixie raising a handful of kids with a pecan grove for a backyard. Three months ago his mind would have been a blank slate but now... He could see himself walking out the door and down the porch steps to get in his truck and leave for work.

  “You were sleeping so soundly I didn’t want to wake you. I thought we could eat here.”

  “Sure, that’s fine.” Dixie led the way into the house and into the kitchen. “I haven’t had time to grocery shop this week.” She opened the fridge door—the shelves were bare.

  Gavin peeked over her shoulder. “Any soup in the pantry?”

  Dixie confiscated two cans of chicken noodle and a box of saltines. “This won’t fill you up.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll stop for a snack when I head back to Yuma.” Gavin had been making the round-trip every day while they’d worked on the store. He hadn’t minded the drive until tonight. Lack of sleep was catching up with him.

  “Do you care if I take a quick shower while you heat the soup?” Dixie paused in the doorway. “If I don’t grab one now my brothers will use up all the hot water when they return from the rodeo.”

  “Go ahead.” Gavin listened to Dixie’s light footfalls on the stairs and closed his eyes, envisioning her naked body standing beneath a spray of water.

  The pipes rattled and clanked behind the kitchen wall and Gavin’s willpower diminished. He’d kept his hands to himself all week—no easy task when Dixie accidentally bumped into him. Or he’d caught her staring at his backside when she thought he wasn’t looking.

  Dixie wants you as bad as you want her.

  They were engaged. What the heck were they waiting for?

  Gavin decided to take matters into his own hands. He didn’t know why Dixie hadn’t answered him when he’d asked if she’d intended to make their marriage a real one after they tied the knot, but as far as he was concerned, the more real their relationship became the better the chances of their marriage succeeding. He climbed the stairs, stopping in the hallway to strip. He left his clothes on the floor outside the door.