Beau: Cowboy Protector

by Marin Thomas

  “How is Joshua handling your blindness?”

  “Better than I expected, but he’s changed since we dated.”

  “Changed how?”

  “He’s quieter.” Her aunt laughed. “He was such a prankster when we went steady. Playing tricks on me, then when I’d become frustrated with his jokes, he’d surprise me with a poem or a bouquet of wildflowers.” Jordan’s smile weakened. “I think his wife’s death deeply affected him.”

  Selfishly, Sierra hoped Joshua had gotten over the death of his wife and was ready and willing to commit to Jordan. “How did his wife die?”

  “Her car careened off the road during a snowstorm. The twins were only two at the time, but thank goodness they weren’t in the car with her. Frankly, I’m surprised Joshua never remarried. Raising his sons alone must have been trying at times.”

  “Does Joshua ask about your life with Uncle Bob?”

  “No. That’s why I’ve been hesitant to bring up his wife.”

  Testing the waters Sierra said, “I guess it doesn’t matter if you’re just friends.”

  “We’re more than friends, Sierra.”

  “So…you might be willing to relocate permanently to Roundup?” Sierra crossed her fingers.

  “It’s a definite possibility. Life goes by fast. I don’t want to regret not reaching for happiness when it’s within my grasp.” Her aunt tapped a finger against the couch cushion. “Speaking of men who make us happy…how do you feel about Beau?”

  If what had transpired between herself and Beau a few minutes ago was any indication, then Sierra definitely had the hots for the cowboy. “Beau’s a nice man—” and sexy as heck “—but all we’re ever going to be is friends.” No way would Sierra allow her feelings for Beau to deepen, knowing in the end that there was no future for them.

  Sierra faked a yawn then said, “I’m going to turn in early.”

  “But we should discuss setting goals for—”

  “Not right now, Aunt Jordan. Sweet dreams.” Sierra slipped into her room and shut the door. She sat on the bed and tears flooded her eyes. Making love with Beau had been both a thrill and a curse. A thrill in that he’d made her feel things she’d never thought she’d feel with a man, and a curse because now she knew she’d never have what she yearned for—a husband and children of her own.

  * * *

  STILL IN A state of shock over what had transpired between him and Sierra, Beau parked outside the barn and went into his workshop. He might as well get started on the saddle for Jim Phillips. Keeping his hands busy would calm his jumbled thoughts. He hung his coat over the stool next to the workbench then selected a medium-sized fiberglass frame from his stockpile and placed it on the wooden saddletree. For extra reinforcement he attached a steel plate from the pommel to the cantle beneath the tree.

  Next, he added the stirrup bars—three-inch wide brackets with a movable catch set into the bar. While he hammered the bar into the proper shape, his memory replayed the scene at the ophthalmologist’s office.

  He didn’t want to admit that learning Sierra might one day go blind had shaken him to the core. He couldn’t imagine those beautiful blue eyes of hers left in the dark. He stopped pounding the bar and closed his eyes.

  What would it be like if one day he woke up and the sights that had been familiar to him all his life…saddles…cattle…the mountains…bulls went dark? Beau wasn’t sure he could handle that. How would he cope if he couldn’t make his saddles? His chest physically hurt when he thought of Sierra’s love of cooking and the possibility that one day she might have to give it up.

  If Beau were to lose his sight, activities he’d taken for granted—walking to the barn, showering or answering the door—would become potential hazards. He sifted through his stash of leather stirrups until he found a pair he liked, then sat on the stool and stared into space. How had he allowed things between him and Sierra to get out of hand—sex in the diner kitchen? What if someone had walked in on them? The idea of getting caught stirred Beau and he squelched the X-rated images that popped into his mind. Sierra gave no sign that what they’d shared had meant anything to her except sex, and no reason to believe their lovemaking had changed their relationship.

  What the heck was their relationship anyway? He’d thought they’d started dating then all of a sudden they’d skipped getting-to-know-you and had gone straight to doing the down-and-dirty.

  In retrospect, he wondered if Sierra’s actions were a direct result of the eye doctor’s diagnosis. He’d heard stories of people who reacted to bad news in bizarre ways and he had no intention of holding Sierra’s actions against her. To Beau’s way of thinking, the best thing for them to do as a couple was take it one day at a time. He liked Sierra a lot—no sense worrying about the future when there was nothing he could do to change the course of her eye disease.

  Chapter Eight

  Friday afternoon Beau left the equipment barn and spotted his brother’s blue Ford barreling up the drive. Almost an entire week had passed since Beau and Sierra’s sexy interlude in the diner kitchen. He hadn’t phoned Sierra or dropped by the diner in five days, believing they needed a cooling-off period. Boy, had he been wrong. Keeping his distance from Sierra had only fueled his erotic dreams.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” he asked when Duke stepped from the truck.

  “Dinah said I deserved a day off, so I thought I’d see if you or Dad needed my help.”

  Beau continued walking to the barn, Duke falling in step alongside him. “You should have asked Dinah if you could have tomorrow off, instead.”

  “Why’s that?” Duke stopped short when Beau put on the brakes and faced him.

  “I could use an extra hand hauling the bulls to Three Forks.”

  “Bushwhacker and Back Bender are old pros. They won’t give you any trouble.”

  “Asteroid’s going, too. He’s competing in his first rodeo and there’s no telling how he’ll behave.”

  “Sorry. Dinah’s driving into Billings with Aunt Sarah on Saturday to shop for baby furniture.”

  “Guess Royce or Harlan will have to help out.” The ranch hands wouldn’t mind. They enjoyed meeting up with old acquaintances at the rodeos.

  “Why isn’t Dad going?” Duke asked when they entered the barn.

  “He’s taking Jordan to a ballet in Bozeman.”

  “Ballet?” Duke frowned.

  “Yeah, that was my reaction, too.”

  “Jordan’s blind. Why would they—”

  “I guess she performed with a dance company in California years ago.”

  “The two of us need to talk to Dad. He can’t keep throwing extra responsibilities at us,” Duke said.

  “I’ll leave you to do the talking,” Beau said, even though he knew his brother wouldn’t confront their father. Duke was the peacemaker in the family so it would be left up to Beau to square off with the old man if push came to shove. “Dad’s ticked off at me for seeing Sierra.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “He warned me away from getting involved with her,” Beau said.

  “Seriously?”

  “He’s worried I’ll do something that will sabotage his relationship with Jordan.”

  Duke shook his head. “He’s gone off the deep end.”

  Beau entered the room at the back of the barn where a twenty-five-year-old bucking machine was stored and flipped the light switch.

  “I still don’t get what Jordan sees in Dad. He’s not exactly the kind of guy who sticks by your side through thick and thin,” Duke said.

  “Maybe Jordan’s softened him up.”

  “I guess Dad’s finally gotten over Mom.”

  “Looks that way.” Beau believed their father had been so heartbroken over the death of his first wife that he hadn’t been able keep any photographs of her around the house. The few times Beau had asked about his mother, his father had changed the subject. Beau straightened the mats beneath the bucking machine—mats that had been worn thin b
y years of use.

  Duke laughed.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Remember the night we snuck out here to try the machine after Dad warned us to keep away from it?”

  “We were seven at the time, weren’t we?” Beau wiped his dusty hands on his jeans.

  “Dad woke up and discovered our beds empty—”

  “—and Uncle John was so pissed at him for not checking the barn before he roused the whole ranch to search for us.” Beau chuckled.

  “I have a confession to make,” Duke said.

  Before their falling-out over the summer, Beau and his brother used to discuss everything and anything. Missing that connection with his twin, Beau said, “You know I can keep a secret.”

  Duke stared longingly at the bucking machine. “I miss riding bulls.”

  Since when? Duke had been one hundred percent certain that he was finished with rodeo when he’d married Angie.

  “Don’t get me wrong. Angie and Luke are the best things that ever happened to me and I don’t regret walking away from rodeo.”

  “Then what is it you miss about riding?”

  “The adrenaline rush.”

  “Don’t you still get that feeling when you see Angie in her birthday suit?”

  Duke shoved Beau playfully. “Brothers aren’t supposed to talk about their sisters-in-law that way.”

  “Says who?” Beau teased.

  “I see I’m gonna have to teach you a lesson in respect.” Duke narrowed his eyes.

  “You and what army?”

  Duke lunged at Beau, wrapping him in a bear hug. He lifted his brother off his feet then tossed him to the mats. Beau seized Duke’s ankle and down his twin went, Beau rolling out of the way before Duke crashed on top of him. The brothers grunted, groaned and laughed as they wrestled. Several minutes later, and out of breath, Beau hollered, “Stop!”

  “Giving up already?”

  “Hell, no. There’s a better way to settle this.” Beau hopped to his feet. “We’ll have ourselves a ride-off.”

  “You’re on.” Duke started the machine, the old motor groaning and squeaking. “It’s been a while, so I get a warm-up ride.”

  “Real cowboys don’t need practice runs,” Beau taunted.

  Duke hopped onto the machine and after catching his rhythm, he said, “Turn it up a notch.”

  Arm high above his head, Duke’s body swayed with the machine. Duke was all about finesse while Beau’s performances were choppy. There were pros and cons to both ways of riding, but Beau conceded that his brother looked better busting bulls than he did. Beau flipped the machine to High without warning and the sudden jolt sent Duke to the mats.

  “Cheater.”

  “Watch how the professionals do it.” Beau slowed the machine, hopped on and waited for Duke to saunter over to the wall and switch gears. Duke flipped the machine to High and Beau flopped around like a fish on dry land. He relished the fight—even if it was with a machine. Duke cheered him on, reminding Beau of days gone by when they’d traveled the circuit together.

  When Beau remained on the bull a full minute, Duke shut off the machine. “You’re ready to compete tomorrow.”

  “We should do this more often. Bring Luke next time, and we’ll teach him how to ride.”

  “I just got married. I’m not looking to give Angie a reason to divorce me.”

  While the brothers threw the tarp over the machine, Beau’s cell phone chimed with a text message. “It’s Aunt Sarah. She wants us up at the main house.”

  “Anything wrong?” Duke asked.

  “She didn’t say. You go ahead. I’ll lock up here.” After the rash of robberies over the summer, Beau and his father no longer left the property unsecured when they weren’t close by. Beau made sure all doors were bolted then hopped into his truck and headed to his aunt’s. When he arrived, the driveway was filled with trucks. Then he spotted the patrol car and decided it must be serious if Dinah had driven out to the ranch while on duty. Beau entered through the back door and stepped into a kitchen full of arguing people.

  Aunt Sarah noticed him first and offered a nervous smile. “Beau’s here.” The announcement quieted the group. “Royce and Harlan went out to check on the pregnant mares a short time ago and discovered Miss Kitty miscarried,” his aunt said.

  No wonder the family was upset—Miss Kitty, a former bucking bronc, was a proven breeder and had been carrying Midnight’s foal. Ace paced the tile floor. “I checked Miss Kitty two days ago and she showed no signs of being in distress.”

  “This isn’t your fault.” Aunt Sarah patted her eldest son’s arm. “Mother Nature works in her own mysterious way.”

  Beau felt bad for Ace. His cousin looked miserable. No one worked harder than Ace to keep Thunder Ranch afloat and its animals healthy.

  “Midnight hasn’t settled down since he returned from Buddy Wright’s ranch this past summer. Maybe it’s time we discuss our options,” Aunt Sarah said.

  Ace spoke first. “One option is that we sell Midnight and cut our losses.”

  “Midnight stays.” Colt’s chin jutted. “I’ll put more hours in working with him.”

  “You’ve busted your backside on that stallion for months, and he still won’t have anything to do with a dummy mount,” Ace argued.

  “He’ll come around,” Colt said.

  “Even if you work with Midnight 24/7 all through the winter, there’s no guarantee he’ll relax enough that we can trust him again with the mares next spring,” Ace said. “By then, we’ll have invested money we can’t afford to lose in his care and upkeep. And we don’t know if any of the other mares we put him with will miscarry in the coming months.”

  “Let Midnight earn his keep.” All eyes shifted to Beau. “If Midnight’s allowed to rodeo, he’ll bring in enough money to pay for his feed while Colt continues to work with him.”

  “Beau’s right,” Colt said. “Midnight’s a competitor. He’ll settle down if he has a chance to get rid of his excess energy.”

  “I’m more worried about Mom than Midnight.” Dinah hugged her mother. “No horse is worth the trouble if the stress affects your health.”

  “My heart is fine, sweetie.” Aunt Sarah spoke to the group. “We were all hoping Midnight would be our lucky charm, but we have to do what’s best for the ranch and for Midnight.”

  “I’m with Ace on this one,” Duke said. “Midnight’s had his chance and he’s not living up to our expectations.”

  “Joshua.” Aunt Sarah studied her brother. “You’ve been awfully quiet. What do you think?”

  “I’d like to see Midnight go for broke,” he said. Beau wondered if his father wasn’t also referring to his relationship with Jordan Peterson.

  “What do you want to do, Mom?” Colt asked.

  Aunt Sarah straightened her shoulders. “Before we put Midnight on the auction block, he deserves another chance.” The room erupted into arguing. Aunt Sarah opened the utensil drawer, removed a spatula and smacked it against the counter until everyone was silent. “We keep Midnight until next spring. If he’s still unpredictable and difficult to control at that time, then he goes.”

  The kitchen cleared out quickly, leaving Beau alone with his aunt. “Does this mean Midnight can definitely compete in the Badlands Bull Bash?”

  “Yes.”

  “When are you going to tell Ace?”

  “I’m not.”

  Beau’s eyes widened.

  “I’ll leave that up to you.”

  “Do you want me to sneak Midnight off the property to practice?”

  “Not unless you want the others to alert Dinah or Duke and begin another statewide search for the stallion.”

  “I’d planned to ride Midnight this Sunday after I return from Three Forks.”

  “That’s fine.” She tugged his shirtsleeve. “Be careful, Beau. I don’t want either of you hurt.”

  “Wait and see, Aunt Sarah. Midnight will be a different horse once he’s in the arena bucking off cowboys.�
��

  “I pray you’re right. We could use the money and a little hope around here.”

  Beau wondered if the hope his aunt referred to had more to do with his cousin Tuf’s estrangement from the family than a spirited horse with a stubborn streak.

  * * *

  SIERRA WAS DOWN on her knees, stocking paper goods behind the lunch counter when the sleigh bells on the diner door jingled. She glanced at her watch—7:45. Go figure—a late customer would happen along right before closing time. “Be with you in a moment!” She set aside the bundle of napkins and climbed to her feet, then sucked in a surprised gasp. Beau sat at the end of the lunch counter.

  He hadn’t called her since they’d returned from Billings a week ago and…and…she slammed the door on the image of her and Beau having sex on the kitchen counter. Good grief, not an hour in the day passed in which she didn’t recall the steamy scene.

  “Got a minute?” he asked.

  Relieved that the last patron had left a few minutes ago, Sierra moved from behind the counter and flipped the Open sign to Closed. When she turned away from the window, she bumped into Beau and automatically pressed her palm to his chest to regain her balance. The heavy thump of his heart beneath her fingertips made her pulse race. Beau placed his hand over hers, pinning her fingers to his shirt.

  She couldn’t think straight, standing this close to him.

  “I’m riding in Three Forks tomorrow. Come with me.”

  “I can’t. Irene’s husband is sick and she’s staying home to take care of him.”

  “I’ll help out.” Karla emerged from the kitchen, flashing a mischievous smile. Had she been eavesdropping behind the door?

  Beau grinned. “Karla’s willing to cover for you.”

  “Aunt Jordan—”

  “Your aunt is going to a ballet in Bozeman with my father.”

  “That’s right. I forgot.” Sierra’s face heated.

  “I can run the diner,” Karla said. “You’ve already prepared tomorrow’s special. It’s just a matter of heating the food.”

  Before Sierra could come up with a plausible excuse to skip the rodeo, Beau kissed her. A slow and steady I’m-in-no-rush kiss—right in front of her employee.