Dearest Cowboys Box Set

by Mia Brown

“I can. He’s still going to be a while. What’s up? Everything okay at home?”

  “Home?”

  “Yeah, the ranch.”

  “Wow, you know, I don’t think I’ve heard you call the ranch home in a very long time,” Tyler said.

  His statement took me by surprise. “Seriously? But I grew up there.”

  “Yeah, but the moment you left you started calling it the ranch.”

  “Hmm. Strange. Anyway, everything okay?”

  “Yeah, all fine. I just wanted to see if you had seen Mary yet.”

  “Yep. She came around to my house. Thanks for the heads up by the way. If you hadn’t told me she was coming I’m not sure I would’ve believed it was her standing in front of me.”

  “How was it seeing her again?”

  “It was great. We kissed and made up. Very romantic. She asked me to move back to Paris with her and I said yes. Can you believe it? The happy couple is back together again.”

  “What? Uh…are you serious? Oh wow, I wasn’t expecting that. Uh, are you sure you want to do this?” Tyler asked.

  I burst out laughing. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. No, of course I’m not back together with her. Although, she did actually ask me to move back to Paris with her. You know, just to fool around with her and her friends before the guy she is with proposes.”

  “Classy.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it.”

  “You don’t seem nearly as upset as I thought you would be.”

  “I’m not. Hey, tell me something, has Mary always been like that? I mean, she was calling me darling and acting super fake. Is that how she always was? Or has her years away in Paris made it even worse.”

  “Oh, that’s Mary alright. She’s always been like that. She even called me Darling. Actually I remember her calling dad that too when she met him that first time. You don’t remember?”

  I sighed. “I don’t. I guess I was blind to her when I was dating her. I’m glad I saw her again. It made me so glad that she broke up with me. I would’ve been miserable if I had stayed with her. Anyway, I told her to go, and didn’t bother inviting her in. I was happy to see the back of her.”

  Tyler chuckled. “She must’ve loved that.”

  “Oh yeah, just the sort of thing she likes, you know. A man turning her down. The horror.”

  “Well, for what it’s worth, I’m so glad you saw the light. She’s a nasty piece of work and you deserve better than that.”

  “Thanks bro. Oh, my appointment just arrived. I better go. Chat to you soon.”

  Steve’s face was at the front door, and I cringed. He was early, but maybe that was a good thing. The quicker I got this over with the better. Maybe Tyler was right about me being a bit more selective with my clients. I surely didn’t have to say yes to every job that came my way. I was busy, and I wasn’t short of clients. Saying no to Steve would’ve been a good thing. But it was too late now. Once I committed to a job I always saw it through. Steve took a seat, and immediately started chatting away. If there was one good thing about Steve, it was that there were never any awkward silences. This was a man who knew how to talk, and even if it was all about him it still made my life easier.

  “So, everything is going according to plan, but I still have the not so little issue of Dallas to worry about. That woman is starting to get on my nerves. You know, I saw her in the store the other day and she stormed right by me without saying a thing. It was obvious that she had seen me too, but she just ignored me.”

  I tried not to laugh at that. I could easily imagine Dallas doing that to Steve. She probably would’ve done the same to me if she saw me in the store. “She’s mad. That’s for sure. She really doesn’t want to leave.”

  “Well, she’s going to have to, and she’s going to have to do it soon. Do you have any ideas for me? Remember, I hired you because you are one of the best lawyers in town. I need you to help me with this otherwise what was the point in me hiring you?”

  I gritted my teeth and did my best not to throw him out. “Well, the only thing I have found that might be relevant is a clause in the lease that says if she doesn’t continually operate her business then the lease can be prematurely cancelled. But only if the tenant doesn’t consult with the landlord. The only reason I think that might be relevant is because I assume she wouldn’t consult with you about much.”

  “I don’t really understand. Can you clarify?”

  “Well, for example, if she went on vacation without checking with you, or if she needed weeks of repairs or something. If she does this without consulting with you then you can cancel her lease. It’s an unusual clause, but it’s in your contract and it might end up working in your favor.” The more I spoke, the more unsure I was whether I was doing the right thing by telling Steve this. I was conflicting with wanting to help him, and wanting to help Dallas.

  “Well this is good. Yes, this is very good. I can do something with that.”

  I shook my head. “I’m not so sure. I mean, I doubt that Dallas is going to suddenly go on vacation. Especially not with you breathing down her neck. She’s going to be on her guard.”

  “Oh, I don’t know, I think this might help us. Well, that’s great, Blaze. You see, I knew you would be able to help me. You know, I’ve looked over that lease time and time again but I never noticed that.”

  “Well, that’s what I’m here for. It’s the small details and the small print that can sometimes help in these cases.”

  “Absolutely, and we are going to get her out of there.”

  I nodded. “I’ll do my best to help you.”

  I inwardly cringed as the words came out my mouth. I didn’t want to help him, I wanted to help Dallas, but what was the point? She had to move out anyway. If it wasn’t now then it would be when her lease was up in six months. The sooner she was out the sooner she could move on. Once she was out she would no longer have to deal with Steve, and even I would be able to finish off my contract with him. I felt bad at the thought of helping out Steve, but this was my job, and I had to do it well. Unfortunately, even though there wasn’t much left to discuss, Steve continued to stay for another forty minutes. He went into great detail about his work, and kept telling me that it was important for him to tell me all the details. I wished he wouldn’t, but I smiled and nodded at all the appropriate moments and got away with it. I could’ve had a nap and he probably wouldn’t have noticed. The only person Steve cared about was himself.

  Eleven

  Dallas

  I got up early that day to go for a walk. My head had been swarming with thoughts the night before and I hadn’t managed to get much sleep. I wasn’t sure why I was letting Steve get to me so much but I couldn’t help it. When something was important to me it was hard to let it go, and I had always been someone who stood up for what was right. As I walked I tried to clear my head, and did my best to concentrate on what was most important. The animals. As long as I found a space to continue with my work then I would be fine. I had come across a few nice spaces but they weren’t nearly as good as what I had now. I would have to keep searching until something came up. It was a small town though, and it wasn’t like I had all the options in the world. I had a feeling I was going to have to settle. I tried not to feel sad about it. I loved my office building, and I was going to miss it, but I would have to do everything to make my new place as nice.

  I was so lost in thought that I almost didn’t notice the woman sitting on the bench overlooking the park. She was wearing the most beautiful coat I had ever seen, and looked very glamorous for this time of the morning. While I had simply thrown on some exercise clothes, she looked like she’d spent hours getting ready. She looked familiar but I couldn’t place her. Then she looked up at me and nodded.

  “What you looking at?”

  I was taken aback by her abruptness. “Oh, sorry,” I said. “I was just admiring your coat.”

  “I got it in Paris.”

  “Oh. Uh, well, it’s lovely. Uh, have a nice day.”r />
  “You look familiar,” she said to me.

  “So do you. I’m Dallas.”

  “Dallas? Oh, the vet. Yes, I remember you. I’m Mary.””

  “Mary? Oh, yes, you worked with Blaze, didn’t you?”

  “Worked. Shagged. We did it all,” she said with a scoff.

  I wasn’t used to woman like her. I wasn’t quite sure what to say. I didn’t want to think of her and Blaze getting it on, and the moment she said his name all I could think about was how good looking he was, which was very frustrating. “Oh, uh, yeah. So, are the two of you back together?”

  She shook her head. “Hell no. I dodged a bullet there. I’m actually heading back this morning. I’m staying at the hotel over the road and my cab is due in an hour. Vile place, that hotel.”

  I looked over the road and frowned. “Really? I’ve heard such great things about it. I thought it was the best hotel we have here.”

  She chuckled. “Well, I guess that’s the difference between the sleepy town of Raindrop, and Paris. Anyway, I must go. Have a good day.”

  I watched in surprise as Mary walked away from our conversation as if I had been a burden to her. She was a strange woman, and definitely someone who didn’t fit in our town. I definitely didn’t like her but I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for her. She put on this front of being better than everyone else, but she just seemed so sad to me. I wondered how happy she really was. As I walked away I thought about what she had said about Blaze. She said she had dodged a bullet with him. What did that mean? Although, seeing her had only reminded me what sort of a man Blaze was. Lately I had been thinking about him a little more than I wanted to. Even though I didn’t like him it was hard not to be swayed by his good looks. Now, seeing Mary, it brought it all into perspective to me. If he had gone out with a woman like her, than it said everything there was about him. I definitely didn’t want anything to do with a man like that.

  I headed home to get ready for work, and then made my way to the office. But as I got there I spotted a kid lingering outside. He staring up at my building with a look of fear on his face and he was clutching something in his hand. When I got nearer I could see that he was holding a rock, and from the way he was staring at my building I knew he wanted to do something bad. The moment he saw me he dropped the rock, missing his foot by inches. I had never seen anyone look so frightened before.

  “Uh…”

  “Don’t run away,” I said to him. I could tell that he was just about to bolt and I needed to get to the bottom of what was going on before he did. “What’s going on? Why are you standing in front of my building?”

  “This is your building?” he asked.

  I nodded. “Yes, I’m Dallas.”

  “You’re…you’re…the vet,” the boy stammered.

  “I am. What’s going on? Why do you look so worried? Don’t worry, you can tell me. I’m not going to say anything.” My tone had been a bit harsh up until now, but judging by the fearful look on his face I knew I had to go gentle on him.

  The little boy looked down at his feet, and then back up at me. His eyes were wet and I could see that he was doing everything in his power not to burst out crying. Even though I could see he was about to do something wrong, my heart went out to him. I could tell that he was a good kid.

  “You can tell me,” I said again.

  “I was going to throw this rock at your window.”

  I gasped. “You were? But why? Why would you do that?”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to. That’s why I didn’t throw it. I was just standing here trying to figure out if I could do it. I thought it would be easy but it wasn’t. I couldn’t do it. I’m sorry.”

  “But why would you want to throw a rock at my window? Did I do something wrong?” I asked the boy.

  He shook his head. “No. Some man gave me money to do it. I shouldn’t have said yes, but I was scared, and I thought it would be nice to have the money. I’m sorry. I don’t think I was going to really throw the rock. I couldn’t do it. I…I froze.”

  I knelt down so that my face was at the same level as the boys. I couldn’t believe what this boy was telling me. “What man? Who asked you to do this?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. He was wearing a hooded coat and glasses. I don’t know.”

  I frowned. “And this man asked you to throw the rock into my window?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did he say why? Did he give you a reason?”

  “No, he didn’t say anything. He just gave me this money and said that I would be doing a good thing. But when I got here I remembered that you were a vet, because my mom took our dog to see you once. And you made him all better. And my friend has horses and you help them all the time. I didn’t know it was this building when the man gave me the money. I didn’t know what to do because I took the money from the man and I didn’t want him to be angry at me, but I didn’t want you to be angry at me too. You’re an animal doctor and I love animals. Are you angry at me? I’m so sorry. Am I in trouble?”

  “No, of course I’m not angry at you. You’re also not in any trouble so don’t worry. You didn’t do anything. But do you have any idea who this man was? Any idea at all?”

  “No,” the boy said softly. “I didn’t even know his voice. I’m sorry I don’t know more.”

  “Okay, don’t worry, it’s not your fault. Where did you see him?”

  “Just down the road. I was going to the store for my mom and he came up to me.”

  “Okay, don’t worry. Nothing is going to happen to you. Next time though, remember that you mustn’t talk to strangers, and you must definitely not take money from strangers either. Okay?” I said. I hated whoever this man was. Not just because he had plans to throw a rock into my window, but because he had scared this little boy. He was teaching this young kid all the wrong things in life too. Whoever this man was, he clearly had no morals.

  He nodded. “Okay.”

  “Now, the man gave you money, but that money is dirty and I don’t think you should keep it. If you want to do something nice why don’t you give that money to charity?” I figured this boy needed a bit of guidance. He was a good kid, but he was still young enough to be influenced by someone. He needed someone to show him what was right in life.

  The boy smiled for the first time. “Okay. Can I gave it to an animal charity?”

  I beamed at the kid. I knew he had a good heart. “You certainly can. And thank you for not throwing the rock. That building means a lot to me.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. Now, run along. Everything is going to be fine.”

  I was fuming, but I didn’t want the boy to see. He obviously already felt guilty about everything and I didn’t want to make him feel any worse. I just wished I knew who on earth would’ve done something like this and why they would target me. As the boy said, I helped animals, and I never did anything wrong. I sighed and made my way inside. As I settled in Madison walked in and I told her what had happened. She looked at me in surprise as if waiting to see if I was joking.

  “I’m not kidding. This really happened,” I said. I held up the rock which I had taken from the ground. “This is the rock. I’m not sure why I brought it in with me.”

  Madison gasped. “I’m shocked. I cannot believe this. Who on earth would want to do this to us? Why would anyone want the office of a vet vandalized? It doesn’t make any sense. It’s not like we did anything to piss anyone off. I mean, we’re here to help people. Did the boy know who it was or at least give an idea of what he looked like?”

  “The boy didn’t know anything. Apparently the guy was wearing a hooded coat. It’s all very mysterious. He didn’t want the boy, or us, to know who he was. Which makes me think we probably know who this person is.”

  “Do you have any idea who it might be?” Madison asked.

  “I’m not sure. I’m being trying to figure it out ever since I saw the boy. I haven’t been able to save every horse with the vi
rus that was going around, and as much as I have tried to save all the animals over the years it hasn’t always worked that way. Sometimes there is just nothing I can do. From what I’ve heard the locals have been very understanding, but there are a few who have accused me of not doing enough.” It wasn’t the firsts time something like this had happened to me. Although not to the extent of someone wanting to harm me. Usually people just had bad things to say, but I had never let it bother me. I knew full well that this was just a part of the job I had chosen. With the good unfortunately came the bad, and when people blamed me I knew it was only because they were hurting.

  “Are you kidding? Although you’re probably used to that by now. People need someone to blame.”

  “Exactly, and who better to blame then the vet who was working on the animal.”

  “But to actually pay a young boy to throw a rock through the window? That’s crazy. And what if one of us happened to be inside at the time? What if we were walking by that window and the rock came hurtling through and hit us on the head? We could’ve been seriously injured by that. Whoever this was is clearly too angry to have given that much thought. Or else he wanted to hurt us. Oh, this is horrible,” Madison said. “The whole thing is creeping me out. We’re going to have to be on the look out at all times now. I hope we figure out who the hell this was. Are you going to go to the police?”

  I shook my head. “No, I don’t see the point. I have no evidence. I didn’t take the details of the little boy and I don’t want to get him into trouble. There’s nothing the police will be able to do to help us. Man, this is the last thing we need right now. We’re already dealing with so much with Steve. The last thing we need is to worry about some unhappy customer too.”

  I sighed and flopped into my seat. I hadn’t slept well, I had bumped into Mary, and then I’d been confronted with someone about to throw a rock at us. It was still very early in the morning but already it was turning out to be a bad day. I looked at my flowers. They needed to be watered. Even they were starting to look like they were having a bad day.