Cowboy Courage: Includes a bonus novella

by Carolyn Brown

  “Then we probably do need to slow down a little.” She threw back the quilt and picked up both bowls of melted ice cream.

  “How long is a little?” he asked.

  “Who knows,” she answered. “When Red don’t interrupt us, maybe?”

  He followed her into the kitchen. “Does this mean you’re ready for me to take you home?”

  “I think it does.” She headed for the front door. “Aunt Luna mentioned church tomorrow. Are you going?”

  “I attend every week. Can I pick you up?” He helped her put her coat on.

  “What time?” she asked as she got into the truck.

  “Starts at eleven. I could get you at ten thirty. Emily and the rest of us go to the little church just down the road from here,” he said.

  “Think it’s safe?” she asked. “With the luck we’re having, just being together on a church pew could cause a major fire or something.”

  “Surely we’ll be safe in church,” he said.

  “If something happens there, I’m going to take it as a sign that Fate definitely doesn’t want us to be together,” she said.

  “Maybe Fate has a sense of humor, and she’s just throwing obstacles at us to see how serious we are?” Hud turned the key and then switched the heat on high.

  “Guess we’ll find out tomorrow,” Rose said.

  Before they got out of Sunset, dark clouds had gathered overhead, and a hard rain started pouring from the sky in great sheets. When they reached the B&B, he insisted on walking her to the door, gave her a good night kiss, and then jogged back to his truck.

  This had been the craziest week he’d ever spent. If it could go wrong, it did. If it couldn’t, it did anyway. He was soaked to the skin, cold to the bone, and yet singing with Blake Shelton to “Honey Bee” on the way back to his ranch—and he’d never felt so good in his whole life.

  Chapter Nine

  When she’d lived in the commune, Rose had gone to the dining hall on Sunday morning along with everyone else. That was one of the rules—a spiritual time on Sunday morning at nine o’clock, and three meals a day shared by everyone.

  The service consisted mostly of singing hymns, but occasionally someone would read from the scripture. She’d loved the singing, but she had trouble staying focused on what was being read.

  Going to chapel during basic training had been a whole new experience. The congregation might be asked to sing one hymn, but mostly the choir presented the music. A chaplain delivered the sermon and tried to make it fit the current issues of the day. Those services hadn’t moved her as much as the hymns they sang at the commune. She’d always loved the tambourines and the guitar music that had been used as accompaniment.

  She’d been to other church services since she’d left the commune. They’d sing a song or two, hear the church announcements, and then the preacher would deliver his sermon. To this day, she couldn’t remember a single thing or feeling that she left with from the preacher’s message, but she could shut her eyes and know the peace she’d felt from the singing. She hoped that there was more congregational singing that morning as she got dressed.

  She’d tried on six outfits and rejected them all. Some were too dressy, some too casual. She was now standing in front of the dresser in nothing but her lacy bra and matching underpants, trying to figure out exactly what to wear to go to church with Hud.

  Luna stuck her head in the door, glanced at the pile of clothing, and asked, “You about to start packing, or are you giving all that stuff away?”

  “Neither.” Rose threw up her hands in defeat. “I don’t know what to wear to church this morning. I’ve been to a conventional church a few times in my life, but I don’t know how to dress for this place.”

  “I’d say just be yourself, and if the people there don’t like what you’re wearing, then they can take it up with God. I hear He’s not much interested in what a person wears anyway, but He looks on the heart,” Luna told her.

  “I hope so.” Rose pulled a long, brown plaid skirt from the pile of clothing and topped it with a cream-colored sweater. Then she picked up a brush from her dresser and ran it through her long hair.

  “You look beautiful,” Luna said. “If I was going, I’d wear something to brighten the congregation’s day.”

  “What do you mean? If you were going?” Rose laid the brush down.

  “Today, I’m staying home, Rosie-Posey,” Luna told her. “That’s what I called you when you were a tiny baby and I got to hold you. Miz Rosie-Posey with the pretty red hair. I told you that you’d grow up to be a beautiful woman, and I was right.”

  “Why aren’t you going to church?” Rose asked.

  “I’m getting a little worried about Wilbur. He usually calls by now. I hope he’s not sick. He’s such a big baby when he’s even got a little cold,” she said.

  “You could always call him,” Rose suggested.

  Luna just glared at her. “Bah.”

  “Well, since you aren’t going with us, I’ll pick up something for our Sunday dinner and bring it home. Fried chicken, okay?” she asked.

  “Now that’s a real Sunday dinner.” Luna’s grin deepened all the wrinkles in her cheeks. “It’s almost time for Prince Charming to come for you, so we’d better go on downstairs. You go first. I’m slow with this old crippled-up knee. If I’d known that all that heavy lifting from the carnival business would invite arthritis into my bones, I might not have done it. But hey, you got to first be young and stupid to have something to bitch and moan about when you’re old.”

  Rose crossed the room and gave her a hug. “You are amazing, Aunt Luna.”

  “I appreciate that, darlin’.” She wrapped her arms around Rose and kissed her on the cheek. “Now, let’s try to get down the stairs without falling over our own two feet. Us Wilson girls never had a lick of grace. I always hoped you’d be graceful, and if you did fall, a sexy cowboy like Hud would be there to catch you.”

  “I’ve got my share of clumsy.” Rose slipped on a pair of brown high-heeled shoes. “You could have given me something nicer, like fewer freckles or maybe blue eyes.”

  “If you’re going to wear those, then it’s a good thing you’re going before me.” Luna waited until Rose had started down, and then she got a firm grip on the banister.

  “Why’s that?” Rose asked over her shoulder.

  “Because if you started to fall, we’d both go ass over boobs all the way to the bottom,” Luna replied.

  “You’re too funny,” Rose giggled.

  They were both in the foyer when Hud rapped on the door. Rose glanced at the clock—ten thirty. Hud was right on time. She opened the door and her breath caught in her chest when he swaggered inside. The smell of his shaving lotion, something woodsy with a hint of musk, sent her senses swirling. Snug jeans hugged his thighs and bunched up over the tops of his boots. A plaid shirt peeked out from under a black leather, western-cut coat that stopped at his knees, and his black cowboy hat sat just right. She wanted to melt into his arms and kiss him until they were both breathless.

  “You look beautiful,” he said.

  Rose could feel the blush creep up her cheeks as she took her coat from the rack beside the door. “Thank you.”

  Hud helped her into her coat and turned to Luna. “Ready?” he asked.

  “I ain’t goin’,” she said. “Me and God decided a long time ago that we don’t need a church house building to have our conversations. You kids go on, and don’t be makin’ out on the back pew. And don’t forget to get a couple of extra chicken legs for our dinner.”

  “Aunt Luna!” Rose scolded.

  “I’ll be a gentleman,” Hud chuckled. “And I’ll be sure to take care of that chicken.”

  “I’m sorry about that,” Rose said on the way to the truck. “Sometimes she’s funny, and other times—”

  “And other times,” he butted in, “she’s hilarious. I hope when I get old, I’m just as ornery as she is.” Hud tucked her hand into his.

  Warm
th spread through her body. No one had ever made her feel the way Hud did by simply holding her hand.

  He settled her into the passenger seat and rounded the back of the truck, whistling a tune she didn’t recognize.

  Loving someone and being in love with someone are two different things, Granny Dee had told her more than once. Have the patience to wait until you can find someone that you are in love with and then you’ll not only have peace in your heart but also a wonderful life.

  “Good advice,” Rose muttered.

  * * *

  Hud hadn’t told any of the extended family about Rose, except Paxton and Claire, so he was a little nervous that morning as he drove from the B&B back to Sunset to the little white church.

  “Do you go to church every Sunday, even if you’ve been out dancing until two in the morning?” Rose asked.

  “Yes, ma’am. Mama made us go to church no matter what. That was the rule, and it kind of stuck, even after we moved over to this part of the state on our own. How about you?”

  “Haven’t been to a church in years and years,” she answered. “We had a service at the commune that was geared mainly to singing, and playing musical instruments, and I attended a few churches through the years, but nothing to speak of.”

  “Well, then I welcome you to the Sunset Community Church. I got to admit the singing is my favorite part, and too many times I don’t listen like I should to the preachin’,” he said.

  “I’m still a little worried. The way things have been going for us the congregation might blame us if the church exploded or lightning came shooting down through the rafters.” She smiled across the console at him.

  “The sky is clear. No clouds in sight. I think we’re safe.” He pointed toward the windshield. “If it starts to look like something’s about to go down, we’ll hurry outside and leave.”

  “Fair enough,” she said.

  It only took a few minutes to reach the church, and Hud snagged a parking space not far from the front door. He and Rose were walking across the parking lot when he heard someone call his name. He looked over his shoulder to see Levi, Claire, Dixie, and the baby.

  “Wait up,” Levi called out.

  “Hud!” Dixie almost squealed as she handed the baby carrier off to Levi and ran across the lot to hug both him and Rose. “I’m so glad to see you today. I can’t thank you enough for everything. I love my job, and Claire and everyone has been so nice.”

  Her words and enthusiasm meant far more to him than getting his name mentioned on the news or his picture in the local newspaper.

  “That’s great,” Hud said.

  She left Hud and hugged Rose. “You and Luna were so good to me. I’ll never forget it.”

  “Maybe someday I can drive over and visit you and Sally.” Rose’s voice caught in her throat.

  “I’d love that.” Dixie took the baby carrier from Levi.

  “Hey.” Levi grinned at him. “You going to introduce me to your friend?”

  “Sorry,” Hud said. “This is Rose O’Malley. She and I knew each other when she went to school in Tulia. And this is Levi, Claire’s husband, and the foreman of the Longhorn Canyon Ranch.”

  “Small world, ain’t it?” Levi tipped his hat toward her.

  “Yes, it is.” Rose gave him a head nod. “Never thought I’d look up and see Hud at a wedding in the Texas panhandle, or in my gift shop this past week, either.”

  “I’m so happy to be going to church today, and guess what, Rose.” Dixie inhaled deeply before she went on. “They’ve invited me out to their ranch for Sunday dinner. If I’m dreaming, don’t pinch me. I don’t want to wake up.”

  “One cowboy’s courage saved her life and gave her a brand-new start,” Rose whispered as they followed the others inside the church.

  Hud took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. “Thank you, but I only did what I needed to do.”

  His grandpa and his father had always told him not to gloat over success, but he couldn’t help but feel a little pride sneaking into his heart and soul when he thought about what Rose had said. With her by his side, he felt ten feet tall as he walked down the center aisle that Sunday morning.

  When they sat, Rose was between him and Claire. Then Tag and Nikki arrived, and everyone slid down so that they could join them on the pew.

  “Tag and his wife,” Hud whispered to Rose.

  Most women got all moony-eyed when they saw his brother—even now that Tag was married—but not Rose. She glanced toward him and then went back to whispering to Claire. Hud loved his brother, but for the first time that he could remember, he truly felt like he’d just come in ahead of him.

  Bowie was a fairly small town where rumors got around pretty fast, but in Sunset, with its small population, gossip spread faster than the speed of light. Hud could hear the buzz of whispers all around him and wondered how many of them concerned him and Rose.

  The room went quiet when the choir director took her place behind the podium and gave out the number for a congregational hymn. Sharing a songbook with Rose seemed even more personal than sitting so close to her that no light could get between their hips. He wondered if anyone else in the church could feel the heat from the sparks dancing all around them.

  When they’d finished singing, the preacher took his place. He cleared his throat, and a loud clap of thunder came out of nowhere to rattle the windows and startle young and old alike. Rose elbowed Hud in the ribs and whispered, “You think maybe we should leave?”

  “The lightning isn’t coming through the rafters yet, so maybe we’re safe,” he answered in a low voice.

  “Well, I believe I’ve got your attention now,” the preacher chuckled. “I guess the good Lord knows what I’m about to speak on this morning, and that’s hearing His voice when He speaks to us. It might be a whisper in our ear, or it could be a raging storm in our soul, but God will speak.”

  Raging storm. Hud’s thoughts went off on their own.

  He and Tag had originally planned to have the ranch up and going good before either of them settled down. Now Tag was married, and Paxton was leaving them, so a lot of responsibility fell on Hud. Could he do right by a woman, spend enough time with her, and still not slack on all his ranching duties?

  He was still thinking about all that when the sermon ended on another loud clap of thunder, and a hard rain started to beat against the church windows. The preacher leaned into the microphone and said, “I’ll give the ending prayer this morning, and y’all can all hurry on out to your vehicles without shaking my hand at the door. I truly hope that you got a message from the Lord into your own hearts this morning. Now let us pray.”

  Hud gave silent thanks for the downpour because all his extended family made a mad dash toward the door. Introducing Rose to all of them wouldn’t be an embarrassment, but it would be nice to do it a little at a time. Today, it had been Levi, and pointing out Tag and Nikki. Maybe next week it would be Retta and Cade.

  “I should’ve brought an umbrella,” he said.

  “I’m not sugar or salt,” she said. “I proved that last night when we got wet running from your truck to the B&B, and I didn’t melt. We’ll just run between the raindrops.”

  * * *

  As Rose held on to Hud’s hand and ran through the rain to the truck, she had a crazy vision of stopping right there in the parking lot and dancing. An old song by Tanya Tucker called “Would You Lay with Me” played through her mind, but she changed the lyrics to say, would you dance with me in the pouring rain.

  She was humming the song when she crawled into the truck. Her coat had done little to keep her skin dry, but the truck had a fine heater, so by the time they reached the drive-by window at the chicken place, she was toasty warm. When he parked at the B&B, Rose got out and tried to run across the grass, but the heels of her shoes kept sinking into the wet ground, and then one of her heels sank into the mud, throwing her off balance.

  She turned slightly and ran smack into Hud. Her hands shot out to grasp an
ything at all and landed on Hud’s broad chest. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to the porch.

  “Don’t you dare carry me over the threshold.” She laid her head on his chest and listened to the rhythm of his heartbeat. Hers seemed to be thumping a lot faster than his, but then she’d nearly fallen, and she was in his arms.

  “Why not?” he asked.

  “Aunt Luna would never let me hear the end of it. She’d say it was as good as jumping over the broom, like she and Uncle Wilbur did.” She began to hum the song that was still in her head. She didn’t care if her hair was lying in wet strands hanging down her back, she slipped her arms around his neck and began to sing, “Would you dance with me in the pouring rain?” to the tune of “Would You Lay with Me.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He slipped his arms around her waist and two-stepped with her on the porch. When she stopped singing, he tipped her chin up with his fist and kissed her—long, hard, and passionately.

  She was so hot on the inside that she didn’t even mind the cold rainwater streaming down her cheeks and sneaking under her coat collar to inch its way down her spine. One kiss led to another and another and yet another, until finally, he pulled away and opened the door for her.

  “Your Aunt Luna will get out her pistol if you get pneumonia from making out with me in this weather,” he whispered.

  “Maybe so, but what a way to die,” she laughed.

  “Amen!” He kissed her once more and then ran around the front of the truck and grabbed the sacks with the food inside. When he’d jogged back, he said, “Glad I left that bag here with a change of clothes in it.”

  “Maybe Chester will steal one of your socks,” Rose said as she opened the door and the two of them rushed inside.

  Luna met them with a couple of towels in her hands. “Y’all best get dried before we sit down to eat. Did you get extra chicken drumsticks?”

  “Yes, but I forgot to ask Hud if he was a leg man.” Rose dried her hair and face, and headed for the stairs. “I’ll only be a minute. Hud, you can change in the shop.”