Cowboy Six Pack

by Kari Lynn Dell

  “That’s a bit of an overreaction, Mavis. You should reconsider the sleeping with part.” Randi’s tone was serious, but she couldn’t quite keep the smile off her face. “The townspeople only want to see both of you happy. Plus, it’s been a slow gossip season so far.”

  “Then the town needs to find Dex another girlfriend or better yet, a wife, because I’m leaving in a few weeks.” When Mavis stopped talking to take a breath, she noticed the waitress, cook and all the patrons staring at her. She threw her arms out in frustration. “What!”

  Clarence became very interested in his grill, and Gladys hurried over to pour coffee into Harley Davis’ already full cup. The rest of the customers concentrated on their plates.

  Mavis forced herself to pull in a long breath and hold it to the count of ten. She let it out slowly, feeling marginally better. The smile she managed was brittle, but there. “Well, my mom’s been telling me I need to be more open with my feelings.”

  Randi was staring at her as if she was a three-headed calf. “I don’t think this is what she meant.”

  Randi was probably right. It was time to clear out, but she wasn’t leaving her favorite pie. The lemon filling, as usual, was both tangy and sweet, and meringue was melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Clarence did have a way with pie. She stuffed another bite into her mouth, determined to eat it in record time and get out of the cafe. After she’d swallowed the last bite, she stood and turned to the other patrons. “I meant what I said. Please find other people for your matchmaking. I won’t be here long enough.”

  Randi’s soft gasp warned her she should have kept her mouth shut. Too late, she heard the tap, tap, tap of someone’s heels on the linoleum.

  “When you deserted my grandson, you gave up the right to have any opinion on Dex.” The old voice cracked with age, and Mavis reluctantly swiveled to face Lucy Dunbar. “If it wasn’t for you, he’d have married Suzie Winston by now and probably had a couple of children.”

  ~-~

  With the third year of drought conditions making fall pasture scarce, Dex and Rafe had spent the day moving cows and calves from one over-eaten pasture to another that wasn’t quite as barren. They’d been busy on the ranch, and he was glad to finally have time for a break.

  “I’m going to get cleaned up and head to The Leaf Cutter for a beer. Gonna join me?” Dex leaned against the barn.

  “You asking me out on a date?” Rafe turned his horse into the corral then batted his eyelashes as he moved closer to Dex. Popping the top snap on his western shirt, he peeled back the edge. “Cause I’ve got to tell you up front, I’m not easy.”

  Dex scoffed. “Not easy? You’re kidding me. You’re the easiest.” He knocked Rafe’s dusty cap to the ground and took off for the farmhouse before Rafe could reciprocate.

  Rafe’s laughter-filled words followed him loud and clear. “I think you have me mixed up with your other friend. Oh, that’s right. You don’t have another friend.”

  Dex was still chuckling as he entered the kitchen, only to stop short at the sight of his grandmother sitting at the table, her head on her folded arms. Whatever she had been frying was smoking like a bad diesel engine. He rushed across the room and pulled the pan off the flame.

  “What’s going on? Is it Dad?” His heart beat against his ribs, trying to burst out of his chest. A dad who didn’t recognize him was far better than losing the man altogether.

  Nana Lucy straightened, her fingers clenched tight. “Your dad? No.”

  His heart slowed, but the burning acid in his stomach remained. He’d never seen his Nana cry—ever. “It can’t be this bad. What’s going on?”

  She looked at him for the first time, and he realized she wasn’t sad, she was mad. That made more sense, although he’d never even seen angry tears before. His anxiety faded, and he tried to relax. Anger he could handle. He leaned closer and kissed her soft, wrinkled cheek. “Tell me what happened.”

  Nana Lucy sat ramrod straight, her gnarled fingers clenched in her lap. Her cotton housedress was as crisp as when she’d put it on this morning. “After the Cattlewomen’s meeting today, Dottie and I went to the Shamrock for a piece of pie. That woman was there with her loud friend.”

  A sense of foreboding swept over him. “Nana, what did you do?” To say his Nana Lucy was outspoken was like saying the Pope was kind of religious.

  She pulled a lace hanky from her pocket and wiped her eyes. His grandmother had been born in the forties, but ever since he could remember, she’d copied the way her mother had dressed and done her hair. She stuffed the handkerchief into her pocket and looked at him. “I didn’t do anything. She did.”

  When she hesitated, Dex waited her out, trying to keep his apprehension under control.

  “Don’t you think I haven’t heard the rumors involving you and that Panzeri girl? Right there in the café, in front of half the town, that girl was bragging about leaving again, so I told her to go. I told her you’d be married by now if she’d leave you alone.”

  Dex leaned back in his chair. He hadn’t heard her right. “You didn’t.”

  “I did it for you. This is the worst decision you’ve made since the last time you got involved with her. If you’d listened to me, you’d have never gotten your heart broken by Alma’s girl in the first place. If you’d have listened—”

  Dex cut her off with a wave of his hand. He’d always respected her opinions. He loved Nana Lucy with all his heart. Along with his dad, they were the closest family he had, but at twenty-five he’d earned the right to make his own decisions and have her respect him. “Stop meddling in my life.”

  She reached out and took his hand. “Dex, I’m only—”

  He pulled free and strode out the door, all thoughts of cleaning up forgotten.

  Betsy sat beside the barn. He hopped in, drove to the bunkhouse and laid one hand on the horn.

  After a moment of non-stop blaring, Rafe opened the door. “Hold your horses.” One leg of his Wranglers was wadded into the top of his Justin Roper. He hopped around trying to tug on the other boot. Grabbing his t-shirt, he pulled it over his head as he hurried to the truck.

  “What’s the rush?” Rafe slid into the passenger seat. When Dex didn’t answer, he shrugged.

  Dust roiled from beneath the tires as Dex sped down the driveway.

  Rafe reached for the seatbelt. “Looks like I’d better buckle up.” After clicking the belt shut, he reached down and worked the legs of his Wranglers over his boots.

  Dex turned toward Idaho instead of their small Oregon hometown.

  “Hey, The Leaf Cutter is the other way, and besides, I need to stop at the bank for some cash.” Rafe pulled his tattered leather wallet from his back pocket and leafed through the few dollar bills inside.

  “We’re going to Homedale. I’ll pay.”

  “What? Oregon beer isn’t good enough for you?” Rafe’s brows lowered into a frown. He tilted his head as he waited for Dex to answer then shrugged. “Not that I have a problem going to Homedale, especially if you’re paying. The Last Chance is one of my favorites.”

  Dex concentrated on the twists and curves of the two-lane highway. He fought his anger, trying to keep the truck somewhere near the speed limit. There was no way he could outrun either Nana Lucy or his problems, and he didn’t need a ticket.

  Rafe didn’t say another word until they’d pulled into the parking lot of the Last Chance. As Dex turned off the key and placed his hand on the door handle, Rafe spoke. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”

  “No.” What he didn’t need right now was a heart to heart with his friend. What he needed was a drink. Ten drinks might be even better. Anything to block the certain knowledge that once again he’d be in the middle of all-out war between the two women he loved most.

  The stools at the far end of the bar were empty, and he slid onto the last one.

  Rafe settled next to him.

  A five-foot set of steer horns hung above the bar flanked by bright neon beer signs. The crack of b
illiard balls from the game room was nearly drowned out by country music blaring from an old-fashioned jukebox.

  Dex pulled a fifty-dollar bill from his wallet and threw it on the bar. He tilted his head toward Rafe. “Shot and a beer back, and whatever he wants.”

  “Since he’s buying, I’ll have the same thing.” Rafe twisted around and scoped out the room. “Not many women in here yet. Hope things pick up.”

  Dex downed the shot in one smooth hit while Rafe sipped his. “Another one,” Dex called to the bartender.

  “You sure? You sucked that thing down like it was water.” Rafe took a swallow of his beer. “You’re going to be on the floor in under an hour at this rate. Not a great way to pick up a cutie.”

  Dex threw back the next shot and drank half the beer. “I had a cutie once. It didn’t work out.” The tight fist of anger in his stomach loosened with the sharp burn of alcohol. He rested his forearms on the bar, noticing for the first time how dirty his hands were.

  Too damned bad. One of these days he’d find a woman who didn’t mind a man getting dirty. One of these days, he’d find one tough enough stick around.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  The heavenly scent of freshly ground coffee filled the air of the Wilder Java Pot, but Mavis didn’t notice. Two days, a long forty-eight hours, and she still couldn’t pull enough air into her lungs.

  Her skin crawled with embarrassment every time the memory resurfaced.

  She’d known Lucy Dunbar hadn’t liked her, but she’d assumed after this long they could at least be polite. Better to not assume anything seemed to be a hard lesson for her to learn.

  It was her own fault for feeling like Dex’s grandmother had zapped her with a stun gun. Her own fault for getting blindsided by something every other person in Homedale probably already knew.

  For the hundredth time, she tried to remember Suzie. She had a vague picture of a pretty blonde whose main focus had seemed to be fashion. The woman had moved to Homedale less than a year before Mavis left for Texas.

  Nana Dunbar might not have been thrilled with Suzie Winston, but the woman would have been acceptable. Shopping and socializing were suitable pastimes for women, even in Nana Dunbar’s world, as long as the cooking and cleaning were done first.

  She looked around the small coffee shop. Coffee themed knick-knacks competed with rodeo pictures. Mavis had a photo on the wall of fame, as did her father, Randi and Dex.

  The Java Pot wasn’t fancy, but they had great coffee. Its most important asset today was being ten miles away from Homedale and nosey townspeople.

  Randi waved as she moved to the order area. Cup in hand, she sat across from Mavis, watching with wary eyes. “You okay?”

  Mavis shook her head and took another sip of the caramel-loaded latte. Sugar might not help her solve her problems, but it never hurt either.

  “You didn’t answer your phone or the texts I sent.” Randi cupped both hands around the steaming ceramic mug. “I’ve been worried.”

  “I needed time to think.”

  A smile spread across Randi’s face. “No kidding. I tried to tell you.”

  Mavis worked to get control of her whirling brain. She looked at her friend and saw Randi’s smile fade to concern. “So Dex and Suzie? I’d have never seen that coming.” Dex couldn’t have found a woman more different than Mavis if he’d paid a headhunter.

  “We didn’t see much of Dex for a few months after you left. The next thing I knew, he had Suzie on his arm, and they were doing everything together.” Randi reached across the table and laid her hand on Mavis’ arm.

  Mavis looked up at the touch. It was everything she could do to keep the tears at bay. Dex had wanted someone else bad enough to ask her to marry him. “Does anyone else think he did it because of me?” A wave of exhaustion settled over her like a cold winter fog. She didn’t have the energy or desire to do battle with Dex’s grandmother again.

  “Why would they think that? Only a couple of months into their engagement—during which Suzie told anyone and everyone who would listen she was deliriously happy—she up and disappeared. As you can guess, rumors flew like snowflakes in a Rocky Mountain blizzard.”

  “Did they all think Dex still loved me, and Suzie figured it out?”

  “Give them some credit.” Randi grinned and shook her head. “The leading theory was that Suzie realized being a rancher’s wife wasn’t all fun and games. So unless you kidnapped her, I don’t see how her disappearance can be your fault.”

  Mavis didn’t know which scenario was worse. “Did he love Suzie?”

  Randi snorted. “He didn’t even know her, obviously. No one in their right mind would see Suzie staying on an cattle ranch in the middle of nowhere.”

  Mavis’s brows drew together. “Do you think something happened to her? An accident or something?”

  Randi shook her head. “Dex’s grandmother told my mom that Suzie texted him a week after she left and told him she needed time to think. She called Mrs. Dunbar a couple of weeks later, asking for money. I’d love to have been able to listen in on that call. She probably hit Dex up, too.”

  A group of teens came through the door in a flurry of chatter and laughter. Randi and Mavis waited until they’d gotten their orders and left.

  “So no one knows the real story, just rumors?” Mavis’ emotions whirled like a dust devil. Anger at Dex for getting into this mess, anger at herself for caring, and regret for his embarrassment.

  “Dex has been closed-mouthed about the whole thing. Not that I blame him. Some of the people in Jordan Valley might know what really happened, and I’m sure Rafe got the story, but he hasn’t said a word to anyone else.”

  “Then why would his grandmother tell me I’d ruined his life?”

  “To get under your skin? To run you off?” Randi slouched in her chair and ran a hand through her hair. “She doesn’t like you.”

  Mavis laughed, but the sound held little humor. “The woman hates me, but she doesn’t lie.” She’d loved Dex with all her heart, but put her feelings away and got on with her life. She’d assumed it was over for him, too.

  “Too bad old Lucy picked the café to tell you about his engagement.”

  Mavis started to speak, but stopped. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t get dragged into the drama of a small town, and that was exactly what she was doing. She pulled as much air into her lungs as she could then let it out in a long sigh. “I don’t care what they think.” She kind of surprised herself by realizing it was the truth.

  “Okay.” Randi drew the word out.

  “Look, if Dex wants me to know the story, he’ll tell me, and I don’t know why he would. It’s not anyone’s business but his.” Mavis drained her cup and stood. “I’m going to go ride my horse. Want to come along?”

  Randi didn’t rise. She patted the table. “Sit down for a moment. I need to ask you something.”

  Mavis stared at her friend. She didn’t want to debate her long ago relationship with Dex, but refusing to discuss things with her friends is what had gotten her sideswiped in the café, so she sank back into her chair. Maybe it was time to grow up and handle problems as they arose. She leaned her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand. With her other hand, she waved at Randi to continue.

  Now that Randi had Mavis’ full attention, she didn’t seem in any hurry to get to the point. There wasn’t a way to push Randi when she was going for dramatic.

  Mavis crossed her arms on the tabletop, laid her forehead on them and closed her eyes. Never in a thousand years would she have anticipated what Randi was about to ask.

  “What would have happened if Dex’s grandmother hadn’t been in the picture?” Randi’s normally humor-filled expression was overflowing with compassion and curiosity. “If it had been the two of you, on your own?”

  Mavis lifted her head as a short laugh burst from her chest. She straightened her spine, rested her elbows on the table and stared at her friend. “Are you suggesting we get rid of Nana Dunbar?
Because after the fiasco at the café, I might take you up on the offer.”

  A small grin grew on Randi’s face but then faded. “It’s an enticing thought, but no. I meant, did you and Dex have other problems, or do we lay it all at Nana Dunbar’s feet?”

  “The Queen of Meddling?” Mavis let her thoughts slip back in time. Of course Dex’s grandmother messed things up. The old biddy had continued to push and prod and pressure them to do things her way until they’d burst apart from the stress. If not for her interference, they’d have been happy. She’d have never gone to Texas. “She wouldn’t let up on Dex.”

  Randi nodded and took another swallow of her coffee. “Couldn’t Dex have told her to leave you alone?”

  Mavis didn’t answer. They’d been so young. That had been most of the problem. Still— many of their arguments started when Mavis complained about Dex taking his grandmother’s side.

  “I know you’re happy training horses. Could you have been happy living on the ranch?”

  Mavis had always assumed it was Nana and Dex’s fault she’d left. She didn’t regret the time she’d spent in Texas, and she couldn’t regret finding Tuneful. But she hadn’t attempted to compromise. She’d run away. Maybe it was time she owned some of the responsibility for this fiasco.

  ~-~

  There is not much worse than bright sunshine streaming through the window on the morning after a drunk. Dex opened his eyes to mere slits and made sure he was in his own room at the ranch. He didn’t remember leaving the bar. Hell, he didn’t remember much after the first drinks.

  The dreams, however, had been crystal clear. Suzie’d been here, along with Mavis. He’d tried to find Mavis and explain only to have her disappear. He’d pulled her into his arms, only to find Suzie there instead. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d dreamed or even thought of Suzie. He couldn’t say the same about Mavis. She’d never been far from his mind.