Cowboy Six Pack

by Kari Lynn Dell

  The color drained from Mavis’ face. She leaned against the counter, and when she spoke, her voice was a whisper. “I knew she’d died when a horse fell with her. Dex didn’t say she’d been in a coma.”

  “He doesn’t know the whole story. He was only five years old. Drew was four and Davie, two. They were too young to know the truth.”

  Tears streamed down Mavis’ cheeks. She didn’t bother to wipe them away. “Just because Mariam died, doesn’t mean I’m going to get killed. I know what I’m doing.”

  “Mariam told me the same thing when I worried. It doesn’t mean you won’t.” Lucy knew the argument was foolish. The chance of Mavis getting killed while riding was miniscule, but until this moment, she hadn’t realized how much she’d let her fear control her life and dealings with Dex’s friend.

  Mavis laid her hand on Lucy’s arm. “I’m sorry.”

  “Even though the boys were too young to really understand, it has affected them. From the day we buried her, Dex has tried so hard to make his dad and me proud. We had to force him to rodeo. He’s never said, but I think he worried one of us would die if he left. Drew. He latched onto that good for nothing wife of his. Don’t get me started there. And I’m not sure Davie is ever going to let a woman in his life.”

  “Excuse me for saying this, Mrs. Dunbar, but you don’t get to choose who your grandsons fall in love with.” The tears in Mavis’ eyes had dried. She stood tall, more than capable of holding her own with anyone.

  Lucy took a sip of her tea as she considered what Mavis had said. The young woman was right. For the first time, Lucy saw the truth. The boys weren’t boys anymore. They were men, capable of making their own decisions, living their own lives. “I know.”

  “Doesn’t make it any easier though.” Mavis had a small, sad smile on her face.

  For the first time since Mavis had moved home, Lucy laughed. “You know. My daddy hated Rod, and I married him anyway.” Equal to Lucy in the stubborn department, Mavis might be the perfect match for Dex. Now if Lucy could get her to give up her infatuation with horses.

  Mavis took the two steps separating them and pulled Lucy into a hug.

  Lucy stiffened at the younger woman’s touch as a memory forced its way to the front of her mind. She tightened her arms around Mavis. “Mariam was a hugger. I’ve missed her so much.”

  A breeze ruffled the curtain over the kitchen window.

  The movement caught Lucy’s attention, and she realized how shabby the gingham had become. The walls had faded from the bright green Mariam had chosen to a dull green-gray. The black and white linoleum had nearly worn through in front of the door.

  Decorating had been one love she’d shared with her daughter-in-law. Lucy hadn’t changed a thing in the house since Mariam’s death, afraid of losing her altogether. She’d been foolish. Mariam’s sons were three good men, and they all carried a part of her.

  Lucy looked at Mavis. “Do you know how to paint?”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  When he’d gotten the call that several head of cattle had broken through the fence onto the highway, Dex’d had no choice but to help Rafe. The last thing he wanted was for them to cause an accident.

  As soon as he could, he left Rafe to fix the fence and hurried home. Envisioning all sorts of terrible scenarios, including bodily harm to one or both of the women he loved, Dex took the corner into the ranch driveway on two wheels.

  Babysitting his brothers for the last week and coming to terms with the fact he’d have to break his grandmother’s heart had left him exhausted. There wasn’t a solution he could see where everyone would be happy. He was certain of only one thing. He wasn’t giving up Mavis again.

  He’d asked both Davie and Drew if either of them could stay on the ranch until he got things figured out, but hadn’t gotten a definitive answer. Their ambivalence wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, but for once he wasn’t backing down.

  He rounded the last curve and saw Mavis’ truck parked beside the house. Scanning the barnyard, he was relieved there wasn’t a body to be seen. A cloud of dust billowed from the driveway as he screeched to a stop and jumped from the truck.

  As he reached the back steps, the kitchen door swung open. Mavis and his grandmother came out together and with no visible wounds. Now he’d seen everything.

  “Hold it right there.” He didn’t think Nana would plant a knife in Mavis’ back, or vice versa, but lately he’d been wrong about everything.

  The two women looked at him, their expressions neutral.

  “Nana Lucy, I don’t want to hurt you. But I love Mavis. If she’ll have me, I’m going to marry her.” This time he was setting things straight. He held his grandmother’s gaze. “If you can’t accept my decision, we’ll have to leave.”

  When they both stared as if he was speaking Swahili, he moved to stand between them, putting an arm around each one, the better to keep control of the situation.

  Davie had wandered over from the barn when he’d first arrived, followed by Drew. They’d each pulled up a lawn chair. Davie propped his boots on the porch rail. “Don’t let us stop you. We won’t interfere.”

  Drew turned to Davie and held out his hand. “Pay up.”

  “Give Nana a chance. She might talk him out of Mavis yet.” Davie folded his arms across his chest and grinned. “You know how persuasive she can be.”

  Nana Lucy swatted Davie on top of the head. “You hush.”

  “You two made a bet on Mavis and me?” Even for his brothers, this was below and beyond. “You bet money?”

  “A lot of money.” Davie stood and put his arm around his grandmother’s shoulders. He gave Nana a hug then kissed Mavis on the cheek. “Welcome to the family, Maple. If Dex hadn’t finally grown a set, I was going to ask you out myself. Even if you have caused me to lose the bet.”

  “It wasn’t me. It was Dex.” Mavis hugged Davie. “And you never know. I might have accepted.”

  Dex put his hand on Davie’s chest and pushed hard enough to make his brother take a step back. He pulled Mavis to his side. “Over my dead body.”

  “All’s fair in love and war.” Davie’s smile slipped from his face. “You cost me fifty bucks.”

  Drew held out his hand, only to have Davie slap it away.

  Dex interrupted the brother’s bickering. He turned to his grandmother. “What happened while I was fixing fence?”

  “Mavis and I had a talk. I think she’ll do just fine for you.” She stood on her tiptoes and gave Dex a kiss on the cheek. “Just fine.”

  “What the hell have I missed here?” Dex looked from woman to woman, and for the first time in years, he saw them smile at the same time.

  “Did I hear you say you love me? And you’d do anything to stay with me?” Mavis placed her palms on his cheeks and stared into his eyes. “Did I hear you tell everyone you were going to marry me?”

  Getting lost in her beauty, Dex could only nod his agreement.

  “While I appreciate the sentiment in the first two things you said, the last one bothers me a bit.” Mavis touched her lips to his in a soft butterfly kiss. “Don’t you think you should ask me first?”

  Dex nodded yes again, but how was he going to do this? After all the problems they’d had, his marriage proposal had to be extraordinary, something special enough for the woman he loved. He’d never been very good at thinking on the fly, and his mind went blank.

  “Clearly if I want an answer, I’ll have to ask the question myself.” Mavis laughed and kissed him, lingering a little longer. When she’d scrambled his mind, she pulled away. “Dex Dunbar, will you marry me?”

  Leave it to Mavis to make the difficult easy. All he had to do was say yes. “Yes!” He picked her up, twirled her around then carried her to the porch swing. He wasn’t wasting a moment waiting for the other shoe to fall. With Nana Lucy on their side, they could survive anything.

  “I’m going to get us drinks to celebrate. Drew, Davie, I’ll need some help.” Nana headed inside with his b
rothers trailing along in her wake.

  Too bad his dad wasn’t here to see this. He’d always had a soft spot in his heart for Mavis, and he’d have been proud as punch to have her for a daughter-in-law.

  As they settled on the swing, Mavis nestled under his arm. “I wish your dad was here.”

  “Just what I was thinking.” As Dex touched his lips to hers, she smiled. His heart swelled with love. She was his forever and always. “I love you.”

  “Not as much as I love—”

  “Dex, got a minute?” Davie stood in the doorway, his hand on the knob. His usual cocky attitude seemed to have taken a leave of absence. “I’ve been talking to Drew. He came to see Dad a few months ago. Did he tell you?”

  Dex tucked Mavis tighter to his side. “Yeah. After he left the area, he called.”

  “I’m glad I never saw the old man in that place.” He sank to the middle step and leaned back on his elbows. “We didn’t always get along.”

  Dex rolled his eyes, and Davie finally grinned.

  “But I’d rather remember him like he was, strong, determined.” Davie hesitated before grinning. “And opinionated as hell!”

  “Ben Dunbar in a word.” Dex let the memories of his father flow over him. He’d been a tough man, but he’d loved his sons even if he disagreed with their life choices.

  “I’ve been thinking. You’re going to need some help on the ranch. Now, I’ve got plans to go to Argentina, but I can put them off for a while.” Davie had been staring at his boots, but he raised his head and looked Dex in the eye. “How about if I stay and help out, you know, just till you get things sorted out?”

  “It’s your home, too. Always has been.” Dex didn’t think about his answer for a second. “We’d love to have you stay, but you’ll have to share the bunkhouse with Rafe.”

  As Davie nodded in agreement, the harsh sound of horns honking shattered the peace of the ranch. A line of pickups and cars kicked up dust as they drove toward the house.

  Nana came outside, her hands on her hips, a smile on her face. Drew was right behind her.

  Dex looked from his grandmother to his brothers. “What’s going on?”

  Davie grinned. “I called a few friends, you know, to celebrate. Come on, Drew. We need beer.”

  As the hours wore on, more people showed up at the ranch. Without being asked, Rafe had picked up Mavis’ mother and Randi so they wouldn’t miss out on the celebration.

  Drew and Davie filled several huge coolers with beer and soft drinks. In usual ranch style, most people brought something to eat or drink, and the impromptu gathering became a real party.

  “Too bad Chelsea and I aren’t here more often,” Drew said as they refilled one of the coolers and grabbed an ice-cold beer for themselves. “Chelsea and Mavis would really get along.”

  Dex didn’t think so, but he didn’t want to burst his brother’s bubble. Drew seemed to find a different side of Chelsea, a far cry from the one the rest of the family saw. That scenario wasn’t likely to happen anyway. There was no way Chelsea was going to set foot on a dirty old ranch. “How are things going with you two?”

  Drew grinned, but the smile faded after a few seconds. He waited until they’d settled into a couple of lawn chairs beneath the tree before trying it again. “Never better. Chelsea is getting offers right and left. We have to decide which are the right ones for her career. She’s on her way to the big time.”

  Dex wondered what was really going on, but Drew would never come clean. He was as private as a recluse when it came to talking about his wife and her singing. “Good. Let us know when you book a concert in the area. We’ll all come cheer her on.”

  Before Drew could answer, his cell phone rang. “It’s Chelsea. I need to take this.” He put the phone to his ear and wandered toward the barn.

  Mavis and Randi were perched on the top of the picnic table. The two women scooted over and made room for him.

  “Took you long enough to make a decision, Dex. I thought I was going to have to kidnap you two to get you together.” Randi and Dex laughed, but Mavis’ attention was focused on something over his shoulder. The smile dropped off her face, and he felt her stiffen.

  He turned to see Deena moving toward them, dodging through people like a woman on a mission. She gave Dex a long hug before turning to Mavis. “I hear congratulations are in order. Dex says you’re for real this time.”

  “Yes. For real and forever.” Mavis took his hand in both of hers. She glanced up at him before turning back to Deena.

  Deena gave a short, sharp nod as if making up her mind about something important. She cleared her throat. “For his sake, and for yours, I hope so.” The thin blonde hurried away without a backward glance.

  “That went well.” Mavis kept her eyes on Deena as the woman climbed into her car and drove away.

  “It’ll be fine. She just doesn’t want me to get hurt again.” Dex pulled Mavis close.

  Mavis reached up and ran her fingers across his cheek. “I don’t plan on hurting you.”

  ~-~

  When the early-to-rise ranchers took their leave. Mavis, Alma, Randi and Nana worked to clear the kitchen of dishes and food while the men cleaned the yard.

  Mavis grabbed an overflowing garbage can and carried it outside. Dex stuffed a handful of paper cups in the trash bag he held and tied the top shut. After tossing his bag in the dumpster and emptying the can Mavis carried, he took her hand and pulled her toward the barn.

  “Where are we going?” When he smiled but didn’t speak, she slapped him on the shoulder. “Dex, I know making love in the barn was number two on our bucket list, but shouldn’t we wait until Nana Lucy goes to bed?”

  “You are incorrigible—and easy. Two attributes I love in a woman.” Dex tightened his grip on her fingers and towed her along. When they’d climbed the hill behind the barn, he turned her so her back pressed against his chest.

  The thump, thump, thump of his beating heart filled her with peace.

  The ranch spread out before them as beautiful as any painting. Cattle grazed in the irrigated pasture below, and the hills to the west glowed in the setting sun. The scent of sage and new mown alfalfa filled the air.

  “I have a couple of things on my mind.”

  Mavis tried to turn, but he tightened his hold and kept her facing away. If he couldn’t look her in the eye, this couldn’t be good. What else was going to stand in their way? “If there’s a problem, don’t tell me until tomorrow. Today has been perfect, and I don’t want to ruin it.”

  “The first thing is Paycheck. His owner has decided to sell him.” Dex put his chin on the top of her head.

  The news didn’t make her happy. She’d come to love the horse almost as much as Tuneful, but she wouldn’t be greedy. If she had Dex, she had enough. “I knew he’d sell one day. Paycheck is worth a lot. More disposable cash than I have.”

  “Don’t you mean we have?”

  She sighed. “He’s a nice one, and I love you for offering, but I can’t see going into debt to own him. I have you and Tuneful.”

  “You and Tuneful are a handful, but I think we can squeeze Paycheck into the family.” Dex pulled a set of AQHA papers from his pocket and handed them to Mavis. “He’s your wedding present.”

  She unfolded the paper and read the information. When she looked up, Dex smiled. Her heart swelled at the possibility of not only having Dex and Tuneful, but also Paycheck. She studied the papers again. “Your dad owned him?”

  “He bought Paycheck right before his memory deserted him for good. He’d want you to have this colt.”

  She threw her arms around Dex and whispered in his ear. “Thank you.”

  Dex took her hand and sank to the ground, tugging her onto his lap. “Look around. What do you think?”

  She straddled his thighs and placed her hands on his shoulders. “Is this the second thing? You know I love this place. The whole ranch is beautiful.”

  “There’s something I need to make perfectly clear.�
�� Dex covered her hands with his and held her gaze. His eyes burned with intensity as he touched her cheek. “I’ll follow you anywhere Mavis Panzeri. If it’s Texas you want, we’re gone. I want you to be happy, and I’ll do anything to make sure that happens.”

  “Nice to know because I didn’t plan on letting you out of my sight again.”

  His sigh was as big as the landscape spread out before them. He stared toward the hills in the distance. “What would you think of living on the ranch?”

  “Is this the second thing you wanted to talk about?”

  He nodded and dove right in. “I was thinking, this would make a good building site. We could build a home.”

  “Build a house? Here?” Keeping her voice soft, she focused on her hands. “I don’t know, Dex.”

  Dex stiffened but didn’t speak.

  Mavis fought the smile that threatened to erupt, and for a moment, she won. She glanced up, her poker face firmly in place. “I was kind of planning on us living with your grandmother, so she could teach me how to cook and clean.”

  To his credit, he kept his face equally bland. “That’s kind of a big assignment for an old woman. I’m not sure she’ll live long enough.”

  Laughter bubbled out of Mavis. “Your Nana? She’ll outlive all of us.”

  Dex stood and pulled Mavis to her feet. He gave her a quick kiss then collected several rocks and made a pile at her feet. Grasping her hand, he pulled her along the top of the hill. When he’d reached where he wanted to be, he stopped and gathered her in his arms. “From the stones to where we’re standing is about forty feet. Do you think that will be big enough for the front porch?”

  EPILOGUE

  A little over one year later

  The electric atmosphere of the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas never got old. The tenth round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo would begin in less than two hours, and Mavis was sorry to see the rodeo wind down. After nine days of non-stop action she still hadn’t had enough.