Wiping his shirtsleeve across his forehead, he entered the kitchen. His mom and Tonya sat at the table talking. They both turned to him.
“Oh good, you’re here.” Mom stood and lifted a pan lid on the stove. “Is Dad coming?”
“Yeah, he was cleaning up.” Derek raised his eyebrows at Tonya. “Hey, sis. What are you doing here?”
“Murray is working a two-day shift, so Mom invited me over for supper.” She glanced at his dirty jeans. “Hard day with the sheep?”
He shrugged. “Normal day. I spent all afternoon checking for cuts and cleaning them.” He walked to the dining room door, ready to go upstairs.
“Derek, guess what?”
He turned back.
Tonya’s dark eyes took on a sudden shine. “This morning I signed the contract to get my cookbook published!”
“Wow, congratulations!” She had been working on writing her own cookbook for years. “So when are we going to see the published book?”
“It won’t come out until next year. But this never would have happened if Lane Hutchins wasn’t my brother-in-law. He got me in with his agent.”
Mom laid her hand on Tonya’s shoulder. “You don’t know that, honey. You might have been published without Lane’s help. God works in mysterious ways.”
“Maybe.” Tonya gave a happy sigh. “I’m just glad the Lord let it happen.”
Derek grinned. “Another published author in the family. Congrats again, sis.” Turning, he ambled through the dining room. As he entered the living room, he heard Tonya ask Mom about their new neighbor.
“His name is Rex Pierson,” Mom said. “He’s dating Cheyenne.”
Derek stopped beside the piano and glanced back the way he had come.
“Yeah, I noticed them sitting together at church.” Tonya’s voice sounded far away, but Derek could hear her clearly. “What do you know about him?”
“Dad and I went over to his ranch last week.” The sounds of a drawer opening and silverware clinking competed with Mom’s voice. “That place has been vacant for so long, it was a mess. But Rex is a hard worker.”
“Is he raising sheep?”
“Cattle. He brought eight cows with him from Montana then went to auction yesterday and bought ninety-two head. So now he’ll have an even hundred. They’re supposed to be delivered on Friday.”
Derek already knew all that, so he continued to the stairway. He shouldn’t be eavesdropping anyway. But as he stepped on the first stair, Tonya’s voice stopped him.
“I heard that Rex is in the market for a wife. Gloria Schutzenhofer says he has his sights set on Cheyenne.”
“Well, she deserves a good husband.” Mom’s voice softened, and Derek crept back to the dining room. “We had always hoped she’d end up as Derek’s wife, but I guess that wasn’t to be.”
“That’s what Callie and I were hoping.” Tonya sighed. “Don’t know what’s wrong with that guy.”
A chair scraped on the kitchen tile. “Derek thinks the Lord wants him to remain single so he can serve Him.”
“What? That’s crazy. He doesn’t have to remain single to serve the Lord.”
“I know, but that’s what he wants to do.” Mom sighed. “Did Gloria have anything else to say about Rex?”
“He and his wife were married for eighteen years, but they didn’t have any children.” Tonya paused. “I guess she was a sickly woman, and Rex took care of her. She died two years ago.”
“That’s sad. I hope he gets a good wife.”
Derek walked to the stairway, not waiting for Tonya’s reply. Cheyenne would make a fantastic wife.
He thought of the sparks of electricity that often arced between them. Did she have that kind of chemistry with Rex? Did he appreciate her? Her beauty, her friendliness, her kindness?
A frown pulled at his mouth as he climbed the stairs. I should steal her away from that guy.
Startled by the thought, he stopped. His mind drifted back to the conversation he’d had with his dad last week.
“So you stole her right under Kyle’s nose, and she willingly ran into your arms.”
“I wish. Unfortunately I didn’t have the gumption to do that.”
Derek continued on his way upstairs.
Gumption.
Did he have the nerve, the courage to win Cheyenne? Or was he just jealous?
Lord, what is Your will? Maybe the good Lord brought Rex Pierson to Wyoming just to marry Cheyenne Wilkins. And maybe Derek would remain single for life.
Is that what I really want?
Reaching the top of the stairs, he said a silent prayer. He was more confused than ever.
Chapter 11
Early on the last Monday of July, Cheyenne drove her car under the Rocking B Ranch archway and down the long driveway to the Brandt home. Callie had invited her to join their family for the pancake breakfast at Cheyenne Frontier Days and spend the rest of the day at the rodeo.
Last year Cheyenne had gone with the Brandt family, spending the entire day hanging around with Derek. She looked back on that day with fond memories, but it hadn’t changed their relationship much.
This year she thought she would go to Frontier Days with Rex, but he was busy getting his ranch settled. The cattle he bought at auction had arrived, plus he was interviewing several men today for “hired hand” positions.
Five dates. That was the extent of their relationship, plus sitting beside him in church, and Rex had yet to kiss her good night. But he always hugged her, and she enjoyed talking to him, getting to know him. He entered her thoughts more often, and she was beginning to view him as her future husband. If they could get married by the end of this year and have a child next year, that would take care of Grandmother’s will.
She gave a little shiver. When her thirtieth birthday rolled around, she would be a millionaire—with her husband and child. The thought made her head spin.
But today Cheyenne would forget about Grandmother’s will. She would relax and enjoy some “girl time” with Callie.
Exiting the car, she took a deep breath of warm Wyoming air. A few birds twittered in the large oak tree by the two-story farmhouse. Besides that, the place was quiet. Peaceful. She looked up at the expansive sky, still streaked with pink and orange from the sunrise. Cheyenne gazed at the rolling hills spreading to the east as far as her eye could see. Rex’s ranch was over there somewhere. Someday, hopefully soon, she would live on that ranch, and the Brandts would call her “neighbor.”
The front door of the house opened, and Yvette Brandt walked out carrying a light jacket. “Hi, Cheyenne!” Her slim figure sported jeans and a green T-shirt. Even in her fifties, Yvette was a beautiful woman. She descended the three porch steps. “I think you’re the first one to arrive. We’re going to take the family minivan so we have plenty of room.”
“Sounds good.” Cheyenne smiled. “Thanks for inviting me.”
Jake Brandt walked out of the house, pulling the front door shut behind him. “Looks like a beautiful day.” He rounded the house toward the detached garage. “I’ll pull out the minivan so you ladies can climb in easily.”
“Thanks, honey.” Yvette turned to Cheyenne. “I’m glad it’s not raining. Jake and Derek got soaked last Friday afternoon at the rodeo.”
“But the show goes on—rain or shine.”
“Yes it does.” Yvette placed her hand on Cheyenne’s arm. “Oh, I wanted to tell you—this Friday is Tonya’s birthday. We’re planning a surprise party for her at our house at five o’clock. Can you come?”
“I’d love to. I know Tonya likes surprises.”
“She does. We’re planning it for five o’clock because she thinks she and Murray are just coming for dinner.” Yvette smiled, creasing the crow’s-feet by her eyes. “But the dinner will expand into a party, and the biggest surprise is that all her siblings will be here. We’re turning it into a family reunion.”
“Wow.” And I’ve been included! “I’m sure you’re looking forward to having all your children at home.”
“Yes. I’m counting the days.”
Jake pulled the minivan into the sunshine and parked. When he cut the engine, Cheyenne heard the sound of another car heading down the driveway. She recognized Lane’s Mazda as it approached.
“Oh good. Callie and Lane are here.” Yvette waved to them as they pulled up. “Now we just have to wait for Derek and Kandi.” She walked to the minivan.
Cheyenne raised her eyebrows. Kandi? Derek must still be dating her.
A tiny pinprick of jealousy stabbed her, but she reminded herself that she had Rex.
Callie got out of the car and hugged Cheyenne. “I’m so glad you’re coming with us, Chey. We’re going to have so much fun today.”
“I can’t wait!” Cheyenne grinned. “I hope Lane doesn’t mind if we run off to buy souvenirs.”
“Yay for souvenirs!” Callie laughed. “That’s the most fun thing about CFD to me. And don’t worry about Lane. He wants to write a book about rodeos in America, so he’ll be busy taking notes.”
They walked together to the minivan.
“Hi, Mom.” Callie hugged her. “Where’s Derek?”
“He left about an hour ago to pick up Kandi.” Yvette looked at her watch. “They should have been here by now. I hope they won’t be too late.”
Cheyenne ignored the clenching of her stomach as she followed Callie into the minivan. Lane was already sitting on the backseat in the corner, jotting a few thoughts in a small notebook, and they took seats next to him.
Girl time. That’s how Cheyenne would frame this day, and Derek would be out of the picture.
Derek drove his pickup under the archway. As he crested the hill on the driveway, he noticed Mom and Dad, along with Lane, Callie, and Cheyenne, already sitting in the minivan.
Great! How long had they been waiting for them? He had been annoyed when Kandi called this morning at five thirty and asked him to pick her up. Bruce was supposed to drive her over, but Kandi claimed that Bruce’s arthritis was bothering him. So Derek raced over to the MacKinnon ranch, only to discover that Kandi wasn’t ready. He sat in their living room for twenty minutes trying to make small talk with Bruce.
Pulling over to the side of the driveway, Derek killed the engine. “Can you get your own door, Kandi? We need to hurry.”
Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed his hat from the middle of the seat and strode toward the van. Kandi ran to his side. He paused to let her get in first. Amid a flurry of greetings, they sat on the empty middle seat. Lane, Callie, and Cheyenne sat in the back.
“Sorry we’re late.” Derek pulled the sliding door shut.
“That’s okay.” Dad threw the gears into DRIVE, and they started rolling. “We’ll get some pancakes, no matter how long we have to wait in line.”
Derek adjusted his cowboy hat as he stood in line beside Kandi. He glanced at his watch. Almost seven. They had been standing for a half hour in the middle of the long line. Cheyenne Frontier Days claimed that ten thousand people ate at one of these free breakfasts, and as Derek looked back at the line that stretched four or five blocks, he figured they were right.
Mom and Dad stood beside him, with Kandi sticking to him like a burr under his saddle. She looked pretty today in jean shorts and a white peasant blouse, and her makeup was perfect. Most likely she had been painting her face while he waited for her at Bruce’s house this morning. Derek folded his arms, no longer infatuated with her. If only he hadn’t invited her to attend CFD with their family.
His glance bumped ahead about a half-dozen people to where Callie and Lane stood with Cheyenne. Somehow the three of them had gotten ahead in line. They laughed, and Cheyenne’s musical laughter floated back to him. Derek grimaced, wishing he were standing with them—sans Kandi.
A few minutes after seven, the line began moving. Within fifteen minutes they were at the front, and Derek was handed a plate filled with pancakes and ham. He had to give credit to all those volunteers. They knew how to handle a crowd.
“Oh look at that!” Kandi pointed to the men who cooked the pancakes. They flipped them over their shoulders when they were done, and several boys ran behind the cooks, catching the flapjacks on large platters. She laughed. “I hope those kids don’t miss.”
A smile touched Derek’s lips as he watched the boys. “I’m sure they’ll throw away the ones that land on the ground.”
“I hope so.” Kandi turned to follow Mom and Dad.
Derek followed her, wishing he could somehow signal Mom to keep Kandi company. But she probably thought Kandi was his date. Obviously Callie and Cheyenne were going to hang around together all day, so that left Derek as Kandi’s sole companion. He sighed.
It was going to be a long day.
In the arena, amid hundreds of other spectators, Cheyenne sat next to Callie on a white seat in the grandstand. “Those were good pancakes, and I’m actually full!” She gave a little laugh. “I hope my stomach’s shrinking.”
Callie lowered her voice. “You’re doing great on your diet.”
“Nine pounds so far.” Cheyenne shook her head. “Just doesn’t seem like much.” She glanced down the row to her right. Lane sat on the other side of Callie. He pointed something out to Jake and Derek. All three men wore cowboy hats, and Yvette sported a pretty one made of straw. On the other side of Derek, Kandi listened as Yvette talked to her.
Cheyenne sighed. What does Derek see in her? Of course she was pretty and tiny, but Kandi didn’t seem to have much of a personality.
But it doesn’t matter. Today is girl time. With a smile, she inhaled deeply, smelling all those great smells of a rodeo—horses, leather, and the bodily scents, both good and bad, of the fans. She didn’t need Derek to have a good time. “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
“They’re having barrel racing this morning.” Callie motioned toward the center of the arena, where three fifty-five-gallon barrels formed a large triangle on the mud of the arena floor. “When I was a little girl, I always dreamed of being a barrel racer. But I didn’t have enough passion to be a good horse rider. I would rather sit in a corner and read a book.”
Cheyenne looked at her. “I’ve only been on a horse one time. Remember?”
Callie laughed then covered her mouth with her fingers. “Sorry.”
“It was your fault!” Cheyenne tried to hide a smile. “Why’d you let me ride bareback? I slid right off that animal, and it was a long way to the ground.”
Callie giggled. “We were only ten years old, Chey. I didn’t know you couldn’t stay on a horse.”
The announcer interrupted their memories, and the arena grew quiet as he announced the competition. A minute later, a brown horse thundered from the arena’s alley. The female rider was dressed in jeans and a Western shirt, complete with cowboy boots and hat. The audience seemed to hold their collective breath as the cowgirl rounded the first barrel, raced over to the second one, rounded it, and galloped up to the third. Rounding that one, she raced back toward the point where she started.
Cheyenne leaned toward Callie. “That girl is skinny.”
“Barrel racers have to be skinny. Think of the poor horse trying to race around the barrels with a big heavy person weighing him down.”
Cheyenne laughed. “That’s why I’m not a barrel racer, even if I could stay on a horse.”
Derek sat forward, leaning his arms on his thighs as he watched the barrel racer cross the finish line. Sitting back, he looked at his dad. “She almost nicked that third barrel with her foot.”
“Yep. She needs to tighten her inside leg against the horse’s flank.”
The score flashed on the electronic board at the end of the arena.
“Nineteen point sixty-three seconds.” Dad shook his head. “She’s not going to win.”
Derek glanced at Kandi, who was looking down at her hands. Was she bored? How can anyone be bored at a rodeo? Mom talked to her sometimes, but Derek wasn’t being fair to his mom if he let her carry th
e conversation. Since he had invited Kandi, he was responsible to see that she had a good time.
He sighed. “Ever see barrel racing before?”
“No.” Her eyes met his. “It looks hard. When she rounded those barrels, the horse was almost sideways.”
Derek adjusted his hat. “The faster, the better. It’s actually dangerous, both for the horse and the rider. But those girls know what they’re doing.” He stopped as another cowgirl raced around the barrels.
When she crossed the finish line, Dad leaned toward him. “She was faster than that first gal.”
The score flashed on the board.
“See there.” Dad smiled. “Seventeen point ninety-eight seconds. She just might win.”
Kandi cleared her throat. “How many barrel racers are there?”
Derek shrugged. “They usually have over a hundred.”
“That many?” Her shoulders slumped.
He nodded. “This competition will last all morning.” He pointed toward the arena. “Here comes another one.”
The girl rounded the first barrel but was thrown from her horse as she rounded the second one. In unison, the crowd rose to its feet. Several workers helped the girl up as the horse pranced off to the side.
Derek sat down with a relieved sigh. “She was going way too fast.”
“Yep.” Dad took his seat. “That little gal should have been more careful.”
A half hour later, as another cowgirl successfully finished her race, Kandi leaned toward him. “Is there anything else we can do, Derek?”
He glanced at her. “Are you bored?”
She nodded, her mouth forming a little pout.
Derek glanced at his mom, but she had her eyes glued to the arena as another cowgirl galloped around. Barrel racing was Mom’s favorite sport at the rodeo.
He waited until the score flashed on the board. Then he turned to Kandi. “Do you want to see the Old West Museum? They sell souvenirs there. Or we could wander around Wild Horse Gulch. That’s like an old Western town. They sell merchandise, too, and even have people walking around dressed in nineteenth-century clothes.”
Tumbleweed Weddings Page 39
