Cowgirl for Keeps

by Lacy Williams

  "Okay. Thank you." The soft expression of gratitude hit him straight in the solar plexus.

  "Just helping a friend."

  A mile passed in silence. A glance in the rearview showed Gina whispering to thin air.

  His brows must've crunched together, because Anna looked over her shoulder and then sighed softly.

  "She has an I-M-A-G-I-N-A-R-Y friend."

  His lips twitched. "I see."

  "Did you ever have one?"

  He was a little surprised by the question but shook his head. "I don't think so. Did you?"

  "My mom says I did, but I don't remember it. She says his name was Eric."

  "I can imagine that about you."

  From his peripheral vision, he saw her nose wrinkle.

  "I bet you were a really cute kid. Like her," he nodded to the rearview. "How old were you when you learned to ride?"

  "Five."

  He could imagine her as a little girl, flying across the field on horseback. Found himself smiling.

  "What did you like to do as a child?"

  He was still half-disbelieving that she was making conversation with him at all.

  "I drew."

  "Hmm."

  "What?" He dared a quick glance at her. She seemed thoughtful, her head leaned to one side, her eyes unfocused as she stared out the windshield.

  "I just thought you'd say football or hockey or something."

  "I played a little, but it wasn't my favorite thing. Until high school, when I realized—"

  He cut himself off, but she'd always been good at reading him.

  "Until you realized... you could get girls if you played sports?"

  Heat crept up his neck, but he nodded. "My home life wasn't the best. The popularity of being on the basketball team was... nice."

  He'd clung to those friends. Even as teenagers, they were more constant than his emotionally distant dad and enabler mom. When they'd offered him a place to spend weekends, it had been easy to go with the flow.

  And when they'd introduced him to partying, he'd loved the oblivion. The ability to forget his life for a little while.

  Only he'd hadn't realized it would have such far-reaching consequences.

  Anna didn't pursue his comment about his past. Maybe she hesitated to get in too deep. Instead, she asked, "Are you missing the city?"

  "Surprisingly... no." It was true. "I mean, I miss my bed—the hotel..."

  She snorted as if she knew what he meant. It was old.

  "But folks have been welcoming. It's kind of nice that when I stop for coffee, the gal remembers my name."

  "Like that old sitcom theme song?" He could hear the smile in her voice.

  "Something like that." He'd been empty for so long. Tried to make himself part of a community, find the family he craved, looking in all the wrong places.

  When things went bad, party friends were the first ones to go. At least in his experience.

  Somehow, even though he'd only been in Redbud Trails for ten days, it was starting to feel like home.

  Especially when Anna slanted him a smile from across the cab.

  His mouth went dry, and he wanted to blurt out something crazy—like asking her out on a date, but she pointed to a side street as they drove into town and he saw the sign for an auto parts store.

  Saved by the destination.

  * * *

  Anna had insisted on going into the auto parts store alone. Even though Kelly planned to help her install the battery, she could purchase one on her own.

  She'd left Gina with him, and as she lugged the weighty new battery out of the story, her eyes went to the pickup parked in the first spot.

  Huh. She couldn't see their shadows inside the truck.

  She drew closer and realized the windows were down, but no one was inside.

  Heart pounding, she rounded the side of the truck and then stopped short.

  There they were. Sitting on the lowered tailgate, legs dangling, talking quietly.

  Eating ice cream.

  She approached, and they were too busy watching the traffic passing on the street to notice her.

  "When I grow up I'm gonna be a princess," Gina said.

  Anna opened her mouth to forestall anything Kelly might say in response. Even at three and a half, Gina had a vivid imagination, and she didn't want him to squash her dreams, even if they were silly.

  "Will you have a big, fluffy, pretty dress?" he asked.

  "I'm gonna have a gazillion million of them. More than fit in my closet. And lotsa tiaras, too."

  He pointed to her cone. It had started dripping chocolate down one side.

  Gina slurped at it, and he winced a little.

  Anna smiled. He obviously hadn't realized what a mess a little girl and an ice cream cone could make. He was probably imagining her getting in his truck all dripping with chocolate. Which wasn't far off.

  "Will you live in a big castle?" Kelly asked.

  "No, silly." Gina's words were exaggerated, as if Kelly should know the answer. "I'll live on the farm with all my horses."

  "Ah. I saw you riding with your mom the other day."

  "I'm a good rider," Gina said proudly. "When I turn five, my mama's gonna buy me my own pony, and I'm gonna name it Philip."

  She shook her head, even though they couldn't see her. Gina had asked about having her own pony since she could barely talk. Her first word was "mama" and the second was "horse." She'd become obsessed with getting her own pony named Philip—after the prince on one of her favorite animated movies.

  Her arms started to ache from the heavy weight of the battery.

  She shifted, and Kelly looked over his shoulder, eyes going wide.

  He jumped down the moment he saw her, coming toward her. "Let me—"

  But he still had a half of a melting cone in one hand, and attempted to juggle it to grab the battery. "Here, you take this—"

  How?

  "I've got it," she huffed, and moved to the place on the tailgate that he'd vacated. She shoved the battery over the edge and exhaled in relief. Flexed her fingers.

  "How come the cashier didn't carry it out for you?" Annoyance colored his voice.

  "He offered."

  His eyes took her measure and he nodded. "And you said you'd do it yourself."

  He didn't seem to be judging her for her independence, but his earlier teasing about asking for help still rankled. She didn't have a problem asking for help. When she needed it. Which wasn't often.

  "You guys got ice cream without me?"

  His eyes cut to her from side. "I got you a strawberry milkshake. It's in the truck."

  Her favorite. He'd remembered.

  He turned to catch Gina before she jumped out of the pickup bed, leaving Anna to try and settle the butterflies swirling in her stomach.

  His admission about his family from earlier had touched her. And now this kindness was a reminder that not everything had been bad between them.

  They'd had a lot of fun together. More so before the date gone bad. And then the awful way he'd embarrassed her at her wedding reception to Ted.

  She'd let that last vivid memory color her memories for far too long.

  Maybe she was finally ready to let go.

  7

  Anna crunched into a rainbow-colored snow cone as she watched Mikey and Gina play chase around the lawn in front of the church building after weeknight Bible classes.

  Lila and Melody stood beside her, the humid air prompting Melody to lift her curls—dyed a cute shade of pink this week—off her neck.

  "So the kitchen's shaping up?" Melody asked. "And just in time for your birthday."

  "The cabinets look completely different with the darker stain. And the granite is..." She pretended a swoon as she crunched another bite. Kelly had surprised her by asking some of the men from the community to help. Brothers Maddox and Justin Michaels and their cousin Ryan had spent hours over several evenings working in her kitchen, and she almost thought it could be done by h
er birthday—her goal way back in the beginning when she'd hired the contractor who had taken off with her deposit.

  "Who cares about the construction," Lila said. "I want to know how the romance is shaping up."

  "What?" Anna half-laughed the word even as her insides fluttered. "There's no romance."

  "No romance?" Lila parroted. "He sat next to you at Sunday morning's worship service."

  "And took you for ice cream in Weatherford," Melody added.

  "That wasn't a date," she protested. "The battery on my truck was dead."

  Her friends shared a look.

  And suddenly Mikey was there. "Can I have a bite?"

  Anna surrounded her snow cone to his noisy slurp.

  "Thanks, Mom!" He pressed it back into her hands, but turned to walk backwards, facing her. "Don't forget, Kelly said we're leaving at five o'clock for the carnival on Friday."

  She waved him off. Face going hot, she kept her focus on the treat in her hands.

  Her friends remained silent, but she could feel their stares.

  But she could wait them out.

  She crunched through the rest of her snow cone, the cold in her mouth a counterpoint to the humid summer evening and the heat in her cheeks.

  She finally reached the bottom and tossed the paper wrapped into a nearby trash receptacle. When she turned around, ready to gather up the kids to go home, she found herself blocked in by her friends, who now stood shoulder-to-shoulder with arms crossed and expectant expressions.

  "Carnival?"

  "Friday night?"

  Her face warmed all over again.

  "It's not a date. It can't be. The kids will be there."

  And no one dated with their kids in tow, did they?

  "What's wrong with it being a date?" Lila asked.

  Melody's expression had softened. While Lila had spent her early years in Redbud Trails and recently returned, Melody had been here in those dark days immediately after Ted's death. She'd weathered some of the storm of grief with Anna.

  "Honey, it's been almost three years," she said quietly. "Maybe it's time to think about dating. Being in a relationship again."

  It seemed like that was the only thing she could think about since Kelly had come back into her life sixteen days ago.

  She shook her head. "Even if I were thinking about it... not Kelly."

  "Did you ever wonder if God brought him back into your life for a reason?"

  She didn't want to think that. With their shared past, it hurt too much. She smiled tightly. "To reno my kitchen."

  She couldn't continue with this conversation. "I've got to get the kids home and through the bath." Though she had a more lax bedtime during summer break, they still needed their rest.

  But Lila and Melody's words ran through her head the entire way home as Mikey and Gina talked with each other about their respective Bible classes.

  Maybe it's time.

  God brought him back into your life for a reason.

  She didn't want to think about Kelly taking Ted's place in her life. Ted had been steady. A rock that she could always count on. It had been easy, comfortable to love him.

  Her feelings for Kelly had never been like that. They'd been thrilling ups and devastating downs.

  He might seem more settled now that they were older—and now that he'd changed his life—but could she really trust that it would last?

  * * *

  She got the children in bed and took a cup of hot tea out to the back porch. Kelly had worked late with his extra helpers several nights over the last week and a half, but tonight she had the house to herself.

  Kelly had asked her about the carnival—he'd seen a poster when they'd been in Weatherford—and Mikey had overheard and promptly dissolved into begging. How could she say no to that adorable face?

  Now both he and Gina had been talking about nothing else for days and there was no way she could back out.

  She hadn't wanted to think of it like a date, but after Lila and Melody's words... Was that how Kelly saw it? Even with the kids tagging along?

  She flipped on a sitcom but had a hard time paying attention as memories of their one and only official date swamped her.

  Kelly had left her alone again.

  She watched him heading for the wide red cooler that had taken two frat guys to carry over near the lone picnic table, which sat in the shadows thrown by the campfire. He stopped to talk to a couple of guys, and the three of them laughed uproariously.

  Of the dozen girls and guys chatting, making out and chilling, she seemed to be the only one not having fun.

  She'd been all in when he'd picked her up at her dorm room earlier. A bonfire had sounded romantic. Moonlight, another picnic with Kelly... maybe even a kiss goodnight.

  She just hadn't planned on the party that several of Kelly's friends had brought with them.

  Or for Kelly to drink so much beer.

  She was a small town girl. A Christian, though she believed in living her faith more than shouting it from the rooftops.

  She knew some of the kids in her graduating class of twenty-four spent the weekends drinking, but she'd never participated. Never really had the desire.

  She'd tried not to mind when he'd had the first one. Tried to be cool about it. They were in college now. And he was older than she—he might already be twenty-one, though she wasn't sure.

  But even if he were legal.., this wasn't exactly her ideal date, him spending the last two plus hours talking with his buddies and drinking.

  And when he sat back down next to her—jostling her shoulder when he lost his balance—she could smell the alcohol on his breath. Maybe even coming out his pores. How many had he imbibed? Four? Six? More?

  She stared at the fire, not looking at him. How was she going to get home? She refused to get in the car with him.

  And from what she could tell, she might be the only one here who hadn't been drinking. So it wasn't exactly like she could ask someone else to drop her off at her dorm when they left.

  Kelly bumped her shoulder again, but this time she knew he'd meant to do it. His current beer dangled from one hand between his bent knees.

  "You wanna dance or somethin'?"

  Someone had put the radio on in one of the cars nearby and turned up the volume, making it hard to talk. Several couples danced inappropriately.

  "Maybe take a walk?" he went on when she didn't respond.

  She turned her head to look at him. His eyes rested on her. They were too bright, a flush high on his cheeks. There was no way she was walking in the dark woods with someone she didn't know well, especially not when that someone was three sheets to the wind.

  Now she had to question how deep their friendship really went.

  She'd had a crush on him from the first day they'd met in Professor Dee's COMP II class. Been stunned when he'd struck up a conversation after class. And even more so when he'd sat next to her for every class period. They'd become friends easier than she'd ever dreamed possible. Her heart quickened every time they were together.

  And when he'd asked her out, she'd been thrilled.

  But now... she would never see him the same way again.

  When she'd hoped for wooing and conversation, she'd gotten this instead.

  "Anna?" he prompted when she still hadn't answered.

  "You know, I've got a huge term paper for my sociology class," she said. He didn't have to know it wasn't due for several weeks. "I shouldn't stay out too late or I'll never be able to focus on it tomorrow."

  Something dimmed in his eyes, but he smiled widely. Maybe a little too widely.

  "All right."

  Canned laughter brought her back to the present and the flickering screen against the darkness of her bedroom. After she'd appropriated his keys and driven him back to his on-campus apartment, Kelly had tried to kiss her. He'd missed, resulting in a sloppy open-mouthed kiss against her cheek. His hands had been everywhere. She'd been trapped between him and the truck.

  It had
been too much.

  She'd shoved him away, ducked beneath his arm and rushed home.

  The next time she'd seen him in class, he'd acted as if nothing had changed. But everything had.

  She'd met Ted during her sophomore year, and though she and Kelly maintained something of a friendship, he'd slipped to the periphery of her life.

  Until her wedding night, when he'd shown up at the reception—he hadn't been invited to the wedding—obviously drunk, and taken over the DJ's microphone. He'd shouted that she'd made a mistake, married the wrong guy as she and Ted had escaped under a shower of tossed rice—and curious glances.

  Ted had been so angry. She hadn't had a defense for Kelly, but their friendship had always been a sore point for Ted, and they'd fought. On their wedding night.

  Other than a friend in high school and Ted, she'd never dated anyone else.

  Maybe she should call off the carnival event. The kids would be disappointed.

  But there was also a part of her that wanted to be brave enough to explore what could be between them.

  Could she really do it?

  8

  Late Friday afternoon, Kelly dunked his head beneath the outside faucet next to Anna's horse corral, sucking in a breath at the shock of cold.

  It felt good after hustling and working a long stretch after his lunch break.

  He'd been so close to finishing the backsplash between Anna's counter and upper cabinets that he hadn't wanted to go back to the hotel and change before taking Anna and the kids out. He'd rushed to get his tools locked away in the kitchen or the toolbox in his truck bed and then to wash up. Her birthday was tomorrow, and he'd worked overtime and beyond to finish the kitchen for her, knowing how badly she'd wanted it as a gift to herself.

  He was thankful he had a clean T-shirt in his truck and a pair of tennis shoes to switch out for his work boots.

  He worked as much of the tile glue as he could off his hands before drying them and his face with a clean towel he'd also—amazingly—found in the truck. A horse blew nearby, but he didn't startle. He was getting used to the animals being around.