The Reluctant Cowgirl

by Christine Lynxwiler

  “A place to myself in New York.” Crystal pretended to swoon. “Maybe you could just extend your honeymoon a little bit.”

  “Very funny. Other than being tired, are you excited about the audition tomorrow?”

  Crystal picked at the blanket. “Sure.”

  “Uh-oh. What’s wrong? Did you fall in love with a cowboy while you were in Arkansas?”

  Even as Crystal shook her head, she felt her face burn. “Nothing’s wrong.”

  Tina squealed and scooted closer. “Ohh ... tell me about him.”

  “There’s nothing to tell.” Crystal could see from Tina’s animated expression that her protests were useless. “I’m not in love with him.” She thought about their kiss yesterday in the kitchen. Was there any way that could have been just a thank-you? In as few words as possible, she told Tina about Jeremy, ending with his daughter’s coming home.

  Tina ran her hands through her pink highlights and collapsed back against the armchair. “Wow. You’ve been busy since you left the city.”

  “Hey, I’m not the one getting married.”

  “Not yet.”

  Crystal shivered and pulled the blanket up around her arms. “Not for a long time to come. Right now, I’ve got one thing on my mind.” Her heart beat faster as she thought about the audition and all the implications of the outcome—good or bad. “Broadway.”

  Tina pushed to her feet. “I’m going to go to bed and let you get some rest.” She bent down and hugged Crystal. “See you in the morning.”

  “Night, Tina. Thanks again for letting me stay.”

  When Tina was gone, Crystal stretched out on the couch and listened to the city noises. Honking horns, motors zooming by, the occasional trill of laughter, and from somewhere close, probably the club the next block up, she could hear the faint sounds of reggae. The city didn’t sleep. It just moved from morning to night. Daytime folks gave way to nighttime folks and the cycle moved on.

  Amazing how quickly she’d gotten used to the quietness of the ranch. She used to think she couldn’t sleep without tires squealing, horns honking, and basses thumping. But she’d learned to.

  She stared at the dark room. She’d learned to get used to talking to Jeremy Buchanan every day, too.

  Some things she was just going to have to unlearn.

  ***

  Crystal had been to Broadway auditions before, but they’d been open auditions—mile-long lines and a very short time to impress. This was a definite step up from those cattle calls—a private audition for a supporting role. Apparently the director was close friends with Herman Lowder, the writer and producer of Making a Splash. He’d caught a showing and been impressed with Crystal’s performance. So when Mia contacted him about an audition, doors had opened.

  The play focused on four sisters, and Crystal was auditioning for the part of the best friend of one of the sisters. Not the lead, but a lot of stage time. On Broadway.

  It was a start. And if she was lucky enough to be offered the role, she’d definitely take it. But first she had to get that far.

  She was supposed to be reading a scene with her friend, the sister. The burly bored-looking man holding the script didn’t look like anyone’s sister. Crystal groaned inwardly when she saw him.

  When they were in high school, Cami had read in one of the acting magazines that she subscribed to that the worst thing you could do was to assume that your reading partner in an audition cared whether you got the part or not. The two of them had practiced together, one of them reading in a flat, distracted monotone while the other one auditioned.

  For years, Crystal had counted on that early experience in situations like this. She tried her best to view the burly man as her friend and respond accordingly, but the director kept stopping her and asking her to try it again a different way. She almost got the feeling that she was a disposable experiment in figuring out what they wanted the role to be like. When she finished, the casting committee gave her a polite thank-you and no emotional response whatsoever.

  She smiled and thanked them profusely for allowing her to audition, but her feet felt like lead as she trudged toward the exit. What a waste of time and money.

  CHAPTER 23

  As she pushed the glass door open, she called Mia.

  “How’d it go?” Excitement bubbled in her agent’s voice.

  Crystal stepped out into the bright spring sunshine and hurried down the sidewalk to the subway station. “Awful.”

  “Oh no. What happened?”

  “I think I was too bubbly ... or too subdued ... or too something for the part. They had me do it a hundred ways.”

  “So they were just using you to figure out what they were looking for.”

  Crystal ducked her head and watched her feet as she walked. “Yep.”

  “Crys, I’m sorry.” She could hear the genuine sympathy in Mia’s voice and it did make her feel some better. “That’s no reflection on you as an actress. The play’s not supposed to open until July. Apparently they’re still in the preliminary stages of auditioning.”

  “I know. And there’ll be other auditions...” Or would there? Even as tired as she was, she’d read a little in her Bible last night. Maybe God had decided that Broadway wasn’t for her. “Probably.”

  “Probably?” Mia sounded panicked. “There’s no probably. There will be other auditions. Other Broadway auditions. Just hurry home and I’ll show you.”

  Hurry home? That’s what she wanted to do right now. But she knew Mia meant hurry back to New York. “Okay.”

  “Listen, why don’t you let me take you out to dinner?”

  “Thanks, but I can’t. I have an early flight back to Arkansas in the morning.” The aroma of freshly cooked hotdogs wafted to her, drawing her over to the rolling cart. Crystal shifted her phone to the other hand and fished some dollar bills from her pocket. “Talk to you later.”

  As soon as she hung up, she ordered a hot dog from the vendor. Some moments called for comfort food. And this was definitely one of them.

  Dog in hand, she made her way to a bench and took a big bite. When she and her brothers and sisters were in junior high, they used to have wiener roasts down by the river. In all the years she’d lived in New York, she’d never had a hot dog that compared to those. But that didn’t stop her from trying one about four times a year.

  She took another bite. Wonder if Beka and Jeremy would like to have a wiener roast? When the dogs were gone, they could bring out the marshmallows.

  She glanced over at the vendor. Maybe she should tell him that’s what he was missing—roasted marshmallows. He’d probably think she was crazy. And if this sudden longing to see Jeremy again was any indication, he might be right.

  ***

  “Luke McCord here.”

  Jeremy smiled in the rearview mirror at Beka and spoke into his cell. “Hey, man, it’s Jeremy. Beka and I are on our way to Memphis today to get her things from Amanda’s. I wondered if you needed me to pick up anything for y’all while I’m in town.”

  “You have perfect timing.”

  “Great. I can haul whatever you need in the bed of the truck. What do you need me to get?”

  Luke laughed. “My little sister. But I won’t tell her you were going to throw her in the back. Seriously, though, you could save me a trip and pick Crystal up at the airport. Her flight should land in about four hours. I was just about to leave to go get her.”

  “So she’s in the air now?”

  “Yep.”

  Jeremy considered the fact that Luke wouldn’t be able to make sure it was okay with Crystal for him to pick her up. He hated to force himself on her. On the other hand, the thought of seeing her in a few hours made it worth taking a chance on her being unhappy with the chauffeur switch. “We’ll be there when she lands, then. Do you have the flight info?”

  Luke told him which baggage claims conveyor belt they were supposed to meet at. “Thanks a lot. She wanted to rent a car. I told her I didn’t mind driving to Memphis. Still
don’t, but no sense in it if you’re going.” He laughed. “Especially with you having plenty of room to haul her in that empty pickup bed.”

  Jeremy laughed. “Why do I have the feeling I’ll never live that down?”

  After he hung up with Luke, he thought about the phrase “ never live that down.” Crystal had said something similar after he’d found her asleep on the porch. Never was a long time. He had a brief flash of him and Crystal, old and gray, her blue eyes still sparkling, as she teased him about hauling her in the bed of the truck or blushed about falling asleep on the porch.

  “Why are you smiling?”

  Jeremy glanced in the mirror at Beka, who was watching him intently. “I’m just happy, I guess.” He winked at her. “Are you happy?”

  “Um-hum. I can’t wait to see Amanda.”

  “She’s supposed to be there when we get there. But she won’t have long to visit before she has to go to school.”

  Beka beamed. “I can tell her I’m going to school tomorrow.”

  “That’s right.”

  “I hope my new class has a goldfish.”

  “If they don’t, we might have to ask your teacher about getting one for the class.” Jeremy had debated sending Beka to school with only three weeks left in the school year, but she needed normalcy in her life. And this way when she started first grade at the small Shady Grove Elementary School, she’d already know several kids from kindergarten.

  “I bet Miss Cindy will be sad that I’m leaving.”

  “I bet she will, too.”

  Their first stop in Memphis was going to be the preschool/day care Beka had attended there. She should have been in kindergarten, but Lindsey had enrolled her in Miss Cindy’s Day School near Amanda’s house and told the teacher that she was going to homeschool after this year. She’d neatly sidestepped the lack of records by procrastination. He’d spoken to Miss Cindy, and she’d assured him that Beka would have no trouble adapting to kindergarten. When they left the preschool, they’d head on to Amanda’s.

  “Maybe she’ll let me feed the goldfish today since it’s my turn.”

  “We’ll see.”

  To Beka’s delight, Miss Cindy did let her feed the goldfish and read a good-bye story to the class.

  And Amanda, thankfully, kept things upbeat when they got to her place. She opened the chipped-paint door with a big smile. Beka squealed and ran into her arms. While they were hugging, he glanced past them. What he could see of the tiny house was rundown but neat, the threadbare carpet clean.

  Amanda stood and followed his gaze. “It’s not much, but it’s home.” She motioned to a stack of plastic tubs next to the door. “I have Beka’s things all packed.” She hefted the tub nearest her and started out to his truck.

  When they’d loaded everything, Amanda turned to Beka and held up a stuffed bear. “I thought you might want to keep Booboo Bear out to keep you company on your trip home.”

  Beka scooped the bear out of Amanda’s hands. “Thanks, Amanda.” Both she and Booboo kissed Amanda good-bye. Beka scampered cheerfully into her seat.

  In the driveway, Amanda looked at Jeremy. “She seems happy.”

  He nodded. “She’s really well adjusted, considering what she’s been through, thanks to you.” He pulled out several bills. “I’d like to pay you a little toward the income you missed this year. Your friend mentioned that Lindsey didn’t always pay you.”

  Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “Thank you, but that’s not necessary.”

  He grinned. “Actually it is necessary. I really appreciate your being here.” He shoved the bills into her hand.

  She shrugged and smiled. “Thanks. You know college students. Always broke. And of course I’m job hunting this week.”

  As he and Beka drove away, he made a mental note to speak to his parents about the three of them setting up a scholarship fund for Amanda.

  ***

  Crystal leaned against the side of the escalator, clutching her carry-on bag. Somewhere over Kentucky, defeat had given way to exhaustion. She wanted to get back to the ranch and sleep for a year.

  As she stepped off, she scanned the crowd in front of the conveyor belt for Luke. She froze. Even from the back she recognized the cowboy holding the hand of an adorable little girl.

  Hoping they wouldn’t turn and catch her backtracking, she made a beeline for the ladies’ room, fumbling to get her cell out of her bag as she went.

  “Luke McCord.”

  “What is Jeremy doing here? Where are you?” She glanced in the mirror at her travel-ravaged face, sleeplessness showing in every line.

  “The phone sure is echoing. Are you in the bathroom?”

  Crystal stomped her foot and growled. The woman at the sink next to her gave her a strange look.

  “Yes, I’m in the bathroom. Did you ask Jeremy to come pick me up?” As she remembered the coolness in Jeremy’s tone Sunday when she’d called to cancel lunch, she cringed.

  “No. I was just about to leave when he called to say he was going to Memphis and did I need him to pick up anything.”

  “Oh.” So he hadn’t actually offered to come to the airport and get her. But at least he was going to be in town anyway.

  “Yeah...” Luke laughed. “Ask him if you’re going to have to ride in the back of the truck.”

  “The back? What are you talking about?”

  “Just ask him. Or better yet, just climb up in there.”

  Crystal looked down at her gauzy black pants and stilettos. “I don’t think so.”

  “You’re no fun. See you tonight. Tell Jeremy thanks again for me.”

  Crystal held the phone out and looked at it. She’d offered to rent a car. But no ... Luke had insisted on coming to get her. She put the phone back to her ear. “Bye, Luke.”

  “Bye, kid.”

  She disconnected and pulled out her makeup bag. Lip gloss and under-eye concealer might not make a big difference in how she looked, but they’d make her feel better. Years of theatre experience gave her speed, and in less than two minutes, she was walking across to greet Jeremy and Beka.

  They were facing her this time, and unless she was seriously delusional, Jeremy’s face lit up when he saw her. Of course, more likely, he was just tired of waiting. Still clutching Beka’s hand, he pulled Crystal to him in a loose embrace and kissed her cheek.

  Her heart, bruised and weary as it was, skittered at the closeness.

  She bent down and hugged Beka, almost overbalancing as her carry-on bag shifted forward.

  Jeremy reached and slipped it off her shoulder. “Let me get that.”

  She grinned up at him. “Thanks.”

  Beka bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. “I fed the goldfish.”

  “You did?”

  “Um-hum. And we went to see Amanda.”

  “Oh, honey, that’s great. Sounds like you’ve had a busy day already.”

  “You’re going home with us.”

  Jeremy stepped forward. “If you don’t mind.”