The Cowboy and the Bride

by Thomas, Marin

  How come his daughter was more familiar with Maddy’s life than he was? Because you didn’t ask. You didn’t want to know. Feeling put out, he grumbled, “That’s even more reason for her to leave today. She’ll have to find a new home.”

  Annie went up on tiptoe, clasping his cheeks between her sticky hands. “We can share our house with her, Daddy.”

  Jake swallowed hard. The conversation was getting out of control. “No, honey, we can’t. Maddy has a job and a life somewhere else.”

  The urgency in his daughter’s eyes dimmed to sadness as her hands dropped from his face. She turned her back to him, and shoulders slumped, she finished making the sandwiches. With no enthusiasm she mumbled, “You wanna star or a Christmas tree?”

  Like a little boy, Jake wanted to stomp his boots in frustration. “I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

  She pressed the cookie cutter into the bread, then pushed the tree-shaped sandwich toward him.

  “Thanks. It looks great.” When Annie didn’t acknowledge his praise, he felt lower than a slug.

  She folded her own sandwich in a paper towel, then jumped off the chair and dragged it back to the table.

  Jake seated himself across from her. Each bite of peanut butter and jelly stuck to the roof of his mouth like rubber cement. He glanced at the clock. He should get back to the horses. Without the help of Little Bear, his work hours would have to double if he planned to have the horses ready by the end of August.

  But his daughter appeared so lonely and dejected, sitting there eating her sandwich, that he didn’t have the heart to leave her alone until Maddy returned.

  “You know, after Maddy leaves, I’m going to need an awful lot of help from you.”

  Her chin lifted. “You are?”

  “Yep. Little Bear isn’t coming back this summer.”

  “He’s not?”

  Jake shook his head. “I was thinking…” He waited until he had her attention. “You’re pretty smart. Maybe I could teach you how to measure out the horses’ vitamins and their food. And you could help clean and polish some of the tack.” He figured Annie would be in the way more than not, but he’d promise just about anything right now to erase the hurt from her eyes. “And I sure could use your help in the kitchen.” He popped the last bite of bread in his mouth. “You make a mean sandwich.”

  Some of the sadness faded from her eyes, replaced by a hint of wariness. Although seeing Maddy leave would hurt, a part of him was glad that she’d come into his and Annie’s life, even if it was for such a short time. If not for Maddy, who knows how many days, months, years, would have gone by before Jake understood the importance of telling his daughter how much she meant to him and how much he loved her. “So, what do you say? Can I count on your help around here?”

  She nodded, then dropped her gaze to the tabletop. “Daddy?”

  “What?”

  “Could we go visit Maddy sometime?”

  He heard the hope, the uncertainty, the need, in his daughter’s voice and cursed himself for not protecting her feelings better. For both their sakes, he wanted Maddy out of their lives before it was too late to fix the hurt.

  “I don’t think so, honey.”

  “Why?”

  He shook his head. “We just can’t.” No way could he stand being on the fringes of Maddy’s life. Not after what had gone on between them upstairs in his bedroom. The thought of standing back and watching her fall in love with another man, share his bed and his life, was enough to make Jake physically ill.

  He skirted the table, knelt by his daughter’s chair and tugged her into his arms. “It’ll be okay, honey. We’ve got each other.”

  But who was he trying to convince more—his daughter or himself?

  MADELINE STOPPED the car at the intersection of Main and Harwood in Ridge City. She glanced at the café. The tables near the windows were already occupied, and the parking spaces out front were filling up fast.

  The idea of sitting among the crowd of locals and subjecting herself to more gossip put a damper on her appetite. She shifted her gaze to the Mercantile. She supposed she could look around inside and kill some time. She drove through the intersection and parked the rental in an empty space directly in front of the store.

  After grabbing her beaded wedding purse, she went inside. “Coot? You in here?”

  “That you, barbed-wire bride?” a voice echoed from the back somewhere.

  Madeline laughed as she headed down the center aisle. “Yes, it’s me.”

  A shiny, bald head popped up from behind a stack of boxes. Coot flashed his gums. “Howdy.” He came toward her, the scratchy sound of his dragging shoe echoing loudly throughout the quiet store.

  She doubted the old man had many customers during the day, and those who did come in probably didn’t stay to chat. Funny, but a couple of weeks ago she wouldn’t have had the time of day for a man like Coot. Now…well, being near the old man was strangely comforting. Even the strong musky odor of his hair tonic had a soothing effect on her. “How are you?”

  He grabbed her hand and clasped it between his gnarled fingers. Eyes twinkling, he gave her the once-over. “Them Wranglers look mighty fine on ya, missy.”

  She started to laugh but in seconds her eyes welled up. “Jake thinks so, too.”

  A frown replaced Coot’s smile as he tightened his hold on her hand. “Jake never was a slow one. Not like some of these young fellers ’round here, who ain’t got the brains of a gnat.”

  She smiled and wiped discreetly at her eyes. Coot, bless his heart, didn’t pry and ask what was wrong. He let go of her hand and returned to the pile of boxes. “Got me a shipment of new souvenirs today.”

  She winced at the sight of his knobby arthritic fingers struggling with the clear plastic sealing tape. “I’d be happy to lend a hand.”

  “Ya sure ya don’t have anything better to do than help out an old fart like me?”

  “Nope. And I’m in no hurry to get back to the ranch.” That was an understatement. She needed to catch her breath. To prepare herself for a goodbye that was guaranteed to be emotionally messy.

  Coot’s expression turned thoughtful. “I’ll take ya up on yer offer, then.”

  For a few minutes they worked side by side in companionable silence. Madeline knew it wouldn’t last. She had a feeling it was killing Coot to hold his tongue.

  “I guess yer stickin’ around to take care of that young ’un of Jake’s. Darn shame Catherine’s sister done busted her hip.”

  “I’ll be leaving later today.” She swallowed the lump in her throat and pulled out another souvenir, a snow globe with teeny-tiny dollar bills floating in the water around a little pink-and-green casino.

  Voicing her plan caused the ache in her heart to throb more painfully. She’d known all along she’d be leaving in two weeks. Still, she hadn’t been prepared for the hurt she’d felt when Jake had stood in the kitchen doorway, reminding her to pack her things. Obviously, their love-making hadn’t meant as much to him as it had to her.

  Yet she had no one to blame but herself. In Jake’s defense, he’d done everything he could to keep things platonic between them. She’d been the one to throw herself at him.

  “Ya plannin’ on huntin’ down the fool who left ya high and dry?”

  She grinned, imagining Coot, shotgun in hand, chasing her ex-fiancé through her father’s law office.

  “No, I’m not chasing after anyone. Things have a way of working out for the best sometimes, and I believe this is one of those times.”

  “Don’t seem right, if ya ask me. Yer pappy ought to pepper his backside with buckshot and teach him a lesson fer messin’ with his little girl.”

  Guilt surged through her. She’d left a message on her father’s voice mail, telling him her and Jonathon’s trip to the Bahamas had been canceled and that she’d decided to go off on her own and do some sight-seeing. She didn’t leave Jake’s number, but told her father she’d call as soon as she returned home. She had no idea
where Jonathon had run off to. For all she knew, he’d returned to Seattle and was back at work. The thought made her smile. Let him explain things to her father.

  Over two weeks had passed since her ex-fiancé had stood her up. Madeline tried to summon up some anger, but strangely enough, all she felt was relief. Relief that she’d narrowly escaped a bad situation and an unhappy marriage that would have undoubtedly ended in divorce. She shuddered and thanked her lucky stars no children had been involved.

  Thinking of children, she pictured Annie in her mind. She was such a sweet girl. A lucky girl, too. Even though she’d lost her mother at a young age, Sara had loved her enough to give birth to her, when it would have been very understandable if she’d aborted the pregnancy after being raped.

  Madeline hadn’t been prepared for the feelings Annie stirred in her. She’d never considered children while pursuing her advertising career. When she and Jonathon had become engaged she’d brought up the subject once, and he’d agreed to children eventually. Spending time with Annie made eventually seem a little more urgent.

  “Them ladies down at the perm factory say yer some kind of famous actress.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I’m not an actress. I work in sales for an advertising company.” A few weeks ago, if anyone had asked what she did for a living she’d have said she was vice president of sales for a major West Coast advertising agency. Funny, but now when she thought of her prestigious position at Smith and Bower, the first thing that came to mind was Whoop-di-do.

  Returning to Seattle and shifting her life back into high gear again held little appeal. Not to mention enduring all the gossip, the sad looks, the questions about her and Jonathon’s breakup. To tell the truth, Seattle didn’t feel like home anymore.

  Spending time with Jake and Annie at the ranch made her see herself in a different light. She rather liked eating supper at home, instead of fighting a crowded restaurant with a group of co-workers. And how much she enjoyed quiet surprised her. No phones ringing, no pager going off. She was beginning to wonder if hers was the heart of a simple country girl.

  The knowledge did little to comfort her. Although it had never really come up between her and Jake, she sensed he was uneasy with the fact that she was a successful, independent career woman. But there was more to it than that. She lived a lifestyle most single women, if not men, would envy. A lifestyle Jake’s struggling ranch couldn’t compete with.

  A lifestyle she wasn’t sure she desired anymore.

  Once again she acknowledged that Jake wasn’t like most men she’d known or worked with. He didn’t strive to earn a lot of money for money’s sake. He wanted his horse ranch to be successful so he could make a decent living for himself and Annie. But most of all, laboring hard day after day, training horses, made Jake happy. Most men worked at a job they hated, hoping their sacrifices and bigger salaries would buy them happiness.

  Yet despite Jake’s seeming contentment with training horses, in her heart she wished more for him. She thought of the money she’d saved over the past few years. A sizable amount. It would go a long way in improving the ranch and hiring additional help so he could expand his operation. If only he’d give the two of them a chance.

  “Them old hair-shop biddies ain’t gonna be too happy if ’n ya up and leave.”

  Startled, she stared at Coot. “Why?”

  “Folks ’round here ain’t been to a weddin’ in a long time.”

  Wedding? She shook her head and carried an armful of snow globes to a display shelf set up a few feet away. “There isn’t going to be a wedding.” She wasn’t even asking Jake for a wedding. She just wanted a chance.

  Coot grinned, his eyes disappearing in the folds of loose skin on his face. “Jake’s a stubborn fool. Someone ought to show him what he needs.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “And you think that someone ought to be me?”

  “I sure as hell ain’t gonna crawl under the covers with him.”

  “Coot!”

  “I don’t know what’s goin’ on between the two of ya, but ya better skeddadle back to that ranch and set things right. Ya can’t hide out here forever.”

  Impulsively, she leaned forward and hugged the geezer. “Thanks, Coot.” Time was running out, but she still had a few hours to change Jake’s mind.

  Chapter Eight

  “I need you, Catherine.” Jake had a stranglehold on the telephone receiver as he sat in the desk chair and stared out the office window, mentally cursing fate and bad luck. His housekeeper had called to tell him she wasn’t coming back. At all.

  “That’s debatable, young man. What’s this I hear about some lost bride living with you?”

  Ah, the joys of small-town living. “She’s leaving today.”

  “Your bride is leaving?”

  He clenched his jaw. “She’s not my bride.”

  “Ask her to take care of Annie for the rest of the summer.”

  “I can’t.” The same old gnawing guilt ate away at Jake’s stomach when he thought about how badly he wanted Maddy to stay. But the past made it impossible for them to have a future. If Maddy ever found out how he’d betrayed Sara’s trust, their relationship would be over. And he didn’t know if he could survive Maddy leaving him after he’d given all of his heart to her. It was better this way. Time would heal the pain.

  “Gladys says Annie really likes the bride.”

  “Yeah, she does.” He shoved a hand through his hair. That was a major part of the problem. Annie was looking for a new mom and his bride was her first choice. If Maddy stayed the rest of the summer… No. Maddy had a job—no, a career—to get back to, a life waiting for her in Seattle.

  He didn’t want to admit it, but he liked Maddy. A lot. A little voice inside his head shouted, Liar! Okay, fine. He was man enough to admit it—as long as it wasn’t out loud. His feelings were deep, tangled and unsettling. And a hell of a lot more than like.

  “Can’t this bride stay a little longer until you find a new housekeeper?”

  “Annie’s getting too attached.” He didn’t want to go through another bad spell with his daughter like the one she’d suffered after Sara’s death.

  Sara had been a good woman at heart. She’d coped as best she could after getting pregnant and having her parents disown her. He’d never doubted that. But he’d doubted himself and his own efforts to make her happy and the marriage successful.

  He’d hurt Sara. He didn’t want to hurt Maddy. She meant too much to him. And if that wasn’t enough to convince him to send her packing, then the thought of Annie losing yet another mother figure was more than enough.

  “If I were you, Jake, I’d get an ad in the Courier as soon as possible. You know, Harriet Blecker has a niece staying with her for the summer. She’s only sixteen, but perhaps she’d be willing to do light housekeeping and laundry to earn a little extra cash.”

  Harriet Blecker had a mouth bigger than a crater. By the end of the first day the whole town would know what color his underwear was and what brand of deodorant he used. And the thought of a hormonal teen sticking her chest out every time he walked by was enough to make him run for the casinos.

  “Are you sure I can’t change your mind, Catherine?”

  “I’m getting too old to chase after young ’uns. Once my sister is back on her feet again, we plan to take one of those senior-citizen cruises.”

  Obviously he wasn’t going to persuade his old housekeeper to return. “Thanks for taking good care of Annie these past couple of years. We’ll miss you.”

  He thought he heard a sniffle on the other end of the line. “I’ll keep in touch. Tell Annie I love her.”

  “Sure thing.” Jake hung up and sucked in a long, painful breath. What the hell was he going to do now?

  “I guess you still need me.” Madeline hovered in the doorway, hands behind her back, fingers crossed. Eavesdropping wasn’t polite, but right now she couldn’t care less about protocol. Learning that Jake’s housekeeper didn’t plan to return shifted things
in her favor.

  Jake stiffened, then inch by slow-moving inch, he raised his head until their gazes clashed. “How long have you been standing there?”

  The civil tone in his voice might have fooled her if not for the sparks spitting from his eyes. Frustration, anger, maybe even embarrassment, oozed from every pore in his body. A smart woman would know when to leave well enough alone. But sometimes smart wasn’t always best.

  She swallowed the retort on the tip of her tongue and settled for a calm “Long enough.”

  They faced off like two wary wolves. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in the chair. At that moment she realized what was different about him. Instead of his customary western shirt with pearl snaps, he wore a tight black T-shirt. He reminded her of such a bad boy…rakish, dangerous, tempting.

  He rolled his shoulders. “I thought we already covered all the reasons it wasn’t a good idea for you to stay.”

  She lifted her chin. “We did.”

  “Then there’s nothing left to discuss.”

  Determined not to let his no-nonsense tone scare her off, she crossed the room until only the desk stood between them. Slapping her palms on top of his calendar, she opened her mouth to spout off a long list of reasons she should stay, when the scent of faded aftershave and… Jake drifted under her nose, distracting her.

  Even though his hair stood on end from his running his fingers through it and a five o’clock shadow covered his jaw, he was so darned handsome her whole body vibrated with desire.

  She yearned for the soft-sweeping touch of his fingers across her skin, yearned to lay her head on his chest and hear the reassuring beat of his heart beneath her ear. Yearned to be one with him again.

  She lifted her gaze and met his bold stare. “I believe we both know one good reason I should stay.” There. Let him chew on that for a minute.

  His blue eyes darkened. “I have Annie to think about. She’s already attached to you. It would be that much harder on her when you leave at the end of the summer.”