Dirty Cowboy

by Alycia Taylor

  “Hey, Shotgun. This is a surprise.”

  “Yeah, I was thinking of you today. Thought I’d call and say hello.”

  “Well, hello. It’s good to hear from you. It’s been too long.”

  “What you up to?”

  “I’m currently sitting in the living room drinking a well-deserved beer after a very long day,” I said and took a sip. I burped for good measure, and he laughed.

  “Still working at that crappy real estate job selling crappy houses?”

  “I’m still working at the crappy real estate job. I wish I could say that houses were crappy, but they’re not. They’re these big fancy houses that could easily fit like fifteen people inside, but where only two rich people live.”

  “Ah,” Shotgun said. “I know the type. So, they actually buy houses from a guy like you?”

  “That’s the problem. I don’t really look the part. Even when I wear a suit and tie, I don’t fit the image. I’ve only made one big sale since working there. And that was only because the couple was these alternative folk who took a real shine to me. But there aren’t many people like them in the world of real estate. At least not where I live. Other than that nice big job, I’ve been getting buy on small things—little apartments, that sort of stuff. Enough to pay the bills and nothing else.”

  “So why don’t you find something else?”

  I thought of Peter. “Yeah, I’m starting to wonder the same thing. I’m not sure how much longer I can stay at this job. It was nice of Tom to get the job for me, but it’s really not my thing. I think even he’s surprised that I’ve stayed so long in it.”

  “I’m just surprised you haven’t been fired.”

  “Hey, I’m not that bad.”

  “I know you’re not. In fact, I happen to think you’re a damn fine worker. I remember what you were like as a Navy SEAL. But you’re just in the wrong job. Also, I think you’re a bit depressed.”

  “No, I’m not!” I said defensively.

  “Anyway,” Shotgun said as if he hadn’t just insulted me. “Why don’t you come and work on the ranch with me?”

  “In Wyoming?”

  “Why not?”

  “Doing what exactly?”

  “Oh, we have plenty work going around. I can keep you busy. And it’s a nice change from where you are now. If anything, I think the change will do you good. You’ve been stuck in one place too long. And it will be good to see you.”

  I smiled. “It would be good to see you too. But I’m not sure.”

  “Will you at least think about it?”

  “I’ll think about it. I promise.”

  “Good. The offer will be here at any time.”

  “Thanks, Shotgun. Listen, I have to go. I’m going to see Pop. He’s been in and out of the hospital, but I think he’s at work today and I want to catch him before he goes home. He always works late, so I think he’ll be there. Is there anything you want me to pass on to him? Or, you know, you could come and see him.”

  “It’s a bit far. And no, I have nothing to pass on. Well, I better get going to. Call me if you change your mind.”

  “I’ll do that,” I said. I decided not to push the fact that he hadn’t been to see our father yet. They had their own issues, and I was not in the mood to get involved in it. Anyway, he really did live a bit far. I only hoped that they two of them had at least spoken to each other on the phone. But I doubted it. The Maxwell brothers were known to keep our emotions to ourselves. It could sometimes be a blessing, but for the most part, it was a curse. We were terrible communicators, especially with one another.

  With that in mind, I made my way over to see my father. I was right; he was still there. I’d just managed to see Gunner, who was leaving for the day, and after a quick chat, I made my way into the office.

  “Grant! This is a nice surprise.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. It was always my father’s response when he saw me, even when he did know that I was coming to see him.

  “Good to see you too, Pop. Just saw Gunner outside. He worked late today.”

  “He works late most of the time. Although, not so much now that he’s got that girlfriend. He wants to see her all the time.”

  I laughed. “That’s good. I have to say, he looks like a changed man these days. He seems to have a new sense of purpose that he didn’t have before. I think this girl is the one.”

  My father nodded. “I think so, too. I can’t believe that I actually approve of one of his girlfriends for a change. Miracles do happen.”

  I laughed. “Yeah, I’m surprised too. She’s the first one that I like. So, have the two of you ironed things out?”

  “Ah, you know Ian and I. We’re always up and down. Up and down. That boy is as stubborn as a mule.”

  “Stubborn, huh? I wonder where he gets it from,” I said and laughed.

  “Not me, that’s for sure,” he said and then winked at me. “Anyway, I’m very happy with how Ian has been handling things lately. I hear you went to see him at the clubhouse?”

  “Yeah, and he did well, Pop. I always knew he’d be a good leader for the club, but he was even better than I thought he’d be. He handled himself really well. You would’ve been proud of him.”

  “I’m always proud of him. And you. And your brothers. No matter what.”

  I knew that. That was the thing with my father—no matter what we did and no matter who was talking to who or fighting with who, he would always stick up for us. He’d been that way ever since my mother had died. He protected us now more than he even did before. It was as if he had taken on her role too.

  “I know you are, Pop. And I told you that you could trust him.”

  “I know. I know. You know how much that club means to me. I need to make sure that he runs it right. Now listen, I think it’s time that you got more involved in the club too.”

  “Me? Why? I thought Gunner was doing a good job.”

  “He is. Ian is doing very well. But the two of you would do even better. I’d feel good if you were doing it as a team.”

  “You want me to run it with Gunner?”

  “Yes. So, maybe I should set up a meeting for the two of you?”

  And just like that, I knew what I was going to do. It was as if all I had needed was this little push to make me see it.

  I shook my head. “Pop, there’s something I need to tell you.”

  “Uh-oh, that doesn’t sound like good news.”

  “Well, it is. It’s just . . . well, I’ve decided to move to Wyoming.”

  “What? Why? With Brady?”

  “Yeah. Shotgun has asked me to join him at the ranch. He says he has work for me. And I think I need to go. I’m not happy in my job, and every day has been the same for me for almost a year. I need a change, and I think this is a good way to start. Anyway, it will be nice for me to spend a bit of time with Shotgun again.”

  My father regarded me for a while without saying anything. Then he sighed and nodded. “I can’t say I’m all that happy, my boy. But I can’t stop you either. And you’re right; sometimes a change is what you need. So, when are you going?”

  “I don’t know yet. I’ll call him tomorrow to make firm plans. And I don’t know when I’ll be back either. I’m going to just play it by ear.”

  “Okay, then. Well, listen now, you know the club will be waiting for you when you get back. Okay?”

  I nodded. “I know, Pop. Thank you.”

  I stayed for a while longer while we chatted about work and his health, and when we left, we embraced for a long time.

  “I’m proud of you, Grant,” he said as I left.

  I nodded. “Thanks, Pop.”

  I got home and dug out another beer from the fridge. I couldn’t believe that I had just told my father that I was going to move to Shotgun’s farm. I couldn’t believe that I was even going to work on a ranch. If you’d told me that a few years ago I would’ve laughed in your face. But it felt right. I felt a sense of freedom that I hadn’t felt in a
very long time, and my whole body felt lighter just thinking about it. I knew that I should’ve told my father that I wasn’t planning on returning to the motorcycle club, at least not for a long time. But I didn’t have the heart to tell him that just yet. The news of me moving away had already been hard enough.

  I still needed to talk things through with Shotgun, and I still needed to officially quit my job, but I knew without a doubt that it was going to happen. And I had a funny little feeling that I wouldn’t have to stay the month at work. I figured they’d be happy to see me go. Most of all, I couldn’t wait to see Peter again and to tell him my big news.

  I think it’s time we changed our lives for the better.

  “I’m changing it, Peter! I’m changing it.”

  Chapter Four

  Emily

  I loved nothing more than a hearty breakfast, but on most days, I ended up with toast and peanut butter or a bowl of quick oats. Mostly because I loved sleeping in just as much as I loved a good breakfast. Today was no different. I’d slept in a little too long, and then rushed downstairs to make a cup of coffee and toast. I could live with not having a big meal, but I couldn’t live without that first cup of coffee in the morning. I’d rather be late for work than miss that. Once I was finished with my coffee, I remembered I’d forgotten to check the mailbox the night before, so I quickly went outside to see if there was anything waiting for me. Not that I was going to get anything important. But ever since I was a little girl, I’d been fascinated with the idea of letters. The idea that someone would take time out of their day to write a letter by hand and send it always pleased me. Although lately, the only thing that I received was bills.

  There was nothing in the mailbox, and I was about to turn back inside when I spotted another truck outside Brady’s house. A man, who looked very much related to Brady, walked out to get something from his truck. I quickly stood behind my own car to get a good look without him seeing me. He was muscular, with short black hair, and from what I could see from where I was standing, he was handsome. I sneezed and saw him turn his head, so I quickly ducked down so that he wouldn’t see me. I waited a few minutes and then slowly crept up to see if he had gone back inside. When the coast was clear, I ran inside. I didn’t want to meet some new guy when I hadn’t even brushed my hair.

  I chuckled to myself at the way I had been acting, and then quickly got ready for work. When I finally made my way to my car I saw that the truck was still at Brady’s house, but nobody was standing outside. Was that his brother?

  At work, I spent the morning with two kids. The first was a little boy named Brody. I’d joked with Brady once that Brody was really his child. Not only was their name so similar, but Brody had the same hazel eyes. Brady had been horrified by the idea. But I chuckled to myself every time Brody came in. He was a cute little boy with a willingness to succeed, and just like with Wendy, I was seeing a huge improvement each time the two of us met up. Once Brody was gone, my next appointment arrived. Trevor had a big problem when it came to his pronunciation, and he had recently started getting bullied at school. It was fine when he was very small and his parents thought he’d just grow out of it. But he’d gotten worse, and the kids at his school were now old enough to realize he was different. He was very shy, and it always took us at least half an hour before we could fully start the meeting. When his parents arrived to pick him up, I took them aside for a talk.

  “Is everything okay?” they asked. They were sweet parents who cared deeply for their little boy.

  “Yes, everything is fine. Trevor is just shy, and we’re not getting the most out of our appointments. We need at least a half hour longer to really make the kind of progress we’d like. It takes him a while to warm up to me. I’d like to propose that we make the sessions a little bit longer. That extra time will be free of charge,” I said. I didn’t want them to think that I was making the session longer just to get more money out of it.

  “No, we will pay. You’re doing so much for our son. Thank you, Emily.”

  This went on for a little while until we agreed that they would pay for the extra half an hour but for that time they would get a reduced rate.

  Once they were gone, Terra came bounding in to see me. I laughed at her outfit, which she’d fashioned herself. It was a mismatch of colors and material that only she could get away with. She was a tiny, pixie-like girl with cropped hair and never-ending energy. I sometimes felt that she could get away with anything just because of the way she looked.

  “You’re never going to be rich,” she said.

  I sighed. “Were you listening in on my conversation again?”

  “Hey, I work right next door. And you were standing right by the doorway. I couldn’t help it. I think it’s good that you’re doing the extra half hour thing, but they should pay.”

  “They are paying. Just less.”

  She laughed. “You’re not a very good business woman. But you are a good person.”

  “Thank you. In fact, I’m such a good person that I brought lunch for you today.”

  Her eyes widened. “Tell me it’s what I think it is?”

  “Mac and cheese!”

  “Oh, you’re amazing. You’re my best friend, have I told you that?”

  “You seem to only tell me that when I’m giving you food.”

  “Food is love.”

  I chuckled. “That’s true. Okay then, let me warm it up. How much time do you have until your next appointment? I have an hour.”

  “Same.”

  “Perfect.”

  I walked to the kitchen, heated the mac and cheese, and scooped it onto two plates, then I walked back into the room to join Terra.

  “That smells heavenly.”

  “It does, doesn’t it? I decided that I didn’t want to get fat by myself.”

  “Oh, fatten me up, Em. I don’t mind.”

  I pulled a face. “You never get fat.”

  She took a mouthful and moaned with pleasure. Then she pointed her fork at me. “Like you’re one to talk. Look at you. Miss Perfect.”

  “Ha! Not quite. So, how did the date go? I’ve been dying to ask you.”

  She pulled a face. “It was okay.”

  “Ah, so he’s not the man of your dreams then?”

  “I don’t think so. It was okay, but I’m not sure he’s the sort of guy I can see myself with. It’s very disappointing, though. I mean, I literally bumped into him. I thought it was going to make the perfect story to tell our grandchildren one day.”

  “Ah, I’m sorry, Terra. I was really hoping that this would be the one.”

  “He might be. But maybe not just yet. I’ll maybe give it one more date, but I’ll see. Like you said, it’s not often that new guys even come into our town.”

  “Oh, speaking of new guys,” I said. “There was a truck at Brady’s house this morning, and it looks like he has a friend over. Either that, or it’s his brother. From where I was standing they looked very similar.”

  Terra perked up at this news. “Oh yeah? Did you say hello?”

  “Uh, not quite.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “I sort of spied on him behind my car. And then I sneezed, and he turned around, so I ducked down.”

  “What?” Terra said laughing. “Why? Why didn’t you just go and say hello?”

  “I was still in my pajamas. I had my bunny slippers on.”

  She giggled. “That would’ve been hilarious! Ah man, I cannot believe you hid like a school girl with a crush. That’s so funny. I can just picture you getting annoyed when you had to sneeze.”

  “I know! Of all the times to need to sneeze, it had to be that one!”

  “Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t you ask them out for a drink? Brady is a cool guy. It will be fun.”

  I shook my head. “There’s no way I’m going out with you again!”

  “What? What did I do?”

  “You know what you did,” I said and waved my finger at her.

 
“Me? I would never do anything!” she said with mock innocence. She batted her eyelashes a few times, and I burst out laughing.

  Terra looked like the most innocent girl in the world, but she was always getting up to no good. She was full of energy, and took life with both hands. This meant a night out with her could be a lot of fun, or it could mean trouble. The last time the two of us had gone out together, she’d thought it would be a fun idea to run naked into the lake. I’d protested for a solid hour until she’d coerced me to join her. It was only after that we realized that the house next to the lake, which we’d thought to be empty, was, in fact, being lived in by a family of four.

  “Oh, come on, that was fun. And anyway, it was too dark for them to see who we were.”

  “You do realize that we almost scarred those kids for life.”

  Terra chuckled. “Our butts must’ve looked so white. I mean, it’s the one part of my body that never sees the sunlight. We should find a quiet place to tan our butts. That’s an idea.”

  I burst out laughing at the memory. “You’re crazy; you know that? You’re completely insane.”

  “I know. I make my own fun in life. It’s too boring otherwise. But that’s why you love me.”

  “This is true,” I said and grinned at her. I knew I was lucky enough to be working with someone I was such good friends with.

  “Okay ,well, at least go and meet the guy today. Don’t be that weirdo that hides behind cars in her slippers,” she said and giggled again at the thought. “Come on; we need to figure out if he’s worth the effort or not. There is a serious lack of males in this town.”

  “He’s probably just visiting Brady. More than likely he won’t even be there when I get home.”

  Terra sighed. “You’re probably right. Damn this small town.”

  “Ah, but you love it here.”

  “I do. But I’d love it more with a hot guy on my arm.”

  My afternoon appointment was a bit late. The mother had called in a panic when she’d realized she’d gotten the date wrong, but I told her to bring her child over, anyway. It wasn’t like I had anything to do when I got home. I loved my job, and the last thing I wanted was for a child to miss out on an appointment. Once I was done, it was starting to get dark. I smiled driving home. My favorite two times of the day were just before the sun rose and just before it set. There was something so peaceful about those times. Something so perfect about the night sky. I was so lost in my reverie that I almost didn’t notice the truck that was still sitting in Brady’s driveway. I got out of the car and looked to see if anyone was around, but they were obviously inside. I could see that a light was on, but the curtains were closed and it was impossible to see inside.