Dirty Cowboy

by Alycia Taylor

  Inside my own house, I took a shower, and put my pajamas back on. I loved being comfortable, and I sighed with happiness as I pulled on my bunny slippers. Then I made my way to the kitchen to figure out what I was going to make to eat that night. I settled on scrambled eggs and bacon on toast with a side of mushrooms and onions. If I kept missing out on a hearty breakfast in the mornings, I’d settle for a hearty breakfast in the evening. I sat in the living room, wondering who the man was next door and whether I’d ever work up the nerve to say hello. I sighed and wondered why I was being so bashful all of a sudden.

  Chapter Five

  Grant

  “Good morning; rise and shine.”

  “Rise and shine?” I said as I looked at the bedside clock. “Is this clock right? And why do you look so happy?”

  Brady laughed. “The clock is correct. And I’m always happy.”

  “Shotgun, it’s five in the morning. Why are we up so early?”

  “That’s the time we get up around here. It’s ranch life, Patriot. Anyway, why are you complaining? You used to get up this time every day when you were a Navy SEAL.”

  “That was a long time ago,” I said groggily.

  “Don’t you get up at this time to go to the gym in the mornings? I thought you were a gym junkie.”

  I shook my head. “I am a gym junkie. Well, I was, I guess. But I used to go during my lunch hour at work, or after work. Not in the mornings. I’ve grown to be quite fond of my sleep these days.”

  “Well, Patriot, I’m sorry to say, but you’re in the wrong place. Around here, we get up early every day. Don’t worry; you’ll get used to it in no time. Now come on, stop complaining and come downstairs. I have a nice breakfast for us.”

  I groaned as Brady walked out the room chuckling to himself as he went. I went to the bathroom and splashed water on my face, threw on a t-shirt, and made my way downstairs.

  “Wow, this is quite some spread. Do you eat at this time every morning?” I said as I surveyed the food in front of me. Brady had set out a plate of bacon, tomatoes, toast and was currently scraping off the scrambled eggs off the pan. I wasn’t used to eating at that time of the morning, but everything smelled so good that I couldn’t help but feel hungry suddenly.

  He smiled. “I sure do. I know it’s early to eat, but it’s the only way to keep going. You’ll see that I eat a lot more than the average person.”

  “You don’t look like you do. You’re thinner than you were before you moved here.”

  “Yeah, that’s because when you work at a ranch, you don’t need to go to the gym. You’ll see. A few days here and you’ll forget about the gym altogether. There’s nothing quite like a workout from working outside all day. It’s hard work, but it’s worth it.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “I’m not sure I’m cut out for it. I’ve been doing office work for a year now, and I think I’ve gotten used to that sort of lifestyle. But we’ll see. Anyway, the change is nice. Hey, thanks for all the food. This is great.”

  “No problem at all. And don’t be shy about it. Trust me, the owner of this ranch is extremely wealthy, and he supplies enough food to feed far more than just me. Remind me to introduce you to him sometime. For now, the most important thing is just getting the work done. That’s all he wants.”

  I reached over for the pot of coffee and poured us both a cup. There was something really nice about being awake at this time of the morning. Now that I was up, I was feeling rejuvenated from it. I’d forgotten what this felt like.

  I took a bite of my toast and smiled. “This is great. So, who lives next door?”

  “Next door?”

  “Yeah, I saw a girl there.”

  “Oh, that’s Emily. She’s a sweet girl. Very pretty. I don’t know much about her, though. We’re friendly with one another, but we haven’t actually hung out all that much. You know me, I’m always working.”

  “Emily. Hmm, she was hiding from us yesterday,” I said and chuckled at the memory.

  “What do you mean?”

  I laughed. “I saw her come out of her house, then she made a noise and I turned around to wave to her, but she’d ducked down. I could still see her, though. She was wearing these funny slippers. I couldn’t see what they were, but I think they had ears on them.”

  Brady laughed. “Oh, her bunny slippers. Yeah, I’ve seen her in them before. She loves them. That’s funny. I wonder why she didn’t say hi to us? She’s usually very friendly.”

  “Probably because she was wearing bunny slippers?”

  He chuckled. “Probably.”

  “So, while we have breakfast, I’ll explain what needs to be done today. I’ll take you on a bit of a tour too. And don’t worry, it’s always strange the first day, but you’ll get into it soon enough. It’s good to have you here, bro.”

  “It’s good to be here, too.”

  After breakfast, I went on a tour of the ranch with Brady. It was interesting to see my brother in his own environment for a change. Over the past few years, I’d seen him at a few social or family events and at one or two club meetings. He’d always been shy and reserved compared to the rest of the Maxwell brothers. But watching him today showed me a whole new side of him. He did not stop talking as he explained how the ranch worked and what I’d have to do that day. It was as if he came alive when he was at the ranch. I couldn’t help but wonder if I would ever find something that made me feel the same way. I’d been working for a year at an office and so far it had sucked the life out of me rather than into me.

  I spent the rest of the day working hard. It only took a few hours for me to realize what Brady had meant about not needing to go to the gym anymore. Not only was I doing more heavy lifting than I usually did in a gym session, but I was sweating from the hot sun. I had a feeling I was going to fall into bed earlier than usual that night, but it was worth it. This was far better than any office job could be.

  It was almost midday when Brady came up to call me to lunch. I washed my hands and wiped my face with a towel and joined him in the kitchen. The table had been spread with sandwiches and salads, and I realized I was starving.

  “Whoa. Who made all this?” I asked. I had seen Brady working for most of the day, and there was no way he would’ve had time to also do this.

  “Oh, there’s a lady here who does all the food. I make my own breakfast in the morning purely because I can’t expect her to be there so early, but the rest is made by her. Nice, huh? You must be starving.”

  “I didn’t even know I was hungry until now.”

  “Oh yeah? The day going quickly for you? I was worried it might drag.”

  “It’s going fast, and I’m really enjoying it. It’s a welcome change from the office. And it’s sort of nice just being out there on my own.”

  Brady grinned. “I knew you would. I had a feeling that you would enjoy this more than you thought you would. Us Maxwell brothers are not so good at sitting around and doing nothing. And we’re certainly not cut out for a job with no soul.”

  “That’s true. Although, I’m not sure if this is something I’d want to do for the rest of my life. I can see it’s right up your alley, but I don’t know if I feel the same way you do. I could be wrong, though. I’ve got to say, Shotgun, I’m sort of jealous of you.”

  “You’re jealous of me? Wow, I never thought I’d ever hear you say that.”

  I bit into the sandwich in front of me, which was by far the most delicious sandwich I’d ever tasted. I wondered if it was really that delicious or if I was just that hungry. Either way, I knew I’d be going back to have more. I could get used to having food like this every day of my life. I’d probably want to stay for that reason alone.

  “Yeah, you seem to have your life together. You seem happy.”

  “I am happy. I mean, it’s not perfect. I still want the whole family thing one day. And I guess it gets a bit lonely. It’s nice to have you here for company. But for now, I’m good. I like what I do, and I really can’t complain.”
/>
  “You love what you do,” I corrected him.

  “I guess I do.”

  “You know,” I said after a few more bites. “I got a lot of thinking done during the work today.”

  He smiled. “Yeah, ranch work can do that to you sometime. Sometimes your mind goes blank for hours, almost like some sort of meditation. Other times your mind comes up with all sorts of things. So, what was on your mind?”

  “Well, when I was in the Navy, we did a lot of volunteer firefighting as part of our training. And it was something that I always enjoyed. I was wondering if I should perhaps try and get into that again. I don’t know,” I said dismissively as I suddenly wondered if he’d think I’d gone crazy. “It was just an idea.”

  “Hey, I think it’s a good idea,” he said.

  “You do?”

  “For sure. And it shouldn’t be such a hard thing to get into here. It’s a small town, and they’re always looking for as many people as possible to help with that sort of thing. You should look into it.”

  “I think I will, actually. Won’t hurt to ask.

  “I’ll ask around for you too and see if I know of anyone that you can talk to. You’ll see, after a few weeks here you’ll know most of the town. And they’re the sort of people that like to help.”

  “Thanks, Shotgun. I’d appreciate that.” Perhaps I’d been wrong about small towns. I’d always thought I’d hate them, but it made for a nice change to the city. In the city, there were so many people, and not one of them seemed to want to take time out of their day to help. No wonder Brady had moved here.

  After lunch, I headed back to work for a few hours. Brady said I didn’t need to do too much on my first day, but I found that I actually wanted to work hard. And after work, we made our way back to the house to settle in for the evening. A huge dinner was waiting for us when I got out of the shower, and I laughed. Brady was right; he ate more than the average person did. But after a day out on the ranch, I knew why. I was famished.

  “Should I throw the trash out?” I asked Brady as I noticed that the trash can was overflowing.

  “That would be great. Thanks, man, I didn’t even notice. You can put it right outside. You’ll see where. I put a bag out yesterday. Someone will collect it tomorrow.”

  I picked up the bag and trudged it outside with the others. As I got there, I saw the neighbor’s car parked in her driveway. I chuckled at the thought of her hiding behind it with her bunny slippers and wondered if I was ever going to meet the elusive Emily. I’d only caught sight of her briefly before she’d ducked down that day, but already I was curious to know more.

  Chapter Six

  Emily

  “Ah, this coffee is good,” I said as I fell back into my chair. I’d been dealing with a particularly difficult child, and I was grateful for the break.

  “You know, I usually love my job, but every now and again you get someone that makes the job hard. Thanks for helping out with Martin today. He’s hard work, isn’t he?”

  Martin usually saw Terra, but for some reason there had been a double booking, and two different kids had arrived at once. So I’d stepped in to work with him, and we’d promised the parent that they wouldn’t have to pay for the session. I’d been looking forward to the break, but I knew that Terra would’ve helped me if the roles had been reversed. Martin was a tough child to work with.

  “Yeah, most of my difficult kids seem like angels now compared to him. The thing is, I don’t think he wants to be here. That’s the toughest part. Teaching someone that doesn’t want to be taught is not easy. But I blame the parents. I met them when they came to get him. They’re not the easiest people to speak to.”

  Terra sighed. “Yeah, that’s why I continue working with him. I feel so bad for him. He has a difficult home life. I’m hoping he one day comes around and realizes that I’m only trying to help him. Anyway, thanks for saving my skin. I really appreciate it.”

  “It’s no problem at all. I’m happy to help.”

  “Thanks, man. So, what’s news on your side? Does Brady still have someone staying with him?”

  “Yeah, it seems that way. His truck is always there. I haven’t seen much of him, but every now and again I’ve seen him walking by.”

  “And you still haven’t introduced yourself?”

  I shook my head. “Still not.”

  “But it’s been two weeks now since you first saw him!”

  “I know. I know. But whenever I get home, he’s already inside the house. I’m not exactly going to be able to just go and knock on the door.”

  “Why not?”

  I looked at her in exasperation. “Uh, because I’ll look like a bit of a creep, don’t you think?”

  “Or, you know,” she said, “you’ll look like the friendly neighbor you usually are. It honestly won’t harm you to go and say hello.”

  I sighed. “You’re right. I keep telling myself that I should go and say hello, and then I get home and chicken out. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Maybe I’m becoming a bit of a hermit these days.”

  “Oh dear. That’s not a good thing. Well, maybe I should threaten you?”

  “Threaten me? What do you mean?”

  “If you don’t go and introduce yourself to him by the end of the week, I’m going to come over to your house and do it for you.”

  “You wouldn’t!” I gasped.

  She chuckled. “Oh, you know I would.”

  “That’s true. I know you. Okay, fine. I’ll do it. I promise.”

  “Good. You see, I’m a good friend to you.”

  “You just threatened me. How is that being a good friend?”

  “Because I’m stopping you from becoming a hermit. That’s why.”

  “Yeah, yeah. You’re right. Okay, well, I promise. Oh, there’s Wendy at the door. Man, she’s cute. I better go.”

  I stood up to get my coffee and opened the door for Wendy. Her father was sitting in the car, waiting to see that she got in okay. I waved to him and ushered her inside. I wondered why he hadn’t come to see me. I hoped he wasn’t embarrassed from the last time. But he’d offered me a big smile now, so maybe he just had somewhere to be.

  I spent the next hour working with Wendy, who was even more delightful than before. Probably because I was now comparing her to Martin. Anyone would be delightful next to him.

  “Have you been practicing?” I asked her.

  She nodded and went on to execute her sentences with near perfection. I looked at her in astonishment.

  “Wendy, that’s wonderful. I’m so proud of you.”

  “Thank you. I’ve been practicing every day,” she said and smiled. I barely noticed the scar anymore, and I was impressed with how well she said the word ‘practicing’—that one would’ve been almost impossible only a few weeks ago.

  When her father showed up, I wondered if he’d wait in the car again, but he came out with a huge smile on his face. I was glad. I didn’t want things to get awkward between us.

  “Your daughter is doing exceptionally well,” I said to him as soon as I opened the door.

  “She’s an amazing little girl. Oh, I got you something,” he said and fished in his bag.

  “You did?”

  He pulled out a box of chocolates and handed them to me.

  “Wow, what’s this for?” I said.

  “Just for everything you’ve done.”

  “Oh goodness, thank you. You didn’t have to, though. I mean, this is my job. It’s what I do for a living.”

  “I know. But it’s been wonderful. And I really look forward to seeing you every week,” he said and smiled at me again.

  He looked forward to seeing me every week? That was a bit odd. I only saw him for a few minutes when he dropped off or collected his daughter.

  I smiled uncomfortably. “She’s a great kid to teach,” I said and tried to force the conversation back to being about Wendy.

  “Yes, she is. And you’re a great teacher. I was thinking that maybe third ti
me is the charm.”

  “The charm? What do you mean?”

  “Emily Wessler, will you go out with me?”

  I gulped. Surely he was not asking me out again? “Uh, thank you so much. Really, it’s so nice of you, Brett. But I’m just not looking to date at that moment. I’m not going to change my mind, but I really appreciate you asking me again.”

  “Oh, come on—just one date. I thought you enjoyed teaching my child.”

  “I do. Wendy is amazing. But that’s got nothing to do with going on a date. I’m just not ready at the moment.”

  “Did you have a bad breakup or something? Because I would never hurt you, Emily. I’m one of the good guys. I assure you. Why don’t you just give me a chance? Did someone hurt you?”

  There was something in his voice that I didn’t like. An edge to it that I hadn’t noticed before. I couldn’t figure out what it was, but he was making me very uncomfortable.

  “Uh, no. Nobody hurt me. I’m just not dating at the moment. It’s nothing against you. I promise.”

  “Nothing against me? You turned me down three times, Emily. How am I not supposed to get upset at that?”

  The change in tone caught me off guard, and I took a step away from him.

  “It’s not a crime to turn someone down. Like I said before, you’re a great guy, but I’m just not dating at the moment.”

  “Give it some more thought at least. I think we’ll be great together, and I’m a firm believer of never giving up.” He smiled at me and then turned to his daughter who was sitting at the end of the room with her books. “Wendy, time to go!”