The Cougar and the Cowboy
Page 1
THE COUGAR AND
THE COWBOY
GLORIA DOTY
COPYRIGHT 2018 Gloria Doty
Cover Design by Gwen Gades
Edited by Nina Newton
Proofread by Marilyn Reinking
Formatted by Adam Bodendieck
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to similarly named places or to persons living or deceased is unintentional.
Used with permission:
The name, The Branding Iron, is used with permission of the owners of The Branding Iron in Mena, Arkansas
The photos and names of the members of The Hubie Ashcraft Band
https://www.hubieashcraft.com
The photos of Bozeman, Montana, taken by Mary Sullivan
ISBN-13: 978-1720892755
ISBN-10: 172089275X
Table of Contents
COVER
TITLE PAGE
COPYRIGHT PAGE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
DEDICATION
LIST OF MAIN CHARACTERS
ADDITIONAL BOOKS BY GLORIA DOTY
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
CHAPTER 42
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I want to acknowledge individuals who shared their insights and expertise.
Mary Sullivan is a long time resident of Bozeman, Montana and an excellent photographer. She willingly gave me information on the area, the town, and various points of interest. Mary also allowed me to use her photos.
Shirley Burgess is a friend and the mother of Missy Burgess, a member of the band. She read each chapter as I finished it and gave me suggestions and critiques.
Hubie Ashcraft not only gave me permission to use the band’s photos but pre-read the chapters that included the band.
Nicole Marie Grice-Rorick suggested the title several years ago. That suggestion turned into forty-two chapters.
These amazing individuals make it all come together and I appreciate their efforts.
Gwen Gades, cover design
Nina Newton, editor
Marilyn Reinking, proofreader
Adam Bodendieck, formatter
DEDICATION
As always, I'm thankful to my Lord and Savior for leading me on this writing journey.
I’m dedicating this novel to all the friends, relatives and strangers who purchase and read the books I write. I'm eternally grateful for you, your reviews, comments and encouragement.
LIST OF MAIN CHARACTERS
Jace……………owner of The Branding Iron in Bozeman, MT
Camille……….owner of Mavis’ Mag, a women’s magazine in
St Louis, MO
Will……………Camille’s housemate
Danielle…….…Bozeman resident, formerly of Magnolia, TX
Collier…………local Bozeman resident
Maggie………..bartender at The Branding Iron
LIST OF SECONDARY CHARACTERS
Allie………………….…Camille’s assistant editor
Lorna……………………friend of Will’s
Mitch…………..........…..bartender
Ken………………………one of the ‘regulars’ at The Branding Iron
Dean…………………….Danielle’s dad
Cal & Lucy Frasier….…friends of Danielle’s from Magnolia, TX
Luke…………………….grandson of Cal & Lucy Frasier
Barbara…………………Camille’s mother
ADDITIONAL BOOKS BY GLORIA DOTY
Not Different Enough
The story of 30 years of life with her daughter who has a diagnosis of autism, Asperger’s and mild intellectual disabilities.
A Bouquet of Devotions
(Co-authored with Jeanette Dall)
50 color images of 50 common flowers accompanied by 50 unique devotions
The Magnolia Series
Bring a Cowboy Home
Loving a Cowboy
Riding With a Cowboy
Following a Cowboy
Children’s Picture Books
Emily Jean and Fred
Elizabeth’s Blue Shoes
Joseph’s Dragon
Joshua and the Baseball Game
All available from Amazon
https://tinyurl.com/ya9zl7jb
CHAPTER 1
“HAVE A BEER, Jace. Maybe that’ll wipe that somber look off your face,” Maggie said as she placed a cold draft on the bar in front of him.
Jace barely heard her as he thumbed through the stack of bills, adding figures on a nearby calculator.
Maggie put her elbows on the bar top directly in front of him, while leaning her upper body toward him. She definitely had his attention now but not in the way she wanted it. He was trying to figure out what exactly was keeping her breasts from falling out of her shirt and landing on the papers he had spread out on the bar.
‘Jace, you must be seriously lacking in your knowledge of women’s undergarments. Obviously, it’s been a while since you’ve seen or come in contact with any,’ he told himself.
Maggie was a voluptuous redhead and the best bartender in Bozeman. If he was honest, she was probably the best bartender in the entire state of Montana, but he wasn’t interested in her romantically. That fact didn’t stop her from reminding him every chance she got that she was definitely interested in him. Her attempts to get him into bed never ceased and had become the daily talk of the local patrons. Jace wasn’t too sure some of them hadn’t placed bets on when the momentous occasion might occur if and when he gave in and succumbed to her invitations.
All of their speculations were going to have to cease when he told her he had to let her go. He wouldn’t be able to pay her wages much longer if some miracle didn’t happen soon and he wasn’t a big believer in miracles. Not anymore.
He slid off the bar stool and stretched his long legs. He pushed the scattered bills and envelopes together, picked up the entire pile and told her, “I’m going to take this paperwork back to the office and then I’m heading for home.” As an afterthought, he tossed a request over his shoulder, “You and Mitch lock up, okay?”
“Sure thing, Boss Man,” Maggie told him. She watched him walk toward the back of the place, threading his way between the empty tables, and thought about the ever-present limp he had now. She knew it was a constant reminder of his injuries and affected every day of his life. It made her sad for him but she was certain it didn’t affect his manliness, if he would just let loose a little bit. ‘Nice backside, Boss,’ she thought as he walked away.
Jace flopped down in the office chair and re
ached for a second stack of bills and notices he’d been avoiding for weeks. He added them to the ones that arrived in today’s mail. Instead of sorting and deciding which ones were urgent and which ones could wait a few more weeks or months, he propped his boots on the desk and leaned back in the chair. Closing his eyes, he allowed his mind to wander back to the ‘glory days’ when money wasn’t a problem and there were no stacks of bills to think about. His face took on a peaceful look and he smiled, picturing in his mind the long trip he made to Texas to buy the two geldings he still owned. They were superior animals and he never regretted the trip or the purchase. He also remembered he paid cash for them. He sighed and thought how much things had changed. Now, he was concerned about feeding them and couldn’t even imagine a trip that long or paying that much for something.
The pain in his leg and hip reminded him this wasn’t the best position for his legs. He pushed the chair back, stood up and turned off the light. Tomorrow was another day and the bills could wait. It was time to go home and crawl into his bed, even if sleep would elude him, as it did almost every other night.
CHAPTER 2
CAMILLE HURRIED TO the kitchen to fill her travel mug before she left for her downtown office. She had scheduled an important staff meeting today and wanted to arrive early.
As she rounded the corner, she nearly collided with her housemate, Will. She stopped dead in her tracks and looked at him, letting her eyes travel from the top of his head to the tips of his polished shoes.
“Well, what’s the occasion?” she asked, not hiding her surprise. “I wasn’t expecting you to be up yet, let alone showered and dressed.”
He smiled a disarmingly crooked smile and kissed her cheek. “Do you think you’re the only one with important things to do today?”
She laughed at the question. Most days lately, Will had absolutely nothing to do. Since he decided he no longer wanted to work as a stock broker or whatever his title was at a brokerage firm, he’d been slouching around the house in a t-shirt and boxers every day.
“Well, I’ll give you this, Will. This look is much more attractive than the bedroom look you’ve been sporting every day for the last few months.”
“Awww, don’t kid me, Camille. You like my bedroom look. I just wish you’d let me show you that look…in my bedroom.”
“Keep dreaming,” she retorted. Filling her mug and realizing she really didn’t have the time to offer, she asked anyway, “Can I give you a ride somewhere?”
Will shook his head. “Nope. Someone is picking me up.”
***
Camille maneuvered her way through traffic to downtown St. Louis. She wished she hadn’t stopped to talk to Will. Now she was going to be late and that wasn’t her style. She hated it when employees were tardy for a meeting and she accepted no excuses from them. Somehow, she didn’t think talking too long with Will would be an acceptable excuse.
As she waited for a snarled traffic jam to break up, she had to admit Will was still a very handsome man and at fifty, he was in great physical shape. Having an employees’ gym inside the office building where he’d been employed was definitely a perk. She wondered how long he would stay in shape now that he didn’t have access to all those machines and obviously couldn’t afford a membership at a private venue or even the YMCA, for that matter. At least that’s what he told her when he said he couldn’t pay his half of the expenses on the townhouse they shared.
Camille wheeled her BMW into the spot reserved for her in the parking garage. Grabbing purse and briefcase, she practically ran to the doors. “Come on,” she hissed through clenched teeth at the elevator doors, while she tapped her foot…a habit she thought she had conquered, but when she was extremely impatient or nervous, it reappeared like a bad dream.
She stopped in her office, shed her jacket, traded flat shoes for a favorite pair of heels, grabbed a few reports off the desk and hurried to the conference room.
As she entered, all heads swiveled in her direction with a few people smirking while others were outright laughing.
She took a deep breath and returned the smiles. “Okay, let’s get it over with. Each of you gets 10 seconds to chastise me for being late. Considering I’m usually giving lectures on punctuality, I think that’s the fair thing to do. Who wants to start?”
Then she added, “Let me remind you whose signature is on your paychecks.”
After the banter subsided and everyone had weighed in on her excuse of a traffic jam, the meeting took on a serious tone.
“Jack, give us the distribution figures for last month’s issue of Mavis’ Mag. I’m already pretty sure I won’t like what I hear but let’s have it.”
Just as she suspected, the magazine’s readership was down again and subscription numbers were even worse. She closed her eyes as she listened to every report and thought she could see her great-grandmother, Mavis, rolling over in her grave. The women’s magazine was named after its founder, Mavis Morley, Camille’s great-grandmother. When the reins passed to Camille’s grandmother, it was a thriving publication. The next generation was Camille’s mother, who wanted no part of ownership of what she described as a sinking ship. Camille, being next in line, jumped at the chance to be at the helm. She was absolutely certain she could keep it afloat and even increase the subscriptions. That decision was aided by the fact she had no income at the time but an overabundance of youthful bravado.
She accomplished that goal for quite a few years, and even withstood a hostile takeover, but now she was fighting digital magazines and she knew she was slowly losing the battle.
Camille stood and paced around the oblong table. “Okay, obviously we need something of shock value…something that hasn’t been done before. It needs to be a subject or study or experience that will catch the attention of our readers as they stand in line at the grocery store.”
There were several suggestions that were discussed and immediately dismissed. Dory mentioned the political scene but before she could continue, Camille put her hand up and stopped her. “No…a thousand times…no. Politics is like beating a dead horse. Any news or relevancy is gone in twenty-four hours and besides, I believe our demographic of readers is tired of anything political.” Dory was not happy about her idea being dismissed so quickly. She tried to hide the look of disdain that crossed her face but Camille caught it anyway. She continued speaking as though she hadn’t noticed. “If I interpret the landscape and social media correctly, most of our middle-aged readers are starved for a little peace and kindness and yes, even romance. That doesn’t mean they aren’t politically active and involved. It just means when they have a chance to kick off their overextended life shoes, they enjoy something a bit lighter.”
“I think we’re way off the mark with the romance angle. It doesn’t seem feasible to me,” Dory stated. The expression on her face was daring Camille to disagree with her.
Camille glanced her way but dismissed the remark. Dory was competent and good at her job but their relationship had always been a bit like oil and water.
Allie, Camille’s assistant editor, jumped in, “I don’t think we’ll get anywhere with peace and kindness but the romance angle is interesting. Given the fact that the majority of our readers are middle-aged, do you think they’ll be interested in romance?”
Camille answered, “Allie, middle-aged and senior women are still interested in romance and sex. They may not be in their twenties any longer but they’re not dead, either.”
Several remarks were made asking if she knew that from personal experience. She rolled her eyes and continued speaking. They all seriously considered her remark and tossed varying ideas of ‘romance’ back and forth. Some suggestions were immediately discarded as being too risqué and others were kept as possibilities to be investigated and fleshed out.
“I realize only a few of you are old enough to be considered baby boomers; however, nearly all of our readers are of that general age. That’s the group of women the original Mavis, my great-grandmother, wanted t
o reach. She felt that nearly all the other women’s publications were for the young wives and mothers. At that time, there were very few women working outside the home, so the magazine catered to the women who were now grandmothers or suddenly had retired husbands at home. Of course, things have changed drastically over the years…I mean, for heaven’s sake, we now run articles on erectile dysfunction affecting husbands and lovers, raising grandchildren, travel for newly- retired women and learning totally new skills for fun, furthering their education and yes, we are still discussing what to do with a recently retired husband.”
Everyone in the room laughed at that remark.
Camille continued, “I’m not trying to give you a history of our magazine; you already know those facts. Instead, I want you to see how the basics are still the same…our readers are middle-aged to seniors and in today’s world, they are as energetic, as committed to causes, as aware of world events and as active as their younger counterparts. The only difference is in the way they work, exercise, volunteer, read, and make love. Same females, just with a wiser, more conditioned and possibly more focused look at life. So let’s think of something that may affect many of them, and if not them personally, at least it will make them aware.”
Allie had another idea as she proposed an angle about online dating, and Leonard added to that with his own thoughts. “What if we had a real woman join an online dating site and write installments of her experiences and the various men who contact her?”
Michael added, “And maybe details of the meetings they have…if she finds someone interesting. It could be a type of online dating journal with new installments each month, describing the humorous contacts, possible scam artists and some serious, ‘one-night-stand for sex only’ meetings.”