The Cougar and the Cowboy

by Gloria Doty

  Frank: 53 profile picture average, Frank would email me and then I wouldn’t hear from him for 3-4 days. He wanted to take it s-l-o-w because (his words) ‘the broad he dated for eight years suddenly left him’ Maybe she thought he was too slow

  Elliott: 56 no picture He lived close to me, he was a self-made man in his words and he described his work and his days, ad nauseam. He wanted to meet but never could find the time. He was very self-absorbed. He never asked anything about my day or work or family…only his. I finally told him I wasn’t interested.

  Richard: 62 He wanted to use Yahoo messenger so we could see each other while we talked. He called every morning around 6:30 so many times we talked while I drank my coffee. At first, it was general subjects, even some politics and religion but then it became almost solely about sex. That coupled with the fact he told me he was sitting in his office chair with no underwear on. I could only see him from the waist up, thank God, but that was the end of those conversations. (Have you figured out by now there are some really weird people out there?)

  Jackson: 48 nice-looking gentleman He was a mechanical engineer and he worked for an international company. He was sent all over the world when a country needed some repairs to their infrastructure, he and his crew would go there. Interesting. He had a son who lived in London. He’d like to take me there some time. He lived in a town not too far away, so I suggested we meet there for coffee. He couldn’t as he was going out of town. We carried on our texting friendship for a while when he said he was being sent to some foreign country with a crew. He would text me as soon as his plane landed. He did and told me a sad tale of how his camera and computer and his wallet containing his credit cards were all stolen as soon as he got there. Could I purchase a computer and send it to him? No. Well, he was desperate so could I give him my credit card numbers so he could replace his electronics and he would pay me back as soon as his company reimbursed him. I told him I was not going to give him anything. I had never been sworn at in a foreign language before that day. Needless to say, I never heard from him again which was perfect.

  Antonio: 42 The photo he used was that of a very handsome man. When he contacted me, I asked why a gorgeous young man like him was contacting a woman my age. He answered that he was Italian, he liked older women and he thought I was beautiful. Okay, now even when we know it’s BS, what woman doesn’t want to hear that kind of statement? I ignored his ‘hellos’ on the site for a few days but then gave him my email address. We had some interesting email conversations which led to phone conversations. I looked him up on WhitePages.com and his address was legitimate. We would talk until the wee hours of the morning. I truly liked him and he was one sexy man. He knew exactly what to say and how to say it and he assured me he also knew exactly what to do and how to do it. Eventually I told him that I couldn’t continue talking to him but it would have been interesting to see where it might lead in time.

  That was enough for the first installment. She knew her staff and trusted they could polish it up. She used fictitious names but used the correct ages. Now that she was on a site for younger men, it should be even more interesting. This was about online dating but specifically, the younger man with the older woman. So far, what she was sending was about men of any age, with the exception of Antonio. He was the youngest.

  CHAPTER 22

  DANIELLE WATCHED LUKE and her father play checkers while she prepared breakfast. She hadn’t seen her father that happy for quite a while. It was good for him to have some diversion and activity.

  Cal and Lucy had arrived yesterday afternoon. They rented a car and followed the directions to her house. It was good to see them again. When they returned in a few weeks to pick up Luke, it would probably be the last time she’d see them for a long time.

  They stayed for a few hours, then they were on their way to Seattle, Washington. It seemed they were looking forward to the scenic drive and were anxious to be on their way. After stowing Luke’s bags in the spare bedroom and giving him a few last instructions, they left.

  Dani wasn’t sure how she would keep Luke occupied for the entire time but there were always chores to do and he was going to spend time with Jace, learning more about rodeos.

  Ah, yes, Jace…she had relived the last part of their Colorado trip in her mind more than once. After he talked about being on a dating site and looking for an older woman to bail him out, she lost all respect for him. She asked herself many times if she was being honest when she felt appalled at what he said or if she was hurt because she was imagining the two of them dating.

  She hadn’t spoken much after they spent the night together at Mandy’s house in some little town. She couldn’t even recall the name of it at the moment. They got up in the morning, returned to the café for breakfast, took care of Star and then waited for the truck to be fixed. He asked if she wanted to wander around the side streets for a while but she declined, opting to read a book she brought with her. There was no mention of the awkwardness of the previous night and the experience had lost its humor after he talked about his dating plans. If Jace noticed her quietness, he didn’t mention it. Maybe he was glad she stopped talking and he could enjoy some solitude.

  It really didn’t matter now. They took different paths and life went on. She was supposed to take Luke to Jace’s ranch so she would have to see him and speak to him again, whether she wanted to or not. It would be difficult to avoid him even if she wanted to.

  ‘Do you want to avoid him, Danielle or are you nursing hurt feelings? You know better than to jump to conclusions, especially about men and how they think. Admit that you were falling for Jace Matthews and imagining all sorts of scenarios. Once you face the truth, you can move on. He’s a good guy and you can’t avoid speaking to him forever.’

  “Dani,” her father almost shouted, “are you going to finish your scrambled eggs or are you gonna sit there in never-never land all morning?”

  She smiled. “Sorry, Dad, I was thinking of something else and forgot to come back to the present, I guess.” She cleaned up the dishes with Luke’s help and after taking a deep breath, she called Jace’s number.

  Jace answered on the second ring when he saw the caller ID. “Hi Dani. Did Luke arrive safely?”

  “Yes, he’s here and ready to come to your place whenever you’re ready. It doesn’t have to be today, I know you’re busy.”

  “Today is fine. I’m looking forward to it. Give me an hour to finish up a few things here at the bar and then I’ll head home.”

  It was good to hear her voice. He hadn’t given much thought to the last leg of the trip before today. He missed their conversation that last half a day but thought perhaps she was tired. It had been a long two days, although he thought she seemed a bit miffed at him but his intuition about females was not the best, for sure.

  “Hey, Boss, before you leave, could you give me Danielle’s phone number?” Mitch asked.

  Jace hesitated. “Sure, I guess I can, but what do you need it for?”

  Mitch smiled, “I want to ask her out. I think she would be a fun date and besides that, she’s really pretty. Don’t you think so?”

  Jace frowned. “Yeah, she is pretty. I’ll ask her if it’s okay to give you her number when I see her today. I don’t want to give it out if she wants to keep it private.”

  “Sure, I understand. Ask her and if she says yes, I’m going to ask her to go to the movies on Saturday night.”

  ‘Why is this bothering you so much, Jace? You have no exclusive rights to Dani’s friendship. Mitch is a perfect person to ask her out and you know he’d be a gentleman. And if he wasn’t, I’m pretty sure Dani could handle him. Besides, you’re not her big brother or her father. You’re just a friend and maybe not that. She didn’t seem to think too highly of your plan to date a wealthy older woman.’

  “Are you ready, Luke? I’m not sure what Jace has planned for the two of you today but I’m sure it will be instructive in some way.”

  They pulled into the drive which
curved around to the house and barn. Jace’s truck was there so obviously he arrived before them. He came out to meet them, shook hands with Luke and was going to give Dani a handshake too but she kept her hands in the pockets of her jacket.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Luke. The last time I saw you was the day I bought the two horses from your dad and I believe you were maybe one or two years old. You’ve grown just a little bit since then.”

  Luke laughed. At thirteen, he was tall like his dad and was going to have his broad shoulders, too. He had also inherited his mom’s red hair, although a much darker shade of red.

  “Let’s go in the house for a bit and talk about what you’d like to gain from these two weeks in Montana.” Looking at Dani, he said, “You’re welcome to come in too. That way you won’t have to make two trips.”

  “Thanks for the offer but I have things to do at home and some errands in town. What time do you want me to pick him up? If you still have my phone number, you can text me when he’s ready.”

  “Yes I have it. Speaking of phone numbers…never mind. I was going to ask if you had mine but obviously you do since we spoke this morning.”

  She nodded and walked back to her truck. Before she got in, she told Luke, “You’re too old to tell you to be a good boy, so I’ll just remind you to do what your parents would want. Okay?” With that she drove off.

  ‘Why didn’t you ask if it was okay to give Mitch her number, Jace? Admit it…you really don’t want him to call her.’

  He grabbed two bottles of water from the refrigerator and they sat at the kitchen table.

  “Your grandpa Cal tells me you’ve wanted to be a rodeo man since you could talk and walk, Luke.”

  “Yes, sir, I have. I never wanted to be a rancher.”

  “Why do you think that’s true? What intrigues you about the rodeo? I’m sure you’ve been to the rodeos in Houston, right?”

  Luke nodded. “Yes sir, I have and I wanted to be in the ring instead of the bleachers.”

  Jace smiled. “First, let’s get something out of the way. I appreciate that your parents have taught you respect for your elders but let’s forget the ‘sir’ for the next two weeks and you just call me Jace, like my friends do, okay? Because we are friends already and I have no doubt we’ll be better friends by the time you go home, Luke.”

  “Okay, sir…I mean, Jace.”

  They spent much of the morning discussing the positives of rodeo life. Luke sounded so much like him when he was young; he hated to squash all his dreams on the first day by talking trash about the rodeos. He showed him his many pictures and the trophies he’d won. There were newspaper clippings and even articles in national magazines about his skills. Luke’s eyes got bigger and his grin got wider. He was impressed. That’s what Jace was trying to achieve because if he started on the pinnacle of his success it would be easier to work his way down to the bottom.

  “It was a great life for a single guy, Luke, for quite a few years. But I wouldn’t be truthful if I didn’t tell you the other side of the story, too. I can only speak for myself but I know what I tell you is true of many men and women involved with the rodeo. It seems like the applause and adulation from the stands will last forever, but it doesn’t. When the crowds go home, you still have to take care of your animals and your tack, regardless of how tired and banged up you are. Then you have to load it all up and drive to the next site. Some days, you stop long enough to collect your winnings and some days, there are no winnings.”

  They continued talking until Jace thought that was enough for one day. They went to the barn and Luke showed him his roping skills with a makeshift wooden calf Jace had pulled out of the back of the barn. Jace had to admit the kid was darned good for a thirteen year old.

  ***

  “Did Jace already leave?” Mitch asked Maggie.

  “Yep. Said he was going to talk to a kid about not joining the rodeo. Why?”

  “I asked him for Danielle’s phone number but he didn’t give it to me yet.”

  “I think I have it,” Maggie told him. “The first day she came in here looking for Jace, she gave it to me. I threw it in the drawer. Wait a minute.”

  A few minutes later, she retrieved the slip of paper and handed it to him. “Here ya go, Mitch. Good luck. I hope she says she’ll go out with you. That is what you wanted it for, right?”

  He took the paper and ignored her remark.

  CHAPTER 23

  CAMILLE DECIDED TO work from a nearby coffee house for a change of scenery. She took her laptop and was working diligently on responding to the ‘hellos’ on the site with the younger men. She scrolled through the profile pictures, responded to some and dismissed others. She was suddenly surprised to see one of the same faces she’d seen on the senior site. What was up with this guy named Antonio? Did he join every site? She already had his email address so she contacted him. He remembered her and they resumed their online friendship where they’d left it. She was certain his ultimate goal was to meet for a one night stand but she was willing to see how far the conversations would go before it reached that point.

  When she agreed to do the six month series, she promised herself she would be truthful with her readers…up to a point. She would fictionalize any sexual encounters as she had no desire to be with a different man every few weeks or, heaven forbid, to actually fall for someone. That would be a bit of a mess. ‘Yes, I really am falling in love with you but wait…my name isn’t Emily, I don’t live in Montana and everything about me is a lie.’

  She kept a hard copy log of every man she spoke with or emailed or met. She needed those notes to put into each month’s submission. So far, she had met several of them in person. She made sure they met during the day for lunch or coffee in a safe place with lots of people present. She realized she had inadvertently left her log at home so she scribbled notes on a pad of paper she had in her purse. She would decipher them when she got home.

  The first man was at least twenty years older than he claimed to be. The second one had some strange beliefs, at least in her opinion. The subject of owning a gun was discussed. He was mortified that she would even entertain that idea. She assured him she didn’t own one and had no plans to purchase one but she understood why many women did. He strongly disapproved of harming anything…ants, flies, mosquitoes…rodents. Growing weary of his continued belaboring the point, she asked, “So if a mouse ran across your kitchen counter, you wouldn’t set a trap? Or if a mosquito was biting you, you wouldn’t kill it?” He shook his head, “Absolutely not.”

  Yesterday, she met the third man. He was dressed in a suit and seemed very business-like. They had nearly finished their lunch when he suddenly told her he had to leave because his mother was calling him. He promptly stood up and walked out.

  She should be able to write a good column for next month, for sure. Did she attract wackos or what? Where were all the men who were simply looking for a date or maybe a relationship? One thing she could definitely tell her readers…do not believe much of anything you read in a man’s profile.

  She checked her watch and realized she’d told Collier she needed him to fix the desk she was using. The leg was loose and it wobbled, annoyingly, when she was trying to work. He knew the code for the keypad so he could let himself in if she didn’t make it home in time.

  ***

  Collier knocked several times but there was no response. Obviously, Camille wasn’t home. She’d told him to use the code if she wasn’t there so he did. He would have to remove her papers from the desk in order to fix it. He carefully picked up each pile and placed it on the table by the desk. As he moved the last pile to the table, he couldn’t help but glance at the long list of names…all men’s names and their ages. His eyes couldn’t stop reading the notes about each one.

  What the heck was this and who was Camille aka Emily? He felt bad about seeing the lists but he had a suspicion she hadn’t come to Montana to write a novel. Unless, of course, it had fifty male characters in it.

>   When Camille entered the house, there was a note on the kitchen counter saying Collier had been there and the desk was fixed. She checked the time, hoping she had a few hours to compose more notes and transfer the ones she wrote at the coffee shop. As she sat at her desk, the thought struck her that Collier had to see the lists of men’s names she wrote on a legal pad. That realization made her feel terrible and at the same time, made her laugh. She could only imagine what Collier was thinking.

  She finished putting her thoughts on paper. She hurried to take a shower and prepare to meet one more man today. He wasn’t able to meet during the day but told her to choose a place she felt comfortable since it would be evening. Perhaps this was a guy who was actually okay. She only knew of one place to meet where she had been before and that was The Branding Iron.

  ***

  Camille’s stomach was growling and she didn’t want to consume much more alcohol on an empty stomach but she was growing impatient as her ‘date’ hadn’t appeared yet and it was an hour after the specified time. She was going to order. If he showed up now, he’d better have a darned good excuse. As she perused the menu, she was aware of a man approaching her table.

  “Emily? What are you doing in here all alone?”

  She glanced up and was looking at that sexy smile again. It was Jace, the man she met the night Collier brought her here. She shook her head and motioned for him to pull up a chair.

  “Well, it’s like this…I’ve been stood up and I’m not too happy about it,” she explained.

  “I can’t imagine any man being stupid enough to stand you up,” was his reply.

  “Can I hug you here in front of your customers?” she laughingly asked him. “That’s the nicest thing I’ve heard today.”