The Cougar and the Cowboy

by Gloria Doty

  I have been a cold, unemotional mother and for that, I ask your forgiveness. Please don’t wait until you are dying to realize there’s more to life than work and money. There’s love and contentment. Go find it. (And for once in your life, don’t fight me on this.)

  Loving thoughts of you, Camille,

  Barbara

  CHAPTER 39

  JACE WAS TRYING to absorb everything Maggie was saying but she was agitated enough that her words were coming at him in unintelligible half-sentences.

  “Slow down, Maggie. It can’t be that bad. I really don’t see the harm in Emily or Camille or whatever her name is writing with a different name. Authors do it all the time.”

  “But…but, did you even read what she wrote about you?” She stabbed the article with her finger.

  “What makes you so sure she’s writing about me? I glanced at it and didn’t see any names, whatsoever.”

  She grabbed the magazine and left the office, slamming the door. “Men…they’re so damned dense sometimes!”

  She threw the folded publication under the bar and continued mumbling to herself.

  She fished her phone out of her pocket when it buzzed. “Hello?” she answered in an annoyed voice.

  “Is this a bad time, Maggie?”

  “It could be. Who is this?”

  “It’s Will…your fill-in grill cook. How quickly you’ve forgotten me. I’m hurt.”

  “And I’m sorry. I haven’t forgotten you, Will. I’ve just had a conversation that didn’t leave me in a very good humor. Where are you?”

  “I’m in St. Louis. But I’m thinking of heading back to Bozeman for a few weeks or a month and wondered if you’d consider going out with me while I’m there.”

  “Yes, of course I’d love to show you around. We have enough beautiful scenery around here to last for months of sightseeing.”

  “That’s good. I have some loose ends to tie up here before I leave. I’ll let you know when I’m getting ready to head your way.”

  ***

  Camille came down the stairs still in her robe. “I sincerely hope you’ve made a pot of coffee, Will, if you’re up this early.”

  “Yes, ma’am, I’ve got it all ready for you…in your favorite cup, even.”

  She took the proffered cup and sat on a stool at the kitchen island. As she looked at him over the rim of the cup, she asked, “What are you grinning about?”

  “Truthfully, I never went to sleep last night. My mind was way too busy.”

  “I had trouble sleeping too but probably for different reasons.”

  “You tell me your reasons and I’ll tell you mine,” he said in a little boy voice.

  “You’re entirely too happy. Did you spike the coffee?”

  He shook his head. “No, I didn’t. I’ve done a lot of self-introspection and made decisions based on what I discovered.”

  “Can’t say I was immersed in psychological introspection. I was mostly thinking about Barbara’s letter.”

  “Yeah, that was part of my thinking, also. But I have to thank Lorna for my new-found outlook on my life.”

  Camille rolled her eyes and took another swallow of coffee. “Please…spare me. Lorna doesn’t seem to have any positive effects on anyone she comes in contact with.”

  “Ahhh, but you see, when I had to spend time with her, I became aware of the fact I was slowly becoming more and more like her and I didn’t like what I saw. Self-absorbed, no regard for others, hurting people, getting ahead at all costs…you know, all those sterling traits.”

  She nodded and refilled her cup. “Yes, I do know and you could be describing me, also. Do you have a solution to our despicable characters or should we accept our faults and revisit our relationship, since no one could possibly love either of us…except each other?”

  He reached for her hand. “As inviting as that sounds, my love, I don’t believe it would work any better this time around than it did the last time, even without interference from your mother. And in your heart, you believe that too. I feel as though Barbara’s advice about life has lifted a big burden from my shoulders. I’m going to pursue a path in cooking, as you’ve advised me to do for many years. When I was in Bozeman, I filled in for a sick grill cook for an evening and remembered how much satisfaction it gave me.”

  “You’re surely not going to be able to survive on a grill cook’s wages. That can’t pay more than minimum, Will.”

  “I know, but the adrenaline rush of having to have everything ready at the same time, make it look good and remembering all the details plus be fast at it…that was exhilarating. I think I’m going to go back and see if I can at least fill in for a few weeks at The Branding Iron while I decide how far I want to go with this idea.”

  Camille threw her head back and laughed. “I don’t suppose that delicious redhead named Maggie has anything to do with this momentous decision, does she?”

  Grinning, Will answered, “That might have swayed me a bit.” More seriously, he added, “Why don’t you come with me, Camille? You have a home there now and no one at the magazine knows you’re back. They will never know you even came back to Missouri.”

  She looked thoughtful. “I suppose I have to return at some time to file papers on the property, transferring it to my name, although Barbara, in her efficiency and control mode, probably already took care of that.”

  “I never asked how your secret project went or exactly what it was or if it’s finished or what?”

  She sighed. “It went famously well. I was writing articles from the field of actual online dating experiences. All kinds but with emphasis on the ‘cougar’ type: you know, older woman, younger man. It was actually a lot of fun and very enlightening. I had no idea the expertise it requires to separate the authentic people from the fake. It’s amazing how many scammers are out there, waiting to prey on unsuspecting women. There’s always the good news, I guess, that a woman could find someone they were attracted to and fall hard for him.”

  “Is that what happened to you, Camille?” Will asked softly.

  She waved her hand to indicate he was way off base. “No…well maybe. But the age difference is too great. It would never work.”

  “Wait a minute. Isn’t that what you were writing about? I read some of your articles on the plane…yes, I bought a copy of Mavis’ Mag…and you seemed to be encouraging women to fall in love with the right guy, no matter what the age difference. Obviously, you aren’t taking your own advice.”

  “I don’t know, Will. I think it may have worked before he discovered I’d been lying all along. That’s not a good foundation for a relationship.”

  “True. But do you want to accompany me to Bozeman or not? This is the perfect time since you aren’t expected or needed at the magazine.”

  “And you’d have a place to live, right?”

  “You are so suspicious but yes, perhaps I could live in your house until I got a paycheck of some kind. I can pay rent and this time, I really will. Despite what I told you about living here, I’m not destitute.”

  “All right. Pick the day and we’ll leave on our adventurous road trip. I need to contact a few people first and you said you had some loose ends to tie up?”

  He nodded. “I do.”

  Camille left the kitchen and Will dialed a number. When he heard her answer, he spoke quickly before she could hang up. “Allie, please don’t hang up on me. I don’t want anything from you but forgiveness. Allow me to take you to lunch and I promise you won’t recognize the penitent me. I won’t even mention Camille’s name.”

  CHAPTER 40

  WILL SAUNTERED INTO The Branding Iron trying to keep a straight face but it wasn’t possible. Once he saw the look on Maggie’s face, he started laughing.

  “Here I am, ma’am. Your new grill cook reporting for duty.”

  “You’re kidding me, right?” was her reply.

  “Nope. I contacted Jace when you and I spoke on the phone and during that conversation, you said he was putting an ad i
n the paper. He told me to come on out and we’d give it a try.”

  “I can’t believe this. Who, in their right mind, chooses sweating in a bar kitchen over working in a prestigious investment firm?”

  He cleared his throat. “That would be me, I guess, but no claims about being in my right mind.”

  “Where are you staying and seriously, Will, how long do you plan to do this? As much as I love the idea of working with you, I don’t want Larry to have to train you and then train someone new in a week or two when you’ve had your little fling.”

  “I can’t guarantee staying long-term, Maggie, but it will be longer than a few weeks…promise. I’m looking into an apprenticeship at a restaurant in Billings, but this can’t hurt my resume. A well-rounded chef should have experience in all types of establishments. I made Jace aware of my plans when we spoke. There are no more secrets in my life. It’s too difficult to keep track of things we say when only half of it is true.”

  She nodded in agreement, then grabbed a clean apron and helped him put it on. “Where did you say you were staying? I’m only asking so I can tell you how long it might take you to get to work at certain times of the day.”

  “I’m staying at the house on Flagler Rd. Yes, the same one…Camille’s house.”

  Maggie stopped tying the strings of the apron and just stood there, looking at him.

  He put a hand on each of her arms and sat her down. There were only a few customers so he pulled a chair up beside her. “Listen to me, Maggie. I told you I would tell the truth, no matter what. Many, and I mean many, years ago, Camille and I were married…we were still in college. Due to many factors, it ended in divorce. However, we have been close friends ever since…sometimes hating each other…but always being there for each other. I guarantee you we are not ‘friends with benefits’. We have lived together, off and on but we have not slept together since the divorce. Please believe me. It’s important to me that you believe me.”

  “I don’t know what to say. I’m not fond of your ex-wife at the moment. I wouldn’t believe anything she had to say. She deceived all of us and in doing so, she probably messed up some people’s lives. People I care about. The lies she wrote in her little magazine were just that…lies.”

  “Yes, I’m sure they were but in the publishing world, it isn’t lying. It’s called embellishing the truth to connect with the readers. She didn’t mention any names or locations, did she?”

  “No. But I know the one encounter she described was with Jace. I could tell.”

  “So, tell me, are you upset because you think she lied about Jace or because it might have actually been Jace?”

  “I don’t know, Will. Now that you’ve asked me, I’d have to say it made me very jealous.” She laughed a bit and confessed, “I’ve been trying to get that man undressed and in bed for so long, I couldn’t stand to read about some other woman unbuttoning his shirt.”

  “I understand. Maybe you need to focus your fantasies on someone else.”

  She nodded and smiled a little, “Perhaps you’re right.”

  Jace came out of his office, crossed the floor to where they were sitting and shook hands with Will.

  “I see you made it back to Bozeman. Like everyone else, once you’re here, you never want to leave for long. Did you have a good trip?”

  “Yes. It doesn’t take long when you have two drivers.”

  Jace gave him a questioning look. “Did Emily come back with you?”

  Will nodded and Maggie rolled her eyes as she corrected him, “Her name’s Camille,

  Jace. You can’t call her Emily any longer.”

  “Great. I have some unfinished business with her.” He went behind the bar and grabbed the magazine to take with him. Then he changed his mind, threw it on the bar and went out through the office and the back door, instead, saying, “I don’t need to take that with me.”

  ***

  While Mitch was cleaning up and Larry was giving Will instructions, Dani came in the door. Mitch’s face lit up like a candle.

  “Hi Dani. What brings you in here?”

  “I dropped Dad at the doctor’s office but they’re running way behind today. I didn’t want to sit there but don’t want to spend the time and gas to go home either, so I thought I’d come here and drink lemonade for a while.”

  “That’s great,” Mitch told her as he put a glass of ice cold lemonade in front of her.

  He went back to cleaning while she sipped the cold drink. When she spied a rolled up magazine on the bar, she opened it to read while she waited. When checking the cover, she saw it was for middle-aged women but since it was the only thing available to pass the time she decided it would be better than nothing. She scanned the recipes and vacation tips. When she reached the feature article, she saw someone had written JACE on the one column with a Sharpie. There was another name scribbled on the next page…COLLIER. She began reading the words but her face contorted before she got to the end.

  “I have to go, Mitch. Thanks for the lemonade. Dad’s waiting for me.” She slid off the stool and practically ran out the door.

  When Maggie returned, she asked, “Did I see Dani in here?”

  “Yes, for a little bit,” Mitch answered with a bewildered look.

  “Why did she leave without saying hello?”

  “Don’t ask me. One minute she was reading a magazine and the next minute, she was gone.”

  Maggie realized what Dani had been reading which wouldn’t have been a problem if she hadn’t written Jace and Collier’s names on the pieces she was convinced were about them. She never meant for anyone but the two men to see it.

  ***

  Dean got into the truck and was talking to Dani but she wasn’t replying.

  “What’s the matter…cat got your tongue?”

  She shook her head but didn’t say anything. That’s when he noticed the few tears on her face.

  “Awww, Honey. What’s the matter? Please don’t cry. I never could stand to see my girl cry. Tell me what happened.”

  “It’s complicated and I don’t even know how to explain it, Dad, because I don’t understand what’s going on. People always have secrets of some kind, it seems to me.”

  ***

  Jace wheeled his truck into the drive at Camille’s house. He knocked…hard…but no one answered. Maybe she hadn’t come back after all. As he was preparing to leave, he heard faint music coming from the back deck. He walked around the house and found her sitting cross-legged on the wooden flooring while she stared at the mountains in the distance.

  “Emily or Camille or whoever you are,” he began in a rather loud voice.

  Startled, she turned to look up at him. She acknowledged his presence and said softly, “Jace.” With the next breath, she told him, “The name’s Camille.”

  He stood there for a minute, unsure of what to say next. She looked like a little girl with her hair pulled back and a ball cap on. If there had been any make-up, it was probably washed off by the tears he thought he saw when he first walked up.

  “I wanted to give this back to you,” he said as he tossed the check on her lap. “As it turned out, it wasn’t needed. Some good friends paid for the band and their accommodations. I could have destroyed it but I wanted to give it back in person and tell you I don’t appreciate being used. You only pretended to enjoy our dates so you’d have material for your magazine.”

  In the same monotone voice, she answered him, “And you only dated me because you knew I had money and could bail your ass out of a jam. It would seem as though we used each other, Jace. I guess you could call it double deception, don’t you think? By the way, you’re welcome and I’m happy the weekends were a success.”

  She returned her gaze to the mountains and he sat down beside her.

  “Look, Camille. I came here today prepared to let you know how angry I’ve been at you. I know we had a few dates but in my recollection, none of them ended up like you wrote…or even close to it. I am pretty naïve about the pu
blishing world, but can you explain the whole situation to me? I like you and to tell the truth, I laughed when I first read about our imaginary escapades but if Maggie figured out who you were writing about, I’m sure there are others who will, too. And there’s one woman in particular that I don’t want to see your article, y’know?”

  She took a deep breath. “I’ll make this as succinct as possible, Jace. My magazine was experiencing declining numbers. Sort of like your bar. I needed something relevant for my readers to pique their interest like you needed Hubie and the band. My staff and I agreed to run a 6-month series of articles on the subject of online dating…specifically of the cougar type…older woman and younger man. Instead of just giving them boring statistics it was decided to send me to some far-off state where no one knew me and I would actually do the online dating. Under an assumed name of course…Emily Hasbro. I liked you and enjoyed our dates but I didn’t want to lead you on to the point of being serious so I made up that part. End of story. I’m very sorry if it’s become a problem for you. Mavis’ Mag isn’t distributed in this part of the country so it shouldn’t show up where your friends can see it. Oh, and this was my mother’s house so that’s how I ended up in Bozeman.”

  “It was your mother’s house? It isn’t hers any longer?” he asked.

  “No. It’s mine now. She died a few weeks ago and left it to me.”

  ‘Way to go, Jace. Put your big foot in your mouth. Maybe she came back to grieve and you come to attack her. Good job.’

  “I’m so sorry. Sorry about your mother dying and sorry I showed up when I did. Please accept my apologies. I’ll go now and don’t worry about the article. You did what you had to do…it wasn’t illegal or immoral so forget it. I hope you decide to stay in Bozeman.”

  Collier was on his way to his next job when he saw a vehicle in Camille’s drive. As he came closer, he saw a second one…Jace’s truck. Just as he began to turn in, Jace came around the side of the house. He walked to Collier’s truck and indicated Collier should roll down the window.