Her Cowboy Dilemma

by C. J. Carmichael

  “Didn’t think so.” Maddie closed the fridge door, then sank into a chair and reached for her coffee. Her dogs were in the room with them. Farley thought he had them straight now. Trix was sleeping on the mat by the back door and Honey was curled up under the table. As well as the dogs, there was a cat prowling the place, too. Short-haired and ginger-colored, she’d slunk into the room earlier, taken Farley’s measure, then exited with nose held high.

  Maddie’s kitchen was a warm, cozy place. The wooden table and chairs had the sort of “distressed” look that came from decades of being used and not coddled, as did the wooden floors and cabinets. The counters were cluttered, but clean, and the big farm sink gleamed as if it had been disinfected recently.

  The focal point of the room was the antique, black, wood-burning cookstove. Warm air drifted from the stove to soothe the sore muscles of Farley’s shoulders and upper back. He fought the urge to close his eyes, knowing that if he succumbed to sleep he might find himself still in this room an hour later.

  He crunched down on a couple of crackers and a slab of the cheddar, then followed the food with a swallow of hot, almost scalding, coffee. Maddie made it the old-fashioned way, boiled in a percolator on the stove.

  “So what’s up at Coffee Creek?” Maddie asked him.

  He hesitated before answering. Everyone in the community of Coffee Creek was aware of the rift between the Turner sisters, though no one knew the exact cause. Some people felt that Olive’s marriage to neighboring rancher Bobby Lambert had been the start of it. One fact was irrefutable: Maddie hadn’t attended their wedding. And despite the size of the wedding—apparently several hundred—the absence had been very conspicuous.

  “One of their horses has strangles,” he finally said.

  “Sorry to hear that.” Maddie sounded genuinely concerned.

  “Hopefully it hasn’t had time to spread. They have the sick horse quarantined and Cassidy is going to be disinfecting the barn.”

  “Cassidy? So she’s home from college, is she?”

  Maddie seemed to know a lot about her sister’s family. He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised. Since she’d never married herself or had children, the Lamberts were her closest relations. Which only made the feud between the sisters that much sadder.

  “Only for a few weeks, apparently. She’s hoping to get a job with some accounting firm in Billings.”

  “Really? I can’t imagine Olive letting her do that.”

  “I’m not sure Olive has much say in the matter.”

  Maddie’s lips tightened. “Then you don’t know my sister very well.”

  “She hasn’t been able to keep B.J. from the rodeo circuit,” he pointed out.

  “All the more reason she’s going to fight like hell to keep her daughter close to home.”

  “You think? Cassidy’s no pushover.” Tenacity was in her DNA. And growing up with all those brothers had only made her tougher and more resilient.

  “You don’t know Olive,” Maddie repeated.

  “Not as well as you do, obviously,” he allowed. “But my money’s still on Cassidy.”

  Chapter Four

  Cassidy took the time to have tea with her mother, then changed into rubber boots and gloves and headed back to the barn. She had her faults, but avoiding hard work wasn’t one of them.

  After diluting the disinfectant that Farley had left with her, she started with the horse troughs and feeding buckets. Once those had been thoroughly washed and rinsed, she went to check on Lucy.

  Oh, how she hated to see the sweet mare in obvious discomfort. Lucy had a fierce spirit, but she was also gentle and trusting with her rider. Olive had purchased her from one of the best trainers in Montana and it showed. Cassidy had known she’d spent a pretty penny on her, too, when Olive demurred from sharing the purchase price with them.

  Privately, Cassidy thought Lucy’s potential was being wasted as a working horse on a cattle ranch. She had lovely footing. Cassidy bet she’d make a great barrel-racing horse. And she was so pretty, she’d be a real crowd favorite.

  In high school Cassidy had dabbled in the sport, coached by her brothers and encouraged by her mom. But in her final school year she’d decided she needed to focus on her grades and she’d given up competing.

  She hadn’t run a course since.

  “Hey, Lucy. Think you’d like being the center of attention in a rodeo ring?”

  The worst waste of all, of course, would be if Lucy didn’t recover from the strangles. Cassidy took some comfort from the fact that Farley hadn’t seemed overly worried.

  Cassidy went to the tack room to heat some compresses, then returned to Lucy’s stall.

  “I have something here that should help you feel better.”

  Lucy nickered and shuffled restlessly. Her nostrils were oozing pus again and she looked as miserable as a horse could look without actually collapsing to the ground.

  Cassidy pressed the heated pads against the mare’s swollen lymph nodes. “How does that feel?” She’d wash down the stalls next, then mix up some warm mash for Lucy. She had fencing to clean and the tack room, too, but that might have to wait for tomorrow because she needed to examine the rest of the riding horses before nightfall and make sure none of them were exhibiting signs of the sickness.

  Three hours later, Cassidy finally made it back to the ranch house, where she showered and had dinner with her mother. Olive was hurrying the meal because she had a meeting in town at seven.

  “I’m sorry to rush out on your first night home. But if I don’t go they’ll just make a bunch of silly decisions that I’ll have to fix the next meeting.”

  The committee was working to build a historical site at the intersection of Highway 81 and Main Street, kitty-corner to the Crossroads Gas and Snack. A life-sized bronze of a quarter horse had been donated to the town and the idea was to have a walking loop around the statue with wooden signposts detailing the history of the area.

  Olive had been shepherding the project from the start and had contributed a significant chunk of cash to the fundraising efforts.

  “That’s fine, Mom. I’ll run over and visit Corb and the gang.”

  “I hate to leave you with the dishes...”

  “Not a problem. Have fun at your meeting.”

  Her mom grabbed her leather coat from the closet at the side door, then slipped on her best pair of go-to-meeting boots. “If you think fun is even a possibility, then you haven’t met Straws Monahan.”

  Cassidy chuckled at that, knowing that even the strong-minded Straws whose property was on the other side of Coffee Creek, closer to Lewistown, would be no match for her mother.

  Fifteen minutes later, the kitchen was spotless and Cassidy slipped outside to walk to her brother’s. Sky followed at her side for the quarter of a mile to Cold Coffee Lake Road. Trees—a mixture of aspen and ponderosa pine—separated each of the brothers’ cabins, giving them some privacy from one another.

  Jackson lived in the cabin closest to the main house. Originally built for B.J., when it had become clear that he was going to be on the road most of the time, Olive had reluctantly given permission for Jackson to take up residence.

  The other cabin had been Brock’s. It was vacant now, and Cassidy had no idea what would become of it. She’d heard Corb suggest that Olive offer it to Winnie, but that idea had gone over like a lead balloon.

  Olive and Winnie had been like oil and water from the start. Cassidy knew, since her mother had confided in her, that Olive had hoped Brock would marry someone else. And that she felt Winnie fell short of the mark as far as being the wife of a cattleman.

  Cassidy hadn’t bothered arguing.

  Nothing she said had ever changed her mother’s opinion on anything, anyway.

  Cassidy helped Sky up the stairs to Corb and Laurel’s front door. Exhausted from the walk, Sky seemed happy to curl up on a plump cushion on the plank floor of the porch that was obviously a favorite sleeping spot.

  Since the door had been l
eft open a crack, Cassidy gave it a nudge. “Hello?”

  “Come on in!” It was Laurel who answered. “We were hoping you’d drop by.”

  Cassidy left her boots in the foyer and found Laurel in the kitchen, where the counters were littered with stacked dishes and pots and pans.

  Laurel didn’t seem perturbed by the mess. She was at the sink, her hands in soapy water. “Hey, Cassidy, some homecoming. I hear you spent the day disinfecting in the barn. But I bet that wasn’t as bad as this mess.” She wrinkled her nose at the stove behind her.

  Cassidy came round the counter to give her sister-in-law a hug. Once more she thought how smart Corb had been to marry this woman. Laurel’s easygoing nature and sense of humor were a good match for him.

  “Yeah, it’s been a chaotic day.” Cassidy glanced at the stove, which was splattered with baked-on tomato sauce and something that looked like egg yolk. “You, too?”

  “Every day’s chaotic when you have a new baby. After two months you’d think I’d have things figured out and be on some sort of schedule, but you’d be wrong.”

  Cassidy laughed. Already she felt more relaxed than she’d been all day. “Where’s the rest of the family?”

  “Corb’s giving Stephanie her bath upstairs. They’ll be down in a sec.” She glanced at her own T-shirt, which had some stains matching those on the stove. “I could use a bath myself. Not to mention some clean clothes. Sorry to be such a slob.”

  “You look just fine.” Cassidy picked up a towel to dry the dishes Laurel was washing. “Babies must be addictive. I can’t wait to see the little peanut again and kiss every inch of that adorable little face.”

  “Maybe I should shave first.” Corb was down the stairs, with Stephanie tucked into one arm like a football. “Gosh, Cass, I had no idea you were so fond of your older brother.”

  For answer, she snapped the towel at his back. “Hand over that cutie-pie. Your wife needs your help in the kitchen.”

  “This is so not a fair trade,” Corb grumbled. But he smiled as he handed his daughter to his sister. “Do you think her hair is red? I think it is, but Laurel swears it’s blond.”

  “Maybe strawberry-blond?” Cassidy said, in compromise, though she agreed with Corb. Stephanie felt wonderful in her arms. She’d lost the fragility of a newborn, but was still, definitely, an infant. All soft and sweet and cuddly, with wide green eyes that stared right at her.

  “Jeez, why wasn’t I assigned child-care duty instead of put on the quarantine detail?” Cassidy started swaying, in a way that felt instinctual.

  “Wait two hours and you’ll be glad you ended up with the job you have,” Laurel advised. “Stephanie is a great baby, but evening is her cranky time. She doesn’t usually settle until around midnight, and then she’s up like clockwork at three for another feeding.”

  “That sounds tough,” Cassidy said with a grimace. “Still, it’s great to have a baby in the family.”

  Corb and Laurel exchanged a glance. Then Corb said, “Actually, there are two babies in our family now.”

  “What?” Her brother wasn’t making any sense. But Laurel knew what he was talking about. Cassidy turned to her sister-in-law. “What the heck does he mean by that?”

  Laurel looked nervous. She glanced at Corb, then said, “Winnie had a baby. A little boy.”

  Cassidy collapsed on a handy stool. “Is it Brock’s?”

  Laurel nodded. “Winnie was two months pregnant on their wedding day. She hadn’t told Brock yet, so he didn’t know.”

  “Wow.” Cassidy felt numb at the news. Then slowly she took in the ramifications. “Brock left behind a son.” There was some comfort in that.

  She did the math next.

  “But if she was two months pregnant last July, then Winnie would have had her baby sometime in January.”

  “That’s right,” Laurel agreed.

  “So that’s the ‘health issue’ that’s been keeping her at home with her parents?”

  “Winnie almost lost the baby after Brock died. Her doctor prescribed bed rest. And calm.”

  “I get that she had to stay with her parents. But why didn’t she tell any of us about the baby?”

  “She did make a few overtures to your mother. But Olive never returned her calls. To be honest, I think Winnie is still bitter that Olive wasn’t warmer to her during the engagement period.”

  Cassidy couldn’t fault Winnie for feeling that way. Still. “Winnie’s baby is our nephew. Mom’s grandchild. She should have told us.”

  “That’s how I feel,” Corb said.

  “As Winnie’s best friend, I’ve been conflicted. I promised her I would let her decide on the right time to tell your family. But obviously I had to tell Corb. And he’s been patient, but—”

  “Enough is enough.” Corb shook his head. “Winnie’s had her chance to break the news. Since she hasn’t, Laurel and I have to be the ones to tell the family. You’re the first one to find out. We’ll tell Mom next.”

  “Can you do me a favor and do it when I’m not around?”

  Corb laughed, then asked how things had gone in the barn. “I meant to check on Lucy after I finished my chores, but I knew Laurel couldn’t wait to see me.”

  “More like you couldn’t wait to see Laurel,” Cassidy guessed, bending down to smooch the baby while her brother and his wife exchanged a kiss.

  “So what was up with you and Farley earlier?” Corb asked. “God, the tension in that barn was something else. You two never had a thing, did you?”

  Of course Laurel picked up on the suggestion right away. “I’ll bet you anything they did. They were both in the Cinnamon Stick at the same time today,” she told her husband, passing him a bowl to dry at the same time. “Wicked sparks.”

  Corb looked at the bowl he’d just dried as if he’d never seen it before, then shrugged and placed it on the table. “Anyway, I thought you had a boyfriend in college? Jed something or other...”

  “His name is Josh. Josh Brown. And he’s not really a boyfriend.”

  “Though he’d like to be?” Laurel guessed.

  “Maybe...”

  “Let’s get back to Farley. Fill in the blanks, sister dear.”

  Cassidy had never considered her family to be an especially sensitive or perceptive bunch. So why was everyone picking up on all these vibes between her and Farley?

  She had to set them straight. And now.

  “Farley and I don’t have a thing. He just doesn’t like me very much. And I guess the feeling is mutual.”

  “He doesn’t like you very much,” Corb repeated, as if sounding out the words for someone with limited understanding. “Right. That’s totally believable, Cass. Good cover.”

  He had inside information of some sort, she realized. Which could only have come from one source. “What did Farley tell you, Corb?”

  Her brother just gave her an innocent grin. From experience she knew that nothing she did or said would get him to spill the beans.

  Brothers.

  Why couldn’t her parents have given her at least one sister?

  * * *

  “AT SOME POINT you have to put your own life on your priority list, Farley.”

  Liz sounded more upset than Amber had when he’d called to bow out of their date. He couldn’t make the movie—or the dinner.

  Farley pulled into the lane leading to the home where he’d lived all his life—except for the years he’d spent going to university in Bozeman and Washington. The ranch house had been built on the south end of four sections of wide-open meadows with timbered ridges and a mile of Careless Creek flowing through it.

  Once upon a time his ancestors had tried their hand at cattle ranching, but his grandfather and father had both abandoned those efforts in favor of veterinary practice, renting out the rest of the land to their neighbors who used some for grazing and the rest for hay.

  The old barn had long since been converted into an office, with examining rooms and stalls and pens for housing animals that requ
ired overnight stays.

  “The situation at the Harringtons’ was serious, Liz.” If only they’d called him in three weeks earlier, instead of trying to diagnose the problem themselves. “I couldn’t just walk out on them to go watch a movie.”

  “You need to partner with another vet, Farley. There’s too much work for one man alone. Frankly, you could use more office staff, as well. You may be willing to forgo a personal life, but I have four kids and a husband. I hate to leave my work undone at the end of the day, but lately I’ve had to do it.”

  “I know you work hard. And I appreciate it.” No way would he put up with all these lectures she gave him if he didn’t.

  “Thank you. But you’re missing the point. I wasn’t looking for a pat on the back. It’s time you made room for more in your life. To put it plainly—besides a business partner, you also need a wife.”

  If he was talking to anyone else, he would have hung up at this point. But Liz was right about one thing—she kept his life running as smoothly as possible and he couldn’t do without her.

  “I don’t have time for a girlfriend, let alone a wife.” He pulled up to the garage and shifted into Park.

  “That’s because—”

  “I’m home now. Gotta go, Liz.”

  He turned off the ignition and the Bluetooth cut out, truncating the rest of his very capable assistant’s advice. He loved Liz. Usually. And then there were times when he’d like to trade her in for a quieter model.

  His dogs met him as soon as he stepped out of his SUV. Tom and Dick were mongrel terrier mixes, part of a litter dropped off at his clinic five years ago. They’d proven to be great companions, much less trouble than either a girlfriend or a wife. If only he could train them to answer phones and work the computer, he’d be set.

  “Hey, guys. You hungry? I know I am.” Farley made his way in through the side door into a large mudroom with a bathroom attached. He always had a shower and changed after work, no matter how tired or starving he was.