Heart of a Cowboy

by Kristin Vayden

  “Nah, I’m bushed. Save some for me tomorrow?” he asked.

  Laken nodded once, watching as he closed his eyes and seemed to rest. She listened for a few moments, making sure his breathing sounded relaxed, but not too relaxed, before she closed the door partway, and headed down the hall.

  Her stomach rumbled as she inhaled appreciatively the aromatic scent coming from the kitchen. “You know, I think I’ll keep you around. As long as you feed me,” Laken announced as she walked toward Cyler. She halted her steps as she studied the table.

  Cyler had covered the table with a lace cloth, and a sputtering and slightly bent candle burned in a glass-holder in the middle. Two plates of spaghetti waited with steam curling around the top.

  “Yup. Definitely keeping you around,” Laken repeated, only more quietly as she met Cyler’s gaze.

  “Glad to know I can be of some use,” he teased. “We can’t exactly go out, and even if we could, you’d be worried about Jack the whole time. So, I figured I could just make it nice for us here.” He hitched a shoulder.

  Laken felt her cheeks ache from her wide smile as she flung herself into Cyler’s arms, hugging him tightly. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. You know, if this is the response I get, I might have to do this every night.” He flashed her a wink.

  “It smells so good and I’m starving.” Laken released him and walked over to the table.

  Cyler beat her to the chair and pulled it out for her.

  She grinned a thank you and sat down.

  After taking his place across from her, he lifted his fork. “After dinner, I need to make a quick run to the grocery. All this was just to butter you up so you’d do dishes.” He twirled the spaghetti around the tines and shoved it in his mouth, grinning at her all the while.

  “Should have known,” Laken teased before taking a bite. After swallowing, she shrugged. “Fine. I can do dishes. But tell me that you’re meal planning for the next few days.”

  “Maybe, or maybe I have something else planned,” he replied ambiguously before taking another bite.

  “Hmm, a man of mystery. Just so you know, I prefer my men as cooks. Just saying. Mystery is totally overrated.”

  Cyler simply rolled his eyes.

  It was a perfect moment. The day hadn’t exactly been easy, and Laken guessed that seeing Breelee had been difficult for Cyler. Yet here he was, making the world stand still for the two of them. It was odd how he knew exactly what she needed, when she didn’t even know she needed it herself. But this quiet, intimate dinner in the middle of the kitchen was perfect.

  Laken thought about how people always talked about love, but few ever actually experienced it in all its glory. Sometimes there had been hints and glimpses of it, but to truly experience it was nothing like Laken had ever known. Love was terrifying and wonderful, and so much deeper than she’d ever expected.

  “Something on your mind, sweetheart?” Cyler asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

  She lifted a shoulder. “Just thinking about life. You know, it’s kinda beautiful.”

  “Kinda, huh?” he teased.

  “You know what I mean. It’s just…I’m really glad you’re here. I kinda like you.”

  “Like, huh? Well I kinda love you, Laken. Weeks ago, when I all but chased after you for that kiss, I told you I wouldn’t take no for an answer.” He chuckled. “You should have seen your face though. You’d have thought I had you at the end of my gun barrel.”

  “Hey! I was a little terrified.”

  “Maybe so. But you warmed up real quick.” He winked.

  Her face burned, remembering the pickup and the stargazing that didn’t really happen. “Too quick.”

  “Life’s uncertain. I’m learning that more and more. But there are a few things I’m sure about, and one of them is you, honey.”

  His blue eyes seared his words on her very soul as she met his gaze.

  “I love you too.”

  “Good. I wasn’t exactly giving you an option,” Cyler teased, standing from his chair.

  “You killed my moment.”

  “Nah, I’m just making you a new one.”

  He held out his hand, and she took it, rising from her chair. He met her lips with a searing kiss, nipping, teasing, loving her with each caress before breaking the exchange.

  “I don’t want to leave, but I know you’ll love what I have planned. So, I’m going to step away, get in my truck, and be back in an hour. Oh, and I know you haven’t had Paige out here for a while, so I asked Jack for her number. She’s coming out in about an hour to give you a break.”

  “Wow, that’s nice of her.”

  “She was more than happy to do it.” He kissed the top of her forehead then backed away. “Damn, I hate leaving you, even for an hour.” He gave her a broad grin, causing his blue eyes to crinkle before he gave a quick wave and darted out of the kitchen.

  Laken sighed, watching him leave.

  “I hate it when you leave too,” she murmured as she heard the front door shut quietly. She took a deep breath. “Well, let’s get this done.”

  In short work, she saved the remaining spaghetti for Jack, just in case, and cleaned the dishes. A knock on the door signal’s Paige’s arrival, and Laken greeted her with a hug. “I had no idea until Cyler just told me. Thanks for coming out.”

  “We all need a break sometimes. I’ll just sit with Jack for a while and you go and have some fun.” Paige nodded kindly, and disappeared down the hall.

  Laken was setting a large quilt on the kitchen table when she heard Cyler’s truck rumble up the drive.

  As she went to the front porch, he waved her over to the truck. “Give me a hand? But no peeking.”

  “Sure.” Laken lifted her crossed fingers.

  “Funny.”

  “I thought so. At least I’m honest about my dishonesty.”

  “Yeah, you’re a regular saint, Laken.”

  “I’ve been called worse.”

  “Just carry that bag. If you peek in there, I’ll get rewarded.” He handed her a paper sack.

  She couldn’t resist and glanced inside. A big grin covered her face. “Yes! Bless you.” It was a twelve-ounce bag of Starbucks Pike Place roast. “I’m sure Kessed is taking good care of you, but I also know you’re not going to be making your coffee runs as often, so…” He hitched a shoulder.

  And Laken fell a little more in love.

  “But first, coffee?” she joked.

  “That’s my girl,” Cyler replied over his shoulder as they walked into the house.

  Laken listened, but Jack was still sleeping quietly, so she headed to the kitchen to put the coffee away with Cyler and the mystery bag behind her.

  “Don’t peek,” he warned then paused. “You know what, I don’t trust you. Go outside and wait for me.” He set his bags down and nodded toward the door.

  “What?”

  “You heard me. Outside.” Cyler pointed and waited, giving her a steady stare.

  “You don’t scare me.” Laken crossed her arms.

  Cyler strode over to the counter and picked up the coffee, arching a brow in challenge.

  “Fine! That was low,” Laken grumbled, trying to hide her grin as she left the kitchen.

  “Here.” Cyler called quietly, and she turned.

  The thick quilt landed against her chest. Instinctively, she held out her hands and caught it.

  “Nice catch.”

  “Good reflexes,” she shot back but turned to go out the screen door.

  The summer temperature was still steady, and when she looked to the horizon, Laken could see the heat mirage distorting where the land ended and the sky began. Not much grass was left, and most of it was more brown than green, but she found a patch that seemed more welcoming than the rest and laid out the quilt.

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nbsp; “Alright, close your eyes,” Cyler asked from the porch.

  “Closing them,” she answered.

  Laken heard his boots crunch the brown grass as he walked over. The rustling of paper and a low curse had her grinning, wondering what he’d tipped over or messed up. “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, keep ’em closed,” he murmured, and the sound of glass clinking softly had her curiosity growing. “Is there blood? I hear glass?” she teased.

  “No blood. I’m starting to get a complex. You’ve asked that twice today. I don’t know if that makes me sound like a badass or a walking disaster.”

  “It’s a tossup.”

  “You know how to build a man up, Laken.”

  “I know. Another one of my many talents.”

  “Annoying talents.”

  “I never said they were good talents.” She bit her lip as she grinned. “Can I open my eyes yet?”

  “So impatient.”

  “So slow,” she whined.

  “Okay, you can open them now.”

  A battery-operated candle flickered its glow against a plate of grapes, sliced apples, and what looked like honeycomb. Next was a plate of various cheeses, some soft while others crumbling or slivers of a harder variety. Two wine glasses were sitting precariously on the bumpy quilt beside a bottle of wine. Another plate had dark chocolate sprinkled with pink sea salt, as well a lighter version that hinted at a sweeter taste.

  “Whoa. Totally worth the wait.” Laken glanced up, meeting Cyler’s almost-wary expression.

  “I’m glad you like it. Being romantic takes a huge effort on my part, and I wanted to make sure I got it right.” His lips tipped into a lopsided grin, one that made his dimple deepen on that side. His blue eyes twinkled in the orange sunlight, and he glanced away as if slightly unsure.

  Odd.

  Her brow furrowed as she regarded him.

  “Stop staring. I—I just wanted it to be right.”

  “Because I’m really picky,” she taunted, reaching for a grape.

  He lightly smacked her hand. “Hey, not yet.” He held up a finger. “You’ve been winetasting, right?”

  Laken shook her head. “Nope. I know, I know. It’s like a sin, living here and not going to the local wineries, but I—I don’t exactly have much free time and, well, Starbucks is closer?” She smiled like a kid trying to be pardoned from something wrong.

  “What am I going to do with you?” Cyler muttered. “Okay, so let me explain all this.” He sat up on his knees and started to point to the various things. “The grapes will bring out a different flavor in the wine versus the cheese. It’s amazing. I went with a red blend, rather than, say, a cab. It’s a little friendlier of a wine.”

  “You realize you just called wine friendly.” Laken tilted her head, giving a sly grin.

  “Pay attention.” Cyler feigned a mock glare.

  “Yes, sir.” She saluted and watched as he picked up the bottle.

  “This is from Gard Vintners. It’s local and one of my favorites. You’ll like it because it has a cocoa powder note and—”

  “Note?”

  “I have so much to teach you.” Cyler closed his eyes and muttered, “Yes. Notes. It’s the”—he twisted his lips as he thought—“subtle hints that come out in the wine. And it will change and highlight different flavors with different food pairings.”

  “Food. Now we’re talking.” Laken nodded her approval.

  “You’re killing me.”

  “In the best way possible.”

  “Sure.” Cyler nodded, his tone heavy with sarcasm as he poured two glasses of wine. The deep red color swirled like a burgundy whirlpool around the glass till it settled. He held out a stem to her.

  “Thanks.” She took the glass and gently tilted it back and forth.

  “Smell it first. Like this.” He eddied the wine, like he had before, but tipped the glass slightly as he held it up to the sunlight. “See the streams of wine coming down the side? Those are the legs.”

  “Friendly wines with legs. You know, this is starting to sound less like winetasting and more like—”

  “Just swirl your damn glass,” Cyler interrupted, rolling his eyes. “The legs are the alcohol content.”

  “Friendly legs of alcohol.” Laken smiled and swirled her glass as well, watching as the sunlight highlighted little streams. “Wow, that is kinda cool.”

  “Took you long enough. Okay. Now one more time then smell it.” Cyler started swirling again and sniffed, closing his eyes. “Everything you smell is the bouquet, and with each rotation, different nuances come to the surface, changing the scent slightly.”

  Laken mirrored his actions, inhaling deeply. The hint of something dark and fruity hit her with a vague familiarity. “What is that? I can’t think of what it smells like, but it’s familiar.”

  “It gets easier as you practice. You’re picking up plum and the cocoa powder I mentioned earlier,” Cyler said.

  “Yeah, that’s it. Wow. I’m kinda impressed.”

  “That was kinda the plan. You’re just making it really easy.”

  Laken rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well, it’s the least I can do.”

  “Ok, swirl it again, take another deep inhale, and tell me what you think now.”

  Laken followed his directions, only this time the fruity scent was weaker, and a smoky note came to the surface. “Okay, I’m officially into this. Something’s smoky? Tea-like? How does it do that?” She blinked at her wine glass, amazed she’d learned so much without even tasting it.

  “I knew you’d love it. What you’re smelling is a black tea note, and if you swirl it again, you might pick up olive or bay leaf.”

  Laken swirled the wine once more, this time trying to pick up the olive or bay-leaf note. Sure enough, it was there in the distant background.

  “Take a sip now, just a small one,” Cyler instructed, tipping his glass back.

  Laken followed suit, the flavor practically assaulting her as she picked up the notes of fruity mixed with the dark cocoa and something deeper. Cherry?

  “How many bottles did you bring?” Laken asked, smiling as Cyler rolled his eyes.

  “Easy. I only brought one. That’s more than enough.”

  “For you.”

  “For us both.” Cyler shook his head as amusement danced in his gaze. “Alright, now take a grape and then take another sip. See if it changes.”

  “So now I have permission to eat?”

  “Yes, unless you annoy me. Then you’re cut off.”

  Laken made a lock-and-key motion on her lips and picked up a grape. She popped it in her mouth; the sweetness was even more powerful than she’d expected.

  “Nice to know I can control you with food.”

  “You do know how I cook, right?” Laken asked after swallowing.

  “Yeah, I see your point.” Cyler chuckled. “Take a sip, and tell me what you think.”

  Laken sipped the wine again; this time the red blend seemed almost sour before blooming to a bold flavor that highlighted the grape’s lingering sweetness. “I think I understand why people eat wine with their meals. It makes food taste better.”

  “Exactly. Give me a steak and a cabernet sauvignon, and I’m one happy man.”

  “Rancher that eats steak. Shocker.”

  “You know, you’re the one who said that mystery was overrated.”

  “Nothing wrong with your memory,” Laken remarked, taking another sip.

  Cyler walked her through several other pairings. The harder cheese made the wine seem almost buttery, whereas the honeycomb gave the wine a bright floral flavor. The sun slowly set over the horizon, and soon they’d finished the bottle.

  “You need to check on Jack?” Cyler interrupted her thoughts on the very same topic.

  Laken glanced to her watch.
It had been more than two hours, and Paige was probably getting ready to leave.

  “I’ll be right back.” Laken gave a quick smile before disappearing into the house.

  Her body glowed with warmth, both from the sunshine and the wine. It had been a perfect evening, and she didn’t want it to end. Thankfully, Cyler didn’t have to go back for a few days. She’d noticed how she was living for those times when he was home with her. Biting her lip, she pushed those thoughts to back of her mind and gently pushed open Jack’s door and walked to his bed, glancing over to where Paige sat.

  Paige looked up from her book, greeting her with a smile. Lifting a finger to her lips to signal quiet, she collected her purse and gave a quick finger wave before patting Laken’s shoulder, and leaving.

  Laken smiled softly, but it was from a heart that felt heavy. As she turned back to Jack, she noticed that his pulse was regular, but his breathing was a little shallower than she’d liked. His oxygen levels weren’t too low, but she wished they were higher.

  Wished.

  Hoped.

  Prayed.

  Really, those three things were all that remained for them, but with the same ending. Nothing could change that; the only thing remaining now was how that time was spent. When Jack was up and around, teasing her, it was easier to ignore the hourglass of life’s sand. But in the quiet, it was harder to disregard.

  Bruises lined his arms as he lay on his back, and a few bandages covered his fingers. It was a shame that people usually didn’t realize what a miracle it was to simply heal, until that blessing was taken away.

  Jack stirred slightly, his heartbeat spiking before returning to its usual cadence on the silent, flashing monitor. Laken kissed her fingertips then placed them on his arm before quietly leaving the room. She left the door slightly ajar to hear him if he needed her. She glanced down the hall to where she could see the living room clock. She probably had about three hours till Jack would likely start coughing, needing more care.

  “Everything alright?” Cyler walked toward her from the hall.

  “Yeah, he’s sleeping.”

  “Good.” Cyler reached out, pulling her into an embrace. “So, I was thinking…”