His Favorite Cowgirl

by Leigh Duncan

  “Crap,” she whispered at last. “How’d he let things get this bad? I was hoping to sell the ranch to pay for Pops’s care, but...” A pair of expressive brows rose over rapidly widening eyes. “Those nursing homes the social worker mentioned—I spoke with a couple of them on my way out here. They’re mighty proud of what amounts to three squares and a room. I’ve stayed in five-star hotels that didn’t charge as much.”

  “That’s down the road though, right? First, he’ll be in rehab till his leg heals?” Hank worked a pick through the little mare’s hooves. “The way I see it, your first priority has to be the taxes. You have the money?”

  Kelly sighed. “I have enough in savings to pay the bill. It won’t leave much.”

  He propped his elbows on the mare’s back. “You pay those taxes. It’ll buy you some time to figure out what to do next. Meanwhile, your grandfather’s Brahmans have already overgrazed that pasture. They need to be moved.” In a gesture that stirred a long-forgotten urge to be her hero, Kelly tucked her bottom lip beneath her teeth. He swallowed. “Look, the job’s too big for one person, which is probably why Paul didn’t get around to it. I can spare a couple of the boys for the day or so it’ll take to move those cows. Any longer than that, though, and you’ll have to clear it with Ty.”

  Tugging on the end of her ponytail, Kelly stepped back. She folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t expect you to solve my problems for me, Hank. Ty, either.”

  “Hey, we’re just talking.” Uncertain where the conversation had veered off track, he held up his hands in mock surrender. “There was a time when we could talk about anything.”

  “That was different.” Kelly’s arms remained in place, her posture stiff. “We were friends.”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “We were a lot more than friends.”

  The gelding pawed the wooden floorboards as Kelly stared at a spot somewhere over his left shoulder. “Those days are done,” she whispered. “I’m not interested in starting over.”

  “Me, either.” Even if he was dumb enough to take up with a woman who’d walked away from him without so much as a second glance, with all he had going on this year, starting up with his old girlfriend again had bad idea written all over it.

  “Just so you know,” Kelly said, thawing a bit.

  “No problem. I’m just trying to be neighborly.” He grabbed a brush and gave the little mare another rub down. While he worked, he explained, “Besides, you know the Parkers. They’ll insist on helping with your grandfather’s cattle till he’s on his feet again.” For good measure, he added, “Any of us would.”

  Kelly appeared to mull things over. With a sigh, she dropped her arms to her sides, the fight seeping out of her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

  “It’s all right.” Hank scuffed one boot through the straw. “You’ve got a lot on your plate.” He fought an urge to wrap an arm around her shoulders when moisture dampened her eyes. Neighborly kindness would only explain so much. Instead, he gathered an armload of curry combs and brushes. Stopping at the door to the gelding’s stall, he glanced back at her. “So, we’re good, neighbor?”

  “Yeah,” she said, running a calming hand over the gray’s long neck. “We’re good.”

  By the time the horses were fed and watered and the tools stowed properly, the sun had dipped beneath the horizon. In the distance, the last glimmers of daylight painted the low-lying clouds gold. Night birds winged across the sky, their calls rising above the drone of cicadas. From somewhere far off came the throaty growl of a bull alligator.

  Hank paused for a moment, drinking in the view he’d missed during the years he’d spent in North Florida, where sunsets hid behind hills and tall trees. It seemed ironic that Kelly wanted to leave all this behind just as he was rediscovering it, but—he shrugged his shoulders—the choice was hers. He wasn’t a part of her life anymore. Still, if she was serious about selling the ranch, he wouldn’t mind handling it for her. Or earning the big commission the sale would generate. He leaned against his truck. Though the housing market had dried up, he still had contacts in Tallahassee who might be interested in the ranch as an investment.

  “I’m more familiar with land prices in North Florida, but I’d be glad to run some comps—comparison sales—for you. It’ll give you a good idea of the market.” He gestured to the barn door, which, thanks to a broken hinge, tilted at an odd angle. “I can tell you one thing, though. You won’t get top dollar without fixing the place up a bit.”

  “I have a meeting with Pops’s attorney in West Palm tomorrow morning. I’ll know more about what I can or can’t do with the ranch after that.”

  “Oh, yeah? I’m going there myself. I’m driving over to pick up my daughter.” Hank lifted his Stetson and ran a hand through his hair while he worked out the logistics. The two-hour drive into the city would give them time to hammer out a plan for selling the Bar X. “Maybe we can ride together and talk over those comps on the way.”

  Kelly’s head rose. “You have a daughter?”

  “Noelle. She’s ten, going on eighteen.”

  Something dark worried Kelly’s eyes. “You didn’t mention you were married.”

  “Divorced,” he corrected. “I met Amy while I was riding in the rodeo. The marriage didn’t last past Noelle’s first birthday.”

  “Didn’t take you long to move on, did it?”

  He winced at the accusation, but he couldn’t argue. She was right. He’d practically bounced from the breakup with Kelly straight into Amy’s arms. With her golden hair and a willowy figure so much like his first love’s, the fan who’d walked up to him in a bar the night before the Silver Spurs rodeo had seemed irresistible. As it turned out, the two women were nothing alike, though Amy had kept her true colors under wraps for a while. It wasn’t until after the wedding that he’d discovered his bride’s family owned half of Tallahassee. A short while later, he’d realized she’d skipped over the faithfulness part of her oath to love, honor and obey.

  He cleared his throat. “It was one of those whirlwind courtships you hear about all the time, but nobody thinks will happen to them. This one didn’t have a happy ending.” But that was a story for another day.

  For a minute, he thought Kelly might insist on hearing the sordid details. He held his breath until, at last, she shrugged.

  “Well, I best get moving if I’m going to have a handle on Pops’s accounts when I meet with the lawyer.”

  “And I’ll check out the local real estate tonight so we can go over some numbers on the way. Pick you up at nine?” Noelle’s flight was due a little after noon.

  “That works.” On her way to the house, Kelly turned back. “Thank Emma for the casserole,” she said. “And you for all your help.”

  Hank resettled his hat. Forgiveness wasn’t a particularly strong trait in the Tompkins clan. He supposed, based on the harsh relations between their families, an uneasy truce with Kelly was the best he could hope for. But, watching her walk away, he couldn’t help wishing fate had spooned just a smidge more forgiveness into the tall blonde’s nature. If it had, he was pretty sure they’d still be together.

  Chapter Three

  One shoulder propped against the concrete wall in the arrivals area, Hank pulled a scrap of paper from his back pocket and consulted his notes. Noelle’s flight had left Tallahassee on schedule that morning. According to the airline, she’d had plenty of time to make her connection in Atlanta. A glance at the flight status board told him his daughter’s plane had touched down in West Palm half an hour earlier. But no flight attendant escorting a preteen had streamed past his vantage point. In fact, five minutes had passed since the last person had walked down the Jetway.

  Had his daughter missed her flight? Worse, had she missed the connection in Atlanta? His heart clenched at the thought of his child wandering unaccompanied through the huge in
ternational hub. He pushed upright, his pulse thudding, as he looked around for someone in charge.

  He spared a last glance down the walkway and spotted a thin slip of a girl flanked by airline employees. A welcoming smile sprang to his lips and he waved, but he might as well have saved himself the effort. Noelle’s head remained down, her sandy-blond hair draping her face while her fingers flew across her cell phone. Hank heaved a sigh. So much for their happy reunion.

  When Noelle lagged behind, the attendants exchanged exasperated looks over her head. Their heels sounded a harsh clatter against the marble as they prodded her along. Stopping at the entrance to the empty waiting area, one of them consulted a clipboard. “Mr. Judd? Mr. Henry Judd?”

  An air of quiet desperation clung to the woman in the navy blue uniform. Hoping to put her at ease, Hank stepped forward with a slow smile. “Hank Judd. That’s me.”

  Deliberately, Noelle reached for an earbud that dangled from a loose wire. She jammed the piece in her ear. Her voice louder than necessary, she announced, “Yes, I’m here. The plane landed hours ago, but the stewardess let everyone else off first. Really, Mom, you ought to complain. That was so not first class.”

  “Noelle!” Hank’s back stiffened at his daughter’s rudeness.

  His ten-year-old looked up from her cell phone long enough to roll her eyes. “Whatever,” she mouthed.

  The flight attendant’s rigid expression tightened. “I’ll need to see your driver’s license, sir.”

  Hank aimed a sympathetic smile toward the woman while he reached for his wallet. If a child he’d been assigned to watch had behaved so badly, he might have been tempted to hand the brat over to the first person willing to take her, ID or no ID. He checked his watch, not at all surprised to see that less than five minutes had passed, and he’d already gone round one with his daughter.

  Without saying a word, the attendant jotted down a few numbers and handed him the clipboard. Hank signed his name. The two women walked off, their suitcases rolling behind them. And, just like that, Noelle was his responsibility. He glanced at the child who continued to type.

  “Noelle,” he interrupted. “Thank the ladies.”

  Her mumbled response sounded a whole lot more like “For what?” than “Thanks.” The minute they were alone, Noelle’s lips pursed. “Internet service on the airplane was so bad I couldn’t even text my friends.”

  “That’s probably because you’re not supposed to use your phone on the flight.”

  “Whatever.”

  As his daughter repeated a word he was already certain he’d hate by the end of her first week in South Florida, Hank drew in a deep breath. This was not the start he’d envisioned when he insisted Noelle come stay with him, but really, her reaction was exactly what he deserved. Determined to get things off on the right foot with his only child, he reached for the backpack slung across her shoulder. “Here, I’ll carry this. Let’s go get your bags. Where are your claim tickets?”

  Noelle’s feet remained rooted to the floor. “That’s all I brought.”

  He hefted the bag, judging its weight. “Mighty light for a whole semester, don’t you think?”

  “I can send for the rest...if I stay.” Noelle rolled one shoulder in a dismissive move she’d obviously copied from her mother.

  Hank swallowed a quick retort. Noelle might be rude but she had a point. Until recently, he hadn’t made his daughter a priority in his life. He’d been too busy building his business, chasing after the almighty dollar, to give his child the attention she deserved. Deep down, he’d known it was wrong to let Amy ignore their custody agreement. To give in when his ex-wife insisted Noelle would rather ski in Aspen or Vale than rattle around in his Tallahassee condo over Christmas vacation. Or that attending summer camp with her friends was better than hanging out by his pool.

  All that had changed when his dad died. Both Amy and Noelle had skipped the funeral. Not long after, it had hit home that if he didn’t want to spend the rest of his life a stranger to his only child, he’d have to make some adjustments. Noelle’s coming to stay with him at the Circle P was the first step.

  But what had he gotten himself into?

  He gave his daughter a long, appraising look on the way out to the parking lot. By his estimation, the wedge heels she tottered along on were far more suitable for a teenage ingenue than for a child who hadn’t celebrated her eleventh birthday. Her lace-trimmed leggings, which ended at mid-calf, wouldn’t last through a day’s work on the ranch. He tsked at the bra straps boldly displayed on each shoulder. A bra? Her body hadn’t even begun to fill out. Was his little girl in such a hurry to grow up?

  He shook his head. No matter what the answer, the situation called for a shopping trip.

  “We’ll stop in Okeechobee on our way back,” he announced, sliding in behind the wheel. “Afterward, we’ll grab a bite before we head to the Circle P.” Cowboys had the best burgers in town and it was on the way. He put the truck in gear. “First, though, we have to pick up my friend Kelly.”

  “Kelly? You brought your girlfriend along?” Scorn dripped from Noelle’s voice. She flopped back onto the seat. “This whole trip sucks,” she declared.

  * * *

  KELLY STARED THROUGH the tall glass windows overlooking the sidewalk. Briefcases swinging, attorneys in three-thousand-dollar suits blotted sweat from their foreheads as they hustled to and from the courthouse at the end of the block. She smoothed the tailored skirt of the one black suit she’d thought to throw in her suitcase and told herself she should join them. Should step from the air conditioned building where Jim Buchanan had his offices. Yet she couldn’t make her feet move. Couldn’t pry her fingers loose from their tight grip on her satchel long enough to push open the lobby door. Admitting the talk with her grandfather’s lawyer had muddled her thoughts, she took a much-needed moment to digest an overload of disturbing information.

  Not for the first time since receiving the call that had upended her life, she wished she had someone to turn to. A friend. A confidante. Her gaze slid across the street to the truck parked beneath a tall palm tree. In the front seat, Hank leaned past the headrest to speak with his daughter.

  In her teens, he’d been her go-to person. She’d been able to tell the tall rancher everything, share all her secrets with him. Of course, that was before she’d had to face the consequences of giving in to a potent mix of first love and raging hormones. Before Hank had stormed out instead of living up to his promise to stand beside her no matter what. Yet, she missed their camaraderie. Despite a decade of trying, she’d never shared that same connection with anyone else.

  Could they get that easygoing give-and-take back again? If only for a little while? It wasn’t as if either of them planned to stay in Glades County. Soon, Hank would return to his business in Tallahassee. The minute she settled her grandfather’s affairs, she’d head back to Houston. She wanted to believe Hank when he swore neighborly kindness, and nothing more, was behind his offer to help with the chores on the Bar X. After all, good neighbors shared their troubles. They even offered one another advice, didn’t they? Surely, she and Hank had grown old enough, wise enough, smart enough to avoid anything deeper than friendship for the short time they’d be around each other.

  A traffic officer pedaled slowly down the street. When he stopped to write a ticket for the vehicle behind Hank’s, Kelly managed to get her feet in motion. Charging into the thick blanket of heat and humidity that passed for weather in West Palm Beach, she raised a hand.

  “Hank!” At the first break in the traffic, she crossed to his truck. “Sorry. I hope you weren’t waiting too long,” she offered as the policeman rode past.

  “We’ve only been here a few minutes.” Hank’s smooth tone calmed her nerves while she settled her satchel on the floor at her feet and slipped her purse from her shoulder. “Things at the airport took longer than I�
��d planned.”

  From the backseat came an accusatory, “I told you the flight attendant wouldn’t let me leave. She treated me like a baby. I am ten, you know.”

  While Kelly buckled her belt, Hank exhaled slowly. “She was just doing her job,” he said, his voice tightening. “If you’d gotten lost, she would have been in big trouble.”

  Kelly slanted a cautious look toward Hank before, with a renewed determination to act neighborly, she summoned a smile.

  “Hi! I’m Kelly.” Thin gold bands jangled lightly as she extended a hand. “You must be Noelle. Your dad has been looking forward to your visit.”

  With a brief nod, Hank spoke loud enough to be heard over his truck’s throaty engine. “Kelly’s grandfather is very ill. She came home to take care of things while he’s in the hospital.”

  “Is he going to die?”

  Though the bald-faced question nearly made her flinch, Kelly stopped to think. Was he dying? The medical staff stressed the need for long-term care, but they didn’t know her grandfather the way she did. From sun up to sun down, the man had spent his life outdoors. Unless he could regain the ability to walk, to speak, she feared he’d lose the will to live. Her stomach clenched and she cleared her throat. “I hope not, Noelle.”

  “My grandfather had a heart attack last Christmas,” the girl said. “He and my grandmother are on a cruise around the world while he gets better. My mom went with them. I was supposed to go away to school.” She gave a sigh worthy of an actress on Broadway. “Dad made me come here.”

  Kelly winced as sympathy for the child squeezed her heart. Abandoned by her mom, convinced her father didn’t want her—the kid’s emotions had to be all over the map.

  Noelle crossed her thin arms. “But don’t get used to my face. I won’t be here long.”

  The unease of years spent bouncing around while her mother moved from one low-end job to another, one relationship to another, rippled through Kelly’s chest. She quirked a brow. “I thought you were starting school next week.”