by Caryl McAdoo
With number six back in the big corral, just as the sun dipped below the horizon, she joined him. “Great day, Asa.” She bumped her shoulder against his. “You are so much help, and I want you to know I appreciate it.”
“Thank you, we done?”
“We can save the other two for tomorrow. Thought we’d ride together to feed.”
“Uh, huh. I’ve got your number, Faith Robbins, you just want a gate opener.”
Her eyes twinkled, and she smiled. “You know me so well.”
Now that was a great confession. That God created the fruit of her lips worked in his favor with her saying things like that. Happy she’d forsaken her constant ‘I don’t know you and you don’t know me’, he zipped his jacket all the way up. “I’m your gate man, darlin’. Want me to get you a jacket?”
“Naw, I’m good. Let’s get it done, then I’ll see to dinner.”
He closed the last gate then jumped back into the flatbed. Of all the chores, dropping creep feed was the easiest. “It’s getting late already, want to go out for dinner?”
“I can cook.”
“You’ve been bronc busting all day. You shouldn’t have to go cook, too.”
“It’s no big deal, especially with you being so good at the sink afterwards. You do not know how much I appreciate that.”
“I’ve still got plenty of meal money, how does Mexican sound?”
Faith parked the truck, closed the barn doors, and took one last gander at her charges. She loved the animals. Horses had been her favorite since she got her first pony on her fifth birthday. Both new and old appeared fine. On the walk to the house, she reached over and swiped his arm. “You sound so much like my father.”
“How so?”
“Eating out. Or just spending money, period. You are two peas out of the same pod.”
“Speaking of, why don’t you see if he wants to go, too. The Lord provided plenty of meal money.”
“Cooking at home is so much cheaper.”
“Only about twenty percent. What’s your time worth? Besides, we have something to celebrate. You didn’t get bucked off one time.” He arched his brows. “Plus no dishes to do at Rio Verde’s.”
The man had a point. Was that why the Lord brought him into her life? To bring some balance in her workaholic world? But eating out had always been a treat, even before her father got sick. He may take her out once every two or three months. And of all her household chores, she dreaded cooking the least. Still, she had worked plenty already.
“Fine then, you talked me into it. But we’ll let Daddy decide. See if he’s up to it.” She slipped her hand into his.
ELEVEN
She thrilled Asa. It surprised him how much he enjoyed working with the colts. The first time he climbed aboard proved rather tense, but she’d picked out the mildest-mannered one for him to start on. Bit by bit, he and the long twos progressed. By that following Friday, his ninth day with her and fifth with the new horses, Faith sent a chill through his heart.
“Time to take ’em out.”
“You mean like out of the round pen?”
“Sure.” She giggled. “They can’t work cows if they can’t get out.” She stressed the last word. “You’re up to it, aren’t you?
Another test, how many would he have to pass? “Fine, okay, what’s a few broken bones?”
“Come on.” She shoved his shoulder then nodded toward the coral.
“Will there be bucking?”
“Shouldn’t be, but if any of them start bad acting, rein him in a tight circle. That’s all you have to remember.”
Oh yeah, tight circle and don’t fall off. Sure, easy for her to say. With his gut in a knot, he threaded his left foot into the stirrup and heaved ho into the saddle. He loved being up so high—so long as he decided when to get down. But the sorrel didn’t buck at all. He made his bid for freedom, and Asa’s leg bumped up against hers. That was fun.
“Don’t give him his head. Keep your reins level and hold ’em back firm.”
Out ahead of her, his horse went to bouncing something fierce. “Is he bucking?”
“Naw, just prancing a little.” She trotted up beside him looking as comfortable in the saddle as he felt behind the pulpit. “What do you think?”
“He’s being so good. I love it. I thought they’d be wild, and we’s fixin’ to have our own private rodeo. How far will we ride ‘em?”
“Oh, twenty or thirty minutes each for today. Once you spend the time in the round pen with ’em, they’re usually pretty docile, then it’s only a matter of riding them every day for a while. They’ll pick ‘em up in a month, and the horses’ll probably go back out on the range until they’re four.”
Her leg brushed his, and he loved the touching. Oh, how he longed to hold her tight and never let her go. What would that be like?
The way she opened and closed the gates without getting off impressed him. That afternoon, while working the last pair, he impressed himself when he let her talk him into taking his hand off the saddle horn.
She grinned like he’d just jumped a major hurdle. “You hold on with your legs anyway.”
“Hey, want to go dancing again? The Top Rail’s open tonight, right?”
“I’d love to, but a guy I know called after you left yesterday. Wanted to know if I’d team rope with him tonight. Said he’d pay and throw in a round of barrels.”
“Oh, yeah, who?’ His chest tightened. “Anyone I know?” He hated the thought of her teaming up with some other cowboy. Right, like he’d graduated to the ranks of men who rode horses for a living because he’d sat on four in one day.
“Don’t think so—Lester Wright. Has a place in the Sulphur Bottoms. He’s an old dude, cowboyed some with Daddy in the days.”
“So what? You both rope a cow together?”
“Calf, they turn one out. We rope him then get him on the ground. Quickest time takes the prize money.”
Well, that didn’t sound too bad, unless she had a thing for older men? Any man in his right mind would be interested in her. “So you ride the same horse with this guy?”
“No, silly. Are you jealous, Asa Davidson? That’s it, isn’t it? You’re jealous.”
“Well, of course I am. I’m amazed every morning that there’s not a gang of suitors camped out on your porch.”
“Just don’t be; you won’t be after you meet Lester anyway.”
So was she expecting him to go with her? “Whatever.”
“You are so sweet. Bone headed, but sweet. Lester’s a header, I’m a healer.”
For the next few minutes, she explained how team roping worked, how much money she could win. “And prizes, too.” She nodded toward him. “That saddle you’re sitting, I won that my junior year, plus enough money to buy a new Angus bull. You might enjoy it. I’ve sure missed going.”
“You’re not planning on riding any wild horses or bulls are you?”
“No, this is a ranch rodeo. You’ll see, but there won’t be any of that crazy stuff. So what do you think? Want to go?’
“Sure, why not?”
“Good, I told Lester we’d be there and arranged for Auntie to Daddy-sit. She wanted another Scrabble rematch anyway. Loves beating his brains in. I’m surprised he still agrees to play with her.”
While he helped finish the chores, he resisted busting her chops on being presumptuous, spotted her backing up to the horse trailer, then about lost it when she walked right into that little metal box with the over-sized quarter horse she called Doc. She tied the monster, closed the inside gate behind him, then walked right out like it wasn’t any big deal that she’d just risked life, limb, and his sanity.
Staring at his face, probably totally devoid of color from her expression, she walked toward him then rested her hand over his heart. “What’s wrong?”
“You! Getting in there with that horse. One wrong move and he’d crush you.”
“Silly man.” She patted his cheek. He loved her touch. “The Good Doctor and I are
best buds. He’d never hurt me. I raised him from a foal and he’d hurt himself to keep from hurting me.” She nodded toward the one ton. “You ready?”
“Yes, ma’am. If you think it’s okay for me to go in these dirty work clothes.”
“Oh yeah, you’ll fit right in, trust me.”
Trust her? Oh yes, he’d trusted her with his life. Hadn’t he proved it when he climbed onto that horse? And why not? Even if everyone would see him looking like a dirty cowboy. He wasn’t sure exactly when he gave his heart to her, but yeah, he’d trust her to Pluto and back. Only hoped she’d be able to do the same. How could he convince her that she could?
After a short stop at the house, she pointed her truck south, and off to rodeoing he went for the first time in his life. She’d inaugurated him in so many areas. A bit past the Sulphur River, something she’d said earlier wormed its way into the forefront of his consciousness. “How come you stopped roping?”
“Didn’t want to tempt myself.”
Okay, he added two and two and came up with the wrong man. “So you and DeWayne Carter used to team up, right?”
She glanced over. “Yessiree, we were real good at it.”
“Well, if you ask me, you did real good quitting.”
She grinned. “After Hambone and I broke up –”
“Who’s Hambone? What number is he?”
“Burk Hamilton, that new guy I told you about. That’s what everyone called him, or just Bone. Anyway, he ran interference, so it wasn’t that big of a deal before, but…”
“So that’s what you want me along for? In case Carter’s there?”
She shook her head and smiled. “No, I promise. You already broke it, whatever spell or hold he had on me. When you put DeWayne in the gravel, and then the idiot ran away like the coward he is. Before, everything in me would have longed to run after him, but I had no desire to. It was really almost weird that I didn’t even think of needing to make sure he was okay.”
“I’m glad.”
“That’s when I knew.” She reached over and patted his hand. If he could have his way, every day, for the rest of his life, his skin would be touching hers. “I don’t love him; he’s just some guy I used to think I loved.”
Hearing her say it aloud eased his troubles, but she never said how she thought about Asa. Never gave him a clue. Well, the kisses, but was she coming around at all? Surely the answer had to be yes. The rock in his gut wouldn’t let him ask, but then nowhere did it say wives love your husbands, only to submit as unto the Lord.
A grin made its way to his mouth. He couldn’t help it, just couldn’t see her submitting so readily. Seemed she pretty well got her own way most of the time, the kind of woman to accept any challenge, run whatever needed running, and make things happen. Would she have shut this deal down if he had said no to the rodeo?
Father God, help me help her. I so want this deal to work.
But did she?
Good loud crowd cheered his girl. He loved having her right by his side except when roping or barrel racing. She never even spoke to another man past howdy, and the arena turned out not such a bad place to meet and greet. Asa passed out a lot of cards. Praise God for Vista Print. The thing went later than expected, but with great food, fine folks, and best of all no DeWayne Carter, he didn’t mind.
Bless the Lord, he needed to pray more for the man. He hated it that right that minute, he’d just as soon see the bum burn in hell. That wasn’t what Jesus wanted of course. And it wasn’t what his heart wanted either. Praying DeWayne Carter into Heaven was going to take a lot more knee time.
Faith loaded Doc, then stuck her hand in her front pocket and pulled out a wad of greenbacks. “Bless God, we’re in the money, twice.” She peeled off two twenties and held them out. “Here take this.”
“What for?”
“Next time we go out.”
For a heartbeat—or six—pride held him back, then he shrugged and took the money. “Why not? It’s all God’s money and mine will be yours and yours will be mine soon enough.”
She stuffed the rest into her jean pocket, but didn’t say anything about his declaration one way or the other. He hoped she would, but she did pat his chest. “Well, Asa my dear, what’d you think?”
“It was fun, talked to a lot of folks, ate too much, but overall, I enjoyed it a lot.”
“Told you there was nothing to worry about with Lester, and I was right, wasn’t I? He’s like old enough to be my grandfather.”
“My kind of team roper.”
“You are so funny.”
“When Les is roping, no one would know he’s an old geezer, that’s for sure. The way that man got to those calves and put them on the ground, wow, and double wow for Doc, too. I’d never think such a big animal could turn corners so tight and stop on a dime. He’s phenomenal. Then there was you, riding like the wind. I really liked it that you didn’t have to use your spurs, not like that little girl after you. She jammed her heels into her poor horse’s flanks ’til I thought she’d bloody him. Felt so sorry for him.”
Faith nodded in sympathy then grinned. “Hey, I got another offer on him tonight, twenty-five grand, and the guy was serious. Doc’s that good.”
“Gracious, how’s that possible?”
“The little darling who came in second, it was her daddy. They go to four or five rodeos a month. He’d get his money back in no time.”
Asa never mentioned the best part of his night was her ex not showing. “I’ve got to confess though, I caught several cowboys hankering after you, really wanted to slap this one guy who kept staring you down.”
“Oh, Davidson, get a life. That’s all in your imagination.”
That’s what she thought.
Faith could have mentioned the hussies, young and old alike hovering too close around him, but instead, she nodded toward the cab. He didn’t seem to be interested in any of them though. She loved how he only had eyes for her, unlike some unnamed idiots she’d been squired by in days gone by. “You ready?”
The next night at the Top Rail, he must have decided to take Rusty’s advice and held her close on the first slow number. She didn’t pull away, but sort of leaned in. He felt so good. Later that night on the porch, she slipped in and planted a good one on his mug, pressed in even tighter when he kissed her back. She liked the glimpse of being one with him.
A pretty picture.
Like the gentleman she expected him to be, he didn’t offer one time to put his hands where they didn’t belong. And after one last soft peck, and a prayer for God to make a way, he left, which was probably a good thing. His hang-dog expression tickled the fool out of her, but it pleased her even more that he drove off when she figured it was the very last thing he wanted to do.
That night while she studied the flowers on her walls, she asked herself one hard question. Was she falling for the man? He was so nice and, strange as it seemed, the guy really did get better looking every day. How was that possible? She knew the answer—all about how handsome he was on the inside.
A light rap on her door pulled her from her ruminations. Aunt Iris stepped in. “Hey sweetie, how’d it go?”
“Good, yes ma’am, plenty good. We slow-danced like we meant it, then just now I took to some serious planting on his very kissable lips.” She cleared her throat. “He returned the favor first time, and for a rookie smoocher, the man ain’t half bad.” She giggled. “I’m the only human he’s ever kissed. How’s that for sweet, I ask you?”
“Awe, it is so precious. So, was that Carter boy there again?”
“No. What do you know about that anyway?”
She gave her that knowing look, the same one her daddy use to throw at her, except maybe a little more smug. “Third hand by way of Oklahoma, which I think is a perfect travesty! And then there’s been several little birdies chirping the same song. Seems DeWayne Carter is stewing about you and Asa, shooting his loud mouth off. And well, if it were me, I’d be keeping an eye out.”
“
Forget him. He had his chance, and he didn’t want any part of Asa. Our preacher man can take care of himself, Auntie. You should have seen him. The way he put DeWayne in the gravel was slicker than calf slobber.”
Aunt Iris grinned. “I love it. You’ve fallen for him. I told you he was heaven sent, so when’s the wedding? I don’t see one reason to wait until next month. Your daddy…” She looked away, shook her head, then looked back. “Well, I gave him an extra pill this evening.”
“Oh, Auntie, you just can’t do that. He’ll run out, and the doctor’s real hinky about giving him extra.”
She leaned in close. “Look here, sweetie, I can have your daddy all the dope he needs in no time flat. I can’t stand him hurting, and if you haven’t noticed, you don’t have to worry about him getting addicted to them.”
“Why do you say that?”
The old woman screwed her face up. “Cause he already is.”
“Well, isn’t that just great.” Faith scratched her head and finger-combed her hair behind her ear. “I don’t want to see him hurt either. Last time we went to the doctor, he was talking about sending hospice on out. I said no, and Daddy didn’t argue. It’s too final a step.”
“But once they get involved, they’ll keep him comfortable. And really, there isn’t a reason in the world why he shouldn’t be. But I know he won’t hear of it until you’re married. Wants to keep his wits about him. Truth be known, he may need to ride you down the aisle in a wheel chair. I don’t know if he’ll be able to make the length of the church walking.”
“You think?”
“Especially if you insist on waiting. Let’s get back to your wedding,”
“Auntie, it’s only been ten days, and I’m not sure it’s love. I mean I do respect the man, and really enjoy spending time with him. He’d make a great father I think, and –”
“And what? You just described the perfect husband. Let’s get this thing done. Who knows, your daddy might hang on long enough to see his first grand baby if you two get busy.”
