In the Cowboy's Arms

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  “Whoa, there, Geena, ma’am.” Cade took off his hat and settled it more securely on his head. “Back up the bus. You gotta leave something for the rest of us. My lady purely loves watching me operate a vacuum cleaner.”

  Lexi sighed dramatically. “I’ll admit it. Nothing’s sexier than a man running a vacuum.” She fanned herself. “Oh, baby.”

  “I’d never want to deprive you of that.” Geena focused on Lexi, figuring she’d understand the situation even if Rosie balked. “Can we split the job, two cabins for you guys and two for us?”

  “Sure, why not?”

  “I like it.” Matt lifted his coffee mug in Rosie’s direction. “Over to you, Mom, but I hope you’ll throw in the towel. And the mop and the broom while you’re at it.”

  “Matthew Edward.” Rosie frowned at him. “Young women who come to visit Thunder Mountain are welcome to help out a little bit because that’s being mannerly. But they’re not supposed to wash windows and mop floors.”

  “Oooh, she said your whole name, bro.” Cade rolled his eyes. “Either she’s touched or annoyed. It could go either way.”

  “I’m both.” Rosie pulled a tissue from her pocket. “But mostly I’m touched.” She dabbed at her eyes and gave them all a teary smile. “When I listen to the four of you arguing for the privilege of cleaning the cabins, it gets to me.”

  “I’ll just bet it does,” Cade said. “You’re probably remembering all the years we tried to argue our way out of doing it.”

  Rosie laughed and dabbed her eyes some more. “Yes, you certainly did. Very creatively, too.”

  Cade looked over at Matt. “We were rotten, you know?”

  “I know. We should have been more grateful, more willing to—”

  “Now, hang on,” Herb said. “We’re talking about normal boys, here, right?” He put an arm around Rosie. “We would have worried if you’d all gone about your chores with a smile on your face and a song in your heart.”

  Cade chuckled. “Yeah, that would have been kind of sickening.”

  “I loved it all,” Rosie said. “The arguing, the pranks, the roughhousing. The handpicked bouquets.” She winked at Cade.

  “Who knew that was poison ivy?”

  Herb shook his head and sighed. “Everybody but you, son.”

  “So many great memories.” Rosie looked at Matt. “I’ll never forget when you had the lead in Oklahoma!”

  “Yeah, that was epic,” Cade said. “Lining up outside the auditorium an hour early to make sure we sat in front and threatening the younger guys with death if they goofed off during the performance.”

  “Instead, they were mesmerized,” Rosie said. “So was I.” She reached over and squeezed Matt’s arm. “I knew then you’d make it. I’m pretty sure I told you so.”

  “Yes, ma’am, you did.” Matt’s voice was gruff with emotion as he held Rosie’s gaze. “Always remembered it.”

  “Okay, okay.” Cade pushed back his chair. “We need to break this up before I start bawling. You don’t want to see that, Geena. It gets ugly. So, Mom, is Geena cleared to be part of the cleaning crew?”

  “Oh, all right.” Rosie got up from the table. “But not in that outfit. Come with me, Geena. While the rest of this bunch tidies up the kitchen, I’ll find you some knockabout clothes.”

  Geena followed Rosie through the living room and down the hallway. Rosie made a comment about the unseasonably warm weather expected that day and Geena responded to that, but she was more interested in the family pictures lining the hall. A quick glance revealed that most of them were group photos of teenage boys. An older one of a couple in wedding attire had to be Rosie and Herb, but nearby hung a recent wedding picture featuring the couple Geena had met the night before, the ones with the baby.

  Rosie looked over her shoulder and paused. “That’s Damon and Philomena. They have a baby girl now.”

  “I know. I met them last night...sort of.”

  “What do you mean, sort of?” Rosie walked back to stand with her in front of the photograph.

  “I was waiting in the driveway debating whether to go up and knock on the door when they came out. They were friendly until they found out who I was. Then they politely offered to escort me back to town.”

  “Oh, dear. I suppose he was trying to protect Matt. They do stick up for each other. By the way, I called Damon this morning, told him you were staying here and that you were a very nice woman.”

  “Thank you, Rosie.” Geena impulsively gave her a hug and then wondered if she should have. “You’ll have to excuse me if that was overly familiar. I just—”

  “I love getting hugs.” Rosie smiled at her. “The more the better.” She gestured to the wall of pictures. “My boys are all good huggers. Some of them came here with the idea that it was unmanly. They got over it.”

  “I wish I could have seen this place back then. It must have been something.”

  “I have videos. Maybe while you’re here we could have a movie night.”

  “I would love that.” Geena gazed at the two smiling people who’d been so suspicious of her last night. “Do you have videos of little Sophie?”

  “My first grandchild?” Rosie’s blue eyes glowed with pride. “You know I do! I’m supposed to get a studio picture for this wall any day now, too.”

  “I guess you could end up with a lot of baby pictures, couldn’t you?”

  “I hope so. I’ll start a new wall somewhere else in the house if I need to. Now, let’s go find you something cool to wear. It’ll be a scorcher today.” She led the way into a master bedroom containing furniture that was probably as old as the marriage. It wasn’t a fancy room, but the bed was neatly made with a white chenille bedspread and the surfaces looked freshly dusted.

  “This is my stash of hand-me-downs.” Rosie slid back the doors of a large wall closet tightly packed with jeans and shirts hanging from the rod and boots lined up along the floor. “Some kids leave stuff and friends donate things. Sometimes I shop at the thrift store. It’s all washed and mended.”

  “This is amazing, Rosie.”

  “Thanks.” She gave Geena an assessing glance. “I could let you go through them, but it’ll be faster if you let me pull some things out. By now I’m pretty good at knowing what will fit and look good.”

  “All I care about is the fit. Looking good isn’t a priority.”

  Rosie laughed. “Oh, yes, it is. Everyone functions better when they like the way they look. That was one of the first things I learned when I worked in social services. Get someone a decent outfit or two and their entire attitude changes.” She quickly chose three shirts and three pairs of jeans. “Not that I think you need an attitude change. Yours is excellent.”

  “Why, thank you.” Geena flushed with pleasure. “What a nice thing to say.”

  “I know quality when I see it.” Rosie handed over the clothes. “Go into the bathroom and try those on while I sort through the boots. That’s trickier. Are you about an eight?”

  “Nine. I really appreciate this, Rosie.”

  “I appreciate you going the extra mile.” She hesitated. “Nobody likes to be falsely accused, but Matt’s more touchy than most. His birth mother used to blame him for all kinds of things he didn’t do.”

  “I’m not surprised. Any mother who can walk away and leave her kid...”

  “Did he tell you about that?”

  “This morning.”

  “Good. Then he must trust you, because he doesn’t share that with many people.”

  “I completely understand that he’s a very private person. But I’m desperate to find a way to improve his image. I was hoping to use his background, but he doesn’t want that for many reasons. Reporters aren’t the only ones who could show up here asking questions.”

  Rosie nodded. “Right. There’s
Mindy. I’ve been worried about her ever since he landed that role. She could already be trying to find a way to contact him, but no point in making it easy for her.” Rosie patted Geena’s arm. “I know this is a knotty problem, but give it a little time. You’ve only been here since last night.”

  Geena laughed. “Funny, but it seems much longer. I feel as if I’ve known you for years.”

  “That’s a lovely compliment.” Rosie held her gaze. “I’m going to help you figure this out. Like I said, give it time.”

  Geena drew a deep breath. “Okay.” She chose not to mention that time wasn’t their friend. Even as they stood there discussing the problem, Briana’s PR machine was spewing out garbage about Matt. The longer he stayed in hiding, the more likely people would believe all those hateful lies.

  * * *

  After Geena changed into her borrowed clothes, she checked in with Larissa and took notes for the calls she’d make after she finished cleaning. The hour’s time difference would be a bonus. Matt, Cade and Lexi had gathered the supplies and were heading to the porch by the time she left her bedroom.

  She’d taken everything Rosie had chosen and put on the outfit she liked best. Rosie had also come up with a straw Western hat to keep the sun out of her eyes during the walk to the meadow. Geena had twisted her hair on top of her head and shoved the hat over it.

  The boot-cut jeans were a little snug on her, but they were soft and amazingly comfortable. So were the boots Rosie had found. The button-front green plaid shirt was designed to tie at the waist, which gave it a sassy feel. A quick glance in the mirror confirmed that she was finally wearing something that fit the occasion.

  Matt’s wide smile told her she passed muster. “You look great.”

  “Thanks.” She noticed he’d taken time to shave, which could mean there were kisses in her future. The thought warmed her all over and she worried that her cheeks were pink. Couldn’t be helped. “What should I carry?”

  “How about a bucket and a mop?” Cade handed them to her and then divided up the rest of the supplies. He was clearly the person in charge.

  While Geena had been trying on clothes she’d asked Rosie to fill her in on Cade, whose function wasn’t clear to her. It turned out that besides being the ranch foreman and primary student chaperone, he also taught an academy class in horse psychology. He and Lexi lived in a new log home near the meadow and the pasture, and Rosie had said they couldn’t manage without him.

  As they all started down toward the meadow, Cade put a hand on Matt’s shoulder. “Have you provided Geena with any background on these historic log cabins, bro?”

  “He has not,” she said. “For one thing, I didn’t know they were made of logs. And there are four?”

  “Now there are,” Cade said. “But originally there were only three. Damon and Phil built the fourth one last summer, so technically only the first three are historic. Especially the first one.” He glanced at Matt. “Is it okay if I tell her about the brotherhood?”

  “Go for it.”

  “I should hope you can tell her,” Lexi said. “She volunteered to clean cabins, for pity’s sake. She’s working hard to save Matt’s reputation. Geena’s aces in my book.”

  Geena flashed Lexi a smile. “Thanks.”

  “So, the story of the brotherhood.” Cade adjusted his grip on a second mop he carried on his shoulder like a rifle. “The first three guys Rosie brought home were Damon Harrison, Finn O’Roarke and me. Damon’s—”

  “I know who Damon is,” she said. “And Finn’s the guy who brews the beer we drank last night.”

  “Exactly. So we created the Thunder Mountain Brotherhood. We had a blood-brother ceremony in the woods where we swore to be straight with everyone, protect the weak and be loyal to one another for life.” He stated the pledge without a trace of mockery. He’d obviously believed in the concept then and he believed in it now.

  Geena’s throat tightened as she imagined three homeless boys pledging to stick together through thick and thin. “That’s very cool.”

  “We thought so, too, but unfortunately we were kind of exclusive. We claimed the first cabin and although it sleeps four, we wouldn’t let anybody else in.”

  Matt shook his head. “Tell me about it. You acted like you were royalty.”

  “I know. We were obnoxious. But we finally grew up and realized that every guy who shared the experience of living here with Rosie and Herb should be a part of the brotherhood, so now it’s official. Everybody’s in.” He reached over and punched Matt lightly on the arm. “I hope you weren’t too traumatized by being excluded for a while, big guy.”

  “Nah. There’s always the cool crowd and then the rest of us.”

  “Yeah, but today I’m just a lowly cowhand and you’re a famous movie star.”

  Matt grinned at him. “Bite me.”

  “And get sued by your studio for damaging the goods? No, thanks.” He turned back to Geena. “Anyway, that was life in the cabins. Never a dull moment.”

  “Yeah, and I loved it,” Matt said, “despite being lorded over by three megalomaniacs. I used to pretend we were all living on the frontier.”

  “Which wasn’t so far from the truth, considering we had to hike down to the bathhouse in the middle of the night to take care of business. Speaking for myself, I felt like Davy Crockett every time I made that journey.”

  Geena blinked. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “No, he’s not.” Matt looked over at her and grinned. “There’s no running water in the cabins.”

  “Really? How could you manage without indoor bathrooms?”

  “Oh, we had indoor bathrooms,” Cade said. “We just had to go outdoors to get to ’em. Rain or shine, sleet or snow, down the path we would go.”

  “Sometimes we had to shovel first, like if we had six feet of snow,” Matt said.

  “And that was if you could get out your door to shovel.” Cade shifted his mop to the other shoulder. “Once the snow was so deep we couldn’t pry the doors open. I don’t think you’d arrived yet, Matt. Dad dug us out or we would’ve had to climb out a window. I’ll bet we had a good ten feet that year.”

  She couldn’t imagine, but then she was a California girl. “I suppose there are bathrooms in the cabins now, though, for the academy students.”

  “Nope.” Matt shook his head.

  “No?”

  “They have to do the same thing we did. It’s tradition. Toughens them up.”

  She held out the bucket she was carrying. “So, you’re saying in order to mop the floors we have to haul water from the bathhouse?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Wow, this will be more of an adventure than I thought!”

  “You really don’t have to do this.” Lexi came over to put an arm around her. “Offering to help was a nice gesture, but I’m starting to feel bad about having you do manual labor on your business trip. The three of us can handle it.”

  “Nice try, but there’s no way you’re getting rid of me now. I was the kid who never went to camp. I would have loved to—” She stopped in her tracks as the semicircle of four cabins came into view. Nestled in a grassy meadow, they did look as if a family of settlers might have constructed them. Tall pines ringed the meadow and wind sighed through the top branches, making a sound that was hauntingly familiar.

  Benches surrounded a fire pit in the middle of the cabin area and the lingering scent of charred logs blended with the aroma of pine. She longed to sit on one of those benches, roast marshmallows and tell ghost stories. Then she’d pile into a cabin with her friends and zip herself into her very own sleeping bag.

  “Like it?” Matt’s question brought her out of her daydream.

  “I don’t just like it. I love it.” She realized everyone was watching her with a bemused smile. “This may sound ridiculou
s, but seeing this meadow is like finding something I didn’t know I missed. I can’t hear traffic noises or sirens or jackhammers. Maybe I’ve always needed a place like this in my life. I just didn’t know it.”

  Chapter Nine

  Matt had been bowled over by Geena’s transformation from city girl to country girl thanks to Rosie’s magic closet. Then she’d made those heartfelt comments as she’d stood gazing at the log cabins where he’d spent the happiest years of his life. She’d reacted to the meadow exactly as he had the first time he’d laid eyes on it. She was rapidly turning into the girl of his dreams.

  Now he really wanted to take her over to his ranch so she could picture herself going there with him next time he came home. He wouldn’t let himself plan too far into the future because that would be foolish. But if he’d found a woman who loved both the film industry and the rural beauty of Wyoming, they could have some fun together.

  Once she’d finished exclaiming over the rustic beauty of the cabins and their setting, Cade handed out directions. “We only have one vacuum so we’ll have to trade that back and forth. You two can take it first and we’ll wash windows until you’re done. Then you can wash windows and mop floors while we vacuum. We’ll reverse the process for the next two.”

  “Got it.” Matt said.

  Cade settled his hat more firmly on his head. “You need to flip the mattresses and look for any items they left behind. After the fall semester we found somebody’s credit card.”

  “Aye, aye, sir.” Geena gave him a snappy salute.

  Cade’s eyes sparkled with laughter. “You’ll do, recruit. See you in a few.” He and Lexi headed off.

  “Nice salute.” Matt carried the vacuum cleaner, and Geena took the bucket and mop.

  “Learned it in an acting class in case we ever had an audition for a military role. Did you take any classes or are you just a natural born talent?”

  “I took community college courses while I was here and enrolled in a couple of acting studios once I hit LA. That was expensive, though, so mostly I watched Westerns because I knew that’s where I could shine.”