Smokin' Hot Cowboy Christmas

by Kim Redford

  “Sure you have.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I checked Fernando’s website. There’s a photo of you standing with Storm and Bert Two in the garden at Wildcat Hall.”

  “You must be mistaken.” She glanced at Rowdy, looking confused at the news. “I’ve never been with Bert Two.”

  Rowdy felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach. It’d finally come, that moment when his two lives collided in the worst possible way at the worst possible time. He should’ve told her. He knew he should’ve told her. His dad had told him to tell her. And now it was here, hitting him in the face with no retreat possible.

  “Well,” Ty said, “were you or were you not at Wildcat Hall?”

  “Yes, I was there a few weeks ago.”

  “Okay. That settles the matter. You were there long enough to get caught in a photo with Bert Two.”

  She focused on Rowdy, cocking her head to one side as she considered him. “Storm wanted her mother to take our picture.”

  “And Bert Two just happened to be there?”

  “No…at least I didn’t think so at the time.”

  Rowdy didn’t know what to do. Did he get up and leave? Did he smash her phone before the truth finally hit her? Did he stay and try to explain the unexplainable? He had only one option, and he’d always known it. He just had to suck it up and hope for a Christmas miracle…or that maybe that for once in his life his luck would turn good.

  “Belle, you’re not making sense. I know Bert Two. He’s standing right beside you in that photo.”

  She stared at Rowdy as tears gathered in her eyes. “That’s Rowdy with me.”

  “What?”

  “Rowdy. You know the guy I’ve been telling you about helping me here at the house. That’s Rowdy with me.”

  “Are you telling me that Bert Two and Rowdy are the same guy?”

  “No…that’s what you’re telling me.”

  “All I know is that’s Bert Two in the photo. Maybe he’s taken on an alias I hadn’t heard about. Maybe it’s a leftover Halloween joke. Maybe it’s—”

  “Ty, I need to go. Kemp will be over tomorrow to pick up Daisy Sue. Thanks for all your help.”

  “But, Belle, are you okay?”

  “Everything is fine. Not to worry. I’ll be in touch later.” She flung her phone across the patio where it hit the grass.

  “I can explain,” Rowdy said.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “I love you.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “I have a good reason for the deception.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  She stood up, shaking her head with tears spilling down her cheeks.

  He stood up, too, and held out his arms. He wanted to comfort her, comfort them both.

  She backed up. “I think you’d better go.”

  “Not before you hear me out.”

  “All right. You’ve got thirty seconds to tell your side of the story.”

  He swallowed hard. It was bad. Worse than he could’ve expected, and he’d expected bad. “We can work this out.”

  “You lied to me. In what world of love is that okay?”

  “It’s not.”

  “And still you did it.”

  “My luck…my bad, bad luck.”

  “It’s not luck. It’s choice.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  “If you won’t even accept responsibility for your actions, how can you possibly expect me to believe a word you say?”

  “I love you. That’s not a lie,” he said.

  “Hah.”

  “I didn’t want to lie. That’s the truth.”

  “Hah.”

  “At least accept this truth.” He was grasping at straws, but he needed her to at least believe something about him. “I am Bertram Holloway. Bert Two to folks around here.”

  “And the Buick Brigade knew it when they told us about the first Belle and Bertram. That’s why the two of us together were so important to their story.”

  “Yes.”

  She swiped away the tears on her face. “Rowdy is, what…an alias, a penname, a joke on me…a joke everybody in this county is in on?”

  “No. I’m Rowdy now. You made me Rowdy.” He wanted to hold her and make everything right so strongly that his teeth ached from the pressure. “I’d always been Dad’s sidekick, a chip off the old block. Bert Two. When you’re young, that’s okay. I’m even known as the unluckiest cowboy in the county.”

  “I heard.”

  “I accepted it all, every bit of it as my place in life…until you came along. You accepted me as Rowdy, a footloose cowboy poet who was lucky enough to do anything he wanted to do if he wanted to do it when he wanted to do it. He had no bigger responsibilities than to love you and make you happy.”

  She swiped at her eyes again.

  “I liked that man. I enjoyed being that man. I became that man.” He moved closer to her as he realized the truth about his actions. He hadn’t even known completely what he was doing until this moment.

  She rubbed her nose and looked down at the patio, but she didn’t move away from him.

  “I wasn’t Rowdy until you saw me as that man. You believed in me. You changed my luck. How could I not love you with all my heart?”

  She looked back at him, tears glistening in her eyes.

  He held his breath, hoping against hope that his words would mean as much to her as they did to him. Maybe hope was the wrong word. Luck. He’d never accept being the unluckiest cowboy in the county ever again.

  “I love you, too.” She took a deep breath. “And yet I need you to leave now.”

  “But, Belle, there’s so much I want to tell you.”

  “Not now. Right now my heart is breaking, and I just need to be alone. Please don’t make this any harder on me.”

  “No, I won’t do that.” He glanced around the patio…at the pigeons, the furniture, the patio. Home. Belle’s ranch had come to be home. “If it helps, I’m sorry. I was wrong. I regret it.” He felt like crying, too, but he wouldn’t, at least not now.

  “I’m sorry, too.”

  “If it’s all I’m ever able to give you, please enjoy my Christmas gift. I made it for you with love.”

  And he walked away, leaving his heart behind.

  Chapter 36

  Belle was all dressed up and on her way to Steele Trap Ranch. She looked a whole lot better on the outside than she felt on the inside. Lulabelle & You duds could hide a world of sins, but nothing could hide the pain that was tearing her apart after learning that her Rowdy was actually a stranger named Bert Two Holloway. Okay, so they were the same man, but that wasn’t the point. She’d been betrayed by him…and for that matter, she’d been betrayed by the entire community since everyone had been in on the deception. If she’d been any further off her estimation of folks here, she’d be in orbit.

  Eventually, she’d have to address the issue of Lulabelle & You Ranch, like dumping it as fast as she could and getting back to the city where life and people made a whole lot more sense. But for now, she had to finish what she’d started in Wildcat Bluff County.

  She glanced over at Kemp Lander. He’d cleaned up well, too. He wore a red-plaid, pearl-snap Western shirt, pressed Wranglers, a jean jacket, ostrich boots, and a beige cowboy hat. She’d opted for one of her new Western rancher suits in charcoal gray with a pencil skirt, fitted jacket, holiday-green blouse, and black cowgirl boots. All in all, they both understood the importance of the return of Daisy Sue to Fernando. Storm would make sure there were plenty of video and still shots for them to use in cross-promotion later.

  Daisy Sue rode in the trailer pulled by Kemp’s one-ton truck. By this afternoon, she’d been on the road several hours from East Texas, so she was prob
ably ready to get out and stretch her legs. Fortunately, she’d been primped for her photo shoot. She was all sleek and shiny black with polished hooves.

  Belle wished the drive between the two ranches could take a long, long time, but they were next-door neighbors, so there wasn’t a chance of that happening. As it was, she took a deep breath and braced herself for the coming confrontation. Not that she was going to say anything. She was born and bred to be polite. Besides, she just wanted to get through today and let it go at that.

  She figured quite a few folks would turn up. Maybe even Bert Two aka Rowdy. She could handle it. She’d handled worse, maybe. And she could do it because she knew she’d never see any of them again for the rest of her life. That thought buoyed her spirits. It would help get her through whatever people might say and whatever events Storm had planned for her beloved Angus. And that was that. She’d prefer a deletion of the past few weeks, but she could at least end it with a definite period.

  When they rolled under the Steele Trap Ranch sign, she glanced at Kemp, and he glanced at her. They both took a deep breath at about the same time.

  “You don’t think they’re going to chew us out for not finding Daisy Sue sooner, do you?” he asked.

  “No…not on camera anyway.”

  “She’s not even their cow. If you want my opinion, they’ve got their nerve making a big stink about us moving a cow from one ranch to another ranch.”

  “That’s one way of looking at it.”

  “It’s the only way to look at it because it’s a fact. That Steele family treats reality pretty loosely.”

  She took an even deeper breath. She had to get Kemp settled down before they got there. He’d been on a wild goose chase for what must seem like forever, and he had to be ticked off about all the wasted time and effort.

  “And that Storm—”

  “Kemp, I know this has been an embarrassing fiasco for you. It has been for all of us. I regret it…but you came through in the end and figured it out. We found her. There’ll be a bonus in your end-of-the-year check, if that helps out.”

  “Thanks. It’s not the money or the time and effort as it is the sheer off-the-wall, out-of-the-blue strangeness of it…not to mention that cousin of mine. I’ve been a cowboy my whole life, but this business with Fernando and Daisy Sue is something else.”

  “It’s different, I admit. At the same time, Fernando—and now Daisy Sue—is an inspiration for people. He’s a hero. And she’s the love of his life.”

  “He’s a bull. She’s a cow.”

  “Yes, that’s the basic fact just like you’re a man and I’m a woman. And yet we become so much more as we live our lives. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  “Yeah. It’s a fact, and I know it well, that every single cow or bull in a herd is different…ornery, smart, tricky, placid, you name it.”

  “That’s so true. As it turns out, Fernando is a smart, loving hero. We don’t know about Daisy Sue yet, but she’ll be a mother, and that’s important.”

  “Guess it doesn’t hurt none for city folks to find out that cattle are a lot like them.”

  She couldn’t keep from smiling at that assessment. “Somehow I don’t think that’s what they’ll get out of it, but you’re not far off the mark. Ultimately, I suppose it’s all about love.”

  “That’s another whole kettle of fish.” He glanced over at her. “Best not go there for peace of mind.”

  She didn’t say it, but she couldn’t have agreed more. “Anyway, this can only last so long, and then it’ll all be over.”

  “Sooner the better.”

  As he drove up toward the barns and corrals, she could see it was going to be a bigger circus than she could’ve imagined in her wildest dreams. Oscar Leathers and his dog, Tater, were directing traffic to an area of the pasture that had been roped off as a parking lot.

  “Would you look at that,” Kemp said. “Storm’s got the Wildcat Den out in force.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Take a look. Wildcat Jack is the guy with long silver hair wearing his trademark fringed buckskin jacket, and beside him is Eden Rafferty. They’re DJs for KWCB, our local radio station. It’s got a big online audience, so I bet they’re live-streaming.”

  “Oh…well, that’s good publicity.”

  “They’re live-streaming, all right. There’s Nathan and Ken of Thingamajigs. They’re tech.”

  Belle realized once more how few people she actually knew in the county, but it didn’t matter anymore. After this performance, she was out of there for good.

  “And there’s Storm with the Steele family and Dune Barrett, her mom’s fiancé. Morning Glory and Mac. Hedy and Bert. Fern and Craig. Ivy and Slade. Misty and Trey. Lauren and Kent. Looks like Cole came in from the county dump. And there’s, uh, Rowdy.”

  At that name she felt a shiver run up her spine, but she ruthlessly tamped it down. She’d known that he’d be here. She could live with it because he no longer existed in her world. She wouldn’t be able to see him even if she looked directly at him. She felt a little better at that idea, but not much. Still, she must rally and put on a good performance. Lulabelle & You depended on her being professional and in control no matter the circumstances.

  “Lots of folks here.”

  “Go very slowly, not only for the camera but so all those people can get out of the way.”

  “Where’d they come from?”

  “No idea.”

  “They’re wearing Fernando and Daisy Sue sweatshirts.”

  She looked closer and saw that he was exactly right. Storm probably sold them…and the design was good. Belle got an even better look as the group parted to each side of the road to make way for their pickup and trailer. A shout went up. That’s when she realized that this was, indeed, a circus.

  “I hope I don’t run over anybody.”

  “We’re on camera. Lower your window. Look out and wave as we go by folks.” She did exactly that and was rewarded with waves and cheers from the crowd of well-wishers.

  “I’m driving. You wave.”

  “I feel like I’m in a parade and I should be throwing out candy.”

  “I could use some candy about now. What do you have in mind? Fruit or chocolate?”

  “No candy.” She gave him a stern look and then went back to waving and smiling as they slowly made their way to the corral.

  “If I can’t have candy, I deserve hazard pay. The way those folks are darting back and forth across the road, they’re lucky I don’t wipe them out. And they’re taking pictures with their phones and not looking where they’re going.”

  “Please, whatever you do, don’t hit anybody or even slightly nudge them.”

  “And I thought hunting Daisy Sue was bad. I thought getting Lester home was bad. This is about a million times worse. I take back anything good I ever said about the situation.”

  “I don’t think you ever said anything good.”

  “Well, that’s good.”

  “Please focus on the road. I changed my mind. You’ll get candy later.”

  “Thanks.”

  She smiled and waved as he slowly drove up to the barn where Storm stood in front of Fernando’s corral. She wore her trademark “Fernando the Wonder Bull” sweatshirt with jeans, boots, and red cowgirl hat. Fernando wore a jaunty green cowboy hat between his ears for the occasion. They were surrounded by family and friends, all dressed in Western wear with big smiles on their faces.

  Kemp slowly and carefully maneuvered the trailer so Daisy Sue could be led out the back and taken directly to Fernando in his corral.

  “Showtime,” she said.

  “Not for me.” He glanced over at her. “I’m done. When you need a ride home, call me and I’ll come get you.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to stay to see Fernando and Daisy Sue reunited?”

 
“There are some things in life I might not be too sure about. This one’s a no-brainer. I’m done and done.” He grinned at her. “Let them get her out of the back, and then I’m out of here.”

  “Thanks…for everything.”

  “Anytime, boss.”

  She put a smile on her face and stepped out of the truck. She headed for Storm, but she was waylaid by the radio guy with his tech team in tow. She had no doubt they were live, so she might as well make the most of it.

  “Ms. Tarleton, I’m Wildcat Jack of the Wildcat Den. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Thank you. The pleasure is all mine.”

  “Now that you’ve brought Daisy Sue home to Fernando, is there any chance you’ll be taking her away again?”

  She glanced over at Storm and beckoned her over. They probably only had a few moments to get this right before the big unveil when Storm led Daisy Sue out of the trailer.

  Storm hurried over and gave Belle a hug. “Thank you so much,” she whispered.

  “I’m so happy that Lulabelle & You Ranch could come to the assistance of Fernando the Wonder Bull.” Belle looked from Storm to Wildcat Jack as she swiveled into promo mode.

  “Fernando and I are grateful for your help.” Storm followed Belle’s lead and smiled at Wildcat Jack.

  “There’s a big question on everybody’s mind,” Wildcat Jack said in his deep voice with his Texas accent.

  “What is it?” Storm asked.

  “Wildcat Jack already asked me, and I have a ready answer,” Belle said. “Daisy Sue will never be returning to Lulabelle & You Ranch because she is now in her permanent new home on Steele Trap Ranch.”

  “Really?” Storm clapped her hands together in delight.

  “Merry Christmas.” Belle gestured toward the back of the trailer. “Why don’t you lead Daisy Sue to her new home? You’ll receive her official American Angus Association papers soon, but as of right now, she can join Fernando on Steele Trap Ranch.”

  “Thank you!” Storm threw her arms around Belle again in a strong hug and then stepped back with a big smile.

  “You heard it here first,” Wildcat Jack said. “Daisy Sue is now permanently at home with Fernando. And now, let’s watch the happy couple as they are reunited after their long separation.”