A Son for the Texas Cowboy

by Sinclair Jayne

  “Really?” He did a double take, from her to Diego and back again. “Nah. You knew I’d stick on any ornery bull I drew.”

  She had thought that. She’d once thought Axel could do anything he set his mind on.

  “I was still terrified,” she admitted.

  “Cruz, nothing scares you.” He leaned closer, his eyes on her lips. “Nothing.”

  She could barely swallow.

  “So, Austin. It’s a yes, right?”

  Her cowboy had some smooth moves.

  Not my cowboy.

  “Not a date though.”

  “Maybe.” He looked amused. “You. Me. A kid. A gimpy beer wannabe wine tycoon and an angry woman.”

  She laughed. “When you put it like that, who could say no?”

  *

  Cruz leaned back in the passenger seat of August’s Lincoln Navigator. Axel drove. They’d had to take August’s massive car so he could prop his leg up on the seat. Her ears were still ringing from the pumping rock music from the AEBR show. She hadn’t had so much fun in ages. From the start of the show, where the arena had gone dark and the bull riders had sauntered out and struck their poses, to when the gunpowder lines were lit creating an AEBR logo all around the cowboys, to watching the bull riders drop down on the bull and start wrapping their ropes, to the rides themselves… She’d forgotten just how intense and exciting it was.

  “I had a really great time tonight, Axel, thank you,” she said.

  He nodded, his eyes on the road.

  Cruz glanced behind her. August stared out one window and Catalina focused on her phone. Diego looked about ready to fall asleep in the back.

  “That was pretty hilarious that Anders is called the Lone Wolf and the announcer played ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ and then the audience all howled when he finished his ride,” Cruz said.

  Diego made a howling sound and grinned.

  “So much for sleeping,” Axel said.

  “What was your song?”

  “I don’t remember.”

  “‘Waiting for the End’ by Linkin Park,” August said.

  “Funny,” Axel said.

  “What was it?” Cruz repeated the question. The silence stretched on and Cruz realized he wasn’t going to tell them.

  It hit her then that she should know. He rode the week after she’d broken up with him. But she hadn’t attended. Nor had she watched clips of Axel ride on the AEBR tour because it would have been too painful.

  Cruz was silent the rest of the way home.

  *

  Axel took the higher road that led to the house. He parked close to the side of the house near the path that led to the back patio.

  “Jesus, Axel, park in front. Use the front door like any normal person,” August said.

  Axel put the car in park, opened his door and got out. He turned back and tossed the keys to August.

  “Night,” he said.

  “Wait.” Cruz scrambled after him. “Axel.”

  He was already heading down the hill toward the bunkhouse.

  He paused, but didn’t turn around.

  She followed him. The moon was bright and it helped her to see the path. She caught his hand.

  So many words banged around in her head, but really, she might as well get to the truth.

  “What happened back there?”

  “Nothing.”

  She searched his face, but his expression gave little away.

  “Are you upset because I didn’t know your song?” It was the only thing she could think of since he’d seemed to enjoy the show tonight and acting as a commentator for Diego. Then he’d taken him backstage to the dressing room to meet his brother and a few other bull riders including Kane Wilder who had signed Diego’s shirt that Axel had bought him.

  “Long time ago, Cruz.”

  She should have known the name of his song. She could have googled it but hadn’t.

  “Do you miss riding?”

  He turned fully to face her. Finally. “Do you miss competing?”

  “Yes,” she said. “I miss the person I was when I competed. And I miss who I was with you.”

  Fearless.

  “I miss that, too,” he said, but she wasn’t sure if he meant being with her or riding.

  “I wouldn’t want to be on the tour now. It’s a hard life. But there’s something so pure about pitting yourself against a bull. It’s pure athleticism for both bull and rider.”

  “And yet you quit.”

  His face closed off. She hated that. Axel had never been talkative, but he’d been a wonderful companion. He’d planned fun dates. He’d watch her compete. Text her often. Rocked in bed when they made it to one.

  Mind out of the gutter.

  “I’d forgotten how intense it was,” she said. “What an adrenaline rush.”

  “Diego loved it.”

  Yes, he definitely had. She felt like some of the connection between them had been re-established. A thread, maybe, but it was a start.

  She was about to ask him if he wanted to stay at the house. How she could ask him without making it seem like she wanted him to stay with her, even though that was exactly what she needed?

  “You’ll probably be wanting to get him to bed,” Axel said. “I’ll see you in the morning before you drive Diego to school and head in to the hospital for your orientation.”

  It was a dismissal. But she stood there watching him returning to the bunkhouse until the darkness swallowed his striding figure.

  Chapter Eight

  On Friday afternoon, Cruz got off work early and stopped in town to pick up two pies for dinner—peach and peanut butter—which she’d learned were Axel’s favorites. Tonight they, along with a couple of the ranch hands, were going to help August and Catalina set up the wine tasting tent for the Bluebonnet Festival. Each night, she and Axel had been drafted into some sort of service.

  She’d loved it, which was part of the reason she hadn’t looked too hard for another place to live. She’d asked around a little at work, but hadn’t pursued any leads. She told herself it was because she was waiting for Shell and her husband to come home, and then she added to the story—she was helping August and Catalina.

  The truth was, she was happy. She finally had the sense of family she’d always missed. And Diego was thriving. Instead of staying in aftercare at school, he rode the bus to the ranch, and was dropped off right at the gate. Catalina, August or Axel always met him, and he’d head to the stable for a riding and roping lesson or he’d help Catalina in the garden. She and Catalina shared dinner-making duties, and they’d often swim or sit on the patio, sipping a glass of wine. Catalina had had a lot of wine delivered to the house from her cellar, which she was planning to debut at the Bluebonnet Festival along with August’s first vintage—none of which had been made with grapes on the property. That would happen this harvest.

  Cruz headed up to the winery to help load up the wine, the tent, and other materials they’d need, like wine barrels that would make the tasting bar. They would construct the booth tonight and load in the wine tomorrow. She loved coming up here. Catalina had brought her once.

  The views were amazing, but Catalina said they were better on Ghost Hill. August had wanted to use the historic barn there for his winery, but the barn was part of Axel’s property, and he’d quickly nixed the idea.

  Cruz loved the winery. It looked like a historic barn on the outside, but was high tech inside, with large windows that could open and close to help regulate the temperature, massive steel tanks to make the wine, and rows of oak barrels, most of them empty and waiting for harvest. Catalina even had a functioning lab inside.

  Axel wandered out of the building as soon as she drove up, and as always, he stole her breath away—the way he moved, the way he looked and the way he looked at her as if he’d been waiting just for her.

  “Good day?” Axel greeted. He uncapped a bottle of water and handed it to her.

  She’d forgotten how he would do small things—open her door
, get her something to drink, buy her a coffee—that always made her feel cherished.

  He looked at her, clearly waiting for something. She took a drink of water, still watching him. The man may have been working all day, but he still looked fresh. She’d always taken a quick shower at work in the locker rooms just so she could arrive home feeling like she was leaving the hospital or the clinic and the day behind.

  “You’re staring,” she said, feeling a little self-conscious.

  “Just wondering about your day.”

  “Oh. Yeah. I’m really enjoying the hospital. I had two days of orientation, two days following different physicians around and today I worked with another PA. Monday, the training wheels are coming off.”

  “So, you like it.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Do you…do you ever wonder what it would be like to be a doctor?”

  “No,” she said. “It was just a dream. I think I wanted to go into medicine because I loved science and people and wanted to do something good—have a profession that was respected and necessary, added value to people’s lives. Nursing did that, but I wanted a little more…control maybe, more challenging procedures. But no. I’m done with school. I enjoy working but I want a life, you know, a home, a garden, friends. I want to be more involved in Diego’s life.”

  “He’s a good kid,” Axel said. “You’ve done a great job with him.”

  “I’m not done yet.”

  Axel looked as if he was going to say something, but didn’t.

  “How about your day?”

  “Good. I was outside all day. I like that.”

  She felt like there was something bubbling under the surface, but both of them were too afraid to open the box and look at it. She’d seen Axel each day, but he hadn’t tried to push their relationship. She’d asked for time and space, but now that she had it, she was finding herself wanting him, too… But did she really?

  She’d been the one to kick-start their relationship the first time. She’d pursued him. He’d treated her like a kid at first. Then he’d been respectful and friendly, but not flirtatious. And then she’d finally gotten up her nerve and made a play and it had worked.

  Maybe she should do that this time.

  But was she ready for that?

  “I drove by the house you and your friend rented,” Axel said with disgust. “Clemmens hasn’t even started repairs or cleaned up any of the mess.”

  Cruz choked on her water.

  “You okay?” He rubbed her back, while she bent over.

  She was too embarrassed to even look at him.

  Here she was thinking she should make a play, and he was thinking of how soon he could get her out of his house.

  “I’m fine,” she said. “Aren’t we supposed to be loading up things and helping to set up?”

  “Everything’s mostly loaded. I was waiting for you. We’ll pack up the tables and tent and then get that set up with Catalina and the hands. She’s organized. August said she’s handled a lot of tasting events in Oregon, so we just follow her lead. I’m just muscle. She says you’re going to help her pour.”

  “I got my pouring license online last night. She’s given me a cheat sheet on the wines, and she thought that if we have time tonight after everything is set up, we can do a little tasting up at the house. She said wineries always train the tasting room team, but she says no one is serious at these things.” She paused. “Axel?”

  He raised his eyebrows.

  “I know I said I’d clear out after a day or two, and I haven’t. I’m sorry.”

  “I told you, you could stay as long as you wanted.”

  One of those silences descended again. They never used to have them. He’d been quiet, but she felt like she knew what he was thinking about. She hadn’t had any doubts.

  And now she was overanalyzing everything.

  “The hotels clear out after this weekend, so I can book a room then.”

  “Do you want to?”

  “It seems like I should…”

  “Do you want to go? You wanted time, Cruz. I’m trying to give you that, but we don’t have a lot of it. You said your job was only for a month or two.”

  She nodded. “I know.”

  He took off his hat, ran his hand through his hair and jammed it back on.

  “I just don’t want to risk Diego getting his heart broken if this…you know, backfires. We’ve rushed into things.”

  He shook his head. “You feel like we’re rushing. I feel like we’re stalled.”

  His phone buzzed in his pocket.

  “This festival? It’s going to take up most of the weekend. I’m on a few committees and helping a few organizations. You’ll be busy helping Catalina or taking Diego around. There will be lots of stuff for kids to do.”

  “So I’ve heard.”

  “There’s also a dance,” he said.

  “I might have heard something about a bluegrass band and a country western one.”

  “I was hoping that we could go together. The three of us.”

  She blinked. He was including Diego.

  “I’d…we’d like that.”

  “I’m having trouble here, Cruz.” He leaned forward, closer to her. “I’m a former bull rider. I don’t have a good track record with going slow unless it’s exploring a woman’s body.”

  “I noticed.”

  “I’ve probably overstepped, but I ordered you and Diego something for the Bluebonnet Festival.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise and pleasure. “What?”

  “I’ll show you. Come sit here,” he said, indicating a pallet of stacked cases of wine that they were to take tomorrow to the festival.

  She complied, and then watched him.

  “Close your eyes,” he whispered.

  She did. She could feel the sun on her face through the wide-open door. She could hear the birds chirping outside.

  She waited, tension and excitement mounting. She heard him moving around. What was it, a hat? A necklace? “Axel?”

  “Don’t be impatient. Keep your eyes closed.”

  “Speed it up, Cowboy.” She laughed. “You just laid your ‘I do everything fast but sex’ speech on me, so prove it.”

  “The slow lingering sex?”

  Her eyes popped open. He shook his head at her.

  “You’re torturing me.”

  “I am fairly confident you will enjoy the wait.” His fingers stroked through her hair, and she realized he was undoing her braid.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Shshsh, I want to see you like this, your hair falling down your back in waves, like a skein of silk.”

  He finger-combed her hair.

  And he slipped off one of her work clogs and then the other. What was he playing at? Had he given her an anklet or… Then she felt him slide something on her foot. She wiggled her toes. A boot! It had to be a cowboy boot or in her case, a cowgirl one.

  The fit was a dream and she could smell the leather. “Axel,” she breathed. “Can I look?”

  “Not yet.” He put on the other boot. “How do they feel?”

  “Perfect.” She hopped off the case of wine and threw her arms around him. “Thank you. Thank you. I was feeling so out of place because I didn’t have any of my boots here. Thank you, Axel.”

  “You haven’t even looked at them, yet.”

  She looked down. And all she could do was stare.

  “Axel,” she breathed.

  “Good?” He was starting to look nervous.

  She met his gaze. “Perfect. They’re so beautiful. They fit like a dream.”

  The boots were a buttery brown with inlaid black stitched details and a smattering of stars on the outside seam.

  “Oh, these are Kelly boots. They’re expensive. Axel, I…”

  “Should keep them and wear them. Enjoy them,” he said. “If they make you happy.”

  “You make me happy,” she said impulsively.

  She kept trying to play it cool, play it safe. Bu
t he made it so dang hard.

  She reached out and brushed his cheek with her fingertips.

  “Thank you,” she said. “For being you.”

  He looked quizzical at her comment. She smiled. Axel didn’t think he was amazing. He’d never thought he was all that. It was just one more thing she loved about him.

  Loved. She swallowed. She loved him. She’d never stopped.

  He must have sensed her sudden disquiet because he leaned forward, kissed her cheek and whispered, “They suit you. You look beautiful.”

  And just as she was starting to feel a little nervous and a lot choked up, Axel told her to help him roll the empty wine barrels up the ramp to his truck.

  “I believe you said you like it fast,” he told her.

  *

  Catalina and August had decided to stay in town a little longer and go for some barbeque at a local restaurant run by two brothers. It was good food, but Axel hadn’t wanted to be surrounded by so many people. The normally placid Main Street was crammed full of tourists. August had watched them glumly, no doubt thinking of all the revenue and splashy bang he wasn’t making with his tasting room closed and undergoing serious repairs.

  “Join us,” Catalina invited.

  “No. I think I’ll go home and relax,” Cruz said. “Tomorrow is going to be busy, and my head is so full of new information from this first week at the hospital, I can’t fit anything else in there.”

  Axel had relaxed a little after that, reading her comment as meaning that she wanted to be with him instead of in a group.

  Progress.

  He was very aware that the clock was ticking down on her time here. Cruz got her last-minute instructions for tomorrow, and then Catalina gave her a quick, hard hug.

  They drove home, Diego talking excitedly about some of the games that kids could play at the festival. His class had even contributed an art project to the festivities. Each student had drawn and painted—in watercolor—a bluebonnet. Axel imagined he’d had to paint something similar many years ago.

  “And there’s a pie eating contest,” Diego finished dramatically.

  “Wonder who started that one?” he mused and Cruz mock-slugged him and then grinned.

  “Would you sign up if they offered you a peanut butter pie to eat?” she asked, full of sass.