by Carly Bloom
“No—”
“But we could have our company store right here in Big Verde. Tourists would love it. Locals would, too. Oh, Ford! What if this could work?”
He leaned over and kissed her gently on her lips. For the first time in his life, he had the feeling that anything was possible.
“I leave for West Texas tomorrow, and I think you need to put all these fancy plans into motion.”
“I’ll hold down the fort while you’re gone.”
“I have absolutely no doubt about that, darlin’.”
Damn. They made a good team.
* * *
Ford stood at the barbecue station and stole another peek at Claire. Their eyes met, and she winked and blew him a kiss. It was a silly gesture. And a bit embarrassing, since the dumb grin on Bubba’s face said at least one other person had seen it. But it made Ford’s insides quiver and that familiar band around his midsection tightened and pulled, as if someone were yanking on it. It was all he could do to keep his boots in one spot.
Ford wasn’t the only cowboy who had itchy feet. Worth couldn’t seem to keep still to save his soul.
“Why are you so jittery?” Ford asked.
“I’m not. I’m just…”
Worth’s voice trailed off as his eyes focused on a small figure walking up the lane. His face broke out in a huge smile.
“She made it!” Worth said.
“Who?” Ford asked. Whoever it was had parked at the end of the row. And she was carrying a big dish.
“Caroline,” Worth said. “That’s Caroline.”
He took off with such a burst of speed that he lost his hat. And he didn’t even stop to pick it up.
“Aw, hell,” Bubba said. “The boy’s done made a fool out of himself now.”
“I’d say so,” Gerome said. “Ford, go pick up your brother’s hat before bad luck sets in.”
It had landed on its brim, and Ford snatched it up, staring after his brother, who had stirred up quite a bit of dust. Worth hadn’t even told anybody Caroline was coming. Maybe he wanted it to be a surprise.
A few minutes later, Worth walked up holding a bowl in one hand, and Caroline’s hand in the other. Caroline was small, maybe just a hair over five feet tall. Her dark hair was put up in a ponytail high on her head, and it swung perkily as she smiled at everyone.
“This is Caroline Lopez,” Worth said proudly. “My fiancée.”
Caroline gave a little wave. “Hi, everybody.”
Miss Lilly appeared out of nowhere. “Welcome to Rancho Cañada Verde.”
“This is Miss Lilly,” Worth said softly, as if whispering the name as a reminder. “And that’s Gerome.”
Gerome tilted his hat, and Ford realized that as much as Worth had been talking to all of them about Caroline, he’d been talking to Caroline about all of them.
“I’m so happy to be here,” Caroline said.
She had dimples in both cheeks. Cute as a bug, as his grannie would say. No wonder Worth was acting like such a fool.
“I’ll take that,” Miss Lilly said, taking the bowl from Worth’s hands.
“It’s pinto beans with jalapeños and bacon,” Caroline said. “I wasn’t sure what to bring.”
“Well, for someone who wasn’t sure what to bring, you brought the perfect thing,” Miss Lilly said. Then she looked at Gerome. “I bet that brisket has rested long enough. Why don’t you bring it out to the table and let the ladies take care of it from here?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Gerome said.
Introductions continued, with Ford being last.
“And this is my brother, Ford,” Worth said, his voice tinged with nervous excitement.
Ford removed his hat. “Caroline, I’ve heard an awful lot about you, and it’s a real pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
Caroline smiled and offered a hand to Ford. “And I’ve heard a lot about you,” she said, shaking his hand firmly. “Worth is lucky to have you for a role model.”
Ford raised an eyebrow. First off, he was nobody’s role model, and second, Miss Caroline Lopez had a mighty firm grip, a steady voice, and a dead-on gaze. She was a nurse. She was a soldier. And for some reason Ford couldn’t grasp, she was in love with his brother.
Aw, hell. Ford liked her already.
“I don’t know how lucky he is to have me as a role model, but he’s damn lucky to have you as a fiancée.”
Worth grinned. “I agree.”
“And speaking of luck,” Ford said, holding out Worth’s hat. “You dropped this, dumbass.”
Worth’s face fell. “Brim-side down?”
“Five-second rule,” Ford said. “I snatched it up just in time.”
Worth smiled in relief and took his hat just as Claire joined the group.
“Did I hear someone mention the five-second rule?”
“Dropped my hat,” Worth said.
Claire grinned at Ford in a way that said, See how handy that is?
Ford’s skin warmed at her nearness, as if all the blood had rushed to the surface, ready to make his hair stand up and pay attention. He grinned back.
“Here,” she said. “I fixed you a plate.”
It was loaded down with two slices of brisket, potato salad, Spanish-style rice, and Caroline’s beans.
“Thank you,” he said, taking the plate with a wink. “Mighty thoughtful of you.”
“I’m Claire,” she said, smiling at Caroline. “Can I show you around?”
“That would be great,” Caroline said. Then she rose on her toes and kissed Worth on the cheek. “Be back in a bit.”
As soon as they wandered off, Bubba let out a low whistle and then proceeded to grin goofily at Ford.
“What?” Ford asked.
“Claire just fixed you a plate.”
“Uh, yeah.”
Bubba waved JD over. “Did you see that?”
“What?”
“Claire fixed Ford a plate.”
JD grinned and shook his head. “Oh, you poor sonofabitch.”
“What are you talking about?” Ford asked.
“Claire fixed you a plate,” Bubba repeated, as if that hadn’t already been decided.
“That means she tossed the rope out,” JD added.
“And you accepted it,” Bubba said.
JD nodded. “That’s a dally for Claire.”
A dally? That was a roping term that meant a calf had been successfully snagged and the cowboy had tied off his rope around the saddle horn.
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” Ford said.
“Nope,” Bubba said. “Ask any man about the beginning of the end and they’ll all tell you it started at a barbecue or a wedding or some event where a woman not-so-innocently fixed them a plate. For me, it was brisket and potato salad at Trista’s family reunion. Six months later I was standing at the altar.”
“Has Caroline ever fixed you a plate?” Ford asked Worth.
“Tamales at her grandmother’s birthday,” Worth said. “That was the night I asked her to marry me.”
Ford stared at his plate like it was a stick of dynamite.
Travis laughed. “They’re full of shit. And as proof, you should know that I always fix my own damn plates.”
“That’s because you’re married to Maggie,” Bubba said. “She’s not your average country girl.”
“That’s right,” JD said. “She’s more of your average scary girl.”
Bubba nodded. “What about you, JD? Which one of you fixes the plates? I mean, which one of you is, you know…”
JD’s face turned beet red, and Gabriel chose that moment to walk up and say, “Thanks for fixing me a plate, JD. Lupe sure does know how to make good barbacoa.”
JD yanked the brim of his Stetson down and Bubba exploded in laughter.
“What did I say?” Gabriel asked.
“Nothing,” Bubba said, trying to catch his breath. “And you might as well take a bite of that brisket, Ford. The damage is done.”
; “Yeah, well, I’m leaving for West Texas tomorrow, no matter who fixed me a plate.”
JD smiled at him. “We’ll leave the porch light on for you.”
“Because you’ll be back,” Bubba said. “I mean, she might give you some slack…”
JD winked. “But you’ve definitely been roped.”
Ford smiled and took a big bite of brisket. He looked at his brother and friends, all of them grinning like mindless idiots.
Dally up.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Is that the bunkhouse?” Caroline asked.
“Sure is,” Claire said. “It’s where Worth and the rest of the cowboys stay. Well, not the married ones, of course.”
Caroline nodded. “I have no idea where Worth and I will end up. It’ll depend on whether I reenlist, I guess.”
“It must be hard, being apart,” Claire said.
“I was reluctant to commit because of it, but Worth can be very persuasive,” she said with a knowing grin.
“If you don’t reenlist, will you stay in San Antonio? Worth says that’s where your family is.”
“Actually, Worth loves Big Verde. And I have to admit, it’s a pretty little town, and the people sure seem friendly.”
She offered Claire a bright smile, and Claire could suddenly see her fitting right in.
“It’s a great place to live. I stayed in Austin for a while after college, and it was fun, but it wasn’t home like Big Verde is home.”
“Do you live in the ranch house with your parents?”
“No, I have a cute little retro Airstream trailer named Miss Daisy. It’s on the other side of Wailing Woman Creek, not too far from the foreman’s cabin.”
“Well, that must come in handy,” Caroline said, with a glint in her eye.
“Pardon?”
“Worth says you and Ford are a couple.”
“Oh my. Really? Well—”
“I’m so glad these two are debunking that dumb curse. Aren’t you?”
“Curse?”
Caroline furrowed her brow. “You know. The Jarvis curse. The one that supposedly prevents them from settling down…”
Ford believed in a freaking curse? It was hard to fathom, and yet…
A few things clicked into place.
“I can see he hasn’t told you about it, and now I wish I hadn’t,” Caroline said. “I’m sorry.”
“No, no. It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”
She tried to sound casual, but her mind was clicking along, connecting stray dots. Is this why he left two years ago? There was a big difference between worrying about an upturned horseshoe and believing in a curse.
“I thought Worth was kidding when he told me about it,” Caroline said. “Honestly, it sounds nuts, and I come from a family that lights magic candles and puts eggs under their beds if someone looks at them wrong.”
Claire laughed. “Well, you haven’t been around many cowboys, have you? They’re as superstitious as they come, but they’re embarrassed and defensive about it because they also consider themselves so stoic and logical. And every single one of them has a lucky charm in their pocket.”
Even her dad carried a rabbit’s foot.
“Bronc riders are the worst,” Claire continued. “When I used to rodeo, they drove me batty. Don’t bring peanuts in the arena! If you’re going to keep that yellow shirt on, sit where I can’t see you. You must have a death wish, because I saw you kick a paper cup. That’s what they were like. I’m not even kidding.”
“Oh my gosh,” Caroline said. “Worth won’t let anyone eat peanuts in his truck if he has a rodeo event coming up! And we missed a movie once because he insisted on turning the truck around when a black cat stepped into the road.”
Claire shrugged. “Sounds about right.”
All this talk about superstitions made her a little edgy, and she jumped and squealed when someone sneezed right into her hair from behind. She spun around to find herself nose to large wet nose with Cinder. Ford was holding the reins, and he exploded in laughter.
Claire wiped at the back of her head—only slightly damp—as Ford continued laughing. He was joined by Caroline and Worth. And if Claire was really honest with herself, it looked as if maybe the horses were laughing, too. There were four of them, and they were all saddled up.
“Didn’t mean to sneak up on you,” Ford said, after he’d finally regained his composure. “It was pretty damn easy though.”
“Funny ha-ha,” Claire said. Then she narrowed her eyes at Cinder. “Gesundheit.”
“We figured there was only one good way to show Caroline the ranch,” Worth said. “And that’s on horseback.”
“Uh, hold up,” Caroline said. “I’ve never been on a horse.”
“That’s why we saddled up Old Chester for you,” Ford said. “He’s as gentle as a dove.”
“Yep,” Worth said. “Unless he sees a squirrel.”
“What?” Caroline said, eyes wide with panic.
“He’s terrified of squirrels,” Ford said.
“Well, what do I do if he sees a squirrel?” Caroline asked.
Ford and Worth looked at each other and winked. “You hold on for dear life,” Worth said.
Caroline looked at Claire. “They’re kidding, right?”
Mostly. “You’ll be fine,” Claire said reassuringly.
A few minutes later, they were mounted up and riding into the sunset. Claire followed behind Ford, watching Coco’s tail twitch. Ford was going especially slow, most likely out of consideration for Caroline, who had a death grip on the reins while keeping an eye out for squirrels.
They’d come to the top of the ridge just in time to see the sky turn orange, and then they headed across the pasture so Caroline could get a good view of the Rio Verde.
Claire could feel that Cinder, like Coco, was twitchy. Open green pasture was an invitation to run, and the horses weren’t used to their riders being so tempered. Both Claire and Ford liked to ride hard and fast.
The way Ford’s hips moved in the saddle gave Claire an ache between hers. He was leaving tomorrow, and she’d want to give him a proper send-off.
She tried to shake off the sense of unease that had shown up about a week ago. Ford said he was coming back. For good. And she could tell that he meant it.
But she was no fool. What Ford wanted to do and what Ford was capable of doing were not necessarily the same thing.
She wanted to believe this time was different, and yet…
Caroline had mentioned that stupid curse.
“Hey!” Worth called.
Claire and Ford halted their horses as Worth rode up next to them.
“I’m thinking I might like to show Caroline the other side of Wailing Woman,” he said.
“Really?” Claire said. “Why?”
“It might be fun for her to ride across the low-water crossing.”
Ford raised an eyebrow. “There’s not much there except for Claire’s trailer and the foreman’s cabin.”
Worth’s cheeks grew pink. “Yeah, I was thinking of showing her the foreman’s cabin. Do you mind, Ford?”
Ah. Of course. Claire caught Ford’s eye. There was a slight twinkle there, even though his face remained impassive.
“We haven’t seen each other in weeks,” Worth added in a low voice.
Claire glanced at Caroline. No doubt she was also anxious to see the foreman’s cabin, but at the moment, she seemed mostly concerned with scanning tree limbs for squirrels.
Ford sighed. “It’s unlocked. Have at it.”
Worth smiled. “Thanks, brother.”
“Don’t let my goddam cat out,” Ford grumbled.
“We won’t,” Worth said. “Erm, Ford?”
“What?”
“Will you be, you know, wanting to sleep in your bed tonight?”
Ford sighed and glared at Worth from beneath the rim of his hat. “Where the hell else would I sleep?”
Worth glanced sheepishly at Claire. “I don’t know. Maybe�
�”
“Why don’t you stay with me tonight, Ford?”
Ford crossed his arms. “Because I’m afraid I’ll suffer permanent brain damage.”
They hadn’t spent a night apart since the Miss Daisy incident. But they also hadn’t spent a night in Miss Daisy, because Ford had what he called a “proper bed” that didn’t try to kill him.
They still spooned, though.
“Seriously, Ford?” Worth asked.
“How about I give you two hours in my cabin?”
Caroline, no doubt, had thoughts and opinions on the matter, but Old Chester had ventured off to sample a patch of sweet clover. “Oh no,” Claire said. “Looks like Caroline could use some help.”
Poor Caroline was yanking on the reins and swinging her feet back and forth in the stirrups, trying to get Old Chester to rejoin the group. But the horse knew a novice when he met one, and he wasn’t having it.
They rode over to help her out.
“Ugh!” Caroline said. “I’m doing everything that y’all told me to do, but he’s not budging!”
Worth looked frantically at Ford. “Seriously? Two hours? It’s going to take over an hour just to get Old Chester to the cabin.”
Ford shrugged. “I’ve got an early bedtime.”
“Damn it,” Worth mumbled. Then he got out of his saddle and easily pulled Caroline out of hers.
“Are y’all going to walk?” Ford asked.
“No,” Worth said. “Although it would be faster than riding Old Chester.” He pointed to the stirrup on his horse. “Here, Caroline. Let’s get you on Lightning.”
“Oh, I don’t like the sound of his name—”
“He’s a she, and she’s as sweet as honey.”
Worth helped Caroline into the saddle before effortlessly mounting behind her.
“We’re not going to go fast, are we?”
“Nah, we’re not going to go fast,” Worth said, bringing his arms around Caroline to take hold of the reins.
“Whew! Thank—”
“We’re going to go like the ever-lovin’ wind.”
Caroline’s eyes widened in alarm, but before she could squeak out a word of protest, Lightning demonstrated how she earned her name.
Ford laughed as he watched them ride away.