Caught by the Cowboy Dad

by Melinda Curtis

  “No good deed goes unpunished, but not all good deeds earn you a buck.” That was one of his grandfather’s best sayings. “Does anyone else feel like bacon and eggs for breakfast?”

  * * *

  AFTER A BREAKFAST with stilted conversation, one where it was apparent that the residual tension from the night before had not dissipated between Devin and Holden, the trio put on their boots and cowboy hats and headed up the hill to run the mining tour for Myrna.

  When they neared the tour office, they found Myrna and Frankie out on the porch arguing.

  “I don’t have time to go to the doctor.” Myrna crossed her arms. “This is our peak season.”

  “You promised you’d go.” Frankie stomped down the steps toward her motorcycle and Myrna’s blue truck. “I told my therapy group I was going to go with you.” She pointed at Bernadette. “You have to make her go. You’re the one who said she was sick.”

  Bernadette held up a hand as she climbed the last bit of road to reach them. High elevation walking and pregnancy was no joke. She was out of breath. “Myrna needs to go to the doctor. Not because she’s sick but because she shows signs that she’s not at her peak health.” And maybe while they were there, Myrna’s doctor would take time to check Frankie out, too.

  “See, sunshine?” Myrna smiled at her granddaughter. “I could just need vitamins.”

  “Well...” Bernadette hedged, “that’s not exactly what I meant.”

  “Signs and lights.” Myrna stomped a booted heel on the porch, as demonstrative of her frustrations as Frankie. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ignored the oil-change light in my truck. I always get around to it eventually without serious consequences.”

  “You’ve been lucky so far.” Bernadette climbed the steps and put her arm around Myrna’s waist. “Would you feel better if I went with you? Frankie is more qualified to run the place than we are.”

  “Sure. Leave me here. That’s what I’ll be doing when she’s dead,” Frankie mouthed off.

  No one moved for a moment. Not even Frankie’s knight in shining armor, Devin.

  “I’m sorry,” Frankie muttered into the void. “That just kind of...came out.”

  “She’s worried about you, Myrna,” Devin said. “You don’t want to add to her stress, do you?”

  “Stress?” Bernadette gave Frankie a clinical once-over. That could explain her thin frame and lack of healthy color.

  “My dad is decompressing, too,” Devin continued. “That’s why I’m here. To support him. Even though we argue about stuff. I went with him to the hospital. I would have worried myself sick if he’d left me behind.”

  Holden’s brows drew together, as if he hadn’t considered the impact of his recent health blip on his son. And maybe he hadn’t. He lived an emotionally compartmentalized life.

  “It’s settled, then.” Devin walked backward down the hill. “I’ll head to the stables and saddle the horses. Dr. Carlisle will work the store. And Dad will lead the tours.” Waving, he turned and headed on his way.

  Myrna huffed. “Who’ll work the grill if I don’t get back by lunch?”

  “Holden and I are perfectly capable of operating a grill.” Bernadette hoped that was true. She urged Myrna toward the steps. “Off with you, now. You can tell me all about it when you get back.”

  “I wouldn’t dare waste your time, sunshine.” Myrna took the steps slowly. “It’s days like these that I miss Jim. You know, alone isn’t as good as you young bachelors make it out to be.”

  “That’s because we’re bachelors. But I thank you for calling me young.” Holden handed Frankie a grocery list and a wad of cash. “Can you pick up some things for us?”

  Myrna clucked her tongue, still making a show of walking slowly toward her truck. “You’re high maintenance, sunshine. You need to snatch up Bernadette. She loves you. She puts up with you. And she’s a doctor, for crying out loud. You need to figure out how to win her over.”

  “I’d marry Bea tomorrow if she’d have me.” Holden captured Bernadette’s gaze, making her blush.

  “Win her over.” Myrna poked his shoulder as she passed. “Old and alone isn’t a state anyone should defend. There’s no one to talk to. No one to joke with. No one to say good-night to. Mark my words. You’re setting yourself up to be a dashing, desolate man.”

  “Maybe I should marry you, Myrna,” Holden said with a dramatic bow.

  “Do you hear that, Francesca? I’m still a catch!” Myrna climbed behind the wheel of the truck. “I hope to be back for the afternoon tour.”

  Frankie climbed into the passenger side, looking relieved.

  “Drive safe.” Bernadette waved them off. She turned to go into the store.

  Holden caught her arm. “I have to ask you something.”

  Bernadette held herself very still, waiting for the marriage proposal she was sure was coming, readying another refusal that her heart increasingly didn’t want to give.

  “Do you think I should try to ride Shortcake again today?” He grinned like a little boy caught after eating all the cookies in the cookie jar.

  “No. Absolutely not.” Bernadette latched on to his arms and gave him a little shake. “Banish the thought.”

  All her shaking couldn’t rid him of that boyish grin. “Oh, I don’t know. I’m feeling decidedly dangerous today. Like I could finally get that sly old horse to obey my commands. Like I could ask someone to marry me and they’d finally say yes.”

  “Holden.” There was nothing to do but turn around and walk away. Nothing to say.

  But that didn’t stop her from thinking What if he stops asking me to marry him?

  * * *

  HOLDEN WATCHED BERNADETTE enter the tour office.

  He liked flustering her. He followed her inside.

  “I’m sorry about your boots,” Bernadette said before he could tease her. “Were they important to you?”

  “Esteban gave them to me.” A wave of nostalgia came over him, like a warm and melty s’more. “He had them made for me. He said they came from diamondbacks he caught on the ranch.”

  Bernadette shuddered. “I thought you were going to say you killed the snake.”

  “I’m no good with weaponry. And I’m of two minds when it comes to rattlesnakes. They keep the rodent population down and will keep their distance from humans and livestock most of the time.”

  Bernadette shuddered again.

  Holden wanted to wrap her in his arms and hold her. “Don’t worry. I’ll check your room at the ranch for spiders and snakes when we go there.”

  “Oh.” Bernadette did a little dance as if avoiding critters of all kinds. “Don’t even say that.”

  He couldn’t stop smiling. She hadn’t said she wouldn’t go to the ranch.

  A car trundled along the drive toward him. If it was tourists, they were early.

  It was tourists.

  “Howdy.” He tipped his cowboy hat when the young family of four piled out of their packed vehicle. “You here for the mine tour and horseback ride?”

  “We are.” The man lifted a toddler boy into his arms. “We’ve been driving for hours and needed a break.”

  “Next tour is in about fifty minutes.”

  The woman bounced a chubby, smiling baby in her arms. She frowned. “That long?”

  “Afraid so.”

  The couple exchanged glances that seemed to say Do we really want to wait for the tour?

  “It’s worth the wait,” Holden said. “There’s a nice little store here with snacks, drinks and souvenirs. And a nice jungle gym and swing set to keep the kids occupied.”

  He should have been a salesman. They headed inside with smiles that seemed to say they’d be staying.

  A truck with a camper on top rolled up next. A family of five tumbled out with the same questions, the same concerns, the same look
of relief when Holden explained the setup. He was gaining new respect for Myrna and her sales skills. Although...

  The young family who’d arrived first came out to sit on the porch steps with only a bag of crackers and some juice containers. Why hadn’t they bought any of Myrna’s toys? Why hadn’t Bernadette pushed any of Myrna’s pencils, crayons and coloring books?

  Holden greeted the next carload. Thursdays in the mountains during summer was shaping up like Saturdays when it came to tourism. Unfortunately, the first family to arrive was looking restless.

  He darted inside and grabbed some items. “Can’t you push stock to keep kids busy?”

  “Does Myrna?”

  “She should.” Holden went back outside. A few minutes to unpackage. A few minutes to add water from the spigot and he was ready. “Hey, kids. Want to catch bubbles?” Holden crossed the parking lot with the bubble gun pointed to the sky, leaving a trail of bubbles in his wake. In a few short minutes, he was making a loop around the playground with a group of kids in his bubbly wake.

  * * *

  WHAT KIND OF father would Holden be to her baby?

  Bernadette watched in heart-melting awe as Holden entertained the youngest tourists, first with bubbles, then by giving them handfuls of birdseed to toss to the blue jays. He pushed kids on swings. He helped them climb the jungle gym.

  She’d seen his kindness before, extended to her. And recently, extended to Devin and Myrna. He’d told her he’d lived the life of a corporate man being raised for the CEO position. But she’d never expected he’d be a natural with younger kids.

  It would be a shame for Holden to see their baby only four times a year. But what could she do? Everything he proposed made things easier for him—marriage, moving to New York. What about her life? What about her obligations?

  Her cell phone buzzed with a message alert.

  “Really? No signal and you do this to me?” On a hunch, Bernadette called the lawyer helping her with the sale of her practice using Myrna’s landline. “Eric? Did you just call me?”

  “No. And I have no news, either,” Eric said in a blustery voice. “Not that it’s my fault. It could be the economy or the fact that it’s Ketchum.”

  “Hey, Ketchum has its share of Hollywood celebrities. Don’t knock Ketchum.” Especially when her brother’s medical-school tuition was due in six short weeks.

  “You don’t hear too many megastars having their babies out here.”

  “Can we look at this with our glasses half-full?” Bernadette glanced out the window at Holden charming the crowd.

  “Maybe there’ll be a miracle. I’ll call you if one occurs.” He hung up.

  “I’m due a miracle,” Bernadette said firmly.

  And when she watched Holden, she could almost believe one was happening.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “DAD, TODAY OF all days, I need you to ride another horse.” Devin moved his booted feet in front of his father.

  “Today is the day this horse and I come to an understanding.” Holden tightened up Shortcake’s girth strap. “Start placing the tourists on horses.”

  The younger family of four, the one that had shown up first thing this morning, was heading up the hill to leave or perhaps give Bernadette’s skill at the grill a chance. But the other two families had elementary-age children who were old enough to ride.

  “Dad—”

  “Today’s the day,” Holden said again. “Let’s move, Dev.”

  Devin assigned riders to horses, and then he and Holden made sure their stirrups were the right length and that they knew the fundamentals of steering with the reins. The stock knew the trail and were plodders. The trail ride would go without a hitch. Including Holden’s ride with Shortcake.

  “You and me, buddy.” Holden patted Shortcake’s neck. “I’ve got a new pair of boots.”

  The old horse rubbed his head fondly against Holden’s shoulder, like a cat showing affection.

  “You feel it, too, don’t you?” Holden untied Shortcake’s reins and mounted up. Too bad Bernadette wasn’t going to be here to witness his success. “Today is the day.” Bear-eaten boots and flat tire aside, things were going well. “Today is going to be a dry ride.”

  “Hey, folks.” Devin stood in his stirrups at the trailhead. “I’m Devin, and I’ll be leading you on the ride today. We’ll be taking it slow and steady. There will be plenty of places to stop and take pictures. I can take those for you.”

  Holden was proud of Dev. He was taking charge as if he’d been leading trail rides all summer.

  “We’re going to head up this short rise and then down the other side to the river, where we’ll walk across the shallows.” Devin grinned and pointed at Holden. “Once we get to the other side, we’ll stop and watch your historical tour guide try to cross without allowing his horse to swim.”

  “You say that like you have no faith in me,” Holden said good-naturedly. Today was definitely the day for a dry crossing.

  “Folks, the score is swimming horse two, historical tour guide nothing.” Devin turned Mimi around and headed up the trail. “Place your bets.”

  “Mom, I want to take my horse swimming,” a little girl with black pigtails piped up.

  “There will be no swimming today,” Holden reassured everyone. “Third time’s the charm.”

  Devin led the riders out. Holden brought up the rear, eating a bit of trail dust from the large group.

  Shortcake did his normal routine on the trail up to the first rise, walking as slow as molasses. But this time when they reached the top of the rise, he refused to go forward.

  Holden used his legs to communicate go. He heeled him gently with both feet. He gave the reins a little slap. Nothing.

  By this time, everyone had crossed the river.

  “Everything okay, Dad?” Devin tipped his cowboy hat back as if needing a wider view of what was happening.

  “We’re fine.” Holden blew out a breath.

  As soon as he relaxed, Shortcake bolted downhill for the water, along the riverbank that led to the deep part of the river. No amount of leaning back or pulling back would stop that horse from his swim.

  Or so Holden thought.

  Shortcake skidded to a stop at the river’s edge, and Holden flew over the top of his head into the rushing water.

  A few minutes later, Holden dragged himself onto the bank on the other side of the river. He straightened out all the kinks in his body, joints popping as much as Shortcake’s. And then he put his soggy cowboy hat on, sending water spilling down the back of his neck.

  “Are you all right, Dad?” Devin rode up to the bank.

  “I think I’m fine.”

  Shortcake splashed out of the water next to Holden, nudged his shoulder as if urging him up the riverbank, and then let out a shrill whinny.

  The entire group of riders laughed.

  After a moment, Holden laughed with them, dumping water out of his boots. “All right. I admit defeat.”

  “It takes a big man to know when to quit.” Devin turned Mimi around and trotted toward the trail. “You don’t know this, guys. But my dad used to be a big deal in New York City.”

  “Now I’m just a big, wet cowboy.” Holden took Shortcake’s reins. “The good news is no elephants were involved in this spectacle.” He drew a deep breath, an easy deep breath, climbing up the embankment and mounting up.

  He patted Shortcake’s wet neck. “You’re a big deal in Standing Bear.”

  The horse snorted, tossing his head proudly as he lengthened his stride, trying to catch up with the others as they rode through the wildflower-strewn meadow.

  “And I used to be a big deal in New York City.” The words landed with a heavier thud this time.

  Holden still had to decide what to do with the second stage in life.

  The elephants made a grand entra
nce, putting pressure on his chest.

  Holden drew a deep breath, taking in the blue of the sky, thinking about the blue of Bernadette’s eyes. Thoughts flitted through his head like those swooping blue jays that inhabited the area. And then one thought stuck...

  Everything would be all right if I could just stay here.

  Good thing he was bringing up the rear. Holden nearly fell out of the saddle.

  * * *

  “I’M EXHAUSTED.” HAVING taken a nap, Bernadette sat down near the campfire and propped her feet up on the picnic bench. “There’s nothing wrong with Myrna. She’s tired every day because running this place is exhausting.”

  “We should have gotten Myrna’s cell-phone number.” Devin sat next to her, freshly showered after handling the horses all alone today. “They were supposed to be back by lunchtime.”

  “Well, that was optimistic,” Bernadette said.

  “As is thinking that Myrna has a cell phone.” Holden walked up from the river, carrying a stringer of fish. He wore his sneakers since his new boots were sitting in rice buckets in the barn’s tack room with the dehumidifier running.

  A familiar rusty blue truck pulled up to the campsite. Myrna and Frankie got out.

  Devin popped out of his seat to greet them with one of his awkward half waves, where his hand never rose above his waistline. “What took you so long?”

  “There was a line at the grocery store.” Frankie leaned against the truck fender, like a disapproving bodyguard. “We had to get all your stuff, remember? It’s in the back.”

  “Oh. Yeah.” Devin retrieved the two bags and went to put them away in the motor home.

  “Holden caught fish for dinner,” Bernadette said graciously without moving from her seated position. “Stay for dinner. We insist.”

  “All right.” Myrna patted the motor home’s front fender. “This is quite the rig.”

  “It’s a rental,” Holden said flatly. After his soaking during the morning ride, he’d been reticent around Bernadette. He hadn’t ridden with the afternoon crowd. But he hadn’t hung out with Bernadette at the store or grill, either.