True Blue Cowboy

by Debra Holt

  Half the time, she never thought he even saw her as a female. In the beginning, she followed him around like a puppy at his heels. Asking too many questions and only getting limited responses. As she grew up, she followed him around like a lovesick calf. Only it was his brother she pined over, not Chance. Chance listened to her childish ramblings about his brother with extreme patience. He gave her his usual monosyllabic replies or allowed her to drench his shirt sleeve in her tears when Dev tread on her young girl’s heartstrings. His patience seemed infinite with her. Not so much now.

  Now, Chance was up to something else. She was certain of it, but she didn’t know what. He said he could care less about her ranch land, but was that the truth? The Braxton Ranch was huge. He employed dozens of hands and had three foremen, as the ranch was sectioned in three pieces far flung in opposite directions. Why would he take his time to watch over her meager 3500 acres if it wasn’t that he had other plans for it? Did he think he could throw in some kisses and hot looks once in a while and she would fall under his spell, making it easier to get what he wanted? Well, he could think again!

  “Easy now with the pitchfork. You might miss and hit your foot.”

  She stopped and looked up to find him, leaning against the door of the stall, watching her progress. “I’ve been mucking stalls since I was eight, and I don’t need your commentary on how to do it.”

  “Just didn’t want you to hurt yourself. I’m concerned for your safety. You do a good job) when your mind isn’t on other things.”

  “Evidently not good enough,” she spoke up, going back to spreading the fresh hay. “My parents wouldn’t have had to go looking for a loan or take one from you if I had been able to do a better job of things…to help them out.”

  “Josie, no matter how many discussions you play in your mind about the circumstances, the results will always be the same. The basics don’t change. They wanted you to be happy and not buried under a ton of worry all the time. Ranching is a hard life. It’s doubly hard for a lone female.”

  “It’s the life I chose. The one I want. The only one I want,” Josie said, rounding to look at him, determination sparking in her silver eyes. “So get used to the fact I am not going to let this ranch go anywhere.”

  “I don’t want you to have to go anywhere else, Josie.” His tone, coupled with the solemn look, made her almost believe him. Almost.

  “So you say.”

  “I’m going to do my best to help ensure you hang on to this land you love so much. I also intend on keeping my word to your mother and be here just in case you need someone.”

  “I don’t need nor want you to look out for me. I don’t need your guidance in running this ranch or my life.”

  “You used to need my shoulder. Especially when it came to my brother, as I recall.”

  “You would bring that up. I was a foolish schoolgirl with a crush. I made the mistake of thinking I could confide in you. You take great pleasure in embarrassing me with it now.” She brushed by him and returned the pitchfork to its place on the wall.

  “I don’t take delight in knowing my careless brother broke your heart.”

  Josie turned to look at him as she reached the open doorway of the barn. “Well, you can’t say you didn’t warn me. I chose not to listen.”

  “You still choose not to listen to me.”

  “You’re learning, Braxton.” She pivoted on her heel and left him to follow or not.

  *

  Regardless whether or not she wanted him around, Chance didn’t seem to care. They settled into a pattern of sorts. Rising before the sun, Josie would dress and go downstairs. The coffee would already be brewing because Chance insisted on bringing over a newer model of coffeemaker from his place, one that had a timer that could be set and have the coffee already made by the time she came downstairs.

  Josie begrudgingly had to admit that it was a nice change. However, what she didn’t like was the fact that Chance made it a point to share breakfast with her. Until his arrival, and after her mother’s death, she got in the habit of grabbing a pre-packaged biscuit and sausage, nuking it for a few seconds and going on her way. With the advent of Chance, she found herself being made to sit at the breakfast table and actually eat a full meal again. Even that fell into a routine. She would cook the sausage or bacon, and then the eggs scrambled for her and over easy for him. He supervised the toast making and setting the table. They both cleared the dishes before they headed out for their day.

  Over breakfast, Chance would read the newspaper, while the farm and ranch report played on the small television on the counter. They would discuss the day’s agenda together, or rather, she would tell him what she intended to do, and he would make his suggestions…and he always had suggestions. Which, more often than not, put them at crosshairs with each other on some issues.

  She was happy with the reprieve she got by his not being in for lunch most days. She supposed he had lunch at his place and then caught up with his own ranch’s needs until late afternoon. Usually, just before sunset, she would hear his truck pull into the drive. Subconsciously, her hearing had become attuned for it. More often than not, she had the evening meal just about ready for the table. All the food previously stocked by her neighbors had certainly come in handy.

  The second week ended on a fairly benign note. She should have known it wasn’t to last. Her cell phone rang while she was retrieving the mail from the box next to the road. Josie’s mind was already going over the contents of the refrigerator for what might be on the dinner menu. “Hello?”

  “I hope I caught you before you prepared dinner.” The sound of Chance’s voice on the phone both surprised her and, oddly, brought a pleasant sensation to mind. It was becoming more and more difficult to find reasons to stay mad at him or keep the walls as high between them. It was uncharted territory to be sure.

  “I haven’t made it back to the house yet.”

  “Good. I wanted to let you know that I won’t be back until late. Don’t worry about dinner for me. I’ll be eating out.”

  A strange feeling twisted tighter in her chest at the unexpected news. She should have been thrilled or, at the very least, not care at all about his being gone. “Thanks for letting me know.”

  “Is something wrong?” His tone changed from casual to slightly worried.

  “Nothing is wrong,” she hastened to reply. “I’m just thinking of other things right now.”

  “Okay. I may be late so don’t wait up.”

  “I wasn’t planning to.” She ended the call and grimaced at the phone. She knew it sounded shrewish, but sometimes the man had the most maddening way of making her feel, well… feel. Period. She didn’t want or need to feel any particular way about him. Josie put the truck in gear and headed toward the ranch house.

  The evening loomed. She watched the nightly news and caught the weather report. Not wanting to cook a full-blown meal for just herself, she had made a grilled cheese sandwich and opened a can of soup. The food didn’t taste all that appetizing, and she left half of it uneaten. Josie decided to read some in the new book she had purchased a couple of months back and never opened. Even though it was by one of her favorite authors, she found her attention being caught by the tinkling chimes sounding on the porch as the wind picked up, and the deep chiming of the grandfather clock in the hallway, which punctuated the silence of the house. Eventually, the length of her day caught up with her and her eyes drifted shut.

  The next thing she knew, the clock’s striking woke her. She saw her book had ended up on the floor at some point, beside her chair. Picking it up, she stood and found her muscles needed a good stretch. Her gaze lit on the face of the clock, and she saw it was a little after two in the morning. She had slept for almost five hours in the chair. No wonder she had a crick in her neck. Turning off the lamps, she crossed into the hall and padded up the stairs in her stocking feet.

  She entered her bedroom and crossed to the lamp beside the window. Her gaze drifted outside and then cau
ght on something. It was the fact that Chance’s truck was not in its usual spot. In fact, it wasn’t anywhere to be seen. There was no light visible from the window of the apartment in the barn where he slept when at the ranch. She looked at the clock beside her bed and the time was verified again. He had said late, but this was ridiculous. What could anyone be doing out at such an hour, especially in Braxton? Maybe he had an accident? That thought sent her stomach to her toes. She shook herself. Don’t borrow trouble. That’s what her mother always used to say. Josie had inherited her father’s tendency to always go to the worst-case scenario first.

  Perhaps he was on a date? That sudden thought made her stomach want to heave the sandwich. Was the term “date” even applicable? They were engaged. Of course, it wasn’t the typical engagement where both parties had professed undying love and promised to spend their lives together. Were there rules for their type of arrangement? I am in way over my head.

  Josie told herself that Chance was a grown man. A very sexy, good-looking male, who was still unmarried and why wouldn’t he want some female companionship? It wasn’t like his fiancée was willing. Right? She turned from the window and jerked back the covers of her bed. If he wanted to stay out all night with some floozy, then that was his problem, not hers. Maybe he wouldn’t come back at all. That would be lovely.

  She should have known her mind could not shut down so easily. In fact, those five hours in the chair were to be the only hours of sleep she enjoyed the rest of the night. The sun rose much too soon. The throbbing in her temples was not the way to start the day. After a quick breakfast of toast, slightly burnt, and a cup of coffee, along with a couple of headache painkillers, Josie went to the barn.

  She kept her eyes away from the spot where Chance’s truck would normally be parked. Saddling Cookie, she decided an early morning ride would do both of them some good. She waved to Tom, who was pulling into the ranch yard as she headed out. He had his own agenda planned for the day, and she would leave him to it.

  She and Cookie trailed along the ridgeline for a while and then followed the semi-dry creek for a way. The colors of the rising sun on the ranch land never ceased to remind her how lucky she was to have this as her way of life.

  It was great being out in the crisp morning; however, Josie felt something was missing. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she didn’t care for the unsettled way her thoughts jumbled around her. When she tried to identify why, one person kept coming to mind…Chance. Even without him being there, he still intruded. She didn’t care if she ever saw him again. Liar. When had that little voice in her head become a traitor? They hadn’t even made it past the first month of their arrangement. How was she to cope with the years still to come? Years. Josie slammed the door shut on those thoughts. She couldn’t face all the issues that brought with it. Not yet.

  As nice as it was to be semi-free, Josie knew she couldn’t spend the entire day just riding her horse. She needed to work on the paperwork stacking up on her desk and touch base with Tom on the new grain they wanted to try. Josie turned Cookie toward home. As they topped the rise, the familiar black truck was parked once more in its usual spot. A flash of irritation sprang up within her. It didn’t lessen much as she approached the corral.

  Chance’s familiar tall figure, in jeans and dark blue, long-sleeved shirt with his usual denim vest stepped from the barn’s doorway as she approached. She didn’t meet his gaze. Pulling the horse up, she stepped down from the saddle. He walked over to where she and Cookie were, his hand reaching to rub along the horse’s neck.

  “You two have a good ride this morning?”

  “Yes.” Josie’s response was flat and short. She kept her eyes on the horse, drawing the reins through her fingers and heading in the direction of the barn.

  “Sorry about dinner last night.” He evidently was following them.

  “No problem.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Just fine.”

  “Are you mad at me for some reason?” He leaned his arms on the rail of the stall, his eyes on her bent head as she reached and uncinched the saddle.

  “No…should I be?”

  “I have no idea. But you’re upset about something. So what’s up?”

  “Nothing is up. Whether you’re here or not is no concern of mine. I just find it interesting that, for someone so concerned about what the gossips of town will say, you staying out all night isn’t likely to go unnoticed in this small community. But it’s no concern of mine.” Josie wished she hadn’t said that almost as soon as she spoke the words. Swinging the saddle off the horse’s back, she kept her attention on rubbing the animal down next. Except a large hand closed over hers and halted her progress.

  “Look at me.”

  Josie had no choice but to comply. His hand was not moving from hers. She looked up at him in silence.

  “I don’t know what you thought up in your pretty head last night, but it probably has no comparison to the truth of the matter.”

  “What I think about you and any of your lady friends doesn’t matter.”

  His eyes narrowed a bit as a dawning light came on for him. “I see. My lady friend. I have to admit that she did get a bit upset when I tried to leave her this morning. We had such a long night of it last night. It wore me out.”

  Josie’s eyes flashed quicksilver to his. She was so angry that she failed to see the mocking glint in his own. “Please, spare me the play-by-play. I don’t care what you do with your time, as long as you do it away from here.”

  Chance’s next move totally caught her off guard. He laughed. He threw his head back and laughed. How dare he!

  “You are priceless, Josie,” he said, finally catching his breath, even while he still held her hand in check with his. “Could it be that you’re jealous?”

  “I am not!”

  “Why else would it matter to you and have you so riled up over the fact I spent the first part of the evening at the cattlemen’s meeting in Abilene and the rest of it in a foaling barn at the ranch? You thought I was with another woman. That is too rich.”

  Besides the fact he was laughing at her, Josie felt like an idiot for having said anything at all. She was too upset to even analyze the fact that there was a feeling of relief inside her at his words.

  “Whatever. It doesn’t matter. I have work to do. I’d appreciate being left alone to do it.”

  There was no sign of humor on his face when he spoke next. “I think it does matter. Just so you understand something…when I put that ring on your hand, I made a commitment to you. I keep my commitments, Josie. You’re the only female…human female, that is…that matters to me.”

  Chance stood for a long moment or two, considering her. However, he didn’t say anything else. He simply tapped a long finger on the end of her nose and winked. He walked away, whistling.

  Chapter Nine

  “It’s so good to see you, Josie. I’ve been meaning to get out to the ranch and see you, but with Charlie down with the flu, and us being one short in the store, I haven’t had the time.” Mrs. Ross’s words met her as Josie approached the counter of the feed store with her items.

  She smiled at the woman. When she was growing up, she had her first real paying job behind the same counter she stood in front of at that moment. For a whole summer, she worked the counter in the feed store, earning enough to pay for the bridle and saddle she wanted so badly. Josie had been all of thirteen. Her parents told her that, if she wanted something other than the plain, hand-me-down saddle she had, she would need to find a way to earn it. She had done just that.

  “I haven’t had much time, either. Seems like things just haven’t slowed down this winter yet.”

  “We’re all just glad you have such wonderful help with Chance and his crew. They must be quite a godsend to you,” the woman remarked, ringing up the items on the counter.

  “Oh, yes, they certainly are that.” Josie tried very hard to keep her smile and voice even.

  “I think
Charlie caught his cold when he rode along with Doc Matthews out to Chance’s place the other night, after the cattlemen’s meeting. He didn’t get home until after dawn. At least, Chance didn’t lose his prize mare and her foal.”

  Josie nodded in agreement, as she watched the woman pack the items for her. She felt even more foolish. Chance had been right where he said he was, and the woman had just corroborated that information. Josie felt even lower than she already felt over the episode in the barn.

  Mrs. Ross looked around to see where the other shoppers were and seemed satisfied they were out of earshot. She leaned forward a bit over the counter. “Your mother and father both were dear people and much respected in the community, as are you. I would hate for all this gossip that’s going around to tarnish that.”

  Josie was caught totally off guard by the woman’s words. “What gossip would that be?”

  “You know. You and Chance Braxton.” The woman’s voice was lowered even more. “The two of you living under the same roof. What would your mother say about that? I know she isn’t here, but surely you must know what people are saying.”

  Josie was speechless. Then, when the words came to her, she had enough presence of mind to bite them back. How dare the people, who had known her and her family for years, actually engage in such rotten gossip! Whatever she did on her ranch was her business. So many things sprang to her mind, yet she said none of them. A thin smile was fixed on her face.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Ross. I know how valuable your opinion is. Have a good afternoon.”

  With her purchase in hand, she headed out to her truck. All the way back to the ranch, she fumed about the ridiculous gossip, and then she tried to think of a way to apologize to Chance for doubting his story. Why did things have to be so complicated? There was something to be said for wanting to be young and carefree again and not an adult. However, she tried to remember if she had ever truly been carefree, and she realized she couldn’t recall the time. Josie felt older but no wiser. If she hadn’t left the ring Chance gave her in its velvet box on her dresser, then she could have shown Mrs. Ross there was no need for the gossips to wear themselves out on her account.