Cowboy Firefighter Christmas Kiss

by Kim Redford

  She needed to talk with someone. She couldn’t call Slade. The fact that she didn’t feel she could reach out to him hurt. How many people had he told about the offer for Wildcat Hall Park? Or was he waiting until the next day, because it was too late and folks got up early? Of course, the Settelmeyer family knew about the offer, but they were tight-lipped with disapproval. She couldn’t blame them. She was playing with their entire lives. She hated to even think what Slade’s family would say to her, or more probably, not say.

  First though, she needed to talk with Fern. She picked up her phone and hit speed dial, hoping her sister was in a position to answer.

  “Ivy, what’s up? Not your usual time to call.”

  “Do you have time to talk?”

  “For a sec, sure.”

  “We’ve got a situation here.” She was so relieved to hear her sister’s voice that she almost felt like crying.

  “Is it Craig?” Fern coughed. “He’s okay, isn’t he?”

  “Far as I know, he’s fine. But I’m not so good.”

  “What is it? I thought everything was going great.”

  “By morning, I’m going to be the most hated person in Wildcat Bluff County.” She crumpled the business card in her fist.

  “You’re kidding me!”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “What’s going on?”

  She sighed, knowing this wasn’t going to be easy, but she wouldn’t go easy on herself. “Peter Simpson.”

  “Right. Friend. Realtor. What’s he got to do with the Park?”

  “Well…”

  “Tell me you didn’t ask him to put our property on the market.”

  “It happened right after I moved here. And I never dreamed we’d get an offer.”

  “I’m hurt, truly hurt, you didn’t consult me before you took such a big step.”

  “I’m sorry. Really, I am. It’s just I was so unhappy about being uprooted from my life in Houston and stuck out here in the country that…well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.”

  “But Craig…or other folks there would snap up the Park in a second.”

  “I didn’t know any of them. And I don’t know why, but I just called Peter.”

  “Oh, Ivy.” Fern coughed. “It wounds me to think you’d do that to such a special property, but tell me what’s going on with it.”

  “Slade and Alicia were in the front bar with me when a stranger came inside.”

  “Buyer?”

  “Yes.” She swallowed hard, feeling worse but feeling better, too, just from talking with her sister.

  “How much is the offer?”

  “A lot. He wants to turn our property into a Wild West theme park.”

  “What? That’s shocking!” Fern coughed several times, finally gasping. “I just can’t seem to get rid of this bug. I try not to talk during the day.”

  “I’m sorry I’m straining your voice.”

  “It’s okay.”

  “He wants to buy surrounding acreage and build it into something big.”

  “Oh, Ivy. That’s terrible. It’d hurt so many people.”

  “But it’d bring in jobs.”

  “And traffic and pollution and who knows what else.”

  “I agree.” She straightened out the business card. “You haven’t heard the amount yet.”

  “I don’t care. There’s no way I’d sell and you know it.”

  “Listen to this.” She read the long string of numbers on the card. “Can you still say no?”

  “That’s huge. It’d change our lives, wouldn’t it?”

  “Yes. But it’d also change the lives of the people here. I don’t know about you, but I just can’t do it.”

  “I agree.” Fern coughed. “Let them build a Wild West theme park someplace that isn’t already established.”

  “I’m relieved we’re in agreement. I couldn’t turn him down until I’d talked with you.”

  “How did Slade take the news?”

  “He left me.”

  “Oh no. You’ve come to care about him, haven’t you?”

  “More than I thought possible, and now—”

  “He’ll understand once you explain the situation.”

  “He feels betrayed. And rightly so.”

  “You can’t let it stand. Go to him. Tell him we’re not going to sell.”

  “I can’t. The cattle drive is tomorrow. He needs a good night’s sleep so he can be up early.”

  “Do you think he’ll sleep well? Will you?”

  “No. And I’ll be serving food to the cowboys and cowgirls. Plus, KWCB will interview me.”

  “What a mess. The timing couldn’t be worse.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “You must get some rest.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “I wish I were there to help you. I feel guilty for dumping the Park in your lap and running off—again.”

  “Don’t go there.”

  “But it’s true. If I’d stayed there, you wouldn’t be there, and this issue would never have come up.”

  “True.” She crumpled the card again. “But I wouldn’t have met Slade, and I wouldn’t have found out how much I love living in the country.”

  “I don’t feel so guilty now.”

  “Good. And you’re right. I need to do something. I’ll text Slade and see if he’ll come over to talk.”

  “Call…but you’d better tell Peter the deal’s off before you talk with Slade. Slade will need to know there’s no chance of losing Wildcat Hall.”

  “You’re right. I’ll see if I can get Peter. He’s probably asleep, but he’ll pick up for me.”

  “Sure he will.”

  “He’ll be disappointed to lose the big commission.”

  “Somehow I doubt it. He loves that place as much as we do.”

  “Okay.” She took a deep breath, feeling as if she might come out of this in one piece after all. “Thanks. You’ve been a big help and eased my mind.”

  “That’s what sisters are for.”

  “Thank you. I’d better let you go. Love you.”

  “Right back at you.”

  Ivy stared at her phone for a moment, missing Fern. She wished her sister were here right now. They’d hug and get this mess straightened out together. For now, she was on her own and that’d just have to be okay.

  She hit speed dial for Peter…and waited and waited for him.

  “Ivy,” Peter mumbled. “What the hell are you doing calling at this hour of the day or night?”

  “Emory Meadows paid me a visit.”

  “Hot for the property, is he?”

  “Did you know he was going to make an offer?”

  “No. I only knew he’d gone up there to take a look. He actually made an offer right then and there?”

  “Yes. And, Peter, it’s big.”

  “Well, don’t tease me.”

  When she told him the amount, he whistled loud and long. “But there’s a downside. He wants to turn it into a Wild West theme park.”

  “That’s outrageous. He’d ruin it.”

  “Fern agrees.”

  “Besides, he’d never get those changes past a historical commission.”

  “It’s not registered as a historic building.”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Well, get on it. You can’t take chances with a structure like that. It needs to be protected.”

  “I’ll contact an attorney to start the process soon.”

  “Good. And, Ivy, believe me, I’d never have sent him to you if I’d had any idea he wanted to make such drastic changes.”

  “It caught me by surprise, too. I think I was sort of in shock till I talked with Fern.”

  “I can
imagine. How is she doing?”

  “Singing away at her gig.”

  “Is she coming back soon?”

  “I wish, but you know her.”

  “She may surprise you this time. She loves that place, that town, those people. If you two keep this up, I may have to move there myself.”

  “Somehow, I can’t imagine it.”

  “Well, you never know,” he said. “For now, do you want me to tell Meadows to ride off into the sunset without Wildcat Hall Park?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “You got it.” He hesitated again. “And, Ivy, do you really like it there?”

  “I’m surprised every day, but I love it here. You need to come and visit. Stay in one of the cowboy cabins.”

  “Thanks. I may just take you up on that offer. For now, I’d better get some shut-eye.”

  “I really appreciate your help. Also, I apologize for getting you into this mess and then turning down the offer.”

  “I’ll let you pay me back someday.”

  “Come up and stay a spell.”

  “Thanks. I’ll let you know when. Bye for now.”

  And that was that. She’d tell the Settelmeyers first thing in the morning that there would be no sale. She’d contact Nocona Jones to start the historical registration process. Hopefully, no one else knew about the offer, so she wouldn’t have to explain her actions.

  She set her phone aside…and felt cold and alone all over again. She wondered if she would always feel lonely without Slade. He’d come into her life like a whirlwind and snatched her up in it. They’d come through a lot together. This was no different. Fern was right. She needed to reach out to him now.

  She picked up her phone again. She trembled as she hit Slade’s number, anxious to hear his voice. But she waited…and waited…and waited. When it clicked over to voicemail, she shivered as she felt his rejection go deep. Then again, maybe he was asleep. But if he wouldn’t pick up or was too busy to do it, how could she reach him?

  And then she knew. Tomorrow was the cattle drive. He’d be at Wildcat Hall with the other drovers and folks on the scene at some point during the day for food and drink. She’d see him and explain everything. He’d understand. And all would be just like it was before Emory Meadows waltzed into Wildcat Hall and handed her a business card.

  She set her phone aside again and snuggled under the covers of the bed Slade had lovingly bought for them. But she didn’t fall asleep—thoughts of him laughing, talking, cooking, kissing kept flitting through her mind.

  He’d taken her heart, and he simply had to bring it back home.

  Chapter 33

  Early the next morning, Slade watched pale light from the rising sun slowly spread across Steele Trap Ranch, pushing aside the darkness to welcome a new day. He sat on his favorite bay roan on a hill overlooking three hundred head of Angus cows, rounded up and ready to be headed out.

  Cowboys and cowgirls kept watch over the herd from the backs of fine horses—palomino, chestnut, buckskin, gray, and other colors. They were well outfitted with bridles and saddles trimmed in silver, shotguns or rifles slipped into long holsters, and canteens filled with water or stronger drink.

  They wore a wide variety of traditional clothes. Their boots ranged from scuffed leather to fancy snakeskin. Hats were Stetson, Charlie 1 Horse, Resistol, or other brands in a wide variety of styles, like rodeo, western, desperado, with hat bands from fancy to plain in silver, rattlesnake, or braided leather. Cowboys wore Wranglers, while many of the cowgirls wore Rockies with shirts in a variety of bright colors. For the cool weather, they wore long-sleeve, fleece-lined jean jackets or something warmer, like black wool, three-pocket, leather-trimmed, sleeveless rancher jackets.

  Dust drifted upward from the restless herd, along with the sounds of mooing and snorting, as the animals anticipated something unusual happening to them. Leaders were on alert, swishing their tails. Cow dogs roamed the outer perimeter, checking for strays or stragglers that needed to be brought into line.

  Slade adjusted his Stetson as he appreciated the sight that re-created the old-time cattle drives of the 1880s. They’d done it. Cattle and drovers were in place. Sheriff Calhoun and his deputies rode horses while some followed in vehicles, along with two fire-rescue rigs. Wildcat Jack and Eden would be live streaming with Nathan and Ken for the KWCB radio station, so they were in an SUV, but they would also be getting out and walking to capture video and share online with their worldwide audience. Families with elders and kids were already lined up here and there along Wildcat Road to see the historic trail drive.

  Granny, Maybelline, Sydney, Dune, and Storm, along with other friends from around the county, were all on horseback with the herd. Nobody who wanted to be part of the event had been left out, even though they now had more riders per cow than would have ever been economically feasible in the old days. It suited him fine. He wanted everyone who wanted to be there to join in.

  Amazingly enough, so far, all had gone as planned, but that could change at any moment once the cattle drive got underway. Everyone was on alert for cattle rustlers, but that fact just added extra excitement.

  He had anticipated this moment for so long. He’d worked so long to get here. He should be able to enjoy it. Instead, he had a hole in his heart that was leaking out happiness with every beat. His thoughts kept turning back to Ivy…and the sharp-dressed stranger from Houston. Was he the kind of man she really wanted in her life? Was he, or somebody like him, the real reason she’d fought so hard not to like the country? Were men like him why she wanted to live in the city? Slade’s gut clenched at the thought. It was bad enough she’d ever considered putting Wildcat Hall up for sale, but it was even worse that she had so little regard for their heritage…and him.

  He couldn’t compete. He didn’t want to compete. He’d give her up before he’d compete. Yet how could he let her go without a fight? How could he go on without her? How could he walk away from the light that shimmered in her green eyes when she looked at him? And yet, even though thoughts of her haunted him, he had to go forward with the day—too many people and animals depended on him to do anything else.

  He focused on the scene below him. Jack and Eden were interviewing cowboys and cowgirls with Nathan and Ken live streaming. Storm had joined the group on horseback, so she was probably telling her story about naming Fernando and updating the audience about his long trek home. Still, Slade didn’t need to be thinking about Fernando…or Ivy. He had to focus on the cattle drive, particularly because everyone had turned to look up at him. He checked his watch. Yep, it was time.

  He kneed his roan to start the trek down to the front. He noticed that Nathan was recording him as he reached the group, nodding, smiling, welcoming everyone to the cattle drive. He felt like he was starring in some old black-and-white movie or television show. He was dressed for the part in his crimson, pearl-snap shirt, black rancher jacket with brown leather lapels, pressed Wranglers, knee-high black boots, and a black felt hat. He also wore brown leather gloves.

  It’d all be perfect if Ivy were riding beside him, although he doubted she’d ever been on a horse. When things settled down, he needed to remedy that oversight—but then he remembered there might not be a future for them, so he shelved the idea. He didn’t have time to think about it right now anyway. It’s just that she was always on his mind.

  When he reached the road, he looked back and saw everyone waiting expectantly for his signal to go. Well, truth be told, the cattle didn’t look expectant. They looked patient but skeptical in their typical bovine way. They were probably expecting extra hay or feed at the end of their journey, and they’d get it. He knew they’d like their new pastures.

  He took off his hat and held it high, then he waved it in a circle over his head. “Round ’em up! Head ’em out!”

  And he rode onto Wildcat Road with the trail drive coming alive behind him. He walked th
e roan, taking it slow and easy as he listened for the sounds that told him cattle and drovers were getting into position behind him.

  As he led the trail drive, he saw folks lined up on both sides of the road. He wanted them to stay well back. If they were ranchers, they knew how to handle any troublesome cattle or horses, but if they were city folk, they might view the cows as pets and reach out to touch them. Hopefully, nobody would get hurt. When they waved, he waved back as he passed them.

  Soon he started to see signs—hand-lettered, rough ones and professionally printed ones—that read “Fernando Home for Christmas.”

  He couldn’t keep from laughing at the signs, giving a thumbs-up at the sight. Talk about capturing imaginations. Fernando had it all. Again, he wished Ivy rode beside him, but she waited at Wildcat Hall to feed and water riders as the cattle made their way past the honky-tonk, just like they had a hundred-fifty years ago—at least that was the plan.

  He glanced back. All was going according to plan so far. Cowboys and cowgirls were joking, laughing, waving, and getting great responses from the audience. He sighed in relief, deciding that all their plans had turned the cattle drive into a rousing success.

  He couldn’t help but wonder what the original cowboys, driving a thousand head of wild, cantankerous longhorns up from South Texas, would think about the sight. Those brave drovers would have been covered in dust and dirt, boots thick with cow droppings, and hats stained dark with sweat. They’d have been armed with the best their meager money could buy in the way of knives and guns to protect not only themselves but also their precious cattle on the dangerous trip. By now—near the Red River—they’d have sat low in their saddles from the long, hard drive across Texas, knowing they still had to get safely through Indian Territory to the railhead in Kansas.

  Even with Slade’s experience, he couldn’t imagine the guts and fortitude it would have taken to make that long, hard haul. But it would’ve been worth it to them, because it was good, honest, paying work. On the way back, they’d have celebrated at dance halls in Dodge City, Kansas. They’d have picked up their handmade boots at Gene’s Boot Hospital that they’d have ordered on the way up. And they’d have danced some more in Wildcat Bluff. They’d have lived life to the fullest and wouldn’t have asked for more than the freedom to follow the cattle trails north.