Hot for a Cowboy

by Kim Redford

  To top it off, Tanner was still nosing around the area. If he got wind of the discovery, he’d try to take it, one way or another, and if that didn’t work, he might try to burn it for sheer spite, if nothing else. Cowboys, deputies, and firefighters had been trading off watching the place, but they couldn’t keep it up forever. For now, they were keeping knowledge of the contents limited to as few folks as possible, making security all about keeping Eden safe.

  He walked over to the basin and cupped his hand under the spout, cool water hitting his palm and trickling out to join the deep pool. Good, dependable water, but wasted water. It was worth its weight in gold, just like the hut’s contents. As long as he hadn’t known what was in storage, it hadn’t concerned him. Now he felt uneasy about it all the time. All those priceless recordings and whatever else had been squirreled away was on his land and under his protection. If something happened to it, she’d never forgive him and he’d never forgive himself. Kind of like the water. If he didn’t do something with it, he’d never forgive himself, either.

  Hedy and Morning Glory had come to him that morning, asking him to talk reason to Eden. The May Day Rodeo was coming up fast. Ken wasn’t out of school yet. Jack was pushed to his limits. And Nathan had a business to run. They were helping out when and where they could, but they had businesses, too. And Shane was getting way behind on ranch chores and figuring out a permanent way to get water to his herds.

  It was a mess, pure and simple. His life had been turned upside down since Eden got back to town. The highs with her were heaven, but the lows with her were hell. If she’d put his ring on her finger, they’d… He snorted before even finishing his thought. He might as well be writing country music lyrics. Except it wasn’t funny. He was worried about her, just like everybody else was.

  He flicked water from his fingertips, stepped under one of the arches, and walked over to his fence. He continued down it, looking right and left across the pasture, thinking, figuring, calculating. The stock tanks were working out well, but he kept damning Lander and the new owners of the Lazy Q Ranch. Still, that was water under the bridge. He didn’t suspect them of trying to take over his ranch now, so that was a plus. He simply had to find his own way to a permanent water solution.

  He put his hands on his hips as he surveyed the area, noting as he did the beauty of the Rocky T. He looked back at the WPA spring gazebo built in 1927, noting its beauty, too. He couldn’t let that unique heritage get torn down or destroyed any more than he could let his herds go without water.

  Bottom line, he couldn’t assume Eden would want to keep KWCB on the ranch. Universities would probably vie to house some of the hut’s contents. She had the funds to build a new, state-of-the-art, climate-controlled building in Wildcat Bluff to be closer to resources and security. It wouldn’t be ranch radio anymore, but who even remembered or cared that many of the early stations were on ranches? She could shut it down and sell it all. She’d eventually get Tanner off her back, so she could return to LA if that truly suited her heart of hearts.

  As much as he hated to admit it, everything was on the table—especially the star sapphire ring. He’d had enough of running after Eden. If she couldn’t see the good in what he offered, then what good was it to offer?

  He enjoyed a fine life on the Rocky T, and he’d enjoyed it all his life. Yeah, Eden could make it better. She’d made him see that he was ready for family and all the trimmings. He wanted what his parents had created in their relationship. He wanted it now. And he wanted it with Eden. But it might not ever be enough for her. If he wasn’t enough, if his ranch wasn’t enough, if Wildcat Bluff wasn’t enough, then now was the time to find out, so he didn’t go holding out hope till the end of his days and wind up a lonely, disillusioned man.

  With a heavy heart, he turned back to the spring. He was at the end of his rope in so many ways, but he wouldn’t give up hope just yet. At the same time, he wasn’t going to stand by and let Eden hurt herself and others. Lots of folks loved and depended on KWCB. How could he let them lose their radio station? If it came to it, he could buy the Den. Wildcat Jack would still be on the air. He wouldn’t have Eden, but he’d still have the Wildcat Den. It wasn’t an even trade-off, by any means, but it might end up being the best he could do. And the Rocky T Ranch would still host a ranch radio.

  Good. He was starting to think out of the box. He’d gotten so focused on helping Eden with her issues that he’d almost forgotten that he was in control of the ranch and his own life. He’d still help her over this rough spot, because that’s what friends did in Wildcat Bluff, but he’d now do it with a firm hand.

  He glanced back at the fence, then at the gazebo again. There had to be a way to satisfy all their needs. It’d come to him. As he walked back toward the station, he heard a pickup pull up and park. He rounded the corner of the building and smelled food about the time he saw Jones, wearing jeans, shirt, and jacket, step down from her truck with a sack in one hand.

  She saw him and shook the sack. “Hungry?”

  “Starved.” He walked over to her.

  “Eden around?”

  “She’ll be in one of the buildings.”

  “I’ve got news.”

  “If you’re planning to eat around here, you’d better go to the gazebo. It’s the only place still left that’s usable.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  “Gets worse every day. She needs a separate building to sort the stuff. Right now, she’s using the station and her home.” He shook his head. “And there wasn’t ever enough room in them to swing a cat to start with.”

  “If you’ll go get her, I’ll meet y’all at the spring.”

  “Okay. I think she was recording some stuff for the May Day Rodeo, so she ought to be in the Den.”

  “Good. I’ll wait, but not too long. I’m mighty hungry.” She grinned, tossing long, dark hair over one shoulder before sauntering away.

  He bounded up the stairs to the radio station. He opened the door and took a cautious step inside so he wouldn’t put a big boot onto some priceless object. The place smelled like dust, mildew, and burnt wire, so he left the door open to try and air it out a bit. The door to the studio was closed, and he figured she was in there.

  He glanced around, hoping to see some improvement, but now even the sofa was stacked with boxes in various stages of being opened and unpacked. If anything, the place looked like a disaster zone. He didn’t know how she could run KWCB with this big of a mess. Somebody had to get through to her that she couldn’t keep on this way. He guessed that job fell to him.

  About the time he’d settled on a path to navigate to the studio, the door opened and she stepped out. He felt his heart sink at the sight. She’d lost more weight, so her jeans hung on her like they belonged to somebody else, and the long-sleeve T-shirt appeared as if he ought to be wearing it. She’d pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail and hadn’t bothered with makeup, not even to cover up the dark circles under her eyes. She’d smeared dust across her forehead and appeared unsteady on her feet.

  She looked like hell, but he’d never say it to her face. Instead, he plastered on a smile. “Jones is here. She brought news and eats.”

  “Jones?” Eden glanced around as if expecting to see her attorney pop out of one of the boxes.

  “I sent her to the gazebo. More room there.”

  “Good.” She glanced around again. “I’m not very hungry, but I’ve got some bottles of water around here somewhere.”

  “I set them in a cooler outside.”

  “Is that where they went?”

  “Yeah. And you need to eat.”

  She swiped a hand across her forehead, smearing the dust even more. “I don’t know if I can eat anything. My stomach is—”

  “You’re going to eat.” He’d had enough of her starving her body.

  She cocked her head to one side. “That sounds like an order
.”

  “It is.” He motioned toward the open door. “Come on.”

  “I don’t take orders well.”

  “I’m worried about you.” He took a step toward her, trying not to crash into anything. “If you don’t go to the gazebo by yourself, I’ll carry you.”

  She shrugged as she rolled her eyes. “You needn’t get pushy. I’m going because I want to talk with Jones. I hope she has good news.”

  “Okay.” He carefully backed up till he was on the top step, watching as she walked right around the boxes and scattered contents as if she were easily making her way through a big pasture.

  He leaped to the ground, pulled three waters out of the cooler, and turned around to make sure she was with him.

  “I don’t know what’s gotten into you,” she said as she joined him. “Just because I’m not eating at your house, you act like I’m not eating at all.”

  “About that—”

  “Come on!” Jones hollered from under an arch. “Food’s getting cold.”

  “Chuckwagon?” Eden asked as she drew near the gazebo.

  “Bluebonnet Café. I was in Sure-Shot, so I ordered there.”

  “Great.” He hurried forward, feeling his stomach growl. The Bluebonnet was his second favorite place to eat in the county.

  When he got inside, he smiled to see that Jones had set up the same dining configuration as Eden had done when they’d met there the first time after she returned to town—food in the center, three cushions positioned in a circle on the floor. He quickly sat down. Jones and Eden joined him. He handed a bottle of water to each of them.

  Jones picked up a covered container and a prepackaged spork with a napkin. She handed them to Eden. “I brought you mac and cheese. I thought maybe comfort food was in order.”

  Eden gave her an appreciative smile. “Sounds wonderful. My tummy’s been a little touchy about rich food.”

  “No wonder,” Jones said. “Shane, we get the cheeseburgers and fries.”

  “Great.” He grabbed a burger and took a big bite. It was just as good as always, so he bit into it again. “Next time, I’ll treat us all to chicken-fried steaks.”

  “That’s a winner,” Jones replied, then dunked a fry in ketchup.

  Eden ate several bites. “This is really good. I guess I’m hungrier than I realized.”

  He started to comment on that statement, but Jones caught his eye and shook her head, so he stayed quiet and continued to eat. She was right. There was no point in ruining good food by talking too much. And he’d remember that Eden needed mild meals, not barbecue or anything too spicy. He could fix macaroni and cheese if that’s what would get her to eat.

  Jones finished her food, then focused on Eden. “I’ve got good news and bad news.”

  “Don’t even ask,” Eden said. “Good news first.”

  “Okay.” She grinned, showing her pearly whites like a dog bent on destruction. “Fontaine agreed to withdraw Graham’s request for your property.”

  “Really?” Eden grinned just as big. “That’s wonderful news!”

  “It sure is.” But Shane wasn’t too surprised because Jones was that good at riding horses and roping opposing counsel.

  “But how did you get him to agree?” Eden set down her empty container.

  “He came to understand that we do things a little differently in Wildcat Bluff County. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us, meaning we have unlimited resources, patience, and persistence to counter anything he might throw at us.”

  “But that’s not entirely true, is it?” Eden asked.

  Jones shrugged as she cracked the top of a bottle. “He’s been here, or he might not have believed me.” She took a sip of water. “Maybe he’s watched too many Old West movies, but I got the impression he might have been imagining that shoot-out at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona—with him on the losing end.”

  Shane couldn’t keep from laughing at that image. “Wonder how he could have gotten that impression?”

  “No idea,” Jones said in a matter-of-fact tone. “In addition, I believe he saw the writing on the wall. He wasn’t going to come out ahead, either promotion-wise, or finance-wise.”

  “We’re definitely winning the online wars,” Eden said, “but we haven’t been able to spend as much time on it lately, so Graham could still pull ahead.”

  “That brings me to the bad news,” Jones said. “As far as Fontaine knows, his former client is going to stay in our county and continue his plea, as in harassment, so his ex-wife will eventually see reason and share her radio station.”

  “What’s the point?” Shane just wanted it to all be over.

  “What else has Tanner got?” Jones asked. “He gets notoriety this way, so maybe he gets his foot back in some door. He won’t care just so long as he doesn’t look like a loser…or a fool.”

  “We can’t let him know about what we found in storage.” Eden put her hand over her mouth as if she might hold back the information that way.

  “But I thought you were going to announce it to the world,” Shane said.

  “I was,” Eden said, “but now, I’m not so sure.”

  “You can’t let Tanner ride you into the ground,” Jones said.

  Eden nodded thoughtfully. “You know what I’d like to do? I’d like to make him look like the loser he is, so he’ll slink back to LA with his tail tucked between his legs. And stay there.”

  “I’ll second that.” Shane thought this might be Eden’s turning point.

  Eden looked from one to the other, then gazed thoughtfully out an archway toward the radio station. She gave a big sigh. “What I’ve been doing—it’s not going to work, is it?”

  Shane held his breath, hoping she was coming to see reality, no matter how difficult or unwanted right now.

  “In time, yes, it’ll work,” Jones said in a gentle tone. “But by May Day, I don’t see how.”

  Shane quickly agreed. “You’ve got a lot of delicate material to deal with, and that takes time.”

  “Vinyl.” Eden looked back at them with excitement shining in her blue eyes. “I found boxes of records yesterday. Who knows their value? It’ll take an expert to figure it out. I heard there’s a great one in Dallas.”

  “That’s wonderful news.” Jones gave her a big smile. “Want my opinion?”

  “If my current plan isn’t going to work, I better get a new one.” Eden picked up her bottle of water, slapping it into her palm.

  “You already said it.” Jones leaned toward Eden. “Overwhelm Tanner. Embarrass him. Make him want to play nice and get the hell out of Wildcat Bluff.”

  “But how?”

  Jones stood up. “You’ve got the means. Now use it.”

  Chapter 33

  Eden sat across from Shane, feeling stunned by Jones’s news and Shane’s revelations. What had she been thinking for the past week? She felt as if she’d woken up from a dream, maybe a nightmare. She wiped fingertips across her forehead and came away with soot or dust, wondering where and when she’d gotten it.

  With Jones gone, she felt the emotional cushion go with her. She was face-to-face with Shane. And she didn’t know what to say or how to act. She glanced down at her hands. No ring. She’d hardly thought about his proposal in a week. What must he think of her? Had he given up? Had he moved on? Had he washed his hands of her?

  She almost wished Jones was back or that Jack or Ken or Nathan would show up. They’d all been working so closely together that there’d been no private moments with Shane. Had she neglected him? And herself? Yet nothing had seemed more important than rolling out the new KWCB platform once she’d found the storage hut filled with invaluable history that could be shared with listeners. And it was an unexpected way to rebuild her self-confidence and self-esteem, secure her future, and help her feel worthy of Shane’s love and commitment. B
ut had she lost him in the process?

  She sipped water, stalling so maybe he’d be the first to speak and let her know how he truly felt now. But he was waiting her out or being sensitive or something that she couldn’t fathom.

  “I guess I’ve been obsessed,” she finally said, not looking at him because she didn’t want to see disappointment in his eyes.

  “Do you want to take a little time off today?” He spoke in a slow, gentle tone, as if he couldn’t be sure she would hear or understand him.

  She cocked her head to one side, considering his meaning as well his words. He didn’t expect her to agree. He no longer expected her to want to spend time with him. And yet he still gave her a chance to go away with him. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Max is up at the barn. I could text him, so he’d have a couple of horses saddled and ready to ride when we got there.” He hesitated, not looking at her as he tore off strips of his bottle’s label. “We wouldn’t waste any time that way.”

  “You want to go for a ride?” she asked, wondering why he’d want to take a leisurely ride when there was so much to do.

  “Yeah. It’s about the water.” He gave her a sly smile. “I’ve had an idea I think will work.”

  “Really? That sounds great. Do you want to show me?”

  “Yes.”

  She quickly stuffed empty containers in the paper sack. “Let’s go.”

  “You’re sure you can take the time?”

  “It’s important so I’ll take the time.” She clutched the sack in one hand and stood up.

  “Good.” He got to his feet as he pulled out his phone.

  She quickly walked out of the gazebo, heart beating fast. She hadn’t handled that well and knew it. She just couldn’t get past her worries about losing him for no better reason than a radio station. She really had lived too long in her LA world, where nothing took precedence over that next step up the ladder or the next Botox injection to make sure you stayed on your current rung and viable for the next one up.