by Liz Isaacson
The best word on the planet was, “Deal,” spoken in Sissy’s voice.
A week passed, and then two. Friday night found Dave packing his guitar beside him in the truck, with Sissy over by the window. No band practice tonight, but a gig in Lancaster. Sawyer was bringing Jeri and Brayden. Lance had his new girlfriend in the truck behind him, and Cache had steadfastly refused to invite someone. Dave wasn’t sure why he didn’t just ask Karla, as it was obvious the two of them had a thing going.
Dave wasn’t all that in to hiding how he felt about someone, and he and Sissy had been doing just fine since their tense weekend a couple of weeks ago.
“Are you nervous?” she asked him.
“No,” he said.
“Not even a little?”
He glanced at her. “Why should I be? It’s just playing the guitar and singing.”
“In front of people.”
“I know we’re not pros,” he said. “But we put on a good show. I know that too.” He didn’t mean to sound arrogant. Was stating facts arrogance? “Cache wants to take us farther,” Dave said. “But I don’t get why. We’re busy here at the ranch, and it’s not like we’re going to tour.”
“That Cache is an exuberant guy,” Sissy said, which made Dave laugh.
“That he is.” Dave rolled down his window and let the summer evening air in as he turned up the radio. He started singing along, and Sissy giggled at his over-the-top theatrics.
“You have a great voice,” she said.
“Have you not heard me sing in the band?” Dave turned down the radio as he looked at her, sure she’d seen him. Hadn’t she?
“No,” she said. “That night you were at Finer Diner, I had girl’s night, remember?”
“Yeah,” he said. “You’re right. I guess I just didn’t realize.” He grinned at her. “We’re good. I mean, Last Chance Cowboys are good.”
“That’s why you’re playing at a rodeo in Lancaster?” She cocked her right eyebrow at him.
“Yes,” he said. “Rodeos are a good time, Sissy. Have you ever been?”
“To a rodeo?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “To a rodeo.” She’d been all over the world, and she hadn’t been to a rodeo?
“Well, not recently.”
“Not ever,” he said, chuckling.
“So why are we driving to Lancaster for a rodeo when there’s one in Pasadena?” She shook her phone at him as if she’d just looked up what a rodeo was.
“Because Cache booked us at this one,” Dave said. “And it’s good money. A few hundred dollars each.”
“All right,” she said. “It’s just a long way for a few hundred dollars.”
“It’s an hour,” he said. “Just relax and enjoy the ride.” He turned the radio back up and sang along with every song he knew.
He met up with the other guys, and Cache was definitely the most keyed up. They checked in with the master of ceremonies, strapped on their instruments, and Lance made sure his drums were set up on the platform next to the area where the MC stood.
“Ready?” Cache asked, glancing around and still fiddling with his hat and then his strap.
“Yes,” Sawyer said, his eyes out in the crowd. Sissy sat next to Jeri, and she had the baby on her lap. Dave sure liked the sight of that, and he hoped that if he and Sissy did get married, she’d open her mind to adoption.
Lance’s girlfriend, Kaylee, sat next to them, and she was a fun woman with a lot of blonde hair. A bit young in Dave’s opinion, but Dave didn’t have to date her. And the woman Cache had brought? Dave had been out with her over a year ago, and she was too giggly for his taste. He also didn’t believe Cache liked her at all. He’d only asked her because he didn’t want to bring Karla for some reason.
“So what’s with you and Karla?” Dave asked, and Cache almost fell down.
“What?”
“Oh, come on,” Dave said. “Everyone knows you like her.”
Cache looked around, and even Sawyer had been drawn into this conversation. “He’s right,” Sawyer said.
“Lance?”
“Totally obvious.”
Cache turned a shade of red Dave hadn’t seen in a while. “There’s nothing with me and Karla,” he said. “Let’s just play.” He stomped over to the platform and stood behind his mic.
Dave chuckled, only feeling a bit bad for calling him out. He got behind the mic in the front and turned to the rest of the guys. “We ready?”
“So ready,” Lance said.
Before anyone else could answer, the MC practically screamed into the mic, “And now, all the way from a rescue ranch near Pasadena, we’ve got the Last—Chance—Cowboooooooys!”
Cache yelled, “One, two, one, two, three, four,” and everyone started to play.
Dave spun back to the microphone, pure adrenaline flowing through him. He could admit he loved the rush of performing, and the sea of faces before him blurred together.
All but one—Sissy’s.
She wore a huge smile and danced with that baby, and Dave decided he was all the way in love with her.
Chapter 17
Sissy thoroughly enjoyed the rodeo. Kissing Dave after and exclaiming about how good he was. When he dropped her off at her house, she kissed him and said he was hot up there on that stage.
She liked eating lunch with him, and she was seriously considering taking him home to her Mom’s Fourth of July picnic. With only a week to go, she still hadn’t asked him. She wasn’t sure why she was nervous about it. Jessie and her mother had met Dave before.
With only a few days to go, and preparations in full swing around the ranch for the big picnic Scarlett and Hudson put on in the backyard of the homestead every year, she decided she had to ask him that day. Otherwise, she’d have to drive to San Diego by herself for the holiday.
But it was an overnight trip, and she wasn’t sure if…she wasn’t sure what she wasn’t sure about. She rolled over in bed and picked up her phone. Want to go to my mother’s for the Fourth?
She stared at the words in her message, her heart pounding in her chest. She sent it and went to get in the shower so she wouldn’t be able to field any questions.
The fact that she was nervous to ask him to a simple picnic plagued her, and she didn’t know what was wrong with her. She liked Dave. She really liked Dave. They’d talked about marriage and kids, and yet, she felt stuck.
She couldn’t move forward with Dave. She couldn’t go back. She couldn’t break up with him. She couldn’t break his heart like that. And yet, he didn’t seem to be anxious to move forward either.
“What do you want him to do?” she asked herself as she shaved her legs. “Propose?”
She stilled, wondering what that would look like this time. Last time, there had been candles and roses. A table on the beach. Him down on one knee, with the biggest diamond he could buy at the time. On his Army salary, it wasn’t huge, but she’d been so happy.
What would he do this time?
In that moment, Sissy knew one thing—Dave would not be asking her to marry him this time. No, if she wanted the house, the white picket fence, the husband, the kids, she was going to have to ask him.
“No wonder he’s done nothing,” she said, all kinds of lightbulbs going off in her head. “He’s gone as far as he’s willing to go. He doesn’t want to get his heart broken again.”
Of course he didn’t. She didn’t want to break it again either. But could she really propose to him?
Her phone started ringing from the bedroom, and she hurried through the rest of her shower. She got dressed and dried her hair before she checked her phone. Dave had called, and she tapped, swiped, and tapped again to call him back.
“Hey,” she said. “Sorry, in the shower.”
“Your mother’s for a Fourth picnic?”
“That’s a no?”
“It’s a I-didn’t-know-that-was-happening.”
“Well, it is.”
“Why didn’t you mention it before now?”
“I don’t know,” Sissy said.
“I told Scarlett I’d help with all the setup.”
Sissy blew out her breath. “There are a dozen cowboys here to help set up the tent.” She cocked her head, trying to figure out the reason he didn’t want to go.
“Yeah,” he said.
“You don’t want to go,” she said.
“Not particularly.”
“Why not?”
He cleared his throat. “Can I tell you at lunch?”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I have to run.”
“Okay,” she said, barely getting the two-syllable word out before the call ended. Sissy looked at her phone like it had turned into a snake. “What is going on?”
She felt a little sick as she finished getting ready, taking extra care to put on jewelry and just the right amount of lip gloss. By the time her tires went from paved road to gravel as she approached the ranch, her heartbeat was positively tapdancing in her chest.
The robot mailbox that welcomed everyone to Last Chance Ranch waved to her, and since she’d been here last, someone had put red, white, and blue streamers in his hands. Scarlett was always doing something festive with her beloved Prime, and Sissy smiled at the robot as if he could smile back.
On a whim, she turned into the homestead’s driveway instead of continuing past the way she normally did. Well, recently, she’d been stopping at Jeri’s, but Brayden was sleeping more now, and Sissy had quit going over early in the morning.
The scent of bacon floated on the air, and she really hoped it was coming from inside the homestead. She knocked, almost like she didn’t want anyone to know she was there, and she stood back to wait.
Several seconds later, a curious Scarlett opened the door, obviously not expecting a visitor before breakfast. “Sissy,” she said with surprise in her voice. Instant concern entered her expression. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing. I—” Her throat closed, and she didn’t know what to say.
“Come in,” she said. “Are you hungry? Hudson’s just making eggs right now.”
Sissy nodded, though the thought of putting anything in her mouth made her gag. She went into the kitchen, a little nervous to say anything in front of Hudson. Dave seemed to be better friends with Cache, Sawyer, and Lance—his bandmates—but the ranch operated like a small town. Gossip flew, and if she wasn’t careful Dave could hear about this conversation before lunchtime. He didn’t like to be talked about behind his back, and Sissy realized coming here was a bad idea.
“I’m going to go shower.” Hudson placed a kiss on Scarlett’s cheek and smiled at Sissy. “Heya, Sissy.”
She mustered up a wave before he left, and she sat at the table. Scarlett put a plate in front of her and brought over the bacon and eggs. She sat too, and said, “Talk.”
Sissy lifted one shoulder instead, the words damming up behind her vocal chords.
“Okay,” Scarlett said, taking a few pieces of bacon. “I’ll talk then.” She took a deep breath and kept her eyes on her plate. “Seems to me like you and Dave are getting along. A bump here. A bruise there. Normal stuff every couple goes through.” She bit off a piece of bacon and chewed it, leaving a gap for silence.
Sissy didn’t like it. Had never really liked being alone with her thoughts. She filled her time with adventure, with new places, new friends, new experiences.
“But,” Scarlett said, emphasizing the T-sound. “I suspect you feel like it’s going nowhere. I know he feels that way. He’s in love with you, but he can’t do anything about it.”
“What does that mean?” Sissy asked, her voice soft and barely audible to her own ears.
“It means, Sissy, that he’s sacrificed all he can. For where he is now, for where you guys have come from, this is all he can give.”
This.
What was this?
“So what do I do?”
“Well.” Scarlett’s tone was light, almost a sing-song. “You have lots of choices. But you have to decide if you want Dave in your life or not.”
“I do.” And Sissy did.
“Then do something. You have to do something. I don’t think it even matters what it is. Just do something.” Scarlett scooped some eggs on her plate, and Hudson reappeared in the kitchen, dressed in similar clothes but with damp hair. He settled his cowboy hat on his head and pulled his boots on.
“You’re not eating?” Scarlett asked.
“I’ll take it with me,” he said. “Dave’s already out in the field, and he says we have a problem.”
“What kind of problem?”
“Something with the pipes.” Hudson grabbed a handful of bacon and forked a couple of bites of eggs into his mouth. He swallowed, kissed Scarlett, and added, “He’s already got it fixed, babe. Don’t worry. I’ll call you later.”
“Text me details.”
“Yep.” And with that, Hudson disappeared out the back door.
Watching them interact was so cute. They were so easy together. So natural. Sissy felt like she was dancing on eggshells in heels, trying not to break anything. She got up, unable to be in the homestead any longer.
“Thanks, Scarlett,” Sissy said, heading for the front door.
“You didn’t eat either,” she called after her.
“I’m not hungry.” Sissy paused at the front door. “What do you think I should do?”
Scarlett stood up and approached her. “I don’t know, honey.” She reached up and tucked Sissy’s hair behind her ear. “Either put him out of his misery or marry him.”
“Those are my only two choices?” Both made her stomach squirm even more, and she wasn’t even sure why. She wanted to run. Get online and find the first flight out of the nearest airport. Get away for a few days. Clear her head. Figure out what she wanted and how to get it.
You want Dave.
“No,” Scarlett said. “But he deserves the truth. If you’re not willing to marry him, he should know. Then he can make a decision too.”
Sissy nodded and left, the short drive over to the Administration Annex passing quickly. She sat behind her desk and fiddled around on her computer for several minutes. Maybe a half-hour. She wasn’t sure. Her mind wasn’t in a good spot, and while she had work to do, she couldn’t focus.
Another quarter was ending tomorrow, and she needed to get reports done. Budgets had already been approved and sent to the various areas of the ranch for the third quarter, and she finally buried her thoughts about Dave beneath numbers and charts, spreadsheets and filing. After all, she could make all of that fall into line nicely, something she couldn’t do with her emotions.
Lunchtime came, and Sissy’s stomach roared at her for food. Karla had texted that there would be a soup and salad bar in the backyard, and Sissy grew tired of waiting for Dave to show up. Hudson had mentioned that problem out in the fields, and maybe it was bigger than he’d led Scarlett to believe.
No matter what, the window for lunch was ending by the time Sissy sunk her heels into the grass back at the homestead. Male laughter rang out, punching her in the gut.
Dave was here.
“No,” Sissy whispered to herself. He’d said he’d come talk to her at lunch. Why hadn’t he stopped by the admin building to get her? They could’ve come over together.
She minced her way along the side of the house, the backyard finally coming into view. Two tables had been set up under the tent attached to the third cabin in the row at the back of the property, as usual. A fan blew, trying to warn off the mid-summer California heat, also as usual.
Men ate at the tables. Normal.
Dave sat with them when he’d said he’d talk to Sissy at lunchtime.
So not normal.
Fire licked its way up her stomach, and she marched toward him, ready to do that something Scarlett had spoken of earlier today. As fast as her fury had roared to life, it faded. She wasn’t the type to make a scene, and she didn’t want to argue with Dave in front of everyone. Her presence here w
ould be enough for him to see she knew what he’d done. Then they could take their issues behind closed doors.
Her hands shook as she picked up a plate and a bowl. “Hey, Karla,” she said loudly. “This looks so good.”
“You’ve got a couple of choices,” Karla said from behind the table. “This is sausage tortellini soup. Or the regular chicken noodle.” She looked at Sissy for her choice.
“Sausage tortellini.” She wasn’t sure why anyone would eat soup in the summer, but Karla was an excellent cook, and she ladled soup into Sissy’s bowl. She moved down to build her salad, and when she had her food ready, she turned back to the tables.
She’d deliberately kept her back to everyone, trying not to listen. But she wasn’t deaf, and she’d heard the silence fall over the tables. A few cowboys had picked up the conversation again, but there was no loud laughter from Dave and his crew.
Three seats remained at his table, and Sissy had never had a problem inserting herself into a crowd. But today, she looked at them for a long moment and moved over to the second table, where Amber sat with Adele, their heads bent together over something Cache was showing them.
“Can I sit with you guys?” she asked brightly, swinging around so her back was to Dave. Actual physical pain dove through her at her snub of him. But hadn’t he started it? It was almost two o’clock. When did he think she ate lunch?
Sometimes you don’t even stop to eat lunch, she thought, but she pushed it away.
“Yeah, you’re just who we need to talk to,” Cache said, a bright smile on his face.
“Oh yeah?” Sissy sat down and picked up her spoon. “What about?”
“Cow cuddling,” Adele said, and Sissy almost dropped her utensil again.
“I’m sorry. What?”
“You tell her Cache.” Adele beamed at the cowboy, and Karla came over and sat beside him too. He glanced at her and then back to Sissy, his face turning a bit red.
He cleared his throat. “I’ve been working with my cows,” he started. “And Adele trained all the goats for the yoga program.”