The Prodigal Cowboy (Mercy Ranch Book 5)

by Brenda Minton

  A smaller hand touched her shoulder. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  The tremulous quality in that young voice shifted things. Holly raised her head and smiled at her daughter. Dixie mattered more than a bruised shoulder or an ache in her ribs.

  “Of course I’m fine.” Holly managed what she hoped was her best smile. “I’m good. I just need to get up off the ground and apologize to my horse for doing something I have no business doing.”

  Dixie gave her a lopsided grin. “You were doing pretty good.”

  “Was I?”

  Dixie nodded, looking younger than her years, more vulnerable. More in need of Holly. Colt stood next to her now, offering to help her up. She took it, standing with care. He gave her a discerning look.

  “Everything feel okay?” he asked.

  “Sore but nothing broken.” She wrapped an arm around Dixie and pulled her close, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” Thin but strong arms wrapped around Holly’s waist. And around her heart.

  Isaac cleared his throat. “Now that Holly’s trick riding clinic is over, I’m going back to my house. And leave the three of you to your dinner.”

  “Ice cream?” Colt interjected.

  Dixie looked from Colt to Isaac.

  “She can still join us, if she wants to.” Isaac looked to Dixie. “If she wants. I know Allie would love it if she’d come over and hang out for a bit.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Dixie asked Holly. “Because if you are, I’m going to go hang out with Allie and have ice cream.”

  “I’m positive I’m okay,” Holly told her with a quick hug. “Go and have fun. What about your horse?”

  “Already fed and in the field.”

  “One of us will bring her back later,” Isaac told them in parting.

  Then they were gone and Holly was left standing in the arena with Colt. He’d retrieved her horse’s reins, the animal having stopped a few feet away to graze.

  “Now what?” Holly asked as she watched Isaac’s truck pull away.

  “Let’s take care of your horse first, then we’ll have dinner.” He walked next to her, leading the horse. “Just the two of us.”

  “Did you arrange all this?”

  “Me? Arrange for Isaac to take our daughter for the evening? Why would you ever think I’d do something like that?”

  She didn’t know if she should be aggravated or honored.

  “I don’t know, but it does seem convenient that you made an amazing meal, and then Isaac suddenly shows up.”

  “As much as I’d like to claim responsibility, it was all Isaac and Rebecca,” he admitted.

  They left the corral and walked through the wide double doors of the barn. Colt tied her horse to a ring on the wall and took care of the animal while she sat on a nearby stool. As he brushed the horse out, he gave her a careful look.

  “You’re sure?” he began.

  “I’m sure. I’m sore and bruised but I’m not broken.”

  “It scared me,” he said as he put the brush in a nearby bucket.

  She stood as he led the horse out of the barn.

  “Why would you be scared?” she asked as he turned the horse into the field. The gelding trotted across the green grass, his black tail held high. His gait was showy as he pranced, raising his front legs high.

  “Why my dad ever got you an Arab, I will never know,” he said, shaking his head.

  “I know, you’re a quarter horse man. Personally, I like my guy. He’s sweet and he has class. But he’s not a barrel horse.”

  “No, he is definitely not a barrel horse.”

  She reached for his hand and they walked across the lawn toward the house hand in hand. “You’ve seen plenty of people getting thrown from horses and you’ve been thrown plenty. Don’t blame the horse—it happens.”

  They were standing near an old oak tree, gnarled with time, damaged by the Oklahoma winds. He pulled her close, taking her by surprise. And his shudder as he released a breath nearly undid her emotions that she held so carefully in check, protecting them from this man who could devastate her so easily.

  It had taken a long time for her to get to a place where she felt strong, where she didn’t miss him, where she didn’t hurt because he’d so easily left her for someone else.

  As his hands sifted through her hair, making her feel as if there could never be anyone else, she tried to remind herself of the past. Standing there with him, a gentle breeze swirling around them, rustling the new leaves in the ancient oak, she couldn’t think about the past. Not today. Today wasn’t a day for the past. It was all about the present.

  With an impatient motion he jerked off his hat and lowered his mouth to touch hers, brushing ever so gently before claiming her in a heartrending kiss. She brushed her hand across his cheek and trailed her fingers through the dark strands of hair at the back of his neck.

  After a minute she regained her senses and backed out of his embrace. Out of his arms was a lonely place to be. He scrubbed a hand across his stubbly cheek and bent to retrieve the hat he’d dropped.

  “You make me forget myself,” he told her. “It’s always been that way.”

  “Except when it was someone else,” she muttered, feeling the heat climb into her cheeks. “I’m sorry, that isn’t what this moment calls for. Because really, as far as kisses go, that one was spectacular.”

  “Should I say thank you or apologize?” He pushed his hat down on his head and Holly gave him a quick look, this cowboy of hers with his faded jeans and scuffed up boots.

  He wasn’t truly hers, was he?

  “It’s time we talk about it, Holly.” He took her by the hand and led her up the steps to the back door.

  “I don’t know.” Walking through the door he opened for her, she looked around the familiar kitchen of the home she’d grown up in. A kitchen that his presence filled. He’d cooked a fantastic dinner. He moved about the room as if he’d always been here, in her home, in her life.

  His expression darkened as he went to pull a knife out and began to cut the meat, moving it to a platter once it was done.

  She then noticed that there were candles on the dining room table. “No, let’s not talk about it. Not tonight.”

  “We have to or it will always be between us. That day when you were so hurt and you had so much to say, and I laughed at you and told you that life was never fair...that was not a man I was proud of.”

  “I didn’t particularly care for him, either. And I promised myself that day that I wouldn’t fall in love again. I wouldn’t let you or anyone else ever hurt me that way.”

  “Smart move. I know I’m not the most upstanding guy but I’m sorry for that day. I’m sorry I hurt you. I hope you’ll forgive me for the man I was and give the man I am now a chance to prove his worth.”

  She looked at the table, with the single rose in a vase and the candles that hadn’t been lit yet. She felt his hand touch her shoulder. The room turned orange and pink as the sun began to sink on the western horizon.

  “I want to trust you,” she whispered, his nearness unsettling.

  “I know and I don’t expect it to be easy.”

  “The problem with trust is that there’s more to our story now. We have a daughter. You have a career that’ll take you on the road. It’s all of these shifting, changing pieces and none of them seem to fit together.”

  “It does seem that way,” he told her. He kissed her hair, and the gesture was warm and somehow comforting.

  “So what do we do?”

  “I don’t know,” he answered with painful honesty.

  “Me either.” She turned, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his shoulder. “But I’m not going to let it ruin our dinner. I want to move forward. I want to have a friendship with you beca
use our daughter deserves that.”

  “Just friendship?” he asked.

  She knew what he meant. When he kissed her, it felt beyond friendship. It felt as if their mutual past disappeared and they were discovering each other as two adults.

  And spectacular kisses. She couldn’t forget those kisses.

  But a kiss didn’t make forever. A kiss didn’t mean they could be more than friends. A kiss simply made it all more complicated.

  But for now, at least they were heading in the right direction.

  Chapter Twelve

  Holly left the women’s fellowship lunch on Friday, walking outside the church building to a sunny day that signaled the first week of May had arrived with warm weather and blue skies. Perfect weather for the showdeo that was coming up tomorrow. Hopefully the good weather held.

  She hadn’t been to Bible study in years, and it had been nice to sit with the other women, talk about the book of Ephesians, share prayer requests and discuss upcoming events at church.

  Isaac’s wife Rebecca had asked if they could pray about the situation with Dixie, and it had been overwhelming to have those women join hands with her and pray for God’s wisdom and His plan for her daughter. The coming weeks would be difficult as the time grew near when they had to make a more permanent decision about Dixie’s guardianship.

  Even when Dixie called her Mom, Holly knew that Daisy was out there somewhere, tugging on her child’s heart without even trying. The longer Dixie stayed, though, the more she adjusted to a life in Hope with Holly.

  And Colt.

  As she walked to the café, Rebecca caught up with her.

  “Hey, I’ll walk with you.” Rebecca smoothed a hand over her belly. “Any day now.”

  Holly felt a twinge of envy but quickly pushed it aside. Rebecca had seen her own share of troubles, having her daughter Allie when she was barely out of high school. Her move to Hope had brought her more than hope, it had brought Isaac West into their lives. And now they were expanding their family.

  “How are you feeling?” Holly asked as she slowed her steps for the other woman.

  “Huge,” Rebecca laughed. “And ready to have this baby out of me. How are things going with Dixie?”

  She shrugged. “Good, I think. Sometimes calls us Mom and Dad, sometimes just Holly and Colt. But I know she still misses Broken Arrow. She misses her school and her friends, and most of all, Daisy. They talk on the phone, but that isn’t the same.”

  “Daisy won’t visit?” Rebecca asked as she headed for a bench in the park. “Sorry, I need a break to catch my breath.”

  Holly sat next to her. “Daisy doesn’t want to visit Hope, but she said she’s going to think about it. She has a lot going on with her businesses and in her personal life.”

  “Are you afraid Dixie will choose Daisy instead of you?” Rebecca asked. Then her expression softened. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to pry, I just know how I would feel.”

  “I don’t think Dixie knows what she wants, not really. And even if she stays with us, Colt and I will have to come up with some shared custody agreement that we can take before a judge to convince them we’re suitable parents. What we’re doing seems to work right now and maybe it would work for the future. With Colt just a mile away, we’re able to share meals, spend Sundays together and hang out. But then when he goes back to work, that’ll be a whole new problem. He will be on the road a lot, and only come home when he gets a chance.”

  Rebecca moved the hand from her belly and reached for Holly’s hand. “I’m so sorry. If you need anything—a friend, a cup of coffee, someone to talk to—I’m here.”

  “Thank you, Rebecca.” Holly gave her hand a squeeze. “That means a lot.”

  The two of them continued their slow walk to Lakeside Drive where shops lined the streets, and on this Friday in May, cars filled all the parking spaces. They were almost to the café when a red convertible turned a corner and zoomed into an empty parking spot that had just been vacated.

  The woman, dark hair held at bay by a colorful scarf, hopped out of the car. She pulled off her dark sunglasses and looked around, at once confident and nervous. She bit down on her bottom lip, the bright red of her lipstick a contrast to her dark hair.

  Holly stopped, suddenly all too aware of who had just driven into town. She put a hand on Rebecca’s arm, needing an anchor.

  “What’s wrong?” Fairly new to the family, Rebecca probably hadn’t experienced this particular Oklahoma storm.

  “Daisy.” She tilted her head in the direction of the woman and her red car.

  “Oh, my. That’s a surprise.”

  Holly summoned her courage, telling herself this didn’t have to be bad news for any of them. She continued up the sidewalk, pasting a bright smile on her face. A long time ago, she and Daisy had been friends. Daisy was younger by a couple of years, but they’d played together as children.

  “I’ll go with you,” Rebecca insisted, remaining at her side.

  “You don’t have to. I know you need to get back to the salon.”

  “I’m going with you.” Rebecca was petite and quiet, but loyal. Holly had always liked her but now she realized that Rebecca was a true friend, not just someone who came to the café or someone she bumped into at church.

  Daisy noticed them. She hitched her handbag over her shoulder and waited for them to approach. Even standing there on a sidewalk in Hope, Daisy was poised. She appeared confident, as if she knew how to bend the world to her bidding. But Holly wasn’t convinced. No one could be that confident.

  “Holly,” Daisy greeted as they approached. “And Rebecca. You’re looking beautiful these days.”

  Rebecca hugged Daisy as if the two were old friends. “It is so good to see you. I can’t believe you’re in Hope.”

  “I know, I’m just as surprised.” Daisy did a sidestep as a group of men walked by. One of them stopped, whistled and backed up.

  “Daisy Duke, is that you?” David Brant didn’t have a shy bone in his body. “I haven’t seen you in twenty years, but I’d recognize you anywhere.”

  She slid the sunglasses to the top of her head and gave him a sideways look. “David?”

  “The one and only.” He grinned, all cute and cowboy with too much confidence.

  “Fortunate for the rest of us. The world couldn’t handle two of you.”

  “Have you forgotten, I have a twin?”

  “Jonathan. How could I forget that your mother named you after Bible characters? You’re like a living Old Testament story come to life.”

  “That’s us. How long are you in town?”

  “Not long,” she answered, her attention shifting back to Holly. “Nice seeing you.”

  He was charming but he could also take a hint. “See you around?”

  She smiled but didn’t answer.

  “Dixie is in school right now,” Holly told her.

  “I thought she might be,” Daisy said. “It’s Friday.”

  “Yes,” Holly responded. She stood there unsure of what to do or say next.

  “Why don’t we go in for a cup of coffee?” Rebecca took control, turning them toward the front of the café. “If I stand here much longer, Baby West is going to be born on this sidewalk.”

  Daisy thawed at the mention of the baby. “How much longer?”

  “Days. Weeks. Who knows really when he’ll decide to make his entrance?” Rebecca pushed the front door open, sighing as they entered the air-conditioned café. “Much better.”

  “Except for the audience.” Daisy glanced around, uneasy. “Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea.”

  “We can use the back dining room. It’s empty,” Holly told her.

  “That would be perfect. I’d rather not be on display.”

  “You’re home for the first time in years.” Rebecca patted her arm in a motherly way. “Pe
ople are going to stare.”

  “They just want to see the scar.”

  “Nonsense,” Rebecca told her. “What scar?”

  Daisy laughed, although it wasn’t with amusement. “Keep telling yourself that. Or maybe I should say, keep telling me that.”

  Holly closed the doors that separated the back room from the front of the café. Daisy had moved to a table at the back of the room, as if she couldn’t get far enough from the main dining area and the curiosity of the diners on the other side of the door.

  Rebecca headed for the kitchen. “I’ll get us coffee. And pie. I definitely need pie.”

  “Thank you,” Holly said as the other woman disappeared through the door to the kitchen. She was now alone with Daisy, and everything seemed slow motion.

  Daisy had taken a seat at the table and had rearranged the condiments, not looking up to face Holly. “Surprise!”

  “A phone call would have been nice.”

  “We’re not enemies, you know,” Daisy murmured.

  Daisy had a good point. They weren’t enemies. They were two people who loved the same child. She pulled out a chair and sat next to Daisy.

  “You’re right,” Holly answered. “We’re not enemies. It’s just...this is so much harder than anything I’ve ever had to do before. I gave her up once. I don’t want to do it again.”

  “I know.”

  “But you love her, too?” Holly cleared her throat. Thinking of Dixie torn between the two of them was making her break, for Dixie and for herself. And for Daisy. It would hurt them all. “And she loves all of us. So how do we do this without hurting her? Because no matter who she chooses, I want her to feel safe in the choice, knowing we all support her and love her.”

  “Is that even possible? For it to not hurt.” Daisy asked, smiling at Rebecca, who had reappeared with a tray laden with pie and coffee.

  “Look at me being a waitress,” Rebecca joked, placing the tray on the table.

  Daisy smiled, seeming more at ease as she looked at her sister-in-law. “Thank you, for the pie—and for being so good for my brother.”

  “It’s actually my pleasure.” Rebecca smiled at Daisy. “I wish we could spend more time together.”