A Cowboy's Song

by Megan Ryder

  He followed her up the three porch steps where she paused awkwardly in front of the door. He smothered a grin and produced the key, the sound of an ATV roaring in the distance. “Tara slipped it to me so you didn’t have to wait.”

  He opened the door and flicked on the light switch to the right, then gestured for her to precede him inside. She stepped inside and sucked in a breath. “It’s gorgeous! I mean, I know Tara is a great designer, but I didn’t expect a cabin to be so cozy and lovely.”

  Dundee raced past them before Ty could stop him; considering his hands were filled with the suitcases, it would have been a challenge anyway.

  “Dundee, outside,” he barked. The dog cringed just as he was about to jump on the couch, and turned and slunk toward the door.

  Piper whirled and glared at Ty. “He can stay here. I don’t mind. Though, we should clean his paws.”

  Ty grunted and shot the dog a dirty look. “You’re lucky it’s only his paws that are dirty.”

  Dundee, sensing he’d had a reprieve, lay on the rug in front of the couch, looking sweet and innocent and ready to stay for a while. Piper laid the guitar case down on one of the chairs and began exploring the space. Ty wheeled the suitcases down the hallway to the master bedroom on the right, turning on the lights as he went. Tara had selected a two-bedroom, one-floor cabin for Piper, whose floor plan mirrored Ty’s almost exactly except he had a loft for his bedroom. Piper followed him into the bedroom and sighed.

  “Wow, this bedroom set is stunning.” She ran her hand over the light wood frame, made exclusively from logs sanded smooth and polished so no splinters would dare mar her skin. “It’s so soft and smooth. Amazing craftsmanship.”

  Ty grinned. “Hand-carved by Gene Woodruff in town. He does incredible work. He has a shop people can visit. Maybe you can find some time to go there while you’re here.”

  She turned shining eyes up to him. “I’d love to.” Then she looked away. “If someone has time to take me.”

  “I’m sure we’ll find time. Besides, Tara is one of his biggest clients right now. She practically lives there, and he adores her, hard as that is to believe.” People in town were still surprised that gruff, mountain man Gene Woodruff had been completely charmed by Tara. Not that she wasn’t lovely, but he was a notorious bastard and antisocial on a good day. And money meant absolutely nothing to him.

  Voices sounded from the living area, and Piper hurried down the hall to heap praise on her friend. Ty followed more slowly, after ensuring both hot and cold water worked in the bathroom, along with the electricity. The heat was working and there didn’t appear to be any critters hiding in any corners, not of the rodent variety or insect. She should be comfortable for the evening.

  He found her sitting on the sofa with his dog perched on her lap like he’d found a new home. At least West had found a towel to clean Dundee’s paws so the furniture wouldn’t get dirty. Tara was sitting on West’s lap in the wood-frame boxy chair, her legs thrown over the side, leaving the option of moving Piper’s guitar from the second chair or sitting on the couch with Piper and Dundee. He avoided making a decision and prowled into the kitchen, verifying the refrigerator was working and the water was okay, then checked the stove, all while the conversation continued around him.

  Finally, he ran out of ways to stall and Tara called out, “I checked all of this myself earlier today when I stocked the fridge, Ty. Don’t you think I would take care of my best friend?”

  “I just wanted to be sure. Things change fast out here in the spring.”

  “Awww, he’s looking out for you.”

  “Just what I need. Another brother, another keeper. I have plenty of those in my life, thank you very much, Ty.”

  Ty shot her a look. The last thing he was thinking about was being her keeper. “I was just being neighborly and a good host. You won’t be calling Tara in the middle of the night if something happens.”

  She stood, a little stiffly. “I’m not some pampered princess, with people catering to my every need, you know. I can take care of myself.”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “Really? You can’t even drive. I think I’ll go with my premise for now.”

  “Awfully big word for a cowboy, isn’t it? You’d be surprised what I can do for myself. Don’t worry. I won’t be calling you for anything. I’ve got this.”

  He gave her a dubious nod. “Well, I’m just down the trail a ways. Give a holler if you need me. I’m headed to bed since dawn comes early these days. Dundee, come.”

  He snapped his fingers and the dog gave a whine and a last look at the woman, then heaved himself off the couch and followed Ty to the door with clear reluctance. Tara and West watched the interaction with fascination and, as Ty opened the door, Tara scrambled to her feet.

  “We should go too. You must be exhausted. You have our numbers if you need anything. And really, Ty is next door and will be here if you need anything. I left all our numbers on the fridge.” She gave Piper a final hug and followed Ty out the door.

  Ty opened the driver’s door and Dundee hopped in. Before he could slide in, Tara grabbed his arm. “Do you have a problem with Piper? Because she’s my best friend, and I was hoping you could help her out while she’s here.”

  Ty stared at the woman who’d given them all a second chance, who’d brought his brother such peace and contentment, and silently cursed himself. He’d never be able to disappoint her, no matter his own feelings. He cupped her cheek gently. “No, I’m just tired and cranky. She’s a bit spoiled from her time on the road, but she hasn’t been too bad.”

  Tara smiled at him. “She’s nowhere near as spoiled as I was, trust me. She never had the people catering to her, and she won’t have expectations like I did. Give her a chance. I think you’ll be surprised. Just remember, everything may not be what it seems.”

  He nodded and gave West a look. “Thanks for checking on the calves tonight. I’ll take tomorrow night.”

  Tara gave him another hug. “By the way, not that I’m pushing, but how is our song coming along? When will we hear a little teaser? Which song did you choose?”

  Ty froze, then willed his muscles to relax. “You’ll hear it when everyone else does. At the wedding. Hence the term, surprise. Now, let me get some rest, woman.”

  West tugged her away to the ATV and waved at Ty. They fired off into the night, the lights of the four-wheeler quickly swallowed up by the darkness. Ty sagged in the seat, and Dundee licked his face, snuggling into his body for warmth. “Yeah, buddy. I’m totally fucked. What’s she going to think when she knows I’ve got nothing for the song? I’ve got two weeks to figure something out.”

  Chapter Four

  Piper watched the sun rise over the distant mountains to the east from the porch, wrapped up in the cozy hand-knit blanket she found draped over the couch in her cabin. Her hands closed around the large, heavy mug of steaming coffee she’d made to warm her after her sleepless night. She was touched that Tara had remembered she loved the chicory coffee from her time in New Orleans and had stocked her cabin with her favorite brand.

  She’d thought she’d have no problem sleeping. After all, she’d had an early flight, a layover in Denver, and then the flight to Montana and the unexpected wait time for her ride. All that waiting around and travel was hell on her body, and the mattress was cozy and warm, especially when she snuggled up in the handmade quilt. But the silence surrounded her, then other sounds filtered in. Creaking in the cabin. Wind whistling around the walls. And coyotes howling.

  Where were the horns and the cars? Where were the voices and the people bustling around? Even in her house outside of Nashville, where she thought she was away from people, she had more noise than she had here in this cabin. And, for the first time, she truly understood what it meant to be alone. No one on the other side of the hotel wall. Sure, worst-case scenario, she could have hollered for Ty, as he put it, but she’d never give him the satisfaction, never confirm for him that the great outdoors was intimidating for this c
ity girl.

  So, she lay in bed until boredom and her anxiety got the better of her. She’d headed to the living area and picked at her guitar, but nothing resonated there either, her music having deserted her a long time ago, much like her courage and her moxie, as her mee-maw called it. Fortunately, the dawn was coming, her period of forced self-reflection was almost at an end, so she’d curled up in the wicker rocking chair with her coffee and watched the sun rise and let her mind wander.

  A bark roused her attention. Dundee raced around the corner and up the stairs to drop a soaking wet tennis ball on her lap. He sat at her side, his whole body tense, quivering with excitement, as he stared intently at the ball. Gingerly, she picked it up and threw it. He launched himself off the deck, and she cried out, half-expecting him to stumble and break one of his slender legs, but he shot off into the dim early morning light in the direction of the projectile, disappearing over the slight rise. A few seconds later, he reappeared, tail wagging, and he skidded to a stop, dropping the ball on her lap and then sitting next to her again. She laughed and ruffled his ears, but he ducked, wanting none of her affection, completely focused on the game. So, she obliged. Rinse and repeat.

  “Now you’ve done it. You’ll never get rid of him now,” Ty said from the corner of her porch, almost making Piper drop her cup of coffee.

  “You scared the crap out of me. Maybe I don’t want to get rid of him. He seems like he needs some attention, anyway.”

  Ty snorted and propped a foot on the step. “He gets plenty of exercise, believe me. He’s a working dog, and he also plays ball several times a day, either with me or with one of the hands. He’s not neglected.”

  She frowned. “Maybe he needs more than just work. A little affection might go a long way.” At that moment, Dundee flew over the hill and collapsed at Ty’s feet, rolling over for him to rub his belly. Ty cocked his head at her, and she sniffed and sipped her coffee. Of course, the dog had to prove her wrong at that moment.

  Ty straightened and threw the ball. “I didn’t expect you to be up this early. Or haven’t you been to bed yet?”

  She gave a mock laugh as she caught the grin playing about his lips. “Is that a crack about being a musician? Because we tend to party all night and sleep all day? Because that couldn’t be further from the truth. And, if we’re going with stereotypes, I’d assume that you’d be hungover after drinking half the night, too stupid to do much of anything else than wrangle cows, and be missing a few teeth, despite the myth of the sexy cowboy that most women seem to be obsessed with. So, are we going with stereotypes or moving past that?”

  He tilted his hat back from his head and gave her a slow, approving nod. “You’re absolutely right, darlin’. I had no right to say what I did. I’m sorry. Now, can I bum a cup of that heavenly smelling coffee off of you? Tara always stocks the best coffee for her guests, but I haven’t smelled that brand before.”

  He gave her a smile that hit her right in the feels. She had to be careful around this slow-talkin’ cowboy or he might talk her right out of her guard and into confessing anything and everything she never revealed to anyone. Fortunately, she had experience with charming rogues, thanks to her older brother who used every tool in his armament to get his way with everyone from their parents and his sister to the women he met on tour. So, she knew how to resist men like Ty, although his brand of charm had a little more effect since she wasn’t related to him.

  She kicked the chair and took a deliberate sip of the coffee, studying him over the rim. “This is damn good coffee. If I share it with you, I’ll have less for tomorrow.”

  He leaned against the railing and fixed his dark brown eyes on her. “I can get you more.”

  She shrugged, trying to stick firm against the slow heat his gaze was stirring deep inside. “Not this kind. What else are you offering?”

  He cocked his head, considering her. “I’ll let Dundee spend the day with you.”

  She laughed. “I’ll be gone most of the day doing wedding things with Tara, and you need him for work. Try again.”

  He pretended to think. “I’ll take you to Gene Woodruff’s and arrange for a private viewing of his work.”

  She straightened, narrowing her gaze at him. “And you won’t complain about the amount of time I spend there shopping?”

  “I’ll even throw in lunch.”

  A slow smile spread across her face. “You must really want this coffee. Deal.” She unfolded herself from the chair and tossed the blanket over the back, shivering a little in the cool morning air. “You may as well come inside.”

  “Cream too,” he said as he followed her. Dundee skidded into the cabin just before the door closed, and he headed straight for the couch, jumping and curling up on a cushion.

  Ty made as if to call him off, but Piper shook her head. “He’s fine, if Tara doesn’t mind. I like dogs. I’ve never had one. Too much time on the road, but I’ve always wanted one.”

  Piper busied herself making the coffee in the small kitchenette area while Ty prowled around the living area. He noted her guitar but didn’t touch it, for which she was grateful. Too many people took freedoms with her guitar, picking it up, strumming it, not respecting her or her instrument. Because she didn’t play on stage, most people didn’t see it as anything more than a prop she carried from place to place to signify that she was a country musician. Few people knew the real Piper Raines, knew what the instrument meant to her.

  But Ty somehow sensed it and avoided touching it. And she was grateful for it.

  “Here you go. I hope you like. It’s different from what you’re expecting, I fear.”

  “Did you sleep at all last night?”

  She followed his gaze down the hall and realized he could see into her bedroom and the rumpled sheets that barely looked slept in. She flushed and curled up on the couch next to Dundee, rubbing the dog’s ears. “I wasn’t tired.”

  His perceptive gaze screamed liar, but he didn’t call her out verbally. He sipped the coffee and sighed, closing his eyes. “Oh, this is different. Totally worth a shopping trip. What is it?”

  “And lunch,” she reminded him.

  “Oh yeah. Lunch too. Worth it.”

  She buried her fingers in the dog’s fur, massaging him. “It’s chicory coffee. My mom is from Louisiana, and I spent some time there often with my mee-maw—my grandmother. I don’t like the taste of regular coffee, but this is so much better. Mee-maw would send me care packages at school, and I’d share with Tara.”

  They sipped in silence for a moment then Ty casually said, “Coyotes sound pretty scary at night. When I first moved here, I thought they were going to tear down the walls of the house and rip me apart. We should have warned you about them. But they’re not often around here. I’ll admit, I pretty much passed out last night, but I woke up and Dundee was sleeping by the door, which means he heard coyotes, so you must have heard them too.”

  Piper froze, her hands buried in Dundee’s fur. She swallowed hard. “They sounded like they were right outside, but I didn’t see anything.”

  He nodded. “Sound can carry out here. They probably weren’t that close, but Dundee heard them. He was protecting me. If you want, Dundee could stay with you tonight. I have to sleep in the calving barn anyway, but he’d like to stay inside where it’s warmer. It would help me out. He sometimes makes the new mothers nervous.”

  As if sensing the tone of the conversation, Dundee laid his head on her knee and gave her a sad look. Well, damn. Now he had to go and do something nice after being a bit of an ass this morning. But having Dundee might help her sleep that night. No contest. She needed the sleep.

  Piper nodded. “If it will help you out. That would be great.”

  Ty gave a quick nod then stood. “Come on, Dundee. We have work to do.”

  After a final hat tip, Ty headed out the door, leaving Piper conflicted about exactly what kind of guy Ty was.

  *

  “You’re getting married in a barn.”

&
nbsp; Piper stared at her friend, wondering if she had sniffed way too many cow patties over the past year or the tabloid reports were true that aliens did visit remote ranches and took people in their ships and experimented on them. Because there was no way in hell the Tara Rawlings she had known would ever get married in a barn.

  Tara grimaced and shoved a mouthful of lettuce in her mouth and chewed as if she were tasting dirt, then she glared at the two other women arrayed around the cracked Formica table at the diner with a glint of murder in her eyes. Hailey wrapped her arm around her plate of waffles, piled high with whipped cream and fruit, and tugged it away.

  Tara swallowed hard and gave Piper’s bacon cheeseburger an evil eye. “I don’t know why you’re surprised. I live on a ranch in a small town. Options are kind of limited. And it’s not like the animals will be there too. Give me a french fry.”

  Piper inched the plate away. “Maybe I’m surprised because your last wedding was at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco with more than three hundred guests.”

  Tara swiped a fry then dropped it with a curse when Hailey slapped her hand. “If you want to fit in the dress, no fries. God, I hate being the team mom.” She smiled at Piper. “It’s a new barn, just built this spring for Chase to train horses through the winter, though it hasn’t been used yet. So, no manure smells or animals in there yet, though I’m keeping an eagle eye on the guys.”

  Tara stabbed a cucumber with her fork and glared at it. “We have a barn at the guest ranch for smaller events and had planned on using that, but apparently we have too many people coming. I didn’t want to use the VFW in town. Reminds me of my dad’s funeral. And I kind of wanted to combine the wedding with the ranch open house.”

  “We used the smaller barn this past Christmas for our wedding and it was fine, but we only had a few people. Close friends and family. Apparently, West and Tara had to invite everybody from the town. Comes from being big business tycoons,” Hailey teased.