To Tame a Texas Cowboy

by Julie Benson

  “I’m taking over an established practice from a beloved vet. I can’t afford to screw this up, and that means hiring the right people.”

  And his gut said that was Cheyenne. Instead of being worried when he’d tossed out the offer, the decision had felt right. Knowing she’d struggled but persevered to receive her GED made his admiration for her grow. The more he learned about Cheyenne, the more he respected her, and the more complicated whatever this was he felt for her became.

  More complicated than living and working together? That’s a joke.

  “I can’t believe you’re taking a chance on me.” Her quivering voice broke through his thoughts.

  Dang it. Why did she have to go and get all girly emotional over this? His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Quit making this a big deal. Hiring you saves me from going through resumes and interviewing people. It’s also logical since you’ll be hanging around the place anyway.”

  Despite his words, Cooper had the gnawing feeling being around Cheyenne twenty-four seven couldn’t help but be a big deal.

  *

  Once back at the house, Cooper, Ty and AJ settled Riley in the barn while Cheyenne headed for her bedroom to dump her suitcases. After placing them in the closet, she turned to leave, but found Cassie and Grace in the doorway.

  As Cheyenne smoothed a hand down her Live, Love, Rodeo T-shirt, she tried not to compare herself to the elegant women across the room, both of whom pulled off western chic easily and to perfection. Cassie, her blonde hair pulled back from her face in a ponytail, wore jeans and a hot pink button-down shirt with a delicate turquoise necklace and earrings. Grace wore a T-shirt with the sparkling saying I love the country life with distressed jeans and boots. Both looked as if they stepped off a magazine cover, while Cheyenne felt she should be in the barn mucking stalls.

  “We thought we’d help you get settled,” Cassie said, flashing a perfect-white-teeth smile worthy of any dental commercial.

  Cheyenne grinned in return, hoping it passed for a friendly thank you and hid her intimidation. “I’ve got this. I’m sure Cooper could use your help more.”

  “I told you she wouldn’t fall for it,” Grace said tossing Cassie an I-told-you-so look before turning to Cheyenne with a big grin. “I said we should’ve gone with honesty. We’re really here to find out what the deal is with you and Cooper.”

  “At least let us put sheets on your bed while you unpack,” Cassie said, her tone embarrassed.

  Cheyenne nodded and went to the closet, dug sheets from her suitcase, and handed them to Cassie. “If you want info on Cooper, you’ve come to the wrong gal.”

  What she knew about the man wouldn’t go over the character count for a tweet. Confound him. “Every time I think I’ve figured something out, he throws me for a loop.”

  Like today, when he offered her a job. He’d appeared sincere that he hadn’t made the offer out of pity, but despite his logical reasons, she still had trouble believing him, and was more than a bit confused by his decision.

  Cassie unfolded the fitted sheet and spread it out on the mattress. “This move has Ty and AJ stumped.”

  At least she wasn’t the only one who couldn’t figure Cooper out. Then Cassie’s words sank in. “You mean this move surprised them?” Cheyenne asked.

  Cassie nodded. “Because of Cooper’s background. Why would a man from a prominent Houston family buy a vet practice in a town the size of Wishing?”

  Prominent? Please don’t let it be tons of money, private schools, debutante coming out parties, vacations to Europe every summer and skiing in Tahoe every winter kind of prominent.

  “His family’s wealthy?”

  “AJ’s exact words were ‘big-time wealthy.’ He said they’re Houston society bigwigs,” Grace said as she pulled the sheet over the mattress.

  “Both his parents are doctors. Ty said they have a building named after them at Baylor Medical School,” Cassie added.

  Cheyenne’s chin dropped to her chest. It was worse than she imagined. Cooper’s parents had a building named after them at Baylor. She couldn’t begin to understand having that kind of money to give away.

  Somehow that background didn’t fit with the man dressed in jeans, a worn blue-and-green plaid shirt, and scuffed cowboy boots she’d seen today. He seemed so down-to-earth, without any pretention. How she wished she could forget what she’d learned. Knowing he came from a wealthy family made her… uncomfortable. Hah! What an understatement.

  “Wow, I’m surprised that’s his background. I mean, the guy drives a ten-year-old truck.”

  Cassie nodded. “I know, but it’s more than his family that makes the move puzzling. Why would he move from College Station when that’s where his partner and investors are for the SeizureReader? The guys say getting that into production is all Cooper’s thought about for two years.”

  “I don’t know about that, but the SeizureReader’s why he asked me to move in,” Cheyenne said. “Cooper needs more data on the prototype, and I’m playing guinea pig.”

  “We heard about your seizures,” Cassie said.

  “Who in town hasn’t?” Cheyenne joked. “But collecting data means I need to be around him and the SeizureReader pretty much all the time. In return, he’s training Penny as a service dog for me. Moving in is a business arrangement.”

  Both women laughed. Cheyenne glanced between them in confusion and a bit of irritation. “What’s so funny?”

  “You really don’t know how he looks at you?” Cassie asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

  “Please tell me it’s not pity, because then I’ll have to rethink this. I can’t take it from Cooper.”

  “Oh, it’s not pity. He looks at you like you’re the last slice of cheesecake in the corner deli.”

  “And he’s going to arm wrestle any guy who says he can’t have it,” Grace said as she spread out the top sheet.

  Cheyenne shook her head and blushed. Could Cooper be interested in her? No. Cassie and Grace couldn’t be right. “You’re wrong. Cooper made sure I understood what he’s done is no big deal.”

  Grace chuckled. “When a guy says that, he’s usually trying to convince himself of the fact.”

  Cassie nodded. “I agree.”

  Cheyenne glanced between the two women grinning at her like she didn’t know what day it was and wondered how to straighten them out. But before she could say anything, Aubrey joined them. “What’re you doing here?” Cheyenne blurted out.

  “Great way to greet your bestie when she’s here to help you unpack,” Aubrey teased. “Clearly I missed something good. What’s up?”

  “Cassie and I say when a man tells a woman what he did for her is no big deal, it’s usually the opposite.”

  Aubrey’s hawk-like best friend gaze zeroed in on Cheyenne, making her squirm. “Cooper said that? About what?”

  “Me moving in and giving me a job in the clinic. I think y’all are crazy. All we’re doing is helping each other out.”

  “He gave you a job, too?”

  Cheyenne nodded, her stomach knotting up the way it used to whenever she had a test in school.

  “Wow. When did this happen?” Aubrey asked, grinning the same way Cassie and Grace were. Had everyone but her lost their mind?

  Cheyenne glared at her friend, then narrowed her eyes hoping she’d get the message to drop the subject. Instead, Aubrey flashed her an answer-the-question look.

  “There’s no reason to say wow,” Cheyenne said and then ran through what had happened with her mom. She ended with rattling off the logical reasons Cooper had listed when she’d questioned him about offering her the job.

  “Did you know Ty offered me a job running the Bluebonnet Inn when I first moved here?” Cassie said, amusement ringing in her voice.

  Why hadn’t Cooper’s logic worked for her? Cheyenne crossed her arms over her chest, staring at the women grinning at her like a child who’d swiped the last cookie without Mom noticing. Her situation with Cooper was nothing like Cassi
e’s with Ty. From what Cheyenne had heard since returning, Cassie was not only beautiful, she was intelligent and a talented artist. While Cheyenne was a tomboy barrel racer. Roses and daisies. “This is different. I’m not Cooper’s type.”

  “Cassie said the same thing when she met Ty,” Grace teased. “And I thought that when I met AJ.”

  “You know Cooper’s type?” Aubrey accused.

  “Talking about this is silly.” Cheyenne had no intention of discussing all the reasons she wasn’t Cooper’s type.

  “That night at The Horseshoe he jumped in front of you pretty fast when that kid got nasty,” Grace insisted.

  “Any Texas man whose mama raised him right would’ve done the same thing,” Cheyenne countered.

  “I’ll concede that point,” Cassie admitted. “But there’s something about coming to Wishing that changes people.”

  “That’s for sure. Who’d have thought two New York City girls would end up here? But look at us now.”

  Through Aubrey, Cheyenne had learned when Cassie’s sister and brother-in-law died in a plane crash, she came to Wishing to care for her niece, Ella. Her plan had been to eventually return to New York, but she’d fallen in love with Ty. When Cassie’s art career took off, she asked her best friend Grace to temporarily run the Bluebonnet Inn, and that brought Grace to town.

  “Fate has a way of changing things when someone moves here. Even temporarily,” Grace said with a lovestruck smile on her face.

  Surely, if there was anything to that ridiculous idea, Cheyenne would be immune having grown up here.

  “Either fate or the wishing well,” Cassie added.

  Cheyenne laughed, her worry vanishing. “Come on. You don’t believe that hooey about the well, do you?” She turned to Aubrey. “Tell them us locals know it’s a tale made up long ago for the tourists.”

  Aubrey wrung her hands, and bit her lip, setting off a twinge of concern in Cheyenne. “I made a wish for Ty.”

  “Why on earth would you do that? We’ve always joked about folks gullible enough to believe the legend,” Cheyenne snapped.

  “It was before he was to marry Lauren. I thought she wasn’t right for him and the marriage would be a disaster. I wished Ty would have the kind of marriage he deserved. Right after that Lauren called off their wedding. Eventually he met Cassie. Now they’re married, and Ty’s happier than I’ve ever seen him.”

  Cheyenne stared at her friend, waiting for her to grin, say “ha, ha, gotcha” and admit the story was a joke.

  After a minute passed, Cheyenne said, “You’re serious? You really made a wish?”

  Aubrey nodded. “I didn’t know what else to do. I was so worried for Ty, and I figured it couldn’t hurt.”

  “It’s coincidence that he’s married to someone else and happy now.” A shiver raced down Cheyenne’s spine. She frowned at her silliness.

  Promise me you won’t make any wishes for me. Cheyenne swallowed hard, and kept her lips pinched together.

  “It’s not just Cassie and Ty,” Grace began. “Whenever the wishing well comes up around Ty and AJ, they act like they’re sharing a private joke, but, when we ask about it, they say nothing’s going on. Right, Cassie?”

  “There’s definitely a story there,” her friend replied.

  “Oh, now y’all are crazy.” Cheyenne folded her arms over her chest and glanced at the women around her. Intelligent women, she’d thought, but now she wasn’t so sure.

  Grace shrugged. “Think what you want, but since I started running the inn, I’ve given a lot of well tours, and you wouldn’t believe how many people I’ve heard from who say the wish they made for someone came true.”

  “It doesn’t matter because no one’s made a wish for me.” Cheyenne turned to glare at Aubrey. “And no one will.”

  *

  Cooper stood at the corral fence questioning his sanity. He had a list of logical reasons why Cheyenne moving into the guest room and working in the clinic made sense. He’d insisted he’d treat her like any other roommate. But the minute she stood in his doorway today, the Texas sun making the gold tones in her hair sparkle, her bright green eyes filled with hope and uncertainty, his good intentions had been shot to hell.

  His phone rang, cutting through his thoughts. Without glancing at the screen, he knew who’d called. Four thirty every Saturday afternoon his mom called. No matter where she was or what was going on.

  “Monday’s the big day, right?” his mom said when he answered.

  “Yup.”

  “Do you have any appointments booked?”

  He cringed. Thanks for assuming I’d have a blank calendar. Great vote of confidence. “My day’s almost full. That’s the advantage of taking over someone’s practice.”

  “I hope this goes well and makes you happy.”

  He did, too.

  “How’re things in Houston?” he asked out of habit more than real interest.

  “Your sisters are staying busy. Miranda was asked to join a new practice as a full partner.”

  “You and Dad must be thrilled.” Despite his best efforts, bitterness crept into his voice.

  His sisters. The golden children who’d followed in their parents’ illustrious medical shoes. According to his father, they had lived up to their potential rather than squandering it as he had.

  “We’re proud of all our children.”

  For a brilliant woman, his mother could slip into denial regarding her son and husband’s relationship with surprising ease.

  “Are you getting settled in? Is there anything you need?”

  “Nope, I’m good.”

  Awkward silence stretched for a minute. “Your father’s going to be on the cover of The Journal of Neurosurgery for his new surgical technique. The Mayo Clinic wants him to train their neurosurgeons once his surgical trial is finished. It’s so crucial, he’s stopped seeing patients except for epilepsy patients who qualify for the study.”

  Cooper remained silent. Not that his mother expected him to comment.

  “I wish you’d quit being so stubborn. If you’d come for a visit, I know your father would be glad to see you.”

  Hardly, unless hell had frozen over. Cooper resisted the urge to laugh at the absurdity of his mom’s comment. Always ready with an excuse, he said, “I’m too busy with the practice and the SeizureReader to get away.”

  Again, the thought of enlightening his mother to what had happened between him and his father sat perched on Cooper’s tongue. At first, he’d found it almost unbelievable she didn’t know his father had disowned him, but as time passed, he’d become convinced. Every once in a while, like now, he wondered what she’d say if she knew the truth.

  “If you can’t visit, call him about the SeizureReader. He would be an immense help with the project. It’s something you could bond over.”

  If anything, the SeizureReader would make matters worse. His father, the expert, would dictate what he should do before Cooper finished explaining the project. “I have all the input I need.” With his investors, Lord knew that was true.

  “I understand but think about what I’ve said.” Disappointment filled his mother’s soft voice. Every call she asked him to visit or call his father, and each time he countered with one lame excuse or another. He should say he’d talk to his father right after he became a Longhorn fan, but he couldn’t bring himself to hurt his mother.

  “I know you don’t believe it, but your father does love you.”

  Sure, he does. Just not enough to forgive me for not following in his footsteps.

  “The problem is he sees so much of himself in you. It makes it hard for him to let go of his dreams for you.”

  They’d been over the issue countless times and like beating a dead horse, it would never produce results. “Mom, I need to go. I’ve got things to do for Monday.”

  “Then I won’t keep you. I’ll wish you good luck, even though you don’t need it.”

  As he shoved his phone back in his pocket and stared at Riley ta
king stock of the pasture, he refused to let the call spoil his good mood. This was the life he wanted, and his parents’ disappointment couldn’t diminish his pride and happiness over his accomplishment.

  He laughed when Bruiser wandered over to stand in front of him, alternately calling out to Riley in hopes of gaining her attention and whining at Cooper to be petted. “Give it up, pal. You’re looking desperate.”

  “You either need to sell him or get him company. Cows are herd animals. He can’t be happy by himself,” Ty said as he and AJ joined him.

  “Keeping him as a pet’s downright odd,” AJ added.

  “What was I supposed to do, let him end up in the grocery store?”

  “You can’t save every bull you castrate.”

  “That’s easy for a rancher to say, but Bruiser was my first. He and I bonded.” Cooper scratched the steer behind the ear. He probably should get him a friend. “What is it with you two today? Did you wake up and decide to spend the day giving me shit?”

  “Nah, the idea just came to us,” AJ joked.

  Ty chuckled and slapped him on the back. “But if we were gonna give you shit, we’d ask if you expect us to believe that manure about nothing going on between you and Cheyenne. The woman’s moved in. How can that be nothing?”

  “I thought Grace and I skipped a few steps, but, Coop, you’re setting a record.” AJ shook his head in disbelief.

  Cooper glared at the chief of police. “I thought you said you weren’t going to ask about that?”

  “Ty said it. Not me. I want to know what’s going on.”

  “It’s exactly like I said. I’m training Penny as a service dog, and she’s helping me test the prototype to buy us some time. The investors are giving us grief saying we need to retool the SeizureReader. Tucker’s working on addressing their concerns with a new variation, but I’m determined we’ll also get the original into production.”

  Ty glanced around him to AJ. “He talks a good game.”

  Frustration rising, Cooper grabbed the fence rail. “Cheyenne’s moving in because it makes sense. She needs access to the SeizureReader. I need to monitor the data. Plus, I’m fostering Penny.”

  “She could adopt the dog,” Ty said.