Big Bad Cowboy

by Carly Bloom

  She was twenty-seven years old, owned a mother-luvin’ flower shop, and nobody had ever given her roses before. “Oh, Travis. They’re beautiful. Thank you.” Dang it, Mackey! Don’t be this easy.

  “Claire made the arrangement. She fussed over the color. Said red is for romance, and yellow is for friendship. But yellow reminds me of you and your Jeep, and besides, you’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”

  Had this conversation really headed so quickly into the friend zone? Maybe she’d made some assumptions—again. “Listen, Travis—”

  He touched her chin and tilted her face up, gazing intently. “Lupe says that friendship is the basis of true love. That you have to be a true friend to someone before you can ask for their heart. And Maggie, I haven’t been a very good friend. I’d like to start over and do better, if you’ll let me.”

  He wanted to ask for her heart? Would it be premature, at this point in the conversation, for her to yank it out of her chest and stick a bow on it?

  Yes, it would. He’d hurt her. She needed an explanation. And an apology. Until then, there would be no swooning whatsoever. Her shaky knees were getting ahead of themselves. “Why did you carry on this charade for so long? I just don’t get it. Were you trying to make a fool out of me?”

  Travis closed his eyes as if steeling himself and then opened them with a sigh. “Nobody could ever make a fool out of you, Maggie. You’re the strongest, smartest woman I’ve ever met. I never meant to hurt or—”

  “Humiliate?”

  “Especially not that,” he said. “Never.”

  “I need to know why.”

  Travis pulled the brim of his hat down low and stared at his boots. “When I wore the mask, you thought I was a stranger. You were attracted to me—”

  “Understatement, and you know it.”

  He looked up. “You wanted me. You didn’t know I was Travis Blake, the guy who grew up on the rundown Happy Trails Ranch, accused bracelet thief, son of a man who couldn’t afford to keep his fences intact but could afford to drink himself to death. The brother of a criminal. Fresh out of the Army with empty pockets and back taxes to pay and a newly acquired kid…”

  But she loved that kid. And she hadn’t known Travis had seen himself that way. It wasn’t like she had seen him that way. She wasn’t judgmental.

  Previous words and thoughts slowly seeped into her consciousness.

  Nice boys, those Blakes.

  He’s probably a bookie.

  I hear he’s an ex-con.

  He’s nothing but a glorified lawn boy.

  Her face must have shown the realization, because Travis smiled sadly.

  “Travis—”

  He put a finger to her lips. “Let me finish. I liked being whoever you thought I was when I wore the mask. You made me feel like such a man, Maggie. In a way I’d never felt before. And I wanted to be that man. When I first saw you at Anna’s, I thought you recognized me as the wolf, and that maybe you were a bit embarrassed. But then I realized you didn’t, and when you learned who I was…”

  Maggie blushed. She’d accused him of abusing Henry. She’d asked Anna to remove him from the project.

  “You didn’t like me,” Travis said, “but you liked the Big Bad Wolf. I had a hard time letting him go for that reason.”

  “But after I got to know you—”

  “You liked me?”

  “More than liked you. I even quit messing around with the wolf because of you. You knew it, too. So why didn’t you tell me then?”

  “I wanted to. Desperately. But I was afraid you wouldn’t understand. That you’d be humiliated, and angry, and that just when I’d finally earned your respect, I’d lose you entirely.”

  He was probably right. But it wasn’t the wrong reaction. It wasn’t her fault she’d been lied to, deceived, and made a fool of. It was his. And so far, all she’d heard was excuses.

  “Maggie, I am so sorry for hurting you. For lying to you.”

  Bingo! But was it enough? She’d never been the kind of girl to let go of a grudge very easily.

  “If I could do it all over again…” Travis took her hands in his. “I’m Travis Blake. Not some mysterious stranger or intriguing masked lover. I’m just a man. And not always a very good one. But you bring something out in me. Something wild and fierce that wants to have you and protect you and all those things you probably don’t like.”

  But a part of her liked it very much. “You clearly bring something out in me, too,” she said, wondering how bright her ears appeared in the dim lighting. “And I’m not a sexy vixen in boots who hooks up with strangers. I’m a woman who’d rather watch basketball than go shopping. I don’t need all of this.” She looked around the room at the candles, champagne, roses…

  “You like it, though.”

  Yes, she did. “Well, I’m also a control freak who doesn’t like to share or be told what to do.”

  Travis’s eyes darkened a shade. “Sometimes you enjoy being told what to do.”

  Maggie shivered. Travis didn’t need the mask to flip her switch.

  “I want to be with you, Maggie. I want to be with you when you’re bossy and prissy—”

  “I am not ever prissy.”

  Travis grinned. “And argumentative.”

  The best she could do was produce a disgruntled-sounding harrumph. And try not to smile.

  “I want to be with you when you’re sweet, kind, and nurturing. And when you’re—”

  “Ornery and cantankerous?”

  “I was going to say sexy. Hot as hell. Naughty in ways I like to think are just for me.”

  “Oh.”

  He lowered his eyes. Licked his lips. And then he whispered, “I love you.”

  There it was. The three little words every girl longed to hear. She felt warm and tingly, as if she’d just guzzled a mixture of sunshine and honey. It made her eyes leak. “Oh, Travis, I—”

  They both jumped at a knock on the door.

  “Who on earth can that be?” Maggie asked. What if they were about to get in trouble for trespassing?

  Travis looked at his phone. “It’s seven thirty. I think it’s our dinner. I hope you don’t mind, I ordered some steaks from the Corner Café.”

  Maggie hadn’t noticed that the table was set for two. Travis opened the door. And there stood Anna.

  “Anna,” Travis said. “What are you doing here?”

  “Freezing my ass off,” she answered, pushing him aside and strolling on in. “And delivering dinner.”

  Travis stood with the door—and his mouth—wide open. After a few awkward seconds, he finally managed to shut both. “Bubba was supposed to do it.”

  “Well, he can’t. Trista popped that baby out right in the middle of St. Luke’s Las Posadas procession down Main Street. I swear, it’s just like her to try and upstage the Virgin Mary.”

  “Oh my!” Maggie said. “Are she and the baby okay?”

  “Of course they are,” Anna said. “Another girl. And between you and me, Trista is made for it. Wide hips. But anyway, it happened just as the procession stopped at the Corner Café. They shooed everybody out, and Bubba asked me to pick up your dinner elsewhere. So here I am.”

  This was a lot to take in.

  “You’re welcome,” Anna added.

  “Thank you,” Travis said, taking the two large bags.

  “I made it easy on myself and picked this up here at the Chateau,” Anna said. “Why on earth you’re in this shed I’ll never know.” She glanced around, taking in the lights and candles as if she were in the discount aisle of Walmart.

  Maggie saw Travis pale as he pulled out his wallet. Dinner from the Village Chateau would be four times as much as one from the Corner Café.

  Anna held up her hand. “No, don’t do that. I’ve got it.”

  “Now, Anna, I can’t let you do that,” Travis said, opening his wallet. Maggie hoped there was enough money in it.

  Anna crossed her arms over her chest. “Listen. I, um, kind of owe
you for…things. I mean, well, there was the bracelet incident. And probably some other stuff.”

  What other stuff? And did this mean Anna had a heart? Holy cow, did she have a soul?

  Travis looked at Anna for a minute, and then he put his wallet away. “Thank you,” he said. “That’s very generous of you, and I accept your apology.”

  Anna tossed her hair and raised an eyebrow. “It’s not like I bought you lobster. It’s just a couple of New York strips.”

  Whatever. A half-assed apology was still an apology, and Travis appeared to be satisfied.

  “I’ll just be on my way,” Anna said. She glanced around the room again, and as Travis opened the door, her eyes met Maggie’s. She smiled a little, and for a second, she seemed almost sweet. Then she flipped her hair and headed on out. “Later.”

  Travis shut the door. “Wow.”

  “Do you think it’s poisoned?” Maggie asked, looking at the bags.

  “Probably not,” Travis said, taking Maggie in his arms. “Now. Where were we?”

  “You just told me you love me, and I was about to say it back.”

  Travis kissed the tip of her nose. “You might want to get on with it then.”

  His breath was so warm against her skin. She turned her face up to his and whispered against his lips, “I love you, Travis. So very much.”

  Kiss me.

  He took a small step back and removed his hat, holding it in front of him. “Can you forgive me?”

  Maggie’s heart melted and pooled at her feet, which was a sure sign she’d already forgiven him. “Of course I can. But no more deception, okay?”

  “I swear I’ll never hide anything from you again.”

  She believed him. And she couldn’t hold back any longer. She wanted to touch him. Squeeze him. Kiss him. And that was just for starters. Without another thought, she flung herself at her big bad cowboy, wrapping her arms around his neck.

  Something large pressed firmly against her tummy.

  “My, Travis,” she whispered against his lips. “What a big hat you have.”

  Travis placed it back on his head with a grin. “The better to woo you with, my dear.”

  Maggie’s heart skipped a beat. She rose on her toes as Travis dipped his head, shadowing their faces with the (slightly bent) brim of his Stetson.

  And they lived happily ever after.

  The End.

  Epilogue

  Maggie hit the remote and opened the Happy Trails gate with extreme satisfaction. It had been two years and one day, and Happy Trails now officially belonged to Travis and Mary Margaret Blake.

  She couldn’t help but roll her eyes as she drove past the gigantic wreath on the gate. She’d already spent the day drowning in Christmas at Petal Pushers, or as she liked to refer to it during the holidays, the Little Shop of Ho-Ho-Horrors. But Travis absolutely loved decorating the ranch for the holidays, and even though she cherished her role as Scrooge, she wouldn’t deny him that. Or much else, for that matter.

  A school bus was parked in front of the hay barn. Goodness, she’d forgotten today was field trip day. And Honey’s Cottage was rented out to tourists for the weekend. They’d be arriving any minute, and she hadn’t yet left fresh eggs in the fridge or flowers on the table.

  She parked between the barn and the country chapel Travis had built for their wedding last April. It had been in constant use ever since. In fact, JD and Gabriel had it booked for Valentine’s Day, and Big Verde was going nuts in anticipation of its “first gay wedding,” as the newspaper called it.

  Maggie and Travis just referred to it as what it was: a wedding.

  The tractor rumbled over the hill and Travis waved. Maggie couldn’t see his grin, but she felt it. The breeze brought giggles and shrieks from the passengers he towed, snuggled among hay bales and blankets on the trailer. They were coming back from the goat pens, which were currently home to eight baby goats and their mamas. Nothing was more fun and bouncy than baby goats, and Maggie expected their contagious enthusiasm to be reflected in the behavior of the second graders.

  Good thing they’d decided against serving hot cocoa.

  She went into the barn, where Lupe was ready to hand out educational packets.

  “What are you doing out here?” Lupe asked. She insisted on wearing denim overalls for field trip days, which clashed adorably with her teased hair and bright red lips. “You’ve worked all day. You should be in the house with your feet up.”

  “I’m hardly lumbering around like one of the pigs. I’m barely pregnant! And this is Henry’s class. I’m sure he’s being a huge showoff, and I kind of want to see it.”

  “You should have heard him,” Lupe said. “It was awful. Those are my cows. Those are my turkeys. That is my dad.”

  “How totally obnoxious of him,” Maggie said with a huge grin. “Did JD and Gabriel come get their Christmas turkey?”

  “They sure did. The rest are being shipped out tomorrow. And Maggie, you wouldn’t believe it. One of those birds is going to Maine, and another to Hawaii!”

  People came from as far away as Houston to tour the ranch, but Happy Trails did most of its business through a website. Thanks to Gerome and his Rancho Canada Verde stamp of approval, Happy Trails was cornering a market of its own.

  The tractor pulled up noisily to the barn, belching smoke. Travis turned it off and the tailpipe backfired, causing an eruption of shrieks and laughter.

  Henry was the first one off. Maggie grabbed him by a belt loop as he ran past. “Hey, aren’t you going to say hello?”

  “Oh, hi, Mag—” Henry turned pink. “I mean hi, Mama.”

  They’d decided Mom wasn’t a good fit. It was what he’d called Lisa.

  “Have your classmates had a good time?”

  “You bet! They really liked the goats. I had to show them how to hold the babies.”

  Travis seemed to be having a hard time disentangling himself from a swarm of kids, so Maggie yelled, “Cookies!” to get their attention. She pointed to Lupe, and the swarm moved in unison.

  “Did you get the cottage ready for guests yet?” Travis asked.

  “Nope. I’m going to head over there now. I just need to grab some eggs. I’ve got the flowers in the Jeep.”

  “Forget the eggs,” Travis said.

  “But why? Guests of Honey’s Cottage get fresh eggs. It says so on our website.”

  “Okay, fine. I’ll grab the eggs and meet you there in a few minutes.”

  Holy cow, she was only a teensy weensy bit pregnant. It was doubtful she’d pop out a baby from picking up a carton of eggs.

  As the kids lined up to board the bus, Maggie grabbed the fresh flowers out of the Jeep and walked around to the pasture behind the house, where a familiar cow trail led through the apple orchard. It was the quickest way to the cottage.

  A horse neighed behind her. It hadn’t taken Travis long to catch up. He sat proudly atop his black gelding, Moonshine II, who he simply called Junior.

  Her heart thudded in her chest. That’s my cowboy.

  She offered Junior an apple, which he happily whuffled.

  “Did somebody get lost on the way to Grandmother’s house?”

  Maggie grinned. She was even wearing a red jacket. “Maybe.”

  “Can I offer you a ride?”

  “I’m not sure it’s a good idea to go with strangers into the woods,” she said.

  “It’s worked out pretty well for you in the past.”

  That was true. Maggie put her foot in the stirrup and Travis had her in the saddle in one fell swoop. She settled in snuggly in front of him, grabbing the saddle horn. Travis would do the rest. One large hand pressed against her belly as the other held the reins, and Travis made that adorable little clicking sound with his tongue to get Junior started down the trail.

  Maggie’s hips rocked back and forth with the horse’s stride, causing her rear end to rub against Travis. He shifted in the saddle, and she felt how much he was enjoying the ride.

 
; He kissed her neck, nipped her ear, and ran his hand under her shirt to cup her breast.

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “Getting ready to ride,” he teased.

  “Get that idea out of your head. We’ve got guests coming. They might be there already.”

  The cottage came into view. It was lit up with a string of lights, and a tree glowed in the window. Like everything else on Happy Trails, it was awash in Christmas. The guests loved the extra bit of cheer.

  Travis pulled the horse to a stop and helped Maggie down. There was no car parked in front, so they entered without knocking. Maggie rushed to put the eggs in the refrigerator, but Travis seemed in no hurry. In fact, he started putting kindling in the wood-burning stove.

  “Travis! We can’t leave the cottage with the stove going, and I’d prefer to sneak out before the guests arrive.”

  “They’re already here.”

  “They are?” Maggie went to the window. She didn’t see anybody. When she turned around, she noticed a suitcase in the hallway. “Is that my bag? It looks like my bag.”

  “Welcome to Honey’s Cottage,” Travis said. “We’ve got it all to ourselves for the entire weekend.”

  Maggie almost melted on the spot. That sounded dreamy. Divine, even. She rushed to Travis and jumped on him. He caught her with ease. “I’ve got all sorts of plans. And there’s even a present for you under the tree.”

  “Really? For me?”

  “Yes,” he said, setting her on the couch. “Even though you’ve been naughty.”

  “I have not.”

  “Yes, Mrs. Blake, you have. On more than one occasion. And I got you an appropriately naughty gift.”

  Maggie peeked under the tree. A long, skinny package poked out from beneath its branches. It looked to be about twenty-five inches long. “Is that what I think it is?”

  Travis knelt beside her and whispered, “It was Prime. And I promise it’s not a telescope.”

  Keep reading for a peek at Claire

  and Ford’s story in

  Cowboy Come Home!

  Coming in Summer 2019

  Chapter One