Big-Hearted Cowboy

by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Stephanie Bond

  “Not if we ease into it gradually. That’s what I wanted to ask you before we went in—if you’ll dance with me a couple of times tonight. And ride back with me.”

  “That’s a good idea.” And she wouldn’t have to go off Jake cold turkey. “You need to stop flirting with me, though.”

  Guilt flashed in his blue eyes. “Yes, ma’am. I realize now that was a huge mistake on my part. Selfish, too. I was leading you on and I apologize.”

  “Why did you?”

  “I like making you laugh. I like seeing your eyes sparkle. I just plain like you, Millie. More than I should, considering.”

  “I like you, too, Jake.” She sighed in frustration. “But you’re a royal pain in the ass.”

  He gave her a sad smile. “Not the first time I’ve heard that. Likely won’t be the last. Let’s go in.”

  Chapter Three

  That could’ve gone worse. But Jake wasn’t happy with himself as he escorted Millie inside the Choosy Moose. He hadn’t been fair with her.

  Turned out they were the last members of the wedding party to arrive. In addition to his other mistakes, he was responsible for holding up the show.

  A good number of the guests were here, too, and the buzz of conversation blended with the music of the country band up on the small stage. He helped Millie out of her coat and handed it to one of the servers stationed near the door, along with a generous tip.

  Ben Malone and his staff had been busy today. Merlin, the large plush moose head above the bar, sported paper wedding bells hanging from his giant antlers, and wedding-themed decorations covered the rough-hewn walls.

  Lucy must have had a say in the process, too, judging from the festive look of the room. Tablecloths echoed her color scheme for the ceremony, and instead of matching napkins, each table had a mixture. Small versions of Lucy’s bridal bouquet sat in the middle of each table.

  Millie spread her arms wide. “Look at this! Have you ever seen anything so beautiful in your life?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I have.”

  She glanced at him over her shoulder. “Jake.”

  “I’m not talking about you.”

  “You are, too. I know that tone of voice.”

  “I’m thinking of the meadow trail when the flowers are in bloom.” Liar. The meadow trail didn’t compare with her.

  Nothing did, especially in this moment, when the cold air had put roses in her cheeks and the breeze had plucked a few glossy tendrils from her up-do and laid them gently against the tender skin of her nape.

  “There you are!” Seth spotted them and came over. “Thought we’d lost you. Almost sent out a search party, until Teague said he’d come across you holding down a section of the sidewalk outside.”

  “My fault.” Jake cleared his throat. “I had something to discuss with Millie.”

  Seth grinned and raised his eyebrows. “Yeah?”

  “Just something minor,” Millie said. “If you two will excuse me, I see Zoe over there with baby Hamish.” She hurried toward a row of tables at the front of the room.

  Seth lowered his voice. “Something minor?”

  “Listen, I know you and Matt think Millie and I should—”

  “We do and you should. She’s great and you know it. She also likes you. Everyone can see that. I don’t know what you’re waiting for.”

  “Like I told Matt, I’m not marriage material.”

  “Bull. You’d be—”

  “I wouldn’t, but this isn’t the time to get into it.”

  “You’re right. Maybe sometime tomorrow.”

  “I really don’t—”

  “We’ll talk. Zoe and I are staying until Monday.” He clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s photo shoot time. Come on over so we can get organized.”

  Jake followed him through the gathering crowd. “Who’s taking pictures?”

  “Who else? Edna. Except I guess we’re supposed to call her Ed, now.”

  “Ed’s taking the wedding pictures?”

  “You haven’t noticed she’s always the one with the camera when the Babes are around?”

  “Not really.” The Babes on Buckskins were Henri’s riding buddies, all of them in their sixties except Edna, an eighty-five-year-old barrel-racing champion who’d amassed a small fortune in winnings.

  They’d provided crucial support when Henri’s husband Charley had died of a heart attack four years ago. They’d been a huge comfort to the Brotherhood during that awful time, too.

  “Edna... I mean Ed… learned how to operate both still and video cameras when Hollywood crews were using her ranch and her horses on a regular basis. She loves directing traffic and she figured out the photographer gets to do that.”

  “I hope she doesn’t have a dress code for this. Rafe’s already ditched his string tie.”

  “She made him put it back on.”

  Jake chuckled. “No kidding.”

  “You don’t say no to Edn—Ed.” He rolled his eyes. “And Anastasia’s calling herself Red, now?”

  “She is.”

  “Can you try to keep the others from doing that?”

  “How?”

  “I don’t know, but it’s unsettling. I come back after only five months, and two of the Babes have changed their names.”

  “Maybe you need to show up more often, bro.”

  “I might have to. Millie’s asked us…” Seth paused to survey the group. “Looks like Ed’s started with the women. And Teague’s helping her set up. We can hang out here for a bit.” He turned to Jake. “Millie wants us to visit again soon, next month if possible. She’s become very attached to Hamish.”

  “Saw that.”

  “It’s easy to do. That little guy’s something else. I didn’t know babies could be so fascinating.”

  “Me, either.” He smiled at the note of pride in Seth’s voice. Fatherhood clearly thrilled him. While he raved on about Hamish, Jake kept one eye on the photography session. Teague sure was getting chummy with Millie. And Millie seemed to be lapping it up.

  “The thing is,” Seth said, “you won’t know until you get into it how wonderful fatherhood can be.”

  “I’m excited for you, bro. You’re obviously made for this, but to be honest, I can’t ever see myself in that role.”

  “No? You’d be a natural.”

  “I seriously doubt it. Hey, this is off the subject, but what do you know about Teague Sullivan?”

  Seth glanced over at the photo session. “He seems to like Millie.”

  “Yeah. What else?”

  “Not much. Probably no more than you. Isn’t he Ed’s only wrangler these days?”

  “He is, now that she’s downsized her stable. There’s a rumor going around that she’s given him a house and land he’ll get to keep after she’s gone.”

  “Could be true. Sounds like her. I mean, who’s she gonna leave stuff to? She has no kids, no close relatives I’ve heard of. Teague’s been a loyal employee, seems like a nice-enough guy. Good wrangler, from what I’ve seen.”

  “In other words, he’s damn near perfect.”

  “For what? Oh.” He glanced at Jake. “If you’re worrying that he’ll steal Millie away, don’t. You have the inside track.”

  “That’s not the issue.”

  “Then what is the issue?”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “Oh, I get that. In my case, it was touch and go. Matt didn’t have an easy path, either. But trust me, once you go all in, it’s simple.”

  Jake gazed at him. “I envy you, bro. I wouldn’t mind being in your position. Or Matt’s.”

  “You’re closer than you think.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. I’m—”

  “Gentlemen!” Ed’s voice rang out. “I need you over here immediately!”

  Seth grinned. “To be continued. Ed needs us immediately.”

  Joining his brothers for the photo shoot was fun. Jake mostly ignored Teague. Ed gave them stage directions with the authority of an Oscar-winner
and they all whined and complained like a pack of spoiled A-list actors. Muscles were flexed and positions jockeyed for.

  As they hammed it up for Ed, the rest of the Babes—Pam, Peggy, Josette and Red—joined Henri and the bridal party. The women cooked up a grading system to rate the men’s performance in front of the camera.

  When it was over, Rafe and Nick received top ratings for their cooperative behavior. CJ and Jake earned low marks for being goofy and disruptive. Leo was voted most photogenic, a no-brainer since he’d been teased unmercifully over the years for being too handsome for his own good. Matt and Seth were labeled classic, old-school heroes.

  “Here’s the secret, gents.” Matt held up his left hand where a gold band glittered on his ring finger. “Snag one of these and your stock goes up, guaranteed.”

  “I’m all for that program,” CJ said. “But my one true love hasn’t shown up, yet.”

  Isabel waved her hand in the air. “Until she does, I’ll fill in.”

  “That’s the best offer I’ve had all day.” CJ executed a deep bow. “I humbly accept, m’lady.”

  Jake glanced at Millie. She kept her mouth shut and so did he.

  “Food’s coming out,” Matt announced. “Ed, we need to wrap this up.”

  “Sure thing. I just need a couple of group shots and we’ll be done. Groomsmen, find your bridesmaids.”

  Jake didn’t need to be told twice. He fetched Millie and used the excuse to wrap an arm around her waist. “I have mine.”

  Rafe and Kate quickly joined them. Seth led Henri over to the group as Nick matched up with Isabel and Leo fetched Serena. Lucy brought her parents over before taking her place next to Matt.

  “What a good-looking bunch.” Ed peered through the eyepiece of the tripod-mounted camera. “Move in closer.”

  Jake didn’t mind that at all. With Millie tucked against his side, he glanced at Teague.

  He stood in a typical cowboy pose, thumbs hooked through his belt loops. As he focused on Jake and Millie, his gaze was speculative. If he was interested in Millie and she liked him, Jake should be happy for both of them. He’d have to work on that.

  Chapter Four

  Until tonight, Millie hadn’t paid much attention to Teague Sullivan. He’d always been friendly enough whenever they’d met, either at Ed’s ranch or the Buckskin. Sometimes he’d been at the Moose on a Saturday night, but he’d never asked her to dance.

  He probably thought she was Jake’s girl. Most folks did. During the photo shoot, she’d flirted with him a little, testing the waters. The waters were just fine. Teague had flirted back.

  The evening progressed through a top-notch, Choosy Moose dinner and the cutting of a Western-themed cake. Then folks got serious about the dancing part.

  She wasn’t at all surprised when Teague approached the wedding party table and asked her to dance. Jake was sitting right next to her and in the middle of telling her a very funny joke. Normally she would have politely refused the invitation so Jake could finish the joke.

  Instead she excused herself and allowed Teague to lead her onto the floor. Was Jake watching? She had to wait until Teague whirled her around before she could tell. Jake’s gaze was glued right to them. He didn’t look happy.

  “I’m taking a chance, here.” Teague executed a neat two-step move. “I value Jake’s friendship.”

  “So do I.” She twirled under Teague’s arm. “And that’s all we are to each other. Friends.”

  “Really?” He led her through another tricky maneuver. “That’s not the word on the street.”

  “I know. But Jake and I aren’t dating. We just… got in the habit of spending time with each other, so it looks like we’re a couple, but we’re not.”

  “Like a sister/brother thing?” He spun her around.

  “I guess you could describe it that way.” Wouldn’t be true, but if he wanted an explanation that made sense, that was as good as any.

  “I’m glad to hear it.”

  “You are?” The fast pace of the dance was making her breathless. That was her excuse and she was sticking to it. “Why?”

  “I’ve wanted to date you ever since we met. But you seemed to be into Jake, so I abandoned the idea. Then during the photo shoot, you… acted different. I decided to take a chance that things had changed.”

  “Ever since we met? Are you serious?”

  “Yes, ma’am. But like I said, Jake’s a friend. And you may be like a sister to him, but he’s burning a hole in me right now. Is he the overprotective type?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “I can’t be the first guy who’s been interested in you.”

  “Of course not.” She twirled under his arm again and he caught her expertly around the waist. Excellent dancer. “I’ve dated.”

  “Recently?”

  “Well, now that you mention it, not for a while. I’ve just been… busy.” Busy waiting for Jake to come around.

  “Will you be busy next Saturday night?”

  “Um…” Her heart beat faster. “I guess not.”

  “Will you go out with me? We could grab some dinner first. There’s a new movie coming to—”

  “I know. I want to see it.”

  “Great. I’ll check the movie times and we can figure out the dinner plan from there. What’s your cell number?”

  “I’ll write it down for you once I get back to the table.”

  “Just tell me. I’ll remember.”

  She met his gaze. His eyes were brown, not blue. Good.

  “Trust me. I’ll remember.”

  She gave him the number and the dance ended.

  “Look, I’m not going to push my luck.” He glanced at Jake as he escorted her off the floor and started toward the wedding party table.

  It was deserted except for Jake, who grabbed his cider and took a long, slow drink from the mug. Everyone else was out dancing, but evidently he’d decided to stay behind so he could monitor the situation.

  Teague lowered his voice. “You may not know whether he’s overprotective, but I can guarantee he is. Put in a good word for me, okay?”

  Her jaw tightened. “Oh, believe me, I will. Thank you for the dance. I’ll see you Saturday.” She slipped into the chair Jake pulled out for her and turned to him. “What was that all about?”

  “What?” He put on his typical I’m innocent expression, the same one he used when he’d been teasing her about something or other.

  “You giving Teague the stink-eye.”

  “That wasn’t the stink-eye. I was intently studying his dance moves, memorizing the steps so I could replicate them the next time I go out there.”

  “You are so full of it.”

  “I’ll prove it to you. Dance with me and I’ll show you I can execute the way he did.”

  “You don’t have to prove anything. I already know you can. You pick things up very quickly. You’re an amazing dancer.”

  “Aw, shucks, you don’t have to—”

  “You could have memorized his steps and given him the stink-eye. That would have been easy for you.”

  “You’re making me blush.”

  “Jake! I’m chewing you out!”

  “I know. Did he ask for a date?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you going?”

  “Yes.”

  “When?”

  “Saturday night.”

  “Where are you—”

  “Stop. I’m not telling you any more details.”

  He shrugged. “Somebody should have the details. I mean, in case the two of you get lost in a snowstorm that night and we have no idea where to look and you both freeze to death trapped in his truck.”

  “You’re ridiculous.”

  “It happens! And all because some folks don’t want to give other folks details.”

  “I’m willing to take that risk.”

  “I ordered you another mug of cider, in case you were thirsty after dancing with Teague.” He picked it up from Kate’s place on h
is other side and set it in front of her.

  “That’s for me?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Then why is it over there?”

  “Hedging my bets. If you’d stayed out there for another three or four numbers, that cider had my name on it.”

  She scooted her chair around so she could see him better. “You’re jealous.”

  “Yes, ma’am. Don’t want to be, but there you have it. I’ve been sitting here asking myself how come ol’ Teague asked you to dance and then asked you out when he’s never done such a thing before.”

  “Because I flirted with him during the photo shoot. Figured I had to start somewhere.”

  “Did you have to start tonight?”

  “I think so. When I was out there with him I tried to remember the last time I had a date. It’s been more than two years, about when you acted like you were interested.”

  He met her gaze. “It wasn’t an act.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that. But you were giving off signals and I’ve always… you’re my favorite of all the guys. You might as well know that.”

  “I haven’t dated since then, either. Felt like I’d be cheating on you.”

  She heaved a sigh. “I promised myself I wouldn’t ask, but I can’t help it. I want to know. What turned you off the idea of marriage and kids?”

  He traced a path through the condensation on the side of his mug. “I can’t think of a worse time for me to go into it. No occasion is good, but...” He glanced up, his expression bleak. “A wedding reception is horrible.”

  “Will you tell me, though? Some other time? I think I deserve—no, that’s wrong. I don’t want you to tell me because I deserve to know. But if you’d be willing to share the reasons, I’d appreciate it. You don’t have to, if it’ll be too painful.”

  His expression warmed. “See, that’s why I like you so much. You consider other people’s feelings. If I’d stopped to think about your feelings, I wouldn’t have led you on for more than two years.”

  “Hey, I could have confronted you about this a long time ago. I didn’t, and that’s on me. But we’ve come to the end of that road.”