Suited to be a Cowboy

by Lorraine Nelson

“For what?”

  “For making you jealous. For not explaining my relationship with Amy. I knew she’d want to sample the nightlife while she was here. That’s just the kind of person she is. So I agreed to take her. If you hadn’t been injured, I would’ve asked you to come along. Instead, I tucked you up in bed and left, not once thinking how it must look.”

  “And the hot spring?” If he was surprised by her question, he didn’t show it. “Did you take her there again last night?”

  “Amy flew home yesterday. Our trip to the pool was solely to soothe my bruised body. When you drove away instead of coming to join us, I dressed and rode straight home, but you were already gone.”

  “Trust doesn’t come easy for me, Jimmy.”

  “I can understand that. Do you believe me?”

  She studied his eyes, his facial expression, and saw the sincerity registered there. “Yes, I do.”

  “Then can we forgo a movie and take up where we left off last night?”

  Am I being too submissive, allowing you to talk your way back into my bed? To heck with it. That is exactly where I want you. “Mister, you’ve got yourself a deal.”

  Sheila had breakfast ready when he entered the kitchen…sausage, scrambled eggs, and toast. He’d hit it lucky. No one else was there yet. He’d risen and crossed to his own room during the night, not wanting a repeat of the morning after reject. “Good morning, love. Okay if I take a plate and cup to go? I’m way behind on the office work.”

  “No wonder. Seems like you had other things occupying your time. Give me a sec and I’ll have a plate ready for you. What happened to your face?”

  “Yeah. There sure were a lot of sick horses. Amy wanted to go out so I went with her. Some cowboys took exception when I was ready to leave and she wasn’t. I’m glad she was here to help with the horses, but I was equally happy to see her board that plane home.” While she dished up his plate, he poured coffee into the largest mug he could find.

  Sheila passed him a tray loaded with food, condiments, and silverware. “Is that so? Seems like you two were mighty friendly.”

  “Thanks, Sheila.” Although he didn’t owe the cook any explanations, he felt he was getting to the root of her cool attitude. “Amy and I are friends. We’ve known each other a long time. She attended to Sherry when I lived in the city.”

  “Oh, that’s all right, then.” She smiled at him. “I’ll bring you a refill on the coffee as soon as the masses are fed.”

  “That would be super. Appreciate it.” Jimmy walked toward the office, hoping he wouldn’t pass anyone in the hall. It would be difficult to explain why he’d chosen to eat his morning meal at his desk. He loved the way everyone treated him as family, but today he needed to be by himself—to think and to plan.

  After last night, he wasn’t sure he could continue to work for Melissa. He wanted her too much, and it wasn’t just the sex. He loved being with her, but she didn’t even trust him. Love needed trust to last. Love? Yes, he loved her. But what good would it do?

  He shrugged thoughts of Melissa aside and set to work. The men were a day late getting paid, but it couldn’t be helped. On a ranch, the stock came first. After all, that was their reason for being there. They had all been busy tending the horses yesterday and Jimmy hoped he’d finish the payroll by the time Sheila arrived with his coffee.

  She knocked once and walked in. “Here’s your refill, and Melissa said to tell you the vet is here and could you accompany him.”

  He rose and stretched out a few kinks, glancing down at the paperwork still needing to be input. “She wants me to?”

  “I guess so. I’ve been nagging her to rest.”

  “Okay, I’ll have my coffee and ride out to the herd. Can you take the payroll checks to Melissa to sign? I’ll deliver them to Brian when I go out to saddle Sherry.”

  “Sure thing.” She picked up the breakfast tray.

  Jimmy passed her the bundle of checks and she headed off to do his bidding. He sat and pulled the coffee tray closer. Not surprised to see that Sheila had added some treats, he bit into a homemade donut and sighed with delight, devouring every last bite of the sweets with his coffee. Replete and refreshed, he picked up the tray and headed to the kitchen. Melissa and John sat at the table.

  “Morning, John. When did you get here?”

  “A little while ago. What happened to your face?”

  Jimmy snorted a laugh. “A run-in with some local cowboys.”

  “Tommy and Aaron are becoming good friends. You going to join us for coffee?”

  “No, I just stopped in to pick up the checks for the wranglers.”

  “They’re right here,” Melissa said.

  She appeared to be searching his expression, for what, he didn’t know, but he was afraid to see what was in hers. He picked up the stack and avoided her gaze the best he could. Not an easy task when he wanted to drink in the sight of her.

  “I’m heading out to see what Roger has to say. Have you talked to Brian this morning?”

  “I did,” said John. “He said a couple of the horses are still listless, but they survived the past couple of nights and that has to be a good sign.”

  Jimmy nodded. “All right then. I’ll see you later.”

  “Mind if I tag along?”

  “Not at all. Let’s get a move on.”

  “Right behind you.”

  “That man sure has his eye on you,” Sheila said after the men left.

  Melissa almost hadn’t heard, lost in thought as she was. “What man? Jimmy?”

  “Don’t play dumb with me. I’ve been around the bend a time or two. There’s been so much tension surrounding the two of you I feel like chopping it away with my butcher knife. What happened to set you at odds with each other?”

  “Nothing, not that it’s any of your business.”

  Sheila turned, hands on hips, and fixed her in place with a fierce stare. “Tell another one.”

  If for no other reason than to get Sheila off her back, she’d answer the question. “I slept with him. It changed things, and not in a good way, I’m thinking.”

  “Well, glory child. If you hadn’t I’d think there was something seriously wrong with you. That man is one supreme hunk of handsome, and he’s nice too. Look at the way he ran to your rescue and has tended to you ever since. Even Aaron has blossomed under the man’s praise. So what is your problem?”

  “What makes you think it’s me who has the problem?” Melissa asked. Immediately on the defensive, she sat back and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

  “Because you’re your Grandpa’s offspring. Suspicion runs in your veins. What happened to make you so wary?”

  “You know he wants to own his own ranch, right?”

  “Sure I do. He hasn’t made it a secret. You’re not thinking he’s some kind of gold-digger, are you?”

  “What? No, not really. I never intended to get involved with him because of his dream. I don’t want to interfere with his plans.”

  Sheila relaxed her stance and sat beside her at the table, placing a comforting hand over hers. “Credit the man with some sense. If he hasn’t realized it yet, he will. His dream is right here on this spread.”

  “No, it isn’t, Sheila. We agreed to a nostrings affair.”

  “But you’ve fallen for him.” Sheila spoke gently, her statement also a question.

  Determined to get it out in the open, she swiped the tears from her cheek. “Yes, I have. And once we forgot to use protection. I never realized until I woke up and I don’t think he even thought of it.”

  “A baby! How sweet!”

  “Don’t jump the gun on me, Sheila, and don’t you dare say a word. If I am pregnant, I’ll manage. What I won’t do is tie him down with a child when it’s not what he wants.”

  “How will you know what he wants if you don’t tell him?”

  “No strings, Sheila. He insisted on it.”

  “Oh! That doesn’t sound like our Jimmy. I wonder why?”

  �
�I know why, but I can’t talk about it.”

  “I won’t say a word, but if you’re smart, you won’t give up on that man, and I’m going to tell you something…something I think you need to hear.”

  A sad expression crossed the woman’s face and Melissa reached out to her, held her hand as she told her tale.

  “I fell in love with a man years ago. A very grumpy man, but I loved him, warts and all.” Sheila paused to wipe her eyes with the corner of her apron. “It was a hopeless love from the get-go. You see, he was married.” Her eagle eyes sought Melissa’s. “Now don’t you judge me, girl. We can’t help who we fall in love with.”

  “I know. Please continue.”

  “Day after day, I watched them together, and I wanted what they had. Yearned for it even. When his wife died years later, I never did anything about it and I’ve regretted it ever since. Now, it’s too late.”

  A light flicked on in Melissa’s brain and she spoke softly. “Are you talking about Grandpa?”

  “Yes, child. Bill was a dear man. I showed him how I felt in every way I could, but he never stopped missing your grandmother. Nevertheless, I stayed on and cared for him the best I could. There wasn’t any place I’d rather be than right here. I just wish I’d been brave enough to grab what I wanted while there was still time.”

  Sheila cried openly for a few minutes, then straightened up and dried her tears.

  “You understand why I told you this?”

  “Yes, I do. Thank you for sharing it with me. I know Gramps thought the world of you. And you made his life better by being here. Of that I am certain.”

  “Thank you, child. Now don’t you go giving up on your man. We need some happiness in this house again.”

  Melissa smiled at her fondly. “I’m a Dehavilland, stubborn as they come. I can’t see me giving up.”

  “Good!” Sheila resumed her duties, but not before Melissa witnessed the satisfied smirk on the woman’s face. Who knew she’d be such a romantic at heart?

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jimmy returned to the ranch house tired but enthused. The horses were well on the mend. He washed up and went to the kitchen to find Melissa and John already at the table sipping coffee.

  “Officer Jacobs stopped in while you were out on the range,” she said. “I was just telling John about the oleander growing in the creek. The water for the house and creek tested clear today, so that’s a relief. None of the ranchers downstream had any problems. The police think we caught it in time to prevent damage to neighboring ranches and farms.”

  “That’s good. Any idea where the plants came from?” Jimmy asked.

  “Yes, the soil stuck to the roots of the first plant you found matches an area about fifty miles southeast of here, just outside Denver.” She smiled and perked up, her eyes twinkling in excitement. “We knew they took him in for questioning on suspicion yesterday, but guess what? They found Marcus’ fingerprints in the northern line shack, and the boot prints they found at the creek matched the pair he was wearing. The police also discovered that Marcus stayed at a hotel near Denver the night before last.”

  Jimmy nodded. “So that gives him access and opportunity. Seems like they have enough evidence to hold him this time.”

  She slumped in her chair. “Unfortunately, he’s already been released. Although he was issued firm orders to stay out of Colorado until his day in court.”

  “Well, that’s something at least. The horses have made a remarkable recovery, according to the vet.”

  “Yes, John already filled me in on that.” She bestowed a stunning smile on John and an arrow of jealousy pierced Jimmy’s heart. Would she ever smile at him like that?

  Jimmy finished his coffee and pushed away from the table. “I’ll get back to the office. See you later.”

  Mumbled goodbyes followed in his wake, but he never broke stride and didn’t turn back. Melissa and John were laughing. He wondered briefly what was so funny, then unlocked the office, closing the door firmly behind him. Only then did he take a few calming breaths to get his emotions under control.

  On booting up the computer, he decided to check real estate listings in the area. Once he caught up on Melissa’s accounts, he’d only have to be here once or twice a week to keep the books current. It was time to find a spread of his own.

  After searching through listings for half an hour, he found one that appealed to him. It was only about twenty miles Northwest of Melissa’s ranch, toward Livermore. Another ranch, southwest toward Drake, caught his attention, but the first one was a much larger property for less money. Funny enough, the same river ran through both properties. He palmed his phone and dialed the agent’s number. When he hung up, he had appointments to view both properties in the morning. He wondered how Melissa would take the news.

  Maybe he just wouldn’t say anything—go look at the properties and, if he decided to buy one, then tell her. Yeah, that would work. He smiled and loaded the accounting program, pleased with himself as he settled in to get the job done. He only had this month’s stuff left to input, so it should go fairly fast.

  Three hours later, he stretched out the kinks and paced the office. He needed some fresh air. The patio doors opened silently and he slipped through to walk around the courtyard. The lush flowers and greenery always made it seem like a mini oasis in the midst of the range. He would miss this when he left. He’d miss her. No, he wouldn’t go there.

  Hands in his pockets and his mind in turmoil, he strolled the path toward the gazebo. At the final turn, he changed direction and headed for the stable. It would feel good to take Sherry for a run. He’d ride out and check on his Mustangs.

  Should he go back and let Melissa know he’d be gone for a while? Maybe she’d like to ride out with him. He felt a sudden twinge of guilt about Aaron. The boy never did get to see the Mustangs. Maybe tomorrow. Today, the only company he wanted was the one person he needed to steer clear of.

  After Sheila’s confession, Melissa found herself needing to rethink things. She escaped to the relative privacy of the courtyard, admiring the different varieties of her grandmother’s roses as she walked the flagstone path.

  Had her grandmother known that their housekeeper had fallen in love with her husband? Granny was a sensitive soul and wouldn’t have said a word, unless Sheila had acted on her feelings. In all the years she’d been visiting the ranch, Melissa had never once suspected.

  Sure, Sheila had cried at his funeral service. She had too, so she’d thought nothing of it. Of course, her main goal that day was in consoling Aaron. He’d just lost his hero, the one man who’d been constant in his life and enjoyed spending time with him. Marcus had had the gall to attend, but she’d informed the ushers that he was no longer family, and he’d had to sit among the community members who’d come to pay their respects.

  He’d also insisted on being at the reading of the will, but on denying him that right, she’d been adamant.

  She wondered now if her grandfather’s last days might have been happier if Sheila had openly acknowledged her love for him. But no, to his dying day, he’d always said he was a one-woman man and his Rosie was the best woman a man could have. Sheila never stood a chance.

  Do I stand a chance of winning Jimmy’s love? Or will he leave here never knowing how much I truly care? How good our lives could be together?

  Suddenly she tripped on a piece of raised flagstone and would’ve fallen except for grabbing the nearest branch with her good hand. “Ouch!” Did it have to be a rosebush? Good grief! How much pain could one woman stand?

  On the verge of feeling sorry for herself, she willed back the tears and kept walking—or tried to. She couldn’t put any weight on her ankle and almost took a header into the same rosebush that had saved her. Jeesh! What next?

  Balanced precariously on one leg, she reached in her jeans pocket for her cell phone. Urgh! She’d forgotten it again. Hollering for help just wasn’t her style. Pride be damned. She hollered. “Help! Someone help me. Please.” Hu
mph! So much for that. The gazebo was closer at this point, so she hopped the rest of the way there, succeeding in jarring her sore ribs and hitting her busted arm on the frame of the gazebo. Melissa sank down onto the cushioned bench seating, glad to have a soft landing.

  Time dragged slowly by as she waited to be rescued. Finally, Melissa saw Jimmy coming and her body sprang to life in anticipation. Suddenly, he looked up and changed direction, quickly striding away. Had he seen her? Was he avoiding her? If she hadn’t tripped on the flagstone path and turned her ankle, she’d hurry after him. As it was, she’d only made it this far by sheer determination. She’d needed a quiet place to think and the garden beckoned. Now here she was, sitting in the gazebo and wondering how she’d manage to get back to the house. She could’ve called out to Jimmy, but if he really was trying to avoid her, she’d let him have his space.

  The problem was, she hated asking for help. She’d always been independent. And now that she knew the extent of Marcus’s misdeeds, it was doubly important to prove that she could stand on her own two feet. She grimaced at the thought and glanced down at her leg where it rested on the bench seat. Her ankle was badly swollen. The tender skin stretched painfully. She needed to get some ice on it and soon.

  Of all the times to forget my cell phone. It had become a habit to carry it with her, as she never knew where she’d end up when working the ranch. She’d forgotten it the day she fell off her horse too. When would she ever learn?

  She made herself as comfortable as she could and waited. Surely, someone would come looking for her when she didn’t show up for dinner. Of course, with Jimmy gone too, Sheila would probably assume they’d gone somewhere together. And Aaron was spending most of his time with Sasha. Maybe they’d venture out to the courtyard some time today.

  Lying back on the seat, her good arm cushioning the back of her head, she studied the clouds drifting overhead. At least it was a beautiful day. A squirrel ran across the top railing and up the post, chasing after a low-flying blue jay. Melissa smiled in pure enjoyment, knowing the squirrel would not even get close.