Wrangling Cupid's Cowboy

by Amanda Renee

  “Really. When the teacher walked in on her doing it, I was so relieved. But you know what I found out? I could have told my teacher or my parents and they would have put a stop to it much sooner.”

  “Weren’t you afraid?” Kacey began to bite her thumbnail.

  “Yes, I was. I thought if I told, then other kids would start picking on me. But that didn’t happen. The teacher made sure of it. They moved that girl into another class.” Delta wondered what the policy was at Kacey’s school. Maybe the kid would even be expelled. The bruises on her arm were pretty dark. Whoever did this to her used force. “Have you tried talking to your daddy?”

  Kacey shook her head. That would explain why she was hiding out. She didn’t want to get in trouble for skipping school.

  “Kacey!” Delta heard Garrett’s voice boom through the stables.

  Kacey wrapped her arms around Jake. “He’s going to be so mad at me.”

  “He’s not mad, he’s scared.” Delta stood. “Stay here with Jake and I’ll explain it to him first, okay?” She scanned the room to make sure there wasn’t a back door she might have overlooked earlier. Nope, just one door. She stepped into the corridor, almost slamming into Garrett. “Slow down, cowboy. We need to talk first.”

  Garrett tried to step around her, but she blocked him again. Flattening her hands on his chest, she pushed him out of the doorway. Delta saw fear reflecting in his eyes.

  “She’s okay, but you need to listen to me for one second before you go in there, please.” Delta refused to let him in, afraid he’d yell at her for cutting class. “Someone has been bullying your daughter and from the bruises I just saw on her arm, I think it’s been pretty bad. I’m assuming she headed home shortly after the bus dropped her off at school.”

  “What?” Garrett’s body stiffened. “Somebody hurt my baby?”

  “What’s going on?” Harlan joined them, out of breath. “Where’s Kacey?”

  “I want to know who hurt my kid.” Garrett stared down at Delta, willing her to move.

  “I think the bruises are from another child’s grip,” she said as she moved aside and let him pass.

  Garrett crossed the room in three long strides and lifted his daughter into his arms, sobbing into her hair. “You scared me, baby. Don’t you ever do that again. I can’t lose you.”

  Delta turned away to give him privacy and faced Harlan. “She didn’t say much, but she was very interested when I told her I had been bullied as a kid. I’ll leave the rest to you guys.”

  “Thank you, Delta.” Harlan tipped his hat and entered the lounge.

  She patted her thigh and Jake trotted out of the room to her. “Come on, boy. You did good today. You deserve an extra cookie tonight.”

  Her heart broke for Garrett. Their family had suffered enough and now they were struggling once again. They may have moved from Wyoming for a fresh start, but that didn’t always come easy. Maybe Garrett needed a friend more than she needed her rules.

  Chapter Five

  “I know you’re scared, sweetheart, but you can tell me anything. No matter what it is.” Hours later, Garrett still fought to remain calm. He was finding it increasingly difficult when he still didn’t know who’d hurt his daughter. And until he found out, she wasn’t going back to school. “If you don’t want to talk to me, you can always talk to your uncle Dylan or Emma or your uncle Harlan and aunt Belle.”

  “What about Delta?” Kacey shifted on the couch and looked up at him.

  “When someone hurts you, I want you to tell any adult.” He hadn’t expected Kacey to include Delta in her circle of trust. Then again, Delta had been the one to get her to finally open up. “Did you like talking to her?”

  Kacey nodded. “She told me someone had bullied her, too.”

  The revelation surprised him along with the anger coursing through his veins at the thought of somebody hurting Delta. He had no right to feel anything for her except gratitude. He wanted to tell his daughter she could talk to Delta whenever she wanted. While he didn’t think Delta would be opposed to it, their conversation earlier about not being friends reverberated in his head. His heart told him she’d make an exception for a child.

  There was a knock at his front door before Harlan entered. “I wanted to check on you two before I headed home.” Harlan joined them on the couch. “How are you doing, buttercup?”

  His brother looked over her head and nodded toward the door.

  “Kacey, why don’t you go get ready for bed. I’ll be in to read you a story in a little bit.”

  Wordlessly, she slipped off the couch and trudged up the stairs to her room.

  “Good night, Kacey,” his brother called after her.

  “Good night, Uncle Harlan.”

  As soon as her bedroom door clicked shut, Harlan turned to him. “Belle and I were able to get more out of Ivy tonight. It’s not just one kid bullying her, it’s a group. A little mean girls club. And they’ve not only attacked her physically, they’ve been saying things about her online. Ivy couldn’t tell me what, because we don’t allow her to have any social media accounts. She had only heard about it from her friends. I went on there pretending to be one of her classmates and I saw some pretty hateful things.”

  “What the hell is wrong with kids today?” Garrett slammed his fist into the couch. “We didn’t do this when we were their age.”

  “We didn’t have social media back then, but there was bullying.” Harlan got up and walked into the kitchen. “I remember quite a few kids getting beat up on the playground and not saying anything. Delta told me earlier that she had been on the receiving end as a kid.”

  “Kacey just told me that, too.” Garret was beyond thankful Delta had revealed what had to have been a painful past to his daughter. “I think it’s the only reason Kacey’s talking tonight. She finally realizes she’s not alone. How long has Ivy known about this?”

  “From what we can gather, from the beginning.” Harlan grabbed two beers from the fridge and handed one to Garrett. “They had made a pact not to tell anyone. She didn’t want to betray Kacey’s trust so she kept it secret and had been trying to defend her. I explained that not saying anything was part of the problem and she promises to tell me or another adult whenever she sees bullying of any kind from now on. I wish I’d had this conversation with her sooner, but at seven years old I didn’t think I had to. And I of all people knew better. I hear about this stuff all the time on the job. Children committing suicide because they’re being viciously attacked at school. I saw my daughter’s name in some of those posts tonight and it sickened me.”

  Garrett held his head in his hands. Suicide? They were talking about little kids. How did he miss the signs? How did he miss the bruises?

  “It’s hard. She is this little woman so I respect her privacy and let her pick her own outfits and bathe on her own. I never once thought to say show me your arms and legs so I can see if somebody has beaten you up.”

  “You couldn’t have known.”

  “I should have known.” Garrett slammed his beer on the table. “The signs were there. I’m a single father and I took away her only female role model by moving here. I can’t help but wonder if she’d have told her grandmother, or if her grandmother would’ve noticed it earlier and could’ve put a stop to this.”

  Harlan patted his brother on the back. “In my experience on the force, kids are pretty good at hiding things. I’ve seen all sorts of abuse that teachers and neighbors or other parents and siblings had missed. I know you’re upset, but don’t drive yourself crazy over this. Kacey has other female role models. She’s just not used to them yet. She only met Belle and Emma over Christmas. And there’s Delta. Kacey clearly trusts her. Maybe they could spend more time together.”

  “How is that supposed to happen?” Garrett couldn’t even get her to agree to dinner. “It would be different if Delta had a kid, too. Th
en there would be a reason for Kacey to see her. But Delta is long gone before Kacey gets home from school.” School. Garrett groaned. “What am I supposed to do now? I can’t send her back there. What do I do about these other kids and the stuff online? Whatever’s on there, I want it down.”

  “I’ve already taken care of her attackers. I reported them to the school board and there is a formal police report on file. I need a statement from you, which is the other reason I’m here. I’ll also need a victim statement from Kacey, but that can wait until tomorrow.”

  “My daughter will be eight in a few weeks and she’s already a victim giving statements to the police. When I moved back here, I thought I was moving my kids into a safe environment.”

  “You have to be vigilant,” Harlan said.

  “Oh, believe me. Nothing is getting past me again.” Garrett wanted to wring the necks of his daughter’s tormentors’ parents. There was no way kids came by this on their own. They learned it somewhere.

  “Maybe Kacey needs to spend more time with Belle at the Forever Ranch. Belle swears by animal assisted therapy.”

  “So does Delta. Jake is a certified therapy dog.”

  “I’ve heard that. Delta has made quite an impression on Saddle Ridge in the year she’s been here. She volunteers a lot of her time to various organizations.”

  “And once again, you’re trying to sell me on her.”

  “Would it be such a bad thing? Dating again doesn’t mean you have to stop loving Rebecca. Your heart has more room than you think. Valentine’s Day is less than a month away and I’d like to see you happy again. I’m not telling you to marry her. I’m saying explore the possibility of a relationship, whether it be friends or more.”

  “Please tell me Belle hasn’t turned you into one of those people. Valentine’s Day is nothing but a greeting card holiday. Even Rebecca didn’t buy into it. She felt our love deserved to be celebrated year-round. And you’re wrong. There’s no room left in my heart.”

  And there never will be.

  * * *

  A LITTLE MORE than a week had passed since Delta had found Kacey hiding in the stables. She had wanted to call Garrett a few times and ask how she was doing, but she’d decided against it. The kid had a huge support system and she was sure they were taking good care of her.

  And it just so happened her next stop was part of that support system. Every six weeks she trimmed hooves at Belle’s Forever Ranch along with Harlan’s personal stable of horses. She was sure Belle would update her on Kacey.

  Delta parked and hopped out of the truck. Jake was at doggie daycare chillin’ with his buddies for the day. She missed him when he wasn’t with her, but sometimes he just needed to be a dog and not a best friend.

  Delta fastened her apron chaps around her waist and gathered her tools before heading to the backside of the stables. “Good morning, darling.” Delta rubbed The Fuzz’s muzzle. Harlan had named his horses after outlaws and Belle had countered with police ones. She had The Fuzz and Colombo, two rescued former race horses, and Joe Friday, a donkey that had doubled his weight since living at the rescue center.

  “Hey, Delta,” Belle called to her from the chicken play yard. And it was a real play yard, complete with toys and a little obstacle course. She had never seen a chicken play before she met Belle. “I’ll be there in a second. I just need to make sure this one heater is still working on the chicken coop.”

  “The new coop is adorable.” Delta loved Belle’s attention to detail. She had built the birds an exact replica of the ranch’s red barn, right down to the trim and metal roof.

  “It came out good, didn’t it?” Belle admired her own handiwork. “I didn’t think I’d ever get it finished considering I have to pee every two minutes. I’m with Emma—this pregnancy thing is for the birds.” She laughed at her own joke. “Oh, crap.” She sighed. “I have to pee again. I’ll be right back.”

  Delta forced a smile as her chest began to tighten. She was happy for Belle, just as she was happy for her friend Liv. But that happiness didn’t fill the increasing void in her life. She had dreamt of having children for as long as she could remember. Being one of three kids, she thought she’d at least have that many, but chemotherapy had robbed her of that chance.

  Delta inhaled sharply as tears filled her eyes. It had been years since the doctor had confirmed her sterility and the pain never eased, especially since she wasn’t eligible to adopt until she was cancer free for five years. Even a private adoption, which she couldn’t afford, would be doubtful. It was one more way the big C had kicked her in the teeth. She had a little over two years to go before she could apply and she had the actual date programmed into her phone’s calendar.

  Some days were more agonizing than others. Today was heading in that direction. Delta wiped at her eyes and turned her attention to The Fuzz.

  “Are you ready for me, handsome?” Delta snapped a lead rope to his halter and led him out of the stall. As they walked, she listened to the sound of his bare hooves against the ground. This allowed her to hear any abnormalities in his gait. The fifteen-year-old quarter horse had been shod all his life, but no longer tolerated any form of shoe after his hooves had been so severely neglected they had grown in the shape of a corkscrew. Delta had worked closely with the equine hospital in nearby Kalispell, both donating their services to save the poor animal. Since he spent the majority of his time grazing, they opted to keep his hooves natural to prevent further stress. She stopped by every couple of weeks just to see him and check on his progress. Four months later, he had improved greatly, but still had a long road ahead of him.

  She tied him to a nearby hitching post and ran her hand down the front of his leg until she reached his fetlock. She lightly pinched the chestnut on the back of his leg causing him to lift his foot.

  “Good boy.” She praised him. A race horse would have been trained to lift their foot on command, and at one time, The Fuzz probably had. But he wouldn’t do it anymore without a little coaxing on her part. “Let’s see what we have going on here.” She reached for her hook knife and began cleaning his hoof. “You’re doing wonderfully, my dear.”

  “I’m back.” Belle scratched The Fuzz’s neck as Delta continued to work. “Have you spoken with Garrett at all?”

  That didn’t take long to bring him up. “Not since the incident with Kacey. How is she doing?”

  “Hard to tell. The kids who bullied her were expelled, but because of what happened, Garrett enrolled her in a private school. It’s a lot smaller and she gets more one-on-one instruction, which she desperately needs to bring her grades back up. It didn’t help that one of the bullies’ parents tried to enroll her daughter in the same place as Kacey.”

  “They didn’t get in, did they?” Kacey deserved a safe learning environment. A kid couldn’t concentrate when they constantly had to look over their shoulder. She knew that firsthand.

  “No, the school denied the application. They also offer counseling services, but so far, Kacey refuses to participate. We all thought a new school would be a nice do-over for her, but she’s starting fresh again.” Belle bit her lip. “At least in public school she had Ivy. She was her lifeline. Harlan wants to transfer Ivy to the same school since the kids were cyberbullying her, too. She seems open to it. He and Ivy’s mom are planning to sit down this weekend and discuss it further.”

  “I can’t even imagine that whole aspect of it.” Delta had thick skin, but she didn’t know if she would have been tough enough to handle cyberbullying as a kid. “It’s bad enough in school, but when it follows you everywhere you go... Wow.”

  “I do know that Garrett is grateful to you.”

  Delta stilled the knife in her hand. “Me? Why?”

  “If you hadn’t figured it out, who knows how long this would have gone on. Besides, Kacey has asked about you, and she’s smitten with Jake.”

  That thought made De
lta smile. “He has that effect on people.”

  “Kacey is spending the weekend here.” Belle walked around the front of the horse until she was standing in front of Delta. “You’re more than welcome to stop by. Our door is always open.”

  “I’m working most of the weekend, but I might be able to squeeze it in.”

  “Bryce is also staying with us this weekend, in case you wanted to stop by Silver Bells and see Garrett.” Delta noticed a sudden lilt in Belle’s voice. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind seeing you.”

  Delta lowered The Fuzz’s foot and slowly straightened her spine. “I never figured you would be one to play Cupid.”

  “Who’s playing Cupid?”

  Delta lifted one brow and cleared her throat.

  “Okay, so maybe I am. Can you blame me? You two would be good for each other. You’re both single.”

  “Yeah, well you’re forgetting two things.” Delta lifted the horse’s foot again and examined it. No further cracks, but the outside was still slightly asymmetrical. “He’s still grieving his wife and I’m happily divorced.”

  “I never knew you were married.” Belle pulled a carrot from her pocket and fed it to the horse. “I guess it didn’t end well, huh?”

  “You think?” Delta glanced up at her. “Thanks but no thanks. I don’t date clients.”

  “He said that, too.”

  “Garrett did?” She lowered the hoof. “Wait a minute. Have you also suggested us dating to him?”

  “I may have mentioned it the other night...and the week before.” Belle looked skyward. “But Harlan started it. Well, actually, Dylan. They both thought you two were seeing each other.”

  “Why would they—” Then the realization hit her. This was why dating in a small town was next to impossible. Everyone knew your business. “It was just dinner.”

  Delta returned her attention to The Fuzz and lifted his foot for the third time, determined to finish it.

  “He’s a really great guy,” Belle said under her breath.