Stand-Up Cowboy
Page 1
Stand-Up Cowboy
The Buckskin Brotherhood
Vicki Lewis Thompson
STAND-UP COWBOY
Copyright © 2021 by Vicki Lewis Thompson
ISBN: 978-1-946759-98-6
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Ocean Dance Press, PO Box 69901, Oro Valley AZ 85737
Visit the author’s website: VickiLewisThompson.com
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
But Wait, There’s More!
Also by Vicki Lewis Thompson
About the Author
Chapter One
A couple of sacks of groceries tucked behind the seat of his truck, Garrett Whittaker turned off the two-lane onto the Buckskin Ranch road as the sun dipped behind the mountains. Thigh-high snowdrifts on either side testified to the major effort he and his brothers had put forth to clear the road after last night’s storm.
His brothers. He still marveled at that. He had no biological brothers, or sisters, either, for that matter. But two months ago, right before Christmas, he’d been initiated into the Buckskin Brotherhood, a tight group made up of the wranglers employed on the ranch.
The members of the Brotherhood had worked together for more than ten years, while he’d been on board a mere ten months. Yet they’d invited him in, and the gesture meant more than they could know.
For years he’d wandered, working at different ranches, searching for something he couldn’t put into words. Not until he’d found it. Home. For the first time in his life he belonged. He—what the hell?
A white car appeared in his rearview mirror, closing fast. Too fast. An older model Taurus that looked vaguely familiar… where had he seen it before?
Whoever it was needed to slow the heck down. The sharp curve had a shady spot where ice collected. Perfect setup for a rollover. He began a weaving pattern in front of them, blocking any attempt to pass.
The driver laid on the horn. Muttering a swear word, he glanced in the rearview mirror. A woman was at the wheel. Good Lord, what was she—
She swerved right and plowed into a snowbank.
The sickening thud echoed in his ears as he slammed to a stop, yanked the emergency brake and leaped out of his truck. He hit the ground running.
She was slumped over the wheel, the white hood of her parka covering her hair. No sign of a deflating airbag. Dear God. His insides twisted as a child’s wails from a car seat in the back penetrated the closed windows.
Gasping for breath, Garrett grabbed the door handle. Locked. He pounded on the window. “Hey! Are you—”
She moved. Lifted her head.
He exhaled in relief as the window rolled down.
She gazed up at him, her brown eyes wide, her face white as the snow she’d rammed into. “I’m okay.”
“Airbag?”
“No airbag. Disabled.”
“Why were you speeding?”
“Brakes failed.”
“Damn.” He reached for the door handle again. Still locked. “Let’s get you out of there.”
She blinked. “The snowbank?”
“Out of the car. Your kid, too. We’ll pull your car out later. You just need to—”
“Right. Turn off the engine.” She twisted the key in the ignition and fumbled with her seatbelt. She was shaking.
He leaned down, softened his voice. “Need help?”
“No. But Georgie… he’s scared. Could you…”
“Sure.” Georgie. No wonder the car looked familiar. She was Anna Warren, who’d hired on a couple of months ago to work the reception desk at the raptor sanctuary. She and her son lived in one of the Buckskin’s guest cabins. The Taurus was usually parked in front of it.
He kept his tone gentle. She was quivering like a leaf. “You need to unlock the—”
“Oh. Sorry.” The locks clicked.
He straightened, headed for the back door and opened it. “Hey, Georgie.”
Georgie took one look at him and yelled bloody murder. Not surprising. Word had it that the little boy wasn’t fond of men.
The rear-facing car seat was on the passenger side. Sliding onto the worn upholstery, Garrett nudged back his hat and gave the screaming little boy his best smile. “Want a ride in a big truck?”
“Noooo.” Georgie twisted as far toward the window as the restraining straps would let him.
“I have cookies.”
“Oh, Georgie, c-cookies!” Anna climbed out of the car. “Y-you love cookies.”
“Mama!” Georgie swiveled in the other direction as he struggled to see her. “Out, Mama!”
“Let him help you, sweetheart. M-mama’s a little shaky. B-be a g-good boy for Mama.”
Brown eyes exactly the color of Anna’s focused a frightened gaze on him.
“Do you like chocolate chip cookies?”
He sucked in a breath and nodded.
“Excellent. Let’s get some.” Garrett unlatched the restraints quickly before Georgie returned to wailing mode. “Chocolate chips are yummy.”
Georgie didn’t respond.
“Best cookies ever.” He pulled up the hood on Georgie’s dark blue snowsuit and lifted the kid free. Tightening his grip on the slippery material, he worked his way out of the back seat.
The little boy let out a whimper. “Don’t drop Georgie.”
“I promise I won’t.” Holding him close with one arm, he put a hand on the snowsuit hood to make sure the boy’s head cleared the opening. Then he planted his boots in the slush, tucked Georgie against his chest and stood.
“Thank you.”
He turned as Anna came toward him, her purse strap looped across her chest, bandolier-style. Her cheeks had gained some color and she wasn’t shaking much.
She held out her arms. “I can take him, now.”
“Are you sure? Because I can—”
“Mama!” Georgie lunged for her, ending the discussion.
“I’m here, sweetie.” She gathered him close. “I’m here, baby boy.” Bowing her head, she gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Sorry I scared you.”
He clung to her and buried his face against her neck. “Wanna go home.”
“We will.” Her gaze lifted to connect with Garrett’s. “The pedal went to the floor. I didn’t know what to do.”
“You did fine. Are you sure you’re okay? Did you hit your head? Does your neck hurt? Or—”
“Nothing hurts. I braced for the impact. It was the adrenaline rush that sidelined me. It’s fading.”
“Then let’s get you and Georgie home.” He put his arm around her shoulders to guid
e her toward the truck. “I wasn’t bluffing about the cookies. I was on my way back from the market.”
“Cookies, Mama.” Georgie’s comment was muffled against her collar.
Thank God he’d bought some. “Coming up, sport.”
“Just one,” Anna murmured. “Or he’ll spoil his dinner.”
“Got it.” He opened the passenger door and helped her in. She didn’t wince or catch her breath during that maneuver, so maybe she’d escaped injury, after all.
“You left the truck motor running.”
“Didn’t bother to turn it off. I just—”
“Raced to our rescue.” Her dark eyes warmed with gratitude.
“I was so afraid that you… anyway, your car seat won’t fit in my truck, but I can belt you in together and drive super slow.”
“No worries. We were in worse shape in a car with no brakes.”
“But you made it.” He grabbed the seat belt buckle, reached around both passengers and clicked it in place. “I’ll get his cookie.” He closed the door and jogged around to the driver’s side.
He’d bagged the groceries himself and made sure the cookies were on top so they wouldn’t be crushed. Reaching behind the seat, he picked up the package, tore it open and pulled out two cookies. He handed the first one up to the front seat. “For Georgie.”
He reached for it. “Cookie.” His voice was a hoarse croak. The little guy had been terrified, too, first by the crash and then by a stranger hauling him out of the car.
“And one for you.” He held out the second cookie to Anna.
“Oh, I don’t need—”
“Yes, you do. That was a rough experience. Take the cookie.”
“Okay, I will.” She accepted it and graced him with a tiny smile. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Closing the package of cookies, he swung into the driver’s seat and shut the door.
She chewed and swallowed a bite of cookie. “These are delicious. I’ve never bought cookies at the market.”
“I didn’t used to. Made my own. These are better than mine.” He buckled up, put the truck in gear and pulled out slowly.
“Better than mine, too. You bake?”
“On occasion. I’m more into meal preparation, though.”
“Then you must be Garrett.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I’m still getting acquainted with everyone. I’m glad to meet you, although the circumstances leave something to be desired. You can’t imagine how much this—”
“My pleasure, Anna.”
“I’ve heard you’re the newest member of the Brotherhood.”
“From Jake?”
“Good guess. He’s provided the deets on everybody. He’s a lot more entertaining than the last boss I had.”
“Jake’s more entertaining than most people on the planet. How do you like working the reception desk at Raptors Rise?”
“Love it. Jake’s giving me a crash course in birds of prey. Honestly, if I didn’t need the money, I’d do the job for free.” She broke off a section of cookie and popped it into her mouth.
“Jake says you’re perfect for it. He and Leo came up with the idea of hiring you after we watched the Operation Santa video on Christmas Day.”
“Oh.”
Had he embarrassed her by mentioning she’d been a recipient of the charity? A quick glance confirmed that she was blushing. “Listen, I think it’s awesome that you signed Georgie up for a visit from Santa.”
“Don’t want Santa,” Georgie muttered before taking another bite of his cookie.
Her blush deepened. “I never should have insisted on having him sit on Leo’s lap. I was so busy taking pictures I didn’t notice he kicked him in the crotch.”
“No permanent damage done and it makes a great story.”
“If you say so.” She let out another sigh. “I suppose this brake incident will make a great story someday, but I’m not feeling it right now.”
“Wouldn’t expect you to. What’s the deal with the disabled airbag?”
“The previous owner was a small person and was afraid of it. I’m not all that big, either. Knowing an airbag wouldn’t hit me in the face and chest made it easier to run into the snowbank.”
“I suppose it would. And you had the presence of mind to brace yourself.” He took the road at a snail’s pace. “Would you have passed me if I’d let you by?”
“Probably, but I’m glad you didn’t. I was picking up speed, trying to picture the curve ahead, knowing it might be icy and getting more frantic by the second.”
“Me, too. I thought you were crazy.”
“Which I was when my foot went straight to the floor.”
“That’s a horrible sensation.”
“It’s happened to you?”
“Once. I should have noticed the fluid was leaking, but it was roundup at the outfit I worked for and I wasn’t paying close attention to my vehicle.”
“Should I have known?”
“Not necessarily. It could’ve been a slow leak that suddenly got worse.”
“I try to watch for things like that. I taught myself how to change the oil. I haven’t had to take it to a mechanic since I moved here.” She sighed. “Guess that streak’s over.”
“I could replace the brake lines for you.”
“Oh, no, I couldn’t ask—”
“You didn’t. I offered. That kind of thing is fun for me and I have the tools. Almost became a mechanic, but I like horses better.”
“Well…” She took a deep breath. “Thank you. That’s very kind. I can at least pay for the parts.”
“All right.” Clearly that would ease her discomfort about accepting his help. The parts wouldn’t cost much compared to what a garage would charge for labor.
“I hate to ask, considering your generosity, but how soon do you think—”
“I’ll see if Jake can help me tow it back here tomorrow and I’ll pick up the parts in town on my lunch break. I’m off tomorrow afternoon. If everything goes smoothly, I could have it back to you tomorrow night. Partly depends on how the front end is.”
“Oh.” She’d just taken another bite. She finished chewing it and swallowed. “I completely spaced that possibility. The front end could be knocked out of alignment. The headlights could be broken. The radiator could be—”
“We just plowed the road this morning, so the snow might be loose enough that nothing is damaged.” Or the front end of her car could be a disaster, but imagining the worst wouldn’t help.
“Fingers crossed. I need that car to get groceries and take Georgie to daycare. In fact, I need to figure out how to get him there in the morning.”
“You could borrow my truck.”
“No way. I’ve never driven one. I don’t suppose there’s a car rental in town? I’ve never heard of one but maybe—”
“Not in Apple Grove. You’d have to go to Great Falls.”
“Impractical. Maybe that old cab driver Alfred—”
“I wouldn’t trust Alfred’s vehicle not to break down along the way. We’ll work something out. Henri has a four-door truck. She could accommodate Georgie’s car seat.”
“I hate to bother her, though. I’d have to go with her or Georgie would panic, so she couldn’t even combine it with a shopping trip. She’d have to come right back. I open the visitor center at nine.”
“Jake would cover for you.”
“That would throw his schedule off. I—”
“Anna, stuff happens. And the Buckskin gang is a flexible bunch, eager to help anyone, especially one of our own.”
She gazed at him. “That’s nice to hear.”
“I’m serious. We roll with the punches.”
“I’ve noticed. But I’ve never thought of myself as one of you.”
“You haven’t?” He glanced at her in surprise. “Did Henri forget to give you her Welcome to the Buckskin speech? I got it, and I assumed she went through that spiel with everyone she hired.”
“She did give me that speech. And everyone’s been lovely. But since I have Georgie, I can’t go to the Choosy Moose and party with you guys, so I don’t really feel—”
“Henri said she’s offered to watch Georgie so you could have a night out now and then.”
“She did, but I don’t want to impose.”
He smiled. “Trust me, it wouldn’t be an imposition. Have you noticed how she dotes on Cleo Marie?”
“That’s different. She thinks of CJ and all of you as her sons. She considers that baby her granddaughter.”
“She’d be thrilled to shower the same kind of attention on Georgie. That woman’s heart is as big as Montana.”
“I believe you. I’ll think about it.” She glanced at him for a moment before returning her gaze to the view out the windshield. “The thing is, I’m not used to asking for help. When I left my ex, I was determined to make it on my own. And I did, until I lost my job.”
“Leo saw that determination when he met you. That’s why he wanted to help you find work that paid enough to support you and Georgie.”
“That was the first time I asked for charity. I debated and debated and finally went for it, mostly because I was hoping he’d have fun. He was excited, but all he’d seen was the cartoon version of Santa, so he didn’t understand…” Her voice trailed off and she glanced down at Georgie, who was munching away on his cookie. “Wow, son, you’re getting crumbs all over.”
“Crumbs, Mama.” Georgie surveyed the array scattered around him.
“Don’t worry about it, Anna. I don’t care.”
“I do.” She started plucking bits of cookie from the leather seat and shoving them in her pocket. “This is a very nice truck. Did you restore it?”
“I did. But I’m not worried about cookie crumbs.”