Cowboy Honor--Includes a bonus novella

by Carolyn Brown

  “Buddy Parrish owns it now, but before he inherited the place, it was his dad’s place. Ezra Parrish died right before we graduated, and Buddy took over. How do you like that little ’67 Mustang over there?” He pointed to a row of vintage cars.

  “Cute. I’ve always liked red cars. But I’m pretty practical—except where Nanny’s car is concerned, and that’s only because it has sentimental value. When I buy another vehicle it will be a pickup or another van,” she said.

  “Hey!” Buddy came out of the shop with a smile on his face. “I get to finally meet the beautiful Claire Mason. Buddy Parrish at your service, ma’am.” He opened the truck door for her and held out his hand.

  Claire put hers in his, but there was no instant vibes or sparks in spite of the brilliant smile. When she was on the ground, he held her hand a moment longer and then brought it to his lips to kiss the knuckles. “What folks have said about you don’t begin to do you justice, darlin’.”

  “Oh really?” She raised an eyebrow.

  “Gospel truth, cross my heart.” He made the sign over his heart.

  Levi rounded the back of the truck and took Zaylie out of the backseat. “We’ll take a look at the old cars while you two do business.”

  Buddy turned his attention to Claire. “Let’s go into my office and get out of this cold wind. Can I get you a cup of coffee or a cold soft drink while we talk?”

  “No, thanks. We’re in a bit of a hurry. Just quote me a price, and I’ll sell it to you for the parts. I’ll pick up the title when I’m back in Randlett on Sunday and get it to you next week,” she said.

  He rubbed a hand over his chin and gave her a price. “A thousand dollars is what I’ve got in mind for the vehicle.”

  “I really wasn’t expecting that much, so thank you,” she said.

  “I was also thinkin’: Will you go out with me this weekend? I know this sweet little bar that plays country music good for dancin’.”

  “I’ve got plans for the weekend, and—”

  “How about next weekend?” he cut in. “I bet we’d have a real good time, darlin’.”

  “No, thank you. The truth is that I’m kind of involved with someone else. But I’ll bring the title next week and you can pay me then,” she said in her best phone voice that she reserved for business.

  “Can’t blame a guy for tryin’,” Buddy said with a smile. “And I do a fair business here. When you get ready to buy something, holler at me; I’ll try to find whatever you want.”

  “Thanks for that,” Claire replied.

  “Can we go eat now?” Zaylie yelled from halfway down the car lot.

  “Cute kid,” Buddy said.

  “She can also be a handful.” Claire rolled her eyes. “See you next week.”

  “Y’all get it settled?” Levi asked as Claire returned to the truck.

  “We did,” she answered as Levi finished buckling in Zaylie, then helped her into the truck and shut the door.

  The two men said a few more words to each other that she couldn’t hear, but Levi was whistling all the way around the back side of the truck.

  “Buddy might look like a grease monkey, but he could buy half the state of Texas if he wanted it. I’ve partied with him. He was probably givin’ you some of his best flirting,” Levi said as he started the engine.

  “Honey, I can smell bullshit pickup lines from a mile away, and they don’t impress me at all,” she said.

  But if you kissed my knuckles like he did, my legs would probably buckle at the knees, she thought.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The next day Mavis pulled off her apron in the middle of the afternoon and hung it on a nail. “I know that Levi offered to keep Zaylie for you this afternoon. But I was wondering if you’d let me take her back to the house?”

  “Please,” Zaylie begged. “Mavis said we could get Benjy and I can see where he goes to school and then we go to her house and have ice cream for a snack and you can get me after that.”

  “What about Levi? Think he might be disappointed?” Claire asked.

  Zaylie drew in a breath and let it out in a whoosh. “Well, you can take him with you, can’t you? That way he won’t cry. Where are you goin’ anyway? Is it for my Christmas?”

  “Yes, it is,” Claire answered without a moment’s hesitation.

  Mavis chuckled. “So what do you think, Claire? Maybe you really should take Levi with you so that he doesn’t cry.”

  “What am I going to cry about?” Levi entered the kitchen by the back door.

  “I’m going to Mavis’s to see Benjy,” Zaylie said. “But Aunt Claire’s going to take you with her, so don’t cry about bein’ all lonely.”

  “I’ll do my best not to.” Levi grinned. “But it’ll be tough. You reckon tomorrow you could go with me to the corral to see Little Bit? Maybe if you’ll promise, I won’t cry.”

  Zaylie ran across the floor to him and held up her arms. He picked her up, and she laid her head on his shoulder. “I promise.”

  For just a split second, Claire wished that she was in Zaylie’s place—that she could lay her head on Levi’s shoulder, right there in front of Mavis.

  “Okay, we’d better get going,” Mavis said. “Benjy gets nervous if me or Skip ain’t right there waiting when he comes out of the building. We’ll talk when you pick her up, Claire. I sure hope that you like the Harris house.”

  “Me too.” Zaylie went straight for her coat when Levi put her down. “Do I get a hinch?”

  “No, little girl, you don’t.” Claire laughed.

  “Hint?” Levi whispered as he helped Claire into her coat.

  “Yep,” Claire said, and then pointed at Zaylie. “And you be nice.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Zaylie came to attention and saluted.

  “Military brat for you,” Claire said.

  “From princess to general in the blink of an eye.” With his hand on the small of her back, he escorted her out to his truck. “Getting to go with you is quite a treat.” As usual, he picked her up and set her in the passenger seat.

  “Well, I wouldn’t want you to cry,” she teased.

  “I’m going to miss Zaylie so much when she’s gone,” Levi said as he drove off the ranch.

  “Going to miss me when I’m gone?” she asked.

  “Oh, honey, that’s the day I might really cry,” he said.

  She didn’t know if it was a pickup line or if he was sincere, but she didn’t push the issue. Instead she enjoyed it the whole way to the Harris place.

  The Harrises were waiting for her in their car. Mr. Harris got out of the driver’s seat and waved across the top of the vehicle. He was a middle-aged guy with thinning gray hair and a round face. He opened the back door of the SUV, and an elderly woman’s cane preceded her. Once it was firmly on the ground, he slipped a hand under her elbow and assisted her. A tiny lady even shorter than Claire, she had a few streaks of gray in her black hair and dark eyes.

  Then to Claire’s surprise another person came out of the vehicle, an older version of the first guy. So he must be the son and these were his parents.

  “Hello,” the lady said as she crossed the lawn. “I’m Delores Harris. This is my husband, Frank, and my son, Joe. You must be Claire. We’re glad to meet you.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet all of you,” Claire said.

  “We already know that cowboy with you.” Frank smiled. “My son, here, was his high school business teacher.”

  Joe stuck out a hand. “How you doin’, Levi?”

  “Great and you?” Levi asked.

  “Just fine. I’m guessin’ y’all already looked at the outside of the place.” Joe removed a key from his pocket, unlocked the door, and stood back to let Claire go inside first.

  “I understand you’re interested in putting a quilting store in here,” Joe said.

  “That’s right.” Claire fell in love with the place from the first step she took inside. “I love the nine-foot ceilings. Are all the bedrooms this big?”

>   “Oh yeah,” Joe said. “When they built these old houses they didn’t scrimp on size because the furniture in those days was so big. I’m going to go sit on the porch with Mom and Dad and let y’all look without us interrupting you. If you like it, we’ll talk business.”

  “It’s perfect,” Claire said to Levi a few minutes later. “I can see racks for my fabric lining the walls in this room, maybe a cutting table right there.” She pointed to one side and whipped around. “And a desk right here instead of a checkout counter to keep it homey.”

  She wandered back through the wide hallway. “And a new quilting machine would go in this room. And my sewing machine in this one with my quilting rack suspended from the ceiling.”

  “Why would you need both?” Levi asked.

  “One is to quilt by machine. The other is to keep the quilt tight so I can do it by hand. And my bedroom can be in this room.” She grabbed his hand. “Let’s go look at the kitchen.”

  “It’s plenty big enough for a dozen women to gather around for a quilting lesson. Oh, Levi.” She slung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. “I want it.”

  He tipped up her chin and she tiptoed. “Shall we celebrate with a kiss?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  The kiss started out soft and sweet, but it soon developed heat. Claire leaned into him, feeling the hardness of his chest and body against hers. One of his arms wrapped around her, pulling her tighter into his embrace. His other hand moved from her chin to her cheek with his thumb making lazy circles on the tender spot right under her ear. When it ended they were both panting, and she was holding his hand against her cheek.

  “I’m surprised we didn’t burn down the house with that kiss,” she whispered.

  “What kind of celebration are we going to have when the deal is sealed and signed?” he asked hoarsely.

  “Whew!” She shook her head.

  “Amen!” he declared.

  “We’d better get out of here.” She slipped her hand in his.

  “Reckon it’s the house that caused such heat between us?” he asked.

  She stopped in the middle of the living room. “If it is, maybe I’d do better to turn it into a dating service.”

  He laughed out loud. “I’ll be your first client, but only if I can date the boss.”

  Claire started to say something, but Joe popped his head in the door. “Mom and Dad got cold, and it’s not a bit warmer inside, so I put them back in the car. You reckon you could meet us at Dairy Queen in Bowie to talk?”

  “No problem. We were just on our way out,” Claire said.

  “Great. See you there.”

  “Are you going to haggle with them or give them their asking price?” Levi asked as they drove south.

  “We’ll see what they’ve got in mind, but Levi, I really, really like that house and the location,” she answered.

  So do I, he thought. You’ll be within five miles of the ranch, and I can see you every day.

  “But Sunset is such a tiny place, less than four hundred people,” he said.

  “It’s close to Bowie and only a little way from Nocona, and there’s no quilting shops in between either of those places. I’m not lookin’ to make a million bucks. I’m just wanting to expand my business outside of Etsy,” she said. “And Mavis assures me that there are several quilting bees held in this area. I’m hoping to draw those ladies into my business.”

  When they arrived at the Dairy Queen less than ten minutes later, the Harrises were already seated at a table in a back corner.

  “I’ll be glad to wait outside. I promise I won’t cry,” he said once they were inside. “This is your business.”

  “Come with me,” she answered. “And kick me under the table if I start to make a big mistake.”

  “Not you, darlin’. You got your head on so straight that you’ll get it right,” he told her.

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” She marched straight to the table and seated herself. “I don’t like haggling, so here’s what I’m willing to give.” She quoted them a price.

  Levi hadn’t thought for a minute that Claire couldn’t do business, but he hadn’t expected she’d wade right into a negotiation like that. No sweet talkin’ about the weather or hum-hawing that the house did need a coat of paint and a little cosmetic help on the inside.

  Joe looked at his parents.

  “That’s less than what we had in mind,” Delores said.

  “I’m paying in cash. That means you don’t have to have inspections done to meet a bank’s standards, and since it’s a cash deal the closing costs will be minimal,” Claire said.

  Frank ran a hand over his chin. “Inspections are expensive.”

  Joe must’ve been figuring in his head because he gave his parents a nod. “When you figure in all that and the closing costs, I believe we’ll come out even.”

  Claire pulled out her checkbook. “So we’ve got a deal?”

  “I believe we do,” Delores said.

  “Will a twenty percent down payment hold it in escrow until we see a lawyer? And do you have one who can work this out for us?” Claire held her pen above the check.

  “Yes, we do, and twenty percent is fine. Just meet us a week from next Monday here in Bowie at Langston’s Law Firm, and we’ll do the deal then,” she said. “We’d do it earlier, but me and Frank has got a whole round of doctor visits between now and then. Joe is going to give you the keys right now, so you can start measuring and getting things settled about how you want to fix things.”

  “Oh my,” Claire gasped. “That’s awfully generous, but…”

  Joe slid a set of keys across the table.

  Claire didn’t touch them. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Honey, I’ve known Mavis and the Maguires my whole life,” Delores said. “You ain’t got no better folks to vouch for you. If they trust you, so do I; now let’s have some of those Blizzard things to celebrate. I’m right partial to the one with chocolate cookies in it, but Joe here likes the sea salt and caramel.”

  Claire made out the check, handed it to Delores, and then put the new key, along with her checkbook, back in her purse. Levi was both excited for her and yet worried at the same time. If she could pay cash for that house and still have enough left to start a business—well, to say the least, she sure enough was out of his league.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Claire went through the next day and Friday in a bit of a daze. One minute she’d wonder if she’d really made a deal to buy a house. The next she’d want to go look at it again and rethink about where she’d put things. She wanted a homey look to her store, not a formal one. The customers should be able to talk patterns and visit about colors, not feel like they were no more than a sale.

  She looked down at the intricate pieces of the design that she’d created when they were stuck in the cabin, and thought seriously about making it a nice long throw size for Levi’s Christmas. But did it look too girly for a big, rough cowboy? She was trying to make up her mind when Zaylie tugged on her shirttail that Friday evening.

  “Aunt Claire, can we make Angela and Teresa one of them little quilts for Christmas?” Zaylie tugged on her hand.

  “What a wonderful idea,” Claire answered.

  “Look at that moon.” Zaylie pointed to the sky outside. “What happened to the other half?”

  “We just can’t see it right now.”

  “Can you make a quilt like that?” Zaylie asked.

  “Don’t know, but I bet we could come up with a pattern if we tried,” Claire answered.

  That moon is like life, the pesky voice in her head whispered. You can see what lies behind in the past, but the future is hidden.

  “Okay, can we go see Little Bit?” Zaylie sighed. “I think he needs me to come and see him.”

  “Right now?” Claire asked.

  Zaylie nodded. “He’s lonesome.”

  “Okay but just for a few minutes.”

  “I love watching the stars
pop out,” Zaylie said with a sigh as they walked to the corral. “I wish Teresa could see Little Bit and Hopalong and Gussie and the kittens.”

  Claire tucked Zaylie’s hand into hers. “Let’s take pictures of you and the animals and you can send them to Teresa, and y’all can talk about them when you call her tonight.”

  “Yay!” Zaylie squealed. “And maybe she can come see them someday.”

  They’d gone about halfway across the pasture when Claire heard a truck speeding from around the back side of the barn. A second later she saw the headlights and recognized Levi’s silhouette as he jumped from the driver’s side, left the door hanging wide open, and raced around to the back. He threw the tailgate down and hefted what looked like a black calf onto his shoulders and carried it inside.

  “What’s he got?” Zaylie tugged at her hand, urging her to pick up her step.

  “I’m not sure,” Claire said.

  “Run, Aunt Claire. It might be another little donkey.”

  Claire jogged along beside Zaylie across the pasture. She stopped long enough to turn off the headlights and slam the door shut as she passed the truck. Zaylie ran on ahead, yelling at Levi.

  “Where are you? Do you gots a new donkey?”

  “What’s going on?” Claire raised her voice.

  He hollered back, “Thank God y’all are here. Go to the tack room, Claire, and bring towels and a blanket.”

  “Where’s the tack room and do I need to keep Zaylie away?” She raised her voice.

  “No, send her this way. I’m in the stall where we keep Little Bit when it’s cold.” His tone was desperate, so she ran down the long hallway. “Tack room is second door on your right.”

  She slung it open and gathered up three horse blankets, the fluffy throw on the back of the sofa, and a stack of towels from the cabinet beneath the sink.

  “Are you hurt?” she called out as she crossed the huge center of the barn.

  “No, I’m fine. I’m in the first stall on your left,” he answered.

  She dropped everything in her arms when she saw the black, newborn calf lying on the straw floor. “What can I do? Is it dead?”