by Marin Thomas
“Good. And thanks for helping Josie’s dad.”
Someone had to do it, and as usual Dusty wasn’t around.
“Anything else?” Dexter wanted off the phone. Talking to his brother was detrimental to his health.
“Nope, that’s all I called to say.”
“Some rodeo queen keeps phoning the big house asking for you. She’s driving Mom nuts.”
“That’s Roxy. She’ll give up eventually.”
Before he suggested Dusty tell his harem of bimbos he was no longer available, the dial tone buzzed in Dexter’s ear.
“Ready, boss?” Slim hovered ten feet away.
How much of the conversation had the ranch hand heard? Good thing Slim wasn’t a talker. “Is the water-tanker truck ready?”
“Yep. Paco and Ricky loaded a trailer with a week’s worth of hay.”
“Give me ten minutes with the mustang—” Dexter glanced at his watch. “—then we’ll leave.” He headed for the round pen.
This morning the stallion didn’t bolt when Dexter approached. Progress. Man and mustang engaged in a stare-down. “You better behave while I’m gone.” The horse neighed. “Later today I’ll introduce you to the lunge line.”
The animal’s ears perked. “You won’t like the exercise,” Dexter warned the horse, then lost himself in the stallion’s blue eyes—eyes that begged for freedom. He wished he could trade places with the animal.
Dexter would be far better off if someone penned him in and kept him away from Josie Charles.
DEXTER EYED THE LAZY S BARN in the distance as he led the caravan of trucks up the gravel road. He didn’t expect Hank Charles to welcome his help this morning, but he hoped Josie had been able to convince her father to keep out of the way and permit Dexter to go about his business rounding up cattle.
He stepped on the gas as the truck climbed a rise, then slammed on the brakes when he reached the top. Josie’s father stood dead center in the middle of the road. “Shit.” He shifted the truck into Park and hopped out.
“Mornin’, Mr. Charles.” He stopped a few feet away. The imposing man Dexter had remembered from his youth had deteriorated into a shrunken coot. Heart problems had left their mark on the once-robust rancher.
“Josie says you’re gonna—” Hank’s breath came fast and hard “—bring the cattle in closer.” The quarter-mile walk from the main house had taxed the old man.
Choosing his words carefully so as not to upset Josie’s father, Dexter said, “My brother Jesse spotted a cougar up on the ridge last week. The cat’s been hunting in the area awhile. Got one of Simms’s ewes a few days ago.”
“Serves Simms right. Damned sheep don’t belong in cattle country.”
Dexter fought a grin. “Your herd will be safer if we get them out of the valley.”
“The pastures near the house have been grazed to the ground.”
“Figured that might be the case. I brought enough hay for a week.”
“Thought of everything, have you?” The wrinkles around Hank’s eyes deepened.
“Just being neighborly.”
“Since when does J.W. give a hoot about his neighbors?”
Taken aback by the comment, Dexter was speechless. What would the old man say when he discovered his daughter and Dusty had a son together? Only a matter of time before a Cody and a Charles walked down the aisle. “If you won’t accept Cody help for yourself, then do it for your wife and your daughter.” He nodded into the distance where the two women stood on the front porch of the ranch house.
“Darned females are nothing but trouble.” Hank’s shoulders slumped.
In an attempt to salvage the old man’s pride, Dexter said, “I’ll make a deal with you, Mr. Charles.”
“What kind of deal?”
“I’ve got a wild mustang at our ranch and my mother wants the horse gone yesterday.”
“What’s your mustang got to do with me?”
“I need a place to train the horse without distractions.”
“You want to bring the mustang here?”
“Your round pen’s got a high enough fence to keep him from escaping. What do you say I board the horse at the Lazy S in exchange for helping out with your cattle?”
Now that Dexter had made the offer he wanted to yank it back. What was he thinking bringing a wild mustang to the Lazy S? Dexter had no business being anywhere near Josie—not when he couldn’t keep his feelings in check. And if Josie wasn’t reason enough to rescind his offer, then the fact that he wouldn’t be around all the time to keep Matt away from the stallion was. Hank Charles was in no shape to intervene if the horse escaped the pen.
“Deal,” Hank said.
“I’ll remove the mustang if he becomes a threat. You have my word.” Dexter held out his hand and Hank stared at it.
“The Cody word ain’t worth nothing, son, so don’t waste your breath.”
Ignoring the testy comment, Dexter said, “Hop in. I’ll give you a lift back to the house.” They rode in silence. Dexter parked near the porch, then Hank muttered a “Thanks” and got out.
Dexter noticed Josie’s worried frown and nodded, reassuring her that all was well even though he had his doubts. Dexter waved his arm out the truck window, signaling his men to follow him. He drove along an access road that led to the south pasture.
Dexter hoped Dusty returned soon because keeping an eye on Josie and her family was going to be hell on his heart.
SEVERAL HOURS LATER, Dexter and his men arrived with the herd. Josie and her son waited near the entrance to the pasture. Matt stood in his grandfather’s truck bed, waving wildly. Dexter lifted a gloved hand in greeting, amused by the kid’s enthusiasm.
He questioned whether the boy was happy living in California as Josie insisted. When Dexter had been Matt’s age, he and Dusty had spent their days outside, traipsing after their older brothers or running off on their own. They’d caused more trouble than a pack of coon dogs. Dexter’s playground had been as far as the eye could see. How big was the play area in Matt’s apartment complex—if it even had one?
Dexter signaled Paco to lead the cattle through the gate, which Josie had propped open. Dexter rode toward the pickup.
“Hey, Mr. D! We got drinks.” Matt held up a Gatorade bottle.
Dexter halted his horse next to the truck. “Thanks, pardner.” He guzzled the liquid, aware of Josie’s eyes on him. “That hit the spot.”
“I’m gonna go watch.” Matt slid off the tailgate and ran to the fence.
Left alone with Josie, Dexter looked his fill. Today she wore her hair in a ponytail pulled through the back of a baseball cap. Standard jeans and bright blue T-shirt. He nodded to the cap. “Dodgers fan?”
“A friend of mine took Matt and me to a game this past spring.”
Friend. Male or female? Forcing his thoughts from Josie’s personal life, he asked, “How many head of cattle did you say your father had?”
“Fifty at last count.”
“We brought in forty-one. There were two carcasses in a gully. The cougar might have gotten those.”
She shook her head, her ponytail swishing across her shoulders. “Dad’ll have a fit.”
“Might be best if he sells off the herd and starts over once he’s feeling better.”
“He’s not a quitter.” Josie’s brown eyes darkened as they wandered over Dexter’s frame, stalling on his thighs before dropping to his boots. What he wouldn’t have given for her to look at him like that in high school. Grateful the saddle horn hid his reaction to her once-over, Dexter backed up his horse, needing the extra space to cool off his body.
“Mom’s cooking up a mountain of barbecue. She’d like you and your men to join us for a picnic in the backyard when you’re finished here.”
Considering how Hank felt about the Codys, Dexter hesitated. “That’s nice of your mother but I’d hate to upset your father by—”
“Please stay and eat with us.”
A tiny rush of air escaped with her words,
drawing his attention to her pink lips. He caved in without a fight. “We should be done in an hour,” he said.
“Good.” She lifted a cooler from the truck bed and set it on the ground, then called for Matt.
“Aw, Mom. Do we gotta go?” The kid had perfected the hangdog expression.
“Matt can stay. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
Josie nibbled her lower lip. “He’s never ridden on a horse and—” she motioned to the gelding Dexter sat upon “—that’s a pretty big horse.”
“I won’t let anything happen to him, Josie.”
Several seconds passed. “Okay. He can stay.”
Dexter clicked his tongue and guided the horse over to Matt, determined to keep his attention on the boy and not Josie driving away. He slid off the horse and knelt on one knee in front of Matt. Eye-to-eye he said, “I need your promise that you’ll do as I say and keep away from the cattle.”
“I promise.” Matt flashed his dimple, reminding Dexter of Dusty’s mischievous streak. Then the boy flung his arms around Dexter’s neck. “Thanks, Mr. D.”
Startled by the boy’s affection, Dexter wasn’t prepared for the warmth that spread through his chest. For a fraction of a second he forgot that Matt was Dusty’s child.
“Here’s the deal, kid.” He walked Matt over to the pasture gate and made him sit on the ground. “Don’t budge from this spot. If you follow that rule, you can ride back to your grandpa’s house on my horse.”
Matt’s eyes rounded. “I’m gonna stay right here.”
“A real cowboy always keeps his word.”
“I wanna be a real cowboy, so I’m not gonna move.”
Dexter tipped his hat in salute, then joined his men. He assigned Ricky the job of checking the fence line for breaks or weak spots. Paco backed the water tanker into the pasture, then drove off to fill the stock tanks.
“That heifer there—” Slim pointed to a skinny female “—has pinkeye.”
“Damn.”
“There’s a can of antiseptic spray in the truck,” Slim said.
“Better use it on all the cattle.” Pinkeye spread like wildfire among cattle and had to be treated daily. Between working with the mustang and caring for Lazy S cattle, Dexter risked spending his entire day at the Lazy S Ranch. Bad idea. It wasn’t that he wouldn’t enjoy getting to know his nephew better—the boy was a cute buckaroo. Josie was Dexter’s big worry—she’d insist on helping out and her help in the barn was the last thing he needed. He hadn’t forgotten her sweet scent or watching the swish-sway of her fanny as she pushed the wheelbarrow between the stalls. Shoot, all he’d been able to think about the past twenty-four hours was kissing her.
There can never be anything between you and Josie.
The sooner he got that into his thick skull the better. He had to quit fantasizing about her. Whatever feelings he’d had for Josie in the past had best remain in the past. And he was better off not thinking about the future. Which left only one option—deal with one day at a time.
Dexter helped Slim administer the eye spray and within an hour Ricky and Paco had loaded the horses into the trailer and the group left.
“Ready?” Dexter asked Matt when he walked his horse over to the boy. The kid hadn’t budged from his spot.
“He’s really big,” Matt said, eyeing the horse.
Dexter laid a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Blue’s big, but he’s gentle.” He lifted Matt into the saddle, then climbed up behind him. “Relax and lean against me.” Matt obeyed, and Dexter coaxed Blue into a steady trot.
“Sure is bum…bum…py.” Matt bounced in the saddle.
“I’m really proud of you,” Dexter said, tightening his arm around the boy’s waist. “You are?”
“Yep. You kept your word today.”
“That’s ’cause I wanna be a real cowboy, like you.”
Dexter felt a little tug inside his chest. “What do you like to do on weekends?” He assumed his nephew spent Monday through Friday with a babysitter or in a day care since Josie worked.
“We go to the beach and collect shells. I found a starfish with three legs.”
“Do you swim in the ocean?”
“Sometimes, but the water’s cold.” He glanced up at Dexter. “But horses are better than stupid starfish. I’m gonna tell Brady I rode a horse.”
“Who’s Brady?”
“He’s my bestest friend. Brady doesn’t got a dad, either. His dad died.”
“Then it’s a good thing you’re his friend.”
“I can make him laugh when he’s sad.” They rode in silence before Matt spoke again. “Mr. D?”
“What?”
“What if my dad’s dead?”
“Why would you think that?”
Tiny shoulders lifted in a shrug. “’Cause I never saw him.”
“Your dad’s alive, Matt. And you’ll see him real soon.”
“I wanna tell my dad I rode a horse.”
When they arrived in the ranch yard, Paco, Ricky and Slim were jawing by the corral while Josie and her parents waited on the porch. “Sit up real straight,” Dexter said. “Your grandpa’s watching.”
Dexter stopped the horse at the corral, dismounted, then helped Matt. Once the boy’s feet hit the ground, he dashed for the house. Slim removed the saddle from Blue and let him loose in the corral with the other horses.
“Grandpa! Mr. D said I’m a real cowboy! And I rode a horse!” Matt tripped and sprawled in the dirt, but bounced up and kept running.
Dexter motioned for the men to follow him. Josie smiled as he drew near, her eyes flashing a silent message of thanks. Dexter introduced the men by name to Josie and her parents.
“My butt’s sore.” Matt rubbed his hindquarters and everyone laughed.
“We’ve set the picnic table in the backyard.” Josie’s mother pointed to the side of the house. “Use the gate.”
The men shuffled off and Josie followed her mother inside, Matt trailing behind, leaving Dexter alone with Hank.
“Josie says I’m down to forty-one head.”
“Cougar got two.”
The rancher shrank before Dexter’s eyes.
“I’ll warn Jesse to be on the lookout for your brand. If he finds any strays, he’ll bring them back.” Dexter waited for a cutting remark about his family, but the old man held his tongue.
“You still want to bring that mustang out here?” Hank asked.
Dexter didn’t have much choice. If he voiced his reservations, Josie’s father would insist on paying Dexter and his men. “That’s the plan.” Dexter would work with the horse a few more days before making a final decision on relocating him to the Lazy S.
“Then we’ll call it even after today.” This time Hank offered his hand first. “Best head out back or Phyllis’ll squawk at us.”
“Mr. Charles,” Dexter called when Josie’s father turned away.
“Might as well call me Hank now that we’ve done business together.”
“Hank. Pinkeye is spreading through the herd. We sprayed their eyes today, but Bill Chester should take a look at each cow.”
“Can’t afford a vet.”
“Vet call’s free. Dr. Bill owes me a few favors.” Another lie. How long before he got tangled in the web of lies he kept spouting just to save an old man’s pride?
“I’ll pay for the medicine.” Hank retreated inside the house, and since Dexter didn’t receive an invitation to follow, he used the side gate to enter the backyard.
Two picnic tables had been pushed together and draped with a red-checkered cloth. Bowls filled with barbecue pork, potato salad, coleslaw, rolls and a peach cobbler sat in the center of the table.
“Sure does look good, ma’am,” Slim said, holding his hat in front of him.
Phyllis placed a pitcher of lemonade on the table. “There’s a utility sink on the back porch you men can wash up at.”
Dexter waited in line at the sink, then he and his men stood next to the picnic table until Josie and her moth
er picked their seats.
“I’ve gotta real bad sweet tooth, ma’am.” Ricky grinned. “Mind if I start with dessert?”
“As soon as you say grace you can eat anything you want, young man.”
Ricky’s jaw dropped, then he fidgeted in his seat. Slim chuckled beneath his breath.
“No need for fancy words.” Phyllis spread a napkin in her lap. “A simple thank-you to God will suffice.”
“Ah…” Ricky cleared his throat. “Thank you, God, for this great food and Mrs. Charles’s peach cobbler.”
Amens echoed, then Josie’s mother passed the cobbler to Ricky and the rest of the food worked its way around the table with lightning speed.
Josie watched in amazement at how her and her mother’s hard work in the kitchen was gobbled up in no time flat. Her appetite, on the other hand, had vanished when she’d caught Dexter watching her. Each time she attempted to make eye contact, he shifted his attention to Matt or the food on his plate.
She wondered how long Dexter would snub the attraction between them. When he continued ignoring her, Josie worried that she’d imagined his interest in her earlier when she and Matt had delivered the Gatorade to the men. Shoot. Maybe she’d read all Dexter’s signals wrong. It wasn’t as if she had lots of experience with men.
Josie hadn’t had a boyfriend since Steve, a court reporter she’d dated after Matt had turned two. The relationship lasted six months before Steve had called it quits. He hadn’t been ready for fatherhood and Matt had scared him off.
Ignoring the jittery feeling in her stomach, Josie listened to Slim’s stories from his days as a rodeo clown—even her father laughed at a few of the ranch hand’s tales. By the time the meal ended the tension between Dexter and her father had eased. The fact a Charles had broken bread with a Cody gave Josie hope that when the time came to reveal the identity of Matt’s father, her parents wouldn’t blow a gasket.
“Thank you, ma’am, for the meal.” Ricky patted his stomach. “Best cobbler I’ve ever tasted.”