Her Lucky Cowboy

by Jennifer Ryan

  “Bell, it doesn’t matter where the money came from. It matters that the money is going to a very good cause. The clinic is important to the community.”

  Bell tamped down her anger. “You’re right. It’s for the clinic.”

  “I’m sorry if I’ve upset you.”

  “You haven’t. It’s a generous donation. I thank you for doing it. Really. I appreciate it.”

  Katherine touched her shoulder. “I think the two of you are really good together. He’s not exactly the kind of man I pictured you with, but he seems to genuinely like you.”

  “I believe he does.”

  “Then stop pushing him away if that’s not what you really want. Men like the chase, but you got to let him catch you eventually, or you’ll bruise his ego and he’ll give up.”

  “Bell, you saved me.” Dane took his seat beside her again.

  “Katherine did. She’s making the donation.”

  “Well, thank you, Katherine.”

  “No problem. I want my sister to be happy, so don’t mess this chance up,” she warned.

  Bell smiled and shook her head. Okay, maybe her sister did mean well even if she went about it the wrong way. Katherine should leave their father out of it.

  “From now on, Katherine, let’s keep things between you and me.”

  Katherine pressed her lips together and nodded. “Deal. I really am sorry if I upset you.”

  “I’m fine.”

  Dane touched her neck with his fingertips to get her attention. She turned to face him. “What happened?”

  “Nothing. The money came from my father for the donation. I overreacted. That’s all.”

  Dane frowned. “I can make the donation instead of Katherine if it makes you feel better.”

  “Let it be. She planned to make the donation anyway, but she used it to get you out of a date with the blonde Bettys.”

  “You like that name for all of them.”

  “It suits.”

  Dane held up the envelope with their dinner gift certificate. She tried to take it, but he drew it away from her grasp.

  “Hey, I’ve been wanting to try that place out.”

  “Great. I’ll take you. What night do you want to go?”

  “I agreed to get you out of a dinner with another woman. I never said I’d go with you.”

  “Come on, Bell, go to dinner with me. Please.” The sincerity in his voice touched her heart.

  Her sister’s words came back to her. If she kept pushing him away, would he really give up? Why did she keep doing it? Because she needed to know he wouldn’t give up? “I have to go. I have an early shift in the morning. I need to get some sleep.”

  “You didn’t answer me.”

  “It’s not a no, it’s just not a yes yet.”

  “I’ll take it, and I’ll walk you out.”

  “You don’t need to do that. Rest. After all the standing and schmoozing we did, your leg must be tired of supporting all your weight.”

  “I’m fine, Doc.” He rose from his chair and grabbed his crutches. “Let’s say goodbye to Ella and the rest of the family first. Katherine, Tony, nice to see you guys again. I’m sure I’ll see you soon.”

  “See you, man. Have fun on your date,” Tony said, winking at Dane.

  Dane shook his head.

  “I’ll see you both soon,” Bell said to her sister and brother-in-law. “Drive home safe. Katherine, take it easy on the buttered rolls. Eat more spinach and broccoli.”

  “Great. Now I’m hungry again.”

  “I see the dessert tray headed this way. You can have mine, too.”

  The appreciation in Katherine’s eyes made Bell laugh.

  She and Dane made their way over to say goodbye to his family.

  “Seriously, Bell, that was a generous donation for the clinic. Dane’s definitely not worth ten grand,” Ella teased.

  “Hey. That hurts.” Dane mock frowned at his sister and took the ribbing that ensued from his brothers.

  “Katherine will give you the check. She made the donation.”

  “We’ll talk soon. We raised more than I expected. Maybe we can move a few more pieces of equipment from the wish list to the buy list.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll see you soon.”

  Dane endured the jibes from his friends and the pouts from the ladies as they made their way out of the ballroom, grabbing their jackets at the coat check. They walked through the lobby toward the front doors, but Dane stopped her.

  “Hold up, Bell. I need to drop something off.”

  She followed him to the front desk. He pulled out a bunch of key cards from his suit jacket pocket and handed them to the lady behind the desk.

  “I don’t need these.”

  Dane turned to go, but Bell asked the lady, “How many are there?”

  “Four.” She held them up like a poker hand for Bell to see.

  Dane stood with his head down between his shoulders, holding onto his crutches, waiting for Bell to scold him again.

  “Not bad, Mr. Bowden. That’s better than decent.” She let her approval show in her words. “Do you even know the women who stuffed those in your pockets?”

  “One of them. The other three I’ve met but don’t really know.”

  “Wow.”

  “You’re mad.”

  “Not at all.” She thought about the way he’d practically begged her to bid on him so he didn’t have to go out with those women. “Really, I’m not mad at all. I can’t blame them for trying. You’ve made your point.”

  “I’m afraid to ask, but what point is that?”

  “You’re done with that kind of lifestyle. Those women, and others like them, hold no appeal for you. If you wanted to be with any one of them for the night, all you had to do was walk me to valet and go back in and take any one of them up on their offer. Instead, you handed over the keys in front of me because you’re trying to be honest with me as best you can while still letting me see all of who you are.”

  “You analyze things far too much, but I’m glad you get it.”

  They walked outside. Dane handed over the valet ticket she pulled from her purse, along with a huge tip. They stood beside each other while she waited for her car. He walked her to the driver’s side and helped her inside while the valet held the door.

  “I had fun tonight.”

  “I’m glad you came,” he said. “I’ll call you tomorrow night. Maybe you’ll agree to our date.”

  “Do you need a ride home?”

  “My ride is right behind you.”

  She checked the rearview mirror and spotted the black SUV and driver.

  “Ella didn’t want me to drive with my leg, so she had the car service pick me up.”

  “Tell him you’ve got a ride, and I’ll take you home.”

  “I’m way out past your place.”

  “It’s not that far. I’m happy to do it.”

  Dane waved the car forward so he didn’t have to walk the distance on his crutches. The driver rolled down the passenger window.

  Dane handed in another big tip for the guy. “Thanks for the ride in, but I’ve got a ride home. You can take off.”

  “Thank you, sir. Enjoy your evening.”

  “Thanks. I’m enjoying it immensely,” Dane admitted.

  Bell rolled her eyes, knowing the driver thought Dane was going to get lucky, and Dane knew she knew that. It made her uncomfortable.

  “What?”

  “Get in before I leave you here. And turn down that smug smile.”

  “You love my smile.”

  She hated to admit, even to herself, how much she did.

  Dane stowed his crutches in the backseat and took the few steps to the front seat on both feet. He opened the door and got in.

  “How’s the leg feel when you put your weight on it?”

  “It hurts, but it’s getting better. I need to start using it before I lose too much muscle.”

  “You’ll get there.”

  She drove out of Boz
eman and headed toward home. It would take an extra forty minutes to drive Dane home, but she didn’t mind. She loved driving at night in the country. The stars were out and beautiful. They drove for a long time in silence.

  “Are you glad no one else won the bid to go on a date with me?” Yes, Dane was fishing, but his softly spoken words held a note of how much her answer mattered to him.

  She tried to keep things light. “Do you really need me to answer that?”

  “Yes.”

  His earnest response surprised her. For all his appeal to other women, he needed to know he appealed to her. The same thing she’d needed to know, and he’d made her feel, tonight.

  Maybe she had pushed him away one too many times. “I got really nervous and upset when the bids went higher than I could afford to spend. I didn’t want anyone else to go to dinner with you despite the fact I know that’s all it would have been for you.”

  He brushed his fingers across her cheek in a soft caress. “Was that so hard to admit?”

  “For me, yes. I’m not good at all this personal stuff. You’ve been very patient and understanding when I get things wrong.”

  “You never get things wrong.”

  “Half the things you say, I don’t understand.”

  “We’re even there. Sometimes I don’t get what you’re talking about. You can be intimidating at times.”

  “Why? You’re really smart. Even when I talk about things that probably don’t interest you at all, you always listen and ask questions. You’re inquisitive, like me.” She took a deep breath and admitted, “You intimidate me when we’re alone.”

  “Bell, nothing is going to happen without your consent. I’d never push you in that way.”

  “I feel like you’re waiting, and I’m holding you up.”

  “Some things are worth waiting for. You aren’t holding me up. It’s been a long time since I did the whole get-to-know-you-before-anything-physical-happens thing. This is new for me in so many ways, and I’m enjoying getting to know you while we both let the physical attraction simmer. Don’t think I don’t see the way you look at me sometimes, or the way you catch your breath when I get too close.”

  “You get too close on purpose.”

  “Because I like the way it makes me feel as much as you do when you don’t move away. That’s part of getting to know you, too, Bell. Understanding who you are and how you react to me.”

  Dane held out his hand, palm up. She laid her hand over his. His fingers linked with hers and closed around her hand. His warmth seeped into her. She liked his rough skin against her smoother palm and the sheer size of his hand engulfing hers.

  He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.

  “I had a great night with you, Bell. That’s enough for me right now.”

  “You’re a good date. You stayed by my side, picked up the conversation when I didn’t understand some reference to rodeo or TV, and you acted like I was the only woman in the room, despite how many women came up to you and dropped their keys in your pocket.”

  “Not all of them did that.”

  “No. It was about a one-to-twenty-five ratio, considering you met about a hundred women tonight. Excluding me, of course.”

  “That’s what I like about you, Bell. You do the math, add it all up, and figure out the result. But you got the equation wrong.”

  “How so?”

  “It was a one-to-one-hundred ratio.”

  “How do you figure that?”

  “I only wanted one woman out of those hundred, and I ended up with her tonight. I like those odds and the outcome.”

  She squeezed his hand to let him know she appreciated not only the sentiment but also the compliment he hid in that statement, done in terms she got. In the way she spoke.

  She pulled into his driveway twenty minutes later. The light on the porch came on.

  “You should move the motion light to the end of the porch and face it toward the front door. That way the bugs will be drawn away from the door and fewer will get into the house.”

  “I never thought about that.”

  “It makes better sense.”

  “Do you want to come inside?”

  “I have to be up at five-thirty. My first surgery is scheduled for seven.”

  “I hate it that you drive into work that early in the morning.”

  “It’s not that bad. I love to watch the sunrise.”

  “Thanks for the ride home. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Dane opened the passenger door but didn’t get out. Instead, he turned toward the beam of headlights and the sound of a car pulling into his driveway. “What the hell?”

  “Who is that at this time of night?” she asked.

  “Sheriff’s deputy.”

  “What in the world do they want?”

  “We’re about to find out.”

  Dane grabbed his crutches from the backseat of the car. He waited by the open passenger door in the pool of light cast by the car’s interior light.

  “Dane Bowden?” the officer called, approaching with caution.

  “That’s me. What can I do for you?”

  “Is Brandy Hubbard with you?”

  “No, sir. Dr. Bell is in the car. We just arrived home.”

  “Dr. Bell, would you step from the vehicle and come around the front to stand beside Mr. Bowden.”

  Bell shut off the engine, got out of the car, kept her hands in plain sight, and walked in front of the vehicle like he requested. She stood beside Dane. He put his arm around her to ward off the cold November night.

  “Were you in Arizona today, sir?”

  “No. What’s this about Brandy? Is she okay?”

  “Where have you just come from?” the officer asked without answering Dane’s questions.

  “The Hilton in Bozeman. We attended a charity benefit for the Crystal Creek Clinic, put on by my sister, Ella Wolf. You can call her to confirm if you like.”

  “What time did you arrive at the hotel?”

  “I don’t know, around three this afternoon to hang out with my brothers while their wives oversaw the setup for the benefit.”

  “Where were you before that?”

  “I got up this morning around six. Checked in with my guys taking care of the horses and cattle while I’m laid up. Had breakfast alone inside, watched the morning news, and left for Bozeman around ten. I picked up my suit around eleven at the dry cleaner’s. I ate lunch at a fast-food place, then went to physical therapy from one until two. I headed over to the hotel, went up to my brother and his wife’s room, where I hung out with both my brothers until it was time to get ready for the benefit.”

  “Do you have receipts for the cleaner’s and lunch?”

  Dane pulled out his wallet, the receipts and cash stuffed inside. He went to the hood of the car and dropped the cash, then sorted through the six or so receipts until he found the ones he needed. He handed them over.

  “When is the last time you saw Brandy Hubbard?”

  “She came to see me in the hospital in Las Vegas on October twenty-eighth. Why?”

  “She’s missing. Her mother filed a missing person’s report this evening.”

  “How long has she been gone?”

  “She left work around two this afternoon but never returned home.”

  “It takes forty-eight hours before you can file a missing person’s report,” Bell pointed out. “What circumstances led to the police taking the report early?”

  The officer eyed Bell. Dane was grateful for her sharp mind. He could barely think at the moment, but she connected the missing pieces that didn’t fit the scenario the officer outlined.

  “A patrol officer found her car two miles from where she works with the keys still inside, her purse on the seat, the driver’s side door open, and a few drops of blood on the pavement.”

  “What the fuck?” Dane ran his hand over his head, trying to think. “Was she in an accident and possibly wandered away confused, or something?”

  �
�The vehicle had some front fender damage, but nothing inside the vehicle indicated she’d been hurt in an accident.”

  “In other words, the blood was too far from the car to make it seem plausible she hit her head on the steering wheel, windshield, or side window. You think she walked or ran from the vehicle and was injured away from the car.”

  “Yes, ma’am. Maybe you missed your calling as a detective, Dr. Bell.”

  “Have the police questioned Rowdy Toll? If someone laid a hand on Brandy and bloodied her, it most likely was her ex.”

  “The police have been unable to locate him at this time. They checked her phone records and found recent calls and texts from him and you. What is your relationship with Brandy?”

  “They’re thinking this is some love triangle,” Bell pointed out.

  “Only in Rowdy’s fucked-up head. Brandy and I are friends. That’s all,” Dane clarified for the officer and Bell.

  “When is the last time you spoke to her?”

  “Yesterday. She texted me. She wanted to know how I was doing.”

  “May I see the texts?”

  Dane pulled his phone from his pocket and pulled up the texts.

  Brandy: How are you?

  Dane: Better. Up on crutches.

  Brandy: Good news. Glad to hear it.

  Dane: Send pictures of my girl.

  Brandy: She misses you. Here you go.

  Dane stared at the picture of Kaley sitting on the sofa with a stuffed bunny hugged close to her face. Kaley smiled around her thumb stuck in her mouth, her bright blonde hair up in two pigtails.

  Dane: I love that pretty girl. Everything okay?

  Brandy: Not lately.

  Dane: Come for a visit.

  Brandy: Mom needs me here.

  Dane: Do you need help?

  Brandy: A couple hundred would help.

  Dane: On its way.

  “Do you send her money often?” the officer asked.

  “When she’s short. Maybe once a month, every other month. Depends.”

  “But you’re not seeing each other?” The officer eyed him, one eyebrow raised.

  “I told you, she’s a friend. What about Kaley? Is she with Brandy’s mom?”