Cherished Love (Cherished Cowboys 1)

by Charlene Bright

  Tommy was in the middle, and the cooler at his feet was filled to the brim with ice and the beers they had “borrowed” from the Williamson store house. They had just graduated; Tommy was getting ready to go into the Marines, Wade was headed to the circuit; and Colton had plans to take over the family ranch. All in all, it was going to be a spectacular summer.

  They had left the big throw down at the Civic Center with thoughts in their minds of a chaperon- and distraction-less night, their finale as the Three Musketeers. Tommy was leaving in a couple of days, and this was their last chance to be together for who knew how long.

  The big Chevy turned into the abandoned parking area and parked. A couple of area ranchers had brought their bulls to the arena to get them ready to enter them into a trial to be called to the PBR circuit. The trio climbed out, pulling the monstrous cooler and Colton’s guitar out with them. Huffing the cooler to the front of the truck, the boys opened some cans and climbed onto the roof of the vehicle, leaning back to drink and look up at the beautiful Montana night sky.

  They heard huffing and scratching a few yards away. They had chosen this location because they knew there were a couple of bulls there unattended at night. Tommy had begged Wade and Colton for a chance to sit, just sit, on a bull at least once in his life before he was gone. It had always been hard for them to turn down Tommy’s requests because Tommy wanted so few things, was content to live vicariously through their escapades and dreams. He had earned this, and it was the best way they knew to say goodbye.

  Wade had been riding steers the last few years as part of the National High School Rodeo Association (NHSRA) club of Cherish, even had been on a bull in the last county fair. He felt confident enough that he could lead the bull into the chute and help Tommy get safely astride and off again. Colton agreed to help on the condition that only Tommy got on the beast, only in the chute, and only for a minute, no more.

  But they got more, a lot more.

  Chapter 6

  After the evening of talk, music, and wine with Colton and Mallory, Wade was over at the Tisdale place just about every night. Another month had passed, and he had chosen, with Colton’s recommendation, to purchase a couple of couple of quarter horses so he could take advantage of money he could get renting them out for team roping. He hadn’t had to move a finger, and that one change almost doubled his stabilizing income. That kept the medical bill collectors at bay and his rig fueled up.

  He kept his eye on the bull-riding standings and was quite pleased to note that Red Rampage was still throwing riders; in the back of his mind he reviewed the bull’s moves over and again, dreaming of an opportunity to beat that animal, and perhaps put to rest his demons concerning Tommy.

  Physical therapy was still kicking his butt, but the doctor had cleared him for horseback riding, so on a day that was calm and windless, he called Mallory, and asked for a “lesson.”

  He scheduled to meet her at the rodeo grounds that afternoon. That gave him time to race over to Rawlins again and pick up another bunch of flowers. These weren’t for Tommy this time.

  Getting back in the saddle again. His thoughts as he headed to the garage were a jumble. He remembered that senior year only fleetingly because the next year he suffered two concussions and a full-on blackout during that first year on the circuit. Though that first ride was honestly a killer, he knew that it was what he would do for the rest of his life, or at least as long as his body held out.

  So as he stepped into the Lexus, he realized this summer had really been a reset button for his life. His relationship blossoming with Mallory was a far cry from his earlier bounces into bed with the buckle bunnies that only wanted to satisfy their own cravings to capture the carnal energy of a bull rider, fundamentally conquering the conqueror, and feeding their own egos. Now he was beginning to see a potential future, where he could love someone, for life. Someone who cared a whit whether he was alive or not, who honestly wanted to be with him, even when he put down his rope and stepped away from the arena.

  Not only that, but this summer was giving him the opportunity to clear his mind, to remember all that had transpired and swirled around Tommy. He knew he would never get beyond the loss, the tragedy, but at least he was coming to terms with it. Only one thing remained, and that was to prepare once again for the chance to lower himself onto the most powerful animal on a ranch and test his nerve. He might not be getting back onto a bull, but a bronc took just as much skill and determination.

  He jumped, or rather climbed into the driver’s seat of his mother’s sedan. The Lexus roared to life, and he spun the tires as he left the driveway, a very satisfying spray of stones scattering across the ground and bouncing off the family’s advertising sign at the gate. The air conditioning was rapidly cooling the somewhat stuffy automobile, and the steering-wheel controls allowed him to turn up Taylor Swift’s latest as he reached the country road that would lead him to Rawlins.

  * * *

  Mallory had spent the morning going through the old newspapers again. For the first time, she was looking with new eyes, an investigator’s eyes, for something that could unlock Wade and Colton’s mystery.

  The chronology was there, all the pieces of the puzzle, but the actual details of what transpired that graduation night, what had caused things to get all mixed up, and what drove Wade to abandon his family in favor of the bull-riding circuit, were not making any sense. For her own sake, this time, she decided she would put down the facts, in a numbered order, and see if she could figure out what could have happened that night that would result in one man dead, one man broken, and a family in shambles.

  The Cherish Truck Stop, owned by Mary McCall, hired Victor Greeley to renovate and innovate, to keep it from going out of business. Tommy’s family has no local roots, and though they eventually acclimate, Victor and his wife don’t seem to connect well with the local population.

  According to the school newspaper, Tommy Greeley signs up for the USMC in early April, with a departure date in September.

  Graduation Ceremonies are set for May 15.

  Colton Tisdale is named King of the Prom, despite running against Wade Williamson. The Queen of the Prom is Tara Fisher, Senior. Though he never really considered Tara to be a girlfriend, he was always polite and kind to her, and even invited her to Homecoming that year.

  Tommy Greeley dies from a bull ride gone wrong, but details are never announced. His parents are grieved, and though they did not have a big turnout for the funeral, and no family in the area, they did allow Tommy to be buried here.

  Tommy Greeley’s father loses his job as the Truck Stop fails. With no work available in the local area, and no support system to hold them to Cherish, the Greeley family moves back to Arkansas.

  The McCall family keeps the land, but never opens the facility again. They have little income to pay for any further improvements, so Mary McCall’s age and illness draw down the family fortune.

  Previously only a so-so competitor at anything, Wade Williamson wins county fair bull-riding competition later that year.

  Colton Tisdale’s 4-H project, training a horse to cut cattle, wins the county and state awards, gives him sufficient prestige to begin his own training school the following year.

  Going on to place well in more open competitions during the rest of that first year, but not qualifying as a rookie, Wade Williamson signs up for, and is accepted for the new Professional Bull Riders Circuit, and is sponsored by the Muddy Gap Rodeo Association, newly formed organization of ranchers and cattlemen in mid-eastern Montana.

  Once they were written out, it still wasn’t clear.

  Still, she re-read them. Her smart phone chirped; she needed to get to the fairgrounds. Her students would be there soon, and she wanted them done and out of there before Wade got there.

  She was looking forward to teaching him how to ride again, even though this time, it was on a horse. With a saddle.

  * * *

  Colton Tisdale had a secret.

  He h
ad been friends with Wade Williamson since his freshman year and had watched the boy become a man all at once, that night in their youth, but he also knew that the change had created a hole in Wade’s heart, something that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

  Colton had warned Mallory away from Wade, from the very moment he saw her schoolgirl crush bloom when she first met Wade, and not always for unselfish reasons. Of course, the obvious was the age difference. Mallory, as a junior high student, had absolutely no reason to be considering any high school guys at all, much less a senior.

  That much of an age difference could get a girl in a family way fast, and the last thing Mallory needed was to be thinking about sex at that age. Even the thought of it was a horror to Colton.

  Finally, she absolutely, positively, need not be looking at any of Colton’s classmates, and least of all Colton’s best friend. Especially after what happened.

  Colton had kept a secret for nearly a decade, and now he was about to share it. He saw how much Wade and Mallory were trying to bridge those years, each attempting to cross an abyss that stemmed from the secret that he had held onto throughout the intervening years.

  He now saw that he would have to play a bigger part in things, if he were ever to save his best friend and his sister from ruining all they could be by falling into that hole. While Wade had guilt enough for all of them, there were more people involved in this mess than that.

  * * *

  Mallory wasn’t the most beautiful girl in the world, but she had spirit. And cursedly perfect skin. Even when the really beautiful girls in her classes in high school were breaking out the deep cleansers and the face creams and zit-busting super products, Mallory just smiled to herself. To say that she shared her brother’s intellect was an understatement; she had earned enough scholarship money to pay for the first two years of school just about anywhere. Then her father confirmed she would be able to go to the Windy City, where she met James.

  * * *

  September 2010

  Their relationship started like a rocket, and for the first few months, Mallory was breathless. James was from an affluent Midwestern family, whose fortunes had been made in annuities and actuarial tables. The Ames family had been involved in the insurance business for decades, and it seemed that James Ames (yeah, his friends called him “Echo”) was on course to follow that track. His studious way, his practiced and somewhat jaundiced outlook on risk management meant he was going to be, was already, a good provider. That meant he was wise. Slow to anger. Frugal. Dependable. Safe.

  Boring.

  In other words, he was the opposite of Wade, and for that first couple of years, that was what she needed.

  James’s family really liked her, and they were clearly building a fast track for her on the way to matrimony. They took her on a cruise to Barbados. Vacation in the Alps. Shopping in Paris.

  It was then she realized that for James the solution to any problem was always money. If he forgot a birthday, he would buy her jewelry. If his studies kept them apart for an evening, flowers would arrive the next morning. Miss some small anniversary? Dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.

  It was all very flattering, but James? Well, James happened to really like accounting.

  She would try to get James to notice her, to get his nose out of the books, but it was really no use. She felt invisible. Like her passion and desires were a waste of his time.

  Finally, she realized that things weren’t going to get better. So, remembering how resilient and practical Cindy was, she called her.

  Cindy had been surprised at the call, but quickly warmed up to her. She listened to Mallory’s sad tale of a man who smothered not with love, but with treasures and money.

  “Such a sad state of affairs. You’d be set for life if you marry this guy!”

  Mallory groaned. “I can’t do that, Cindy, I want to marry for love.”

  Her friend chuckled on the phone, a tone of sarcasm in her voice. “What do you want? The guys to choose from these days are momma’s boys who don’t have a lick of sense or anything of their own, who just want to play in the sandbox, play house, and play X-box. Or they’ve got matches, ready to light you afire, along with the other half dozen women they have on their line, or in their posse, or whatever. Or, they’re just simple guys with more dollars than sense. You should really consider the prospects…maybe you can get a great prenuptial agreement, take him for a ton when he cheats—”

  Mallory interrupted, vehemently. “NO! I am not doing THAT.”

  Cindy thought for a moment and then told her the truth as she saw it. “Then you need to get home, and let’s get you ready to meet Mr. Right.”

  * * *

  Getting the flowers, Wade walked back to the big Lexus, fired her up, and headed for home. The radio, tuned to “the Fox,” the only radio station he could get, was blasting out the local news and market reports as usual, but his attention was diverted by a single, sad news obituary.

  “Mary McCall, long-time resident of Cherish, has died. The former owner of the ill-fated Cherish Truck Stop passed away last night from natural causes. She was a resident of the Cherish Skilled Nursing wing of the hospital. She is survived by—”

  As he drove on, he shut the radio off. He’d known Mary, had been friends with the family for a long time. He wished he’d taken time to go see her; he had wanted to but never took the opportunity. He remembered how happy she had been when he had spoken at Tommy’s funeral. She kept saying she knew the truth, that she had “seen the signs.” But of course that night was buried now, buried in the ground with Tommy, buried in the past, and nothing could ever make it right.

  Except maybe Mallory. In her arms, if she’d have him, maybe he could find peace. Her sweetness, her caring, maybe they could make a new start.…

  The turnoff to the Cherish rodeo grounds came into view, and suddenly, all he could think of was her smile.

  * * *

  “Mal! Mal! There you are! I thought you’d forgotten about us this morning!”

  Mallory turned her head at the voice calling her and withdrew from her reverie. She was still digging through the tidbits from her research this morning, and her lawyer training was giving her fits. She smiled and waved as the two teenagers came toward her at a trot.

  “Christa, Jake, so good to see you! I was just, um…running a little late this morning.”

  As they approached, she was glad to see they’d already put the tack on their respective horses. Christa had a sorrel mare named “Sunrise,” a horse with a happy disposition and an excited nature that matched her name, while Jake’s horse, a headstrong palomino stallion named “Abraxas” was fiery and spirited, a handful for any rider, and those two had been a tough pair for even a talented horsewoman like Mallory.

  They talked a few minutes about the lessons for the day, and then the two went off to go through their paces. The big palomino had had a spry look in his eye.… Jake was going to be having a time of it.

  * * *

  Wade had arrived early and learned of yet another gift Mallory had. As she worked with the teens and their horses, even the wayward stallion, he saw the compassion in her composure, her caring in her caretaking. The mid-afternoon sun shone through the dust that rose above the rodeo grounds, casting her in a halo-like haze. He was entranced by her skill, her passion for this life she’d chosen. These riders and their horses were responding to her every move, and so were his eyes. Wade was realizing how much he desired this woman, this cowgirl for his own.

  As the students turned their horses back toward the barn and he got another long, luxurious look at her lovely form, Wade knew that he was going to have to slake his thirst.

  Almost immediately, however, Colton’s face rose in his mind. He turned from gazing on her, not ashamed of his desire for her but of the damage he was considering to his years of friendship with her brother. Even so, he looked again one more time. And again. Looking at the clock on the dashboard, he realized he’d been watching her, off a
nd on, for nearly an hour. He figured he could let her know he was there, just as a reminder they were supposed to meet today. He pulled his phone out and started clicking away.

  Mallory was looking up from her phone when she saw him sitting there in the Lexus. Her students were still working their horses, and she looked at him, tapped the phone, and shrugged her shoulders, as if to say, “What are you doing here so soon?”

  When he’d arrived, he put on the emergency brake, kicked the car into park, and let it continue to kick over, the air conditioning blasting in his face, keeping his cool. He smiled at her gestures and laughed. He motioned for her to come over to the window of the car.

  Just then, the alarm on her phone went off, signifying the end of the horse lessons. She indelicately put her fingers to her mouth and produced an ear-splitting shriek of a whistle. As she turned back, she watched Wade applaud, nodding and clapping his approval. Not many people could do that trick, and fewer still were women. She stood there, triumphant, and once again, he motioned her toward the car. She smiled, enjoying playing hard to get, so she turned back to the students, who were trotting back across the parade grounds expectantly.

  He got out of the car and put the flowers behind his back. He saw how intently she was focusing on the two horseback riders, so he sidled up behind her, silently.

  She turned back to Wade suddenly and almost fell into his arms. As she recoiled and readjusted, he just stood there with arms crossed, flowers half-crushed, obviously enjoying her imbalance and embarrassment. The riders were almost upon them, so she introduced them.

  “Uh, these are Christa and Jake. They are a couple of the students I teach here on the rodeo grounds.”