Hot Cowboy Nights

by Carolyn Brown

  He wrapped her tighter into his arms. “I could get used to coming home to kisses like that.”

  “How about leaving in the morning?” she mumbled.

  “Are you asking me to run away with you, Lizzy Logan?”

  “No, I’m asking how would you like to have a kiss like that in the morning and have to walk out the door and work all day?” she answered.

  “In my line of work I can always sneak away for a break any time of the day.”

  “Hey, Toby, it’s wagons-ho time. Got the last pickup loaded and we’re ready,” Blake yelled.

  Toby stayed long enough to brush another sweet, brief kiss across Lizzy’s lips and then she heard the back door slam and the sound of Allie’s boots coming her way. She quickly began to sweep again, shoving the dust, stray bits of paper, and other things that accumulate in a guest room toward the door.

  “My job is done. I’m going home. Need a ride?” Allie asked.

  “No, I want to get this room and the one across the hall completely swept and clean so I’ll catch a ride with Toby or Blake,” Lizzy answered.

  “Be careful,” Allie said softly.

  “About dust bunnies?” Lizzy giggled.

  “No, about a hot cowboy named Toby. I’m not blind. I see the way he looks at you,” Allie answered. “And be careful about Mitch, too. He’s real good at manipulation. Oh, and one more thing, who bought this place?”

  Lizzy pointed at Allie and shook her head. “You are pretty slick, but I’m still not telling.”

  “Good night then. You sure have gotten sassy since Mitch broke it off with you.”

  “It was either that or curl up and die, and there’s a lot of livin’ in me yet.” Lizzy hugged Allie. “Good night to you.”

  “I’ll tell you what we’re going to name the baby if you will tell me who bought the ranch.”

  “Not unless you are going to name her after me,” Lizzy teased.

  “On that note, I’m going home for real now. See you tomorrow.”

  Allie was going toward the door when Lizzy’s phone buzzed in her hip pocket. The text was from Toby saying that five of Deke’s cows were on the road. He was helping get them back in the pasture and then they’d have to fix the fence before they could unload the packed boxes. They’d have to take a rain check on the willow tree date.

  She threw the broom on the floor and raced out the door, caught Allie as she was settling into the seat of her old work van, and hitched a ride home with her.

  Toby awoke on Friday morning before the alarm sounded. He rolled over to gather Lizzy into his arms but all he got was an armful of air and pillow.

  “Dammit! I was dreaming again.”

  Blue whimpered at the side of the bed and Toby rolled over to see two big dog eyes staring at him over the edge of the mattress. He scratched the dog’s ears and wished he could go back to sleep because in the dream he and Lizzy were together. They were sitting under the willow tree and watching a bunch of kids play in the shallow creek water. Whether those children belonged to him or to Blake and Allie or even to Deke, he didn’t know, but there was something peaceful in the dream.

  Blue yipped once, wagged his tail, and meandered toward the kitchen.

  The reflection in the small mirror above the sink said that it was still Toby Dawson staring back at him. The scar where the bull gored him was faint but still there. His hair was still dark and his eyes hadn’t changed from blue to brown. His dark whiskers said he needed to shave. Nothing had changed and yet his world had been turned upside down by a fireball of a woman with brown eyes and dishwater blond hair.

  He ran a razor over his face, got dressed, fed Blue, and opened the trailer door to the sounds of cattle, crickets, and a soft breeze rattling the wind chimes out in his backyard.

  Tomorrow night the festival would be over and he and Lizzy would have no reason to go on pretending they were having a relationship. He’d know where he really stood with her. He pushed open the kitchen door to the ranch house and found Blake making breakfast. Pure unadulterated disappointment shot through his veins.

  “Where’s Allie?” he asked.

  “She’s been working pretty hard so I told her to sleep this morning and I’d make breakfast for the two of us. I worry about her, Toby.”

  Toby poured a cup of coffee and sipped at it while he set the table. “She is a force. Must be in the Logans’ genes.”

  Deke stopped in the door and sniffed the air. “I don’t have a kitchen anymore, not even a coffeepot. I’m used to setting the timer on the pot the night before so the coffee is ready.”

  Toby filled a cup and handed it to him. “Tomorrow you’ll be unpacked and have a coffeepot.”

  “I plan to wake up over there tomorrow morning in my brand-new place.” He sipped the coffee and rolled his eyes. “Never miss something until it’s gone.”

  “Amen to that,” Toby said.

  “What are you missing? Hand me that platter so I can stack up the pancakes as they get done,” Blake asked.

  “He’s missing his wild and woolly days. I swear, I’ve lived here my whole life and no one has lassoed me. Y’all come to town and Blake gets a rope around his neck within six weeks and I believe I see stars in Toby’s eyes these days.” Deke opened the pantry door and pulled out two bottles of syrup.

  Blake whipped around, flapjack turner in one hand and platter in the other. “So that’s the way it is for real?”

  “Don’t tell Allie. Let Lizzy tell her when she’s ready,” Toby said.

  “Wouldn’t think of it. She’d just fret and worry,” Blake said. “So what are you going to do about it?”

  Toby finished setting the table. “Today I’m going to eat a big stack of pancakes and a bunch of bacon, plow some land, check on some cattle.”

  “And about Lizzy?”

  “What can I do? Mitch is coming to town. If she’s not over him, then things could go sideways in a hurry. I’m learning patience but it’s not easy,” Toby answered.

  “Okay, then. Let’s eat breakfast and get on with what we have to do. We don’t need to worry about what we have no control over,” Blake said.

  “Spoken like three wise cowboys.” Deke laughed. “Ever think about how we just face things and go on and women talk every single thing to death?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Blake grinned. “So who bought your ranch, Deke?”

  Deke scooted five pancakes over onto his plate. “I will tell you one thing about that and then I’m not sayin’ another word. When the buyer gets ready to tell you, you are going to be two surprised brothers. You might want to be sitting down. I’m sworn to secrecy until after the weekend. If it hasn’t been discovered by Monday morning, then I will tell you, but right now all I’m going to talk about is how damn fine this breakfast is.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  The energy in Dry Creek that Saturday morning was electrifying. Nadine had opened her café but she was only serving as a hostess, talking to people, providing headquarters for the festival along with platter after platter of cookies and gallon after gallon of sweet tea to the folks.

  Banners stretched across both ends of Main Street and God bless Lucy Hudson’s heart because she’d taken it upon herself to invite vendors to the festival. Since it was the first year, they could set up their tables and booths on the sidewalks on both sides of the street at no charge. Folks sold hand-tied horse halters, purses, and blinged-out western jewelry, artwork, woodcrafts, and handmade items along with Indian tacos, baked goods, chili pies, and hot dogs.

  A bouncy house and pony ride for the kids and a mechanical bull for the bravehearted took up a chunk of the blocked-off Main Street. People had parked up and down the road for a mile on either end of town, and by midmorning Dry Creek was buzzing with excitement.

  At noon folks began to meander down to the church to eat a free lunch provided by the churchwomen and then came back with their lawn chairs to sit and visit until time for fireworks.

  Lizzy and Fiona were busy helping Na
dine in the café that afternoon. Lizzy was jealous of every single person who stopped to talk to Fiona that day. Not because she was getting attention, but because Lizzy didn’t want to share her sister. She would have rather spent the whole day just the two of them in her feed store with the door locked. Then she and Fiona could play with the kittens and talk about the new twists in both of their lives.

  “So do you see Mitch anywhere yet?” Fiona asked.

  “I hope I don’t see him at all. I hope he and his new wife are so swamped with events that they can’t find time to get down here,” Lizzy answered as they carried two empty platters to the kitchen to refill with cookies.

  “You probably need to see him one more time just for closure.” Fiona piled chocolate chip cookies on one platter and peanut butter brownies on the other. She handed one to Lizzy and nodded toward the dining room. “Folks are going through these so fast I’m wondering if we’ll make it to the end of the day.”

  “If we don’t, there’s about twenty bags of store-bought cookies in the pantry. Nadine said they aren’t as good as these but latecomers can’t be choosers,” Lizzy said.

  “Elizabeth?” The voice was familiar.

  Lizzy set the platter down and turned slowly to find Myra Turner, Mitch’s fiancée/wife/whatever, at her elbow. The woman hadn’t changed much in the past five months. Long brown hair flowed down her back to her waist. Hazel eyes were set in a round baby face with full lips and a perky little nose. That day she wore a multicolored skirt that skimmed her ankles and a lovely little Victorian lacy blouse.

  “Myra.” She nodded.

  “Could we talk?” Myra’s eyes darted around the full café. Folks had been taking advantage of the tables and the air-conditioning as well as the refreshments all day.

  “It’s pretty quiet in the kitchen. Come on. Fiona, folks can help themselves to cookies,” Lizzy said.

  “Are you sure?” Fiona asked.

  “Very sure.” Lizzy led the way and didn’t have to motion toward the chairs pulled up to an old yellow chrome table for Myra to slide into one. The poor woman looked pale and absolutely miserable.

  “I’ve made a big mistake and it’s too late to get out of it,” Myra said. “But before I unload on you because I know you will understand, I need to apologize for what Mitch and I did to you. That was cruel and ugly, and I’m sorry.”

  “That’s in the past but thank you and apology accepted,” Lizzy said.

  “I’m pregnant and I don’t want to marry Mitch,” Myra spit out as if she had to get the words out in a hurry. “What do I do?”

  Fiona went to the refrigerator and brought back a bottle of water. “Here, drink this. You look like you are about to faint.”

  “Thank you,” Myra said softly. She twisted the top off the cold water and took a tiny sip. “I’m miserable and I’m about to marry a man I don’t love, and I don’t know how to change things.”

  “I barely know you. I met you at the church, shared a few potlucks with you, and sang in the choir together a couple of times. All I can tell you is to follow your heart,” Lizzy said.

  Myra wrung her hands and looked like she might break into tears any minute. “I thought it was cute the way he was so possessive at first. It made me feel protected and loved, but that’s changed to controlled and smothered. We’re supposed to get married tonight in a small ceremony at my parents’ house with just family there. Everyone thinks we are already married, even our church in Mexico. We did say vows to each other before we…” She paused and blushed. “Well, you know.”

  Myra looked over Lizzy’s shoulder and gasped. Her face registered fear, shock, and disgust all at the same time. Lizzy followed her gaze to see Mitch pushing through the swinging doors from the dining room to the kitchen. “Hello, Lizzy. Nadine said I’d find you back here.”

  His cold gaze started at her head, hair thrown up in a ponytail with errant strands sticking to her sweaty neck. It dropped down to the hot pink tank top that hugged her body like a glove, then on to the skinny jeans held up with a blinged-out cowboy belt with a diamond-studded four-leaf clover on the belt buckle. His lip curled in a sneer like she’d seen it do a million times when he didn’t like what she was wearing.

  “Mitch,” she acknowledged. Mentally, she stood at the end of a bridge with Mitch on the other side with a raging river below them. She held a flaming torch in her hand ready to set the brittle wood on fire.

  “Myra, darlin’.” He crossed the room and laid his hands on her shoulders. “We must be going. It’s only three hours until wedding time, and you still have to do your hair and get into your dress. Lizzy, I hear you are seeing one of those cowboys who bought the Lucky Penny.”

  “I am.” She nodded. “You should remember Toby. I sat between you two at Sunday dinner when he came to visit one time.”

  “Oh, I remember him well. I’m sure with your background, you are pretty well suited,” Mitch said with a sneer.

  “I hope so.” She smiled. “Y’all been in town all day?”

  Myra nodded. “We watched the parade, prowled around the vendors, talked to some of Mitch’s friends, and ate at the potluck. Where were you all day?”

  “Enough chitchat, Myra. We have to go.” Mitch let go of her shoulders and took her hand, pulling her up to her feet.

  She broke free of his death grip and took two steps backward. “I need to go to the ladies’ room. I will meet you out front.”

  His jaw worked in anger. “Don’t take more than five minutes.”

  Her smile was forced as she waved and pushed through the doors toward the hallway to the restroom area. Poor thing had a tough decision to make and very little time to do it in. But it sure wasn’t Lizzy’s problem.

  “It would have never worked between us.” Mitch kept an eye through the window where the orders were passed rather than looking at Lizzy.

  “Probably not,” she said.

  “Myra and I will be happy.”

  Who was he trying to convince? Himself? Her? God?

  Hopefully, it was himself because Lizzy didn’t give a damn and she didn’t think God was taking time out of his schedule to attend the Dry Creek Festival.

  “I hope you are very happy.” In that mental picture of the bridge, she tossed the torch and immediately there was nothing but a gaping hole between her and Mitch.

  Fiona had been right. Complete and utter closure was a beautiful thing.

  Fiona! Dammit! Where were her manners?

  “I’m so sorry. Mitch, this is my sister, Fiona. You heard me talk about her a lot but I don’t think you two ever actually met each other.”

  Fiona stretched out a hand. “Pleased to meet you. How are you enjoying Mexico?”

  Mitch had no choice but to shake hands with her. “It’s God’s work and that brings happiness.”

  “I see. Well, I do hope you and your new bride are happy.” Fiona held on to his hand a moment longer than necessary.

  Lizzy had closure and she’d expected her fiery-tempered sister to cuss Mitch out at the least, maybe send him to the wedding with a black eye at the worst. It was over now so why was her sister continuing to engage this sorry bastard in polite conversation? She tilted her head to one side and caught Fiona’s very slight wink. Her sister, bless her heart, was thinking about Myra. She was trying to give the woman a few more minutes in the bathroom to figure out a way to get out of a doomed marriage.

  “We will be.” He jerked his hand free. “Tell her I’m waiting beside the car for her when she returns.”

  Fiona nodded. “I’ll do that. I’m sure she won’t be much longer.”

  He was all the way at the swinging doors when he turned around. “You would have never gone to Mexico with me, would you?”

  Lizzy shook her head. “My store is in Dry Creek. Going to Wichita Falls was a stretch.”

  “Then you would not have followed me wherever God led me?”

  What was he trying to do? Find closure for his heart and mind or justification for what he’
d done?

  Another shake of the head. “Mitch, what we had is over. What I might or might not have done isn’t important. What is crucial right now is that you learn to let Myra be a partner and not a slave to your every whim.”

  “God says a wife will be submissive, and Myra will learn in good time. Good-bye, Lizzy.”

  She waited until he was gone and then she and Fiona hurried to the ladies’ room.

  Lizzy opened the ladies’ room door and found a pale Myra sitting in the corner, her head in her hands. Fiona went straight to her, slid down the wall to sit beside the girl, and hugged her. Myra looked up, misery written in her eyes. Lizzy remembered the day that Allie had found her huddled in the bathroom, weeping because Mitch had dumped her to be with this woman. She should be gloating with glee because the other woman had gotten her comeuppance, but she only felt pity for Myra. The poor darlin’ didn’t have a Logan backbone like Lizzy, and she damn sure didn’t have two sisters to help her fight her way out of the misery.

  “Where is Mitch? Is he mad at me?”

  “He’s waiting beside your car,” Fiona said.

  “I cannot do this, not today, probably not ever. I just need a place to go for a couple of weeks to get my head on straight.” Tears streamed down Myra’s face as she looked up into Lizzy’s eyes. “Help me, please, Lizzy. I’m not as strong as you and I need help and there’s no one to ask.”

  “If you had a way to get out of town, do you have a friend or money to stay in a hotel?” Lizzy asked.

  Myra nodded. “My very best friend in college lives in Olney. He would let me stay with him.”

  “He?” Lizzy asked.

  “Rowdy Williams and he lives up to his name. We were as different as night and day. He was the wild child. I was the preacher’s daughter in every sense of the word, but we were good friends. I can stay with him and no one will even know where I am. God knows, I couldn’t ever bring him home to meet Mama and Daddy or even talk about him back in those days,” Myra said.