Do or Die Cowboy

by June Faver

Shivers followed the trail his lips made.

  “I think I better walk you back to the house. I can’t have you falling down in the dark.”

  Leah sucked in a breath. “No, couldn’t have that.”

  * * *

  Leah climbed in her car the next morning. She tried to quell the butterflies flying relay races in her stomach. First day on her new job, and not just any job. Working for Breckenridge T. Ryan would be the best job she ever had. I’ve got to make a good impression. Sucking in a deep breath, she blew it out, puffing her cheeks in the process.

  Her hand shook as she fumbled to insert the key in the ignition. The keys slipped and jangled to the floorboard. Heaving an impatient sigh, she scrunched down to search for them, her fingers scrabbling over the dusty floor mat.

  “Good morning.”

  She straightened suddenly to find Ty leaning his forearms on her open window. “Oh, hi…I mean, good morning.” Raking her fingers through her disheveled hair, she flashed him a nervous grin. “I was going to leave for my new job. Can’t afford to be late the first day.”

  He reached in to pat her on the shoulder with his big paw. “Don’t worry. You’ll do fine.”

  Pressing her lips together, she nodded and stuck the key in the ignition again, this time with success.

  The intensity of his gaze set her insides on fire. Then, quick as anything, he swept off his Stetson and leaned in to kiss her lips.

  Startled, she stared at him, then flashed a smile. A rush of joy surged through her insides. This was going to be a good day. At least it was starting off right. She put the car in reverse and backed up a ways, trying not to show how much his kiss affected her. When she could turn the car around, she headed toward the road leading to the main highway. Only then did she look back to see the big cowboy staring after her, his thumbs hooked in his belt loops. Somehow, just knowing Ty was watching her sent a rare glow of self-confidence throughout her being. “I can do this,” she said aloud.

  When she arrived in Langston, she found the attorney’s office quite easily, there being only two or three main streets to contend with. She pulled into a parking space out front, beside a big truck reminiscent of Ty’s behemoth on wheels.

  Glancing at her face in the mirror, she heaved a sigh. The wind whipping through the open windows had done a number on her hair, and her cheeks were pink. She took a moment to sweep her hair into a ponytail and secure it with a scrunchie. Not great but better.

  Taking a deep breath, she got out of the car, crossed the sidewalk, and stepped inside the office.

  Her new boss was bending over a wastebasket beside the reception desk with his sleeves rolled up and his tie askew. “Good morning, Mr. Ryan,” she called.

  “Good morning, Leah. Please call me Breck.” He sighed. “It will just make things easier.”

  She smiled and approached the reception desk. “Um, can I help you with that?”

  He grinned up at her. “I was trying to make things easier on you by getting rid of a lot of crap. I don’t want you to go running out the door on your first day.”

  “No chance of that,” she said. “I’m tougher than I look.”

  Breck surveyed her, bringing a flush to her cheeks. “Good to know.” He straightened and gestured to the roll-around chair. “This will be your guard post, where you will screen the few calls I receive every day and vet the even fewer visitors.” He raised an eyebrow. “I’m a rancher, Leah. I divide my time between the ranches and this office. I do have a law practice that includes everything from the drawing up of wills and managing estates to arranging for the release of someone’s teenage son who went on a spree. Not like in the big city.”

  She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say to that. “I’m sure I’ll figure it all out.”

  He grinned broadly. “Just see what you can do with the files and answer the phone then. I’ll be in my office.” He strode into said office and closed the door.

  Leah released the breath she had been holding. Sinking onto the chair, she inspected the desktop and opened drawers. Clutter, clutter everywhere.

  Dragging the wastebasket closer, she disposed of a used lipstick, empty gum wrappers, and a few bobby pins. She got a damp paper towel from the restroom to wipe out the large file drawer on the side and then put her small handbag inside. Simply sliding the drawer closed gave her a great sense of accomplishment.

  She went through the remaining drawers, one by one, and managed to separate the trash from the office supplies. Tackling the desktop was another matter. A scarred piece of glass protected the darkened wood beneath. Leah finally cleared off everything and spritzed it with glass cleaner she found in the restroom under the lavatory. It smelled nice. An aroma she identified with the word clean.

  Knocking softly on the attorney’s door, she heard him tell her to come in.

  “Mr. Ryan, I mean Breck.” She smiled at that. “Where do I dump the trash?”

  He swiveled around and rose to his feet. “Here, let me show you.” He took the wastebasket from her hands and strode rapidly through a door hidden between filing cabinets in the back of the building. He led her out into a narrow alleyway. “These are our trash cans. It gets picked up weekly whether we fill them or not.” He lifted a lid and dumped the contents of the wastebasket before clanging the lid down on top of it.

  “Oh, hey, Breck!”

  Leah turned to see an attractive young woman stepping out of another doorway leading to the alleyway.

  “Hey yourself, Sara Beth. This is Leah, my new secretary. Be nice to her.” Breck grinned widely.

  The woman giggled. “Well, I sure will do that. Hi, Leah. Come down and see me later. I’ve got some great homemade cookies I’m willing to share.”

  Leah grinned and waved shyly. Still, Sara Beth looked friendly, and she could use a friend.

  She spent the rest of the morning trying to get a handle on the filing system and answered the phone twice. She felt a little better about her ability to handle this job. Not so bad, and I get paid every week.

  Breck stepped out of his office with a black Stetson in hand. He nodded at Leah and set the hat on his head. “I’m going to meet my wife for lunch. Take your break whenever you want. Just lock up and put the sign in the door.”

  Leah jumped to her feet. “Lock? Sign?” She glanced around frantically.

  Breck shook his head. “My bad. So much for your orientation.” He pointed to the old-fashioned coat-tree behind the door where a clockface sign with movable arms was hanging.

  Leah nodded.

  “Here you go.” Breck fished a set of keys out of his pocket and slid it onto her desk. “I forgot to give these to you. If I’m not back by five sharp, just turn out the lights, close up, and lock the doors.” He grinned at her and sauntered out the door.

  Swallowing hard, Leah picked up the keys. Two darkened brass skeleton keys and several smaller shiny ones. I can do this.

  She glanced at the big clock positioned above the file cabinets. Early yet. Just a little after eleven. She had made a sandwich and stuck it in a ziplock bag in her purse. Maybe she would just eat at her desk. There was a big water cooler in the corner and a sleeve of small cups lying sideways across the top. Leah took out the plastic bag and placed it reverently in front of her on the desk, then rose to get a cup of cold water. This will do nicely. Returning to her desk, she took her seat and removed the peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich from the bag. She quietly ate her lunch, glad she was able to keep the ten dollars safe in her purse. No telling what she might need it for.

  Chapter 5

  Ty spent the morning repairing some downed fence. At first, he had thought the barbed wire might have rusted through or been broken by animals, but now, he could see that the wire had been cut through with some kind of sharp shears. He could see the Carters being responsible for this kind of destruction, but he didn’t know why they would
bother with terrorizing an elderly woman. Were they just being creepy, or would they actually try to harm her? Whatever it was, he thought he should look into their activities before he left.

  He counted the cattle and could only account for eleven in Gran’s “herd.” There were a couple of goats in the pasture with the cattle. The goats seemed to be functioning in lieu of a lawnmower. And the remaining chickens were happily scratching in the dirt for bugs.

  His head entertained all kinds of thoughts, wondering how people managed to eke out a living with so few resources. He thought of his family ranch with thousands of acres, some under tillage but mostly fenced pasture or range with many thousand heads of cattle.

  Ty twisted the wire he had patched into the broken fence line, making sure it was strung tight enough to contain the small herd. He drew off his work gloves and reached in his pocket for a handkerchief to mop his sweating brow.

  He thought about Leah, wondering how her first day on her new job was going. He knew she had been nervous earlier that morning, but he had a good idea his dad’s attorney was a pretty decent guy. He hoped Breck Ryan would treat her well.

  He stuck the rag back in his pocket and slipped the thick leather glove on again. He gave the wire a final twist and moved on to the next gap in the line of fencing. The sun beat down on his shoulders, not uncomfortably, but he was already thinking about stripping off and taking a nice long and cool shower before dinnertime. He used his wire cutters to lop off another length of barbed wire from the reel he had bought at the hardware store and set about twisting it into a figure-eight link with the damaged section. He glanced at the edges of the original wire, realizing it looked as though this too had been cut and not broken or worn through. He frowned, making a mental note to carefully inspect the next area of damaged fence.

  “Hey, Ty,” Gracie called.

  He turned to see her walking hand in hand with her great-grandmother.

  “Hello, ladies,” he replied. “What brings you out this way on such a warm day?”

  Gracie giggled. “We brought you some tea. Gran says you might get hy-trated out here working in the sun.”

  Gran held up a thermos and offered it to him. “That’s a fact. When my Albert was alive, I would always make sure he had plenty of liquid to keep him going.”

  Ty grinned. Twisting the cap off the thermos, he poured out a cup full of strong tea. He drank it down gratefully. Sweet. Very sweet.

  “We put plenty of sugar in it for you.” Gran smiled at him as he finished it off.

  “Mighty good. Thank you, ladies, for taking such good care of me.” He screwed the cap back on, thinking it would be less sweet once the ice melted.

  “I think you’re going to like what we’re having for supper. We’re making potato salad.” Gran held up Gracie’s hand. “And this little one is helping me.”

  “I can’t wait,” he said. “Um, how long has this fence been down? It looks like it might have been cut in some places.”

  Gran’s face twisted into a grimace. “Must have been them Carter boys. Old Man Carter has been trying to buy this place for years, but Albert didn’t want to sell out. Carter probably thinks I’ll be easy pickin’s.” She pressed her lips tightly together and shaded her eyes with her hand. “Them’s a mean bunch.”

  Ty felt his jaw tighten. The thought that some men were putting pressure on this frail little lady didn’t sit right with him. “You ladies get on inside, and I’ll be there in a little while. Thanks for hydrating me.” He pasted on a grin and returned Gracie’s wave as she turned back toward the house.

  Carters, huh? Maybe Breck Ryan can give me a little help. Resolutely, he set about mending the fence.

  * * *

  Leah finished her sandwich and was in the act of disposing of the empty plastic bag when the door of the office opened. Startled, she let out a yelp.

  Sara Beth, the woman she had been introduced to earlier, stepped inside, and she had a baby on her hip. “It’s just me. I was going to make sure you came down to sample some of my cookies. I’m pretty sure you get a lunch break.”

  Leah took a sip of water to help the last of the peanut butter sandwich go down. “Yes, yes, I do…but I ate at my desk. Mr. Ryan told me to take a lunch break, but I brought my lunch today.”

  “Well, I hope you have room for some cookies. Come on with me. My shop is just two doors down.” She gestured out the open doorway.

  Leah pushed her chair back and groped for her bag. “Okay, I can come for a little while.” She stood and grabbed the keys off the desk. Following Sara Beth, she placed the sign on a hook and gave herself a return time of thirty minutes. The old lock on the door looked as though it would match one of the skeleton keys, and her guess was correct. The key she selected turned the lock with a metallic thunk. She twisted the handle, and the door rattled, causing the glass to shake. The thought ran through her mind that the security left a lot to be desired.

  Sara Beth waited for her a little farther down the sidewalk. “I’m so glad you and Breck hooked up.”

  Leah swallowed hard. “Hooked up?” she asked.

  “I mean, I’m glad you came to work for him. He’s a very nice man.”

  Leah nodded as she walked alongside the woman and baby. “He seems to be. Your baby sure is cute. Is it a girl?”

  Sara Beth stopped and jiggled the baby. “Yes. This is Cami Lynn. I named her Camryn after our doctor. She delivered my daughter.” She reached to open the door to her shop and stood back for Leah to enter.

  “That’s nice. Must be some doctor.” Leah crossed the threshold and smiled. The shop was filled with all kinds of items. Handmade quilts were displayed on most of the wall space, and antique furniture was placed in groupings. There were tables with all kinds of bric-a-brac on top, and other items were displayed on shelves and in old-fashioned armoires. The space was large and airy, with an embossed tin ceiling peeling paint. “Wow,” she mouthed.

  Sara Beth’s face split into a grin. “Does that mean you like my shop?”

  “Oh yes. I love it.” Leah spun around gleefully. “I could live here.”

  “That’s just the way I feel,” Sara Beth agreed. “No matter how I’m feeling, when I walk inside, I get real happy. Maybe it’s all the pretty things.”

  “Must be,” Leah agreed. “My daughter would get lost in here.” She inhaled deeply. “What is that great smell?”

  Sara Beth giggled girlishly. “Lots of things. I just mixed together everything that smells good.”

  “Mmm. It’s lovely.”

  “Have a seat.” Sara Beth indicated one of the stools placed in front of a glass display case. She went around to the other side and lifted a glass dome off a plate of cookies. “I made these for my boyfriend, Frank, but I really made a lot of them, so I thought I would bring them with me.” She nudged the tray closer to Leah. “How about a soda? I have some in the fridge.”

  “Oh, I’ll have whatever you’re having.” Leah selected a cookie and bit into it, inhaling the scent of spices. “Heavenly. Your boyfriend is a lucky man.”

  Sara Beth looked pleased. “He’s a real sweetheart. I think I’m the lucky girl to have snared him.” She let out a little laugh and headed to the back of the store.

  Leah nibbled her cookie, tasting cinnamon and cloves…maybe a little ginger.

  Sara Beth reappeared with two canned drinks and slid one across the scarred glass to Leah before taking a seat on the other side of the counter. “So, where do you come from?”

  Leah sighed. “I was living in Oklahoma, but my grandparents live not too far out of Langston.” She shrugged. “Well, my grandpa passed away, and I came to be with my grandma.” She left out the part about running away from Caine and hiding out on the farm.

  “That’s real nice of you.” Sara Beth selected a cookie and broke off a piece for the baby. She placed the little one in a playpen situated beh
ind the counter with several pieces of cookie to entertain her.

  “I don’t know how nice it was. I think my gran needs a lot of help. I hope I’m able to do what she needs done.”

  Sara Beth gazed at her earnestly. “I have a feeling you’re the kind of person who follows through on whatever she sets out to do.”

  Leah took a deep breath and released it. “From your lips to God’s ears.”

  She stayed to chat for a while, enjoying the cookies and soda, but she kept an eye on the clock. When she had been there close to thirty minutes, she slid off the stool. “I’d better be getting back to work. Don’t want to be goofing off on my very first day.” She turned to leave, but Sara Beth called her back.

  “Here, let me wrap some of these cookies for your daughter.” She went to the rear again, returning with a sheet of aluminum foil to wrap a generous number of cookies. “I hope she enjoys them.”

  “Oh, that’s a lot of cookies. Don’t you want to save them for your boyfriend?”

  “I have plenty more at home.” Sara Beth grinned and folded the edges of the foil around the bundle.

  Leah gratefully accepted the gift, glad she would have a treat to present to Gracie at the end of the day. She walked back to the law office, but Breck failed to reappear for the rest of the day.

  She delved into the files and tried to figure out what kind of system her predecessor had used to store these important papers. She finally discovered most things were filed according to the kind of work Mr. Ryan had done for the client. The criminal defense cases were filed alphabetically, as were the civil cases. The estate work was a jumble, but at least it was somewhat together.

  She felt she had made some headway when five o’clock rolled around, and she was reluctant to stop, but her daughter would be expecting her. Gracie and Gran would worry if she didn’t show up in a reasonable amount of time. And there was Ty…

  A smile crept across her face. She had studiously tried not to think about him today. Not to picture his clear blue eyes gazing at her. Nor thought about how strong he was when he picked her up like she weighed nothing. Or the tingle of anticipation she felt when she relived one of his toe-curling kisses. She heaved a sigh. Oh yeah…those kisses.