Cowboy at the Crossroads

by Linda Warren

  “Stay away from her then, and let her go back to Houston.”

  “I wish it was that simple.”

  “It is. You’re not over Anette’s death, and you know it. Don’t drag Becca into your misery. She doesn’t deserve that, either.”

  Cord didn’t say anything. Everything Colton had said was true. Anette’s death still weighed heavily upon him. But he couldn’t put Becca out of his mind.

  Colton got up. “I have an early meeting in the morning. I’d better go.”

  They shook hands. “Cord?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Don’t encourage Becca. She’s an affectionate, outgoing, giving person and—”

  Cord broke in. “You don’t have to tell me a thing about Becca.”

  “Good, so I don’t have to worry.”

  “No, you don’t have to worry.”

  Cord went to bed with that thought on his mind. He wouldn’t encourage Becca. He wouldn’t do anything with Becca—except think about her every minute of every day. That would be his own personal hell. As if he needed another one.

  THE MORNING BROUGHT a complete change of plans. Nicki woke him by jumping on his bed. That hadn’t happened in so long that for a second he thought he was dreaming.

  “Daddy, Daddy, wake up!” she called brightly. “We’ve got to go.”

  Cord opened one eye and glanced at the clock. It was four in the morning. He flicked on his bedside lamp and pushed himself into a sitting position. “What’s wrong, baby?”

  “We’ve got to go riding. I’m all ready.”

  Cord noticed that she was dressed, although her top was on backward and her boots were on the wrong feet. He gathered her in his arms. “It’s too early, and Daddy has to work today.”

  “You promised, Daddy. You promised you’d teach Becca to ride.”

  God, he was hoping she’d forgotten about that. How should he handle this? “Not today, baby. Daddy has to work.” It was a feeble excuse, but it was all he could think of at this hour.

  Nicki stuck out her lip. “I wanna go riding.”

  “Nicki…”

  She started to sob, hard and loud.

  Cord caught her face in his hands. “Stop that this instant.”

  At the sternness in Cord’s voice, her sobs immediately ceased.

  “I’ll get Smithy to saddle Half Pint so you can ride.”

  “But Becca,” she whimpered.

  Cord took a long breath. “I’ll get Smithy to saddle a horse for her and teach her a few things.”

  Nicki smiled.

  He pushed back her tangled hair. “I don’t want you crying to get your way. I won’t have that. When I won’t let you do something, I have a very good reason for it.”

  “’Kay, Daddy.”

  BECCA SAT BOLT UPRIGHT when she heard the crying. She quickly got out of bed and ran to Nicki’s room. Nicki wasn’t there. Her heart jolted against her ribs. Where was she? She noticed Cord’s door was open, so she walked in—and stopped abruptly. Nicki was sitting on the bed talking to Cord, who had nothing on from the waist up. Her breath lodged in her throat as she stared at the dark blond hair that curled down his chest.

  “Hi, Becca,” Nicki said cheerfully. “We’re gonna go riding.”

  Becca blinked. “I thought I heard you crying.”

  “You did,” Cord said, trying to tear his eyes away from Becca in the T-shirt. Her breasts were pressed against the material and her dark hair was mussed around her face as if she’d been making… He cleared his throat. “She was just having a tantrum, trying to get her way.”

  “What did she want to do? Oh, Nicki, you’re all dressed. Sort of.”

  “She wanted to go riding at four a.m. That’s what the crying was all about.”

  Nicki shook her head. “I not do that anymore.”

  “Oh,” Becca murmured. “Good.”

  Nicki clapped her hands. “We gonna go riding, and Smithy’s gonna teach you. Daddy’s gotta work.”

  Who the hell was Smithy? Then everything became clear. Cord was opting out of teaching her; he’d given the job to someone else. She took large strides over to the bed and plucked Nicki out. “Let’s get you back to your room.”

  “Don’t want to,” Nicki protested. “I’m not sleepy.”

  “Then, you can keep me company,” Becca said as she bundled the child into her room.

  She looked down at Nicki’s booted feet. “For heaven’s sake, you’ve got your boots on the wrong feet.”

  “No, I don’t,” Nicki answered, pointing at her feet. “That’s my feet.”

  Becca smiled as she slipped the boots off and curled up in bed, with Nicki beside her. She started to change Nicki’s clothes, but the little girl was already dozing off.

  How dare he! How dare he think he could just get rid of her. Just hand her off to someone else because he didn’t want to be with her. That made her angry. Well, forget it, Cordell Prescott, you won’t find it quite so easy.

  BY THE TIME SHE AND NICKI went down for breakfast, she had a plan. Cord had said he’d show her the ranch, and she would hold him to it.

  Edie was at the breakfast table, to Becca’s surprise. Maybe she was making an effort to be part of the family. Becca hoped so.

  “Della, do you know where Cord is working today?” she asked as she poured syrup over Nicki’s pancakes.

  “In the north pasture, in the bottom.”

  “Can you tell me how to get there?”

  Della turned from the sink. “Why?”

  “Because Cord said I could use one of the Jeeps to bring Nicki to have lunch with him.”

  “I see. It’s kinda hard to explain.”

  “I know where it is,” Edie told her. “I’ll go with you.”

  “That’s great.” Becca beamed. “We’ll make it a family outing. Want to come, Della?”

  “Lord, no. I got too much to do around here.”

  “Can’t it wait? We could pack a big picnic lunch and take it to the guys. Gus would probably like a hot sandwich or something.”

  “He does like my steak sandwiches, and I could fix chicken salad for us.” Della was getting interested.

  “Hot dog for me,” Nicki piped up with a mouth full of pancake.

  “Okay,” Della said. “Let’s do it. It’s been ages since I’ve watched the cowboys in action.”

  By ten o’clock, they were packed and ready to go, except for one little problem. Nicki wanted to ride Half Pint. In the end, Becca decided to let her, especially since Edie and Della were with them. Surely they could handle any problem that arose. Smithy, the man who cared for the horses, as Becca found out, wanted to go along, but Becca assured him everything was under control.

  There were a few tense moments as Becca adjusted to driving a stick shift again. Della sat in the back, Edie in front. They just smiled tolerantly at the jerky ride. They were very good sports. Soon she got the hang of it and they were off, with Nicki racing ahead on Half Pint.

  She followed Della’s directions, and they drove through pasture after pasture of cattle. She’d never seen so many in her life. She had to stop repeatedly to let the animals cross the road. They took their time, unafraid of the Jeep. Each pasture was fenced off with a cattle guard so she didn’t have to open gates. Becca had thought the trip would take maybe fifteen minutes, but thirty minutes later, they were still driving and there didn’t seem any end in sight. Grassland gave way to bushy creeks, and then suddenly they drove into a clearing and Becca knew they’d arrived. Cowboys and cattle were everywhere. Several cattle were milling about in a pen. Cowboys were riding into the large herd in the pasture and separating cows with calves and guiding them toward the pen. A Jeep with a trailer behind it was parked to one side. The lowing of cattle filled the air, and excitement tingled along her nerves.

  Nicki galloped to where Cord sat astride a big red-and-white paint horse. The tingling inside her became a jangling of sensations. God, he was so handsome—everything she’d ever dreamed about in a man.

&n
bsp; She put the Jeep in gear and drove slowly forward. Cord had noticed Nicki and nudged his horse toward her. Then he saw the Jeep. It was all too obvious that Cord wasn’t pleased. He removed his hat and wiped his hand across his forehead in a weary gesture, and in that instant Becca wished she’d gone back to Houston.

  Cord didn’t want her here.

  CHAPTER NINE

  BECCA PARKED THE JEEP near the other one, and they got out. She and Della removed the basket of food and the ice chest with the drinks and set it on the flatbed trailer. Gus rode over, followed by three dogs with mottled blue coats.

  “What brings you ladies here?”

  “We brought you lunch,” Della answered, and Becca was glad. She felt so foolish; she’d come to get back at Cord and that was such a teenage thing. She could see that now. The man had made it plain how he felt, and she had to accept it. When she returned to the house she’d pack her things and leave. She hoped Nicki would understand.

  Just then, Cord and Nicki galloped over.

  “The ladies brought us lunch,” Gus told Cord. “Ain’t that nice?”

  “Yes, very,” Cord replied in a cool voice.

  Nicki wriggled down from the saddle, and Becca caught her before she hit the ground.

  “Nicki, you know better than to get off your horse without someone to help you,” Cord reprimanded. “And never leave your horse untethered. You know better than that, too.”

  “Yes, Daddy,” Nicki said in a pitiful voice.

  Cord immediately swung from the saddle and helped her tie Half Pint to the trailer. Becca could see he didn’t like snapping at his daughter. She knew it was a reaction to her unwanted presence.

  “We got a few more calves to brand, vaccinate and tag, then we’ll stop for lunch,” Gus said. “You ladies can watch the fun.” Gus clicked his tongue. “Let’s go, boys,” he said to the dogs.

  “That’s Gus’s dogs—Bubba, Beau and Boo-Boo,” Nicki said as she crawled up beside Becca on the trailer. “They’re work dogs, so you can’t play with them.”

  “Why is that?” Becca asked.

  Nicki shrugged.

  Della spoke up. “Gus is very particular about his dogs. They’re Australian Blue Heelers and known for their expertise in handling cattle. Gus believes if you pamper them, they won’t work, but he pampers them more than anyone.”

  Becca tried to listen, but her focus was on Cord as he remounted and followed Gus to the pen. A cowboy opened the gate and they rode in, the dogs waiting outside. Within minutes, Cord and Gus had separated the mother cows from their babies. Another cowboy opened the gate on the other side, and the cows were herded into a different pasture. The cows bellowed in an agitated manner and ran along the fence line trying to get to their babies.

  Becca’s attention was diverted back to the pen as the action started. She noticed a fire just outside the fence with a branding iron stuck in it. Gus and Cord dismounted, then Cord waded in among the calves and grabbed one around the back legs, jerking him to the ground. Things happened so fast that Becca had a hard time keeping up. A cowboy handed Gus the iron and he seared a Triple Creek brand on the calf’s hind rump. At the same moment, another cowboy handed Cord a needle and something that looked like a gun. Cord injected the calf and snapped a tag in his ear.

  “What’s he doing?” she asked Della.

  “Vaccinating against disease and putting a tag in his ear to show when he was injected. As soon as a calf’s born, a tag with its mother’s number is put in its ear. That way, the calves can be identified.”

  Gus knelt down with his pocketknife. “Gus is castrating the calf to keep him from becoming a bull,” Della told her. “When the calf is weaned from its mother, he goes into a feed lot for several months, then he’s shipped to the slaughter and packing houses. It’s how meat gets into the supermarket.”

  In a matter of seconds, the whole thing was over. Cord let the calf up, and the cowboys quickly shooed the calf out the gate to his mother. Cord grabbed another and the process started again. It seemed a bit inhumane, but she knew it was necessary. The calves had to be castrated, and the vaccinating kept down disease. As a doctor she understood that. The tag and branding was for identification. Cattle rustling must be a constant danger with so many cattle. Joe Bates’s appearance had underlined that particular reality.

  It was all fascinating. Cord worked with a speed and expertise that probably took years to learn. Soon the calves were all vaccinated and branded, and Cord and Gus saddled up and rode back to the women, the other cowboys hard on their heels. Della opened the basket and spread out the food. The cowboys professed their thanks as they each took a steak sandwich and a drink. Several spared Becca a knowing glance, but she merely smiled back. They all wore shabby jeans, boots and tattered hats, their skin was leathery from the sun. They epitomized a dying saga—that of the Old West.

  Nicki ate half her hot dog and fell asleep. Becca pulled the child against her, letting her nap. She’d had a busy morning.

  As the cowboys sat in the grass eating, Della and Edie joined them. Edie seemed to know many of them, since she asked about their families. Cord sat with the group, while Becca sat on the trailer holding Nicki and feeling alone. She couldn’t eat; she felt far too miserable.

  Suddenly Cord got to his feet and walked toward her. “Let me take Nicki so you can eat,” he said brusquely.

  “No, she’s fine and I’m not hungry.”

  He sat on the trailer. “Why not?” he asked, more kindly this time.

  She couldn’t hold everything in anymore. “I know you don’t want me here, but I—I wanted to see something of ranching before I left.”

  Cord felt his throat close up. “You’re leaving?”

  She hadn’t meant it to come out now, in front of everyone, but nothing was going as she’d planned. “Yes, Nicki will be fine and I need to get back to Houston.”

  He drew a deep breath. “Does this have something to do with Colton?”

  Frowning, she tucked her hair behind her ear. “No, it has nothing to do with Colton.”

  “Then…”

  She stared directly at him. “Then, what?”

  Cord looked up at the blue sky, saw the bright sun and heard the cowboys talking, but all he felt was the pain in his chest. If she left, his world would come apart. He didn’t know much, but he knew that. He was tired of all the confusion, all the aching inside him. Somehow, when he was with her, it wasn’t so bad. So letting himself live again couldn’t be bad, either.

  His gaze swung back to her. “Then, don’t go.”

  She swallowed at the suffering in his eyes, but she had to ask. “Why?”

  “Nicki needs time to adjust,” he lied with as much dignity as he could.

  And so do I.

  Becca realized he was lying—but she didn’t mind. There was something happening between them, some emotional connection, and they both were aware of it. She could cope as long as he didn’t push her away.

  “Will you teach me to ride and not pass me off to Smithy?”

  A grin ruffled his mustache. “Sure, and I’m sorry about that. I—”

  Before he could finish, a rider emerged from the woods and galloped toward Cord. Becca thought it was a man at first, but it turned out to be a woman. She was easily six foot, stoutly built and probably in her late forties. She drew up in front of Cord.

  “Howdy, Mona,” Cord said.

  Mona tipped her hat and stared at Becca holding Nicki.

  “Oh, this is Dr. Becca Talbert.” He made the introduction. “She’s spending some time with Nicki. And Becca, this is Mona Tibbetts. Her ranch adjoins ours.”

  “Nice to meet you, Mona,” Becca said, smiling.

  “Likewise,” Mona answered. “You seem awful young for a doctor.”

  “I hear that a lot.”

  “Glad Cord found someone to help the kid. She’s been having a rough time.”

  “Yeah,” Becca said, gathering Nicki closer. “We’re working on all that.”

&nb
sp; “Good,” Mona murmured, her eyes moving back to Cord. “That black bull I bought from Hudson has broken the fence and gotten into your pasture.”

  “Dammit, Mona! I don’t want him breeding my cows. He’s got a wild streak and I don’t want that in my cattle.”

  “I know, Cord, and I’m sorry. You warned me and I wouldn’t listen.” She shook her head. “He had such good markings, though.”

  Cord stood. “Do you know where he is?”

  “No, but my cowhands are looking for him. I just wanted to let you know.”

  “Thanks, Mona. If we run across him, we’ll pen him.”

  “Okay. Just call me.” She turned the horse abruptly and rode off.

  Nicki stirred and opened her eyes.

  Cord poked her in the ribs. “Hey, sleepyhead. How am I gonna make a cowhand out of you if you sleep all the time?”

  “Daddy,” she said impatiently. “I’m hungry.”

  “Della brought some homemade cookies, and I believe she has some milk for you.” He reached to take Nicki out of Becca’s arms and as he did, their eyes locked and everything faded away except for the feeling that flowed between them.

  “Daddy,” Nicki said again. Cord quickly gathered her into his arms and they walked over to the group still sitting in the grass, listening to Gus tell his stories. Becca didn’t hear much. Her heart was singing too loudly.

  Soon after that, the guys went back to work, and she helped Della and Edie pack up the remains of the lunch, which consisted of wrappings and empty cans. The cowboys had a healthy appetite. Becca was secretly glad when Della and Edie decided to stay for a while. The cowboys herded more cows and calves into the pen. It was thrilling to watch Cord. He was so natural on the horse, so in control. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. The process with the calves started again and time flew by. Soon the last calf in the pasture was taken care of and the portable pens were taken apart and put on the trailer.

  “Oh my, look at the time,” Della said. “I’ve got to get back and fix supper.”

  “Why don’t you and Edie take the Jeep?” Cord said. “Becca can ride with me. I want her to get the feel of a horse.”