Cowboy at the Crossroads

by Linda Warren

  Each day she got better at controlling the horse. Riding was a matter of balance, which she was learning. She couldn’t wait to get Nicki up in the mornings, dressed, fed and to the stables. One of the first things Cord taught her was that if you ride, you take care of your horse and equipment. Handling a saddle wasn’t easy, but she was determined and soon she mastered the skill, although Cord or Smithy always ensured she had the belts girded tight. The saddles were kept in the barn on long wooden sawhorses. Each cowboy knew exactly where his spot was and everyone respected the property of others. As Gus put it, A cowboy don’t mess with another cowboy’s stuff.

  Becca was beginning to know the cowboys by name: Shorty, Snuffy, Hank, Rocky, Billy Bob, Joe Bob, Clint, Dusty, Big Jim, Little Jim, Burt and Weazel. They were between the ages of twenty and sixty. None seemed to be married, though some were divorced, and they lived in the bunkhouse attached to the barn. Saturday was their night to dress up, go into Houston and hit the bars and dance halls looking for a woman. They talked quite openly about their escapades. Clint and Dusty were the Casanovas in the group, and it was a given that they wouldn’t return to the bunkhouse on Saturday night. But the cowboys were always betting on who else would “get lucky.”

  Becca enjoyed their antics and camaraderie. She realized she should return to Houston, but she didn’t do anything about it. She and Cord were becoming closer and closer, and she wanted to spend some time alone with him. With Edie and Nicki around, privacy was nil. Soon, she kept telling herself. It would happen soon. She’d waited a long time to experience these feelings and she didn’t have to question her needs or desires.

  She knew what she wanted. She wanted Cord.

  CORD WENT THROUGH EACH DAY as if in a dream. Becca loved to ride and she seemed to love the ranch and the cowboys. For their part, the cowboys adored her. He had a hard time getting them away from the barn to actually go and do their work. They were all eager to help if she needed anything and they were gonna be some lovesick pups when she left. Not to mention him. Mrs. Witherspoon had called twice asking about her return date, but he’d told her to take a little more time with pay. He kept postponing it, but he knew Becca had to leave. Her life was in the city. He’d sworn he would never put himself in this position again, but Becca was different. She had a big heart and a loving spirit and everyone responded to that—even Blanche. Blanche was now playing with her granddaughter…something Cord had thought he’d never see. Edie was riding again, and they were having meals as a family. All because of Becca.

  And his heart, which had been closed for so long, was slowly opening. He wasn’t sure what to do about it. He decided to take it day by day, hoping when the time came, that he would have the strength to let her go.

  BECCA PACKED A LUNCH prepared by Della and Edie for the cowboys. Della helped her put the heavy ice chest and basket in the Jeep. Nicki, of course, wanted to take Half Pint, and Becca agreed when Edie decided to ride with Nicki. The child was very comfortable on her horse, but Becca worried about the risks she took.

  She followed some distance behind Edie and Nicki. They were going to a different part of the ranch today where the cowboys were spraying the cattle with a medication against flies, ticks and other pests. Hooping, hollering and distressed mooing could be heard before they reached the site. The pens were set up in a clearing and cattle were herded in, sprayed and released.

  Several cowboys were milling about the campsite. Becca parked the Jeep and joined them, surprised to see Mona there. The older woman apologized for what had happened with the bull.

  “It was an accident,” Becca told her.

  “I know, but I’m just glad you’re okay. I took that bull to auction and sold him right away. I should’ve listened to Cord.”

  Nicki rode up to Becca and jumped off her horse. “I’m hungry.”

  “We have to get the food out of the Jeep first. Can you wait?”

  “’Kay,” Nicki chirped, and ran to Gus to tell him something. “Cord and I thought we’d never hear that again.” Becca laughed. “Now we can’t seem to fill her up.”

  “You’ve worked wonders with her,” Mona said.

  “Cord’s lucky to have a brother with such an understanding girlfriend.”

  Becca didn’t know quite how to answer that, so she didn’t. It wasn’t any of Mona’s business, anyway. Soon the rest of the cowboys rode over with enthusiastic greetings and shy grins. Dusty and Clint hauled the food and drinks out of the Jeep before she had to ask. Cord dismounted and walked toward her. Just the sight of him sent a shock of excitement right down to her toes. She was amazed at how her body reacted to him and no one else.

  “I see you don’t need any help.” Cord smiled as he watched the cowboys quickly spreading out the food.

  “I think they’re very hungry.” She smiled back, lost for a moment in the light in his eyes.

  “Hot damn,” Gus interrupted. “Fried chicken and biscuits. That Della’s a peach of a gal.”

  “You should be grateful,” Becca told him as they sat on the grass. Gus’s dogs lay beside him, waiting for scraps. “She and Edie fried chicken all morning.”

  “Edie, I’d give you a big kiss if I didn’t have a wad of chewing tobacco in my mouth.”

  “No, thanks, Gus. I’ll pass,” Edie muttered, and everyone laughed.

  “Do you know how bad that tobacco is for you?” Becca had to ask.

  “C’mon, Doc, don’t preach at me.”

  “I’ve seen men with half their faces removed because of cancer caused by chewing tobacco.”

  “Ain’t nobody taking part of my face off. I’m dyin’ with my boots on. Besides, at my age it’s a roll of the dice, anyway.”

  “Just so you know the dangers.”

  Gus turned and spit the tobacco in the grass. The dogs sniffed it, then settled back down. “Satisfied, Doc?”

  “Don’t do it for me. Do it for yourself and Della.”

  “Right now I’m doing it ’cause I wanna eat fried chicken.”

  There was another burst of laughter, and then everyone started to eat. Nicki sat in her lap with a chicken leg and a biscuit. Soon her head nodded against Becca’s chest.

  “My child always seems to fall sleep on you,” Cord said.

  “I don’t mind,” Becca said, licking her fingers. She was beginning to love Nicki so much, she wondered how she’d be able to leave her. She didn’t want to think about leaving Cord. Tonight, she vowed, they would find time alone to talk and…the and part made her feel warm all over.

  Mona asked Cord a question and that brief moment was gone. After lunch the cowboys headed back to finish spraying the cattle, but not before they’d helped clean everything up. Mona left, saying she had her own work to do. She apologized again for the incident with the bull. Nicki awoke and wanted her chicken leg, which Becca had ready for her.

  Once the cowboys had finished spraying, they dismantled the portable pens and moved on to another pasture. Becca, Edie and Nicki followed the procession, reluctant to go back to the house. Becca enjoyed watching; the horses seemed to know exactly what to do and when, and the rider became part of his horse. One day she wanted to ride like that.

  The dogs were also a pleasure to watch. They worked on commands from Gus, darting in and out of the herd, making sure that no cow or calf broke free.

  The clouds grew dark, and Cord decided it was time to call it a day. Again Edie and Nicki rode ahead and Becca followed in the Jeep. The cowboys were still collecting the pens and storing them on the trailer. A few raindrops hit the windshield, and Becca hoped they could all make it back to the barn before the rain started in earnest.

  The brakes seemed weak. She rounded a curve in the dirt road and applied the brake, but her foot went right to the floorboard. She pumped the brake several times, but it was useless. In her panic, she veered off the road and began to roll into a ravine. She tried to guide the Jeep back, but she was going downhill so fast that her efforts were jerky. She saw the huge oak a moment before the J
eep crashed into it.

  Her head hit the steering wheel and sharp pain ripped through her. Everything floated around her in a fog. God, please, don’t let me lose consciousness. But she couldn’t focus, and try as she might, she couldn’t stop the blackness that overtook her.

  Cord.

  CORD LEFT THE COWBOYS at the shed storing the pens, then rode toward the barn, eager to see Becca. He’d only been away from her for a little while, but even that was too long. Tonight he’d make time for the two of them. If he didn’t kiss her and soon, he’d go crazy.

  Before he could reach the barn, Nicki came charging toward him on Half Pint. “Daddy, Daddy,” she shouted, and he immediately knew something was wrong.

  “Whoa, slow down, baby,” he said, stopping her. “What is it?”

  “Becca, Becca…”

  “What about Becca?” He had an uneasy feeling in his gut.

  “She, she—we looked…and…”

  Nicki wasn’t making any sense; he was relieved when Edie rode up. “What’s going on, Edie?”

  “Becca didn’t come back.”

  “What do you mean, she didn’t come back?” That uneasiness turned into outright fear.

  “We waited here for half an hour or so, then we rode back. We couldn’t find her anywhere.”

  “She has to be somewhere between the site and the ranch!”

  “I know, but she’s not on the road.”

  “Daddy, where’s Becca?” Nicki wailed.

  He rode closer and put his hand over hers. “Go to the house with Edie and I’ll head out to look for Becca.”

  “No, Daddy, no! I wanna look for Becca, too.”

  “Baby, listen to me. It’s fixing to pour down rain, and I want you to go with Edie. I’ll find Becca.”

  “You promise.”

  “I promise.”

  He nodded to Edie, then turned Apache and rode hell-bent for the shed. “Gus!” he shouted.

  “Yeah?” Gus came out of the shed.

  “Saddle up.”

  “What the hell for? It’s startin’ to rain.”

  “Becca didn’t come back,” Cord said urgently. “Something’s happened and we have to go after her.”

  Gus whirled around. “Sure thing. I’ll get the boys.”

  Within minutes they were saddled and ready to ride. Cord gave orders to check the road on both sides from the area where they’d been working to the barn. The rain began, a hard, driving rain, and darkness fell, hindering their efforts. An hour later they still hadn’t found her. Cord thought he’d go out of his mind.

  “Where the hell could she be?” he asked Gus.

  “Don’t know. The rain’s washed away all the tracks. Ain’t much we can do in the dark.”

  “Like hell.” Cord exploded. “If anyone wants a job on this ranch, they’d better keep looking.”

  “Didn’t say nobody’s quittin’. We’d all ride through a blizzard for that gal. Just sayin’ the weather and darkness ain’t helping.”

  “She’s just farther off the road than we think. Let’s start again, and remember to tell everyone to fire three shots if—when—they find her.”

  “They know the signal. Don’t worry. We’ll find her.”

  Another two-hour search proved futile. The rain had stopped, but it was difficult to move a horse through the woods in pitch-black darkness. Cord was wearing a slicker but his boots and hat were soaked. Apache was also wet and tired, but Cord kept pushing him on. He had to find Becca. He cursed himself for not having had someone drive with her. After all, she didn’t know this ranch. He should’ve taken better— Suddenly a deer jumped in front of them, and Apache reared onto his back legs.

  “Down, boy, down.” Cord talked to him in a soothing voice, trying to calm him, but he felt just as nervous as the horse. Where was Becca? Fear gripped him like a vise, a fear he remembered well. He’d felt it the day Blanche had said “Something’s wrong with Anette.” But this was different. This feeling encompassed his heart, his body, his soul. And he knew what it was—love like he’d never known before. He’d admitted it earlier, but now he knew it beyond a shadow of a doubt. Becca was younger and a city girl, but none of that seemed to matter anymore. He just wanted to see her face again. Oh God, please let her be okay.

  BECCA AWOKE to a throbbing in her head. She raised her hand to her forehead, and pain shot through her. Something dripped onto her hand. Blood. Everything came back with startling clarity. The brakes. The tree. As a doctor, she thought of neck and back injury, but she felt she was safe in that area. There wasn’t much she could do. She had to staunch the bleeding; that was her next concern. It was so dark, though. She felt for the glove compartment and opened it, then fished around until she found a rag and something else—a flashlight. She held the rag to her head and wondered where she was and why no one had found her.

  She winced as she tried to move, but managed to get out of the Jeep. She trained the light on the vehicle and saw that it was smashed against the tree and almost completely covered with bushes. She didn’t even remember running through the bushes. The ground was wet, so that meant it had rained. God, where was she? Should she try to walk? Which way should she go? She saw no alternative and began to trudge up the ravine until she became so dizzy she had to stop. She took a couple of shaky breaths and sank to the ground as the darkness wrapped around her. She held the rag to her forehead and flicked the light on and off hoping someone would see it. The wind whistled through the trees with an eerie sound and lightning flickered across the sky. Another rainstorm wasn’t far off.

  She remembered another time she’d been in a rainstorm—the day she’d found out she was Emily’s daughter. Filled with so many tumultuous emotions, she’d taken Owen’s boat out in a storm, trying to run from the truth, but the truth was inescapable—like her love for Cord. She loved him and she had to tell him. Emily had told her she’d know when love was right. She finally understood what Emily meant. There was no indecision or doubt; she knew Cordell Prescott was her soul mate. Now she had to convince him of that…but first he had to find her.

  She flashed the light several times, pointing it at the sky, then turned it off. She didn’t want to run down the battery. She did that every ten minutes or so. She knew Cord was out there and he would find her. She just had to wait.

  CORD GUIDED APACHE through the bushes, trying not to think the worst, but if she was hurt and needed medical help, time was running out. An armadillo appeared in front of them, and Cord pulled his horse to an abrupt halt.

  He patted Apache. “Just an armadillo, boy.” He looked down to see if there were more and noticed something in the bushes. He slid down from the saddle and began to drag the bushes aside. His breath caught in his throat when he saw the Jeep rammed against the tree. The passenger door was open and Becca wasn’t inside. He looked in, resting his hand on the doorframe, and drew back as he felt something wet. It had to be blood. Oh God.

  He glanced around. She couldn’t be far. Then he saw it—a light flashing some distance away. He started to run, following the light. When he saw her, he sped up, then fell down beside her, his heart pounding so fast it was actually painful.

  “Becca, Becca.” He threw his arms around her. “Are you all right?”

  “I bumped my head, but other than that I think I’m fine.” Her voice quavered as she spoke. The rain was beginning again, mingling with the blood on her face.

  “Are you sure?” He made a quick inspection of her arms and legs. “Nothing broken?”

  “No,” she breathed, dropping the bloody rag she’d pressed to her forehead. Cord quickly removed his slicker and draped it over them. She nestled in his arms, needing him more than she’d ever thought possible.

  The rain beat down on them, but they were cocooned in their own private world. “What happened?” he whispered into her hair.

  “I was making a turn and the brakes gave way. I pumped and pumped, but the Jeep wouldn’t stop or slow down. Before I knew it, I was off the road careering dow
n the ravine. I remember hitting the tree, then everything went black.”

  “Oh, Becca.” His arms tightened around her. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if anything happened to you.”

  That note in his voice made her feel suddenly weak. “I’m a little shaken, but I’m okay,” she assured him again.

  The rain continued to pelt down, but Becca hardly noticed. All she cared about was the man holding her so tenderly. Her hand slid up his chest to the warmth of his neck. Despite the stab of pain, she raised her head, and his lips covered hers urgently. She clung to him, eyes closed, and his mustache felt like velvet against her skin. She wanted him to touch every part of her. She gave herself up to pure sensation, and the world spun away.

  Cord was melting into pure need—a need for Becca. Her hands, her softness, blocked out everything except the emotions inside him. His body hadn’t been this alive in years.

  He heard a sound and jerked his head up.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “Someone’s calling,” he answered in a troubled voice. What was he doing? He’d been so glad to find her, he’d forgotten to alert the others. “It’s probably Gus. I’ve got to let them know you’re okay.”

  He began to get up, but she held on, kissing him passionately. His lips lingered on hers for a second longer. “Becca,” he groaned. “You keep doing that and we’ll stay lost forever.”

  “Sounds good to me,” she whispered.

  His hand touched her face and he drew it back when he felt the blood on his fingers. He scrambled to his feet. “I’ve got to get you to a doctor.”