Her Unlikely Cowboy

by Debra Clopton

  Tucker tried to grab it but succeeded only in stepping into the line of fire. The can hit his outstretched hands and launched the contents straight at him. It got his tan uniform with a direct hit. He had red paint dripping from his badge to his boots.

  “Oh, my stars!” Suzie squealed. Only seconds had passed since he’d startled her. “What have I done?”

  Feeling bad for her and berating himself for walking in and scaring her, he shrugged. “You didn’t do anything. I know not to walk up on someone like that.”

  She thought about that for a blink of an eye. “True. You do. But look at you.” Hurrying to a roll of paper towels she came over and started blotting him down, going for his radio and phone first. The rest was hopeless.

  “It’s water-based paint, but still, your uniform is ruined.”

  “I have more,” Tucker assured her. He couldn’t have cared less about the uniform as he stared at Suzie, flashing back to the day on the stairs.

  Her hair had fallen loose from behind her ear and swung free as she tried unsuccessfully to dab the paint from him. A few strands of pale blond hair now had red paint on them, too.

  Instinctively he reached for those strands and rubbed the paint off with his fingers. Her brows dipped and suddenly her concerned eyes flared.

  She stepped away from him.

  “Water. You should go put water on this now. I have a hose hooked up outside by the back door for cleaning paint rollers and pans.”

  “I’ll do that. Then I’ll help clean up the floor.”

  Suzie’s look of horror at what she’d done turned more alarmed. “You will not clean up the floor. I’m the one who doused you. I’ll take care of this. Hurry, you might be able to save your uniform if you wet it down before it dries.”

  Striding across the room and out the door before he made a complete idiot out of himself, Tucker took his radio and cell phone off and set them on a small table by the back door.

  Finding the hose, he twisted the knob and drenched himself with the water. He needed something to snap him out of the continual lapses of bad judgment on his part where Suzie was concerned.

  Red paint, even water-based, was not the easiest thing to wash away. It looked as though he’d cut an artery or something as the paint ran off him and pooled in the scraggly grass and dirt.

  After a few minutes Suzie came out the back door carrying a towel covered in the crimson paint.

  “How’s it looking in there?” he asked, feeling like a drowned rat. Soaking himself down might not have been the best solution to this situation.

  She bit her lip and he could tell she was fighting back a smile. “Better than it looks like it’s going out here.”

  He cocked his head. “That’s a plus. I’d hate for you to continually have to tell people what the big red stain on the floor is.”

  She smiled. “That would get old after a while. Folks might start thinking I’d committed some terrible crime, Sheriff.”

  “Good thing most of it got on me.”

  She bit her lip, holding back a smile, and held the towel out. “You look terrible.”

  “Thanks.” He laughed. “All I can say is you have great reflexes and on-target instincts. If someone tried to sneak up on you they’d be in for a surprise, even if you weren’t wielding a can of paint.”

  Her eyes twinkled as she shook her head. “I’m glad I have something going for me. Could you point that water this way and let me rinse this out?”

  “Why, I’d be happy to do that,” he teased, and swung the hose toward her. It hit the towel, and the force of the water splattered red paint all over her, instantly making her look as though she had the measles.

  She gasped.

  Tucker did, too, shocked at what he’d done.

  They stared at each other, pink and red spots everywhere—and burst into laughter.

  “I promise you I did not do that in retaliation,” he said, between chuckles.

  “I wouldn’t blame you if you did.”

  She was so beautiful. Without thinking he gently wiped a spot from her cheek.

  Her laughter died. She swayed toward him and then suddenly backed away. “I...I’m here for Abe,” she snapped, shaking her head, looking confused.

  “I’m just here to help. That’s all.”

  She didn’t look as if she believed him and that was his own fault. How many times had he grabbed her or touched her? Too many.

  “You have nothing to fear from me,” he said. Moving to the faucet he turned the water off, stopping the flood around them. “I’d better head home and change.”

  He picked up his phone and radio, and started toward the side of the building, his boots sloshing and his jeans dragging. He climbed into his SUV, not even caring that he was dripping murky pink water all over everything.

  He’d almost kissed Suzie again—no wonder she was leery of him. They’d been laughing and relaxed, a good thing in the dynamics of their working together to help Abe.

  But no, he’d lost his head.

  He was a man who never lost his head. He was cool under fire and clear thinking through the worst of times. And yet, around Suzie he didn’t think.

  His phone rang before he backed out of the parking lot. Glancing at the name, he punched the talk button. “Hey, Dad,” he said, his voice calm, giving away none of the turmoil eating at him.

  “Tucker, we have a situation out here.”

  Chapter Six

  She should have just stayed inside earlier. But no, she’d had to go check on Tucker. Had to go outside after him and just look what had happened. Suzie’s face was hot as she stormed back into the shop, snatched a towel up and swiped the last puddle of paint off the wooden floor.

  She’d behaved like a fool.

  Part of it had been due to the fact that she’d decided she was being a simpering victim when it came to dealing with being a widow.

  She’d been so angry for the past two years. Angry at God. Angry at the military. At Gordon. And especially at Tucker. And then this situation with Abe had started, and she’d gotten angrier.

  She was a mess and she knew it. She had things to work through, things to change about herself. And the one thing she didn’t need complicating matters was this attraction—there, she’d said it. There was an attraction between her and Tucker that had no place there. Hopefully he understood that.

  Hopefully she’d made that perfectly clear just now.

  The door to the shop opened and Tucker poked his head inside. “Suzie, we have a problem at the school. It’s going to be all right, but I need you to come with me.”

  Her heart dropped to her knees. “What’s happened?” she asked, rushing across the room, tossing the rag to the floor as she went.

  “Abe and Jake got into a fight.”

  “Are they hurt?”

  “They’re fine. Lock up. I’ll drive.”

  Nodding, full of questions and turmoil, she hurried to grab her purse, locking both the back door and the front door. Still dripping wet, Tucker held the door of the SUV open for her then trudged around to his side. He was so wet he looked uncomfortable as they buckled up and he drove toward the ranch.

  “A fight?” she said. “With Jake. I thought they had been becoming friends.”

  “Boys fight sometimes, Suzie. This could be nothing.”

  The miles to the ranch seemed endless when, in reality, it took twenty minutes to travel the country roads. In the city it could have taken hours in traffic, and she kept reminding herself of this as she watched the pastures flow by.

  Tucker pulled up to the ranch office and they got out. She waited for him to lead the way, aware that they were being watched from the arena by young eyes. His boots squished as he strode across the wooden porch and held the door open for her.

 
Though he wasn’t dripping now, he looked terrible, his tan uniform shirt had turned a marbled crimson and pink, and his jeans were not much different. “I’m so sorry,” she said, everything that had happened forgotten other than he was dealing with her problems looking like this and it was her fault.

  “It’ll be fine,” he said. “We’re here to find out what’s going on between Abe and Jake, and to help them resolve the issue.”

  “Thank you” was all she could say as she followed him inside and through the door to one of the offices.

  Jake and Abe sat in the rich brown leather chairs in front of the large desk, each one of them had a cut lip and an ice pack. Dirt and sprigs of grass clung to their clothing and their rumpled hair.

  Randolph sat behind the desk looking serious, but not overly upset. Unlike Suzie, whose insides were curled up in a ball. Her hands were shaking, she was so upset. How many other times had she been called to the school office over the past year for Abe’s problems? She had hoped that it would change here.

  But there he sat looking as if he didn’t care about anything.

  Randolph stood. “Suzie, why don’t you come sit here, in my chair?” He gave her a reassuring smile and she did as he asked because her knees were too wobbly to hold her.

  “Thank you,” she said, walking around the desk and taking the seat. “What happened?”

  Neither of the boys would look at her.

  “We don’t know for sure, since they aren’t talking,” Randolph answered. “Jolie found them taking swings at each other behind the school when she was leaving—about thirty minutes after school had been dismissed for the day.”

  “You fellas want to tell us what’s going on?” Tucker asked, drawing sullen looks from both.

  “What happened to you?” Jake asked, taking in Tucker’s appearance.

  “It’s a long story, but it’s your story I’m interested in right now. Not mine.”

  Jake looked almost embarrassed as his gaze shifted away and he firmly clamped his lips together.

  “Abe,” Tucker said. “How about you? Want to tell us what’s going on between the two of you?”

  Suzie studied her son. “Abe, answer Sheriff Tucker.”

  He shot her a sullen look.

  Tucker gave her a hint of a smile. “I do have on my uniform—or what remains of my uniform,” he said, his smile lifting to his eyes. “But, so you boys will know, I’m not here as the sheriff. I’m here as a member of this family. Dad called me because we have a family situation and we need to work together to get it resolved.”

  “That’s right,” Randolph added, patting Suzie on the shoulder. “Both of you boys are new here, and this is how we do things. We mess up as a family and we resolve issues as a family. I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you and if you’re not going to tell me, I’m not going to force you. Sometimes a man has a reason for keeping silent. But if either of you need to speak in private there is always that option.”

  Tucker had leaned a shoulder against the wall and looked very relaxed now, watching the boys. Suzie realized that he might appear completely at ease, but he was taking in everything. “We’re all here to talk about anything bothering either one of you,” he said.

  Suzie liked how they emphasized family. Nana had done that same thing.

  “So, if you have nothing to say, then head on back outside,” Randolph said. Both boys stood up as if they’d been shot from a cannon. Jake looked relieved and Abe looked a little disbelieving. After all, at his previous school he would have received detention. Here he was being set free with no penalties. Suzie was about to say something about that. She was worried about Abe but he had to know there were consequences for his actions. Even among family. They were almost to the door when Randolph halted them.

  “There is one more thing, fellas.” They turned toward him, both only a step from exiting. “I don’t like fighting. A man has to do what a man has to do sometimes. But for the most part a fight is avoidable. There are other ways to resolve your differences. Talking about it is usually the best way. So, to give you the opportunity to resolve this issue on your own, you’re both assigned two weeks of mucking out the horse stables every evening together.”

  There was no hiding their dismay. “Yes, sir,” Jake said, but Abe only shrugged.

  “You can go now. I’ll let Pepper know there won’t be a rotation for a couple of weeks.” After they had gone and Tucker pulled the door closed, Randolph patted her shoulder again.

  “It happens. Boys fight, so don’t get too upset. Working together will either push whatever’s bugging them to the surface and it’ll come out or they’ll resolve the issue and move forward.”

  Tucker grinned. “It’s amazing how much life-changing bonding can go on when you’re cleaning out stalls on a regular basis.”

  Suzie wouldn’t know, having never done it, but it sounded like something she wouldn’t enjoy at all. “I’ll take your word for it.”

  Randolph looked from Tucker to Suzie and she was suddenly reminded that though not as bad as Tucker’s, her clothing wasn’t much better off. “Now, mind explaining what happened to y’all?”

  Tucker chuckled. “I’ll just offer this piece of advice, Dad. Never surprise a woman standing near a can of paint.”

  Randolph laughed. “Sounds like a great piece of advice. Thanks.”

  Tucker winked at her and despite all that had happened, she laughed.

  * * *

  After they left the office Tucker closed the door of his SUV and looked across at Suzie. “I’d like to drive over to the school before I take you back to town, if that’s okay with you.”

  “Of course, do whatever you need to do. What are you looking for?”

  “Something started that altercation between Abe and Jake and I don’t like that they aren’t talking. I want to look around where the fight happened.”

  “Sure, that sounds like a good idea. I know you have to be miserable in those clothes. I am so sorry.”

  “It’s fine. They’re drying. A few more minutes won’t matter anyway.”

  He drove across the pasture and pulled around behind the school where Jolie had found them fighting. He would talk to her himself when he saw her. “I know I said I wasn’t here as the sheriff and I meant that. But still, we need to get to the bottom of this even if the boys choose not to tell us what was going on.”

  “I agree.”

  Tucker walked over and surveyed the area. It was clear where the fight had ended, because the grass and dirt were disturbed. Tucker stood beside the area and surveyed the school and the grounds. Noticing something in the bushes he walked over and moved a limb out of the way as he reached for the fluorescent orange can.

  “What is it?” Suzie came to stand beside him.

  Looking up at her he frowned. “A can of spray paint.”

  Instantly, her face fell. “No.”

  “What do you think?” he asked, having his own suspicions but wanting her thoughts first.

  “Abe got in trouble vandalizing property with spray paint.”

  He nodded. “So did Jake.”

  Her brows crinkled and her expression grew stormy. “I just don’t know, Tucker. I don’t get it. Abe can be mad, he can be furious and hurt about what happened to his dad, but I don’t understand destroying people’s property. I just don’t understand it. As soon as I get back to the ranch I’m going to have a long talk with my son. This is ridiculous.”

  “As his parent, that’s your prerogative. But my opinion is to hold off for a little while. See if the boys come clean about what they were doing. And of course there is the possibility this doesn’t belong to them.”

  “You don’t really believe that, do you?”

  He shook his head. “No. But in my line of duty, a man is innocent until proven guilty
or he confesses. And Dad is trying to let them work through this together.”

  “Okay. He doesn’t listen to me right now anyway, so I’ll go along with you and Randolph and we’ll see if they step up.”

  “Good. I’m disappointed in both of them, but the opportunity to fess up gives them the opportunity to redeem themselves. Which is Dad’s hope.”

  “Then we’ll go with that. Thank you, Tucker.”

  He tugged his hat snugger on his head. “No thanks needed.” He started back toward the vehicle. “Okay, now it’s time for me to find some dry clothes.”

  “Yes, better hurry before some new disaster arises.”

  “Agreed. Let’s roll.”

  * * *

  “Are you all right?” Rowdy asked the morning after the paint fiasco. “You’re not looking so good.”

  The donkeys had escaped again and the men were loading them into a trailer bound for Sunrise Ranch, where they would remain until their escape route was discovered.

  “See, there you go hurting your big brother’s feelings,” Tucker said, teasing his way out of this conversation. “Just because you got the real looks of the family, you don’t have to always rub it in.”

  Rowdy stared at him, knowing full well what he was doing. “Hey, I can’t help it if I got the looks. At least you got the height.”

  “True, there is that.” Tucker chuckled as the last of the donkeys stepped up into the trailer with the enthusiasm of a kid going to the dentist. At six-two he was just a hair taller than his brother.

  “There you go, Tucker. Our work here is done.” Tony grinned and pushed the ever-present lock of thick black hair out of his left eye. Tony would be taking his driving test in a week and they were giving him every opportunity to practice. “Thanks, Tony, couldn’t have done it without you.”

  “I know.” He grinned. “Hey, did you hear Wes is riding bulls?”

  Wes had just turned eighteen, as had Joseph. Both had been raised on the ranch and were now in their first semester at Sam Houston. “He always did want to do that,” Tucker said, not surprised.

  Rowdy closed the trailer gate. “He’s good. Got on the team as a walk-on, but hasn’t told anyone till now.”