Bought by the Lone Cowboy

by E. Walsh

  “Emily, you need to just do what he asks and look at it like a job, because that’s what it is. His ad didn’t ask you to fall in love with him. It asked you to move to Texas and raise his nieces. So, that’s what you do.” Leila had spoken matter-of-factly and Emily had walked away feeling confident in her decision to follow through with the role.

  “Well, I just wanted you to know that I’m glad you’re here, and I look forward to getting to know you better. I mean, all I know about you right now is that you’re from a little town in England, and that you have a cousin who you’re close with. The girls go to school during the week, so I was thinking that maybe you and I could go to one of the local barbeque spots on Monday and have lunch together. How does that sound?” Dylan looked at Emily with a hopeful expression.

  “That sounds great. I’d love to get to see what Texas looks like.” Emily smiled and then had a good look at Dylan’s face. He had a dimple in his left cheek and a slight bump in his nose. She definitely found him attractive, and it made her want to speak to Leila so that she could tell her. They had sat up together one night trying to guess what Mr. Dylan McBride looked like, and Emily had been pretty close in her estimation.

  “I look forward to it.” Dylan smiled and then turned around to face the mound of dishes that loomed over the sink. Before he could even think about washing one, the back door flung open.

  “Uncle Dylan. Robbie asked if we could go on a tractor ride. Can we?” Eisley, still in her pajamas, stood before Dylan, her big blue eyes wide as saucers, her hair trailing wildly down her back. Dylan looked at Emily for approval.

  “I think that you and your sister need to get dressed before you do anything.” Emily stepped in and then looked outside. Anna was on her way in. She tromped up to the back door, threw it open, and then kicked off her boots which were covered in mud. “Okay, Anna. Right upstairs you go to get dressed. Leave those boots here.” Emily smiled and then took the boots as Anna scampered away with her sister. Dylan looked on with a smile.

  “You know, for being here less than twenty-four hours, you seem to already have a knack for talking to the girls.” Dylan was impressed. He didn’t know what to expect, and he was somewhat relieved that Emily, so far, met his expectations. “We can talk more tomorrow about their schedules, and their behavior.” He raised his eyebrows and Emily chuckled.

  She knew that with a little bit of effort, she could get the girls to comply with her requests and even enjoy themselves doing it. Emily was used to being around children, and just like her letter had stated, she was prepared to make sure that they were respectful and hard-working, as opposed to rude and unsavory. She approached the sink and looked at the dishes, not quite sure where to begin.

  “Emily. You just got here. Take today to just un-pack and settle in. We’ll get out tomorrow for a little bit and then we can get down to the nitty-gritty as the week begins, oaky?” Dylan didn’t want Emily to feel so overwhelmed that she second-guessed her role. He wanted to ease her into the McBride lifestyle, wanted to slowly incorporate her into the chaotic and unbalanced life that they currently led.

  “Okay. Thanks.” Emily rocked back and forth on her heels and then turned around to go upstairs. She passed Eisley and Anna as they came bounding down the steps, dressed in their clothes to go outside. For a second, she thought back to her own childhood and recalled the many afternoons she’d spent outside on her parents’ farm. She liked the fact that Dylan lived on what appeared to be a vast expanse of property, and she liked the fact that there was enough space for her to wander alone and in private if the household environment became too demanding.

  Once upstairs, she closed the door and sat down on her bed. Then she pulled out a note pad from her suitcase and reached in her purse for a pen. She wanted to write to Leila and let her know that she had arrived safely and that she was just beginning to get settled in her new home. She had just written “Dear Leila,” when she heard a car pull up in the driveway. She slid off the bed and walked to the window to take a peek at who had arrived.

  Two men in black suits climbed out of the car and approached the front porch. As soon as they knocked Emily heard the dogs bark and the girls call out to Dylan. She wondered who the men could be, and then figured that she’d find out soon enough. She sat back down on the bed and had just finished writing “I arrived safely,” when she heard a knock at her door.

  “Hi, Eisley.” Emily smiled when she saw the little girl standing before her. Eisley tugged at Emily’s shirt.

  “Miss Emily, can you please make me and my sister some lunch? Uncle Dylan is in a meeting.” Emily realized that Dylan probably hadn’t told the girls that he was giving Emily the day off, but she didn’t mind going down to make them a quick lunch.

  “Sure, sweetie. I’ll be down in a minute.” Emily walked back toward the bed and folded up her letter. She tucked it neatly into her suitcase and then walked toward the mirror that was attached to her dresser. She thought back to what Dylan had said about her resembling a model. It brought a smile to her face as she realized that this would be the first man she had been involved with in over five years. It gave her pause when she realized the depth of the commitment she had just gotten herself into.

  Dylan was seated at the head of the dining room table when she got downstairs. The two men in black were on either side of him, and both had a series of papers and folders in front of them. She wondered what this meeting was all about, but knew that it wasn’t the right time to ask. She gave Dylan a weak smile and she tried to gracefully slide into the kitchen to make the girls lunch.

  “Emily, thank you for getting their lunch. This was a little bit…” He paused and then looked at one of the men with a frown. “…unexpected.” Dylan drew in a deep breath and then looked down at the papers before him. Emily nodded and then continued walking. When she got into the kitchen, all of the dishes from the previous day, along with the dishes from breakfast, were piled in the same intimidating mound. Eisley and Anna looked at Emily with expectant faces.

  “Well, girls. Before I make you lunch, I’m going to need to tackle these dishes. Why don’t you both go outside for a few minutes and let me get this taken care of first?” Emily didn’t know how long it was going to take, but she hoped it wouldn’t be more than a half hour. She rolled up her sleeves, took a deep breath, and then dove in.

  Although she couldn’t be sure, Emily was willing to bet that the majority of the dishes had been sitting there for well over two-weeks. She had to scrub with two different sponges to get the encrusted remains off several plates, and the coffee mugs had what appeared to be moldy cream at the bottom of them. She shook her head in disgust and wondered how anyone could just let his kitchen get to such a state.

  When she had finally finished washing, she looked for a clean towel to let them dry, but here was nothing except dirty laundry at the back door. She found a single paper towel at the end of a roll and used that, then opened up the trash can to throw out the cardboard roll only to find that the trash was overflowing. Eisley and Anna had both disappeared outside so she didn’t have either to tell her where the trash bags were kept.

  Emily opened up three drawers but only found some dirty silverware and a few paper napkins that looked like they had come from convenience stores. She felt a wave of anxiety seep into her bones as she looked around. This place needed more help than she could have imagined and she started to wonder if she would actually be capable of handling it all by herself. Just as she was about to give up hope on finding a clean trash bag, she saw another set of cabinets near the dirty laundry. She stepped across the kitchen and opened the first one, and a pile of bills fell on her head.

  She knelt down and started to pick them up, noting that many of them were stamped with large red letters “Final Notice.” She rifled through a couple, out of curiosity, and saw a variety of obligors. Some were from the electric company, a few were from the heating company, and a few were from someone named Felix Rose. She tried to shove them all back in
the cabinet, but they wouldn’t stay put. She didn’t want Dylan to think that she had invaded his privacy, but it was hard to think of what to do, other than tell him that they had accidentally fallen out.

  “Miss Emily, is our lunch ready yet?” Anna came bounding into the kitchen with a big smile on her face and Emily shook her head.

  “I’m sorry, honey, but I’m still trying to get cleaned up in here. I have an idea. Can you help me?” Emily figured that these girls were young, but not so little as to be excused from chores. Emily decided on the spot that they would each get their own kitchen chores form now one. She appointed Eisley as the sweeper, and Anna as the wiper. She gave Eisley a broom and Anna a rag, then filled up a bucket with some warm, soapy water.

  Meanwhile, Dylan and his mysterious guests kept posted at the table. The girls’ blips of laughter filled the kitchen so Emily was unable to hear a word of what the men were saying. She knew that it was wrong to eavesdrop, but her curiosity got the best of her, so she excused herself from kitchen duty and walked quietly out in the dining room on her way to use the bathroom.

  “You already knew this, Mr. McBride. We told you that without this month’s mortgage payment, we’re going to have to put it into foreclosure.” The man on the right was shaking his head and tapping a pen on the table. Dylan’s face was flushed and he said nothing when Emily drifted by. An uncomfortable silence fell over the room, and Emily was relived to finally get inside the bathroom.

  “Foreclosure?” She whispered to herself and then wrung her hands together. What was this all about? She thought back to the day Leila had discovered the ad inside Griffin Café. Clearly, Dylan McBride was not the successful business man that he had claimed to be. Emily felt her face redden. He was a liar.

  She bit her lip and then tried to decide what to do. Then she shook her head with bewilderment. What were her options? She was alone, in another country, away from her dear cousin, with a strange man who had deceived her about his status. She wanted to cry, and almost did, until she heard a soft rapping at the door.

  “Miss Emily? We finished with all the sweeping and wiping. Could you come out and make out lunch now?” The sweet voice sent a wave of warmth through her body and she sighed.

  “Sure thing. Just give me a second.” Emily pulled her hair up into a pony tail, splashed some cold water on her face, then opened the door and headed out of the bathroom.

  * * *

  Chapter 7

  Emily wasn’t surprised with what she saw when she opened up the refrigerator door. Inside were half-eaten dishes of food with mold on the tops of them, and a variety of empty condiment jars. She pulled out everything from the shelves and then wiped down the insides with her soapy water. She threw out the moldy food and then rearranged the condiments. Amazingly, she found a couple slices of cheese that were still good, and she used them to make the girls grilled cheese sandwiches.

  She had just finished wiping down the kitchen table and was about to place their sandwiches down when Dylan popped his head inside. “Hey, Emily. I know this was supposed to be your day to relax. I apologize, but I had some unexpected business to deal with.” He whispered and then looked around the kitchen. “I can’t believe it. Look what you did in here.” He covered his mouth with his hand and then shook his head. “I’m truly amazed.” He looked at Emily and then, in a gesture that took her completely off-guard, gave her a huge hug.

  Emily blushed and then served Eisley and Anna their lunch. “This is great! I love grilled cheese!” Anna piped up as soon as Emily set down her plate. Eisley had a similar reaction. The girls ate with enthusiasm and Dylan disappeared back into the dining room. After Emily had cleaned the lunch dishes and mopped the kitchen floor, she heard the men get up and she watched Dylan lead them to the door.

  “I think I should talk to you tonight, Emily.” Dylan appeared in the doorway after he had bid the men goodbye. He had a troubled look on his face and Emily tried to act as if she didn’t know what could be troubling him. “And, I am sorry to tell you this, but I’m not so sure we’ll be able to go to the barbeque place tomorrow.” Dylan hung down his head and Emily felt a pang of pity for him.

  “It’s fine, Dylan. I came here to fulfill the position of care-taker for your nieces as well as…” Emily paused when she thought about it. “…and wife.” She smiled and then shrugged. She figured that right now she might as well try and make the best of it. If the man didn’t have money to pay his mortgage, then he certainly didn’t have the money to pay for her flight back to England because she had changed her mind. In a sense, she decided with some reluctance, she was stuck.

  As the day progressed Emily found herself braiding pig-tails, washing and folding clothes, wiping down windows and rearranging furniture. She felt like a tornado had erupted within her and that she had to move with it to keep up her momentum. Dylan let her do whatever she wanted, relieved and appreciative that someone had finally stepped in to help him with his life. When it came time to settle down for the night, Emily was exhausted. She walked wearily toward the bathroom and then ran herself some bath water.

  “You know I have some great bath salts if you’d like to give them a try.” Dylan popped his head in the bathroom just as Emily was about to get changed. She smiled and then looked at his face. His chiseled cheekbones defined his angular face and his soft blue eyes reminded her of the sky on a Lancaster afternoon.

  “I’ll try them. Thanks.” Emily moved a little closer and then waited as Dylan handed her the jar. She set the salts on the edge of the tub and then waited for Dylan to leave. But he didn’t.

  “You know, as my wife, I have a few expectations when it comes to physical contact.” Dylan moved closer and took Emil’s hand in his. “I hope that’s not a problem for you.” He smiled and then brushed his body up against hers. She tried to relax but it had been so long since she’d even kissed anyone that she didn’t know how to react.

  “I hope that I can provide what you need.” Emily smiled and then moved a little closer. Dylan leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. Emily closed her eyes and inched a little closer. Dylan wrapped his hands around her waist and then slowly pulled her sweater over her head. She stood still and let him explore her body with his hands. “You have a beautiful body, Emily.” Dylan sounded sincere and Emily could feel a sensation of heat rise within her core.

  He ran his hands over her shoulders and then started to rub them in long, rhythmic motions. Emily sighed, feeling all of the tension from the day release from inside her. Dylan moved closer and kissed the nape of her neck, sending Goosebumps down her spine. Just as she was about to open her eyes and make her move to kiss him, they both heard a loud crashing sound downstairs. Dylan bolted out of the bathroom and jetted down the steps.

  “Everything’s okay. It was the dogs!” Dylan called up to Emily and then went about shooing the two Rottweilers out of the kitchen and away from the trashcan that they had toppled over. Eisley and Anna were sitting in front of the television watching an episode of Sesame Street. Dylan ran his hands through his hair. Even though Emily was obviously tired, he was exhausted, too. The stress from his earlier meeting, coupled with the ongoing chaos of his home life, made for one weary man at the end of the day.

  He trudged back up the stairs and then rapped on the bathroom door. Emily was in the tub, her head resting on a washcloth, her body completely submerged in the warm, soothing salts. She smiled when he popped in. “I won’t bother you. The girls are watching a show, and I’m going to out them to bed shortly. Why don’t you come into my bedroom when you’re finished? We can spend out first night together.” Dylan gave Emily a seductive grin, and Emily tried not to giggle.

  “Okay. I’ll come in as soon as I’m dressed.” Emily winked and then closed her eyes as soon as he closed the door. She wondered if they were moving too fast. After all, they had just met. She reminded herself that this wasn’t a typical relationship. As part of the agreement, if Dylan wanted sex, then she would have to provide. After all, this
was a marriage of “convenience.” Emily sighed and then slid further under the water.

  * * *

  Chapter 8

  A slight breeze blew in from Dylan’s window. Emily could make out a few photographs on his wall, a dresser, and a huge mound of laundry in the corner. She walked slowly toward his bed and then let down her hair which had been pulled up in a bun from her bath. Dylan turned around and reached for her hand. “I’m glad you came in.” He pulled her closer and then sat up. He was in only his boxer shorts, and Emily could make out the muscular definition in his chest when he leaned closer.

  “I know that as your wife I’m going to be asked to serve you in different ways, so I just wanted to tell you that I’m aware of my obligations.” Emily knew that she sounded too formal and that Dylan was a casual sort of man, but she couldn’t shake her sophisticated English upbringing. Dylan smiled and then moved over so that she could get into bed with him. Then he pulled up the covers so that they were both snuggled deep inside.

  “You know, oddly enough…” Dylan whispered to Emily as she reclined on her side. “…I feel a strong connection to you, already. Isn’t that peculiar?” Dylan smiled and then nuzzled his chin against her neck. Emily smiled and then turned to face him. She was wearing her cranberry colored pajamas that Leila had bought for her birthday last year.

  “I feel a sort of connection to you too, oddly enough.” Emily chuckled and then wrapped her arms around Dylan’s neck. He drew her close and then opened his mouth to meet hers. Emily waited with anticipation and then, as if a sort of dance, they explored each other with their tongues, both of them taking the time to taste and touch and tickle with their mouths.