Cowboy for Keeps

by Debra Clopton

  Amanda’s brows did some major dipping of their own. “See, that’s where you are obviously confused. I am not your client. You are mine.” With that she turned and marched out the door.

  Unprofessional—you bet.

  But she didn’t care anymore. The man needed to back off. And he needed to do it now.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “You look beautiful!” Amanda stood inside Ashby’s Treasures, the dress store beside Lacy’s Heavenly Inspirations. It was a cute boutique store that carried a little bit of everything—even bridal dresses! When Susan had called and asked Amanda to come see her dress, she’d been honored to be included. She’d also been glad to get away for a little while.

  The dress was white with beading along the edge of the bodice and along the bottom.

  To go with the dress, Lacy had swept Susan’s blond hair into a soft style that exposed her neckline. Amanda thought all brides were beautiful, but she didn’t think she’d ever seen a happier one.

  Amanda hadn’t known exactly how she would handle seeing a bride, but she’d felt as if she would be fine. It had been a shock to realize how little it bothered her not to be marrying Jonathan.

  She wasn’t certain that she’d even loved Jonathan. He had been convenient—was that the right word? It made her sound so horrible. But the truth hurt sometimes, and she was afraid that she’d convinced herself that she was in love with him because he was willing to marry her even though she was damaged. She hated that word, but what else was she? She couldn’t have children. That couldn’t be fixed. Damaged seemed an appropriate word choice. She needed to face reality and move on.

  “Susan, I think everything works great together,” Lacy said from where she was standing beside the mirror. “Amanda and Ashby, what do y’all think?”

  “You’re beautiful, Susan,” Amanda said. “And I love the hair the way you did it, Lacy.”

  Ashby was smoothing Susan’s train out. “I think it’s perfect. This dress was meant for you.”

  Susan was studying her slim, elegant reflection in the mirror. “I love it. I’m so excited I don’t know what to do.” She met Amanda’s gaze in the mirror. “I can’t thank you enough for coming here and helping Wyatt. If it weren’t for you he would be miserable and I wouldn’t be standing here yet.”

  “He’s doing great. His arm is doing well. I told him yesterday that he could start using it. He tried to hide it but he was really happy about that.” She had gotten secretly tickled at the macho way he took the news. He’d clearly wanted to jump up and down and do flips, but instead he’d nodded and just flexed his arm. Of course he’d thanked her—carefully. They were both treading on eggshells around each other. He at least was taking her hint and not asking her personal questions for now, and for that she was thankful.

  “So what are you going to do when this job is over?” Susan asked.

  “She’s going to stay in Mule Hollow,” Lacy chimed in.

  Ashby smiled. “You can’t go wrong moving here. I love it.”

  “I’ve thought about it. I really have.” That got big smiles from both of them. “From the first moment I drove into town and saw Adela’s Apartments. I’ve thought about it. But I can’t.”

  “Why not?” Lacy crossed the room to be closer.

  “You like it here, don’t you?”

  “Yes, she does,” Susan answered for her. “I can tell. And Wyatt would be happy if you did that.”

  “Wyatt will be in Dallas. Besides, there is nothing going on between us that he would care one way or the other if I stayed or not. Besides, my job would make moving here impossible.” That might not have been true, and she knew it.

  Susan and Lacy looked at each other and shook their heads as if she was totally missing the big picture. She wasn’t—they just didn’t have all the facts.

  “Wyatt will be back and forth.” Susan reached for the hook at the neck of the gown. Amanda moved to help her. “Thank you,” she said, then continued talking.

  “We are hoping someday soon he’ll decide to come home for good and help with the ranches. Until then, if you were in town that would give him more reasons for coming home.”

  Amanda laughed nervously. “Y’all, I’m his physical therapist. Not his girlfriend. And like I said, my job could make the move impossible.”

  “You could be. And nothing is impossible,” Lacy said, not giving up.

  “Lacy, I could not be. Besides that, I would never fit into his lifestyle in Dallas. I’m not a black-tie-event type person and he reeks of it. I’m also—”

  “That is a no-brainer,” Lacy said, rolling her blue eyes. “You can fit in anywhere.”

  “That’s true,” Susan added, heading toward the dressing room. Ashby followed and held the dressing room door open for her. Susan paused. “Why would you even think you wouldn’t fit in?”

  “I don’t want to fit in. I’m a simple girl. I like blue jeans and running shoes. I don’t like dressing up and mingling.”

  “So does this mean you aren’t coming to my wedding?”

  “Of course I’m coming. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  “That’s what I hoped you’d say. See you in a minute and then we can all go to lunch.”

  “Are you all right?” Lacy asked when they were alone.

  “Sure. Why?”

  Lacy studied her. “Because you look so sad.”

  “I just had something on my mind, but I’m good.”

  “Are you sure? I’m a good listener.” Her eyes sparkled with compassion.

  Amanda shook her head; she just couldn’t talk about it. “I’m fine. Really.”

  “I don’t believe you, but I’m not going to press you. If you need to talk, I’m here. Oh, and don’t try to get out of coming Friday night to Susan’s party at my house, either. I’ll come chuck you in my car and haul you there kicking and screaming if I have to.”

  Amanda laughed. “I’d like a ride in that car.” Lacy was the owner of the ancient Cadillac convertible. They matched since they both looked like fun.

  Lacy grinned. “Then you’ll have one. I love my car. It’s different and makes me happy.”

  “I think it matches you,” Amanda said. “You are unique. I love that about you.”

  “Well, thank you! When my baby is born, the one thing I want him or her to know is that God loves people who aren’t afraid to be the way He made them. I love that in my job I get to witness to people every day. And hopefully make folks smile—even if it is just because I talk too much.”

  “There is way more to you than that! I like that you are sure of who you are and what you’re here to do.” Amanda knew Lacy witnessed in everything she did, so that was no surprise. It made Amanda feel like she was failing the Lord even more than she’d already been feeling. She’d walked away from her kids and now, since being here with Wyatt, had she done anything that could possibly be called a witness?

  “Don’t keep patting me on the back,” Lacy said, waving her pink-tipped fingernails. “Believe me, God has His hands full keeping me in line. That’s what’s so great about Mule Hollow. I just love all the friends I’ve made since being here. We keep each other straight and help out and pray for each other. We have each other’s backs. How about you, Amanda? Does someone have your back?”

  Amanda hesitated and Lacy winked at her. “You should really think about staying. I’m serious. Logistically, it might make your job harder—but something could probably be figured out about that. Believe me, though, if you pray about it and God leads you to hang out with us, then you should stay.”

  Amanda sighed. It was tempting. It really, really was.

  “But just so you know, you’ve been given a reprieve on the matchmaking efforts of Norma, Esther and Adela. They have been so distracted by trying to find preachers to come in on Sunday that they haven’t had the time they usually do to try and get something going with you and Wyatt.”

  “They know I’m leaving and that wouldn’t work.”

  Lacy
laughed. “Girlfriend, don’t you know that those three don’t know anything of the kind? They know God has put you and Wyatt here right now. And they know that you are single and so is he. And they also know that there’ve been sparks flying between y’all from day one. To them that’s like waving a red flag.”

  Amanda hated that they were having a hard time finding a preacher, but she was glad they had something distracting them. The last thing she needed right now was a posse after her in full pursuit!

  Wyatt had made a huge mistake. He’d pushed Amanda too hard and now she’d withdrawn from him. She did her job, but if he so much as looked like he was going to get personal with her, she clammed up. He’d been praying for guidance and hoped that she might talk with Lacy or Susan. All he knew was she needed to talk to someone.

  “So did you have a good time with Susan and Lacy yesterday?” Wyatt asked when she came in the next morning.

  “Yes, I did. It was a good trip.”

  She looked more at ease than she had the last couple of days, and that made him happy. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. Couldn’t stop wanting to give her a reason to smile. He’d been praying lately—something he’d let slide over time—that God would help her with the struggle she was having. He wished she would feel comfortable enough to confide in him. He’d started to care about Amanda, and he couldn’t even pinpoint when it had happened. It had just happened.

  When it came to Amanda, his unsureness was a new experience for him. Even different from the lack of confidence he’d felt about his recovery when she’d arrived. For a man who’d had all the confidence in the world just a couple of months earlier, his world had been shaken up on all corners.

  “Susan and Cole are going to be happy.” That he was confident of.

  “You made a good match, Mr. Turner.”

  He was pleased by her teasing tone and the sparkle in her soft eyes. It was starting off like a good day. “I just saw the obvious and acted on it.”

  She tilted her head to the side. “And what was the obvious?”

  “There was just an electricity in the air when they set eyes on each other. And then later at the reception Susan seemed to make something in Cole come alive that I hadn’t seen since his fiancée died.”

  “I didn’t know about that.” Amanda’s heart hurt for Cole.

  “He had a hard time. But he went on with his life at the same time. He was even his happy-go-lucky self at times, but it took time. When he saw Susan, I just had a gut feeling that something could come of it.”

  “Well, I think that’s great. Susan was so happy yesterday. She looked beautiful in her dress. Which brings us to your therapy. I want us to head outside today. We need to try different surfaces to build your balance. Are you up for that?”

  The phone rang and he started to reach for it but stopped. This was important. And he wanted to continue his conversation with Amanda. Nothing was urgent that was happening in the office. He also knew from the tiny movement of Amanda’s jaw and the slight quirk at the edge of her lips that she was fighting patience with him and his work. “I’m up for it,” he said, standing up slowly and feeling his hip strain. It was getting better, and walking always seemed to help it. “Is now a good time for you?”

  Amanda didn’t try to hide her pleasure at him choosing therapy over work. Only she was wrong, it was therapy with her he’d just chosen over the call.

  Wyatt had a good heart. An unselfish heart that was easy to see and she liked that. Amanda and Wyatt were walking down the gravel road with cattle grazing on either side of them. She was amazed at his perception and intuition in intervening in his brothers’ lives in order to help them find the loves of their lives. One day he would find the love of his life and the lucky lady would be getting a jewel. But today, she was walking with him in the pasture.

  If she moved to Mule Hollow, would he come home more? Would he come home to see her? Lacy and Susan had her thinking.

  Pushing the thought away, she watched him walk. His gait was improving, but there was still a way to go. The hitch in his hip movement remained very pronounced. She’d hoped to have him in better shape for the wedding just because she knew he would like to walk down the aisle as normally as possible. “Your persistence is paying off.”

  “Thanks to you. Lucky me to have you in my corner.”

  Amanda’s heart skipped a few beats as she met his serious eyes. It would be so easy to let her emotions lead her right now. But emotions were deceiving. She’d learned that with Jonathan. “You would have done great with anyone.”

  His brows dipped. “I don’t think so. You taught me more about courage and real strength than anyone else could have because of what you’ve been through and how you handled it.”

  Others she’d seen had been through much more than she had. “There are kids out there who have been through far more than me. Kids who don’t have the money to have the best prosthetics or the money to continue therapy that will enable them to walk without limps. But they keep on working at it even after I’m pulled off the job. Those are the ones who have really been through it.”

  “See, that’s what I love about you,” Wyatt said.

  “You will not let anyone feel bad for you. You are determined to keep your chin up and think positive. And to think of others.”

  That’s what I love about you. Amanda’s heart had stopped at the words. Oh, she knew it wasn’t true. She knew it was just quirky word choice. Still…

  She pushed her hair behind her ear and concentrated on the road. There were rough spots along this stretch and while she was watching his gait she could very easily forget to think about her own. “You give me too much credit.”

  “You give yourself too little.”

  She smiled at that. “You have an argument for everything.”

  His lips curved up slowly. “I am what I am.”

  “That is the understatement of the decade.”

  “You are as much an avoider of questions as I am at pushing them.”

  Amanda stopped walking and he did, too. A swallow flew by being chased by another. They dipped and dived—much like the conversation. Wyatt wasn’t going to let her get away with forgetting that she hadn’t told him everything. And maybe she really didn’t want to. “I’ve realized I didn’t love Jonathan,” she said unexpectedly.

  “Really.” His surprise couldn’t be disguised, but to his credit his expression remained neutral.

  “We should start back before you overdo it and your back starts to tighten up.” She began walking slowly back the way they’d come. Wyatt fell into step beside her, his gait slow but steady. She gave him a sideways glance, knowing she had to look as embarrassed as she felt. “I think I let my emotions convince me that I was in love with him. It had taken me so long to decide to go out—I had pretty much convinced myself that no man would ever want me. And here, on my first venture out, I’d found one. It’s embarrassing.”

  Wyatt’s hand on her arm stopped her. “Amanda, why would you not think someone would want you? You are a special woman.”

  His eyes glittered with anger. Amanda went breathless, she was so startled. She hadn’t meant to say what she’d said. She’d been talking about her being barren—he wouldn’t know that. How careless of her. She’d let her guard down.

  “I don’t like what I’m hearing. Amanda, any man would be blessed to have you fall in love with him.”

  What about you? She was treading on dangerous ground—stupid ground was what it was. Looking into his eyes in that moment, she didn’t care.

  When Wyatt leaned in and kissed her, Amanda’s heart stopped.

  Wyatt tugged her close. Dropping his cane, he wrapped both arms around her and sent her world spinning out of control as he deepened his kiss.

  Amanda knew she was never, ever, ever going to be the same after this moment.

  She was falling in love with Wyatt.

  I want children of my own. Jonathan’s words hit her.

  “Stop.” Her voice didn’t
sound like herself as she pushed Wyatt away. “This is a bad idea.”

  Wyatt let her go and, to her surprise, he looked as dazed as she felt.

  “You might be right. I shouldn’t have done that.”

  She reached for his cane, trying not to let his agreement cut her to the core. But it did. Straightening, she handed the cane to him. “We should get back. Your hip is going to need attention after this long walk.”

  “Amanda. It’s nothing personal,” he said quietly.

  She felt ill. “You’re right, Wyatt. This is business. And only business. We should never have crossed the line. Now, let’s get back. You have a bachelor party to go to in a couple of hours and your hip needs some rest.”

  He didn’t say anything as they walked back toward the stagecoach house. Amanda had the sinking feeling that she should have kept right on driving after he’d fired her that first day.

  It would have saved her a lot of pain.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “What’s going on between you and Amanda?” Cole straightened his tie and turned to Wyatt. “Is this straight?”

  Cole, Seth, Wyatt and their cousin Chance were waiting inside the back room of the sanctuary before the wedding started. Wyatt had been asked that same question several times the night before at the bachelor party. Even Chance had asked him what was wrong thirty minutes after he’d arrived yesterday. For a man who’d been known to have inherited his poker face from his great-great-great-great-great-grandpa Oakley—the best poker player in seven counties—Wyatt wasn’t holding up so well. Try as he might, he couldn’t hide the fact that he’d made a huge error in judgment. The guilt of that error must have been written all over him because it was obvious he wasn’t fooling anyone.

  “Cole, I told you last night at your party that nothing was wrong. This is your wedding day. You’re supposed to be thinking about Susan walking up that aisle, not about your big brother. I’m flattered and all, but come on, bro, give a man a break. Susan wouldn’t be too happy if she knew.”