Rocky Mountain Cowboy

by Tina Radcliffe

  Besides, if she’d learned one thing in the last few years, it was that Virginia was right. Fixing other people wasn’t her responsibility. She wasn’t to blame for someone else’s issues.

  She could train Joe in the use of his myoelectric arm, but she couldn’t fix what was going on inside the cowboy.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Joe stood in the yard with the dogs at his heels. For the fifth or sixth time today, he’d forgotten what he was about to do next. His thinking had been muddled since the day began.

  He blamed it on a sleepless night. Now he simply couldn’t focus. Animals fed. Check. Hay bales in from the field. Check. Those chores had taken up the bulk of his morning. Maybe he’d just clean off the equipment and call it a day.

  Overhead the clouds moved quickly and the sky had begun to darken ominously. Eighty percent chance of rain tonight. Like he trusted the weather guy anymore. Rain would be here long before tonight.

  Across the yard he could see the cottage. The Honda was absent from its usual spot. Becca had probably gone into town. He’d promised to drop off the paperwork and DVD. May as well do that now before that slipped his mind, too. Joe strode into the barn, picked up the packet from the counter and headed across the yard.

  With every plodding step toward the geranium-filled pots, he once again began to second-guess the decision he’d made last night. Had he done the right thing?

  Sure he had. It was time, once and for all, to bury the past. Joe dug in his pocket and pulled out the ring box he’d retrieved from his drawer this morning. Twelve years he’d been holding on to this dream.

  Time to let it go. He’d bury this ring—literally—and finally lay his past to rest.

  Alone on his land once more. Wasn’t that what he wanted? A future he could control. Everything to return to normal?

  He knocked several times first, then using his key to open the cottage door, he stepped inside and froze, stunned at the sight of neat stacks of sealed packing boxes in the entryway, all labeled with Becca’s precise handwriting. Kitchen. Bath. Casey’s room.

  Becca hadn’t wasted any time.

  Joe walked slowly through the house, his boots echoing on the hardwood floors. The beds had been stripped. He paused in the doorway of Casey’s pink bedroom. The room was empty, the blinds sadly drawn, blocking the view of the ranch.

  Every single trace of Becca and Casey had been scrubbed and polished from the cottage. The place sparkled. Floors had been mopped, the windows cleaned.

  It looked better than when she’d moved in.

  He paused and ran a hand over his jaw. No. He apparently hadn’t made the wrong decision. She knew it, too. Once again, Becca had wiped herself from his life, as though she’d never existed.

  Yeah, it was time for him to do the same. Joe tossed the packet and DVD on the counter.

  He closed the front door and stood on the porch. Before he realized what he was doing, he kicked over a pot of geraniums with his boot, his frustration bubbling over.

  Around him a cleansing rain began to fall. Tucking his myoelectric prosthesis safely beneath his coat to keep the expensive device safe from the moisture, he stepped off the porch and started walking.

  And he kept on walking. Right out of Rebecca’s life.

  * * *

  “I thought we were going to miss saying goodbye to you,” Abi said as she hugged Rebecca.

  “Sorry. The doctor’s appointment took longer than expected.”

  “That’s okay. We stocked up on Patti Jo’s finest while we waited,” Rod said with a laugh. “Though no doubt we’re going to be going through Patti Jo withdrawal before the week is out.”

  The SUV had been conveniently parked outside the bakery, where Rebecca had pulled up only moments before in her Honda.

  While Rod and Julian rearranged the equipment and luggage, Abi grabbed Rebecca’s arm and pulled her to the curb.

  “Are you all right?” she asked. “You look awful.”

  “I’m fine. Never better.” Rebecca plastered on a jaunty smile. “A little insomnia.”

  “What’s going on?” Abi demanded.

  “Nothing.”

  “That might work with someone else, but not with me.” Abi crossed her arms and stood waiting.

  “Joe,” Rebecca finally admitted on a hushed whisper. “Last night. He told me he was ready for me to leave Gallagher Ranch.”

  “Oh, Rebecca. And you believed him?”

  “Of course I did. I was awake all night replaying his words over and over. He shut me out. I can’t fight that. Besides, the way I see it, it’s better to hurt now than to realize later that I’m making a terrible mistake. I’ve spent the last twelve years down that road.”

  Abi frowned and looked her up and down. “I never would have taken you for a quitter.”

  Rebecca jerked to attention at the words. “I’m not a quitter.”

  “Then get back to that ranch and fight for what you want. I mean it.” Abi nodded. “And remember, you have my number. If you need someone to talk to, call me.”

  “I will. I will,” Rebecca promised as she considered her friend’s words. Overwhelmed, she reached out to embrace Abi in a bear hug.

  “Excuse me,” Julian interrupted, offering Rebecca an air kiss. “I need some love, too.”

  “Look at this, Julian,” Rebecca said. She held out her arm, no longer ashamed of the other ugly scar. “The stitches were removed today.”

  “I’m so relieved,” he said. “All is forgiven then?”

  “Yes,” Rebecca said.

  “Okay,” Rod said. “We’ve got to get going. We have things to do and it’s starting to rain.” Holding a hand in the air to catch the intermittent drops, he glanced up at the sky. “We’ll be soaked if we stand here much longer.” He looked to Rebecca. “We’ll see you sometime soon at the home office, right?”

  She nodded.

  “Remember what I said,” Abi called out from inside the vehicle.

  Rebecca smiled and waved at the SUV as it pulled away from the curb. She continued to stare until it disappeared down Main Street. Joe would be glad they were gone, but she would miss them. Especially Abi.

  When all was said and done, the team had done a great job. She’d seen the prints, the video footage and read Abi’s interview.

  There was no doubt in her mind that she would get the promotion and the bonus.

  Which was too bad.

  Because she knew in her heart that she’d give it all up for a chance to stay on Gallagher Ranch. But that was silly. Her second chance was gone. No matter what Abi believed.

  Joe Gallagher wanted things to go back to the way they were. Well, now he had his wish.

  Rebecca got in the Honda and drove slowly back to the ranch, savoring her last drive. Drizzle tap-danced on her windshield, and the wipers sang a rhythmic song. She smiled at the riotous wildflowers in the fields along the route to the ranch as they swayed in the rainy breeze. The blooms stretched across the fields on either side of the road for miles until the tall conifers appeared. The stately pines led the rest of the way to Gallagher Ranch.

  All she had to do was stick the boxes in the car and she was done. She’d stay at her mother’s until she decided what was next.

  By the time she parked outside the cottage the rain had stopped, leaving only muddy puddles in the yard outside the barn and the equipment garage.

  In front of the cottage a pot had been overturned. She frowned, kneeling to carefully right the container, scoop the fallen soil back into the pot and pat it back into place around the flowers.

  “You’ll be just fine,” she whispered to the plant.

  Shaking the dirt from her hands, she picked up her keys from the ground and opened the front door.

  The first thing she saw was the pa
cket and the DVD. Joe had been here. Rebecca released a loud sigh of frustration.

  She grabbed a box and headed to the car, popping open the trunk. Dumping it inside, she glanced around the ranch yard.

  It was quiet. Almost too quiet. A shiver slid over her. Something wasn’t right.

  Rebecca walked to the horse barn. Blackie was in his stall, as was Princess. Gil and Wishbone were in the back of the barn snoozing on their backs.

  She’d miss the ranch animals when she was gone. Miss the morning rides with them into the pasture. The smells of sunrise on Gallagher Ranch. Memories rushed in, overwhelming her. She swallowed hard and kept moving.

  Pulling open the equipment garage only told her that the farm truck was gone. Joe was out there somewhere. Alone, per his request.

  When the squawk of the CB radio rang out into the silence, echoing against the metal walls of the garage, Rebecca jumped.

  “Joe Gallagher. Need help...”

  The radio sizzled and crackled, cutting off his words. She waited for moments, hoping for more. Finally, she picked up the radio’s receiver and depressed the button on the device as she spoke. “Joe. Message received. This is Rebecca. Come in, Joe.”

  She waited again, but there was no response.

  “Where are you, Joe?”

  Nothing. Was she the only one who’d heard him? Should she call Sam? She tamped down panic, instead formulating a plan.

  It would be faster to check the ranch herself. In the last weeks, she’d memorized nearly every inch of the land.

  Rebecca ran straight for the barn. She approached the chestnut mare’s stall, and then hesitated. Yes, she’d been cleared to ride by the doctor, but was she ready, after the way Princess had tossed her?

  Her stomach didn’t think so. It didn’t matter. She had no choice.

  “Are we ready, Princess?” she whispered in soothing tones to the horse, as she stroked her mane. “We have to be. Joe needs us.”

  Rebecca put on a rain slicker and quickly tacked up the horse. She whistled for Gil and Wishbone. The dogs rallied to her, running in eager circles, ready for action. She mounted and rode out across the yard to the pasture.

  * * *

  Did they get any sorrier than him?

  Joe sat on a boulder massaging his ankle. He’d driven out to the far corner of the ranch and broke an axle in a shallow water-filled creek, which he would have seen if he’d been paying attention and not thinking about Becca as he drove through the sudden downpour. Sure, he could blame it on the rain, but he and God both knew it was his own fault.

  Overhead a hawk soared, making circles, as though the bird was examining Joe’s predicament and no doubt laughing.

  Yeah, he was alone on his ranch. Things were back to normal, exactly the way he’d claimed for weeks that he wanted them to be. Now he had all the time in the world to ponder his words which were coming back to haunt him.

  Where was Becca now? Come evening, if not sooner, she would be long gone. She was never coming back.

  He’d accused his brother of being foolish for not going after the love of his life, and lo and behold, the woman loved him so much she’d come back.

  Happily-ever-after for Dan.

  Not so much for him.

  No. Joe Gallagher had to learn everything the hard way.

  He’d lost the only woman he’d ever loved.

  Twice.

  Even he had to admit that was quite pathetic.

  Yeah, he was in a fine fix all the way around. The truck was out of commission, and he’d twisted his ankle crawling out the passenger door after it’d ended up sideways in the creek bed. To make things even more fun, his phone was dead because he’d forgotten to charge it, and the CB had gotten wet, offering him little more than a snap, crackle and pop when he turned on the thing.

  Joe was more than aggravated. He shoved his Stetson to the back of his head, grateful that while he’d lost his dignity, he still had his hat.

  A glance at his watch reminded him that he’d been out here two hours now. He’d finished off the water and the granola bar in his jacket pocket an hour ago. He was damp and tired. His ankle hurt.

  It was going to get cold real soon, too. There was only a few more hours of daylight. Yeah, he was turning into a pitiful excuse for a cowboy.

  He rubbed his hands over his face and started to pray. Hopefully the good Lord wasn’t laughing so hard at how he’d messed up his life that He would miss the prayer that was just sent up. After all, He wasn’t used to hearing from Joe so often. He might not even recognize his voice.

  The pounding of hooves on the land filled the silence, becoming louder and louder. Joe’s head snapped up at the sound. A horse and rider appeared in the distance. Silhouetted against the dark clouds on the horizon, a woman in a taupe Stetson approached at a rapid clip, with two dogs racing alongside.

  Becca?

  When she was inches from him, she stopped, reined in Princess and stared down at him, shaking her head but saying nothing.

  “What are you doing out here?” he asked. “You aren’t even supposed to be on a horse.”

  “I can go back if you want.” She clucked her tongue and lifted the reins.

  “No. No. Wait. I’m sorry.”

  “Finally we agree on something,” she muttered.

  He frowned.

  “I’ve been cleared to ride. I went to the doctor this morning.”

  “Good. That’s good.” His heart began to beat funny in his chest as he stared up at her on Princess. She looked good. Real good. More important, she hadn’t left the ranch.

  Becca glanced around, her eyes rounding when she turned in the saddle and saw the truck. “What happened?”

  “I had a little accident.”

  “Good thing you have backup, huh?”

  He narrowed his eyes. That was as close as she’d probably ever come to an ‘I told you so’—however, he was in no position to point out the obvious.

  “How did you find me?”

  “The CB radio. All I could get was that you needed help.”

  “Yeah, but how did you know where to find me?”

  “I didn’t. I prayed and rode the fence line. Gil and Wishbone told me you were here.”

  Hearing their names mentioned, the dogs began to bark and run in circles around Princess.

  “Sit,” Becca commanded. The dogs immediately obeyed. She looked back over at the creek. “What did you do to the truck?”

  Joe glanced away. “That’s a long story.”

  “No bars on your cell?”

  “Forgot to plug it in last night.” He stood and grimaced as he balanced on one boot.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Twisted my right ankle. It’s not broken or anything. Just needs a little ice and I’ll be fine.”

  “Sure you will. Maybe I should call an ambulance.”

  “Not funny.”

  She shrugged, unsmiling. “I thought it was really amusing.”

  “You mind if we ride double back to the ranch?”

  Becca slid off Princess and led the horse close to him. “I mind and so does Princess. You ride and I’ll walk.”

  “No way. I’m not doing that.”

  “Take it or leave it, Gallagher.”

  This time it was his eyes that rounded. “You drive a mighty hard bargain.”

  “Oh, you have no idea. Do you want help getting on the horse?”

  “I can manage.”

  “Of course you can.”

  She held Princess steady as he hobbled over and ungracefully dumped himself into the saddle.

  Becca was silent as they walked for the next thirty minutes. When they got close to the barn, she stopped.

  “What do you want to do?” she asked
.

  “Let’s get Princess taken care of first. Then if you could help me up to the house, I can handle things from there.” He glanced over at the Honda. “You’ve already got it packed up.”

  “Only just started, but it turns out I don’t have as much stuff as I thought. My baggage seems to thin down every day.”

  “What about Casey?” Joe asked.

  Becca turned her face away, revealing nothing. “No big deal. She has a room at my mom’s, too.”

  “But she likes this one. It’s pink.”

  “Joe, I’m done here. Let’s not get all morbid. You had your say yesterday. Besides, the truth is you really didn’t need much help from me to start. A much-deserved kick in the pants, maybe, but that was about it.”

  “Hey, no need to be insulting,” he said as he rode into the barn. He slid down from Princess, grimacing as he landed. Grabbing the top stall rail, he propped his boot on the rung. “So you got your bonus and the promotion. What’s next?”

  Becca stared at him. Her jaw sagged slightly, and she released a small gasp. “Is that what this is all about?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “Who told you about the bonus and promotion?”

  He shrugged.

  Becca paced across the barn. “Seriously, you never even bothered to ask me?”

  “What’s to ask? You did a great job and now you’re done.”

  “Yes. That’s right. I got that bonus for doing my job. So what? It doesn’t change anything. It wasn’t even my idea. As for the promotion, it means I get to stay in Paradise, and that is everything to me.”

  She turned and met his gaze. “We had a second chance, Joe. Except you insist on living your so-called back-to-normal life here all by yourself.”

  Joe inhaled sharply at the words he himself had been thinking just a short while ago.

  “I can’t make you ask for help, Joe. I can’t make you reach out to me. That’s what cuts deep.” Once again she paced back and forth. “I get that other-shoe-dropping mentality. I used to sing the exact same song when I arrived at the ranch. But haven’t I proved you can trust me?”

  “It wasn’t about you.”

  “What does that even mean, Joe?”

  “It means that I’m terrified you’ll find out you don’t really want to be here. On a ranch in the middle of nowhere with a handicapped man. I’m scared I’ll let down my guard, and you’ll decide you want to be with someone who can give you what you really deserve. It’s been twelve years, Becca, and I still can’t offer you anything but hay, cows and a house in the middle of nowhere.”