Her Forbidden Cowboy (Cowboys After Dark Book 12)

by Carpenter, Maggie

  “I don’t know what good can come from telling her,” David remarked, “but I know what you mean.”

  “I’d like to come in earlier so we can talk before Cathy gets there.”

  “You’re not arriving together?”

  “She has a lunch thing, and I need to stick around here for a bit. There’s work bein’ done. How about I get to you fifteen minutes early?”

  “Sure, that’s fine, I’ll see you then, and there’s something I need to tell you in private as well.”

  In her office, Marianne Coleman was busy with the arrangements for her very important dinner party. She’d just made some last minute changes to the menu, and the gold boxes containing the party favors had just arrived. Each one needed to be individually checked. Experience had taught her to be diligent about such things. It mattered not how reputable the company, mistakes could happen, but as she walked across her office to open the carton and unpack them, her mind was on her daughter. In spite of leaving messages, she had not heard from Cathy since the weekend.

  She’d let go of the private detective that first night. When he’d called and given her Scott’s message, she’d felt a twinge of fear, and she’d instantly regretted that she had someone spying on her daughter.

  It was Wednesday, the deadline she’d given him to end things with Catherine. She’d driven by his house on Monday afternoon, but it had looked abandoned, and she had no desire to swing by the barn. Had the cowboy taken the money and gone off on a holiday somewhere.

  “Lord, I hope so,” she mumbled, taking the gold boxes one-by-one and placing them on the coffee table. “Please call me, Catherine, even if it’s just to let me know you’re still coming to the dinner, and for goodness sake, if you are, I need to know if you’re bringing a date! I do hope you’re seeing that man I saw you with at Bellisimo.”

  Turning her attention back to the boxes, she sat down on the couch and began opening them to make sure they each contained the right gifts. The men’s boxes had a black ribbon on the lid, and contained a pair of sterling silver cufflinks with an inlaid diamond chip. The boxes for the women had a white ribbon, and held a sterling silver bracelet with three small sapphires. The gifts were elegant and expensive, and were sure to impress her guests, but half-way through her inspection, she rose to her feet and wandered across to the windows to stare out at the lake.

  “I have to know what’s happening with you, Scott Sampson. I’m going back to your house, and if I have to go into your barn, so be it.”

  Hurrying up the stairs to her bedroom, she grabbed her handbag and a jacket, then marched back down to the garage. As she left the house and drove to the other side of town, she suddenly realized there’d been a huge flaw in her plan. She had given him a deadline, but she hadn’t said what she’d do if he ignored it!

  “Oh no! I’m such an idiot,” she exclaimed. “How could I have been so stupid? Darn it. Hopefully the money was enough! He looked like he didn’t have two nickels to rub together. Maybe I haven’t heard from Catherine because he’s dumped her and she’s upset, or her pride is hurt and she doesn’t want to admit I was right about him. She didn’t look very upset at Bellisimo, though. She looked anything but!”

  Her mind still swimming, she drove through the outskirts of the town and finally reached the right street. Making the turn, she slowed down as she approached his house, and what she saw made her break into a broad smile. There was a For Sale sign on the front lawn.

  “Would you look at that,” she exclaimed. “I don’t believe it. My plan worked! He’s taken the money, he’s selling up, and he’s leaving. How great is this? Saturday night is going to be more than a dinner party for David to officially announce his project, it’s going to be a private celebration for me!”

  As Scott walked into David Coleman’s office, the conversation he’d had with Cathy that morning was bothering him. Should he tell her the details of what her mother had done?

  “You look like you’ve got something on your mind,” David remarked as he rose from his desk and shook Scott’s hand.

  “I do,” Scott nodded. “Cathy and I had a conversation about secrets. I gotta be honest, David, not tellin’ her about what happened with her mother, it’s gettin’ to me.”

  “It’s been bothering me too, but before we get to that, I have a secret of my own I feel obligated to tell you. Let’s sit down.”

  Settling into the chairs in front of David’s desk, Scott looked at him expectantly.

  “I’m not sure how to tell you this,” David began hesitantly.

  “I promise not to punch you in nose,” Scott grinned.

  “I’d appreciate that,” David said with a nervous chuckle. “I financed Matt Montgomery. Cathy was so upset with the prospect of you leaving, I stepped in so you’d have a reason to stay.”

  “No kiddin? Huh. I thought that whole thing was kinda outta the blue! You and your wife are quite the pair.”

  “Cathy is our only child,” David sighed, “and we didn’t think she’d make it into the world. Marianne was bedridden for months. It was a scary time, and we knew we only had the one shot to have a baby, but that little girl had her mother’s grit, and she made it. She was miracle, she is a miracle, and…”

  Hit with an unexpected wave of emotion, David’s voice trailed off.

  “I guess, havin’ somethin’ so precious, lovin’ someone that much, it’ll make you do crazy things,” Scott said quietly. “I’m glad you did what you did, but not for me, I would’ve been happy to sell or lease, either way, but I’m glad for Cathy. I think if new owners had come in, she would have been beside herself.”

  “She’s had a tough time with barns. Yours is the first one she’s been truly happy at, and now I know why.”

  “I appreciate you tellin’ me,” Scott said, “but it doesn’t change anything. I think Matt will do real well there.”

  “Thanks for understanding, and I apologize if I overstepped.”

  “What you did is between you and Cathy,” Scott said. “I leased the barn. As far as I’m concerned, that’s all there was to it, but Cathy, that’s another story.”

  “I’ll tell her,” David said solemnly. “I’m not sure when, but I will.”

  “Movin’ along,” Scott began, “if anyone should tell Cathy what her mother did, it should be her mother.”

  “So you’re saying, you want Cathy to know.”

  “That’s what I’m sayin’, and it’d be best if it came from your wife herself.”

  “Scary,” he mumbled. “Can I think about it?”

  “It’s your call. I think honestly she and Cathy will come out the other side real close. I’m not sayin’ it’ll happen overnight, but they’ll get there, and I’ll help Cathy through it. The thing is, David, what would happen if Cathy found out about this some other way? You know it would devastate her.”

  “It would, for sure,” David agreed.

  “And she’d be furious with both of us for not tellin’ her, and I wouldn’t blame her.”

  “I see your point. I hate to say it, but I do.”

  “Things do have a way of seein’ the light of day,” Scott commented. “Funny how it happens, as if God gives us a chance to make things right, and if we don’t, he does it for us.”

  “I hadn’t thought about it that way, but yeah, it does seem like that, doesn’t it?”

  There was a knock on the door, and pausing their conversation, turning around they saw Cathy walking into the office.

  “My two favorite men in the whole world,” she smiled. “So, what’s going on? What conspiracy have I interrupted?”

  “Hi, honey, you sit next to Scott here, and I’ll go back behind my desk,” David said, getting to his feet. “I have concocted a way to get your mother to view Scott here in a whole different light.”

  “Oh, goodie,” she laughed. “I love evil plans.”

  “I wouldn’t call it an evil plan,” her father said, shooting her a look, “I would call it a helping hand.”

 
; CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Scott and Cathy loved David’s idea, and with only two days to get things organized, Cathy and Scott left the offices of Coleman Construction and headed straight for Top Hat and Tails, the city’s high-end formal menswear store.

  David’s brainchild was for Cathy to bring Scott to the dinner party and introduce him under a different name. After being so impressed by Scott at Bellisimo, David was sure that Marianne would be equally taken when he showed up in a tuxedo for their formal dinner party. Once she’s spent some time in his company, she would find out what a warm, confident, and sharp man he was, but Cathy knew that to pull off the ruse everything had to be perfect.

  “I’m still worried someone will recognize me,” Scott frowned as they pulled into the parking lot.

  “I know the people who come to these things, and believe me, it’s a different crowd,” Cathy assured him.

  “I’ve spent time at the club. Like I said to your dad, I’ve had dinner there a few times.”

  “It’s a chance we have to take, but I’m not worried. This group, they’re all dad’s investors and colleagues. Besides, you’ll be needing a spiffy new tuxedo anyway.”

  “I will? How do you figure that?”

  “Mother’s charity events, they’re almost always black tie. You wouldn’t let me go without you, would you?”

  “Hell no, too many rich rascals at that country club.”

  “Rich rascals?” she laughed. “That’s hilarious, but wait…don’t you trust me?”

  “Now you’re just bein’ coy. You know it’s them I’m worried about, not you, sugar, but I think I’m gonna need a rule about goin’ to those things.”

  “A rule? What kind of rule?”

  “You go with a hot backside and no panties.”

  “Did you have to say that? Good grief!”

  “Gettin’ you a bit hot and bothered?” he teased. “You can jump my bones right here in this parkin’ lot if you want.”

  “You, Scott Sampson, are incorrigible.”

  “Yep, but let’s get movin’. I dunno how these people are gonna make a tuxedo in two days.”

  “It’s all about the green,” she sighed. “I’ve seen mom and dad pull all kinds of rabbits out of all kinds of hats by waving dollar bills around.”

  “I’ll just bet you have,” he mumbled, climbing from his SUV.

  Being a rush job, the manager was summoned, and after studying Scott’s physique, he broke into a smile and nodded happily.

  “The tuxedo Gods are smiling upon you today,” he announced. “You’re definitely a custom job, but I had a return, and I don’t think it will take much to get it to fit you perfectly. It’s one of the latest from Hugo Boss.”

  Forty-five minutes later, they left with the promise of it being ready by six o’clock the following day.

  “I need to swing by the barn then head on home, and you have to go and play nice with your mother at dinner tonight,” Scott grinned as he drove her back her father’s office so she could pick up her car.

  “That’s why I’m going to take a nap,” she sighed. “Between what you did to me last night, and all this conniving with you and dad this afternoon, there’s no way I’ll get through this evening without one.”

  “Good plan, and while you’re nappin’ and enjoyin’ your evenin’, I’m gonna be hammerin’ in the workshop. Your chair is almost finished. That should give you a little somethin’ to dream about when you go to sleep tonight.”

  “Thanks, I think,” she giggled, “and while you’re up to no good-“

  “No good? I’m goin’ to a lotta trouble to make you this chair.”

  “Not for me, you’re not. You’re making that crazy chair for your own wicked purposes.”

  “This is true,” he grinned, “but I think you’ll enjoy it, at least some of the time anyway.”

  “As I was saying,” she said, shooting him a look, “while you’re up to no good, you need to think of a name for yourself.”

  “I think I’m gonna let you do that.”

  “Me?”

  “Yep, and here we are,” he declared, pulling up next to her car. “I’m gonna miss you tonight. I’m gettin’ used to havin’ you in my bed.”

  “Our bed,” she winked.

  “That too.”

  “I’ll miss you as well,” she sighed. “I’ll call you when I get home tonight.”

  “You do that sugar, I’ll be dyin’ to hear how it all went.”

  He kissed her warmly, and as she stepped from his SUV and climbed into her much smaller BMW, he had to grin. Marianne Coleman was in for a big surprise, and a much needed awakening.

  The sun was setting as Cathy pulled into the motor court of her parents’ home. A cool wind was rippling the lake, and walking up to the front door, a gust whistled around her legs. It was that time of year. Spring storms could suddenly develop, move through with winds and torrential rain, then just as quickly disappear. Entering the house she wandered through to the family room and found her parents sitting on the couch, drinking wine and watching the news.

  “Catherine, I’m so happy to see you,” her mother exclaimed, rising quickly to her feet and running forward to hug her. “I’m sorry about things.”

  “Hi, mom,” she said hugging her back. “It’s okay, but you need to ease off a bit.”

  “I know. I’ll try, I promise,” her mother replied. “It’s hard when you love someone as much as I love my little girl.”

  “You do know I’m an adult now, right?”

  “Maybe in years, but you’ll always be my baby.”

  “Hi sweetheart,” her father piped up. “Would you like some wine?”

  “Sure,” Cathy replied, and releasing her mother, she ambled across to sit in her favorite easy chair.

  “Have you made up your mind? Are you coming on Saturday night?” Marianne asked anxiously.

  “Of course. I wouldn’t miss Dad’s big announcement. It’s so exciting.”

  “It is, very. You know it’s a departure for me. I just hope I can pull it off.”

  “Of course you can,” Marianne said confidently. “Cathy, do you know why Renaldo left town so quickly? You were the last one to see him. It was very strange.”

  “He said something about unfinished business,” Cathy said vaguely.

  “Are you going to be involved in decorating his home in Tuscany?”

  “No, mother, I don’t think so. Flying to Italy to do decorate a home might sound like fun, but even if he asked me, which I doubt he will, I think it would be tough. I don’t speak Italian, I don’t know any vendors there or where to find anything. Where would I even begin?”

  “Hmmm, I see your point,” her mother said thoughtfully. “Right then, let’s talk about Saturday night. Are you bringing anyone?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “Do tell,” her mother smiled. “Is he anyone we know?”

  “His name is Connor Marsden. You might not like him. He’s a horse trainer, and a bit of a cowboy. He’s not a suit and tie guy.”

  “You love horses, so that’s a common interest, that’s important, and as long as he’s not some dirt-poor farmer…”

  “Marianne, it’s just dinner,” David remarked. “You just promised to ease off, remember?”

  “I’m just asking, it’s all right to ask, isn’t it?”

  “Okay, mom, here’s the rundown,” Cathy declared. “He’s not dirt-poor, not by a long shot. He owns three properties that I know of, including a ranch he’s now developing as a new training and sales facility. We’ve been out a couple of times and I really like him. He might be a cowboy but he’s a gentleman, he’s very attractive, and he’s fun to be with. We went to Bellisimo just the other night and I had a fabulous time.”

  Cathy watched her mother’s face light up, and glancing across at her father she had to smile. He looked immensely pleased with himself.

  “I cannot wait to meet him,” Marianne beamed, “now is anyone hungry? I’m sure the casserole will be read
y.”

  “Is it one of Thelma’s?” Cathy asked, knowing her mother rarely set foot in the kitchen.

  “Yes, it’s a chicken, vegetables and dumplings stew,” her mother replied. “That woman is such a treasure.”

  “We’d starve without her, that’s for sure,” David said standing up. “You two go and sit at the table. I’ll take it out of the oven.”

  “Good suggestion, dad,” Cathy laughed. “We don’t want any accidents.”

  “I may not be competent around the stove top, but I have other talents that are just as important,” Marianne said indignantly.

  “You do mom. No-one can make a dinner reservation like you can!”

  “Don’t be such a smart aleck. That happens to be true. I always manage to get the best tables.”

  David laughed out loud, and as he split off from them and headed into the kitchen, he felt the peace between mother and daughter. It was a relief, and while he had no way of knowing what might happen on Saturday night, he was reasonably confident everything would work out just the way he’d planned.

  As Cathy and her parents were settling down to have their dinner, Scott was in his workshop standing back and eyeing his chair. It had come together quickly, and he’d been surprised just out easy the work had been. He was amazed that the few hours he’d put in he’d accomplished so much. All he needed was two more hinged planks for her knees, the foam padding and the leather with which he’d cover it. If he dedicated the next two days to completing the task, he’d have it finished by the weekend.

  “Might be a nice way to celebrate what happens at that dinner party,” he chuckled.

  Ready for something to eat and some relaxation in front of the television, he laid down his hammer and sauntered back towards the house. A few drops of rain fell on his head, and the wind was picking up. Another Spring storm was on its way. Wishing Cathy was going to be with him overnight, he stood for a moment and felt the weather.

  “It’s gonna be a doozy,” he mumbled. “Man those clouds are black.”