Come Home, Cowboy

by Cathy McDavid

  Josh supposed he should thank Raquel. She’d invited him and the kids to the house for a late Saturday morning brunch. Tired of his own pathetic cooking, he’d jumped on the offer, not knowing that Cara would be there, too.

  She’d managed to avoid him pretty much all week. Even when Rusty showed up with his crew and spent two full days trimming countless hooves. Even when three of her most promising young mustangs were loaded into Rusty’s trailer, headed for their new home at Big Sky Horse Rental. Even when she’d silently cried as the trailer pulled away.

  Josh wasn’t sure if Cara had told Raquel about their kiss. The two were close, and Raquel was astute. She’d no doubt made an educated guess.

  At brunch, Josh had gobbled down the best egg-and-chorizo burrito he’d ever eaten, made better by the addition of homemade salsa. Nathan had devoured his scrambled eggs while Kimberly mostly played with hers. The brothers had chatted about the family meeting Reese scheduled for later in the week, debating what that might be about and if anything new had recently happened regarding the ranch finances.

  It was during Josh’s second cup of coffee that Cara had mentioned the foal. She’d moved the mare to the small corral the day before in anticipation of the birth. Though no complications were expected, she’d wanted to separate the first-time mother from the herd.

  He thought his kids might get a kick out of seeing the newborn foal. Now that he’d arrived at the corral, the error in his plan became clear.

  Kimberly was far too young to have much interest and fell asleep in her carrier. Nathan, excited at first, sulked and whined when he learned he wasn’t riding Hurry Up—being led slowly around the pen was his new favorite pastime.

  Josh had given himself several figurative pats on the back for his smart decision to sponsor Hurry Up. And Wind Walker. Now, there was a fine horse. Maybe later today he’d try putting a saddle on the stallion and taking him for a test drive.

  “Daddy, Daddy, baby horsey.” Nathan jumped up and down in place, suddenly excitedly.

  They stood at the corral fence, looking in. The mare kept a safe distance, putting herself between them and her foal.

  “Yeah, son. Baby horse.”

  The foal’s natural curiosity was getting the better of him, and he peeked out from behind his mother. Josh considered going into the corral. In his opinion, foals benefited from human contact right from the start, making them friendlier and more receptive to training later on.

  He decided to stay where he was. The foal wasn’t his and, more importantly, he didn’t have anyone to watch the children. A second glance at the mare and foal made Josh reconsider. The foal had ventured out from behind his mother and was tiptoeing toward them, his gait slow and awkward.

  Josh paused. He’d seen this before. Once in a great while, foals were born with constricted tendons, a condition that could be serious and required immediate treatment.

  After a quick check on the kids—Nathan played at his feet while Kimberly continued sleeping in the carrier—he retrieved his cell phone from his coat pocket. The display was blank. He’d forgotten to charge his cell phone again last night. No surprise. He’d fallen asleep on the couch, fully dressed and without bothering to pull out the sofa bed.

  “Dammit,” he muttered, then winced. Had Nathan heard him?

  Well, he’d return to the house, locate Cara and let her know his concerns. She could handle the situation however she chose. Only, that wasn’t what he did. The foal’s odd steps were too worrisome.

  He took Nathan’s hand, set the carrier on the ground and made him stand beside it. “Wait here, son. I need you to watch your sister.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m going to check on the baby horse.”

  “I want to go, too!”

  “You can’t.”

  Nathan made a face. He was going to start crying.

  “Come on, buddy. I need you to be a big boy and help me, okay?” What he really needed was for both kids to stay out of the way and out of trouble. “We’ll go for ice cream afterward.” Bribing his son. That was probably wrong for at least a dozen reasons.

  Nathan reluctantly agreed, and Josh entered the corral, approaching the mare and foal very, very carefully. Luckily, the mare was friendly and the foal unafraid. Reaching them, he extended a cautious hand. The foal sniffed his fingers.

  He decided Cara must have worked with the foal earlier this morning already, right after it was born. Good. That would make treating the constricted tendons easier.

  “Daddy, I wanna pet the horsey.”

  “Stay there, son.” Josh spoke more sharply than he’d intended and softened his voice. “It’s important. Please.”

  Nathan was short enough that he could peek through the lower two railings. He watched Josh’s every move with avid fascination.

  “Easy girl,” Josh coaxed. “That’s it.”

  Petting the mare first, he examined the foal’s front legs, running his hand down the length of them. The foal flinched but didn’t pull away and instead smelled Josh’s cowboy hat.

  He used the opportunity to massage the foal’s legs. That was hardly enough to correct the condition. It did, however, give him an idea of what to tell the vet, who was scheduled to visit in the afternoon.

  “What are you doing?”

  At the sound of Cara’s voice, Josh looked behind him but didn’t straighten. “I think we have a problem. The foal was born with contracted tendons.”

  “He was?”

  She wasted no time and, bypassing Nathan and Kimberly, hurried through the gate into the corral. Her quick movements startled the mare, and she nudged her foal to the far corner.

  Josh pointed. “Look at him.”

  She did. Both of them watched the foal take dainty steps, almost like a dancer.

  “You’re right.” Cara’s hand flew to her mouth. “How could I have missed it?”

  “What foal walks normally at first?” His assurance didn’t appear to make her feel better, and she gnawed her lower lip.

  “I should have paid better attention.”

  “I can come back when the vet gets here, if you want. Fill him in.”

  “You’d do that?” The look she gave him was the most sincere, most intimate one she’d given him since driving back from Rusty’s last weekend. Finally, an emotional response. He’d breached her defenses.

  “Why wouldn’t I?”

  “I, um, haven’t been very...sociable lately.”

  “Do you think I’d refuse to help because you’ve been avoiding me?” He moved closer. It would be nothing for him to place a kiss on the top of her head. “I’m not heartless.”

  “No. You’re anything but.”

  He let one corner of his mouth curve into a grin. “Was that a compliment?”

  She shook her head, but the hint of a smile played on her lips. “Anyone ever tell you you’re incorrigible?”

  He took her hand. “I’ve missed you.”

  Before Cara could answer or pull away, Kimberly started whimpering, a sign she was waking up. With the moment at an end, Josh and Cara exited the corral, leaving the mare and foal behind.

  He shut the gate behind them and engaged the lock. Cara removed Kimberly from the carrier, holding her as naturally as if she were her own child. On closer inspection, Josh decided they could pass for mother and daughter, what with their matching brown eyes and dark hair. Nathan, too, who tumbled about nearby, alternately hanging on to the corral railing and crawling under it, could be taken for her son.

  He promptly dismissed the notion. Trista was Kimberly and Nathan’s mother. It wasn’t fair to her to think of someone else in that role.

  Then again, it was well within the realm of possibility that he and Trista might one day find someone else and their kids would have stepparents. Imagining Cara in
that role wasn’t too far-fetched.

  Josh stilled. To think of Cara as his children’s stepmother would also make her his wife.

  No. It was too soon to get married or even think about it. He’d been divorced a mere six months, though his marriage had been over long before the papers were signed and filed. But it wasn’t too soon to think about dating.

  Cara appealed to him in ways no woman had for—he couldn’t remember the last time. Unfortunately, she’d made it clear she didn’t reciprocate his interest because of her inability to open her heart to his kids. But neither had she denied their mutual attraction. How could she when it was off the charts?

  She turned to him. “Thank you again for helping with the foal.”

  “We make a good team.” He moved closer. He couldn’t help himself. “My kids like you.”

  “They like everyone. Raquel, Cole, Reese.” Her glance cut to Nathan playing, then to Kimberly, asleep in her arms. “They’re very affectionate.”

  “For the record, I like you, too. And I’m very affectionate.” Josh couldn’t resist brushing a strand of Cara’s hair, enjoying the silky texture.

  “We’ve been through this before, Josh. Kissing isn’t a good idea.”

  “Who said anything about kissing?” He eliminated the small distance separating them with a single step. “But if you’re making a suggestion—”

  She rolled her eyes. At least she didn’t outright refuse him.

  Kimberly had the appearance of a dead weight in Cara’s arms, all loose limbs and lolling head. She struggled to shift the baby to a more comfortable and less precarious position.

  “Here, I’ll take her.” Josh smiled as their hands and arms brushed during the exchange. “Nice.”

  She uttered a small sound of distress. Or was it surrender?

  Laying Kimberly in the carrier, he buckled the straps. Cara must have felt safe, for she visibly relaxed—until he leaned in for a kiss.

  She jerked in surprise, causing him to miss her lips and land on the corner of her mouth. Lucky for him, the next instant she froze. Josh took better aim with his second attempt.

  She didn’t resist him, but neither did she participate. Then he circled her waist with both arms. Like that, she stopped resisting and melted into his embrace, giving in to him and over to the sensations that consumed them both.

  Heaven. Somewhere between a minute ago and now, he’d gone straight there with Cara leading the way. Her incredible body fit flush with his as if created for that sole purpose. The taste of her tongue, the scent of her skin and her soft sighs of contentment mingled together and, like a potent shot of aged whiskey, went straight to Josh’s head.

  And like any shot of good whiskey, it made him crave more. Deepening the kiss, he explored every inch of her mouth as his hands pressed firmly into the small of her back. Her arms looped about his neck, pulling him closer.

  Josh had been wrong. That wasn’t heaven earlier, only the fringes. The merest promise. They had much further to go. Much more to experience. Many places in which to lose themselves.

  He was suddenly curious what her neck tasted like. Or, her ear. Maybe the hollow at the base of her throat. Yeah, he’d like nothing better than to sample that delicacy. The next second, his mouth was investigating all the lovely dips and curves of her neck, including her throat.

  Cara whispered his name. He felt more than heard it as her breath skimmed the fine hairs at his temples.

  What he wouldn’t give to have this kiss go on indefinitely.

  “I want to see you,” he choked out. “Tonight.”

  Her response was to squirm violently in an effort to escape. “Let me go!”

  Was the idea of spending an evening with him so unappealing? She’d been kissing him like a woman hungry for a man.

  “Josh, please.” Panic filled her voice, and she smacked his arm.

  What? She’d hit him? He hadn’t gotten that carried away.

  Releasing her, he started to apologize. “I’m sorry. I thought you were—”

  “It’s Nathan!” She broke free and started running.

  * * *

  JOSH SAW IMMEDIATELY what had alarmed Cara. His son—clever, nimble little fellow that he was—had scaled the corral gate and was prepared to swing his leg over the top. The aluminum structure wobbled beneath the stress. Josh didn’t worry too much. He was confident the gate would hold.

  “Come on, pal. Get down.”

  He didn’t panic like Cara. Nathan was always getting into predicaments of one kind or another. But Josh had also seen Cara become anxious when Nathan explored or played rambunctiously.

  More reason than ever for him to remain calm. Getting upset would only feed her anxiety and upset Nathan.

  Before he could stop her, Cara pitched forward, catching Nathan by the arm. “Please, niño, get down. Now!”

  Her fear must have transmitted to Nathan, scaring him, too. Or perhaps, given her sharp tone, he thought he’d done something wrong. Whatever the cause, he started to cry. Josh strode forward, intending to intervene. Kimberly chose that moment to wake up and begin crying. She kicked her legs hard enough to shake the carrier.

  At that point, the situation turned from bad to worse.

  Nathan either lost his grip on the gate or got confused and let go. Cara didn’t have a strong enough hold on him, and he toppled to the ground, landing with a hard thunk on his hind end.

  Josh didn’t freak. The dirt in the pen was soft and Nathan wore a thick diaper. Unfortunately, on the way down, he smacked his head on a jagged piece of metal and erupted in loud, frantic wails. Kimberly’s crying escalated to match her brother’s.

  Cara dropped to her knees beside Nathan. “Are you all right, niño?”

  Josh could see at once that the cut on Nathan’s forehead was shallow, though it did bleed. What had him truly concerned was Cara’s reaction.

  She’d gone motionless, her gaze riveted on Nathan. No, not motionless. Her hands trembled violently and her face had drained of color.

  Giving Kimberly a quick glance—she was fine, if a little perturbed at being ignored—Josh bent down beside Cara and Nathan.

  “Cara?”

  She didn’t answer him.

  He concentrated on Nathan. Helping his son to his feet, he dusted off Nathan’s backside. Dirt and debris flew into the air.

  “Hey, buddy. You okay?”

  “Owie, owie.” Whatever Nathan said after that was distorted by his sobs.

  “Let me see.”

  Josh examined the cut. As he’d suspected, it was minor. A good cleaning, some antibiotic ointment and a bandage should do the trick. Digging into his jeans pocket, he pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it to Nathan’s forehead.

  His crying didn’t lessen one iota. Neither did Kimberly’s. They were both, however, fine, if not happy. Josh turned his attention to Cara.

  “I’d feel better if you said something.”

  “I’m okay,” she whispered.

  “You sure?”

  She stood. “It was the blood. There was a lot when Javier fell.”

  Josh also stood. He wished he had a third arm, one he could put around Cara. His kids needed him, but she did, too. He wanted to be there for her with a desire that, if things weren’t so crazy, would have given him pause.

  “He’s fine. See, the bleeding’s almost stopped.” Josh lifted the handkerchief, showing her the cut.

  “I hurt!” Nathan cried harder, as did Kimberly.

  Cara held out her hand to Josh, her breathing uneven. “Your truck keys.”

  That struck him as odd. “You want to borrow my truck?”

  “For Kimberly. To play with.”

  “Right.” He’d forgotten. Cara had done that once before with her keys.

  The
distraction was effective, and Kimberly stopped her wailing. That seemed to quiet Nathan, as well.

  “Can I have cookie, Daddy?”

  “Now?”

  “Mommy give me cookie when I hurt.”

  “That’s right. She does.” Trista had believed sweets had the power to fix any problem. She’d thought the same thing about pain pills, too.

  He glanced over at Cara. The agony reflected in her dark eyes was that of a wounded animal.

  He reached for her hand. “It’s just a cut.”

  She turned away before he could touch her. “I tried to stop Nathan from falling,” she said.

  “I know. It might have been worse and wasn’t, thanks to you.”

  “What if we hadn’t seen him?”

  “You did. That’s what counts.”

  “We shouldn’t have been kissing.”

  “I disagree. I liked it a lot. And if I were to venture a guess, you did, too.”

  She spun to face him. “Doesn’t make it right.”

  A strong reaction. And she was standing up for herself. Obviously, she felt better.

  Josh reached for her hand again. This time, when she attempted to pull away, he was faster. Grabbing her fingers, he held hers tight. They were slim and soft and linked with his. Custom-made to fit.

  “Granted, the timing’s not the best,” he said. “We can go slow.”

  “I don’t want to go at all. At any speed.”

  Was that true? She’d yet to rip her hand away.

  “I’m broken,” she admitted in a choked whisper.

  “We’re both broken. We’ve been through a lot.”

  “I’m afraid I might never be okay. I wake up at night, convinced I’ll always be miserable, half a person for the rest of my life.”

  “You won’t.”

  “It’s been two years. I should be better. Why am I not better? I’ve seen counselors. I still attend a weekly support group.”

  Her anguish was difficult to watch. “There’s no timetable for recovering from loss. It’s different for each person.” Josh picked up Nathan and balanced him in one arm.