A Christmas Cowboy to Keep

by Hebby Roman

“O-kay.”

  She walked around him to look more closely at the results of their work from today. “Daniel, I have to say, I’m truly impressed.”

  “The framing goes up quickly,” he explained. “It almost always looks like a great deal has been accomplished.”

  “Are you saying it looks like you did more than you did?”

  “Not saying that, there’s quite a lot left to do.”

  She glanced over at him and grinned. “I’m just poking the bear. It does look good though.”

  “Thanks. Say, did your bank get everything straightened out for you?”

  “Yes, my new card came today.” She reached into her rear jean’s pocket and pulled out some folded bills. “Speaking of which, here’s the money I owe you.”

  “Thanks, but you don’t—”

  “Oh, yes, I do,” she said quickly. “I hate to owe people, so thanks again.”

  “Anytime.”

  She didn’t know why, but his tone and clipped answer told her she had upset or offended him. She had complimented his work and paid back the fifty dollars she’d borrowed. How could that be bad? She briefly considered pursuing his attitude but thought better of it. Best to drop the subject. Regardless of what he may or may not think, she knew she’d done the right thing.

  “Callie, we should get back to the house before your mom sends out a search party.”

  “Okay.”

  “Keep up the good work, Daniel.”

  * * *

  Daniel flipped the switch on the temporary pole placed for accessing electricity. They had debated on whether to run electricity out here, but it was a debate he’d thought senseless. They were going to need power for the microphones, amps, and guitars. The fact that the previous organization had thought they could make do without was precisely the reason he had decided to donate his time.

  Right now, the temporary lights were affording him the ability to work longer on the future stage instead of thinking about lady Liberty. Despite the way she hung around in his head and the way his body responded to her, he wasn’t interested in anything beyond a casual friendship. At least, that’s what he told himself.

  Truth was, he’d been alone since Darin had passed away five years ago, and until recently, he’d enjoyed the solitude. Going through the day-to-day without fifty people surrounding him at any given time had been a great experience. Ever since he and his brother, Darin, had formed the band, Dy Tryin’, that had been their life. There was always somebody hanging around, wanting something.

  After Darin’s death, he had walked away from music. He’d written neither word nor note in five years. He had to admit, though, the excitement over this event had started his fingers to itch and a new melody was roaming around his head.

  Movement off to his left, just beyond the lights, drew his attention.

  “Daniel?”

  “Jack?”

  “Yeah.” The dark form moved out of the shadows. “We were about to turn in, and I saw the lights. What are you doing? Why are you still here?”

  “I wanted to get more done before I left, plus I had some things to think through. Staying here, I could kill two birds, you know?” He shivered and dropped his hammer into the tool bag. “What time is it?”

  “Ten o’clock.” Jack rolled up some electrical cords and handed Daniel a nail gun. “Why don’t you come in for a cup of coffee?”

  “Thanks, but it’s later than I thought. I’ll take a raincheck and head on home.”

  “Okay. See you tomorrow.”

  “Yeah.” Daniel waved goodbye and climbed into the cab of his truck.

  He passed the house on the way toward the road. The lights from inside highlighted two silhouettes while casting an inviting glow onto the landscape. The warmth beckoned him, and while he admitted coffee would be good right about now, the possibility he might see lady Liberty was too great a risk. He still hadn’t figured out what to do about her and until he knew that, he needed to give her a wide berth.

  A few minutes later, he pulled into the entrance of his place at the gate, stopped to get the mail from the box, and headed to the barn to check on his horse. Thirty minutes after that, he entered the house, removed his coat and boots, and sat on the couch, with a beer, to go through the mail.

  One envelope, in particular, caught his eye. It was addressed to Dylan Kyle from Connor Hill. If there was one wish he could have granted, it would be that his ex-promoter would lose this address permanently. The man refused to acknowledge the fact that Kyle wasn’t interested in getting the band back together. He tossed it, unopened, into a basket beside the couch where he’d tossed all the others.

  Daniel blamed Connor for Darin’s death, indirectly, of course, but he’d played a part. Largely, Darin was responsible for his own demise from the use of booze and drugs, but the constant push to perform had turned out to be more than he’d been able to handle.

  His own failure to save his brother weighed heavily on his mind. Deep down he realized he was transferring his own guilt onto Connor, which only served to muddy things.

  He set the rest of the mail onto the end table and leaned forward resting his head in his hands. It wasn’t really the letter or even Connor Hill that had him troubled. It had been five years and he still hadn’t reconciled his brother’s death.

  Running his hands through his hair, he stretched out on the length of the couch, and closed his eyes to thoughts of a dust devil named Liberty.

  * * *

  Headlights drew Liberty’s attention to the road that ran beside the house. She wondered who the truck belonged to when Jack came in the back door. She heard the turn of the lock and then he shut off the kitchen lights.

  “Was that Daniel?” Lilah asked.

  “Yeah.”

  Liberty glanced at the disappearing tail lights. “What was he doing out there so late?”

  “He had a couple things to finish up, so they’d be ready to hit the ground running in the morning.” He leaned down to kiss Lilah on the top of her head. “I’m going to turn in. Will you be long?”

  “Not very.” She ran her hand along her husband’s cheek and smiled. “Johnny seemed restless and I thought I’d be sure he was down for the night.”

  “Okay.” Jack turned and walked down the hall to their bedroom.

  Liberty watched their affectionate display with a pang of jealousy and tad of remorse for the lack of love in her life. She’d come close a time or two, including her brief marriage, but either she, or the guy involved, had broken off the relationships. She assumed her independence and need for control were what derailed her quest for happiness. One of these days, she’d have to figure out how to flip that switch.

  Not that she’d be here in Mistletoe, Texas long enough to do anything about it, but she found herself drawn to the quiet, brooding stage builder, Daniel. While it was just the two of them, she decided to ask Lilah about him.

  Taking a sip from her glass of Moscato, she asked, “Tell me a little about Daniel?”

  “Sure, but I don’t know if I can tell you very much, Jack’s known him longer. What do you want to know?”

  “For starters, what’s his last name?”

  “Layman.” Lilah sipped from her own glass, and then propped her arm on the back of the couch, resting her head on her hand.

  “Has he lived here very long?”

  “He was here when I came back to town, so at least two years.”

  “Is he seeing anyone?” That slipped out before her common-sense restraint filter kicked in to prevent seepage. She cleared her throat. “What I meant to say is does he live alone?” Immediately, she covered her mouth.

  Lilah grinned and said, “No lady friends I know of. That isn’t to say they aren’t lined up waiting. All he’d have to do is crook his little finger and he’d have his pick of any woman in three counties.

  “I swear if I didn’t already have the sexiest cowboy on earth, I could go for Daniel, too. He’s quit
e yummy.”

  Liberty downed the last of her Moscato, blaming the heat in her cheeks on the wine. “I noticed a guitar behind the seat of his truck. Does he play?”

  “I have heard him strum a few notes on that old acoustic, but I don’t know how much he plays.”

  “Well, I think I’ll ask him,” she said. “Maybe he’ll play a song or two for the event.”

  Lilah straightened her back away from the cushion. “That’s probably not a very good idea. I don’t think he likes crowds or calling attention to himself.”

  “If you really think I shouldn’t, I won’t bring it up.” It struck her as odd that Lilah would be so protective of the man, but she could respect his wishes. “I’m on a mission to find someone for Connor anyway.”

  “Who’s he hounding now?”

  “A Dylan Kyle? Apparently, he walked away from the music business and refuses to answer Connor’s calls or letters.” She poured the last bit of wine into her glass. “Do you or Jack know where I can find him?”

  “I don’t but I’ll ask Jack tomorrow.” Lilah stretched and yawned. “Speaking of tomorrow, we ought to get to bed. We need to hit it early.”

  “I’ll be ready.” Liberty already had plans to watch the sunrise in the morning, so getting an early start would not be a problem.

  Chapter Four

  The sun hadn’t broken the horizon yet when Liberty arrived at the site. Daniel sat on a significantly diminished two-by-four stack of lumber. A small fire roared in front of him.

  Without turning around, he said, “You’re late.”

  “You were expecting me?”

  “Yep.”

  “What if I hadn’t shown up?”

  “I’d have still had the warmth of a good fire, all the breakfast burritos for myself, and you would’ve missed a terrific sunrise.”

  “I brought hot coffee,” she offered.

  He glanced at her over his shoulder. “Are you waiting for an engraved invitation?”

  His dry wit still caught her off guard, but she walked around and sat beside him. The fire toasted her front half nicely, although it might be days before her posterior thawed out. She poured two cups of black coffee and handed one to him.

  Placing her own cup between her knees, she nudged him with her elbow, and asked, “Care to part with one of those burritos?”

  He handed her a foil pouch that released the most delicious smell when she peeled it open and took a bite.

  “This is awesome, who made it?”

  “I did. It’s good, huh?

  “Very. What all did you put in here besides eggs and sausage?”

  “Fried potatoes, onion and garlic.” He finished his, wadded the foil, and tossed it into the sack. “I used to get them from Meg’s but decided I could make them myself, and I don’t have to drive to town to get them.”

  “Well, you are full of surprises, aren’t you?”

  “I guess.”

  She thought about Lilah’s suggestion to not ask him about the guitar, but they were here alone. What could it matter?

  “Daniel, can you play that guitar I saw in your truck?”

  “I dabble from time to time. Why?”

  “I was wondering if you’d play for me sometime.”

  “Luckily, we don’t have time this week for me to set your teeth on edge.” He pointed to the sun making its debut for the day. “Old Sol never fails to disappoint, does he?”

  “Sure doesn’t.” She admired the deep blue of the sky, the yellow gold surrounding the ball of liquid fire. “Beautiful.”

  She gathered their trash and put the cups and thermos into her bag and then followed Daniel over to the stage construction. “Jack said y’all made progress yesterday. Great job.”

  “Thanks. Unless something untoward happens, we’ll have it ready in plenty of time for the big show.”

  “I’m hoping for the same kind of success.”

  “How are your phone calls going?”

  “Pretty good, actually,” she said. “More have committed than declined.”

  “Glad to hear that.”

  “There may be something you can help me with, if you don’t mind.”

  “I will if I can. What do you need?”

  “I need to find someone, a resident, here in the area. Do you know a Dylan Kyle?”

  Daniel swung the hammer, missed the nail and broke the two by four. He didn’t turn around, but asked, “Who?”

  “Dylan Kyle. I was told he lived around here.”

  “Who told you that?”

  Liberty watched Daniel’s whole demeanor change. His muscles tensed, and his words were clipped.

  “Connor Hill, a promoter and friend in Nashville. He’d like to get in touch with him.”

  “Never heard of him.”

  “It clearly happened before I was paying attention to the music industry, but wasn’t this guy in a high-profile band back in the day?”

  “Yeah, I don’t know.” His tone eased up, but he cut her short. “Look, I have to get busy. The guys are starting to show up.”

  A couple sets of headlights beamed in the distance. She swung her bag on her shoulder. “Okay, I’ll get out of your way. See you later?”

  “I’ll be around.”

  She left him ripping out the broken two by four, so it could be replaced. His response and attitude had caught her off guard. She had clearly upset him. When she had a chance, she’d approach Lilah again about Dylan Kyle. In the meantime, she had her own list of items to weed through and they weren’t going to cross themselves off.

  * * *

  Daniel cursed under his breath. He’d almost blown it this morning with Liberty. He had come close to telling her the truth about Dylan Kyle. Only three people were entrusted with that information, Lilah, Jack, and himself. His irritated, sharp retort alone was sure to have piqued her curiosity. He had to get a grip on the situation for one day, he wouldn’t be able to protect the man behind the name.

  A couple of hours later, Daniel saw Lilah’s SUV coming toward them. He walked over to the ice chest and grabbed two bottles of cold water and met her as she climbed out of the vehicle.

  “Good mornin’,” he said, as he handed her one of the bottles. “You here to check up on us?”

  “Absolutely, somebody has to crack the whip.”

  “Every man’s fantasy, a woman with a whip.”

  “Yeah, I know.” She cast him a sideways glance, grinned, and quipped, “Boots, fishnet stockings, and a bustier, right?”

  “Hey, whatever happens behind your bedroom door . . .” He laughed as he dodged her playful jab to his shoulder.

  The grin left her face as she studied the label on the bottle. “Liberty’s asking questions about Dylan for Connor.”

  “Yeah, she asked me this morning if I know where he lives.”

  “What did you tell her?”

  “That I don’t know him and then I changed the subject.”

  “There will come a time when you won’t be able to protect Dylan any longer.” She rested her hand on his shoulder when he leaned against the fender. “You know that, right?”

  “I know.” He finished the water and looked beyond the stage. “Can I count on you and Jack for a while longer?”

  “Yes, of course.” She glanced at her watch. “I have to get going. This day will be gone before I know it.”

  He hugged her and kissed her cheek. “Y’all are good friends and I appreciate you.”

  “Come for dinner tonight.” She slid in behind the steering wheel. “I won’t take no for an answer.”

  He turned and made his way back to the stage area where a couple of guys worked on laying marine grade plywood for the floor. Off to the northwest, blue-black storm clouds gathered. If the front the weather service was predicting stalled, the event might just go through without a hitch, but if it came in with a tailwind, the event could be rained out or iced out depending on the temperature.

&n
bsp; No matter what, the arrival of the dark clouds wasn’t lost on him and the correlation to his immediate situation. He had some serious decisions to make in the short term, that would affect his future in the long term.

  * * *

  The third call on Liberty’s list, was proving to be more productive than the first two, thank goodness.

  “So, I can put you down as a definite?”

  “You sure can,” Pam Blackstock confirmed. “I do my best to support a good cause. I know some others who might want to participate. Is it all right if I ask them to come?”

  “Yes! That would be awesome. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. I’ll call you as soon as I can with the confirmations.”

  She pushed the “END” button and set down the phone. Looking at her watch, she noticed it was close to the time the planner, Tara Hunter, would be here. She made a few notes, so she would remember what she and Pam had discussed, and then she headed to the main part of the house. Lilah and Tara were having coffee at the kitchen table while baby John sat in the highchair eating his lunch.

  “I’m sorry to keep you waiting, Tara. I didn’t know you were here.”

  “Not a problem,” she said, making a goofy face at baby John. “I came early, so I could put Amye down for her nap in Lilah’s room and to see this little guy. I really needed a baby fix.”

  Liberty had learned the other day that Amye was Tara’s two-year-old, born in the middle of the worst snow storm to hit the Texas Panhandle in decades, and she was currently expecting a second child. With an understanding husband and her new business taking off, she seemed to have it all.

  She, herself, was still struggling with wanting both a successful career and a family. So far, she’d managed half of that dream. A relationship and family would take a lot of compromise. She wondered if she had Lilah and Tara’s strength to achieve it all. Would she, herself, be able to find a partner, like Jack McCommas or Tara’s husband, who would accept her and her headstrong temperament?

  Lilah interrupted her. “Liberty, I’ll take Johnny for a bath, so you and Tara can work. Is there anything I can do or get for y’all before I go?”

  “I can’t think of anything. I’ll grab my laptop and notes and be right back.” She stopped at the doorway and asked, “Oh, Lilah, did you ask Jack about Dylan Kyle?”