Cowgirl, Say Yes

by Brenda Mott

  “He did rescue the kitten,” Macy reminded her.

  Tess had nearly forgotten the little girl was standing there. “That’s right—he did,” she said, enjoying the way Wade squirmed. “You don’t suppose he’s starting to go all soft on us, do you?”

  Macy eyed her dad, hesitating as though she meant to choose her answer carefully. “Maybe I’d better take the Fifth on that one,” she said.

  Tess broke into laughter. “Yeah, okay.”

  “Hey,” Wade growled. He pretended to scowl darkly at the two of them. Then his frown disappeared. “My dad and I used to hunt elk when I was a kid,” he said. “But I always enjoyed watching them more than—well—you know.”

  Tess’s smile vanished. “Hunting, huh? One more thing we disagree on, I see.”

  “Oh, he doesn’t hunt anymore,” Macy spoke up. “Do you, Dad?”

  Tess wondered at the tone of Macy’s comment. It was as though she was trying to make Wade look good in Tess’s eyes, which took her somewhat by surprise since she’d never before seen any attempt on Macy’s part to play matchmaker. Was she carrying her longing for a mother figure a step further? Or was Tess letting her imagination run away?

  “No,” Wade said, interrupting her musings. “I don’t.” But he offered no explanation to the reason behind his answer. Instead, he locked his eyes on hers. “So, do we have a date?”

  “Oooh, a date,” Macy teased. “I’d better go inside and leave you two alone.” With a giggle, she pushed the screen open and stepped into the house.

  Tess held Wade’s gaze. He was unlike anyone she’d ever met, and she still wasn’t sure about some of his ways. But overall, she had to admit that Wade Darland was not a bad guy to be around. Not bad at all. And suddenly, she was glad to have Macy in her corner.

  Her heart skipped in her chest. A date.

  “I reckon we do, cattleman,” Tess said, affecting a cowboy drawl. One that hid the nervous hitch in her voice.

  With that, she turned on her heel and headed after Macy, before she could have a chance to come to her senses and change her mind.

  TESS USED the familiar routine of the 4-H meeting to keep her sanity after Wade left. With enthusiasm, she dived into the task at hand. The kids reacted with even more enthusiasm near the end of the meeting when work on their record books was complete and Tess announced a fun project: naming the orphaned filly.

  She had them break into groups of three. Each group decided on a name choice, wrote the suggestion on a slip of paper and placed it in Tess’s cap. When she drew the winner, Macy seemed a bit bummed that it wasn’t her group’s pick. But later, she admitted she really did like the one Becky’s group had come up with. Chantilly.

  Macy was in the barn with Tess and Becky, bottle-feeding the foal, when Wade and Jason returned. “I’m going to drop off the kids,” he said, “and then I’ll be back.”

  Tess’s heart moved into double time. Macy had told her of her overnight plans with Becky. Jason had the same with a friend of his….

  It was after Wade drove away with the kids and Tess had gone back inside the house that she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror over the dining-room table. Wrinkling her nose, she twisted the end of one of her braids around her finger.

  I like the way your hair looked the other night…. Wade’s words echoed in her mind. On sudden impulse, Tess hurried to the bathroom and grabbed her brush from the vanity. She removed the bands, then raked out the tangles. But now her hair fell in kinky waves over her shoulders—a result of the confining twists of the braids. That wouldn’t do. Should she wash it? If she did, what would Wade think? Would he know she’d gone to all that trouble just for him?

  Good Lord, what on earth was she doing? Behaving like a fool, that was what. If she washed and styled her hair, she might as well change her clothes, and therefore she also might as well make an announcement: I like you, Wade. I went to all this trouble just for you. I normally don’t give a fig how casual I look.

  Tess laughed and the little male kitten Wade had given her, which had curled on the vanity near the edge of the sink, looked at her as though she’d lost her mind. Meow? he queried.

  “Exactly,” Tess harrumphed. She stroked his tangerine-colored coat, and immediately thought of a cute name for him. Tangie. “Hey, Tangie, what do you think? Do I go all out, or act like I don’t care?”

  The kitten rolled over, grasped Tess’s hand in his paws and proceeded to do battle with his back feet in a mock manner that left his claws mostly sheathed. His needle-sharp teeth, however, were another story. Tess gave him a playful scolding and set him down on the carpet. “What the hey, cat. You only live once.”

  Forty-five minutes later, she was dressed in a nice pair of turquoise Rockies jeans with a cream short-sleeved blouse and cowboy boots. She’d washed and blow-dried her hair, added a little makeup to finish off her appearance—along with the horseshoe earrings, which she’d decided to keep—and had just settled onto the couch with palms damp when Wade pulled into the driveway.

  Deciding that playing silly games like making him come up to the door and knock wasn’t her style, she rose from the couch and headed outside. A pleasant warmth curled through her when she opened the door of the Ford. He, too, had gone to more than a little trouble to clean up, and was now dressed in a blue Western shirt, crisp jeans and his best boots and black hat. The only thing marring his appearance was the small cut across the bridge of his nose, where her mom had hit him with the serving tray.

  “Hey, cattleman,” Tess said, climbing into the pickup. Mercy, he smelled even better than he looked. Mentally gritting her teeth, trying not to inhale too deeply, Tess put on a casual air and reached for her seat belt. Wade stilled her movement with a touch of his hand on her wrist, and Tess froze, looking up into his hazel eyes.

  “No you don’t,” he said softly. “This is an official date, remember?” With that, he patted the seat near his thigh, his lips curving in a flirtatious manner that had her heart racing.

  “What do you think I am?” she quipped. “A lapdog? Come here. Sit?”

  He laughed, low and deep, and the sound made her skin tingle. “Not hardly, Tess.” The way he said her name left her mouth dry. “You look like…mmm.” He made an appreciative noise. “A vision. How’d you know I dreamed about seeing you in a pair of Rockies?”

  Tess banished the voice inside her head that said she’d been foolish to dress nice for him. To dress in a way that she’d hoped—had somehow known—he’d find attractive. “What, these old things?” she teased, borrowing his line from the night he’d driven her to 4-H.

  He chuckled and shook his head, then simply waited. Staring at her. His gaze warmed her as he waited. With a half sigh, half groan, Tess unbuckled her seat belt and slid over next to him, avoiding the gearshift somewhat awkwardly. She sat with her left hip near Wade’s, her legs thrown over to the right of the stick shift.

  “That’s better.” He gave her a little wink. “Don’t forget to buckle up again.” With that, he put the truck in reverse, causing her to have to squirm to avoid being in his way, and backed out of his parking space.

  Darkness had yet to completely claim the sky as they drove down the road, but the fading light had Tess wondering if she’d made the right choice in going out to the lake with him. After all, she was sure a lot of men would automatically assume that meant sex. The problem was, she wasn’t completely sure what she wanted to give him or what Wade wanted from her.

  She had no doubt he was as attracted to her as she was to him, yet he wasn’t the sort of man who would simply try to jump her bones the minute they were in a secluded spot in the mountains. At least, she hoped he wasn’t. She’d been wrong before, but somehow, she began to relax and feel perfectly safe with Wade.

  The drive to the lake took about forty-five minutes, and when he parked beside the water, with moonlight from the near-full moon reflecting off the surface, Tess’s breath caught in her throat. Something stirred inside her once more as s
he fully realized how close she sat to Wade and how much he’d been on her mind lately. She’d even entertained the idea of making love with him. But that would be stupid. She didn’t know him that well, and she’d learned long ago that staying away from men guarded more than just her body. Her heart hadn’t had one single opportunity to be broken of late, and she’d do well to keep it that way.

  Yet, looking at Wade, Tess was pretty sure it was far too late for that. “So,” she said, desperate to rid her mind of the thoughts that whirled inside it, “where are the elk?” Her heart thudded as she unbuckled her seat belt and made a show of gazing out the passenger window, using the excuse to inch away from him.

  “Mighty impatient, aren’t you?” He gave her a curious look as he unbuckled his own seat belt. “Don’t worry—I won’t bite.” He leaned his elbow on the open window. “Listen to that.” Visibly relaxing, he turned to focus on the sounds around him, and Tess did the same.

  Crickets. A tree frog. The splash of water as a fish jumped somewhere out on the lake. “I love the sound,” Wade said.

  “Which one?” Tess asked.

  “All of them. The sound of nature.” He gestured, the motion all-encompassing.

  Tess scooted over a little more, just enough to take herself comfortably away from the gearshift. Enough to stifle her urge to put her hand on Wade’s thigh. “Me, too. But I wouldn’t have thought you’d notice things like that.”

  “Why?” he challenged, watching her in a way that told her he was aware she’d scooted over.

  She lifted a shoulder, feeling her face warm beneath his stare. “I know you like the outdoors,” she said, “but I figured you’d take things like the sound of Mother Nature for granted. Part of your working-ranch landscape or something.”

  “No way.” He shook his head. “Remember how Macy told you I don’t hunt anymore?”

  She nodded.

  “Well, it’s because I discovered that I got far more satisfaction observing the elk than stalking them. As a matter of fact, the first time I hunted with my father and he bagged a bull, I didn’t much like it.”

  “Really?” Tess couldn’t stop the challenge that rose to her lips. “How on earth is that any different from shipping your cattle off to market?”

  He scowled at her. “Hey, I didn’t mean for this to turn into a debate. I brought you out here to enjoy my company.” His voice held a teasing note.

  For once his humorous arrogance didn’t annoy her. Instead, it totally defused the irritation she’d felt a heartbeat ago. She was beginning to realize that Wade was more talk than action. The cocky front he put on was a cover-up for the softer side of him. One she was beginning to see more and more of. It was almost enough to make her entirely forget their differences.

  “All right, I’ll let you off the hook for now,” Tess said. They sat quietly for a few minutes, staring out over the water. Tess was about to suggest that maybe the elk were a no-show, when Wade quietly raised his hand and pointed.

  “There.” He spoke softly. “Look.”

  From the thick brush surrounding the water, two cow elk emerged and walked with ears and tails flicking, toward the lake. They moved cautiously, alert for any sign of potential danger. From their vantage point across the water, they eyeballed the truck, then lowered their regal heads to drink. Minutes later, a bull joined them, his massive six-point rack catching the moonlight as he moved up beside the cows.

  “He’s awesome,” Tess whispered. “Takes your breath away, doesn’t he?” But when she glanced at Wade, he was no longer focused on the elk but on her. Tess squirmed. “What?”

  He reached out and ran his hand across a strand of her hair. “He’s awesome, all right. But I didn’t bring you out here just to see the elk, Tess.”

  “No?” Her throat grew dry. God, had she misjudged him? Did he expect her to peel off her clothes and have wild sex with him? Ignoring the way that thought made her blood run cold, then hot, Tess swallowed.

  “No, and I’m not talking about what you’re thinking, either.”

  She glared at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  He grinned, cocky again. “You know what. Don’t deny it.” Then he sobered. “Look, Tess, I brought you out here so we could relax and I could talk to you without interruptions.” He held her gaze, his expression suddenly serious. “How’s your mom, by the way? I keep thinking about what happened the other day.”

  Tess sighed. “She’s okay. Do we have to rehash all that?”

  “Not if you don’t want to.” He paused as though searching for exactly the right thing to say. “Actually, I wasn’t trying to do that. It’s just that I can’t help but feel bad about upsetting your mother. I mean, I realize she was already riled before I came into the room, but I think I made things worse when all I meant to do was help. And I didn’t mean to upset you, either.”

  Tess once again noticed the cut on his nose and instantly felt guilty. “I know that. You don’t need to worry about it.” She folded her hands on her knee. “I’m not going to lie to you. Having you see her that way did upset me at first. Like I said, though, it was for Mom’s sake, not mine. She may not even be aware of who’s watching her or who is in the room, but it still bothers me.”

  He held up his hand. “I understand that now, and I apologize. I should’ve known better than to intrude when I’m not family or anything.”

  Tess’s pulse fluttered. “You are something,” she said. “You’re a good friend.” And more. Her body warmed as she pushed away the silent admission.

  “Yeah?” Wade’s boyish grin was back, charming her all over again.

  “Yes.” Tess tried to focus on the seriousness of their conversation and not on what his smile was doing to her. “There are times when I wish I had someone other than my family to talk to about my mom’s condition. And then there are times when I don’t want to talk about it at all. It tears me up to see her that way.”

  “I understand.” He reached out and rubbed her shoulder. “And whenever you want to talk, I’m here. But I promise not to intrude again.”

  Tess reached up and covered his hand with hers. “Thanks.” Then she let go, aware that touching him could easily lead to so much more. He, too, moved his hand, and she was somewhat sorry she’d broken their connection. Trying to stay focused, she smiled. “You should’ve seen what Mom used to be like.” The memories welled up inside her, bringing both pain and pleasure. Pain for what Rae’s illness had robbed Tess and her family of, and pleasure at knowing she’d always have those memories to treasure. “She was quite the horsewoman, and totally into any sports my brothers and I participated in. Soccer, rodeo, swim team, whatever. She even talked my dad into an outdoor wedding. They rode to the park, where the ceremony was held, in a horse-drawn carriage.”

  Wade’s lips curved. “I guess you’ve looked at their wedding photos quite often, huh?”

  “Sure. Being a part of it was pretty special.” Tess smiled. “I was her flower girl.”

  He seemed surprised. “Flower girl? You mean your parents had you before they got married?” He shook his head. “But that can’t be. You’re the youngest, so that would mean that your brothers—”

  Tess cut him off with a chuckle. “No, nothing like that. Rae’s our adoptive mother. She married Dad when I was six.”

  “Really?” His smile grew. “Well, I’ll be. I never knew she wasn’t your real mom.”

  “She is my real mom,” Tess said. “In every way that counts.”

  “Of course she is. I just meant…well, what happened to your birth mother, if you don’t mind my asking?”

  “She took off when I was five.” Tess could barely remember the woman, and the pain she’d left in Tess’s heart had rapidly faded under the loving blanket of Rae’s mothering and her father’s deep devotion to his family. “I’m not sure why. Dad always told us that she wanted more from life than he could give her and that she wasn’t cut out to be a mother after all. That Rae was a whole lot more suited for the job and
that she was his true soul mate.” Sadness pulled deep inside her. “That’s the one thing that makes Mom’s illness most tragic of all. My dad misses her so very, very much.”

  “I can sure understand that.” Wade spoke softly.

  Tess’s heart ached. Wade must be thinking of Deidra and how much he missed her. Yet there was something in his eyes that almost led her to believe he was focused on Tess herself. Was he beginning to feel the same way about her that she was about him? Telling herself to stop reaching for things that could hurt her, Tess pushed the thought away and listened to what Wade was saying.

  “I’m so sorry your mom’s ill. It’s got to be hard on your entire family. And I’m sure your dad misses her something fierce.”

  Without fully meaning to, Tess said what she’d been thinking. “I’m sure you miss Deidra, too.”

  “I do,” Wade said. “She was a good wife and a good mother. But life goes on.”

  “Yes, I suppose so.” Tess didn’t want to think about it. Though she knew that being jealous of a dead woman was silly and childish, she couldn’t help the niggling voice in her that whispered it might be nice to be a part of Wade’s life, and didn’t she wish she could step into Deidra’s place the way Rae had stepped into her birth mother’s?

  Wade’s reply echoed her thoughts as though he could read her mind. “At least now I can better understand where you’re coming from in wanting to mother Macy.”

  “How so?” she asked nervously. Surely he didn’t know what she’d been thinking.

  “I didn’t realize you’d lost not one mother, but two.”

  Relief filled her. He hadn’t been able to read her mind after all. He was only comparing her childhood situation with Macy’s.

  Still, his comment had startled her. She’d never really thought of it that way. Had mostly thought of losing only Raelene. Her birth mother was a stranger to her. Her father hadn’t even kept any photos of her, and had spoken her name only once—when he’d done his best to explain why Jackie Vega had abandoned her family. After that, he talked about her no more.