The Cougar and the Cowboy

by Gloria Doty

  “So what happened? How come you stopped being with the rodeos?”

  “I was in an accident that could have been prevented but someone didn’t do their job. The gate opened unexpectedly, I wasn’t prepared like I should have been and I was trampled by the biggest bull on the circuit. I spent months in the hospital and longer in rehab. They told me my leg and hip were broken in so many pieces, repairing it was like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. At first they told me I’d never walk again but I worked hard and I did. As you can see, I have a noticeable limp I’ll never overcome and some days it hurts more than others but at least I can walk.”

  “I had insurance on my belongings but foolishly, I never had any insurance on my body. It took all the money I had saved to pay the hospital bills. When I came back here, I decided to become a guide for fishermen and hunters and for people who wanted to experience a week in the wilderness. I made enough money at that too but the longer I did it and the older I got, the more I realized I couldn’t ride long enough at one time to be able to do that any longer.”

  “I’m really sorry that happened to you, Jace. I suppose my parents thought if you told me that, I’d stop wanting to follow my dream.”

  “I don’t believe they want to squash your dreams, Luke and neither do I. The possibility of being hurt is present with any occupation. You could get trampled being a rancher, too. If I was going to tell you something to sway your thinking, it would be about loneliness, not about broken bones. I always thought someday I would have a wife and a couple of kids I loved. You know, a family like yours back home in Texas. But that’s something you’ll have to think real hard about because it isn’t fair to be gone all the time and leave them alone. If you want to make the rodeo your occupation and not a weekend hobby, you will be gone all the time. You’ll never see your kids’ ballgames or piano recitals or any of those things because you have to move on to the next town to make some more money. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  “Yes sir,” Luke answered.

  “Lets’ have some ice cream. I think I’ve talked enough for one night.”

  As they ate their sundaes with all the fixins’ Luke said, “Can I ask you something?”

  “Absolutely. Ask anything.”

  “Do you believe in God? I mean, I heard you say the other day that you didn’t pray anymore and you seemed a bit upset when I talked about God’s plan for your life, so I just wondered.”

  “Honestly, I don’t know the answer to that. I did believe in God when I was your age and when I was a young adult. I went to Sunday School when I was a kid, learned the Bible stories and said my prayers about everything.”

  “What happened to make you stop believing?”

  “I prayed about a lot of things, Luke. I prayed my mom would come back, then after I got hurt, I asked God to let me walk normal again. It seemed God wasn’t listening so I stopped asking.”

  “God always hears our prayers but sometimes, he chooses a different answer than the one we’re asking for. You said you never gave up when you wanted to walk again so why did you give up so easily when you didn’t get what you wanted from God?”

  Jace had no answer but he told Luke, “I think you should forget about the rodeo, Son, and become an evangelist instead.”

  CHAPTER 26

  CAMILLE CHECKED HER image in the mirror and nodded. She thought she looked put together for her first official date with Jace. She had chosen a dress with red accents which seemed to be begging for her red heels. She had grown fond of the jeans and boots look but tonight she would show him another side of her. She tapped her foot on the floor until she realized she was doing it again. ‘What are you nervous about? Just because he’s a particularly handsome man who also happens to be fourteen years younger than you…why should that make you nervous?’ She laughed at her thoughts. She was nervous but this is what she wanted to write the column about. This is what she came here for. Maybe they didn’t meet online but the readers would assume they had. The same concerns about the age difference were there regardless of where they met.

  He was right on time and looked good enough to eat. That was an old saying and she had to remember tonight not to say things that would age her. This could be an interesting night but she was ready for it. ‘Bring it on, Jace Matthews.’

  He took her to a nice restaurant in a newer part of town. She asked him to explain the Old Bozeman and New Bozeman concept Collier had mentioned. Jace said basically the same thing Collier had. There were some people who resented any changes, even good ones but for the most part, everyone got along and they had one thing in common. They all loved the town and Montana…well, almost all of them. He described Blakely, who didn’t love anything but money.

  “You wouldn’t sell him the bar, would you?”

  “Not if I can help it, I won’t.” Jace told her about Cal’s offer to have a band for two consecutive weekends.

  “I haven’t given him my answer yet. I’d like nothing better and I believe with the right amount of advertising, it might just be the answer to my prayers.” ‘Really, Jace? When did you pray about it?’

  “So, what’s stopping you? Go for it. Tell your friend to tell the band to ‘come on down’ or ‘come on over’ I guess would be the right term if I know my geography.”

  “Truthfully, I don’t have the kind of money it would take to pay them. The second weekend I might be able to pay with the first weekend receipts but I can’t afford the initial payment.”

  “That’s unfortunate. I want your bar to succeed and I definitely don’t want anyone to buy it out from under you. How about a loan?”

  “I don’t think the bank is going to consider me a good risk.”

  “Sort of like throwing good money after bad, huh?” ‘You just did it again, Camille. He’s probably never heard that saying. Stop it!’

  “Actually, I meant I would loan you the money, Jace.”

  “I couldn’t let you do that, Emily. You don’t even know me. We’ve just met and…no, no, that wouldn’t work.”

  “Sure it would. I have it and you need it. It’s as simple as that. If it makes you feel any better, we could write something up but I’m good with just a handshake, if you are.”

  “Let me think about it until tomorrow. I don’t feel right about it.”

  “Please don’t tell me you have some antiquated notion that says you can’t take money from a woman. I’ll bet you’d jump on the offer if it came from a man.”

  “Guilty as charged,” he told her.

  They continued their discussion of many topics and ended the evening with a walk around some of the picturesque streets. He took her home and walked her to the door.

  “Would you like to come in for a minute? I have wine, beer or soft drinks. What’s your pleasure?”

  “I’ll take a beer and then I have to go. Chores to do in the morning.”

  He toyed with the drops on the outside of his glass for a while and then asked, “Emily, can you tell me about the man in the bar last night? I don’t want to pry but he certainly irritated you and despite what you said to the contrary, I believe he frightened you, too. At least, a little.”

  She took a swallow of wine and started to tell him a few things about Will. “I was married to him once upon a time, Jace. Many years ago. We were both in college although I graduated before him…I’m six years older than him.” She smiled a rather seductive smile, pulled him to his feet and said, “I guess I’ve always been attracted to younger men.”

  He put his arms around her and pulled her to him. She smelled wonderful but the scent was light, not overpowering. She felt good in his arms and her lips were soft and warm when he kissed her. ‘Maybe you haven’t forgotten what it’s like to hold a woman, Jace.’

  When he finally left, he had agreed to her offer of a loan for the band. They sealed the deal with more than a handshake but less than spending the night together.

  ‘What the hell just happened, Jace? You have never even kissed a woman on a first
date and you just about did a whole lot more than that on this first date. And why did Dani’s face keep appearing in your thoughts?’

  ***

  When he rolled out of bed the next morning, he pinched himself to see if he was awake or dreaming and asked himself if he dreamed the entire date last night. Evidently not, because there were a few lipstick smudges on the collar of his shirt which he’d thrown on a chair.

  ‘Between Luke preaching to me and Emily wanting to loan me the money and then…this has been the most bizarre weekend I’ve had for a long time.’ If he was honest, maybe it was also the most enjoyable.

  He did the chores and then called Cal. It went straight to voicemail but they were probably in church at this time of the morning. He would call later and firm up the arrangements for the band to come. In the morning, he would ask the regulars to put their actions where their mouths were and start advertising the upcoming weekends, once he found out exactly when they would be there.

  ***

  Collier knocked on Camille’s door. It was a few minutes before she answered.

  “Well, you’re up early on a Sunday morning. I haven’t even had my coffee yet. Come in, sit down and I’ll get you a cup too.”

  He watched her move around the kitchen, making the coffee. She still had her lightweight pajamas on and they left little to the imagination, for sure. He was having trouble corralling his thoughts while he watched her.

  She set his cup down in front of him. “If I remember correctly, you like it black…yes?”

  He nodded. “Camille or Emily or whoever you are…I need to talk to you.”

  “That sounds serious, Collier or maybe ominous. What’s going on?”

  “That’s what I came to ask you. Who are you really and what are you doing in Bozeman? Why don’t you tell me what exactly is going on?”

  She fixed him with a look he couldn’t quite decipher before she answered. “You already know I’m Barbara’s daughter and my real name is Camille. I have a good reason to use the name Emily Hasbro but it isn’t illegal to pretend to be someone else for business reasons, is it?”

  “Not illegal, I guess but not honest either. I know you left the bar with Jace the other night and he came back to get you the next morning. I saw his truck in your drive. What was that all about?”

  ‘That sounds like a jealous statement, Collier.’ Camille took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I went to The Branding Iron to meet a date but he stood me up. Jace came over to talk for a bit and I saw Will…remember him? He was standing at the bar with his back to me and I asked Jace to get me out of there. He brought me home and in the morning, he came back to get me to take me to my car. End of story.”

  Collier was looking at her trying to decide if he believed her or not. “Why is Will in town?”

  “I wish I knew. If I had to guess, I would say he figured out where I am and was checking different places to see if anyone recognized my name. Fortunately, you’re the only one in this town who knows my real name.”

  “Look, Camille, I care about you. Don’t ask me how that’s even possible since we hardly know each other, but it’s true anyway. I’m worried about you living in this big house all alone. Tell me the truth about why you’re here and what’s up with all the men’s names on the legal pad on your desk. Yes, I saw it. I wasn’t snooping but you left it in plain sight when you knew I was coming to fix your desk.”

  She decided to take a chance and tell him the truth, at least some of it…but not all of it. It would be better if he didn’t know the nature of the articles she was writing considering he might be the subject of one in the future.

  Several cups of coffee later, he stood and went to her side of the table. He bent down and kissed her. Then he left without saying a word.

  Camille hurried to her computer and wrote furiously about last night’s evening with Jace and this morning with Collier. She didn’t want to forget a thing as it would make the article so much better with all the details included. She enhanced the facts about her time with Jace and made the love scene as realistic as possible without totally offending her readers.

  CHAPTER 27

  CAL AND JACE spoke and finalized the dates for the band to be at The Branding Iron. Jace made sure he was present when the table of regulars was full.

  “Okay, you guys…here’s the deal. You’ve been spouting ideas for saving this bar for months. While I appreciate all the suggestions, it seems Ken had the best idea when he said we should have some entertainment that would draw a crowd. We have an opportunity to make that happen but here’s where you come in. Between all of you, you seem to know everyone in this town and the surrounding area. I need your help to get the word out…everywhere you can think of. I’ll have some flyers made to place in the shops but if you have any connections with businesses, ask if they’ll put the information on their outdoor signs. In the end, word of mouth is still the best advertisement. I’m getting a copy of one of their CDs in the mail and I’ll make sure it gets played in here…a lot.”

  “Oh and one more thing…if you have any legitimate ideas for the first night crowd, I’d like to hear them, too. I’m counting on that first crowd to tell their friends and bring them back.”

  “That’s great news, Jace but what happens when this band is gone? What then?”

  “I asked myself that same question, Ralph. I’m praying our new customers’ experiences at The Branding Iron will be so impressive, they’ll want to come back and tell their friends about the food, the atmosphere and the beautiful and talented bartender, Miss Maggie.” He grinned at her over his shoulder. She threw the bar rag she was holding at his head.

  ‘Jace, that’s the third or fourth time you’ve said you’d be praying about something. Did Luke’s words get to you?’

  Ken’s smile was spreading across his face. “You did it, didn’t you? You rascal…I didn’t think you had enough time or enough dates with the lady to ask for money, but you must be even smoother than I thought you were. And in honor of your obvious exceptional prowess with the lady, you can advertise a free drink for the first 100 customers, which I will gladly pay for.”

  Jace realized Ken was sure he’d slept with Emily to get the money and sometime in the future he’d tell him the truth but Ken wouldn’t believe him now, anyway.

  Not to be outdone by Ken, one of the men offered to pay for an advertising spot on the radio and another said he would handle the cost of placing an ad in the newspaper.

  They really were his good friends and Jace was thanking God for them. ‘Stop it Jace. You just did it again..by Sunday, you’ll be preaching at the local church.’

  “Maggie, do you think any of your nieces or nephews would like a job for a few days in the afternoon? I’d like this place to be spic and span clean before our big weekend.”

  ***

  Later in the day, when the morning coffee-drinkers were gone, Maggie asked, “So tell me, Boss Man, did you really sleep with the woman named Emily on your first date? I’m happy for you if you did but I must admit, after all my failed efforts to get you in the sack, I’m quite jealous.”

  Dani had just entered the bar and overheard Maggie’s question. She interrupted and told Jace that Luke was outside waiting for him. She didn’t want to stick around to hear any more about Jace and one of his online dating conquests.

  “Wait, Dani,” he said as he chased her down. “Please don’t believe what you just heard. It’s not true. You know how they all like to tease me.”

  She nodded slightly. “Luke is in your truck waiting for you like we arranged. I have errands to do. I’ll see you later.”

  She drove off and he knew she didn’t believe him.

  ***

  The rest of the afternoon was spent with Luke. Jace’s dog Jake loved Luke and followed him everywhere. That surprised Jace a little as Jake didn’t always accept people immediately. Obviously, he could sense that Luke was a good kid.

  When they took a break, Luke was throwing sticks for Jake and Jace
was resting with a glass of lemonade in his hand. He watched the dog/boy interaction and realized he longed for a family like Ben Frasier had…a houseful of kids, a wife who loved him and was there for him. Those were things he never experienced as a child or adult and he didn’t really expect, at this age, to have any of it come true. He resigned himself to taking his happiness where he found it and he was pretty happy in Emily’s arms the other night. He was taking her out again. He’d always felt like he was older than his years so he was comfortable with their age difference. She was very attractive, fun to be with and a good conversationalist. What more could a man ask for? ‘Are you positive her being wealthy doesn’t add to her charm?’

  He dismissed the thought as fast as it surfaced. He enjoyed her company, plain and simple and if that led to more intimate things…he was ready for that, too.

  ***

  Collier arrived at Camille’s house to fix some outdoor gutters that had been damaged by the winter’s snows. He was on a ladder when Camille came out. She shaded her eyes with her hand and squinted up at him.

  “I have some lunch ready if you’d like to come in and eat with me. Don’t get too excited…it’s only egg salad on rye.”

  This woman was going to drive him to drink. She looked good in anything. Today, she had on a pair of cut-off shorts and a t-shirt. Pretty simple but she made it look like a fashion statement. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her when they were together.

  “Would you like to go to dinner this evening?”

  “I would but I have other plans. I’m sorry. Could we do it tomorrow night?”

  “Sure. Tomorrow’s good.” ‘I wonder if tonight’s plans include Jace Matthews.’

  Her phone beeped. She glanced at the number and frowned. “It’s a call from Paris, France. Guess who that might be. Barbara’s probably checking up on me…asking if I’ve broken any of her precious possessions yet.”

  Collier asked, “Aren’t you going to answer it? Maybe it’s important.”

  “I’ll call her back later…or never. Nothing she could possibly want is important to me.”