The Cougar and the Cowboy

by Gloria Doty

  “Hello Jace. What are you doing here?”

  “I came to return something of Camille’s. She’s on the back deck and if I were you, I’d go back there and talk to her. I think she could use a shoulder to cry on…maybe.”

  With that, he got into his truck and left. Collier wasn’t sure what to do. He had no idea Camille was back. If she wanted to see him, she certainly could have contacted him and let him know she was coming.

  CHAPTER 41

  COLLIER SAT IN his truck in the drive for a few minutes, debating what he should do. She left without a word…not a goodbye note, not a text…nothing. Are you going to throw a possible future away because your pride is hurt? Be an adult, Collier.’

  He stepped onto the deck and sat down beside her without saying a word. She was looking at the mountains in the distance and occasionally, she would turn a snow globe over and watch the snow fall. Neither of them spoke but eventually, she placed her hand on his knee.

  “Have you come to chastise me for my actions, also, Collier?”

  “No, Camille. I came to sit with you for a bit…plain and simple. I didn’t know you were back until Jace told me when I saw him out front.”

  She nodded slowly and turned the globe over again.

  “My mother left me this property and this snow globe. One portrays her wealth and one symbolizes her frustration with me when I was a child and…my entire life.”

  They sat in silence for an extended period of time. He put his arm around her shoulders and drew her close. “Have you shed any tears over your mother’s death yet?”

  “No and I don’t expect to. I didn’t shed any tears all the years I was a lonely kid and knew without a doubt, she never wanted me, so I don’t think one lengthy letter will change that.”

  Collier didn’t know what letter she was talking about but he let it pass.

  “The articles you wrote for your magazine…I assume you know or have heard that Maggie is certain one is about Jace and one is about me.”

  “Have you read them?” she asked.

  “No but I was told the one supposedly depicting your evening with Jace is pretty descriptive, for lack of a better word.”

  “Yes, it is. I used our few kisses as an opener and then built the rest of it…all fictitious.”

  “Why didn’t you embellish the one that’s supposed to be about me?”

  She turned to him and without blinking, she stated, “I didn’t want to imagine what our time together would be like, Collier. I wanted to experience it firsthand. I wanted to live it, not write about it.”

  “I’d like that too, Camille.”

  Turning the globe, she told him, “I began living a lie the day I set foot in Montana. I didn’t tell you the entire truth about anything. Just as this snow falls and then needs to be turned over again, I need to turn over some things in my life. I want to tell you everything about me but not today, okay?”

  “Would you like to revisit the place we went on my friend’s ranch? If you remember, it’s a perfect spot for talking and thinking.”

  She nodded. He helped her up and put his arms around her. “Trust me, Camille. I’ll never intentionally hurt you. Can we go tomorrow?”

  “Yes, I’d like that.”

  He turned her toward him and kissed her…softly at first but when she put her hands behind his head and pulled him in, the kiss became more intense.

  As he backed out of the drive and headed down the street, he glanced in his rear view mirror and saw another vehicle pull into Camille’s driveway. A man got out and entered the house but he was too far away to see who it was.

  ***

  Jace returned to The Branding Iron as Will was leaving. “Larry sent me home for the day but I’ll be back in the morning.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Maggie met him as soon as he entered the door. “Don’t sit down, Jace. Get your tail end to Dani’s house.”

  “Why? What happened? Is she okay?”

  As she was pushing him out the door and back into his truck, she explained as best as she could what took place while he was gone. “Listen, Boss, you and I both know how you feel about that gal, ever since you went to Colorado with her. You tried the online dating mostly because you were forced to but your heart was never in it. Now take my advice and go tell her how much she means to you.”

  ‘Well, you are doing a bang-up job of screwing things up, Maggie.’

  ***

  Jace drove to Dani’s house trying to think of the words he was going to say to convince her he had not been intimate with Camille. Nothing came to mind except the truth so he would give it a shot.

  When he knocked on the door, Dean answered but didn’t look too happy to see him.

  “I need to talk to Dani. Is she here?”

  “She’s in the barn. Probably talking things over with her horse. She’s done that since she was a little girl. But if you want my advice…tread softly. I don’t take kindly to anyone hurting her.”

  “I will, I promise.” He walked to the barn and found Dani. She didn’t hear him approaching but he heard her talking as she brushed her mare.

  “How could I be so stupid to think maybe he cared about me? I can’t compete with an older woman who has all kinds of experience. And obviously, that’s what Jace wants.”

  “Dani?” She whirled around and he ducked to miss being hit with the brush she’d been using.

  “Whoa…wait a minute. I want to say a few things to you but I’d like to keep my head in place, if you don’t mind.”

  “I don’t want to hear anything you have to say, Jace Matthews. Now get off my property. I’m a very good shot with a rifle and I haven’t had any target practice for a while, but you might do.”

  “Okay, Annie Oakley, I’m going,” he said as he raised his hands. “But not until you hear what I have to say.”

  “Talk,” was her answer to him.

  He did his best to explain what she read in the magazine. “Dani, she made it up to make it more interesting for her readers. It wasn’t true. I did kiss her the night I took her home but that was as far as it went. I have been in love with you since we went to Colorado but I didn’t think you’d be interested in an old man like me.”

  She narrowed her eyes and didn’t smile. “Old man? You think forty-two is an old man?”

  “It seems like it when the woman you want is only thirty.”

  He took a step closer but she backed up.

  “I can’t compete with a sophisticated older woman who has class, looks and experience.”

  “There is no competition. It took me a while to realize it, but you’re the only person I’ve been thinking about for months.”

  Jace took another step toward her. This time she couldn’t back up as she was against the stall wall. He reached for her and pulled her close. She let her arms drop and put her head on his chest. He raised her chin so she was looking up at him. Then he kissed her like he’d wanted to do since they first met.

  ***

  True to his word, Collier arrived on time for their short journey. Camille climbed in bringing bottles of water and a few snacks. They were both quiet on the way until he asked, “Who was the man I saw come to your house yesterday? I’m sorry to ask, but I have to know.”

  “That was Will. He drove out with me and he’s staying at the house for a while.”

  Collier looked straight ahead. “This is the Will you were married to?”

  “Yes. One and the same.” Camille explained their relationship the same way Will had explained it to Maggie. “I know it’s hard to believe, Collier but this is the truth with a capital T. We are good friends…nothing more. We had a stormy marriage but once we divorced, we became friends. There’s never been any intimacy since the divorce was final.”

  He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “You’re asking me to believe something I’m struggling with.”

  “I can’t force you to believe me. That’s your choice.”

  When they reached their destina
tion, they sat as they had the first time…contemplating the beauty spread out in front of them.

  “Do you remember what I said about my faith the last time we were here?”

  “Yes,” Camille said. “I do and I envy you. I’d like to have a faith like that.”

  “You can. It’s not something you buy at the mall…it’s in your heart.”

  “My heart is a mess right now. Did I mention at the memorial service, if you can call it that, I met my father? I’m fifty-six years old and just now met him…surreal, isn’t it?”

  “I can’t even imagine but how did that go?”

  A half smile teased her lips. “What can I say? We were both at a loss for words. I mean, think about it…what do you say? ‘Hi Dad, nice to meet you. Want to have lunch some time?’”

  “The humorous thing is we did have lunch. He described the Barbara he knew when they were young. She was the one who set the boundaries and refused to allow him to see me. She didn’t want or need him or his money. When she knew she was dying, she contacted him and asked him to meet me and check on me occasionally. Just so I would know I wasn’t an orphan. Still trying to be in control…dead or alive.” She shook her head slightly. “She was a manipulator, extraordinaire.”

  They spent the next few hours discussing their lives, their likes and dislikes and their differences.

  At one point, Collier asked what kept her from actually spending the night with some of the men she dated for her articles.

  “My first response was going to be that I was a writer, not a slut but I know that’s not what you were implying. My answer is in another one of the columns for my readers to see and I believe their responses are indicative of most ‘cougars.’ We have fears tied to our insecurities about ourselves and our images. It’s much easier to make love to a man the same age as you because you’re most likely in the same physical condition. But when the female is older, she thinks of things like: will he notice my breasts aren’t exactly perky any longer or how do I hide this roll around my middle or will he notice the scar I have or the stretch marks on my belly and a myriad of other thoughts. You get the idea. The strange thing is most older men don’t think about similar things when they’re with a younger woman.”

  Collier started laughing. “I’m sorry but I can’t imagine thinking those thoughts about someone I loved. If I wanted to make love to her, I wouldn’t care about any of that.”

  “That’s good to know, Collier.”

  CHAPTER 42

  “TELL ME WHAT you think when you’re done eating.” Will told Maggie as he set a plate containing a perfect omelet in front of her.

  He sat down next to her while she devoured it. “I was thinking that maybe The Branding Iron should offer more in the way of selections than just bar food.”

  She didn’t answer but continued eating.

  “You know, maybe not breakfast but perhaps a few steak selections or a pasta dish or two.”

  She wiped her lips with her napkin and asked, “And who is going to prepare these dishes? The omelet was delicious but steaks are a whole different ballgame.”

  He smiled. “I told you I was a fry cook while I was in college but I neglected to tell you I spent several years as a sous chef at a prestigious restaurant. I decided I could make more money in the stock exchange business so I changed careers.”

  “You need to discuss this with Jace, not me. Personally, I don’t think our kitchen is big enough to accomodate the kind of equipment you might need, but what do I know? I’m a bartender.”

  “And the best in the country.” Jace said as he walked in on their conversation. He glanced at the empty plate in front of Maggie and raised his eyebrows. “Are we serving breakfast now or just to special people?” he asked as he looked at Will.

  “Sit down Jace. Will has something he’d like to discuss with you.”

  “That’s good because I have something I’d like to discuss with him.”

  ***

  “Dad, what was the age difference between you and Mom?” Dani asked her father.

  “I was six years older than her. Why?”

  “Jace seems to think our age difference is a problem.”

  “How do you feel about it? Is it a problem for you?”

  “No. I know twelve years is a big gap but he’s still young and healthy.”

  Dean laughed at that. “Sounds like you’re describing a horse, Dani, not a man you’re falling in love with.”

  “I didn’t say I was in love with him, Dad.”

  “Yes, you did…in a lot of subtle ways.”

  ***

  “Dani, I’d like your opinions on a few ideas I’ve been tossing around in my head.”

  She nodded as she sipped her iced tea. “Sure, go ahead. I’m always willing to give my opinion, Jace although you may not like it sometimes.”

  He smiled at her before he leaned over and kissed her quickly. “I know, but whether I like your input or not, I like you…a lot.”

  She grinned. “So what’s your idea or did you forget it already?”

  “Dani, truthfully, you make me forget everything except how happy I am when we’re together. Now where was I?...Oh yeah, my ideas. I believe Will is an exceptionally talented cook, chef…whatever you want to call him…and he seems to genuinely enjoy the work. We couldn’t remodel The Branding Iron due to city codes and expense but I think there’s an abundance of unused or underused space in the kitchen. Perhaps a little readjusting would make it easier to prepare something other than just bar food.”

  “And why do you want to change the menu?”

  “Ever since the two weekends Hubie’s band played, we’ve been full to capacity in the evenings. Now that Ken is taking his ‘talent search’ job seriously, people seem to enjoy the entertainment he’s found but I’ve heard them talking about the food, too. I want to make certain our new customers keep returning and bring their friends with them.”

  “I think it’s a good idea, Jace. While you’re at it, why not make use of Will’s expertise and use his input on the best way to implement the changes you’re considering?”

  He nodded in agreement. “I’ll talk to him today. I’ve also been considering how I can bring my guide business back to life. If you come up with any brilliant thoughts, let me know. Now, my next question is about us.”

  She cocked her head to one side and gave him a quizzical look. “What about us?”

  “I know going steady is a term from my high school years and will undeniably date me but I don’t know exactly what else to call it. The point is I don’t want to be with anyone but you and I don’t want to think about you spending time with Mitch or anyone else either.”

  “I think that’s called being exclusive, Jace.”

  “Whatever you call it is okay with me, if you’ll think about it. I don’t want to pressure you or make it sound like a demand, Dani. You’ve made me happier than I’ve been in many years and I don’t want to lose you.”

  She placed her hand on top of his. “The only way you’ll lose me is if you tell me to leave.”

  ***

  Camille listened to her messages. The third one was a bit disconcerting. “Camille, it’s Allie. I know it’s early but I need you to come home right away. It’s extremely important.”

  She couldn’t imagine what happened that was that important.

  She returned Allie’s call and discovered her magazine was being sued by a man whose wife was certain he was being described in one of her columns. She was threatening to divorce him and he was suing Mavis’ Mag for defamation of character and numerous other complaints.

  “Can’t our attorneys handle it?”

  “They have been but now they’re going to need your deposition or possible court appearance. They will be contacting you but I wanted to give you a ‘heads up.’”

  She thanked Allie and told her she would wait for the attorney’s call. Then she called Collier.

  “I will most likely be going back to St Louis in the next couple of day
s. Maybe we could have dinner tonight?”

  ***

  Jace knocked on the door. When Dean answered, he looked surprised. “Dani’s not here. She went into town to mail a package. You can come in and wait for her if you want to.”

  “I knew she wasn’t here. I wanted to talk to you alone, Dean.”

  He removed his hat and sat down. “I realize your daughter and I haven’t known each other very long but I have fallen hopelessly in love with her. I also am well aware that there’s a twelve-year difference in our ages. I’m not going to rush her to marry me but I would like your permission to ask her.”

  Dean smiled at him. “Dani’s mother and I were six years apart. Age means nothing if people love each other. It’s all about what’s in here,” he stated as he tapped his heart. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this. Dani doesn’t even know but her mom and I only knew each other for a month before I asked her to marry me.” He smiled as he remembered. “Boy, Howdy, did her dad pitch a fit.”

  Jace nodded, picturing it in his mind. Any father would probably be upset.

  “Back to the present,” Dean said. “As you know, it’s just been me and Danielle since she was very young. We’ve been a team for all those years but it’s time she has a life of her own. I like you and respect you, Jace. I give my permission and thanks for humoring an old man by asking me.”

  ***

  Collier took her to the airport a few days later and kissed her goodbye. He had a sinking feeling he might never see her again. ‘That’s ridiculous. Why wouldn’t she come back? You know how she feels about you. Yeah…but have you told her exactly how you feel about her?’

  After he saw her plane leave, he went to The Branding Iron and ordered a beer.

  Maggie looked at him and whispered, “What’s up with that ‘hang dog’ face, Collier? Did you lose your best friend?” she teased.

  “Yes. Maybe I did. I hadn’t thought about it in those terms but…thanks, Maggie.”

  She watched him leave and wondered what she said that solicited that response.

  ***

  Camille spent several days with attorneys discussing the ridiculous charges. She didn’t feel there should be a case let alone any admission of guilt. Suddenly before the papers were signed, the attorneys called to tell her all charges had been dropped. It was over.