Cowboy Promise

by Janalyn Knight

  Thank God she could practically tend bar with her eyes closed. Dazed, her mind flew back to Saturday morning when she took Piper to the grocery store. She’d paused as she noticed a man and woman shopping together, each knowing their role, reading the list or taking items from the shelves, and calling the other honey. She’d blinked back tears as she passed their cart.

  Dallas laid down the towel and opened a bottle of cold water, remembering Tuesday night when, after she put Piper to sleep, she’d caught an old rerun of Pretty Woman. She sobbed out loud at the sappy ending. That night, as late as it was, she’d called Sarah, hoping for a clue to her craziness.

  Sarah’s answer had been as disturbing as Dallas’s behavior. Sarah said that Dallas should find a man who would give her unconditional love. She’d been scared ever since. Open her heart? Trust a man? Sarah was the crazy one. Yet, a tiny voice inside Dallas had agreed.

  While the bar got busy again, Dallas searched her heart for an answer. Letting go of her fear of being hurt didn’t feel possible. How did a person just stop being afraid? Start trusting? The only trustworthy man she could think of was her father. He was old school. Young men didn’t seem to have the same capacity. She glanced over at Cash as she handed a woman her beer. Damn. He was looking her way again. Smiling tentatively, she turned to the next person at the bar.

  Later, she pulled her phone from her pocket and checked the time. It was getting late, and she was no closer to making a decision than she had been when she first read his note.

  The pace slowed around one-thirty. She had to decide. Cash didn’t dance and, throughout the evening, he bought his beer at the other bar, as though giving her time to think. She appreciated the consideration, another clue that he was a gentleman. Admittedly, something had been missing in her life for a while. As much as she hated it, Sarah may have hit it on the head. Maybe that tiny part of her that liked Cash’s smile wanted to say yes to the dinner invitation. But, hell, what if this went wrong? Could she handle it? She’d thought the pain from Piper’s father’s rejection would never go away. Some days it still stabbed at her. She couldn’t go through that again.

  She looked at Cash’s table. He was draining his beer. It was last call, and her time had run out. Ripping a piece of paper from the register, she scribbled quickly as customers headed to the bar.

  THE HIGHLINER BAR WAS packed, per usual, as Dallas arrived during happy hour on Wednesday. She spotted her best friends Sarah and Kate sitting, like always, near the middle of the room where they could keep an eye on everyone coming and going. Dallas sat down and caught the busy waitress’s eye. She swung by the table to take Dallas’s drink order.

  Kate leaned in. “Sarah and I had time to catch up while we were waiting for you to get here. Tell us what’s going on with you. All of a sudden you’re leading an exciting life.”

  Dallas grinned. “Am not. One rescue from the clutches of death, and you think my life is exciting? Phooey.”

  The girls rolled their eyes and waited for her to continue.

  “Well, Ethan asked me out.”

  Kate clapped her hands. “Yay! I was hoping he would. He’s a wonderful catch for you, Dallas. He moves in all the right circles, makes great money at the firm, and you said he’s really nice to you.”

  “He is. I had to turn him down, though. Piper’s little tail was still dragging when he asked.”

  Kate leaned in and covered Dallas’s hand with her own. “Listen, girlfriend, chances like this don’t come along every day. Let me remind you how you grew up. No new shoes ’til your old ones rubbed blisters on your toes. You never had nice clothes like the other kids. Hardly even had enough to eat. Do you want Piper growing up like that? You’re putting all your eggs in one basket, counting on finishing your legal degree. Wouldn’t it be awesome to just want a degree, instead of desperately needing one? Promise me you’re going to accept next time he asks.”

  Dallas swallowed and looked down at her glass of wine, turning it in circles. She still remembered her first day of third grade. One of the bigger boys, who’d always been a bully, pointed at her old, beat-up tennis shoes with a separated sole. “You wore those things last year, loser. You’re poor.” Her heart still hurt for the sad little girl she was. She couldn’t let her daughter go through that. “I know. You’re right. Ethan really is a sweet guy. Monday he even asked how Piper was feeling.”

  Sarah held her wine up and they all tapped their glasses. “We’re way too serious. I want to hear me some more about that good-looking cowboy.”

  Dallas smiled and reached into her purse. “You won’t believe this, but he came back to the club Friday night. When he paid for his beer, he handed me this note.” Unfolding the half-page piece of paper, she held it up.

  Sarah gawked at it. “Well, go ahead, crazy woman, read it.”

  Dallas smoothed it a little more, and then read:

  Dallas,

  I’m here tonight to change your mind. Word is you don’t date men you meet at the bar, and I sure don’t blame you. Fact is, I wouldn’t date girls if I met them there, either.

  But I think you and I are exceptions. I was there the night we met for my friend’s birthday. I don’t normally go to clubs.

  I enjoyed meeting you though I wish it had been under better circumstances.

  I’d like to spend a quiet evening together somewhere, get some dinner, and learn more about you. If you’re interested, just tell me.

  Here’s hoping,

  Cash

  Sarah and Kate both whooshed out, “Wow.”

  Sarah stared at Dallas and slapped her hand on the table. “Well?”

  Dallas fidgeted in her chair. “I didn’t know what to do. He seemed so kind, but I never, ever see anyone from the club. You know I don’t date, either. But I knew he wouldn’t leave until I answered. He came up for his last beer, and I slipped him a note.” She took a sip of her wine.

  Sarah shook her head, her lips jammed together. “Girl, speak now or I swear—”

  Dallas giggled. “I gave him my cell number and thanked him for asking me out.”

  Sarah threw her arms wide. “Finally, I can’t believe it. The girl makes some sense.”

  “So, when are you having dinner?” Kate asked.

  “Tomorrow night, since Piper’s feeling okay now. Speaking of my daughter, I gotta scoot. I have so little time with her, what with working and tending bar. Oh, you girls know how I feel guilty, even when I’m in the best of company.”

  Leaving money for her tab on the table, she kissed each of her friends.

  Sarah called, “Get a picture of that cowboy,” before Dallas got to the door.

  Driving home, she considered Kate’s advice. Should she go out with Ethan? It felt weird even considering it. After being a loner for so long, it was hard to imagine that she could be the kind of woman who dressed up and went out on dates. Yet, Ethan had always been sweet to her. And he had a way of making the staff laugh when he dropped by the break room. Though he was hyper-focused with his clients, when he stopped at her desk for a chat, he was easygoing and made Dallas feel like she was the only person in the world. Perhaps if she got through the date with Cash without having a heart attack, she might accept an invitation from Ethan, if he asked again.

  The only thing she hadn’t figured out with this whole dating thing was Piper. She had so little time with her daughter. How would she fit dating into her already hectic schedule?

  Chapter Two

  Ethan signed off his conference call and leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms over his head. Dallas’s daughter should be healthy again. He didn’t want to waste any more time. If that cowboy had eyes in his head, he’d be making a move on Dallas any day.

  He stood and slipped his suit jacket on, running his fingers through his short, prematurely silver hair and straightening his tie. At nine-thirty in the morning, Dallas would probably be at her desk. Clearing his throat, he headed down the hallway.

  She was signing for a FedEx package as h
e walked into the room. He waited while she handed the tablet back to the driver.

  As she finished, she asked, “Help you, Ethan?”

  “Nah. How’s your daughter feeling?”

  “Much better. Her cough is almost gone, and she hasn’t had a fever in several days. Thanks for asking.”

  Ethan smiled. Just what he wanted to hear. “That’s great news, Dallas. Does that mean you might have some time to spend with me one evening next week? I’d like to take you to dinner and a movie.”

  Dallas lowered her gaze and squared a stack of papers. When she looked up, she said, “Why don’t we just try dinner? Both would make it late for a work night, don’t you think?”

  Ethan grinned. Score! That was better than a turn-down. “Sure thing. How about next Monday evening? May I pick you up around seven-thirty?”

  Dallas nodded. “Monday works just fine, Ethan. I look forward to it.”

  With a jaunty step to his stride, he returned to his office. Wichita Falls didn’t offer the culinary choices of a city like Dallas, but he enjoyed the food at McBride’s Steakhouse. He called and made reservations, ensuring he and Dallas would have a small, quiet table away from the family eating area. Then he ordered a bouquet of bright flowers.

  He leaned back in his chair, pressing his steepled hands to his lips. Everything had to go right Monday night. Dallas reminded him of his steady girlfriend throughout high school. Before the chaotic, traumatic years in college.

  Being with Dallas made him smile and gave him a sense that life was worthwhile. No way would he lose her to some cowboy who couldn’t offer her the lifestyle he could. Ethan didn’t mind that she already had a child. He had plenty of money to make sure the girl would be well taken care of.

  He drummed his fingertips on the desk. Had he beaten the cowboy to the punch? Or had the guy slipped in behind Ethan’s defenses and set up a date night? Mandy might know, but how in the hell could he ask her without making it obvious he was spying on Dallas?

  THURSDAY EVENING, DALLAS was ready for the first of her two dates. Cash would arrive at her house in an hour. She pulled over to the curb and switched the car off.

  “Yippee, Mimi and Papa’s house,” Piper called from her car seat in the back.

  “That’s right. You’re having a sleepover tonight. But I’ll see you for breakfast in the morning, kiddo. Okay?”

  Piper nodded as she fiddled with her harness.

  Dallas unhooked the straps and pulled her daughter out of the car, grabbing her overnight bag.

  Dallas’s mom was standing on the sagging wooden porch, wrapping her sweater tightly around her. It was warm outside, but she was perpetually cold. Dallas thought it had to do with years of chronic malnutrition. Her mother had always gone without so that Dallas and her brother could eat the best of the food her mom managed to put on the table.

  Dallas mounted the steps and hugged her mom. “Thanks so much for watching her. You must be tired.”

  Her mother reached out and caressed Piper’s cheek. “Nonsense. This child is the light of my life. Come on in.”

  Dallas set Piper’s bag on the old, worn-out sofa and moved to the recliner where her father sat, beer in hand, a cluster of empties on the end table beside him.

  “Hi, Pops.”

  Her dad turned his head and blearily focused his eyes on her face. “Well, hi, honey.” His brows drew together slowly in a frown. “Everything okay?”

  She patted his arm, the horrific burn scars from the military helicopter crash rough under her fingers. Burns had covered more than half of his body. A back injury along with the burns he’d sustained had permanently disabled her father at the age of twenty.

  Her mom stood faithfully by his side through years of healing and decades of alcoholism. Their family had subsisted on her father’s disability check. The saving grace was that her father had never turned mean as many alcoholics did.

  Dallas leaned in and kissed her dad’s grizzled cheek, ignoring the familiar, strong smell of beer breath.

  Walking into the kitchen, she found her mother pouring Piper a glass of apple juice. Knowing that finances were so limited for her parents, Dallas provided for all of Piper’s food. Her mother wouldn’t let her pay for her daughter’s daily child care, but Dallas insisted her mother accept “pocket money,” something she’d never had.

  “Mom, she’s had her bath and eaten dinner, so she’s ready for bed any time you think is right.”

  Her mother gave Dallas a hug. “You go on now and have fun. We’ll be fine.”

  As Dallas started her car, she stared at her parents’ little rundown house. Her father was unable to do most repairs, and there was no money to hire it to be done. The roof sagged, and the house was nearly gray, so little of the white paint remained. The cracked and broken driveway resembled a patchwork quilt. The scene advertised urban poverty.

  She shook her head. Never, never would she allow her life to be reduced to this. Finishing school and becoming an attorney would enable her to support her daughter in the lifestyle Piper needed and deserved. Nothing would stop her.

  Dallas pulled away from the curb and drove several blocks to her small house. It was kind of rundown, too, but she wanted to be near her parents, and the rent was relatively cheap. She glanced at her watch. Damn, she was cutting it close. Cash should arrive any minute.

  THE UNMISTAKABLE RUMBLE of a diesel engine came from her drive as she put last-minute touches to her makeup. She rarely fidgeted, but she was nervous as a mouse in a cat house. Soon, a loud knock sounded.

  After rushing to the front hallway, she swung the door open. “Hi, Cash. Let me grab my purse. I’ll be right with you.”

  She’d tried on a gazillion outfits before finally settling on a black sleeveless dress hitting halfway up her thighs and tall black heels. Her hair was pulled up at the nape of her neck, exposing her shoulders and throat. She could feel Cash’s eyes on her as she strode back into the living room, and an unfamiliar shiver of excitement ran through her.

  As she locked the door, he stepped back and lifted his elbow slightly, encouraging her to take it as he escorted her to his truck. Once inside, he asked, “Any ideas where you’d like to eat?”

  What a relief. The dinner would be so much easier if they ate where she felt comfortable. “Anything you don’t like?”

  He shrugged. “I’m open to try new things.”

  “How about Samurai of Tokyo Steakhouse?”

  Looking in his rear-view mirror and pulling away from the curb, he asked, “Know how to get there?”

  “Sure do. Take a left at the stop sign up there.” She relaxed into the seat and even managed to tease him about the different sushi offered at the restaurant and what it was made of. The warm spicy scent of his aftershave, along with his deft movements as he drove, had her pulse thrumming.

  She pointed ahead. “See that sign there on the right? We’re here.”

  He pulled in to the parking lot and got out to open her door.

  As she stepped down, she said, “I was just giving you a hard time about all the sushi. There are tons of other things to eat here, too. You’ll like it.”

  He grinned. “I figured with steakhouse in the name I’d make out all right.”

  They were seated with another small party. There was a grill in the center of the tabletop where a chef would be cooking their meals in front of them.

  Dallas gestured to the table. “What do you think?”

  “I’ve heard of places like this. It’ll be fun.”

  She took a deep breath. So far, so good. It was time to let go, relax, and be herself.

  The waiter arrived to take their drink order and they each decided on a glass of wine.

  Cash asked. “Where’s your daughter this evening?”

  “With my parents. They’re just a few blocks from me. Piper stays with them while I work.”

  He nodded. “She’s a lucky little girl.”

  The waiter arrived with their wine, and they sipped quietly as th
ey looked at menus.

  She observed Cash out of the corner of her eye as he read. His short, clean-cut hair went well with his chiseled jaw. And with that straight nose, he obviously had never lost a serious fight, a habit some cowboys couldn’t seem to resist. She liked his impeccable dress—the starched shirt and Wranglers, silver-studded belt, and polished boots. It all said he cared about himself, and she found that attractive.

  When the waiter came back to take their order, Dallas had chosen salmon sushi and hibachi calamari. Cash ordered hibachi beef. They’d finished their wine by the time the chef arrived at the table.

  Cash flagged a waiter down and asked for another glass of wine for both of them.

  Dallas turned to him. “Where do you live, Cash?”

  “I have a ranch a ways outside of Howelton, in Haskell County. Little over an hour from here.”

  “So, do you raise cattle? Own horses?”

  Speaking a little louder to be heard over the applause at a nearby table, he said. “I have about 500 head and three horses right now. I downsized some with this damn drought.”

  She nodded her understanding and took a sip of wine.

  The chef dumped rice on the griddle. It hissed as he added sauce and seasonings.

  Dallas smiled and continued the conversation. “So, what else is there to know about Cash Powers?”

  He squinted his eyes. “Huh. Let’s see, I have an older brother, Kyle, who wanted something other than a life of ranching. When my father’s health changed and he could no longer ranch full-time, he insisted the place stay in the family. I got a loan and bought my brother out. My mom and dad live in town now, but Dad still helps out some. We’ve always gotten along.”

  “I’m sorry to hear about your father.”

  “I went to college. Got my ag degree. Haven’t dated much at all since my divorce six years ago. My four years of marriage were pure hell. We didn’t have children and thank God. Kids would have been very unhappy.” He shrugged. “I live a simple life. I enjoy being outdoors, taking care of the land and stock. It’s hard work, but I love it.”