A Valentine for the Cowboy

by Rebecca Winters

  Mrs. Clayton greeted them when they walked into the warm, brightly lit store. But the first thing Brianna saw was little blue-eyed Libby with her floppy brunette curls, toddling around in front of the counter with her helicopter push toy. She was dressed in pink camo Wrangler jeans and a white-and-pink top with a ruffled hem. With Libby’s matching pink cowboy boots, Brianna thought she’d never seen such an adorable child in her life!

  “Hi, Libby.”

  The toddler recognized Brianna and pushed her toy toward her. Brianna got down on her haunches to examine her outfit. “Don’t you look good enough to eat. Uncle Clark? This is Libby Clayton, Eli Clayton’s daughter.”

  He tousled her curls. “She’s a picture all right.”

  When he reached the counter Brianna heard him say, “Alberta? What a blessing to have such a beautiful granddaughter.”

  “Don’t I know it!”

  Brianna encouraged Libby to push her toy around. After a minute of doing an excellent job, Libby dropped it and held up her arms. “You want me to hold you? Oh, you little darling.” She scooped her up and walked over to the counter with her.

  Her uncle was examining the 1.5-carat pink sapphire solitaire. The way his eyes glowed as he looked at it told Brianna she’d chosen a winner. “I’ve never seen such a brilliant stone. I didn’t know a pink sapphire could be such a deep color. Joanne will love it.”

  “It’s definitely an eye-catcher. Which setting would you like?” Mrs. Clayton had put half a dozen rings on the velvet. He studied them.

  “Which ring do you like, honey?”

  “I like the white gold, but don’t let what I think influence you.”

  “I think that would be my choice, too,” the older woman concurred.

  “Then let’s do it, Alberta.”

  “Give me Joanne’s size and I’ll go in the back. It will only take me a few minutes to mount the stone. While you’re here, maybe you’d like to look at some other stones.”

  She put out a display of sapphires sorted by colors in trays that looked like cupcake tins. The natural stones mined from the Sapphire Mountains came in every color. When they were heated, their colors grew more intense. Some were already a deep hue, but those like the one Brianna had picked out were rare.

  While her uncle stood looking at the sapphires, Brianna walked around the shop with Libby, who was back to pushing her toy. Each time the propeller spun, the little girl laughed. “You must love to come up here with your grandmother. It’s fun, isn’t it?”

  Two hands patted Brianna’s cheeks. Libby had an endearing way. Brianna couldn’t help kissing her. “I love those little cowboy boots on your top.” She touched each one, causing the girl to giggle. In the midst of it, Libby called out, “Dada!”

  Brianna looked up, unaware that Eli Clayton had entered the shop. Her pulse started to race. In a sheepskin jacket and boots, he looked the spitting image of the tough, quintessential cowboy.

  He’s married, remember?

  “It’s Brianna, right?” His deep voice reverberated through her body. She nodded. “I can see my daughter is very taken with you. She seems perfectly happy to stay in your arms.”

  She had to admit she was surprised that Libby hadn’t reached for him yet. Did it upset him? Yesterday he’d been angry. Brianna moved closer to the tall male to hand him his daughter, but Libby stayed where she was. “I’m enamored with your little girl,” she said. “She’s too precious for words.”

  His eyes played over Brianna’s features. “The feeling appears to be mutual. Come on, Libby. Time to go home for your dinner.” He plucked her from Brianna’s arms. His daughter made a sound of protest.

  “You’ve got competition,” his mother spoke up.

  “You’re right.” He picked up the push toy and walked over to the counter to talk to Brianna’s uncle. Libby clung to her daddy’s shoulder, never taking her eyes off Brianna. The two men chatted briefly about Toly’s performance at the rodeo.

  “Sorry to barge in like this, Mom. I’ll trade you this toy for her parka and we’ll get going so you can get on with your business.”

  “We’re finished,” Mrs. Clayton said.

  “I do believe my wife is going to be a happy woman.” Uncle Clark smiled.

  Mrs. Clayton handed Brianna’s uncle the wrapped package. “I have no doubt of it.”

  “It’s good to see you, Eli.” He turned to Brianna. “Shall we go?”

  “Yes. Don’t forget we have to stop for some groceries on the way home.” She waved to Libby. “Bye-bye, sweetie.”

  The little girl’s lower lip wobbled and she started to cry. Uh-oh. Brianna’s instinct to comfort her had to be squelched. She hurried out the door with her uncle behind her. They climbed into the truck and started heading down the mountain.

  “It’s a damn shame about Eli,” her uncle muttered.

  At the mention of his name, Brianna’s heart leaped to her throat. “What do you mean?”

  “Of course you wouldn’t know. His wife had a nervous breakdown after their baby was born. Roce said it was brought on by severe postpartum depression. She just couldn’t get over it. It got to the point where Eli was playing both father and mother. His wife went back to her parents in Thompson Falls. She was too sick to handle being a mom and filed for a divorce Eli never wanted.”

  The air froze in Brianna’s lungs. That explained the wedding band he still wore on his ring finger. He obviously still loved her and held out hope she’d recover so they could get back together. “How awful. That sweet little thing without her mommy.”

  “Life can throw you for a loop sometimes. Your aunt and I would have given anything to have a baby. The first time we tried to adopt, it fell through right at the end. On our second try, the birth mother lost the baby at seven months. Joanne couldn’t bear the thought of another setback so we didn’t try again.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  He reached over and patted her arm. “We’ve been lucky your parents were willing to share you with us once in a while.”

  Too many emotions converged at once and tears trickled down Brianna’s cheeks. “I’m the lucky one,” she said.

  * * *

  SINCE HIS MOTHER was ready to go home, Eli walked her out to the Land Rover. After giving Libby a kiss, she got in behind the wheel but didn’t pull the door closed. Instead she stared hard at him the way only a mother could do.

  “You’ve acted strangely the last two times you’ve come to the shop for Libby. The first night I saw a rudeness in you I didn’t recognize. At the rodeo you didn’t say two words. Tonight it was all you could do to be civil. I’m worried about you. What’s going on? Don’t tell me it’s nothing.”

  Eli drew in a deep breath. “It’s killing me that you’re having to sacrifice so much for me. Before the week is out I’ll contact an agency to help me find someone to watch Libby during the day. It won’t be much longer before you have your freedom back.”

  “Libby is a joy! I don’t ever want to hear you say that again, but I don’t believe that’s the reason for your behavior.”

  He held his daughter tighter. “I’m not sure I understand it myself.”

  Another silence followed. “Don’t you think it’s time you figured it out?” Streams of unspoken words flowed between them. “It’s cold out here,” his mother finally said. “Get Libby home and I’ll see you two at breakfast.”

  Eli shut her door before getting in the truck with Libby. Once he’d fastened her in, they started down the snow-covered mountain. He passed Wymon’s house and then Luis and Solana’s. Eli’s small ranch-style three-bedroom house sat closest to the main ranch house, two minutes away on foot.

  After getting his daughter fed and bathed, he held her while they read her favorite story, Goodnight Moon. That was the book she always wanted him to read to her. Eli sai
d the words over and over, hoping she’d repeat them. She fell asleep in his arms and he put her down in her crib.

  Except for her hair color and eyes, his little girl resembled Tessa more than she resembled him. Eli had put photos of his ex-wife around the room so Libby would grow up knowing her. He leaned over the bars to watch her for a minute. A week after her birth, the nightmare had begun. Since then he’d experienced every range of human emotion while he grieved the breakup of his marriage. It had meant Libby had lost her mother.

  For so long he’d been living in denial about everything. But tonight his mother’s question about his state of mind had brought him up short. Don’t you think you’d better figure it out?

  The first sight of Libby so happy in Brianna Frost’s arms had acted like a catalyst, jolting him out of the limbo in which he’d been wallowing. The anger he’d felt because it should have been Tessa holding their daughter had made him see red.

  Worse, throughout this pain-filled year, he’d been blind to women. But, out of the blue, he’d found himself eating up Brianna Frost with his eyes when he knew his brother had brought her to the gem shop. Something earthshaking had happened to him over the last three days.

  He left the nursery and walked across the hall to his bedroom. Deciding to take his mother’s advice, he sat on the side of the bed and called his in-laws in Thompson Falls. It was the same time there. Quarter to nine.

  They’d remained friends through all the grief and had stayed in touch. Diane and Carl Marcroft had driven down to Stevensville dozens of times in the past year to see their granddaughter. The divorce had been the last thing they’d wanted, but naturally they had to give Tessa their full support.

  “Eli—” Diane had picked up on the second ring.

  “Is this a bad time to call?”

  “No. Tessa’s downstairs in the TV room with Carl.”

  His hand tightened on the phone. “How is she?”

  After a silence, “There’s no improvement. Dr. Rutherford in Missoula has her on a new medication, but he thinks her condition may be chronic.”

  So nothing had really changed. That was the news Eli had needed to hear tonight in order to see things clearly.

  “How’s our Libby?”

  “Growing cuter every day. Before bed tonight I took a picture of her in that pink outfit you sent her for Christmas. It should be on your phone.”

  “Oh, wonderful. I’ll check it in a few minutes. How’s Alberta?”

  “Mom’s just been terrific, as always.”

  “She’s amazing. We feel so guilty for not being able to help more, but—”

  “Don’t go there,” he broke in. “Tessa needs you full-time.”

  “What about you? We admire you so much, Eli.”

  “Thank you. To be honest, things are looking up. I’ve been saving money and am now able to pay for someone to watch Libby during the day. Hopefully by next week Mom will be able to get on with her own life.”

  “That’s very good news, for both your sakes. We’ll try to help all we can.”

  “You already do. Give my best to Carl. I’ll call you again soon.”

  “We love you, Eli.”

  “Same here. Good night.”

  Eli clicked off. Diane didn’t know it, but this call had given him the push to let go of the past and move in a new direction. No more hoping for something that wasn’t going to happen. He looked down at his wedding ring. Time to take this off for good, Eli.

  After removing it, he walked over to the dresser, where he put it and the picture he’d displayed of Tessa in the bottom drawer. He stared at the white skin where the ring had been. In the last year he’d experienced his father’s death and the death of his own marriage. He’d suffered enough pain to last a lifetime. No more.

  Before getting ready for bed, he phoned Luis and arranged to take Wednesday off work to check out employment agencies in Stevensville and Missoula. By next week he hoped to find a satisfactory nanny who could come to his house every Monday morning and leave after he got home from work every Friday evening.

  The woman would need to have a car and could make the spare bedroom her own. She’d share the guest bathroom with Libby. He would expect her to prepare meals and do some light housekeeping. Her age didn’t matter to him as long as she was the right fit for Libby.

  As he climbed under the covers, the vision of his daughter patting Brianna Frost’s cheeks replayed itself in his mind. Disturbed that he couldn’t turn it off, he punched the pillow to get comfortable before oblivion took over.

  * * *

  THE JUSTIN BOOTS supplier came on Wednesday afternoons. Brianna opened the rear door of the saddlery to let him in while her uncle was out front dealing with a customer looking for the right saddle.

  “How are you, Antonio?”

  “Things are good, senorita, but they’d be better if you’d agree to go out with me tonight.”

  The rodeo celebrity from twenty years ago was probably in his midforties. According to her uncle, he’d been married and divorced twice. He had a certain reputation with the ladies. Brianna imagined he had several children with different women.

  He lifted the last box off the dolly and put it on the floor. “What’s it going to take?”

  His bold approach and persistence annoyed her. “I’ve got a boyfriend,” she lied.

  “But you’re not married yet.”

  All women were fair game to him. “That’s true, but I’d like to be.” Brianna counted the delivered inventory and signed the paper on his clipboard. “Accepting a date with another man would spell the end of my dreams, so I’m not taking any chances. Do you have any other business? My uncle’s out front if you want to talk to him.” She handed him the clipboard.

  “No other business, chica.”

  Good. She’d angered him. Without wasting another minute, she walked over to the back door and opened it. “See you next week.”

  He pushed the dolly out the door. “Hasta la vista.”

  She shut the self-locking door and got busy unpacking boots and other items of clothing. Her uncle was whistling when she went out front with the delivered items. “I take it you made a sale.”

  “That’s the third Dakota saddle this week. I’ll have to place more orders.”

  “Your business is booming.”

  A smile broke out on his face. “We keep getting repeat customers. You’re part of the reason.”

  “Nice one, Uncle Clark. You know I’m indebted to you.”

  “That works both ways. Your aunt can teach school without worrying about me running the saddlery alone. But any time you’re ready to use that college degree to start a real career, you need only say the word.”

  “I know, but I’m very happy working here with you. To be honest, it makes me feel closer to Dad.”

  Her uncle squeezed her shoulder. “Same here.”

  She checked her watch. Ten after four. “Since today is your wedding anniversary, why don’t you leave now so you can get ready to sweep Aunt Joanne off her feet. What’s your plan?”

  “I’m going to surprise her and pick her up at school. We’ll drive to Missoula and grab some dinner and then go country dancing.”

  “Ooh, I’d love to see the look on her face when she sees that ring.”

  “I’m excited, too.”

  “Then go home. I’ll close up and see you two in the morning at breakfast.”

  “Thanks, honey.” He gave her a hug and left the store. She had two more customers before it was time to lock the front door and put the closed sign in the window. With that done, she started for the back room but paused when she heard a knock on the window.

  Brianna whirled around and almost fainted when she saw Eli Clayton’s tall form through the glass. “Will you let me in for a minute?” he called out t
o her.

  She nodded but couldn’t imagine why he was there. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she unlocked the door. He stepped inside, bringing the cold air with him.

  “If you’ve come to see my uncle, he left early.”

  He removed his hat. “I came by to talk to you.”

  Brianna smoothed her palms against her denim-clad hips. “Why?”

  “After the way I treated you, you’ve got every right to ask that question.” Those piercing blue eyes stared into hers. He was building up to something. “I want to apologize for my rude behavior at the gem shop last Saturday. Don’t bother to deny it,” he said before she could make a sound.

  “I won’t.”

  “At least that’s honest,” he muttered. “Several reasons were driving me at the time, but nothing excuses the way I acted. If my daughter had been old enough to express an opinion, she would have asked, ‘Why are you being so mean, Daddy?’”

  Brianna couldn’t help smiling. “I realized something was wrong, but you didn’t have to come here to explain.”

  “I disagree. If we could start again, I’d like to make up for it by taking you to dinner this evening. If you have other plans, then how about tomorrow night?”

  Her second invitation of the day.

  She couldn’t say yes to him either, but for an entirely different reason.

  Eli might be divorced, but he was still in love with his ex-wife. That made him off-limits to her. There was no way she dared accept an invitation to get to know him better.

  “I accept your apology, but dinner isn’t necessary.”

  “Then I did more damage than I thought,” he said, his voice husky.

  She shook her head. “Don’t be silly.” She took the few steps needed to open the front door so he would leave. “My aunt and uncle said your father was a true gentleman. Your visit here to make things right means it runs in your family. Consider that achieving your objective and have a lovely evening with your daughter, Eli.”

  He shoved the cowboy hat on his head at an angle and moved toward her. Beneath the brim, his shadowed gaze studied her features. “We’ll meet again soon. Good night, Brianna.”