One Smart Cowboy

by Misty Malone

  Clay laughed at her antics. “I’ll just bet you could, sweetheart. He kissed the end of her nose and smiled. “But we don’t know each other well enough yet for that.” He settled into the couch, taking her with him so she was still leaning against his shoulder. “So tell me about your day, honey. What did you do today? How’s the physical therapy business? Did you get any new clients?”

  She smiled and became very enthusiastic. “Yes, I did get a new client today. The other two single girls are upset that I got him.”

  Clay’s eyebrows rose. “Why are they upset?”

  “He’s a real hunk! He’s gorgeous, and he’s single, not dating anyone.”

  “How do you know he’s single and not dating anyone?”

  “I asked him, silly. You always talk to your clients while they’re having their therapy if you can. It calms them down and they do more without realizing it.”

  Clay stiffened a bit. “So you asked if he was single and dating anyone?”

  “Sure.”

  “Why would you ask him that, when we’re dating?”

  “So I could tell the other girls. They’re upset that I got him, so now that I know he’s not dating anyone, I can rub it in.”

  “Lynelle,” he said in a warning voice, “is that very nice?”

  “Well, before I started dating you they used to do that to me, too. Julie, especially. She can be a real bitch sometimes.”

  Clay sat up, turning Lynelle to look at him. “Lynelle, I’ve talked to you before about your language. I don’t like to hear people cuss, especially young ladies. Dad raised us that way, so you won’t hear him or anyone in this house cussing much. Besides, you’re a much better person than that. I’m sure you can make your point without having to resort to those words.”

  “Sorry. I keep forgetting you have this weird thing for cussing. I’ll try to watch it when I’m over here.”

  “Nell, it’s not just when you’re over here,” he tried to explain. “I don’t like to hear it anytime.”

  “That’s just odd. My family doesn’t cuss all the time, but once in a while it’s no big deal. Maybe you need to lighten up a bit.”

  “Or maybe you need to learn to talk without using cussing as a crutch.”

  Sam started out to the living room to ask Clay a question, but stopped when he heard Lynelle raising her voice. “Or maybe you need to loosen up a bit. What the hell difference does it make if you use a swear word once in a while?”

  Sam smiled and turned around to go back to his office. His question could wait.

  Clay tried to calm Lynelle down. “Nell, don’t get so worked up. Is this really worth fighting over?”

  She stopped to think a minute before softening her words. “You’re right, Clay. I don’t know why, but sometimes things just hit me wrong.”

  Clay pulled her back against him and encouraged her to lean against him again. “I’ve noticed that.” He chuckled a bit as he said, “We’ll have to see if we can’t find a way to calm you down when that happens.” She looked up at him, but didn’t say anything. He changed the subject, and they spent some time visiting.

  An hour later Clay knocked on Sam’s door. “Dad, can I come in?”

  “Sure, Son.” Sam looked up as his son walked into his office. “Did Lynelle leave already?”

  “Yes. Her mom sent her out to drop something off at her aunt’s house, which is just down the road a ways from here. She just stopped in to say hello on her way back home.”

  “I see. Did your sister get home yet?”

  “No. That’s what I came to talk to you about. Do you suppose we should be worried about her? It’s not like her to stay out this late.”

  His dad nodded his head. “I’ve been wondering that, too. I don’t know what’s gotten into that girl.” He paused a few moments. “Actually, that’s not true; I do know what’s gotten into her. She’s acting more and more like her mother.” After another long pause, he looked up at Clay. “And that’s got to stop.”

  Clay grinned a bit as he nodded his head in agreement. “How are you going to do that?”

  “I’m not sure yet. I’m going to talk to her again, for starters.”

  “I’m telling you, Dad, talking doesn’t work with her. She always has been stubborn, and you already know the only thing that worked on her when she was younger.”

  “I know very well what you want me to do. But it’s not as easy as you make it sound.”

  “Sure it is,” Clay responded.

  “She isn’t going to like it.”

  “But it would be the best thing for her. Dad, she’s my sister and I love her. Talking never worked on her before and I don’t think it will now. If anything, she seems stubborner now than when she left. I’m afraid if you don’t get her straightened out soon, you may not. I’m worried about her.”

  Sam looked at his son, studying him several moments. He nodded, but was clearly thinking.

  Clay narrowed his eyes, knowing his dad had something on his mind. He finally coaxed, “What is it, Dad? Go ahead and say it.”

  “Okay, maybe I will. If you think spanking a stubborn young lady isn’t so hard, and it would be the best thing for her, maybe you should take your own advice.”

  Clay looked totally confused. “What are you saying, Dad?”

  “Maybe you should try it on Lynelle. She’s a sweetheart most of the time, but she sure has a temper.”

  “You heard her tonight?”

  “A little bit of it, yes. I was coming out to see if Cheyenne was home yet, but when I heard her, I turned around and came back in the office. It sounded like you had your hands full and didn’t need me around.”

  Clay sighed and sat back in his chair. “I did have my hands full. I don’t know what to do with her, Dad. I really like her, except for her temper and her propensity for swearing. Her parents never said anything about either one, so she doesn’t seem to understand that I really don’t approve of them.”

  Now it was Sam looking seriously at Clay. “Son, I’ve thought about what you said about Cheyenne, and I came to the conclusion that you may be right. It worked for her before, and I’m thinking it may indeed be the only thing that works now. I need to get her attention, and words aren’t doing it. Lynelle is a lot like your sister in some ways. Maybe a good spanking is what you need to get her attention and get her to take you seriously.”

  “Or it might chase her away. She might even call the police.”

  “She might at that, Son.” He grinned as he looked at Clay. “But I doubt it.”

  “Why wouldn’t she?”

  “If she threatens, remind her the police will have to see the evidence and take pictures of it to use at the trial.”

  A smile spread across Clay’s face as his father’s words set in. “Maybe she won’t call the police after all.”

  “I’m thinking most women wouldn’t want to, after thinking it through anyway. Give it some thought, Clay. You seem convinced it’s what your sister needs. If it’ll work for her, why wouldn’t it work for Lynelle?”

  Clay was doing some serious thinking as he thanked his dad and went to his room.

  Sam stayed up to be sure his wayward daughter returned home. The more he thought about her, he came to the conclusion that she was staying away until she thought they were all in bed. With that in mind, he turned off all the lights, then sat down in the living room to wait. Sure enough, fifteen minutes later she pulled in, turning her headlights off at the road as soon as she turned in the lane. She used her key and came into the house and to the kitchen. She left the lights off, but went to the refrigerator and found the leftovers from supper. She heated them in the microwave, stopping it before it hit zero and the bell dinged. She got a drink and sat down at the table with her plate of food.

  Sam turned the light on and watched her jump. She whirled around and said, “Dad, you scared me half to death. What are you doing up?”

  “Waiting for you.”

  “You were? Why?”

  “I
think you know why.” He sat down across from her and gentled his voice. “Cheyenne, we need to talk. You can go ahead and eat while we talk.” She looked at him, uncertainty in her eyes. He had a lot he wanted to say to her, so he wasted no time. “Honey, part of this is my fault. I never should have let you leave the ranch to go live with your mother.”

  “Dad, I was eighteen.”

  “I know. That’s the only reason I let you go. I knew you weren’t happy on the ranch and if I would have made you stay you probably would have rebelled. I couldn’t risk that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “If you would have rebelled at that young age it’s hard telling what you would do just to prove a point and get away from the ranch. You weren’t exactly thinking like an adult back in those days, if you remember. You were eighteen, thought the world was yours for the taking, and weren’t going to listen to anyone.”

  She started to object, but after thinking about it, she held up. She looked down instead, thinking.

  Sam went on. “Unfortunately, going off with your mother was not what you needed at that time, either.”

  “Why not?”

  Sam ran his hand through his hair, but hesitantly explained his thoughts. “Honey, your mother is basically a good woman. And I wish her the best in her new marriage. But I hope her new husband can get through to her better than I could.”

  “About what?”

  “Your mother’s parents raised two girls. Two princesses who never grew up. They were used to their parents giving them anything they wanted, and they grew up expecting it. As adults they still feel the world should give them everything, and they shouldn’t have to do anything to earn it.” He sighed. This wasn’t coming out quite like he’d hoped. “In short, they’re both spoiled and self-centered. Unfortunately, I think you’ve come to realize that about them now, but you had to learn it the hard way.”

  She looked up at her dad, and Sam saw the tears in her eyes. He knew he was right, and she’d been hurt by her mother. He went to her and knelt down beside her, taking her in his arms and pulling her to his chest. “Honey, I know it hurt when she abandoned you for her new husband. I’m sorry you had to go through it.”

  Tears started flowing down her cheeks now as she hugged her father. “Thank you, Dad.”

  “For what?”

  “You understand. Thank you for that.”

  “Yes, I understand how it feels to be pushed aside by your mother for something she wants for herself. It hurts.”

  Cheyenne hugged her father a bit harder, understanding for the first time that her mother had hurt him, too. “I’m sorry, Dad. She’s hurt both of us, hasn’t she?”

  “Yes, she has,” he agreed. “But don’t let it ruin you, honey. Being hurt like that is a powerful thing, but you have to be stronger than the hurt. Don’t let it win.”

  She pulled back far enough to look at him. “How do you do that?”

  He went to sit across from her again as he answered. “Be true to yourself, Cheyenne. Be a stronger person than she is. You’ll be happier, too.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Your mother is very self-centered, and so is your Aunt Mary. But stop and think a minute. How happy are they?”

  Cheyenne stared straight ahead for a few moments. She looked up at her dad, a sad look on her face. “You’re right. She’s not very happy, is she?”

  “No, she’s not, and neither is your aunt. They don’t have many friends, either, because they expect everyone to do things for them, and that’s not what friends do. Friends help each other. They’ll both take help from others, but they’re not so good at giving it to others. They can both put on a good front, acting like a friend to someone until they get what they want, or the person sees through them. Unfortunately, I didn’t see through her soon enough. But as a result of that, they don’t have many friends and never seem to be happy.”

  Cheyenne was nodding her head and Sam knew she was doing the serious thinking he wanted her to do. He went on. “Don’t end up that way, Cheyenne. They’ve never had a job, and that’s a shame, too. Having a job, doing something useful, helpful to others, and doing it the best you can gives you something to be proud of. What are they proud of, honey? How good their new clothes look? How they got someone else to do something for them or give them something for nothing?”

  Cheyenne was quiet, but he knew she was digesting what he was saying. “Remember how proud you were in high school when you got an A in a class that wasn’t easy for you? It was because you’d worked for it, and you earned that A.”

  Tears came to her eyes as she nodded. “Honey, I know you haven’t done a lot lately to be proud of, but your mother didn’t encourage you any, either. But now that you’re back here, I want you to know that I do plan on encouraging you. I know you’re a good person, and I want to see that good person again. I’m anxious to see what you become. But the first step in that venture is to cook for us until you decide what career you want to pursue. You cook, and do a job you can be proud of, and that pride in yourself will return. Once it does, I’m sure you’ll know what you want to do with your life.”

  This time it was Cheyenne who got up and went to her father. He stood and opened his arms, and she hurried into them, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Thanks, Dad.”

  “You’re welcome, honey. But now it’s up to you. Do you want to wallow in the hurt your mother caused, or are you going to rise above it and be the better and happier person?”

  She didn’t answer, but hugged him tighter. After a couple minutes, her dad gestured back to the table. “Sit down and finish your supper now so you can get to bed. I’ll let you alone so you can think about what we’ve talked about.”

  He left and Cheyenne sat down. She picked up her fork, but wasn’t as hungry as she thought she was. Her dad had given her a lot to think about. After a few minutes of thinking, though, she felt much better. She picked up her fork and finished eating, rinsed her plate off, and hurried to bed.

  Bella, the cook, was surprised to see Cheyenne waiting for her in the kitchen the next morning. “Good morning, Cheyenne. Did you sleep well?”

  “I did,” she said as she smiled. “Dad wants me to take over the cooking responsibilities for a while, so I’m hoping you can teach me all your tricks before you leave.”

  Bella was a little surprised, but hid it well. “What a wonderful thing you’re doing to help out your father, Cheyenne. I’m sure he’s proud of you. Let’s work together this week. Then you’ll know where everything is and what everyone likes.”

  Cheyenne was sure Bella was being very gracious and helpful, but she missed half of what she said while they made breakfast together. She couldn’t get Bella’s words out of her head. She wanted her dad to be proud of her, and was determined to do a good job as the cook.

  It felt good when her dad and Clay came in shortly after she and Bella finished cooking. “Good morning, Cheyenne,” her dad said as he kissed her cheek. “It’s good to see you down here this morning.”

  “Morning, Cheyenne,” Clay echoed. He also kissed her cheek as he went past her. “Breakfast sure smells good this morning.”

  Bella smiled at him. “That’s because Cheyenne made the scrambled eggs, and she made them special. She added lots of good stuff to hers. They look delicious.

  Sam smiled like a proud father. “Cheyenne always has been a good cook.”

  Ty came in the back door just then. He hung his cowboy hat on a peg by the door and turned to face them. “Who’s always been a good cook?”

  “My daughter,” Sam answered with another big smile. “Cheyenne made us some special scrambled eggs this morning.”

  Ty’s eyebrows raised. “Cheyenne’s up?”

  She walked back into the kitchen, carrying the early morning paper. “Yes, I’m up,” she answered.

  He smiled at her. “Good morning.”

  The men were all seated, but before they could start eating, Sam stopped them. “Cheyenne, I’ve tried and trie
d to get Bella to eat with us, but she always said she’d prefer to get started on the cleanup. That’s changing now, though. You’re family and you’re going to eat with us. I’ve always felt family should eat together. Go get a plate, we’ll wait.”

  She looked from her father to Bella. The older lady smiled and nodded. “Do as your father says, Cheyenne. I agree with him; it is good for family to eat together.”

  She quickly returned with a plate and silverware. Once she was seated, the men tucked into their breakfast, discussing what they had planned for the day on the ranch.

  It wasn’t long before Ty looked up. “Cheyenne, these eggs are delicious.”

  She blushed a bit as she responded quietly. “Thank you.”

  The next few days went by in similar fashion. Cheyenne, encouraged by the compliments from the three men she was cooking for, helped Bella make every meal, and made notes as to things she thought she’d like to make for them. The men insisted she eat every meal with them, and thanked her for a good meal afterward.

  Although she enjoyed the compliments on her cooking, Cheyenne wasn’t really happy at the ranch. Her father had warned her of her attitude on several occasions. She’d visited several of her old friends, but she wasn’t proud of herself around them, and she knew they weren’t impressed, either. Instead of asking about their lives the last few years, she talked about her experiences in Paris. She embellished the stories, though, making her time there sound more glamorous than it was.

  In thinking about it, she realized she had become too much like her mother. But instead of deciding to do something about it, she got angry and blamed it on her mother. The anger made her attitude worse, and she was soon caught in a vicious cycle.

  One Tuesday, Clay was having problems. They’d gotten a few new horses in that he’d bought at a recent auction, and he and Ty were working with four of them, trying to break them. They were older than they should have been before anyone worked with them, and that made it much more difficult. They were bigger and stronger and more determined not to have anyone sitting on their back. Clay was usually pretty good at breaking horses, no matter how stubborn, but these were trying his patience. Ty was having just as much luck. They’d both been thrown once already, but luckily neither had been hurt, other than their pride.