Champagne and Cowboys
Page 27
There was a less pleasant side to it, as well. The buckle bunnies, the drugs, the alcoholism, the fights. He’d seen it all and had treated the results. Some of the cowboys kept themselves above the rest and away from the temptations. They had families who cared, wives who stayed close and kept the girls away, they had faith or a solid upbringing to keep them on the straight and narrow.
But more and more, he was seeing kids coming in who didn’t have those values, didn’t have the family support, and they quickly got sucked into the underbelly of rodeo life.
“Hey Doc! We’ve got a problem over here.”
Doc followed the young calf roper to an empty stall. Inside was a girl, maybe sixteen years old, slumped against the back wall. Her clothes were ripped, her body bruised, her eyes swollen. “What the hell?” Doc said as he knelt beside her and felt for a pulse.
As soon as he touched her, she whimpered and drew herself into a fetal position, covering her head with her arms.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m a doctor. Who did this to you?”
She was too traumatized to answer. He called for an ambulance and the sheriff. Once they’d taken over, he went through the crowd gathered around and started asking questions. Had anyone seen anything, heard anything? If they had but weren’t willing to talk to the sheriff, they could come to him in confidence.
No one came forward and that bothered him. Yes, the rodeo was like family and they didn’t often tell on their own, but a rape was a whole different story. Cowboys wouldn’t want someone like that in their midst, someone who might hurt their girlfriend or wife, daughter or sister.
He went looking for Susan and the kids. He felt a strong need to have them close by where he could protect them. He found them at the snow cone stand, waiting in line. He quickly filled Susan in on what had happened. “I’d like for y’all to either sit in the stands or stay close to me. We don’t know who did this, so he’s still out there somewhere.”
“We’ll be careful, John. I won’t let the kids wander off, and we’ll stay with people we know, but you can’t do your job if you’re trying to keep an eye on us. Don’t worry. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.” Susan kissed his cheek.
Doc took her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. “I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you or the kids. We just have another half-hour or so before the rodeo ends. I can stay with you unless I get called again.” He meant every word. If anything happened to her, he would be lost. He’d fallen in love with her, but he’d been very careful to hide his feelings. The last thing she needed was to hitch her wagon to an old, burned out cowboy.
After the crowds had cleared, the police had gathered their evidence and left, and the lights began to dim, Doc walked Susan and the kids back to the trailer. He didn’t relax until he had them all safely inside, behind the locked door.
Susan put the kids to bed in Doc’s room. Doc checked the windows to be sure they were locked and left the bedroom door partially open so they could hear if one of the children woke up. Then he fixed a pot of coffee, poured them both a cup, and added a dash of whiskey to his.
“You drink way too much coffee, John. Do you ever just drink water?”
He shook his head. “Can’t stand the stuff. Besides, coffee is mostly water.”
“You should take better care of yourself,” Susan said, sitting beside him on the couch. “You’d think a doctor would know that.”
“I do know that, but it’s easier said than done. I’m on call twenty-four-seven, and I’d never make it without the caffeine to keep me going. At least I haven’t resorted to drugs like a lot of doctors do.”
Susan ran a finger down his cheek. “I noticed when we got here that you didn’t look well. I’m worried about you.”
“Don’t.” When she frowned, he said, “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Just tired and burned out and ready for a change. That rape tonight was the last straw. Things have changed too much and I’m not willing to change with them.”
“I know it’s not the first time it’s happened, but it’s the first time I’ve been nearby when it did.” Susan shuddered. “I’d hate to think I might know someone capable of doing that to a woman.”
“Yeah, me too. There are lots of locals in and out, but this happened in an area where they don’t normally hang out. Makes me think it had to be one of our own, and that scares the hell out of me. All those girlfriends, wives, daughters of these cowboys are at risk. You and Christy are at risk as long as you’re here.”
“We have you to protect us.” Susan leaned her head against his shoulder. “No one can hurt us while you’re around.”
John tensed. He knew she was just being affectionate, but she didn’t usually sit quite so close, or lean against him like that. He had to shift slightly to the side and cross his legs to hide his reaction.
Susan stretched and scooted closer. “Why haven’t you ever kissed me?” she asked.
John didn’t like the change of subject. “I did, just a little while ago.”
“You kissed me like I was a child, on the forehead. I mean a real kiss. Don’t you want to? I mean, I wouldn’t mind if you did.”
John looked down at her, not sure how to answer. “I promised Dillon I would look after you and the kids. I don’t think making moves on his wife was part of that promise.”
She ran her fingers through his hair. “Dillon has been gone almost three years. And I don’t think he’d mind. He always liked you a lot.”
“But…”
“No buts. It’s time to fish or cut bait.”
“I don’t want to mess up what we have. What if…”
She stopped him with her mouth on his. John was so surprised he responded without thinking, pulling her onto his lap and deepening the kiss. He’d wanted to do it so many times, but he’d reined himself in and minded his manners. All thought of manners disappeared when she unbuttoned his shirt and slid her hands inside.
He kissed her neck and she arched her back, putting her breasts almost in his face. His hands seemed to move of their own volition, cupping those breasts so he could bury his face between them.
Susan straddled him, pressing against him as he ran his tongue across her cleavage. There was no hiding his desire at that point. He untied the straps of her sundress and let it drop. She wasn’t wearing a bra. John shuddered as she pressed herself harder against his erection. He shouldn’t be doing this.
But his brain couldn’t come up with the usual excuses. He forgot why he shouldn’t and could only think of why he should. Why he must. He took a moment to admire the beauty of those breasts. Then he took one into his mouth. Susan moaned as he flicked his tongue across her nipple, nibbled softly against it with his teeth, and drew her breast more deeply into his mouth.
She threaded her fingers through his hair and drew him closer, rubbing her panties against his straining jeans. Goosebumps broke out on her skin and she shuddered. She rubbed harder, faster against his erection, and he cupped her bottom, lifting his pelvis to give her better access. When he slid his fingers beneath the edge of her panties, he felt the dampness. He found the nub he was looking for and rubbed it once, twice.
Susan shattered against him, her chest heaving as she collapsed against his chest. He held her tightly, his own body screaming for release, but he would let her choose whether or not to go farther. Maybe her own release was all she wanted, all she needed, for now.
She rested for a moment, her breath catching as she tried to draw air in. When she climbed off his lap, John felt the sharp disappointment of loss. But she pushed him onto his back on the couch, unzipped his jeans, and pushed them to his feet. Then she shed her panties, straddled him, and took him inside. She looked into his eyes and held his gaze as she began to move.
He’d never seen her like this. Strong, determined, in complete control. He had no doubt she knew exactly what she was doing, that this was what she wanted. He breathed a sigh of relief and laid back, letting her take the lead. Later he was
glad he did. She took him all the way to heaven and back.
She fell asleep against his chest. He let her stay that way for a long time, savoring the feel of her bare breasts against his chest, her warm breath on his neck. Soon, though, his body reminded him he was too old to sleep in that position and he shifted her to the side, smoothed her sundress down over her legs and up over her chest, and tucked a blanket around her.
He dressed, grabbed a beer from the fridge and a cigar from his secret stash, and slipped outside the trailer. He had a small sitting area set up for waiting patients, and he grabbed a chair, popped the top on the beer, and lit the cigar. He needed time to think about what he’d just done and to decide what he should do about it.
Chapter Two
Doc wrote out yet another prescription for pain medication, gave the cowboy a referral for physical therapy, and warned him not to ride again until his fractured leg had fully healed. He knew his orders would be ignored in the pursuit of the next belt buckle, the hope of prize money, and the under-aged buckle bunny who waited outside the trailer.
“Hey Doc, before I go, can you give me a prescription for something that will help with, um, my sex life?”
“What’s the problem?”
“Well, hell Doc. I’m getting up there in years, ya know? I’ll be fifty next month. Sometimes things don’t work like they’re supposed to, and I need a little help to keep up with the younger ladies.”
“Jones, for something like that you need a full physical, blood work, and some tests. I can’t just write a prescription without knowing what’s causing the problem. You could have a circulation problem, heart trouble—a dozen different things.”
“I don’t have time for all that stuff, Doc. I guess I’ll just order something off the internet.”
Jones stomped out of the trailer, slamming the door closed behind him.
Doc sighed and made a notation on the file. The old cowboys were the hardest ones to deal with. They wouldn’t listen to anything he said and then they blamed him when things went wrong.
One more week. He only had to get through another week until his replacement arrived. He’d sold his trailer and equipment to a young doc just starting out. Soon he would leave with only his pickup and his personal belongings and head for Amarillo. He had a week free to spend with Susan and the kids before he had to move on.
Cooper Saunders had offered him a job at the Triple S, caring for the ranch hands, students, and hippotherapy patients. He had enough money saved to buy a spread of his own, and the salary Cooper had offered would more than take care of his needs.
He hadn’t told Susan about the job. He didn’t know why, but he’d kept the information to himself. He refused to analyze his reasons for keeping it a secret.
As he headed for Amarillo a week later, his emotions were running high. Excitement about starting a new life, regret at leaving the old one behind, confusion about what to do about Susan. John rubbed at the nagging ache in his chest, popped a couple of Aspirin, and downed his third cup of coffee for the day.
Whatever lay ahead, he hoped he was ready for it.
Susan Hunt put the finishing touches on John’s favorite meal, dressed Damon in clean pajamas, and sent Christy and Matt upstairs to play until dinnertime. When she heard his truck pull into the driveway, Susan scooped Damon into her arms and went to the door. As she watched John from the doorway, Susan remembered doing the same thing when Dillon was alive. They’d tried to have a normal life once with a rented house, and she’d hated it. Being away from him for weeks at a time, waiting and watching at the window for his return, a few whirlwind days and nights before he was gone again.
She hated it just as much now.
“Matt, Christy!” she called out. “John’s here.”
Within seconds footsteps pounded on the stairs. Matt reached the door first and flung it open. “Mr. John! Guess what? I lost a tooth.”
“Well how about that. Which one?” John knelt on one knee to check out the newest hole in Matt’s mouth. “Did it fall out by itself or did you have to pull it?”
“It came out when I bit an apple. I had to throw the apple away because it got blood on it.”
John ruffled Matt’s hair. “That was probably a good idea.”
Christy held back, waiting for John to notice her standing in the background.
“Hey, there’s my best girl. Are you glad to be out of school for the summer?”
Christy nodded. “I got awards for being best in math and science.”
“I know,” he said. “Your mom sent me pictures. I’m so proud of you. Maybe you’ll grow up to be a doctor someday.”
“Maybe. But I think I’d rather be a teacher like Mom.”
“That’s a noble profession, too.” John looked up at Susan. “And it has the benefit of summers off.”
Susan laughed. “Yeah, right. I have three training sessions to go to this summer.” She stepped back and held the door open. “Come on in. Dinner’s ready.”
“Thank you. I can’t wait to eat some real food.” John held Susan’s chair and then did the same for Christy. “Matt, I think you’ve grown another inch since I saw you last.”
“I did. Mom had to buy me new jeans.”
Susan watched the interchange between John and her two older children while she cut Damon’s chicken into bite-sized pieces. Dillon had been a good father, but he’d considered the children to be her domain. He was always so tired after a rodeo that he spent most of his time at home either sleeping or watching television.
She immediately felt guilty comparing her husband to John. She’d tried very hard to keep the children’s memories of their father fresh in their minds. It worried her that those memories seemed to fade a little more each day, even for her.
John should have married and had children of his own. He was so good with them, taking the time to really listen to what they had to say, talking to them instead of talking down to them as some adults did. He seemed to enjoy the time he spent with them rather than being irritated by their questions and boundless energy.
“What do you think, Susan?”
She’d been woolgathering and lost track of the conversation. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I said I have the week free. I was hoping to spend it with you and the kids. Maybe take them a few places. Would that be okay?”
“Sure, I guess so. What did you have in mind?”
John shrugged. “Whatever y’all want. We could stay here and do things around town, or we could take them to Dallas or Austin.”
“We’d better stay close by. They’re going to their grandparents’ house for a week starting on Friday, so that would only give us four days.”
“All right. Then let’s fill those four days with fun. Where do you kids want to go?”
“The zoo!” Matt folded his hands together. “Please?”
“The zoo sounds like fun. What about you, Christy? Where do you want to go?”
“The Discovery Center? It’s pretty cool.”
“You got it. Should we let your Mom pick a place, too?” When both children nodded, John looked at Susan. “Anyplace you want to go?”
“I’d love to take them to Palo Duro canyon. It’s not something I’ve been willing to try on my own, but with two of us it should be okay.”
“Sounds good to me. So, that’s three of the four days. So who gets to choose the fourth? Me or Damon?” John said.
“You!” Christy and Matt laughed. “Damon’s too little.”
“Okay. Then I choose the water park.”
Matt’s eyes widened. “Really? Mom’s never let us go before. Can we, Mom?”
“May we. And we’ve never gone because I didn’t think I could watch you both and take care of Damon. But if you promise to stay with John and not run off, then yes, you may.”
After dinner, John and the children played board games while Susan put Damon to bed and cleaned the kitchen. To an outsider, they probably looked like a typical family, but John
acted more like a favorite uncle, a situation Susan found frustrating, especially since she thought they’d moved beyond that. Since he’d arrived, though, he’d kept his distance, treating her like he had before. He’d been a great friend to have around after Dillon’s death, but she wanted more.
But how could she have more with a man determined to remain only friends?
The kids were on their best behavior. Matt stayed close to John’s side, while Christy helped her mother keep up with Damon. They didn’t complain about the long trek through the zoo, standing in line at the Discovery Center, or about the short hikes through Palo Duro Canyon.
John’s favorite was the water park. He’d played like a kid on the slides, in the wave pool, in the kid’s section, spraying the kids with water cannons and hiding with them behind the curtains of water. He felt younger than he had in years.
The four days flew by. John couldn’t remember a time when he’d had so much fun. The weight he’d carried for the last few months lifted. Being with Susan and the kids put a spring in his step and a smile on his face.
He’d grown used to being a confirmed bachelor, or so he’d thought. This week he fully realized how much he’d missed. He was sad to see the kids leave when their grandparents arrived. Now that the kids were gone, he should be on his way as well, but he was reluctant to leave Susan alone.
“Don’t go yet. I hate it when the kids leave. I don’t sleep well when I’m here alone.”
“I thought you’d appreciate the time to relax or go shopping.”
“I’d rather spend time alone with you, without the kids underfoot.”
The look Susan gave him set off alarm bells in his head. Their lovemaking had been a mistake. He’d told himself that over and over these past few weeks. It had only made it harder to keep his distance, to keep up the pretense of being only a friend.
“I have some of the latest movie releases. Want to catch up on what you’ve missed?”
Though her meaning was different, the words were almost exactly what he’d been thinking earlier. Catching up on what he’d missed. A good woman, a home, a family…