“Yeah, yeah, Winston,” Jim called out. “I know you’re starving to death down there.”
The horse responded with a loud snort.
“Don’t worry, buddy. There’s a hay flake in your future.” Jim glanced at Badger. “Winston likes to carry on a conversation.”
“He’s an eye-catchin’ horse.”
“That he is. Do you ride?”
“English. But I wouldn’t mind tryin’ a Western saddle while I’m out here.”
“It’ll feel like an easy chair after that little bit of leather you’re used to. If you go out with Ryker, ask him to put you on Winston. He has a smooth gait.”
“I’ll surely remember that.” He followed Jim into the tack room and breathed in the familiar scent of oiled leather. But the saddles were a complete change from what he was used to. Walking over to a particularly elaborate one, he traced the intricate tooling in the caramel-colored leather. “What a beauty.”
“Isn’t it?” Pride rang in Jim’s voice. “Cody got that for Faith last month. She objected to him spending his hard-earned money on an engagement ring, so he bought her the prettiest saddle he could find.”
Badger smiled. “I can’t wait to meet a woman who prefers a saddle to a diamond ring.”
“She’ll be along any minute, now.” He picked up a hat sitting brim-side-up on a shelf. After slapping it against his thigh a couple of times to knock the dust off, he handed it to Badger. “See if this fits. I don’t know who it belonged to. One of the boys probably donated it to the cause so we’d have a spare out here.”
“Thanks.” He took the hat by the crown and settled it on his head. “Perfect.” His scalp immediately was warmer.
“It’s a little beat up, but I personally like ‘em better that way. New hats might look snappy, but one with some miles on it sits easier on a man’s head, in my opinion.”
“Makes sense.” He tugged the brim a little lower. “Feels like I’ve been wearin’ it forever.” Funny how this hat affected him. As if he’d finally found the right headgear.
Jim nudged back his own hat and studied him. “Looks that way on you, too. You oughta keep it.”
“But then you won’t have a spare in the tack room.”
“We can round up another one. I have a couple at home I hardly ever wear. I can bring over—ah, I hear Faith and Cody coming in. Let’s go say howdy.”
Badger followed him out of the tack room and came face-to-face with his first cowgirl. Faith wore basically the same thing Cody had on – boots, jeans, flannel shirt, sheepskin jacket and a well-worn Stetson.
“Cody and Faith,” Jim said, “meet Badger Calhoun.”
Badger snatched off his hat as Faith thrust out her hand. “Pleased to meet you, Badger. I love your name.”
“Thank you, ma’am. I was just admirin’ your new saddle.”
“Isn’t it gorgeous?” Her smile revealed a cute little gap between her front teeth. The absence of makeup and a sprinkling of freckles made her look like a teenager. But her handshake was as strong as Jim’s. “Cody outdid himself.”
“That was exactly my plan.” Cody stepped forward and offered his hand. “Good to meet you, Badger. Did Ryker tell you about the juggling?”
“He did. Sounds like fun.” Badger met Cody’s friendly gaze. His eyes were the same blue as Ryker’s and his hair was the same color, too, but there the resemblance ended.
People who glanced at Ryker might have the urge to take a step back. The guy was naturally intimidating, whereas Cody likely caused people to take a step forward, especially women. He looked like he could be in the movies.
“We should set up a practice or two,” Cody said. “But I hear through the grapevine that your time will be limited.”
Ryker had warned him that gossip would spread, and it had. “We’ll find time. I’ll need to. I haven’t juggled since—” Winston’s loud whinny cut him off. “That’s one hungry horse.” He put his hat back on. “Need help feedin’ these critters?”
“Sure. We can always use an extra hand.” Cody glanced at him. “Ryker’s old hat suits you.”
“It was Ryker’s?”
“Yep. He left it behind when he went in the service, said we could keep it in the barn as a spare.”
“Oh.” If the hat had history, no way was he keeping it. “I’m just borrowing it until I can buy my own today.”
“You’re not gonna find one that has that much character. Ryker doesn’t want it anymore or he would have laid claim when he came back. You should keep it.”
“That’s what I told him,” Jim said. “Sometimes the man finds the hat and sometimes the hat finds the man. This one has your name written all over it.”
Chapter Seven
Hayley’s mom insisted on driving when they set out on their shopping trip. It didn’t seem as if it would be a problem until she continued through town instead of finding a place to park.
“Mom, you missed a couple of good spots in front of—”
“I have a better idea than shopping in Eagles Nest. We have plenty of time. Let’s go to Bozeman, instead.”
“Why?”
“More places to shop. I’d like to get you something special to wear for your dinner with the McGavins.”
“That’s a nice thought, but it’s not necessary. I brought plenty of clothes. Besides, I thought you wanted to shop for Luke. I need to get him something more, too. I only have one present for him and he always comes loaded. I want to look in that collectibles shop. Last year they had some rare books and I want to see if they have any of the Black Stallion series. We used to love those.”
“Bozeman has a used bookstore. At least I think they do. If you can find a phone number, you could call and ask if they have any copies.”
Hayley left her phone in her purse. Something wasn’t right about this change of plans. “You’re not suggesting this because Bozeman has a bridal shop, are you?”
Her mother laughed. “You know me too well.”
Boy, did she ever. “Mom, I love you to pieces, but despite my unending devotion, I’m not going to try on dresses today.”
“Oh, you don’t have to. We’ll just look. Wouldn’t that be fun?”
“Hey, this is me, your tomboy daughter Hayley. The one who would rather take a sharp stick in the eye than try on clothes. I don’t even like trying on jeans, let alone some ginormous frock that looks like it belonged to Scarlett O’Hara.” Thanks to her dad and Badger, she had Scarlett on the brain.
“You really don’t want to do it?”
“No, I really don’t want to do it.”
Her mother took a deep breath. “Okay. It was worth a shot.” She turned off at the next exit and started back toward Eagles Nest. “But I worry that you’ll end up getting married in your jeans, now that you mention it.”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
“It’s a terrible idea. This is your day to shine, to be a princess.”
“Once again, allow me to introduce you to your daughter Hayley Renee, the one who played with trucks in the dirt with her little brother instead of dressing up in her mother’s outfits and high heels.”
“I know, but you’re going to be married. Think about that magical moment after the bridesmaids and your maid of honor walk down the aisle. The music swells. Everyone stands. Badger’s face is alight with anticipation and love. And you appear on the arm of your father in a beautiful…” She swallowed. “A beautiful white dress.”
“Mom, are you getting choked up?”
She cleared her throat. “Just a little. I see it so clearly. Always have. I just didn’t have a face to put on the groom. Now I do. Oh, honey, can you picture Badger in a tux? Will he not be drop-dead gorgeous?”
Hayley sighed. “Yeah.” The image was delicious.
“He’ll look amazing.”
“Yeah, he will.” Oh, wait. She wasn’t ever going to see Badger in a tux, especially not standing at the end of the church aisle waiting for her to walk toward him.
&nbs
p; “Are you sure you don’t want to go look at dresses? I can turn around again.”
“I’m sure, Mom. As Scarlett famously said, ”tomorrow is another day.”
“Tomorrow won’t work for a shopping trip. It’s the twenty-second. We’re baking Christmas cookies like we always do.”
“I didn’t literally mean tomorrow. Let’s just wait until after I’m officially engaged to Badger, okay?”
“Okay. Next week will be better, anyway. They might have some good sales between Christmas and New Year’s. So, do you want me to tell you what I found out online last night about your sweetheart?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?” She looked over at Hayley with a cat-who-ate-the-cream smile.
“All right. But it stays in this car.”
“Goes without saying. Anyway, guess how he spent his years between high school and enlisting in the Air Force?”
“Dancing at Chippendales?”
Her mother snorted. “Now I have that image in my head, thank you very much.”
“You’re welcome.” The joke was on her because now she did, too.
“He was also enrolled in pre-law at Georgetown University.”
“I guess that’s not so shocking when you consider his dad’s a senior partner in a law firm.”
“And his father must do very well for himself. That school costs a fortune.”
“Did he graduate?”
“He did. Took him five years, which isn’t so unusual these days, but I couldn’t find any mention of academic achievements. Considering his family background, I would have expected him to excel.”
“Maybe his heart wasn’t in it. I don’t think you get to fly jets for the Air Force unless you’re exceptional.”
“Exactly. Chances are he partied his way through his very expensive education, one he probably didn’t give a hoot about.”
“Did you tell Dad about this?”
“Didn’t have to. We looked it up together.”
She should have known they would. “Clearly he doesn’t want to be a lawyer.”
“Clearly.” Her mom tapped her finger against the steering wheel. “But I’ll bet his father wanted him to. Maybe his mother, too.”
“And then he added insult to injury by spending ten years in the Air Force.”
“Yep.”
Hayley sighed. “That would be sad, if they’re at odds over his future. Poor guy.”
“It would explain why he hasn’t told you anything about them, or taken you to meet them, for that matter. He could be worried about how they’d treat you if they’re still upset with him.”
“Maybe.”
“But isn’t he lucky to have found you!”
“He is? How do you figure?”
“It’s obvious. I’m sure you don’t care whether he becomes a lawyer or not.”
“No, I just want him to be happy.” Where had that come from?
“Of course you do, and so do we. Our family will love him no matter what he chooses to do. We’re going to be a very good influence on that boy, Hayley. A very good influence.”
“You’ll be careful with this information, right? No telling how he views his college years. I don’t want him to find out that you and dad dug into his past.”
“He won’t find out. We’ll wait for him to confide in us.”
“Good.”
“She handles like a dream.” Badger banked to the left and grinned at Ryker sitting in the co-pilot’s seat. “You did good when you found her, Cowboy.”
“Glad you like her. Thought you would. By the way, I’ve been trolling the internet the past month or so. I’ve found a couple of others with a similar price tag. They might be worth checking out. ‘Course that means we’d need another pilot. Know where I could find one?”
“Stitch is comin’ out in another three months. Once he gets stateside, he might be interested.”
“I wasn’t thinking about Stitch.”
“I know you weren’t.” He took a deep breath. “It’s an appealin’ prospect in some respects, but I don’t know if I could handle this winter weather.”
“Are you really that much of a pansy-ass that you can’t handle a few snowflakes?”
“I just might be. There’s another thing. I’m used to a big city with all the amenities. Eagles Nest is chock-a-block with small-town charm, but you don’t have a single restaurant that lists sushi on the menu. I checked.”
“So you have to drive to Bozeman to get your sushi. Is that a deal breaker? If it is, I’ll learn to make your precious raw fish treats with my own two hands and deliver them personally to your lodgings.”
“It would almost be worth movin’ here to watch you do that.”
“I swear I would. At least once, anyway. What else does your spoiled-rotten self require?”
“What if I want grits ‘n’ gravy at two in the mornin’?”
“I could do that, too. It would make me nauseous but I could do it.”
“How about a foam-topped draft at three a.m.?”
“I’ll bribe my brother to open the GG just for you.”
“But look at all the trouble you’d go to. Atlanta is open twenty-four-seven. When I was comin’ home from Hayley’s last night around ten, I spotted a crew rollin’ up the sidewalk.”
“I concede your point, city boy. Eagles Nest is not a bustling metropolis, thank God. I’d hate to see it become one.”
“See, that’s where we’re like night and day. Let me keep on bein’ your silent partner and come visit you a couple of times a year to check on the state of our business.”
“There are two problems with that. Number one, I’m particular when it comes to who flies for the company. Stitch might work out, but I don’t know a better pilot than you.”
That knocked him back. “Hard to believe.”
“But true. I flew with a lot of guys in ten years. Nobody has your instincts. Well, except me.”
Badger laughed. “Still modest as ever.”
“Am I right? Do you know a better pilot than me?”
“Yeah, and you’re lookin’ at him.”
“Okay, I’ll give you that if you’ll come fly with me. We’ll make a hell of a team.”
His chest tightened. That kind of praise from a man he admired more than anyone he knew was powerful stuff. “What’s the second thing?”
“After getting out, you went back to Atlanta. I can’t help being curious. You planning on staying? Finding work there?”
That was a sore point. Atlanta was familiar. He knew his way around. Sure, it had changed, but it was still home. Sort of. “Haven’t decided. Still thinkin’ on it.”
“Dangerous path to walk, my friend, especially for a guy who doesn’t really need a job.”
“I’ll get a job.”
“Doing what?”
“I’ll figure that out.”
“Gonna put in an application to the commercial airlines?”
“Hell, no. I’m not suited. Thought about it again when I flew here from Atlanta. Hats off to the pilots who put themselves in charge of five hundred souls on a cross-country flight. I’d sweat through my uniform in the first five minutes.”
“I knew it wasn’t for me, either, but a commuter flight is manageable. Fewer civilians, more control of conditions. If you don’t feel safe taking off, you can just postpone the flight. Everybody understands, at least most of the time.”
“That sounds better, but I’m still not ready to—”
“The military gave us structure, and it probably feels weird not to be told what to do every day.”
“You’ve got that right.”
“Thanks to you, I was able to make a plan, set up a business that feels more solid every day.”
“I’m real happy about that, Cowboy. I love bein’ part owner of your business, havin’ my name on the logo.”
“But you could be a working partner, too! The customers would welcome you with open arms. I get a lot of passengers who are enamored of being flown
around by a vet.”
“They are?”
“Oh, yeah. We’re heroes to them.”
Badger glanced at him. “Do you feel like a hero?”
“No, but that’s not important. They think of us that way. They admire us because we fought for our country. Some are ex-military themselves. It’s a selling point.”
“I couldn’t work that angle.”
“Why not? You were in as long as me.“
“But I didn’t fight for my country. I wanted to escape, to stop bein’ Thaddeus the third. To spit in my daddy’s eye. Nothin’ noble about that.”
Ryker blew out a breath. “And I suppose you did nothing heroic in ten years of flying jets for Uncle Sam?”
“Not that I recall.”
“Bullshit. There’s Afghanistan, for one.”
“Ah, I was showin’ off.”
“What about those kids in the village? If I remember right, you spent your entire month’s paycheck on toys.”
“You know I didn’t need that damned paycheck. Sorry, you’re not gonna convince me I’m a hero. No question about you, though. You went in for the right reasons.”
“Then how would you like to be a hero for your old pal Ryker?”
He groaned. “Here it comes. The full court press.”
“I need you here, Badger.”
“You don’t need me. You only need a fistful of cash to buy that second plane. I can write you a check today. Be happy to do it. Balanced the investments in my trust fund before I came out here and it’s healthy as one of your momma’s prize chickens.”
“Glad to hear it, but I need your flying skills more than your cash.”
“Get Stitch. He’ll work out perfect.”
Ryker blew out a breath. “Yeah, he might. Maybe I don’t need you except as an investor.”
“There you go.”
“But I wouldn’t be a good friend if I didn’t tell you something.”
“What’s that?”
“I may not need you to make this business into something great. But I can’t shake the feeling that you need me.”
He would have loved to have a smartass response to that. He came up empty. He might be as good a pilot as Ryker, maybe even a hair better, but his buddy was miles ahead of him in the wisdom department.
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