The Right Cowboy

by Rebecca Winters

  After they started through town, she couldn’t hold her feelings back any longer. “Cole—there’s something I have to say to you.”

  Because of the wound on his left arm, he didn’t try to touch her as they drove. “It must be serious. You look like you’ve just lost your best friend. Where has the most gorgeous woman on the planet suddenly disappeared to?”

  She had trouble breathing. “That woman needs to ask your forgiveness for something unforgiveable she’s done.”

  He smiled, trying to lighten the mood. “You’ve never done anything that’s unforgiveable.”

  “That’s not true. We both know I have.” Her hands clung to the steering wheel as she drove toward his ranch.

  “Sweetheart—tell me what’s wrong. As long as you’re not going to remove the ring I gave you, I can handle anything.”

  By the time they reached the parking area of his property, she was a nervous wreck. “Maybe you’d better stop the truck before we have an accident.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Tamsin came to a halt with a jerk, almost skidding into his truck. She managed to shut off the engine before burying her face in her hands. “I should never have asked you to give up your career as a firefighter. It was wrong of me. Selfish. I was only thinking of my own wants and needs, never once considering what I was asking of you. I’ve been so unfair to you.”

  By now the tears were gushing down her cheeks. “I’m ashamed of how I’ve acted and what I’ve put you through.” She lifted her head to look at him. “When the flowers came and I saw that look in your eyes after you read the card from the crew, I could see what the cost would be for you to give it up. I knew then it was the last thing you wanted to do.

  “Cole—for you to turn your back on something you love so much in order to marry me would kill me. I couldn’t bear to be the reason you go through life feeling robbed of something so important to you. What I’m trying to say is that I don’t want you to give up firefighting. I won’t let you do it!”

  His features suddenly hardened into an expressionless mask. “I’m afraid it’s too late for that. Before you arrived at the hospital this morning, Chief Powell phoned to check up on me. That’s when I told him I was resigning and why. The deed is done.”

  “No—” Her horrified cry rang out in the cab.

  “No?” By now his face had lost color. “Less than a month ago, I recall you telling me you couldn’t marry a firefighter, not under any circumstances. Since marriage to you was more important to me than anything else, I made the decision to get out.

  “Now that I’ve honored my commitment to you and followed through on my part, I’m hearing something else. I don’t seem to be getting this right no matter what I do. Why don’t you just tell me the truth, Tamsin Rayburn? What you’re trying to say is that a marriage between us isn’t going to happen under any circumstances. Maybe you’re more hung up on Dean Witcom than you realized.”

  “Cole—”

  But he ignored her and got out of the truck. Grabbing the bag from the back seat, he started walking toward the front porch of the ranch house.

  “Wait—your flowers—I’m coming in with you so we can really talk!”

  He wheeled around with a wintry expression. “But I’m finished really listening to you. Keep the flowers and the ring. When I wrote ‘Doomed to Love Her,’ it turns out I was a prophet after all.”

  The air left her lungs as she watched him disappear inside the house. He hadn’t given her the chance to express everything that was in her heart. Right now she saw no way of reasoning with him. There was only one thing she could think to do. Taking her courage in her hands, she backed around and headed for town.

  When she neared the fire station, she found a parking place along the street and got out. With no ladder truck in sight, she imagined they were out on another call. Thank Heaven it wasn’t the arsonists this time!

  Tamsin hurried inside and approached the man at the desk. The sign said Sergeant Perez. He looked up at her, but she didn’t recognize him. “May I help you?”

  “I hope so. Would it be possible to speak to Chief Powell?”

  “I’m afraid he’s in a meeting.”

  She bit her lip, fearing that he was already telling the higher-ups about Cole’s resignation. “Do you have any idea how long it will last?”

  “Sorry.”

  “Do you mind if I wait?”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Tamsin Rayburn. This is of life and death importance.” She wasn’t lying about that.

  “Just a moment.”

  He left his desk and walked down the hall. A few minutes later he returned with Chief Powell.

  “Ms. Rayburn. I understand you wanted to see me.”

  “If I could. You have no idea how badly I need to talk to you.”

  “Then come with me.”

  “Thank you.”

  She followed him down the hall to his office. He walked behind his desk and indicated she should take a chair.

  “I’m surprised to see you here. I thought you’d be with your fiancé. He was supposed to go home from the hospital this morning, wasn’t he?”

  “Yes. Actually I just drove him to his ranch. But something came up on the way. Something awful, and only you can fix it.” She stared at him through her tears. “Please tell me you’ll help me.”

  “If I can.”

  “Cole told me he talked to you earlier this morning and turned in his resignation.”

  “That’s true.”

  Her heart sank. “Did he tell you why?”

  “He said it was for personal issues, but he didn’t go into specifics.” That sounded like Cole. Honorable to the end. “For a man who’s as suited for this kind of work as he is, Cole must have had a very strong reason.”

  “He did,” she said softly. “A month ago I told him I couldn’t handle being married to a firefighter and I turned down his proposal,” she stammered. “You see, nine years ago there was a terrible fire in the Bridger Wilderness and my best friend’s father was burned to death along with some other firefighters.”

  “I remember,” he murmured.

  “It was so awful. When I saw the pain his family went through, I knew then I could never be married to one and told Cole how I felt.”

  “Ah.”

  “He came back at me with a compromise and said he’d give it up, but not until the arsonists were caught. Once they were identified and brought down, he’d quit the department and we’d get married.”

  She wiped the moisture from her cheeks. “I was out of my mind at the time and agreed to that compromise so we could be married. I loved him so much and have waited so long for him to come home from Colorado, I wasn’t thinking about what he’d be giving up to marry me.

  “But I know now that Cole will never be really happy again if he can’t do what he loves. He’s the most amazing guy. I’ve never known a man so outstanding at everything he does. He plays guitar, composes music, and was one of the top bull riders on the circuit. You name it, Cole can do anything. When gifts were handed out, he got most of them. Sometimes I think he’s too good to be true.” Her voice wobbled.

  The chief nodded with a smile. “I agree. Has he told you how he cracked the case?”

  “No. His throat hurt too much and I didn’t want him to talk. But he’d never tell me anyway because he’s too modest.”

  “Then let me tell you.”

  Tamsin sat there in amazement while she learned where Cole had really been the night he said he was heading to the mountains.

  “He’d figured out through his work as a biologist that Quentin Ellsworth had been the rancher to lose a lot of calves to brucellosis. Cole put two and two together and knew Ellsworth had a strong motive for committing arson.”

  “Just like he figured out why some of the ranchers were being t
argeted.”

  “Exactly. On the night in question, he stayed at a motel across from the Ellsworth ranch, and sneaked into their barn where he discovered a truck they’d painted up to look like it belonged to the US Forest Service. When they left to go light a fire on Cole’s property, they rode in that truck so no one would be suspicious.”

  She shook her head. “It’s a miracle they didn’t shoot him.”

  “Cole was too careful. He took pictures and sent us the information about the spray-paint machine. He took the Ellsworths on single-handedly and risked his life to get the news to the sheriff. Without his smarts, we might never have found out who was lighting those fires. The last thing we want is for him to leave the department.”

  Tamsin leaned forward with her hands clasped. “Then will you call him and tell him that you won’t accept his resignation? I want him to stay on so he’ll be happy, but he won’t listen to me.”

  “You’re a very wise woman who knows there’s nothing worse than a firefighter who doesn’t have the support of his wife. So I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. We’ll both drive out to his ranch right now and I’ll reinstate him.”

  She jumped to her feet. “You mean it?”

  He smiled. “It will be my pleasure. I’ve learned a little wisdom in my older age. A firefighter with a bad heartache is no good at all. Cole came back to Whitebark for you. Let’s put him out of his misery once and for all, shall we?”

  Tamsin loved him so much for saying that, she ran over and hugged him.

  * * *

  “COLE?” LOUISE’S VOICE. Since taking a shower and changing into clean jeans and a T-shirt, he’d been working on the computer.

  “What is it?”

  “I know you wanted to be left alone, but you’ve got company.”

  “I’m trying to catch up on data I need to send into the lab.”

  “Shall I tell Chief Powell that?”

  His head jerked back. “He’s here?”

  “Yes.”

  Why the devil had he come over? “I’ll be right out.”

  He left the den and walked out to the living room, but stopped dead in his tracks. In his line of vision he saw Tamsin, the chief and the flowers placed on the coffee table in that order.

  “Chief Powell?”

  “You look good for someone just released from the hospital. Since our talk on the phone this morning, I had a visit from your fiancée.”

  Tamsin stood next to the chief. In that stunning blue-and-white dress, her beauty only exacerbated his anger that she’d dared to come near him.

  “What’s going on?”

  “I’m here to tell you that I won’t be accepting your resignation under any circumstances. I didn’t know all the facts when we spoke earlier, but Ms. Rayburn has filled in the blanks to my complete satisfaction.”

  Cole shook his head in shock.

  “When you get back from your honeymoon, let me know when you’re ready to report for duty. By then you’ll be a husband. We’ll work out a schedule that will be compatible with your elk research activities and still give you time to enjoy this wonderful woman you’re about to marry. After what she revealed to me, she gets what you’re all about. They don’t come any finer.”

  He felt his heart start to pump blood again. His gaze shot to hers.

  “Get well now and take care of that burn. The next time I see you will be at the wedding. The crew can’t wait, but they’ll have to come in shifts.”

  After the chief left the house, Tamsin walked toward Cole. “If you hadn’t gotten out of the truck so fast, I would have told you that I won’t marry you if you don’t stay with the department. You survived the fire the other night. That gives me faith that you’ll do it again and again. I love you, Cole. Your happiness is all that matters to me.”

  Bursting with emotions he couldn’t contain, Cole reached for her and pulled her into his arms, being careful with his left. He kissed every inch of her face. “If you hadn’t come back...”

  Three weeks later

  THE DESK CLERK checked his computer. “Mr. Hawkins? Welcome to Kauai.” He handed Cole the card key. “We hope you and your wife enjoy your stay while you’re in Hawaii. If you’ll follow the porter, he’ll carry your luggage and show you to your condo. It’s right on the beach as you requested.”

  Now that Cole’s left arm had healed to a great extent, it was wonderful to put it around Tamsin’s shoulders without wincing. They left the lobby and followed the path around flowering gardens and grassy grounds to their honeymoon suite.

  The gentle surf in Poipu, plus the swaying palms, had a magic feel this time of night. Tamsin clung to him. “Everything looks so perfect, it’s like walking into a picture postcard. But that’s because I’m with you and I’m afraid I’m dreaming that we’re actually here.”

  The porter opened the door of their bungalow and set their bags down in the little sitting room. Cole gave him a tip and the man left.

  Tamsin wandered over to the window where the breeze came through off the ocean. “I love this temperature.” She turned to him. “Isn’t this paradise?”

  “The air is like velvet.” He walked over and cupped her face. “I’m sorry it’s not the Great Barrier Reef, but we didn’t have time to get passports.”

  “It doesn’t matter. We can go there someday. As far as I’m concerned, we had the perfect wedding. My parents love you, Cole. Everyone does. To be honest, I’m happy to get you away from the crew and be alone with you at last. I don’t want to share you with anyone, and I think Kauai could easily be the Garden of Eden.”

  “Lucky Adam if Eve looked like you.”

  She kissed his lips. “If you want to know the truth, I feel sorry for Eve. Adam could never measure up to you.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because she’d never seen him master a bull or muster cattle on his horse. She never knew what it was like to hear him play his guitar and compose songs to her.”

  “I’m sure he did many things that impressed her. Don’t forget. All they had was each other, which meant they had to be creative. That’s the part I like best.” He began kissing her, knowing he never had to stop.

  “When I walked down the aisle with Daddy and saw you standing at the altar in your tux, my legs almost gave away. It was a good thing I had him to hold on to.”

  “That was pretty exciting all right. Sam asked me if I was okay. He knew my heart was pounding out of control, like it is right now. Will you make love to me, Tamsin?”

  “You don’t have to ask me that. I was ready the night we got engaged. You were the one who said we had to wait.”

  “Are you sorry?” He picked her up and carried her into the bedroom.

  “I don’t know. I’m a little scared. Maybe this is how Eve felt the first time. If she was like me, she wanted to be all things to the spectacular, incredible man she’d married. What if she couldn’t measure up to his expectations?”

  “Men have the same fears, sweetheart.”

  “Not you. You’re not afraid of anything.”

  “Only once was I truly afraid. It was the night of the fire on your property. I found out one of the Rayburn girls was married. That’s the night I came close to losing it, until Wyatt told me it wasn’t you. Now you’re married to me and I don’t want to talk anymore.”

  * * *

  IN THE EARLY morning hours, Tamsin awakened, hungry to know her lover’s possession again even though they’d made love throughout the night. Cole had taken her to heights she’d never even dreamed about. It was a revelation to her. He made her feel immortal. She wanted to know that feeling over and over again.

  Though he was sleeping, she started kissing his throat and inched closer to his lips, willing him to wake up enough to thrill her once more. Tamsin knew she was being shameless, but she couldn’t help it. He’d awakened the passion in
her. She was on fire for him. Unable to handle it any longer, she covered his mouth with her own.

  Before long she felt his powerful legs stir. Soon he was running his fingers through her hair and then it was Cole rolling over to trap her body. “I know I’ve died and gone to Heaven,” he spoke against her lips.

  Heaven was right. Four hours later they both awakened with her head lying against his shoulder, a possessive arm around her hips. They looked into each other’s eyes.

  “Good morning, Mrs. Hawkins. How do you feel?”

  She smiled. “You know exactly how I feel, Mr. Hawkins. I’ve never been so happy in my life, so...complete.”

  “That’s the perfect word, my love.”

  “To think we had to wait nine long, agonizing years to know this kind of bliss.” Suddenly the tears welled up inside her and she couldn’t stop them from running out of her eyes. “I know I shouldn’t think about it, but after making love with you all night, it’s hard not to resent all the time we lost, all the pain we had to endure.”

  He kissed her mouth quiet. “Why don’t we make a pact and never look back. Today is the start of our new life together. Let’s make up for lost time and fill it.”

  “I want that, too, Cole. I’m sorry for bringing it up.”

  “Stop apologizing to me. I’ll order breakfast and then we’ll plan our day.”

  She traced his lips with her finger. “I know what I want to do.”

  “So do I.” He half growled the words.

  Though they’d flown all this way to Hawaii, they only left their bungalow to go out for a swim in the ocean. Then they came back to their haven, never seeming to get enough of each other. Maybe it was because they’d had to wait so long to be together, they weren’t that eager to do anything but just express their love. Maybe it was the fear that their happiness could be snatched away.

  All she knew was that when it came time to fly back to Wyoming, Tamsin wasn’t sorry. She couldn’t wait to live with Cole and make the ranch house their own home. It had been a dream of hers for such a long time.

  After Sam and Louise picked them up at the airport in Jackson Hole, they drove straight to Lander for the barbecue they’d planned for the newlyweds. Many of their friends from the tribe had gathered behind Doris and Riley’s house.