A Cowboy's Charm

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  “That’s the damned truth.” She groaned and buried her face in her hands.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider the once-a-month deal?”

  She lifted her head and met Jo’s gaze. “Don’t think I haven’t thought that myself. But no, I’m sure. The sex is good partly because we’ve fallen in love with each other. That plan would turn me into a whiny, needy bitch. I’d ruin everything.”

  “So what now?”

  “I’ll concentrate on Cody and Faith’s wedding.” She reached over and squeezed Jo’s arm. “Thanks for letting me decompress. I really needed that.”

  “Yes, you did, and you’re welcome.”

  “Will you tell the others about this for me?”

  “Sure.”

  “Normally I’d suggest a meeting of the Whine and Cheese Club, but with all the last-minute details of the wedding to handle this week, I don’t think there’s time.”

  “The week after the wedding we’ll call a meeting and get smashed.”

  “Good idea.” She left her chair and poured herself another cup of coffee. “Want more?”

  Jo held out her mug. “Hit me.”

  “You know what else was great about having Quinn around?” She sat at the table and cradled her coffee mug.

  “He scratched your back?”

  “Well, yes, he did that, and he’s an excellent back scratcher. You know how some guys don’t take direction well in that department?”

  “I do know.”

  “Quinn goes right to the spot and keeps scratching until I ask him to stop.”

  “Then he’s a prince among men.”

  “He is, but that wasn’t the big thing I wanted to mention. What makes me love him all the more—he made me forget I’m about to become a grandma.”

  “Ah.” Jo smiled. “That is a talent. If the Sacred Ouija Board is right, I’m going to be right behind you. That hit me kind of hard, too.”

  “We’re not that old, right?”

  “We might be old enough, but I don’t feel grandmotherly.”

  “Me, either. Cody asked me to come up with a name I want to be called, like nana or something.”

  “Did you?”

  “Not then. I told him we had plenty of time, but last night, while I was sweating out whether Quinn would make it home okay, I figured out what I want to be called.”

  “Which is?”

  “Gramma Ken.”

  Jo started to laugh. “Gramma Ken! I love it. You’ll confuse the hell out of people.”

  “I know. It’ll be awesome.”

  “Oh, wait, I just thought of something. You’ll be Gramma Ken, and if Mandy gets pregnant, I can be Gramma Jo.”

  “Excellent!” Kendra grinned and gave her a high-five. “This grandma gig is sounding better and better.” She gave her friend a fond glance. “You’re a great friend, Jo Fielding.”

  “Backatcha, Kendra McGavin. Think you’ll live?”

  “Yes, ma’am, thanks to you.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Typically, Quinn preferred to take his time with decisions. A lot more time if the issue was major, and this one was. But the urgency of the matter dictated a speedy resolution. His loved ones were involved and dilly-dallying wasn’t fair to them.

  It had been a busy week. A foal had been born on Wednesday and another of his mares could go into labor at any time. She hadn’t yet, though, and Quinn needed to talk privately with Pete while they had a break in the action. On Friday, he suggested a late afternoon ride to evaluate forage in the pastures.

  He saddled Banjo, a buckskin who’d earned his name because he was supposedly high-strung. He’d bought him for next-to-nothing ten years ago and had settled him down. Best saddle horse in his barn.

  Pete tacked up Clifford, the big red roan Quinn had bought him for his sixteenth birthday. Pete and Clifford had been buddies ever since. Their personalities were similar, loyal to the core. They had some physical similarities, too, both big-boned and gentle.

  To say Quinn was nervous about this conversation would be an understatement. So much depended on Pete’s reaction. Quinn wouldn’t allow Pete to dictate the course of events, but he wanted his eldest son to be happy.

  They started at the far pasture and worked their way in. Pete typed notes on his phone regarding patches of healthy grass and areas of mud that needed to be tended. The more grass, the less supplemental feeding necessary. Quinn spent his time just looking. He loved the Lazy S. It was an important part of his past.

  It was also the only home Pete had ever known. He had close friends here. He’d almost married a girl from Spokane, but that hadn’t worked out. If it had, this discussion would have taken a much different direction.

  Quinn asked Pete to hold up when they topped a little rise that gave them a view of the ranch buildings and the horses grazing in the spring-green pastures.

  He leaned on his saddle horn. “I have something to discuss and I’m worried it’ll rattle you.” Gazing at his eldest son, he saw himself twenty years ago. The other three kids had taken after their mother, but Pete had the Sawyer genes.

  He smiled as if enjoying a private joke. “Wes and I wondered when you’d bring up the subject of Kendra. We have a wager on it.”

  “Is that so?” Once upon a time he’d fancied himself a step or two ahead of his offspring. Now he was several steps behind. “Are you going to win?”

  “I am. Wes was convinced you’d talk to one or both of us by Wednesday.”

  “We had the foaling on Wednesday.”

  “True, but I was betting that you wouldn’t be ready by then, anyway. I said it would be today. And here we are out inspecting the pastures, which is a dead giveaway. Whenever you have something on your mind, you get me out here to evaluate the forage.”

  “Good God, am I that transparent?”

  “Maybe not to everybody, but I’ve been around you more.”

  “Since you already know so much about this discussion we’re about to have, why don’t you tell me what I’m going to say?”

  Pete laughed. “Before you start thinking I’m psychic, you should know something. While you were making your epic midnight ride, Roxanne, Wes and I were on a video chat comparing notes.”

  Quinn groaned. “I have no secrets.”

  “Sure you do. We don’t know exactly what went on at Wild Creek Ranch, but—”

  “Thank God for small favors.”

  “Roxanne’s convinced that you’re in love with Kendra.”

  “She’s right.”

  “Have you been in love with any woman since Mom died?”

  “No. Kendra’s the first.”

  “That’s what we all decided. Roxanne says Kendra’s in love with you, too.”

  “Yes, I believe she is.” Quinn had no control of the conversation whatsoever, but maybe that was okay.

  “Roxanne also said Kendra’s living on a ranch that she inherited from her folks, the ranch where she was born. Her roots run deep.”

  Quinn glanced at him. “I don’t know where you’re getting your intel, but it’s excellent.”

  “All from Roxanne. She’s our boots on the ground.”

  “My daughter the foot soldier.” Quinn chuckled. “You still haven’t told me what I’m going to say to you.”

  “It’s not hard to figure out, Dad. Kendra’s not leaving that ranch. If you want to be with her, you have to leave this one.”

  Quinn stared at him in amazement. “You said that so calmly, as if it wouldn’t jackhammer the hell out of your life.”

  “It’ll change my life, no question. I just need to decide how much. First off, I’d appreciate knowing your plans. Would you move in with her?”

  “You flabbergast me, son. I only know one person who’s more practical and straightforward than you, and that’s me.”

  He smiled. “Where do you think I learned it?”

  “Point taken. And the answer is no, I won’t move in with her. She’s made it clear she doesn’t want a husband
or a live-in boyfriend. I’ve investigated the possibilities and there’s a little ranch across the main road that’s for sale.”

  “Close, but not too close.”

  “Exactly.”

  “But not big enough for a horse breeding operation.”

  “No. It’s a gentleman’s ranch. I could take Banjo and maybe have another two or three, but that’s it. Instead of horse breeding, I’d concentrate on my art.”

  “What about the Lazy S?”

  “That’s the sticking point. I’ll need to sell it. I could sell it to you with a sweetheart deal, but—“

  “That would leave you cash poor, Dad. I know the bottom line as well as you do. If you sell to me with a small amount down, which is all I can afford, you can’t buy that gentleman’s ranch.”

  “I still might be able to swing it. Or I could rent a house in town.”

  “A house in town? What about Banjo?”

  “They have stables in Eagles Nest. Kendra owns one, in fact.”

  “You’d be miserable living in town.”

  “I’ll be miserable if I can’t be with Kendra.”

  “Nobody wants you to be miserable at all, Dad. We’re going to sell this ranch. Let somebody else slave over it.”

  “What will you do?”

  “Roxanne and I talked about it and she’s excited having us move to Eagles Nest.”

  “Us?”

  “Yep. Unless you hate the idea, I’ll move to Eagles Nest with you. Me and Clifford, plus maybe another horse or two if there’s room. We might need spare horses.”

  “You know I won’t hate the idea. That would be great, but you’ll be leaving your friends.”

  “I’ll visit. They’ll visit. Most of them are busy with wives and kids, anyway. We don’t get together like we used to.”

  “I guess that’s true, now that you mention it.”

  “It’s partly because I’m so involved with the ranch. The Lazy S? I laugh every time I look at the sign out by the road. I haven’t had a lazy minute in the past ten years. Have you?”

  “Can’t say I have.” At least not while he was here. A pretend Tahiti getaway with Kendra was all he’d managed. “But I know you. There won’t be enough to keep you busy on the place I’m considering.”

  “No problem. I’ll get a job in Eagles Nest or one of the surrounding towns. Wrangle horses for someone else. Be an employee for a change.”

  “But this is your childhood home. And Wes’s childhood home, and Roxanne’s—”

  “We’re not kids anymore. And you’re not getting any younger.”

  “Ouch.”

  “Sorry, but we’ve all talked about this and if you’re in love for the first time since Mom died, that’s a big deal. It takes precedence. You should go for it and we’ll all support your quest.”

  “It’s a quest, now, is it?”

  “Roxanne likes that word. Anyway, I’ve never met Kendra but Wes has and Roxanne says she’s terrific. They both think you’d be a fool if you didn’t figure out some way to make it work with her.”

  “Wow. I guess I’ve been given my marching orders.”

  “Isn’t that what you want to do?”

  “Yes, damn it. That’s exactly what I want to do, but I was worried that it would be a catastrophe for you kids.”

  “The only catastrophe would be you passing up a chance at happiness. Don’t do it, Dad.”

  “Okay, Pete.” He straightened in the saddle. “I won’t.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  The myriad details of Cody and Faith’s wedding were Kendra’s salvation. Faith had begged for a simple ceremony down by Wild Creek. Kendra understood the impulse. Both Cody and Faith had trekked around the West the previous summer taking videos of unspoiled vistas.

  A ceremony down by the creek was appropriate, but it was far from simple. The guest list had been trimmed to forty but those forty folks still needed a place to sit. White wooden folding chairs had been rented, but nothing could be arranged until a couple of hours before the ceremony.

  Even then a herd of deer or worse yet, elk, could romp through the area if it was left unattended. Kendra had nightmares of smashed chairs and trampled flowers. But she couldn’t say no to Faith and Cody, whose image of the perfect wedding came straight from the heart.

  She’d balked at staging the rehearsal out by the creek, though. Instead they’d held it last night in the front yard of the ranch house, followed by a rehearsal dinner around the fire pit.

  Today, at wedding march time minus ninety minutes, the men were setting up the venue creek-side. They’d been blessed with good weather.

  The wedding party of ten was large considering the small guest list, but Cody couldn’t imagine getting married without all four brothers standing up there with him. He’d agonized over who to choose as his best man and had ended up giving all of them that designation.

  Faith and her attendants were holed up in Faith and Cody’s A-frame with Nicole supervising hair and makeup and Mandy helping everyone into the dresses she’d created. No doubt April had diffusers with an orange blossom scent going full blast and Olivia would be feeding everyone chocolate chip cookies.

  Kendra was delighted they were up there and not in her house. She loved them all, but for sheer efficiency, she couldn’t beat the Whine and Cheese Club. The reception would be around the fire pit, too, and without the help of her girlfriends, who’d been organizing parties for decades, she would never have managed both the rehearsal dinner and the reception.

  The past few days had been wild, but she’d welcomed the chaos. Every minute spent dealing with wedding issues was a minute not obsessing over Quinn. Whenever she took a break from her duties, her traitorous brain switched to the Quinn channel and her equally traitorous heart followed.

  Not much chance of that happening today, though. After she and her girlfriends were satisfied that the food was under control, they used her bedroom to change clothes. They’d no sooner returned to the living room than Abigail and Ingrid arrived with the wedding cake in a tall white box.

  “It goes on the dining table,” Kendra said. “But can we wait to take it out of the box until after the wedding? Faith is all about the big reveal.”

  “Except I’m dying of curiosity.” Deidre walked over to the table.

  “Faith already told me she wanted to keep it hidden until the reception. But she won’t mind if I show you guys,” Abigail said. “Wait’ll you see how this box works. Trevor designed it for me and it’s freaking amazing.”

  “Trevor?” Kendra hadn’t heard about this. “But he’s a carpenter.”

  “And this box is made of wood. That’s why it takes both of us to carry it. It’s heavier than cardboard but I can use it over and over.”

  “What a clever idea.” Jo peered at the box as Abigail and Ingrid slid it carefully onto the table.

  “The sides are tongue and groove. I can slide one up so you can see the cake and put it back down so the cake’s hidden. When the time comes, I can remove all four sides, stow them and the top piece in my SUV, and the bottom of the box stays put until the cake’s gone.”

  “That’s brilliant,” Kendra said. “How did Trev end up making you a cake box?”

  “He came in the other day and we got to talking about the whole transporting nightmare and keeping the cake a secret.” Abigail took off the top. “Next thing I know, he’s back with this box. Because it’s heavier than cardboard, it’s less likely to slide or tip on the drive to the venue.” She lifted one side to reveal the cake. “Ta-da!”

  “Wow!” Kendra moved closer to examine the cake. “Great job! Faith and Cody will love this.” Abigail had frosted the tiers alternating dark chocolate and milk chocolate. The milk chocolate tiers looked like tooled leather belts with silver buckles.

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear those belts were real.” Deidre gazed admiringly at the cake. “I’d almost be willing to make a trip down the aisle just so I could have one of these.”

  �
��Calm yourself,” Jo said. “If that’s all you want out of the deal, we’ll get Abigail to make you one.”

  “Which I absolutely would. You don’t have to get married to order this cake.”

  Ingrid glanced around. “What did we do with the cake topper?”

  “I left it in the car. Be right back.”

  Kendra stepped away so Christine and Judy could get a better view. As everyone continued to exclaim over the artistry of the cake, Ingrid moved closer to Kendra and lowered her voice. “I’m sorry.”

  “About what?”

  “Quinn.”

  “Oh.” She shrugged and managed to keep a smile on her face. “It wasn’t meant to be.”

  Ingrid looked as if she might say something more, but Abigail returned with the topper, which kicked off another round of oohs and ahhs. The miniature scene depicted a bride leaning down from her horse to kiss her cowboy groom. Perfect choice for Faith and Cody.

  “Uh-oh,” Deidre said. “I hear the guys coming back. Better close up that sucker.”

  The cake was covered and the topper put away before the men arrived. Everyone except Luke headed back to the boys’ old bedrooms to change.

  Luke came over and gave Abigail a quick kiss. “You look terrific. How did Trevor’s box work out?”

  “Perfect.”

  “And the cake?”

  Kendra answered for her. “She did an amazing job.”

  “Can’t wait to see it. My folks and my sis should be here any minute. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He hurried through the living room and down the hall where jokes and laughter were causing quite a ruckus.

  Judy rolled her eyes. “Just like days of old.”

  “Yeah.” Kendra smiled. “Music to my ears.”

  Shortly after that, Luke’s family showed up. Luke’s dad Warren was clearly in party mode. He was the funniest minister Kendra had ever met, but underneath all the kidding, he was very serious about the sanctity of a marriage. He’d had several meetings with Faith and Cody in the run-up to the wedding.

  Soon Luke and Badger hurried out of a back bedroom putting on their Western-cut jackets on the way. They’d volunteered to escort guests to the venue.