Heart of a Cowboy

by Kristin Vayden

“Hello, friend,”

  Relief flooded Laken. “I’m so glad you answered,” Laken replied.

  There was a slight hesitation before Kessed spoke. “Because I usually avoid your calls,” she sarcastically teased.

  “No, it’s just—yeah, I need help.” Laken’s pitch raised at the end, signaling her desperation.

  “Uh-oh. What happened?” Kessed’s tone went flat.

  Laken sighed, closing her eyes and biting her lip before speaking. “I kissed him.”

  Silence. Laken started to count, making it to three before she heard her friend’s laughter. “Okay…and the problem is…that he’s bad at it?”

  “No! That is not the problem. It’s the opposite of the problem!”

  “Did you sleep with him?”

  “No! Of course not! Seriously?”

  “Well, you’re acting like you committed a crime, like you’re confessing to someone’s murder, so I was just wondering what you weren’t saying.” Kessed giggled.

  “Gah, why did I call you?”

  “Because you love me.”

  “Not right now, I don’t,” Laken mumbled.

  “Whatever. Okay, so you kissed the hot guy who I saw first, mind you, and it wasn’t a bad kiss, and we’re upset because?”

  Laken sighed. “Sometimes you’re so dense! Because he’s my client’s son.”

  “Oh. Ethics. That’s why I missed it.”

  Laken smacked her forehead gently. “Again, why am I calling you?”

  “Listen, so is Cyler going to run off and tell everyone? Call your boss and complain? I mean, I’ve never kissed you, but I can’t imagine you being that bad at it,” Kessed joked.

  “Really? That’s the turn this conversation is taking?”

  “Just sayin’. You need a little perspective. He kissed you, Laken. That means he likes you. He’s not going to try and ruin your career from one kiss. So, stop the panic. Deep breaths. You’re going to get wrinkles from the forehead creasing I know you’re doing.”

  Laken rolled her eyes, but bit back a grin. “Fine. I get that point. But, what do I do now? I mean, how do I not kiss him again?”

  “Wait, hold up. Why are you not kissing him again?”

  “Because it’s like playing with fire.”

  “Fire’s good.”

  “Fire gets my ass burned and out of a job!”

  “You’ve got some serious trust issues.”

  “I have some serious issues period, right now.”

  “Horror of horrors, a hotter-than-wasabi guy just rocked your world with a kiss. Your life sucks.”

  “That’s not what I mean.”

  “It’s what you sound like.”

  “What do I do?” Laken whined, glancing behind her to the door, listening for a moment to make sure she didn’t hear Jack. Satisfied, she leaned forward on her knees, waiting.

  “Well, where is he now?”

  “He went to Lower Valley, but he’s returning tomorrow. There’s a problem with Margaret, the horse, and he’s going to check back on her.” At the mention of Margaret, Laken rose from her seat on the porch steps and walked toward the barn.

  “I’m sure the horse is not the only reason he’s coming back…but okay, so we have some privacy right now.”

  “You think I’d be calling you if he was right beside me?” Laken squeaked, peeking into the barn.

  Margaret was standing up, sleeping, and no longer thrashing. Relief welled up within her.

  “No, but I didn’t know if you ran away scared. You…well, you don’t exactly have a lot of history with this sort of thing.”

  “Exactly why I’m freaking out!”

  “Calm down. Simmer. First things first. You just need to let it go. My gut tells me that this Cyler-guy is not going to pretend nothing happened.”

  “Right. Yeah, he said he wasn’t taking no for an answer.” Laken remembered.

  “Wait, you missed that part. So…this wasn’t just a spontaneous kiss? It was premeditated! That’s good! He’s all hot for you! Go, Laken!”

  Laken’s face heated with a blush that tingled the roots of her hair. “You’re so romantic.”

  “Hey, that is romance! He totally gave you a heads-up. Took out the guesswork! Do you know how awesome that is? What did you say to him?”

  Laken closed the barn door, kicking a bit of dust with her shoe. “I just said that didn’t surprise me. And then we kissed. End of story.”

  “Yeah, that changes things though. You probably said no, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah, I did.”

  “Seriously. I’ve taught you nothing. Nothing! Why, for the love of all that’s holy, did you say no? Gah! When the hot guy asks to kiss you—asks! Like a really great guy with manners, you say yes! You kiss him! I’ve failed you.” Kessed lamented, and Laken shook her head.

  “It’s not like he listened to me,” she replied.

  “Okay, we’re moving on. This whole idea is frustrating. So, what to do now?” After a moment, Kessed added decisively, “You let him lead.”

  “Oh…” Laken blinked. “That’s actually a good idea.”

  “Don’t be so shocked,” Kessed retorted playfully.

  “But what about Jack? I mean, he’s my priority—”

  “As he should be.”

  “But that’s not exactly possible with—” Laken stopped before she gave away private patient information. It wasn’t Kessed’s business to know the rift between father and son.

  “Stupid patient-nurse confidentiality,” Kessed grumbled, picking up on the reason Laken had ended her sentence.

  The evening was still, as if holding its breath as Laken worked through the situation at hand.

  “Do you like him?” Kessed asked after a bit.

  Laken glanced up at the darkening sky. “Yeah.”

  “A lot?”

  “Enough to be kinda out of my element here,” she answered honestly.

  “Then get to know him. There is nothing wrong with that. You can check all your rulebooks, but getting to know someone isn’t against any of your ethics. And once you become a little more familiar, let things take their natural progression. It sounds like they already are. If he’s serious about this, he’ll totally get that you’re kinda freaked out. And chances are, you have that in common. Did you ever think of that?”

  Laken arrived back at the house, listened for a moment at the door then sat back on the step, breathing deeply as she considered Kessed’s words. “That would make sense. It’s just, for me, I’m used to knowing how to navigate things. I mean, I help people deal with death, death, Kess.”

  “Sometimes death is simpler than life, honey.”

  Laken’s brows rose at her friend’s words. “You always know more about the book at the end than the beginning. You’re right.”

  “So, write the book, Laken.” Kessed started to giggle. “It sounds like it’s going to be one hot, steamy romance. Just keep me posted, promise?”

  “Fine.” Laken felt a tingling in her cheeks and decided it was time to change the subject. “How’s work?”

  “You mean, do I have any coffee left?” Kessed sighed.

  “Basically, yes.”

  “Needy tonight, aren’t we? Well, you want to pick it up, or do you need me to drop it by? It’s almost quitting time.”

  Laken considered the question. Jack was doing well, but she didn’t feel comfortable leaving him again. “Can you drop it by? I’ll text you the address.”

  “Sure. See you in a few. And don’t panic when we end the call. You’ve got this. Look at it as one of life’s many adventures. I mean, think of all the patients you’ve worked with. Some have had a lot of regrets; don’t let this be one of yours. Bye!”

  Kessed hung up before Laken could remark, but her friend was right.

  How ma
ny patients had she spoken with, held their hands as they told stories of their lives, stories of their adventures, of failures, of chances not taken that still haunted them. Instinctively, Laken knew that if she brushed Cyler aside, she’d regret it. Always.

  It was a risk.

  One she was utterly terrified to take.

  But she’d take it.

  Lost in her thoughts, the minutes passed. Her phone buzzed in her hand, distracting her, and she glanced at the odd number. Heart stuttering, she slid the button to answer.

  “Hello?”

  “La-la Lake! How’s my favorite sister?”

  Laken grinned so wide her face ached. “Sterling! Aw! I miss you! How are you?”

  “Good, good. I’m taking a break at Bagram Air Base. The food is amazing. I may never want to leave,” he teased.

  “Pretty sure anything is better than an MRE,” she teased back.

  “Truth. So, what are you up to? Saving the world?”

  Laken breathed through a smile. “Nope, I’ll leave that to you. But you would love where I am right now.” She glanced about the ranch, the wide-open spaces, the safe, fresh feeling of home.

  “Oh? Where’s that?”

  “I have a patient who requires live-in assistance. He owns a huge ranch just outside Ellensburg. I even got to ride a horse.” She was thankful that her brother couldn’t see the blush that flamed as she remembered who’d ridden the horse with her.

  “Sweet! I bet you’re loving that.”

  “I am. What about you? When’s your next leave?” Laken glanced down the road, seeing headlights bob in the distance. Kessed had gotten here fast. Immediately she grinned, remembering the history between her brother and best friend.

  “Not sure. I think I’ll try to make it home for Christmas, but the deployment end isn’t until March. I do have two weeks coming, but, yeah, I’m just saving it for now. Why? Miss me that much?”

  “Always. You know that. Stupid brother always thinking he has to go and fix everything, make world peace.”

  Sterling chuckled. “Yeah. World peace. All about that.”

  Kessed parked beside Laken’s car, and she slipped out with a Starbucks cardboard takeaway thermos. Laken’s mouth watered.

  “I’m looking at one of your favorite people,” Laken teased her brother.

  “Oh? Emma Watson. Wait, no, Jennifer Lawrence!”

  “Nope, less famous, more notorious.”

  “Ah, how’s little ladybug?” He used her hated nickname, and Laken could almost see his wicked grin.

  “She’s good. She’s my dealer—Pike Place.”

  “I knew she’d make something of herself one day.”

  Kessed pointed to the phone and furrowed her brow then arched it suggestively at Laken.

  “Sterling,” Laken mouthed, watching as her friend narrowed her eyes.

  “Hi, frog-lover.” Kessed spoke loud enough for Sterling to hear.

  “Yeah, some things never change.” Sterling’s tone was irritated, but he chuckled.

  “Nope.” Laken smirked as Kessed rolled her eyes.

  “I’ll let you go and chat with the monster. My time’s up anyway. I love you.”

  “Aw, my heart. Saying that out loud and everything.” She feigned a sob.

  “Yeah, I’m getting soft in my old age.”

  “Thirty is old,” Laken teased.

  “It’s the new twenty. Plus, my abs are way more chiseled now than at twenty, so I’m so much more badass.”

  “And we’re done. I don’t want to know about any of your anatomy.”

  “I do!” Kessed chimed in, giving Laken a conspiratorial grin.

  “That’s my cue. Talk with you soon, sis!”

  “Bye.” Laken waited till her brother disconnected before closing her eyes and saying a short prayer. Please God, bring him home safe.

  “Still hiding his secret love for me?” Kessed asked.

  Laken glanced to her, grinning. “He’s seriously the only one who’s ever been immune to your charms.”

  “That’s because he knew me before I learned how to use them.”

  “Truth.”

  “Someday he’ll wake up and love me. Until then, I’ll play the field.” She gave a small shrug and lifted the container.

  “Bless you. I love you so much,” Laken whimpered, taking it from her hands.

  “I know you do.”

  “I almost thought you were talking to Bachelor Number One.”

  “I’m going to ignore that.” Laken arched a brow.

  “You’re no fun.” Kessed sighed. “I gotta run anyway. Hot date tonight.” She winked.

  “Netflix?” Laken guessed.

  “You know it. Speaking of commitment, it’s a relationship that’s gone the distance.”

  “You’re crazy.” Laken shook her head. “Go on, I’ll talk with you soon.”

  “You bet your sweet ass we will. I’ll be waiting. This time, take better notes. I want to know the gory details, okay? I’m living vicariously through you, so make it worth my while.” Kessed wagged her brows before turning and going to her car. As she made it to the door, she called over her shoulder. “And make the second kiss better than the first!”

  Laken sighed, turned, and nearly stopped breathing. “Uh…hi, Jack.”

  Jack stood just inside the screen door, leaning against the doorframe, his brows arched in a question.

  Laken slowly took a deep breath. Why couldn’t Kessed keep her mouth shut for once?

  “So, uh…I see you’re going behind my back, bringing contraband into my house again.” He jerked his chin to her cardboard thermos.

  Laken released a pent-up breath. “I told you I wasn’t woman enough for your coffee.”

  Jack shook his head, grinning. “How’s Margaret doing?”

  Thrilled to have a safe topic to discuss, Laken spoke in a rush. “She’s doing well. I just checked on her, and she’s upright. No more thrashing.”

  “Good, good.” Jack nodded then opened the screen door for her.

  “Thanks. How’s the chest?” Laken asked, studying the slight tightness around his eyes.

  “Painful, but nothing I can’t survive.” He shrugged. “When’s Vince coming back?”

  Laken made her way into the kitchen and set the coffee on the counter. She turned and leaned against the countertop, tilting her head as she regarded Jack. “Tomorrow morning. He said that her case wasn’t as bad as a few others he’s seen, and they all bounced right back. He didn’t seem too concerned.”

  “Good, that’s…well, that’s damn good. Stupid horse,” he muttered. “It’s odd. I’m facing my own mortality, and I’m more concerned about my damn mare than myself. That’s a warped perspective for ya.” He rubbed his whiskery jaw with his fingers, his expression bemused.

  “Priorities,” Laken replied. “Margaret is important to you. It would be painful to deal with her loss, and honestly, you’re dealing with enough pain. It’s understandable why you wouldn’t want to deal with more.”

  “You’re far too wise for one so young. Kinda gets on my nerves.” He arched a gray brow.

  “Someone’s gotta keep you in line.”

  “Speaking of in line.” He shuffled his boot a bit. “Hold up, I need to move to my recliner. My legs are protesting all this standing around.”

  “By the way, Paige is coming the day after tomorrow. I just wanted to remind you.” Laken followed him into the living room, taking a seat across from his chair.

  “Joy.” Jack grumbled.

  “She’s an excellent nurse.”

  “She’s boring.”

  “Boring is good for you.”

  Jack arched a brow, but rather than argue further, he switched topics. “Would you happen to know if Cyler has plans on coming back anytime soon?” Jack asked
hesitantly.

  Laken glanced at her lap, keeping her facial expression under strict control. “I believe he’s coming back tomorrow. He mentioned keeping an eye on Margaret.”

  Jack nodded, frowning a bit. “Good. I’m…I’m glad. He needs to be here. She’s as much his horse as mine, loath as I am to admit it. And don’t you ever tell him either. Got me, girl?” He pointed a finger, though his lips curled into a crooked smile.

  “Your secret’s safe with me,” Laken affirmed.

  Jack nodded once then speared her with a thoughtful gaze. “He likes you, you know.”

  Face blooming with a painful blush, Laken glanced to the ground before meeting Jack’s amused grin.

  “Don’t get your panties in a twist, girl. It’s not like I’m scolding you for it. Just…checking to see the way the land lies, if you get my meaning. And judging by the way your face just turned red like a tomato, I’m betting I’m not the only one who’s noticed Cyler’s interest.” He chuckled. “Was that who your friend was talking about when she said to kiss him better the second time?”

  Wanting to melt into the carpet, Laken forced a calm she didn’t feel. “I…I really don’t know what to say.” She closed her eyes, feeling out of her element, and all kinds of stupid for even hinting that he was close in his assumption. But what choice did she have? Lie? That would go over well.

  “Don’t let me stop you, girl.” He gave his head a quick shake. “Lord knows, that’s happened before, and with God as my witness, that won’t happen again. I’m sure you’re worried about your job or something like that. You’re too levelheaded for your own good.” He mumbled the last part, making Laken give an awkward giggle.

  “Jack, I—”

  “No. You listen here, missy”—he pointed at her—“it’s been a long—and I do mean long—time since I’ve seen my son laugh, or smile. Really, anything that resembles something other than anger, and there’s not a chance in hell that I’m going to ruin that for him by some misbegotten idea that you can’t give him a chance since he’s my son and you’re my nurse. Got me?” Emphatically, Jack nodded once.

  Laken blinked, digesting everything that had just tumbled out of his mouth.

  “I did him wrong, honey. And honestly, not to put any pressure on you, but I’m looking at this as God’s way of allowing me to make it right. Okay? So, don’t take that away from me, unless your heart’s leading you a different way. But in my bones, I can see that it’s not. You look at him the same way he looks at you when you both think I’m not paying attention.”