The Cowboy's Rules (Cowboys After Dark)

by Maggie Carpenter

  “Doesn’t help when the rider shows complete disregard for the advice and instructions of someone who’s there to teach and protect her,” Marty commented.

  Sighing, Chad had agreed with him, and the profound statement served to underscore his decision; if things were going to work out between them, Cassie needed to be taken in hand.

  “Don’t worry, Shelby,” Chad said softly, continuing his examination, moving his hand along the mare’s spine, “Cassie won’t be pulling any more stunts like that, not if I can help it.”

  The mare dropped her head and snorted, and after throwing her some additional hay, he made his way back up to the house, Mickey, full of excitement in the cool morning air, running around beside him.

  Before settling into his office to wade through some neglected paperwork, he called the hospital. Cassie had enjoyed a peaceful night and was still sleeping. The morning slipped by, the only interruption the anticipated call from Troy; he had landed and was on his way to the ranch.

  Calling the hospital a second time, he was able to reach Dr. Blackstone, and the news was good.

  “You can take her home,” he declared. “She has some medications and painkillers, but I can’t stress enough how important is that she rest.”

  “Don’t worry about that, I’ll make sure of it,” Chad promised.

  It was late morning when the taxi pulled up at the front door of Chad’s house, and a tall, thin, appealing man with bleary blue eyes and long, sandy hair stepped out. Mickey’s barking had alerted Chad to the arrival of the car before it had even reached the porch, so Chad was already standing at the door waiting.

  “Troy, great to meet you. Please, come in,” Chad smiled.

  “This place is terrific. I’ll bet Cassandra loves it here,” Troy remarked.

  “I like to think so,” Chad replied. “What can I get you? Coffee, tea, something stronger?”

  “Wow, I’m not really sure. First, how is she?”

  “She’ll be fine. Like I said on the phone, fractured ribs, bruisin’, sprained wrist,” Chad sighed. “She was lucky.”

  “I’m sorry it happened, but I’m not sorry to be here. I’ve been meaning to get back to see her. Things have just been so darn busy.”

  “Let me show you to your room and I’ll brew us up some coffee,” Chad offered. “I’m sure you’re dyin’ for a shower after such a long flight.”

  “Sounds good. I’m used to crazy hours, but I have to admit I’m feeling a bit weary.”

  “I’ll bet,” Chad nodded, starting down the hallway.

  While Troy was freshening up, Chad brewed the coffee, then placed a called to Marty.

  “Hey boss,” Marty answered.

  “I wanna take Bailey and Shelby out for a trail ride. That mare needs a mental vacation, and Bailey will be the perfect security blanket.”

  “Good idea. You want me on Bailey I assume?”

  “Yep. I don’t know if Shelby has ever been out on a real trail, so it’s best I ride her in case anything happens.”

  “She’ll think she’s died and gone to heaven,” Marty chuckled.

  “For sure. I’ll be bringin’ Cassie home around noon. Her brother’s here, so with me outta the house it’ll give them a chance to talk and relax together.”

  “Got it. Sounds like the timin’ is just right. I’ll plan on gettin’ the horses ready around one o’clock.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll see you in the barn.”

  With the arrangements settled and the coffee made, Chad pulled out some cornbread from the fridge, heating in the microwave, and laid out some chocolate chip cookies Hannah had brought the night before.

  “Something smells good,” Troy remarked, walking into the kitchen.

  He had changed into jeans and a crisp white shirt, combed his wet hair off his face, and he looked much brighter than the weary traveler Chad had greeted just a short time before.

  “That would be my corn bread, or the coffee, or both,” Chad smiled.

  Pulling out one of the stools tucked under the kitchen island, Troy sat down, picked up a cookie and munched hungrily.

  “I don’t know why air travel always makes me ravenous,” he commented. “I had plenty to eat, and yet, here I am, gobbling down a cookie.”

  Chad hadn’t been sure what to expect, and he found Troy’s comfortable, easy manner surprising. Cassie had been wired and difficult from the moment their paths had crossed, but her brother appeared to be much calmer and more stable.

  “I understand we’ve just met, but I want you to know that I care for Cassie very much,” Chad began.

  “Cassie. I love that you call her that,’ Troy nodded. “My mother would have a fit. It’s Cassandra, or it’s off with your head.”

  “That dramatic?” Chad asked.

  “Oh, yes, everything with our mother is dramatic,” Troy declared, rolling his eyes.

  “Troy, there’s something I need to ask you,” Chad said solemnly.

  “Sounds serious,” Troy frowned.

  “I think it might be, and I hope you won’t think I’m pryin’. The thing is, Cassie told me how she had to fight to have her horses, and how she started her jewelry design business, but there’s something goin’ on with her. She has a streak of insecurity and she’s carryin’ a burden of some kind. I know we just met, and I don’t mean to overstep, but do you know what it is? Like I said, I know we just met, but…?”

  Troy shifted uneasily on his stool, and Chad saw a dark shadow cross the man’s face.

  “You don’t have to tell me,” Chad assured him. “I can ask Cassie when she’s feeling better. I was plannin’ on talkin’ to her about this last night, but then the accident happened…”

  “You’re right,” Troy nodded, “there was something.”

  Chad reached for the freshly brewed coffee pot and poured them both a cup, leaving Troy to ponder.

  “It’s obvious,” Troy said slowly, sipping his coffee, “that you truly care about her, which I think is amazing. I adore my sister, but I know she’s not the easiest person in the world, she can be so damn stubborn, but you can see beyond that,” he said warmly.

  “I can,” Chad smiled, “and we’ve come to an understanding about that, shall we say, challenging side of her personality.”

  “Really? Good for you!” Troy exclaimed, then paused, reaching for a piece of cornbread.

  “The thing is,” Chad continued diplomatically, “my intentions towards your sister are absolutely honorable, and while I do wanna know what happened, I’ll certainly understand if you feel you don’t know me well enough to tell me.”

  “It’s just a bit sensitive,” Troy replied.

  “Forgive me. I honestly didn’t mean to put on the spot,” Chad apologized. “I just wanna understand her better, and I feel as if I’m workin’ in a vacuum. I can wait until she’s feelin’ better and talk with her then.”

  Troy glanced around the kitchen, then turned his gaze back to Chad.

  “I’m going to tell you,” Troy announced. “I don’t think Cassandra has ever told anyone, and it’s about time she stopped carrying the burden alone.”

  “Thank you,” Chad said appreciatively.

  “I’ll cut to the bottom line. Cassandra and I walked in on my father having sex with her nanny in the living room. She was only seven years old.”

  Chad stared at him, not quite believing what he’d heard.

  “She screamed bloody murder of course, ran to her room and refused to come out for hours. It completely destroyed her relationship with our father, and that in itself was tragic, because she absolutely adored him.”

  “How did it even happen?” Chad asked, still stunned by the information. “I mean, it sounds so impossible.”

  “A perfect storm. Mom was in New York at some auction for a piece of glass, did Cassie tell you about the glass collection?”

  “Yep.”

  “Anyway, dad had given our housekeeper the day off, so he thought he had a clear playing field, but he didn’t co
unt on Cassie getting sick. The school nurse couldn’t reach mom, dad’s office said he was out at some meeting and unreachable, and no-one was answering the phone at the house. My name was the last on the list. I was in school of course, but I had my car, so I went and picked her up. We walked in the door and, bingo.”

  “I don’t know what to say,” Chad remarked gravely. “That poor child.”

  “It was bad. The drama that followed, you can’t even begin to imagine.”

  “But your parents didn’t divorce?”

  “I wish they had.”

  “Poor Cassie,” Chad repeated, imagining the frightened, horrified little girl seeing what she did. “It must have been overwhelming.”

  “She’d already been incredibly spoiled,” Troy continued, “and she was so damn smart. She looked like an angel, those big blue eyes and golden hair melted everyone who met her. Anyway, after that she was an absolute hellion. Of course my dad was so consumed by guilt he wouldn’t scold her, but even if he had it wouldn’t have mattered, she wouldn’t listen to anything he said. She went from being difficult to being a monster child.”

  “That’s just unbelievable. No wonder she’s so insecure,” and distrustful…

  “Cassandra has an incredibly good heart,” Troy sighed. “She just needs a man who can, I don’t know how to put it, handle her? Not let her get the best of him, but in a kind way. Do you know what I mean?”

  “I think I do,” Chad smiled.

  “I think you do too,” Troy commented, seeing something in Chad he couldn’t quite discern, but instinctively knew was good for his sister.

  “Can I ask what happened between the two of you?” Chad inquired.

  “In for a pound,” Troy smiled, “sure. I quit school and was getting ready to move out of the house. Dad threatened to cut me off if I didn’t go back, but I didn’t care, I just wanted out, but of course I didn’t know how to tell Cassandra. She was only ten, and the thought of her being alone in that cold, mausoleum of a house…”

  “But you did, tell her and leave I mean,” Chad asked.

  “That’s the thing, not exactly. I was running around our giant home trying to find her, and I saw the door to mom’s glass gallery open. Needless to say that was strictly prohibited, so I dashed over to see what was up and found Cassandra holding a crystal horse. I guess she must have learned the combination to the lock and let herself in.”

  “And?”

  “And seeing me scared her and she dropped the horse. She ran out, I ran in, picked it up, and was putting it back on its pedestal when mom appeared and went absolutely berserk.”

  “Where was Cassie?”

  “Standing in the hallway, and she didn’t say a word. Mom and I had a huge fight. I was so tired of those stupid glass sculptures being more important than anything else in her life, including Cassandra and me, that I told her so, then I stormed up to my room, grabbed my bags and left the house.”

  “Are you saying that Cassie still thinks that letting you take the blame for being in the gallery and handling the sculpture, was what made you leave home.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Why have you never told her you were leaving anyway?”

  “I guess, life? That sounds crazy, but I was ostracized. If I called, the housekeeper was told to hang up on me, and a few years later I moved to London. Of course we talk now, but that very dramatic and horrendous moment has never been discussed,” he admitted.

  “I think perhaps it’s time,” Chad suggested gently.

  “Yes, I think perhaps it is,” Troy sighed.

  “I really appreciate all you’ve told me. It’s given me tremendous insight,” Chad said thoughtfully. “Some pieces of a complex puzzle have just fallen into place.”

  “You’re welcome. To be honest, it’s the first time I’ve discussed the whole thing, and it’s been good for me to talk about it, so thank you,” Troy remarked.

  “So, after all that, it’s time to leave for the hospital, and the good news is, she’s comin’ home with us.”

  “I can’t wait to see her. It’s been, three, maybe four years?”

  “You’ll have the house to yourselves. I’m takin’ her horse out for a long, relaxin’ trail ride this afternoon. You can do all the catchin’ up you want, but she’s not allowed out of bed. I’m leavin’ you in charge,” Chad said firmly.

  “I doubt she’ll feel like it,” Troy commented, “but I’ll make sure she stays put.”

  “Mickey, stay and guard the house,” Chad instructed, patting his dog on the head.

  Mickey barked and ran to his spot on the couch, settling in for a nap.

  “I hope you don’t mind me saying this,” Troy remarked as they walked to the front door, “but this house looks like her, if you know what I mean.”

  “I don’t mind a bit, and yes, it does,” Chad replied, and if she’s willin’ to accept some new rules, very soon she can call it her home.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  When Cassie had called home to let everyone know she wouldn’t be back for at least a month, it was Max she’d telephoned, not her mother. She’d asked about the new baby, chatted for a while, but hadn’t told him about the accident, just that she’d found Chad a great help with her horses and had decided to stick around for a while.

  “I won’t have my mother coming up here to babysit me,” she’d told Chad firmly, “I wouldn’t be able to stand it, especially with Troy here. It would be an absolute nightmare,” and in spite of the pain and her weakened state, she’d been adamant.

  After one week of bed rest the sparkle had returned to her eyes, and she was able to get out of bed and move around the house. Randy had stopped by the day before he was heading home, and after seeing she was in one piece and was going to be absolutely fine, he requested some time alone with her. Happy to oblige, Chad took Troy on a tour of his ranch.

  “I’m so sorry-” Cassie had begun, but Randy cut her off.

  “I’m not interested in your apologies. I care about you Cassie, I have great respect for the dedication you have for your horses, and you’re an excellent rider, but until I know you won’t pull a stunt like that again, I can’t continue to train you.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked, shocked that he would say such a thing.

  “You didn’t just put yourself and your horse at risk, what you did was a terrible example to all my younger riders, not to mention it reflected on me as a trainer. I’ll miss you, and when you’re ready to behave you’re welcome back.”

  Even though Cassie was convinced she would be spending a great deal of time at Horse Haven Ranch, the thought that she couldn’t turn to Randy for further lessons and advice was extremely upsetting. When Chad returned, and Cassie told him what happened, rather than comfort her, he nodded his head.

  “I don’t blame him. I’d do exactly the same thing if one of my students did something similar here.”

  Randy’s profound reprimand and Chad’s support of the trainer’s decision, caused Cassie to reflect even further on the foolhardy act, and as the days slipped by, and she spent hours in deep conversations with her brother, she began to have a greater understanding of her lifelong behavior.

  Having Troy at the Horse Haven had been a Godsend for Chad, freeing him to carry on with the business of the ranch, knowing she was in good hands. As night fell, and he gently cradled her, she would moan softly in her sleep, and he would comfort her until she settled, her vulnerability and neediness only serving to make him love her more.

  McTavish, too, had played nursemaid, rarely moving from her side, and only reluctantly would he leave when Chad insisted he join him outside for some exercise.

  Not returning Cassie’s horse van meant Chad needed to retrieve the trailer he’d left at her home, and he wanted to keep his promise to spend a day at Randy’s barn. With Troy to watch over her, he felt comfortable leaving.

  It was an overnight trip, and when the taxi dropped him at the Davidson estate, the only people he found were Max and
Miguel. Had he not known the house was being lived in, he would have thought the place an abandoned property, the energy emanating from it was so empty and cold.

  The long, lonely drive home gave him time to reflect about his headstrong, adorable girl, and made him realize just how much he wanted her to stay in his life.

  The night he was gone, Cassie found her empty bed more painful than her injuries. Aching for his warm, comforting arms in the early hours of the morning, she swore she’d do anything to make him happy. Horse Haven Ranch felt like her home, and she simply could not, would not, let it, or her strong, loving cowboy, slip away from her.

  When it was time for Troy to return to London, it was a bittersweet parting. Having finally repaired their relationship, he wanted more time with her and promised to return soon. It had been ten days and the time had flown by.

  “If Cassie is still here at Christmas, it would be great if you could join us,” Chad remarked, as they stood on the porch while the taxi driver loaded Troy’s suitcase in the trunk of the car.

  “I’d like nothing better. Fact is, wherever Cassie is on December 25th, that’s where I want to be, and if it’s here so much the better. I really do hope things work out for you guys. It’s obvious you’re good for her,” Troy declared.

  As Chad watched the cab disappear down the driveway, he put his hands on his hips and stared out at the pastures. The daily temperatures were dropping fast, and it wouldn’t be long before snow dusted the ground and winter was upon them.

  Glancing at his watch, he saw it was almost time for Hannah’s visit. She’d come by every day around three, not just to spend time with her friend, but often to cook their dinner. Chad had found her diligent and respectful, and of enormous help.

  Turning and walking back inside, he headed to the bedroom. Having a clear vision of his future with Cassie, it was time to talk with her and hope they had a meeting of the minds. As he entered he found her on her laptop, her pad and paper sitting next to her. Over the last few days she’d felt strong enough to start designing again, and was back in touch with the jewelry company.