The Cowboy's Autumn Fall

by Shanna Hatfield

Chapter Ten

  “Trip over love, you can get up.

  Fall in love and you fall forever.”

  Unknown

  Bailey stood staring at Cady like she’d lost her mind, sure she misheard her request.

  Cady patted Bailey on the arm and smiled at her encouragingly while somehow maneuvering her toward the door.

  “You’ll be fine,” Cady said, gathering up a stack of blankets and handing them to Bailey. “Travis and Tess will be there and so will Brice.”

  At the mention of Brice’s name, Bailey felt her neck warm. The church was sponsoring a hayride that night for the youth group and the Morgan family always provided the wagon and horses along with the straw bales. Cady and Trey volunteered to chaperone and provide treats while Tess and Travis agreed to help out.

  Unfortunately, Lindsay called at noon to let Cady know Cass wasn’t feeling well. The little girl was running a fever and sniffling, so Cady planned to stay home with Cass and decided Bailey could go as her substitute. Trey somehow managed to bow out of the obligation as well, letting Brice take his place as a chaperone.

  Thermos jugs full of spiced cider and hot chocolate were already in Travis’ pickup along with plates of cookies and brownies.

  Cady walked with Bailey out to the truck and stacked the blankets on the floor while Travis gave Bailey a hand into the back seat.

  “Are you certain my presence is required?” Bailey asked, realizing she didn’t even have her purse with her. She was still wearing her work clothes and knew she had any number of things in her pants pockets like her cell phone, breath mints and hand lotion, but nothing that helped prepare her to deal with a wagon load of rowdy kids. “My past experience does not encompass being a chaperone.”

  “It’s easy,” Travis said, closing her door and sliding behind the wheel.

  “You’ll be great,” Tess said, turning around to smile at Bailey. “Just give them that authoritative look you turn to my brother all the time and they’ll be properly subdued.”

  Travis grinned and squeezed Tess’ hand when Bailey appeared to consider what she said.

  “Just relax and you’ll have fun, Bailey,” Travis said, trying to sound reassuring.

  As they pulled up at the church parking lot, Mike and Brice had the wagon out front ready to go. It was still early enough that it wasn’t too dark or cold out yet, though the air promised to turn chilly before long.

  Tess and Bailey carried the treats into the church while Travis tossed the blankets into the wagon. The teens stood in groups of two or three, talking and laughing.

  Travis remembered going on the hayride multiple times. He and Brice somehow managed to get Tess cornered one year when it was absolutely freezing. She sat between the two of them trying to stay warm as the three of them shared a blanket. Having loved her even then, Travis relished the close contact, although he helped Brice tie her sneaker laces together and dump a handful of straw down the neck of her sweater.

  “Remembering how awful you and Brice were to me when we went on these hayrides?” Tess asked as she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind.

  “You know it, honeybee,” Travis said, turning around and giving her a quick kiss.

  “None of that, you two,” Mike teased, thumping Travis on the back. “You’re here to keep the kids from doing that sort of thing, not setting a bad example.”

  “Dad,” Tess said, rolling her eyes while her cheeks flushed pink. “Please.”

  “He’s right, Tessie,” Brice said, grabbing Bailey’s hand and pulling her up into the wagon whether she wanted to go or not. “We’ll be keeping an eye on you two.”

  “I’ll be watching you right back,” Tess said, giving Brice a look that let him know he better be on his best behavior, at least until the end of the hayride.

  As the kids clamored into the wagon and took seats on straw bales, Bailey found herself sitting next to Brice on one end while Tess and Travis sat on the other.

  Searching through her memories, she couldn’t remember ever going on a hayride before and decided she would make the most of the experience.

  It wouldn’t be difficult to let herself enjoy it on a beautiful fall evening with the crisp scent of autumn in the air and the gentle clop-clop of the horses’ hooves blending with the creak of the wagon. Most of the trees were already adorned with the colors of the season, boasting leaves in brilliant shades of crimson, orange and gold.

  “How are you, sugar?” Brice whispered in her ear.

  The combination of his minty breath, heady leathery scent and the proximity of his strong body close to hers made Bailey involuntarily shiver.

  “Fine,” Bailey whispered back, annoyed by the way her body reacted to Brice despite her intentions to remain aloof.

  “Are you cold?” Brice asked, rubbing his hands up and down her arms, sending her already swirling senses into a tailspin.

  “No, I’m fine,” Bailey said, scooting away from Brice. When they hit a bump, his hand around her waist was the only thing that kept her from tipping off the end of the wagon.

  “Careful, there. Don’t want any precious cargo falling out,” Brice said, looking at her with sparkling brown eyes as he pulled her closer against his side.

  “Perhaps I should move,” Bailey said, desperate to get away from Brice as the desire to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him nearly overtook her. Spying an empty space in the middle of the wagon, Bailey got to her feet and moved before Brice could stop her. She pretended not to see the raised eyebrow he shot her direction or the shake of his head as she took a deep breath and tried to regain her ability to think straight.

  Looking around, she found she was sitting near a group of giggling girls, one of whom wasted no time in taking Bailey’s place next to Brice. When he glared at Bailey, she offered him a saucy grin. Trying to deal with the obviously infatuated teen would keep him busy for a while.

  Hearing a sigh, Bailey turned her attention from Brice and the girl to the boy sitting beside her. He was tall and gangly, although he was starting to fill out his frame. Glasses perched on a nose buried in a thick book. Bailey had no idea about kids, boys especially, but she would guess this one to be around sixteen.

  The way he sat by himself, lost in his reading, made Bailey think of her high school years, stirring a soft response to the boy. Maybe if she’d spent a little time learning social skills then, she wouldn’t be floundering so badly with Brice now.

  Looking at the book the boy was reading, Bailey smiled. The history of the native people prior to Columbus arriving was pretty heavy reading for a hay ride.

  “Have you gotten to the part about the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan having running water and clean streets?” Bailey asked the boy, nudging him gently with her elbow as she spoke.

  He looked up from his book, confused, before focusing his attention on Bailey. She could almost see him trying to rationalize why she was talking to him before he processed her question.

  “Yes,” he answered, giving her a guarded look.

  “What part are you reading now?” Bailey asked, pointing to the book with interest.

  “About their genetic engineering experiments with corn,” the boy said, studying Bailey curiously, not certain if she was genuinely interested or just teasing him. From his past experiences, pretty girls only talked to him if they wanted help with their homework or someone to torment.

  “Don’t you find it fascinating how their culture was so advanced? Much more so than most historians lead you to believe. When I visited the Aztec ruins, it was absolutely amazing to envision the day to day activities that took place there, ” Bailey said, looking at the boy with an open expression that was slowly gaining his trust. For some reason, she felt a need to help the kid out of his shell. Maybe because she still pulled the edges of her own around her from time to time even though she knew she shouldn’t. Like now. With Brice.

  “Who are you?” the boy blurted out.

  “I’m Bailey Bishop, cousin to the Thompson family
from the Triple T Ranch,” Bailey said, holding out her hand to the boy.

  “I’m Liam Anderson.” Everyone in Grass Valley knew the Thompson family. Although Liam didn’t have any interest in cowboying or ranching, he was familiar enough with the three brothers to know they were good people.

  “It’s very nice to meet you, Liam,” Bailey said, continuing their conversation about the book Liam was reading.

  “How do you know so much about ancient civilizations?” Liam asked as the other youth on the wagon broke into a series of campfire songs around them.

  “It’s part of my work,” Bailey said, smiling at the boy. “I’m a paleontologist.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Liam said, staring at Bailey with hero-worship. “I want to be an anthropologist but my dad wants me to study agri-business and take over the farm someday. I hate farming.”

  “Every endeavor has its purpose,” Bailey said, trying to think of the right words to encourage Liam without discouraging him from his father’s wishes. “To that end, though, you have to decide where your passion lies and be willing to give your all to pursue it.”

  Liam considered her words and nodded his head. Bailey had already figured out he was not a big talker.

  “Only you know what your dreams are, but maybe you can find a way to share them with your father so that he can see the same vision you do,” Bailey said. Moved by compassion for the boy, she reached out and patted Liam on the back.

  Fighting tooth and nail against what her mother wanted for her as a career choice, Bailey knew how important it was to be able to pursue dreams. Due to sheer determination and a stubborn will, Bailey finally won her mother over, but it took time and a lot of effort. “It helps to have some common ground for a starting point.”

  “Common ground?” Liam asked, closing his book as he looked at Bailey.

  “Yes. Are there any activities or interests you and your father enjoy doing together?”

  “We both like to camp,” Liam said, as the light bulb went off in his head. “I get it. You’re saying find something that we both like to do and then build my case from there.”

  “I knew you were a very intelligent young man and you’ve proven my assumption correct,” Bailey said with a warm smile.

  Had she been watching Brice, Bailey would have seen warring emotions cross his expressive features. He was amused that Bailey would choose to sit next to Liam, the perpetual loner of the young crowd.

  The boy was a constant trial to his father who wanted Liam to take over the reins of the farm when he was hold enough. Liam, on the other hand, was more interested in scholarly pursuits and participated in the farm work as little as possible. He wasn’t lazy, just interested in a career much different than what his father had planned.

  Brice was surprised by the way Bailey reached out to the young boy, making him feel comfortable. It was nice to see her draw Liam out as they talked. Now, though, the kid was looking at her with big puppy-dog eyes and, as irrational as it was, Brice felt a twist of jealousy tighten his insides.

  Trying to block out to the non-stop chatter in his ear from one of the high school girls while simultaneously looking like he was paying attention, Brice was dissecting Bailey’s actions of the evening.

  From past experience, he knew she wasn’t the most social person on the planet. It wasn’t exactly like her to seek someone out and start a conversation, but watching her with the shy Anderson boy, her face gave her away as she talked to him animatedly about the book he was reading. Brice had a feeling Bailey could relate with Liam, perhaps better than anyone else.

  Watching Liam relax and talk freely with Bailey, Brice could only guess she had made a friend for life. Too bad she didn’t feel as comfortable with him as she did with the kid.

  As though sensing his gaze, Bailey looked up at him and smiled with such warmth and tenderness, Brice could feel pieces of his heart melting.

  “Brice, don’t you think that’s a great idea?” the girl jabbering in his ear asked as she placed her hand on his arm. He glanced down at the bright blue painted fingernails and held back a sigh.

  “I’m sorry, Miranda, I didn’t hear what you said,” Brice said, inching away from her.

  “I said you should come chaperone the harvest dance at school. That would be so cool. You could come with me and that way you wouldn’t be there by yourself,” Miranda gushed, tossing her pink-streaked blond hair.

  “Sorry, but that won’t be happening,” Brice said bluntly, softening his words with a grin. “If you’re looking for someone to take you to the dance, why not ask Liam over there. He’s a nice kid and tall for his age.”

  “Eww,” Miranda said, looking at Liam. “He’s always got his nose in some book about dead people or ancient stuff. He’s so not my type.”

  “How do you know he isn’t? Ever gone out with him? Done anything with him outside of school?” Brice asked, hoping to divert the young girl’s attention somewhere besides himself.

  “Well, duh, like I’d want the guys to get the wrong idea,” Miranda said, rolling her eyes at Brice.

  “What idea would that be? That you have the intelligence to see beyond the exterior and get to know someone before you judge them?” Brice asked, hoping Miranda would someday grow out of her shallow way of thinking. Then again, he wasn’t much better at her age. Shoot. He wasn’t much better now.

  Miranda glared at him.

  Brice pointed to Bailey and Liam. “He must have something going on to get a pretty woman like Miss Bishop to sit and talk to him. It looks to me like she’s enjoying his company. A woman like that doesn’t spend her time with just anyone,” Brice said, knowing the truth to that statement. After all, she’d left him to sit with the kid.

  “You really think she’s, well…you know?” Miranda said, studying Bailey with narrowed eyes.

  Goodness only knew what the girl was thinking.

  “She’s what?” Brice asked, finding his attention drawn to the way the last of the sun’s golden autumn rays were settling on Bailey’s honey-colored hair and her long legs tucked up neatly against the straw bale. Her hands, larger than most women’s, moved animatedly as she spoke with Liam. If the kids weren’t singing so loudly, he might be able to hear what she was saying, although he doubted he would understand or care about half of it.

  “All that,” Miranda said, making finger quotes in the air with her hands.

  Brice chuckled.

  “Oh, yeah. She’s definitely all that and then some,” Brice said, looking at Bailey with his heart in his eyes. “She’s smart, clever, hard-working and beautiful.”

  “Hmph,” Miranda said, giving her hair another flounce for good measure, although she did appear to be looking thoughtfully at both Liam and Bailey. She moved back to sit with her friends, leaving Brice on his own at the back of the wagon. Despite the chill in the air, he had no interest in snuggling under one of the blankets without Bailey there to share it with him.

  At the front of the wagon, Tess and Travis were cuddled together, trying to pay attention to the youth group instead of each other. Brice shook his head and hid his smile.

  Up until he met Bailey, he would have said anyone beleaguered with notions of romance needed their head examined. He would have chalked it up to a lack of sense and an overdose of sentimental claptrap.

  After spending the last several weeks trying to woo Bailey, he had an entirely different perspective on the matter. Loving someone was a lot of hard work. Especially when you weren’t entirely certain the person you loved was ever going to fully return those feelings.

  As though sensing his gaze on her, Bailey looked at him across the wagon and Brice felt himself tumbling into the bright depths of her ocean blue eyes. Holding her gaze, he watched her cheeks turn pink.

  He could almost see her thoughts churning in her head. Part of her wanted to come sit close to him, wanted him to kiss her in the worst way. The other part of her, that darn rational, analytical part of her brain, was telling her to stay far away fr
om Brice before he managed to derail her career plans.

  Grinning, he watched her lips tip up in a smile before she returned her attention to Liam.

  Arriving back at the church, Brice jumped off the end of the wagon and gave a hand to the girls while the boys tumbled off, pushing and shoving in a show of how tough they were.

  Tess and Bailey went inside to help serve the treats while Travis and Brice gathered blankets and loaded them in Travis’ pickup.

  “So, man, how are things going with Bailey?” Travis asked, slapping Brice on the back as they walked into the church. Mike already took the horses and wagon and headed for home.

  “As good as they can be, I guess,” Brice said, a little discouraged to see Liam following Bailey around as she poured cider and chocolate.

  “I noticed she took up with the Anderson boy. Maybe if you’d start reading up on dead people and petrified relics, she’d sit by you next time,” Travis teased, snatching a cookie off a platter.

  Brice picked up two brownies, munching on them while ignoring Travis’ teasing. He watched while Tess said something that made Bailey laugh and shake her head. Her curls danced at the motion and he suddenly wanted to bury his fingers in the silky strands.

  “Does that work for you?” Travis asked, catching Brice lost in his thoughts of Bailey.

  “What?” Brice asked, looking at Travis who smirked at him. “I didn’t hear what you said.”

  “Of course you didn’t. How could you when you’re watching Bailey like she might disappear at any moment?” Travis said, elbowing Brice. “I asked if you could run into The Dalles with me tomorrow for the final fitting on our tuxes.”

  “Sure. I’ll be off work at four. Is that too late?” Brice asked, trying not to glance at Bailey out of the corner of his eye.

  “Nope. That works for me,” Travis said, his smile widening as he spied Tess bent over refilling the cookie platter.

  “Dude, she is my sister. Could you not ogle her while I’m standing right here,” Brice said, rolling his eyes at Travis.

  “Sorry, man, but that’s part of the price you pay for being my best friend and Tess’ brother,” Travis said, intently watching his bride-to-be. “Cut me some slack, would you? We’ll be married in less than two weeks.”