The Cowboy's Autumn Fall

by Shanna Hatfield

  “Don’t remind me. Every spare moment, Mom and Tess have been bossing me around like nobody’s business,” Brice said, leaning against a table and taking a drink of the hot cider. It tasted like the essence of autumn with a sweet apple flavor highlighted by rich spices. “They actually expect me to clean out the loft in the barn this weekend.”

  “No way,” Travis said, knowing the barn loft had long ago been declared sacred ground for Brice and Ben at the ranch. Growing up, it was their play area. As teens, it was their place to escape and Travis knew for a fact many girls had been wooed and pursued in the loft by the brothers. “Do you even have to move ol’ Bessie?”

  “More than move her. Mom’s making me haul her, along with about a hundred other things to the dump or the Goodwill store when I get done cleaning out the barn. She has promised me to find a replacement for Bessie, but that ol’ girl is full of memories,” Brice said, finishing his cup of cider.

  “Full of memories, and mice nests, and who knows what else,” Travis said with a grin. “That loveseat, which happened to be so aptly named for the use you and Ben put it to, is long past its prime, dude. I’m surprised Michele let you hang onto it this long.”

  “She forgot it was up there until she and Tess did a complete inspection of the barn a few weeks ago. They decided it had to go,” Brice put his hands on his hips and mimicked Tess in a falsetto voice as he listed all the things in the barn that needed carted off.

  Travis was trying not to roll on the floor with laughter and several of the boys standing near them were also laughing.

  “Find that amusing, do you?” Tess asked, smacking both Brice and Travis as she walked by.

  Travis grabbed her hand and pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head. “I do, honeybee. Your brother’s ability to portray you is spot-on.”

  “Hmph!” Tess said, putting just enough effort in trying to pull away from Travis that he would tighten his hold.

  “No need to get riled up, Tessa,” Travis said softly in her ear. “Play your cards right and we might even be able to wrangle some help for your cleaning project.”

  “It really is too bad about Bessie, BB,” Tess said, knowing how attached her brother was to the ratty piece of furniture. “But you’ve got to admit, she has served you well despite her decrepit state.”

  “Rather like another female on the Morgan Ranch,” Brice said, giving his sister a cocky smile. He wasn’t surprised when Tess reached over and smacked his arm again.

  “Are you sure you want to marry her, Trav? She’s given to fits of violence, as you well know,” Brice said, rubbing his arm and trying to look abused. The playful glint of mischief dancing in his brown eyes let everyone know the siblings were only teasing.

  “I’m sure,” Travis said, bending down to whisper something in Tess’ ear that made her blush and duck her head against his chest.

  “Hey, enough of that. We are in the church after all,” Brice said, thumping Travis on the back. He turned to the captive audience around them and asked if anyone wanted to help him Saturday and got a show of hands. “Be at the ranch by nine and we’ll feed you lunch.”

  Brice was surprised to see Liam volunteer to come help. Maybe he thought Bailey would be there, which Brice hoped she would.

  If she was, Brice might have to give Bessie one more opportunity at being the loved-on seat before he hauled her off.

  Chapter Eleven

  “The fall of dropping water wears away the stone.”

  Lucretius

  “Are you going to join us, Cady?” Bailey asked Saturday morning as she helped Cady wash the breakfast dishes. She and Lindsay were planning to go over to the Running M Ranch to see what they could do to help with preparations for Tess and Travis’ wedding reception the following Saturday.

  As a surprise for Tess, the Thompson family already cleaned the inside of the fort until it was spotless, added a moveable arbor out front and brought in pots of fall flowers to set around the building. When Tess and Travis exchange their vows in front of the fort where they first kissed as kids, the setting would be beautiful.

  Trey, Trent and Travis planned to finish up work at the Drexel house and move in furniture Tess and Travis ordered to go with the antiques Mr. Drexel left behind. The Morgan family, and anyone else who could lend a hand, would work on getting the barn ready for the reception.

  “I’ll join you a little later this morning,” Cady said as she hung the dishtowel up to dry while Bailey rinsed out the cloth she used to wipe down the counters. “I promised Michele I’d help her with food for lunch, so I’ll get some things ready and then come over with Cass. Why don’t you have Lindsay come pick you up and then you can ride home with one of us later.”

  “That would be satisfactory,” Bailey said as she opened her cell and dialed Lindsay’s number. After a brief conversation, Lindsay agreed to pick up Bailey in about half an hour.

  Not one to sit and do nothing, Bailey went to her room and retrieved a set of pillowcases she was finishing for Travis and Tess as a wedding gift. She knew Tess would love a gift that spoke to the era of the house, so Bailey had already crocheted a table runner and six doilies of various sizes. The pillowcases had pink roses along the border with green ivy and a small white heart with Tess and Travis’ name in the corner. She was crocheting a border along the edge of each case, then her gift would be complete.

  Cady washed her hands even though they were clean and sat down on the barstool next to Bailey, taking the edge of one fine linen case in her fingers and admiring the handiwork.

  “Bailey, I had no idea you could do work like this. It’s beautiful,” Cady said, admiring the even, precise stitches and the crocheted trim that looked like a froth of lace.

  “It helps me relax when my mind wants to keep going,” Bailey said, her silver crochet hook catching the light from the kitchen window as she whipped it in and out of the white thread. “My grandmother taught me, dad’s mom.”

  “You must be her prize pupil,” Cady said with a smile, knowing how much Tess would love the gift. Travis could care less about pillowcases, but he would appreciate the effort Bailey put into the hand-made treasure. “You and Brice should put your gifts together.”

  “Oh?” Bailey said, feeling the familiar flutter in her stomach at the mere mention of Brice. “What’s he giving them?”

  “You mean he hasn’t shown you?” Cady asked, surprised Brice hadn’t shared that information with Bailey. She supposed he had other things on his mind when the two of them were together.

  “No, he hasn’t and now I’m intrigued,” Bailey said, wondering what Brice was giving the couple that her gift would complement.

  “Come on, I’ll give you a hint,” Cady said, taking Bailey’s hand and pulling her around the corner and down the hall in the north wing to the master suite she shared with Trey.

  Bailey had been in the room only once before, but admired how spacious and lovely it looked.

  “He’s making them one of those,” Cady said, pointing to a beautifully carved cedar chest. The outside was polished to a high shine and in the middle of the front panel two intertwined hearts caught Bailey’s attention. Walking closer, she could see Trey and Cady’s names carved into the wood, along with their wedding date.

  “Brice made this for your wedding?” Bailey asked, not surprised at the fine craftsmanship of the piece, knowing Brice was very talented in woodworking.

  “Yes, he did. Technically we got it when we returned from the honeymoon in February since we only gave everyone a week’s notice on our wedding, but it was our gift from him. He made one for Trent and Lindsay and he’s finishing up one for Travis and Tess. Ask him to show it to you,” Cady said, running her hand over the smooth top of the chest. “I just thought your gift would go perfect in the chest.”

  “Yes, it would,” Bailey said, liking the idea of giving her gift with Brice’s.

  Bailey heard Lindsay talking to Cass in the kitchen so she and Cady went back down the hall.

>   “Ask him about it, Bailey,” Cady urged as Bailey gathered up her things. “Brice gets almost as excited talking about his woodworking as he does talking about you.”

  Flustered by Cady’s teasing, Bailey could only nod her head as she followed Lindsay out the door.

  Arriving at the Running M Ranch, Lindsay and Bailey stopped by the barn where a number of vehicles were already parked. They started toward the door only to step aside as Brice and Ben came out carrying an ugly, dilapidated love seat. Bailey vaguely recalled seeing it the night she and Brice were in the barn loft, although her attention was definitely not on the décor, but the man with a charming smile and muscled arms.

  Those same arms were now lifting the worn-out piece of furniture into the back of a pickup, straining against his shirt and causing Bailey’s heart to pound.

  Turning her attention away from the all too appealing vision of Brice, Bailey watched several teens running around, recognizing most of them from the hayride the other evening.

  She waved at Liam, who was helping Miranda take down posters tacked to the far wall of the barn.

  Glad to see the boy enjoying the company of someone his own age, Bailey followed Lindsay into the fray.

  When a bell clanged at noon letting them know lunch was ready, the barn had been cleaned from top to bottom and the guys had begun the process of stringing electrical strips across the ceiling and installing anchor hooks heavy enough to hold chandeliers.

  Bailey was walking toward the back yard where lunch was being served when she felt her waist encircled by strong hands as she was swung around the corner of the barn.

  “Hey, sugar,” Brice said, his face mere inches from Bailey’s. Her senses swam delightedly in his alluring scent while her blood warmed at his touch. “I’ve missed you.”

  “How could you possibly miss me?” Bailey asked, trying to gather her wayward thoughts. She should push Brice away and hurry to the yard where there was enough activity to distract her from thoughts of the mischievous cowboy. Instead, she wanted him to hold her closer or kiss her until she was completely senseless.

  At the rate she was going, it would only take a matter of seconds for that to happen. “You saw me last night at the football game, you texted me before breakfast and I’ve been here at the barn all morning.”

  “Yeah, but not just us together. Not so I could do this,” Brice said, rubbing his thumb over the curve of her cheek and along her jaw line. “Or this,” he said, burying his hands into the hair she had left down, curling to her shoulders. “And definitely not this,” he whispered as he bent his head and claimed her lips for his own.

  Bailey forgot all about lunch, the wedding and everything else except Brice. When he held her so close, kissed her so passionately, she felt like she had finally found a place where she belonged. He accepted her for who she was and for that she was truly grateful. Brice made her feel beautiful, exciting, and very wanted.

  “Brice,” Bailey whispered when they came up for air. “We… we better go see about lunch or…”

  “Someone will come looking for us,” Brice said, finishing her sentence for her. “I know, but you just look so dang cute today, I can hardly think straight.”

  “Oh,” Bailey said, surprised by his honest statement, looking down at her dusty jeans, denim jacket and cotton shirt. “Thank you.”

  “Anytime, sugar,” Brice said, taking her hand in his as he pulled her back around the front of the barn. “Let’s go get some food. I’m half-starved.”

  The hour they took for lunch was filled with lively conversation as the younger set teased and joked while some of the adults joined in. The girls begged Tess to show them her dress, so she took them inside the house while the boys continued trading jokes and jabs in the yard.

  “Cady said I should ask you about your gift for Travis and Tess,” Bailey said as she and Brice watched the boys teasing each other.

  “Would you like to see it?” Brice asked, getting to his feet and holding his hand out to Bailey.

  “Yes, I’d like that very much,” Bailey said as she stood, placing her hand in Brice’s and following him out to a building behind the machine shed. It looked like it may have been a shop or some sort of work area in the past. It wasn’t huge, by any means, but looked solid with two windows across the front of the building and one on each side along with a big garage-style door on the front.

  Brice dug a ring of keys from his pocket and used one to unlock the small side door. Stepping inside he turned on the light switch and smiled at Bailey to enter.

  Speechless, she looked around at an array of finely crafted furniture, stacks of wood and an assortment of tools she didn’t recognize.

  Running her hand across the smooth finish of an old-fashioned rocking chair, she admired the detailed carvings along the back. She noticed a dining room set, some end tables and what appeared to be a headboard and dresser set.

  The piece that got her attention, though, was the one Brice was obviously making for Tess and Travis.

  A large cedar chest had a curved bottom edge as it stood on four solid, square feet. With an exterior made of cherry wood, it would perfectly match the bedroom set in the master bedroom at the Drexel house. Looking closer, Bailey smiled to see roses, vines and honey bees carved into the lid of the chest. Bailey ran her fingers across Tess and Travis’ names, their wedding date and a small B and M to designate Brice was the craftsman.

  Brice lifted the lid and the scent of cedar filled the room. A tray sat on a built-in ledge to hold smaller items. Lifting it out, the chest still offered plenty of room for blankets or other treasures.

  Placing her hand on Brice’s arm, Bailey squeezed it gently and looked at him impressed.

  “It’s perfect, Brice. Tess is going to love it.”

  “I hope so. She and Trav didn’t give me much time to work on it with their one-month engagement. Although, truth be known, I started working on this right after Trent and Lindsay got married.”

  “I think everyone was under the assumption that Travis and Tess would be next to exchange vows,” Bailey said. She sniffed, appreciating both the smell of cedar and Brice’s warm, tantalizing scent that she was convinced should be labeled something like “sensuous autumn.”

  “It was a pretty safe bet,” Brice said, setting the tray back in the chest and closing the lid. “I’ve got a few more coats of varnish to apply and then I’ll be done.”

  Looking around the shop, Bailey held Brice’s hand as she examined each piece.

  “I knew you were very talented, Brice, but nothing I imagined came close to this,” Bailey said, waving her free hand around his work space. “Why are you wasting time doing construction? You could make a small fortune selling handcrafted furniture. I’m certain there are places in Portland that would be ecstatic to offer pieces of this quality.”

  Brice shrugged, pleased by her words, but also a little embarrassed. Making things out of wood was something he had always enjoyed. His grandpa taught him how to whittle and carve, then to make the furniture. Brice was devastated, at the young age of fifteen, when his grandfather passed away.

  Although he inherited his grandfather’s woodworking tools, his old saddle, and the pocket knife his grandfather carried with him everywhere, Brice would much rather have his grandpa alive, working beside him.

  “I’m not offering superfluous accolades, Brice. You have a real and rare talent,” Bailey said, turning the heat of her gaze Brice’s direction. “It is amazing what you can do.”

  “Thanks, sugar,” Brice said, feeling humbled by her praise. “It’s something I enjoy doing when I have time.”

  “But Brice, you could…” Bailey started to say and was cut off when Brice suddenly wrapped his arms around her and kissed her soundly.

  “Why did Cady tell you to ask about my present?” Brice asked, trying to distract Bailey from further discussion about pursuing furniture building as a career.

  He’d love to do it, but he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to m
ake enough money consistently to have it as his sole source of income. If he thought his pieces would really sell, he might pursue it, but it was better to be employed with a hobby he loved than to be destitute with a talent he no longer enjoyed.

  “She saw the gift I was making and thought our two gifts might be combined into one,” Bailey said, thinking how much she’d like Brice to kiss her again.

  “And what is your gift? Some of your wicked stitchery?” Brice asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

  “It is stitchery and there is nothing wicked about it, you ridiculous man,” Bailey said, trying to hide her smile at Brice’s teasing. “I made some doilies and a set of pillowcases. Cady thought it might be fun to put them in the cedar chest.”

  “I think that’s a fine idea,” Brice said, leading Bailey to the door and back out into the afternoon sunshine. “We can write on the card from ‘Brice and Bailey.’ How does that sound?”

  Bailey nodded her head, although the sound of what Brice was saying nearly brought her up short. What was she doing, becoming part of a couple?

  She had no business, none at all, getting this involved with Brice. She really needed to put a stop to things before either of them got any more lost in this relationship. Distracted, pensive, frustrated and flustered didn’t even begin to describe the array of feelings and emotions she’d experienced since she met Brice. Bailey grudgingly acknowledged Brice also made her feel excited, challenged, accepted, amused, cherished, protected, and loved.

  Brice made her feel things she’d never felt before. She wasn’t used to thinking of anything or anyone beyond what she wanted and Brice had somehow brought out a tender, softer part of her heart she didn’t even know existed.

  If she kept going down this road, there would soon be no turning back.

  “Ready for more fun?” Brice asked as they returned to the barn where the kids were untangling dozens of strands of white lights left from Trent and Lindsay’s wedding. Tess was pointing out where she wanted the lights strung and Michele was shooing the group away from the area where Brice and Ben were going to soon construct a temporary stage at the back of the barn. Mike was up in the loft making sure all the power strips were working and securely anchored.