Best of Cowboys Bundle

by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Barbara White Daille, Judy Christenberry, Christine Wenger, Shirley Rogers, Crystal Green, Nina Bruhns, Candance Schuler, Carole Mortimer

  She glanced up as lightning flashed across the skies followed by a low rumble of thunder. Dark clouds scudded across the sky. Another bolt of lightning sizzled through the heavens, unleashing a sudden downpour.

  Jumping to her feet, Dana ran up the porch steps, then stood in the doorway, watching the rain come down.

  She was about to go into the house when she saw something move just beyond the trees.

  Peering through the downpour, she saw a horse and rider emerge from the woods, felt her heart skip a beat as she recognized the rider.

  It was Chay.

  He dismounted in a single lithe motion and ground-tied his mount, then ascended the steps two at a time. He stood on the porch, hat in hand. Raindrops rolled off the brim and splattered on the porch at his feet.

  Dana gazed at him, speechless, her hands itching to reach for him, yet something held her immobile.

  “I would have told you if I could,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

  “It was silly of me to expect you to go back on your word. I’m sorry.”

  They spoke simultaneously, the tension between them evaporating as soon as the words were said.

  “Come on in,” Dana said. “Let me get you something hot to drink.” Taking his hat, she hung it on the hook inside the door. Feeling as if a load had been removed from her shoulders, she led the way into the kitchen.

  Chay followed her, then stopped in the doorway. “Dana.”

  She turned at the sound of her name, knew what he was going to say even before he spoke.

  “He’s gone,” Chay said, his voice heavy with regret.

  “Oh, Chay, I’m so sorry.” Taking him by the hand, she went into the living room. Sitting on the sofa, she drew him down beside her and put her arms around him.

  He rested his forehead against hers. “It’s so hard to believe he’s gone. He seemed so strong. Indomitable.” He swallowed hard, his hand reaching for hers. “I waited all my life to hear him call me his son, to tell me that he loved me. It’ll never happen now.”

  She didn’t know what to say. Except for her grandparents, she had never lost anyone close to her. A sob racked his body. She held him close as his pain washed over her. For all that Chay had said he didn’t love Big John, the tears in his eyes proved otherwise.

  He was quiet for several minutes and then he drew away. “I’m sorry,” he said somewhat sheepishly. “I haven’t cried since I was six.”

  “You don’t have to apologize or be embarrassed. No matter how you felt about him or how he felt about you, he was still your father.”

  “Yeah.” He blew out a soul-deep sigh. “I’m going to be pretty busy for the next couple of days, and then we need to talk.”

  “All right.”

  His gaze searched her face. “You’ll still be here? You’re not leaving?”

  “No,” she said. “I’m not leaving.” And she knew, in that moment, that if he asked her, she would stay here, with him, for as long as he wanted her.

  “I’ve got to get back,” he said. “My mother’s at the ranch. I’d like for you to meet her.”

  His words warmed her heart. “I’d like that.”

  He kissed her lightly, then gained his feet. Moving toward the front door, he picked up his hat, ran his fingers around the brim.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “I’d…would you come to the funeral? I’d like for you to be there.”

  “Of course.”

  “I’ll call you and let you know when it is.”

  She nodded, then rose on tiptoe and kissed him. “I think I love the rain,” she said. “It always seems to bring us together.”

  He smiled faintly, then left the house.

  As always, she stood on the porch and watched him until he was out of sight.

  Chapter Fifteen

  T he funeral was held at eleven o’clock on Wednesday morning. Dana hadn’t seen Chay since he came to her house the Sunday before. She regretted each day without him.

  The memorial service for Big John was, as expected, the biggest one the town had ever seen. The pretty, old-fashioned church on Sycamore Street was filled to capacity. In addition to family and friends, it looked as if practically every man, woman and child in Wardman’s Hollow had turned out to pay their respects to the town’s leading citizen. Newspaper reporters hovered outside like vultures, hoping to get a word with a member of the family.

  The immediate family sat in the front pew. Dana sat on Chay’s right. Ashley sat on his left. Ashley’s mother sat beside her daughter, and Chay’s mother sat beside Dana.

  Dana couldn’t help thinking that Big John’s taste in women varied greatly. Ashley’s mother, Jillian, looked like a fashion model. She was tall, willowy and blond, with clear blue eyes and a flawless complexion. Chay’s mother, Claudia, whom Dana had met only briefly, was not quite so tall or willowy but she was equally beautiful, with large dark eyes and smooth dusky skin. Dana felt overshadowed by both women.

  Big John’s mistress sat across the aisle and several rows back. She wore a demure black dress and a large black hat with a veil. Dana couldn’t help wondering how many of the other black-clad women scattered throughout the church had had affairs with Chay’s father.

  Glancing around, Dana spotted LuAnn, Megan and Brittany a few rows back. Brandon DeHaven was also there.

  During the service, several people got up to speak, relating the details of Big John’s life, telling how he had inherited the Bar W from his widowed mother at a young age, how the ranch had prospered under his hand. They spoke of his shrewd business sense, his larger-than-life sense of humor that was matched only by his temper, his generosity.

  Dana tried to pay attention to what was being said, but she was distracted by Chay’s nearness, by the way he held himself, stiff and unmoving, as if he was afraid that any show of emotion would be his undoing. Ashley leaned against him, weeping softly into a handkerchief. Jillian wept along with her daughter. Claudia listened intently to what was said, her face impassive, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

  There was a short service at the graveside, and then the family and those who had been invited drove out to the ranch for lunch.

  While standing near the long buffet tables that practically groaned beneath the weight of food and drink, Dana couldn’t help overhearing bits and pieces of stories and anecdotes about Big John. He had, indeed, been bigger than life. Whether people loved him or hated him, they had all respected him.

  She was feeling rather out of place as the afternoon wore on. Sitting in the living room, surrounded by friends of the family, none of whom she knew, she wondered why she had let Chay talk her into coming. Except for Chay and Ashley and Ashley’s friends, she didn’t know a soul. The couple nearest her were speculating about just how much money Ashley stood to inherit, and who would run the ranch now that Big John was gone. Both agreed that Ashley was far too young to run the place. The woman wondered if Jillian would move back to the ranch and stay with Ashley. The man wondered if Big John had left anything to his assorted mistresses.

  With a sigh, Dana glanced into the other room. She could see Chay there, talking with several people. He nodded at something one of them said, accepted a hug from another. She wished she had brought her own car so she could go home.

  Rising, she made her way through the kitchen and out to the backyard. No matter what happened after today, it was sure to make a big change in Chay’s life. Knowing him as she did, she knew that he would feel obligated to look after his sister and the ranch. No doubt he would be extremely busy for the next few months. Then, too, he had his own place to look after.

  She was standing by one of the corrals, petting a pretty, little brown-and-white pony, when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned, hoping it was Chay seeking her out. Instead, she saw his mother walking toward her.

  “I saw you leave and thought this might be a good time for us to get acquainted,” Claudia said, coming up beside Dana.

  Dana nodded.

  �
��Chay seems rather smitten with you, though I understand you’ve only known each other for a couple of weeks.”

  “I’m rather smitten with him, as well,” Dana confessed.

  “He’s a good man, my son.”

  “Yes, he is.”

  “He’s had a difficult life,” Claudia said, then shook her head. “I’m not saying this well. I don’t mean that he’s been neglected or abused, only that he was never able to have the one thing he wanted the most.”

  “His father’s love,” Dana said.

  “He told you that?”

  “Yes. I asked him once, before I knew that Big John was his father, why he stayed on at the ranch. He said it was a good job. I know now that it was so much more.”

  Claudia nodded. “He loves the land. He loves Ashley. And even though he’ll never admit it, even to himself, he loved his father. When Chay was a little boy, I tried to make it up to him but there comes a time when a boy needs his father, when he needs a man’s example to guide him. But Big John didn’t have time for a son who was not only half-Indian, but who had been born on the wrong side of the blanket. Oh, he provided for us. Big John’s pride wouldn’t let his son do without, but Chay didn’t want clothes or a pony, he wanted his father’s attention, and that was something he never had. To tell you the truth, sometimes I’m surprised that Chay turned out so well.”

  “Did you want to marry Big John?” Dana asked.

  “No.” She smiled. “And a good thing it was, too, because he never would have married me. He was angry when I left, but I couldn’t stay any longer. Chay was grown by then and he didn’t need me anymore.”

  Dana smiled, remembering how Chay had said he hadn’t gone to Arizona with his mother because she hadn’t needed him anymore.

  “So, how serious is it between you and my son?”

  “It isn’t. Not at all. I mean, I hardly know him.” She knew she was babbling, felt her cheeks grow hot under Claudia’s pointed stare. “Perhaps if we had more time…I…It’s just…”

  “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”

  Dana nodded. “But it doesn’t matter. I’m leaving on Friday.”

  “So soon?”

  “I have to be at work next Monday.” She smiled wistfully. “Anyway, I don’t belong here. I don’t think I was cut out to be a country wife.”

  “I see.” Claudia glanced over Dana’s shoulder. “Here comes Chay now. It was a pleasure meeting you, Dana. I hope everything works out for you.”

  “Thank you.”

  Claudia squeezed Dana’s hand then turned and walked toward the house.

  Butterflies danced in Dana’s stomach as she watched Chay stop to speak briefly with his mother, then continue toward her. She loved watching him, loved the way he moved, like some large jungle cat on the prowl, always so self-assured, so confident.

  “Here you are,” he said. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

  She shrugged. “I, well, I felt out of place, you know?”

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you alone.”

  “No, it’s all right, really. You needed to be there. How’s Ashley doing?”

  “She’s still pretty shaken up, but she’ll be okay. She’s Big John’s daughter, after all.”

  “Yes.”

  His gaze moved over her. “When are you leaving?”

  “Friday morning.”

  “Any chance you could stay a little longer?”

  “No, I’m afraid not.”

  He muttered an oath, his expression turbulent. “I had a feeling you’d say that. Knowing how stubborn you can be, I was going to follow you home.”

  “You were?”

  “Yeah.”

  “But you’ve changed your mind?” Disappointment sat like a lead weight on her heart. She would have loved to spend more time with him, to show him around Ashton Falls, to introduce him to her friends.

  He folded his arms over the top rail of the corral. “The lawyer came to the house last night and read the will.”

  “Oh? I suppose Big John left everything to Ashley.”

  “Not exactly. He left half of the place to me on the provision that I stay here and look after her until she marries or until she turns twenty-one.”

  “That’s wonderful!” Dana exclaimed. “I’m happy for you, Chay, really I am.” It was something he would have done anyway, she thought.

  He nodded. The terms of the old man’s will had been so unexpected, he wasn’t sure how he felt. He had been tempted to give his share to Ashley and walk away. Even if he’d had to leave the ranch, he would have been close enough to look after her anyway. Damn the old man! Was this Big John’s way of trying to make up for a lifetime of neglect? Well, it was too damn late! The old man didn’t have to leave him a damn thing. Chay had always looked after Ashley. Big John didn’t have to bribe him to stay and do what he’d done most of his life. He had told Ashley as much later that night, but, bless her heart, she had said it was only right, after all, and that he deserved more than half the ranch, that it should all have been his in the first place. After all was said and done, Chay knew he couldn’t turn his back on the land or on his sister. He loved them both and, except for his mother, Ashley was the only family he had.

  “Anyway,” he said, “I can’t leave the ranch now. I’ve got a lot of paperwork to take care of, and I need to go over the ranch accounts.”

  Dana nodded.

  “Jillian’s going to stay for a week or two, but then she’ll be heading back to Salt Lake. Anyway, you can see why I can’t take off.”

  “Of course,” Dana said. She forced a smile, hoping he couldn’t see how her heart was breaking. “Ashley will need you more than ever after her mother goes home.”

  But, oh, she thought, I need you, too.

  Turning away from the fence, Chay drew her into his arms. “I’ll miss you.”

  “I’ll miss you, too.”

  “Will you write me when you get home?” he asked.

  “Sure.”

  “Maybe we could go out to dinner tomorrow night…no, I forgot, I’m supposed to be taking Ashley and Jillian and my mother out to dinner. Why don’t you come with us?”

  “No, I don’t think so. Anyway, I need to pack and close up the house.”

  He nodded. “Come on. I’ll take you home.”

  She sat close to him in the truck on the way home, thinking how much she would miss him. He had said he would miss her, too, and perhaps he would, though she wondered when he’d have the time. Between settling the estate, running the ranch and looking after Ashley, he wasn’t going to have a lot of spare time on his hands.

  Chay walked her to her door, then drew her into his arms. She nestled against him and he thought how right it felt for her to be there. His nostrils filled with her scent—cologne and shampoo and woman. He had never felt this way about any of the women he had dated, but then, he had been careful in his choice of dates, making sure the relationship stayed casual, never letting things get serious. But Dana was different. He had known that from the first.

  “Listen,” he said, “once things quiet down around here and Ashley’s feeling better, I should be able to take some time off. What would you say if I came to Ashton Falls for a couple of days?”

  “I’d like that.”

  “This isn’t goodbye, Dana. I won’t let it be goodbye. I’ll be there as soon as I can get away.”

  She nodded.

  “Don’t forget about me.”

  “No, I won’t.”

  He kissed her then, a slow deep kiss that he hoped conveyed what he felt deep inside but seemed unable to put into words.

  There were tears in her eyes when he broke the kiss.

  He hoped that was a good sign.

  Chapter Sixteen

  D ana stood in the middle of her apartment. It seemed smaller somehow. Though she had only been gone for three weeks, it seemed like years since she had been home. The place hadn’t changed, she realized, but she had.

  Chay m
ight never call. She might never see him again. But he had given her a sense of self-worth, made her feel beautiful, worthwhile.

  Blinking back tears, she unpacked, took a long hot shower, then pulled on her nightgown and sat down to write him a letter. She had known, as soon as she walked in the front door, that she had made a mistake. Jobs came and went, but a man like Chayton Lone Elk was one of a kind. He had never said he loved her. She had never said she loved him. But there was definitely something between them, something wonderful and rare and worth pursuing.

  Going to the front window, she looked out into the night. Neon lights shone on the blacktop. Houses, like boxes, lined the far side of the street. A few palm trees grew along the sidewalk. A few stars twinkled in the sky. There were no deer grazing along the edge of her property. She couldn’t see the Milky Way. There were no pine trees. There would be no birds singing in the morning, no squirrels darting from tree to tree, no eagles soaring in the sky. Chay wouldn’t come knocking at her door.

  Sitting at the kitchen table, she found a sheet of paper and a pen and began to write, telling him how much she had enjoyed their time together, how much she was looking forward to seeing him again if he found the time to come to Ashton Falls.

  Sitting back, she relived all the good times they had had, the way he made her feel, his concern for Ashley, the pain he had tried to hide when his father died.

  “I love him,” she murmured. “I love everything about him.”

  And it was time to tell him so. But not on paper. She tore up the letter and tossed it in the trash. She went to the phone and picked up the receiver, but a phone call didn’t seem right, either.

  Smiling, her heart soaring, she danced around the apartment, laughing out loud. Tomorrow, she was going to quit her job and move to Wardman’s Hollow. It might be the biggest mistake she ever made…no, Rick was the biggest mistake she had ever made, she thought, grinning. But, right or wrong, she was going to follow her heart back to Wardman’s Hollow.

  Before she met Chay, she would never have had the nerve to do such a thing, to open herself up to rejection, but Chay was worth it. And if it turned out he didn’t love her, well, he had given her the courage to overcome that, too.