Nice Shootin' Tex

by Cyndia Rios-Myers

  "I'm probably going to be gone a few hours, Lauren. Are you sure you don't want to come along?"

  "Not with my tiny bladder right now, Daniel. I'll probably go out nearby, though."

  Daniel begged me to stay in the room, but I demurred. I loved that he was protective, but at the same time, I was a grown woman who could take care of herself. He made me take the cell phone and made me promise to stay safe - and close to the hotel. After giving him a warm send-off, he headed back to the weapons manufacturer.

  The architecture of the old buildings mixed with the new ones was just mesmerizing. The cathedrals and the museums were awesome looking. The modern high-rises were impressive as well. I didn't see anything that made me want to reach for my canvas and my paints, though. I wondered if we might be able to take a detour to the countryside to see some of the sights out there. I sighed at the sight of all of the outdoor kiosks offering beer.

  "Not for another eight months, huh?” I said as I quickly rubbed my still-flat abdomen.

  My phone rang as soon as I entered the lobby to the hotel.

  "I'm on my way home, baby," Daniel said to me.

  "Good. I'm on my way back up to the room. I could use a nap."

  And I could. I was beat.

  "Sounds like a plan."

  And we did nap as soon as he got back to the room. Eventually.

  Chapter 32

  We were back in the states too soon, I thought. It was so nice getting away with Daniel pre-baby. Daniel had to get back to the business of selling guns, though and I had to get back to my art. The gallery had already sold all of the pieces Arnold had given them a few weeks back. I'd been sitting at the table, staring at my invoices on my computer screen when Daniel came out of the bedroom and kissed the back of my head.

  "What are you looking at, pretty girl?"

  "Just my invoices for the gallery."

  Curious, he ducked down and looked at my screen for a few moments.

  "Jiminy Christmas, Lauren. You made all of that based off of six sales?"

  I stared at the sales figure and nodded. "Yep. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it."

  It was a big number. A very big number. Daniel squeezed my shoulders once and then sat next to me at the table.

  "We need to talk about the hogging, Lauren."

  I looked up at him in surprise. I was due to go hog hunting that night with my folks and Daniel. I had promised that I would stay safe, though.

  "You can't do this anymore, Lauren. Not in your condition."

  I felt like the floor dropped out from under me.

  "What? I'm only three months along. I've got tons of energy, Daniel. Of course I can do it."

  "It is unsafe. For you and the baby."

  That was almost dirty, bringing up the baby like that.

  "I'm safe, Daniel. I'll keep to the trails for the most part. I won't go chasing after dogs or anything."

  "What if you get gored again? Have you thought about what a nasty infection could do to you or the baby? Have you thought about what antibiotics could do to the baby?"

  I hated that he was right. I hated it with all of my being. Quickly, I stood up and stalked outside. I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at the pond, trying to calm myself. How could he ask me to stop hogging? It was part of my identity. It was how I brought money into our marriage. It was how I helped my family.

  I heard the screen door close behind me. Shortly after, I felt Daniel's hands on my shoulders along with his forehead resting on the back of mine. He sighed before speaking.

  "I am sorry that you got pregnant so soon. I now see that it is taking some of your liberties away from you."

  My eyes welled up at his words that shot right to the heart of everything.

  "But this is just the natural progression of things, Lauren. You are an artist - a successful one. We can build you a studio in my gun shop. You are also a shooter. We can start working on getting a school set up for you. You could also consult Chris, Greta and the others on the Mescalero hog hunting too."

  The enormity of what he was suggesting hit me. With widened eyes, I turned to face him.

  "What are saying? Are you saying that we should move to Mescalero full time?"

  His eyes looked sad, and I knew he was.

  "Yes, Lauren. I am. How long did you think we would commute back and forth like this? Before you were pregnant, it made sense. We were in Mescalero for part of the week; the other part of the week we came here and worked your father's hogging operation. But now you are pregnant."

  I hated his rational words.

  "We'll still come out a couple of times a month, but there is no use paying rent on this house and my paying a mortgage on my place too."

  "But my family is here, Daniel," I said with tears running off my face.

  He dried those tears.

  "I know that, darling. I know how heartbreaking it is to leave them. But you have family in New Mexico too."

  I wrapped my arms around him and cried on his chest. I was sad, so very sad. I had known that this was coming though - early in our courtship I got the feeling that to make the relationship work that I would probably have to be the one to make the move. I had looked in Daniel's eyes back then and had known that he was worth it. Looking up in his eyes now, I knew that nothing had changed.

  "Okay," I replied.

  He smiled at me and cupped my face with his hands.

  "Okay. We will hire an architect to build your studio, Lauren. We'll do that as soon as we get back."

  I couldn't help but smile at that.

  "Okay."

  It was much harder delivering the news to my folks, though. They were all somber that night at dinner. My dad said that he knew it was coming, and he sounded so old when he said that.

  "To be honest, I was trying to find a way to tell you that you couldn't go hogging with us anymore, Lauren. It's not the place for a pregnant woman."

  "Oh? Then what would you have had me do?"

  My dad half-laughed at that.

  "Well, paperwork for one -but you already do that." He then looked up at Daniel. "I was also going to find a way to broach the topic with you."

  Daniel smiled at that.

  "It's taken care of, Luke."

  My brothers still looked unhappy.

  "Hey. I'll still come out a few times a month."

  "But you won't be here every day," replied Arnold.

  I sighed.

  "No. I won't."

  Tim tried to lighten things up after that, but it only did so much.

  Still, we all got used to things pretty easy after we made the move. As promised, Daniel had an architect come out to our place to design an art studio, with a contractor following close on his heels to do the work. Once built, the studio had all of the bells and whistles. Windows surrounded the studio with bright lights overhead. There was a cute little kitchen that featured two deep sinks. There was even a small seating area with couches and a warm rug underfoot - a place for the babies to play while I painted, Daniel said. There was even an office in there as well as a full bathroom. Greta, Betty, Paul and even Chris were regulars in my studio. They loved to sit on the couch and watch me paint which I didn't mind - much. Thankfully, Daniel walked in one time when Greta and Chris were loudly debating cage designs for hogs one day.

  "What the hell are you guys doing in here?"

  The argument immediately ceased.

  "Lauren is working, you two. Working. You guys being here all the time is probably disrupting her. I sure as hell don't ask you guys to hang out while I'm working on my spears and arrows. Get on out."

  "Sorry, Daniel. We just wanted to talk to her about hogging," Chris said as he stood up.

  "Talk to her later. Now go. Both of you."

  I welcomed the silence that followed their exit. I much more welcomed the kisses that came once Daniel locked the door and pulled me to the couch.

  "This is a much more welcome distraction," I said between kisses.

&nbs
p; "Who you tellin'?" He said as he began to unbutton my blouse.

  It was nice to work near my husband, I knew.

  Chapter 33

  Daniel was uncharacteristically quiet at dinner one night. I'd made beef stew - his favorite dish.

  "Is it okay?" I asked as he scratched at the bottom of his empty bowl with his fork.

  "What?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

  "The food. Was it okay?"

  He shook his head at that. "Of course it is, honey. I'm just distracted is all."

  I shifted on my chair a bit, trying to get comfortable. With my six month pregnant body, it was getting harder and harder to do, though.

  "Talk to me, Daniel," I gently prodded.

  He sighed and put his fork down before looking at me.

  "The people at American Sharpshooter have asked me to come in as an expert for Season Four."

  Oh. The thing we didn't talk about. Well, we did talk about it as far as working up the marketing for my shooting school that we were going to launch in a few months’ time - once the baby was born. But I didn't understand what his hangs up were about it, though.

  "It would only be for a couple of days though, right?"

  "Yeah," he said.

  "The baby and I will be fine. If that's what you are worried about."

  He sighed and shifted on his seat.

  "That's one of the things I'm worried about. But that's not what's causing the hesitation."

  "What is?"

  "Trevor Garrett is, Lauren. I hate that son-of-a-bitch," he enunciated.

  "Oh."

  "Yeah, oh."

  I shifted on my chair again.

  "Is it the money? Because we probably don't need it, Daniel. My painting is bringing in good money. So is the long-distance work I do for my dad."

  He sighed. "No, baby. It's not the money."

  I stared at him, waiting for an explanation.

  "It's the work. I like coaching good shooters on how to do better. It's great marketing for the business. I can actually quantify how much our sales go up after one of the shows I'm on airs."

  "Well then do it. Just don't kill the host," I said with a smile. Luckily it made him laugh too.

  "I can manage that, Lauren. But there is one more thing," he added with a sigh.

  "What?"

  "Do you want me to tell him about us?"

  My brow furrowed as I considered the question. I wanted to protect Daniel from any uncomfortable exchanges with Trevor. But should he hide that he married me? Why?

  "Trevor is in the past, Daniel. He is a mistake of mine. You are my husband, but in this case, it is more important that I am your wife."

  His brow furrowed at that. I leaned forward to explain my thoughts.

  "It means nothing to me that he know that I am your wife. I'm not his anything. He is my nothing. If it comes up in conversation that you got married, mention it. Or don't. It is your decision to let him know who your wife is."

  I watched as relief filled his body. He then smiled and grabbed my hand from across the table.

  "I love you."

  "And I love you."

  I had no idea what he would do. Weeks later, I found out exactly what he did do, or didn't do.

  Chapter 34

  I was in Lubbock, setting up three of my paintings with a new gallery. I still had some of my works in the one at Fort Worth, but I simply did not want to make the long drive out there to feature the new ones. Plus, I wanted to try a new market out.

  I didn't know what it was that was missing from the painting that I stared at on the wall. It was a big white hog running away from something with wide panicked eyes. Behind him came a spear flying through the air - a spear that meant certain death for the hog. Remembering what I'd forgotten, I smiled and called my husband who was out picking up some lunch for us at a local Barbeque joint.

  "The spear. It needs feathers. What color are they supposed to be?"

  Daniel laughed out loud at that and then told me which colors to use. After hanging up with him, I carefully took the painting off of the wall and took it behind the desk where the gallery owner stood. I explained to him what I wanted to do and hoped that he wouldn't be offended. I should not have been worried in the least; he said that it was an honor to have a freshly-edited painting right there in his gallery. It would add to the provenance for the piece, he said. Getting ready to paint, I put on a large smock and removed my rings so as to not sully them.

  After mixing the paints, I chose the right brushes and gently added the feathers to the spear in the painting. Just then, I heard the art gallery owner talking to someone who had just entered the store. I ignored the exchange and went back to the feathers. I had to get them right - for me, for Daniel and for our unborn child.

  The feeling of someone staring at me intensely finally broke through my conversation.

  It was none other than Trevor Garrett. In the flesh. Standing seven feet away from me.

  Chapter 35

  "Trevor?" I asked in shock.

  "Hi Lauren," he said in his Virginia twang.

  In shock, I dropped my paintbrush in the sink. Composing myself, I dried my hands with a rag and looked back at him.

  "What are you doing here? In Lubbock?"

  He took another step closer and I was reminded just why I dropped my clothing for him so very quickly. He was still so damned handsome.

  "I went looking for you in Olney. I thought about calling your dad's business, but didn't."

  He sighed. "Then at Fort Worth airport on my way back home to Virginia, I saw your picture in the arts section of a paper."

  That's right. The article.

  "Oh?" I said, not knowing what else to say.

  "I called the gallery to ask after you. They said that you moved to New Mexico, but were displaying some of your works at a gallery in Lubbock. I drove out here to check."

  I could not believe what I was hearing. Trevor came looking for me. But why?

  "Why? Why are you here?" I asked, not unkindly.

  His eyes welled up and I watched him swallow.

  "I told you three years. I might have even said four years. All of that was wrong. I've been pining for you."

  My eyes widened in shock at that.

  "Why?"

  "Because I was in love with you. I haven't forgotten you and I've tried," he added with a dry laugh.

  "Trevor, I'm sorry -” I said.

  "I know I'm late. I know that I am so damned late. It's been a year and I am still in love with you."

  I felt...awful for him. His heart was right there in his blue eyes.

  "I'm sorry - ", I tried to add again.

  "I don't care if logistically speaking, that it doesn't make sense. We could start out slow. Or fast, I don't care. You can come with me to LA. You can paint out of my house. It gets the best light, you know."

  He'd taken a couple steps closer to me.

  "Stop. You have to let me talk, Trevor," I kindly added.

  Sighing, I took off my apron which was when he saw my seven month pregnant belly. His eyes widened in shock at that. I then added my large engagement ring and wedding band to my left hand. I smiled at him.

  "I'm a married woman, Trevor. A happily married woman."

  His mouth dropped open in shock.

  "I...I didn't know," he bashfully said before taking a step back.

  Just then, I saw my sneaky husband poke his head out behind a display wall. How long had he been standing there, I wondered.

  "You know my husband," I said with a smile.

  He shook his head at that.

  "No. No I do not. I would not have come here had I known that you were a married woman, Lauren."

  Ugh. So Daniel hadn't told Trevor about us. Daniel took that as his cue to join us. I watched as Trevor's eyes widened when Daniel possessively put his arm around my shoulders.

  "Daniel Serrano?" Trevor asked in shock.

  Daniel nodded at that.

  "Let me introduce you to my
wife, Mrs. Daniel Serrano," he said in a very scary tone of voice.

  I rolled my eyes at him, but stayed where I was.

  "I saw you just the other day. I congratulated you on your nuptials and you didn't think to tell me who your bride was?"

  When he said it like that, it almost sounded like he had a right to the information. Daniel was quick to dispel him of that notion, though.

  "No. This is my wife. She is someone you used to know," he nearly yelled.

  Trevor nodded at that and took a step back.

  "I see. I won't bother you again, Mrs. Serrano."

  With that, he turned around and went for the door. He looked so heartbroken and had driven so long. I then remembered that while being a cad, he had never been unkind to me.

  "Daniel, I'll be right back," I said, gently pushing away from him.

  "What? Why?" he nearly yelled.

  "To explain to him why it would have never worked. Have some faith in me."

  He rolled his eyes at that.

  "Fine. If you are gone more than five minutes, I'm going out there. It won't be pretty."

  "Fine."

  With that, I went after Trevor. He was standing at the driver's side door of his rental car while he looked out at the distance. I recognized that look as the same one I wore when I left Washington over a year ago.

  "Trevor," I said to him.

  He whipped around and faced me then.

  "Lauren. I'm so...embarrassed. I'm sorry if I've disrupted your life here."

  I smiled at him.

  "You haven't. Well, maybe just a little bit," I added with a laugh.

  He laughed too.

  "But I've got to hurry up here and explain something. I've got five minutes until Daniel comes out here with a gun."

  Trevor laughed and blushed at the same time at those words.

  "Fair enough."

  My face went serious then.

  "It wouldn't have worked out, Trevor."

  His smile disappeared and his eyes revealed the depth of his heartache.

  "You don't know that," he softly said.

  "I know that now, Trevor. Our lives are too different. We would have had to make too many accommodations and changes. It would have been work to make any relationship of ours work."