Craving the Cowboy

by Liz Isaacson

They walked along the fence, and Dwayne stepped close but didn’t reach for her hand again. Every so often, Felicity would glance behind her and say, “Come on, Spotlight.” The horse came with her, with Payday trailing him.

  “So,” he said, hoping he wasn’t about to ruin any chance he might have with Felicity. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I sense you have a story about your dad.”

  She sucked in a breath and lifted one hand to rub her opposite arm. He watched the shutters fly over her eyes, and he wanted to block them before they closed completely.

  “No judgment here, Felicity.” He glanced over his shoulder and added, “Come on, Payday.”

  They walked the length of one side of the pasture before Felicity said, “My father passed away nine months ago.”

  Dwayne’s heart full-on stopped. His feet stuttered against the ground. His hand started trembling harder. “I’m so sorry, Felicity,” he said, pouring every ounce of sympathy he could muster into his tone. “I—I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

  She flashed him a wounded smile. “It’s okay. I—maybe I need to talk about it.”

  He remained silent so she could say what she wanted, but she just kept walking. The relentless sun beat down on them, and his stomach growled. “You want to come to my house for lunch?” he asked.

  She nodded a few times. “Yeah, sure.” She turned back to the horses. “We’re gonna go for a while, guys. We’ll be back soon.”

  Dwayne stopped walking and twisted around too, only to find all four horses following them in a single-file line along the fence. He marveled at the strength and the soul of Felicity and gazed at her with awe streaming through him.

  Her sadness seemed to evaporate like dew under the morning sun, and he reached for her hand again before they started toward his house.

  “I just can’t believe that horse.” Felicity clipped the words out in perfect punctuation to the sound of her boots going up his steps. She rubbed her shoulder as Dwayne followed and opened his front door.

  He’d gotten used to their daily routine of training horses in the morning, sharing lunch together at his house, and working around the ranch in the afternoon. She hadn’t questioned her role to work around the ranch instead of just training the horses.

  “They can’t take much more than we’re doing in the morning,” she’d explained to him when he’d wondered if she had time to be fixing fence posts.

  Felicity huffed as she stepped past him and lifted her cowgirl hat from her head. “That Spotlight is so stubborn.” She slapped her gloves on the coffee table and went into the kitchen without waiting for Dwayne.

  He chuckled. “I had no idea you could get frustrated.” He followed her but stopped and leaned against the end of the counter.

  She gave him a sour look and pulled open his fridge. “Did you eat all those potatoes?”

  Affection pulled through him, and he laughed again. “There’s still some in there.”

  She retrieved the plastic container and put it on the counter. “You saw him try to kick me, right?”

  “I saw ‘im.” Dwayne folded his arms and kept his distance. If he didn’t, he couldn’t predict what he’d do, because the desire to kiss her tore through him with the force and speed of a tornado.

  “I’ve never had a horse do that before.” She put her palms on the counter, leaned into them, and stared at the wall as if it contained the secret for how to train Spotlight.

  Dwayne had managed to get a rope around Payday’s neck, but Spotlight had steadfastly refused to be touched by more than Felicity’s fingertips.

  “Did you want some of those meatballs too?” he asked, stepping to her side and popping the lid on the cheesy potatoes his sister had brought him on Tuesday night. There was just enough for one more lunch, and he stuck the container in the microwave and started it.

  Felicity didn’t answer, and Dwayne let her have a few seconds to herself. Her frustration really was cute to him; he couldn’t help it. Had she really never had a horse who didn’t bend to her absolute will?

  The microwave beeped, signaling that the potatoes were hot, and Felicity still hadn’t moved. Dwayne pulled the food out and dished her some, saying, “So I wanted to ask you a question.”

  She turned toward him slowly, her eyes taking a few extra moments to focus. When she found him sitting at the small dining room table, she hastened to join him. “I just can’t quite figure out what to do next,” she said, picking up her fork and staring out the window.

  “You’ve really never had a horse that balks at the rope?”

  “Of course I have.” She stabbed her fork into her food. “But not for three days in a row, no matter what I try. Not one who tries to kick me when I so much as approach with a rope in my hand.”

  “He’s spirited, all right.” Dwayne bit back his question, sure another time would present itself. Hopefully.

  “Spirited?” She scoffed and stuck a bite of potatoes in her mouth. After chewing and swallowing, she said, “That horse is a menace.”

  Dwayne couldn’t help it; he tipped his head back and laughed. Only a heartbeat passed before Felicity chortled too. She cut off the sound quickly, and said, “Stop it.”

  When he didn’t, she giggled again.

  “Seriously, stop laughing at me.”

  Dwayne quieted but he couldn’t stop smiling. “I’m not laughing at you, sweetheart. You were laughing too.” His heart tripped when his ears caught what had come out of his mouth.

  Sweetheart.

  Her shoulders lifted as she took in a big breath. She’d heard the endearment too, and Dwayne didn’t know how to call it back.

  “So.” He cleared his throat. “I wanted to ask you if you went to church. I thought maybe, if you did, if you’d found one that you like yet, bein’ new in town and all, and if you haven’t, if you’d like to go with me on Sunday.”

  Dwayne’s lungs felt stuck together as he’d used all his available air to get out the long stream of words. But somehow, he couldn’t draw a full breath while he waited for her to answer.

  She pushed her potatoes around in her bowl, her focus completely on them. She hadn’t told him much more about her father’s death, only that it had been sudden and heartbreaking. They’d spoken of their siblings, and she’d talked a little about her family’s ranch. He’d told her about how his parents had met, and why they’d come to Grape Seed Falls.

  He’d held her hand in the pasture, on the path back to his house, and on his couch.

  “What’s the pastor’s name?” she finally asked.

  “Charlie Gifford.”

  “Is he old or young?”

  Dwayne blinked, wondering what that had to do with her desire to attend church. “He’s a few years older than me.” He took a bite of his lunch, his mind whirring as he ate. “He has a good way about him. Always speaks about the Savior. I like him.”

  Truth was, Dwayne was tired of sitting against the wall by himself. So he usually sat with several of the cowboys. Or maybe his parents. They were fine company, but Dwayne didn’t want fine. Not anymore.

  Now that he’d met Felicity, he knew he could have more than fine. It felt just within his reach, but he couldn’t quite grasp it.

  Felicity looked up and swept her fingers across the loose hair by her ear. She twisted the lock there and considered him. Dwayne wanted to look away, but he couldn’t make himself do it. He watched her soften, watched a playful smile adorn her mouth.

  “What time does it start?” she asked.

  “Eleven,” he forced out through a narrow throat. “I can come pick you up.”

  She dipped her chin, a beautiful blush blooming in her cheeks. “All right.”

  “All right.” A smile spread his lips.

  “Just to warn you, I haven’t been to church in a while.”

  He heard something hidden between the syllables of her words, but he didn’t know what. “Why not?” he asked, scooping up another bite of potato.

  “I don’t kno
w,” she said, and Dwayne nodded.

  “Fair enough.” He hoped she’d figure it out and confide in him. Hoped he could hold her hand during the service. Hoped she would want to find where she fit, because he really hoped to give her space in his heart, on his ranch, in his life.

  Chapter Nine

  Dwayne went to the pasture on Saturday morning, a rope in his hand just like he had the previous day. Payday came over to him without Dwayne having to speak a word. The horse nosed his palm, and Dwayne said, “Good morning to you too.” He smiled and kept the coiled rope at his side. “Jinx is comin’ in with me. Back up.”

  He pushed open the gate and gestured for the dog to go in. The border collie seemed bored, but he loved to be with Dwayne. He walked nearly at his heels as Dwayne started along the length of the fence. “C’mon, Payday.”

  The sky was a light shade of blue this early in the morning, and Dwayne took in a lungful of fresh air. His parents had returned from their fishing trip last night, and his mother hadn’t wasted any time insisting that he come to the homestead for breakfast. His sister was coming too, and Dwayne had texted her to ask her to grab him from the pasture when she arrived at the ranch.

  He dragged the rope along the rungs, creating an annoying, scratching sound of fiber against wood. Payday didn’t startle or dance away. He’d settled a lot in just the few days Dwayne had been working with him.

  Probably because you’re here every day, he thought. He’d never spent hours every morning training a horse. He didn’t have that kind of time. But his cowboys had risen to the task of keeping everything else on the ranch running.

  After the first circuit, Dwayne looped the rope and tossed it over Payday’s head. The horse closed his eyes almost lazily, and Dwayne led him around again, talking about the things he needed to complete on the ranch that day.

  “And then I’m gonna take the ATV out to the north fields,” he said. “There’s the best grass there, next to the river. Once you’re all broken in, I’ll take you up there. You’re going to love it.”

  “Talking to your horses again?”

  Dwayne spun at the female voice, a half-dozen emotions spiraling through him as he thought, What’s Felicity doing here?

  But it wasn’t Felicity. His sister stood there, grinning at him.

  “Heather,” he said. “You scared me.”

  She laughed, climbed the fence, and dropped to the ground beside him. “What’s this one’s name?” She took the rope from him and looked up at the chocolatey brown horse.

  Dwayne told her and promptly got her talking about something besides him. “What are you doin’ this summer?” he asked.

  “Oh, you know.”

  He didn’t, but he said, “Sunbathing, I bet. Or getting your nails done. And reading. You probably read a book every single day.”

  She laughed again and tossed her sun-kissed brown hair over her shoulder. “All of the above.” She sighed happily. “I love summer.”

  Dwayne much preferred ranching in the cooler months, but summer definitely held some of its magic in the very air. He enjoyed the festivals, and the holidays, and by the end of September, the promise of chili cook-offs and cooler weather.

  “So,” she said. “I heard a rumor about you.”

  “Oh boy,” he said, squinting into the horizon like there was something important there for him to see. “Who’d you hear it from?”

  “Levi Rhodes.”

  “Levi?” Dwayne repeated. “I can’t imagine what he would’ve told you.”

  “Said you’ve been holdin’ hands with a pretty brunette.” Heather danced in front of Dwayne, bringing Payday up beside him. She looked absolutely gleeful. “True or false?”

  Heat filled Dwayne’s whole body. “True. But—” He held up his hand before Heather could laugh or shriek or whatever it was she had planned. “How does Levi know that?” He narrowed his eyes at her now. “And when did you talk to him?”

  “Oh, I go out to his stables and ride one of his horses every week. He does open riding on Fridays.”

  Dwayne frowned, trying to make things align in his head. “You can come ride a horse here any time you want.”

  “Yeah, of course.” Heather ducked her hand and fell back into step beside him. Dwayne couldn’t help feeling like he was missing an important piece of the puzzle.

  “So you talked to him yesterday. I haven’t seen him in days. He doesn’t come out here.”

  “No, but Gabe was there helping yesterday, and he brought it up. Levi asked about Farrah? What’s her name?”

  “Felicity.”

  “Yeah, Felicity. Levi wanted to know if she was any good, and Gabe was telling him all about it.”

  “And you were…eavesdropping?”

  “Saddling.” She scoffed and lightly punched his bicep. “I was nearby, saddling my horse. Can I help it if Gabe has a loud voice? No, I cannot.” She grinned at him. “So you’re holding Felicity’s hand, huh? Over your female fast?”

  He rolled his eyes. “I was never on a female fast.”

  “Dwayne, you haven’t dated since Serenity broke your heart.”

  “Well, it takes a while to get all the pieces glued back together.” He didn’t want to think about Serenity. “Besides, I don’t see you datin’ anyone. Not since Teddy.”

  “Oh, Teddy.” She waved her hand like the man had meant nothing to her. But she’d spent an hour talking about him at Thanksgiving two years ago. An hour. Talking about one person. She’d clearly been smitten with him, and they’d dated for almost a year before he just up and left town one day. Heather hadn’t come out to the ranch for three months after Teddy’s departure, and Dwayne never had figured out why.

  “So, are you dating again?” he asked.

  “Nope.” She made a popping sound on the P and giggled. “Grape Seed Falls needs some new bachelors to move into town.”

  Before he’d met Felicity, Dwayne would’ve added, “And some bachelorettes.” Now, he simply smiled and said, “You’ll find someone, Heather.”

  “Really?” A bit of incredulity crept into her voice. “Where do you think I’ll meet them? On the playground while I’m doing recess duty? Or wait. At the Laundromat while I’m there on Saturday evening because my machine is on the fritz. Again.”

  “I can come look at it.”

  “Dad’s already coming after breakfast.” She tucked her arm in his. “And you know, no one who’s at the Laundromat on the weekend is worth meeting.”

  He detected her sadness, and maybe some loneliness. Dwayne knew, because he’d drowned in loneliness for a solid six months after Serenity had broken up with him. “Come on, Heather. Give yourself some credit.”

  “You’re right,” she said. “I’m not going to do my laundry until Monday.”

  He laughed along with her, unlooped the rope from Payday’s neck, and gave the horse a pat. “See you tomorrow,” he whispered before following his sister and his dog over to the homestead.

  He’d barely opened the kitchen door when his mother appeared. “You’re dating Felicity Lightburne?”

  “What?” He glanced over her head to see Heather wearing a half-gleeful, half-horrified expression.

  “I didn’t know it was a secret,” she said.

  “Isn’t she our new horse trainer?” His father stepped to his mother’s side.

  Dwayne groaned, wishing he could turn around and go to his house. Cold cereal would be better than the third degree from his parents.

  Sunday morning, Felicity spent the half hour before the sun rose walking the streets of Grape Seed Falls. Her stomach wasn’t happy with her, though she hadn’t eaten much for dinner the night before.

  No, she had nerves assaulting her, making her sick, tormenting her.

  Maybe just call Dwayne and say you can’t go to church, she thought. Then she amended it to, Don’t call. He’ll be able to read the anxiety in your voice. Text him. Text him and tell him you can’t do it.

  She entered her bungalow and her eyes landed on
the dress she’d spent most of yesterday afternoon shopping for. She hadn’t brought any skirts or dresses from home, as she hadn’t planned on attending church or anything else that required her to dress up.

  The fabric of the dress was light and airy, almost like silk. The maxi dress was cream-colored, with bright blue, red, and green flowers decorating it. It skimmed the floor, but with the right shoes, she felt like a princess wearing it.

  She wondered what Dwayne would think. Would he even recognize her without the cowgirl hat, the jeans, the boots?

  With hours to go before she needed to be ready, she set a pot of coffee to brew and she headed down the hall to the spare bedroom. She’d set up a folding table, which she’d pushed against the wall with the large window that overlooked the backyard.

  Whiskers jumped up onto the table at the same time Felicity sat down at it. She pulled the hatband she’d started on Friday night toward her and started threading on the next bead in the pattern. She loved working with her hands, and this delicate work with jewels, beads, and fibers was just as rewarding as the more physical labor of training horses.

  The cat curled into a ball and purred, making Felicity realize how simple her life had become. She didn’t need music to entertain her. Or a schedule filled with dozens of activities. She’d never lived away from home before, and she marveled at that fact now because of how much she loved this sense of independence she’d found.

  “This one’s almost done,” she told Whiskers. “Should I make you a collar next?” She needed to craft something besides hatbands, because she had at least a dozen. No, what she really needed was someone to give the hatbands too. A friend. A sister-in-law. A charitable group. Something.

  Out of the list, Felicity thought she could definitely use a friend the most, and she abandoned her crafting with a wild idea in her mind. She was decent with a recipe, and it didn’t take long to put together a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

  She’d seen people coming and going on the street where she lived, and she wondered if maybe the friend she needed was right next door. Or across the street. Or down on the corner.