by Parker, Ali
I got out of my truck and went inside.
“I remember you. What’ll it be?” The waitress spoke to me as she passed me a menu and stood in front of me as I sat down at the counter.
“Coffee, orange juice with ice, and some toast to start,” I said, grabbing the menu.
“Alright doll. coming right up,” she said.
I looked over the menu wondering if I should have one of those burgers for breakfast. But then decided I would get one to go. The drive back East was long and I would need to eat lunch and perhaps an early dinner on the road, too. So maybe I would get two burgers to go. That being decided, I ordered breakfast instead.
“Here you are. Coffee, orange juice with ice, and toast.”
“Thanks ma’am.”
“You’re welcome. Know what you’re having?”
“Scrambled eggs with cheese and avocado, a ham steak well done, and a short stack of buttermilk pancakes—for now,” I said.
She smiled, “A cowboy with an appetite. We know what to do with that around here. Coming right up, sugar.” With a smile, she walked away.
I pulled out my cell phone to see if I had any missed calls or texts. I was hoping I would hear from Helen, but there was nothing. I drank some coffee to wake up and had some toast to start.
A few minutes later I was eating my large breakfast. I did feel better once my stomach started to feel a little satisfied. But I still had all that anger within me. I knew that it would take a few days to go away. But it was gonna take months to get over Helen, if I ever did. To think that I had come out to the Texas Hill Country because I had been feeling restless. Now I was headed back to East Texas feeling more restless than I ever had in my life.
“What do you think of that?” I muttered to myself on that thought.
“Think of what, cowboy?” I heard a voice say. I turned to see Billy at my side.
“Where did you come from?” I asked, surprised by her presence. She had a knack for just showing up like that.
“I just walked in. I am waiting for a to-go order. What are you doing?”
“Just having some breakfast,” I said. I didn’t need her to know my business, or that I was on the way out of town.
“You owe me a dance. Remember? But what do you say we forget the dance and not make it to the dance hall at all. You and I could go out tonight. Maybe take a blanket out under the stars,” she said.
If I had been in East Texas and before I’d reconnected with Helen, I would have said yes to that idea. Hell yes. Even if I wasn’t exactly keen on Billy, she was an extremely attractive and fit young woman. Just the kind I liked to play around with back home. I would never take her seriously, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t have fun with her.
“Thanks for the invite, but sorry, not interested,” I said.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” She said, looking astonished. “You’re turning me down?”
“Well, I guess it looks that way, don’t it?” I said.
“You son of a—”
“Here’s your order, Billy. Tell your folks hello. I haven’t seen Mr. and Mrs. Taylor for a while now.” The waitress pushed a large brown paper bag with handles toward Billy, sliding it across the counter.
“Thank you,” Billy said, grabbing it. Then she turned back toward me and gave me an angry look with her eyes narrowed.
She walked out the door and headed for the parking lot. I couldn’t believe it. She and her brothers had been giving me shit since the livestock show and rodeo back home, and now I find out that they are the Taylors! The very same family causing all the trouble for the Larson Dude Ranch. I should have known. I shook my head at the coincidence, then turned my attention back to my cup of coffee.
“Here is your to-go order sugar. Two double-decker burgers with extra cheese, double wrapped with two orders of fries.” The waitress gave me a similar brown paper bag.
“Thank you, ma’am. Think I can get this thermos filled? I’m happy to pay whatever it takes,” I said, pushing the container across the counter.
“Of course, hon. I won’t even charge you for it. Just leave me a nice tip,” the waitress winked at me with a chuckle.
“Yes ma’am,” I said.”
I paid my check and left a nice tip for the waitress. Then I walked out to my truck with my thermos and my lunch for later on the road. But as it turned out, I had a little surprise waiting for me. A truck was parked next to mine, with high-rise tires. The same one I had seen Billy climb into the first time I had come to the burger joint. Her brother Andy was leaning against this truck with his arms crossed over his chest.
“There he is. He tried to get me to have sex with him for money,” she said to her brother. I raised my brows at this lie. So this little girl was a spoiled brat that made up stories when she didn’t get her way. Looks like I had dodged a bullet there.
“I should kick your ass,” Andy said.
“Should you?” I said. I put the bag in the bed of my truck for now, but held onto the thermos of hot coffee, knowing it could be a weapon if needed. “Just how many times have you had to kick a man’s ass because your sister said something like that about them? I’d wager it’s been quite a few, seeing how easy lying comes to her,” I said.
For a brief moment, he looked at his sister, as though calculating in his mind just how many times she had come up with such a story. But then he looked back at me with anger, and I realized he couldn’t agree with me because that would be too embarrassing for him and his family, so he kept on.
“Don’t listen to him, Andy. He said what I told you. Punch him right in that lying mouth,” Billy said.
“You really want to do that out here in this parking lot? In broad daylight? How many times have you been in the slammer?” I asked, knowing that his look didn’t come from just being a cowboy. Some of the ink on his arm looked like prison tattoos.
“I may not punch you out here, but I know where you’re working. That poor excuse for a ranch should be put out of its misery already. Maybe a little fire might do the job at some point,” he said.
That was not something I liked to hear. Quickly, I stood up straight. No one threatened Helen’s home and life like that. I got right in his face. “You touch that ranch and you die.”
“Oh, looks like I touched a sweet spot. Maybe you’re more than just a ranch hand out there. You and that widow getting it on? I know I would sure like to give her a ride. I bet she’d really like a fat cock like mine. I’ve seen that ass of hers wiggling around town,” he said.
I could feel my face turning red with anger and I wanted to open my coffee and splash it in his face. But it was daylight and I sure didn’t need trouble with the sheriff out here. Who would bail me out with my brothers so far away? But hearing him talk about Helen like that was too much to take.
“You like ass don’t you? Must have got a taste for it when you were in prison?” I said, finding with a mean retort.
“You mother fucker, take that back!” he pushed me.
“Yeah, get him Andy,” Billy said.
“I will not take it back, you piss-poor excuse for a cowboy. You actually win that rodeo buckle or did you steal it?”
“You couldn’t rodeo if you tried pussy!” he shouted and pushed me again.
“What’s going on here boys?” Suddenly a police officer appeared. He had pulled up behind our trucks and was leaning out the driver’s side of his patrol car.
“Nothing officer,” Andy said quickly and stepped back from me.
“I’ve heard you say that before, Andy,” the officer said.
Andy and I exchanged a heated look.
“It’s all good, sir. This young man was just offering to compete against me on the mechanical bull at Mickey’s,” Andy grinned as though he had just come up with the greatest idea he’d ever had.
I grinned in response. “That’s true. I was. On Sunday night as a matter of fact.”
“Deal,” Andy said.
“Alright, break it up now,” the o
fficer said.
Andy turned and gestured to Billy to get in the truck. “Better keep an eye out for embers out there,” he said quietly as he walked away.
My blood ran cold thinking he wasn’t beyond setting fire to the ranch. I turned and tipped my hat to the officer. But he didn’t budge until Andy pulled out of the lot. Only then did he nod at me and drive off.
I got in my truck, angry as hell. Now I wasn’t going anywhere. I had to get back to the ranch and back to Helen. She needed to know that the Taylors were after her. Who knows what they would do in order to beat the competition.
Driving fast, I headed back down the driveway toward the gates. We would need to install some irrigation lines in the pastures and in the brush throughout the property. We would need to run them once in the morning and once at night just to keep the ground and trees damp, just in case. I sure as hell wasn’t going to leave her alone with this. I wasn’t going anywhere now that she was in danger, whether she liked my presence or nor. I was there to stay—I needed to protect her.
16
Helen
I sat in my office, trying to understand the events of the last few days. I was a mess, but I had also never felt more alive. Being with Dylan had felt so good, too good. And good things didn’t last, right?
Still, I knew that I was doing the right thing by kicking him out. Imogene had been right about me. I was using him as a boy toy ranch hand and I felt ashamed of it. He had to go in order to prove her wrong. In order to prove to myself that I wasn’t going to indulge in something like that and allow the townspeople to make fun of me and my ranch. What would Steve say? Ugh, I had made a real mess of things.
But now that Dylan had officially left, why did I feel so rotten? I felt more alone now then before he ever showed up. I wish I hadn’t discovered what it felt like to be in his arms, or to have him inside of me. Because now I knew just how much I missed it. I was mourning the loss of Dylan’s companionship and protection, but I knew I had to move past it. This wasn't the first time I was mourning a man. If I could get through the loss of my husband, I could get through anything. I just needed to distract myself and hang in there.
Suddenly the door to my office burst open and Dylan was standing there. I was stunned, I hadn’t even heard him drive up or come in the front door of my home because I was so deep in thought.
“Dylan, what the hell are you doing?” I stood up from my desk in shock.
“I can’t leave.”
“What? You already left,” I said, standing up and preparing for an argument.
“The Taylors. They’re going to try to burn the ranch down,” he said.
“What!” My eyes grew wide with shock. “What do you mean?”
“I ran into Andy Taylor. We had some words. He’s been after me since the livestock show and rodeo back home. He made some threats about burning this place down,” he said.
“Did you start this? You shot off your mouth and now they want to burn me out?” I was getting steamed.
“They’ve had it in for this place from the beginning, but yes, it’s likely my presence isn’t helping.”
“Dylan!” I shouted and started to pace back and forth in my office. What the hell was going on? He had only been gone an hour or so and now this?
“But it doesn’t matter. I’m not going anywhere. I can’t leave you here alone with them threatening you like that. I won’t ever forgive myself if anything happened to you. I can’t lose you, Helen.”
I stopped pacing and looked at him. His words were sweet and kind. Why was I so hell-bent on blocking those words from affecting me?
“Now what? What am I supposed to do with a threat like that? Those Taylors are mean and vicious. You think they won’t do it?”
“Those Taylors are mean sons of bitches. The sister too. I got a look at Andy’s tattoos, he’s done some time and something tells me his threat ain’t an empty one.”
“Oh Lord!” I shouted.
“Don’t worry. I’m gonna take care of it. We can get started today. We’ll need some help but we just gotta make sure we keep everything damp for the next couple of weeks until I figure this out with him. I’ll pay for everything Helen. This is my mess, I’ll clean it up.”
“Damp? Like water everything down?”
“We’ll get some irrigation lines going through the brush, the pastures and everything else we can reach with the hoses, like twice a day, morning and before bed. Then there needs to be a watch, a lookout.”
“Alright. We can do that,” I said. “I guess I could give some of my workers extra hours to come out here, taking turns. Like Marshall and Eddie, eight-hour shifts each, and I’ll call up a few of the others to fill in.”
“I’ll pay for their wages. But Helen, I want you to know I didn’t start this. I didn’t go looking for trouble. Trouble found me. Billy started this. She took a likin’ to me and when I refused her—well she didn’t like it,” he said.
“You refused her?” I raised a brow at him. Billy had been rodeo queen time and again, and was generally known as the most beautiful girl in town. I was shocked. She was also known as quite a loose girl and I was sure that she had offered Dylan more than just a dance or a drink. He had turned down having sex with her and I had to admit, I was shocked.
“Damn straight. She ain’t my type,” he said. This made me smile, but I quickly wiped it off my face.
“I can’t believe this,” I said.
“There’s something else,” he said.
“Oh Lord, now what?” I said, slapping my hands on my thighs. What else could possibly go along with the threat of a devastating fire?
“He wants me to compete against him on Sunday night at Mickey’s,” he said.
“Arm wrestling?”
“No, the mechanical bull,” he said.
“Dylan! He’s a rodeo champion,” I said.
“I know. But I can beat him. I’m smarter, and riding ain’t all physical you know. I just need a little practice.”
“What are you competing for?” I asked.
“Pride?” he said.
“Ego,” I said, annoyed by the machismo of some cowboys, but it was also what I liked about them.
“Maybe I can get him to agree to a prize. Like if I win, he and his family leave the Larson Dude Ranch alone. No more fire threats or anything else.”
“And if he wins?”
“I’ll give him money. A thousand dollars,” he said.
“What! Dylan, no.”
“I have to make it worth his while. Enough to get him to agree to leave this ranch alone. A couple of hundred is nothing to a crook like him. He’s probably robbed gas stations before for that kind of change. It’s gotta be good and humiliating if I lose. But I won’t lose.”
“And where you gonna get that money?”
“I have money, Helen. We don’t work our asses off on the Dawson Ranch for nothing,” he grinned. “I’ll pay for the fire prevention equipment here. I’ll pay the fire watch wages for the men, and I’ll put the prize money up. You gotta let me do this.”
I was impressed by his efforts, but also nervous as hell.
“Really, what choice do I have?” It wasn’t a thank you, but it wasn’t no.
“So it’s settled then?” he raised a brow. His blue eyes sparkling.
“What?”
“You’ll let me come back? I’m not going to leave now. I want to protect you from the mess I’ve made,” he said.
I looked at him knowing that I wanted him back, very badly. But I couldn’t be involved with him.
“Fine, but only because I need help with this fire threat. But listen, what happened was a one-time thing. We never speak of it again and you keep your hands to yourself,” I said.
“Deal,” he said, putting his hand out to shake mine. I was a little offended that he didn’t fight harder to have me in his bed. But this was what I wanted. Wasn’t it?
I shook his hand.
“So when did you say is this bull riding stupidity
?”
“Sunday,” he said.
“THIS Sunday?”
“Yep.”
“That’s only a few days away. That’s not enough time,” I said.
“Yeah, I’ll need to practice somehow,” he said.
“Look, I’m friends with the owner of Mickey’s. I’ll give her a call and see if she will let you in after hours to practice on that thing.”
“Really?”
“Yep.”
“Thank you. And will you come out Sunday? To come watch? We can make sure the ranch is well protected that night and with the guests staying here it will be a full house anyway.”
I thought about date night with my late husband Steve at Mickey’s. I couldn’t go there. I didn’t want those memories to come flooding back to me. I wasn’t ready for that. It was hard enough living on the ranch and being reminded of him by everything I saw and touched, including my own bed.
“No, I’m sorry I can’t go there. Besides you and I can’t be seen together like that. I already told you how I feel about tongues wagging. I will need to be here for the guests anyway, you know that they don’t check out until Monday afternoon. I’m sure you’ll be fine without me.”
“I understand. But I would like to have you there,” he said.
He looked at me with those sparkling light blue eyes. I yearned to touch him in that moment, but I turned away from him and moved behind my desk in order to put distance between us.
“Why don’t you go back to your bunk and unpack? I’m going to make some calls, first to my friend at Mickey’s, and then to the guys to see about coming out and helping with this fire prevention and watchman job.”
“Thank you, Helen. Thank you for letting me stay,” he said, with sincerity and then turned to walk out. “I’m going to walk the perimeter and get started on marking where the men should take watch.” Then he left.