Cowboy on My Mind

by R. C. Ryan

  The town of Haller Creek sported a string of shops that answered the basic needs of its citizens. The Haller Creek Bank building, with its glass front and shiny chrome drive-through, looked oddly out of place beside the faded diner, with its green-and-white awnings and the weathered sign that read DOLLY’S DINER. The Family Shop offered everything in the way of necessary clothing for men, women, and children. There was a new Haller Creek Medical Clinic that took up an entire block. In between, old buildings had been turned into a barbershop, a beauty shop, a florist. At the end of the street, on a hill, a church steeple rose above an old stone church ringed by a cemetery that dated back to the 1800s and the days of Calamity Jane, the town’s most famous citizen.

  Ben slowed the truck in front of a converted warehouse that was now Henderson Hardware. Seeing an empty slot in front of a loading dock, he backed his truck into position and stepped down.

  “Hey, Ben.” Eli Adams, who’d started working for Hank Henderson back in high school, stuck out his hand.

  “Eli. How’re things?”

  “Great. Just great. I took the call from your dad. I’ll get started on his order.”

  “Thanks, Eli.”

  “Have you heard? Rebecca’s back.”

  “Yeah. I heard. See you, Eli.” Ben made his way around to the front door and stepped inside the retail space.

  He heard Rebecca’s voice before he could see her. When he stepped around a display of kitchen cabinets, he simply stood there, enjoying the sight of her. Pale hair falling soft and loose around her slender shoulders. Blue eyes crinkled in an easy, relaxed smile. A plain white shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbows, and trim denims hugging her slim legs.

  To Ben, she looked the same, yet not the same. She was thinner. A woman instead of the teenager he’d once known. And despite the shirt and denims, there was a city shine to her instead of that small-town look. And she was still the prettiest girl he’d ever seen.

  “You’re welcome, Tony. Will there be anything else?”

  “Not today. Nice to see you, Rebecca. You’re a lot easier on the eyes than your old man.” The rancher tipped his hat before moving away.

  She was chuckling as she began turning toward the counter.

  When she spotted Ben, the laughter died in her throat. Her mouth rounded in soundless surprise.

  “Hi, Becca.”

  “Ben.” She waited until he’d walked closer, her fingers nervously tapping a paper on the countertop. “How is your father? Your brothers?”

  “All good.”

  “I’m glad. I haven’t…”

  “Monroe.” Hank Henderson’s angry voice sounded directly behind Ben.

  Ben turned, not at all surprised that Hank would be keeping a close eye on his daughter. “Mr. Henderson.”

  Hank stood back, studying him with a look of annoyance. “Nice shiner.” His tone hardened. “I heard about Sam’s string of luck at the Hitching Post last night. Looks like somebody didn’t like losing to him. I’m not surprised you jumped into a bar brawl alongside your little brother. Seems like you’ve been doing that for a lifetime.” Hank looked beyond Ben to where his daughter was standing. “As I’ve told you, some things in this town never change.”

  When he walked away, Ben handed the slip of paper to Rebecca. “These are some of the things Roscoe and Zachariah need. I can get them now, or you can pack them up and send them out back to Eli. He’s busy loading an order in my truck.”

  Rebecca’s cheeks were bright red as she accepted the paper from his hand. That’s when she spotted the badge pinned to his parka. “You, Ben? A deputy?”

  “Just temporary.” For a moment he beamed with pride before looking down with a frown, trying to tamp down the pride he felt. “I’m meeting Virgil at his office. He injured his leg and asked me to give him a hand.”

  “I heard he was thinking of retiring.”

  Ben shrugged. “He’ll probably think about it for a couple of years before he actually does anything about it.”

  “I don’t know. He’s been a lawman for a long time. Rumor has it Annabelle is pressuring him to retire.”

  Ben shook his head. “That’s just gossip. You know how that goes.”

  “Yes.” For a brief second a cloud seemed to pass over her features before her smile softened. “I think you’d make a great lawman…”

  “Here you are, Rebecca.”

  They both looked up at the deep, cultured voice.

  Will Theisen was wearing a black jacket and shirt that perfectly showed off his brand-new, starched white minister’s collar.

  When Ben turned, Will’s gaze darted from Rebecca to Ben. “Hello, Ben. I didn’t know that was you. I’ve been away too long.” He stuck out his hand. “It’s good to see you.”

  “You too. Hi, Will.” Ben accepted the handshake. “I hear you’re Reverend Theisen now.”

  “That’s right. It was a lot of hard work and study, but I made it.”

  “Congratulations.”

  “Thanks.” He nodded toward the badge. “I just passed the sheriff’s office. He was bragging about you. He told me how you were able to talk Leroy Purcell down from a raging temper and prevented a possible homicide. Sorry it cost you a black eye.”

  Ben shrugged. “A small price to pay for preventing a crime. At least he used his fist instead of his gun.”

  “Reverend William.” Hank Henderson’s voice carried across the cavernous length of the store. “I was hoping I’d get to see you today. Come over here, son. I want to talk to you about dinner tonight.”

  “Yes, sir.” Will turned to Rebecca and Ben. “Excuse me. I hope I’ll see you both later.”

  As he walked away, Rebecca watched him before turning to Ben. “Why didn’t you correct my father when he jumped to the conclusion that you got that shiner in a bar fight?”

  Ben glanced at the man wrapping his arm around the new minister’s shoulders before answering. “Why bother? Your father made up his mind about me years ago. Nothing will ever change that.”

  “But you have the right to defend yourself, Ben. Especially when he’s so wrong about you.”

  “There’s no way to correct him without sounding like a jerk. Besides, like I said, it doesn’t really matter. Let your father think what he wants.”

  “Why?”

  “The truth?” He took his time removing a pair of aviator sunglasses from his pocket and putting them on, effectively covering the swollen eye and giving him the look of a sleek, fierce panther. “We’re not kids anymore. I gave up caring what he thought about me a long time ago.” He shot her an easy smile. “It’s great seeing you, Becca. Why don’t you just put this order out back with the rest of my family’s stuff? That’ll ease your workload and spare your father from seeing you talk to the town’s hell-raiser any longer than necessary.”

  He turned away and strode purposefully from the store, tipping his hat to an elderly woman as he made his exit.

  Chapter Three

  Lost in thought, Rebecca stood staring at the doorway as Ben walked away. Seeing her father and Will laughing easily together, she walked in the opposite direction to give herself time alone. She paused at a display shelf and began straightening boxes of light bulbs. While she worked, she touched a hand to her heart. It was pounding like an out-of-control racecar. Nobody but Ben Monroe had ever affected her this way.

  Even with that swollen black eye, he was still a commanding presence, with that sexy smile and that bold swagger. From the time he’d first arrived in Haller Creek, ready to take on the world and eager to fight anyone who stood in his way, he’d always exuded a bad-boy image. A sense of disdain for the rules. Maybe that’s why so many of the girls in town had whispered about him and secretly lusted after him. He wasn’t like the other boys. Even at a tender age when others were just trying to figure life out, Ben seemed to have already come to terms with it. Despite the rules of society, he followed his own path.

  It’s what had always excited Rebecca.

  It’s what
absolutely terrified her father.

  “I’ll see you tonight, Rebecca.” Will paused beside her.

  “Tonight?” Distracted, she looked up.

  “Your folks invited me to dinner.”

  “Oh. All right.” She managed a smile. “I’ll see you then.”

  When Will was gone, her father hurried over. “Maybe you’d like to leave early.”

  “Why?”

  “I thought Will told you. He’s coming to dinner.”

  “Yes. He told me.”

  “Well then, you’ll want to head home to do all those fussy things young women do before meeting their guy.”

  “Dad, Will isn’t my guy. He’s a friend.”

  “A very good friend. And a great catch. Especially now, with that fine education behind him. He said he’s weighing his options for the future.”

  “He told me.”

  Her father nodded. “I figured he’d want you to be the first to share that news with.”

  “Because we’re friends.”

  “Uh-huh.” Hank took the box out of her hands and set it on a second shelf. “I always put the smaller ones here.”

  “Why?”

  “Because that’s the way I’ve always done it. And if you’re going to work here, you need to know how I do things. Now get out of here and get ready for tonight.” He sauntered away, whistling a little tune.

  There had been a time when her father’s smug, know-it-all attitude had her gritting her teeth in frustration. She’d spent her entire childhood being forced to dance to his tune, or suffer his obvious disappointment in her. As an only child, she felt a keen need to please. Now, after enough time and distance away, she’d come to terms with the fact that she could never completely please everyone, especially her father. It would have to be enough to weigh the issues to see if the choices she made were worth the pain those choices could cause those who loved her.

  It had taken a string of psychology classes, a great deal of introspection, and a long, hard look at herself before she’d been able to be honest about her life. During her college years and then afterward, she’d tried her hand at working for others, always in retail, and always moving up until she felt she’d earned the respect she deserved. Though her work was satisfying, she couldn’t quite silence the little voice inside that kept reminding her that she wanted more. And then one day, after a phone conversation with her tearful mother saying she missed her only child, Rebecca realized that what she really wanted was right here in Haller Creek. She not only wanted but also craved life in a small town. The close-knit feeling of family and friends. The chance to actually know her neighbors, to reconnect with old friends.

  She knew the decision to come home would bring problems. Though her parents were ecstatic, she knew them well enough to realize they expected her to come back as the same dutiful daughter who had left. And so she’d gone to great lengths to find a little furnished rental house a few blocks from her childhood home. She had agreed to help out at her father’s hardware store, while keeping open the option of having her own shop. Her decisions weren’t playing well with her father. As expected, he made it clear he resented the fact that she chose to live apart from him and her mother.

  It just doesn’t look right. Some folks might think you’re a rule-breaker. A party girl. In my day, young women lived with their parents. That’s just how it was done.

  Rebecca looked around at the old, familiar displays. Some of them hadn’t changed since she was a girl.

  She could see the potential of this big, faded building. She had so many dreams. So many hopes.

  Her father had made it plain that she would be treated no different than any of his other employees. He had no intention of simply handing over the reins of his “little empire,” as he referred to his business, even to his daughter. The very mention of retirement had him bristling, even though her mother dreamed of the chance for her husband to retire so they could travel.

  Rebecca found herself hoping he continued to work, if only to have something to micromanage besides her life. If her father had his way, he would plan every step of her future. And now that she’d tasted life on her own terms, she knew she could never go back to being what he so desperately wanted for his only child.

  Ben walked past the familiar shops, nodding at folks as he made his way to the sheriff’s office. He struggled to keep his mind on business, but his thoughts kept straying to Rebecca.

  If anything, she was even prettier since her return home. Her soft, blond hair and warm smile. Not to mention that fabulous body.

  She was such a good person. Despite her father’s overbearing attitude, she managed to remain nonjudgmental. Not an easy thing to accomplish, considering.

  One more reason why she and Will Theisen would make the perfect couple. Haller Creek’s minister and his wife. She’d be a role model for all the mothers and daughters of the town.

  The thought didn’t give him any joy.

  Not that he had any right to complain. He’d already been given his miracle the day he’d led his brothers to a remote ranch where they’d met their hero, Mackenzie Monroe.

  That would have to be enough for one lifetime.

  Still, it wasn’t his father crowding his thoughts at the moment. It was Rebecca.

  If Hank’s boast was true, there would soon be a big announcement about Rebecca and Will. But that didn’t stop Ben from indulging in some purely fanciful thoughts of his own. He couldn’t help it. When it came to Becca Henderson, his mind and heart were all tangled up in her.

  He stepped into the sheriff’s office and removed his sunglasses.

  Virgil, talking on the phone, lifted a hand in greeting and indicated the chair across from his desk.

  Ben sat, stretching his long legs out in front of him, and waited until Virgil rang off.

  “Hey, Ben.” The sheriff reached across the desk and shook his hand. “I hope you come bearing good news.”

  Ben gave him a lazy smile. “I want you to know I appreciate the fact that you trust me enough to offer me the job of deputy.”

  “There’s nobody I’d trust more, Ben.”

  “Thanks, Sheriff. That means a lot to me. I needed to talk your offer over with my dad. My first concern is the ranch chores. Dad assured me he and my brothers can handle things without me. He really wants me to follow my dream.”

  “If the way you dealt with Leroy yesterday is any indication, I’d say you have a real talent for being a lawman, son.”

  “Thanks for your vote of confidence. I have to admit, I like the way it turned out.” He touched a hand to his eye. “Except for this, of course. Leroy was a lot quicker than I thought. But at least there was no gunfire. I guess, in the grand scheme of things, that’s a win when it comes to being a good lawman.”

  “You got that right.” Virgil leaned back in his swivel chair. “So? You come to a decision?”

  “I’m willing to lend a hand. At least until spring. We’ll have things buttoned up at the ranch until then.” He nodded toward the back room. “Isn’t there a cot back there?”

  Virgil nodded. “And a bathroom. Old Marvin Storey, the lawman when I first came here, was a bachelor and lived back there. His stove and refrigerator are still there, and I’ve added a microwave, for when I do night duty. But those rooms are old and dusty and would need a lot of cleaning and sprucing up if you’re thinking of sleeping there.”

  “Only when things get too busy to drive back to the ranch. As for the clutter, I think I can handle cleaning and sprucing up.”

  Virgil’s smile came slowly. “So, that’s a definite yes?”

  “Yeah.”

  Ben got to his feet and the sheriff rounded his desk to clap a hand on his shoulder. “I’m grateful, Ben. Even if you just handle the night watch for a while, or take on some of the out-of-town runs to distant ranches, it’ll greatly relieve my burden.”

  “When would you like me to start?”

  “As of now, you’re on the clock.” Virgil looked over when h
is phone rang. “I’ll email you with the week’s schedule. Whenever there’s an emergency, I’ll call. Make sure your cell is always on.”

  “It’s always on. But up in the hills, there’s a good chance I won’t have service. We’ll be bringing down the herds in the next couple of weeks.”

  The sheriff picked up the phone, cradling it in his hand. “I understand. We’ll figure out a way to get the word to you. Thanks again, Ben.”

  As Virgil settled himself behind his desk, Ben walked to the door. Once outside, he touched a finger to the badge.

  It was official. He was a lawman.

  A temporary lawman, he mentally corrected. At least for now.

  The timing was odd. Tonight, Rebecca was having dinner with Will, probably to celebrate that big announcement Hank was hoping for. If that happened, Ben knew his life would be forever changed, his precious, closely held secrets shattered. He wasn’t ready to let go of them.

  Still, change was inevitable. Look at him.

  Here he was, wearing a lawman’s badge, doing the work of a lawman.

  Wasn’t life strange?

  As a kid, he could never see himself on the right side of the law. But now that it was a reality, he felt a fierce sense of pride.

  None of this could have happened in his life without Mackenzie Monroe. Without him, Ben knew, his life would have been much different.

  Mac and Becca. They were as much a part of him as the air he breathed.

  He couldn’t imagine his life without either of them.

  Chapter Four

  Mac spotted the maroon van parked alongside the barn and felt the little sense of quiet joy that always touched him whenever Mary Pat Healy paid a visit. Mary Pat had been a part of his family’s life since he first took in the three troubled boys who had become his adopted sons. Every time he began floundering, and feared he might drown in his own helplessness, she was there, like an angel of mercy, with her sage advice.