Cowboy on My Mind

by R. C. Ryan

  Rebecca was already smiling. “Oh, yes. Shelving for a garage, a potting shed, or to hold tools for a backyard barbecue. You would have to make them a bit stronger, and add some more shelves.”

  “Easy enough,” the old man said with a grin.

  “Would you paint them, or leave them natural?”

  Lamar turned to his son before asking, “Why not a little of both? We’ll leave some as they are, and paint or stain a few others. The next time you come, you can let us know which ones you prefer.”

  “Do you want all of them?”

  He nodded, and while Ben and Lloyd removed the pallets from the back of the truck, Lamar showed them where he wanted them stored in the workroom.

  While the men were busy with the pallets, Rebecca moved slowly around the room, counting the number of chairs, tables, and swings.

  “All right,” Ben called. “The back of the truck is ready for new stock.”

  While Rebecca and Lamar pointed out the furniture to be hauled, Ben and Lloyd carefully loaded as much as they could.

  When all was in readiness, Ben opened the passenger door.

  Rebecca was about to climb inside when she suddenly turned and flew across the barn to hug Lamar, and then his son. “Thank you for giving me the inspiration for my new business.”

  Though they both looked surprised, slow smiles spread across their faces.

  “I think we should be thanking you, Rebecca,” Lamar said. “It never occurred to us that our simple hobby could bring us money.”

  “I hope you get to see five times that amount in the weeks to come.” She accepted Ben’s hand and climbed up to the passenger seat.

  As they rolled along the driveway, she turned and waved to the two men, who returned her wave.

  When she finally sat back, Ben caught her hand in his. “You realize you’ve made those two very happy.”

  “Not nearly as happy as they’ve made me. Oh, Ben.” She looped her arm through his. “It’s my very first solo venture.”

  “And just look at you.” When she tilted her face to him, he winked. “In case you haven’t noticed, little bird, you’re flying.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Look.” As they pulled up to the ranch, Ben pointed to two horsemen moving across a high meadow.

  At Rebecca’s arched brow, he said, “Otis and Roscoe.”

  “How can you tell from this distance?”

  He grinned. “I recognize that orange bandana Roscoe always wears around his neck. We keep threatening to buy him a new one, but he swears it’s his good-luck charm.”

  “Why?”

  Ben shrugged. “According to him, he was wearing it the day he first arrived, out of money, out of a job, and out of luck. And then Dad’s wife, Rachel, asked him to stay on and keep all the equipment in good repair in exchange for free room and board.”

  Rebecca smiled. “I can see why he’d hate to part with his good-luck charm.”

  They stepped from the truck and walked inside to find Zachariah busy at the sink.

  “You pull kitchen duty again?” Ben crossed the room to peer over the older man’s shoulder.

  “No choice. Everyone else is busy.” Spying Rebecca, he called out a greeting. “How is your new business venture going?”

  “I sold out.”

  “That sounds promising.”

  She managed a laugh. “Well, I didn’t begin with much. Just a few pieces of furniture and some pumpkins. But I’m here to restock.”

  “I’d say that’s reason to celebrate. Congratulations.”

  “Thank you.” She nodded toward the hunk of meat marinating in a plastic bag. “Do you need help?”

  “Can you cook?”

  She flushed. “Not really. But I’m willing to slice, dice, or chop if you need a pair of hands.”

  “I may take you up on that. For now, we’ll let that beef soak up my spicy marinade. Or maybe I should say Mary Pat’s recipe for marinade. Last time she made it, I asked her to write it down.”

  “It smells wonderful.”

  “And tastes even better. At least I hope mine will come close to tasting as good as hers.” He motioned toward the living room. “Finn’s in there, preparing for his first court case.”

  “Court? Really?” Ben led the way to the other room, where Finn had every inch of Mac’s desk covered with legal tomes as thick as dictionaries. Finn scribbled in a notebook before looking up.

  “Hey, bro.” Ben looked around with a grin. “Looks like someone’s doing his homework.”

  “Yeah. I figured I’d be done with all this once I passed the bar. Now I realize the real bookwork is just beginning.”

  “Lucky for you, you’ve got your own private tutor in the kitchen.”

  “And I intend to put him to good use.” He turned to Rebecca. “How’s your new business going?”

  “So far, folks in town seem interested.”

  “Good for you. So why are you taking the day off?”

  “So I can stock up on supplies. I sold what I had and I’m back for more.”

  “Speaking of which…” Ben pointed. “Roscoe and Otis are out in the barn.”

  As the two started away, Rebecca turned. “I hope we didn’t disturb you, Finn.”

  “If all my distractions were as pretty as you, you’d never hear me complain.”

  Ben turned. “Very smooth, bro.”

  Finn shot him a wicked grin. “Hey, I do my best.”

  As they started out the door, Rebecca was laughing. “He’s sweet.”

  “You mean all that cheap, overrated flattery works?” Ben caught her hand and gave her a steady look that had her blushing. “I’ll have to remember to give it a try.”

  “You don’t need to try, Ben.” Her cheeks grew bright red. “When you look at me like this, I feel special.”

  He brushed a quick kiss over her lips. Against her mouth he whispered, “You are special. Don’t you forget it.”

  With a warm glow they strolled into the barn, where Roscoe and Otis were busy unsaddling their horses before turning them into a corral.

  The two men looked up with matching smiles as they whipped off their wide-brimmed hats in a courtly gesture.

  “Miss Rebecca.” Otis tossed his saddle over the railing of a stall. “How’re those pumpkins working out for you?”

  “I sold them all.” She reached into her pocket and handed him an envelope.

  “What’s this?”

  “Open it.”

  He did, and stared at the money inside. “Where did this come from?”

  “The sale of all those pumpkins.”

  “This is yours.” He tried to hand it back, and Rebecca jerked her hand away.

  “Otis, we both made a profit. This is your share.”

  “And there’s more where that came from,” Ben said. “Becca’s here to pick more pumpkins.”

  “You want more? How many more? They’re all yours for the asking.”

  “I’ll take as many as Ben’s truck will hold. The town is planning its annual Autumn Festival, and the mayor wants a pumpkin-carving contest for the kids, and another for the teens. He said he’ll buy all we can supply.”

  Otis turned to grin at Roscoe. “Do you believe this?”

  Roscoe was chuckling as they headed toward the garden. “I know one thing. Next time we head to the Hitching Post, you’re buying.”

  Ben’s truck was brimming with pumpkins. The overflow had been put in crates and stashed in the backseat.

  They looked up at the sound of a tractor’s engine as Mac drove toward the barn.

  He climbed down and pressed a hand to the small of his back.

  That had Ben frowning. “I knew he was taking on too many chores. And all because I accepted Virgil’s request to be his deputy.”

  “Now don’t go blaming yourself, son.” Otis put a hand on Ben’s shoulder. “Ranching is an equal-opportunity employer. Even the youngest and healthiest among us suffer aches and pains at the end of a long day of ranch chores.”
>
  “But I could ease his burden.”

  “This ranch and its chores aren’t a burden to your pa. It’s the love of his life,” Roscoe said softly as Mac made his way toward where the others were standing.

  Mac looked at the loaded truck. “What’s all this?”

  Ben couldn’t stop the proud smile that spread across his face. “Becca’s garden business is really taking off.”

  “You don’t say? You mean people want those?” Mac turned to smile at Otis. “I guess this resolves your pumpkin problem. Now you don’t have to haul them all the way to the pasture and scatter them to the four winds just to get rid of them.”

  “Not only that, but Rebecca paid me.” The old man held up the envelope of money.

  “And there’s more coming.” Rebecca told Mac about the Autumn Festival and the pumpkin-carving contests.

  “This calls for a celebration. I hope Zachariah has something special for supper.”

  Ben nodded. “It’s special if you like Mary Pat’s spicy marinade.”

  Mac’s smile grew. “You just said the magic words, son. Let’s start with some frosty longnecks.”

  They were all in high spirits as Mac led the way toward the house.

  The kitchen was filled with the most amazing fragrance as they all gathered around the table, tipping beer, catching up on the day.

  Under Zachariah’s direction Rebecca filled a big bowl with greens from the garden, adding little green onions, tomatoes, and some sliced peppers for color and flavor.

  Ben lifted a pan of biscuits from the oven, while Zachariah mashed potatoes and stirred gravy atop the stove.

  When everything was ready, they took their places.

  Mac surprised them by saying, “In honor of Mary Pat and her marinade, I think somebody should offer a blessing.”

  They joined hands and Otis said, “Bless those of us here, and those we wish were here. And,” he added with a grin, “bless those crazy folks in town who are willing to pay for pumpkins.”

  With a laugh they began passing platters.

  Ben held a big plate of roast beef while Rebecca helped herself. She, in turn, held it while he did the same. They looked at one another with matching smiles that weren’t lost on the others around the table.

  When they thought no one would notice, they joined hands under the table, casting sidelong glances and smiling. Always smiling at the lightness around their hearts.

  After tasting the beef, Sam looked up. “Who’s going to give Mary Pat the sad news?”

  Mac’s head came up sharply. “What sad news?”

  “That she’s been replaced by Zachariah.”

  Everyone grinned.

  Mac shot a glance at the old man across the table. “I’ll admit you did a fine job duplicating her spicy recipe. But somehow I don’t see you replacing her completely.”

  “Nor would I even attempt such a thing.” Zachariah used his best orator’s voice. “Some people are irreplaceable. That woman is one of them.”

  “I agree.” Finn shot a sideways look at his dad. “Nobody gives hugs like Mary Pat.”

  “Now that’s the truth.” Mac chuckled.

  “I don’t know.” Ben stared pointedly at Rebecca. “I saw two old guys up at the Platt ranch enjoying bear hugs from a certain new businesswoman.”

  “I haven’t had much experience. My family doesn’t hug.” Rebecca’s face flamed as Ben related to the others her uncharacteristic behavior.

  Zachariah studied her with a knowing look. “It would seem after just a day in our company, we’re beginning to rub off on you.”

  Before she could say a word, Sam had them all laughing by catching her hand in his. “Any time you feel the need to practice those hugs, I’m more than happy to be your guinea pig.”

  She burst into laughter along with the others. “Why, Sam, how noble of you.”

  He gave a slight bow of his head. “Anything for a pretty lady.”

  Later, when the meal was ending, Rebecca clapped a hand to her mouth. “Oh. I almost forgot.” She turned to Ben. “I need to get something from your truck.”

  She excused herself and hurried out the back door. Minutes later she returned carrying a cookie tin.

  “I asked my mother to bake chocolate chip cookies for Lamar and Lloyd, and she made enough for all of you, too.”

  “Homemade cookies?” Roscoe and Otis shared matching grins as she slid the cookies onto a plate.

  Minutes later, as the plate was passed around, the men tasted, murmured words of approval, and gave a thumbs-up.

  “Rebecca,” Finn said around a mouthful, “any time your mother feels the urge to play in the kitchen, we’ll be more than happy to take whatever she bakes. Especially if she’s baking chocolate chip cookies.”

  “I’ll be sure to let her know.”

  They spent another pleasurable hour around the table, relating the news of the day and drinking endless cups of coffee.

  Finn was the first to stand. “Sorry to leave you, but I have hours of preparation ahead of tomorrow’s trial.” He nodded a head to Zachariah. “My compliments to the chef.”

  The old man was grinning. “Now I’m a chef. An hour from now I’ll turn into a retired lawyer who is expected to dredge up every vestige of memory about similar trials and how they were won.”

  “And both sides of you”—Finn looked around at the others—“chef and lawyer, are proving to be essential to my survival.”

  When he sauntered back to the living room, the others pushed away from the table.

  Ben and Rebecca insisted on doing the cleanup, leaving the others to spend their evening as they pleased. Zachariah retired to his room, vowing to find any papers pertinent to Finn’s coming trial. Otis and Roscoe, still arguing about the latest gin rummy score, headed toward the bunkhouse. Sam and Mac ambled away.

  A short time later Ben and Rebecca called good night to Finn and Zachariah before making their way out the back door.

  Sam and Mac were sitting on the porch steps, their backs to the railing, sipping frosty longnecks.

  Mac pointed with his bottle. “Your truck’s really loaded.”

  Ben grinned. “If Becca sells all this, next time we may have to haul along a trailer.”

  Rebecca put a hand to her heart. “Oh, wouldn’t that be sweet success?” She called good night to Sam and Mac before following Ben to his truck.

  He put a hand beneath her elbow and helped her inside before circling around to the driver’s side.

  As they pulled away, they both waved.

  Rebecca turned to Ben. “Your family is such fun to be around. You’re all so relaxed and easy.”

  His gaze narrowed on the road ahead. “When my brothers and I first came here, I didn’t believe what I was seeing. The goodness. The decency. The shared chores. The easy camaraderie. I kept waiting for that awful other shoe to drop.”

  “Why?”

  He looked over. “You’ve heard your father. He’s just expressing what most people thought about us when we first came to Haller Creek. My brothers and I were considered delinquents. Incorrigible. Headed straight for jail.”

  “And now you’re a lawman. Why were you and your brothers so rough at such a young age?”

  “Survival.” He surprised her by shifting topics. “Will we unload all this tonight?”

  Understanding his need to avoid talking about something so painful, she simply nodded. “If we catch Eli at the store before he leaves for the night, I’d like to ask him to help us get everything set up before morning.”

  He gave her a knowing smile. “So you can surprise your father?”

  “There’s that.” She laughed. “And also so everyone who passed by my empty yard all day will have to pause and see what’s been added as they pass by on their way to work in the morning.”

  He joined in the laughter. “I hope your father realizes what an astute businesswoman his daughter has become.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  As Ben parked his now-empty truc
k in front of Rebecca’s house, she gave a sigh. “Thank heaven we caught Eli before he left for the night.”

  Ben nodded. “I couldn’t have done it without him.” He stepped out of his truck and circled around to help her down.

  She looped her arm through his as they walked to her front door. “And I couldn’t have done any of this without you, Ben.” She unlocked the door before turning to him. “Thank you for another amazing day.”

  “What’s amazing is how you managed to turn a yard filled with furniture and pumpkins into such an inviting display. It’s going to turn heads in town, Becca.”

  “Do you know, you’re the only one who has ever called me that?”

  “Called you amazing?”

  “No. Becca. I love it when you call me Becca.” Her tone softened. “My parents never believed in nicknames.”

  “That’s easy enough to understand. I’m sure when they named you, it was because they loved the name Rebecca, and didn’t want to see it changed in any way.”

  “I was named for my grandmother. She was a very formal lady.” She gave a soft laugh. “I guess that explains why my father is the way he is. He’s like his mother. But when you call me Becca, it feels special.” She put a hand on his arm. “Why don’t you come in, Ben?”

  Though he was surprised by the invitation in her eyes and in her voice, he needed no coaxing. He was more than ready to accept.

  He stepped inside and pulled the door shut behind him. Except for the porch light, the room was in darkness.

  Her voice was hushed as she looked up at him. “I could make some coffee.”

  “Don’t bother. I’d rather…” He leaned close and brushed a soft, tentative kiss over her mouth, as though testing her reaction. When she didn’t back away, he put a big arm around her waist, drawing her even closer. “This is all I want, Becca.”

  He whispered soft kisses over her face. “I’ve been thinking about this all day.”

  His words had her wrapping herself around him as his lips covered hers in a hot, hungry kiss. “Oh, Ben.” She sighed and lifted her arms to encircle his neck. “And I’ve been thinking…”