To Tame A Cowgirl

by Roni Adams

  “I still can’t believe Daddy did this.” Susan patted Travis on the nose where he’d stuck his head between them.

  Sara gave the Palomino a shove and pointed to the barn. “Go on.”

  Obediently, he ambled in the direction she indicated.

  “Someday you really need to break it to him that he’s not a dog,” Diane said.

  Susan walked to the car and lifted out an overnight case. Sara took it from her and glanced in the backseat pilled high with suitcases, boxes and assorted bags.

  “How long you two staying?” Her eyes widened. With Susan’s upcoming show on Broadway and Diane’s busy interior design business, she knew they couldn’t afford to be away for more than a weekend, but from the size of that pile, it looked like they were moving back home!

  Diane’s hand gently landed on her back in a gesture that immediately reminded Sara of their late mother.

  “We’re staying until this whole thing is resolved. We’re not letting you go through this alone.”

  Diane’s bright blue eyes penetrated hers in a way that she knew meant there was no more discussion. Her sisters were here and they weren’t leaving. The weight she’d been carrying around since Jackson had explained the Will to her suddenly lightened. Although she wouldn’t ask them to stay, she was deeply grateful they intended to be here for longer than a few days.

  “I don’t know what you two think you can do. Jackson said the Will is iron clad.” Sara grabbed out another suitcase and headed towards the front porch.

  Diane followed. “We’ll start by getting a second legal opinion on that.” She drew her sunglasses off her face “And it won’t be in Texas.”

  Sara glanced at Susan but it was obvious they’d already made up their minds that this Will was going to be reviewed by a New York lawyer—and one who didn’t wear cowboy boots. Not that it made any difference. Texas state laws were different. Jackson had told her that already. Sara shook her head. The Sampson women always thought they could take care of everything. While she couldn’t stop the spark of hope that erupted inside her heart, she knew rationally that there was nothing any of them could do to change this.

  Sara and Susan headed inside and down the hall towards the kitchen. When she realized Diane wasn’t following, she turned in time to see her oldest sister head left after entering the front door.

  “I’ll catch up with you two in a minute. Cord in the den?”

  “Is he ever anywhere else.” Sara laughed and walked away from the front of the house where the office was located. That was Cord’s domain anyway, and her father’s. She’d never be comfortable in that room.

  A squeal emitted from the kitchen as she pushed the swinging door open. Sara watched as her sister and Flo embraced. The elderly housekeeper and her beautiful sister hugged one another as if they hadn’t seen each other in years, rather than a few months. Flo cradled Susan’s face in her hands as Sara brushed past them.

  “You’re cheeks are all sunk in. Good thing you’re home, I’ve got all your favorite foods already started,” Flo told her.

  Susan groaned. “Not ribs?”

  “Yep. And chicken, barbecued beans, and coleslaw. I didn’t forget Diane neither.” She glanced to the door. “I got chocolate cake already tucked away from any snoopers. Where is she?”

  “She went right in to see Cord.”

  Flo nodded and turned back to a pot cooking on the stove. “Good.”

  Sara grabbed two cans of pop from the fridge and handed the diet one to Susan before sinking to the wooden kitchen chair.

  Susan poured her drink into a glass and added ice before sitting opposite Sara. “Have you and Cord talked at all?”

  She shook her head, tipped her can up and took a long drink.

  “I wonder what Diane is saying to him. I bet she’s—”

  Sara followed her sister’s sudden glare to where Teddy walked through the back door.

  He paused, and his eyes narrowed to her sister who stiffened in her chair.

  “Madame Broadway.” He greeted the brunette without disguising his distaste. His full lips curled and he shook his head in disgust. As he walked past, Flo swatted his arm with her wooden spoon. “Hey,” he yelped, grabbing his forearm.

  “You mind your manners, boy! The girls are home to help their sister. They’ll be staying on a while, and you will mind yourself,” she ordered.

  “Yes, Ma’m,” he mumbled, but the glare he tossed Susan made Sara wince in sympathy.

  Susan flipped her hair back and lifted her chin. She turned her body halfway around, effectively shutting out the cowboy. “Have you said anything to Beth?” Susan asked.

  Sara shook her head fiercely. “No. And I don’t want her knowing any of this until after her finals. She’ll do the same thing you two did and come rushing home and she can’t afford to do that. She’s only got a few months to go. I won’t let her throw all her hard work away over this.”

  Susan nodded. “She’ll be mad, but I agree with you. In fact, I sent her an email letting her know she might not hear from me for a while because rehearsals were insane.”

  “How’s the show going?”

  Susan smiled, and her blue eyes sparkled. “It’s going really great. The reviews have been beyond anything I could have hoped for. In fact, they’re going to hold it over another eight weeks.”

  “Folks know good talent when they see it,” Flo commented as she slid a heaping plate of homemade cookies into the center of the kitchen table.

  Susan reached for one.

  “Tsk tsk.” Teddy clicked his tongue and reached over her, sliding the cookie tray out of her reach. “Those will go right to your hips, and we all know you can’t afford that.”

  “You’re a moron!” Sara grabbed the plate back. “Leave her alone, she’s on vacation.”

  “Hey, I’m just trying to be helpful,” he said, looking anything but remorseful.

  “I know all about your kind of help. I’ll do without thank you very much.” Susan’s voice was cool but controlled.

  Teddy snorted. “The day I help you will be a cold day in—”

  “Enough!” Flo waved her wooden spoon like a sword and pointed it at Teddy. “We’re not listening to the two of you bicker right now.”

  “Calm down. There’s no problem.” He tipped his hat. He slid his gaze back to Susan. “Madame Broadway, welcome home. Have a good and hopefully short, stay.” He let the screen door slam behind him as he left through the back door.

  “He’s as pleasant as ever.” Susan’s cheeks were flushed as she leaned back in her chair.

  “I wish you two would work this out. We’re all sick of the fighting whenever you’re together.” Sara remarked digging into another cookie.

  “You think I’m not sick of it? Do you know what it’s like to come home and have to put up with his attitude and little remarks the whole time I’m here?”

  Sara shrugged and shoved the cookie in her mouth. “Well, you won’t see him much. He tends to make himself scarce when you’re around.”

  “Good.”

  Sara glanced at Flo, who shrugged and shook her head. Although everyone had tried to pry out of them what had happened, neither would tell. If anyone asked Teddy, he said Susan knew what it was about. When Susan was asked, she simply ranted about Teddy being a stubborn bullhead who didn’t know what was good for him. Although there was a time they’d made beautiful music together, now it was more like dueling banjos and the whole family wished they could turn the radio dial to ‘OFF’.

  Oops, Susan was talking and she hadn’t been listening to a word.

  “I don’t get why Cord would even consider a marriage between you two, I mean he stands to gain more from not marrying you.” Susan leaned across the table.

  Sara shrugged and glanced towards the kitchen door as if Cord was going to walk through it. She lowered her voice. “He has some notion of owing Daddy. Isn’t that romantic?” she chided. “I’m a debt he owes.” Sara slid her hand over her stomach as nausea over
the Will mess returned.

  Flo’s hand settled on top of her head and smoothed her hair the same way she had when she was a child. “He’s getting quite a bargain if you ask me.”

  Sara shook her head and scoffed, “Yeah, right.”

  “Okay, so Cord gets a deal, but who the heck wants to be married to Cord?” Susan wrinkled her nose and Sara laughed.

  “You make it sound as if he’s a monster or something.”

  The kitchen door swung open and Sara was relieved to see Diane come through the door alone. For once, the tall blonde didn’t look very composed, spots of color in each cheek and eyes flustered bright. Sara frowned, wondering what she and Cord had been talking about.

  “You know what I mean.” Susan waved her hand and stood up to set her empty glass in the sink.

  Diane moved to Flo’s side and kissed her cheek. The cherished housekeeper reached up and cradled the younger woman’s face in her hands, staring into the blue eyes before kissing her cheek in return.

  “Smells like home,” Diane said

  Flo grinned. “That’s my molasses cookies. And from the look of ya, you better have four or five.”

  Diane shook her head, moved to the refrigerator and pulled out an almost empty glass container. “I just want some sweet tea.”

  Flo bustled her out of the way, muttering as she took the pitcher. Sara scrutinized her older sister once more as Diane tucked her short blonde hair behind her ear. “How’d it go in there?” she ventured.

  Diane elegantly slid into a chair and crossed her legs, tucking a foot behind her calf. Sara automatically sat up straighter, conscious as always of the contrast between them. Diane was only older by eighteen months but she had more class and style in one pinky finger then Sara ever would.

  “With Cord? Fine.” Diane picked up the glass of tea that Flo set in front of her and took a sip before continuing. “We didn’t get too far in our discussion about the Will. He’s worried about you.”

  Sara shrugged. There was nothing to worry about; she was fine and completely sick of talking about the Will. “I’m going down to the LoneStar. You two want to come?”

  Diane nodded. “Sounds good. I’m in the mood to hear The Scoundrels—but after we’ve had a shower.”

  Sara glanced up at Susan to see if she was as eager to hear her old band. “Wild horses couldn’t keep me away,” she said with an evil smile.

  ****

  Buck picked up the second beer Bill poured him and looked at his watch. Where the heck was she?

  The bartender whistled through his teeth. “Well, if that ain’t enough to make a dead man rise.”

  Puzzled, Buck twisted his head around to see what the man was talking about, watching with appreciation as the infamous Sampson girls strolled through the front door.

  Diane’s cool blonde looks and elegant walk had earned her the nickname ‘Ice Princess’ a long time ago. The local guys all looked but they never touched. Sara, on the other hand, with her dark brown hair falling around her shoulders below a worn cowboy hat, her jeans and scuffed boots chosen for comfort rather than looks couldn’t have been more opposite from her well coiffed sister. Then there was Susan. Ever the performer, she smiled and waved to everyone and stopped at the first table she came to, hugging old friends and new.

  Buck turned his attention to Diane and Sara as they reached his side. “Where’ve you been?” He slid off the barstool, his gaze taking in the way her white T-shirt hugged her breasts. He grinned as she rolled her eyes.

  “I was waiting for the prom queens to beautify.”

  “When you only have to decide between which jeans have the least mud on them, it makes getting ready to go out much simpler.” Diane smiled at her tease. “Hey Buck, how’ve you been?”

  “Fine, just fine. Well, it was worth the wait. You look beautiful as always.” He reached past Sara to kiss Diane’s cheek before signaling to Bill.

  Sara snorted and reached for the beer Bill pushed in front of her. “No one needs to paint their toenails for a Saturday night at the LoneStar.”

  “I paint mine, don’t you Bill?” Buck grinned and tipped his beer back.

  “You said you’d never tell.” The bartender winked and turned to Diane. “Welcome home, Miss Diane. I’ve got some nice dry, white wine, just the kind you like.” He slipped a glass in front of her.

  Diane smiled. “Thanks, Bill. How’ve you been?”

  Bill’s face went red and Buck exchanged an amused grin with Sara. He propped a foot against the foot rest. “Where’d Susan go?”

  Sara took a drink of her beer and swiped her mouth with her hand, then wiped it on her jeans. “We have to keep an eye on her tonight. I have this feeling she’s going to be up to no good. She and Teddy got into it as soon as she walked in the house.”

  “Whatever.” Out of the corner of his eye, Buck spied Cole Pritchard heading their way. He set his beer down. “Wanna dance?”

  She looked like he’d just asked her to pick up a rattlesnake. Heat rose in his neck as she hesitated.

  “I’m not much in the mood for dancing tonight.” She twisted around and picked up her beer. “Besides, didn’t you tell me last week that dancing was for pet monkeys or something?”

  Buck slowly turned back to the bar. “That’s not what I said.”

  “If my ornery sister isn’t going to, I’d love to dance, Buck.”

  Although he’d love to get to the bottom of why she wouldn’t dance with him, Buck couldn’t leave Diana standing there. He stepped away from the bar and held out his hand to the tall blonde. He pinned Sara with one more glare before leading her sister to the dance floor.

  Diane was as slender as a reed and felt as if a good strong wind would blow her over. Her hand in his was as soft as a feather and he was almost afraid to hold her too tight for fear he’d hurt her. Such a contrast to how Sara felt in his arms.

  They danced in silence for a few minutes and then she tipped her head up. “Do I dare ask what that was all about?”

  Buck searched her striking blue eyes. She seemed to be concerned and, for half a second, he thought about confiding in her about all that had happened last week. But he wasn’t the kind of guy to spill his guts. Besides, who knew if she’d turn right around and tell Sara what he said. He shifted and shrugged. “You think I ever know what’s she thinking?”

  “Actually, yes I do. Everyone knows you two are thick as thieves and twice as tight.”

  Buck two-stepped her around the dance floor to avoid meeting her knowing gaze. “Sara never needs a reason for the things she does. That’s part of her problem—she reacts without thinking. She didn’t want to dance so she didn’t dance, that’s all.”

  “Yeah?”

  He met her eyes again. “Yeah.”

  She smiled. “Ok, I’ll drop it...for now.”

  The band changed tempo to a soft ballad. He would have left the floor but Diane placed her hand lightly on his shoulder. He kept dancing, but couldn’t stop wondering if Sara was still sitting at the bar.

  The stage came into his view and he stiffened as Susan climbed the steps to the small platform where Teddy and the Scoundrels played.

  “Uh-oh,” Diane breathed softly.

  Buck waited to see what his brother would do, but Teddy never missed a beat. When Susan stepped up next to him, he slid over and let her sing the female part of the song and then they sang the duet in perfect harmony. Their voices blended together as clean and clear as if they’d been rehearsing the performance for days. But Buck saw the fist his brother had clenched at his side, and the way Susan’s smile was less than natural. The two were singing a song about making love all night long, but if either of them had a gun, the show would be over.

  “I guess that’s why they call it a performance,” he mumbled.

  Diane dismissed the drama with a shrug. “So, tell me your thoughts on this Will.”

  Automatically Buck’s gaze sought out and found Sara. He narrowed his eyes as he watched her laugh at something Cole
said. He stiffened. Weasel. The redheaded rancher probably stepped up to the bar as soon as Buck was on the dance floor.

  Diane patted his shoulder. “Easy big guy.”

  “You’d think he’d give up.”

  “He’ll have to if she marries Cord.”

  Buck glared down. “That’s not going to happen.”

  Diane was silent for a long time and he took his gaze off Sara to stare at her older sister.

  “Why don’t you tell her?” she asked softly.

  “Tell her what?”

  Diane chuckled. “You’re afraid to tell her how you really feel.”

  “It’s not important right now. This Will mess needs to be sorted out first.”

  “Don’t you think if she knew you loved her, it might make a difference in this mess?”

  “She knows I love her.”

  Diane’s soft hand landed on his cheek and she turned his face until he was looking at her again. “Buck, tell her you love her.”

  He shifted until her hand fell from his face and hoped the song ended soon. “She loves the land and she loves control. And I have no doubt, given the choice, that’s what she’d pick.”

  “I think you don’t give my sister enough credit. She may love this ranch in a way that I don’t always understand, but it would mean nothing to her if you weren’t here.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  He couldn’t take Diane’s pitying gaze anymore and was thankful the song ended. He muttered something about the men’s room and left the dance floor.

  Sara looked up as her sister returned to the bar. “Where’s Buck?”

  Diane accepted Cole’s kiss on her cheek. “He had to make a stop.”

  “What do you make of that scene?” Sara jerked her head towards the band.

  Her sister took a sip of her wine and set it back down. “Who knows with Susan. Sometimes, I think she’s only happy if she can be the center of attention.”

  “Yeah, but she’s never tried a stunt like that before. What was she thinking? She hasn’t sung with the band in years.”