The Reluctant Cowboy

by Ullman, Cherie

Cole reached for his phone and made a few calls while Sierra was picking up the room. “Are you leaving now?” she queried, wringing her hands.

  “I need to go back to my place to change my clothes and pick up my car.”

  “Okay.” She headed into the restroom. “Sierra, would you like to go with me?” She peaked her head around the corner. “Yes, please.”

  For some reason she didn’t want him to leave her alone yet. She was afraid it would break the spell she was under. She knew that after tomorrow, she may never see him again. She had decided that she wanted to spend as much time with him as she could.

  She dressed in her lightweight ivory pullover sweater with a tank underneath and her favorite pair of blue jeans and cowboy boots. Her boots were her favorite pair of footwear that she owned. She wore tennis shoes when she ran, but her boots were broke in and she could walk for miles in them. She didn’t care if she was in the city or country, they were comfortable. She applied light makeup for the day and blew her hair dry. She didn’t want to keep Cole waiting.

  He told her a car would pick them up in 20 minutes to take them to his place. She was curious what his place would look like. She was being constantly surprised on how well she and Cole were getting along. She wanted to learn as much about him as she could today. She was relieved that he didn’t seem to find her quirky or immature. She was finding out that he wasn’t the all-mature, sophisticated, boring playboy she thought he might be.

  She heard her phone ping and reached to see a text from Dana. [Everything okay?]

  She texted her back honestly. [Better than okay. Spending day with him.]

  Another ping. [Sweet. Have fun. Love you. Wink face.]

  She packed her wristlet again and came out of the restroom to see Cole dressed, except for the tie he was stuffing in his suit pocket. Without thinking, she blurted out, “Can I have the tie?”

  She watched a surprise look cross his features. She wasn’t sure what made her say or even want the tie, but she did. He removed the tie and started to hand it over to her. “Only if you promise to think of me when you wear it,” he gave her a wink and she smiled in return, as she placed the tie carefully on the table.

  “Deal.”

  “You look very refreshing today. Liking the boots,” he flattered her, while they were making their way to the lobby.

  “Do you even own a pair of boots?”

  She felt him pause mid-stride. “You know, I’m not sure that I do.”

  She reached for his hand and pulled him towards the lobby doors that reached outside. “By the end of today, you will.” She was going to make sure he got himself a great pair.

  They were dropped off a short ride later at Park Ave and 36th St. She had heard of Park Ave and knew that this was a prime piece of real estate. This was the city she had envisioned. It was another beautiful sample of architecture and she was excited to see the inside.

  When he opened the door, her first thought was how “sterile” it looked. It was very pretty, everything in its place, but it felt cold--so unlike the man she was getting to know.

  She focused on the décor and furniture. Dark hardwood floors complimented the modern stainless appliances in the kitchen and the granite counters engrained with browns and golds. She did appreciate the large, white, country sink that contrasted with the other dark features. The cabinets had glass doors with modern handles. The entire apartment had an eclectic vibe and she wondered if this was his taste or some designer that he had hired. She made her way over to the large windows overlooking the street below. The view was enough to make her decide that she liked it.

  “You’re quiet. You don’t care for it?” She watched him study her reaction.

  “It’s what I kind of pictured for a New York apartment, I guess…”

  “But…” he nudged.

  “It’s nice.” She did think it was nice and didn’t want to hurt his feelings. It just wasn’t her style.

  “Nice?” he challenged. “I’ve been here a few years. I don’t own it, just rent it. I’m not here much. I spend most of my time at the office or just out.”

  “I see.” But, she didn’t. She didn’t see any pictures or much art on the walls at all. “So, do you entertain here at all?”

  He was still looking out the window. “Actually, no, I don’t. It’s just a place to me. I’ve had a handful of guests from time to time, but not often.” She couldn’t help but wonder if he meant women, but kept it to herself. “Come see the rest of it. The bedrooms are nice and maybe you will like those better.”

  She followed him as he headed down the long hallway. The first bedroom was decorated like the living area. Pretty, but lacked any charm or personality. She entered the master bedroom and finally got a glimpse of him in this room. It was a stark difference from the rest of the apartment. It was warm and inviting. The furniture was less modern and more masculine. A large, black, solid headboard with a suede material covering it contrasted against the large, white, down comforter. The matching pieces were also black, but looked sophisticated and not sterile.

  She saw some of his clothes lying over the back of a chair and shoes placed in front of a dresser. She was drawn to the large chest of drawers which seemed to hold photographs. She saw several sized frames with pictures in them. She picked one up when she recognized Vanessa. She was much younger and standing beside Cole. They were standing side by side with their arms behind each other’s backs. “We were seventeen in that one,” he recalled. She hadn’t heard him come up behind her.

  “She hasn’t changed much. She’s so pretty.”

  “Yes, she is.”

  “Now you, on the other hand….you grew up a lot. You are not much taller than her in this picture.”

  “I was a late bloomer,” he explained, “I was skinny and lanky in my youth. I was an easy target for her brothers, growing up.” She was still admiring the picture as she saw another one which included the implied. This picture was in a larger 8x10 frame and had been professionally done.

  “I’ve only met them a few times. They are characters,” she snickered.

  She heard him chuckle. “That is not the only way to describe them.”

  “Were they mean to you growing up?” She was curious.

  “God, no, they were my brothers. We wrestled, rode bikes, played video games, ate everything in sight, but they were never mean.” She relaxed as he continued. “I wasn’t kidding when I told you that our grandmothers had wanted us to marry when we got older. The first time they told us, all of us kids were playing outside and I think I must have been picking on Vanessa when her Grandma called out something to the effect of “I needed to be nice to my future wife.” We were only around ten years old and we all stopped and just stared at her. Of course, my Grandmother piped in and said that she was making it up, but the damage was done and my “brothers” teased us both mercilessly for years. When we were older, I think Vanessa told me that they had indeed made up some marriage agreement and that we would have an opportunity to review it and sign it, if we got married.”

  “Wow. I can’t even imagine…”

  “It was when their Grandmother passed away that it was again brought up. You may have known her then. It was when her friend, Riley was hurt a few years ago and we were all in Italy.”

  “Oh my god, how could I forget? That was such a horrible time for both of them.” Sierra remembered it vividly and felt helpless to help her friends. She compared Vanessa and Riley’s friendship to her and Dana’s. Vanessa had left for Italy when her Grandmother was ill and Riley had been severely injured by a horse that fell on her. The women were both Veterinarians and she and Dana had done what they could to help during the difficult ordeal.

  “While we were there, before she passed away, her Grandmother produced a document and asked if Vanessa or I had considered the marriage. Not wanting to upset her, we told her we would marry.”

  “Time out. Hold up. You did what?” Sierra was reeling from this information.

  “We did
n’t get married Sierra. We just told her that to make her happy in her last moments. The document was just as old as she was and detailed a certain part of her estate to be distributed to us if we were married.”

  “So what happened when you didn’t get married?”

  “After she passed, we visited my Grandmother and showed her the document. Of course, it was a big deal and the entire family was involved.” Sierra was still waiting for him to continue, with bated breath. “My Grandmother explained that it was two Grandmothers having fun and wanting us to get together. We gently explained that it was probably not going to happen….”

  “Probably?” Sierra caught that word.

  “At that time, we were both single and Vanessa had just started dating Mark. She told me about him while we were there, but you have to understand that I didn’t know then that they were going to be married. Vanessa was one of my best friends and of course I love her. At that moment in time, I would have married her if it would have made everyone happy.”

  “Holy crap. That’s too much information for my brain to comprehend.” Sierra placed the other picture she was holding back on the dresser and tried to focus on the other large picture. “This must be Grandma?” she asked, pointing to the picture. “She was stunning.” It was one of the close up pictures in black and white done back in the 20’s or 30’s.

  “She was. She was more of a mother to me than my own mother ever was. I loved both of them very much.” Sierra misted up at the gentle tone in his voice.

  “Did she pass away too?”

  “Just last year. She went quickly and I wasn’t there for her.”

  “Oh Cole, I’m so sorry.” She turned and put her arms around his waist. He returned her hug.

  “It’s okay. I took care of everything and have wonderful memories.”

  “Was she your mother’s mother or your father’s?”

  “My father’s. You know they only came for the funeral and then left. I haven’t seen them since.”

  Sierra couldn’t fathom that. She was so close to her own parents. She looked at the picture again and studied it more closely. She could see a slight resemblance. “You have her eyes.”

  “She thought so, too. She told me she loved my father dearly, but he wasn’t half the man I was becoming. She blamed my mother for the change in him. She said he used to be a warm, caring, driven man, but when he met her, he changed. She told me that he became materialistic and calculating. He lived only to please her. He stopped coming around and became distant.

  “She was devastated until she heard I was born,” he continued to share, baring his soul to her. “She reached out to let them know that she wanted to be a part of my life. When my parents heard that, they were more than happy to let her raise me, while they traveled the world. I don’t think I was part of their plan, so I attended boarding schools here and then flew to Italy for any school breaks and summers.”

  Sierra had tears sliding down her cheeks now. She was still holding him and squeezed a little tighter, comforting him. “That sounds so sad. I’m sorry you had to feel that way.” She released him to wipe at her eyes. She watched him as he went into his closet to pick out something to wear for the day. She was seeing him in a completely different light and it frightened her.

  Chapter 6

  Cole needed to step away from Sierra to get some distance. He had just confided in her more about himself in a few minutes, than he did with most people he knew for years. It was easy to be himself around her, something he wasn’t used to. He didn’t want her sympathy.

  He had understood from an early age that his family dynamics were not the norm. His grandmother had shared her memories of a wonderful marriage to his grandfather for over thirty years, until he died suddenly of a heart attack. She had never remarried and Cole only knew his grandfather from her memories and shared photographs.

  She had shown him plenty of love, affection and, at times, discipline that molded the man he was still becoming today. He also was fortunate to have Vanessa’s siblings and parents’ influence growing up. Even time spent apart as they grew older, they found ways to keep in contact and occasionally see one another.

  Now that Sierra had heard about his childhood, he found himself drawn into wanting to know more about hers. He changed into a light blue polo and blue jeans and grabbed his favorite loafers by the chair. He watched Sierra as she was still studying the pictures on the dresser. “How does Central Park for a walk and a late lunch sound?”

  He could tell she was thinking as she replied, “That sounds nice.”

  “Back to nice again, I see. Is there something you would rather do? Someplace you wanted to visit?”

  He watched her as she seemed to relinquish the serious thoughts that she was having. “No, actually, the park seems perfect. It’s a beautiful day and I’d like to walk.”

  He reached for her hand and she took it. He grabbed his car keys and headed to the underground garage. He helped her into his car and got in to start it up. “Whew, sweet car,” she admired. He watched as she stroked the porcelain leather seats.

  “At least you didn’t say “nice.”

  He pulled out into the sunshine as he enjoyed her chuckle. “Nice would be my car. This has a definite wow factor.”

  He was glad she approved of one of his few splurges. It was a Mercedes CLS550 Coupe--Lunar Blue Metallic V-8, loaded with options. He sometimes enjoyed long drives upstate and this was a great vessel for long rides or short jaunts in the city. He didn’t like driving in the city with the congestion and tourists, but with this car it was tolerable. He put his sunglasses on as they made their way to the park. “I’ll find a place to park, where we can walk and then have lunch at the Bethesda Terrace.”

  He maneuvered his way through the traffic as Sierra looked out the window. He could sense her pensive mood and found a spot to park the car at one of the entrances of the 800+ acres that constituted Central Park. He escorted her to one of the paths that were filled with people enjoying the warm spring day.

  As they made their way down the path, he watched as several people were seen doing various outdoor activities. He watched as mothers played with their children, and joggers, walkers and street performers adorned the park. He was enjoying being outdoors and asked Sierra if she was too.

  Amazed, she replied, “So many people. Is it always like this?”

  “On a Saturday afternoon, with great weather, it brings out everyone.” As he spoke, they approached a large opening where several people had blankets spread out and some were just lying on the grass, soaking up the sun.

  A Frisbee landed near Sierra’s feet and he watched as she reached for it. She looked carefree as she expertly sent it back to its owner. The young man waved his thanks and he watched her signal the man to throw it again. She caught the Frisbee this time and sent it flying back. On the next throw back to her, he stepped in front of her and caught the Frisbee himself. He felt her smack his back and yell at him as they proceeded to enjoy playing for a few more minutes. He thanked the young men as he took her hand to proceed along the path.

  “That was fun,” she told him. “I can’t remember the last time I tossed a Frisbee.

  Did you play any sports in school?”

  “I did. I enjoyed Lacrosse and Football the most.”

  “I can see that in you. You seem athletic.”

  “Thanks, I think. I don’t get to do as much as I’d like now. I use the gym to stay in shape.”

  “I’m sure the city has leagues you could join.”

  “I never thought about it. I’m sure it does. I may have to look into that.”

  “I think you should. The outdoors suits you better than the suits.” He had to laugh at her candor and sense of humor.

  “Is that why you want to make sure I find a pair of cowboy boots? Maybe a hat to go with it? Turn me into a reluctant cowboy that you are accustomed to?” He was teasing her and she laughed out loud. Her laughter was still sweet music to his ears. He could listen to it a
ll day.

  As they walked, they engaged in small talk making their way to Bethesda Terrace. She stopped beside him as she viewed the eight foot bronze Angel of the Waters statue with the cherubs beneath it. Even though he’s seen the statue and fountain more times than he could count, he was still amazed by its beauty. With the tranquility of the water and the amazing Angel, it was still inspiring. He knew the cherubs surrounding the angel represented Temperance, Purity, Health and Peace. He watched her as she walked around getting drawn into the sculpture from all angles.

  Live music started playing and the food vendors were selling their wares. Cole decided to stand in line at one of the stands to get some lunch as she continued to take in the sights and sounds the terrace was offering. He saw her look around for him when she realized he had walked away. When she saw him she waved and gave him a big smile. He nodded to her and she jogged over to where he was standing.

  “Did I say I had no desire to come to New York? It’s beautiful. I can now officially put my foot in my mouth. No wonder Carrie Bradshaw loved it here.” Her continued Sex and the City reference made him smile.

  “Are you hungry? The food is good. During the week people flock here for lunch to escape their offices.”

  “I can see why. Even with all of the people you can still seem to relax.”

  “Well said. Here you go. Hope you like it.” He handed her the cardboard boxes filled with food and they made their way to a less crowded spot to sit down and enjoy their lunch. “So what are we doing after lunch?” He waited for her reply as she was swallowing her food and taking a drink of water.

  “I would like to do a little shopping. Nothing crazy. Just want to pick up a few souvenirs to take back home.”

  “We can do that. Anything in particular?”

  “I like music boxes. Maybe a nice music box with ‘New York, New York’ or something cheesy like that,” she remarked, and then remembering her promise, “OH, and I almost forgot…your boots. I want to help you pick out a pair.”

  “Not going to let that slide are you? I’m sure there is someplace in this city to find a pair of cowboy boots.”