“May I come in?” He watched as she debated, continuing to block the doorway. “Please?”
She didn’t respond, but held the door wider so he could enter. He took the few steps to enter and waited for her to close the door behind her. “My parents are out back on the porch. They want to meet you. I didn’t tell them about earlier. I didn’t want to upset them,” she spoke coldly.
She was just inches away from him and Cole wanted to hug her and tell her he was sorry. Instead, he nodded and followed her through the house. The home was beautiful and inviting. He instantly felt the love as he looked at the rooms they passed by. The open floor plan was painted with neutral colors but was accented with vibrant colors and décor.
As he passed by what appeared to be a living room, a large 24x24 mounted picture caught his eye. He stopped to look at it more closely. It was Sierra riding a beautiful horse. He almost didn’t recognize her at first. She was wearing show clothes and had her hair up, and had a Black Cowboy hat on. Then, he saw her eyes. She was looking straight ahead in the picture, but he knew those eyes. “That’s ‘She’s a Gem’. I rode her in western pleasure at the Congress years ago,” she explained.
“How old are you in this picture?”
“I think I was twenty or twenty-one. We won the class that year. She was one of my favorite mares to show.”
“It’s a beautiful picture. The horse is amazing. It looks like her nose is almost touching the ground.”
“She was a great mare. She was a big girl at almost sixteen hands and the dark chestnut coloring was a show-stopper.”
Without thinking, Cole blurted out, “Like your hair.” He paused to look at her, but she was studying the picture. Her face showed no signs of emotion and he knew he was the cause of it. “Before I meet your parents and see Skye, I want you to know how sorry I am about what I said earlier.” With pain in her eyes, she watched him, as he continued. “Look Sierra, I don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow, but I promise today to be on my best behavior. I need time to sort all of this out, but I assure you that I am not here to upset you again.”
He watched her glance away and then back to him, then she simply responded, “Okay.”
He followed her out to the porch area where her parents were seated. Her father was reading the paper and her mother was holding an electronic reading device with a cat sleeping on her lap. Sierra began the introductions, “Mom, Dad, this is Cole. I’m not sure if you were introduced at the party, so I’m doing it again anyway.”
They both stood and extended their hand to him. He was still clutching the stuffed animal in one hand as he shook their hands. A pitcher of lemonade was sitting on a large coffee style table and Sierra poured one for herself and one for him. He sat down in a very comfortable chair directly across from her parents and took a sip of the refreshing drink.
Her dad had closed the paper and put it beside him, and attempting to diffuse the stress felt in the air, said, “They keep making these Sunday papers smaller and smaller. Hard to read the damn thing now. Call me old-fashioned, but I still like to read a newspaper and get the ink on my fingers.”
Cole laughed and the conversation started with small talk. Cole noticed Sierra was quiet, only speaking when asked a direct question. Her parents were open and friendly even under the circumstances. He was able to discuss sports and the weather with her father and her mother talked about her work and passion for animals.
When Sierra stood up to excuse herself to refill the pitcher of lemonade and check on Skye, her mother took the opportunity to talk with him directly, “Cole,” she said, but glancing over at her husband, “we can’t begin to understand how you must be feeling, but we appreciate you coming over today. This isn’t easy for any of us, but I’m thankful for you wanting to get to know your daughter. She’s a lot like her mother.” Cole struggled to keep his emotions masked as she went on, “She’s smart, funny, outgoing and sweet. We want nothing more, but to see both of them happy and loved.”
Cole could see the plea in her eyes and feel the emotion behind her words. He managed to swallow the lump in his throat and welcomed the interruption as a giggling Skye trotted into the room, “Nana, Papa.”
Cole watched as the biggest smile spread over her petite round face as she made her way to her grandma’s outstretched arms. He sat perfectly still, watching the exchange between a grandmother and her granddaughter. He was swept back to a time when he was in his own grandmother’s arms. Skye hadn’t seen him yet. She seemed content being hugged by her grandma.
He could see the wrap on her head, protecting the stitches. Even with it on, he could see her pretty dark hair starting to curl at the nape of her neck. He turned to see Sierra still standing in the doorway. He could sense her uncertainty. Skye started to get fidgety and was trying to get her grandma’s reading device.
“Skye, we have company,” Sierra’s mother turned the little girl in her arms until she saw him. In the daylight, her eyes were even more pronounced as they were now locked with his own, the deep blue color and the way she was looking at him. She managed to climb out of her grandma’s arms to stand up across the table and look at him.
Then, she saw the stuffed animal sitting beside him. He smiled at her and held it in front of him. Skye looked for her mother’s approval in the doorway and when she got it, she made a bee line towards him. He was mesmerized. She walked right up to him and held her hand out.
Cole was tickled, “Hi, Skye. Remember me?”
The little girl took the stuffed animal out of his hands gently and replied, “Ole. Orsey.”
“That’s right. Do you like the new horsey?”
Skye kept looking up at him and then at the stuffed animal in her hands. He heard Sierra tell Skye to thank him. Skye shook her head “no” but was still smiling. Cole laughed and Skye giggled.
“You are welcome, Skye. I hope he will keep your other horsey company.” Skye surprised him by touching his knee and squeezing her small body between his legs. He spread them out to accommodate her while she played with her new toy. She turned and looked up to him and started to tell him about her boo-boo.
Cole could listen to her “talk” all day. At some points, he had to look to Sierra or her mother to translate, but he was enjoying the toddler talk. She was animated and he had to concentrate when she tried to be serious with what she was saying. Once, he had to suppress laughing out loud as she continued to have a conversation with him.
He encouraged her and let her have the time she needed to express herself.
Sierra’s mother and father had excused themselves to allow them some time alone. Sierra had moved to sit on the couch that her mother had vacated and had some snacks set out for Skye. Skye walked out from between Cole’s legs and made her way to the small paper plate that held some puffed vegetable fries and cheerios. She had a sippy cup and took a long drink.
He watched in awe, etching every detail of his daughter into his memory. He was so absorbed with watching her, he wasn’t paying any attention to Sierra. Skye brought over some of her snacks and offered one to Cole. He tried to refuse her, but she persisted and managed to get some of the treats in his mouth. She giggled as he made a face and he heard Sierra’s light giggle, too. He didn’t want to break the spell, so he continued to make faces and funny noises until both mother and daughter were laughing hard.
When Skye managed to get enough to eat and made sure he had enough, she stood in front of him again, saying, “Up.” Cole looked over to Sierra for guidance. “Up, up, up,” Skye was now demanding.
“She wants you to pick her up. She likes to be held after she eats.”
“Are you sure I won’t hurt her head?”
“No, she’s fine. You can pick her up, if you want to.”
He didn’t hesitate, but scooped her up, causing her to squeal in delight as he did. He positioned her on his lap and sat back in his chair. He was careful with her head as he ran his hands down her little arms and chubby little legs. She seemed so fr
agile and tiny in his lap. She was leaning her back in the crook of his arm and let out a big yawn. “Someone getting sleepy?” Cole whispered in her ear.
She vehemently shook her head, but Cole could see her lids getting heavy. “Bunny,” she yawned.
“Skye, honey, you know how to ask for your bunny.” Sierra was now standing near them.
“Peas, mom-ee.”
Cole understood that. “She said, ‘please Mommy.’” He was smiling down at his daughter.
“Good girl, Skye,” Sierra complimented her daughter, then leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll be right back.” She turned and walked out of the room.
Cole could still smell where Sierra had been standing so close. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. She smelled like fresh flowers. He leaned down to do the same with his daughter’s head. She smelled so clean, probably the baby wash they used. Nothing could describe how is senses were assaulted by these two.
Sierra returned momentarily with the bunny blanket Skye had asked for and handed it to her. “Ank you,” Skye responded.
“You’re welcome, sweetie.”
Sierra returned to sit on the couch, while Cole watched is daughter proceed to suck on the bunny’s ear and fall asleep in his arms. He felt her go limp and smiling at Sierra, asked, “Will she be asleep for long? I lost feeling in my arm a while ago.” As Sierra started to get up to retrieve Skye, Cole stopped her, “No, I wasn’t complaining. May I take her to lay her down?”
She led him the up the stairs into adjoining bedrooms. They were both large bedrooms with a shared bathroom between them. They went to Skye’s room first. It was painted a pale pink with white crown molding and white characters on the wall. ABC’s were placed high around as a border. It was a little girl’s room with white furniture and shelving.
As gently as possible with his numb arm, Cole laid his daughter in her crib. The realization of what seemed so mundane stunned him as he covered her up with a light blanket. He stood staring down at her until Sierra cleared her throat, “She probably won’t be down long. This is her post-nap.”
Cole couldn’t help but take a peak in what he presumed was Sierra’s bedroom, as they walked out. Compared to Skye’s room, this room seemed rather plain and uninspired. He was about to comment, when she explained, “I don’t want it to feel like my room. I already have a room down the hall that I grew up in. This is just temporary for me. I’m saving to buy a house for Skye and me. I’m really close now and soon we will have our own home.”
Cole took one last glance and his eyes were drawn to the tie hanging on the bottom post of her bed. It was the tie he gave her from their last time together. He smiled inwardly as they made their way downstairs and her mother greeted them at the bottom of the stairs, “Why don’t the two of you take this time to talk? Sierra, take Cole over to Quinn’s and show him the stables and horses. It’s a nice day and you haven’t been riding lately.”
He watched Sierra look at her mother strangely, then said, “I’d like that. I’ve never been around horses and would like to talk with you.”
Sierra’s mother smiled and Sierra sighed, “Well, alrighty, then. This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder.”
Cole smiled and said, “Goodbye.”
Her father told them to be back in a couple of hours for steaks on the grill. He saw Sierra roll her eyes at him as they made their exit.
Chapter 21
Sierra sat in the passenger seat trying to comprehend how this day had taken such a strange twist. Talking with her friends early in the day, fighting with and then having sex with Cole before noon, and then having him come to her home and be caring and compassionate with Skye.
She couldn’t deny how watching he and Skye interact made her heart melt. He was good with her and she seemed to reciprocate with him. She was a friendly, outgoing child, but generally didn’t let strangers hold her and fall asleep in their arms. That had unsettled Sierra to see how comfortable she was with him. She didn’t know what to expect and certainly hadn’t expected to laugh and enjoy watching them interact with each other.
She was still hurt from the way Cole had treated her earlier, but was starting to see things from his perspective. She had been angry, too, but here they were, together again in what seemed like a “truce” for the day. She stole a glance at his profile as he drove. She sighed as she realized his profile was just as handsome as the full frontal view, even with a day’s growth covering his face. She noticed he was quiet, too, but it was a comfortable silence.
“Turn right at the next stop sign. You will see it in about a half mile, on the right.”
She watched Cole’s expression change as he pulled into the beautiful lane, lined with large Maple trees on both sides. White, wooden fencing surrounded the pastures as horses grazed on the green grass. A huge archway with the letters QQH greeted them as they got closer to the barns and stables.
“Wow, it’s beautiful.” Sierra watched him as he parked the car and then sat, just taking it all in.
“They work really hard and take a lot of pride in their stables.” She didn’t know what Cole had expected, but Quinn’s Quarter Horses was a business.
Sierra was amazed at the growth after Jeremy Quinn got national attention a few years ago during the Quarter Horse Congress. He already had a remarkable reputation as a trainer and rider, but once he dominated the Congress, his fate was sealed and his business grew and thrived. He had to hire extra trainers and build more stables to accommodate the riders who wanted to either be trained or have their horses trained by him and his team.
With Riley’s encouragement, they also opened up more channels for anyone that wanted to ride, to be able to come to the stables and ride some of the mature horses. They were involved with charity organizations and would have open stables for disabled or handicapped kids to come out and enjoy the horses.
Sierra took the time to tell all of this to Cole as they sat in the car, “They hired a full time staff of about twenty people to help run the stables and take care of the horses. They have hay fields adjoining, so they bale their own and sell to other local farms.”
“When you said ‘horse trainer,’ I pictured a barn, a horse and one person. This is incredible!” Cole was in awe.
“Told ya. It’s an industry.” Sierra opened her door and got out of the car. As Cole got out of the car and made his way around to stand next to her, Sierra described more of the ranch, “See the woods back there? I like to ride on the trails. There are about ten acres of well-maintained trails to ride on. It’s good for the show horses to get a break from the arena to go for rides in the woods, so they don’t get burned out from showing.”
“How much land does he have here?”
“I think Riley told us they have two hundred acres now and may be purchasing more in the future.”
“Wow. The stables and barns look like an equestrian paradise.”
“It really is. Let’s go find Jeremy and Riley and get you on a horse.”
She stopped when she realized Cole wasn’t following her, but reluctantly said, “About that. Not sure I’m ready to ride a horse.”
“Have you ever ridden a horse, Cole?”
“That would be a negative.” Sierra was somewhat surprised by his admission.
She just assumed that everyone at some point had ridden a horse, so she was asking for clarity, “Not even at the fairs as a kid? Pony rides? Nothing?”
When he shook his head again, she walked back to where he was still standing and asked, “Do you want to ride a horse?”
As many people have a fear of horses, she watched to gauge his reaction as he answered, “I don’t know. I would like to watch you ride and see how it goes.”
“Okay,” Sierra nodded and started walking toward the barn with Cole following this time.
Considering it was a Sunday afternoon, there was still a lot going on inside the barns. People were riding in the arena, stalls were being picked out and there was a lot of activity. Cole r
emoved his sunglasses and tucked them in the front of his shirt as he took it all in.
“Hey Sierra, over here,” Quinn called to her from one of the tack rooms.
Cole touched her shoulder to get her attention before she headed over to the tack room, “Still confused on the name. Does he go by Jeremy or Quinn?”
Sierra laughed as she explained, “Most people call him Quinn, even me. Riley calls him Jeremy. We asked her why, but she said she didn’t have a good reason. She just wanted to use his first name. It’s kind of endearing.”
Cole raised an eyebrow in response, but nodded his head. They walked down one of the long aisles to where she heard Quinn talking. He motioned for them to come in the tack room as he finished his conversation with his barn manager, Brent.
“Hi Brent,” Sierra greeted the barn manager.
“Hey, Sierra. Good to see you. Haven’t seen you around much.”
“I know, I’ve been busy. I’m going to go for a ride today.”
“Who do you want me to saddle up for you?”
“You don’t have to, Brent. I can get my stuff together.”
“It’s no problem. Boss here won’t mind.” Sierra watched as Quinn grinned at Brent and agreed.
“Well, okay. I think I’ll take Tinker out, if he’s available?”
Cole interjected, “Wait. The male horse is named Tinker?”
Sierra laughed, “His full name is He’s a Tinker. It’s a play on He’s a stinker. He was ornery as a yearling and got a reputation for being a stinker. His dam’s name is Tinker Bell.”
“I’m so out of my league, here. What’s a dam?”
“Oh, sorry. A dam is the mother and a sire is the father.”
“You know I consider myself a knowledgeable man, but I have no idea when it comes to horses or the terminology.”
“It’s fine. You are not the only person who doesn’t understand horse talk. I grew up with it, so it’s second nature to me.”
Quinn stepped in to make introductions, “Brent, this is Cole, a friend of Sierra’s.”
The Reluctant Cowboy Page 13