The Reluctant Cowboy

by Ullman, Cherie

  “I couldn’t afford anything there,” she mumbled to herself as she quickly re-set the tab back to her previous search.

  She had considered, if only briefly, moving closer to him. She considered Pennsylvania. She could probably find another job and it would be closer for Cole to see Skye.

  She stared at the screen for another minute, but decided she just couldn’t do it. She couldn’t leave her family and friends. They were her life, but they were Skye’s world. She wouldn’t be able to just take Skye and move away for his sake. Besides, he’s a rich man. Surely, he could figure out a way to visit them, without uprooting both she and Skye.

  As she pondered, she couldn’t resist doing what anyone would. She pulled up Google on her computer and typed in “Cole Alexandar.” Images and stories popped up, in succession. There were several stories about Alexandar International and Cole Alexandar, CEO.

  She felt like she was stalking a movie star with all of the information in front of her. If she had done this before her trip to New York, none of this would be happening now. She was still awe-struck with his dashingly handsome looks. She didn’t think it was possible that there was a bad picture of him anywhere in the world.

  She clicked on the images screen and hundreds of pictures began to load. Most of the pictures of him were in a business setting, wearing a suit and tie -- all business. She saw several head shots and wondered why there were so many. He wasn’t smiling in most of them, so she figured they were probably for work.

  As she studied them, she noticed subtle differences. They were probably taken over a span of several years, but the internet saves everything. As she was scrolling down the page, she spotted one that looked different. Curious, she stopped and clicked on it.

  It was a picture of him, with what had to be his parents. He was younger, probably in his twenties. He looked like his father. The picture showed him in the middle of the two older adults, but there was no touching. Just three people standing next to each other. It looked so….cold.

  She enlarged the image and looked at his mother. She was tall, with long blonde hair and brown eyes. She wasn’t smiling in the picture, but Sierra had to admit she was beautiful. She was looking directly into the camera, but had an air of boredom. She couldn’t help, but think, “How could a mother be that way?”

  Cole’s father was on his other side, with the same bored look on his face. No smile, just boredom. Sierra knew it was his father, as their features were similar. They were the same height and build. His father’s hair was shorter, but had the same style.

  She tried to find when or where the picture was taken and finally saw the year. Quickly doing the math in her head, she realized it must have been when he graduated from Berkeley.

  She zoomed in on Cole. She saw the familiar look that she now recognized as his “mask”. It was his emotionless face. His hands were dug deep in his slacks’ pockets. She thought he looked sad, but she could read more into his look now.

  She clicked out of the picture to look through more. As she scrolled back towards the top, she slowed down as she saw several pictures of him with another woman. These pictures were more casual.

  She clicked on one where they were both smiling at the camera. They were each holding up a glass of wine in front of the photographer. Cole seemed relaxed and happy and the woman, well, she was a knockout. She had long straight black hair pulled into a very sleek ponytail. She had bright blue eyes and full red lips. She looked sophisticated and elegant.

  Sierra couldn’t help but compare herself to the gorgeous woman looking back at her. This was the kind of woman she thought Cole would prefer. All of her own insecurities came to the surface as she stared at the picture. She finally took her eyes off of the woman to look at the date. It was just a month ago.

  She hurriedly clicked on more pictures of the two of them. She also saw a couple of pictures of them with Carrie and Zach, the couple Sierra had met when she was there. She was trying not to panic when she clicked on the news tab to see if there was more information on the pictures. She saw links with the pictures. Clicking on the links, she learned that the woman’s name was Christine Tyler.

  Googling her name, she discovered that Christine Tyler was an Executive Assistant at a law firm. She went back to her previous screen and continued to look at the pictures and read the articles. She wanted to discover as much as she could about this woman and Cole. Most were just gossip sites with limited information.

  “Cole Alexandar and Christine Tyler out on the town,” one headline read. Another one asked, “Could millionaire bachelor be coming off the New York market soon?”

  She checked the dates on the stories and saw they had been from the last several months. She was furious. She slapped her laptop screen down and yelled in frustration, “Ugh! I. Am. So. Stupid!”

  She paced in her bedroom and saw the tie hanging on her bed post. She reached for it and started to hit her bed with it, continuing, “Fairy tales? You stupid, naïve woman. He’s just buttering you up so he can take Skye and live happily ever after with her. How can you be so gullible?”

  She stopped beating her bed with his tie, and taking a deep breath, continued berating herself, “Yeh, now look at yourself. Temper tantrums much?”

  She threw the tie on the floor and reached for her phone instead. She sent a text to Dana to see where she was. She grabbed her laptop and went downstairs, greeting her mother, “Hey Mom, Skye’s asleep. I’m going to run over to Dana’s for a little while, if that’s okay.”

  “Sure. You okay?”

  Sierra stopped to give her mom a quick hug as she grabbed her car keys. “Yep. Be back soon.”

  ****

  “I don’t know what to say,” Dana was looking in disbelief at the screen, Sierra pacing beside her.

  “I do. He’s a jerk. He played me.”

  Looking at her friend sympathetically, Dana queried, “Played you? Really?”

  “Yes, really. He’s like, Mr. Big. He’s all charming and sweet and then WHAM! He’s secretly seeing someone else.”

  Sierra was being dramatic, raising her voice and swinging her arms. Dana was trying hard not to laugh at her friend. Sierra’s voice was becoming higher pitched as she continued her tirade, “Did you see her? She looks more like Skye, than I do. All dark, long hair and big blue eyes. She’s like the epitome of good genes. She wreaks of sophistication and grace.”

  Dana did burst out laughing now, “Oh my God, do you even hear yourself right now?”

  “Pictures do not lie, Dana! Look at them.”

  Dana placated her friend and scrolled over the pictures. Glancing at the screen as he walked past, Dana’s husband, Doug, let out a loud cat call whistle.

  “Keep walking, husband, to avoid death by glare.”

  Doug saw the look on Sierra’s face and quickly left the room.

  “See? Even your husband’s whistle says it all.”

  “My husband’s an idiot. Don’t let him mess with you.” Dana grinned and shut down the computer. Sierra plopped herself down in the nearest chair and looking at Dana, shrugged her shoulders in question.

  “So, go to New York. Talk with Cole. Find out who she is to him,” Dana answered.

  “Yes, right. Hop on a plane and confront him, in person. That sounds just like me. NOT.”

  “Okay then. See how things play out. Wait for the phone to ring. I’m sure some big shot lawyer will contact you and give you paperwork to fill out. Once you sign them, you can wait patiently for a limo to pull up. Cole and Christine will hop out of the limo, pick Skye up and drive off to their future.”

  Sierra looked at Dana, stunned. Her voice, barely a whisper, murmured, “That was harsh.”

  Dana sighed as she knelt in front of her friend, “Not trying to be harsh here. To be honest, I’m just glad you aren’t crying. You are a lot stronger than you think. Pictures are just that -- pictures. Until you talk with him or see for yourself, it’s just your imagination on a roller coaster. Now, get a grip and continue
to live your life for yourself and my goddaughter. Go home, get some sleep and see how you feel tomorrow.” Dana started to grin, “After all, tomorrow is….”

  Sierra quickly interrupted her best friend, “Stop right there. Do not finish that sentence.” She couldn’t contain her own giggle that was escaping her lips. She stood and gave her friend a big hug, adding, “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  Dana cocked her own head, teasing, “Don’t have to.”

  Both friends hugged again.

  Chapter 26

  Cole had wanted to reach out and talk with Sierra, but the week went by quickly. He was busy making plans and attended several meetings. He had instructed his attorney to follow his directives and was working with his COO on business decisions that were being finalized. He knew Denise had spoken with Sierra and that she was cooperating. He still had a lot to do, but the progress was promising and day by day, he was feeling better about it.

  He went to his personal care physician with the records from his bloodwork that had been taken at the hospital. His doctor took some more blood and provided a lot more information about the disease. He explained that because Cole had been fortunate growing up, not suffering any serious injuries, that it was quite common not to know that he had it. Cole felt relieved, but would take the necessary steps to assure that Skye wouldn’t have any complications from it. He checked the clock in the lobby and saw that it was getting late.

  He was looking forward to having dinner with his friends and relaxing for a few hours. He wanted to include them in his plans for the future and to get their input.

  He picked up Christine on time and headed to a local hot spot they liked. The restaurant was crowded, but he saw Zach and Carrie waving at them from a booth, toward the back of the restaurant. They slid into the booth as the server brought drinks for Zach and Carrie, so they went ahead and placed their drink order.

  “Hi guys,” Carrie said, giving them each a hug. “We are going to have to find a new place soon. This one is getting too popular for us.”

  Christine laughed as she looked around. They were making small talk as the server brought more drinks and took their food order. “Show them the pictures, Cole,” Christine nudged Cole to get his phone.

  “I think I should tell them first…” he balked.

  “Oh no, they will understand, once they see them.”

  Christine grinned as Cole found the pictures on his phone. Zach and Carrie had a puzzled expression on their faces as they reached for it. When their mouths opened, Cole rushed to explain, “Her name is Skye. She’s my daughter. I just found out last weekend.”

  Watching the disbelief on their faces, Christine laughed, “I know, right? Last weekend, he was going to try and woo a woman. Now, he’s a daddy.”

  “Cole, how is this possible? Is Sierra her mother?” Carrie was still digesting the information and pictures in front of her.

  “She’s a beauty, all right. Looks just like you, man.” Zach was studying the picture.

  While they ate, Cole took his time recalling what had happened.

  “You must have been terrified for her in the hospital,” Carrie was saying, “I can’t imagine how you felt.”

  “We wanted you to romance her, but she had the big surprise.” They continued talking and Cole felt himself missing Sierra and Skye more and more as the conversation continued.

  “Oh, and don’t forget to tell them about Sally,” Christine remarked.

  “Sally?” Carrie asked.

  Cole laughed and told them about riding the horse and how much he enjoyed it. They were having easy, comfortable conversation about horses, business, mixing the two and time was passing quickly.

  Cole glanced at his phone and was surprised to see it was almost midnight. He let out a yawn and stretched. He rested his right arm around the back of the booth, behind Christine.

  Zach and Carrie were still talking about his plans and how it would play out, when, out of nowhere, he felt a tap on his left shoulder. He turned his head slightly only to find Sierra standing beside the booth. He was stunned to see her standing there and more stunned by the look on her face. He could tell she was livid. Her posture was stiff and her amazing eyes were shooting ice daggers at him.

  He watched as she quickly addressed the others seated in the booth with him, “Pardon me for the interruption. I needed to see something for myself. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

  She abruptly turned, weaving through the crowd to make her exit.

  “Sierra, wait!” He shouted as he jumped out of the booth and tried to follow her. He made it outside in time to see her getting into a cab. “SIERRA! Stop!”

  As the cab drove away, he continued waving to get the driver’s attention to no avail. Sierra stared straight ahead, refusing to look at him. When he could no longer see the taxi, he turned to see his friends standing a few feet away from him.

  Christine approached him first, breaking the silence, “Well, that was awkward.”

  “Not now, Christine.”

  “Cole, we can fix this. It’s just a setback,” Carrie said.

  He looked towards Zach, who reassured him, “You got this. Doesn’t change a thing.”

  Cole smiled at his friends. They were right. He wasn’t going to let this change the course he had chosen. Seeing Sierra so angry only made his resolve stronger. He was just going to try and speed things up.

  Chapter 27

  Surrounded by her friends, Sierra was calm as she retold the events of her quick trip to New York. She had brought her laptop to show them, as well. It was a Sunday afternoon and they were at Riley’s house. Skye and Justin were playing, while the women discussed what happened.

  When Sierra finished recalling what happened, Vanessa spoke first, “I’m surprised. He never mentioned her.”

  Riley chimed in, “I’m proud of you. You took the initiative to find out on your own. You didn’t just believe what you saw or read. I’m not sure I could have done it.”

  “It wasn’t easy. I took a flight out after work and went straight to his office. He was in a meeting and I spoke with Denise. I was going to wait, but she told me where she thought he was going after work. She knew he had made plans with friends. She also told me his meetings could last a couple of hours, so I did a little sightseeing while I waited.”

  “Were you scared, walking around the city by yourself?” Dana asked her.

  “No, I wasn’t really. I was trying to concentrate on finding the locations Denise had given me. I went to one spot first, had dinner, stayed for a while and when I didn’t see them, I tried the second one.”

  “Was it far?”

  “No, but it was very crowded. I had to wait almost an hour just to get inside. Once I was inside and got acclimated, I just started walking to the back of the place. That’s when I saw him.”

  “He’s not hard to find, even in a crowd,” Vanessa said.

  “He was sitting in a booth with his arm around her,” Sierra recalled, painfully.

  “You handled it so well, Sierra,” Riley spoke up. “I love what you said. And then you got in a cab and went straight to the airport?”

  “Uh-huh. I had a hotel reservation for the night, but decided I just wanted to come home. I was on stand-by and luckily got the red eye home.”

  “So, what happens now?” Vanessa hesitantly asked.

  “Don’t know. I’m going to continue to look for houses and wait to hear from his attorney. Once I do, I will hire my own and work something out for visitation.”

  “Something just doesn’t feel right, Sierra,” Vanessa begged. “Let me call him. I can talk to him and see what’s going on. I freaking want to kill him right now, but I can still talk with him.”

  “Thanks Vanessa, but I’d rather you not. I promised to tell you everything and I really appreciate your support. You hear about this stuff all the time. I’m sure Cole will be fair and I don’t want to keep him from knowing Skye.”

  “Wow, my best friend has turned a
new and, might I add, mature leaf,” Dana bragged. The women laughed.

  Sierra added, sadly, “I’m glad to know now, before I lost my heart completely. Once the realization that my fantasy was ruined for me, I didn’t want that to affect Skye. She will still have a father.”

  “Do you expect us to believe that you will be fine with Cole and Christine picking up your daughter…together?”

  “Absolutely not! At least, not for a long while. I will make sure that stipulations are in place that won’t allow that.”

  “You go, girl,” Dana quipped.

  “I’m heartbroken, not stupid.”

  The women continued talking for a while and then, to calm herself a bit, Sierra wanted to go for a ride. She and Dana took a couple horses out for a walk around the property and woods. She loved the serenity of riding and letting her thoughts dissipate as she rode.

  She felt much better when she climbed into bed that night.

  Chapter 28

  Cole was having difficulty concentrating. He wanted to see Skye…and Sierra. It had been almost a month since he’d seen or talked to either of them. It was killing him not being near them. He knew he had missed a lot, already. As soon as he found out about Skye, he had sworn to himself that he wouldn’t be missing out on any more milestones with her, but had to remind himself that this “delay” was worth it.

  He was trying to listen as the board members continued their discussions. He finally got a reprieve when Denise entered the conference room and motioned for him. He quickly got up and followed her to his office. “Well? Any word?” he impatiently asked her.

  “Just heard from the realtor. Everything is taken care of,” she informed him.

  Cole couldn’t contain his excitement and, in a rare moment, grabbed Denise and kissed her on the cheek.

  Laughing, she said, “I’m going to miss you, Cole. It just won’t be the same without you.”

  “Oh, yes, it will. If Robert doesn’t treat you like the queen you are, I will find out and fire him promptly.”