Cowgirl Down (Redneck Debutante)

by Jenny Hammerle

  “I hope we don’t have a daughter someday,” he muttered.

  “Don’t say that. In fact, just for saying that, we’ll probably end up with five daughters.”

  “I hope not.”

  Rachael stopped walking. She decided she needed to distract him another way. Taking both of his hands, she placed them behind the small of her back. Then she put her own hands around his neck. She hadn’t kissed him, really kissed him, since they had made up. She figured it was high time.

  A long while later he pulled back and smiled at her. “You certainly know how to redirect me,” he murmured.

  “Yes. I thought that might work.” She grinned in triumph. “Now, back to your sister. I don’t want to hear any more about it. She’s in good hands. Your parents have everything under control. They straightened you out once, remember?”

  “Yes.” He bent his head for another lingering kiss.

  As soon as she could feel it intensifying and his body moving even closer, he pulled back. “Let’s get you home,” he said softly. He grasped her hand and tugged it in the direction of the truck. Then he paused long enough to ask, “There is someone home there, right?”

  “Yes. Michael is there. You can play video games with him.”

  “Perfect.” He seemed relieved.

  While Rachael thought they had moved past the need for a chaperone, obviously Travis felt differently. She would have to respect that.

  *

  It was dark when a knock came at the front door. It was Maysie. Her eyes were swollen, but she’d survived the whole ordeal. Rachael invited her in and made her some coffee. Travis respectfully stayed down the hall, gaming with Michael.

  “So what happened?” Rachael asked.

  “I told them the truth.” Maysie’s lips trembled when she sipped the coffee.

  “And?”

  “Of course it matched up exactly with what Tristan had told them. My mom said we have to give him credit for coming to them with what was an uncomfortable situation for him…you know, being employed by my parents and all.”

  “What next?”

  She took a breath. “Well, I guess Tristan confessed to liking me too and wanting to ask me out when I turn eighteen. My dad said definitely not. We talked for hours about it. I pointed out that I’d be graduating in a year and would be nineteen. My mom backed me there. My dad was ticked off. He even went as far as to call me a ‘harlot’ for ‘coming onto’ a much older man.” She waved dismissively. “Whatever that meant.”

  Good ole’ Maysie, Rachael thought. As innocent as ever. “I bet that hurt,” she said with empathy.

  “Yes.” Maysie sniffed. “It really did, but my mother calmed him the way she does and made him apologize for calling me a harlot. I admitted that it was wrong of me to put Tristan in a bad situation. I realize that, at seventeen, I’m too young for him. I always knew that.” She looked up at Rachael with teary eyes. “But Rachael, I honestly do like him. I always have. And in a different way than I’ve liked any other guy. It’s always been Tristan. I don’t want to date anybody else.”

  “So where does that leave things?” Rachael asked gently.

  Maysie sighed. “Now that my dad’s cooled off, he says he needs to mend fences with Tristan. He’s going over there tomorrow. We’ll see how that goes. My mom made a good argument that if Tristan and I are serious about dating, he’ll wait until I graduate from high school to date me.”

  “And what until then? A year is a long way off.”

  “A bunch of negotiations took place. We can’t officially start dating until I turn nineteen. My mom thinks a year may bridge the age gap a bit, but in the meantime he’s welcome at our house anytime. I can visit with him as friends while he trains horses and such.” She grinned. “But no going off alone with him. No holding hands. No kissing. My dad added all of those parts. This is going to be one long year, but I can do it.”

  “So the ball is in his court. If he really likes you and is serious about dating you, he’ll wait the year. If not, then he will move on.”

  “I know. Scary stuff, right?” Maysie played nervously with the napkin under her coffee cup.

  “I don’t think scary is the right term.”

  Maysie was silent for a moment. Then, she pleaded, “What if he chooses to move on, Rachael? What if he meets someone else this next year? Someone his own age? And I miss out?”

  “I seriously doubt that. I think he might surprise you.” Rachael reached over and squeezed her hand. “I think he has liked you for some time. He’s waited this long, so what’s one more year? A guy, or a man in his case, doesn’t risk talking to another man about his daughter if he’s not serious. That would be really dumb!” Rachael laughed to lighten the tension.

  “I sure am hoping that’s the case,” Maysie said wistfully.

  “Excuse me, ladies, I’m going to leave,” Travis said from where he stood near the bar.

  “I’ll be right back, Maysie. I need to walk him out.”

  Travis surprised Rachael by giving Maysie a hug first. “Hang in there, Maysie. It’ll only get better from here.”

  Maysie, fighting tears, hugged him back. The two siblings embraced for several minutes.

  When Rachael walked him to the door, she ordered, “Now straight home for you, Travis.”

  “I can’t lie to you. I’m going over there.” A steely determination glinted in his eyes.

  “Travis,” she warned, “that’s a bad idea, and we both know it.”

  “No. I’ve calmed down now…way down due to some kissing instruction I received earlier. Thank you.” He took his finger and gently tweaked her noise. “There are just some things you’re going to have to trust me with.”

  Hadn’t she just said that same thing to him earlier? She knew he was right. “Okay, but be the man I know you are. No need to bust his nose, like you did Jason’s.” She kissed him lightly good-bye, and he left.

  She rejoined Maysie.

  “So the guy-girl campout is canceled,” Maysie said, looking forlorn.

  “I figured as much. I never thought it was all that good of an idea anyhow.”

  Maysie brightened. “Not canceled forever, but for now. Mom thinks it would be a great graduation party instead, in a year.”

  “That’s a great idea!”

  They chatted for hours, mostly about horses and guys.

  Maysie left around nine o’clock, because she was grounded for the foreseeable future.

  Rachael spent half the night tossing and turning in worry. Travis and Tristan would be a pretty fair match-up, if it came to blows. Both were tall and athletic. Cowboy versus cowboy. Not to mention she had the definite feeling that neither would back down from a fight if the other one started it.

  *

  By dawn Rachael had experienced all the sleepless, worrisome hours she could stand. She dressed, quickly fed Taffy and ole’ lonesome George, and got in her Mustang to head to the Baxters to make sure Travis and Tristan hadn’t killed each other. While she trusted Travis, she knew he could fly off the handle in his efforts to protect his sister.

  It was a little after seven o’clock, and the house still looked quiet. She went up to the front door, reluctant to knock. It was unlike the Baxters to sleep in on any day other than a Sunday. Rachael tiptoed around the large wrap-around porch and peeked in through the kitchen window. There was no one at the kitchen table. No lights on. She walked back around to the front door and rang the doorbell. After a few minutes the door opened.

  Mrs. Baxter was standing there in her bathrobe. “Hi, Rachael. Sorry that we’re not up and moving. I was just getting ready to make some coffee. Would you like a cup?” She yawned.

  “Sure.” Rachael entered and sat at the breakfast table.

  A tired Maysie, her eyes still puffy from the drama of the day before, shuffled into the room without her normal exuberance. “Hi, Rachael.” She sat across from her.

  “Boy, it’s quiet around here.” Rachael didn’t want to stir up any emotions from y
esterday’s situation by asking where Travis and Mr. Baxter were. She was beginning to think they had already gone to speak with Tristan.

  “The guys are out hog hunting…with Tristan.” Maysie gave Rachael a knowing look. “I guess Travis went over there last night after he left your place.”

  “Oh. That’s good.” Rachael heard herself claiming one thing but thinking something entirely different. In no way was a hog hunting trip, with guns, a good thing for an angry dad, an overprotective big brother, and a possible future boyfriend to be involved in so quickly after yesterday’s ordeal. But maybe that was the way redneck men sorted out a mess like this. Take the guy hunting, scare the crap out of him, fire a warning shot…problem solved.

  Rachael sighed inwardly. She was still new at this redneck thing. But she could at least do her best to distract Maysie. So she suggested they lay out by the pool after breakfast.

  Finally, Rachael broached the subject. “Is this normal? This hunting thing?” she asked Maysie.

  “Yes, if they like the guy.” At that, Maysie brightened. “When I had my first date with Adam, Travis and Dad thought it would be hilarious to get out all of their rifles and clean them. When poor Adam got to the house, there were at least eight rifles on the kitchen table, and Daddy and Travis were each holding one. Poor Adam. His eyes were the size of saucers! Then Mama pulls out this list of questions for him and begins asking them one at a time.” She exhaled heavily. “You don’t realize how easy you have it, Rachael.”

  “I actually wish I had more of that,” she said wistfully. “With my dad in jail and my mom working all the time, there hasn’t been anyone around to be concerned with my whereabouts for a while now. I think that added to me getting myself into trouble with Melinda and Ty. Now I’ve gotten better at policing myself, but I had to stumble through it there for a while. Besides, I think it’s funny.” Rachael started to giggle. “Adam probably thought, What kind of redneck family am I getting involved with here?’It probably made him think twice about putting any moves on you.”

  “So much so that it was two months before we even pecked. The dude was terrified of my dad!” Maysie erupted in hilarious laughter.

  After their merriment settled, Rachael changed the subject. “I applied for a job.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Working week nights at that Western Store in town where Travis bought me the hat.”

  “Have you told Travis?”

  “No. Not yet.”

  “Don’t you think he’ll want to know why you’re not going to come back to work here?”

  “I think we already spend enough time together. We don’t need to be working together too.”

  “I see your point.”

  “I have an interview later today. I need the job to save up for my car-insurance premium since I won’t be able to work once we start back to school.”

  “I figured.”

  Suddenly a figure raced past them and cannon-balled into the pool, soaking them with the massive splash.

  “Travis!” Maysie yelled when he came up for air.

  “Well, this is a pool, isn’t it? Are you two just going to lay there or come swimming?”

  Rachael stood and wrung out her hair. “I’ll join you. Maysie, you too.”

  Rachael dove into the deep end. Maysie followed suit.

  “So did Tristan survive this morning, Travis, or are you going to tell me there was some horrible hunting accident?” Maysie said glumly.

  “He survived. Dad is going to talk to you in a bit.” Travis gave her a knowing smile.

  Just then Mr. Baxter appeared out on the pool deck. “Maysie, get dried off and come inside.”

  An expression of utter dread descended on Maysie’s face. She climbed out, grabbing a towel on her way past her lawn chair.

  “Wish me luck,” she said nervously.

  “Good luck. It’s going to be good news. I can feel it,” Rachael encouraged her.

  When Maysie left, Rachael swam over to the stairs and sat there. Travis joined her.

  “Hunting?” she said skeptically.

  “Why not?” He winked.

  “I don’t know. Just seems strange.”

  “Not around here.” He grinned. “I called Dad last night on my way over there and suggested we take him hunting. Just a friendly hog-hunting trip.”

  “Um hmm. I’m glad you’re not my brother, Travis.”

  “Me too. Yuck, Rachael. You would have to go and say that.” The look that crossed his face conveyed utter, total disgust.

  “You may not believe this, but for the longest time I thought you saw me like a sister. A little baby sister.”

  “Hardly.” He smirked at her.

  “Okay. So how did last night go?”

  “He likes her. Like as in real, long-term likes her.”

  “Can you blame him? She’s a great girl.”

  “Exactly. A girl.”

  So he’s still on his high horse about that. “So what happened?” she prodded.

  “We reached an understanding. Until my dad gives him the go-ahead to date her, he can’t. I didn’t say much more than that because that’s Dad’s department. I knew he would want to cover that ground with him himself this morning, and he did.”

  “He agreed to let Maysie date him when she turns nineteen?” Rachael was stunned and excited.

  “Yes, and he told Tristan as much. Tristan gave his word, and they shook on it. Dad is in there now talking to Maysie about it. He shocked me by inviting Tristan here for dinner once a week.”

  “Really?”

  “I know he has always liked him. It’s simply the whole him being interested in my sister part that has my dad worried. I think my dad intends to monitor the situation very closely. What better way than under his own roof?”

  “Where’s Tristan now?”

  “He’s in there right now speaking with Maysie, Mom, and Dad.”

  “What? Are you kidding? You guys are tough.”

  “Yep. Dad’s on a roll. Unfortunately for us, that means we’re next on his list.”

  Her jaw dropped. “You are kidding…right?”

  “Nope. He intends to sit us down and talk to us. He asked for your dad’s number. He would never include you in a talk without your father’s consent. Tristan is different. He’s a man.”

  “Okay. Did you give him my father’s number?”

  “I did. He spoke with your mother, and she’ll be here in person.”

  “Travis Baxter, if you are pulling my leg, I’m not happy!”

  “I’m pulling your leg.” He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into the water with him.

  Relief cascaded over her in waves. “You had me going.”

  “I know.” He grinned boyishly.

  “So I need to tell you something. I have an interview for a summer job today.”

  He arched a brow. “Where?”

  “That Western Store in town.”

  “Why not work here, with me?”

  “Because you asked for my help, and I’m giving it to you. We spend a lot of time together. I think this will provide us with a little distance during the summer.”

  “Okay. If that’s what you want.” But his puppy-dog eyes said otherwise.

  “No. That’s not what I want, but I have to pay for my own insurance and working with you every day could prove challenging. The Western Store is only part-time, a few nights each week.”

  “Okay. Can I come see you?”

  “Of course.”

  Rachael climbed out of the pool. “I have to get ready for my interview. See you tonight.” She waved good-bye and headed for home.

  *

  For the interview she chose to wear a nice shirt, jeans, and her hat from Travis. The only thing missing was the dressy boots. She needed a pair to complete the ensemble. She went out into the hall and called for her Aunt Margaret.

  “I’m in here, honey,” she answered from the laundry room near the garage.

  Rachael strode toward
the laundry room.

  “Boy. You look nice, cowgirl,” said Aunt Margaret upon seeing her.

  “I have an interview at the Western Store. I have everything but the boots.”

  “I have just the pair.” Aunt Margaret wore a size 8 shoe, while Rachael now wore a 7 ½.

  Rachael followed Aunt Margaret to her bedroom and into her walk-in closet. Her aunt pulled out a pair of tanned leather boots with a one-inch heel.

  “Perfect.”

  “They may be a little big, but with a pair of thick socks, I think they’ll fit.”

  “They’ll work just fine.”

  Rachael went into her room and dug out a thick pair of socks. She pulled the boots on and walked up and down the hall.

  “Are they slipping?” Aunt Margaret called.

  “Nope. They’ll work.”

  Nervous, Rachael made her way into town. She needed this job. It would be her first real job working for someone who wasn’t family or her boyfriend’s dad. She parked her car and jumped out. She did a cursory check for Travis’s truck. It would be just like him to come down here to make her feel more comfortable and at ease. There was no sign of him. She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath as she crossed the parking lot.

  When she went inside, Susanna, the owner Rachael had given her application to the other day, came from behind the register to greet her. She shook Rachael’s hand. “Let’s head to the back.” She called over to the other sales clerk, a pretty redhead that looked about nineteen, “Tracey, watch the register, please.”

  Tracey simply nodded and headed for the front of the store. Rachael and Susanna took a seat in front of her desk in the two chairs.

  “So, Rachael, have you ever worked in a retail sales environment?”

  “No, ma’am. This would be my first experience with any job other than my most recent job working on a ranch.”

  “That sounds difficult. Ranch work is not easy. Which ranch did you work on?” Susanna scribbled notes on a notepad.

  “Baxter Ranch. I worked for Mr. Baxter—cleaning stalls, building fence, and working cows.”