by Cee Bowerman
“No way!”
“Yeah, I’m a little embarrassed that I don’t have some elaborate backstory. Look at these,” he told me as he opened an armoire that held larger pieces of his work. “I do one of her every so often, to capture her face as it changes with age.”
“Rowdy,” I whispered as I studied Leia’s face.
“I did this one a year or so ago. I need to do another one because her cheeks have thinned out and her face has gotten longer. Someday I’ll do one of Lexi. They’ll show them growing up.”
“That’s amazing. You never took a class in school or anything?”
“No,” He took a deep breath and I could see he was thinking about what to say next. “I quit school my sophomore year. I didn’t graduate and I’ve never been to college.”
“I knew you didn’t graduate.”
“How did you know that?”
“I quit school my sophomore year, too. It was when I took Lexi and ran. I never had a chance to go back. I’ve got the same study guide I’ve seen you reading at the gym while you wait for Leia.”
“We could study together then.”
“Let’s do it.”
“Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah.” I reached up and brushed a wet curl behind his ear. He had on a different ball cap today - this one also a Texas Rangers cap, but in black. His t-shirt was faded black and looked soft and worn, the edges around the neck frayed just a bit. I noticed that the hem around his biceps was also almost threadbare and stretched just right over the large muscles there.
As he walked in front of me down the hall, I took a moment to appreciate just how well he filled out his faded jeans, wondering how a man got an ass and thighs like that without working out in the gym for hours every day. Luckily, I was able to tear my gaze away before he caught me staring. Again.
He picked up his coffee mug, drained it, and then refilled it from the carafe before he nodded his head toward my mug questioningly. I shook my head and took my mug to the sink where I rinsed it and then turned it upside down to drain in the sink until later.
After I moved away from the sink, Rowdy walked over and picked my mug up and put it in the dishwasher. He didn’t say a word and I wasn’t sure he even realized what he was doing - he was just working out of habit.
“Let me get the ladies out to pasture and we’ll head to your place for your shower. I’ll leave the chores for this evening. I can do them while Leia introduces Lexi to the girls,” Rowdy said as he walked around the bar.
“Lexi is going to freak out. Seriously. She might even faint.”
“That runs in the family? Fainting?” Rowdy asked as he nudged me with his shoulder.
“Only when you either win the lottery or find out that your future family has access to horses and they live right outside your front door.” I laughed. “To Lexi, that is winning the lottery.”
“I like that.” Rowdy stopped and pulled me to him with his free hand. We were just a few feet from the truck and I wasn’t expecting him to pull me into his embrace, so I fell into his hard chest with an oomph sound.
“That she wants horses bad enough to equate it to winning millions?”
“No, the future family part.”
I smiled up into his face, realizing that I liked that, too. I liked that a whole lot.
8.
ROWDY
“Are you ready for this?” I asked Sierra as I opened the truck door and helped her down to stand beside me. “I think we should go forward the way we want things to be seen. So, starting right now, I’m going to hold your hand and be the best fiancé I know how to be.”
“Um, did you take a class on that?”
“No. Movies and television.” Rowdy laughed as he took my hand in his. He leaned down and gave me a quick kiss on the lips and then pulled me beside him as he started walking up the sidewalk toward Reagan and Marcus’s house. “We’re going to use the shock and awe tactic with the girls. I thought about it while I was waiting on you to get ready.”
“I’m sorry you had to wait in the truck for me. I never even thought about the fact that no one but residents or employees are allowed inside.”
“I’m allowed in there when I’m working on something for Kari, just not when I’m not scheduled to be there. It’s for everyone’s safety. Besides, it didn’t take you long at all and it gave me some time to think.”
“And you thought about this - how we’re going to present this to the girls?”
“Yep - Hollywood style. I swept you off your feet and we’re head over heels for each other.” Rowdy looked down at me as we both reached the top step onto the long porch that ran the length of his friend’s house. “Until the day we’re not acting; it will be real.”
“Okay.” I nodded, but the entire time I was thinking to myself that it wouldn’t be hard at all to fall for a man like Rowdy. The fact that we would soon be living together and sleeping in the same bed every night would make that even easier. “Until that day then.”
Rowdy raised his hand to ring the bell, but before he had a chance, the heavy wooden front door was thrown open and both of our daughters were standing on the other side of the glass door. The two of them were staring at us in shock, their eyes going from our joined hands to our faces and back, over and over again.
Finally, Reagan came up behind them and reached out to unlock the glass door and Rowdy pulled it open. I walked in ahead of him as Reagan put a hand around the girls’ shoulders and shifted them out of our path.
“Good morning, ladies,” Rowdy said with a smile.
“Good morning,” all three young women and Reagan chorused.
“Hi.” Sierra smiled at the girls. “Did you have fun last night?”
They nodded in unison and it was starting to creep me out a little bit.
“Let’s move into the kitchen. Breakfast is almost ready - we were just waiting on the two of you before I scrambled the eggs.” Reagan herded the girls into the kitchen and toward the table where Marcus was sitting with a coffee mug in front of him.
“Mornin’,” Marcus nodded toward two empty chairs.
“Would either of you like some coffee?” Reagan asked. Sierra looked at me and when I nodded, she hopped up to join Reagan and grab our mugs.
“Good night last night?” Marcus asked with one eyebrow raised.
“Fantastic,” I smiled at him and then looked toward my daughter when I heard her gasp.
Leia and Lexi were both staring at me in shock and when Leia whispered something in Lexi’s ear and then Holly’s ear, they all started to giggle.
“Did you and my mom go on a date last night?” Lexi asked me directly.
“We did.” I smiled.
“Did you pick her up this morning before you drove over here?” Leia asked me.
“Well, she rode with me.”
“I know that. What I’m saying is, did you have to leave our house by yourself and drive to her house where she was waiting alone for you this morning?” Leia knew me well and had already figured out how to word her questions to get direct answers, knowing I would never lie to her face if I could help it.
“Nope.”
Leia’s smile grew slowly as she put the details together and when she leaned over to whisper to Lexi and Holly, I saw their jaws drop.
“Does your girl always cross examine you so thoroughly?” Marcus asked with a laugh. “She’s got a future in law, I can see it in her already.”
“She doesn’t miss much,” I agreed. “It’s hell to try and get secrets past her.”
Sierra came back into the dining room carrying two mugs and slid one in front of me before she sat down in the chair next to mine.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” I told Sierra with a smile. Her eyes lit up when she caught sight of the three girls with their mouths hanging open in shock.
“You’re welcome, honey.” Sierra smiled back and it was hard not to laugh when I heard the girls gasp collectively.
“Cheesy scrambled eggs for everyone!�
�� Reagan announced as he walked in from the kitchen. He and Marcus started lifting the lids off the other dishes on the table and I saw that they had gone all out with breakfast this morning. We had waffles, bacon, sausage, fresh fruit, and the eggs Reagan had just finished.
Marcus started serving - first Reagan and then himself - before he passed the plate of waffles around. I decided to take my cue from Marcus and serve Sierra before I served myself. She smiled and even blushed a little at the attention.
When the fruit bowl came around, I stirred it up and shook my head rather than asking her if she would like some. Sierra smiled brightly and passed the bowl over to the girls who were still watching our every move.
“Why didn’t you give my mom any? She loves fruit,” Lexi asked with her head tilted and her eyes calculating.
“She’s allergic to raspberries,” I reminded her with a smile. “She can’t eat the fruit today.”
“Oh, I had no idea!” Reagan said from his end of the table. “I’m so sorry! I’ve got some melon left in the kitchen if you’d like to have that.”
“Yes, please,” Sierra smiled.
Reagan started to get up, but I waved him off. “I’ll grab it.”
When I walked back in with the bowl for Sierra, the girls were grinning ear to ear. They started whispering to each other and Marcus cleared his throat.
“When do you work next, Sierra?” Reagan asked.
“Last night was the soft opening and our official open date is this coming Saturday. Maria was happy with the way it went and wants to make a few changes to the seating area along with adding some more flavors of soda. She’s also getting ready to stock the bar and hire a bartender since her liquor license should be valid by then.”
“So, you have a week off?” Marcus asked. “That sounds like just the right amount of time for what you need to do.”
“Is it?” I asked him. Marcus nodded and I glanced over at Sierra just in time to see a smile cross her face.
“I’ve got that paperwork drawn up that you asked for and my brother and his wife will be here within the hour so they can act as witnesses when you sign.”
“Can I talk to you alone for a minute before we get to that?” Sierra asked Marcus shyly.
“Of course,” he nodded.
“Reagan, will you come in there while I talk to Marcus?”
“Sure,” Reagan said, his face concerned.
“It’s nothing major, I just want to see if Marcus could add a certain stipulation to the paperwork.”
“What paperwork?” Leia asked.
“Mind your own,” I said softly to my daughter and she quickly apologized for butting into their conversation. “You three are going to go in there and leave me out here alone with the interrogation squad, aren’t you?”
“Just tell them that you won’t answer any questions without your attorney present.” Marcus laughed.
“I packed some clothes for both of you, so while Reagan and I are in there with Marcus, you can shower and change,” Sierra told our girls.
“And when I get out of there, I’m taking the three of you to the salon for manis and pedis,” Reagan told the girls.
They squealed in delight and I saw Marcus wince at the noise just like I did.
It was hard not to laugh as they shoveled their food into their mouths so they could run upstairs and get ready for their spa time. When they asked in unison if they could be excused from the table, I cringed.
Once they were gone I asked, “Does anyone else find it creepy that they do things in perfect unison?”
Marcus nodded and so did Reagan.
“You think that’s bad,” Sierra laughed. “Wait until they get a little older and their periods sync up.”
◆◆◆
Sierra
“What did you need to talk to me about, Sierra? Are you having second thoughts?” Marcus asked me as soon as the office door shut behind us.
“And 95th and 96th,” I laughed. “No, that’s really not what it is. I would like to see if you could put something extra in the paperwork for Rowdy.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Marcus said as he spun his chair toward his computer monitor. “What is it?”
“I’d like to purchase the land that he’s living on, along with the house, and give it to him free and clear under his name as a wedding gift,” I told the two men. “He said that you had been helping him, Reagan, so can you do this for me? Handling the real estate part?”
“That is so sweet, honey,” Reagan smiled. “He’s wanted that land for years, but his credit just wasn’t solid enough to get a loan that size.”
“Is it for sale at a fair price?” I asked.
“Very fair. Nicole offered it to him way below market value because he’s been such a help to her with the horses and he’s agreed to keep them and any other rescues she gets there for free.”
“Can you find out what the actual value is for it all and pay that instead? I’ll have the money and there’s no sense in her getting less than she should.”
“We’ll make the offer as soon as you have the money in hand.”
“Okay,” I shrugged. “That’s all I wanted to ask. Can you wait until after we’re married to tell him?”
“I can do that,” Marcus and Reagan agreed in unison causing all three of us to laugh. “I’ll go see about wrangling the girls and send Rowdy in here for you two to start going over things.”
“Thank you so much, Reagan.”
“Of course, Sierra. We love Rowdy and consider him and Leia our family. Now we get to add you and Lexi too.” Reagan hugged me and then hurried out the office door.
“Are you sure about this, Sierra?” Marcus asked me seriously. “I respect the hell out of Rowdy and I know he’d never hurt you or your daughter, but I want to make sure that you don’t feel like you’ve been painted into a corner.”
“Honestly?” I shrugged and then laughed softly. “I’m excited.”
Marcus nodded, “Good. That’s what I wanted to hear.”
“Are we ready to get this party started?” Rowdy asked as he came into the office and shut the door behind him.
“I’m ready if you two are,” Marcus began as he slid two documents across the table, one toward each of us. “Let’s start on page one and go through it line by line.”
◆◆◆
ROWDY
“Lout, Willow, this is Sierra Guthrie, my future wife,” I said with a smile as I introduced Sierra to two more of my friends.
“Congratulations,” Lout said, but it sounded almost like a question. “I didn’t realize you were engaged.”
“He proposed last night with a spider ring I gave him after I beat him at skee ball,” Sierra deadpanned. “Most romantic proposal ever.”
Lout and Willow both raised their eyebrows but didn’t say a word, which caused Marcus, Sierra, and I to laugh together for a minute before I explained what was going on.
“That’s why Marcus needs us to witness some documents?” Lout asked.
“Yes, it’s a prenup that Rowdy suggested,” Marcus explained. “We’ve been through it line by line and ironed out some extra details already. Those will be an addendum on the final page and will require a seperate set of signatures from all of us.”
“Take him to the cleaners, sister!” Willow cheered. Lout just shook his head at his wife with a smile. “I’m nosy. What were the things you added?”
“I added that I wanted to start a trust fund for Leia to secure her college education,” Sierra told Willow.
“And I wanted something in there that says if we have a problem between us, we will attend counseling for at least six months before either of us do something drastic like file for divorce,” I explained.
“Can you do that? Force someone to go to counseling?” Lout asked.
“You can force them to go, but you can’t force them to listen,” Marcus answered his brother. “It’s actually a good idea. It will hopefully keep either of them from acting irrationally.”
“I want to add that to our existing contract,” Lout told Marcus.
“I didn’t sign a contract, you goof,” Willow pushed his shoulder. “As if you’d go see a therapist.”
“For you, I would,” Lout pulled her close and kissed her before he sat down in the last available chair and pulled her down onto his lap.
For the next few minutes, Marcus explained the details of the document, giving each of them the highlights before he asked them to witness Sierra and I signing them and then put them in front of Willow and Lout to sign, too.
“In the next few days, the two of them are going to get married and it would be a good idea if the two of you were there to witness that, also,” Marcus explained to his brother and sister-in-law. “It will sort of bring this full circle.”
“Sure,” Lout shrugged. “Just let us know when and where.”
“I want to get everyone together in one place, or at least everyone that can make it, so that they can meet Lexi and Sierra and welcome them to the family.” I stared at Lout and then looked over at Marcus before continuing, “I want her to see who has her back now and know that she’s not alone anymore.”
Lout nodded slowly and smiled his evil grin that I knew meant he was thinking of doing damage to someone somewhere.
“That’s his caveman way of saying, ‘Welcome to the family!’” Willow laughed. “You’ve picked the right bunch - the women in this family can throw a blowout wedding with only a day or two’s planning. We’ve had experience - first with my sister and then with me.”
“I have no idea where to start!” Sierra whispered. “I thought this was going to be in the courthouse with just a few witnesses. I only have a few people I’d like to invite, but I guess Rowdy has enough to fill up the space on my side of the aisle, too.”
“More than enough!” I laughed. “We’re going to take a pre-honeymoon with the kiddos and head to Austin, then we’ll be back for the wedding.”
“How are you going to plan a wedding while you’re on vacation?” Willow asked.
“Kari,” I smiled. “Between her and Sarah along with the other girls, we’ll be set.”