by Hope Moore
“Allie, are you okay?” Wade jumped between her and the calves, dropping his bottles as he held his hands out to her.
She swallowed hard and tried not to think about what she was laying in. “I’m fine. Oh gosh, I stink,” she squeaked, feeling squeamish.
He laughed. “Sorry. It happens. Here, take my hands and let’s get you out of here and cleaned up.”
She looked up at him with his contagious smile. Her heart lifted and she smiled back at him, not caring hardly at all that her back was wet and she stunk. She slipped her hands into his and let him tug her to her feet. One of the calves broke past Wade and head-butted her in the hip. She yelped and suddenly found herself scooped up into Wade’s arms.
“Oh.” She gasped. “What are you doing?”
He smiled. “I’m rescuing you.”
“But I stink and I’m getting that—that nasty muck on my back on you.”
“I’m a cowboy. I work in muck half the time. Besides, I missed saving you from falling into it. I deserve to suffer just like you. Are you okay?”
She was floored by his attitude. “I’m fine. But I still feel bad for you. I’m really icky.”
He stopped at the gate and his gaze swept over her face. “You’re really lovely.”
“No,” she denied.
His eyes drilled into her. “Yes. Really.”
Allie’s throat went dry. “Okay, but I’m dying here from the fumes engulfing me.”
“Okay, your wish is my command. If you’ll unhook the chain, I’ll sweep you out of here and dump you in a trough somewhere.”
She reached for the chain and was laughing as he carried her through the gate, then waited for her to hook the chain back. He grinned at her then continued to carry her even though the calves were not slamming into her any longer. Her hands had somehow wrapped around his neck and she wasn’t sure she would let go when he got her to wherever he was taking her.
“Where is this trough my knight in cowboy boots and Stetson is taking me to get cleaned up?” she asked, trying to keep the sudden longing she was feeling hidden beneath a lighthearted tone.
“Right over there. But I’m not tossing you into a trough. A simple water hose will do.”
She saw where he pointed. A water hose was hooked up to a water line at the end of the small barn. Her hands tightened around him and she realized she was wishing he would walk really slow so she could continue to enjoy the feeling of being in his arms, of being held between them and his hard chest.
When they reached the faucet, all too soon, he gently set her on her feet and she reluctantly let go of him…and fought hard to not look as if she were struggling. “I see that. I had no idea all this was involved in feeding those cute little fellas out there.” She turned the nozzle on and handed him the water hose. “Spray me down, please.”
He laughed. “Of course you didn’t. And I would be glad to spray you down, and me too. We both stink to high heaven.”
She gaped at him. “You said you were used to it.”
“I am, but we still smell terrible. Not to mention we are pretty gross.”
“I agree. Now spray, please.”
She didn’t have to ask again; he pulled the trigger on the nozzle at the end of the hose and blasted her back with a heavy stream of water. She giggled and then, unable to help herself, she surprised him by grabbing the nozzle from his hands and shooting him down with a stream of water.
“Hey, that wasn’t fair.” He laughed and then tried to take it back. She dodged him and then hooted with laughter as he grabbed her hands and the water sprayed him in the face, knocking his hat off and soaking his hair. “That is so not fair,” he said, his words garbled as the water got him momentarily in the mouth.
She dropped the hose then, overcome with laughter. “I know, right? But oh, it was so fun.”
They stood there, smiling and laughing and dripping, as they stared at each other.
He lifted a hand and pushed some hair from her face. Water streamed down her chin. “I think maybe we better find you another job.”
She gasped. “Hey, buster, I think not. I’m doing this job. I’m not a quitter. I’ll get better at it. I mean, really, I can’t get worse, so things are already looking up.”
“You have a point. And you’ll get it figured out.” He grinned at her. “So, I have to go into town later this afternoon. I’m going to have to pick up some supplies. Want to ride into town with me?”
“Yes.” She was going to enjoy going to see the little town and well, she was going to have to fit in for three months, so there was no better time to check everything out than right now. “I want to. I guess I can change before we go?” She was soaking wet and still stunk. She might be rinsed off but she was far from clean.
“I think that would be really good. Who knows—I may change too.”
They laughed and headed toward the truck, detouring so he could go back into the pen to grab the bottles from the ground where the calves were still trying to get milk from them and having little luck.
She laughed when he held the dented bottles up. “They pretty much did these in.”
“I’m so sorry I lost hold of them.”
“Not a problem. I have plenty where these came from,” he said, as he came back to the fence, tossed the bottles outside the fence then had to shoo the calves back before coming back out of the gate and locking it behind him.
When they reached the truck Allie stopped. “Oh no, we’re going to mess up the inside of your truck.”
“It’ll clean up.”
“But I’m soaked. And that crud that still lingers on my back is far from sanitary.”
“You’re fine. This is my work truck. Believe me, ranch work gets messy. If I was always worrying about my truck, then I wouldn’t get any work done.”
She conceded with a sigh. This wasn’t the truck he’d been driving when he drove into the truck stop and brought her here in after the wedding. That truck had been top of the line. This one was plain, with the McCoy’s Rocking M Ranch logo on the side. “Okay, if you say so.”
“I say so. Now, up you go.” He’d opened the door and now held her elbow as she stepped up on the running board and then sat on the edge of the seat. “You can lean back.”
“I know. I’m having to ease into it.”
His lips twitched and he laid a hand on her knee, which warmed her damp skin instantly. “You are not going to hurt the seat.”
And then he stepped back and closed the door. She watched him as she sat there with her hand on her knee where his hand had been, feeling the warm tingle of awareness that remained where he’d touched her.
Chapter Nine
The town was cute. It was the usual rustic Texas town with a square that looked like if given a chance could die. The reality was there wasn’t a whole lot there. Dixie’s Diner was a little building at the end of a sidewalk with more empty old buildings than filled. There were a couple of antiques stores and trucks that told the story of ranching communities.
“Stonewall isn’t a big place. We have Fredericksburg on one side of us, a powerhouse of shopping and tourism, and then we have Johnson City on the other end. It’s a tourist attraction, too, and a great place. So we get people passing through but our businesses struggle and come and go. There’s a lot going on around Stonewall, with all the ranches, and peach farms and wineries. And of course, the presidential state park. But none of it is enough to help us compete. Dixie’s hangs in there, though, and caters to cowboys wanting home-cooked food and great desserts. I do my main business at either of the other two towns.”
She was a little disappointed that there wasn’t more here but she knew both Fredericksburg and Johnson City were really busy places and she could get anything she might need there. Not that she needed anything.
As he parked the truck in front of Dixie’s Diner, she spotted a flash of color down the road. “What’s that?”
“That is a new place just started last year. You know, the Wildflower Farms
on the edge of Fredericksburg draws a ton of people to come look at all their wildflowers and to buy the seeds and take them home with them. Well, Martha and Amos got the idea that there was room for more than the one wildflower business and so they started up. It’s a lot smaller but they do grow some beautiful flowers and their business is growing since they’re right here on the main road. They’re going to expand since they happened to own the land for generations and just wanted to see if they could compete. So far so good.”
“That’s really wonderful. I’m going to want to see it. And it’s been a long time since I went to Wildflower Farms.”
“Then I’ll take you. This time of year, they have a lot blooming. And I have to run to Fredericksburg to see my lawyer, so that will be a good time to go.”
“Perfect. You just tell me when and I’ll clear my calendar.”
They both laughed and didn’t get out of the truck.
“You know, you live in a pretty neat area.”
“It is. Most of the ranches have been here a lot of years. Some are selling out as the kids grow up and don’t want to take over, so hands are changing.”
“Gladly not yours, though.”
“Thanks to you.”
They stared at each other and a feeling of companionship filled the truck. She liked it. She realized she’d not actually felt this close to a man, ever.
He pulled his gaze from her and looked down the street before returning his gaze to her. “It’s a good place. Although, I have to tell you it’s not the greatest place if you’re a guy looking to marry. There are fewer women in this place than men, being that it’s a ranching community. You can imagine there’s a lot more cowboys than women.”
“Really? Is that why you’re not married? Well, I mean weren’t married.” She smiled at him and the sun-bronzed skin around his eyes crinkled.
“Yeah, don’t forget you married me. But no, that wasn’t the reason. Okay, here it is. I’ve been burned by women more times than I care to look back on. They all seemed more interested in what I had to bring to the table—the money, not me as a person. I got tired of it. And then I met Delta. She conned me so bad, twisted me around her finger and had me thinking marriage. Then I found out she had another fella on the side and I was just the bank account. I’ve been sour ever since. And I don’t talk about her, ever. So, now you know.”
He’d been hurt. Really hurt. “You cared for her.” It wasn’t a question. She could tell he had. She wouldn’t have had the power to hurt him like this if he hadn’t.
“Yes, and I was a fool. I’m not keen on being a fool.”
No, he wouldn’t be. “I’ve been a fool, too, so don’t feel like you’re alone. Thankfully, Ginny has kept me from being a fool in trouble.”
“I really like your friend Ginny and am glad you’ve had her helping you out.”
She smiled. “Her and Loretta.”
“That’s really a scary thought.” He shook his head. “Are you ready to eat? I have to go down to the feed store and pick up a few things but we never ate lunch and wrestling with calves makes a man hungry.”
“Food sounds good.”
They climbed from the truck just as a woman strode out of the antique store down the sidewalk. She was headed to the diner, too, it appeared.
An older woman, she wore jeans, boots, and a Western shirt. Her gray hair was pulled back in a long ponytail that hung down her back. She wasn’t a big woman but had the leathered skin of a woman who’d spent time outside working. Allie knew a person could get that leathered look by sitting too long by a pool, too, but this woman did not look as though she spent time relaxing by a pool. She hustled down the street with movements of a much younger woman. And the moment she spotted them, her face broke into a grin. It was hard to tell her age but Allie had a feeling she was younger than her leathered skin let on. Maybe seventy-five when her skin said eighty. Her sage-green eyes danced with merriment as she stopped on the sidewalk to look at Allie and Wade.
“Well, look here. I heard you brought a bride home. At long last. Wade, son, your granddaddy would be so happy.”
Allie didn’t say anything, just gave the woman a smile and looked at Wade for direction.
Wade was smiling and he reached out and gave the woman a hug. “Hey, Penny, good to see you. And yes, this is Allie. We got married just the other day. And what’s this you mean, my granddaddy would be happy?”
Allie heard the wariness in his words and curiosity got to her. “Hi, Penny. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise, young lady. You look like you can keep this young man in line. And Wade, as for your granddaddy being happy—well, I know everything about that will that you got three months ago. Your granddaddy discussed it with me. And just so you know, there are some things that you might have not known. We might need to talk.”
Wade looked a little bit confused. “He discussed it with you? Penny, why didn’t you tell me this? It’s been three months. And what do you mean, you know some things about it that I don’t know?”
Penny crossed her arms and gave him a grin. “He just discussed it with me. He thought that somebody close to the family needed to know all the particulars of it, aside from the lawyer. Even though him and Cal are—were great buddies. You know, son, there’s some things you don’t put on paper. And me being as good a friend to your granddaddy and grandma all these years, I’m the one he came to. Therefore, I know that this young lady is beautiful and nice and that she and you married for the benefit of inheriting your granddaddy’s land. No negativity toward you, Allie. Actually, I’m excited about it. Son, you showed initiative, doing what your granddaddy asked you to do. Something I wasn’t sure you would be able to make yourself do since you have such an aversion to wedding—just never showed much of an effort at getting there. He was worried about that.”
“I know he was. Look, we’re standing out here on the sidewalk discussing all this. We were about to have lunch. Want to join us?”
“Don’t mind if I do. I was just heading there myself. Let’s grab a booth at the back. I don’t really reckon you want a lot of people overhearing this conversation. I don’t think it would be right by Allie for a lot of people to know y’alls marriage particulars.”
Wade nodded and stepped back to allow them both to move. “I agree wholeheartedly, Penny.” He splayed his hand in a sweep to allow them to go forward. “After you, ladies.”
Allie went along with the couple. Her curiosity was getting the better of her. It seemed that Wade’s will from his granddaddy was getting a little more complicated than it already was. A man who left his grandson an ultimatum of three months to getting married or lose an entire, humongous, thousands of acres and millions or even more dollars’ worth of land and property—in her mind, well, to her it sounded as if he had something missing up there. But from what everyone said, he did it out of concern. But whatever the reason, she was along for the ride and growing closer to Wade, and more and more curious about how this all played out for him. She wanted the best for him. And she hoped that Penny wasn’t about to tell him something he didn’t want to hear.
They entered the diner. It was not packed considering it was now almost two o’clock. They had planned on having a late lunch and it certainly was. The waitress smiled at Wade and said hello in a manner that made Allie think she had at one time—or still did—wished or wanted more from Wade than the smile he gave her. It struck Allie then that as handsome as Wade was and as well known, he probably got that look from a lot of women. And that was part of his problem. It reminded her that when he had entered the truck stop and had been sitting at that table alone and looking so dejected, she had done something for him that was probably refreshing: she had asked out of concern whether he was okay. Maybe he’d sensed she hadn’t had an ulterior motive behind her sincere question. Or just been so desperate he would have told anyone his problem. She wanted to believe it was a reaction to her specifically. And that was a growing problem for her because three months would be
the end of her relationship with him.
She was glad that she knew nothing about him. But she knew herself well enough to know that his money would not have made a difference about how she’d reacted to him.
Once they’d slid into the booth, Penny didn’t waste any time. She looked up at the waitress. “Carla, I’ll have my usual and today I’m going to splurge and have half a glass of sweet tea in my unsweet. I’m celebrating Wade and Allie gettin’ married.”
The waitress smiled but it looked as if she were in pain at the effort. “You got married?” She let out a breath and then forced her smile to widen. “That’s real nice. I guess the good ones always do. Congratulations.”
Allie actually felt sorry for the woman.
“Thank you,” Wade said, giving his attention to Allie. “I think I did well. This is Allie.”
Carla handled it well, though Allie saw the skin around her mouth stiffen as she forced her smile wider. “Nice to meet you. Can I take your order?”
And the uncomfortable situation was over. Wade ordered a chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and black-eyed peas. “They have the best chicken fried steak in the state as far as I’m concerned.”
She glanced at the menu and looked up at Carla. “I couldn’t eat the chicken fried steak—it’s a little bit heavy for me. But I’d like to try that club sandwich if at all possible.”
Carla tapped her pen on the pad she was holding and then gave her a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’ll put that down and that would actually be my choice, too. They make a good club sandwich. The bacon’s fresh and so is the tomato. It’s from the garden.”