Her Dream Cowboy

by Laura Ann

  She shook her head. “If I did something wrong, then I don’t think I’m the problem,” she grumbled as she approached the large barn. Her eyes misted over as she shoved the door to the side. She kept moving and walked right up to Romeo’s stall, but the horse wasn’t inside. Mumbling under her breath, Scarlett turned and looked around. Down at the end of the walkway, another horse was peeking over the pen, looking at her curiously.

  Scarlett’s shoulder tension eased as she headed toward the pen. “Hey, girl.” Scarlett looked at the nameplate. “Hey, Dolly. How are you?”

  Dolly huffed and bobbed her head in the air.

  Scarlett smiled and leaned against the stall door. “I need someone to talk to. You up for a little girl talk?” She chuckled when Dolly nodded. Scarlett ran her hand down Dolly’s neck. “What am I supposed to do with him, hmm?” she asked, enjoying the smooth feel of the horse's hair. “He’s so hot and cold.” Scarlett put her forehead against Dolly’s neck. “I thought I was falling for him, but now I don’t know. Maybe I was wrong. I mean...I deserve better than what he’s been doing this week.” She paused and chewed her lip, then straightened and looked Dolly in the eye. “Don’t I?”

  Dolly blew out a breath.

  Scarlett huffed and shook her head. “I don’t even know what to think anymore. It’s all such a mess.” A sharp pain pulsed in her chest. “I like him a lot, Dolly. I think I might even be close to loving him.” The tears that had been welling up finally spilled over. “But what if he doesn’t feel the same?”

  NOAH WATCHED LETTIE walk away. He was torn between following her and letting her have the solitude she obviously needed. As an employee of the ranch, it was his job to make sure she was having a good time and Noah had been trying to do that, which is why he let her walk away. As a man who thought he was falling in love with her, he’d wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her frustration, but Noah wasn’t listening to that voice this week. He’d worked hard to set aside his attraction this last week and treat her like any other guest, but it had been hard.

  Trent’s words on Sunday had gotten to Noah, but he hadn’t found the courage to approach Lettie about them. Instead, he’d backed off and watched, hoping to see what her behavior said about her motivations. So far he’d gotten a big fat nothing. Except for Lettie’s irritation, of course. She’d pressed him several times during the week as to why he was being so stiff, but Noah had chickened out every time. Confronting her made the betrayal all the more real, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for that.

  “Dude,” Levi called, jogging over to stand next to Noah. “Are you going to go after her?”

  Noah shrugged. “She wanted a few minutes alone,” he said lamely.

  Levi eyed Noah and Noah put his gaze on the rope he had in his hands. “What’s wrong with you?”

  Noah scowled. “What?”

  “You’ve been off all week. What’s wrong? Did you and Scarlett have a fight?”

  Noah shook his head. “Nothing like that. I just...” He scratched his scruffy chin. “I just think maybe it isn’t going to work.”

  Levi raised an eyebrow and put his hands on his hips. It was time like this that reminded Noah just how much bigger his best friend was than him. Levi’s stance was slightly intimidating. “Why?”

  Noah backed up a little and glanced at their audience. “Thanks, folks,” he said with a wide, forced smile. “If you want to take a little break, your helpers will be in touch soon with what we have planned next.” He waited a few minutes while the group shifted away from him and Levi. Betsy was one of the last ones to leave, but Levi nodded at her, urging her to give them a minute, which she eventually did.

  “Okay, now what’s going on?” Levi jumped right in when they were finally by themselves.

  Noah huffed. “Nothing, really. I just realized that it might be better to slow things down. She’s leaving in just a couple of days.” He kept his eyes on the rope. He wound and rewound it, his hand tightening in his frustration.

  “That’s nice,” Levi said with a snort. “Now how about the truth?”

  Noah scowled at his friend, then deflated. “I heard a rumor that she’s not who I thought she was.”

  “A rumor?”

  Noah nodded.

  “Have you talked to Scarlett?”

  Noah shook his head.

  “Then how are you supposed to know if it’s true?” Levi glared. “Only an idiot would believe something without checking it out.”

  “I know.” Noah sighed. He looked up at Levi. “But what if it’s true?”

  “What if it’s not?”

  Noah nodded. “Guess I should find out, huh?” His heart began to pound at the idea of confronting Lettie. It had been horrible keeping himself from her all week, but the idea of being used had overpowered the need. Not knowing has to be the worst place to be, though, he mused. One way or another, I have to get this settled. Both of us will be miserable otherwise.

  “Let me know how it goes,” Levi said softly as Noah walked past him.

  Noah gave Levi a chin tilt, then took a deep breath and headed for the barn. Despite the fact that the barn was across the ranch, it seemed to take only seconds to reach the entrance. Noah peered inside, seeing Scarlett standing at the very end, next to Dolly’s pen. He sighed and stepped into the building, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the dim light. “Lettie?”

  Her head jerked his way, but she didn’t move from her spot.

  Fortifying himself, Noah marched down the walkway. “Hey,” he said awkwardly.

  “Hi.”

  Noah swallowed and looked around. Just do it, he told himself. It’ll never be over otherwise. Clenching his fists, Noah blurted out, “Are you using me?”

  Lettie jerked back as if she’d been slapped. “What?”

  “Is it true that you made a bet about being here?”

  Lettie’s eyes grew impossibly wide. “How did you hear about that?” she asked, her face completely drained of color.

  The frustration Noah had been hiding all week began to boil and he pushed it forward as the sting of betrayal hit him right in the chest. “It doesn’t matter how I heard about it. The fact is I did.”

  Lettie dropped his stare and Noah watched as tears slipped down her cheeks. “It’s not—”

  “I should have been able to see it from the beginning,” Noah mumbled over her whisper. He stepped back and shook his head. “It all happened too fast. It was too convenient.”

  Lettie looked up, her eyes red and her cheeks wet. Her look of despair nearly broke Noah, but he shoved the soft feelings aside. She USED me. She took my heart and planned to drop it as she drove away on Saturday morning. What kind of person does that?

  Lettie shook her head. “No...” she whispered hoarsely. “It wasn’t like that at all. I really do have feelings for you.” She reached out to him, but Noah stepped out of reach.

  “Yeah, just like you would for any cowboy who was gullible enough to fall for your sweet, innocent routine,” Noah sneered. He shook his head. “All that junk about your mom and reading romance novels.” He scoffed and pushed both hands through his hair, pulling on the roots. “How could I be so stupid?”

  Scarlett’s lips trembled and the tears continued, but her shocked face had morphed into anger and her skin began to flush a deep red. “That wasn’t junk,” she said thickly. “Those stories are true. Every single bit of it. My mother was always fascinated with country life. She raised me by herself and shared her dreams with me.” Her voice fell until it was barely audible. “She was my best friend. She also died when I was twelve.” Lettie swallowed hard and straightened her shoulders. “I’ve spent the last fourteen years growing up and then saving enough money to come fulfill her dream, which in and of itself was my dream.”

  Her green eyes were hard as they bore into Noah, and he found his anger starting to die down at her story. There was far too much emotion on it for everything to be fake. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I just misunderstood...

 
“But yes...there was a bet,” Lettie admitted.

  Noah’s betrayal slammed back into him like a two-by-four.

  “My best friend thought I was nuts to spend so much time chasing my mother’s dream. She also isn’t a fan of romance, so the novels are a source of teasing for her.” Lettie put her chin in the air. “Right after I found out I’d gotten into the ranch program, she teased me that if I kissed a cowboy, she’d treat me to a steak dinner.”

  Noah clenched his teeth. “Guess you won,” he said sharply.

  Lettie shook her head, her features softening, the anger turning to sadness. “The other part of the bet was that I had to fall in love,” she whispered.

  Noah paused, his heart thudding against his ribcage.

  “I accomplished that one too,” Lettie said so softly he could barely hear her. “But it looks like I lost in the end.” The tears began again in earnest and Lettie turned to Dolly, who had been unusually silent during the whole exchange. “Bye, girl,” she said. With a kiss on the horse’s nose, she pushed past Noah without another word.

  He stood stone still, unsure what had just happened. His head swirled with betrayal and Lettie’s heartfelt words. His heart went one way, but his head was pulling another. “What now?” he asked the silent barn, but no answer came to him. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as the conflicting emotions continued to war within him. “Time. I need time.” Walking to the tack room, Noah grabbed everything he needed to saddle a horse and go clear his head.

  CHAPTER 18

  Scarlett automatically reached to hold the bowl that was thrust into her hands.

  “Eat,” Jaz demanded. “You need to put some meat on those bones.”

  Scarlett stared into the bowl of ice cream, but for the first time in her life, she had no desire to enjoy its sweet, icy goodness. In fact, she hadn’t had a desire for anything for the last two weeks. After her misunderstanding with Noah, Scarlett had immediately gone back to her cabin and packed up. Her heart had been completely shattered at Noah’s accusations. She’d gone to the house to explain her departure to the MacMillans, grateful she hadn’t run into Noah, said goodbye to Betsy, then had driven straight home. There was no part of her that could stay at the ranch. Everything enticing about it had disappeared when Noah had accused her of using him.

  I guess that’s what happens when you fall in love with someone in less than two weeks.

  A tear dripped off her nose as she continued to stare into space, not picking up the spoon on the coffee table. The more she had thought about the situation, the more Scarlett felt like it was all her fault. She had made Noah feel like the important part of him was the fact he was born on a ranch, when that couldn’t have been further from the truth. Her single-mindedness in accomplishing her mother’s goal had ended up costing her the very thing she had begun to treasure the most.

  The man she loved.

  “Hey, sis, come on.” Jaz picked up the spoon and waved it in front of Scarlett’s face. “You love cookie dough.”

  “Not as much as I love him,” Scarlett whispered hoarsely.

  Jaz threw herself back against the couch and sighed. “Scar, you can’t keep doing this to yourself.” She sat up and turned on her hip so she was facing her best friend. “I know you’re hurt, sweetie. I get it. He broke your heart. But he’s not worth two weeks of misery. There are so many more people out there.”

  Scarlett wanted to throw the bowl against the wall, but she forced herself to stay calm. Jaz didn’t get it. Scarlett didn’t want someone else. She wanted Noah.

  “The guy is total scum for accusing you of something so mercenary.” Jaz tsked her tongue. “He doesn’t deserve your loyalty.” She combed her fingers through Scarlett’s hair. “Give it time. You’ll meet someone new and it’ll be like this never happened. In fact, I’ll bet we can even find you another cowboy if you want.”

  Scarlett leaned forward and set her ice cream on the coffee table. “You don’t understand, Jaz.” She shook her head and stood up on wobbly legs. Scarlett couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten anything substantial. Food tasted like ash in her mouth and her stomach rebelled any time she swallowed. “I don’t want anyone else.” Scarlett looked at her friend, her hands clenched into fists. She knew Jaz meant well, but she’d never been in love. She had no idea how Scarlett felt in this exact moment. “I want the man whose chuckle sends shivers down my spine. I want the man who kissed me good morning and danced around the fire with me at night. I want the man who teased me and tugged on my hair when he was happy. I want the man who loved to watch me discover new things around the ranch. The man who could tame a horse with a single word.” She took in a shuddering breath. “I want Noah.” She held her stomach as it churned. “And it’s my fault I don’t have him.”

  She put her hands over her face and collapsed back on the couch, crying hard. Her stomach hurt and her chest felt like it was caving in. She’d spent so much of her life dreaming of being on a ranch, and in the short course of less than two weeks, her dreams had changed completely. Scarlett didn’t care if Noah was a cowboy or a politician. He was the perfect man for her, and she’d ruined it by her obsession over her mother’s dream.

  Jaz’s hand rubbed circles on Scarlett’s back. “Scar...I’m gonna say something you don’t want to hear, but as your best friend, it’s my duty to say it anyway.”

  Scarlett dropped her hands and grabbed for a tissue. “Go ahead,” she whimpered. “It’s not going to change anything.”

  “Okay then.” Jaz took a deep breath. “Any man who isn’t willing to talk out an argument with you isn’t worth your time.”

  Scarlett’s head snapped up and she opened her mouth to retort, but Jaz held up a finger. “On the other hand, your obsession with all things cowboy and ranch-related is enough to drive even the most sane man to drink.”

  This time Scarlett didn’t even try to fight. She let herself fall back against the cushions, wounded that Jaz would speak to her that way.

  “Now...I know that you didn’t like Noah simply because he was a cowboy. I know that,” Jaz assured Scarlett, “but I also know you. Noah had only known you a few days, and I’ll bet you mentioned cowboys a few hundred times while you were there.” She raised an eyebrow and Scarlett reluctantly nodded.

  “You know I adore you, Scar, but the amount you talk about it is crazy.” Jaz grinned. “And it’s also part of why I love you so much. When you put your heart into something, you put your whole heart in. You were raised by a single mom and then your grandmother, yet you came out fighting. You wanted to be independent with a job? You made it work with no money to your name. You promised your mom you’d fulfill her dream? You’ve worked every day for years to make it happen.” She grabbed Scarlett’s hands and squeezed them tight. “But you’ve been so caught up in keeping those promises that when your dream was right in front of you, you couldn’t focus on it properly.” Jaz sighed, her shoulders dropping. “I have no doubt that Noah loved your enthusiasm and excitement for the ranch, but he also wanted you to be excited about him. I can’t say I blame the guy.”

  Scarlett shook her head. “I don’t either. I did it all wrong.”

  “No, you didn’t do it all wrong,” Jaz assured her. “You did that wrong, but you also did a lot of things right. You convinced a moody cowboy to give you a try. You made Noah laugh and smile. You opened his eyes to new possibilities. And I would venture to say you showed him what the love of a good woman does.”

  Scarlett laughed through her tears, but there was no amusement in it. “That sounds like something out of a Western.”

  “Got that straight from the Duke’s mouth, thank you very much,” Jaz’s lips curled up into a half-grin.

  Scarlett couldn’t help but smile and shake her head, remembering how much Jaz complained when Scarlett put on any John Wayne movie.

  “But Scar” —Jaz grew solemn again— “Noah also screwed up. He shouldn’t have accused you of anything without talking it out. He shoul
d have come to you when he heard about the bet.” Jaz winced. “Sorry for that, by the way.”

  Scarlett patted her friend’s hand. “The problem wasn’t the bet,” she assured Jaz. “It was all in fun and if he can’t see that, then...” Scarlett chewed on her bottom lip, fighting the rest of the sentence.

  Jaz shrugged. “If he can’t handle that, it’s better to know now.” Jaz let go of Scarlett’s hands and leaned back against the cushions. “So, now what?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Are you going to go after him? Or what?”

  Scarlett’s eyes grew wide. “I think he made himself perfectly clear, Jaz. He thinks I used him to win a bet.” Scarlett shrunk into the cushions. “I can’t imagine what he’d say if I tried to approach him.”

  Jaz pursed her lips. “If he loves you, he’ll be more than willing to speak to you again.”

  “I don’t know...” Scarlett shook her head. “And we don’t know that he loves me. He never said.” Scarlett sniffed, the hurt in her chest beginning to throb again. “If he felt that way about me, don’t you think he’d text or something?”

  Jaz twisted her lips to the side. “Yeah...but maybe he has a good reason for the radio silence.”

  Scarlett shrugged, trying to convince herself she didn’t care, but the pain that pulsed with every beat of her heart told her otherwise. Scarlett let her head fall onto Jaz’s shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re here with me, Jaz. You’re the best.”

  “I’m just glad you didn’t get to drag me to the ranch,” Jaz mumbled. “Sounds like I missed that disaster by the skin of my teeth.”

  MY NAME IS JAZ. I’M Scarlett’s best friend. We need to talk.