Second Chance Cowboy--A Clean Romance

by Claire McEwen

  “It’s not like that. I thought it would be a good chance for him to get to know more people around Shelter Creek. If he’s going to be working with me, people need to know who he is.”

  “Ah. I see.” Her mother pressed her lips together as if she were trying not to laugh.

  “It’s professional,” Emily insisted. “He also helped save an eagle this week. So he has his own personal stake in the wildlife center now.”

  “He saved an eagle? How?”

  Emily told the story of Wes lying in the mud with an eagle on his stomach. When she’d finished, her mother was dabbing tears of laughter from the corner of her eyes. “Oh, my goodness, that boy is tenacious, isn’t he? Good for him. Are you glad he came back to Shelter Creek?”

  “I think so,” Emily said. “It seems to be going well.” She wasn’t actually sure that was true. Everything seemed to be changing between her and Wes. From floundering and laughing at the edge of the eagle pond, to cracking her up while they were driving to see clients, Wes had become, once again, the person who made her laugh the hardest. The person who seemed to understand what she was thinking. The person she could be most herself with.

  Maybe they could be good friends. Years ago they’d started out that way before things turned romantic. Perhaps that friendship was what had survived after all their heartache. And if they were friends, it didn’t much matter what she wore tonight.

  Relieved, Emily grabbed the black dress and went into the bathroom to put it on. It fit better than she remembered, with a scoop neck and cap sleeves, a nipped-in waist and a full skirt. Emerging from the bathroom, she twirled in front of her mother.

  “Oh, it’s perfect,” her mom said. “I’d forgotten it was so pretty on you.” She stood up. “Hang on. I’ve got just the thing to go with it.” She left the room in a cloud of sweet perfume.

  Emily stepped into the pumps she’d purchased for her vet school graduation and quickly grabbed the edge of the dresser for support. Had these always been this high? She took a few tentative steps, hoping muscle memory might kick in. Slowly she found her balance and paced around the room, gaining some confidence.

  Her mother came back in. “You look beautiful. And this will help.” She fastened a single strand of rhinestones around Emily’s neck. “Understated, but it goes so well with that dress. Now, please, please, please let me put your hair up?”

  “I don’t need my hair up,” Emily protested.

  “You are my only daughter, and my only child and you’ve almost never let me play with your hair. It will look so elegant.” Meg picked up a strand and eyed it disapprovingly. “Especially because the ends are so dry. When was the last time you had a trim?”

  “I have no idea. There was a night a few months ago, at book club, where Monique insisted on snipping the ends off.” She smiled at the memory. “Maya and Vivian held me down in a chair. They were convinced I’d run away screaming halfway through.”

  “That book club of yours sounds quite rowdy.”

  “You should come sometime. Half the women are your age or older.”

  “That’s very sweet of you. But I’m not much of a reader.” Her mother sat her down in the chair and went into the bathroom, emerging with a brush and a handful of bobby pins. “Now hold still while I make you perfect.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Emily was seated at the dining room table sipping a glass of white wine her mother had poured. Her dad was pacing alongside her, looking dapper in a dark suit and tie. “I can’t believe Wes Marlow is taking you out on a date.” He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbed at his brow. “Why am I so nervous?”

  “Because our daughter rarely dates?” Her mother glanced at Emily in alarm. “Have you dated anyone since high school?”

  “Of course I have! There was that guy Matthew in college, and Pete, also in college. And there was this guy—”

  “I’m not sure I want to hear this.” Her father stopped pacing and slumped in his usual chair.

  “Dad, I’m thirty-two years old. Of course I’ve dated.”

  “But never like this. Going to a fancy dance. Leaving from our house. It’s like prom all over again.”

  “Except I never went to prom,” Emily reminded him.

  It was like prom all over again. When the doorbell rang, her father insisted on answering, shaking Wes’s hand and ushering him into the dining room.

  Wes looked so handsome in his black suit, with his crisp white dress shirt and tie that Emily suddenly got nervous. Especially when he handed her a box with a bracelet of flowers. “A corsage?” She stared at him in surprise. “I wasn’t expecting this.”

  “I figured I’ve owed you one for a long time.” Wes gave her a wry smile. “You don’t have to wear it if you don’t want.”

  Her mother took the box from Emily. “That’s much prettier than an average corsage. Well done, Wes.”

  “Here,” he said, stepping forward, “let me put it on.” Meg opened the box and Wes slipped the corsage around Emily’s wrist and tightened the band so it wouldn’t slide off. When he’d finished, his gaze met hers. “You look beautiful, by the way.”

  Emily’s skin heated. “Thank you.”

  “What a lovely gesture, Wes,” Meg said. “Now, before you go, I need photos.”

  “That’s okay, Mom, really.” Emily wanted to sink through the floor. She felt like she was a teenager all over again.

  “I was deprived of prom photos when you kids were in high school, so I get to have them now,” her mother insisted, laughing. “Plus, this is a historic moment with you two reunited and all dressed up.”

  “Come on.” There was laughter in Wes’s eyes when he looked at her. “You look amazing. Let’s get a couple photos. It can’t hurt.”

  “You all have lost your minds,” Emily grumbled, but she let Wes pull her gently into the living room.

  “In front of the fireplace, please,” her mother said, suddenly the photography expert. She had her phone out, ready to go.

  “Okay, what are traditional prom poses?” Wes put an arm around Emily’s shoulder. “Like this?”

  When did he get so strong and tall and warm? It was all Emily could do to keep from stepping closer, so she’d be tucked right up against him.

  “Now, Wes, do that one where you stand behind her,” her mother ordered. “You know, and I take the photo from the side? That’s classic prom, right?”

  “A little more sideways,” her father advised.

  “This is getting embarrassing,” Emily complained.

  “It’s nice,” Wes murmured in her ear. “I just wish we had some real prom photos to compare these to.”

  She didn’t want to think about that night. She’d been so very sad. “One more pose,” she told her parents. “We don’t want to be late.”

  Her mother waved her hand in the air. “Wes, spin her around, like you’re dancing.”

  Wes obliged, raising his hand so Emily could twirl around in a circle. She couldn’t help laughing, it was so ridiculous. Wes finished the turn by pulling her in close as if they were really dancing together and Emily bumped right into his chest. His arms went around her to make sure she didn’t fall and she looked up at him as he was laughing down at her. It was perfect. Emily froze as every cell in her body said, This. I want this. Always.

  What was happening to her? She stepped back and turned to get her wrap, only then noticing how quiet the room had become. Wes was gazing at her intently, as if he’d felt something in that moment, too. Her parents were looking at each other, apparently having a telepathic conversation.

  “Right. We’d better get going.” Emily threw her wrap around her shoulders. “It will break Maya’s heart if we’re late. I bet she can’t wait to present Wes, the great eagle rescuer, to all the major donors who will be there tonight.”

  Wes grinned. “You’re right. I’m practically
the guest of honor. Let’s get going.” He turned to her parents. “Meg, Tom, thank you for trusting me with your daughter tonight. We’ll see you in a few minutes at the party.” Then he offered Emily his arm and she took it and they hightailed it out the door.

  “Sorry about that,” Emily said as he handed her into the passenger side of his truck. “I had no idea my parents were going to have a nostalgia attack.”

  He closed her door and got in the driver’s seat. “I thought it was nice. Silly, but nice.” He reached out a hand and touched her corsage with a fingertip. “We get to have the prom we never had before. That’s not a bad thing, is it?”

  With his dark hair and his charming smile, he looked like some kind of old-time movie star. Cary Grant or Gene Kelly, but with a touch of James Dean. Why not let this be their prom? She’d be the girl with the most handsome date, that was for sure. “No, it’s not a bad thing.” She held out her hand and made a show of admiring her corsage. “In fact, I plan to enjoy it.”

  “I’ll make sure that you do.”

  The fundraiser was being held in an old mansion just off Main Street that had recently been converted into an event space by a couple of sisters who’d inherited it from their uncle. Emily hadn’t been inside yet, and couldn’t wait to see it. Wes found parking a block away, thankfully. Emily didn’t think she could walk much farther than that in her sky-high heels. He offered her his arm and she gratefully accepted. She wouldn’t ruin this night by falling off her heels and sprawling onto the sidewalk.

  The venue was magical. The Hobart Mansion was resplendent in its new paint and landscaping. Lights blazed on the porch and garden, and tiny white fairy lights lined the porch and the outdoor patios.

  When Wes and Emily climbed the steps and walked into the entryway they were met by Maya, who looked beautiful in a simple red silk dress. She gave them each a hug and immediately brought them to a silver-haired man standing in what must have once been the front parlor. Now it was empty of any furniture except tall cocktail tables and a bar in the corner.

  “These are my fellow eagle stalkers, Mr. Van Durst. Emily is the one I told you about who tried to catch it and missed.”

  Emily raised a sheepish hand. “Yes, that’s me.”

  Mr. Van Durst raised his glass. “You look so elegant, it’s hard to imagine you lying facedown in the mud.”

  Emily glanced at Maya, who gave her an exaggerated shrug and mouthed the words major donor behind the portly man’s back. “Well, yes, we go the extra mile to help wildlife around here. Even if it means a nosedive into the mud.”

  “And this—” Maya moved back in view of her major donor “—is Wes Marlow. He is the veterinarian who actually caught the eagle.”

  Mr. Van Durst raised his glass in a toast to Wes. “You saved a living, breathing symbol of our great nation, Wes. You should be very proud.”

  “Always happy to help out the wildlife center. Have you been interested in wildlife for a long time, Mr. Van Durst?”

  Emily listened, astonished, as Wes made impeccable small talk. He got Mr. Van Durst chatting about his hobbies, his family and his knowledge of birds. Eventually Emily spotted Monique, Eva and Priscilla, her fellow Book Biddies, motioning to her from across the room. She excused herself and went to join them.

  Priscilla took her hand as soon as Emily walked up. “Is that Wes? Oh, my goodness, Emily, he is handsome.”

  “And making a major donor very happy, bless his heart,” Eva said. The wildlife center had been her idea, and she worked tirelessly, when she wasn’t at her art gallery, to raise money for it. “And yes, he is handsome. How are you two doing, Emily?”

  “Things must be going well if you came here together tonight,” Monique added.

  “I think we’re becoming friends again,” Emily said. “I asked him to keep working with me for the next few weeks to see how it goes.”

  “Always so practical.” Priscilla patted her arm. She’d been Emily’s third grade teacher. “Even when you were little.”

  “Practical has its place of course,” Monique said. “But I’m not sure it matters when it comes to that handsome veterinarian.” She raised her perfectly groomed eyebrows and shook a finger at Emily. “Don’t forget to have fun.”

  Just then Wes shook hands with Mr. Van Durst and came toward them. “Sorry about that, Emily. I think I made a mistake asking that gentleman about his birding hobby. He had a lot to say.”

  “No, trust me, you did great.” Eva reached out to shake hands with Wes. “I’m Eva, founder of the wildlife center. You’re my new favorite person. Mr. Van Durst is thinking of funding our aviary.”

  Wes smiled. “Well, I hope he does.”

  “How’s your running going?” Monique chuckled at the confused look on Wes’s face. “I own the beauty salon in town. I see you jogging by with your dog.”

  “Oh. Nice to meet you—”

  “Monique. Nice to meet you, too, Wes. Emily has told us a lot about you.”

  Wes grinned at Emily. “Nothing too terrible, I hope.”

  Emily widened her eyes at Monique, trying to get her to settle down. “I simply mentioned that we were working together.”

  Monique gave her a wink. “Why don’t you two find yourself a drink and some appetizers? Go enjoy yourselves. You don’t want to waste your evening chatting with a bunch of old biddies like us.”

  “The Book Biddies,” Emily explained to Wes.

  “Your book club.” He smiled at all the women there. “Nice to meet you.” He turned to Priscilla. “I don’t think we’ve met.”

  “Priscilla Axel. Emily’s third grade teacher.”

  Wes grinned. “I bet you could tell me some fun stories.”

  “Monique is right,” Emily said. “Let’s go get a drink.”

  Wes laughed. “Okay, no third grade stories, I guess.” He offered Emily his arm. “Excuse us, please, ladies. It was very nice to meet you. Enjoy the evening.”

  As Emily sailed off on Wes’s arm, she glanced at him in open admiration. “Where did you get these formal manners?”

  “Waiting tables.” He smiled down at her. “Many, many tables. Now, do you really want a drink?”

  “I don’t know.” Something inside her was reckless tonight. “The last time I had one, I kissed you when I shouldn’t have.”

  “Then we definitely need to get you a drink.” Wes snagged a champagne flute off a passing waiter’s tray.

  “Wes!” Emily burst out laughing when he handed it to her.

  He took it back. “Just kidding. How about we share it and raid the buffet, as well? I didn’t eat dinner.”

  “Me, neither,” Emily confessed. “I was frantically trying to find a dress to wear.”

  He gave her an admiring glance. “You found a good one. You look incredible, Emily, you really do.”

  Her pulse raced at his soft words. “Thank you.”

  They headed to the buffet, loaded their plates and found a quiet room off the back of the house that seemed to be an old conservatory. There were big glass windows and lemon trees growing in pots. A couple of wrought iron chairs and an ornate table made it a perfect place to eat.

  “This food looks delicious.” Emily bit into a tiny cucumber sandwich with cream cheese.

  “Small portions, though.” Wes held up a tiny puff pastry with a microscopic amount of bacon on top.

  “I guess we should have eaten before we came.” Emily took a sip of their champagne, relishing the bubbles as they slid down her throat. “So what do you think of your first week in Shelter Creek?”

  He looked at her in mock alarm. “It’s only been a week? I’ve met a million different residents and their livestock, I almost lost my dog, we’ve gotten in a couple of arguments, we saved an eagle and you just adopted a rescued horse. We’ve played pool, I got a kiss, we decided not to kiss and now we’re at this fancy place,
eating tiny bits of food.” He flopped back against his seat. “I thought I was heading to this little town for some peace and quiet. I think I must have picked the wrong spot on the map. Are you sure this is Shelter Creek?”

  Emily’s face hurt from smiling by the time he was done. “I don’t remember you being this funny,” she said.

  “I was too busy trying to be cool to make a lot of jokes back then. One thing I learned, raising Jamie on such a tiny budget, was any fun I wanted to have, I’d better figure out how to make it myself.”

  “I like that about you,” Emily said. “I think I’ve gotten really serious these past several years. I’ve been so focused on work, and trying to fill my father’s big shoes, that I forgot about having fun.”

  “We need to find you some fun, then. Yet another reason I’m glad you want me to keep working with you. When I’m with all those cats, you can take a day or two off a week to do something nice.”

  She selected a stuffed mushroom from her plate. “Why are you so eager for me to work less?”

  Wes picked up the champagne glass and fidgeted with it, swirling the liquid in the glass. “I hate that I made you unhappy back then. I just want to help make you happy now.”

  Emily swallowed her mushroom in a single gulp. “You feel sorry for me?”

  “No.” Wes set the glass down. “How could I feel sorry for you? You have an incredible family, a great group of friends and a veterinary practice that, if anything, is too successful. You can barely keep up.”

  “That’s true.” In the dim room, with just the two of them, Emily finally admitted the truth. “I’m so tired. I know that if I don’t get help with my practice, I’m going to burn out. It’s too much.”

  “No one can keep up with that amount of work. And here’s what bothers me. I remember the girl you were and I see the woman you are now. I can tell how much you still love horses, photography and, apparently, plunging into swamps in pursuit of injured eagles. I want you to have time to be you, in all those different ways. You’re a great veterinarian. But is that all you want to be?”