Second Chance Cowboy--A Clean Romance

by Claire McEwen

  Emily looked out her window, wonder slowly filling her chest like helium. There were no streetlights out here, just moonlight that had broken through the remaining clouds to cover the hills around the road with silvery shadows. “This is so beautiful.” She’d driven these hills many times at night, on the way to emergencies or making her weary way home afterward, but this was different. She was out here with Wes by her side, and the miracle of it, of them together, flooded her veins with heady, reckless energy. She turned up the music, swaying to the rocking country song she didn’t recognize. She wanted more, of this night, of this feeling. She pressed the button to lower her window and let the chilly air flood the cab and blow her hair all over.

  “That night air feels good.” Wes rolled down his window, too, the wind making his thick hair stand on end. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel in time to the music and glanced her way with a smile that looked more like an eerie set of white teeth caught up in the moonlight. A werewolf.

  Emily laughed and stuck her head out her window. “Owooo!”

  Wes burst out laughing. “Are you howling?”

  “Howling at the moon. Come on, do it with me.”

  He was still laughing but he played along, tipping his head toward his window and letting out his own howl.

  “Aw, come on, you can do better than that,” Emily told him. “Give a real howl. We’ll do it together, on three.” She counted off. “One, two, three.” She let out the loudest howl she could muster, feeling all the worries about her father slide out the window with her voice and whip away in the wind. Wes howled, too, loud and long, and then they did it again. This time Rex joined in from the back seat, which had them dissolving into laughter while the husky kept going with a long “owooooooo!”

  They were still laughing, and blasting music like the teenagers they’d been, when Wes turned into the gravel beach parking lot. He glanced her way. “You okay with this date so far?”

  “I feel great. Thanks for thinking of this. I haven’t been here at night since high school.” Not since she’d been here with him and Adam and some other friends one night the summer before senior year.

  “Are you serious? You’ve lived here for so long.” Wes pulled up to a big driftwood log at the edge of the lot and parked. He flipped on the inside light.

  “I guess it didn’t occur to me. It was kind of a high school thing to come out here in the evening.” And she hadn’t wanted to be reminded of all that she missed about those days with him.

  “Well, good thing we’re here now. Everyone needs a little moonlight and beach sometimes. I used to drive Jamie out to the coast some evenings after work. We’d have a picnic, throw a ball around and jump in the water. It was cheap fun.” He reached into the console compartment and fumbled around, emerging with a small box between his fingers. “Matches. In case we want a fire.” Then he reached behind the seat and pulled out a knit cap. “Want to put this on?”

  “Thanks.” Emily pulled it on and reached for the door.

  “Hang on.” Wes touched her arm. “Look at me?”

  She did, suddenly self-conscious. Her hair was probably a windblown mess after the car ride. She cringed inside as he studied her for a moment, seeming to search over her face with his gaze. He lifted his hand and ran his fingertips lightly along her jaw. “You are so beautiful, Emily. You take my breath away.”

  He was beautiful, too. No cowboy hat tonight, just thick black hair that fell so straight and sleek over his forehead. Eyes that had seen so much that she’d never know. A deep longing ached in her throat. She wanted to know him, to understand him, to allow herself to sink and disappear into all the emotions rising inside. “Likewise.” It wasn’t adequate. But it was all she had.

  Rex whined and shoved his nose between them. Emily smiled and rubbed his soft ears and the thick fur of his neck. “Are you feeling left out, Rexy? Don’t worry. We’re taking you somewhere you’re going to like a lot.”

  Wes hooked a leash to Rex’s collar. “You ready?”

  Emily zipped up her jacket, glad she’d worn her thick parka tonight. A small thrill of exhilaration ran up her spine. How long had it been since she’d been out in the night, just to be there? Not to help an animal or to drive from one place to another, but just to enjoy it? “I’m ready.” She opened her door and hopped out, accepting the hand Wes offered when he and Rex came around the front of the truck to meet her.

  They followed the small path up the dunes, the wiry grass whispering all around them in the breeze. Then they were up and over, and the moonscape beach and the glimmering ocean opened out in front of them in a beautiful play of mercurial light and shadow. Emily stopped in her tracks and let go of Wes’s hand to clasp her hands together. “I’d forgotten how gorgeous this is.”

  He grinned at her. “I hadn’t. I’ve imagined this for years now.”

  The dune sloped down before them, conjuring long-ago memories of running and rolling her way down. “Race you to the water?”

  Wes didn’t wait to answer, just bent down to let Rex off the leash. The husky took off toward the waves, leaping and barking his delight. Wes held out his hand and Emily took it and they went after him, laughing as they ran reckless and stumbling through the thick sand. The night was so clear after the rain. The brightest stars hung like ice crystals in the obsidian sky. The rest were obscured by the full moon’s bright halo. In front of them, luminous foam tumbled on the roaring waves.

  She’d forgotten how magical the beach could be. She slowed her pace. “Shoes off?”

  Wes didn’t even answer her, just stopped and reached down to pull off his cowboy boots. He was rolling up the legs of his jeans by the time Emily got her sneakers unlaced. When they were both ready, pant legs rolled as high as they could go, he grinned at her. “You ready for this?”

  “Absolutely. But don’t forget, the water here is a whole lot colder than Texas.”

  They jogged to the water’s edge, letting the remnants of waves wash over their toes. “I’m not forgetting,” Wes gasped, jumping from one foot to the other as a wave raised the water level to their ankles. “Or if I was, I remember now. Man, that’s cold!”

  “It’s freezing,” Emily agreed. But it was exhilarating, too. The cold, the night, this man. Rex came charging up, barking his joy, circling around them, oblivious to the freezing water. “Let’s run with him,” Emily said. “It will warm up our toes.”

  “Come on, Rex!” Wes took off running alongside his dog. Emily sprinted and soon caught up. They ran at the edge of the waves, so the water washed their feet and then retreated, over and over. Rex leaped and danced in front of them, barking out his elation. Eventually they found a steady pace, the rhythm soothing, their progress slow enough that they could catch their breath and look all around them at the moonlit world. Seagulls nestled in the dry sand near the dunes, probably asleep for the night. A crab skittered on the packed sand ahead of them.

  When they reached the boulders at the end of the beach they slowed to a walk, turned around and strolled back, hand in hand. Emily relished the way Wes held her hand so tightly. There was no room for resentment in her mind tonight. Wes had left her behind when they were young, but he’d come back to her as soon as he felt like he could. Right now that was enough. When Wes stopped walking and pulled her close to dance with her in the moonlight, she closed her eyes and let him lead, feeling the cold sand under her toes, the sharp breeze on her skin and the warmth of Wes’s body against hers.

  “I want to date you.” His breath played over the lobe of her ear as he spoke. “I want to dance like this, and hold you like this.” He stepped back and looked down at her, stilling their swaying. “I love you, Emily. I think I always have.”

  His words were as magical and as unreal as the silvery landscape surrounding them. Emily didn’t want to think or analyze or remember old hurts. She rose up on tiptoes and kissed him, relishing the way the feel
of his lips sent all of her skin tingling. Three words rose straight from her heart to her lips. She raised her hand to run her fingers through his thick hair. “I love you.”

  She touched his lips and felt his smile under her fingers. She could see it in his eyes and feel it as his arms slid around her back, pulling her into his chest, holding her close, cradling her as if he’d found something precious and new.

  And maybe this was new. They were different people now than they’d been back then. Even if Wes felt familiar as she pressed against his chest, he was so much more than he’d been before.

  Wes kissed the top of her head and Emily nestled closer. “I think our first official date is a success,” he said.

  “We’re better at this having-fun thing than we thought.” Emily tilted her head up so she could look at him. He bent to brush his mouth to hers and smiled against her lips. “We sure are. Who knew?” Then he kissed her one more time and started up their slow dance again. Emily was pretty sure the stars were dancing with them, wheeling in circles and spirals overhead. Or maybe that was just how it felt to be in love with Wes, for the second time.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  “IT’S SO PRETTY HERE.” Emily leaned over the console of Wes’s truck and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. “And it’s April. Wildflower season. A perfect time for a stroll in Long Valley.”

  Wes ruffled her hair, mussing the combination of brown and blond silk that never ceased to fascinate him. “I’ve never paid much attention to flowers. Except the bluebonnets. Couldn’t miss those in Texas.”

  “We’ve got our own bluebonnets out here. Though we just call them lupine.” She pointed toward the green hills rising around Long Valley. “See all that orange? California poppies.”

  A white truck pulled up next to them with Maya at the wheel and Vivian next to her in the passenger seat. Emily rolled down her window and Maya did the same. “Are you all ready to say goodbye to Mr. America?” Mr. America was the name their eagle had somehow acquired during his recuperation at the wildlife center.

  “We are. He’s looking good and ready to go,” Emily told her.

  “Just so you know, I might have invited a few people,” Vivian called from her side of the cab. “It’s great public relations for the wildlife center.”

  Maya laughed. “A few? I think every donor is coming, and half the town. That’s why we’re releasing him in the late afternoon.” She rolled her eyes. “It was most convenient for the public.”

  “Remember, their donations keep us going,” Vivian reminded her. “They’ve all promised to be quiet. And we’re going to film it. Then we can make a publicity video for our website.”

  Wes saw Emily’s mouth quirk into a little frown. “As Mr. America’s official veterinarian, I’m going to insist that they stay pretty far back when we release him. I hope they brought binoculars.”

  “I told them they should,” Vivian assured her.

  Wes couldn’t help worrying. Mr. America needed this to go well. “We did everything we could, right? He’ll be able to fly okay?”

  Emily turned toward him and put a hand on his leg. “Don’t worry. His punctures healed weeks ago. His grafted feathers really took. He’s been flying all over the practice pen. He’s ready.”

  “I guess I feel kind of responsible for the guy, since I’m the one who tackled him out here.”

  Emily nodded. “This is one thing that is hard about working with wildlife. We don’t know what will happen to him once he’s free. He could flourish, or he could get in a fight with another eagle tomorrow. We just have to have faith that everything will work out.”

  Faith. Wes had been working on that lately. He had a diamond ring in a velvet box in his dresser drawer. He wanted to give it to Emily more than anything, to ask her if she’d be his wife. But what if she said no?

  He and Emily had been dating for over a month now and every day was better than the one before. They worked so well together, and it turned out they played well together, too. Thanks to Emily’s father, they actually had some playtime. Tom had confessed that he really missed working, and he’d volunteered to handle any emergencies that came up if Emily and Wes wanted to venture out of cell phone range on the weekends. That meant they could take Rex on hikes out in the hills on quiet Sundays. They’d also spent countless hours working with Fancy, who was blooming into a healthy, beautiful and trusting horse. And they’d enjoyed many fun evenings hanging out with friends.

  Coming back to Shelter Creek had been a dream and an impulse all in one. But Wes was sure now that whatever had guided him back here had been calling him home.

  “It’s going to be okay, Wes.” Emily squeezed his hand. “We did a good thing here. Let’s go set our buddy free.”

  “All right. Let’s do it.” He opened his door and Emily did the same. They went around to meet Maya and Vivian, who were opening the tailgate of the truck. There was a camper shell on the back, and Wes reached over and helped them lift the rear window.

  “Do you want to carry him?” Maya nudged Wes gently with her elbow. “You were the one to catch him, so it seems fitting.”

  Wes had to clear a lump out of his throat before answering. “Sure.” They’d saved an eagle. It was kind of a big deal.

  Mr. America had traveled to his destiny in a large plastic animal carrier. Not the most dignified mode of transport and maybe he resented the indignity, because when Wes reached for the handle on top of the crate, the eagle let out a shrill shriek. The tip of his beak poked through one of the small holes in the plastic, as if he’d like to bite Wes’s fingers right off. Emily was right. This guy was healed up, feisty and ready to be free.

  Carefully Wes slid the carrier out onto the tailgate.

  Vivian handed him a blanket. “Put this around the crate, just in case he gets a talon out of one of those holes. And carry it from the bottom. It’s solid there.”

  Wes grinned. “Now I know why you all are giving me—” he added air quotes “—‘the honor’ of carrying him. The guy’s a living, breathing, lethal weapon.”

  “You can handle it,” Maya said. She glanced out to the road. “Here comes the cheering section.”

  One by one, cars pulled into the small parking area. More parked out on the road, crammed onto the gravel verge. Eventually there were a couple dozen people standing around in the parking lot, most with binoculars and cameras draped around their necks.

  Wes recognized many of them. The ladies from the Book Biddies came to greet them, and pretty soon Emily, Maya and Vivian were absorbed in hugs from their friends. Maya’s grandmother, Lillian, even offered Wes a hug, which he awkwardly accepted. Trisha and Liam arrived with their little boy, Henry, in tow. Caleb and Jace showed up, too, and Jace had his three kids with him. Wes could see Adam out on the road, directing traffic around all the cars parked halfway out into the westbound lane.

  Eva, the founder of the wildlife center and the one responsible for recruiting donations, climbed up onto the tailgate of someone’s truck. “If you can hear me, give me a thumbs-up,” she called.

  There were puzzled faces in the crowd, but they dutifully signaled that they could hear her and gathered around her to listen.

  “First, I want to thank you all for coming. Many of you have supported the Shelter Creek Wildlife Center financially, or by volunteering, or both. We would not be here today without all of you.”

  A few people started clapping but Eva held out a hand to signal for silence. “It’s a day for celebration, but it has to be a silent celebration. This eagle, whom we call Mr. America, has been through a lot. He was rescued here in Long Valley after a fight with another eagle that left him with wounds and missing flight feathers. Fortunately, our veterinarian and staff at the center have been able to nurse him back to health. However, this is a stressful day for Mr. A. No matter how excited we are to see him fly free again, we have to stay calm and quiet. Agreed?”<
br />
  Many hands rose with more thumbs-up signs.

  “Okay, then,” Eva said. “Let’s go set this eagle free.”

  She hopped down from the tailgate and came over to where Emily, Maya, Vivian and Wes had the eagle. “You all go out first. I’ll lead this crowd behind you and make sure they stop quite a ways back from the second pond.”

  “Sounds good.” Maya looked at Wes. “You ready, cowboy?”

  “I guess so.” Wes draped the blanket around the crate with Emily’s help and lifted it from the bottom. He could hear the eagle’s talons scraping the plastic, but as he started walking with the crate it seemed to settle down.

  “Something good is going to happen, Mr. A,” Wes said. “We’re going to send you back to your life. Maybe you’ll find a mate. Settle down. Have a few kids.” He heard a laugh and glanced over at Emily, who was walking beside him. “What are you laughing at?”

  “Nothing. You’re just cute, that’s all.”

  “I’m thinking Mr. A’s plan doesn’t sound half bad.” He winked at her. “Settle down, build a nest somewhere...”

  “Wes!” Her face had that sunset glow he liked to put there. She might be embarrassed, but she was smiling, too, so he smiled back.

  “Just saying.”

  They were coming around the bend to the second pond. “All right,” Wes said to Maya. “What’s the best way to do this? Please don’t tell me I have to dive into the mud again?”

  “Hopefully, this should be a whole lot easier,” Maya said. “I think we can just put the crate in the grass near the boardwalk.” She winked at him. “On dry land.”

  Wes made a show of rolling his eyes to the heavens. “Hallelujah.”

  “Come on.” Maya hopped off the boardwalk and Vivian followed her. They held up their hands. “Pass Mr. A to us.”

  Wes set the crate down on the wood planks and Vivian and Maya each took an end. Carefully, they carried it closer to the edge of the pond. Wes and Emily followed behind. Near the shore, they looked back at Eva. She’d stopped the crowd several yards back, where the boardwalk curved around the other side of the pond. The guests would have a great view from there.