A Real Cowboy
And why should he? she chided herself. He probably had afternoon chores to get done and he’d already gone out of his way to allow Sammy to eat with them.
Sammy’s face was lit with a smile that flew happiness through her. “It was great, Mom,” he exclaimed as he plopped down next to her on the stoop. “I met all of the cowboys. There’s Dusty and Mac, and Tony and Brody and Clay...”
“Whoa.” Nicolette laughed. “I won’t be able to remember all those names. What did you have to eat?”
“A big bowl of beef stew and corn bread. It was awesome. And they all said I could be the mascot of the ranch and eat lunch there every day if you let me, and Lucas said he’d start teaching me about being a cowboy. You’ll let me, right, Mom?”
Oh, those blue eyes of his held such wonder and excitement, things she hadn’t seen in him for a very long time. “I think we can work it out that you can have lunch there occasionally as long as the men don’t mind. As far as Lucas teaching you to be a cowboy, we’ll have to make sure he has time for that.”
“He already told me he’d do it in the evenings after all his chores are done for the day,” Sammy replied. “Maybe when we go to town we could get me a cowboy hat.”
“We’ll see,” Nicolette replied.
Sammy jumped to his feet. “I’m going to find Cassie. I got to tell her all about her cowboys.” Before Nicolette could reply, Sammy disappeared through the screen door and into the house.
Hours later Nicolette once again found herself sitting on the porch step, gazing upward at the thousands of stars that glittered like diamonds in the sky.
Sammy was in bed asleep, Cassie had retired to her room, but Nicolette had been too restless to settle in for the night. She was pleased with her decision to sit out here, the starlit sky an unexpected surprise.
In New York their apartment windows looked out on other apartment windows. Even standing outside, the bright lights of the city obscured the glimpse of most of the stars.
“Bored to tears?”
The deep voice so close to her made her jump. She turned to see Lucas standing nearby, his features hidden in night shadows. “You scared me half to death,” she replied.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He stepped up on the porch and then took his hat off and sat down next to her. Instantly she was surrounded by his slightly wild, wonderful scent. “And no, I’m not bored. I was just enjoying the beauty of the night skies.”
He tilted his head and looked up, then gazed back at her. “It is pretty, isn’t it?”
She nodded. “And as alien to me as the cows in the pasture. We don’t get many stargazing nights in New York City. I hope Sammy wasn’t too big of a pain today.”
He smiled, his teeth flashing white in the semidarkness of the porch. “The men all easily took to him. He seems to be a good kid.”
“He is, but you don’t have to teach him how to be a cowboy. I’m sure you have other, more important things to do in your spare time.” She could feel a faint heat wafting from him, a heat that flowed through her veins and curled into a pool inside her stomach.
“Don’t have a wife, don’t have a girlfriend, I’ve got plenty of time on my hands and I can’t think of any way I’d rather spend it right now than with a kid eager to learn.” He hesitated a moment and then continued, “What about you? You have a boyfriend anxiously awaiting your return to the big city?”
She laughed and shook her head. “In the last two years I’ve only had two priorities in my life, Sammy and the store I co-own with Cassie, and they don’t leave any time for dating. Besides, I’m not looking for a romance right now. Since my divorce two years ago I’m just trying to figure out my life.”
She was far too conscious of his nearness, of the scent of him, the heat of him and the allure of his beautiful eyes. Once again she looked up at the stars as they both fell silent.
There were so many things she wanted to ask him, such as how he’d come to work for Cass Holiday and where he had come from. Did he have a close family who lived in the area? And yet she knew Cassie was right—she’d be a fool to get close to anyone here.
“I guess you haven’t had a chance to get into Bitterroot yet,” he said, finally breaking the silence that had become more uncomfortable by the second.
“Actually we need to go there tomorrow to return the rental car. We were going to ask one of you to follow us so that we’d have a ride home.”
“I’d be glad to do it,” he replied instantly. “I’ve got a king cab pickup so there would be plenty of room for everyone. Maybe you all would like to go a little early, have some lunch at the Bitterroot Café and take some time to soak up some of the local color.”
“That sounds like a good idea. I’ll talk to Cassie in the morning and see if we can make plans to go around eleven or so. Sammy wants a cowboy hat, so before lunch we could get that. We could arrange for a time for you to come back and pick us up so that you aren’t cooling your heels while we do a little exploring of the town.” She was babbling and she knew it, but seemed unable to help herself.
He stood and held out a hand to help her up from the porch stoop. “Why don’t we plan on eleven.”
She hesitated only a moment and then held out her hand to grasp his. Warm and big and slightly calloused, his hand engulfed hers. She stood, half-breathless by the simple contact.
“Okay, then I guess I’ll see you in the morning around eleven,” she replied.
Only then did he release her hand. With another of his gorgeous smiles, he grabbed his hat, put it on his head and then turned and disappeared into the darkness of the night.
Nicolette released a deep breathless sigh and went inside the house. She locked the door behind her, wondering how on earth she was going to sleep with the smell of him filling her head, with her fingers tingling from the contact with his and the thought of those slightly calloused hands moving all over her body.
Chapter 3
Sammy danced along the back porch with the excitement of new adventures to come. Nicolette stood at the back door, a different kind of excitement stirring in her as she watched for Lucas’s truck in the distance to follow them into town.
It was ridiculous how long she’d tossed and turned the night before with visions of the handsome cowboy dancing in her head. Cassie was at the kitchen table, reading the Monday morning edition of the Bitterroot newspaper that Adam had brought to her earlier that morning.
“There isn’t much here as far as hard news,” Cassie called out. “Although there is a report of a missing woman who worked as a waitress at the café. Her name is Wendy Bailey and she hasn’t been seen or heard from for over a week. Other than that, I can tell you that there’s a big sale at the discount store and Jerry and Wanda Swaggart celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary yesterday with a reception at the Methodist church.”
“That’s nice,” Nicolette replied. She’d once thought she and Samuel would be married for fifty years or more. When she’d married him she’d believed in a happily-ever-after, but her happy had really lasted for only about a year.
She shoved aside thoughts of her broken marriage as she saw a black pickup driving up from the large building that housed the vehicles.
“He’s coming,” she said to Cassie. “Come on, Sammy. We’ll meet him out front by the rental car.”
By the time the three of them got to the front door, Lucas had pulled his truck up next to the car. “Good morning,” he said.
“I really appreciate this,” Cassie said to him. “We were told there was a place in Bitterroot to return the car.”
“Gus’s Gas Station,” Lucas replied. “Gus dabbles in a little bit of everything, including rental cars. His place is right on Main Street. You can’t miss it as it’s the only gas station in town.”
“Can I ride with Lucas?” Sammy asked Nicolette.
“Oh, I don’t think...” she began.
“I wouldn’t mind his company.” Lucas cut to the chase.
Nicolette shrugged helplessly as Sammy raced to the passenger door of the truck and climbed up inside. “We’ll see you in town,” he called to her and gave her a beaming smile.
Minutes later they were on the road, following the big black pickup. “Sammy seems to have taken a real shine to Lucas,” Cassie said.
“I know. He seems to be a nice man and he’s already spent more time with Sammy than Samuel ever did.”
“Doesn’t it worry you a bit? I mean, we aren’t going to be here that long...maybe a couple of months at the most, and that’s it. We’ll want to be back in New York before the school year begins in September.”
Nicolette stared out the side window, where the rural landscape was beautiful in its vastness. Of course, spring in New York held its own special kind of beauty.
She finally turned back to gaze at Cassie. “I want Sammy to enjoy every minute of his life, and that includes his time here. He needs a man’s presence around him even if it’s a cowboy and even if it’s only temporary. He’ll be better for this experience when we get back to the city.”
“I just don’t want to see him hurt,” Cassie said. “You know I love that kid like he is my own.”
Nicolette smiled. “I know and I appreciate it. I don’t know what Sammy and I would have done when I left Samuel if not for you.” She hesitated a moment and then added, “But you know we can’t live with you forever. I’ve got to figure out a path that has me earning enough money so that Sammy and I can make our own way.”
“Just wait. Once I sell the ranch and invest the money into our store, you’ll be making plenty of money.” There was a confidence in Cassie’s voice that Nicolette wished she felt.
Although Cassie painted beautiful paintings, she did so in a city where talent was on every street corner and in hundreds of galleries. She was attempting to sell her work out of a store that also carried clothes, purses and shoes that Nicolette chose to go on the racks and displays.
So far their joint venture could scarcely be called a huge success. While they made enough each month to cover the bills, there was rarely any money left over for anything else.
There had been a time when Nicolette had met Samuel that she’d dreamed of being a teacher. She’d been working as a dress saleswoman in an upscale store and taking night classes when she’d first met the man she would marry.
After their marriage, he’d insisted she stop going to school because being his wife was a 24/7 kind of job and it didn’t look right for a woman who had married as well as she had to be taking classes to become a teacher.
She cast aside all thoughts of the past as they drove by the sign that indicated they’d entered the city limits of Bitterroot, Oklahoma. They had driven past the town on the highway when coming in from Oklahoma City, so this would be her first real glimpse of the town that would be a part of their lives until they left here.
Main Street consisted of three blocks of businesses. Nicolette sat up straighter in her seat as they crawled along behind Lucas’s pickup.
They passed the Bitterroot Café with its bright yellow awnings. The police station, a one-story brick building, was next door. She spied a shop that sold Western wear and knew that was probably where they’d find the hat for Sammy.
There were the usual businesses you would expect to find in any town, a post office, a bank and a hardware store. There was a grocery store, a feed store and even a little boutique and a tearoom that looked interesting.
Gus’s Gas Station was at the end of the business district, a small two-pump station with signs advertising the rental of everything from cars to wedding champagne fountains.
Lucas pulled up in front of the building and Cassie parked next to him. Sammy jumped down from the passenger seat as Lucas leaned out the window.
“You want me to wait for you to get the car checked in and then take you to the café?” he asked.
“No, thanks. We’ll just walk back,” Cassie replied. “If you need to head back to the ranch, then I can call Adam to come and get us later.”
“Actually, I’ve got some shopping to do myself. Cookie gave me a huge list of supplies he needs and so I’ll probably still be in town when you all finish up. I’ll park in front of the post office and we can meet up there later.”
He backed away and Sammy, Cassie and Nicolette headed into Gus’s business to return the rental. Gus was a character, with wiry white hair growing everywhere but on the bald dome of his head. Hairs sprouted out of his ears, his eyebrows were forests and a pure white mustache covered his upper lip and drooped down on the sides to his chin.
He flirted with both women, teased Sammy and took care of the business efficiently. Within minutes they were leisurely walking toward the center of town.
“I suppose the first thing we should do is get this little cowboy a hat,” Nicolette said, and was rewarded by the huge smile from her son.
“A black hat just like Lucas’s,” he said.
“I thought all the good guys wore white hats,” Cassie said.
Sammy looked at her with a touch of indignation. “Now, it would be just plain silly to wear a white hat when you’re working outside and doing all kinds of ranch stuff.”
Cassie exchanged an amused glance with Nicolette. “Well, excuse me for not knowing about such cowboy things.”
Sammy giggled and swaggered just ahead of them, as if he already wore a big hat and had spurs on his heels. If nothing else this break from the city was good for him, Nicolette thought. It was good for him to know that there was something different in the world besides concrete sidewalks and throngs of people.
It was just after noon when they entered the Bitterroot Café. They’d had a fun morning walking down the sidewalks and peeking into different stores. They had all laughed as Sammy had tried on a variety of black hats, some sitting low on the tips of his ears and others perched atop his head like a little black bird. They finally found one that fit him perfectly, and his swagger became even more pronounced.
The Bitterroot Café was what Nicolette had assumed any small-town café would be like—worn yellow vinyl booths against the walls, tables in the center and a long counter with stools.
“I can feel the calories finding my hips right now,” Cassie said.
Nicolette smiled, knowing she was talking about the sinful scents of fried food, homemade pies and yeasty breads. “I’m not even going to think about a diet during this meal,” she replied. “I intend to completely indulge myself.”
They were greeted by a brassy redhead who introduced herself as Daisy, the owner of the café. As she led them to a booth toward the back of the establishment, Nicolette was aware of the curious gazes that shot their way from the other diners.
She was grateful to arrive at the booth, where she and Cassie sat on one side and Sammy and his hat sat across from them. Daisy handed them menus with the promise to return.
“I already know what I want,” Sammy said and shoved his menu aside. “I want grilled cheese, French fries and a glass of chocolate milk.”
“Sounds like a hearty cowboy lunch to me,” Nicolette replied. She tried to ignore those gazes and the whispers of the other people in the café, especially the gazes from several rough-looking men who sat at the counter.
They were obviously ranch hands, although she knew they didn’t work at Cassie’s ranch. The glances they slid in Cassie and her direction were both slightly salacious yet filled with a touch of derision.
When Daisy returned to take their orders, she must have seen Nicolette looking at the men, who were now laughing among themselves. “Don’t pay no mind to them. I’m assuming you all are from Cass’s place.” She looked at Cassie. “You have your aunt’s eyes and coloring. Those men at the counter are just knuckleheads who were never big fans of Cass’s or her cowboys. Now, welcome to Bitterroot, and what can I get you?”
Sammy ordered his meal and then Cassie and Nicolette both went for broke and ordered the daily special of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy and a roll.
“Be back in a shake with your drink orders,” Daisy said as she once again swished away from their table.
“She seems nice enough,” Cassie said once she’d left.
“Hopefully we’ll meet a lot of nice people while we’re here,” Nicolette replied. “Although I’m not sure how many of them are in the café right now.”
“All I feel right now is animosity radiating from those men,” Cassie said in a half whisper. “I wonder why they didn’t like my aunt Cass.”
“Who knows?” Nicolette replied. “Maybe before we leave here we’ll have it figured out. In the meantime I’m not going to let them ruin my lunch.”
By the time Daisy delivered their drinks and their meals, Nicolette and Cassie were deep in a discussion about what little Cassie had learned so far about the ranch.
“We have a big herd of black Angus cattle,” Cassie explained. “Adam said they are one hundred percent naturally grown with just grazing and no growth hormones or anything added to their diet. Each fall we sell half the herd to a beef company who then cuts and packages the meat and advertises it as all-natural. It’s a big contract and Adam said the company wants to continue to work with me.”
Nicolette took a bite of her yummy chicken fried steak, wondering how long it would take before her friend would confess to Adam or any of the others that she had no intention of staying.
Would a new owner ensure all the hands a job? If not, then what would happen to Adam...to Lucas? She was disturbed by the fact that just thinking about Lucas created a tension in the pit of her stomach, a tension that wasn’t exactly unpleasant.
Of course, she was set up to think kindly of anyone who took any time at all with Sammy. She knew her son was hungry for a male in his life. Samuel had certainly been a nonpresence from the moment Sammy had been born.
Surely all she felt toward Lucas was gratitude for the way he had taken Sammy under his wing. It couldn’t be anything more than that. She scarcely knew the man.
She knew so little about him, just that his eyes were a deep blue that could easily pull her in and that the touch of his hand on hers had sparked an instant electricity she’d never felt before.
“This is the best grilled cheese sandwich I’ve ever had,” Sammy said.
“Hey!” Nicolette gave him a mock look of hurt. “After all the grilled cheese sandwiches I’ve made for you in your life?”
Sammy giggled and shrugged. “What can I tell you, Mom? A cowboy only speaks the truth.”
“Did you get that out of a fortune cookie?” Cassie asked teasingly.
Sammy frowned thoughtfully. “I don’t think they have fortune cookies in the Wild West.”
They had just about finished up their meal when one of the cowboys at the counter began to walk past their table, apparently headed to the restrooms in the back.
As he reached the side of their booth, Sammy accidentally knocked his glass of chocolate milk with an elbow. The glass flew off the table and landed at the cowboy’s feet. Some of the chocolate milk splattered the bottom of his jeans.
“Oh, we’re so sorry,” Nicolette said as she quickly jumped up to right Sammy’s glass.
“Stupid city-boy brat,” the man spat.
Nicolette reacted impulsively and tossed the last of her iced tea at the man. “And I’m the stupid city-boy brat’s mother,” she said angrily. “His spill was an accident, but mine was on purpose because you’re a jerk.”
For a brief heartbeat she feared the man was going to punch her, and then Daisy was between them. “Let’s all just calm down,” she said. “Lloyd, go on and take care of your business and leave the kid and the ladies alone.”
The man she called Lloyd gave Nicolette a glare that chilled her to her very bones and then headed on to the back. “Don’t pay him no mind,” Daisy said and patted Sammy’s shoulder as he began to cry, his face buried in his hands. “He’s just a cranky old man.”
“It...it was an accident,” he said between sobs. “I didn’t mean to do it.”
“We know it was an accident. How about I bring you one of my special chocolate chip cookies with some ice cream for dessert?” Daisy asked with a wink at Nicolette. “I’ve never known a little cowboy who didn’t love my cookies.”
Sammy swiped his tears and looked up at the red-headed owner. “That would be really nice. Thank you.”
As Daisy left to get the dessert, Nicolette reached across the table for her son’s hand. “It’s really okay, Sammy. Accidents happen and he was not nice at all.” She squeezed his hand and then released it, knowing Sammy would be embarrassed if anyone saw him holding his mother’s hand.
By the time Daisy delivered the goodies to Sammy, Lloyd and his buddies had left the café and Nicolette breathed a sigh of relief.
They finished their meals without further incident and left the café to find Lucas’s truck. The minute Nicolette spied the black pickup with Lucas seated on the tailgate, his hat low over his face, her heart began that crazy beat that was definitely not normal.
He sat up as he saw their approach and bumped his hat back, a frown crossing his forehead. He must have noticed the soberness of the group.
“How was lunch?” he asked as he stood.
“An experience,” Nicolette replied, hoping he could read her eyes to know she didn’t want to discuss it at the moment. The last thing she wanted was for Sammy to get upset all over again.
He turned to the back of the pickup, which held a variety of grocery bags, and grabbed a big shoe box. He bent down so that he was eye to eye with Sammy. “I see you got your hat, but I have a feeling you’ll be needing these, too.”
Sammy took the lid off and his entire face lit up at the sight of the black polished cowboy boots. “Really? For me?” he asked.
Lucas laughed. “They sure aren’t my size. Why don’t you pull them on and take a little stroll down the sidewalk to make sure they fit.”
Sammy sat on the tailgate and quickly shucked his tennis shoes and then pulled on each boot. When he took off walking down the sidewalk, Nicolette turned to Lucas. “Just tell me how much they were and I’ll pay you.”
“Don’t offend me,” he replied. “This is a gift from me to Sammy and has nothing to do with you.” He smiled at her, tiny lines radiating out from the corners of his eyes. “Besides, if he’s going to be one of the ranch hands, he needs a good pair of boots. Those white tennis shoes won’t last a week in the pasture.”
“Then I guess I’ll just say thank you,” she replied.
Sammy ran back to them. “They fit perfect. I love them. Thank you, Cowboy Lucas.”
“You’re welcome, partner. Now, let’s get in the truck and head back to the ranch.”
Nicolette and Sammy rode in the small seats behind Lucas and Cassie as they headed back home. The conversation was neutral, focused on the weather and the passing landscape. Lucas pointed out other ranches they passed and mentioned who owned them, but Nicolette paid little attention.
The gift of the boots had obviously erased the trauma of the spilled milk for Sammy, and Nicolette was grateful to see her son dancing his feet against the floorboard and adjusting and readjusting his hat on his head.
Despite her desire to the contrary, Lucas Taylor was definitely getting under her skin. If the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach, the way to Nicolette’s heart was through Sammy.
When they got to the house, Lucas dropped them off and then drove on toward the bunkhouse in the distance. Nicolette knew he had supplies to drop off and then probably afternoon chores to take care of.
Sammy went up to his room, Cassie disappeared into her bedroom and Nicolette wandered the downstairs restlessly. She tried to keep her mind off the lunch debacle and the way Lloyd’s glare had made her feel.
He’d frightened her more than just a little bit. For just a moment she’d thought he was going to pick up Sammy by the scruff of his neck and slam him against a wall. There had been that kind of wild meanness in his eyes. She’d believed he was going to punch her in the face. She didn’t want to think about what might have happened if Daisy hadn’t intervened.