A Valentine For The Cowboy

* * *

THE JUSTIN BOOTS supplier came on Wednesday afternoons. Brianna opened the rear door of the saddlery to let him in while her uncle was out front dealing with a customer looking for the right saddle.

“How are you, Antonio?”

“Things are good, senorita, but they’d be better if you’d agree to go out with me tonight.”

The rodeo celebrity from twenty years ago was probably in his midforties. According to her uncle, he’d been married and divorced twice. He had a certain reputation with the ladies. Brianna imagined he had several children with different women.

He lifted the last box off the dolly and put it on the floor. “What’s it going to take?”

His bold approach and persistence annoyed her. “I’ve got a boyfriend,” she lied.

“But you’re not married yet.”

All women were fair game to him. “That’s true, but I’d like to be.” Brianna counted the delivered inventory and signed the paper on his clipboard. “Accepting a date with another man would spell the end of my dreams, so I’m not taking any chances. Do you have any other business? My uncle’s out front if you want to talk to him.” She handed him the clipboard.

“No other business, chica.”

Good. She’d angered him. Without wasting another minute, she walked over to the back door and opened it. “See you next week.”

He pushed the dolly out the door. “Hasta la vista.”

She shut the self-locking door and got busy unpacking boots and other items of clothing. Her uncle was whistling when she went out front with the delivered items. “I take it you made a sale.”

“That’s the third Dakota saddle this week. I’ll have to place more orders.”

“Your business is booming.”

A smile broke out on his face. “We keep getting repeat customers. You’re part of the reason.”

“Nice one, Uncle Clark. You know I’m indebted to you.”

“That works both ways. Your aunt can teach school without worrying about me running the saddlery alone. But any time you’re ready to use that college degree to start a real career, you need only say the word.”

“I know, but I’m very happy working here with you. To be honest, it makes me feel closer to Dad.”

Her uncle squeezed her shoulder. “Same here.”

She checked her watch. Ten after four. “Since today is your wedding anniversary, why don’t you leave now so you can get ready to sweep Aunt Joanne off her feet. What’s your plan?”

“I’m going to surprise her and pick her up at school. We’ll drive to Missoula and grab some dinner and then go country dancing.”

“Ooh, I’d love to see the look on her face when she sees that ring.”

“I’m excited, too.”

“Then go home. I’ll close up and see you two in the morning at breakfast.”

“Thanks, honey.” He gave her a hug and left the store. She had two more customers before it was time to lock the front door and put the closed sign in the window. With that done, she started for the back room but paused when she heard a knock on the window.

Brianna whirled around and almost fainted when she saw Eli Clayton’s tall form through the glass. “Will you let me in for a minute?” he called out to her.

She nodded but couldn’t imagine why he was there. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she unlocked the door. He stepped inside, bringing the cold air with him.

“If you’ve come to see my uncle, he left early.”

He removed his hat. “I came by to talk to you.”

Brianna smoothed her palms against her denim-clad hips. “Why?”

“After the way I treated you, you’ve got every right to ask that question.” Those piercing blue eyes stared into hers. He was building up to something. “I want to apologize for my rude behavior at the gem shop last Saturday. Don’t bother to deny it,” he said before she could make a sound.

“I won’t.”

“At least that’s honest,” he muttered. “Several reasons were driving me at the time, but nothing excuses the way I acted. If my daughter had been old enough to express an opinion, she would have asked, ‘Why are you being so mean, Daddy?’”

Brianna couldn’t help smiling. “I realized something was wrong, but you didn’t have to come here to explain.”

“I disagree. If we could start again, I’d like to make up for it by taking you to dinner this evening. If you have other plans, then how about tomorrow night?”

Her second invitation of the day.

She couldn’t say yes to him either, but for an entirely different reason.

Eli might be divorced, but he was still in love with his ex-wife. That made him off-limits to her. There was no way she dared accept an invitation to get to know him better.

“I accept your apology, but dinner isn’t necessary.”

“Then I did more damage than I thought,” he said, his voice husky.

She shook her head. “Don’t be silly.” She took the few steps needed to open the front door so he would leave. “My aunt and uncle said your father was a true gentleman. Your visit here to make things right means it runs in your family. Consider that achieving your objective and have a lovely evening with your daughter, Eli.”

He shoved the cowboy hat on his head at an angle and moved toward her. Beneath the brim, his shadowed gaze studied her features. “We’ll meet again soon. Good night, Brianna.”

“Good night.”

After locking the door, she rushed through the store to the back room, where she turned off all the lights except for the ones in the display windows. Her legs were still trembling when she got into her truck and headed home. On the way she stopped at a drive-through for some pizza and a soda.

Once she got back, she didn’t go inside the house right away. Instead she ate in the truck and called her brother, hoping he was available to talk. Carol answered and told her he was out in one of the sheds, but she’d have him call her ASAP.

No sooner did Brianna go inside the house than her phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, she hurried into the study and sat down on the couch. “Doug?”

“Hi, Brianna. You kept your promise to call me this week. What’s up?”

She loved her brother so much. “Can you talk?”

“That’s what we’re doing, aren’t we?”

“You know what I mean.”

“I have all the time in the world for you. Carol’s fixing dinner. Go ahead and tell me what’s on your mind.”

Brianna bit her lip. “I may have made a mistake tonight, and now I don’t know what to do.”

“Do I dare assume this has to do with a man?”

Clever Doug. His instincts were razor-sharp. “Yes.”

“I take it he’s a good one.”

“Yes, I know he is. He has the most adorable fourteen-month-old daughter.”

“Is he single? A widower? Divorced? Wait—he’s not married, is he?”

“Doug—”

He chuckled. “You’ve got to give me more than a couple of yesses.”

“I’m sorry. Let me ask you a hypothetical question. If you lost Carol—Heaven forbid if you did—how long do you think you’d stay in love with her?”

“I would always love her, but I don’t think you can stay ‘in love’ forever because life has a way of evolving. I take it you’ve met a widower.”

She breathed in deeply. “No. His ex-wife is alive, but he still wears his wedding ring.”

“Yeah?” This after a brief silence. “That’s a tricky one.” It was not the response she’d been hoping for. “What mistake have you made, aside from falling for him?”

“I haven’t fallen for him!”

“Then why ask me for advice?”

Brianna jumped up from the couch. “I barely know him, but I—I find him very attractive,” she stammered. “That’s all.”

“Don’t forget the adorable daughter.”

That wasn’t possible. Libby had his eyes.

“I don’t want to be attracted to him.”

Hearty laughter poured out of him. “Poor Brianna. After all those years of tying guys up in knots without compunction, you’ve found one who has turned the tables on you. What do you know...”

“Please don’t make me feel worse.”

“Now that I know a little more about the situation, how about telling me the nature of your second mistake?”

There was no getting around this with Doug, not when she’d phoned him. “He came to the saddlery a little while ago to apologize to me for something and asked me out to dinner. I told him I forgave him but that dinner wasn’t necessary. Then I opened the door so he’d leave.”

“And did he?”

“Yes.”

“Good for him.”

She winced.

“Why don’t you tell me what happened for him to come to the store wanting to tell you he was sorry?”

“It’s complicated.”

“With you it usually is. Go on.”

She told him everything that had gone on since the night Eli had been so rude at the gem shop. Quiet reigned after she’d finished explaining. “Doug?”

“You’re frightened. Can’t say I blame you, but he could still be wearing his wedding ring for a variety of reasons. At this early stage there’s only one question you have to ask yourself. Is he so important to you that you won’t be able to eat or sleep until you talk to him again and find out what’s going on with him? In a few days you’ll know if you can’t get him off your mind.”

“I’m afraid I already know.” Her brother was right. “Thanks for listening to me.”

“Anytime. Call me soon, okay?”

“I promise.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

She chuckled. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

She hung up, hugging her arms to her chest. Yes, she was afraid. Eli had loved another woman, married her, had a baby with her. How did you compete with those memories? Did Brianna even want to try if it turned out he was interested in her?

Haunted by too many unanswerable questions, she went to her room and watched TV. Why did she have to meet a man who’d been married and had a past? A man who was still living in that past. A man with a darling little girl, who would remind him of his ex-wife every minute of their lives.

Brianna had no idea how long she stayed awake, tormented. It was a miracle that she finally slept. But when she awakened, she discovered her pillow drenched in tears.

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