Cowboys Mine (2 page)

Eva shifted out of his embrace. “I’m going alone.
I’m a grown woman, not a child. And I think I’m quite capable of carting two
cows in a trailer. I do it all the time.”

“Not in the city, you don’t,” North corrected.
“Don’t you realize the trouble you could get into in a place like that?”

“I don’t plan on getting into any trouble.”

“The cowboys that flock to those places are not the
type you’re used to, Eva. Scam artists and predators are common place at the
big rodeos. They’ll eat you alive.” Colton adjusted his Stetson as he countered
her steps.

“Promise I’ll be careful,” she said dismissively.
“Don’t you two have a herd of cattle to bring in?”

She saw his jaw twitch but he didn’t argue with her.
Both men watched her until she returned to the stall to grab the bowls of
kibble. By the time she stepped back out, they were gone. She sighed in relief,
surprised they’d actually listened to her. Eva was another step closer to her
new adventure.

****

“I ain’t letting her go,” said North.
 
He knelt on one knee in front of the airtight
fireplace, blowing at the embers.

“She’s got her mind set.”

“Don’t care.” North added some kindling to the
growing flames. The evenings could get bitterly cold now. It was time to start
building their wood stock pile out back. Their mother already had most of the
tomatoes and apples jarred and stored in the cold cellar.

It was hard getting their own work done when they
offered to help Mr. Ford with his cattle and other odd jobs, but he was more
than a neighbor, and saying “no” was never an option.

“Tomorrow we’ll talk with Ford. We’ll make him see
the danger of letting her go to Chester alone,” said Colton.
 
His brother lounged on the sofa, watching the
leaves blow across the front of the picture window. The sun was half set, the
sky matching the fall scenery—a mix of oranges and reds. They had no
television, and they were both too tired to hit the bar most nights.

“That’s right. By the time I’m finished filling him
in, he won’t let her pass town limits.”

Colton shrugged one shoulder in nonchalance. “She’ll
kill us for interfering.”

“Better than the alternative,” he assured. After
carefully inserting two good sized logs into the fireplace, he closed and
secured the iron door and rose to his feet. “It’s for her own damn good.”

“She’s twenty-two now, North. How long you gonna
baby her?”

He scowled at his twin. “So you’re okay with her
heading to Chester alone? God knows what trouble she could get into. An
innocent farm girl around all those seasoned sharks?” North chuckled without
humor. “Fuck that.”

North headed down the hall toward his room,
hesitantly stopping at the first door. He rested his hand on the knob for
several moments before turning. Some days he didn’t want to care, wanted to be
so numb he didn’t give a fuck about anything—but those were just passing temptations.
He took a cleansing breath and then slowly opened the door. The light from the
hallway filtered in so he could see the body-shaped lump under the blankets.
Once he saw the gentle rise and fall, he let the door gently click shut again.

It was bad enough half the town looked down at them,
referring to them as trash or bastards, but the whispers about their mother
made it intolerable. He blamed everything on their father, the violent drunk
who did them the favor of abandoning them without a dollar or a memory worth
keeping. The only family they had nearby was their Aunt Laura. She knew about
their mother’s condition and continually offered to get her help. But their
mother wasn’t ready to accept she had a problem.

He continued on to the last room, kicking the door
shut once he entered. Anger welled up inside him. More than that. He was
frustrated and torn. He rammed his fist into his closet door, savoring the
sting on his knuckles as he broke through the paneling. North unbuckled his
belt and unbuttoned his flannel shirt. He stood in front of his dresser, staring
at himself in the mirror for a long while—hating what he saw. While Colt had
dirty-blond hair and blue eyes like their mother, North’s hair was as dark as
his eyes. If they weren’t twins, nobody would believe they were brothers. He
didn’t give two shits about his appearance. He just hated the fact that the
image reflecting back haunted him, a constant reminder of a man he’d rather
forget. The man who’d taken everything from them.

North tossed his shirt so it landed on the edge of
the mirror, blocking the unwanted image from view. He dropped down on the bed,
the mattress protesting until it finally settled. There was something about
autumn that made him feel more lost than he normally did. Everything was grey
and dying, and more time was spent indoors rather than keeping busy with his
hands.

He stirred for a while before finally giving up and
bolting back to his feet. North paced his room, his mind drifting to everything
unsavory. It would be so easy to forget his troubles with the help of cheap
whiskey or the adrenaline that came from a good bar fight. Too easy. In the
end, he slipped a padded jacket on over his bare skin and left the house. The
wind and shadows swirled around him as he walked to the barn. He didn’t bother
with a saddle at his hour, just bridled and mounted his gelding before galloping
off to the white brick house across the soy fields. Eva was a beacon of light
in his dark, empty world. He may claim to be the one looking out for the Ford
girl, but in truth, he’d be broken without her.

He eased the horse to a walk when he neared the house.
A warm glow emanated from the windows, and he imagined Mr. and Mrs. Ford
sitting by the fire with mugs of hot cocoa. The grandfather clock would be
ticking rhythmically, the small Shih Tzu curled up on the carpet, and there
would be a sense of love and security that was nearly palpable. He felt like a
nobody, an outsider looking in from the darkness, but rather than retreating,
he prodded his horse to the rear of the house and dismounted.

North had planned to toss a small pebble at Eva’s
second story window, but his plan was foiled when he nearly crashed into Colt.
“What the hell are you doing here?” his brother asked.

“Me? Last I saw you were falling asleep on the sofa.
How’d you get here before me?”

They grumbled their joint displeasure, both looking
up at Eva’s window. “Well?”

“Well what? You gonna let her know we’re here?”
North tugged his jacket tighter to keep out the chill.

“She could still be pissed. You ready for a
tongue-lashing?”

“You’re afraid of Eva now? She’s a hundred and ten
pounds soaking wet.”

Colt shoved him and started to climb up the metal
antenna until in front of Eva’s window. He rapped softly on the glass until she
slid it up. “What are
you
doing here?
And
you
?” She pointed accusingly down
at North.

“Come on, it’s cold, let us in,” Colt pleaded.

“Why should I?” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“You both take me for a child.”

“Forget today, darlin’.” Colt slid into her room
head first, his boots shifting high as he toppled over the windowsill like an
oversized sack of potatoes.

North climbed the same antenna and joined them. It
was warm in her bedroom, a welcome contrast to the frigid night air. Eva’s room
always felt so small and delicate, like standing in a doll’s house. The walls
were painted pink and she had several shelves of teddy bears and trinkets, all
staring back at him. If he moved the wrong way, it would spell disaster. He
heard the muted laughter from Eva’s parents downstairs.

Colt crashed unceremoniously onto Eva’s bed, the
lush bedding enveloping him. He chuckled and rolled to his back, hugging one of
her floral pillows. The only time he saw his brother happy was when they
visited the Fords. Home was another story.

“Will you stop messing my bed, Colt. You’re too big
for your own good.” Eva struggled to shove his legs aside so she could sit. But
Colt reached up and tugged Eva down alongside him, her back pressed to his
chest. He wrapped his arm around her, whispering something in her ear until she
giggled.

North strolled around the room, examining Eva’s
prized possessions he’d seen a thousand times—the little pink elephant and her
baby shoes mounted on an ivory plaque. Everything was so familiar, so
comfortable.

“What’s wrong with you, North? Come here.”

He shrugged off his jacket, forgetting he had
nothing on underneath. “Shuffle over,” he said. When they’d made room for him,
he settled in beside Eva, staring up at the ceiling and the small tin stars
dangling down.

“You’re sad again. Why?” she asked, her arm draping
around his chest.

He shrugged.

Colt lifted his head. “She say something to you?”

“No, she’s passed out good.”

“You checked she was okay?”

“I checked, dammit!” His body tensed. “Can we not
talk about her?”

Eva kissed his shoulder, holding him tighter. He
closed his eyes and absorbed her goodness. “Is your mom sick?” she asked.

He swallowed hard, not able to answer. Colt spoke
for him. “She’ll be fine in a few days. She’s just under the weather.”

“Is there something I can do to help? Mom could
bring her some soup.”

“No, sweetheart. Don’t you worry about her,” said
Colt.

They rested in silence, Colt occasionally brushing
her hair with his fingers. It was so silky and long, the color of wheat. The
scent of her strawberry shampoo drifted in the air, so feminine compared to the
stench of cattle and horses North was used to.

She began to play with North’s fingers, examining
the various healing scars. When she beckoned for his other hand, she sat up in
a rush. “What happened to you?”

“I’m not hurt,” said North.

She kissed his torn knuckles, not repulsed by the
bloody mess. “I’m telling mom. She’ll fix you up good.”

He took his hand back, not in the mood for coddling.
“Later. Promise.”

“You’re stubborn as a bull.”

North didn’t respond. He just needed to be there in
the fluffy pink blankets where he felt safe and loved. Eva could throttle him
all she wanted.

She twisted around on her knees between them until
she could see them both. “Dad says we’re having a corn roast when I get back,”
she said with sudden enthusiasm, breaking the hush. “Even more people are
coming than last year. It’ll be fun.”

“Did you invite the Blackwood sisters?” asked Colt.

Eva jabbed him in the stomach, making him grunt.
“You can chase tail on your own time. Anyway, you’ll be busy shucking. Lots of
shucking.”

Colt chuckled, tickling her until she squealed.
North couldn’t help but join in. It was so easy to tease Eva. They were both
relentless, crowding her and offering no reprieve. He swore the bed would
shatter into splinters with the weight of the three of them bouncing around.

“Stop!” she cried, half laughing. “Please!”

North stilled Colt’s hand. He supported his weight
over her body as she attempted to catch her breath. She looked up at him with
her big blue eyes. Somehow Eva made life tolerable.

He desperately wanted to tell her everything.

But he refused to bring any of his darkness into her
world.

Chapter
Two

Eva brushed her oldest prized cow in long strokes.
She’d raised Bessie and Ruby herself, keeping them separate from the herd. Her
father rarely refused her, not that she ever asked for anything extravagant.
She hoped at least one of them would win a ribbon or cash prize at the rodeo.
Although her parents had babied her, she was twenty-two and felt the need to
spread her wings. Most of the girls she’d grown up with here married, in
serious relationships, or had traveled to the city to study in colleges and
universities. She felt left behind, counting the days until she was considered
an old spinster.

Her parents insisted she never had to worry about
money, being an only child, because the family ranch would pass on to her. But
how could she be expected to keep things running all on her own once her
parents were too old to continue? Her dad already relied on help from the
McReed brothers. What she needed was to fall in love, get married, and follow
her own dreams.

Part of her felt the trip to Chester would be the
catalyst to a new life. Although change was scary, it was often necessary to
reinvent yourself.

“She’s a beauty.” Her father’s gravelly voice sent a
wave of calmness through her system. She smiled to herself as she continued to
groom Bessie.

“Think she’s a winner?”

“You have a fighting chance,” said her father. “But
I need to talk to you about the trip.”

Now she whirled around. “Oh?”

“I was talking with Colton and North this morning.
What they said makes sense—”

“You’re cancelling the trip!”

“Hush now, darlin’. You’re free to go to Chester
with Bessie and Ruby—but you’ll also be carting the McReed boys. They promised
to look out for you while you’re away.”