The Cowboy Way (12 page)

Emily started the Pledge of Allegiance. Dex led the “Star Spangled Banner.” Then Dex said a special Cowboy/Cowgirl Prayer:

A big cheer rose from the assembly, getting the kids even more pumped. Then it was Jake's turn for announcements. Clint Scully handed him a clipboard; Jake nodded his gratitude. No doubt he hadn't had time to prepare.

“All riders report to the barn to saddle your horse. All those on the hay wagon, bring your gear and yourselves to the lobby area. All volunteers, please see Clint Scully for your assignment. We'll all line up for the wagon train in front of the lobby. Any guests who aren't joining us, you're going to have to take your meals in town. We'll be back early tomorrow evening.” Jake waved his hat in the air. “Let's go, everyone! The wagon train leaves exactly one half hour from now!”

Organized chaos ensued. There were kisses and hugs from parents. Last-minute checks on saddle bags and last-minute instructions from Em, Dex and Jake.

The cowboys scattered in various directions, each with a mission in mind.

Beth got her assignment from Clint. She was going to take care of two girls: Kathy Holmes and Marylou Doxtator. They were both riders and would be on horseback. She had talked to the girls several times. Both were just adorable.

Then she walked to the barn with Kevin.

“Mom, is this not totally cool, or what?”

“Kevin, it's totally cool.”

“This is awesome, Mom. Awesome.”

She laughed. “Totally awesome!”

“This is just like the pioneers, huh?”

“Absolutely.” Looking around and seeing no one, she bent down. “Kevin, no one is around. Can I just give you a kiss and a hug?”

He verified that no one was around. “Okay. But hurry.”

“I will.”

She kissed him on the cheek and added a big hug. She could tell that he loved it, but would never admit it.

“All done, and you survived. Let's go saddle our horses.”

“All right!”

 

Jake held his hand up and yelled, “Westward ho!”

Beth and Kevin rode next to him, something she was sure he'd arranged. She liked that. Better yet, Kevin liked it.

Her two charges, Kathy and Marylou, were behind her, content to drool over the cowboys who were riding with them.

Dex and Emily rode next, followed by Cookie driving the chuck wagon. Clint Scully rode shotgun on the chuck wagon, munching on an apple, his guitar at his side.

Next came the hay wagons with the kids who couldn't ride horses. They were with some volunteers and assorted cowboys. All had big grins.

The medical wagon was next in line. Doc Trotter drove. Beth recognized several EMTs and nurses.

Bringing up the rear was a supply wagon loaded
with tents, sleeping bags, big jugs of drinking water, feed for the horses and other items for the campout.

It was a big operation. Beth admired Jake's skill in putting it all together.

Jake put a hand on Kevin's shoulder. “Kev, can you take over being wagon master for a bit?”

Kevin nodded so hard, Beth thought he was going to fall off his horse. Jake winked at Beth, and she lost her heart completely to him in that second—the second that he made a little boy feel like the most important creature in the world. She winked back.

“Just take it slow, Wagon Master Kevin. I'm going to make sure everyone's rolling.”

“Okay, Jake!” Kevin sat up taller in the saddle. He turned to Beth. “Isn't this just the coolest thing in the world, Mom? I'm a wagon master!”

“You sure are.”

She couldn't resist turning back to look at Jake. He was every bit the cowboy with his boots, hat and faded jeans. His very presence commanded respect. Maybe it was the way he sat in the saddle, maybe it was just his demeanor, but whatever it was, people listened to him.

A quiver ran through her when she thought of him naked and hard. He was an attentive lover, thinking of her needs before his own. Thank goodness he had had the foresight to bring a condom or two—or three—with him.

“Mom, which way do we go?”

“I think we turn left, but I'm not sure.”

She heard galloping alongside and knew it was Jake. One hand was on top of his hat, keeping it from flying
off as he rode. He looked wild and western, and she wanted him again.

“Hey, Wagon Master! Go left up ahead,” he yelled.

“Got it!” Kevin barely took his eyes off the trail to glance at Jake.

Beth couldn't take her eyes off Jake to look at the trail.

 

Jake rejoined Beth at the front of the wagon train. He motioned for her to drop back so Kevin could actually lead the way.

The gesture wasn't lost on Kevin. He looked back occasionally, making sure that everyone was following him. He was the cutest kid.

Jake really liked Kevin. Beth had done an excellent job in raising him. If he were ever fortunate enough to have children of his own someday, he'd consider himself lucky if they were at all like Kev.

He couldn't stop stealing glances at Beth. He didn't know what to say to her. Last night had been the best night of his life, and he hoped she felt the same.

Not only was she a giving lover, but he had felt things that he'd never felt with another woman. But that didn't change their situation.

He'd have to find some private time to talk to her about last night. He had to make it clear to her that he wasn't the settling-down type.

Whatever there was between them had to end when her stay at the Gold Buckle Ranch did.

A
fter seeing that all the kids had their breakfast, Jake and Beth took their plates and coffee and sat by the bank of the Silver River.

After last night, there were many things that Jake wanted to say to Beth, but he didn't know where to start. Before she figured on roping and hog-tying him, he wanted to make it clear that there was nothing more between them than sex.

But that would be a lie. And Jake Dixon might be a lot of things, but a liar wasn't one of them.

He loved her.

There. He had finally admitted it. When he delivered Thunder with his four white socks and he saw how her face lit up, he fell in love with her.

But what was the sense? They'd go their separate
ways after Wheelchair Rodeo was over. That's the way it should be.

Nothing he'd ever do would convince her that he wasn't a drinker. And even a woman as interesting and caring as Beth couldn't keep him from riding bulls.

For now, he'd be content just looking at her, watching her every move, committing her to memory.

“Wyoming is a beautiful state,” Beth said, taking a sip of coffee. “All of the Gold Buckle Ranch is just magnificent.”

“The ranch sits on the prettiest part of Wyoming, but then again, I'm prejudiced.”

“Look there!” Beth pointed to an eagle soaring on the breeze.

“A golden eagle,” Jake said. “I never get tired of seeing them. How's Cookie's breakfast?”

She dragged a piece of bacon through the yolk of her egg. “Still greasy, but I think I'm getting used to it.”

They ate their meal in comfortable silence, looking at the scenery and listening to the gentle flow of the river.

Jake cleared his throat, figuring that he might as well say what was on his mind. “Sorry I had to leave in such a hurry this morning. I wanted to stay longer.”

“I wanted you to stay too.”

Jake reached for her hand and held it in his. “I thought you'd have regrets.”

“No regrets.” She traced the back of his hand with a finger. “We reached out for each other. We made love, and it was beautiful. Soon, you go back to bull riding, and I go back home.”

His heart sank. This was supposed to be
his
speech!

Beth's gaze remained on the eagle.

This wasn't how the scene was supposed to unfold. He wanted her arms around his neck, her body pressed against his, and sweet, sweet words of everlasting love.

“Well, what do we do now?” he asked.

Beth glanced at him quickly, then looked away again. “I don't know. I didn't know there was a decision to make.”

“We'll just steal time to sneak away and have sex until I have to drive you and Kevin to the airport.” He raised an eyebrow. “Is that what you want?”

“I didn't say that.” She let out a deep breath, looked at him, then looked back at the river. “Is that what
you
want?”

“I didn't say that, either.”

He didn't know what he wanted. She was right. She'd be going back to her life in Arizona and he'd be going back on the road. That's what he did.

She smiled weakly. “I think we need to get back to work right now. I have to check on Kathy and Marylou.”

“I asked my mother to keep an eye on your girls.” He checked his watch. “We have some time yet before we have to move on.” He was handling the whole discussion badly, but he didn't want her to go just yet. “Tell me about Lizard Rock.”

“There isn't much to tell.” She shrugged. “I have a job I pretty much hate, but I keep it because they have an indoor pool for Kevin to do his water therapy, and my time is pretty flexible for the most part. Inez, the owner, is an old friend of my mother's. Actually, she's come to be more my friend than my mother's.”

Jake drank his coffee. “That's the first time I've heard you talk about your mother. Is she still alive?”

“She's alive and well in Boca Raton, Florida. She's on her fourth husband, and my father is on his third wife. I think they are having a competition as to who can marry the most.”

“They're not involved in your life? Don't they see Kevin?”

“They remember us on Christmas. I get a Christmas card with some money in it from each of them, and so does Kevin. I send them both a Christmas card in return, and Kevin and I enclose a letter. That's about the extent of our relationship with my parents. Brad's parents both died when he was young, so there are no grandparents on that side for Kevin, either.”

“Your folks never call?”

“No.”

Jake shook his head. How could parents forget that they have a daughter and a grandson? “Did they help out after the accident?”

“Mom was getting married to number three at the time and couldn't get away. Dad was in Europe with number two. They both married well. After the accident, they each called me about once a week to check on Kevin, and they sent me some money for his medical expenses, but that was it.” She took a ragged breath. Her fists tightened. “They never came to Brad's funeral. They never came to visit Kevin.”

Tears welled in her eyes, and Jake pulled her close to him, allowing her soft curves to mold against him. “I just don't get it.”

“I think I stayed with Brad as long as I did because I didn't want my marriage to fail.” Her head dropped against the hollow of his shoulder. “Over the years I've
come to realize that it wasn't me. My parents are just self-centered.”

She straightened, but didn't move away from him. Her eyes had taken on a surprised look, as if the fact that she'd talked so frankly about her personal pain was startling. Unexpected. For a moment, Jake was afraid she'd stop. That she'd pull away and shut down. But she didn't.

“I think that it was a complete surprise when my mother got pregnant with me. They didn't know how to handle a baby. They tried, and for a little while, we lived in the suburbs and superficially things were okay. But they both were restless. After they finally divorced, I was bounced from one to the other.”

She pulled up a little yellow flower and inhaled its fragrance. “But you know what bothers me most?”

He saw the hurt in her green eyes. “What's that?”

“They don't seem to care about their only grandchild.”

He shook his head. “I can't understand people like that. It's their loss, though. Kevin is one likable young man. You've done a good job raising him.”

“Thank you.” The hurt in her eyes receded. “Your parents didn't do so bad with you, either. You're a pretty nice guy.”

He grimaced. “Only pretty nice?”

“Wonderfully nice. Fabulously nice.”

“That's the best you can do?”

“Yes!” She laughed and was back to her old self. “Speaking of your parents, they have such a loving relationship. They're so warm and happy, and look what they do for the kids.”

“They are pretty special.”

“What was it like growing up with them?”

“We had horses and cattle and wide-open spaces. What more could a kid want? All of us kids were assigned chores. When they were done, the day was our own. We'd swim in the river here. Hunt for treasure. Ride our horses. We'd catch snakes and let them loose in the bunkhouse. Then we'd peek through the windows and watch the ranch hands go crazy. Every day was an adventure.”

She chuckled. “And you were loved.” She stared off in the distance.

“A day never went by when we weren't hugged or kissed by one or both of them. They went to all of our games. They watched me rodeo as much as they could. They went to all of Ty's science fairs and all of Cody's band concerts. And Karen's plays.”

“Your mother told me that they're all in college now.” This time she plucked a purple flower and studied it. “I envy you. You grew up with siblings, had lots of friends and wonderful parents.”

It would be so easy to tell her that he loved her—it was the perfect time—but how could he? He wouldn't be around for Beth or Kevin any more than her parents or her husband had been. She deserved a husband who'd be there for her. Someone who'd be a father to Kevin.

And if he wasn't healthy or got severely injured, he didn't want her to end up with another invalid. She had her hands full with Kevin.

Dammit, he couldn't even make love to her the way he wanted to.

She reached up and touched the side of his face. “You're not thinking, are you, Jake? I thought we agreed that thinking was a dangerous thing.”

“Maybe you and Kev could come to some of my bull-riding events.”

“All of my money will be going for Kevin to see specialists in Boston. I need to find out what else can be done for him.”

“I'll give you the money for Kev's doctors, and I'll send you the money to come to the events.”

She took his hand in hers. “That's very generous of you, but I don't want to take your money. You're going to need it yourself. Let's face it, you're probably going to have to have surgery soon.”

“Money isn't a problem for me. And I might even have one sponsor left who hasn't dumped me yet—Wyoming Wear. I'm going to do some modeling for them for some magazine and newspaper ads and do some posing for their catalog.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Ain't that a hoot?”

“I can see you modeling. You're very handsome in a rugged, cowboy way.”

His hand flew to his heart and he patted it. “Oh, baby!”

“Oh no. Me and my big mouth. I've created a monster.” She giggled.

He loved it when she laughed, but it didn't last long.

“You are going to have an operation if it's called for, aren't you?” she asked.

He shook his head. “I have to get back on the tour.”

She stood and held up her hands in defeat. “Did a bull stomp on your brain? What if you get a permanent injury?”

“It won't happen.”

“Are you sure of that?”

“Sure enough.”

He struggled to get up. He wasn't getting any better, and the little bit of horseback riding he did was killing him.

Her hands on her hips, she squinted at him. “Should I go and get a horse so you can rope the saddle horn and let it pull you to your feet again?”

“Just get a couple of cowboys who aren't busy.”

Beth raised her eyes to the sky. Must be another eagle that she wanted to watch.

 

The wagon train poked along the bank of the river. Kevin was still at the helm. Clint Scully strummed his guitar. In another wagon, someone was telling stories.

After forty-five minutes, they reached the campground at the bend of the river, probably just a couple of miles from where they had eaten breakfast.

Three wooden buildings, all marked with signs, bordered the back of a large grassy clearing. The signs read Girls' Outhouse, Boys' Outhouse and Little Cabin in the Pines. A fourth building, long and low, was a barn with a corral on the side.

“It's my parents' cabin,” Jake explained, without being asked. “Mom said that she was too old to stay in a tent, so Dad built the little cabin for her. It doubles as an infirmary and it has a CB radio in it in case of an emergency. Dad calls it their Honeymoon Cabin.”

“How romantic,” Beth said, looking at the cute cabin with the lace curtains, nestled in the trees that overlooked a grassy carpet of green and a bluer-than-blue
mountain lake. “And there's certainly a pretty view.” Which would soon be obstructed by the tents for the overnight.

As soon as they dismounted, a cowboy took their horses and led the animals toward the barn. A buzz of activity began as everyone helped in some way to set up camp.

Jake and Kevin worked together putting up the tents. Kevin watched Jake with complete adoration, hanging on to his every word and doing his best to help.

Beth wondered if Jake realized just how much Kevin idolized him. So far, Jake had turned out to be the perfect role model for Kevin, just as Beth had hoped.

There were no more drinking incidents, but then, Jake's own policy forbid any alcohol when they were on duty with the kids.

Beth helped unload the wagons and distribute the mountain of overnight bags into the hands of the rightful owners. She made sure everyone got a sleeping bag. Then it was her job to get the girls settled into their tents.

They were giggly with excitement. For most, it was their first camping experience. They couldn't take their eyes off the boys, and when they found out that Beth was Kevin's mother, she fielded dozens of questions.

“He's so cute. Does he have a girlfriend?”

“What's his e-mail addy?”

“Why is he in a wheelchair?”

“Do you live around here?”

“Does he play any sports?”

She hated to tell them that Kevin's head was turned not by pretty girls, but by horses, cowboys and a rope endorsed by Jake Dixon.

While they were ogling her son, she was ogling Jake Dixon. Right now he was bent over, pounding a tent stake into the ground. She could sense him, no matter where he was, no matter what he was doing. Sometimes she caught him looking at her, and they'd smile. Other times, he'd catch her looking at him. It was so high school, and she loved every minute of it.

 

The softball game was always the highlight of the campout for Jake. No one could be funnier than Clint Scully as pitcher. They used a beach ball, and the bat was a big orange plastic monstrosity that Clint had found in a clown catalog.

The kids wheeled around the bases, and no matter what happened, Clint and the cowboys always saw to it that the game always ended with the kids winning by one run when Cookie rang the bell for lunch.

Jake was the umpire and his calls were always controversial. He and Clint played off one another to the delight of the kids and the spectators. Cowboys dropped balls and tripped and fell as the kids circled the bases. Hysterical laughter rang out across the peaceful valley.