Colton: Rodeo Cowboy, page 3
“Why are you sleeping in here again, honey?”
“Davey had another nightmare.”
Leah didn’t know why Jill didn’t want to own up to the bad dreams. Nor did she understand why Jill chose to go to her brother for comfort, instead of her mom. But she felt it was wise to simply take Jill’s answers at face value for now.
“You’re a nice sister to take such good care of your brother. Now, why don’t you run to the washroom and clean your hands? Grandma’s making your favorite breakfast.”
“French toast? Yay!” Jill sprang out of the bed, jumping over the safety barrier with the ease of a natural athlete. Given that both her parents had been pros in the rodeo circuit, Leah supposed she shouldn’t be surprised.
“Toast?” Davey pushed his head up from the pillow then lifted his butt in the air—a maneuver that looked like a modified child’s pose in yoga. “I want fwench toast, Mommy.”
Though he was almost three, Davey’s speech wasn’t very advanced. He spoke in short sentences at best and had trouble with his rs. Leah wasn’t worried…yet. She figured the divorce and the recent move to Montana might be part of the problem. In time, she hoped Davey would catch up to the verbal ability of his peers.
“Let’s go to the bathroom first, honey.” He’d only been weaned from his bedtime diaper a few months ago. She’d expected he might regress after the move, but luckily he hadn’t.
Five minutes later both children were washed and sitting at the breakfast table. Leah knew her mother would prefer that the children were properly dressed, as well, but she was too much the doting grandmother to insist on it.
As she watched the children tuck in to their food, Leah couldn’t help but think of Colt again. She felt like such a fool for falling all over him last night. She’d actually thought she saw layers of depth in Colt that she’d never seen before. She should have known he wasn’t serious, that he was just messing with her.
He’d stopped the charade fast enough when he found out she was a mother. She still wasn’t sure what he’d objected to most. The fact that she’d “had” to get married because she was pregnant? Or just the fact that she had kids, and so had responsibilities that he didn’t.
At any rate, it was good that he’d revealed his true colors so quickly. Getting involved with a self-absorbed cowboy was one mistake she didn’t intend to repeat.
* * *
COLT WAS UP BEFORE dawn on Sunday morning, hauling oats and hay into the feeders, ignoring the protests of his rodeo-weary body. Pulled muscles and bruises, sprains and broken bones, came with the territory. Most cowboys worked despite their injuries. He had ridden with bruised ribs, sprained fingers, even a mild concussion, once.
He didn’t mind physical pain. On some level he welcomed it.
He’d hardly slept last night after leaving Leah. He’d behaved badly at the end and he knew it. But he’d been so damn disappointed. They could have been good together. If only he’d recognized that years ago, before she married another man—before she had children….
The sun was creeping up on the eastern horizon when one of the ranch hands came out to join him. Darrell was in his mid-forties, a steady family man who had been working at the ranch for as long as Colt could remember. Like Royce, Darrell was a man of few words. Most wranglers were.
“You’re out early.” Darrell glanced at the feeders. “Looks like you’ve done my work for me.”
Colt removed his leather work gloves and flexed his fingers. “I guess there’s more than enough to go around. Or so my brother is always telling me.”
“Ace works damn hard,” Darrell conceded. “That new stallion isn’t helping matters much.”
“Midnight?” The black-as-coal recent addition to their breeding stock program was a worry, all right. The family had paid a lot of money at auction for the stallion—the price driven up in a testosterone-fueled bidding war with their neighbor, Earl McKinley.
“Ace has pumped a hell of a lot of time, not just money, into that animal.”
“He’s been a good breeder out in the field, though, right?”
Darrell nodded. “Yeah, but we need to be able to breed him in a controlled environment. And Midnight still won’t stand for that.”
Colt nodded thoughtfully. “Think I’ll go pay my respects. Maybe give Midnight his workout for the day.”
“Good idea. Gracie usually does that, but this is her day off.” Darrell gave him a nod, then headed toward the new mares’ barn to continue with his chores.
The morning sun was bathing the ranch in gold as Colt made his way to Midnight’s stud quarters. Colt was on the road a lot, but usually that only made him appreciate his home all the more when he returned. Late spring was a beautiful time of year with the trees in full leaf, and the grass thick and green. Colt inhaled deeply. Nothing finer than the pure air that blew off the Bull Mountains. He knew he was damn lucky to call Montana home.
If only he could find the inner peace to match his surroundings…
He found Midnight at the far end of his paddock, nuzzling his favorite mare, Fancy Gal. They sure made an odd-looking couple—the pregnant dun mare and the majestic black stallion. Come next spring, it was going to be interesting to see what their foal looked like.
Colt climbed over the fence and paused to see how Midnight would react. The stallion shook his mane and pranced backward a few steps. Colt had to admit that all of Ace’s doctoring was paying off. The stallion’s coat was glossy and thick, and he’d lost that wild look that spoke of the abuse he’d suffered at the hands of the damned foreman who’d been hired by Midnight’s previous owners.
“Hey, boy. How’s it going?” Colt moved slowly toward the horse. He supposed Midnight was on break from his stud duties while Ace was on his honeymoon. “Feel like stretching out those long legs of yours today?”
Midnight jerked his head upright as Colt approached, and laid his ears back.
“It’s okay, boy. No one’s going to hurt you here on Thunder Ranch. You’ve figured that out by now, haven’t you?” From the pocket of his denim jacket, he pulled out one of Angie Barrington’s special horse cookies. Along with carrots they were Midnight’s favorite treat.
Cautiously Midnight accepted the goody, then backed right off again.
“You miss Gracie, don’t you, boy? Well, don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt you.” He kept talking as he moved closer, angling the horse toward the gate that led to the dirt-packed, round arena they used for exercising and training young horses.
Midnight was no fool. He knew where Colt wanted him to go. Yet he resisted. Why? Colt wondered. He studied the horse’s dark eyes, trying to understand what was going on in his head.
Eventually Colt coaxed the stallion into the arena where he used hand gestures and encouraging words to get Midnight to run laps around the perimeter of the fence. A few times Midnight seemed to get into it, but then he would fall back and give Colt a resigned look as if to say, This is it? This is the most excitement you can give me?
“Not too enthusiastic, is he?”
Colt started at the sound of his mother’s voice. He turned around and saw her leaning against the fence, one booted foot on the lower rung. She was wearing an old corduroy coat she’d owned for ages and her cheeks were ruddy from the cool morning air.
“Sorry about yesterday, Mom.”
“It’s Ace and Flynn you need to apologize to.”
“I will. As soon as they’re back from their honeymoon.” He glanced back at Midnight, who had stopped running and was nibbling at the grass growing at the edge of the fence. “Has anyone tried riding him yet?”
His mother looked amused. “That horse was born to buck. I don’t think anyone would dare.”
“Well, maybe we should let him compete in rodeos again. He needs to get some exercise somehow. Loping around this arena just doesn’t cut it.”
“That would be pretty risky, don’t you think? What if he was injured?”
“You have a point,” Colt conceded. “Okay, boy.” He opened the gate to the pasture. “That’s enough for today.”
Midnight didn’t need to be invited twice. He trotted quickly out of the arena and rejoined his mare.
“By the way, son, was that a new truck I saw parked by your trailer?”
“Yeah. I won the use of it this spring, but only picked it up on my way to Oregon. It handles like a dream. I’m thinking of buying out the lease when the year is up.”
His mother said nothing to that. She never asked him what he did with his rodeo winnings and he never offered any information. But however you looked at it, the new truck was a luxury. One he could hardly afford. But he was thirty-two years old and lived in a trailer that was almost as old as he was.
And that new truck was so damn sweet…
“You’ll join Dinah and me for breakfast?” She dug her hands into the pockets of her jacket as she gave him a sideways glance. “And then to church, after?”
“Sorry, Mom. There’s something else I need to do.” Leah was on his mind. He’d behaved badly yesterday. No changing the past. But there was one thing he could do today to prove that he wasn’t a total jerk.
Chapter Three
Leah spent the morning cleaning her new house. Her mother alternated between helping and playing with the kids in their new backyard. With the river so close by, Leah wouldn’t have rented the place if it hadn’t been securely fenced. As a bonus, the yard had a built-in sandbox and swing set and a paved patio that was perfect for Davey to ride his plastic tractor on.
“The kitchen is sparkling,” Prue commented, as she grabbed a couple of juice boxes out of the fridge for the children. Earlier she’d helped Jill change into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt that matched. She was trying to wean her granddaughter from her penchant for wildly colorful, mismatched outfits. Leah wished her luck with that one.
“Thanks, Mom. It does look good, doesn’t it?”
“Have you tackled the basement yet?”
Leah wrinkled her nose. “No. It’s too big of a project. We’ll just use the main floor for now.” It would be squishy, though, as she’d hoped to put a playroom for the kids, as well as her office, down there. But both she and her mother had noticed a foul odor this morning when they checked the place over.
“Smells like mildew,” her mother had said. “I wish you’d told me you were thinking of renting this place. Houses this close to the river are prone to flooding.”
Oh, great. Just what she needed to hear. Now Leah knew why the rent had been such a great deal. At some point she would have to talk to her landlord about ripping out the carpet and scrubbing and repainting the walls. But until then the kids could share a room, and she’d use the main-floor bedroom for her office. All the toys were just going to have to go in the living room.
They’d get by.
Leah tossed the rag she’d used to wash the floor into a pail by the door. “I think we’re ready to move in now. I’ll unload the boxes from the truck if you don’t mind staying with the kids.”
“Actually, I think I should take them back to my place. Davey’s rubbing his eyes and there’s no place to put him down for his nap.”
She gave her mom a hug. “That would be perfect, thanks. We’ll have to transfer their booster seats into your car.”
“I can do that. You just keep on with what you’re doing.”
Prue made a game of it, telling Jill and Davey it was time to board the train back to grandma’s house. “Choo! Choo!” Davey called, as she buckled him into the backseat. Leah waved until they’d driven out of sight, a smile on her face. It was at moments like this that she knew she’d done the right thing in moving back to Roundup. Her mother was an awesome grandma.
And now she was free to get her work done.
Leah opened the tailgate to her truck, then reached for the closest box. Within an hour she had unloaded everything—even the kids’ beds and bureaus, which weren’t very heavy. Only the furniture in her mother’s basement remained. But that would have to wait until tomorrow. The fellow she’d hired to help her didn’t work on Sundays.
She was closing the tailgate when a black Dodge Ram pulled up across the street. She brushed her hands against her jeans and shook her head as Colt stepped out of the driver’s seat.
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Just wondering if I could give you a hand?”
Gone was the sexy, flirty voice he’d used on her at the bar. Today he looked serious. Maybe even a little sheepish. He was in jeans and a clean work shirt. No red chambray today, thank goodness. He held his hat in his hands, his stance that of a little boy feeling guilty about something.
As he damn well should.
She wanted to tell him to go to hell. But after last night, he owed her. Besides, she had some business to discuss with Colt. Something she should have brought up yesterday if she hadn’t been having too much fun.
“That depends on how much time you’ve got.”
“As much as you need.”
Oh, she highly doubted that was true.
“There’s a bed, a sofa and a table-and-chair set back in Mom’s basement and I can’t move them myself….”
“I’d be glad to help. Let’s take my truck. It’s bigger.”
For the first time she noticed his vehicle. It was a newer model, with all the extras. “Sweet. Can I drive?”
She could have sworn his face grew paler. But he handed her the keys with only the slightest of hesitations, then opened the driver’s side door for her. When she was settled, he loped around the truck and slid into the seat next to her.
She was aware of his eyes on her as she made the necessary adjustments to the seat and the mirrors. Only when she was done did he ask, “So…how’s the head this morning?”
When she grimaced, he chuckled. “Thought so.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You had a few too many. That’s all.”
She groaned. “Was it that obvious?”
He reached for her hair and gave a little tug. Just a playful gesture…so why did her heart do a little flip?
“Let’s just say you were a little unsteady on your feet. Also, let’s face it—if you hadn’t had a few beers, no way would you have let me kiss you.”
She turned her eyes briefly from the road to check his expression. Really? Was that the way he wanted to play this? Well, fine with her. “So true,” she said coolly. “But even single mothers need to have a little fun now and then.”
“I suppose that’s true,” he said, his voice suddenly tight.
“I wouldn’t want our foolishness last night to affect our friendship, Colt.”
“Foolishness?”
“Good,” she said, ignoring the question in his voice. “Glad we see it the same way.” She turned the corner to her mother’s block, then pulled up into the driveway. “Here we are. Hope you’re ready to work.”
* * *
LEAH HAD BRUSHED OFF their evening together as “foolishness.” Colt knew he should feel glad. He was off the hook and back in the sea—free and unencumbered, as always.
Maybe the gladness would come later, when the good news had a chance to sink in.
For now, he was satisfied to put his muscles to good use. The move didn’t take long. At one point Prue Stockton stepped out on the porch to watch for a few moments. Then she gave him a polite nod and went back inside with the kids.
As for Jill and Davey, he didn’t see any sign of them at all. Which he was grateful for. He had no experience with kids and had no idea what to do or say around them.
Within two hours all the work was done. Leah’s new house was okay, Colt thought. Kind of small, especially the kids’ bedroom. They’d barely managed to fit in the two beds, and had been forced to stuff the bureau into the small closet.
That stench coming from the basement wasn’t good, either. But Leah told him she was planning to talk to her landlord about tearing out the old carpet and painting the walls. Maybe he’d offer to help.
That was the sort of thing a friend would do, after all.
Friend. His mind grated over the word every time he thought of it in conjunction with Leah. Because she was just as attractive to him now as she’d been last night at the Open Range.
Get over it, he told himself. She’d offered him an olive branch this morning and he should be damn grateful she’d given him that much.
They were in the living room now. Leah had her hands on the slim curves of her hips. “Hmm. I’m thinking the sofa would look better on that wall.” She pointed to the one opposite the window. “What do you think?”
He had a mother and a sister, so knew better than to offer an opinion. “Whatever you say.” Obediently, he picked up one end of the sofa and maneuvered it into place.
Leah smiled. “That is better, thanks.” She glanced around the room, then sighed. “I think we’re finally done.”
He had to get her out of there before she thought up another redecorating idea. “I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry. Want to grab a late lunch at the Number 1? Sierra serves a mean roast beef special on Sundays.”
Leah considered the offer. “Let me phone my mother first and see how the kids are doing.”
He waited while she pulled her cell phone from her pocket. Like him, she had an iPhone, only instead of a horse she used a picture of her two kids for her wallpaper. After a brief conversation she gave him the nod. “Mom said we should go ahead. They had their lunch an hour ago. But where is the Number 1—is it new? I don’t remember a café by that name. A coal mine, yes, but not a café.”
Colt waited while she locked up her new home, then led her to the passenger side of his truck. His day was looking up now that he’d convinced her to have lunch with him and he was happy to bring her up to speed on some of the happenings she’d missed when she lived in Calgary.
“Sierra Byrne owns and runs the Number 1. She named the café in honor of her grandfather, a miner who drowned when the Number 1 was flooded back in… I don’t know when exactly. A long time ago. It’s been open about four years.”
“Did Sierra grow up here?”
