Читать книгу Cowgirl, Say Yes - Brenda Mott - Страница 7

TESS VEGA OPENED the Mother’s Day card and signed her name at the bottom. Then she reread the note she’d penned moments earlier.

Dear Mama,

Sometimes it helps me to put words down on paper. Words you don’t understand anymore. I hate that Alzheimer’s took you away from me and Dad, Zach and Seth. But even more, I hate that it took you away from yourself. The disease is so unfair. But then, I guess so is any other disease people suffer….

All week, I’ve seen ads on TV for greeting cards with sentimental verses, and for buying just the right Mother’s Day gift. I want to give you a perfect gift, Mama, but material things no longer hold any meaning for you. They really don’t for me, either. All I want is a way to wind back the clock to how it used to be for us. I miss you, Mama. I’ll visit you today and bring you flowers and balloons. You may not recognize me anymore. But sometimes I think you can sense things deep down. If so, you’ll know this: I love you with all my heart.

Tess folded the note in half and reached for the glue. She squeezed a thin line of it around the edges of the paper and sealed the note shut. Then she slipped it in the card and glued that shut, as well. The words she’d written were for her mother only, not for anyone else’s eyes. And while sealing notes that no one would ever read inside a card might seem foolish, it gave Tess some peace.

She’d been writing such notes for years, tucking them away in a greeting card on each and every holiday. Raelene might not be capable of reading them, but she enjoyed holding the cards, and Tess felt great satisfaction at knowing the words that came from her heart were there each time, hidden inside.

Tucking the card into its envelope, Tess rose, then gathered up the balloons and flowers she’d purchased and headed outside to her truck. Birds sang in the quiet surrounding her farmhouse as she slid behind the wheel. She placed the balloons and flowers on the seat beside her. They filled the cab of the pickup with cheer. Tess clung to that cheer as she drove toward town and the County Care Facility.

Determined to make this day the best she possibly could for her mother.

WADE DARLAND STEERED his horse toward Windsong Ranch, worried about his daughter. It wasn’t like Macy to disappear without telling him where she’d be. But then, at the age of ten—almost eleven—she’d taken to doing things her own way of late, behaving like an alien creature. A creature called woman. He sure found it easier to relate to his twelve-year-old son, Jason, though he loved both his kids equally.

Sighing, Wade shook his head. Maybe Bailey would have an idea where Macy was, though even that was doubtful. His daughter hadn’t been hanging out at Bailey’s place as much as she used to, before it became the main location of Windsong Ranch—before Bailey and Trent married and started a family of their own.

The Murdocks were Wade’s closest neighbors in the small mountain community of Ferguson, Colorado, and raised Arabian horses on the eighty-acre farm just two miles from the Darlands’ Circle D ranch. They also owned the adobe-style ranch house that rested on an adjoining three hundred sixty acres—the place Trent had called home before he and Bailey got together. Macy, who no longer had her mother to turn to, had found a friend and mentor in Bailey the moment she’d met her. President of the local bank, Bailey was an animal lover, and Macy had spent a great deal of time the first summer Bailey moved to Ferguson, tagging at her heels, hanging out at her farm.

But now, with twin babies to occupy their time, the Murdocks had little to spare. Because Wade himself kept busy trying to make a living ranching—which wasn’t easy these days—he knew Macy was at a bit of a loss without Bailey’s fairly constant company. With nine days to go before school let out, Macy had begun to neglect her homework. Spring fever taken into consideration, Wade still kept a firm hand on both her and Jason, making sure they stayed focused. Not always an easy job for a widowed man.

All the more reason to reconsider ranching full-time, Wade thought. The Circle D simply took too much away from his kids.

Focusing on the here and now, he turned his blue roan gelding up the driveway of the white frame farmhouse and let the horse break into a trot. The ground beneath Dakota’s hooves squished, dampened by last night’s rain. Overhead, the leaves on the massive cottonwoods fluttered in the breeze, calling out a lazy invitation for all and anyone to enjoy the dappled patches of sun and shade on the grass below.

Trent sat sprawled in a chair on the front porch as Wade approached. He wore faded jeans and a T-shirt with what appeared to be a trace of baby vomit down the front of one shoulder. He broke into a wide grin when Wade pulled Dakota to a halt at the foot of the steps.

“Howdy, neighbor.” Trent moved as though to rise, but Wade motioned him to stay put in the chair.

“Don’t get up on my account.” He grinned back. “You look tired, hoss. What’s wrong? Are the twins keeping you up nights?”

Trent swept a hand through his cropped blond hair and nodded. “More like they’re keeping us up round the clock. Austin’s got colic, and Cody cries in sympathy.”

Wade chuckled. “Better you than me. I’m glad those days are behind me.”

Trent quirked his mouth. “Yeah, I’d forgotten how this routine goes.” His words were bittersweet, and Wade knew he still missed his little girl, Sarah, who would’ve been nine now, had cancer not taken her young life. But Trent had a new family with Bailey, and seeing his friend so happy did Wade’s heart good.

“Hey, have you seen Macy?” Wade asked. “I thought she might be up here pestering Bailey.”

“She stopped by earlier,” Trent said. “I’m not sure, but I think she went up to the ranch.” He indicated the place on the hill above the farmhouse.

“What’s she doing up there?” Wade asked, glancing toward the dividing fence between the properties.

“Tess Vega leased the ranch from me. I thought you knew that.”

“No. I heard she’d taken over Macy’s 4-H group, but I wasn’t aware she was living at your ranch.” Tess’s father owned the local feed store, and Wade had been acquainted with the Vega family in that regard for a number of years now. When Macy’s 4-H leader had married and made plans to move away, Tess had been an ideal replacement. She had connections in the community through working at the feed store and was well acquainted with most of the 4-H kids and their parents, who bought supplies from Lloyd Vega. Plus, she ran a horse sanctuary for abused and abandoned animals, funded by donations. The county agent had been more than happy to accept her when she’d volunteered for the vacated position.

Trent nodded again. “I leased the house and twenty acres to her for her sanctuary.”

Wade really hadn’t given much thought about Tess’s non-profit organization—Western Colorado Horse Rescue—until now. But things suddenly clicked at Trent’s comment. Macy loved animals, and Bailey no longer had enough time for her. No wonder his daughter was drawn to Tess Vega.

Just then the screen door creaked open and Bailey stepped out onto the porch. She closed the door behind her with exaggerated care to mute the squeak. Motherhood had done nothing to diminish her attraction. She might be wearing a loose flannel shirt because her waistline was not quite back to normal, but she looked good. And happy.

Wade smiled. “Hey, Bailey. How’re the boys? I hope Macy’s not getting in your way too much.”

Bailey smiled. “Are you kidding? She’s my best helper.” She bent and gave Trent a peck on the cheek. “Next to you, sweetie.” She winked and Trent covered her hand with his as she rested it on his shoulder. “At least, when she’s here she is.” Bailey narrowed her eyes. “Is everything okay, Wade? Macy doesn’t come over as often as she used to.”

“Yeah. I think she’s just feeling a little ousted by the twins.”

“Then I’ll have to make sure she knows how much I miss her,” Bailey said. “Want to come in and take a peek at the boys?” She motioned toward the door. “I put them down for a nap, but if you’re quiet you can have a look.” She had the typical proud expression of a new parent, and Wade was moved by her happiness. She and Trent had been through a lot in their pasts. He was truly glad they’d found each other.

For a brief moment, loneliness squeezed at his heart. God, how he missed Deidra. The five years since her death had passed in a blur. Yet he still had a hard time coping with Mother’s Day, which he’d always tried to make special for her even while she was pregnant with Jason. He shrugged the gloomy feeling aside. He’d learned to live for his children. Mother’s Day had come three days ago, and he’d spent it with Macy and Jason, playing horseshoes, barbecuing hamburgers. Not dwelling on the fact that Deidra was no longer with them.

“Thanks,” he said in answer to Bailey’s invitation, “but I better go find Macy. She needs to do her homework and finish her chores.”

“Oh, well, I think she’s up at the ranch,” Bailey said. “With Tess Vega.”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “Trent mentioned it. Guess I’ll ride on over there and see.”

“Don’t worry,” Bailey added. “Tess is really a nice person. She loves animals.” She beamed as though this was the best quality someone could have. “But then, I guess you know her from the feed store.”

“Yeah.” But not well. Funny how a person could do business with someone for years without really delving into her social life. He supposed if Tess was going to be involved with Macy, he’d better make it a point to get to know her better.

Wade looked around, noting the many pets Bailey had gradually added to her farm, beginning with a stray dog, a half-blind horse and a rogue tomcat. The dog and cat now lay curled at one end of the porch—Buddy, the blue heeler mix, too lazy even to bark; the battle-scarred tomcat content to soak up the comfort of the dog’s sun-warmed fur. In a nearby cage, several rabbits hopped around, nibbling at a handful of alfalfa not far away, and a trio of ducks waddled across the lawn on their way to the children’s wading pool, located in one corner of the yard.

“I’ll head on over to her,” Wade repeated.

Another animal lover.

Another mother figure for Macy to attach herself to.

Lord have mercy. He didn’t need this at all.

“ARE YOU SURE your dad wants Amber to come live at the sanctuary?” Tess eyed the little palomino mare that stood with one hip cocked at the hitching post in the driveway. The horse looked well cared for, without a worry in the world. Not her normal rescue case. Why on earth would Wade Darland not allow his daughter to keep her own horse? What kind of father was he?

She’d seen him around town plenty of times, and often talked to him at her father’s feed store, where she worked part-time, but she didn’t really know the man. And because she’d only recently taken over as Macy’s 4-H leader, she hadn’t yet run into Wade at a meeting.

“Uh-huh,” Macy said in answer to Tess’s question. Then she quirked her mouth. “Well, I’m pretty sure, anyway. I’ve been talking to him about it.”

“I see. Macy, why doesn’t he want to let Amber retire at your ranch?”

Macy started to answer, then turned, instead, to see who was approaching on horseback.

Tess looked, too, and her stomach knotted as Wade Darland himself rode up the driveway on a pretty, blue roan quarter horse. Macy’s comment left her with the feeling she was in for a confrontation. As though agreeing, her dogs trotted along the driveway, barking a warning.

“Uh-oh,” Macy said, grimacing. “I think I forgot to finish my chores. And my homework.” She moved toward her horse as her dad halted in front of her and Tess.

“Hi.” He tipped his well-worn cowboy hat, and Tess was treated to a glimpse of hair the color of rich brown soil. Then the horse shifted, putting her gaze directly in line with the sun.

Tess shielded her eyes and looked up at Wade. “Hi,” she said. “Macy just remembered her homework.”

“That, and you’ve got chores to do, young lady.” He frowned, but he didn’t appear genuinely angry. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy after all.

His next words shot her last thought to the ground.

“Macy, what are you doing here? You know better than to take off without telling me or leaving a note.”

It wasn’t the note business that nettled Tess. It was the “what are you doing here” part, with emphasis on the here.

“I am Macy’s new 4-H leader,” Tess said.

“I’m aware of that,” he replied. “But that doesn’t excuse my daughter taking off without leaving word.” He turned once more to Macy and repeated his question.

“I’m sorry, Dad,” Macy said, not looking so at all. “I just wanted to go for a ride and see Bailey’s twins again.”

“And?”

Wade seemed to know his daughter better than she thought.

Macy shifted from one foot to the other, clutching Amber’s reins.

“And talk to Tess about Amber,” she muttered, staring down at her feet as she scuffed the toe of her boot against the gravel driveway.

“What?”

“And talk to Tess—” Macy began, speaking more clearly.

“I heard you.” Wade frowned. “Macy, we’ve already been over this.” He glanced Tess’s way. “Now’s not the time. We’ll talk some more when we get home.”

“But, Dad…”

“Macy.” Wade gave her a firm look. “You heard me. Come on. Get on your horse and let’s go.”

He focused on Tess, turning the blue roan so that the sun was no longer in Tess’s eyes.

“Sorry if Macy’s been pestering you,” he said. “We’ll be going.”

“Hold up a minute.” She laid her hand on the roan’s muzzle, stilling Wade’s pull on the reins. “Macy isn’t pestering me. She came over here to talk to me about giving Amber a permanent home.”

The sun-bronzed color in his face deepened, along with the scowl creasing his forehead. He was a good-looking man, she’d give him that, but right now his expression did nothing to add appeal to his charmless demeanor.

“She shouldn’t have done that,” he said. “I told her not to.”

“Why?” Folding her arms, Tess challenged him with the single word.

“What do you mean, why?” He scowled some more. “There’s no reason for asking, that’s why. We’ve got a ranch of our own, and when the horses can no longer serve a purpose, they’ll go to the sale barn.”

Now it was Tess’s turn to scowl. “The sale barn? Wade, you know what happens to horses that go there. At least the ones past their prime.”

He shot her a glare that said she’d overstepped her boundaries, but she didn’t care. Idiots like him made her rescue work necessary.

“I’m not going to argue with you on this, Tess. It’s none of your concern.”

“Is that right?” She frowned at him. “I’d say it is my concern when your daughter comes to me practically in tears because you aim to ship her horse off to the kil—to the auction.”

“I said I wasn’t going to argue with you.” He spoke the words evenly, but his hazel eyes showed irritation at her. “Come on, Macy, we’re burning daylight.”

“Burning daylight?” Tess scoffed. “You’ve been watching too many John Wayne movies, Wade. Maybe you ought to spend less time with your remote control and more time finding out what’s truly important to your daughter.” As soon as the words were out, she knew she’d overstepped. She really didn’t know Wade well enough to speak to him that way, but when people acted as though animals were disposable—useful today, dumped tomorrow—it made her furious.

He clenched his jaw. “What did I say?” he reiterated. “The horse is none of your concern, either. Macy, come on!” Without waiting, he thumped his heels against the roan’s sides, making the gelding jump into a trot.

Tess scowled after him, her heart breaking when she saw the expression on Macy’s face as she followed her father down the driveway. From the back of her palomino, the little girl gave a sad little wave, then faced forward.

Tess wanted to run after the man and yank him from the saddle. Maybe knock some sense into his head or, better yet, start on the other end with a cowboy boot to his butt.

She watched her dogs, who circled her feet, sensing something had upset her. Duke, her German shepherd, growled, and Bruiser, her miniature pinscher, trotted briskly down the driveway, looking right then left. His high-pitched bark warned he just might mean business if something was amiss. Only Sasha, the Australian shepherd, wagged her stubby tail, her red-speckled body wriggling along with it.

“You’re too late, Duke,” Tess addressed the German shepherd. “You should’ve bitten him while you had the chance.”

“MACY, why did you do that?” Exasperated, Wade sat at the table, looking at his daughter. Her eyes filled with tears, making him feel every inch the creep Tess Vega obviously thought he was. “Why did you lie to Tess and tell her I said she could have Amber?”

“Because,” Macy said, swiping angrily at her tears. “I don’t want Amber to go to the sale barn.”

“But, honey.” Wade softened his tone, reaching out to put his hand on Macy’s shoulder. He gave her a gentle squeeze. “If you don’t sell her, then you won’t have any money to put toward a new horse. Amber’s getting too old to do barrels and poles. You know that, don’t you?” The barrel-racing and pole-bending events Macy competed in required a lot of running, coupled with sharp turns around three fifty-five-gallon drums set in a cloverleaf pattern, or six poles placed in a row. To compete on a regular basis took a lot of physical effort for a horse.

Macy sobbed, no longer able to hold back. “I know. But I love her!” She said the word as though it was foreign to him, making him feel ten times worse. He’d never meant to make his daughter so upset.

“Baby, don’t cry. I’m not trying to be mean. I’m just trying to be practical. You know, Grandpa Darland was always the same way when I was growing up. Horses get old, Macy. It can’t be helped. Just like we all do. And when they’re too old to use, then you’ve got to be sensible and ship ’em to auction. Replace them with new ones. You’ll find another horse to love.”

“You don’t ship people off to auction just ’cause they’re old,” Macy snapped, some of her spunk returning. She sniffed loudly. “If so, Grandpa Darland would’ve been hauled off long ago.”

Wade let out a chuckle and rumpled Macy’s hair. “Better not let him hear you say that.” He sighed, searching for a way to make her see reason. “Macy, it’s not the same thing at all. Horses aren’t people.”

“Amber’s people to me. And if you won’t let her stay here, then I want her to go live with Tess.” Her lip trembled, but she bit it, fighting for control. She’d always been a tough little cuss, which broke his heart all the more.

“Honey, it’s not that I don’t want Amber to live here. I was only trying to help you see the smart thing in selling her so you can have a new horse. I can’t afford the purchase price of one right now, with my leather business just taking off.” A good 4-H horse could run into the thousands, and Wade’s new business selling tack and leather belts was not yet well established. “You understand, don’t you?”

She frowned at him. “I understand that part of it, but I still don’t want to sell her.”

“Okay,” he said, holding up one hand in surrender. “You don’t have to. Nobody’s trying to force you to sell your horse. I just thought it might be a good idea, that’s all….” He let the words trail away. Had he given Macy the impression he was trying to force her to sell her mare? If so, he hadn’t meant to. He simply didn’t understand her way of thinking, any more than he understood Tess’s.

A horse sanctuary, for God’s sake. Who would ever dream up such a crazy thing? Horses weren’t pets the way dogs were. He could see the sense in an animal shelter, but a horse sanctuary? He’d grown up on a working cattle ranch of over six thousand acres, and all the cowboys on the place, including his own father looked at the horses they rode as working animals…part of the operation, just like the tractors that furrowed the hay fields and the pickup trucks that delivered the bales. When horses broke down, it was time to get rid of them and replace them with something newer, something better.

But his daughter, it seemed, had different ideas, in spite of being raised on a working ranch herself. He blamed people like Tess for that, even Bailey Murdock. Oh, sure, he liked Trent and Bailey both, but they weren’t native to the area. Trent came from California, where things were viewed differently, and Bailey was from the city—Denver. Not that he had anything against folks from California—or from the city, either, for that matter.

It was just…well…take Trent’s fancy horse. Arabians. For the life of him, Wade couldn’t figure why anyone would pay thousands of dollars for a hot-headed horse that wasn’t good for much, as far as he could see, except prancing around, looking pretty.

And Bailey had gotten Macy all fired up about pets and saving stray animals.

More than ever, Wade wished Deidra were still alive. Trying to fill the role of father and mother wasn’t easy. Sometimes he made the wrong choices. Apparently this was one of them.

Pulling his thoughts back to the immediate situation, Wade wrapped his arm around Macy’s shoulders and drew her into a hug. “You can stop crying,” he said. “Amber can stay.”

“She can?” Her blue eyes wide with hope, Macy looked up at him, wrenching his heart.

“Yeah, she can. But that means no new horse until we get some more money somehow.”

“I don’t care.” A smile lit her face. “As long as we don’t have to send Amber to the sale barn.”

“Fine. Now, finish your chores, then do your homework.” He picked up the milk glass and cookie plate that sat empty in front of Macy. “I’ll get your dishes this time.” He gave her a wink.

Macy slid her chair back, stood and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I love you, Daddy.” Then she raced out the door.

“I love you, too, baby.” Wade spoke softly, the words echoing in the empty kitchen.

He moved to the sink, rinsed the dishes and stuffed them into the already overcrowded dishwasher. Absentmindedly, he added detergent and flipped the switch. The machine whirred to a start, quickly filling the kitchen with the scent of hot water and lemon.

Wade opened the fridge and took out a package of hamburger, ground from their own beef on the Circle D. How on earth was he supposed to make ends meet with what the ranch was bringing in? Yet if he sold the cows and got out, they’d no longer have the luxury of eating as many steaks a week as they wanted. He’d seen the price of beef in town, and it angered him beyond words that the rancher and the farmer weren’t the ones making money off the meat and produce sold in the supermarket. The middleman was, and without the homegrown beef to supplement their food supply, they’d be hard-pressed to eat well.

Wade shaped the burger into patties while his mind raced.

Still, his leather business was gradually picking up, and he did have the new Web site nearly up and running. Cowboy Up could turn out to be a bigger hit than he’d imagined. There was a lot to be said for the World Wide Web, and working in the house rather than out in the barn or elsewhere on the ranch would give him a lot more time to spend with Jason and Macy.

Yet he still couldn’t decide whether to sell the cattle. Maybe he’d just sell part of the herd. Maybe Tess Vega could start up a cow sanctuary, he thought dryly.

The screen door banged open, then shut, interrupting his thoughts as Jason flew into the kitchen like a tornado on the heels of a hurricane. “Hey, Dad! When’s supper? I’m starvin’.” Lanky for his age, Jason was always hungry, and seemed to outgrow his jeans as fast as Wade could buy them. The boy moved to the sink to wash his sun-browned hands using the dishwashing soap, then hastily wiped them on a paper towel.

“Son, don’t waste the paper towels like that.” Wade tossed him the dish towel and Jason gave his hands another swipe. “Dinner will be ready shortly. Why don’t you help me out…peel a few potatoes.”

“All right.” Jason moved to the potato bin, his light-brown hair peeking out from beneath his ball cap.

“Take your hat off.”

Whistling, Jason flipped it at the rack by the back door, missed and scooped it up, then aimed once more. This time the John Deere cap found its mark. Jason grinned at him, then pointed. “What’s that on your head, Dad?”

“What?” Wade reached up to touch his head, and his hand bumped against the brim of his worn, gray Resistol. It was such a part of him he hadn’t even realized he still had it on. He laughed, then hung it on the peg next to Jason’s cap. “Silly of me, huh?”

“Hey, Dad,” Jason said, sitting at the table and running the peeler over a large russet potato. “Did you know that Tess from the feed store moved into Trent Murdock’s place?”

“I heard,” Wade said dryly. “Your sister was up there this afternoon.”

“Wondered where she’d gone off to,” Jason said. “She was supposed to help me with the bucket calves.” Every spring they ended up with a few calves that needed supplemental feeding for one reason or another. A bucket with rubber nipples attached inside served as a surrogate mother.

“I know. I lined her out.” Wade grinned and Jason grinned back. They both realized his idea of firm discipline was little more than a lecture. Most often, he found reasoning with his kids worked just fine, but today there’d been no reasoning with Macy.

His thoughts turned again to Tess. He’d seen her on numerous occasions at the feed store, but he’d never really noticed until today that she was a good-looking woman. At least, she could be, if she’d learn how to wear something other than bib overalls, and if she’d take her flame-red hair out of those silly braids.

Braids like a kid. Hell, she wasn’t much more than a kid. Probably about twenty-four, he thought. Or maybe twenty-five. He wasn’t sure. These days anyone under thirty seemed young to him.

At thirty-three, Wade already felt every one of his years in the aches in his joints and muscles when he lay in bed at night after a hard day putting up fence or pulling calves during calving season or whatever else was required to keep the Circle D running. His days of affording hired help were long past, and trying to keep things up with only Macy and Jason to pitch in had been hell lately.

Deidra had been his right arm as well as his best friend. A strong, hard worker and practical to the bone. Nothing like Tess, with her batty ideas about rescuing old horses.

Horse sanctuary.

“Dad?” Jason waved a hand in front of his face.

Wade blinked. “What?”

“Did Tess work her charms on you, too?” Jason teased.

“Hardly.” Then he frowned. “What do you mean ‘too’?”

“Nothing.” Jason chuckled. “She’s hot, ain’t she?”

Wade knuckled his son’s hair. “You’re not supposed to be noticing things like that yet.”

“Dad! I’m almost thirteen.” He said it as though the age equaled manhood.

Wade grinned. “Yeah, I guess you are. And I guess she is. Hot, that is,” he added. “But she’s sure irritating.”

“Yep.” Jason nodded as though he held the wisdom of the world in his mind. “Women usually are.”