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Authors: Vicki Lewis Thompson

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“They've rented three of Ed's horses. Vince did that a little while ago. They're supposed to pick them up at six forty-five.”

Raucous laughter erupted from the trio perched on the barstools.

Clyde lifted his bushy white eyebrows. “Hear that?”

“I know, but—”

“It's the sound of happy cowboys tanked up on beer. They won't be in any shape to round up a slow-moving armadillo at six forty-five in the morning, let alone a spirited animal like the Ghost. You can relax, Georgie. Your wild stallion is safe.”

“Okay, Clyde. I bow to your experience in these matters.”

“And we mustn't forget that as long as they're here, they're spending money in Bickford. We get precious few visitors these days.”

She sighed. “I know. I briefly thought about asking Ed not to provide them with horses, but Ed, like everybody around here, needs the money.”

“We all do—that's for sure. Steve told me he'd rented three rooms this weekend, and I nearly fell over. I didn't recognize the names, but now that I see them, I recognize the faces. Whenever those three came into town, the bar tabs at Sadie's doubled. They were a draw.”

“Guess so.”

He gazed at the men sitting at the bar. “I'd sure love to have those days back.”

“Without an operation like the Double J, I don't know how we can generate the same kind of excitement.”

“I'm well aware of that. Inez, bless her heart, keeps suggesting that we have a bake sale, or enlist all the women in town to make quilts and sell those. I don't know how to tell her that those wouldn't generate the kind of revenue required. We need something more dramatic than that if we expect to turn things around.”

“I know, and I've been racking my brain to come up with proposals for Monday night's meeting.”

He turned to her, his expression eager. “And?”

“Nada.”

His shoulders slumped. “Yeah, me, either. There has to be an answer, but I'll be damned if I can come up with one.”

“I don't know how Steve and Myra manage to keep the hotel afloat,” Georgie said. “With the general store I can count on the people in town to buy basic supplies. It's not a lot of income, but it has to be better than sitting with empty hotel rooms night after night.”

“They wouldn't make it except for the saloon, and the guys and I do our part with the poker game every night. We usually order plenty of drinks and snacks. What, with our retirement income, we're the richest folks in town.” He glanced toward the bar again. “These cowboys showing up will give Steve a temporary boost. Sure, it's not enough to save the day, but it keeps him solvent for a little longer.”

“You're right, and I don't want to bite the hand that feeds us, so to speak, but couldn't they just stay here and drink and forget about chasing the Ghost?”

Clyde smiled at her. “I was their age once, and it doesn't seem that long ago. I was full of piss and vinegar, just like them.”

“I'm sure you were.” Georgie wasn't about to laugh, even though the thought of portly Clyde being a rabble-rouser was tough to imagine. His reasoned approach to life was what she cherished about him, but he was past eighty. He'd probably come to that wisdom gradually.

“Anyway, my advice is to relax and trust that the Ghost is a whole lot smarter than those young bucks, especially when they've spent the night sucking up beer and he's spent the night sucking up oxygen in the wide-open spaces. His head will be much clearer than theirs come morning.”

Georgie chuckled. “You make a valid point.”

“I should hope so. I'm the mayor.” He smiled at her. “And speaking of that, if you'll excuse me, I need to go over and welcome those cowboys to Bickford.” He pushed back his chair and stood. “We want them to know we're glad they came for a visit.”

Instantly Georgie felt contrite. “Clyde, I have to warn you that I didn't make them feel welcome. In fact, I probably did the exact opposite.”

“Why is that? What did you say?”

“I was somewhat forceful about my concerns for the wild horses, and when Vince insisted on his course of action I said . . .” Heat rose in her cheeks. “I said
over my dead body.

Clyde blinked, and then he began to laugh. “Georgie, I wouldn't be your age again for anything.”

She had a feeling she'd been insulted. In this community, she was a little touchy about her relative youth. “What's my age got to do with it?”

“You're as passionate and determined to keep the cowboys from disturbing the Ghost as they are to have their big adventure. You each take your unshakable positions and charge forward, butting heads like mountain goats. I have a nostalgic fondness for those days but I would never want to relive them.”

Now Georgie was certain that she'd been insulted. “Are you saying I'm just like those cowboys over there?”

“In the sense that you're as hot-blooded and ready for battle? Yes, I'm saying that. I'm glad they're here. It's put roses in your cheeks.”

Georgie sat in stunned silence as Clyde walked over and reintroduced himself to Vince, Mac, and Travis. She was not anything like them! Age-wise, yes, but temperament? No way. She was mature and reasonable, while they were immature and reckless.

She couldn't begrudge the town the money the cowboys spent here this weekend, but she'd rather they hadn't shown up at all. Yet even as she thought that, she realized it wasn't true. She hadn't felt this alive in months, maybe even years. If she could keep them from rounding up the stallion, then their visit would be a win for everyone.

CHAPTER 3

B
efore he'd fallen into bed at God-knows-what-hour, Vince had set the alarm clock sitting on his nightstand. He vaguely remembered thinking he'd get about four hours' sleep, or maybe it was only three. His math skills hadn't been at their best after drinking so many beers that he'd lost count.

He couldn't even blame Georgie for the amount of alcohol he'd consumed. She'd left about the time the mayor had come over to welcome them to Bickford. After that, things were kind of a blur. More old guys had shown up, and a poker game had materialized.

Four years ago Sadie's had been all about music and dancing, but now that was gone and poker games with senior citizens had taken its place. But Vince, Mac, and Travis were nothing if not flexible. They'd fallen right in with the poker crowd.

The poker game didn't explain the late night, though, because the old guys had left by eleven. Sensible cowboys with a six forty-five ETA at the stables would have hit the sack, but no. Mac had suggested tequila shots, and the discussion had devolved into autopsies of their failed relationships.

Mac had the highest body count. He'd wooed and lost six women since they'd left the Double J. Vince could claim three, and Travis only had one. He'd been involved with a married woman and had finally broken it off not long before coming to Bickford.

Vince had listened in amazement. Travis had claimed that she was the love of his life and that she'd promised to leave her husband for him. In the end, he'd figured out that she had never intended to do that.

She had a luxurious lifestyle through her marriage and a red-hot lover on the side. She'd never been serious about leaving her sugar daddy. Which sucked for poor Travis.

Vince had further concluded that Travis wouldn't have revealed any of that if he hadn't put away at least ten beers and an untold number of tequila shots. Poor kid. He wasn't a kid any longer, especially after having his dreams crushed, but even so, the guy had taken it in the shorts and he was obviously torn up about it. Vince felt sorry for him.

When the alarm jangled at six fifteen, however, Vince felt sorry for himself. What the hell had he been thinking? He'd known they'd probably stay up late drinking and yet he'd been goaded by Georgie's challenge into renting horses so they could head out at sunrise because he didn't want her to interfere with his grand plan.

It didn't sound so damned grand now. But he hauled himself out of bed and staggered to the bathroom to splash cold water on his face. The horses would be saddled and patiently waiting for riders to show up, and Ed expected an all-day rental fee. A true cowboy didn't leave saddled horses standing around, nor did he stiff a guy who made his living providing mounts for those who didn't have them.

The hotel had a little breakfast room for guests. Mac and Travis had made it there ahead of him and were slugging back coffee and staring vacantly at plates loaded with food they probably wouldn't eat. Just the thought of bacon and eggs made Vince's stomach pitch.

He wondered if he looked as much like a desperado as his buddies. He hadn't shaved, either, and he couldn't guarantee his shirt was buttoned up right. Travis's definitely was not. Mac had opted to wear a pullover sweatshirt, which was not acceptable cowboy attire, but Vince understood the impulse to put on something that didn't require coordination.

Vince sat without saying anything and poured himself coffee from the pot on the table. He was about halfway through his first cup when Mac spoke.

“Here's my idea.” His voice sounded as if he'd swallowed barbed wire.

Travis pressed shaky fingers to his temples. “Could you talk a little softer?”

As if too miserable to argue, Mac obligingly lowered his voice. “We go over to Ed's, pay him for a full day, and help him unsaddle the horses.”

Vince gazed at him. The idea had merit, but he didn't want to give up completely. Then Georgie would win. Besides, rounding up the Ghost had been the main activity for this weekend, the source of stories for the bar and for the next reunion.

He cleared his throat, which felt about the way Mac's had sounded. “So we'll go out tomorrow morning?”

“Hell, I don't know if I'll be recovered by tomorrow morning. I haven't had that much booze since I made myself sick as a dog on my twenty-first birthday.”

“I've
never
had that much.” Travis's face was the color of the white linen tablecloth.

Myra, who cooked breakfast every morning for the hotel guests, bustled up to the table. “You boys haven't touched your breakfast! Now eat up. I'm putting together a sack lunch for the trail. Do you want chicken salad or tuna salad on your sandwiches? Or some of each?”

“No, thanks.” Travis's face went from white to green and he bolted from the table.

Myra frowned as she stared after him. “My goodness.” She brought her attention back to Mac and Vince. “If he doesn't like chicken or tuna, I could whip up some ham salad.”

“It's not that, ma'am,” Vince said. “Travis had a little too much to drink last night and he's not feeling well.”

Myra surveyed Vince and Mac. “Now that you mention it, you boys don't look a whole lot better than your friend. You might want to reconsider that trail ride.”

Vince decided retreat was in order so they could live to fight another day. “I think we will take that suggestion, ma'am.” He pushed back his chair. “Thanks for the coffee.”

“You're welcome. Just go on back to bed, both of you.”

Mac stood, too. “I promise we'll do that, ma'am, right after we walk down to the stable and pay Ed for his trouble.”

“Never mind about that. I can call him. It'll be fine.”

Mac looked tempted.

“Thank you,” Vince said, “but this is something we need to take care of. Ed expected the money and we intend to get it to him. The fresh air will do us good.” He glanced at Mac. “And while we're at it, we'll reserve the horses for tomorrow morning.”

Mac's eyebrows lifted, but he didn't say anything. He touched his fingers to the brim of his hat. “Thank you for the coffee, ma'am. Sorry we wasted the food. Be sure and put it on my bill.” He left money on the table for a tip.

“I wouldn't dream of it. Get yourself jackets before you go outside. It's nippy out there.”

Vince looked at Mac and could tell he was thinking the same thing. If the two of them climbed the stairs to their rooms to fetch jackets, they'd never make it back down again. “We'll be okay,” Vince said.

But when they stepped out on the hotel's front porch, he sucked in a breath. “Damn. She was right. Must be no more'n forty degrees out here.”

“We'll walk fast.” Mac crossed the wooden porch and took the steps with care, as if worried that he might trip and fall down them.

“I don't think you're capable of walking fast, old man.” Vince clattered down the steps and had to stop at the bottom while his vision cleared and the rocks stopped tumbling in his brain. “Whoa.”

“Yeah.” Mac fell into step beside him as they started down the sidewalk toward the stable. Fortunately it was only about two blocks away, a little beyond what people used to call the Bickford House where Georgie lived with her stepmother and stepsister.

“Remind me not to suggest tequila shots tonight,” Mac said.

“I will.” Vince started to nod his head and then thought better of it. “We would've been fine if we'd stuck to the beer, but adding those shots was the killer.”

“Do you suppose Travis will wonder whether we went without him?”

“I think Travis is praying that we left without him. That boy was in bad shape.”

“I know.” Mac took a deep breath. “But one good thing, he got that stuff off his chest.”

“And we won't bring it up again.”

“Nope.” Mac looked to his right as they passed a boarded-up storefront. “That used to be an antiques store, didn't it?”

“That's what I remember. And beyond that was an ice-cream parlor.”

“Right.” Mac's voice was beginning to sound more normal. “Used to make damned tasty hot fudge sundaes.”

“Not anymore.”

“It's sad, you know? It was a quaint little town. Nice people. Good-looking women.”

Vince couldn't help but smile, in spite of his aching head. “The town's dying and you're mourning the loss of the women. That's so you, Mac.”

“What can I say? I consider women to be one of the benefits of being born a man.”

“Six in the past four years?” Vince had been drunk, but not too drunk to be floored by that number.

“I actually fudged on that.”

“There were
more
? Holy shit, Mac.”

“No, fewer. In two cases, we broke up and then we got back together later on. I counted them both twice, because it seemed almost like two separate affairs since each time I saw someone else in between.”

“It's a wonder you can keep them straight, or that you get anything else done.”

“I have a healthy sex drive, that's all. Besides, you admitted to having three different women, so technically I'm only one up on you.”

Vince realized that made some kind of crazy sense. “Guess so.”

“Plus, as I recall, you had quite the time with the ladies of Bickford, yourself. When I walked into Sadie's and Georgie was there, I wondered if she was one of the reasons you wanted to come back here this weekend.”

Bull's-eye. But Vince wasn't about to admit that he'd never forgotten Georgie. “Not really. I figured she'd be married with a couple of kids by now.”

“Instead she's single and cuter than ever.”

Vince wouldn't have used the word
cute
to describe Georgie. Beautiful and sexy, yes. A maddening challenge, definitely. But certainly not
cute.

“You don't agree?” Mac glanced over at him. “I always pegged her as your type.”

“Well, she's not. And more to the point, I'm not hers, either.”

Mac's chuckle was followed by a soft groan of pain. “Remind me not to laugh. It hurts. But let the record show that you're still hung up on Georgie and frustrated by her lack of interest.”

“Am not.”

“Yes, you are. I'm sure this isn't news to you, but insisting on this roundup isn't helping your cause any. I'm ready to call it quits, and Travis could be talked out of it, so why not forget the whole thing? You'd stand a much better chance with her if you abandoned this so-called quest.”

Vince's temples throbbed, but he'd had a hangover before, and it would be gone eventually. “You don't have to go if you don't want to. But with or without you and Travis, I'm heading out there tomorrow morning with a rope and a plan.”

Mac blew out a breath. “Then I'll go with you, if for no other reason than to keep you from making an ass of yourself.”

Too late.
But Vince kept that thought under his hat.

*   *   *

Georgie opened the store as usual at nine, and once she'd unlocked the doors and turned on the cash register, she surrendered to the impulse that had nagged her ever since waking up. She called Ed's stable. “Vince Durant rented three of your horses last night for a trail ride he was taking with his friends,” she said. “Did they get off okay?”
Please say no.

“Turns out they didn't go.”

Georgie did a quick fist pump. Then she remembered that Ed might have been affected financially by the cancellation. “I'm sorry if you lost money, Ed.”

“Actually, I didn't. Vince and Mac walked down here first thing and gave me the whole amount in cash. Said it was the least they could do. Then they helped me unsaddle the horses. They were real sorry about making me saddle them for nothing, so I gave them a discount for tomorrow morning, same time.”

“That was nice of you.” Damn it. They weren't giving up. She'd so hoped for that.

“Can't see any reason not to, with the generosity they showed me today. We talked about the Double J, and what a shame it was that it shut down, and then the fire. They'd love to come back to this area and work, but without the Double J, there's no way for them to do that.”

She realized he'd only mentioned Vince and Mac. “Only two of them walked down?”

“Yeah. They said their friend really tied one on last night and was in his hotel room recovering. To be honest, those two didn't look particularly chipper, either. Judging from the bloodshot eyes and shakiness, they made the right decision to cancel their ride for today. I don't have a cancellation policy, although I should, I guess. They didn't have to pay me, but they did. They're welcome back here, anytime.”

“I'm glad they treated you right, Ed.” She wondered if she'd be lucky enough to have them all drink heavily again tonight. Then her worries would be over. They'd done it once, so why not repeat themselves? Both Clyde and Ike had been confident the cowboys would choose partying over riding out to capture a wild horse.

She had her usual trickle of customers that morning, and most of them were curious about the unfamiliar trucks parked in front of the Bickford Hotel. Ike's wife, Raina, came in around ten and reported that Ike was still dead to the world after staying up until three serving drinks.

“It was for a good cause,” Georgie said. “I'm sure you don't like having him stay out that late, but because he kept the bar open, those cowboys didn't feel like chasing after the Ghost this morning. I'm grateful. I'm hoping he's willing to keep the bar open tonight, too.”

“Oh, I'm sure he is.” A slight woman with short brown hair, Raina was a piano teacher who had no pupils now that the population had taken a nosedive. “I saw the pile of tips he dumped on the dresser before he went to bed. All things considered, he's happy to serve them for as long as they want.”

BOOK: Crazy For the Cowboy
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