Teaching the Cowboy (30 page)

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“I know that, but you’ve got to give them time, honey.”

“How long?”

“Shit, girl. I don’t know. Could be years. I was born here, and they could take or leave me. They only open the door for
me
half the time. At least you got Davey to open the door. No one’s ever gotten him to do that.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. He thinks you’re pretty.”

“Gosh.” Ronnie laughed, mood finally lifted.

“I’ll see you later, honey. I’ve got to get to the post office to ship a quilt before they close. Remember what I said, now.”

“Yeah, yeah. You just don’t want to send Kitty back to the school.”

“Okay, well, maybe there’s a little of that. Bye.”

Ronnie was still unsure of what to do, but maybe Sid was right about one thing. She couldn’t let pride get in the way of giving her daughter what she needed. Maybe Ronnie wasn’t sure what that was yet.

Chapter Twenty-Six

J
ohn stepped into the scuffle and grabbed the ranch hand by the collar while Eddie pulled his opponent in the other direction.

“What the fuck’s going on out here? Someone needs to explain to me what all these goddamned fights are about, and I mean now.”

Eddie gave his fighter a shove toward the barn and blew out a breath that fogged the cold December air. “John, why don’t you let me handle it, and I’ll meet you at your office in twenty minutes?”

John indicated the remaining ranch hand, whose bloody nose was dripping onto the snowy ground, with his thumb. “How exactly do you plan on handling this?”

Eddie looked up at the sky and ground his teeth. He could have barked back some hasty retort or yelled but didn’t.

John appreciated it enough that he didn’t dress the guy down in front of the staff. If he did, the chance of the man ever getting the crew under control would be slim to none, so he waited.

When Eddie met his gaze again, he said, “I’ll debrief you. It seems bad, ’cause it is, but I’ll tell you why it’s happening and what I’m doing to nip it in the bud.”

“Twenty minutes.”

Eddie tipped his hat and bobbed his head toward the living quarters for the benefit of the ranch hand. “Go ice your nose.”

Twenty-
one
minutes later, John was at his desk doing online check-in for the next morning’s flight when Eddie approached the outer office door. He knocked.

John called out, “Come on in, it’s cold.”

Eddie let himself in, stomped the snow off his boots, and left his hat on the coat rack.

John leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. “Now, explain to me why I should promote you into this position permanently,” he demanded before the man had even sat down.

“Because I’m the most qualified for the job,” Eddie said without a pause.

“How so? Come on, Eddie, you’ve got to make me believe it. I’m leaving this ranch to you for a week and I’m not sure I’m comfortable with it right now.”

“Honestly, John, even without all the fights you wouldn’t be comfortable with it because you don’t like me as a person.” He shrugged. He looked like he didn’t give a shit whether John liked him or not.

“If you’re so certain of that, why’d you apply for the gig?”

“Because you’re fair.”

“Am I?” He sure didn’t feel that way lately. With each passing day he regretted dragging Ronnie and Joey across the country. They were missing out on half their culture. Ronnie was an East Coaster, and now a fish out of water. He hadn’t even offered her a pool to swim in, and had just forced her to adapt. He wouldn’t be surprised if she tried to flee again.

“I’m pretty sure. That’s what all the ranch hands said when I asked around. But you want me to convince you that your ranch is going to be okay in my hands while you’re gone? I can’t do that.” He laughed, and it was dry and bitter. “You’re not going to believe me. A little piece of you wants to see me fail, but for your ranch to flourish in spite of it. It don’t work that way, John.”

“You a mind reader now?”

“Nope. I just know what people expect from me, and it ain’t much. Let me tell you this, though. I’m looking for a long-term gig, John. I’m not going nowhere. My momma’s probably gonna die here in Storafalt, though hopefully no time soon. She’s all I got left. I’m not running around no more. I don’t want her to die thinking I’m no-account. You never had to worry about that, did you?”

John shook his head. His mother had always been proud of him. He never had to work that hard at it.

“I may not get it right all the time, but I’m going to try my damnedest, and I’m gonna learn more and more every day. I’m not going to make the same mistakes over and over again, and John?”

“Yeah?”

“I take initiative. My job’s to make your job easier. If that’s not happening, I’m doing it wrong. I’m not gonna bring you shit I can work out myself, but I’m never going to overstep my bounds.”

“Sounds very zen of you.”

Eddie shrugged. “Spent a lot of time with some very wise tribal elders who got me straight over the past few years. Got me off the sauce, too. That’s why you don’t see me personally involved in any of the brawls out there.”

“Tribal elders?”

That shrug again. “I’m half Shoshone. My father, wherever he is, is Irish. Bit of a rolling stone, Momma says.”

“Huh.”

“Anyhow, about the fights…”

As the plane made its descent toward the Raleigh-Durham airport, John tightened his grip around his armrests, one of which he shared with Sid.

“Calm down, boy,” she said from her inside seat, calmly turning the page of her novel.

“Shut up.”

“He’s just talking to her.”

“He’s been talking to her nonstop since Texas.”

“What are you going to do?” she murmured through clenched teeth. “Beat him up?”

“The thought has crossed my mind.”

“Oh, I see.” She chuckled and tucked her book into the oversized purse at her feet. “Never seen you like this.”

“Like what?”

She pursed her lips and shrugged. “Feral.”

Damn right he felt feral. Against his better judgment, he left Eddie back at his ranch with a bunch of rowdy cowhands who fought when they couldn’t hold their liquor. John’s obvious question had been, “Why are they drinking on the clock anyway?” and Eddie’s response had been “Fuck if I know. I do know they’re getting the shit from one of Ted’s guys, so I suspect your ol’ boy is setting you up. Everyone knows the rules over here. No rotgut. No unregulated shit.”

“Why the fuck would Ted do that?”

“Maybe because Ted’s a little jealous.”

“How’d you know?”

“I’m more than just a pretty face, John.”

And now there was some peckerhead in a slick suit with a bright white smile leaning over his baby’s seat and grinning at Ronnie like she was the last damned woman on the planet. For John, she might as well have been, but that certainly didn’t give anyone else the right to brazenly flirt with his woman.

Well. Sort of.

Anyway, if he stroked Joey’s hand one more time John was going to unbuckle his seatbelt and throttle the jerk with his fold-down tray. They would have to walk John off the tarmac in handcuffs.

When the plane landed, Peter stood and leaned over the back of Sid’s seat. “Hey, Dad, are we going to see Landon?”

John ground his teeth. “Get your coat on. Front’s clearing out.”

“Do you need some help carrying her? I can go as far as you need. Is there anyone here to pick you up?” the man in the suit sitting at the window across the aisle asked Ronnie.

“Be nice, John,” Sid whispered at his back.

“Mm-hmm.” He leaned across the aisle, opened the overhead bin over Ronnie’s seat and pulled down the diaper bag. He slung it onto his own shoulder and held out his hand for the carrier handle. Ronnie unbelted it and pulled the handle up. She slipped out of her seat so John could pick up the carrier. He spread a friendly Wyoming grin across his face and said, “She looks just like her daddy, doesn’t she?”

The man in the suit chuckled nervously.

John carried the infant down the aisle, grinding his teeth with a giggling Sid on his heels.

They picked up two SUVs at the rental agency, as the place hadn’t had any one bigger vehicle in stock. They divided up as evenly as they could, with Liss glancing back and forth between the two, unable to decide who to reject. Sid had Kitty and Peter. Ronnie had climbed up into John’s with Joey, intending to play navigator. Finally, she called Liss through the window.

“Honey, I think Joey might get upset back there by herself.”

She beamed as she climbed in. Kid just wanted to be wanted, and Ronnie knew that. Ronnie always knew.

“So what are your parents going to say to me? Lay it on me so I’m ready,” John said as he nudged the SUV east on I-40, checking his mirrors to see if Sid was keeping up. Of course, Sid had more experience driving in congestion than he had, so she was probably doing just dandy amidst all the road warriors.

Ronnie chuckled. “Um, I don’t even know. Daddy’ll probably hate you and tell you as much.”

They both looked back to find Liss already conked out with her head lolling to the side. So eager to see everything, she’d stayed awake through three flight legs. Now she was missing all the scenery. Conversation needed to be had, though.

“Momma will probably take your side, just because she’s contrary like that.”

“Oh. Maybe I should stop on the way and get her some flowers or something.”

“That would probably just incite Daddy.”

“Come on, Ronnie. You’re a big girl. You’re allowed to move away.”

“They don’t see it that way. The way they see it, you’ve not only taken me, but Joey, too.”

“How would they feel if you’d hooked up with some guy enlisted in the Army and then got stationed in some far-flung installation?”

“That’s a good one. Save that one. You might need it.” She laughed, and it was unlike any laugh he’d ever heard from her. It was full and throaty, and her grin spread all the way up to her eyes. Her smiles were usually these reserved things where’d she show just the right amount of teeth and never let them wrinkle her forehead. Now she was damn near breathless from the giggling.

It made him grin, too.

If John had been nervous about meeting Joey’s grandparents for the first time, he sure didn’t show it. He’d walked right into the Silver family home with a smile on his face and a baby held out. That distracted both of Ronnie’s parents long enough for Ronnie to type out a text message to Phil.

We’re at my parents’ house right now. Where are you?

Instead of Phil, she got Landon.

Phil’s driving. We’re somewhere between Fayetteville and Southport. Should we pick up anything?

“I love that kid,” she told her phone.

Liquor. We’ll need it. Phil’ll know what to get. We’ll be out of here soon. Don’t want to miss that last ferry.

And the urgency was what got the Silvers out of their house without asking too many questions. After they loaded their bags into the vehicle Ronnie was in and took the seat in the very back, they hurtled on their way to the shore.

Ronnie thought perhaps she’d dodged a bullet. Momma and Daddy started up a hilarious conversation with Liss about some of Ronnie’s childhood blunders. Liss was entranced. Ronnie was mortified that her parents would be so cavalier with that information, and she sank down low in her seat. John thought it was a hoot, grinning in the near dark.

“I see you, jackass,” she mumbled.

“It’s funny. You really wiped out during your first pageant?”

“I was six. Cut me some slack.”

“I bet you were so cute.”

“Yuk it up. Your turn will come soon.”

And she was right. When Daddy ran out of Ronnie’s business to tell, he called up to John, “So, John, what exactly do you do for a living that you can afford to rent a small mansion for a week?”

“Told you,” Ronnie teased under her breath.

John winked at her, and her pulse spiked. One little wink and the man had her twined around his fingers. If it was even possible, he was more charming away from home than he was in Wyoming. Must have been something about being at sea level.

“I own a ranch, sir. Mostly steer, but we’ve got some pretty good rodeo horses for breeding, too.”

Ronnie chewed the cuticle of her thumb and turned in her seat to look at her father. His face was absolutely blank, as she expected. A man didn’t get that far in the Army if he couldn’t keep his emotions in check when he wanted to.

“Good money in that?”

“Daddy.” Ronnie balked.

“It’s all right. It’s an easy answer. Most years we do all right, and crude oil makes up the difference. Working on a plan to work the ranch smarter in years to come so it’s more sustainable.”

Daddy grunted. Ronnie couldn’t be sure, but it sounded a little bit like approval. His father had been a peanut farmer. He knew about lean years.

“We don’t like that she’s so far away.”

John nodded at the rearview mirror. “I understand distance. I really do.” John’s jaw clenched, and Ronnie was glad Daddy dropped the subject, at least for a moment.

Ronnie spotted Phil’s convertible parked at the ferry station before she saw her two guys shivering in the waiting bay. John squinted over at them as he pulled up the parking brake. “Is that…”