Cowboy Courage: Includes a bonus novella Read online

  He set the toolbox on the floor and removed his coat. Once he’d hung it and his cowboy hat on a rack right inside the door, he raised an eyebrow in a question. “Lead the way, and I’ll follow.”

  “Does that mean I get to lead you on?” she said over her shoulder as she started up the stairs.

  “Sure thing, darlin’.” He grinned. “I’ll let you lead me anywhere you want.”

  “Why, Hud Baker,” she laughed. “You have changed, whether you want to admit it or not. You’d have never said that in junior high school.”

  “You’d have never offered such a thing when we were that young,” he shot back.

  “I was still a little bit afraid of my daddy then,” she said, turning left at the top of the stairs.

  “And you’re not now?” he asked.

  “Not so much as I was then.” She showed him into one of the six bedrooms that Aunt Molly rented out at her B&B. Rose was glad that the place was closed to guests for the weeks Aunt Molly was traveling with her friends. All Rose had to do was oversee the gift shop.

  She entered her room and quickly scanned it. Thank goodness there weren’t any panties or bras scattered about. Between growing up in a commune where women were expected to keep a spotless home and strict army regulations about barracks, Rose automatically kept her space neat, and her bed was made with crisp hospital corners.

  The tall, broad-shouldered cowboy seemed to fill the tiny bathroom. He opened the doors under the vanity and pulled up a board. Rose peered over his shoulder—close enough that she caught a whiff of his shaving lotion. It was something woodsy, with just a hint of musk. She inhaled deeply and hoped he didn’t notice her practically smelling him.

  Hud pointed to a rusted-out hole in the old pipe. “There’s the problem. I can have it fixed in five minutes. I have to run back out to my truck and get what I need to splice in a piece.”

  Rose backed out of the bathroom and sat down on the edge of her bed. “Were you a plumber? How do you know this stuff?”

  “Tag and I bought a small ranch over east of Sunset. The house on the place is pretty old, and we’ve had to do some repairs. A few weeks ago I had to fix a problem like this.” He shrugged. “I watched a tutorial on YouTube. Be right back.”

  “Hmmm,” Rose muttered. In the army everyone had a job. Rose served as a translator for several languages. Other folks did maintenance work, and still others mechanical or technical. Few people could step in and do someone else’s job or would even be willing to watch a tutorial on how to fix something. That Hud—the rich, handsome kid from Tulia—could do plumbing just blew her away.

  Something glittered in her peripheral vision and drew her attention to the dresser across the room. With a smile on her face, she stood up and went to a small jewelry box with a heart on the top. She’d left it open the last time she got something out of it, and now a little cowboy boot charm hanging on a necklace was dangling over the side. When Aunt Molly had given the necklace to Rose, she’d had to keep it hidden away. Teenage girls in the commune didn’t wear jewelry. That was considered frivolous.

  Rose held one up to her ear and remembered the first time she’d worn them—on a girls’ night out with several of her newfound army friends.

  Her great-aunt Molly had come into this very room the night before she and her parents left Texas on their way to Louisiana, and given her the necklace. She’d kissed Rose on the forehead and told her, “You come back to see me someday, darlin’ girl, and I’ll find a cowboy for you.”

  Could Hud be her cowboy? Rose shook her head at the crazy thought. She had only a few more weeks in Texas before going to Kentucky to spend some time with her folks on the commune. By then, it would be time to figure out whether she would reenlist or start hunting for a civilian job.

  When Hud came back to the bedroom, he held up a piece of white pipe. “This should fix the problem just fine.”

  He went right back into the bathroom and dropped down on his knees, giving her a full view of the way his Wranglers hugged his butt and thighs. Suddenly, it was entirely too hot in the room.

  He sat down on the floor. “This will fix it, but I noticed a water mark on the ceiling in the foyer, so if you want, I could come back in a day or two and we’ll check the plumbing in the other bedrooms.”

  Thank you, sweet Jesus, Rose thought. Now he’s got a reason to come back.

  “Molly really needs to have all the pipes replaced if she’s going to stay in business,” he said.

  Rose didn’t want to talk about plumbing issues. She wanted to go back to the place where they were flirting. That was a helluva lot more fun.

  The phone rang and she reached over to the landline beside her bed. “Good morning. Rose Garden Bed-and-Breakfast. Can I help you?”

  “Yes, this is Linda O’Cleary. I have reservations there for Friday night. I’m just calling to tell you that we’ll be a little late getting there. It’s our fiftieth anniversary, and the kids are taking us to dinner before we drive over to Bowie for the night.”

  Rose’s heart raced, and her hands shook. Aunt Molly had told her that the place was closed for the month. She didn’t mind guests, but holy crap on a cracker, she couldn’t boil water without setting the house on fire, so what was she going to do about breakfast?

  “I’m sorry, but—”

  “The reservation might be under Ralph O’Cleary, if you’re looking for it,” Linda said. “He made the first call. We’re so excited to get to stay in room four. That’s where we stayed on our honeymoon.”

  Rose couldn’t turn them away after she heard that. “I’ll have that room all ready for you.” She threw herself back on the bed and groaned.

  “You okay in there?” Hud asked.

  “I’m fine, but I’ve got a problem,” she moaned.

  “Well, darlin’, if I can help…” He let the sentence hang.

  “Can you cook?” she asked.

  “I make a good grilled steak, a pretty fine omelet, and a mean peanut butter and jelly sandwich,” he answered as he finished up the plumbing job.

  “Want to come over here about eight o’clock on Saturday morning and help me—” She then jumped out of the bed and did a stomp dance. “Dammit, Chester! You scared the hell out of me.”

  Hud flipped around to see what was going on. “Are you all right? And who’s Chester?”

  Rose pointed to a huge gray and white cat that ignored all the noise and settled down on the pillows to take a nap. “That is Aunt Molly’s cat, and he just cold nosed my cheek.”

  Hud chuckled as he gathered up his tools. “What was that about helping you?”

  “I can’t cook and—” She went on to explain that Aunt Molly had evidently forgotten to cancel a reservation. “So you make a fine omelet?”

  “I do, and I’ll be glad to help you out. Last time I stayed at a bed-and-breakfast, they served little omelets, muffins, and a bowl of fresh fruit. You could buy the muffins and heat them in the oven, cut up some fruit, and I’ll make the omelets and toast. Think that would work?”

  “Perfectly well,” she sighed. “You’ve saved me twice in one day. Can I buy you lunch to repay you?”

  “No, but you can let me buy you lunch.” He grinned.

  “That doesn’t hardly seem fair, but I am hungry,” she said. “Where are we going?”

  “Your choice,” he said as he pulled on his work boots. “We’ve got Italian, Mexican, burgers, Chinese, and pizza.”

  “Italian sounds great,” she said.

  “My truck is parked behind your car, so we might as well go in it.” He picked up his toolbox in one hand and his good boots in the other. “No need in taking two vehicles. The restaurant is only a few blocks from here.”

  She didn’t care if it was ten miles from Bowie and located out in the middle of a cow pasture, or if they rode there in a truck, a car, or a horse and buggy. She was just excited that they’d have some time together, and she’d have someone to talk to. She’d had very few customers in the gift shop e
ach day, but Aunt Molly said January was always a slow month. Christmas was over, and it was a little too early for Valentine’s. Rose had forgotten how much she loved being around people until the past two weeks, when about all she’d had to talk to was Chester.

  You might not like him once you get to know him. He’s not a kid anymore. That pesky voice in her head—the one that she never did like—reminded her.

  He had helped her up out of the bucket of water. He had done what he could to fix the water leak. He had invited her to eat with him.

  What’s not to like? she thought.

  Chapter Two

  Hud slung his toolbox over into the back of the truck, and then opened the door for Rose. Dammit! She could have at least fallen on the wet grass and fallen right into his arms, but oh, no, she could only be a klutz when there was a bucket of nasty water behind her.

  Just as he’d said, it was only a short distance to the restaurant. She felt like a queen when he opened the truck door for her again. He held out his hand to help her out of her seat. She put hers in it, slid out of the truck, and wondered if everyone in the parking lot could feel the hot vibes that she did. When he held the door of the restaurant for her, she was met with the aroma of garlic, tomatoes, and all those flavors she’d come to love when she was stationed in Rome for a year.

  “I love food,” Rose said as she followed the waiter to a booth. “And Italian is right at the top of my favorite five.”

  “The other four?” Hud helped her remove her jacket.

  “Oh, they change daily, maybe hourly, depending on how hungry I am.” She smiled. “But Italian is always, always on the list. What about you, Hud? What’s your favorite?”

  “Probably my granny’s fried chicken,” he said.

  “My mama made wonderful fried chicken.” Rose slid into her side of the booth.

  “I never did get to meet your parents,” he said.

  “Consider yourself lucky.” She managed a weak smile.

  “How’s that?”

  “You would probably like my mama, but my dad, not so much. He’s controlling, and his opinion is the only one that matters,” she answered.

  “I’ve known folks like that,” he said.

  “Knowin’ them and livin’ with them are two different things.” She picked up the menu. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen a menu in English.”

  “Oh?” Hud raised an eyebrow. “So you speak Italian?”

  “Among others,” she said. “I’ve been in the military ever since I graduated from high school.”

  Hud cocked his head to one side and grinned. “So you know lots of languages, then? What do you speak in Kentucky?”

  “Redneck,” she laughed.

  “Do your languages stay with you or do you forget it all when you come back home and speak English and Redneck?” Hud asked.

  The waitress appeared at her elbow and handed both of them a menu. “While you’re deciding, could I get you something to drink?”

  “Do you have Coors?” Rose asked.

  “Tap, can, or longneck bottle?” the waitress asked.

  “Longneck,” Rose answered.

  “Your usual?” She turned and smiled at Hud.

  “Yes, thank you, Kylie,” Hud said. “Coors on tap, and I’ll have my usual lasagna, too.”

  “I want the taster’s delight.” Rose handed the menu back to Kylie. “In addition to being a little on the clumsy side at times, I never can make up my mind when it comes to food, so I love it when they offer a choice that has a sampling of several different things.”

  “Sounds like you’ve had a pretty interesting life,” Hud said.

  She shook her head. “I always wanted to travel, to see what was outside the commune. I got a little more than two years, but it was just a taste of what I really wanted,” she answered. “Daddy said that a woman’s place was to be a wife and mother, and he hated the time we were away from the commune. You should’ve seen his face when I hitched a ride to town and joined the army on my eighteenth birthday.”

  She didn’t even have to close her eyes to see the hard look on her daddy’s face when she told him what she’d done. First of all he screamed at her for leaving the commune without his permission, and then he followed that up by saying that she’d join the military over his dead body.

  The twinkle in her mother’s eye and the very slight smile on her face let Rose know that she disagreed with every word, and later she’d come into Rose’s bedroom to tell her that she was proud of her. “You are living the dream I didn’t have the courage to do.” Her mom had hugged her tightly.

  “It’s hard to picture you in the army. How did you ever learn to take orders? I remember you being pretty independent,” Hud said.

  “It’s been my life for the past ten years.” She shrugged. “I’m on a six-week leave, and after that I’ll make up my mind whether I want to reenlist for another hitch.”

  “Do you want to be in the military? Is that where your heart is?” he asked.

  “Right now I’m not sure I can trust my heart,” she answered.

  “Why’s that?”

  “It’s complicated. Let’s just leave it at that for now,” she replied.

  “How much more time until you have to make up your mind?” Hud asked.

  “A little less than a month. Sometime around Valentine’s Day is when I need to let them know,” she replied.

  “Have you heard from Molly?” Hud asked.

  “She and her friends are in France for a week, then Spain this week, and London next week. I’m a little bit mad at her. All those years I was stationed abroad, and I couldn’t sweet-talk her into coming to spend time with me.”

  Kylie brought their food and set it in front of them. “Enjoy, and if you need anything, just holler.”

  “Thank you,” Hud said and turned his attention back to Rose. “So where did they station you first?”

  “London,” she answered.

  “Did your dad forgive you when you came home for a visit?” Hud asked between bites.

  “Nope,” she answered. “Every time I got back to the States, I’d go spend a day or two with Mama, and put up with Daddy still giving me the silent treatment, and then I’d come to Bowie and stay with Aunt Molly the rest of the time.”

  “If you don’t reenlist, where are you going to settle down?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “Who knows? Probably wherever I can find a job, and my only skill is knowing languages. Not much call for that in north Texas.”

  When they finished their meal and he’d paid the bill, he drove her back to the Rose Garden. She was so busy looking at everything that she didn’t see the woman on the porch until he pointed.

  “Looks like you’ve got a guest,” he said.

  The woman had purple hair. Part of it had been braided into small ropes complete with multicolored beads and hung over her shoulders to her waist. The back half was pulled up in a ponytail with a pink and orange paisley scarf tied around it. Rose might not have been shocked to see a teenager with hair like that, but this woman was at least eighty and had plenty of wrinkles to prove it.

  Hud parked the truck, and the woman stood up and waved. That was the first time Rose noticed the suitcase that her floral, flowing skirt had covered when she was sitting down.

  “Think we should call the police?” Hud whispered.

  “Is that you, Cactus Rose?” the old woman yelled out. “Molly told me you might be coming to visit. Come on up here and let me in the house. I’m tired. That last ride I hitched was with a truck driver, and riding in his vehicle damn near broke my back.”

  Rose waved. “Is that you, Aunt Luna?” She could hardly believe that her great-aunt Molly’s only living sister was right there in front of her.

  “In the flesh, darlin’,” she hollered across the yard.

  Rose whipped her phone out of her hip pocket and hit the speed dial for her great-aunt. Thank God, Molly answered on the first ring.

  “Aunt Molly, Aunt Luna is on
the front porch,” Rose said.

  “Good God Almighty!” Molly said. “Does she have her hair dyed some gawd-awful color?”

  “Yep,” Rose said.

  Molly sighed. “Give her a room. She never stays more than a week. She and Wilbur have a big fight about every five years, and she comes to my place for a week until they both cool off.”

  “Wilbur?” Rose asked.

  “That’s her common-law husband. They’ve been together for years. He knows where to call when he gets tired of being a jackass. Soon as he calls she’ll get on a bus and go back to Alabama.”

  “I’d forgotten about her bein’ part of the family,” Rose said.

  “Honey, she don’t even keep in touch except to come see me when Wilbur makes her mad. Bye now,” Molly said and ended the call.

  “You know that woman, then?” Hud asked.

  “She’s my great-aunt who hardly ever comes around,” Rose said.

  Luna had started down the sidewalk leading up to the porch. The wind blew her billowing skirt away from her tall, lanky frame. A red sweatshirt with an image of Rudolph on the front showed beneath a long, black trench coat that billowed out to the sides.

  Hud got out of the truck and rushed around to open the door for Rose. She opened her mouth to tell him to take her to the nearest recruiting office, but Luna was coming full force by then with her arms outstretched for a hug. There was nothing to do but get out and hug the woman.

  Aunt Luna went right past her and grabbed Hud in a bear hug. “I haven’t seen Cactus Rose since she was just a little girl. I named her. Her mama, Echo, couldn’t decide on a name. I told her that I’d always wanted a child, and since I couldn’t have one, I should get to name the first one in the new generation.”

  “I dropped the Cactus part years ago. I just go by Rose now,” Rose told her.

  “Too bad. It’s such a beautiful name,” Luna said. “I hope you’re not like your daddy. Never did like that man. He reminded me of Wilbur, and there’s times when I could shoot that sumbitch. Now come give me a hug and help get me settled into my room.”