SEVENTEEN
FRIDAY MORNING WHEN HARLEY WOKE, she was alone on the couch in the den. Gardner’s warmth and smell were the only things left of the hours she’d spent curled into his side, legs and arms tangled, fingers and lips never far from bare patches of skin.
She stretched, smiled, and decided she could easily grow used to such nights. Then she decided those long days spent learning chess from Everly were worth every minute. If not for winning that second game from Jud, she’d have lost out on precious time with Gardner.
Whether or not she’d made any progress last night remained to be seen. She’d shown him gentle love, soothing love, love born of care and compassion. Today was their picnic, tonight their campout, and she planned to show him more.
She didn’t even mind the prospect of dishes this morning, though when she got to the kitchen—after a quick detour to her room for a shower and change of clothes—she found the drainer full and the dishwasher running.
Not only had Jud cleaned the kitchen, he’d left her a plate of biscuits and ham and had written out instructions on reheating the gravy in the microwave. She chuckled to herself after reading his note and decided he didn’t understand that cooking for one had taught her the finer points of the digital meal.
Even though she could well afford to skip breakfast—especially after Tuesday night’s meat loaf, Wednesday night’s chicken-fried steak, and Thursday night’s pork chops—she sat down at the table and ate. The clock above the humming refrigerator ticked its way to eight. The silence was more than Harley could stand.
Starting the past two days at 5:30 a.m. with a rowdy bunch of cowboys was an experience not to be missed. And she missed it. Strange that for someone who’d never been a morning person, she hadn’t had a bit of trouble making it to the kitchen in time to share the first meal of the day with this overgrown family of men.
Gardner had told her about Judson and Ty but he’d failed to mention Ol’ Pete or the seven other wranglers living on Camelot that made up the Barneses’ extended family. And what a family it was. Food fights at the breakfast table. Tall tales stacked one on top of the other. Discussions of the day ahead and who might need help with what.
Sure they were trying to impress her. She was a guest. But it didn’t lessen the attention they paid to one another. She was so glad Gardner had brought her home.
After cleaning her dishes, she headed outside, stopping on the back porch to take in the view. The screen door bounced once and smacked her on the rear, sending her down the steps with a smile.
Half the dry dusty yard had settled into the leather creases of her red ropers by the time she reached the scattered outbuildings. Next to what looked to be a mechanic’s shed, she found the lower half of Jud sticking out from beneath the Range Rover. The words she heard from his upper half dissuaded her from saying hello. She’d thank him for doing the dishes later.
Continuing on, she stepped inside the barn. The shadows were cool, ripe with the smell of hay and grain, worn leather and animal musk. Tiny coos and murmurs issued from beyond the long row of stalls. She headed in that direction, realizing the voice was Tyler’s. When the mutterings became words and the words took on meaning, she stopped.
“C’mon, now. Quit your beggin’. Man, you women are all alike. You gotta be waited on hand and foot.”
Brow furrowed, Harley stepped closer. There was something compelling about Tyler’s tone—and the distinctly canine sound of the whimpers that had now reached her ears.
“C’mon, Guin. I’m not asking for a lot. Look, you can ignore your old man but you can’t ignore your doctor. Now open your mouth.”
Harley stopped at the last stall. The dog lying on a pallet of old quilts and blankets had long since caught her scent and was obviously ignoring Tyler and the pill he held in favor of this newest distraction.
Tyler shushed the weak bark and looked up from where he’d hunkered down next to the dog. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself,” Harley responded, making her way cautiously into the stall.
“Gardner’s not here.”
“I didn’t think he would be.” Slowly, so as not to alarm the dog, Harley maneuvered into a sitting position. She leaned back against the plank wall and drew her knees to her chest. “The house was too quiet. I saw Jud under the Rover but I don’t think he’s in the mood for company.”
“Well, company’s definitely welcome in here,” Tyler said, scratching a spot behind the dog’s left ear. “I’m surprised Guinevere’s pitiful pleas for attention haven’t brought the entire crew running.”
“What happened?” Harley asked, noting the bandage circling the black, brown, and white furred rib cage.
“She’s really too old to do much of anything except get in the way but she can’t stand being left out of the goings-on around here.” Tyler moved his fingers in a circle around the dog’s neck. His expression was as tender as his touch. “The other day I carried her along when I went to check on a downed calf Ol’ Pete found. Guin can’t get herself up into the truck any longer so I have to lift her into the cab.”
“Then you do wait on her hand and foot,” Harley said, enchanted by the picture of man and his best friend.
“Oh, yeah. She’s got me wrapped around her little paw, don’tcha girl,” Tyler said, leaning forward and rubbing his nose against Guin’s. He suddenly straightened, avoiding Harley’s gaze, and Harley couldn’t help but smile.
“Anyway, I lifted her down from the truck and she plopped right down for a nap. Only she did her plopping a little too close to the calf for Momma Cow’s liking. By the time I heard the ruckus and turned around, Guin had managed to drag herself under the truck but Momma was still stomping.
“She’s got a real bad case of bruised ribs,” Tyler explained, sitting back and stretching out his legs. “She’s also got enough stitches to give her the look of a patchwork quilt. Her injuries aren’t serious. But her spirit’s gone.”
“You’ve had her a long time?” Harley asked, watching the dog pull herself halfway into Tyler’s lap.
“Gardner gave her to me right after our folks died. She was already about five. Like they say, it’s not the years, it’s the mileage.” Tyler buried his fingers in the ruff of Guin’s fur and the dog’s eyes drifted shut. “She’s put in some long hard ones.”
“I never had a pet,” Harley said, and when Tyler glanced up added, “You make me wish I had.”
“Yeah, well, it’s a good thing she can’t talk or I’d be in a hell of a lot of trouble. I’ve told this girl more than I’ve ever told anyone,” Tyler said, his expression darkening. “I really gave Gardner a heck of a rough time the first couple of years after our folks died.
“But I gotta admit that once I got my head outta my butt I realized he was a better dad than our father. He’s certainly done a better job managing the place.” Ty cleared the pained look from his face and cracked a bold smile. “I figure that’s because he knows how to delegate.”
“Now why doesn’t that surprise me?” Harley teased, thinking of all he’d ordered her to do.
“He’s a bossy son of a gun, ain’t he?” Tyler laughed. “Jud takes care of the house and the equipment. I take care of the animals and school. The crew manages the stock. And Gardner, well, he takes care of all of us.” He glanced up then, sincerity knocking the cocky edge from his expression. “I’m glad to see he finally found someone to take care of him.”
“I don’t think Gardner needs anyone to take care of him.”
“Oh, he needs it all right. He just won’t admit it. For some reason, he’s a real brick wall when it comes to relationships. It’s his way or the highway if you know what I mean.”
Oh, yeah. She knew exactly. And was doing her best to make Gardner see what he’d been missing. Harley smiled at the dog’s contented wuffle and sigh. “How long until Guin is up and around?”
Tyler eased his legs from beneath the snoozing dog. “Physically, she’ll heal up in a couple of weeks. She’ll never be as good as new. Who would be at ninety? I guess that’s what worries me more than anything. Losing someone who’s been there for me most of my life.” Tyler forced a laugh and looked up at Harley. She saw the little boy in his eyes. “This’ll sound stupid but it’s kinda the same way I feel about going to college in the fall.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” Harley prompted.
“You grow used to someone being there, you know. And when you don’t have them around every day it throws off your schedule.”
Oh, what she would have given to have grown up in a family full of this much love. “Gardner will always be there for you, Ty.”
“Yeah, but once I’m off to College Station, who’ll be here for him?”