Chapter Seven

Caleb was on a mission to get laid.

Determined to get the problems of the ranch and Laura’s sad face out of his mind, he rescheduled his date with Jenny, the good time girl. She’d work her special magic and remove Laura from his head and his blood. Jenny knew there wouldn’t be anything beyond the sex—there never was. They enjoyed each other’s company once in a while. Convenience without commitment and no complications. That’s how they both liked it.

He parked his truck in a stall and did a final check of his hair and shave job in the rearview mirror. The sitter had been late, and by the time she’d gotten there, Con didn’t want to be left home alone with her. It was too late for Caleb to worry about it. Besides, Amanda was a nice girl—her family farmed down the road a couple of miles—and she would make sure his son was entertained for the evening. Con would be fine; he just wasn’t accustomed to Caleb leaving him and Amanda babysitting.

Both Phyllis and Angel had decided to come along but rode in a separate vehicle with some of the farmhands who were now back to their old selves, looking forward to downing a few beers to wash away any remnants of pain. One guy had been left on duty. Caleb always had someone at the ranch.

Phyllis looked completely different from the day she arrived at the ranch. Pretty, even. She’d put her hair up in a fancy style, had tasteful make-up on, and had even donned a low-cut T-shirt and form-fitting jeans. She looked younger, and while she didn’t look particularly comfortable, she looked happy.

Angel, on the other hand, was completely in her element—a small-town bar with small-town boys—looking for a good time. Without question, she was sexy and any guy looking for a good time could probably find it with her. Her miniskirt barely covered her ass, and her silky blouse was cut lower than was decent and only covered one shoulder. She wore high-heeled boots and looked more like a stripper than a cook.

He stepped out of the pickup, satisfied with the shine of his boots and the crease in his jeans. The street in front of the bar was packed; he’d been forced to park half a block down the road. He waved as a pickup filled with his ranch hands drove by. They could drink all they wanted in town, but they couldn’t take any booze back to the ranch. They all understood what the result would be if they did. Caleb had seen firsthand what alcohol and drugs could do to a person, and he was not about to lose all he had built because men couldn’t keep their heads screwed on straight.

He walked into the bar, shook the hand of the bouncer, and paid the band’s cover charge. He spotted Jenny and ambled his way to the table where she sat with other men from the Morning Glory. He slowed his pace, moving with confidence.

“Hey, Jenny.” He pulled out a chair next to her. “You look great.”

“Thanks, hon.” Everyone was hon to her—or babe. Even if she didn’t know a person. She did hair in town, waited tables on the weekends. She reveled in knowing everyone’s business, knew the gossip, who was cheating on who, who was getting fired or was about ready to quit. He’d learned to be on guard when he spoke to her, part of the reason he could never have anything more with her than a casual relationship.

“Can I get you something?” He angled his neck toward the bar.

“Sure, babe.” Jenny nodded and tilted an already-empty brown bottle toward him. “Another Lite would be great.”

He stood and made his way back through the throng of people. After he ordered, he turned back to survey the crowd. He nodded to a couple of men he recognized. One he’d gone to school with, the other, Jasper, owned a nearby ranch more than double the size of Caleb’s.

He took Jenny’s beer and his pop and went back to where she sat working the table. She loved the attention of the cowboys. She reminded him a lot of Christie, another reason they would never get any further than where they were.

“Wanna dance, hon?” Jenny put a hand on his upper thigh as if it were the most natural thing to do.

“Not tonight.” He shook his head and took a sip of pop.

The band was cranking up. Lucky for the boys, the band had a two-night stand at the bar and their sickness the night before wasn’t preventing their partying. It was a good old-fashioned country band, a group that had been in town many times before.

“I’ll swing ya ’round.” Will, one of Morning Glory’s longtime employees, took her hand, and away she went, not even bothering to ask if Caleb cared.

“So, what’s new?” Jasper smacked Caleb on the back and took over the chair Jenny had vacated.

“Not much.” Caleb shook his head. “Well, I guess something’s new.” He leaned his chair on the back two legs. “Stella quit. Juan’s been having pains in his gut, and the docs think it might be his liver.” He swallowed. “They’re up at Mayo getting some tests run.”

“Really? Too much of this, I suppose?” Jasper tilted his beer bottle toward Caleb.

“I don’t know for sure.” Caleb spoke loud enough to be heard over the music.

He studied Jenny as she floated around on the floor with Will. Caleb wasn’t jealous, more like annoyed. He had no claim on her, but good manners dictated she at least not flirt with every other man in the bar while they were out together.

“So, did you find someone to take her place?”

Caleb nodded. “I brought out three gals, thought it would be kind of fun to have them compete for the job. One came all the way from Chicago.”

“No shit?”

Caleb laughed. “I hired a couple of new hands too.” He nodded at the neighboring table. “That’s one of them, and the blonde is one of the cooks I’m trying out.”

“Hell, Caleb, she’ll never work out.” Jasper leaned forward; it was getting even louder in the bar. “All the men will fantasize about gettin’ in her pants.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“You too?” Jasper laughed and about choked on his beer.

“No.” Caleb shook his head. “It’s the one from Chicago who’s got me going.”

“Is she here?” Jasper looked around. “So many people tonight, wouldn’t even notice a new person.”

“Naw, she decided to stay at the ranch,” Caleb answered. “She’s pretty fine too.”

“What about the third gal?”

“She’s over at the bar, talking with Wendy.”

“She’s not bad, either. Pretty smile,” Jasper told him, while staring at Phyllis. “You lucky son of a—”

“Hey, now.” Caleb chuckled. “It’s more pain than it’s worth.”

“Wish I had that kind of ache.” Jasper winked. “I got the harvesting done last night, by the way. Noticed you’ve got a lot of corn still standing.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Caleb rolled his eyes at his friend. It was an ongoing competition between the two of them.

“You plan to go to the Cattleman’s Association deal again this year?”

“Sure.” Caleb nodded. “I’ll drive this time. I guess I owe ya.”

“They’re doing some fancy dinner dance thing this year.” Jasper stood up as Jenny walked back to the table. “I’ll probably bring a date along.”

“Oh, yeah?” That interested Caleb. Jasper was years older than Caleb, never married, and as far as Caleb knew, never had any intention of getting hitched.

“Yeah. I just have to find her first. Maybe I’ll go talk to your cook at the bar.” Jasper patted Caleb’s shoulder. “What’s her name?”

Caleb told him.

“Huh. She doesn’t look like a Phyllis. Hey, Jenny.” Jasper tipped his cowboy hat. “I’ll call you next week about the conference.”

Caleb watched him walk to the bar and sit next to Phyllis. He must have said he knew Caleb, because she looked over at him. Caleb nodded and winked. Jasper was a good guy and got her to dance with him. Maybe she wasn’t the quiet mouse Caleb had thought she was.

“So, Caleb.” Jenny placed her hand back on his thigh. “What’s kickin’?”

“Not a whole lot.” Caleb shrugged and leaned back in his chair, stretching his legs out in front of him under the table. “Just wanted to see you, that’s all.”

“Is that one of your new cooks? The blonde hanging on the guy over there?”

Jenny pointed at Angel, and Caleb nodded.

“Jasper’s dancing with the other one.”

“I thought you had three new gals competing? Where’s the other one?” Jenny scanned the crowd.

“Yeah, Laura stayed back at the ranch.”

“Not a partier, huh?” Jenny sipped her beer.

“I think she could hold her own.” Caleb gave in to an odd compulsion to defend her.

“Hit a sore spot, did I?” Jenny rubbed up his thigh. Some nights, that’s all it would have taken to get him to leave a tip at the table and hit the road to find a private place to fool around. Tonight, her touch just annoyed him. Like her fake-baked skin, thick makeup, and the stale scent of cigarettes that clung to her.

“No,” he smoothly lied, removing her hand from his lap. “Not at all. You’re probably right; she’s more of a homebody.” Looking around the bar, watching people make fools out of themselves, Caleb realized he’d much rather be back at the ranch himself.

“I heard Jasper mention the Beef Ball. Don’t suppose you’d like me to come along?” She leaned in close and laughed. “I clean up pretty good.”

“Yes, you do.” The thought of taking her, even being with her tonight, made him feel dirty. He’d come to get laid but realized he couldn’t. He felt disgusted with himself that he’d planned such a stupid thing.

“Babe, what’s on your mind?” She looked genuinely concerned.

“Nothing. I’m just not much in the mood to be here tonight, I guess. Sorry I’m not better company.” He sipped on his pop.

“In that case, I’ll just make myself happy.” She winked. “Watch this.” She stood up and sashayed to the table where Angel sat with Paul, the new ranch hand.

Jenny bent and whispered something in Paul’s ear, and he smiled. She took his hand, and off to the dance floor they went. The band was kicking up a fast song, and Caleb mentally wished Paul well as he tried to keep up with Jenny. Angel was shooting Jenny dirty looks, and Caleb worried she would be over at his table soon, trying to make her own point.

He leaned back on his chair and watched the other people having fun. Drinking too much liquor. The band was good, people were dancing—some badly. Why was he thinking about Laura? What did it matter what she was doing? She’d told him she’d be reading or maybe watching television. End of story.

But it wasn’t.

There were so many complexities to the woman from Chicago. Maybe she fascinated him because she came from such a different background? Sure, she was pretty, but as he looked around the packed bar, he saw other women just as good-looking. Maybe it was her smile? Remembering her rolling in the dirt? He chuckled to himself. Who was to say what the reason was? After three short days, he was hooked.

And he sure as hell didn’t want to be.

 

* * *

 

“Laura!”

A tugging, shaking of her shoulder jolted her awake. Where the hell was she?

“Caleb,” she breathed and slowly sat up on the couch.

“What’s going on?” The harshness of his voice made her jump. “Why are you in here, and where is Amanda?”

She looked around the dimly lit room, still in a sleep-induced haze. She ran her hand over her face and through her hair. Then she remembered where she was. And why.

“Connor had an accident in his bed,” she whispered, knowing the little boy was only a short distance away, sleeping.

“I see,” Caleb said. “But that doesn’t explain how you came to be here and not Amanda.”

“Can you turn on another light, maybe?” Laura yawned and dropped her legs off the side of the couch.

He obliged, choosing the lowest setting.

“He must have had a dream and didn’t quite make it to the bathroom in time,” Laura said. “I was sitting on the porch again and heard Amanda yelling. I thought there was a burglar or something, so I came in to see what was going on. Anyway, her yelling made Connor feel worse. She was really mad about it, and it’s a shame because Connor was still half asleep. Like me.” She grinned. “But the sitter freaked out. He said she spanked him, but I didn’t bother to ask her. I just told her she could go home, that I would take care of him until you got here.”

“So, is he in his bed?”

“Yes.” She nodded and yawned again. “We found new jammies and sheets. I made up the bed and rocked with him for a little while, told him a story, and he went right back to sleep.”

“Thank you.” He shoved his hands back into his pockets.

“No problem.” She stood up and grabbed the arm of the couch, still feeling groggy and little fuzzy from sleep. “Did you have a nice night?”

“It was fine,” he answered without much conviction in his voice.

She glanced at the clock, surprised it was so early, just after eleven. She felt like she had slept longer than an hour.

“You smell like cigarettes.”

She wrinkled her nose.

“I hate that stale smell.”

“Must be from the bar. I don’t smoke,” he told her.

“Pop smoked cigars, but no one else in the family did.”

“What about alcohol?”

“Yeah, he drank quite a bit too.” She nodded, remembering the calls at three in the morning after one of his poker games when he was too drunk to get home by himself.

“I meant you, Laura.”

“Oh!” She laughed. “Nothing with any regularity.”

“Sex?”

Did he just ask that? “What was that?” she squeaked.

“You heard me.” He laughed. “Do you have sex?”

“I have,” she said, feeling the need for honesty in this ridiculous and uncomfortable conversation. “I haven’t for some time.”

“Me either.” He walked to her, stopping only a few feet in front of her. “Tell me why you’re out here, Laura. The only places I’ve had food like you cook is at four-star restaurants. Kansas City and Omaha—the big cities. Why waste your talent out here on us?”

He towered over her but didn’t intimidate her. How to answer that? She’d known someone would ask her. She wished she were better prepared with a legitimate response. She took a minute before replying.

“I needed a change. Pop died, and I knew if I didn’t start living now, I never would.”

She watched him stare at her. When his eyes focused on her lips, she had an idea of what was going through his mind, making her heart flutter. She found herself backing away and bumping into the doorjamb.

His gaze locked on hers, making her body ache for his touch, even the slightest brush of his fingertips. She swallowed, wanting to move toward him but knowing what it would lead to was wrong. He made the first move, but she ducked, a sudden vision of him and the nearly naked Angel canoodling in the kitchen serving as a bucket of cold water to her senses.

Laura backed farther away from him, hightailing it before she did something stupid. “Night, boss man.” She fled like a coward through the door, afraid of the attraction.