Page 11 of Cowboy Don't Go

But the light that had once been in his dad’s eyes seemed nearly extinguished. Cooper needed to find a way to ignite it again.

Despite that, his father ate everything. A good sign. At least Cooper could feed him. The cake he’d bought him seemed antithetical at this point, but he brought it out anyway. He’d had the cake decorated with a nail file as a joke and a celebration.

Ray smiled, seeing it. “Now he gives it to me. Where was that file when I needed it?”

“If I thought you would’ve taken it, I’d have definitely smuggled one in,” he joked. They shared a heaping slice of chocolate cake and sipped from glasses of milk, remembering other celebrations at this table.

“You staying out at the Hard Eight?” Ray asked finally.

“They offered. But I thought I’d hang here with you instead.”

“You don’t have to take care of me, you know. I can manage.” He took another bite of cake. “But if you want . . . I’m good with you here.” He hedged for a minute before asking, “So, the family is still on that ranch? The rest of them, I mean?”

“Yeah. Liam, Shay, Cami. Even Will has come home from the NFL. But he and his girlfriend bought a place outside of town. They’re getting married on the ranch over the holidays this year, I hear. They’re actually doing weddings at the Hard Eight now. It’s become a regular—what do they call it? A venue. And of course, Mrs. Hardesty’s still there, too. Sarah.”

Ray’s eyes flicked to Cooper’s for a moment, but he immediately snuffed his reaction.

Interesting.

“Hardesty—senior—Sarah’s husband, died almost three years ago now. Heart attack. Did you know him?”

“Hardly. Is she okay? Sarah, I mean?”

The mention of Mrs. Hardesty was the first spark of interest he’d shown in anything all day.

“I think so, mostly. They’re turning their cattle operation into a guest ranch. I guess they’ve been struggling some since her husband died. They hired me to work construction, but looks like I’ll be working with the horses, too. So, I’ll be bringing in money. You can just rest and get into treatment. But we can talk about that later.”

“Not doing treatment,” he repeated, getting up from the table.

“Dad—”

“I’m tired. I’m gonna lie down now.”

There was no point arguing with him now. “Okay. You do that. I’m going to drive into town and pick up a few things. I’ll be back.”

*

Shay finished up her work doing the weekly books at the best little bakery in town, The Copper Mountain Gingerbread and Dessert Company, packed up her things, and decided to get a late lunch at the Main Street Café.

“Thanks a million, Shay,” Rachel Vaugh, the bakery’s owner, said as Shay left the shop’s office. “I really don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You say that every time,” she said, giving the other woman a hug. “It’s just numbers, Rachel. But, hey, I’m glad to be useful.”

“Just numbers? Might as well be hieroglyphics,” she quipped, tying back her thick, dark hair. “You know how they told you in school that algebra and calculus would come in handy some day? Well, I didn’t believe them. And my books prove my point. That is until I hired you.

“But,” she mused, looking around the spotless shop filled with gorgeous cupcakes, gingerbread, and cakes, “give me a good recipe and I’m gold. I can multiply fractions in a mixing bowl like nobody’s business.” She pulled a ribbon-tied box from behind the counter, no doubt filled with her beautiful goodies for Shay. “Take them. Ah-ah! Don’t say no. I know the rest of the crew out at the Hard Eight will eat them, even if you don’t.”

“Oh, I’ll eat them, too,” Shay retorted, laughing and accepting the gift. “That’s the problem.”

“That is not a problem. Not enjoying the sweet things in life, now that’s a problem. These cupcakes? Nah. They’re just gateway sweets—sweets by way of friendship.”

She hugged Rachel again. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome. See you next month? Oh, unless that wedding gets in the way—I know Daniel Creighton and his fiancée are tying the knot out there. These cupcakes are practice for the big event. They’re doing a cupcake-cake.”

“Oooh! Well, they’re going to love them. So, if I need to come a day or two early next month, that’s okay, right?”

“Of course. Or after if need be. See you then?”

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