Page 59 of Overdue for a Cowboy

Except in the last few weeks, her fantasy had finally come true. Dodge was in her life, in her bed. They’d laughed together, eaten together, had ravaged each other’s bodies, and done one of her most favorite things…sprawled on the sofa and read together. They had discussed books, and he’d even taken her up the mountain and helped with the bookmobile. Although he had wigged out a little that day, getting angry at the Bishop Ranch then having what seemed like a panic attack at the Lambert farm.

But none of that mattered, because he’d told her that it was easier to make a clean break than to drawthis thingout any longer. A clean break meant he didn’t want to see her anymore.

She put her car in reverse to turn around but stopped as she saw Chevy come out onto the porch and wave to her. Turning off the engine instead, she got out of the car and called up to him. “Hey Chevy.”

“Hey Maisie. Dodge isn’t home but why don’t you come up here and sit on the porch with me a spell?”

She couldn’t deny his easy-going charm. Even though he was a little older, Chevy had always been a friend. And she was pretty sure she could use one of those right now.

As she reached the top step, he pulled her into a hug and she let him engulf her in his arms, pressing her face into his chest as her emotions pinballed through her. She pressed a hand to his chest as she sucked in a deep breath. “I amnotgoing to cry.”

“You can if you want,” Chevy said. “My shoulders can take it. And you can even blow your snot on this shirt. It’ll wash.”

She laughed and slapped him playfully on the arm. “I don’t care how hard I cry. I will not be blowing my snot on your shirt.”

He shrugged. “Offer stands.” He led her to the porch swing and passed her one of June’s quilts that had been folded on the arm of the swing. “Duke made a pecan pie and I’ve got milk, tea, water, or bourbon to wash it down with. Or I’m happy to run out to the shop and get one of those Diet Cokes my brother stocked up on just for you.”

She laughed. “You don’t have to do that. I’m happy with water. And I can help.”

He shook his hand. “I got this. You sit. I’ll be back in a sec.”

She sat and pulled the quilt over her lap, warding off the chill of the night air, as she looked out over the ranch. It was lovely here. She could smell the scent of hay and the cedar of the logs that formed the front porch posts.

Chevy came out a few minutes later, balancing two glasses of water in one hand and two small plates in the other. She stood and took the plates from him, and he set the glasses on the table in front of the swing. He took a fork wrapped in a napkin from his front pocket and passed it to her.

The plate held a warm piece of pecan pie with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on top of it. The whole thing was drizzled with caramel, and Maisie inhaled the scents of nuts, molasses, and brown sugar.

Chevy sat next to her, and they ate their pie in companionable silence as he gently pushed the swing back and forth with the heel of his cowboy boot against the porch.

“That was amazing,” she told him when she’d finished.

“My gramps knows his way around a pie crust,” he said, reminding her of the first day she’d been out here with Dodge and Duke’s offer to teach her his secret to a flaky crust. Chevy took her plate and set them both on the table in front of them then handed her one of the glasses of water. He took the other then leaned back in the swing. “I’ve been sitting her contemplating if I should tell you about Dodge or not, and I think I’ve decided that I will. He’ll probably consider punching me in the face when he finds out, but I think that’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

He had her curiosity piqued. “Tell mewhatabout Dodge?”

“Notwhat, butwhyhe is the way he is. The reason he’s afraid to commit to anyone or trust that he’s worth staying for.”

It hurt her heart to think that was how Dodge felt, but she understood. “I’m assuming it’s because his dad rejected him then his mother abandoned him, too.” She winced as she realized who she was talking to. “Sorry. I just realized that’s the same thing that happened to you.”

“It’s okay. It’s true. Although my daddy was a gambler, Ford’s was just a drunk, and Dodge’s daddy loved the rodeo more than anything else in life. Our mother was your standard narcissist who only cared about herself, but she had a drinking problem too. I think we all know that the best thing she ever did for us was abandon us here, with our grandparents. Gramps and Grandma were more like our parents than any of those assholes ever were.”

“Still, I’m sorry if what I said was insensitive.”

“It’s fine. And you’re right. Having our momma and his daddy abandon him did do a number on our little brother, but that’s not what broke him.” He took a drink of water then let out a shaky breath as he stared at Maisie. “Aw hell. I guess I’ve already decided to tell you, so here goes. When Dodge was a junior in college, he met a woman named Julie. She worked at the campus bookstore, and I don’t want to hurt your feelings because I know how you feel about the guy, but he fell pretty hard for her.”

“It’s okay,” she told him, although the idea of Dodge falling in love with someone else tore at her heart. “It was a long time ago.”

“Itwasa long time ago, but I think sometimes it still feels like yesterday to Dodge.”

“What happened? Did she break his heart?”

“In a sense, yes, but what happened with her broke him completely. He and Julie were together for his last two years of school and they were planning to get married the summer he finished. But the weekend after his graduation, Julie was in a car accident, hit by a drunk driver in a head-on collision and was killed in the crash.”

Maisie covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh no,” she whispered.

Chevy swallowed, and his voice trembled as he continued. “But she wasn’t alone. Julie was a single mom of the cutest two kids, a boy and a girl, four and two. Their dad had abandoned them too, and Dodge was planning to adopt them after he and Julie got married.”

Tears filled Maisie’s eyes, and her chest ached as she feared where this story was going.

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