Page 11 of Snowed in with the Cowboy

Me: Hey, I’m good. Shit is fucking wet. Everything good your way?

I watch as the text tries to send, but the bar on top of the screen goes all the way to the end before it stops. There’s no use trying to send another one again or staring at the damn thing. I’ve got shit to do and a woman I’m having hard time leaving. Clementine would probably be pissed as hell at me if she knew I could work on her van to at least get it on the road to a mechanic shop. A new tire, rim, and some banging of body parts to remove some of the dents so the metal isn’t bent into the wheel well. I could even do a few things with the motor if I got down to it. Might need parts, might need a whole lot of shit that will total the vehicle out. As horrible as it sounds, I’d much rather keep Clementine here, even if that means she doesn’t have a vehicle.

I’m walking out the door when the house phone rings. I run to the kitchen to grab the receiver and huff out a “Hello.”

“Hey, man, it’s Trey. Amos mentioned he texted you but didn’t hear back. Figured I’d use the house line since he didn’t think to do it.” I’m cussing myself for not grabbing the other one in the bedroom or doing something like buying a damn portable phone. It seems I’ve got a lot of changes to make should Clementine choose to stay: a couch, a better barn for a vehicle to stay out of the elements unlike my truck, a portable phone, and a shit ton of better groceries.

“Hey, Trey, only saw his text a few minutes ago. I’ve got shit for service out here the minute snow starts coming down.” My eyes move from the kitchen, where dishes are piled up. There was no way I’d let Clementine do them when she’s dead on herfeet. Then I see where my animals are, right next to her, too. Nala may be on the ground as close to the couch as she can possibly be, but make no qualms about it, she’s imprinted on Clementine in a matter of minutes. Jasmine is lying on her feet, curled up in a ball.

“Figured as much. You’ll let us know if you need anything, right? You’ve done enough for us. It’s high time we return the favor.” Trey and Amos both. I helped them a few times with animals they bought from me. The least I could do was hold them for a bit longer.

“Y’all don’t owe me shit. Gotta ask you a question, though.” I move further into the kitchen, trying to keep my voice down.

“You know to drip your faucets, right?” Trey says with a laugh, thinking he’s being Mister fucking Funny Guy. I roll my eyes. I’ve got this house and animal shit down to a science.

“I’m well aware. Got the fireplaces going, the troughs have heaters at the bottom, the generator is ready to kick on when the power inevitably goes out, and I even have food.” My voice comes out harsher than I intended to.

“Alright, alright. I’m serious now. What’s your question.”

“How’d you know Sienna was the one?” I ask.

“Well, shit, looks like our guy finally found a woman and won’t be trying to go after Sutton,” Trey mentions the time I met a few of the brothers at Hometown Diner, having no realization that she belonged to Ryland.

“Something like that,” I reply.

“When the thought of being away from her made me want to tear the world apart to be near her, I knew. Sienna’s always been mine, but it took us a minute to get our shit together once she came home to stay. There’s no way I’d let her leave my sights again. You gonna tell me why you’re asking?” Trey gives me the information I already knew. Only needed it reiterated to make sure I’m on the right path.

“Her name is Clementine. She wrecked her car into my mountain. Now I’m hoping the damn snow never stops so I can keep her up here with me always.” I’d go into more detail about what I want to do in order to keep Clementine on this mountain with me, but if she wakes up and hears me, she may run the hell away.

“Then I’d say you’ve met the one. Glad, brother, real fuckin’ glad. None of us liked you moving to Colorado and living your life alone. We all deserve a good woman in our corner.” Trey takes a breath. “Whatever you need, Clay. You have it, yeah?”

“Thanks, Trey. I appreciate it. I’ll call you once this shit blows over. I’ve got to head out and grab some things from Clementine’s van and also check on the animals again.” We finish our goodbyes, then I put the receiver in the cradle and start to head out the door to do afternoon chores, or what I can with the wind whipping and snow pouring. I’m pretty sure I’ll need the snow blower out in order to get to where I need to be. It’s either that or shoveling, and while on any other day, I wouldn’t mind doing the heavy lifting, I’m preserving my energy for Clementine and later today.

“Hello.” I answer the phone when it rings again. It feels like this place is Grand Central Station when it comes to calls today.

“Hi, I’m looking for my sister, Minnie. You must be Clay.” The voice on the other end of the line sounds a lot like Clementine’s.

“I am, and you’re Lennon, I take it?” I respond.

“That would be me. Thank you for taking her in and helping her out.” I can hear the slight tinge of worry in her tone.

“You’re welcome.” It’s not a hardship, but I’m not going to tell her sister exactly how I feel before I tell Clementine herself. “Let me grab her.” I don’t wait for a response. Instead, I place the phone on the counter and head toward the couch.

“Sweetheart,” I say, dropping down to my knees. This time, my dog isn’t ready to attack and has made peace with the fact her owner isn’t going to hurt Clementine.

“Clay. Is everything okay?” She comes awake with a jolt.

“Yeah, Clementine. Lennon’s on the phone, and while I hate to wake you, I’m pretty sure if she doesn’t hear your voice directly from you, she’ll call every three-letter government agency out there.” I smile when she lets out a small laugh.

“You’re probably right about that.” Her finger slides along my cheek, nipping my top lip when it’s near my mouth.

“Go talk to you sister. I’ll be outside for a few minutes, yeah?” She nods. I help her off the couch, lingering when I shouldn’t since her sister is waiting, but damn me if it’s not hard to keep her attention.

“Be careful.” I nod then drop a quick kiss to her lips and head to the mudroom to get ready before heading to the barn.

CHAPTER 13

Minnie

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