Page 41 of Cole's Joy
Cole took them, read them, shook his head in awe, and did as he did before with the hug and kiss. When they broke apart this time, he kept his arms wrapped around her. “Thank you for looking out for me.”
“You’re welcome, now, what do you want to see first?” She pointed to a rough sign that indicated the bulls were one way, while the horses were in the opposite direction.
“Since I’m a cowboy, I’d like to see the horses first.” They headed in that direction, and once they arrived, Lois stepped up to the gate and was able to look out at all the activity. She told Cole to go do what he needed to, that she would stay there and watch.
Roughly twenty minutes later she felt someone step up beside her, and thinking it was Cole, she didn’t bother looking as she asked, “What’s the difference between a bronc rider and a roper?” She looked up when she heard a chuckle and gave a startled, “Oh. I thought you were someone else.”
“No need to be sorry, Ma’am,” the young cowboy said as he tried to tip his hat to her, but Lois gave another start when she realized he had his arm in a sling, and a cast on his leg. “Oh my, what happened to you?”
The young man lifted his chin toward the arena and with a sour look on his face, said sadly, “Brutis got the better of me last weekend.”
“I take it that’s the bronco horse?”
“Yes.” They watched the activity, at least the younger man did, but Lois watched him. She went out on a limb and reached for one of the business cards.
“I don’t mean to be so forward, and I can see you’re hurt, so, please don’t think I’m going senile, I’m not.”
“Okay,” the man smirked. “I’ll try not to.”
“My name is Lois, and I’m here with my boyfriend Cole. I don’t want to say it’s complicated, it’s more intriguing than anything else, but he’s transitioning the ranch he manages from raising racehorses to rodeo stock. We’re looking for, what do you call them?”
“Hands?”
“Yes, we’re looking for hands to help on the ranch.” She handed him the business card. “It’s too noisy here now, but would you be willing to meet us at the Sunset Motel tomorrow morning at seven for breakfast? Our treat.” She tacked that last bit on when he seemed to look worried.
“You want to talk to me about giving me a job?”
“Please, but I’d like to know your name first.”
“Oh, sorry, I’m Kade Montgomery. That’s with a ‘K’.”
“Well, Kade Montgomery, it would be a pleasure to talk to you about what we want to do. If you could meet us tomorrow, we promise we won’t be wasting your time.”
“Thank you,” was the only thing Kade said, and then after the horse and rider in the arena left, he swung around and used the one crutch to guide him away. He was a few feet away when he swung back around. “Can I bring my brother with me?”
“Sure, and don’t worry, we’ll pay for your breakfasts so bring your appetites and an open mind.” Lois laughed when Kade’s somber face lit up with joy.
“We can eat a lot.”
“We have a lot to discuss.” Lois laughed and felt good about what she’d done. She figured it would be better to ask forforgiveness rather than permission. Besides, if Cole didn’t want to fork out the money for the boys’ breakfasts, she would. There was something about him that screamed for her to help him. The rest of the night went in a blur and by the time Cole caught up with her, she was ready to head back to the hotel. She laughed when he directed her to the outside and hosed off her boots himself, and they were able to catch the shuttle just as it pulled up. She decided to wait until they got back to the room before telling him about Kade and his brother.
CHAPTER 16
Once they returned,Cole automatically gathered Tim and took him down to do his business, and Lois got ready for bed. She was lying on her side when he returned, and didn’t settle down until he came out of the bathroom. The lights were off, and he’d left the bathroom light on, but the door was only open for a few inches. She didn’t know if she liked that he wore a pair of sweat pants and a tee shirt, but she respected that he didn’t come to bed naked. She didn’t expect anything to happen between them, but it would be nice to sleep beside someone again. On a sigh, she settled down, and smiled when he climbed into the bed beside her.
“What’s with the long sigh?”
“Nothing, and I know this sounds silly, but it’s nice to sleep next to someone again. My bed at home is lonely.”
He moved in the bed and when he lifted his arm, he looked at her and invited her to snuggle up with him. She didn’t hesitate to cuddle, and they both sighed in relief when they were both situated.
“Did you enjoy yourself tonight?” he asked quietly after several minutes of silence.
“I did. I have to tell you something though.”
“Oh?”
“I did something.”
