The Cowboy's Lady

“I’ll be back for groceries sometime or other,” Vivienne assured her. “I’ll contact you then. Find out what’s happening with Mei and Lucas.”

Brooke gave her another hug, Gabe flashed her a quick smile, and then Vivienne was in her car and pulling away from the curb. In her rearview mirror, she saw Gabe drop his arm around Brooke’s shoulder and pull her close. The domestic scene tugged at her heart, and again Vivienne felt a surge of envy blended with joy for her sister’s happiness.

Would she ever find what Brooke and Gabe seemed to have?

Chapter Three

“Where are you going?” Cody called out to his newest hired hand, Bryce, as he walked toward the cookhouse. “Your horse needs to be brushed yet.”

The young boy turned and then dropped his gloved hands on his narrow hips, brown hair hanging in his eyes. “I’m beat. I’m hungry and tired from riding all day. My horse is fine.”

And with that he spun around, skinny arms pumping as he ran off.

Cody pressed his lips together, sending up a quick prayer for patience, which was immediately followed by guilt. Lately his prayers were the “Help me, help me” kind sent up in a rush between getting the horses ready for the roundup, getting the last batches of hay hauled and trying to keep his sister from driving him crazy. He hadn’t had time for proper devotions in weeks. He just prayed God understood.

Cody sighed as he dismounted, his own legs stiff from riding all day. He should insist the boy do things the right way, but he was new and Cody didn’t have the energy to follow through.

Not after spending almost twelve hours in the saddle sorting through the first batch of cows and calves and getting them ready to move in a couple of weeks.

“Why’s Bryce heading for grub?” Ted grunted as he swung his leg over the saddle. “Didn’t see him brush his horse down.”

“He says he’s tired.”

“Aren’t we all? And you’ve been working since five o’clock. Kid needs an attitude adjustment.”

“He’s willing to live out here for ten days at a time, so I put up with him.” Cody led his and Bryce’s horse to the tack shed, the slow thud of the horses’ hooves telegraphing their own weariness.

“And hang out with spineless Les Clayton and that no-account Billy Dean Harris when he’s not working.”

Which made Cody think of another Clayton now inhabiting the place. Vivienne had come to the ranch last night, dragging enough suitcases to outfit every woman in town. But he hadn’t had time to talk to her. Instead he got Cade, her cousin on the other side of the Clayton family, to help her.

“As long as Bryce is working for me when he’s here, I can’t tell him who to hang out with,” Cody replied.

“Food smells good,” Ted exalted as he pulled the halter off his horse. “Wonder what Vivienne whipped up for supper. Bet it’s a whole lot better than grilled cheese sandwiches.”

“She better not be making some fancy stuff we can’t choke down” was all Cody said, jerking on the saddle’s cinch. He still felt like he’d been railroaded into hiring Vivienne. And Ted’s constant singing of her praises all day didn’t help either. It was annoying.

“Didn’t see you for breakfast.” Uncle Ted let his horse spit out the bit and hung the bridle over his arm. “You weren’t hungry?”

“Had things to do.”

“Seems to me like you’re avoiding our new cook,” he said with a knowing grin.

Cody heaved the saddle off the horse and moved to Bryce’s. “You know how busy I am.”

“You’ve got to learn to delegate more. Life isn’t just work. And now there’s a pretty new cook on the ranch.” He winked. “And I heard she’s single. You might want to make time for her.”

Cody didn’t bother responding to Uncle Ted’s blatant comments. In the distance a coyote sent up a lonely shivering wail into the cool evening air. But he heard no replying howl.

“It’s been almost four years since Tabitha,” his uncle said, his voice quiet.

Cody clenched the brush, knowing exactly where Ted was heading.

“You’ve been pushing yourself since then, working every hour of the day, going nonstop.” Ted kept his voice low, as if he knew he had to approach this subject with caution. “Tabitha is gone, and you can’t change that.”

Cody walked over to Bryce’s horse and started brushing him but said nothing. He didn’t want to talk about his former wife. Though he missed Tabitha, her betrayal had hurt him more than her passing had. They’d been drifting apart for months before she took off from the ranch.

“So now Vivienne Clayton is cooking here,” the older rancher continued, “and I think that’s a good thing.”

Cody snapped his head around, glaring at his uncle. He should have known his partner wasn’t trying to be sympathetic and understanding. Should have known that Uncle Ted always, always had a plan.

“I only hired her ‘cause I had no choice, thanks to you,” Cody said, wanting to stop Ted mid-matchmaking. “As for her cooking here, she’s a Clayton, and she’s only hanging around long enough to collect the money that old miser George left her. Once that happens, she’s back to New York where she belongs, far as I know. I would be surprised if she sticks it out here longer than a week.” He stopped, realizing how defensive he sounded.

Ted led his horse to the corral. “Why don’t you like her? I heard you two were an item a time back,” he called out over the screeching of the opening gate.

That Ted. He just never let up.

“We were never an item.” Cody’s movements were brisk as he finished brushing off Bryce’s horse.

“But I thought—”

“Look, Uncle Ted, you’re my partner, not my life coach.” As soon as he spoke the words, Cody wished he could take them back. It was thanks to his uncle he even had a stake in the Circle C. Uncle Ted had only one daughter, Karlee, who had no interest in ranching and lived in town. Ted had taken Cody in during the many trips his missionary parents made overseas and instilled in him a love of the land and a love of ranching.

One of Cody’s first memories was of Ted helping him onto a horse and leading him around the corral.

His uncle knew more about Cody than even his parents did. He knew Cody had a “thing” once upon a time for Vivienne Clayton. Ted just didn’t know how flatly Vivienne had turned him down. Cody had been too humiliated to give those details out and had let Ted believe something was brewing with him and “that gorgeous Clayton gal,” as Ted insisted on calling her.

“I’m sorry,” Cody said quietly, staring over the back of the horse at the darkening sky, unable to meet Ted’s gaze. “I shouldn’t have said that. It’s just, well, I’ve got Bonnie driving me crazy with wanting to move closer to the center of town and we’ve the gather to take care of and hay to haul …” He let the sentence drift off. Too much to deal with. Too much to think about.

“It’s okay.” Ted untied Cody’s horse and led him to the corral, as well. “I get it.”

“I hope you do,” Cody said quietly. “Vivienne Clayton is just the cook here. Nothing else.”

“Sure. Of course.”

“She’s a city girl and always will be now.” Just like Tabitha was.

“Yup. I hear ya.”

Cody shot his uncle a warning glance as he put Bryce’s horse away, but Ted was already through the gate, obviously lured on by the mouth-watering smells drifting from the cookhouse. “You coming?” Ted called over his shoulder.

“Yeah. In a bit.” Reluctance kept him back, watching the horses rolling in the dirt, grunting with satisfaction as their legs flailed awkwardly in the air.

His stomach rumbled and he knew he couldn’t put off going to the cookhouse any longer.

Trouble was, Uncle Ted had hit on a nerve.

Vivienne Clayton looked as beautiful as he remembered, and in spite of what he’d had to deal with, she still held a certain fascination.