Cowboy Candy (2 page)

Maddy slowly opened her eyes. At first, it took a moment for her to
familiarize herself with her surroundings. Then it hit her all at once. She
was not lying in her own bed. She was not ever going to be lying in her
own bed in Tennessee, ever again. “Why did you do this to me, Jack?” she
sighed. In a way, she was grateful. In another way, she felt lonely and a bit
frightened. She was starting a completely new chapter in her life. One that
she thought she had already written.

Maddy had never been known to be a quitter, she supposed that is
what bothered her the most. She had never run away from anything or
anyone in her entire life; yet, here she was. On the other hand, she could
honestly say that she had given four years of her life to a pathetic excuse of
a man. She realized she had done the right thing. Grand Valley was merely
a stepping-stone. “Enough of the damn pity party,” she announced to no
one in particular. “Good morning world, it’s great to be alive!,” she laughed,
kicking up her heels. “I’m finally free!.”

She sat up and stretched her arms above her head.
The sun was
shining, and it was going to be a glorious day. Enough of the sad sack
attitude, it was time to start living again. It had been so long since she felt
sure of herself. Nobody was there telling her what to do, how to do it, or
that she had done it wrong. When you live with someone who is constantly
putting down your every move, eventually, you start believing it. She had
been under Jack’s control for so many years; it damn near suffocated her.
“Guess what Jack? Not you, not any man...is going to treat me that
way....ever.”

She went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and splash some water
on her face. She twisted her long chestnut hair into a ponytail and pulled
on her sweats. She was sure that she would be able to slip over to Mabel’s
coffee shop before anyone else was even awake. Grabbing her key, she
stepped into her fuzzy pink slippers and opened her door. The air smelled
crisp and clean. She hadn’t realized how breathtaking Grand Valley was last
night. It was too dark to notice anything. Now, she felt as if she were
standing in the middle of a Norman Rockwell painting. She smiled, and
scuffled over to get a cup of coffee.
As she stepped inside, it was as if the whole world came to a standstill.

Surprisingly, the place was packed. Maddy realized that she stuck out like a
sore thumb, pink slippers, and all. She steeled herself against the stares and
smiled.

“Morning Miss Mabel!” she called out to the old woman.
Mabel turned and grinned from ear to ear.
“How do ya’ want your coffee hon, black or with cream and sugar?”
Maddy grinned, “Cream and sugar, please Miss Mabel.”
Despite the early morning hour, some lovesick cowboy had put a

quarter into the jukebox and Charlie Rich’s haunting voice filled the diner.
“My baby makes me proud, Lord don’t she make me proud. She never
makes a scene by hangin all over me in a crowd . . . Cuz people like to talk,
Lord don’t they love to talk . . . and when we get behind closed doors and
she lets her hair hang down, and she makes me glad that I’m a man. Oh,
no one knows what goes on behind closed doors . . .”
Maddy was taken aback as one of the old-timers sitting at the counter
got up to give her his seat. “Oh, why thank you,” she grinned. He simply
tipped his hat as he left a tip on the counter for Mabel.
“So, did you sleep well," Mabel asked as she placed a steaming cup of
black coffee in front of her along with a few packets of sugar and the
creamer.
“Yes, I did thanks to you,” Maddy smiled.
The old woman chuckled. “For heaven’s sakes, I didn’t do anything”
she smiled.
“Yes, you did. The room is perfect and you make me feel at home,”
Maddy complimented her.
“Shucks, that ain’t nothing’, hon,” Mabel laughed as she turned her
head and spit some chew into a spittoon.
Maddy immediately felt a bond with Mabel. She liked this woman,
chew, and all. As they made small talk, a tall cowboy turned to look in the
direction of all the ruckus. He tipped his hat back on his head and smiled.
Mabel looked up at him and grinned.
Maddy looked instinctively into the mirrors that lined the back wall of
the diner. Charlie Rich was singing about his lady, the chattering breakfast
crowd was abuzz with the latest shoptalk, and Maddy couldn’t bring herself
to look away.
He was looking back at her, and their eyes locked until Miss Mabel’s
voice boomed from behind the counter. "Mornin’ handsome!" she teased.
“Get ya’ some coffee?” she asked.
Dusty really didn't plan on staying very long, but hated to be impolite to
his old friend.
“I’d love to Miss Mabel, but I’ve got to head over to get some line. I’m
finishing up mom’s avocado grove today.” He explained.
“Oh? Well, you give your Mom my love then, hon.” Mabel winked,
“And don’t be such a stranger. You hear?”
Maddy placed some money on the counter and decided to finish her
coffee in her room. She wanted to take a shower and explore Grand Valley
a little further. She firmly believed that in life, everything happens for a
reason.
Perhaps, this was her destiny. Maybe that detour was there for a reason.
“Thank you Miss Mabel. I'll see you later?” she asked.
“Why, you know where you can find me, hon. Have yourself some nice
quiet time to yourself and get out and smell the sunshine,” the old woman
laughed. Grateful for such hospitality, the beautiful young woman couldn’t
help but grin from ear to ear.
Maddy rose from her stool and turned to leave. She stopped dead in her
tracks as she came face to face with a sculpted chest in a white tee shirt.
She gulped, and looked up.
Staring back at her had to be the most
penetrating blue eyes she had ever seen in her life.
They were so
mesmerizing she could hardly speak.
“Um, excuse me,” she blushed as she tried to side step the stranger.
“Morning,” the cowboy said as he tipped his hat.
Her legs nearly turned to jelly.
“Good morning,” she smiled and hurried to the door.
Dusty turned and watched her scuffling away in her pink slippers.
Amused, he turned and flashed a brilliant smile at Mabel.

Maddy fumbled, but somehow managed to get the key in the lock. The
door opened and she quickly closed it behind her, leaning against it. Her
heart was racing, and she felt butterflies in her stomach. In her wildest
dreams, she would not have imagined running into a handsome cowboy out
in the middle of nowhere. Sure enough, he had looked at her with those
blue eyes of his and nearly made her faint.

“What am I thinking,” she asked herself. Looking into the bathroom
mirror, she saw a disheveled, blushing mess. She stifled a laugh, “Oh my
gosh, look at my hair," then laughed even harder when she looked down at
her pink fuzzy slippers.

She didn’t stop to think that maybe, just maybe; he loved the way a
woman looked when she first tumbled out of bed; especially his bed.
“Don’t even think about it Maddy. You have sworn off men for a
reason. They can’t be trusted. Haven’t you had your heart broken
enough?”
Nevertheless, she couldn’t help it. No man ever had that kind of
magnetic effect on her.
He was tall, at least six feet two. His hair was coal
black and his eyes, well; his eyes were blue like nothing she had ever seen
before. He was clean-shaven and smelled like fresh soap and after-shave.
His skin was tanned, and his bulging biceps and chest defined who he was.
He was a cowboy. He was grade one hundred percent beefcake.
“Oh Lord, I’ve got to stop thinking like this,” she whispered.
As she went about taking her shower, she could not get his image out
of her head.
He had lips that begged to be kissed. He had teeth that
practically sparkled. He was polite and sweet and those dimples of his.
He was positively the hottest cowboy she’d ever laid eyes on.
“Oh, this is just crazy,” she said to herself as she began to imagine how
his kisses must feel. “I’d better go for a drive and clear my head today.”
Still, she made a mental note.
She would ask Mabel, who the
mysterious cowboy was. If anyone knew who was who in this town, you
could be sure it would be Mabel.

Jack Carter sat in his dilapidated recliner and chugged a beer. He was
not sad, only extremely pissed off. Who did Maddy think she was?
Miss
high and mighty? She’d left him. He couldn’t comprehend why. Sure, he
might have yelled at her a little too much. He might have put her down.
Hell, he even slapped her around a few times. Nevertheless, he still could
not believe she had upped and left him.

He looked around his dumpy little house. Take-out boxes, empty beer
cans, and cigarette butts littered the floor, and she'd only been gone for two
days. Maddy had always taken care of him and the house. He picked up
the note and re-read it aloud for the tenth time that morning.

“Jack, by the time you get this note, I will be long gone. It should come
as no surprise, should it? You’ve managed to keep me down all these years.
I can take the name-calling and the drinking. Hell, I can even take the
slaps. Even so, somehow, I cannot forgive you for cheating on me. I’m
only taking my clothes, my personal belongings, and my car. You have hurt
me for the last time. It stops today. I hope you have a nice life. Whatever
you do, try to treat the next gal a whole hell of a lot better than you did me,
Maddy.”

He crumpled the note into a tight little ball and threw it across the
room. Who in the hell did she think she was talkin’ to? Nobody spoke to
him that way. He’d let her stay with him out of the kindness of his heart.
He didn’t expect much, just a clean house, a good meal, and a woman who
obeyed him. Shit, he’d even agreed to let her get two jobs to help pay the
bills; now what? Well, he wasn’t gonna’ take this lyin’ down.

He decided to give her some time to come to her senses. He was sure
that she'd miss him and come runnin' back once she realized what a big
mistake she had made. Course, she was gonna catch a beating for what she
did and that piece of shit Mustang of hers would be history.

Dusty leaned on the shovel and surveyed his work. He had just put in
the
last of
the
new
irrigation lines
and decided to take
a
breather.
Everything looked good so far. All he had to do was attach some spinners
under each tree. That was gonna take some doing. He didn’t quite know
how his mother had managed to amass fifteen hundred trees, but she did.
She planted four varieties that matured year-round. There were Mexicolas,
Fuertes, Zutanos, and her prized fruit, Hass.

It seemed that every tree had its own personality and was more
temperamental that a mare in heat.
He had learned the hard way that the
trees had surface roots.
Each tree required mulching, weeding, and
watering with its own specific drip system. It was essential for their survival.
He couldn’t just let his mother’s beloved trees die. It would break her
heart. He walked over to the Jeep and grabbed a handful of risers and
sprinkler heads.

This was going to take hours to get just right. He had already installed
the timers that kicked on in eight-hour cycles, so they wouldn’t put too
much of a load on the pumps. His back ached, his fingers hurt, and he was
beginning to sunburn. However, this kind of work was cake compared to
all the other chores he did for his father. As he slowly worked his way
through the grove, he began thinking of the little beauty with the pink
slippers. He had to admit to himself that she had somehow managed to
wheedle her way into his brain, and it felt as though he couldn’t stop
thinking about her.

Her almond-shaped eyes were the color of two drops of chocolate.
She had a luxurious full mouth, fine straight nose, and high cheekbones.
Her skin reminded him of the color of honey, and her hair was the color of
varnished wood.
Although she was petite, he could see that she was
physically fit and very, very curvy. There was no doubt about it; she was all
woman. From the moment their eyes had met, something inside of him
changed. He’d managed to suppress his desires ever since Janie left.
Nevertheless, there was something about the woman.
She continued to
haunt him since their chance encounter.

He methodically installed the sprinklers and began to wonder how soft
her honey colored skin would feel against his.
“Shit!” he yelled as he smashed his thumb with a mallet.
“Son of a bitch” he muttered. “I’d better start paying attention to what

I’m doing, or I won’t have any darn fingers left to smash,” he laughed.
No matter what he did, images of those big chocolate eyes and sensual
mouth kept popping back into his thoughts. Something about this woman
made his blood boil just thinking about her. From the looks of things, she
was new in town. He sincerely hoped that she wasn’t just passing on
through. There was only one way to find out the details on his beautiful
little stranger. He’d ask Mabel. Mabel would surely know who the woman
was. Everyone knew if they wanted to hear the latest scuttlebutt, Mabel
would have the goods.
He worked quietly until sundown, thinking of Maddy the entire time.
“Blast it, I feel like a lovesick schoolboy,” he muttered to himself.
“Guess I’ll skip breakfast in the morning and head into town to have
some grub over at the diner.”
There was a method to his madness, he’d just happen to be in the area,
picking up some feed and head over to the diner, hoping that he’d run into
Miss pink slippers again. Gosh, she was really something else. He wondered
why she was in such a hurry to get out of there this morning.
He knew that sometimes, his size did tend to intimidate people, but
normally the ladies seemed to like it. No matter, he was determined to find
out more about the chestnut haired beauty.
He just had to. He felt restless, like something in him that died a long
time ago had suddenly reawakened. A lightbulb went off in his mind and
he grinned.
“To hell with breakfast, I'm heading down to Mabel's tonight.”