Cowboy Country (36 page)

“Cupcake, you need to put it down before its momma comes after it and we’ll all be in trouble,” Aunt Darcy said.

Her uncles all turned and ran toward the house, laughing all the way.

“You won’t let me have a puppy, so why can’t I keep this kitten?”

“It’s not a kitten, its baby skunk. Put it down and we’ll discuss a pet. I promise,” Daddy said.

Her mother glared at her father.

“Do you mean that Daddy? Remember, Broncos don’t break promises.” She looked down at the animal in her arms. She didn’t know what a skunk was but she trusted her Daddy. Turning around she went to the door of the barn and set the baby down then walked back toward her folks. She grabbed their hands and pulled them toward the house, laughing and skipping. “I don’t know why you’re all acting so weird. I’ve been playing with them since they were born. Their mommy lets me babysit. I’m so excited. When can I get a pet?”

Grandma, Grandpa, and both greats stood on the porch laughing.

“What’s so funny?”

CHAPTER 10

Once all the hoopla died down, the brothers went off on their own, and Silver was off with Darcy practicing for the rodeo, Sterling managed to find Regina alone in the barn tending to Chaucer. He couldn’t wait to take her to the pond and tell her it was time to start planning their house, their home.

“We’re all done setting up for Spring Fling. Other than going over to the fair grounds to feed the stock, I’m free for the next couple of days. How about we take off, you, me and Silver and just get away?” He wanted time alone with them, away from the prying eyes and big ears, so he’d be able to propose and show her the property they’d build their new life on.

Regina stroked her colt. “You may have plenty of free time, but I have to work tomorrow during the day and both Friday and Saturday nights.”

He didn’t appreciate the way Regina blew him off. “Come on, we need some time together as a family.”

“I agree, but some of us have jobs and can’t just walk away from our obligations.”

“You don’t have to work, you know? I have plenty for us to live on.” He reached out and stroked her hair. He missed spending time alone with her.

Regina glanced over her shoulder and spoke. “And just how fast will it run out with neither of us working. Sorry Sterling, but I like my jobs. I need to be in charge of my life. I enjoy creating new recipes, and I even like my job at the Stampede. The tips are great.”

“Fine, let’s buy the restaurant and then you can run it.” Why was she balking?

“I intend to, but I’ll do it on my own terms.”

“We’re a family. You need to take that into consideration. Besides, there is no reason you have to work in a bar. I can’t stand the thought of men pawing at you or worse. What about Silver? She needs her mother home at night.”

“And she needed her father home as well, but you didn’t see me trying to guilt you into supplication. I would appreciate it if you’d drop the subject.”

“Come on, it’s time for us. At least quit the bar. I’ll move in with you and we’ll figure things out. Just give us a chance to be a real family. Please.”

“Not right now. We have a great deal to consider. It’s not just about you being back. What are you going to do now? How are you going to earn an income?”

“I’ll work the ranch just like before. I’ve always planned to breed horses. With the money I’ve saved, all I need to do is set a plan and start looking for stock.”

“Get to work on that. In the meantime, I’ll continue to take care of my daughter.”

“Our daughter.” Then as an afterthought he asked, “Why the Stampede?”

“The tips are too good to pass up and it’s not cheap to raise a child.” She palmed a baby carrot and fed it to the colt.

“Fine, I’ve already said I’ll give you the money.” He’d forgotten how stubborn Regina could be.

“You can’t make me take it.” There was a vehement tone to her voice.

“That’s your decision.

“Good, now I suggest you calm down and butt out.”

Suggestion my ass
.
“I can’t help it…I hate the idea of men hitting on you.”

“Get over it, because I count on that money. I will not quit just because you’re jealous. Anyway, why are you suddenly worrying about it? I’ve been working there for three years now. Sure guys hit on me, but I never dated any of them and I’m not going to start now that you’re home and back in my life. So what are you worried about?”

“You didn’t mention it in your letters. In fact, there are a lot of things you didn’t mention in your letters.”

“You’re a fine one to point fingers.”

“At least let me help. Silver is my daughter too.”

Regina glared at him.

If he was smart he’d do as she said and shut up. But no one ever accused him of being smart.

“I want to buy the restaurant, to do that I need the second job. Carl wants to retire in the next year or two and it’s going to take that long to raise the rest.”

“How much have you saved so far, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I have twelve thousand and I’m going to need at least twenty.”

“I’ll give you the rest, just quit the bar.”

“No! And, I won’t say it again.”

“Fine but don’t expect me to come riding up on a white horse and save your ass when some drunk-assed cowboy comes on to you.” Damn it, why did she have to be so stubborn?

“Don’t worry, I can handle myself. I’ve been doing just that since you left, remember.” Her tone was caustic. She turned away.

He’d pissed her off again. Well she wasn’t the only one.

“Honey, I don’t mean to sound like a jerk. I just want you safe…is that too much to ask?”

“I wanted you safe as well, don’t forget that.” She started to walk away then spun around and advanced on him like a ranking officer out for blood. “There was as time when I thought you hung the moon, and just for me. That time is over. You don’t own me and you can’t tell me what to do.” Regina stormed out of the barn.

He followed her out of the barn in time to see her running up the steps to the house, the door slammed behind her.

“Damn-it-all.” Sterling picked up a rock and hurled it for all he was worth. It hit the rail of the corral Luther was in then ricocheted and hit the barn. Luther reared up, pawing the air. “Sorry boy.”

“Better not let Silver hear you,” Dane said.

“Shut up.” Figures, someone had to see him and Regina arguing. Nothing was sacred in this family, not even squabbles.

“Look Sterling, I know you’re having a hell of a time, but you’re never going to get anywhere with Gigi spouting off and telling her what to do.”

“Butt out! Regina is my business.”

“Fine dickhead, go ahead and lose the best thing that ever happened to you. But don’t come crying to me when it happens.”

Leave it to Dane to use his own words to Regina against him.

“You forget, while you were gone, the rest of us got to know her pretty well. She’s not the same girl as when you left.”

“Tell me about it. I’m starting to think I never knew her.”

“Don’t kid yourself. She still loves you, but now it’s more about what she’s had to learn to do on her own in your absence. She went through hell, and not once did she ask for help or look for a way out. It was all on her and you’ve got to admit, she’s turned into a hell of a woman.”

Sterling sniffed derisively then shook his head and leaned on the corral, waiting for Luther to calm down and come to the rail. He held his hand out to the stallion. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, name it.” Dane propped his foot on the bottom rung of the corral.

“How come no one bothered to tell me about Silver? I’d have come back and married her in a heartbeat.”

“She asked us not to. She wanted you to come home of your own accord, not out of a sense of duty.”

“But she is my responsibility, her
and
the baby.”

“And that’s exactly why she didn’t want you to know. If you had, your focus wouldn’t have been on the job you went overseas to do. The last thing she wanted was you second guessing yourself and coming back in a pine box. Besides, remember you broke up with her and while she always professed she wouldn’t take you back, none of us believed her. We respected her wishes. And seriously, like any of us wanted to be the one to break it to you only to get yourself killed.”

“So she had no confidence in me, is that what you’re saying?”

“Don’t pull that shit on me big brother. I’m not some grunt you lord your expansive knowledge over. It had nothing to do with lack of confidence in you, and everything to do with self-preservation and pride.”

“What about my pride?” Sterling turned on Dane, hand jammed into his back pocket. It wasn’t Dane’s fault, but damn it he wanted some answers that made sense. “I missed out on my daughter’s entire life.”

“It was your choice to break things off with her and go. We were all behind you, at least about going overseas, you know that…but you not coming back at all, that’s all on you. You can’t blame anyone but yourself.”

“What’s with this family?” Sterling ran his hand through his hair then stopped to rub his neck. “I wasn’t off screwing around damn it.”

“Don’t act stupid.”

“You’re calling me stupid now?

“No, I said don’t
act
stupid. There’s a difference.”

“Enlighten me, please.” Who the hell was Dane kidding?

“All your life you dreamed of going off to play G.I. Joe. You made that dream happen.”

“You make it sound like a bad thing.”

“On the contrary, every single one of us is proud as hell of you. You made a difference.”

“But—”

“No one put a gun to your head—it was your choice, yours and yours alone.”

“Your point is—”

“My point is, you made the decision and it’s yours to live with. No one told you to go, no one told you to stay that long. Most guys rotated out after eighteen months, but not you. You stayed. You need to realize that your choices come with a price tag—this price tag was missing out on your family.”

“Again you’re making it sound like I committed a crime.”

“That’s not my intention—and stop acting like you have no idea what I’m talking about. You ran from the ranch, just had to get away from us. I know how crazy this family is, geez, but at the same time we are a family, good and bad. And you didn’t just run from the ranch, you ran from Gigi, from Mom and Dad, and from all of us.”

“What is it with you and Regina? I didn’t run away from home. I was protecting my home, protecting my country from terrorists.” Luther was still skittish and wouldn’t come near him. “I hate to admit it, but I was afraid to come back and see Regina with some other guy.”

“You keep telling yourself that and some day you might even convince yourself. But the rest of us feel different.”

“Well excuse me for caring.”

“Horse shit. If you’d cared you’d have come home after the first rotation. But not Sterling Bronco. No, he was so busy playing Army Ranger, acting like he was more important than the rest of us. Hell, in the five years you were gone, not once did you write.”

“I did too,” he snapped to attention.

“Get real. You wrote to Mom, and a few letter to Gigi. Not once did you write the rest of us or even the grandparents. You think that didn’t hurt.”

“I didn’t think I’d be missed. I mean there were enough of you here.”

“Bull shit. You just didn’t think, period! Every last one of us missed you. Wished you’d been here. Wanted to hear from you, to be sure you were really okay. Damn it Rooster, you wouldn’t even let us come see you in the hospital. Don’t tell me you didn’t think that mattered. It mattered a hell of a lot, you big ass.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”

“You don’t have to tell me, believe it or not, I do get you. I don’t happen to agree with your philosophy on the family and such, but you need to figure out a way to get through to Gigi, or you’re screwed.

“Tell me about it. The problem is she’s so mad at me she won’t listen. How do you suggest I fix things when she won’t hear me out?”

“Don’t be dense. She’s listening. You’re just not saying what she wants to hear.”

“And what’s that?”

“That you love her, and that you want to marry her and be a family.”

“She knows that already.”

“Does she? Are you sure? And just how would she know this. Not rotating home when you had the chance? By your heroic actions of not seeing her when you were injured? Think about it. How the hell does Gigi know anything when you never told her and the last thing you did before you left was break up with her?”

“Not that it’s any of your business but Regina knows how much I love her. What she means to me.”

“Oh really?” Dane threw back his head and laughed. “When was the last time you said it to her. Told her how special she is to you? Told her how much you missed her?”

“Uh—I—Ah—”

“Exactly.”

“Ah shit.”

“For a smart Army Ranger, you’re a real dumbshit.”

“I guess I am. I honestly had no idea anyone gave a damn.”

“I take that back, you’re not a dumbshit. You’re a fucking idiot.” Dane punched him on his good arm, not hard, just enough for the words to truly sink in.

He was a damn fool?

****

Regina stormed into the kitchen and started to clean up the lunch mess. “I don’t believe that man.” She grabbed plates, cups, and silverware from the table and counter, tossing them into the sudsy water sending bubbles erupting into the air. One small cluster landed on her nose. She wiped the bubbles away.

Lena opened her mouth then shut it, biting her lips.

“How dare he try to take over my life just because he’s back now—damn him!”

“I’m almost afraid to ask. What did Sterling do now?” Lena reached for her.

There was a comfort in the warmth in Lena’s gentle touch on her shoulder. She leaned on the sink ledge and bowed her head, clutching the counter for balance, then shoved her hands through the bubbles and began to wash the dishes. The last thing she wanted was to take her anger out on Lena. Not when Lena had done so much for her already. “He had the audacity to tell me to quit my job at the Stampede.” She rinsed the plate and placed it on the rack to drip dry.