Page 22 of The Soldier and the Cowboy

“You could have stopped at ‘do you always tote a gun’ and the answer would still be yes. I always carry, always.”

“You must have a fascinating dating life,” he said, and she laughed.

“I had to draw a gun on a date once. He wasn’t interested in taking no for an answer,” she said.

“Did you shoot him?” Cal asked, his tone hopeful.

“Sadly, no. He had the idea I was joking, that he could wrestle the gun away from me and the fun would continue.”

“What did you do?” he asked.

“I called my dad, the only time in my entire life I’ve resorted to the Daddy card.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t actually know, but I never saw the guy again. He wasn’t at school on Monday, and his room had been cleaned out.”

Cal whistled. “That’s fatherhood done right.”

“Yes, sir,” she agreed.

“Stop calling me sir,” he said.

“Yes, sir.”

“You’re testing my patience, little bit,” he said.

“I imagine so, sir,” she replied unconcernedly. “Where are you taking me?”

“To my favorite spot. You can swim, right? What am I saying, you went to the Naval Academy where they likely tried to drown you.”

“Yes, sir,” she agreed, and he smiled.

“Can I tell you a secret, Bailey?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Growing up, I was a bit of a golden child. I was six yearsolder than my brother, taller, a slightly better athlete, went pro at football, married a beauty queen. But I’m a bit jealous of him and his life. I wish I had gone the same route before settling back down to my roots. I wish I had been a soldier.”

They reached the spot in question, a pond in the midst of dry, flat lands. He held out a hand to help her down off her horse and retained it so she could keep her balance while she took off her guns and holsters. He would have let go, but she held on to it a few beats, squeezing his hand as she spoke. “I’ve been a soldier a lot of years. I’m the daughter of a soldier, and here’s what I’ve learned, Cal. Sometimes marines are made through training and experience and sometimes they’re born already equipped with honor, integrity, loyalty, bravery, goodness, and every other thing we espouse. You fall into that second category. Your brother might have the training, but that’s all you lack.”

“That’s a very sweet thing to say, little bit.” He picked her up and tossed her headlong into the pond beside them.

“I was not ready for that,” she said, surfacing like a half-drowned kitten.

“I thought your motto was always be prepared,” he said, standing at the water’s edge with hands on hips.

“I have a new motto, one based on retaliation. Come closer and I’ll tell you in more detail,” she said.

“With an offer like that, how can I resist?” He backed up a few steps, ran at the water and did a long range cannonball beside her. When he surfaced, she was nowhere to be seen, and then his knees gave way as she pushed them from behind, forcing him to collapse like a too-tall house of cards. He ducked under the water and reached for her, but she was a slippery eel, gliding around him like the Navy fish she was.

He thought he had her once, but she surfaced ten feet away.“There aren’t alligators here, are there?” she called.

“Nah, they hang out in the eastern part of the state,” he rejoined. “Don’t tell me there’s actually something you’re afraid of. They’re just harmless reptiles.”

“I’ll put one in the plane, take you up for a spin, and see how it goes,” she offered.

“Anyone ever told you you’re a brat?” he asked, flicking a heavy splash of water in her direction.

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