Page 9 of Soldier Cowboy
A fine time to come to this realization when they were already here. They could have gone anywhere else. But he’d wanted to come in time for Sean’s wedding, so Stone Ridge it was. For better or worse, this was still his hometown. He’d find a way to make this work.
“Why can’t we just say I’m a friend?”
“A friend who’s going to live with me? A friend I’m going to have to follow around everywhere?”
“I see what you mean. Unless you tell them you’re literally my bodyguard, it’s going to look…odd.”
“And they will ask questions such as why someone like you needs a bodyguard. I’d rather my family not think I came here because I thought it would be a great place for us to hide out.” He wanted Sean to realize he’d come here for him and Bonnie. “I didn’t plan on…you.”
“I’m sorry to be a tag-a-long but I’m not sure this is the best idea, either.”
“You know what won’t look odd? An engaged couple, living together, rarely seen apart for however long this takes. Think about it. You don’t need to decide right away.”
A few minutes later, he headed up the familiar small hill on a dirt road. The moon was full and bright, and other than his truck’s headlights and a smattering of brilliant stars, the sky was as black as he remembered. No houselights were on anywhere at this time of the night, and there were no streetlights. Nothing but darkness surrounded them in the quiet and still night. This, however, was a familiar comforting darkness and not one that set him on high alert.
“Since we’re getting here this early, we’ll stay at Delores’s cottage on the back property. Sean recently told me that she’s moved in with Riggs and Winona when they renovated and added on rooms to the main house. This way we won’t bother anyone. I know where she used to hide the key and I bet she still has it hidden in the same place.”
“And Delores is…?”
Jennifer had taken to asking him questions in a strange way, but it had started to grow on him. It felt less like an interrogation.
“I know I mentioned her. She was my mother’s best friend growing up. And after my mother died, she kind of adopted all of us boys as her own. Except that we were grown men by that time. She stayed on with the ranch as a caretaker, making meals for the ranch hands, and helping Riggs out with the housework.”
His words felt like they were suddenly coming out rapid-fire and he hoped this didn’t show that he was nervous. He’d planned this as a surprise and had planned to be alone. He hoped that he’d be welcome. Riggs would no doubt be pissed he’d been gone this long. He’d never wanted Colton in the military. Even Sean might be upset he’d stayed away for such a long time. Colton had emailed as frequently as possible even if on some missions the access had been limited for weeks at a time. The last few emails from Sean, the only one who emailed him, were often pithy:
Are you alive? Please reply.
“They’re not expecting me today. I wanted to surprise them.”
“So, they’re not even expectingyou. They’re certainly not expectingme. And I’m supposed to be your fiancée?”
“We’ll say it’s sudden. My family understands. I’ve been out of touch for a while.”
Colton didn’t want to elaborate, but the facts were that his family worried about him. If he came home with a woman, they’d worry far less. They’d see it as a sign that he’d moved on, that he was ready to settle down. He pulled up to the back of the house, the headlights gleaming on a cute little one-story with yellow trim and a porch filled with flowers.
“I knew she’d still take care of this place even if she doesn’t live here anymore.”
“Maybe she’s kept it up for you.”
“Maybe. Delores is one-of-a-kind. You’re going to like her.”
Colton hopped out of the truck, and shone his phone light, bending to look in a ceramic pot of pink flowers. He came up with the key,exactlywhere he expected it to be. Such a comfort to find that some things never changed. Good old Delores.
He was finally, at long last, home to stay.
* * *
Jennifer staredat thealmost-smile from Colton as he held up the key he’d found in a potted flower. The corner of his mouth curled up.
He’d probably be a smoke show of a cowboy if he smiledallthe way.
When he moved, his leather jacket unfurled briefly from his side, and she noticed the holster. He wascarrying. She shouldn’t be surprised but she still hated guns. And yes, she knew how strange this was for a girl who’d grown up around them. A girl who’d been taught a healthy respect for their power and function. She’d been okay with guns when she was younger, and she knew they had their place. Her father had insisted everyone learn how to operate a gun from the time they were thirteen. She’d felt safe then, next to her father, who tended to command a room. Nothing bad would happen to her while next to him.
Then Dan began to send photos of himself, one of them holding a 45, declaring he’d protect her from all the criminals in LA. All the homeless people. All she had to do was marry him. But she didn’t need protection from the guy pushing a shopping cart filled with clothes down the street. She required protection from a man she’d dated exactlyonce.The man who in his life presented himself to be a respectable broker and businessman.Hewas the big, bad wolf.
And now she was in cowboy country. With a soldier. This imposing man seemed concerned with her reputation and privacy as much as he did her safety.
Colton switched on a light, giving her a full view inside. Considering she was used to a one-bedroom in LA. this was plenty of room. Cozy. A leather couch with colorful Aztec throws and pillows faced the red brick fireplace. Framed photos of horses and cattle graced the walls giving it a decidedly western flair. The walls were paneled with wood, flannel-style curtains gracing the windows. A bookcase was filled with several shelves of paperbacks. Beyond the front room, there was a kitchen with a gas-powered stove and a rack filled with hanging pots and pans.
