The Cowboy Next Door (11 page)

It had been comfortable.

At least Lacey wasn't comfortable.

“Could we go through a drive-thru?” She had her window down and warm summer air invaded the truck, overwhelming the air conditioner. “I hope you don't mind the window down. After being in the hospital all day, I need fresh air.”

“And real food, I bet.” He hit his turn signal. “Food, coming right up. What do you want?”

She gave him her order and dug money out of her purse.

“I'm buying.”

“I can get it, Jay. You've driven me all over the county the last two days. You've spent two evenings in Springfield because of me.”

“It feels a lot like friendship.” He winked and then wished he hadn't. “I'm sorry.”

“No, don't be. Friendship is a good thing. Who can't use more friends? And really, I'm the one who's being too sensitive.”

He ordered and she let him pay. He took that as a move toward the trust she had talked about. She knew that he could buy her dinner and he wasn't expecting anything in return.

They pulled over in the parking lot to eat. Lacey had slipped her shoes off and she ate the burger as if he had bought her steak and lobster. He laughed a little and she gave him a sideways look.

“Can't a girl enjoy a burger and fries?” She shot the comment with a look that put him in his place.

“Of course she can. I just didn't know a girl could be happy with fast food.”

“You were hanging with the wrong kind of girls, Blackhorse.” And then her cheeks turned pink and she looked away.

“You're right. I did hang out with the wrong women. I almost married one of them.” Before Lacey, girls in college, young and flighty, impressed by a cowboy with a wealthy father. They hadn't been looking for long term. He hadn't wanted a long-lasting relationship either.

Until he met Cindy, he had kept the promise he'd whispered on a summer night. Cindy had been comfortable, the opposite of Jamie in so many ways. Come to find out, he hadn't truly wanted forever with Cindy. And neither had she.

“What happened?” She rubbed her cheeks and glanced sideways at him. “Sorry, that's crossing the line.”

“No, it's okay. Cindy was a friend and we were comfortable with friendship and with each other.”

“Were you in love?”

“Not really. Disillusionment when she turned me down, yes.”

“So, you think a woman can't turn you down, cowboy?”

He felt heat crawl up his neck. It was his turn to blush and cringe a little. “That isn't what I meant. I thought we were perfect together. Come to find out, we were just comfortable in our friendship.”

“Slick.” She laughed. “So, you're not a ladies' man.”

“Not at all.”

He could laugh now, a little. His heart was healing. Time had taken care of that. He hadn't realized until she'd scoffed at his ring and his proposal that he was moving on.

“Why do you look like she broke your heart, then?”

He finished his soda and shoved it into the bag with her trash, and shrugged. “It's a long story.”

“That you don't want to share.”

“That I don't want to share.” He didn't know why he couldn't. Maybe because he still remembered whispered promises of forever with a girl who didn't have forever.

He had held that summer inside himself along with secrets they had shared. If he talked about Jamie, would she vanish from his memory, be poured out like water from a pitcher and never return? He knew better.

Empty places were filling up. He looked at the little girl in the infant seat next to him. A little girl with a new beginning to her young life.

Something good to pour himself into. And that included Lacey, in ways he hadn't expected.

L
acey rushed to the waitress station at the side of the dining room and refilled the pitcher of water for the third time since the lunch shift had started. A yawn pulled at her jaw and she covered it with her hand. Three days since Rachel came home from the hospital and Lacey was still adjusting to sleepless nights. The baby ate at least twice every night.

“Honey, you look wiped out.” Georgia, who had started working the day shift a week ago, rubbed Lacey's back as she scooted through to the coffeepot.

“I am wiped out,” Lacey admitted, yawning again. “But I'll adjust. And at least Rachel is feeling better.”

“That had to be a frightening thing for you as a new mom.”

New mom. Lacey still felt a tingle of fear at the word. She wasn't a mom. She hadn't given birth to this child. She wasn't ready for this, not at all. But instead of the litany of excuses, she smiled.

“It was pretty scary.”

“Who's watching the baby?” Georgia turned with the coffeepot.

“Bailey part of the time, Wilma the rest.”

“It's good to have friends like that. I had to leave mine in a day care when they were little. It wasn't easy, but you do what you gotta do.”

“Yes, I guess so.” And a person adjusts when they have to adjust. They learn to live with changes and they learn to take new paths.

She remembered what Pastor Dan had told her:
“Lacey, nothing surprises God. You have to remember, He knew what was ahead of you, and He has a plan to help you deal with it.”

“Hey, you know you've got company at tables two and three.”

“I have company?” She peeked and saw the Golden Girls. “Oh goodness!”

“They're a sweet bunch, aren't they?”

“They are, but they're in your section.”

Balloons rose from the center of the table and presents were piled up and down the length of it. Someone was having a birthday. Lacey smiled. Those ladies had more fun than any other group of women Lacey knew.

Georgia moved Lacey forward, a hand on her back. “Honey, they're in my section because you're taking a break. This is what we call a baby shower.”

“A baby shower?” Lacey planted her feet and tried to stay at the waitress station. Georgia gave her a firm push in the small of her back.

“Get out there, girl. They're having a shower for you and that baby.”

“But…”

“Come on, honey, it's time for us to show you we love you.” Jolynn came from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. “We put a lot into keeping this a secret and surprising you.”

The cowbell clanged and Bailey walked through the door with Wilma and Rachel. Lacey brushed at the tears streaming down her cheeks, because she had people, and they loved her.
These women knew where she'd been and what she'd done, and they loved her.

It made loving herself a little easier.

Bailey brought Rachel to her, and after handing the baby over, she hugged Lacey tight. “Smile, sweetie, this is fun. This is about you and this baby.”

“I know.” Lacey took the tissue that Jolynn pushed into her hand and she wiped her eyes and then her nose. “I can't believe you all are doing this for me.”

Pastor Dan's wife stood from where she'd been sitting with the Golden Girls. “Lacey, you deserve this, honey. We love you. You're such a part of this community and our church. We wanted to do this for you, and for that sweet little girl you're holding.”

Lacey held Rachel close and kissed her soft, powdery cheek. And then she realized that her niece was wearing a new dress. The orange-and-pink outfit fit perfectly, unlike some of the baby's other clothes. A little orange bonnet covered her bald head.

“She looks beautiful.”

“I dressed her.” Bailey pointed her toward a chair that put her in the center of the activity. “Come on, we have games.”

“But I really don't need all of this.” Lacey sat down, because Bailey was standing behind her, insisting.

“Oh, Lacey, you're going to need all of this and more. You just don't know it yet.” Wilma smiled, serene and comforting.

“Here we go.” Jolynn passed out paper for a game.

The game took five minutes. Occasionally Jolynn rushed off to take care of customers, and Georgia would excuse herself from time to time. Lacey laughed as the Golden Girls got into the games, laughing and cheering one another.

A memory sneaked up on Lacey; for a brief moment it almost robbed her of this moment. Because she remembered St. Louis six years ago, the summer she left. She remembered a soft cry and empty arms.

“Okay, open the gifts.” Bailey stopped the third game before it could start. She shot Lacey a look that asked if she was okay. “I want to see the pretty baby stuff.”

Jolynn heard and laughed. “You're wondering if we're going to throw you a surprise shower and what kind of great baby stuff you'll get.”

“I definitely want my shower here, with all my friends.” Bailey reached for Lacey's hand, giving it a light squeeze. And then she handed Lacey the first gift.

A bouncy seat. Clothes came next, and then diapers, toys and more clothes. Lacey watched as the pile of gifts grew. The last gift was money. She wiped at her eyes as she read the card from an anonymous friend. She looked at Bailey, who shook her head, then looked down, not giving away the identity of that gift-giver.

“You all overwhelm me.” She smiled at the group. “I'm so blessed.”

“Honey, you've blessed us.” Jolynn, hair frosted a light blond and careful makeup hiding her age, smiled big. “You're our kid.”

Lacey looked around. The diner had cleared out while the party went on. She stood and looked at the mess left behind. “We should get this cleaned up.”

“You can't clean. You're the guest of honor.” Elsbeth smiled sweetly. The look she bestowed on Lacey said she meant it and she wouldn't be argued with.

“Look, the law is here.”

“Not again,” Bailey muttered, and then she laughed, but the laughter was nervous.

Lacey watched Jay's patrol car come to a stop in front of the diner. He got out of the car, tall and yet a little nervous. He glanced around and then he reached into the back of his car.

“Well, what do you know, he's delivering a gift.” Elsbeth talked a little under her breath about something in the air.

And Lacey couldn't let them think that the something in the
air was a relationship between herself and Jay Blackhorse. She glanced at Wilma, a woman so giving and kind. Lacey would never hurt Wilma.

It was one thing to throw a shower for Lacey. It was another altogether to have her dating one of the favorite sons of the community. Dirty socks and clean socks. Some things just didn't match.

“Stop looking like a train is about to derail right in front of you.” Bailey pinched her arm and Lacey yelped.

“Don't do that.”

“You have that look on your face. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking you don't fit. Look around you, Lacey, at the love these people have for you.”

“I know.”

“You know—” Bailey pulled her aside “—you're stoning yourself. You have to stop doing that and remember what happened when those people wanted to stone that girl. Jesus said for the one who hadn't sinned to cast the first stone. But you're saving people the trouble by stoning yourself.”

Lacey looked away from the window, away from the cowboy cop that was walking up to the door. He had caught her eye and smiled, but something on her face must have warned him because his smile faded.

“Stop stoning yourself, Lacey.”

Lacey nodded and the cowbell clanged. Jay walked through, a little red-cheeked when all of the ladies smiled and said hello with knowing tones in their voices. Matchmaking was alive and well in Gibson.

“I heard about the shower. I wasn't invited, but I wanted to bring a gift.” He held it out to Lacey. Hands trembling, she took the large bag.

Bailey laughed. “Of course you weren't invited. We weren't about to ruin a good time by inviting men.”

“Thank you, Jay.” Lacey slid her finger under the tape.

“It's clothes.” He shrugged. “I hope they're okay. I bought winter things, because I knew that everyone would buy cute summer dresses for a little girl.”

Lacey blinked a few times and looked into the bag. A coat, pants, warm dresses and sweaters. She smiled at the man standing in front of her, at ease, army-style, but definitely not at ease in the middle of the women of Gibson.

“Thank you.” Lacey took a step back, because he was tall and strong. “They're perfect.”

“Good, okay, I have to go.” He tipped his hat to the women, and nodded to his mother. “I'll cook tonight, Mom.”

A few giggles. He shook his head and explained. “I'm only cooking on the grill.”

Lacey wanted to walk him to the door. She wanted to slip her hand into his and pretend she could be the person that someone like Jay Blackhorse loved forever. Because it felt good, watching him walk through a door and knowing his smile was for her.

Even if it was barely friendship.

“Okay then, I think I'll clean up.” Jolynn smiled a little too big, a little too bright. “Bailey, help Lacey carry this stuff out to her car, would you? Georgia and I will clean up and then we can all have a cup of coffee and another piece of cake.”

Lacey picked up the bags and boxes, and Bailey followed with more bags. As she hit the sidewalk, Lacey stopped to take a deep breath.

“That was awkward.” Bailey spoke as the door closed behind them.

“What do you mean?” Lacey walked around to the back of the building and when they reached her car she fumbled to get the door open, dropping a couple of bags in the process.

Bailey laughed a little. “You. Jay. The zing when you look at each other.”

“Stop.” Lacey turned from shoving bags into the back of her car. “Bailey, it isn't fair. Please don't try to make something happen with him. He's closed off, getting over his girlfriend from Springfield. He's a Blackhorse. I don't want to be rejected again. I don't want to see that look in his eyes, like I'm a mistake that he made one night.”

“Lacey, I can't believe you. Do you ever stop to consider what God has done in your life? You act like you're defiled in some way and you can't touch what is clean. And that's crazy.”

Words poured out, fireworks of anger, sharp and painful. Bailey ended her tirade, a little breathless and her cheeks tinged with pink. Blond hair blew around her face and she had crossed her arms.

“Okay.”

“That's it?” Bailey drew in a deep breath and let it out.
“Okay?”

“What more can I say? Maybe you're right. I have a lot of hang-ups. I don't want to be hurt again.”

“Maybe he'll hurt you, maybe he won't. At least let him be your friend.”

Lacey nodded and reached to hug her friend. “I'm okay with friendship.”

“You're a lot like Jay. Friendship is safe. It doesn't hurt. God couldn't have planned this any better.”

“You're really very funny. I think you should go home to your husband and leave me to take care of this little mess myself.”

“Leave, without more cake? You've got to be kidding.” Bailey hooked her arm through Lacey's. “Have you heard from Corry?”

“She doesn't want to talk to me.”

“She'll come around.”

“Maybe, maybe not. I'm afraid. What if something happens and they won't let me keep Rachel?”

“That won't happen. We won't let it.”

Jay's truck cruised past. He waved, but he kept on going. Lacey watched until the truck turned and drove out of town.

“Interesting, very interesting.” Bailey laughed a little and wouldn't release Lacey's arm.

“Let it go, Bay. You're like a coon dog on the wrong scent.”

 

Jay led the bay gelding into the center aisle of the stable and cross-tied him. The horse shied a little to the left but calmed down when Jay ran a hand down his neck. He touched the horse's front left leg and the animal lifted his hoof off the ground for Jay.

He'd been trimming hooves for the last week, a few horses a night. He'd put off this guy until the end because he was still green and wasn't always so easy to get along with.

“Good boy.” He leaned into the horse and filed the hoof. The gelding moved a little, but Jay kept hold of him.

A car drove down the drive and pulled up in front of his mom's house. Lacey. She'd gone home after the baby shower. His mom still had Rachel. If he knew his mom, she'd invite Lacey for dinner. Burgers on the grill, nothing fancy, but at least he didn't add strange seasonings.