The Cowboy's Summer Love (33 page)

With all the anticipation, whispered secrets, and excitement hanging thick in the air the day of Cass’ birthday, anyone happening by the Triple T Ranch would have thought something of great importance was being celebrated.

And it was.

For a little girl who was never given the opportunity to celebrate her birthday, and could not remember receiving a single birthday present, it was a day to be recognized with much fanfare and merriment.

The adults were anxious to see Cass’ excitement, recalling how much fun Christmas had been with her.

Cady planned an evening party with a barbecue for some of their close friends and a few of the neighbors. Cass was spending the afternoon at her friend Ashley’s house. Ashley’s parents would bring the girls to the Triple T once all the other guests arrived.

Travis was really disappointed he was going to miss out on the fun, but the last thing he wanted was to be carried out of the house to the yard where everyone could stare at him. Instead, he asked Tess to open his bedroom window so he could hear what was going on outside and watch some of the action.

“Are you sure you’re going to be fine in here by yourself for a while,” Tess asked as she put another round of ice packs on his legs.

“I’ll be okay, honeybee. You get out there and join in the fun, and if you think about it, take some pictures. I’d love to see the look on Cass’ face when she realizes the party is for her,” Travis said, smiling as he thought about his niece’s reaction to the party. “She is going to be over the moon.”

“No, not our Cass,” Tess said with a teasing smile. She placed a gentle hand on Travis’ cheek then bent down to kiss him. When she did, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest, kissing her soundly.

Tess loved being wrapped in his strong arms and savored the moment while it lasted. Not in a hurry to break the contact, she gave as good as she received. They were both breathless and a bit disoriented when she finally got to her feet.

Smoothing down her dress, Tess gave Travis an indulgent look. “I’ll be back in a bit, Tee. See if you can stay out of trouble.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll be right here,” Travis said, trying to keep up his enthusiasm. He watched Tess sway out of the room and heard her feet on the tile in the hall as she went out the back door. She looked so young and pretty in a floral sundress with a cut that accented her curves. The way she unknowingly wiggled that sweet fanny of hers just a little as she walked made his insides feel tight and exceedingly warm. Wedge sandals enhanced the contour of her legs and her hair was pulled back on a soft bun with wispy tendrils already escaping around her face. How he wished he could be outside with her, maybe walk her down to the pond when the sun started its decline, and sit on the kissing bench beneath the willow tree.

Straining to look out the window, Travis could hear cars pulling up, see people milling around in the yard. Silence settled over the yard as the birthday girl arrived then he heard a collective yell of “Surprise, Cass! Happy Birthday!”

He caught a glimpse of Cass jumping up and down and clapping her hands. She was being hugged and passed from one well-wisher to another with the biggest grin plastered on her face.

Tess followed Cass around, snapping photos as fast as the digital camera would function. She wanted to have plenty to show Travis later. Although everyone was having a great time, his presence was missed. Anytime she got within view of his window, Tess offered a quick wave, hoping he could see she was thinking of him.

Once Cady sat Cass down at the table with a plate of food, the barbecue officially began. Tess put the camera in her pocket, filled a plate and was going to take it in to Travis when Brice stopped her.

“Is that for Trav?” he asked, nodding to the plate in her hand.

“Yeah. He’s really bummed about missing out on the party,” Tess said, scooping a soda out of a washtub filled with ice.

“I haven’t had a chance to visit with him, so why don’t I play babysitter for a while,” Brice said, following Tess inside and down the hall to Travis’ room carrying his own plate of food.

“Look who finally decided to be social,” Tess said as Brice walked in the room behind her.

“Hey, man, good to see you,” Travis said, grinning at his friend. Brice tried to visit Travis twice before but Travis hadn’t been in the mood then, still mired in his funk. Now he was more than ready for a good talk.

“Well, aren’t you looking all chipper? Is it the thought of me keeping you company, or the prospect of a great meal?” Brice asked, sitting down in the chair next to the bed and balancing his full plate on his knee.

Tess set Travis’ meal on the dresser, removed his ice packs and placed a tray across his lap before putting his plate and pop in front of him. She blew him a kiss as she breezed out of the room.

“I always have a great meal. You forget Cady cooks for us every day,” Travis said, watching Tess’ departing form before turning his attention back to Brice. “And since it looks like Tess is heading back to join in the fun, it can’t be the company.”

Brice started to get up. “Well, if you’re going to be that way, I’ll go back out to the party.”

“Sit down, dude, and eat your dinner. I haven’t seen your ugly mug for far too long,” Travis said, looking at the variety of tempting choices on his plate.

“That’s because you made me feel as welcome as an ice storm in Maui,” Brice said, taking a bite of his hamburger. “You really do need to work on those hospitality manners I know your mama taught you.”

“I’ll get right on that,” Travis said, eying his friend. “You are such a shining example of how a proper gentleman behaves, after all.”

“Darn right,” Brice said, with a glint in his eye. “I can learn ya’ a thing or two.”

Travis laughed.

“Let’s start with you telling me all about that twit Stephie who was hanging around. Seriously, Brice? She had feathers for brains and that’s about the nicest thing I can say about her,” Travis teased.

“Did it ever occur to you I was taking one for the team with that whole fiasco,” Brice said, staring at his friend. He couldn’t stand the clinging girl with the nasally voice. Now that she’d turned her attention from Travis to him, getting rid of her was proving to be more work than he anticipated.

“What are you talking about?” Travis asked. His fork stopped midway to his mouth and he set it back down without taking the bite of potato salad.

“Geez, do I have to spell it out for you? You were obviously moping over Tess, she was completely infatuated with you and neither one of you were doing anything about, so I decided to help things along,” Brice said, giving Travis a smug smile. “You think I want just any yahoo dating my one and only sister?”

“You’re yanking my chain,” Travis said, recalling the times this summer Brice dragged Tess along and then somehow ended up leaving them together. “You purposely left her at the fishing hole and you set us up with that dinner date, didn’t you?”

“Guilty as charged,” Brice said with a sweep of his hand. “You can thank me later when you are back on your feet. From what Tess said, you should be on crutches soon.”

“Brice, I don’t know what to say. You really are a good friend,” Travis said, feeling contrite and grateful for Brice’s matchmaking efforts.

“The best, I’d say, especially since I’ve been trying to get that stupid Stephie to leave me alone. Ever since the dinner in The Dalles, she won’t back off.”

“I’m so sorry, man,” Travis laughed, suddenly finding the situation to be extremely entertaining. “Why don’t you introduce her to some guy you aren’t that fond of, as a special kind of favor.”

“Great idea. Maybe I’ll escort her to a rodeo and accidently forget to take her with me when I leave,” Brice said, giving the idea some thought.

“You really are something,” Travis said, with a shake of his head.

They sat and visited for a while until Tess came back with a plate of cake and ice cream for Travis.

“Cass is getting ready to open her presents. Want to watch, BB?” Tess asked as she picked up Travis’ dirty plate and gave him a warm smile. So warm, in fact, Travis thought it might melt his ice cream.

“I wouldn’t miss it. I heard what Trey got her. This should be awesome,” Brice said, getting up and promising Travis he’d be back in before he left for the evening.

Travis could hear Cass’ excited responses to the gifts. Although she’d pretty much raised herself the first five years of her life, Cass had wonderful manners and was thanking each person as she opened their gift.

Tess gave the little girl a fairy outfit, complete with sparkling wings that nearly had her ripping off her clothes to put it on right then and there. She compromised by putting on the wings and continuing on with the gift opening.

Travis chuckled as he listened to the child’s antics.

Lindsay and Trent got her a collapsible fairy playhouse that she could use both indoors and out. Trent took it out of the box and set it up while Cass opened a few more gifts.

He heard her excitedly yelling his name, then all quieted down for a moment. Her little feet pounded through the house and she burst into his room, flinging herself against his chest.

“Uncle Travis, I love my present. It’s the bestest ever,” she said, holding the storybook to her chest. Travis went online and created a personalized fairy storybook for Cass. The fairy in the book looked just like her and the story, though simple, was about a little fairy named Cass, her dog Buddy, and their life living in an oak tree on a big ranch.

“I’m glad you like it, kiddo,” Travis said as Cass gave him a stranglehold hug around his neck, her book crushed between them. “Happy Birthday, Cass.”

“Will you read me the story later?” Cass asked, jumping down from the bed, anxious to get back to her party.

“You bet I will. Now get back out there and see what other surprises are waiting for you,” Travis said, giving her a gentle nudge toward the door.

She started to run off, but he heard her steps hurrying back toward his door. Popping her impish face around the door frame she grinned. “Love you, Uncle Travis!”

“Love you, too!”

When Cass went back outside, Travis was sure several guests probably lost their hearing due to her squeals of joy when Trey and Cady led over her new blue roan pony, complete with a bright pink saddle blanket and custom saddle with her name tooled into the leather. Travis knew about the pony and saddle weeks ago and had been as excited as anyone about the surprise.

Trey scooped up Cass and put her in the saddle. Travis could hear her happy shouts. “I’ve got my own pony. Look at me! I’m riding my pony!”

Trey led the pony over by Travis’ window and Cass hollered, “Can you see me, Uncle Travis?”

“I sure can, kiddo. Ride ‘em cowgirl,” Travis laughed.

“Yippee!” Cass said as Trey led the pony back out to the driveway. Cass let her little friends each have a turn riding the pony before she claimed it once again. By that time, the party was winding down. Tess, Brice, Trent and Lindsay joined the five ranch hands in cleaning up the mess while Trey and Cady kept tabs on Cass and started carrying in her many birthday gifts.

Tess came in to see Travis and brought him some heat packs before going back out to help with the after-party chores. As the sound of the party quieted and the last set of taillights went down the driveway, Cass came tearing into Travis’ room and leaped against his chest. She’d learned over the last few days that as long as she bounced around closer to his head she wouldn’t get in trouble.

“Uncle Travis, will you read me my story now?” Cass said wearing a pair of new pajamas, smelling all sweet and fresh after a bath. Her hair was still damp and hung in wild curls around her face while her big blue eyes looked adoringly at Travis.

“Sure thing, kiddo,” Travis said, settling her into the crook of his arm as he picked up her storybook. He wasn’t even half-way through when the excitement of the day took its toll and Cass fell asleep.