The Wrong Cowboy, page 22
Mabel wasn’t sure whether to escort Samantha out of the barn or to send the little girl on her way alone. But seeing the worry on Samantha’s face helped Mabel make up her mind. “Let’s go find that apple.”
“You are not taking her anywhere.” Mr. Crawley grabbed Samantha’s arm. “You need to leave.”
“Dad, let Samantha go.” Jensen’s tone was gruff, but he managed to keep control.
“I don’t understand you, son. Why would you have her here? Why would you trust her?” He started across the corral, dragging a shocked and wide-eyed Samantha with him.
Stardust went on the defensive. The horse pawed the dirt with one hoof and shook her head. A few sidesteps and a sharp snort warned Mabel. Mr. Crawley’s voice and posture had upset the animal, and this time, Mabel feared the horse wasn’t going to stop. Mabel managed to push the old man and Samantha out of the way, but in the process, the sharp-hooved blow Stardust had intended for Mr. Crawley slammed into Mabel’s shoulder.
Mabel wasn’t sure who was more upset, Samantha or Stardust. It hurt, to be sure, but she knew now wasn’t the moment to fall apart. Both of them needed reassurance. Both of them needed to understand that she knew this was an accident. Stardust wasn’t trying to hurt Samantha or Mabel; she was trying to defend them from a strange man making lots of noise and jerky movements.
Stardust came up to Mabel, pressing her nose against Mabel’s chest.
“I’m fine.” She rested the hand of her uninjured arm on Stardust’s neck. “I’m fine.”
Samantha wrapped her little arms around Mabel’s legs and held on tight.
But it was Jensen’s soft touch that almost broke her. “Are you okay? Anything broken?” She shook her head, but he didn’t quite believe her. “Mabel, now is not the time to be brave.”
“This is exactly the time to be brave.”
He sighed, nodding an understanding. “Fine. Just tell me where it hurts.” He was careful, feeling her shoulder for any break. Once it was clear she didn’t need immediate medical attention, his hands stayed warm and strong against the middle of her back.
“I won’t have an animal with that kind of temperament on my property, you hear me?” Mr. Crawley had the good sense to keep his voice down this time. But there was no denying the man was outraged.
“I’ll give her to Mabel.”
“Oh no, you will not.” Mr. Crawley bowed up. “Don’t you think that was the plan all along? Her getting all close to you and Samantha, just so she could get a hold of that horse. To spite you. To spite me.”
Mabel was horrified to realize the man truly believed what he was saying. “Mr. Crawley, I give you my word that was never my intention.”
“The word of a Briscoe?” Mr. Crawley snorted. “I’ve already told you to leave once. You best get now. Before I call the authorities.”
“Dad, you need to calm down. I can’t take care of Samantha and Mabel with you tossing out threats and getting your blood pressure in an uproar. Take Samantha inside. I’ll be there in a minute.” It wasn’t a suggestion.
“Family comes before all else, you know that. This woman isn’t family, son.” His father looked so disappointed it was like a slap to the face. Mabel hurt for Jensen.
“I want her to be, Dad. I want Mabel to be part of my family.” Jensen’s hand stayed firm against her back. “I love this woman and no matter how much you rail at me, you can’t change that.”
The shock and contempt on Mr. Crawley’s face stole the comfort of Jensen’s touch. “Well, that’s your choice. Her? Or me? Because if you’re with her, you’re no longer a Crawley.”
Right then and there, no matter how much it was going to hurt, Mabel knew what she had to do.
* * *
JENSEN FELT LIKE he’d been punched in the gut. Over and over. Pretty much the way he’d felt when Forrest Briscoe had used him like a punching bag. But it wasn’t just his body being battered. It was his heart. He knew his father could be stubborn. And opinionated. And yet, the idea that his father would turn his back on him had never crossed his mind. Not seriously. Sure, his father had his moments and his fits, but he got over it. This was different. He could see it on his father’s face and hear it in his voice. It might be that the hate he bore the Briscoes was stronger than the love he had for his son.
“Mr. Crawley.” Mabel took a deep breath, supporting her injured arm with the other. “That’s not necessary. I know tempers are high and this is a...highly stressful situation, but I was here to help with the horse. As fond as I am of Samantha, I’d never considered a future with Jensen. I know that could never work.”
No. It could work. They could be wonderful. And you know that. He’d seen it in her face moments before they were interrupted. She felt this thing between them, yet she was throwing it away. Why was she saying this?
“If I said or did something to make you believe differently, I’m sorry.” She took another deep breath and turned those tear-filled sky blue eyes upon him. “Your dad’s right. Family comes first. I’ve lost enough of mine to be able to appreciate that.”
He’d lost people, too. But his father’s argument was flawed. Blood didn’t make you family, love did.
“Samantha.” Mabel reached down to pat his daughter on the back. “Everything is okay. I’ll help you find a good home for your rock at the next Junior Rangers meeting. Sound good?” She smiled down at Samantha’s upturned face. “Dry your tears, everything is fine.”
Nothing was fine. Jensen felt hollowed out. Raw and bleeding on the inside.
“Well, then.” His father regarded Mabel closely. “If you want to buy that horse, I’ll sell her to you. For what I paid for her at auction.”
“It’s a deal.” Mabel went to hold her hand out for a handshake, but wound up wincing and cradling her arm against her chest. “I’m gonna call and see if I can get a ride home.”
“I think you should go to the clinic. And I’ll take you.” Jensen wasn’t ready to say goodbye, not this way. Not with so much left unsaid.
“No, I already texted Hattie. I’ll be fine.” Her eyes locked with his. “I’m not your problem, Jensen. And just so you both know, I would never use what happened here today against your family.”
“Well, I have witnesses, but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” His father grunted, dismissing her. “You go on and get checked out. You can pick up the horse later. As soon as I get my money, that is.” He turned, stalking back across the corral and out to the gate he’d left open.
Jensen could hardly breathe. He had to fix this. He had to make it right—so she’d understand how much he needed her in his life. She had to know. She had to see they were meant to be. No matter what their families—his father—might say. He turned, committing her every feature to memory. “Mabel—”
“No.” She shook her head. “I’m not Miss Martha. I am not brave. Not brave enough to face this every day.” She nodded in the direction his father had gone. “You are a good man, Jensen. You’ll find the right woman.” She patted Stardust’s back and smiled at Samantha. “I’ll send one of the ranch hands over with the trailer later. And the check.” She didn’t sound happy. She sounded sad—but she was trying, so hard, for Samantha. “How about you walk me out, Samantha? You can keep me company until Miss Hattie gets here.”
“Okay.” Samantha sniffed, frowning at the way Mabel was holding her arm. “Need a Band-Aid or ice or something?”
“I’ll make sure to get ice and a Band-Aid when I get home, I promise.” Mabel ran her hand over Samantha’s curls.
Jensen could tell it pained her to smile, but she did so, for his little girl. He stood beside Stardust, racking his brain for something to say to make her stay. She had to know how he felt—he’d said he wanted her to be his family. And she said no. If she meant that, there was no point going after her.
Stardust nudged him between the shoulders, nibbling at his shirt and blowing hard.
Jensen turned, running a hand along the horse’s back. He hadn’t told Mabel what he found out. “I guess I should tell her? Before she goes?” He patted Stardust on the neck and followed Mabel and Samantha from the barn. “I wanted to tell you... I found something else out about Stardust.” He had a hard time looking at her. He had a hard time not looking at her.
Mabel looked surprised. “Oh?”
“She’d been a one-family horse. But the girl’s family fell on hard times and they had to sell her—which was hard on the horse and the girl that owned her.” He lowered his voice, not wanting Samantha to hear the rest. “Stardust was being transported when the truck pulling the trailer was in a multicar pileup. It was bad. They found her on the side of the road with her leg and haunch tangled up in barbed wire.” He shielded his eyes, Hattie’s truck already coming down the drive. Panic rose up and his heart lodged itself in his throat.
“Poor Stardust.” Mabel shook her head. “It makes sense. All the sudden changes—then that trauma and pain without the person she’d had her whole life. It’s no wonder Stardust’s so skittish.” She glanced his way, then stooped to Samantha’s level to say, “I’ll see you at Junior Rangers.”
“Okay. Don’t forget the ice and the Band-Aid.” Samantha gave Mabel a quick hug. “I love you.”
He caught Mabel’s wince when she hugged Samantha back. “I love you, too.” She didn’t look his way as she said, “Thank you... For everything. I’m sorry, about today. About...everything.” Her voice broke, but she set off for Hattie’s truck before he could stop her.
Hattie’s truck had barely come to a stop before Mabel was climbing into the passenger seat and slamming the door. She said something, but she was too far away for Jensen to hear. Whatever it was, Hattie gave him a little salute, turned her truck around and drove off.
“Is Mabel going to be okay?” Samantha reached up and took his hand. “Is Paw-Paw still mad?” She paused, tugging on his hand. “What’s wrong, Daddy?”
“Everything will be fine, little miss, don’t you fret.” At least, he hoped it would. How? He had no idea. As much as he wanted to soothe Samantha’s worries, he was too heartsick to say more.
As he and Samantha headed across the lawn to the house, Kitty and Twyla got home. They must have passed Hattie and Mabel, because the two of them started asking questions right away.
“Paw-Paw got angry and Stardust got scared and Miss Mabel saved Paw-Paw and got her shoulder hurt. And then Paw-Paw told her she had to leave and that she could buy Stardust and then Miss Hattie picked her up...” All of a sudden, Samantha started to cry. “She got hurt real bad, didn’t she?”
Kitty and Twyla both looked to him for an answer.
A vise clamped tightly around his heart as he scooped his daughter up. “Miss Mabel is stronger than she looks, Samantha. Miss Hattie will see that she’s taken care of. And she has a whole bunch of brothers and an uncle that will take real good care of her when she gets home.” It gave him some comfort to know she had so many people looking after her; he just wished he could be one of them.
“Goodness, what a day.” Twyla was frowning. “Where is Daddy now?”
“I told him to go inside and calm down. To say he was in a temper is putting it mildly.” Even now, Jensen struggled to control the anger his father’s words had stirred.
“I guess I’ll go check on him.” Twyla headed inside. “Come on, Samantha, let’s get you a cupcake and some apple juice and one of your princess movies going. Sound good?”
“Can I, Daddy?” Samantha wiped at her tears.
“Of course. That sounds good to me. Just save me a cupcake.” He gave her a wink as she walked off with Twyla.
“Are you okay? You don’t look okay.” Kitty rubbed his arm. “Did something happen? Beyond the whole horse-attack, Daddy-yelling, Mabel-fleeing stuff you already mentioned?”
“No.” He had no doubt his father would share all with his sister soon enough. He didn’t think Kitty would give him any grief. Twyla was another story. “I just...humiliated myself, is all.”
Kitty rubbed his arm again. “I doubt that.”
He stared down at her. “I guess not. I just...told her how I felt. In front of Dad.” He shook his head, trying not to get angry all over again. “I tried. That’s more than some people can say.” He forced himself to smile.
“Is that some kind of dig?” She lifted her hand. “Are you saying I haven’t tried?”
“I don’t recall saying your name.” He shrugged. “Though it might not hurt if you let Tyson know you’re interested. The man seems to keep his eyes focused on whatever is directly in front of him. So, unless you stand directly in front of him 24/7, you’re going to have to give him a little help.”
Kitty did not look pleased with this announcement, but she took his hand and led him back into the house.
“We need to finish what we started.” His father was sitting in his favorite leather recliner, a large glass of iced tea in his hand.
A quick scan of the room revealed that Samantha and Twyla were gone. “You did enough talking. It’s your turn to listen. You are my father. I have always given you respect. It’s time you did the same for me. The things you just said to the woman I love makes my blood boil.” He took a deep breath, flexing his hands. “Mabel couldn’t help that she was born into her family any more than I could pick being born into this one. She is a good woman. A strong woman. Selfless and kind. She came here, knowing she was hated, to help Samantha and that horse. Without a single thought for herself.” He had his father’s full attention now. Kitty’s, too. “I have to ask myself, Dad, how am I going to raise my daughter in this house and preserve her free spirit and loving nature? Whether or not Mabel loves me, my little girl isn’t going to grow up hating Briscoes just because they are Briscoes. What Kitty and Twyla decide to do is their choice. This is mine. I won’t hold any person living under the Briscoe roof accountable for the things their great-great-grandparents did.”
“I’m supposed to forget that that Forrest boy broke your nose and beat you senseless?” His father spat out the words.
“If I can forgive him, then so can you. Honestly, I understand why he did what he did. He was out of his head with grief. It was like that for me when Casey died. But I didn’t lash out. I couldn’t, I had Samantha to think of. Forrest had lost his parents and the big brother he idolized... Of course he was angry. That wasn’t about me or him or our history. I know it. He knows it. Now it’s up to you to come to terms with that.”
His father stared at him for a long time. So long that the ice in his tea glass shifted and clanked against the sides. “You’d have picked her, wouldn’t you?”
Jensen wasn’t prepared for the sting in his eyes. “It doesn’t matter now, does it?”
“You really think that girl could make you happy?” His father couldn’t seem to grasp the concept.
“She did make me happy, she does.” He knew if he didn’t get out of there soon, he’d start lashing out, too. Today he’d lost the only future he’d looked forward to in a long time. Losing Casey had taught him how to go through the motions, no matter how hard he was grieving or hurting on the inside. But he wasn’t sure he could do that, go on like nothing had happened, when he saw Mabel around town. How was he supposed to smile and act normal when he looked at her? If she went back to Wyoming, he’d miss seeing her, and the hollow ache in his chest would still be there. Either way, his heart was broken and hurting something fierce and there wasn’t anything he could do to change it.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
IN THE WEEK and a half since the ordeal at Crawley Ranch, Mabel had done her best to lie low. Her shoulder was bruised something fierce, but was otherwise okay. She’d mumbled something about falling off a horse to her brothers and, even though it was an obvious lie, they’d left her alone. Maybe they could tell she was broken inside and were too scared to trigger tears and having to deal with them to push her for more. Whatever the reason, she was grateful.
Even though she knew she’d done the right thing, Mabel couldn’t stop the ache in her chest. It was there all the time. While she was making breakfast, working with Stardust, hanging out with Hattie and Kelly and Brooke, or lying in bed hearing Jensen telling his father he loved her.
I want Mabel to be part of my family. Those were the words that triggered her tears every time. A family, with Jensen and Samantha. She wanted that—with every fiber of her being. Jensen wouldn’t think I’m brave if he knew I was crying myself to sleep every night. Every night since she’d climbed into Hattie’s truck and away from Crawley Ranch.
As happy as they were that she’d decided to stay in Garrison for a few weeks longer to care for Stardust, her uncle and brothers were worried about her, she could tell. That was why she’d forced herself to be extra chipper this morning and gush on about how exciting the day’s Junior Ranger expedition to erste Baum park was.
She was looking forward to it—to seeing Samantha. But she’d almost canceled on Hattie for fear of her reaction if Jensen showed up. She’d sent him a quick text, asking him not to come. He’d responded in seconds. One word. Okay. She’d felt ten times better and twenty times worse.
“You good?” Hattie asked, looking up from her clipboard. “You look tuckered out.”
“I’m good.” Mabel’s smile felt tight. “I am.” She sighed. “Stop looking at me like that, Hattie. I’m here—I’m trying.”
“Okay, okay.” Hattie patted her arm.
“But I am tired so maybe don’t give me a group with Levi?” she added, smiling more naturally now.
“I’ll do my best.” Hattie shook her head, then started laughing. Then stopped, her eyes going wide.
“What?” Mabel asked, panicking. Was he here? Jensen? She hesitated, then turned to see what had Hattie so shaken.
