Chapter Seven

Tag stood in the middle of the cabin floor and did a slow 360-degree turn. For the first time in his life, he wouldn’t be living in the same house with his twin brother. Had he made the right decision volunteering to take the cabin?

“Hey,” Emily yelled as she entered the cabin. “I had half an hour, so thought I’d stop by and see how things are going.”

Her red ponytail stuck out the hole in the back of a baseball hat and her face was bright red from heat and sweat. Hay stuck to her long-sleeved chambray shirt and her faded jeans.

“Glad to see you, sis. Can I get you a glass of sweet tea or a root beer? That and water is all you left for me in the fridge.”

“Water is good,” she said as she sat down on the sofa. “We’re haulin’ hay between this place and our new house. I really stopped by to talk to you more than anything.”

He took two bottles of water from the small refrigerator, uncapped them, and handed one to her. “Am I in trouble?” Had she somehow found out about Billy Tom calling him?

“Should you be?” She gave him the evil sister eye.

The old wooden rocking chair groaned when he sat down. “Sounds like this thing needs some tightening up.”

“Now that the house is built, I want to be part of the ranchin’ business—outside of course. Retta can have that book work in the ranch house. I’m not sure Justin wants me to be in the field.” She paused and tipped up the water bottle for a long drink. “I’m more than willing to go help Retta however I can if she needs me when the baby comes. But I want to do more than cook and be a housewife.”

Tag chuckled.

“It’s not funny. I’m confused.”

“Justin has a new beautiful wife. If I were him, I’d have misgivings about you being in the field too. All those hired hands are lookin’ at you. And you can bet they’re layin’ wagers as to who can throw more bales or stack them quicker than you. That makes you the person they’re talkin’ about,” Tag said. “I’m surprised you’re talkin’ to me about this instead of Nikki.”

“I need a man’s viewpoint,” she said. “Speakin’ of Nikki, I hear that she’s volunteered to help you do some shoppin’ tonight. Tag, I know you and I know Nikki. She’s my best friend. Promise me you won’t have a fling with her and then break her heart.”

“I promise,” he agreed.

“That was quick. Where’s my real brother, Tag? What have you done with him?”

He managed a weak smile. “I’m not sure, but I think I left him out in West Texas, and to be honest, I don’t know what to do with this new critter inside me.”

“I’m your sister. You can talk to me,” Emily said.

“I’m twenty-nine years old, and I’ve sown so many wild oats that we’d have a silo full if we harvested them all. But I’m not ready to settle down or to live by myself. Do you realize that I’ve never lived away from Hud? That we’ve lived in the same house all of our lives, most of the time right across the hall from each other since the day we were born?”

“Of course I do,” Emily said. “I think the old Tag is worrying about all these changes. He doesn’t like them at all. He loved being the bad boy. But now the new Tag has the responsibilities of a ranch, two hired hands, and a dream to make it prosperous. The new one is fighting with the old one.”

“Which one will win?” Tag asked.

“The one you feed. If you continue in your wild ways, then you’re feedin’ that one. The ranch will survive. Hud and the Callahan cowboys will see to that, so don’t worry about being a failure there. If you feed this new responsible Tag, the old wild boy will gradually slink off to be nothing but a memory. It’s up to you what you want to do with your life, little brother,” she said.

“You sound like Granny. What if I don’t know which one I want to feed?”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, and, honey, another bit of her advice is that you can’t ride two horses with one ass, especially across a raging river. When you go to sleep tonight, lie there in bed for ten minutes and think about going to the Rusty Spur this weekend, picking up a woman, and going home with her for a one-night stand. Then put that all away and think about settling down and coming home every night to a woman who will be there with you forever. Whichever one brings you peace, feed that one. Now, I’ve got to go. Enjoy the cabin.” She stood up and tossed the empty water bottle across the room to the trash can.

“That was a three-pointer for sure.” Tag hurled his bottle that way. It bounced off the wall, missed the mark, and rolled under the bed.

“Yep, and one more thing—if I find out you’ve brought one of your bar bunnies to this cabin, I’ll kick you out, and that’s a fact.” Emily started for the door. “You can pony up the money for a hotel or go home with her.”

When she was gone, Tag did another turn, taking in the whole one-room cabin again. A coffee table that had seen lots of boots propped on it sat in front of a well-worn sofa that faced a fireplace that wouldn’t be used for many months. Behind the sofa was a table with four mismatched chairs. Two steps away in the back right corner there was a tiny kitchen area with an apartment-size stove and refrigerator, maybe five feet of cabinets, and a closet with a hot water tank. To the left was a nice king-size bed—he forgot to thank his sister for leaving the sheets and quilt—and a window air-conditioning unit. He’d always envisioned the first place he lived in on his own would look more like a bachelor pad and less like a home.

You’ve outgrown a damn bachelor pad, his granny’s voice said sternly in his head. It’s time for you to grow up and settle down.

  

Nikki didn’t know whether she trusted herself enough to allow Tag to knock and invite him into her apartment, or if she should just wait on the steps for him to arrive. After the kiss from the night before, she finally decided that she’d better be sitting on the stairs when he drove up. She picked up her purse, locked the door behind her, and was halfway down when she heard a truck door slam. When she reached the bottom, he was opening the door for her.

“You’re right on time,” she said as she slid into the passenger seat.

“One of my many good qualities.” His gaze held her spellbound.

“Well, I appreciate it.” She blinked and looked away, but her heart was still racing. “Did you bring a list?” She took a deep breath and started down toward him.

He leaned on the door a moment. “I know for sure I need some towels and toilet paper.”

“Have you ever lived on your own before? Not even in college?” she asked.

“Didn’t go. All me and Hud wanted to be was ranchers, so we graduated high school and went on the full-time payroll the next Monday morning.” When he started the truck, the radio was on the same country music station that she liked, but he quickly turned it off. “I love music. How about you?”

“Love country music and if I’m in a really funky mood, a little jazz, but only in small doses,” she answered. “The cabin is really your first home away from home?”

“I guess the ranch house over on Canyon Creek is the first one, but Hud was with me there, and then Maverick and Paxton. The cabin is my first time to have a place all to myself.”

“Do you even know how to do laundry, or cook or clean?” she asked.

“Oh, yes, ma’am. Mama lived by the goose and gander law. That meant that us boys had to learn all the stuff that Emily did, and she had to learn all the stuff we did on the ranch. I’m particular about laundry, and I can clean a house good enough to pass military inspection. And I can make the meanest ham and cheese sandwich and chili cheese nachos in the state,” he said. “I’ll be glad to make either one for you anytime you want to come by the cabin. Or if that doesn’t sound good, I know how to nuke a bean burrito and open a bottle of beer.”

“Sounds good to me,” she said. “Take the next left.”

“Thanks. I’ve never driven from this side of town before.” He flipped on the turn signal.

“Canyon Creek? Is that what y’all decided to name the place?”

“Yep,” he answered as he circled the parking lot in search of a spot. “Now we’re trying to come up with a brand that we like. And we named the dog too.”

“Dog?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Ranch has to have a dog. We’re goin’ to do our best to train him to be a cattle dog, but a redbone is really a coonhound. We named him Ol’ Red, but we’re just callin’ him Red.”

“For Blake Shelton’s song, right?” she asked.

“You got it.” Tag pulled into a parking space.

“Was he a stray?” Nikki asked as she got out of the truck and started toward the store.

“Nope. Some woman was giving them away at the rodeo. Hud snagged the last one.” He fell in beside her. “You like dogs?”

“Love them and cats too. I’d get a cat, but I’m gone from Friday night at midnight until Sunday night for work. I’d feel guilty about leaving it alone that long,” she said.

“Ever had pets when you were a kid?”

“Oh, no!”

“That was pretty definite.” The store’s automatic doors opened, and he pulled a cart out from the line. “You want to push?”

“Make it easier if I do. Then you can have both hands free to load it up. And it was definite. You’d have to know my mother to understand.” She pushed the cart inside and made a right to go to the housewares side of the store to look at towels.

“Does she live in that apartment with you?” he asked.

“Good Lord no!”

“Another definite answer.” He pointed up to a sign that said towels were down that aisle. “How long have you lived alone?”

“Since the day I was eighteen. That was right after high school graduation. I’ve lived in the same apartment for over ten years now,” she answered.

A cart bumped into hers when she turned the corner. “I’m so sorry,” she started.

“I’ve told you a million times to watch where you’re going,” her mother scolded.

“Mama, what are you doing here at this time of night?” Nikki was totally in shock.

Wilma wore a trench coat buttoned up the neck and white dress gloves. Her dark brown hair was shoved up under a plastic shower cap. Red and white polka dotted rain boots peeked out from under the hem of her coat.

“I’m tired of Mrs. Thomas coming over on Tuesdays, so I decided to get out and do some shopping. I was out of calcium and my morning stomach pills, and since you refuse to shop for me anymore, I have to do it myself.” She sighed.

“We’ve been over this, Mama. If I keep doing everything for you, you’ll never get off the recliner or out of the house,” Nikki said.

Wilma held up a gloved hand. “Don’t sass me, but you can tell me what you’re doin’ with this hoodlum. My preacher is never going to marry you if you get a reputation with this…” She eyed Tag up and down with an evil look.

“Mama, this is Tag Baker. Tag, my mother, Wilma Grady.” Nikki made introductions in a tone so cold that it would have put a fresh layer of ice over the North Pole.

“Pleasure to meet you, ma’am.” Tag tipped his hat toward her.

Wilma gave him another disgusted look and turned back to Nikki. “I’ve got things to do. I have to be home by eight to see my show.”

Nikki reached out and laid a hand on Wilma’s shoulder. “Mama, it’s hot outside. Why are you dressed like this?”

“Germs.” Wilma shrugged off her hand. “You never know what you’ll catch in a place like this. I’ll take a shower when I get home and use that bacteria-killin’ soap to be sure. It’ll get rid of anything that I might pick up in here. Woman in my condition don’t need to take chances with germs. I’ll talk to you on Monday.” Her rubber boots made a squeaky sound on the tile as she hurried toward the checkout counter.

“I’m sorry,” Nikki said to Tag.

“No need to apologize for something you have no control over,” he said. “But now I see why you couldn’t have pets.”

“And that’s just the tip of the iceberg,” Nikki said. “Let’s go buy towels and try to put what just happened behind us.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He began to study the colors, thickness, and size of each stack of towels.

She watched him and hoped that tomorrow morning she didn’t find an email with a dozen new shots of people who go to Walmart in weird outfits with her mother among them. In some ways she felt sorry for Wilma. In other ways, she wished that she’d been born into a different family.

“Need a hamper?” she asked when he put a set of bath towels into the basket.

“Nope, brought that when we moved into the house, but I do need soap of all kinds. Dish, laundry, and shower,” he answered.

When they’d finished his shopping, they were lucky enough not to have to stand in line long and got everything loaded into his truck.

“You had supper?” he asked.

“I had a sandwich.”

“I haven’t eaten yet. Barely had time to get a shower after fencing and cutting hay all day. Want to join me for a burger or maybe a pizza?”

“I’d rather have some of those chili cheese nachos you were bragging about,” she answered.

It might not be a good idea to be alone with Tag, but he’d met Wilma, and this was probably the last time he’d ever ask her out. After all, she had the same DNA and there was a possibility she could grow up to be just like her mother. Who was it that said if you wanted to know what a girl would look like when she got older, just take a look at her mother?

Besides, she’d been in the cabin many, many times in the past few months since Emily had moved into it with Justin. It had a homey feel to it, not a one-night-stand kind of aura.

“That can be arranged. Nachos and beer and ice cream afterwards,” he said.

“Sounds good,” she agreed. “But are you sure you want to be alone with me now that you’ve met my mother?”

“We all have skeletons in our closets, Nikki,” he said. “In our part of the world, we don’t hide our crazy relatives. We put them on the front porch with a glass of sweet tea and let them wave at all the cars that go by.”

She giggled and then laughed and then snorted. “I’m picturing my mother on the porch with one of those beekeeper hats on her head.”

His laughter was as deep as his drawl. “Why a bee bonnet?”

The laughter ended as quickly as it had started. “Because she’s afraid to go out without protection for fear she’ll get malaria.”

“I understand.” He gently laid a hand on her shoulder.

Was this Tag really the same playboy who’d tried to sweet-talk her into bed the night of Emily and Justin’s wedding? Or was this just a new tactic with hopes that it would lead to a different result?

She was still pondering the questions when they reached the cabin, but not a single answer had fallen from the sky. “I’ll help unload if you’ll hand the sacks to me. I’m too short to reach over the truck bed.”

A puppy barked a couple of times from the porch and then ran out to meet them. He found his way to Nikki first and wiggled all over. She stooped down to pet him and got a lick across her face for her efforts.

“You might as well go on and get a Catahoula now. This isn’t ever going to be anything but a pet.” She picked him up, and he fell over to lie in her arms like a baby.

“You pet him and I’ll unload all this stuff,” Tag said. “Might as well bring him on in the house and rock him. That’ll keep him out from under my feet.” He set two bags on the porch beside the door.

His phone rang, and he fished it out of his hip pocket and opened the door for her at the same time.

“He was waiting on the porch for us, and, no, I won’t spoil him by letting him start staying in the house.”

A long pause while he listened to whoever was on the other end of the line.

“It’s not like that.”

Another pause as she sat down in the rocking chair.

“I’ll bring him back over in the morning. See y’all bright and early, and yes, I’ll be there in time for breakfast,” he said before he shoved the phone in his pocket.

He tossed the bags on the bed and went back outside, returning this time with three in each hand. They must’ve been heavier than the first ones because his biceps strained the fabric of the light blue knit shirt he wore. Nikki couldn’t tear her eyes away from him and wondered how it would feel to wake up with Tag’s strong arms around her.

“One more load,” he said. “And then I’ll make nachos while you take care of the baby.”

“You got a deal,” she told him.

He put away the groceries and then opened a can of chili and added several kinds of spices to it. Then he arranged chips on a platter that he’d bought that night and topped them with the chili and grated cheese. He nuked it all to melt the cheese and heat the chili, then added diced tomatoes and jalapeno pepper slices.

“Onions or not?” he asked.

“Not for me,” she answered.

“Leaving the onions off,” he said. “I’m not a big fan of them either.” He put the platter in the middle of the table and opened two bottles of beer. “Dinner is ready, Your Highness. Red can nap on the sofa or go outside. His choice.”

“But what about coyotes? Or hawks? Don’t you worry that they’ll kill him?” she asked.

“Not a redbone hound. He’ll set up a howl and chase a coyote. That’s his nature. And he’s way too big for a hawk to carry off. I’d guess him at two to three months old,” Tag said.

She set the dog on the floor, and he ran to the door. “That makes me feel better about him going outside. Give me time to wash my hands.”

While Tag let the animal out, she went to the bathroom and washed the puppy smell from her hands and arms. She tiptoed to see her reflection in the mirror, and there was the same Nikki that she’d seen a month ago staring back at her. But this one had more questions in her eyes than the previous one—like even though the chemistry between her and Tag was undeniable, did she really want to take the next step with him? Was she setting herself up for heartbreak? And the biggest question of all was would it make things awkward with Emily?

She dried her hands and left the bathroom to find him holding a chair for her. “My first guest in my new home. Thank you for all your help and for coming over. It would be a sin to have to eat alone this first night.”

“Well, when you get to the pearly gates, you be sure to let them know that I was the one who kept you from sinnin’ tonight,” she said.

“Well, dammit! I was hoping that since we broke bread—as in nachos together—it would wipe out the sin that will come after we get through supper.” He grinned.

They were sure back on familiar ground now. “In your dreams, cowboy. Besides, Emily told me that she’d kick you out of your little piece of heaven here if you brought a woman home for the night. Last time I checked, I am a female.”

“Yes, you definitely are, darlin’. I’ll make a mental note to never attempt to date one of my sister’s friends again, no matter how sexy and funny they are, because best friends share everything,” he said. “Now, while we eat, tell me about yourself.”

“Hasn’t Emily already told you the Nikki Grady story? God, these nachos are fabulous. Better than any I’ve ever had at a Mexican restaurant,” she said as she picked up another chip.

Tag shook his head. “All Emily’s told me is that y’all worked together for a long time, and then you passed your RN test and went to work at the hospital. That was about the time that her Fab Five elderly buddies left the retirement center, right?”

The nachos were addictive. Like that commercial on television about potato chips, there was no way to eat just one. “Pretty much. That was when Emily decided to move to the ranch too. We all made a big change.”

“I met those old folks at the wedding, and I’ve seen them at church the past couple of weeks, but I’d love to get to know them better. Emily says they’re a hoot,” he said.

She was sure that Bess, Patsy, and Sarah, the three elderly ladies from the retirement center, had already been swooning over him. That, and the fact that dogs loved him, too, had to be good signs, right?

“Have y’all adjusted to the change of not seeing those senior citizens every day?” he asked.

“Pretty much. Emily and I stop by the house the Fab Five bought together every couple of weeks and catch up on all their shenanigans. And, of course, she and I talk every day, except weekends when I’m working. How are you adapting to this big change in your life, Tag?”

“What did Emily tell you?”

“About?”

“Our talk this morning.” He narrowed his eyes.

“Nothing except that you had one and that she forbade you to use this place as a brothel,” she answered. “Let me tell you something, Tag Baker. Your sister would take a bullet to the head before she would betray a confidence. She told me what she said about you not bringing women here, but whatever else you told her is between y’all.”

“Thank you.” A smile covered his face. “And this cabin is not a brothel. You have to pay for sex in those places. I’ve never charged.”

She blushed at the idea of putting money on the bedside table as she left.

“As far as changes, darlin’.” He leaned forward and his drawl got deeper. “Buying a ranch has been the biggest responsibility I’ve ever faced. I’ve never worked so hard or been as happy with the results or had dreams this big. Sometimes it overwhelms me.”

She was almost as shocked by his admission as she’d been by her mother’s appearance earlier that evening. “I thought you were ten feet tall and bulletproof, like Travis Tritt sings about. I didn’t think anything would ever be an obstacle for you.”

“Keep thinkin’ that, darlin’.”

It was after ten when he took her home and held her hand as they climbed the stairs side by side. She unlocked the door and turned to find him staring right into her eyes.

“I had a good time tonight, Tag,” she said.

“Me too. When can I pick you up for a second date?”

“This wasn’t a date,” she told him. “It was a friend helping a friend move into his cabin and then having supper with him.”

His hands cupped her face, thumbs brushing her cheeks. His palm felt like feathers dancing across the sensitive place on her neck. He leaned in for the kiss, and Nikki went up on her tiptoes.

She had been kissed before. She’d had long-term relationships. She’d had her heart broken more than once since she’d lived on her own. She’d made mistakes and learned from them. But nothing prepared her for the way she felt whenever Tag’s lips met hers. The whole world disappeared in a flash, leaving only the two of them standing on a small upstairs porch with the moon and stars above them.

When the kiss ended, Tag took a step back and braced himself on the railing. “If that affected you the way it did me, then, darlin’, this was definitely a date. Good night, Nikki.”

He turned and walked away without looking back.

Normally she would have called Emily and confided in her about her evening, about the kiss and how it left her wanting more. But she couldn’t tell Emily all that when she’d be talking about her brother. She threw herself on the sofa and finally called Patsy.

“Hello, Nikki. Are you all right? Do I need to get the other four up?” Patsy asked.

“I’m fine. I shouldn’t be callin’ this late, but I had to talk to someone,” Nikki said.

“Darlin’, I’m a night owl. You know that, and I’m here for you anytime you need me. So talk.” Patsy was part of the Fab Five, as the five friends had dubbed themselves, and she was possibly the wildest one of the lot. She was a twin sister to Bess, and Sarah was their friend, right along with Otis and Larry. They were more like parents or grandparents to Nikki and Emily than just mere friends.

“I kissed Tag Baker tonight, and I liked it, and I can’t talk to Emily about it. I can’t like him, Patsy. I’m twenty-nine years old and ready to settle down. He’s wild and never wants to be any other way, I’m afraid. Why am I attracted to the bad boys?”

Patsy giggled. “Because where’s the fun in taming a sweet little preacher-type boy? You come on up here to Sunset and us girls will have a real face-to-face talk about this. And you’re right, Emily would freak out, so don’t tell her. Can you come tomorrow?”

“Have to work tomorrow. How about Thursday?” Nikki asked.

“That’s even better. We’ll send Otis and Larry to the store so we can have some time by ourselves. And, honey, if you liked that kiss, just imagine how he’d make you feel in the bedroom.” She giggled again. “Or the hayloft.”

“Patsy!” Nikki gasped.

“It’s okay to dream, and thanks for callin’. It’s been kind of dull around here since Emily and Justin got married. See you on Thursday at one o’clock. Don’t eat a big lunch. We’ll have snacks.”

“Thanks, Patsy.”

“Oh, no, baby girl. Thank you!”

The call ended and Nikki threw herself back on the sofa. Why couldn’t Wilma invite her to have cookies and coffee or lemonade and treat her like a daughter instead of a liability?

  

When he got back to the cabin, Tag did what his sister had told him. He stretched out on the king-size bed and imagined always being that wild child he’d been since he and Duke got their first motorcycles. He closed his eyes and thought of the wind in his face, the dust boiling up behind him, and the thrill of going ninety miles an hour down a dirt road. He even thought about calling Billy Tom and asking if they could meet in Dallas some Saturday night so they could hit some biker bars.

Then he turned over in bed, pulled an extra pillow up next to his body, and put all those thoughts aside. He opened his eyes, looked at the ceiling; then he closed them again. He imagined that the pillow was someone he loved dearly, a woman like Nikki who’d be there waiting for him at the end of a long day on the ranch. Who would listen to his fears and share in his joys when the first new calf was born on the ranch, and at a later date when they could add more acreage to Canyon Creek. Who would cuddle with him before they went to sleep each night. The image was so real that his hand reached to stroke her long, dark hair before he remembered that what he was holding was just a pillow.

His eyes snapped open and he threw the pillow across the room. “Why is this so hard?” he asked himself.

No answer came.