Her Unlikely Cowboy

Suzie looked at her watch and was startled to see that it was past noon. “No, but—”

“Nope, no buts allowed. You’re coming with me. Seal up that can and let’s go. When were you planning on painting?”

She found herself swept out of the shop and managed to squeeze in “I’ll be back” to Tucker—not that it was any of his business, but he was working on her stairs and he would be lugging her furniture up them before too much later. He nodded that he heard and went back to hammering. They headed down the street with Mabel talking nonstop.

“That man sure looks good swinging a hammer,” Mabel sighed, elbowing her in the ribs before continuing to talk about paint. Before they made it to the café she’d learned that mission trips and fixing things up for folks in need were high priorities for Mabel. It hit Suzie that she’d just been added to the top of Mabel’s folks-in-need list.

She’d become a mission project.

Suzie wasn’t sure how to take that. She took care of herself, or had been trying to. But as they took their seats in the diner and were joined by Ms. Jo, the owner, who was Mabel’s buddy and also Nana’s, Suzie had the oddest sensation that she’d been embraced. Embraced by a town. Being helped just came with the deal.

Gordon would be happy. The knowledge echoed through her heart and she had to fight off a sudden wave of emotion.

Her being happy again would have been what he’d wanted. It felt good knowing that, here in Dew Drop, it was a possibility.

Despite Tucker and her conflicting emotions.

* * *

Later that afternoon, after an already full day, Tucker watched his dad back the moving truck up to the newly renovated stairs. Just as Randolph and Morgan climbed from the truck, Rowdy pulled in beside them with a truck full of the older boys, including Abe.

“Hey, guys,” he said. “Thanks for coming to help.”

“Sure thing,” Jake said. He was new at the ranch, having taken one of the vacant spots left when Joseph and Wes, two of the older boys, headed off to college. Jake didn’t speak much about what he’d been through before he came to them, but he’d had it rough, even lived on the streets for a while. The kid had taken to the ranch as if he’d been born a cowboy, always ready to mount up and herd cattle or pitch in where needed.

Tucker noticed Abe stood back from the group and didn’t look pleased to be here.

“So, did you check out the apartment up there?” Randolph asked, striding over to stand beside him.

Morgan nodded toward Tucker’s handyman project. “Hopefully, it’s more stable now.”

“Yeah,” Rowdy said, grabbing the banister and tugging to test its sturdiness. “Did they teach you to be a carpenter in the marines? Because I don’t remember you ever building anything before now. You sure this thing will hold us?”

“Oh, it’ll hold,” Tucker assured them, heading toward the moving van instead of thinking about that banister breaking and him pulling Suzie into his arms.

As if on cue, Suzie stepped out of the office right at that moment, and she smiled—not at him but at everyone else.

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