“Probably. How is Colby?”
“Busy. And before you steer the conversation away from asking more about you, I’ll give you the rundown on the rest of the McKays: Keely is running wild. Cord is working too hard, as usual. Ky is growing like a weed. Cam won’t be home for Thanksgiving again. Keely is driving your father insane. And Channing is turning out to be quite the little gardener. Am I missing anyone?”
“Dad.”
“Did I mention Keely was making him crazy?”
He grinned. “Once or twice. So, how are you, Ma?”
“You are all a bunch of sweet-talkin’ boys, just like your father. Lord. It’s a wonder I don’t have a dozen grandchildren spread across a dozen counties. I’m fine. I miss you.”
“I’m two hours away. I’m closer than I was when I lived in Colorado.”
“Well, I hoped you’d been around more now that you’re done with school.”
Carter didn’t know what to say to that. Mostly because he didn’t know what would happen after he finished the art show.
A door slammed in the background. “Okay, I shooed Colt out so we can talk freely.
Honey, what’s wrong? And don’t say nothin’, ’cause I can tell something is bothering you.”
No sense lying to her or himself. “I’m in a rut.”
“With your art? Afraid I won’t be much help with that—”
“No, Ma. In a rut with a woman.”
Silence. “Oh. Do I know her?”
“No. I met her this summer.”
“Where?”
“Here. She’s Cash’s daughter.”
“Lord, son, she isn’t underage? When I remember what we went through with Keely when she lied about her age to that bull rider from Oklahoma…”
“Macie is twenty-two. Why would you think she was underage?”
“Because Cash isn’t much older than Cord.” Pause. “Cash has a daughter that old?”
“Yeah, fatherhood visited him early. Anyway, Macie and I are spendin’ time together, it’s just lately…it’s hard to explain. It’s different than it was at first.”
“You really like this girl?”
“Yeah.”
“Does she make you happy?”
“When she’s not makin’ me crazy.”
“I assume you’re knockin’ boots with her?”
“Ma!”
“Oh pooh. If I can listen to Colt brag about bagging a rodeo queen ad nauseam, I can listen to anything.”
True.
“So the boot scootin’ is…?”
“Amazing.”
“And that’s a problem, why?”
“Because I’m afraid that’s all there is.”
Another moment of silence.
“I’m still waitin’ for your sage advice,” he said dryly.
“Hold your horses. I’m thinking.” Then, “Have you and Macie spent much time with her father?”
“Cash? No. He hates my guts.”
His mom laughed. “I imagine he does.”
“Real nice that you’re takin’ his side, Ma.”
“I’m not. How important is family to her?”
“She doesn’t have anyone besides Cash so I don’t think she has a frame of reference.”
“Ah. There’s your answer.”
Carter scowled at the phone. “Where? I missed something.”
“No. She isn’t used to making connections on any level. Show her how. Good sex is a good start. But every girl needs a little romance. Make her feel special. Do something for her no one else has. Your job as a man is to show her you appreciate her brain as well as her body.”
“I cannot believe I’m havin’ this conversation with my mother.”
She laughed again. “You are so naïve when it comes to what I know and what I’ve done. I was young once.”
“Is this where you warn me to be careful because Macie is so young?”
“Young? At twenty-two? Please. At that age I had a two-year-old son, I was pregnant again, I had a ranch to help run and your brawlin’ father to deal with.”
“Not the same.”
“True. But I will caution you not to confuse her age with her experience. There is a difference.”
“Thanks.”
“Anytime. Love you, darlin’ boy. If I don’t hear from you soon, I’m sending Keely to live with you for the rest of the summer, understand?”
“Now that’s just plain mean.” But he hung up with his first real smile in days.
Romance, huh? He could do romance.
Two hours later the phone rang in Gemma’s kitchen.
“Hello?”
An angry voice demanded, “Why is it that I have to hear from my mother-in-law that Cash Big Crow is working for you as your ranch foreman?”
Gemma smiled. “Hey, Channing.”
“Are you sleeping with him too?”
“Yep.”
“I have half a mind to come to the Bar 9 and kick your ass.”
“Gonna have to grow a bit, Mrs. McKay.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t call me, Gem. So spill the details, woman.”
“Huh-uh. I ain’t telling you nothin’ over the phone.”
“How about just a small hint?”
“Nope.”
“You’re getting mean in your old age, Gemma.”
“Damn. I’ve missed your smart mouth. I’d take a chance on you whipping my butt if it meant you were comin’ for a visit.”
“Funny you should mention that.”
“Yeah? What’s up?”
“Well, we were cleaning out the big barn on Colby’s folks place last week and I saw Colby has all this bull ridin’ stuff, which he’ll never use again. Round about that time Amy Jo Foster and a couple of her young male admirers pulled up. Those boys are hardcore rodeo kids, and when they saw the mechanical bull? They immediately wanted Colby to give them bull ridin’ lessons.”
“Oh Lord. He didn’t, did he?”
“Over my dead body will that man ever get on another bull. Anyway, Colby has an attachment to that stuff and he won’t sell it outright, so we wondered if Cash might be interested in teaching some of these boys how to ride bulls. Since Cash is one of the few who wouldn’t feed them full of crap about how great it is chasing the rodeo dream. And he was a good rider. The bonus is they are willing to pay. Good money, I guess.”