Cowboy Candy Read online

  She went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and splash some water on her face. She twisted her long chestnut hair into a ponytail and pulled on her sweats. She was sure that she would be able to slip over to Mabel’s coffee shop before anyone else was even awake. Grabbing her key, she stepped into her fuzzy pink slippers and opened her door. The air smelled crisp and clean. She hadn’t realized how breathtaking Grand Valley was last night. It was too dark to notice anything. Now, she felt as if she were standing in the middle of a Norman Rockwell painting. She smiled, and scuffled over to get a cup of coffee.

  As she stepped inside, it was as if the whole world came to a standstill.

  Surprisingly, the place was packed. Maddy realized that she stuck out like a sore thumb, pink slippers, and all. She steeled herself against the stares and smiled.

  “Morning Miss Mabel!” she called out to the old woman.

  Mabel turned and grinned from ear to ear.

  “How do ya’ want your coffee hon, black or with cream and sugar?” Maddy grinned, “Cream and sugar, please Miss Mabel.”

  Despite the early morning hour, some lovesick cowboy had put a

  quarter into the jukebox and Charlie Rich’s haunting voice filled the diner. “My baby makes me proud, Lord don’t she make me proud. She never

  makes a scene by hangin all over me in a crowd . . . Cuz people like to talk,

  Lord don’t they love to talk . . . and when we get behind closed doors and

  she lets her hair hang down, and she makes me glad that I’m a man. Oh,

  no one knows what goes on behind closed doors . . .”

  Maddy was taken aback as one of the old-timers sitting at the counter

  got up to give her his seat. “Oh, why thank you,” she grinned. He simply

  tipped his hat as he left a tip on the counter for Mabel.

  “So, did you sleep well," Mabel asked as she placed a steaming cup of

  black coffee in front of her along with a few packets of sugar and the

  creamer.

  “Yes, I did thanks to you,” Maddy smiled.

  The old woman chuckled. “For heaven’s sakes, I didn’t do anything”

  she smiled.

  “Yes, you did. The room is perfect and you make me feel at home,”

  Maddy complimented her.

  “Shucks, that ain’t nothing’, hon,” Mabel laughed as she turned her

  head and spit some chew into a spittoon.

  Maddy immediately felt a bond with Mabel. She liked this woman,

  chew, and all. As they made small talk, a tall cowboy turned to look in the

  direction of all the ruckus. He tipped his hat back on his head and smiled.

  Mabel looked up at him and grinned.

  Maddy looked instinctively into the mirrors that lined the back wall of

  the diner. Charlie Rich was singing about his lady, the chattering breakfast

  crowd was abuzz with the latest shoptalk, and Maddy couldn’t bring herself

  to look away.

  He was looking back at her, and their eyes locked until Miss Mabel’s

  voice boomed from behind the counter. "Mornin’ handsome!" she teased.

  “Get ya’ some coffee?” she asked.

  Dusty really didn't plan on staying very long, but hated to be impolite to

  his old friend.

  “I’d love to Miss Mabel, but I’ve got to head over to get some line. I’m

  finishing up mom’s avocado grove today.” He explained.

  “Oh? Well, you give your Mom my love then, hon.” Mabel winked,

  “And don’t be such a stranger. You hear?”

  Maddy placed some money on the counter and decided to finish her

  coffee in her room. She wanted to take a shower and explore Grand Valley

  a little further. She firmly believed that in life, everything happens for a

  reason.

  Perhaps, this was her destiny. Maybe that detour was there for a reason.

  “Thank you Miss Mabel. I'll see you later?” she asked.

  “Why, you know where you can find me, hon. Have yourself some nice

  quiet time to yourself and get out and smell the sunshine,” the old woman

  laughed. Grateful for such hospitality, the beautiful young woman couldn’t

  help but grin from ear to ear.

  Maddy rose from her stool and turned to leave. She stopped dead in her

  tracks as she came face to face with a sculpted chest in a white tee shirt.

  She gulped, and looked up. Staring back at her had to be the most

  penetrating blue eyes she had ever seen in her life. They were so

  mesmerizing she could hardly speak.

  “Um, excuse me,” she blushed as she tried to side step the stranger. “Morning,” the cowboy said as he tipped his hat.

  Her legs nearly turned to jelly.

  “Good morning,” she smiled and hurried to the door.

  Dusty turned and watched her scuffling away in her pink slippers.

  Amused, he turned and flashed a brilliant smile at Mabel.

  CHAPTER 5 Maddy fumbled, but somehow managed to get the key in the lock. The door opened and she quickly closed it behind her, leaning against it. Her heart was racing, and she felt butterflies in her stomach. In her wildest dreams, she would not have imagined running into a handsome cowboy out in the middle of nowhere. Sure enough, he had looked at her with those blue eyes of his and nearly made her faint.

  “What am I thinking,” she asked herself. Looking into the bathroom mirror, she saw a disheveled, blushing mess. She stifled a laugh, “Oh my gosh, look at my hair," then laughed even harder when she looked down at her pink fuzzy slippers.

  "Good Lord, what a way to make a first impression." She didn’t stop to think that maybe, just maybe; he loved the way a woman looked when she first tumbled out of bed; especially his bed.

  “Don’t even think about it Maddy. You have sworn off men for a reason. They can’t be trusted. Haven’t you had your heart broken enough?”

  Nevertheless, she couldn’t help it. No man ever had that kind of magnetic effect on her. He was tall, at least six feet two. His hair was coal black and his eyes, well; his eyes were blue like nothing she had ever seen before. He was clean-shaven and smelled like fresh soap and after-shave. His skin was tanned, and his bulging biceps and chest defined who he was. He was a cowboy. He was grade one hundred percent beefcake.

  “Oh Lord, I’ve got to stop thinking like this,” she whispered. As she went about taking her shower, she could not get his image out of her head. He had lips that begged to be kissed. He had teeth that practically sparkled. He was polite and sweet and those dimples of his. He was positively the hottest cowboy she’d ever laid eyes on.

  “Oh, this is just crazy,” she said to herself as she began to imagine how his kisses must feel. “I’d better go for a drive and clear my head today.” Still, she made a mental note. She would ask Mabel, who the mysterious cowboy was. If anyone knew who was who in this town, you could be sure it would be Mabel.

  CHAPTER 6 Jack Carter sat in his dilapidated recliner and chugged a beer. He was not sad, only extremely pissed off. Who did Maddy think she was? Miss high and mighty? She’d left him. He couldn’t comprehend why. Sure, he might have yelled at her a little too much. He might have put her down. Hell, he even slapped her around a few times. Nevertheless, he still could not believe she had upped and left him.

  He looked around his dumpy little house. Take-out boxes, empty beer cans, and cigarette butts littered the floor, and she'd only been gone for two days. Maddy had always taken care of him and the house. He picked up the note and re-read it aloud for the tenth time that morning.

  “Jack, by the time you get this note, I will be long gone. It should come as no surprise, should it? You’ve managed to keep me down all these years. I can take the name-calling and the drinking. Hell, I can even take the slaps. Even so, somehow, I cannot forgive you for cheating on me.
I’m only taking my clothes, my personal belongings, and my car. You have hurt me for the last time. It stops today. I hope you have a nice life. Whatever you do, try to treat the next gal a whole hell of a lot better than you did me, Maddy.”

  He crumpled the note into a tight little ball and threw it across the room. Who in the hell did she think she was talkin’ to? Nobody spoke to him that way. He’d let her stay with him out of the kindness of his heart. He didn’t expect much, just a clean house, a good meal, and a woman who obeyed him. Shit, he’d even agreed to let her get two jobs to help pay the bills; now what? Well, he wasn’t gonna’ take this lyin’ down.

  He decided to give her some time to come to her senses. He was sure that she'd miss him and come runnin' back once she realized what a big mistake she had made. Course, she was gonna catch a beating for what she did and that piece of shit Mustang of hers would be history.

  “I always warned you. If you ever tried to leave, I’d hunt you down and kill you,” he fumed.

  CHAPTER 7 Dusty leaned on the shovel and surveyed his work. He had just put in the last of the new irrigation lines and decided to take a breather. Everything looked good so far. All he had to do was attach some spinners under each tree. That was gonna take some doing. He didn’t quite know how his mother had managed to amass fifteen hundred trees, but she did. She planted four varieties that matured year-round. There were Mexicolas, Fuertes, Zutanos, and her prized fruit, Hass.

  It seemed that every tree had its own personality and was more temperamental that a mare in heat. He had learned the hard way that the trees had surface roots. Each tree required mulching, weeding, and watering with its own specific drip system. It was essential for their survival. He couldn’t just let his mother’s beloved trees die. It would break her heart. He walked over to the Jeep and grabbed a handful of risers and sprinkler heads.

  This was going to take hours to get just right. He had already installed the timers that kicked on in eight-hour cycles, so they wouldn’t put too much of a load on the pumps. His back ached, his fingers hurt, and he was beginning to sunburn. However, this kind of work was cake compared to all the other chores he did for his father. As he slowly worked his way through the grove, he began thinking of the little beauty with the pink slippers. He had to admit to himself that she had somehow managed to wheedle her way into his brain, and it felt as though he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

  Her almond-shaped eyes were the color of two drops of chocolate. She had a luxurious full mouth, fine straight nose, and high cheekbones. Her skin reminded him of the color of honey, and her hair was the color of varnished wood. Although she was petite, he could see that she was physically fit and very, very curvy. There was no doubt about it; she was all woman. From the moment their eyes had met, something inside of him changed. He’d managed to suppress his desires ever since Janie left. Nevertheless, there was something about the woman. She continued to haunt him since their chance encounter.

  He methodically installed the sprinklers and began to wonder how soft her honey colored skin would feel against his.

  “Shit!” he yelled as he smashed his thumb with a mallet.

  “Son of a bitch” he muttered. “I’d better start paying attention to what

  I’m doing, or I won’t have any darn fingers left to smash,” he laughed. No matter what he did, images of those big chocolate eyes and sensual

  mouth kept popping back into his thoughts. Something about this woman

  made his blood boil just thinking about her. From the looks of things, she

  was new in town. He sincerely hoped that she wasn’t just passing on

  through. There was only one way to find out the details on his beautiful

  little stranger. He’d ask Mabel. Mabel would surely know who the woman

  was. Everyone knew if they wanted to hear the latest scuttlebutt, Mabel

  would have the goods.

  He worked quietly until sundown, thinking of Maddy the entire time.

  “Blast it, I feel like a lovesick schoolboy,” he muttered to himself. “Guess I’ll skip breakfast in the morning and head into town to have

  some grub over at the diner.”

  There was a method to his madness, he’d just happen to be in the area,

  picking up some feed and head over to the diner, hoping that he’d run into

  Miss pink slippers again. Gosh, she was really something else. He wondered

  why she was in such a hurry to get out of there this morning. He knew that sometimes, his size did tend to intimidate people, but

  normally the ladies seemed to like it. No matter, he was determined to find

  out more about the chestnut haired beauty.

  He just had to. He felt restless, like something in him that died a long

  time ago had suddenly reawakened. A lightbulb went off in his mind and

  he grinned.

  “To hell with breakfast, I'm heading down to Mabel's tonight.”

  CHAPTER 8 Maddy was thoroughly enjoying her day. The sun was shining. The weather was perfect, and she had no particular destination in mind. She decided to fill the Mustang’s tank at Mabel’s and go for a drive. The community here definitely made a favorable impression. It sure beat the hell out of Springdale, Tennessee. Smiling to herself, she hopped into the front seat, buckled up, and headed to wherever the road took her.

  Main Street led to the center of town. She passed a feed and hardware store, a beauty salon, and a small bakery. There was a movie theatre and a library.

  She grinned.

  “Holy smokes, a boutique . . . and a lingerie store.” She gazed over at quaint houses with neatly trimmed front yards with rose bushes bursting with fragrant blooms. It was the proverbial white picket fence kind of town. She passed a charming ranchita . . .

  She chuckled to herself.

  “Wonder if the little wife own’s a sexy French Maid’s getup?” As she drove through town, the houses became further apart and before

  long, farmhouses began to dot the countryside. The foothills and mountains provided a romantic backdrop to the picturesque valley. The air was filled with the intoxicating scent of sweet grass and clover. A large estate appeared on the horizon.

  She imagined the owners had to be wealthy. Pristine whitewashed fence lined the entire perimeter of the place. The fence stretched as far as the eye could see. Curiosity getting the better of her, she continued towards the massive home on the hill.

  A large ornately carved sign was hanging between two massive pillars on either side of the entrance.

  “Mountain Rose Ranch,” she read. Horses and Black Angus cattle were grazing in lush, green pastures. The home looked to be nestled among mature stands of Douglas Firs, towering pines, and majestic Red Cedars. Wild roses of every imaginable color lined the fence on either side of the long driveway. There had to be hundreds of them.

  “My, oh my . . . how the other half live,” she sighed. She pulled to the side of the road and got out of her car. Stretching, she sat on the hood and breathed deeply.

  She grinned and raised her face to the sky.

  “I love the feeling of sunshine on my face.”

  She sang along with Willie Nelson . . .

  Take the ribbon from your hair, shake it loose and let it fall. Laying soft against your skin, like the shadows on the wall. Come and lay down by my side, till the early mornin’ light. All I’m takin’ is your time. . .help me make it through the night.

  I don’t care who’s right or wrong, and I won’t try to understand. Let the devil take tomorrow, cause tonight I need a friend.

  Yesterday is dead and gone. . . and tomorrow’s outside, and it’s sad to be alone. . .help me make it through the night.

  CHAPTER 9 The lunch crowd had thinned out considerably, and Maddy had her chance to speak with Miss Mabel alone. She was sitting at the counter thumbing through the help-wanted ads in the local newspaper.

  Miss Mabel was busy stocking the countertop with jars of home-made pic
kled Jalapenos. Simply looking at the jars made her mouth begin to water.

  “Miss Mabel, what is that? It looks absolutely amazing!”

  Mable grinned and wiped her hands on her apron.

  “What? . . .why it’s my signature appetizer, famous in these parts. I call

  it Cowboy Candy . . .won some blue ribbons at the county fair with it.” “Really, well mind if I try it?”

  “Course not . . .but I gotta’ warn ya’ . . .this is not for the faint of heart.”

  Maddy opened the lid and smelled it then dipped a spoon in and took a bite.

  “Heaven’s sakes Maddy . . .I tried to tell ya’ . . .”

  It was tangy and savory sweet at the same time. Before long, she was

  grabbing at a glass of water to distinguish what used to be her taste buds. “Wow . . .that sure packs a punch, but delicious,” she laughed. Miss Mabel smiled.

  “That stuff can be pretty addicting, it’s one of my top sellers.”

  “Mabel, can I ask you something?”

  The older woman stopped stacking the jars and turned around. A concerned look washed over her face.

  “Why sure, whatcha' need hon... is everything alright?”

  “Oh, everything is great. I just wanted to pick your brain about what it’s like to live here in Grand Valley,” she explained.

  “Oh? So you’re thinkin’ of putting down some roots here, are ya?” Mabel smiled.

  “As a matter of fact, yes. . . I went for a drive today and really feel at home. It’s beautiful here, and everyone has been so nice to me."

  Mabel walked around the counter and had a seat next to her.

  “Well, I can tell you this much, people here look out for each other. We always have, and we always will.

  “If the town folk didn’t like ya’, you can bet your bottom dollar that you wouldn’t feel so welcome. Oh, and we can all be a ruthless bunch if need be,” she chuckled.

  “Well, I’m glad I made a good impression, and I’m sure you had a lot to do with that,” Maddy replied.

  “Oh, I just call it like I see it,” Mabel laughed. “Mabel, do you know of any rentals in the area? How about jobs," she wondered.

  “Oh, rents in these parts are pretty cheap, if you can find someplace decent. Jobs are here, if you look hard enough. All depends on what you’re lookin' for. There's plenty of seasonal jobs at the local ranches for anyone willing to get a little dirty.”