Cowboy Candy Read online

  “Well, I've never been afraid to dig in the dirt,” Maddy smiled. She took a sip of coffee and tried to find a delicate way of asking who that cowboy was. She decided to come on out with it.

  “Mabel, I've just got to ask . . .who was that handsome cowboy in here this morning?”

  Mabel furrowed her brow and removed the corncob pipe from her mouth.

  “Cowboy, Which one?”

  She rubbed her chin and furrowed her brow.

  “Well, since you mentioned “handsome” that narrows it down considerably. I'm guessin' your askin’ about the dark, handsome, tall drink a' water that was at the bulletin board?"

  Maddy blushed, "Yep. That's the one. Who is he? Does he live close by," she quizzed the old woman.

  "Slow down just a minute and I'll tell ya'”

  Mabel smiled.

  "That ain't no ordinary cowboy, hon. His name's Dusty Cash, and he's one of the most eligible bachelors in Grand Valley," she paused. Maddy could barely contain her excitement.

  "Eligible bachelor," she sighed.

  "Yep, he sure is a fine specimen of a man, ain't he? I can see the stars in your eyes, girl. Got your sights set on him, then?" Mabel teased. “I don't want to Mabel, really I don't . . .

  There's something about him . . .”

  Mabel’s chuckle broke into her thoughts.

  "Hon, all you have to know is he's handsome. He's a gentleman. He's a cowboy, and oh, yeah; he's rich... did I forget to mention that?" “Rich? Oh really Mabel, I've never been attracted to a man for his money. I can stand on my own two feet. If I find my prince charming someday, all I ask is that loves me and appreciates me,” Maddy confessed. “Don't you think I know that, hon? Look at you, cute as a button and all by yourself. You had to go runnin' away from some worthless excuse of a man who abused you. I can tell by your car, your clothes, hell, by the way that you carry yourself that you're not no gold-digger.”

  “I just thought I'd mention it so you wouldn't be so surprised. He ain't no regular run of the mill cowboy. His daddy is Walt Cash, one of the most respected ranchers in Grand Valley. His mama is a saint. Name's Grace and she got hurt real bad when she got bucked from a stallion.” “Oh, was she crippled," Maddy asked with concern.

  “Yep, partially. However, she fought back, and I hear that she's doin' better than the docs said she would. I know one thing. She raised that boy right. He's a complete gentleman and a hard-worker. It's too bad that good for nothin' Janie left him high and dry for one of the ranch hands. It seems that cowboy's been all by his lonesome for months now. Sure, he's dated some, but nothin' serious. Guess he's heartsick.”

  “My. Oh, my. How could any woman in her right mind leave someone like him,” Maddy wondered aloud.

  “You’re not kiddin, Maddy. That there boy is special. Sexier than a hot pistol but sweet on the surface. Nearly every woman in the valley wonders just how hot he is in the sack, bet he’s a real firecracker.” Maddy laughed.

  “So, why’d she leave him, then?”

  Mabel shook her head.

  “She never gave any reason, but I hear it's because he worked such long hours. Plus, he's devoted to caring for his mother. I’m guessin’ her pea brain couldn’t wrap itself around that. She was a spoiled brat in my opinion...guess she didn’t feel like number one, so moved on. Can you believe that . . .” Mabel let out a whistle.

  “No, I sure can’t. You’d think she’d be grateful to have a man who works hard and cares about family.”

  “Well, hells bells. That’s for sure,” Mabel grinned.

  Maddy smiled.

  “Mabel thanks for the lowdown, but I'm sure he’d never give me the time of day, anyway. Just as well, I’m sworn off men for good. I can't take another risk of being hurt, ever again. I won’t . . . I can’t. I've been dragged through hell and back with Jack. I’m finally free to do as I wish, not what someone else tells me to do. My main goal is to find a place and get a job. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Something simple, that's all I want,” Maddy sighed.

  “Well, then you came to the right place, then. If you check up on that board over yonder, you'll see a job posted for a caregiver. It seems there's a handsome cowboy who's lookin' for someone to help care for his mama,” Mabel winked.

  “What?”

  Maddy whooped as she hopped off the stool and headed for the bulletin board. It was full of thumbtacks and index cards. There were cows for sale, mares too. Tractors for sale, houses for rent . . .

  “Aha!,” Maddy cried as she removed the index card from the board.

  She began to read it out loud.

  “Help Wanted. Caregiver needed for full-time employment. . .Firstaid a must . . . Benefits include cabin, utilities paid, and a generous salary for the right person. Inquire at the Mountain Rose Ranch. . . The Mountain Rose ranch," she whispered.

  She waved the card and ran back to the counter.

  “Miss Mabel, I just drove past this place today! It's beautiful. You mean...Dusty owns the Mountain Rose Ranch?” she gasped.

  Mabel winked and spit some chew into the spittoon.

  “That'd be the one!” she laughed.

  CHAPTER 10 Mabel's was packed, with hardly a place to sit down. Dusty managed to find a stool at the counter and sat down.

  “Why look who's here,” Mabel grinned . . .

  “What can I get for ya’ handsome?”

  “Oh, don't know, really. How about a nice big steak with fries and coffee?”

  “One T-Bone, rare - comin’ up,” she announced with a wink.

  “Bet you didn't think I remembered your favorites, now did ya'?”

  He gave her a dazzling smile.

  “Miss Mabel, you sure treat me good.”

  As Mabel poured coffee into empty cups and made small talk with all of her customers, Dusty scanned the room discreetly. He was looking for that luscious little lady whom he'd been dreaming about. “Shit,” he mumbled. “She’s nowhere in sight.”

  Dejected, he nursed his coffee, hoping she'd come in. No such luck. "Dammit" he frowned.

  Mabel placed a big platter of steak and fries in front of him and refilled his coffee. One thing he could not complain about what Miss Mabel's cooking. She was the best in town. Watching the clock, he ate his meal slowly while he lingered in the diner like a love sick puppy. The crowd was thinning out and before long, he and Miss Mabel were nearly the only two left in the place.

  “Wanna’ tell me what’s on your mind,” she asked.

  Dusty chuckled, “How'd you know I had something on my mind?” She smiled.

  “Well, you don't get to be old as dirt and not learn a thing or two about folks. . .Besides, you hardly ever come to town to eat, so I figured you either loved my cookin’ or you got more serious matters on your mind . . . Say . . . a gorgeous young woman who wears pink slippers?”

  “Well, I'll be,”he grinned. “You sure are perceptive Miss Mabel. What gave me away,” he asked.

  “Let's just say I've got a sixth sense about these things,”she replied.

  “You should bottle up that sixth sense of yours and patent it, Miss Mabel. I have to confess; yep. . .she's the one I came looking for. I thought I might find her eating dinner tonight. No such luck though, I’m afraid to say,” he smiled.

  “Dusty, I think I may be able to help your predicament. That little filly is staying here at my place, and just blew into town two nights ago. You couldn't ask for a prettier, nicer person than that one.”

  He gulped hard. "So, she's staying here? Tell me, do you know anything else about her," he asked hopefully.

  “Of course I do! Her name's Maddy. . .Maddy Cassidy to be exact. She drove that old Mustang parked out back all the way from Tennessee. I can tell ya’, she hasn't had it easy. It seems some son of a gun back there mistreated her somethin’ awful,” she informed him.

  “Mistreated, you mean he hit her?” Dusty said, enraged.

  Mabel nodded her head.

  “That's exactly what I mean. She’s
coming out of her shell, but you might be out of luck if its romance you have on your mind. She’s sworn off men. . . can’t say I blame her. She’s been walkin’on eggshells, if you know what I mean.”

  “Just my luck,” he groaned. “Anything else I should know before I go and make a complete fool out of myself,” he asked.

  “You should know that she's plannin' on stayin' in these parts, permanent. She's twenty-eight years old, not a kid. She's independent, intelligent, and don’t let those good looks fool ya, she’s as beautiful on the inside, as she is on the out,” she smiled.

  Dusty put some money on the counter, grabbed his Stetson, and and gave the old woman a kiss on the cheek. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't just barge his way into her life, now could he? He figured she was still skittish about men, probably why she ran away from him this morning. However, he couldn't just sit idly by and let some other cowboy snatch her up.

  "Ahem!" Miss Mabel cleared her throat.

  Dusty turned to look at her. "Did I forget something," he asked.

  "If you're thinkin' of introducin' yourself to Maddy right now, your shit out of luck.. . .She went into town to do some shoppin' - seems she's lookin' for a job.”

  CHAPTER 11 Maddy was casually making her way through the local boutique. She adored the summery dresses and the casual styles, but needed something along the lines of a business suit. She cringed at the thought of showing up at a job interview without one. However, the town was small and the nearest strip mall was eighty miles away. She figured she'd just have to keep searching. The selection was surprisingly diverse for such a small town. Confident, she knew if she looked long enough, she'd find the perfect one.

  Finally, she brought an armload of dresses to the salesclerk. “Excuse me, miss. I'd like to try these on if I can.”

  The sales clerk grinned and handed her a key to the dressing room. “Thanks so much,” she smiled.

  Normally, Maddy couldn't stand the thought of trying on so many

  distinctive outfits.

  However, this was different.

  This was no routine job she was applying for. . .and Dusty was no

  ordinary cowboy.

  ~*~ Dusty pulled out of Mabel's and headed back for the ranch. The sun would be setting soon, and he loved this time of day. Grand Valley was breathtaking any time of the year, but the sunsets. . .now, they were out of this world beautiful. He whistled along with the country song playing on the radio as he cruised towards town.

  He turned a left on to Main Street and had to do a double-take. Parked in front of Lily's Boutique was a red sixty five fastback. He slowed the truck down to a crawl.

  He smiled.

  "Well. I'll be. That has to be the one. I never saw that car before. Yep, that’s it - Tennessee plates.” He was grinning from ear to ear as the wheels turned in his head. “Now, let’s see . . . I could park down the road some and pretend I happened to be in the area. No, no that's not gonna’ work, only crazyass stalkers pull stunts like that.”

  He pondered his options. “I could sit and wait for her to come out of Lily's.”

  Nope, he shook his head.

  "That's another stalker routine. I don't want to scare her," he muttered. He smiled, and pulled a u-turn.

  "I got it. Might as well just come right out with it.”

  He parked across the street from Lily's and hastily pulled a business card out of the glove box. Pulling out a pen, he quickly scribbled something on the back and hurried across the street to place it under her windshield. He made it back to his truck and was just pulling out when Maddy happily emerged from the dressing room. She didn't notice the big Ford truck as it drove away. She was focused on her task at hand. She had found the perfect outfit, and was fishing through her purse so she could pay the clerk.

  “Did you find everything all right?”

  Maddy grinned.

  “I sure did. I have an important job interview tomorrow and managed to put together a great outfit.”

  The salesclerk smiled.

  “Oh? Where’s the job? Here in town?”

  Maddy grinned.

  “Well, just a little outside of town, at the Mountain Rose Ranch.”

  The sales clerk smacked her forehead.

  “Where’s my manners? Hi, my name's Peg.”

  "Hi Peg, Maddy Cassidy," she smiled and shook Peg's hand.

  "Good luck Maddy . . .and, welcome to Grand Valley."

  “Thanks, Peg...I appreciate that.”

  As she emerged from the boutique, she swung her shopping bags and hummed a happy tune. She placed her bags in the back seat and got in to start the engine.

  “What the heck?,” she mused when she noticed a business card underneath her windshield wiper.

  Thinking it was just some sales pitch; she reached around and snatched it.

  "Man, these salespeople never quit," she moaned. When she glanced at the card, the red rose logo caught her attention.

  "What the..." she whispered. Her hands trembled as she tried to steady her nerves. She read the card aloud, "Mountain Rose Ranch..."Her heart was beginning to race again as she read the back of the card.

  "Howdy Mademoiselle... Miss Mabel told me you were looking for a job. I sure could use your help. If you're interested, please come up to the ranch tomorrow morning around ten. Hope to see you then, Dusty."

  She was’t sure whether she should to take him up on the job offer or get the hell out of Dodge. The thought of working at the ranch and having him around made her spine tingle.

  “The pros are...I’d have a respectable job, my own place, and a handsome cowboy to work for....The cons are, I’d have a handsome cowboy to work for.” She smiled and kissed the business card, leaving a large red imprint of her lips on the front.

  "See ya' tomorrow, handsome," she sighed.

  CHAPTER 12 Maddy checked her appearance in the small bathroom mirror. Pleased she had chosen the Gunne Sax prairie dress with floral accents. The rich brown velveteen matched her eye color, and the dark black crocheted lace matched her boots. Since she was interviewing, she decided to wear her hair up in a sleek chignon knot.

  She spent some extra time applying her "face." Her eyes were lined with a smoky charcoal black and the black-black mascara she used made her eye color pop. Her skin was as smooth as silk, so she applied a bronzer and to finish it off, a deep red lipstick that was her signature color.

  She climbed up on the edge of the bathtub, teetering on her heels to try to get a full-length view of her dress. From what she could see, it was perfect. It was a maxi-dress, so the lace edged hem stopped just above the tops of her Dingo boots. She carefully stepped from her precarious perch and grabbed her handbag.

  She gave one final check in the mirror to ensure that her hoop earring were not too large, her fingernails were lacquered in the same red as her lips. Some ringlets had escaped from the chignon, but somehow had managed to frame her face as if it were a work of art.

  Satisfied, she picked up Dusty's business card and stepped outside into the bright morning sunlight. As she walked towards Mabel's diner more than one pick-up truck slowed down to check her out. He tried not to notice but inwardly giggled. Men could be so predictable sometimes.

  She held her breath and opened the front door to Mabel's. As soon as she stepped inside, it was as if all conversations stopped. Embarrassed, she chose to ignore the silence and looked up to see Mabel, grinning from ear to ear.

  "Has anybody seen Maddy," she hollered and everyone began to laugh. "My, oh my... I damn near didn't recognize you Maddy. You look like you just stepped right out of the pages of a fashion magazine. Someone is going to be mighty impressed today," she grinned.

  Maddy blushed and grinned widely.

  "It's me, Miss Mabel . . . The one, the only Madelyn Cassidy!” She felt self-conscious as hell, and tried to ignore the approving nods while she took a seat at the counter.

  "Can I please get a strong cup of coffee, black?”

  Mabel winked.

/>   "Honey, the way you look today, you'll be able to get whatever you

  want. If you know what I mean.”

  CHAPTER 13 It was nine o'clock, and Dusty hopped into his jeep and drove from the hunting cabin to the main house. He hoped to see Maddy's car coming up the driveway, but hell, he wasn't even sure if she'd show. He turned on the misters in his mother's greenhouse, pulled a few weeds, and felt as nervous as a bandy rooster. He was pleasantly surprised to hear a vehicle coming up the sweeping driveway. He stood up, pushed back the brim of his Stetson, and whistled low to himself. Maddy was here. He could not believe it. The woman he had been dreaming about for days was only a stone's throw away. At the moment, he was enjoying the view as one of her shapely calves emerged from the driver's side of her mustang.

  His heart raced. His mouth suddenly became dry, like cotton. He was staring, fascinated as she emerged from her car. First, he noticed her boots, next a shapely leg, and then a cute little behind as she bent over to retrieve her purse from the passenger's seat. "Lord, have mercy," he whispered. She checked her appearance in the rear-view mirror, allowing him more than ample time to look at her lovely derriere.

  He inhaled deeply and tried to control a certain bodily function. He wore under his breath.

  "Dammit, she makes me react like a gosh darn schoolboy." Finally, he began walking in her direction. Maddy heard the crunching

  of gravel made by someone's footsteps and turned around slowly. "Good morning Miss Maddy," Dusty dazzled her with his sensual

  smile. "Welcome to Mountain Rose Ranch," he said as he reached his hand

  towards hers. Maddy froze for an instant, not knowing whether she should

  run and hide, or shake hands with the sexiest cowboy she'd ever laid eyes

  on.

  She held out her perfectly manicured hand as he grasped it firmly with

  his own large, calloused one. The two didn't speak for a moment, as if they

  were somehow frozen in time.

  "Good morning... Mr. Cash," she managed to half-whisper. His hooded