Rustic Hearts

Braxton

I throw the cooler into the back of the pickup and shut the tailgate. The next two days, Jefferson, Emmett, and I will be attending the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver. We attend every year as a part of our membership in the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. They sponsor the event, and it’s always top-notch. Each year, the trade show offers training and education in better breeding and feeding techniques to area stockmen, and the stock show features all the latest and greatest equipment to hit the agricultural market in the last year. Several of the local ranches send a couple of representatives. It’s important to stay on top of the market and to get continuing education in the ever-changing industry.

Jefferson steps out of the house onto the porch, followed by Aunt Madeline. Dallas’s pickup pulls up just as he kisses her good-bye, and she and Sophie hop out.

“See you gals in a few days,” he greets as he heads my way.

“Where are you going?” Sophie asks as he passes.

“Denver. We have the Stock Show and Rodeo to attend.”

“A rodeo? Really?”

He stops and takes in her expectant face. “I forgot how much you loved rodeos when you were little.”

“I love them! I haven’t been to one since I was eleven years old, but I still watch them on television from time to time.”

He ponders her statement for a moment. “You want to come with us?”

“Can I?” Her face is alight.

“I don’t see why not. We have two rooms booked, and Brax can bunk in with Emmett and me.”

She brings her hopeful eyes to me. “I don’t want to put you out of your room,” she says, a little deflated.

“Go, pack a bag quickly. We need to get on the road,” I say in response.

She squeals in delight and runs into the house.

I can’t believe the same girl who showed up here in designer duds gets that excited at the prospect of spending two nights in a crappy hotel and attending a rodeo. She is full of all kinds of surprises.

“Man, I wish I could go. I’d love to watch some real cowboys competing,” Dallas says as she starts to follow.

“Why don’t you?” Jefferson asks. “Sophie isn’t going to want to spend all day talking shop during the actual show. You girls can hang out in the city, and I’ll scrounge you up some badges for the rodeo competitions in the evening.”

“I can’t. I’m on the schedule at the diner tomorrow, and I have Beau. Momma and Daddy watch him while I work all week. I don’t want to ask them to keep him at night too.”

“He can stay here with us,” Ria offers as she rounds the house with a watering can in hand. “Doreen and I would love his company. It’s been a while since the pitter-patter of little feet graced this old house.”

“He has school.”

“I think we can manage to get him to and from the schoolhouse for a couple of days. It would be our pleasure.”

Dallas looks like she is considering it.

“Let me call Faye right quick and see if she can cover my shift.” She runs off into the house.

“You sure you’re okay with giving up your room, son?” Jefferson asks me once they are inside.

I shrug. “I don’t mind. As long as I don’t have to babysit her and Dallas.”

“They’re big girls. They can take care of themselves.”

Dallas was unable to get coverage for work, so she is driving up tomorrow night. That means Sophie had to come up with us. Jefferson is driving, and Emmett is riding shotgun. We waited until the workday was done and headed out after di

I look over, and she is yawning.

“Look who’s ready to crash at seven p.m.,” I tease her.

“I can’t help it. You crazy people have me up at the crack of dawn every day. My internal clock is all off.” She grins.

She puts some earbuds into her ears and turns her music on, and about ten minutes later, she is fast asleep. In her slumber, she lulls to the side, and her head rests at a strange angle. She looks uncomfortable, so I gently pull her forward and tuck her into my side, so her head is lying on me. She looks so beautiful and peaceful. I absentmindedly run my fingers through her long, silky hair.

“Brax.” Jefferson gets my attention.

I meet his eyes in the rearview mirror. “Yeah?”

“How’s my girl doing back there?”

“Good. She’s sleeping.”

He nods. “She comfortable?”

I know he sees her curled up in my lap.

“I got her.”

“That’s good, son.”

We pull up to the hotel a little over an hour later. It’s a budget establishment because us men couldn’t care less how fancy the place is as long as it’s clean and it has hot water. I look down at Sophie and feel a bit guilty that she’ll be sleeping in the old, smelly, run-down place.

“You think there are any other hotels with vacancies?” I ask as Jefferson parks the truck.

“Why? We always stay here,” he asks.

“Because the beds are lumpy, the rooms smell like stale cigarettes, and the coffee tastes like turpentine.”

“Yeah, and?”

“And that’s fine for us three, but I hate for Sophie to be stuck here because we don’t mind it.”

He looks into the backseat at his sleeping daughter and sighs. “I doubt there’s anything available around here. Everything has probably been sold out for months because of the show. She’ll be fine.” He opens his door and steps out. “You guys wait here, and I’ll go check us in and see if they can put an extra cot in our room.”

Emmett turns in his seat. “I have to take a leak.”

Then, he gets out and darts after Jefferson toward the hotel’s office. At the sound of his door slamming shut, Sophie starts, and then she rolls over and snuggles in deeper.

I like the feel of her, and I love the smell of her. My mind flashes back to her wrapped around me the other night. She stayed on her side of the bed until five minutes after she fell asleep. I lay there, watching television, and she rolled into me and wrapped herself around me. Her bare legs hooking my thigh and her arm going around my middle. It took every ounce of self-control I had not to move on top of her and continue that kiss from the bar, but I knew she’d had too much to drink. So, I just held her. All night long, I held her, and I haven’t been able to think about much else since.

Morgan showed up the next morning and caught Sophie sneaking back to the farmhouse. I had just stepped into the shower when I heard the pounding on the door. I thought maybe Sophie had forgotten something or was spooked back to the door by her dad, so I jumped out, wrapped a towel around my hips, and opened it. I tried to block Morgan’s entrance, but she forced her way into my space. I spent the next two excruciating hours convincing her that there was nothing left between us to save and that what had or hadn’t happened between Sophie and me, or any girl for that matter, was none of her damn business. She told me how much she still loved me and made a lot of hollow apologies and hollow promises if I would reconsider.

When I finally got her to the door, she threw her parting shot.

“If you think any girl is going to be satisfied with living her life above an old barn and only having your attention ten percent of the time without getting restless, you’re crazy. Especially that girl. It might be fine for Madeline, but even Elle wants more than this. I love you enough that I’m willing to try. Maybe we could find a compromise because having everything I ever wanted wasn’t as wonderful as I’d thought it would be without you.”