Jenna's Cowboy (3 page)

Having sudden reservations that maybe she had been too hasty to tell Nate that he was hired, she diced up some peaches and placed them on Zach’s plate. Her almost-two-year-old son grinned at her from his booster seat and picked up several chunks of fruit, shoving them into his mouth.

“Use your spoon, Zach.” When the little boy obediently picked up the spoon and tackled the peaches, she turned toward her dad.

She watched him cut up his slice of roast beef and glanced at her mom, who had heard all about her seeing Nate and her impulsive job offer. Her mother gave her an encouraging smile and nod. Jenna took a deep breath and automatically caught Zach’s hand before he threw peaches at his uncle Will.

A twinkle lit her son’s eyes. “No-no.”

“That’s right. Throwing food is a no-no.”

Zach grinned, first at her then at Will. “Sor-ry.”

“Are you teasing us?” asked Will, giving the little boy an indulgent grin.

Zach nodded, making them chuckle.

Jenna tried to be stern, but it was hard when the kid looked so cute. “You need to quit playing and eat your supper, young man.”

“Yeah.” Zach shoved the peaches into his mouth.

Satisfied that his moment of mischief had passed, Jenna focused on her father. “I hired someone to replace Virgil today.”

Dub’s hands stilled, and he looked down the oval golden brown mesquite table at her, his expression mildly surprised.

“Whoa! Gettin’ a little big for your britches, aren’t you, sis?” Will’s wide-eyed grin told her that he thought she was in big trouble.

“I’m a partner,” she said defensively, then grimaced because she’d let him bait her.

Her dad finished cutting up his meat. “Who?”

“Nate Langley.”

Her father’s brows practically met in a frown.

“Nate made it home?” asked Chance with a smile. When Zach pointed at his sippy cup, he handed it to him.

Jenna nodded. “He changed a flat for me this afternoon on the way home from town. He got in a couple of days ago. So you knew he was coming back?”

“I talked to him about three weeks ago, and he said he wasn’t going to reenlist.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

“He wasn’t positive the army would release him. He’d had some friends whose tours were extended even though it was time for them to get out. So he didn’t want Tom or Chris to hear about it until it was a done deal. He didn’t want to get their hopes up and then disappoint them.” Chance moved the sippy cup farther back on the table.

Jenna nodded in understanding and turned her attention back to her father. “His folks didn’t say anything until after he’d decided to come home, but they were thinking about selling the farm because Tom can’t handle the whole job and they can’t afford to hire anybody. Nate plans to do all the heavy work, but he needs something part-time so he has some income.”

“Chris said she wasn’t going back to work at the clinic for another month, not until she’s reassured Tom is doing okay,” said her mother. “So their finances will definitely be stretched thin for a while.” A look passed between her parents. Jenna might be able to sway her father on many things, but the person he trusted the most for advice was his beloved wife, Sue.

Zach reached toward her. “’Tatoes.”

She put some mashed potatoes on his plate, added some carrots and squished them, then mixed a dab of gravy in with the vegetables. Cutting up some small bites of roast, she added them to his plate and smiled when he successfully put a bite into his mouth with the spoon. “Good job.”

Zach gave her a potatoes-and-gravy-tinted grin.

“Nate needs a place of his own,” added Sue, looking at Dub. “You said yourself that a man needs some breathing room.” Which was why her father had Chance build a house for himself and one for Will, each an acre away on either side of the main house.

Will winked at Jenna. He had confided that he sometimes felt an acre wasn’t quite enough distance. “You know, Dad, I never have figured out whether you thought Chance and I should have the breathing room or whether you needed it.”

Dub chuckled and dabbed a roll in the gravy, sending his wife a mischievous glance. “Both.”

Jenna felt a twinge of guilt, suspecting that her parents might like to be empty nesters again. It was past time to talk to them about her and Zach moving into her grandparents’ house, which had been built in 1910. She loved the twelve-foot ceilings and numerous tall windows that made it bright and sunny. Her folks had remodeled it fifteen years earlier as a guesthouse, but it hadn’t been used much since her brothers had moved out. Dub and Sue enjoyed having their company stay with them in the ranch house.

She wasn’t sure how much peace, quiet, and privacy they’d really had before she and Zach moved back home. With the exception of breakfast, Will ate most of his meals there, and Chance joined them in the evening several times a week, more often if he was between building projects. They enjoyed the food and the family, and being there was expected. She didn’t think it was a hardship on her mother, since Ramona did most of the cooking. But she expected her parents would enjoy more time alone.

Jenna wiped potatoes off Zach’s face and a bit of carrot from his hair. Her food was getting cold, but that was normal. She picked up her fork. “Nate’s going to call you tonight.”

“You think he’s up to the job?”

“He said he’s a little rusty. But I think he’ll do fine.”

“Does he look fit?”

“Very.” Her cheeks grew warm when she realized what she’d said and how she’d said it.

Will hooted and Chance grinned.

“William, don’t tease your sister.” But the amusement in her mother’s eyes told Jenna that she liked her answer.

“Yes, ma’am.” His laughter settled into a grin.

Jenna peeked at her father and almost groaned. He didn’t seem one bit happy with what she’d said. “I meant he appears all healed up from his injuries. His leg didn’t bother him at all.” She cleared her throat. “And he’s added a lot of muscle.”

Will snickered, and she tried to kick him beneath the table. She missed. He really was a responsible and intelligent thirty-one-year-old, except when it came to giving her a hard time. Why did his teasing turn her into a kid again, wanting to get even?

“I’ll talk to him.” Dub pinned her with his gaze. “But the final decision is mine.”

“Yes, sir.” She should have known better than to act so impulsively. She might be a partner, one who could give input into ranch affairs along with her brothers and mother, but ultimately, her father made the decisions. She needed to remember that. Everyone around called it Callahan country, and Dub Callahan was the reason.

Will and Chance had some power over various aspects of the ranch—certainly more than she did—but her father was the reigning monarch. She was his princess, and that’s all she would ever be. “I’m sorry if I overstepped my authority. It was so good to see him home safe and sound, and when I heard about their situation, it seemed right to help them out.”

“You know he’ll make a good hand,” Chance said quietly. He and Nate had been best friends since first grade. They’d kept in touch since graduation, although Nate’s access to email had been sporadic when he was overseas.

“So that’s three votes,” said Sue.

“Four,” Will added quietly. “We owe him the opportunity, if for no other reason than for helping keep us safe.”

“I agree with all that, but I still want to talk to him face to face.” Her father’s expression softened as he focused on Jenna again. “War changes men, honey. Sometimes for the better. Sometimes not.”

Oh, he’s better.
But she didn’t think she should express that opinion out loud.

An hour later, Nate pulled up in front of the light tan brick, one-and-a-half-story Callahan ranch house. He’d expected that Dub would want to discuss the job in person, check him out for himself. He would have done the same if he were in the rancher’s boots.

He walked up the stone steps to the wide porch that encircled the house. Chance threw open the door before he could knock and crushed him in a bear hug. When he released him, his friend took a step back and playfully slugged him on the upper arm. “Why didn’t you call and tell me they’d turned you loose?”

“The colonel waffled until the last minute. Then I was scrambling to deal with all the paperwork. I only got here day before yesterday. Spent the time hashing through stuff with the folks and running over to Abilene to see the grandparents.”

“How’s your dad?” Chance clamped an arm around his shoulders and ushered him into the house.

Nate noted that Sue had redecorated. Red was the predominate color, along with southwestern patterned throws, pillows, and pottery. She’d added more Western paintings and a brass statue of a cowboy riding a wild bronc. But the old, worn Western hats still hung on the antique hall tree, and Dub’s grandfather’s scuffed cowboy boots remained on the floor beside it.

“I think he’s still way too weak and pale, but they both insist that he’s getting stronger. It’s hard for him to accept that he can’t work as much as he’s used to, so he overdoes it.”

“Then it’s good you decided to come back home,” said Sue, holding open her arms.

“Yes, ma’am.” Nate hugged her gently. “It feels right.” He knew she was pushing sixty, but there wasn’t any gray in her hair, even if it was a little lighter than it used to be. More strawberry-blonde than red. Jenna had inherited her mother’s hair and her turquoise eyes, but not her height. At five-three, she’d gotten shortchanged a few inches in that department.

When Nate stepped back, Dub held out his hand. “Welcome home. Looks like the army agreed with you.”

“Can’t complain. They treated me fair and square.” He shook hands with Jenna’s father, keenly aware that the man was sizing him up. Dub’s hair had turned silver, but he still stood straight and tall, topping Nate by a couple of inches. The boys had taken after him in height and with their dark brown hair. But only Will had his dark eyes. Chance’s eyes were green, which had prompted his brother to try to convince him that he’d been adopted when they were kids. They were a striking bunch, both in looks and with an air of confidence that came from being the most powerful family in the area.

“But it’s good to be back in West Texas.” No bombs. Nobody shooting at him. No wondering if the person walking toward him was friend or enemy.

Will was next to greet him, shaking his hand and slapping him on the back. Out of the corner of his eye, Nate saw Jenna step out of the kitchen carrying her son. Seeing her with the little boy triggered an unexpected wave of longing. With pale blond hair, Zach was as cute as could be, especially as he looked up at his mom in adoration and patted her cheek.

He smiled as Jenna joined them. “So this is the man in charge.”

Dub laughed. “You got that right.”

“And you love every minute of it.” Jenna winked at her dad, then smiled at Nate. “Zach, this is Nate. He’s an old friend.”

The little boy watched him carefully. His eyes were dark blue with light gray starbursts radiating from the center. Nate decided he had the second prettiest eyes he’d ever seen. Zach glanced around at the others. Nate had the impression the kid was trying to gauge how his family felt about him.

As the boy’s gaze came back to him, Nate said quietly, “Glad to meet you, Zach. Your mama was braggin’ about you this afternoon. She said you were the cutest, sweetest, and smartest boy in the whole world.”

“Not that she’s prejudiced,” mumbled Will with a chuckle.

“And I have every right to be.”

Zach still studied him intently. What was going on in that little mind?

“He’s okay,” Jenna said softly. “He’s a good guy.”

Her son looked back at her, his serious expression making Nate a little nervous. She had mentioned earlier that Zach loved to kick his Nerf soccer ball around the house. “And I play soccer.”

“Since when?” Chance asked.

Nate glanced at him. “First tour in Iraq.” He turned back to Zach. “Maybe you and I can kick the ball around sometime.”

Zach held out his arms to him. “Play ball.”

Nate noted surprise flash across Jenna’s face. “Is it okay?”

“Sure. He just doesn’t normally go to someone new right away.”

He lifted Zach carefully and settled him on one arm, holding him securely across the back with his other hand. Nate liked kids and had spent as much time as he could with the neighborhood children in Iraq. He had also visited a nearby orphanage whenever he had an opportunity. The boys there had taught him to play soccer.

Zach rested one arm on Nate’s shoulder and pointed across the room. “Play ball.”

“Now you’ve done it. Looks like our meeting will be postponed for a few minutes.” Dub’s eyes twinkled as he glanced down at Nate’s boots. “Worth the wait to see you scramble around in cowboy boots.”

“Sorry, sir.” He frowned at Jenna. “We’re only going to kick it back and forth, right? He doesn’t expect me to play defense, does he?”

“Maybe a little, but nothing too serious. None of us really know how to play anyway.”

Nate walked over and set Zach on the floor. Before he could straighten, the boy kicked the ball and chased after it, smacking it again. “Whoa, he’s fast.” Laughing, Nate took off after him. As Nate caught up with the ball, Zach giggled and kicked it. “Oh, that’s the way it is, huh? Better watch out, I’m gonna get it.”