The Reluctant Cowboy (11 page)

Sierra was so happy to hear about landing the account.  It was only a week after their trip when she got the initial good news.  A few weeks after that, the four presenters were called in to the director’s office informed that Alexandar International was working with the contract team to tweak any changes to the proposal and then the implementation. 

As he congratulated them on a job well done, he handed each of them a sealed envelope from the president of the company.  Sierra went to her office to open it.  She sat down at her desk, then tore the envelope open.  It was a personal letter from the president congratulating each of them individually for their hard work and dedication to their specialty.  It was a very positive letter and Sierra was glowing. 

The letter also included a bonus as a reward for their labor.  Sierra looked at the check and gasped.  It was a fourth of what she made in a year!  She had no idea this would happen and was shocked.  She couldn’t stop smiling, knowing this check would be more than enough for a down payment on a place of her own. 

She had been saving a lot of money, living at home, thanks to her parents.  She had given them monthly rent, even though they didn’t ask her for it.  Her mom told her they would use the money to open a college savings account for Skye. 

She was still smiling when she heard her phone ping.  She saw a group text to herself and Dana from Vanessa.  [
Can you stop by my office on way home?] 
Sierra hoped nothing was wrong and replied that she would be there by 5pm.  She saw Dana reply that she would be there, too. 

She glanced at the clock to see it was already 4:20 pm.  She would be leaving in a few minutes.  She put the letter and check in her purse and started to shut down her computer for the night.  She had been avoiding Vanessa ever since she returned from New York.  She felt guilty for not confiding in her.  She didn’t like keeping Skye and Cole a secret from her, but felt she had to. 

She headed to the veterinary clinic and saw that Dana was already there.  That helped calm her nerves a little.  When she walked in, Kim, the receptionist, told her to head to the back of the building, behind the kennels, where Vanessa’s office was.  Sierra made her way back through the kennels, stopping to pet the wet noses of the dogs inside. 

She saw Vanessa and Dana talking when she stepped inside her office.  “Close the door behind you before the dogs start barking again,” Vanessa laughed, as Sierra closed the door behind her.  “I’m glad you are both here.  I wanted to tell you in person.  Mark and I are going to have a baby!”  Both girls shrieked with excitement and hugged her.  “Riley and Quinn know, of course, but I wanted to tell you both, together.  We are so happy.” 

“How awesome that you and Riley are pregnant together,” Dana quipped. 

Vanessa couldn’t quit smiling, “It’s amazing!  I’m just nine weeks, Riley is way ahead of me, but it’s still exciting.” 

“I am so happy for you!”  Sierra exclaimed, sincerely.  Having a baby was a miracle and she knew Mark and Vanessa would be amazing parents. 

“I also wanted to personally invite you to a party that Quinn’s sister, Jen, will be throwing for us.  Not a baby shower yet, but a get together with all of our families -- mine, Mark’s, Quinn’s, and I wanted to ask both of you and your families to come.  A late summer hoe-down.  You two are like my younger sisters and hope you will be there.” 

“Absolutely.”  Dana was excited and Sierra was, too. 

“I haven’t seen all of my brothers and mother together since our wedding.”   Sierra saw Dana give her a look at the mention of the wedding, but she continued to laugh and show her excitement for her friend. 

“That’s going to be one crazy party.  Does Jen realize what she’s getting herself into?”  Dana asked. 

“You know how Jen is.  She loves to throw parties.  She wanted to do it now before fall and the Quarter Horse Congress starts up.” 

“Okay, what can we do to help?”  The women continued talking about the party and pregnancy for a half an hour. 

Sierra was excited to share the news of the exciting day with her parents.  She told them about the bonus check and Vanessa’s good news.  She also told them about the party and how fun it would be getting everyone together.  She wanted to go online and start looking for houses to buy for her and Skye.  She knew she wanted something close to her parents and maybe a little closer to work.  The housing market was a buyers’ market right now, so she wanted to take advantage of it. 

She had put Skye down for the night when she heard her crying. “Sshh, what is it baby girl?”  She was holding the crying toddler and cooing to her, while she walked around the room.  Skye finally settled down and fell back to sleep.  Sierra thought maybe she was cutting more teeth or had a bad dream.  She kissed the top of her head, laid her back in her crib, and crept quietly out of the room. 

When she got back on the computer, she resumed her search.  Out of curiosity, she decided to look up the apartment that Cole was renting in New York City.  “$12,500 a month? Holy crap.  That’s a lot of money being wasted renting.  I thought that man would be savvier with his funds,” she was talking quietly to herself. 

She let herself think about him before going to bed.  Not a night had passed that she wasn’t questioning herself more and more about telling him about Skye.  She knew that Skye would ask her questions when she was old enough and she would have to tell her. 

She kept a journal.  Not as well as some people she knew, but she would try to make notes every day.  She didn’t want to forget any of Skye’s firsts.  She grabbed for it now and noted that Skye had awoken, crying for a few minutes and then made a smaller note about her bonus and finding out Vanessa was pregnant.  These would be memories someday that Skye may read herself.  At some point, she would journal the story of Cole, she just didn’t know how it would end.

Cole couldn’t believe his luck.  When Vanessa had called to share her pregnancy news with him, he had been ecstatic for her.  He heard her happiness coming through the phone at him.  He caught up with her on her work, married life and her family.  It was a good conversation, which got even better when she invited him to a party at the end of August.  It was just the excuse he needed to come to Ohio. 

****

The party was just a few days away now.  The summer seemed to go by quickly and he had immersed himself in work, but also spent more time with Zach and Carrie at several social engagements. 

He invited his friend, Christine, to come on some of them and she had proven to be an excellent catalyst for discussing Sierra, once he confided in her.  She was becoming a good friend and he appreciated her opinion and perspective.  On one particular night out, about a month ago, he had too much to drink and made a pass at her.  He laughed out loud recalling what she had said to him, “Cole, Honey, I adore you and I’m flattered.  Really.  We tried this once before.  But, there is something I should tell you.  I’m gay.”  Cole had instantly sobered and a look of disbelief must have been on his expression, because Christine had cracked up.  “It’s true.  I’m a lesbian.  I probably should have told you the first go ‘round, but I wasn’t sure myself.  I thought maybe I was bi-sexual and you were very appealing to me…at first.  That’s when I realized that if I didn’t want to sleep with you, I was definitely gay.” 

He didn’t know if that was meant as a compliment, but they had a wonderful discussion for hours after she told him.  She had confided a lot to him and they had remained very close.

His phone vibrated on his desk. 
Speak of the devil herself
.  Cole read Christine’s text and threw his head back laughing.  [
When are we leaving?  What should I pack? Where exactly is Ohio?
]
 
Christine had offered to go with him to attend the party, as his guest.  She thought maybe if Sierra saw Cole with another woman, it would get a reaction out of her. 

Cole texted her back.   [
Nice try, but I’m going solo.] 

His phone vibrated immediately.  [
Worth a shot.  Good Luck.  She’s a lucky woman
.]
 

Cole left the office for the night and made a quick stop on his way home.

It was a great day for a party. Jen and Matt had done their usual best at throwing a great hoe-down.  Bales of hay were set throughout the half-acre lot, turned beginning of fall celebration.  It was still warm during the day, so they had baby pools set up for the little ones with plenty of toys and games. 
The older kids watched after the little ones, while the adults talked, played corn-hole, badminton and horseshoes.  They had pop-up tents set around, so some people were playing euchre while drinking lemonade and iced tea, enjoying the perfect weather. 

Matt was in charge of the pig roasting, while all of the guests brought potluck side dishes to share.  Sierra was having so much fun talking and laughing with everyone, while Skye was enjoying the day with Justin and the other kids. 

Jen and Matt’s two children, M.J. and L.J., ages seven and ten, were in love with Skye and were giving her their full attention.  At eighteen months, Skye was blossoming.  She had an extensive vocabulary and was very animated with her expressions and words. 

Sierra was having a lively debate with Vanessa’s brother, Rocco, when she heard Vanessa squeal in delight and walk swiftly past them.  Rocco turned his head in the direction she was walking and shouted, “Hey, what do you know, New York made it!” 

Sierra didn’t have to look to know who he was referring to.  She felt everything shift into slow motion.  As she saw Rocco raise his hand to wave, she glanced to see where Skye was currently playing and then slowly turned her head to look at him.  She willed herself not to faint and took a deep, calming breath.  After three months of trying to avoid talking about him or seeing him, he was here. 

She watched as he and Vanessa hugged and the other brothers and parents surrounded him with hugs and kisses.  She saw Dana standing just a few feet away look at her and then look at Skye.  They were thinking the same thing.
Should we try and hide her?
  In a few minutes, her life would change.  She wasn’t ready.  She tried to take a deep breath as she saw him spot her and start to walk towards her. 
This was it
.  She had to hold her ground. 

He was smiling and talking with the brothers when they approached her.  “Sierra, you remember Cole?”  Rocco was saying. 

Sierra took a deep breath and extended her hand.  “I do.  Nice to see you again.”

He reached out and shook her hand.  Looking directly into her eyes, grinning, he uttered, “Surprise.”

Cole watched her expression and sensed her unease.  He had wanted to walk up and kiss her, but the brothers had prevented that.  He decided to follow her lead until he had a more private moment to talk with her alone.  After she shook his hand, she had excused herself and Cole was left watching her walk away. 

He was again surrounded by Vanessa’s family and friends and was catching up with them.  He was persuaded to play a game of corn-hole, a first for him, and kept being handed cold beers.  There were a lot of people in attendance and re-introductions were made. 

He caught glimpses of Sierra as he played the games, but she didn’t seem to want to look at him.  He didn’t understand why and it was starting to piss him off.  Maybe this was a bad idea.  He wasn’t prepared for rejection again.  He tried to concentrate on the games and had fun getting to know Quinn, Matt, Doug and the others. 

He refreshed his memory from the wedding, learning more about the people he had met briefly.  They were a good group of people.  He was laughing a lot and feeling much more relaxed as the day wore on. 

Matt checked on the roasting pig and announced that dinner would be ready soon.  Cole had noticed kids playing and running around and appreciated the work that went into hosting a party of this size.  It looked like everyone was equally entertained and he made sure to let the hostess know.  “Jen, right?”  The pretty brunette turned her attention to him. 

“Hi, Cole.  I met you briefly at the wedding.  I’m glad you could make it.  Vanessa is thrilled to see you.” 

“Thank you.  I wanted to let you know that even in New York, this party would be the social event of the season.  You have a real talent for this.” 

“That is so sweet of you to say.  I love parties.  I hope you enjoy dinner and dessert.” 

“I’m sure I will.  Thank you again for having me.” 

Jen nodded and headed toward the massive spread of food that was laid out on several tables.  Vanessa and Mark came to stand and guide Cole through the line.  He didn’t see Sierra as he ate and found himself enjoying the meal and the company anyway. 

While he was eating dessert, he saw a glimpse of Sierra and decided he wasn’t going to wait anymore.  He excused himself and went to look for her.  She was coming out of the house, when he got her attention.  He motioned her over to where they wouldn’t be seen.  As she approached, she was wringing her hands.  She was finally standing in front of him.  “Nice boots,” she commented with a shy smile. 

He was a little taken aback.  “Again with the “
nice
”.  What’s wrong, Sierra?  Are you here with someone?”  She laughed at his question and it was more of a shrill laugh than the musical one he had missed so much. 

“You are.  I didn’t know.  I will say my goodbyes and leave soon.” 

“Oh? You meant like a date?  No, no, not on a date, not with anyone.” 

Cole felt a huge relief.  “Good. Then you won’t mind if I do this.”  He reached out and pulled her into his arms and kissed her.  He felt her hesitation and deepened the kiss until he felt her respond.  He released her and looked into her eyes.  “It’s good to see you.  I missed you.” 

She didn’t respond so he continued, “I have something for you.” 

“You do?” 

“I brought some presents for Vanessa and the baby.  Would you mind helping me carry them in?” 

She was following him, so that was a good sign.  “You drove here?” 

“Yes, I like to take the car on road trips.  It was a nice drive.” 

He reached into the trunk and pulled out a couple of large bags filled with wrapped presents.  He closed the trunk and went around to the passenger side of the car.  He took out a smaller wrapped box and handed it to her.  “This one is for you,” he handed her the present and beckoned her to open it. 

She still hadn’t said anything until she had the present unwrapped and was holding the snow globe in her hands.  He pressed, “Turn it over and wind it.”  He watched as she slowly turned the key and “New York, New York” started playing.  “I didn’t remember you buying one, so I picked this up for you.  I knew you liked Sex and the City and….” 

“This is the one Carrie was holding when she was looking out her apartment window…”  She started to cry as she held the globe. 

“Sierra, why are you crying? I didn’t think it would upset you.  I thought it’s what you wanted.”  Cole was visibly upset, watching her get so emotional. 

She finally looked up at him while her sniffling continued, “It’s perfect.  It’s the most thoughtful gift I’ve ever gotten.  I love it.”  Cole had to strain to hear her because her voice was so soft, whispering, “I don’t know what to say.” 

“You don’t have to say anything, I’m glad you like it.” 

“Help me take these….” He never finished his sentence. 

In an instant, his life changed.  He heard the loud, anguished cries come from the party and in the same instant, the snow globe crashed to the pavement and shattered, as Sierra ran to the sound.  He dropped the bags and ran after her, out of pure instinct. 

When he approached the scene, he noticed immediately that it was a little girl that was hurt.  She wasn’t very old and several people were trying to help her.  Her cries pierced at his heart as he saw the blood running down her face.  Sierra was holding her close, while Vanessa and Riley were trying to assess her.  They couldn’t get her calmed down and Sierra was becoming hysterical. 

She was talking to the child, trying to console her and Cole felt himself being pulled to them.  He made his way through the shouts of alarm until he was kneeling down beside them.  He placed his arm around Sierra as she was rocking the child.  He heard people saying what happened as the child continued to sob, uncontrollably.  Apparently, the little girl had been running and she tripped, falling into one of the metal stakes protruding from one of the pop up tents. 

The little girl’s face was buried in Sierras shoulder, but he could see a large gash on the side of her head.  He knew head wounds bled a lot and it may not be serious, but Vanessa and Riley’s expressions had him worried for her.  “Need to stop the bleeding.”  “Get me a towel.”  “Did you call 911?”  Cole heard the instructions and questions while he tried to calm Sierra and the toddler. 

Sierra was crying hard and her head shifted to look into the child’s eyes.  That’s when he saw her for the first time.  The little girl with blood running down her face had
his
eyes.  “What’s her name?” he yelled into Sierra’s ear. 

“Skye,” she replied, sobbing. 

“Give her to me.”  Cole didn’t wait for her answer as he took the little girl and stood up slowly.  “Skye, sweetie, everything is going to be okay.” He crooned to her as he gently held the little girl out enough so that Vanessa and Riley could work on her.  Skye was still crying, but looked up at him, while he soothed her, “Hi there, sweetie.  My name is Cole.  Good girl.  Look at me, honey.  You like horses?” 

The little girl was studying him as her cries started to lessen.  He could see Vanessa placing the towel on her wound and wiping around her face.  “Give her this.”  Sierra nudged a stuffed animal into his hand.  It was the horse that she bought in New York. 

With his free hand, Cole managed to get the horse in her line of vision, “Look what I have, honey.  Is this your horsey?”

“Orsy.”  Skye continued to cry, but reached out for the stuffed animal. 

“Good girl, Skye.  Horsey wants to know where it hurts.  Can you tell him where it hurts?”  Riley reached in to wipe her nose and remove some of the blood surrounding her eyes and mouth.  The blood was still flowing as the towel was becoming soaked. 

“Skye, talk to Horsey, honey.  He needs to know you are okay.”  Cole was starting to panic as her cries seemed to subside, but her eyes weren’t clear and focused. “Skye, please, honey, talk to Horsey.” 

He heard the sirens and felt brief relief knowing they were close.  Sierra was clinging to his arm and talking softly to Skye.  She had gained some composure.  “Mamama….owwyy,” Skye whined.

“Mommy’s here, sweetheart.  I’m right here.”  Cole knew it, but hearing her say it, confirmed it.  The paramedics arrived and quickly took control of the situation.  Cole reluctantly handed her over to them.  They took her vitals and started an IV.  It became eerily quiet when Skye stopped crying.  

Cole had backed a few feet away as he watched Sierra climb in the back of the ambulance with Skye and the paramedics.  His hands were trembling as he looked down to see them and his shirt soaked in blood.  He dropped to his knees as the emotions hit him.   He felt strong hands on either side of his shoulder.  He raised his head to see most of the people were gathering their things to head to the hospital.  The strong hands helped him stand and he heard Rocco’s concerned voice, “It’s going to be okay.  You did great.  Let’s get to the hospital.” 

Cole felt numb as Rocco led him inside the house so he could wash up. People were moving in all directions inside and out, but weren’t saying anything.  The little ones were crying, scared by what had happened to Skye.  Their parents were consoling them and the once enchanting party had become a nightmare before his eyes.  Skye’s eyes.  Was it truly possible?