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“Any time, cowboy.”
“How can I be a cowboy without boots and a hat?” He kicked at a clump of manure and walked away from me.
“You know what? You’re right. I think we need to fix that.” I nodded and waited for him to say something. He got a look in his eye when he was contemplating, and I knew I wouldn’t want to miss what he was going to say.
“Mom said we don’t have the money to buy things I can live without.” His sad eyes looked up at me. I knew she was right, but I had money and she couldn’t tell me what to do with it.
“You leave your mom to me.” I put my hand on his shoulder and we walked out of the barn. We now had a new mission; make Cooper look like the cowboy he was.
“Really, Kipp?” I nodded and looked at my watch. I had a plan and I needed to get going if I was going to accomplish it.
Going to town was the one thing I hated the most, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. “Okay boys, behave yourselves.” Nora looked between me and Cooper.
“Yes ma’am,” we said together, and I looked back at the four-year-old grinning in the back seat.
“You sure you don’t need anything that’s not on the list?” She checked with me and I shook my head. “Okay, last chance, unless you call the store.” She reached for the handle and got out of the truck. She didn’t have a cell phone, and I didn’t want her out in the middle of nowhere without one anymore, so I would fix that today, too. I watched Nora walk into the store. Cooper and I were headed somewhere else.
“All right, little man, let’s go get you looking like a cowboy.” We hopped out of the truck and walked into the western store.
“Well, Kipp, how are you?” The older woman with shining red hair behind the counter waved at me and smiled, her smile faltering when she noticed I had Cooper with me. “And who is this?”
“He’s the son of my new cook. We’re here to make him look like a cowboy. He’s got the horse, but not the boots.” Cooper tilted his head up at me and smiled. “So, Sally, you think you can help us?”
“Making cowboys look like cowboys is what I do best.” She walked out from behind the counter and waved us over to the boys section. Cooper followed to look at the shirts. “What are we talking about here, Kipp?” She glanced at him and then back to me.
“Everything, all of it. Doesn’t matter, get him fitted,” I said and her eyes shone.
“You’re a good man, Kipp Miller. Your mom raised you well.” She patted my arm and went to grab some clothes. “You’re going to need boots. Come on, Cooper, let's go find some.” We followed her to the boots. It took him longer to find the perfect ones. He walked up and down the aisle and kept looking from mine to the ones on the shelf.
“Here, bud, I think these are what you’re looking for.” I grabbed a pair the same color as mine and handed them to him. “Let’s try these on and see how they fit.” Cooper sat down on the bench and kicked his sneakers off. Slipping his feet into his boots, his eyes grew big, and he sauntered over and stood next to me.
“Yep, these are them.” He grabbed my hand and, together, we walked to the till. “Can I wear them home?” he asked, peering up at Sally.
“Sure you can.” She smiled. “Why not run to the change room and change into these jeans and this shirt?” She handed Cooper some of his new clothes. “I’ll get this rang up and when he’s done, I’ll have your total.” I nodded and went after Cooper.
He came out of the change room with a new attitude, a sway in his walk that hadn’t been there before, and his thumbs in his pockets. “Well my, my, don’t you just look like the most handsome cowboy in the state? Sorry Kipp, you’re out of the top spot,” Sally beamed, grinning at the boy.
“If I had to lose it to someone, I suppose I’m okay with it being Cooper. Alright pal, we have another stop to make before we pick up your mom. Thanks for all the help, Sally.”
“Thank you, Miss Sally,” Cooper chirped, waving as we left the store, my hands full of bags. Nora was going to kill me.
With our last stop done, I drove up to the grocery store but didn’t see Nora. “Should we sit here and wait, or go find her?”
“Let’s find her. I bet she won’t recognize me.” His eyes were as wide as dinner plates and I nodded. Walking into the store, I dreaded what was going to happen. As if an alarm went off, all the women took notice and started figuring out how to follow me. Walking down the first aisle, we struck out finding Nora.
The third aisle I saw her looking at her list. Cooper held my hand tighter and we strolled toward her. It took her a moment to realize there were other people around and when she looked at Cooper, she frowned and looked back to her list, and back to him. “Well, you look like my son, but I don’t think I know who you are.” She put her hands on her hips and looked closer at him.
“Mommy, it’s me.” Cooper took off his new cowboy hat, laughing.
“You look handsome, young man,” she gushed, her smile beaming as she looked at Cooper.
“Kipp bought them for me. He said…” I covered his mouth with my hand.
“I said it was time for him to look like a cowboy.” Moving my hand to his shoulder, Nora regarded us both and arched her brow.
“I said you said no to cowboy clothes and Kipp said leave you to him.”
“Oh, he did, did he?” She put her hands on her hips and frowned at me. She was cute when she was trying to be angry.
