AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He turned to a saddle on a nearby stand. “This one’s almost ready, just in time for Christmas. A movie actress ordered it for her husband, and no, I’m not allowed to share names.”
“It’s beautiful.” Cooper ran a hand over the perfectly formed seat, the hand-tooled skirts and flaps. “I don’t suppose you’d tell me what one of these would cost, either. But never mind. It’s not a luxury I can afford right now.”
Trevor had been wandering around the shop, taking everything in. “What’s in there?” he asked, pointing to a walled-off section of the room.
“Just storage. Stuff that might or might not come in handy. I added the room to contain the mess.”
“Can I look inside?” Trevor asked.
“Sure. The door’s unlocked,” Rankin said. “You’ll want to turn on the light.”
“Are you sure it’s okay for him to be in there?” Cooper asked as his son disappeared into the room. “I don’t want him to break anything.”
“Sure. It’s just junk. Spare parts, used tack, things like that.”
A moment later, a rummaging sound and the jingle of brass bells came from the room, followed by a loud whoop from Trevor. “Dad! Come here! You’ve got to see this!”
Cooper burst through the door to find his son lifting a partial tangle of heavy leather straps, adorned with brass bells that jingled when he shifted the weight. “It’s a double harness, Dad!” he said. “It would be perfect for our sleigh—so much better than that old hay wagon harness!” He turned to Rankin, who’d just come into the storage room. “I know this harness is worth a lot of money, Mr. Rankin. But could we, maybe, borrow it for Santa’s sleigh, just for the Christmas parade? Then I promise we’ll bring it back.”
Rankin hefted more of the harness, which included two padded collars. “Hmmm. I’d almost forgotten I had this. I took it in trade for an orphan calf a few years ago. I’ll tell you what, Trevor. You did me a favor by coming to tell me about the cow. I’ll return the favor by letting you borrow the harness. Is that a deal?”
“Wow, yes!” Trevor pumped Rankin’s hand. “Wait till I tell Abner and Skip and Maggie! Now we’ll have a real Santa’s sleigh!” He sobered, staring down at the tangle of straps and bells. “Now all we need is a real Santa.”
“Trevor, this harness is too heavy to carry to your Jeep,” Rankin said. “There’s a flatbed cart outside the back door. Bring it in here. We’ll load it and wheel it outside.”
“Sure.” Trevor was off like a shot.
“Great boy you’ve got there,” Rankin said. “You must be proud of him.”
“I am—more and more so lately,” Cooper said, thinking the man might make an interesting interview. “You do amazing work. Where did you learn to make saddles?”
Rankin’s eyes narrowed. “Prison,” he said. “But that’s a story for another time.”
* * *
Jess lay awake in her room at the Budget Inn on the outskirts of Cottonwood Springs. Her end of the building was so close to the highway that headlights glared through the thin blinds every time a vehicle passed. The couple in the next room were having a noisy fight, the shower was rusty, and the mattress beneath her smelled like a baby in need of a change.
At least the woman at the front desk had let her pay by the week. But she’d only been here a couple of nights, and her endurance was already wearing thin. Maybe she could pay the tenants in her pending apartment to leave early.
Whatever she had to put up with, she couldn’t go back to Cooper’s place. His kisses had almost made her feel as if she’d found something special and lasting. But she should have known better. He hadn’t even waited until she was out of the house to check her story and the photo. He had shown no trust in her at all, after she had trusted him with everything. She was so hurt and disappointed, she would never forgive him.
But the worst part of this mess was that Cooper, as a freelance journalist, was capable of using what he’d learned to do a “Where is this person now?” story that would make good second-section tabloid fodder. He’d promised not to use her story, but she’d already learned that Cooper’s promises were nothing but lies.
Maybe it was time to look for a job in a new place. She would give the matter some thought once her move was settled.
Meanwhile she would try not to think about Cooper and how she had almost fallen in love with him.
Chapter 12
The following week
Since her move to the motel, Jess had discovered the pleasure of driving into Branding Iron early for a light breakfast at Stella’s Bakery. Sitting at a tiny corner table, sipping coffee, feasting on a Danish, and chatting with Wynette between customers helped her get through the dreary days.
“So, how were your next-door neighbors last night?” Wynette asked with the tilt of an eyebrow.
“Well . . . at least they weren’t fighting.” Jess shook her head. “But I’m planning to pick up a set of earplugs on the way home.”
“Good idea. You’re going to get through this and be fine, you know. You’re one tough lady.”
