Cowboy Take Me Away Part 5

Carolyn blushed.

"What's his name?"

"Carson. He's a little sure of himself, but that's probably because he's so good-looking."

"Did he ask to see you again?"

She finally met her mother's gaze. "Yes. But I kind of ran off after..."

Her mother's brown eyes sharpened. "Did he try something with you?"

"No. We were outside just talking-" you'll go to h.e.l.l for lying, "-and someone shouted to get his attention. That's when I learned his last name is McKay."

Silence.

Carolyn looked down as she traced the frayed ends of the yarn ties holding the eyelet and satin quilt together.

The air seemed to stretch so thin she had a hard time breathing. Finally, she blurted, "But don't worry. I'll stay away from him."

"He knows...?"

"That my father is Elijah West? Yes."

"How were things between you before you learned each other's last names?"

She smiled, remembering the man's audacity. "Carson told me he was gonna marry me."

Her mother raised both eyebrows. "You mean he asked to marry you?"

"No. He said I was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen and we oughta skip all the dating stuff and get married." She suspected he'd only been half kidding. Although Carson had seemed ready to run when she'd told him she was eighteen. But that kiss, that glorious kiss had changed his mind.

It'd changed everything.

She'd kissed a few boys over the years. Even if she'd made out with a hundred guys nothing could've prepared her for kissing a man like Carson McKay. Nothing. Carson was heat and pa.s.sion. When he'd pressed his hard body against hers? She finally understood Beverly's claim about need overtaking reason.

"Liebchen."

Carolyn's head snapped up guiltily. "Sorry. I know-"

"I think you'd like to get to know him better."

"I can't."

"Nonsense."

Shocked, she stammered, "B-but-"

"Whatever is between your father and Carson's father is their issue. Not yours. Not Carson's. You're an adult. You're allowed to make your own decisions. If you want to spend time with Carson? That is your business."

"And what happens when Dad finds out? He might kick me out."

"I won't let that happen. I promise."

Her mother had never stood up to her father. If Carolyn pursued something with Carson McKay she'd be totally on her own, with no support.

Like that'd be anything new.

Carolyn managed a fake smile. "I've found some patterns I'd like your opinion on."

"Clothes for you?"

"Yes."

"New clothes you can wear on your dates with Carson McKay?" her mom asked with a sly smile.

"Mom. Give it up."

"Never. Now show me what you're working with."

Late Sat.u.r.day afternoon, Marshall, Stuart and Thomas, Carolyn's three brothers who still lived at home, traipsed into the kitchen.

"I love it when you're home for the summer," Thomas said, sniffing the air. "We get decent meals for a change."

Marshall and Stuart each punched him in the arm.

"Ouch! I'm only telling the truth."

"Truth is, you can't cook worth s.h.i.t, Thomas, so it's worse for us when it's your night to cook." Marshall lifted the lid on the pot on the stove. "Sausage and cabbage smells good, sis."

"It's done. Wash up and we'll eat."

Stuart sidled up beside her. "Has Mom eaten yet?"

"She was hungry earlier so I sat with her while she ate. She's resting."

He squeezed her shoulders. "Thanks."

"Does she ever come to the table?"

"Nope. She eats in her room or she doesn't eat. That's her choice, not ours."

Marshall s.n.a.t.c.hed two slices of bread off the cutting board. "Ma especially doesn't eat when Thomas cooks."

"I told you guys I'd rather be on dish duty every night. But that is another bonus of having our sister home. She cooks and cleans up."

None of them disputed Thomas's statement. As much as she loved her brothers, the instant she'd stepped foot in the house, they'd abandoned their regular duties and she'd become cook, cleaner, gardener, laundress and parental caretaker.

Carolyn took her usual seat at the table and looked at each of her brothers until they set down their utensils and bowed their heads in prayer. "Thank you, Lord, for the bounty you've given us. Amen."

After they crossed themselves and a chorus of amens, they dug in.

She dished herself a plate. "Where is Dad, anyway?"

"At Harland's."

Their oldest brother and his wife Sonia lived on the small parcel of land that used to be the West Ranch. Since her father had no interest in ranching-he'd worked in the coal mine in Gillette her entire life-he'd pa.s.sed the land on to his oldest son as soon as Harland was of age.

Supper was a fairly silent affair as her brothers were too busy stuffing their faces to bother with conversation.

Thomas pushed his plate away first. "Good meal, sis."

"You're welcome."

He grinned and said, "Thanks. So, got any plans for tonight?"

"Nothing after doing the dishes. Why?"

"There's a ballgame in Hulett. I'm meeting my buddy Randy there and then we talked about hitting Dusty's afterward. Guess there's a decent band tonight."

"Randy...is he your short friend with the big mouth?"

Thomas snorted. "That's Andy. Randy went to college on a partial baseball scholarship. He's home for the summer. He'd really like to meet you."

Since she'd lived in Montana the last six school years, she'd only stayed in contact with Beverly and she didn't know Thomas's friends. "I'll go as long as you promise you won't ditch me."

"I almost wish I was goin' along tonight," Marshall said. "But I'll probably be heading to work about the time you two roll in."

"Sneak in," Stuart corrected. "Even when Dad will be pretty drunk after bein' with Harland, you don't want him to know what time you got home."

"Not a problem for me since I'm sleeping in the sun porch. I can climb through the window," Carolyn said. Sleeping in the sun porch didn't bother her. The small s.p.a.ce had been tacked on the back of the house as an afterthought, and the poor insulation meant the room stayed cool at night.

"How long will it take you to get ready?" Thomas asked.

Her gaze swept the plates and pots and pans. "Half an hour to do the dishes and fifteen minutes to change."

"Leave the dishes tonight. I'll help you do them in the morning."

Carolyn snapped him with a dishtowel. "Now I know you're meeting a girl if you make that promise to get me moving."

Thomas blushed. "Just go get ready."

She styled her hair in long blonde waves. She slipped on a sleeveless plain white b.u.t.ton-up blouse and added a snug-fitting baby blue cardigan. Feeling daring, she tugged on the pair of blue jeans her friend Cathy had given her. Cathy's wealthy grandparents lived in Chicago and owned a clothing company so Cathy had scads of fashionable clothing that she loved to share.

A quick brush of powder, thick black eyeliner and a couple of pa.s.ses of mascara made her eyes look more dramatic. She finished off with a coat of red lipstick.

She tucked her money, lipstick and ID in her back pocket-how wonderful was it not to have to carry a purse?-before she slipped on her heels.

Thomas leaned against the Pontiac he'd inherited from Darren. His eyes went wide. "Jesus Christ, Carolyn, what the h.e.l.l are you wearing?"

"Language," she snapped. Her brothers cursed like sailors. It drove her crazy.

"You can't wear pants. People will think you're a guy."

Carolyn tossed her hair and stuck out her chest. "Really? I look like a man? This Randy you're introducing me to is into guys?"

"Jes-jeez, that's disgusting and beside the point. Now go change."

"No. This is perfectly acceptable, completely fashionable attire to wear to a ballgame. And besides, I wore clothing like this all the time in Montana," she lied.

"Right. I can't see the nuns or the priests being onboard letting you prance around in that get-up, let alone Aunt Hulda." He shook his finger at her. "You get any shi-c.r.a.p about that outfit? Don't come crying to me, wanting to go home. You're stuck." He climbed in the car and slammed the door.

As soon as they hit the paved road, Carolyn cranked up the radio. She was switching back and forth between the county station and the rock and roll station, singing along, when Thomas reached over and turned the music down.

"If you didn't like my singing you should've said so."

Thomas shook his head. "You were born with an angel's voice, sis. I turned it off because I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay." She had a warning flutter in her belly because Thomas was never serious.

"You've been back here for three weeks. Mom and Dad expect you to stay the summer but have you given any thought as to what you might do come September?"

She picked at the tiny b.a.l.l.s of fuzz on her sweater and dropped them in the ashtray. "No. I mean yes, I've thought about it but I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Mom needs someone to take care of her; she has for years, so I'll probably-"

"No, Carolyn. I know you want to help, but you didn't go away to school just to come back here and become Mom's sole caretaker after you graduated."

She turned sideways in her seat and gaped at him. Then why did he-and her brothers-expect her to do everything for their mother? "But-"

"I've decided to go to college," Thomas blurted out. "I want a job where I don't have dirt on my collar and under my fingernails every d.a.m.n day. So I'm moving to Denver with Randy at the end of the summer."

"How will you afford that?"

"I've been saving money since I scored that first job at Woolworth's. You still considering taking up your friend's offer to move to Chicago?"

She shouldn't have mentioned that to her nosy brother. Now he'd nag her even more. "I'm not sure if Cathy was serious or just being nice. And I don't know that I'm cut out for life in the big city."

"Do me a favor-don't tell Cathy no just yet. By the end of the summer you'll probably be more than ready to get out of Wyoming."

"Is that why you're leaving here?"

Thomas didn't speak until he'd parked in the lot behind the ball field. Even then he stared straight ahead instead of meeting her gaze. "There's no place for me here. Harland is trying to run a ranch. Darren is helping his father-in-law in his sheep business. Marshall has a great job with the railroad. Stuart is happy as a carpenter. I only took the job at the coal mine after I graduated from high school because I didn't have other options. Now I do."

As much as she hated the thought of Thomas not being around every day to annoy her, she understood his need to set himself apart. "Have you said anything to anyone about your plans?"

He shook his head. "Not until I get the final application approval paperwork from the college."

"Well...I can probably keep that information to myself, but it'll cost you."

Thomas's soft gaze sharpened. "Cost me what?"