Free The Cowboy Way by Christine Wenger

nice. Thanks for thinking of me, sweetie.”
    â€œSure.”
    She dabbed a little perfume on her wrists. “Mmm…smells good.” It had a musky rose scent.
    â€œHey, Mom?”
    â€œYes?”
    â€œDo you like Jake?” His eyes were hopeful.
    â€œWhy…yes, sure. He’s a nice man. Why do you ask?” She took a deep breath.
    â€œI was just wondering.”
    â€œHoney, he’s a nice man. That’s all.”
    Kevin’s face showed exactly what he had on his mind—hope that Jake Dixon would be more to them than a “nice man.”
    â€œLet’s go eat, okay?” she said.
    â€œMom, I forgot to tell you that I get to move into the bunkhouse with the other kids tonight. Isn’t that cool?”
    â€œVery cool, Kevin.” But her heart sank. Would he really be safe there?
    â€œYou’ll be all alone,” he said, a touch of concern in his expression.
    Beth shrugged off her fears and smiled. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be just fine.”
    â€œYou sure?”
    â€œI’m absolutely sure.”
    That perked him up. Then she saw that although his eyes were bright, they were a little droopy. “You’ve had a long day. Let me push your wheelchair to dinner. I had a nice, long nap, so I’m wide awake.”
    â€œNaw, I’ll do it. I don’t want anyone to think I’m a wimp.”
    Beth walked slowly beside Kevin. When they got to the mess hall, a slim cowboy with a huge spongy orange cowboy hat perched on his head was leading a sing-along to “Home on the Range.”
    Pots clanged, dishes and glasses tinkled, laughterrang out. Beth and Kevin dodged wheelchairs, crutches and pedestrians and made their way to an empty table.
    â€œMom, there’s Clint Scully! And J.C.! And Ross and Justin! Oh, there’s Gilbert and Adam! And here comes Jake!”
    They all looked familiar from TV and she’d read about them, but she didn’t recognize them the way Kevin did. She did see Jake making his way through the crowd to their table. Along the way, he stopped and talked. He shook hands with the kids and sometimes he crouched down to get eye-to-eye with them. There was always pain etched on his face when he tried to get back up.
    He had changed into a dark pair of jeans, or else they were brand new and never washed. He wore a dark green shirt with long sleeves with some kind of logo on it. Sponsor advertising, she guessed.
    He seemed inches taller than everyone else, or maybe it was just his presence that commanded attention. Whatever it was, Beth couldn’t take her eyes off him.
    â€œHowdy, Kev!” He shook hands with him, then tweaked his hat to her. “How are you doing, Beth?”
    â€œFine. Do I have you to thank for the flowers?”
    He nodded. “Apology accepted?”
    â€œAccepted.”
    â€œGood. Shall we get some grub?”
    He put his hand on the small of her back, directing her to the line. Then he picked up a red plastic tray and handed one to her and one to Kevin. As they moved their trays along, they helped themselves to fried chicken, mashed potatoes and a tossed green salad.
    Kevin kept up his endless chatter, so it was easy for her to sit back and watch Jake Dixon. She loved how he related to Kevin and never talked down to her son. Several cowboys, kids and parents stopped by to talk to Jake. He was gracious to everyone, and she could tell they all adored him.
    Although she continued to recognize several of the cowboys when Jake introduced her, Kevin knew their stats, their current ranking for the Finals, their injuries and their ninety-point rides. Kevin couldn’t be happier, and that did her heart good. This was just what she’d hoped for.
    After eating what he could between interruptions, Jake excused himself to make an announcement. With his long, uneven strides that she had come to recognize, she watched as he climbed the two steps to the raised platform.