Monica and the Crushworthy Cowboy Read online

  -------------------{ table of contents }-------------------

  chapter 1

  Special Saturday

  chapter 2

  Why Girls Need a Mom

  chapter 3

  Don’t Fall for a Cowboy

  chapter 4

  On the Road

  chapter 5

  Pool Party

  chapter 6

  Bad Dad

  chapter 7

  Scared of What?

  chapter 8

  Racer, Rider, Runaway

  chapter 9

  Girls’ Day Out

  chapter 10

  All Logan’s Fault

  chapter 11

  One More Helper

  chapter 12

  For Luck

  chapter 13

  Heading Home

  Chapter One

  Special

  Saturday

  My mom is the banquet manager at the Red Brick Inn. She works nights and weekends, too. That’s why our shopping trips are so important.

  Mom makes special time just for me one Saturday every month. We shop, go out to lunch, and sometimes see a movie if we have time.

  I was really excited about the coming weekend. It was our shopping day, and I couldn’t wait. And I was hoping that this time, we could take my friend Chloe, too.

  Chloe’s mom was a doctor. She was always busy working. It would be really fun to include Chloe in my girls’ day out with my mom.

  On Tuesday, Mom and Logan got home from work just as Grandpa put dinner on the table.

  Mom inhaled and smiled. “That smells wonderful!” she said.

  “Bet it tastes good, too,” Logan said. “I love Grandpa’s pepper steak.”

  “I hate cooked peppers!” Angela said, pretending to gag. “The smell makes me sick.”

  “I made steak without peppers just for you,” Grandpa said. He put a small dish on Angela’s plate.

  “Thank you,” Angela said, smiling sweetly. Then she looked at me and smirked. “You have to eat the yucky stuff.”

  “I like the yucky stuff,” I said.

  “No, you don’t,” Angela said, glaring at me.

  I ate a big piece of green pepper.

  Angela made a face.

  My bratty little stepsister liked me. She just didn’t want me to know it.

  So she kicked me in the shins, called me names, and blamed me for everything. She used my stuff without asking and broke things on purpose.

  If I got mad, she cried. If I got upset, she giggled. If I got even, she did something worse.

  But pretending I didn’t care drove her nuts. So that’s what I usually did.

  I gave Mom a few minutes to eat. Then I asked, “Can Chloe go shopping with us next Saturday?”

  “I’d love to take Chloe,” Mom said. “But we’ll have to do it next month. I’m taking Angela out to shop and eat this Saturday.”

  “Just the two of us,” Angela said with a smug grin.

  I was speechless, outraged, and hurt.

  My one Saturday a month was the only time I didn’t have to compete with Logan and my stepsister for Mom’s attention.

  I wasn’t going to give it up without a fight.

  “Wouldn’t you rather go to the movies?” I asked.

  “No,” Angela answered.

  “Angela asked to go shopping,” Mom said.

  “And out to lunch at the Red Brick Inn,” Angela added.

  Aha! It was Angela’s idea. That really made me mad. Angela only wanted to go on a shopping-lunch trip because it was my special thing to do with my mother.

  It wouldn’t be special if Angela did it too!

  I wanted to say so, but Mom looked so happy. So I didn’t.

  “Don’t look so down, Monica,” Grandpa said. “You have other things to do next Saturday.”

  I nodded. “Sure,” I said. “Season Four of Bridle Village is streaming online now.”

  “I have a better idea,” Logan said.

  I frowned. “What?” I asked.

  “I’m going to a trade show in Kansas City next weekend,” Logan said. “Would you like to go?”

  I squealed. “Yes!” I said.

  “Great!” Logan said. He grinned. “It’ll give me a chance to spend some special time with you.”

  “But you’re my daddy!” Angela wailed. “I want to go too!”

  Chapter Two

  Why Girls Need a

  Mom

  Angela wouldn’t listen to reason when she was mad. Logan tried anyway.

  “You can’t go this time, Angela,” he said. “I’ll take you somewhere when you’re thirteen.”

  “I want to go now!” Angela yelled. She threw her fork down. She stuck out her lower lip, folded her arms, and pouted.

  Mom, Logan, Grandpa, and I all looked at each other. We weren’t new to Angela’s brat attacks. There were a few things we could do to make them stop.

  We tried ignoring her.

  “Pass the potatoes, please,” Grandpa said.

  “Here you go,” Logan said, handing over the bowl.

  “Did you get a room at the Royal?” Mom asked Logan.

  “What’s the Royal?” I asked.

  “A very nice hotel in downtown Kansas City,” Logan said.

  “I want to go to Kansas City!” Angela screeched. Then she burst into tears.

  Mom, Logan, Grandpa, and I looked at each other again. I’m pretty sure we were all remembering that Angela never backed down once she set her mind on something.

  “I was looking forward to shopping with you next Saturday,” Traci said. “Don’t you want a new dress?”

  “No,” Angela said. She wiped her nose and banged her shoes on her chair.

  Mom had forgotten that Angela was impossible to bribe.

  “Okay, I think it’s time for bed,” Logan said.

  “I don’t want to go to bed!” Angela yelled. “I want to go to Kansas City!” She jumped up and ran out of the room.

  Logan went after her. Mom followed Logan.

  I volunteered to do the dishes so that Grandpa could read the newspaper and relax.

  He couldn’t watch TV. Angela was still screaming.

  After Angela calmed down, Logan came into the kitchen to help me. He rinsed and I loaded the dishwasher.

  “That was pretty crazy, huh?” he said.

  “Yeah. Is she in bed?” I asked.

  Logan shook his head. “She’s taking a bubble bath,” he told me.

  “Is that why she stopped screaming?” I asked.

  “No,” Logan said. “She decided she didn’t want to go to Kansas City after all.”

  I was shocked. “Why did she change her mind?” I asked.

  “I pointed out that going out to lunch with Traci will be way more fun than looking at electrical supplies all day,” Logan said.

  I blinked. “Is that what we’re going to do?” I asked. “Look at electrical supplies?”

  “Well, at least part of the time. It’s a business trip for me,” Logan explained. “I have to chec
k out the new products at the trade show and talk to the people that sell them.”

  My stepdad was the manager of Granite Electric. He had to know about plugs, wires, and switches for his job.

  I was a teenage girl. I never thought about plugs and switches unless important stuff like lights and TV stopped working.

  “Some of the displays are interesting,” Logan said.

  Mom overheard when she walked in. I shot her a look, and she said what I was thinking.

  “Oh, Logan. Monica will be bored to death at the show,” Mom said.

  “She doesn’t have to stay at the trade show,” Logan explained. He put the leftover pepper steak in the refrigerator. “She can watch movies in the hotel room or wander around the Plaza.”

  “What’s the Plaza?” I asked.

  “A famous shopping district in downtown Kansas City,” Mom explained. “The Plaza has lots of restaurants and boutiques. You’ll love it. I promise.”

  “And horse-drawn carriage rides,” Logan added. “Which should be right up your alley.”

  “Oh, I can’t wait to see that!” I said. “We can go shopping and out to lunch on Saturday, too!”

  Logan frowned and glanced at my mom. “Um, actually . . . I’ll be busy during the day on Saturday, Monica,” he said.

  I stopped smiling. “I don’t want to see the Plaza by myself,” I said. “That sounds kind of lonely.”

  “I’ll take you,” Logan said. “I just don’t know when.”

  “Take Chloe with you,” Mom suggested. “Then the girls could hang out together.”

  That was an amazing idea! I knew Chloe and I would have a fantastic time, and it would feel like a really exciting vacation. Not just tagging along to a trade show with my stepdad.

  “Could we?” I asked. I clasped my hands and begged. “Please, please, please!”

  Logan ran his hand over his head. Then he exhaled. He does that when he’s not sure about something.

  “They wouldn’t be bored, and it would be much safer,” Mom added.

  “I know,” Logan said, “but I only have two tickets to the rodeo.”

  “The rodeo!” I squealed. “Chloe would love to see a rodeo!”

  “Being there would be so much better than getting texts from Monica,” Mom said.

  “All right!” Logan said. He threw up his hands. Then he smiled. “Chloe can go.”

  “Thanks, Logan!” I said. I threw my arms around him.

  Logan sighed. “I hope I can get another rodeo ticket,” he said.

  Chapter Three

  Don’t Fall for a

  Cowboy

  Chloe and I met at the barn on Thursday. We took Rick-Rack and Lancelot out on the trails for a goodbye ride.

  “I still can’t believe Logan invited me to go with you!” Chloe exclaimed.

  “I had to beg,” I said.

  “No, you didn’t,” Chloe said.

  “Just a little,” I told her. “He’s pretty cool.”

  My real dad got sick and died when I was seven.

  Logan was the next best thing.

  He made me feel loved and safe, and I liked him a lot. And I definitely loved how happy my mom was with him.

  “I can’t wait to see the Plaza,” Chloe said. “I looked it up online. The sidewalks are like gardens with benches and fountains. We can rest in style between stores, and sip cappuccinos or something.”

  “Or go for a carriage ride,” I said.

  “Then shop some more,” Chloe said.

  “And have lunch at a super classy restaurant,” I added.

  “And go shopping again,” Chloe finished. She laughed.

  “Definitely shopping!” I said, grinning. “Lots and lots of shopping.”

  Then I got serious. “But Logan wants us to see the trade show, too,” I said. “Just for a little while. Some of the displays might be interesting, but mostly it’s just electrical parts and stuff. I think he just wants me to see what he does.”

  “I don’t mind going for a little while,” Chloe said. “He’s taking us to the rodeo, and he doesn’t like horses.”

  That’s how I felt. I wasn’t even worried about looking bored and hurting Logan’s feelings. After all, I was already good at pretending to love his favorite baseball movies, old cars, and football.

  “What clothes are you taking?” Chloe asked.

  “I can’t decide,” I said. “Everything I might need won’t fit in one suitcase, but Logan said we can only bring one each.”

  “One isn’t enough,” Chloe said.

  “Not when we have to be ready for anything,” I said.

  “Should I pack a dress-up outfit?” Chloe asked.

  “I am,” I said. “In case we go to a fancy restaurant for dinner.”

  “I hope I have room!” Chloe exclaimed. “I’m already bringing two bathing suits. I looked at the website. The hotel pool is open late, so we might go more than once in one day, and I hate putting on wet suits.”

  “Oooh, good thinking,” I said.

  “This is going to be awesome,” Chloe said. “I can’t wait.”

  “Me too,” I said. Then I leaned over and patted Lancelot’s head. “But I’m going to miss you, buddy,” I said, scratching him behind his ears.

  “We’ll be back soon. And breaks are good for horses,” Chloe said. Then she smiled. “But I’m going to miss Rick-Rack, too!” She gave her horse a little nuzzle. “I hope Rory takes good care of you!”

  Teenage gossip traveled fast, especially at the barn where Chloe and I took riding lessons. By the time Chloe and I got back from our ride, everybody at Rock Creek Stables knew that Chloe and I were going to the rodeo in Kansas City.

  Megan and Lydia ambushed us in the tack room. “Oh, look,” Megan exclaimed sarcastically. “It’s Chloe and Monica!”

  “Are you excited about going to the rodeo?” Lydia asked. “I never want to go to one.”

  “Western horses are too short, and the saddles are too big,” Megan added. She wrinkled her nose. “And cowboys are scruffy.”

  “Some people think those rodeo guys are romantic,” Rory said as he walked in.

  “They tackle cows!” Megan said. She rolled her eyes and pulled Lydia out the door.

  “Why does Megan try to spoil everything?” Chloe asked.

  “She doesn’t want anyone to enjoy something she doesn’t have,” Rory said. “Believe me. She’d love to go to a big regional rodeo.”

  “And date a rodeo rider,” I said.

  “Cowboys are exciting,” Chloe said.

  “And cute,” I added.

  “Don’t fall for a cowboy, Monica,” Rory said. “They break broncos and hearts.”

  I laughed.

  But inside, I knew that if I really let myself fall for Rory, he could break my heart.

  Chapter Four

  On the

  Road

  Mom shook me awake at 3 a.m. on Friday morning. I was still yawning when Logan and I left at 3:15. We picked Chloe up at 3:30. She was wide awake.

  We were both surprised when Logan opened the trunk to load our suitcases. There was plenty of room! We could have fit at least three more suitcases in there, easily.

  I didn’t want to complain, but I had to ask. “Why couldn’t we bring more than one suitcase?” I asked Logan. “The trunk isn’t even half full.”

  “We’ll only be gone for three days,” Logan said. “You don’t need more than you can pack in one suitcase.”

  Chloe raised an eyebrow. My mouth fell ope
n.

  “I only brought one,” Logan added, pointing to his small suitcase.

  “You’re a guy!” I exclaimed. “All you need is a suit, jeans, and some shirts.”

  “And you can dress to go anywhere,” Chloe said.

  “It’s not that easy for girls,” I said. “We need different outfits for everything.”

  “Like what?” Logan asked.

  “Sweaters and sneakers if it’s cold,” Chloe said. “Shorts and sandals if it’s hot.”

  “School clothes for the trade show,” I added. “Jeans and boots for the rodeo.”

  “A dozen different tops and a dress with heels,” Chloe said.

  “Bathing suits, pajamas, slippers, and a robe,” I went on, counting off on my fingers.

  “And hair and bathroom stuff,” Chloe finished.

  “Did you get all that into one suitcase?” Logan asked. He sounded amazed.

  “Yes, but it wasn’t easy,” I said.

  “Everything’s squished,” Chloe said. “I had to wear my boots.”

  “Me too,” I said.

  “Well, I’m glad you worked it out,” Logan said. “Anyway, I need room in the trunk for samples and supplies on the trip home.”

  I dropped the subject when we got back into the car.

  “If you’re tired, you can go back to sleep,” Logan said.

  “I’m too excited,” Chloe said.

  “I’m hungry,” I admitted. My stomach growled. It wasn’t used to being awake in the middle of the night.

  Logan stopped at a 24-hour fast-food restaurant. He ordered breakfast sandwiches for everyone. He drank coffee. Chloe and I sipped OJ.

  “When will we get there?” I asked.

  “Around noon,” Logan said.

  “Can we go to the Plaza after lunch?” Chloe asked.

  “Not today,” Logan said. “I have to be at the trade show all afternoon.”

  Chloe and I looked at each other. We really didn’t want to spend our first day at the trade show.

  “Are we going with you?” I asked.

  “You can stay at the hotel,” Logan said. “I’ll take you for a quick tour tomorrow.”