Interview with Rachael Weston from Bring Me Luck By: Julie Lence

Hello Cowboy Kisses and thank you for having me as your guest. For those who don’t know me, I’m Rachael Weston from Bring Me Luck. The photo to the left is a good likeness of me (or rather, how Julie sees me.) By no means am I a beauty. Even in my younger days, men didn’t crowd around me vying for my attention. Now that I think about that, my father and brothers may have had something to do with that. Being the only girl, they were overly protective and didn’t cotton to anyone paying me more than an ounce of interest. There was one man, though, who didn’t concern himself with my family.  To this day, more than twenty years later, he still sets my heart aflutter. But enough about him. I told Julie I’d answer her questions about me. Jess will have to wait his turn.      

Where are you from? Coyote, Colorado

How old are you? 40ish

How do you dress? Not in anything fancy. I wear simple, yet comfortable, dresses, skirts and shirts. And sturdy boots. I live on a ranch and cooking and cleaning is best done while wearing gingham or cotton in the summer and wool in the winter. I fashion my hair in a bun or a braid and usually have an apron tied around my waist.

What is your family like? My birth family consists of Ma and Pa, my older brother Lucas, my younger brother Creel, and my twin brother Royce. Lucas, Royce, and Creel could each be married with families of their own, and Ma and Pa could be enjoying their final years; I don’t know for sure. I haven’t seen them in 2 decades.

   My adoptive family consists of my stepson Stephen and ranch hands Blue and Vincent-Bodean. Stephen’s pa took me in when I desperately needed help. Stephen was just a tyke then and motherless, and Blue was already a staple at the ranch. Shortly after I recovered, Stephen’s pa died. Stephen and I formed a mother-son bond, and along with Blue and Vincent-Bodean, we’re family.  

Can you keep a secret? Yes. I’ve kept one for twenty years.

If you could make any 1 thing happen, what would it be? I would go back in time 20 years and face the consequences of my actions rather than run away. I wasn’t raised to be a coward… to disrespect my parents… to shun my responsibilities. But Ma was more than difficult back then. And Pa was too distracted by her antics to confide my troubles. Jess was nowhere to be found and my brothers… they hated Jess and his family. Probably still do. But then, if I had stayed in Coyote, what would’ve become of Stephen after his pa passed? Blue couldn’t have raised him. He knew next to nothing about caring for a toddler. He still doesn’t. But he would’ve protected Stephen with his life.

If someone from your past showed up, who would you most want it to be, and why?  Pa. He’s the wisest man I know. I’m almost certain were I to confide my past to him, he would take away my heartache and replace it with something good, with something warm and worth cherishing. And with little more effort than a father’s hug.   

If someone from your past showed up, who would you most NOT want it to be, and why? That would be a toss up between Ma and Jess. Born and raised in Boston, Ma hailed from a wealthy, prominent family. She had certain rules and conduct she expected my brothers and me to follow and was quick to chastise and point out our faults when we didn’t. Twenty years ago, she never would’ve forgiven my indiscretions or the gossip that was sure to follow had I stayed in Coyote. Today wouldn’t be any different.

   My indiscretions have to do with Jess. So does my running away. If he were to learn what my fleeing cost him, he would hate me more than I already hate myself, and that is something I cannot endure.

Speaking of Jess, what did you think of him the first time you met him? I can’t really say for sure. His family’s ranch and my family’s ranch border each other. We grew up together, attended school together, but rarely spoke to each other. He was more interested in fighting with my brothers and I was more interested in helping ma or visiting my friends. It wasn’t until we were older that we took an interest in each other, and snuck off to his pa’s lineshack almost daily. I fell in love with him, believed he loved me, too, and cried endlessly when I discovered he didn’t. The only thing Jess loved was a Jansen triumphing over a Weston. To this day, I ache with that truth, and from the loss of something that should’ve been.   

What is the best advice someone gave you? Trust in the Lord. When one door closes, he’ll open another. I believe he did just that when he gave me Stephen.

  

Thank you for joining me today. I leave you with an excerpt from Bring Me Luck, which can be purchased here: www.amazon.com/dp/B00OP5PT2U     

Excerpt:

“I severed our relationship!” Jess kicked aside the quilts and lunged to his feet. “You ran out on me.”

Anger sprang into her eyes. “I did not. You shunned me on the boardwalk and then you ceased all contact with me.”

“The hell I did.”

“Oh?” She fisted her hands on her hips. “You didn’t shun me?”

Heat crept up his neck, spread to his cheeks. “That I did do, because I didn’t have a choice. Carl was with me. You and I had agreed to not give our families reason to suspect we favored each other until we were ready to tell them.”

“I would’ve accepted your explanation, except…” Her brow furrowed. “What are you doing on your feet? Lie back down before you do more damage to your back.”

“My back’s fine.”

Her gaze rapidly filled with damnation. “You lied about your health?”

“How the hell else was I going to convince you to let me stay?” he groused. “And don’t change the subject. Finish what you were going to say.”

“You know the rest.” She pivoted on her heel and strode toward the kitchen.

“You’re not getting away this time.” He went after her, gently grasped her arm and turned her to face him. “I’ve waited twenty-two years to hear your side of the matter. I’m not waiting any longer. Spill it.”

“My, my, what a tyrant you’ve become.”

Jess rolled his eyes. “I’ve been called worse. Now talk.”

“I’m sure you have.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste before pulling free from his grasp. “I saw Alexandra and Cynthia at the dress shop before I saw you and Carl. Alexandra told Cynthia you didn’t favor relations of any kind. I didn’t believe her, but then, you shunned me and stopped meeting me.” She squared her shoulders. “I waited for you, but you never came.”

“I came,” he spat. “You were nowhere to be found.”

“You’re a liar! I was at your pa’s lineshack every day for a week.” Her gaze narrowed. “Where were you?”

“For a week? What the hell for? Everyone knew Carl and I were in the calaboose.”

“You were not. I would’ve known if Sheriff Crumb had locked you in his jail cell. The gossips would’ve talked about nothing else the whole time you were there.”

“I wasn’t in the Coyote jail. I was in the Pueblo jail.”

“Pueblo?”

At the stunned expression on her face, his blood turned cold. Brawling with his brother. Shattered glass. Ten days of miserable hell. He’d always assumed she’d known. Pa had said everyone knew. But she hadn’t, and he swallowed hard, felt the regret for what should have been burn his gut. “I didn’t abandon you,” he said quietly before taking her hand and leading her to the table. “Sit. Let me explain.”

www.amazon.com/dp/B00OP5PT2U