Page 10 of Some Cowgirls are Worth Protecting

“But I didn’t do anything that would make her uncomfortable.”

Henry’s eyes narrowed, remaining locked on Hudson even though he spoke to Athena. “I don’t think he did anything different than normal. It’s probably Hudson just being his usual rude self.”

The tension between the three of them only continued to mount until Hudson couldn’t take it anymore. “You want me to apologize to her? Fine! I’ll do it. But I can’t apologize unless I speak to her, and I can’t do that if she won’t show up.”

He couldn’t tell if they were surprised by his willingness to do something about Rachel’s apparent apprehension or if they were surprised that he practically admitted to doing anything at all.

Athena and Henry exchanged looks. Then Athena motioned to Hudson. “Pull out your phone and I’ll give you her address. I can’t promise she’ll be there.”

“I thought you said she was busy with her work. Doesn’t she work from home?”

Athena shook her head. “She can work from anywhere. Sometimes I even see her working at Sal’s while she digs into a piece of pie.”

“She likes pie?” The question slipped from Hudson’s mouth before he had a chance to think better of it. He was showing too much interest in Rachel, and it needed to stop before his brother started getting suspicious. He wasn’t about to let anyone butt into his plans—least of all his brother.

Thankfully, neither one of them seemed to wonder why he was asking questions about Rachel. Athena simply nodded. “She’s a sucker for lemon meringue. Are you going to get out your phone or what?”

Hudson jerked into action and pulled his phone from his pocket. He handed it over to Athena and avoided looking directly at his brother. As soon as Athena gave him back his phone, he backed away. “I’m on it. I’ll make sure she’s not uncomfortable because of me.” With that, he darted off the patio and headed for his truck.

If Rachel wasn’t at this address, then she might be at Sal’s. Actually, if he was smart, he’d stop by the diner first. If she wasn’t there, he could pick up a pie as a peace offering. That would likely get him further with her in figuring out what was going on with that property.

Hudson arrived at the diner and headed inside. It took all of two seconds to see Rachel seated in a booth with the sun shining down on her. She had a fork in one hand and a document in the other. Her legs were crossed and her blonde hair was pulled back into a messy bun. She wore glasses—something he’d never seen before.

Her tongue trailed along her lower lip, catching the crumbs left behind from the bite she’d just swallowed. Rachel Walton could have been in a commercial for that pie and they would have sold thousands.

He shook his head, mostly to clear it. Hudson wasn’t here to check her out. He was on a mission. With quick, quiet steps, he strode across the room and plopped down in front of her. She didn’t even look up at him as she said, “I was wondering when you’d track me down.”

Hudson leaned across the table, his voice hushed. “Yeah, well, you haven’t exactly been forthcoming with information.”

She snorted. “I don’t owe you anything.”

“Yes, you do. You were there when?—”

Rachel lifted her eyes, and the bright blue color caused him to momentarily lose his train of thought. “You’re not part of the purchase of that property. Your interests in it, while strangely chivalrous and bordering on inappropriate, don’t have any merit.”

He scowled at her. “I’m the one who told you about it.”

Her smile irritated him more than he wanted to admit. She placed her fork back on the table, then lifted her napkin to wipe away nonexistent crumbs. Then she sat back in her seat. “Everyone knew about it.”

“But I’m the one who told you that the developer was going to take it over. Please tell me you’re not in cahoots with them. That they’re not the people you know.”

Her brows lifted, her cheeks filled with color, and she had the decency to look more offended than he’d ever seen. “I most certainly am not.”

“Then what’s happening? That person you mentioned, are they some stuck-up snob who wants to turn it into a dude ranch? Because that’s not much better.”

Rachel laughed. He hadn’t expected that reaction. She actually threw her head back and laughed loud enough that the tables nearby glanced in their direction. Then she set him with a serious stare. “I would never allow any of my friends to turn that place into a dude ranch.” She leaned forward this time, her voice lowering to a heated whisper. “I meant what I said. I don’t owe you anything, but clearly, you’re not going to give up, so I’ll tell you. The sale on the property has officially gone through, the closing was yesterday. The new owner wants to convert that run-down piece of property into a wild horse sanctuary. There aren’t any within five hundred miles of this area. It would ensure that the land doesn’t get developed, while at the same time saving hundreds if not thousands of animals who need a home.”

6

Rachel

Rachel couldn’t think of anything she enjoyed more than the look of utter shock on Hudson’s face. He hadn’t been expecting that, and it was delicious to see the understanding melt with the disbelief he wore.

He jabbed his finger on the table. “You’re not lying to me to get me off your back, are you?”

She wrinkled her nose. “I have no reason to lie about this sort of thing.”

“Yes, you do,” he argued. “You clearly don’t want me here bothering you. I’m sure nothing would make you happier than to have me leave.”

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