Page 31 of Some Cowgirls are Worth Protecting

Rachel brought her pup closer and rubbed her face against her fur once more. “Well, I’m glad you had a friend. He seems like a real nice guy.”

Hudson’s smile fell. “He’s not that great.”

She snickered. “I find it hard to believe that you feel that way about him. He’s one of the only people you’ll smile at. It might not be much of a friendship, but you two certainly have one. I think it’s nice, though it’s a little strange.”

“Why’s that?” Hudson muttered gruffly.

“He’s nothing like you. He’s outgoing and talkative. And boy is he a charmer.”

Hudson put his foot on the brake a little harder than was necessary, drawing her attention to the fact that they’d arrived back at her home. He didn’t look at her at all before yanking his key from the ignition and tearing out of the vehicle. She watched through the rearview mirror as he opened the tailgate and let Odin jump down.

The enormous white dog loped beside Hudson as they headed for the barn.

What had just happened?

15

Hudson

Hudson couldn’t contain himself. If he’d stayed in that truck with her, he would have told her everything he’d been feeling since last night. In just over twelve hours, Hudson had come to a terrifying realization.

Rachel meant more to him than he’d thought possible. He didn’t know when it had happened—probably because, like a poison, it seeped by unnoticed until his feelings for her were no longer small and inconsequential.

It might have been realizing how much danger she was in that triggered it. Or it could have been the way Mateo so easily flirted with her. But that wasn’t Mateo’s fault—it was just who he was.

If Hudson hadn’t been in complete control of his faculties, he might have made a scene right there on Mateo’s property.

Now, Rachel was talking about the guy like he was God’s gift to women. Sure, the guy was handsome and charming, but did Rachel have to say so?

Hudson’s chest couldn’t have been tighter. He felt like he’d been put into a vise, and he didn’t have any control over how much oxygen was coming into his lungs. He had no time for these feelings. He couldn’t allow himself to fall for a girl who didn’t belong here. She was everything he hated about what Copper Creek was turning into. She was a stranger who would ultimately leave.

Except there was one problem with that reasoning.

Rachel had bought a place. She’d moved in. The woman had no intention of ever leaving this place, especially once she got the horses here. That meant she’d be here for the long haul.

The way she’d looked at him when she’d asked to sleep in his room had torn a hole right through his heart… or maybe it melted it. He wasn’t sure what was going on with his heart these days. Then, that look she’d given him when he told her he wanted her to have a puppy to keep her company, had done even more damage.

How could a woman cause so much chaos with just one set of blue eyes?

“Hudson!”

He spun around and nearly bumped into her, causing her to jump back a little with a startled expression. Hudson fought the urge to scowl at her. His feelings weren’t her fault either. She hadn’t asked him to fall for her. He scoffed at himself. If she knew what was brewing inside him, she probably would run the other way. At least that would solve one problem. He wasn’t the type to go chasing after a girl.

Then again, he’d never had an interest in a girl like her before.

Hudson stared at her expectantly. “What?” he demanded.

She put the squirming puppy on the ground next to Odin, then crossed her arms. “Will you tell me what’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong,” he said.

“That’s a lie, and you know it.”

“Nothing. Is. Wrong.” Hudson repeated as he turned away from her.

Rachel grasped onto his forearm and forced him to face her once more. “I get that we don’t know each other all that well, but I’d say we know one another better than most. You can’t stay on the same property and work together for a couple weeks without discovering at least a little bit about the other person. And since you’re not exactly forthcoming with information, all I have to go off of are your expressions. And there’s a wide range of them, believe me.”

His eyes narrowed. “Nothing. Is. Going. On.” He emphasized each word again. “I want to get to work, and part of that requires me to get Odin familiar with the place. You heard Mateo. We need to make sure these dogs understand what their jobs are.”

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