Page 28 of Love Me, Cowboy

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Tyler had worn a permanent smile for the last four days. Thanks to Claire being off for Christmas break, they’d spent every free moment together. Reminiscing about the past, and finding their way in the present, while the future loomed heavy above their heads.

Any discussion about Tyler returning to the riding arena had been avoided. Which was chickenshit on his part, but Tyler didn’t want anything to come between them when they were finally finding something real. With time, Claire would see what riding meant to him. She’d come to understand that he couldn’t give it up and would never ask him to.

But they had time to get there. Tyler wouldn’t be able to ride until spring at the earliest. Closer to summer if his therapist had her way. By then, they’d be on firmer ground. Four days meant whatever they were building was still fragile. No sense in breaking it before they were out of the chute.

As he parked his truck in front of the Campbell house, one of the few Victorians in town, Tyler took a deep breath and sent up a quick prayer that this night would go well. He doubted Claire’s mother would see her daughter pairing up with a Holly as a good thing. In fact, Claire had warned him to be ready for the worst. But she’d also promised they would stand together, and her mother’s snooty opinions wouldn’t change anything.

Still, Tyler would take climbing onto an angry bull over facing Sylvia Campbell on her best day. If she ever had one.

Wooden floorboards creaked as Tyler crossed the wide, covered porch to reach the entrance. When he failed to locate a doorbell button, he lifted the heavy knocker in the middle of the door. From the other side he heard Claire’s muffled voice yell “I got it!” along with what sounded like running footfalls. The door flew open and a second later closed again, shutting Claire out on the porch with him.

She pulled him down into a long, hot kiss without saying so much as hello. As far as greetings went, this kind suited Tyler just fine.

“Are you ready for this?” Claire asked after abruptly breaking the kiss.

Tyler was too dazed to understand the question. “Ready?” he said.

“She’s in a good mood,” Claire said, taking his hand in her own and reaching for the doorknob. “As soon as I told her I was bringing a man to dinner, she went on her best behavior. She hasn’t even insulted me in the last half hour.”

Claire’s excitement over not being insulted by her mother made Tyler’s stomach tighten even more. He took his share of dings from Marilyn, but his stepmother was an amateur compared to the Campbell matriarch.

“This is a smaller gathering, thank goodness,” Claire said, taking Tyler’s jacket and hanging it over the coatrack to the left of the front door. “And the others aren’t scheduled to arrive for fifteen minutes or so. Best to get the initial announcement out of the way before she has an audience.”

Tyler felt as if they were embarking on a military maneuver once again. Claire was talking fast enough to make it difficult to keep up, and her eyes kept darting around the corner as if looking for snipers.

“Claire,” he said, tugging her toward him. “Take a breath, darling. You’re going to give us both a heart attack here.” Her mouth clamped shut, but her eyes continued to scout. “Come on now.” Tyler held her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “We’re a team, right? It’s two against one. How bad could she be?”

Hazel eyes went wide. “I would tell you, but you probably won’t believe me. She’ll say absolutely anything. She’s mean, Tyler. If you weren’t so important to me, I’d never make you go through this.”

That sounded a bit backward, but Tyler understood. He didn’t want a fling with Claire, he wanted forever. And that meant facing the parents. He’d face hungry lions if it meant having a life with this woman.

“Then let’s get this over with.”

Hand in hand, Tyler let Claire lead him through a richly decorated living room and under an arching doorway into the fanciest dinner setup he’d ever seen. Everything was white and sterile, with splashes of green foliage holding down large pots in the corners. A burst of color exploded from the center of the table where an elaborate flower arrangement sat, flanked by heavy candlesticks on either side.

Marilyn definitely had nothing on the first lady of Holly Hills.

“Mom,” Claire said, squeezing Tyler’s hand tight enough to cut off blood flow to his fingers. “Tyler is here.”

Sylvia Campbell’s head shot up so quickly, Tyler feared it might fly right off. Blue eyes narrowed at the same time coral-colored lips flattened into a straight line.

“Why is he here?” she asked, her voice low and unfriendly.

“He’s my date,” Claire answered. “I told you I was bringing someone to dinner.”

Mrs. Campbell crossed her slender arms while her body remained rigid. “Is this a joke, Claire?”

The tiny redhead held her ground, but her grip grew tighter. “Tyler and I are together, Mother. He’s here as my guest, and I would appreciate it if you’d be a little nicer.”

“Nicer?” the woman exploded. “You cannot be serious.”

“Mother, please.”

“He’s a Holly,” her mother said, spewing his name as if it were poison on her tongue.

“Yes, he is,” Claire said, lifting her chin and making Tyler proud. “Which is better than being a Campbell right now. If you don’t want Tyler here, then we’ll both leave.”

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