Page 31 of Cowhand Crush

“They’re at the barn. Come look.”

She gestured to the window over the sink. Dad had one of the horses out. Bowen held Amber up as the horse sniffed her little toes. Then her tiny fist waved around in the air and latched onto the horse’s nose. The horse stayed there, eyes bright and watchful, ears pricked forward as Amber’s fingers grasped at that velvety nose.

“It seems she takes after her mama,” Birdie said.

“I’m sure Dad will be thrilled to find out his granddaughter is just as headstrong as me.”

“That poor girl is going to have a hard time when it comes to dating. Between her father and her grandpa, they will run off every boy that comes anywhere near her.”

The memory of Dad’s words echoed in my mind.

When your daughter falls in love, you’ll realize how hard it is to let her go.

“We have a few more years ahead of us before we have to worry about boys.”

Grabbing my coat, I ventured outside to join Dad and Bowen. The horse let out a big, warm huff of breath. Amber giggled. A soft smile spread across Bowen’s face—exhausted, but brimming with affection. This man loved his little girl more than life itself.

“Hey, honey,” he said, greeting me with a quick, warm kiss in the chill of the early spring air. “Did you get enough sleep?”

I nodded, slipping my hand into the crook of his arm.

“I did. Thank you for taking care of Amber.”

“She’s been inspecting the horses this morning. They’ve been keeping her entertained. She hasn’t cried for hours.”

“Expensive baby toys,” Grady put in.

I smiled to myself.

“I thought the horses were strictly for working cattle.”

He shrugged.

“What the little boss wants, the little boss gets.”

Oh boy, I thought. Grandpa was going to spoil her rotten.

Bowen adjusted Amber in his hold, touching her cheek to make sure she wasn’t too cold.

“I’m going to take her inside to get warmed up,” he said. “She probably needs to be changed by now, too.”

“I can do that,” I said. “You’ve been looking after her since early this morning.”

Bowen leaned over and kissed my forehead.

“You just woke up. Cross a few things off your to-do list first.”

I gave his arm a squeeze of appreciation before he turned away, heading up to the house. Dad’s gaze shifted toward me with a knowing glance.

“What?” I demanded.

“You look happy,” he said quietly. “Tired, but happy.”

My heart warmed at his words. I knew this hadn’t been the easiest transition for him to get used to—his daughter growing up, getting married, having a baby of my own. But we managed to find a balance, working together on the ranch. He started to step back more often these days, giving me the space I needed to take the lead and make decisions.

“I had an idea I wanted to run by you,” Dad said.

He was doing that more often these days, too. Asking my advice, consulting my opinion. I knew it wasn’t easy, and I’m sure Birdie nudged him once in a while.

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