Page 58 of Cowboy Don't Go

She threaded her hand through his arm as they walked toward the tented 4-H exhibits and the kids who’d entered the Youth Horse Encounter.

“I guess you know about Ry withdrawing from the competition.”

Cooper nodded. “That was a big decision.”

“He was scared you’d be upset with him.”

“Me? Why would I be?”

“After all the time you two spent together. He thought you’d be disappointed with his decision.”

“Actually, I’m proud of him.” He tightened a hand around hers. “He chose the bond with the horse over a cash prize. In my experience, that’s a choice well made.”

“Says the cowboy in you,” she teased. “But I agree.”

“That wasn’t how it was for you as a kid?” he asked, easing her into a topic close to her childhood.

She sighed. “Money was always a priority in our family. There never seemed to be enough of it. At least when we were kids.”

“So . . . what? That changed at some point?” he asked carefully.

“Well,” she allowed after a moment, “there were some good years when the struggle wasn’t so great. Financially, at least. But after my father died, it seemed that we were back at square one. Which is why Will’s personal investment in the ranch and all our hard work toward making it a profitable guest ranch is so important.”

They wound through the 4-H caged rabbit exhibits in one of the tents, bumping into proud 4-H parents and fairgoers at every turn.

He tried again. “You don’t talk about him much. Your father.”

She swallowed thickly, studying the long-haired calico bunny sniffing her fingers. “He was . . . not an easy man. He was a good provider, not much of a dad, and a very complicated human being. I mean, we loved him in our own way. Most of us, at least. I think he loved us back? Or maybe it was just the ranch he really loved.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry. That’s way more than you need to hear.”

“Don’t apologize. He’s part of you. Your family is a big part of who you are.”

“And you, too,” she said. “The way you are with your dad, after all you’ve both been through, it says everything about who you are. What kind of man you are.”

He was apparently the kind of a man who would ask sketchy questions under the guise of simple curiosity. Guilt washed over him. But he had to know how these two disparate parts were connected. And as the pieces ticked together in his mind, there was only one piece that connected all three men—Tom, Ray, and Evan. And that part was walking toward them right now with her arms full of a stuffed toy horse.

“There you are!” Sarah exclaimed, dragging Ray in their direction. “We lost track of you on the midway!”

Shay pointed to the stuffed horse. “Look at that. Ray, you’ve made my mother’s night.”

Sarah, with her arm wrapped around Ray’s, laughed at his blush. “Who knew he was a master of the ring toss? He won another toy, but he gave it away to a little girl who was having a meltdown in front of the cotton candy.”

“Nice,” Shay said. “I don’t know about you, but we spent more than I care to divulge winning this three-dollar stuffed pink bear.”

Cooper couldn’t help but enjoy watching his father with Sarah and how easy they seemed with each other. There was no hiding the fact that they were together. They were comfortable with it. “Have you tried the food yet?”

“Oh, we did.” Ray rubbed his belly. “There were fried sausages involved.”

“Yeah, apple fritters here. Protein’s overrated,” Shay quipped.

Only then did Cooper notice the infamous gossip, Carol Bingley chatting with a man and his wife and looking in their direction. He remembered seeing Carol in town outside the café when he and Shay were having lunch. Cooper rolled his eyes, wanting to steer everyone in a different direction, but it was already too late. The man was walking up to them a bit aggressively.

“Well, if it isn’t the local crime family. The ex-con, Ray Lane and his slippery son,” said the impressively large man in cowboy gear and a silver belt buckle.

Cooper realized then that he had forgotten to brace himself for this tonight. He’d almost forgotten that there were those in this town who still hated them for what had happened so long ago.

Ray immediately put Sarah behind him and held Cooper back with one hand. “No call for name calling, Messer,” he told the stranger. “We’re just here like you. Enjoying the fair.”

“Oh, not like us,” Messer said, looking around at his clearly distressed wife and grown son. “No, you’re probably spending your rustling money right here in Marietta. You’ve got some balls coming back here.”

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