Page 52 of Second Chance With a Cowboy

Chapter Twenty-Four

The next few days flew by, and Chevy barely had a minute to breathe, let alone find time to see Leni. The thunderstorm had done some damage in their pastures, and he and Mack had spent most of the day running and mending fence. He missed her though and thought about her all the time.

She’d been busy at the coffee shop and helping Lorna with the kids, but they’d snuck in a few quick phone calls and had made plans for her to come out to the ranch for dinner that night.

His heart pounded and damned if his palms weren’t sweating as he pulled up in front of the house. It had only been a few days, but he couldn’t wait to see her, to kiss her, to get his hands on her again.

His lips pulled into a grin as the front door banged open, and Leni came running out and climbed into the truck with him. She had on a pale pink V-neck T-shirt, low top white Converse tennies, and a pair of white shorts that accentuated her tan legs. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, and she wore a smile that was meant just for him.

“Hey there—” he started to say, but she cut him off with a kiss. Her scent filled the cab of the truck as he slipped his armsaround her waist and pulled her across the center console and into his lap. “I’ve missed you,” he told her in between kisses.

“I’ve missed you too,” she said. “Any chance we have time to sneak up to the cabin before supper tonight?”

He chuckled against her mouth, already getting hard just thinking about it. “I wish. But when I told Gramps I was coming into town to get you, he said he needed to grab something at the hardware store and asked to tag along. I just dropped him off, and I think he would notice if it took me an hour to come back and pick him up.”

“An hour?” She offered him a naughty grin. “We’d need at least two. Maybe four.”

“In that case, how about we skip dessert tonight and head up there right after supper?”

“If you take me to the cabin, you’ll still get dessert.”

He groaned. “You are killin’ me. This is going to be the longest meal of my life.” He slipped his hand under her shirt and cupped her breast as he leaned down to graze the top of it with his teeth. “Maybe I’ll have my appetizer now.”

Leni’s phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out and laughed as she read the screen. “Lorna told us to get a room.” She slid back over into the passenger seat and laughed again as her phone buzzed with another message. “And that this is supposed to be a kid-friendly neighborhood.”

“Sounds like we’d better get out of here and go get Gramps,” Chevy said, adjusting himself before putting the truck in gear.

They parked the truck and met Duke on the sidewalk as he was coming out of the hardware store.

“Let me get that for you, Gramps,” Chevy said, taking the bag Duke was carrying.

An old cowboy, dressed in pressed jeans and a short-sleeved, red plaid shirt complete with a longhorn steer bolo tie ambled toward them. He wore a straw cowboy hat and a warm smile ashe greeted his grandfather. “Duke, you old so-and-so, how the heck are ya?”

“Hey Buck,” Gramps said, returning the man’s handshake as he clapped him on the back. “I’m doing fair to midland. Sun’s shining, and I’ve got a brisket in the smoker, so I can’t complain too much. You remember my grandson, Chevy,” he said, gesturing first Chevy, then to Leni. “And this is Leni Gibbs, Lorna William’s older sister. You know Lorna’s got that new coffee shop downtown.”

“Sure, sure. Great gal,” the old cowboy said, shaking each of their hands. “Bucky Ferguson. Good to see you again.”

They shared a few pleasantries, mentioned the state of this year’s wheat crop, then complained about how dry it had been and how much they needed the moisture.

“Listen Duke, I’ve been meaning to call you about the guy my son was sending up from Texas,” Bucky said, hanging his head. “I’m awful sorry, but it sounds like he’s not gonna make it. Dumb idiot took on abull meaner than him in a roughstock event at last weekend’s rodeo. Broke his wrist and fractured his left tibia, so he’s not gonna be much use to you, or my son, for this season.”

Duke’s brow furrowed as he cast a glance at Chevy then back at Bucky. “That’s no problem, Buck. Let’s hope he has a speedy recovery.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine. And probably climbing on the back of another bull by next spring. He’s a good cowboy, and a hard worker, but like I said, still a dumb idiot.”

“You take care now,” Duke told him. “We’ll talk soon.”

They watched Bucky walk into the hardware store then headed back to the truck. None of them said anything until they were inside the cab.

Chevy put a hand on the steering wheel as he turned to stare at Leni and his grandfather. “If Bucky’s guy never showed up,then who the hell is the guy sleeping in Ford’s bedroom that I just spent the last two days mending fence with?”

Chapter Twenty-Five

The ride back to the ranch was quiet, both Chevy and his grandfather deep in thought, and Leni letting them be.

Who the hell was this guy?

Was Mack even his real name?

---