Page 20 of The Cowboy Who Worked Late

“I’ve thought about opening my own business,” Henry said. “It’s different than working somewhere like Lone Star. There, I have a job everyday. I have a place to live, and people who know me. People I like. People who can step in in an emergency. Horses I know, and horses I like.”

Part of him wanted to set his own hours, run his own life. But he also liked the stability somewhere like Lone Star provided.

“If I start my own business, there’s more travel. I have to find somewhere to live, and I have to drum up my own jobs.”

“Yep,” Daddy said, offering nothing else.

“So I don’t know,” Henry said. “My apprenticeship isn’t over yet. I don’t know what Lone Star will even offer. Sometimes they don’t let men stay on.”

“They’ll let you stay on,” Daddy said. “You moved to team lead within the second week you were there.”

“Yeah,” Henry said. “And I’ve haven’t moved up to captain yet.”

“Well, you might,” Daddy said. “There are other men in those positions who’ve been there longer than you.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

The front door opened, and Angel entered, drawing all of Henry’s attention the way she did every time she came close to him.

“Pancakes are down,” he called to her. “I was just comin’ to get you.”

“I can smell them,” she said. “Smells real good, Mister Marshall.” She wore a sunny smile on her face, and though the clothes didn’t quite fit her—Libby was a tiny bit bigger than her—she still shone with radiance and beauty.

“We’re gonna go work with Nevaeh after breakfast,” Henry said. “Is that okay?”

“Sounds perfect,” Daddy said, passing the spatula to Henry. “Henry, you flip these. I’m gonna go check on what Momma’s doing.”

Daddy left the room, and Henry stared at the griddle. He’d flipped pancakes before, but Angel came to his side, easily plucking the utensil from his hand.

“I’ll do it, cowboy,” she said. “You just gotta watch for the bubbles.”

He stood beside her while she flipped the pancakes, and he wasn’t sure why that was so hot and so sexy, but it was, and he felt himself falling for her, which so couldn’t happen. Not with the current rules at Lone Star.

He wasn’t going to ask her to change them. He told her he wouldn’t talk about it this weekend, and he wouldn’t.

He put it in his pocket for later. Maybe on the drive home. Maybe the next day. He wasn’t even sure when he’d see Angel once they got back to the boarding stable. He leaned in, inhaled the scent of her hair, her skin, her shoulder, and said, “I sure do like you, Angel.”

He stepped back because his parents came in, and Henry wasn’t going to say more than that.

“I can’t believe horses know how to do this,” Angel said. “Look at her just kick it back to me.”

Henry chuckled and watched as Angel reached down to receive the exercise ball. “Maybe it’s something we can offer to the cowboys on the ranch.”

She straightened, and even though Nevaeh kicked the ball back to her, she didn’t bend down to stop it. She just let it bounce against her knees softly. “Henry, we’re not an equine therapy unit.”

“I know that,” he said, something stinging in his chest at her tone. “But it’s one horse. I bet your mama would like it. Your daddy, maybe. Trevor would love it for sure.”

“I know Trevor would love it.” Angel’s expression hardened, and Henry wasn’t sure what he’d said wrong. “You don’t know my brother,” she said, turning away from both Henry and Nevaeh.

“Can we ride her?” she asked, her eyes sweeping the arena in front of them. Daddy had built a huge indoor arena where he did classes and horseback riding lessons, as well as the equine therapy.

“Outside or inside?” Henry asked.

“Outside,” she said. “Is there a path we could take that won’t take too long? We need to have her back on time. She needs to rest before the afternoon appointments.”

Henry gathered his courage and stepped over to Angel, not getting too close. She could definitely tell he was coming, and she glanced over to him, then quickly looked away.

“There’s a short path over to the river,” he said. “Nevaeh’s not working this afternoon anyway, so it doesn’t matter if we ride her.”

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