Page 106 of The Cowboy Who Worked Late

“Because it does consume a lot of me,” she said. “And I don’t want it to take so much from me that I don’t have enough for you and for our kids.”

“We won’t let it do that,” he said. “That’s part of us moving off-site, so that it won’t do that. So that you have a safe place to come home to at night, and we can leave work at work and have family time at home.”

“I just don’t want you to be frustrated with me because I’m slower than you.”

“Sweetheart, I’m not.” He pulled her into his chest the way he had when he had comforted her and rescued her that very first time. “I will always be there to pull you out of the dark water,”he said. “And I’m not in a hurry, Angel. Speed is irrelevant when there’s no direction.”

She pulled away from his heartbeat and looked at him. “The pastor said that recently.”

“Yeah,” Henry said. “It really meant something to me. It was like God telling me to be patient. I don’t know what direction I’m going quite yet, but it’s becoming more and more clear every day.”

“Is it?” she asked. “In what ways?”

“Well, for one, I know I’m not supposed to be here at Courage Reins. But at the same time, I need to be close. That’s been made very clear to me with Grams’ stroke and everything going on here now.”

“So Stinnett is a great option,” she said.

“It is,” Henry said. “But it’s not the only option, Angel. They’re putting in a new road, and I don’t mind the drive from Lone Star to here. We could be at the outskirts of Amarillo or the outskirts of Three Rivers. I know I want to be close to my friends and go to their luncheons every first Thursday of the month. That’s a direction I know God wants me to take. He wants me to be close to my family, and he wants me to provide a safe haven for you. So it’s triangulating,” he said. “I’m getting closer and closer.”

“I want to look at some places with you,” Angel said.

“I’ve got a great real estate agent,” he said. “Finn’s used him, and I heard Mitch was looking at some property too. But that’s a secret, so don’t tell anyone.”

Angel giggled. “Who am I going to tell, cowboy?”

He grinned at her. “I just want us to be going in the same direction, Angel. And it doesn’t matter how fast we go, as long as we go together.”

She nodded, her throat tight and her lips pressed together. “That’s what I want too, Henry.”

“All right.” He wrapped her up tightly into his arms. “Hug me again. It’s so good to see you.”

She held onto him tightly, thrilled that her touch could comfort him, and knowing that Henry would need to be rescued sometimes and that she would be the one to do it.

Her phone chimed, and Angel said, “My brother is here.”

“All right,” Henry said. “Kiss me one more time, and then we’ll go meet him.”

She took his face in her hands and stroked her fingers down the side of his beard as she said, “I love you, Henry Marshall,” right before she kissed him.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Henry had a hive of angry hornets lodged in his throat. They stung down into his stomach, intestines, and bowels, and he seriously thought he might throw up. The clock ticked closer and closer to seven, when Trevor would start roll call. Henry stood near the front of the crowd, Angel at his side—where he always wanted her to be. He looked over at her, everything inside of him calming.

When she looked at him, she swallowed, a sign of nerves. Henry put a brave smile on his face, which was about how he tried to cover up everything that made him nervous. He wanted to reach for her hand, hold it, squeeze it, and whisper that everything would be fine. But the truth was, Henry wasn’t sure of any of that. He knew everyone here at Lone Star, some better than others, but Angel was the boss of all of them.

The fallout might be worse for her. Henry gritted his teeth, determined to make sure that Angel didn’t suffer after the announcement. Trevor shuffled up the ramp, using his arms to pull himself up. He didn’t have to quiet anyone down as he said, “Good morning, everyone.”

They all tuned in to roll call, and Trevor went through the announcements for the day, telling them about an excitingnew partnership with a saddle maker that would increase their profile with their customers and provide a premier riding experience for everyone who came to Lone Star.

The minutes passed by in a blur when Henry just wanted them to stop. And before he knew it, Trevor said, “And now Angel has an announcement.” It took him several seconds to get off the platform, and Angel didn’t move.

Henry wasn’t sure how this was going to go. They had talked about it, of course, late last night when he’d snuck over to her house after returning to Lone Star. He was tired inside and out, and perhaps they should have waited until another day.

Then Angel’s fingers curled through his, and she led him toward the platform. A murmur ran through the crowd because Henry had never been on the platform before, and it wasn’t exactly big enough for two people. Still, Angel stepped up, and Henry crowded in right beside her. In that moment, God chose to stop time.

Henry saw every man in front of him for what he was—a good person, a hardworking soul, a child of God. Bard stood in the back corner, his arms folded, and when he met Henry’s eyes, he nodded. That infused strength into Henry’s muscles, into his voice, and into his mind.

Since neither he nor Angel had planned who would go first or who would say what, he wasn’t sure if he should start or if she wanted to. He looked at her, and she looked at him, and then she faced the crowd.

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