Page 16 of The Texas Cowboy's Lady

So, this was the woman who just might be the one to make his dream come true? Home and kids and a loving wife... Laurel’s appetite was gone. But she managed to keep her responding smile on an even keel.

“It’s very nice to meet you.”

“Same here,” the woman responded. “I will impress the children this afternoon that I have met an actual Hollywood star.”

“Children? You have children?” Laurel blurted it out before she thought.

Both Arabella and Jaxson laughed, but Arabella responded first. “Yes, I have fifteen. They are my students. I teach sixth graders in the accelerated program. Also, I teach music, dance and art at the junior high. Those are the students who are aware that Burkitt’s own Laurel Burkitt has won a couple of Oscars for your wonderful stories.”

Beautyandbrains. Jaxson hit the jackpot. And Laurel met the green-eyed monster of jealousy without any warning. She bit down on her bottom lip to keep her voice from shouting out loud the words that were clamoring through her head.He was mine first.And just as soon as they popped into her brain, the others followed.

And you let him go. You tossed him aside. You are an idiot.

Chapter Seven

“Ihad hopedstopping for some of Teresa’s good cooking would help brighten things a bit, given what happened earlier. I know you’re hurting for that pup. But you’ve done what you can do and now you just have to let whatever will happen take it from here. You gave him a fighting chance. The rest is up to the doctor and to the little guy’s will to fight.”

Laurel heard the tone change in his voice. Jaxson hadn’t needed to care enough to go down into that ditch and culvert and then spend his time racing to a vet for a homeless, half-dead animal. But he had. She had discovered many years ago that there was actually a heart in Jaxson Hawkes’s chest, and not just for his expensive horses. She had almost forgotten that. Try as she might earlier to conceal them at the vet’s, she knew he had seen the tears. He could have made a big deal of it. He could have told her to get over it and then deposited her back at the ranch so he could get on with the work he had on his plate. But he hadn’t. He had been human and humane. She leveled her gaze on his profile as he concentrated on the driving.

“Your secret is showing.”

That got his attention. He glanced over at her. “Secret? I’m an open book. I believe you accused me of that fact, so you can’t go flip-flopping.”

“You use that black hat and those dark glasses to hide the fact. You come across with an exterior of being all business and ice in your veins. But that is all a sham. You have a heart buried down deep. Once in a while, you slip up and it shows. Why else would the lovely Miss Arabella have her Private Property sign showing behind the perfect smile? Play your cards right and you’ll be an old married man by Christmas. I bet you.”

He made a sound like a gruff old bear under his breath. His gaze was back on the road. “I wouldn’t take that bet. And you just met her, so how would you know what’s in her mind?”

“I’m a female. To put it in simple terms, we have a secret communication of smiles and looks and body language that is all code for other females to get the message loud and clear. I certainly got it at the lunch table. She sees you as her property and you are off-limits. And I would say that you aren’t as against that idea as you might like to pretend. Why not? She’s a beautiful and somewhat sexy lady with brains.”

“Wow.Sold.Although I can’t help but detect a hint of a few notes of disbelief from you about what you just said. Is it so surprising that some female might take mercy on me and choose me?”

They both knew he was referring to their parting scene a few years back when she turned him down for the bright lights of Hollywood.

“If you’re fishing for more compliments, forget it. I keep my quota of those to a minimum.”

“Well, Arabella is indeed a smart lady, and she knows the score. She doesn’t see you as competition, just someone who has that stardust sprinkled around her. Don’t be surprised if she was sizing you up to find the way to get you to visit her classroom. She’s all about doing whatever she can to keep her kids engaged and holding on to their dreams outside Burkitt.”

That didn’t help Laurel’s opinion of the woman. She sounded like someone she would normally like... on another planet. The ranch came into sight. She straightened.

“Just drop me at the steps. I want to check in with Sean and with Doc about his patient. And thanks again for doing all of the things you did this morning. Sorry it took half your day, but I do appreciate it. It meant a lot. And not just about the puppy, but how you helped Sean with the horse. I was wrong to accuse you of something else. You aren’t petty, and you wouldn’t put a horse or human in danger.” She finished the words through the open window of the truck, the door shutting between them.

“Don’t worry, I still have many hours ahead to accomplish what I need to do. And I’m glad it meant a lot. That makes it worthwhile. Go call the vet.” He put the truck in gear and pulled away.

Laurel took her time climbing the stairs. Her mind was still in the truck beside Jaxson. It had truly been a roller coaster of a day emotion-wise. And an enlightening one. Jaxson Hawkes really was a good guy.

“There you are! I have been on the phone with dozens of calls, and I needed your input. Where have you been? I left a dozen messages on your phone. From the window, I see you pull up in the company of the enigmatic foreman and I have to wonder what you two have been up to that took so long. Should I be a jealous fiancé?”

Laurel tossed a look at Sean, who stood in front of the window waiting for her. “Sorry, you won’t have to fight a duel for me. The foreman is taken by a local beauty I met today. So don’t worry. Now let’s go find something cold to drink and you can fill me in on the calls.”

Sean slid an easy arm around her shoulders as they headed toward the hall. “Don’t look so glum. You should be happy that the guy is no longer crushing on you, right? You’ve both moved on, and nowweneed to get a move on our list of items to get done. CeeCee will be here in the next day or so and then the clock will be ticking. Everything must be perfect.”

Laurel smiled and nodded and put her brain into business mode. But it was a lot harder to push the muscle in the center of her chest in the same direction. And the image of sitting beside him as that pickup drove off into the sunset had staked a hold inside her. For the first time, that particular cowboy had pushed all thoughts of Hollywood and movies from her brain. What had changed?

*

“Thought you hadtaken the day off or something,” Beaudry noted as he came across his brother inside the tack room an hour later. “Especially since the guys said they saw you on their feed store run over in Abilene in the company of two beautiful women. Something I should know about?”

“You should know that it is none of your business about the beautiful women part, especially since one of them was your engaged sister-in-law, and if I had taken the day off, I sure wouldn’t be here right now.” Jaxson kept his gaze on the list in his hands that he had been trying to reconcile for longer than he cared to admit. The last thing he needed was another interruption by his nosy brother.

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