Page 46 of A Nice Day for a Cowboy Wedding

She laughed. Oh, she liked him an awful lot too much, and it was hard to care on pretty mountain mornings when he was this nice to look at.

“I’m working on it.” Though, she had to admit, part of taking her time making arrangements for Micah was seeing if Shane would push it. If he’d ask again, or simply let it all fall apart. Maybe a little warped, but she needed a few days to be sure of this. “Finding someone to watch Micah without him getting angry about being too old for babysitters is a bit of a balancing act.”

“He could come,” Shane offered easily. So easily, as if there wasn’t a question or an ulterior motive.

Cora glanced at where Micah stood looking enraptured at Boone. None of the guys she’d been with, including Micah’s own father, had much cared for Micah’s presence. But Shane seemed so sincere. Her son could justcomeon their date.

But it opened a whole well of... things. Feelings and complications that already existed because Micah was wrapped up in the Tylers now.

“I’ll make sure Boone’s not a bad influence, if that’s what’s worrying you.”

Cora wasn’t sure what to make of the way Shane talked about his youngest brother, but she didn’t have the same impression of Boone that Shane seemed to. “I’m not worried about your brother’s being a bad influence. I wouldn’t leave Micah here if I thought anyone would be one.”

“Boone’s a good kid, but he’s been out with the rodeo for too many years. He cusses and tells inappropriate stories and takes too many risks.”

Cora had to stifle a laugh. “First, you might want to accept that your brother is no longer a ‘kid.’ I don’t think he’s that much younger than I am.”

Shane grunted with a frown. “I’ve told him to watch his language, but he doesn’t listen to me much. I’ll work on it though. And if he can’t knock it off, I won’t let him be around Micah.”

Cora felt something like awe wash through her. She’d raised her child with an abusive man in their lives for too long. She worried about everything when it came to Micah—but not language or inappropriate stories. It was ludicrous and yet somehow adorable Shane would consider all that something to keep her son away from. “Micah will survive all that.”

Could Micah survive her ruining all this if she dated Shane and it didn’t work out? She chewed on her bottom lip and looked from Micah to Shane. “I already know the answer, but I have to ask, for my own peace of mind. If we do this date thing, try to start something, and it went ugly . . . I need to know Micah could still have this.”

“Not a question. He’s always welcome here, and there are plenty of people he could work with if he ever didn’t want to work with me. Molly’s doing most of the horse teaching. Gavin could handle all the chore instruction. Micah’s got a place here no matter how he or you feel about me.”

“What about how you’d feel about me?”

Shane moved so that his elbows rested on the rolled down window of her car door, his body leaning down and in so that his face was close to hers. She could smell what she assumed was his soap or deodorant, clean and piney. His eyes were a dark brown, serious and completely focused on her.

“Nothing that could happen would change the fact that Micah is welcome here. That’s a promise, and I don’t go back on a promise.”

She wanted to sigh dreamily again, and all those anticipation nerves she was supposed to be avoiding, to be a better mother, a better person, they were back tenfold, and she wanted to roll around in them.

Shane was agoodman. Not her usual mistake. Surely it wouldn’t be so bad to anticipate a little.Indulge a lot.A man who didn’t go back on his promises . . . Well, that wasn’t something she’d predicted. She should be flexible. She couldn’t eradicateallfun from her life just because she was a mother and a career woman.

“Our first date should probably be just us,” she said, trying to keep how much shewantedout of her voice.

His mouth curved. “I can deal with that.” Then that curved mouth leaned closer. “They’re in the stables,” he murmured.

She darted a gaze to the stables, then to the front porch where they’d been, finding both empty. Anticipation was like a drug she couldn’t get enough of—until it all crashed to a halt. “Your mother isn’t though.”

Shane whipped his head back toward the house so quick it was a miracle he didn’t hit it on some part of the car door.

DebandMolly were on the front porch, clearly watching Cora and Shane with avid interest. Cora didn’t know exactly how all this worked. Families and ties and good people.

Shane cleared his throat. “Well, it’s not as though I’m going to pretend I’m not going out with you.” Then he leaned in through the window and brushed his lips across her cheek. It was quick and more friendly than romantic, and yet it was a clear . . .thing.

Deb and Molly would know, and when Cora screwed this all up—which she inevitably would, because when did she not?—everyone would know she was to blame, because it could never possibly be Shane the Great.

She pushed away that thought ruthlessly. Those kinds of insecurities had no place here. She wanted tobuildsomething, not be beholden to something. Grow something like Lilly and Brandon and Will and Tori had. Not codependent, insecure mind games. Something real. Cora had to believe she was capable of that, and, if shewas,Shane was by far the best chance she’d ever take.

“I’ll let you know when I pick up Micah what evening I’m free. Maybe we can go square dancing.”

He laughed. “I’ll suffer through a lot of things for a woman I like, but it won’t be dancing. I can promise you that.”

“Hmm,” was all Cora said in return before tapping her steering wheel. “Well, I gotta go. See you soon.”

“He’s in good hands,” Shane assured, patting the door as he stepped away from it.

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