Page 51 of A Family With the Cowboy

Willow had been in Bozeman for the week to finalize the upcoming exhibition of her artwork, so he couldn’t even ask her to babysit. Of course, there was always his mother, but he didn’t feel comfortable asking her to look after his son while he had sex with her neighbor.

With his hand on the front door, he froze. Sex? What happened when he was with Laura was not just sex. That had become crystal clear over the past week. Something so much more was at play when he was with her. They connected on a level much deeper than he’d ever experienced before, one that instinctively guided him to give her what she needed, made it clear what she liked, what made her fly—that had never happened before.

Just the thought of her cresting over and over when they were together was enough to send his blood roaring through his body.

Inhaling deeply, he rubbed his face. How could he feel this way? Wasn’t he betraying what he and Madeline had?

As he opened the front door, Willow’s truck stopped behind him.

He turned around to welcome her. “How was your week?” he asked as she got out of her car.

Giving him a once-over, she angled her head. “I had a great week, thanks. Something tells me you’re not so happy, though.”

“It’s been a difficult week. Laura and I have both been so busy. Can you stay with Luke for a while? I want to fetch Laura. I’m hoping she’ll come to the ranch for the weekend.”

Willow laughed. “You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”

He couldn’t stop the grin even if he tried. “I must go. Thanks, Sis,” he called out, already on his way to his truck.

By the time he reached the outskirts of Marietta, he was on fire. He’d had to force himself not to drive too fast. In a few minutes, he was going to see her, touch her, and make love to her.

Make love to her. Love. Something inside him that had been trying to escape for weeks now finally struggled free. He slowed down and stopped the truck. Of course he loved her. He probably had since that very first moment she’d opened her class door. And he also remembered the exact moment his heart had acknowledged it—when she’d lifted her arms so that he could pull her top over her head.

With his heart lighter and a stupid grin on his face, he started his truck again. Surely she felt the same way? He stepped on the gas. The urgency to be with her, to hold her, and to tell her how he felt was rushing through his veins.

*

Laura quickly putthe very unhappy Molly in her room and closed the door before she jogged toward the front door. Tanner had texted earlier while she was still at school. He’d finished the kitchen cabinets and could bring them during the afternoon—apparently, he had extra help that would make transporting the cabinets easier.

It had been a frustrating week. She missed Hayden something fierce. They’d texted and he’d phoned every night, but she wanted to be with him and touch him, not just talk to him on the phone, damn it. Hayden had Luke to consider, but there wasn’t anything that said she couldn’t go to him. It was the weekend, after all.

Smiling, she opened the door. Just the thought that she’d see Hayden soon had her just about dancing. Tanner and another man were standing on her porch with the cabinets.

Tanner introduced her to his friend. “If you’re thinking of asking, I must warn you, though. You only get one date with this lady,” Tanner teased.

Laughing, she opened the door wider. “This town and the gossip! I don’t understand why everyone is so interested in my dating habits. Come on in, thanks.”

It didn’t take them long, and within fifteen minutes they were on their way. Tanner was willing to come back tomorrow to paint the wall, but she had other plans. Painting a wall was something she could do on her own, anyway.

With a still-barking Molly in her arms, Laura took a minute to admire the beautiful cabinets. Tanner had painted them in a dove’s egg blue paint—she loved the look.

“Oh, shush.” She laughed and scratched Molly behind the ears. “They’re gone. Look at my pretty cupboards!”

Molly was still seriously indignant about the strangers who’d been in her house, though, and gave a few more yelps before she quieted down. “There we go…” Laura crooned as she walked toward her bedroom. “Let me quickly grab a few things. Then we can go.”

She put Molly on her bed and put a few necessary items in her bag. It was nearly half past five and the sun had already set. Hopefully, she could reach the ranch before it was completely dark.

*

Feeling betrayed, Haydenparked in front of the homestead and got out of his truck. He was angry, hurt, and frustrated. Well, he’d wanted to know whether Laura felt the same way and now he knew. She obviously didn’t.

For a moment, he wanted to get back in his truck and just keep driving. With a sigh, he entered the house. His family would know something was wrong. He didn’t even need to pretend to be okay.

From the direction of Luke’s room, he could hear Jessie barking. Everyone else was in the living room, drinking beer, when he entered.

Willow frowned. “Where’s Laura?”

Trying to get his breath under control, he threw up his hand.

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