Page 17 of A Family With the Cowboy

Hayden glared at her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You can’t hide—” Willow began, but fortunately, Becket came to his rescue.

“I promise not to ruin the evening. Laura gave me an earful last night about my behavior.” Becket smiled sheepishly. “Don’t you start.”

“Did she now?” Willow smiled. “I like her more and more.” She pointed at Coop and Becket. “So, which one of you is going to ask her to the ball?”

Becket shook his head. “Something tells me the lady won’t be overly eager to go with any of us.”

Cooper got up. “She doesn’t have a problem with me.”

Hayden swallowed the “don’t” that nearly slipped out.

Cooper’s eyes met his. “Unless you have a problem with that?”

“Hayden?” Willow teased. “Do you have a problem with Coop taking Laura to the dance?”

Hayden turned away. “Why would I have a problem?”

“’Cause you kissed her?” Cooper said.

Ignoring them, Hayden walked toward the back door. “I’m in the barn.” He needed something to kick or punch. Or both.

His family’s laughter followed him all the way outside.

*

Saturday morning, justafter ten, there was a knock on Laura’s front door. She hadn’t really slept last night. In between dreams of Hayden’s warm hands all over her naked body, she’d been drinking water, trying to cool down. In the middle of winter.

She’d gotten up early and had just finished unpacking the last of the boxes. Her heart kicked against her ribs. It couldn’t be Hayden, could it? Running on her socks to the door, she looked through the peephole. It was Arlene, his mother, thank goodness.

Combing her hair out of her face, she opened the door. “Arlene, it’s so nice to see you. Everything okay?”

“That’s what I came to ask you.”

Laura blinked. “Yes, I’m fine. Why?”

“I’ve heard about last night. Everyone is talking about what happened at the Graff.”

Laura opened and closed her mouth a few times before she opened the door wider. “Come on in. I’ll make tea.” In the kitchen, she switched on the kettle before she took out two cups and a teapot. “Let’s sit here at the table. I’ve heard about the town gossip mill, but my goodness, it’s only ten in the morning.”

“Willow heard about it before eight. I thought you may be sleeping late.”

“I was up early, still unpacking.” She smiled as she made the tea.

“So you’re fine?”

With her eyes on the teapot, Laura carried it to the table. “Becket and I are just friends. We were talking about the ranch when a woman approached him, crying. I don’t like the way he treats women or talks about them and I’ve told him that…”

Arlene’s eyes widened. “Good for you.”

Laura continued as she poured the tea. “It was an awkward situation. Your two other sons tried to make it less so by joining me at the table. That was it.”

“So when did Hayden kiss you?”

Laura just about choked on her tea and quickly put down her cup. “How on earth do you know that?” slipped out before she could stop herself.

Arlene’s eyes were twinkling. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear Hayden is kissing again.” Shaking her head, she sighed. “For the past two years, he’s been walking around like a zombie. We were all still struggling with Walker’s death when Madeline was diagnosed with breast cancer. Luke was only four. Hayden has always been the one who looked out for others. His biggest fear is that he won’t be able to protect the ones he loves. And then both his brother and his wife died. He’s erected such a hard shell around his heart, I’ve been worried nobody would be able to penetrate it. But something has changed over the last week. So what I want to know is, when are you seeing him again?”

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