Page 28 of A Family With the Cowboy

“I can pick you up after school any day that suits you. You and Molly should meet first and see if the two of you hit it off.”

Chewing her lip, she looked away. “I’m not sure about going to your ranch…”

“I have my own house. You don’t have to see Hayden if you don’t want to.”

“Okay, but you don’t have to pick me up. I can drive out to the ranch, so you don’t have to…”

But Cooper was already shaking his head. “My mama will skin me alive. It gets dark way too soon and you don’t know the roads. What about Friday? I’ll put some steaks on the fire afterwards?”

She nodded. “Okay, thanks. I’d love to meet Molly.”

With a smile and a wave, Cooper jogged down the stairs to his truck.

Cooper waited until she’d unlocked her front door before he drove away. Irritated and upset and sad and not sure why, she tucked her hair behind her ear. Cooper was attractive, kind, and caring. Why couldn’t he wake up the butterflies in her tummy or send her blood roaring through her ears?

Sighing, she closed the door behind her. She had to forget about Hayden Weston, about men. Yes, judging from what she’d seen tonight, there were many other good-looking men in town she could probably date, although the idea of a night at home with a nice book or spending time with women friends was much more appealing to her. And when she had a dog, she’d have a companion.

But okay, maybe she should date. Occasionally, if anyone she liked asked her. It was a way to meet new people. But all these butterflies in the tummy, palpitations, and the way her whole body changed when Hayden was around was exhausting.

And who knew? Maybe there was another cowboy out there who’d send her heart into a frenzy. Maybe.

As she walked into her room, she caught herself humming. It was the tune she and Hayden had danced to. It was an oldie, one her dad used to love to listen to. She’d known there was a song about a guy kissing a girl in a way she’d never been kissed before. And then that was the song she and Hayden had danced to. Groaning out loud, she put her bag down. Hayden kissing her was so not something to be thinking about right now.

Her phone beeped. It was a text sent from an unknown number. Her heart stuttered to a halt before it valiantly tried to beat again. It was from Hayden. She knew that ever before she opened it.

You okay?

Her heart sighed, tears welling up behind her eyelids. Irritated, she wiped her eyes before she texted him back. She put her phone down and got undressed.

What was he trying to do, damn it? Right after she’d made up her mind to forget about him, he wanted to know if she was okay. He kept blowing hot and cold. The one minute he kissed her, the next, he wanted to make sure she knew nothing could ever happen between the two of them.

Upset, she walked to the bathroom. Steamy dreams about the big cowboy had already been keeping her awake over the past two weeks. How was she going to sleep tonight while she still vividly remembered every moment she’d danced with him?

*

You don’t have to worry about me.

Hayden stared at Laura’s text before he threw his phone down on the bed. What the hell had he expected? He was the one who’d wanted to make sure she knew nothing could happen between the two of them.

His gaze fell on the picture of Madeline he kept on his bedside table. Picking it up, he sat on the bed. They had all the time in the world, they’d thought. Maddie had wanted another baby, just before she became ill. But instead of growing old with the woman who’d stolen his heart, he was left to raise their son on his own.

“I miss you, Mads,” he whispered, but the woman in the picture was gone. She couldn’t respond.

He’d taken off his wedding ring last Christmas. He still wasn’t sure what had finally made him do it. He had just known it was something he had to do.

His mom thought he feared getting hurt again, and maybe she was right. He’d learned the hard way happily-ever-after actually had an expiration date.

The real reason why he could never allow himself to fall for anyone else, he could never tell anyone. It was bad enough that he had to carry it with himself always: he couldn’t even think of loving anyone ever again while his brother lay buried six feet deep, unable to ever experience the deep joy of loving someone and having that someone love you back.

Feeling guilty, he took Maddie’s picture out of the frame, got up, and went to his closet, where he kept a photo album.

It didn’t feel right to leave her picture next to his bed when he was dreaming of someone else.

Chapter Eleven

By the nextFriday Laura was sleep-deprived, cranky, and ready to cry at the drop of a hat. On top of that, she was seriously worried about Luke. Something had obviously happened in the little boy’s life since she’d seen him at the dance on Saturday, but she hadn’t wanted to talk to him in front of the other kids, and of course she hadn’t wanted to get in touch with his dad.

Arlene had texted on Sunday morning, inviting her again for lunch on Sunday, the day after the Winter Ball. Even though her whole being was craving to see Hayden again, she’d made arrangements with Ellie to go skating on Miracle Lake instead. If she was going to get the cowboy out of her mind, it would be best not to see him. A week tops, she argued. That was all she would need to forget about the kiss, the dancing, the warm, urgent lips trailing along her shoulder.

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