Page 1 of Some Cowboys Fight for Love

1

Daniel Keagan

Where was that shirt he’d pulled from the dryer? Daniel could have sworn he’d put it on the bed next to his duffle. The piece of luggage was nearly fully packed with a week’s worth of clothing so he wouldn’t have to bother coming home to run some laundry.

He dropped to his knees and looked beneath the bed, but the only thing there were boots, the odd sock, and boxes that contained some of his favorite books.

Frowning, he sat on the floor. He’d had the shirt a moment ago. It was his favorite—not because it made his eyes seem bluer and not because it fit him perfectly, but because it had been the first one Wade had bought for him after their parents split. It was old and probably needed to be thrown out. But if Daniel was going to be sentimental about anything, it was that shirt.

Daniel groaned, ready to tear the room apart if he had to. It couldn’t have gone far. He jumped to his feet and shifted topull the bedding apart when a hint of blue caught his eye from beneath the duffle bag.

His chest immediately relaxed. He heaved a sigh before yanking out the shirt and shoving it into the duffle bag. In a swift movement, he swung the duffle over his shoulder and headed out of his bedroom.

He wasn’t as close to the Palmers as Caleb was, but he liked Mateo enough to help out. Mateo and Sophia were slated to head across the country for at least a week, and they didn’t trust the ranch in the hands of their younger siblings.

Daniel had scoffed at the notion. Had Wade needed someone to look after their growing business, he wouldn’t have batted an eye at one of the younger Keagans running the show. Perhaps it was because they’d been parentless for so long that they knew how to take care of themselves from a very young age. Along with that maturity came the ability to think ahead and see problems before they arose.

He headed down the stairs of his childhood home—a home that had once been practically falling apart due to disrepair. They had always known how to take care of themselves, even if it meant they needed to steal scraps from dumpsters or even from the country store in town. When the roof had leaked, they’d figured out a way to stop it.

Now, the home felt new again, thanks to Wade’s wife.

Brielle came from money—though it wasn’t her money that saved them. He’d lost track of how many people had helped his family throughout recent years. So many people had seen the potential of the family of misfits. And he’d always be grateful for it.

The only lingering disappointment seemed to be Daniel himself.

He was the tallest, the bulkiest. For all intents and purposes, he was the beast of the Keagan brothers—in looks only.

Children used to trip over themselves to get out of his way in grade school. No one dared wrong anyone in his family because they feared him. It was ironic, actually. Daniel had never been interested in hurting anyone.

Except for Ash.

The man had it coming, though. He should have known better than to fall for a girl six years younger than he was—and Daniel’s baby sister, to boot.

Daniel heaved a sigh, adjusting the duffle as he made a beeline for the living room. He needed one more thing before he headed out. Charlie sat curled up on a chair in the corner, a book in her lap. She’d definitely grown up in the past year. Only in recent months had he noticed she was no longer someone who needed to be protected.

She had Ash for that, now—not that she’d allow him to do much if she wanted to fend for herself. The woman was as stubborn as the rest of the Keagans.

Her head lifted when he entered, her eyes following him as he stopped at the coffee table to grab his book on historical architecture and how it influenced modern design. The way her gaze lingered on the book, he knew she was going to speak before the words spilled from her lips. “Why didn’t you ever go to college to become an architect? You know Wade would have been okay if you didn’t want to help out on the ranch, right?”

He snorted, tucking the book beneath his arm. “And where would we have gotten the money for such a dream?”

A softness filled her eyes and her lips quirked upward to one side. If he didn’t know her any better, he would have assumed she was pitying him.

“Don’t,” he muttered before she could say something nice. “I’m fine. I don’t need to go to college to learn about what interests me.”

“But you do have to go if you want to make it a career.”

“Acareer?” The sputtered question filled the room with a tinge of bitterness. “I’m in my thirties. It’s a little late to be changing careers.”

She sighed, shaking her head. “It’s never too late to do what you love. I’m sure Wade would?—”

“I’m happy with things the way they are. Besides, now that everyone is married, engaged, or starting a family, I’m not about to ask Wade to allocate extra funds to something that won’t help out the ranch. He knows what he’s doing.”

Charlie pressed her lips together. It was clear she didn’t agree with his sentiment. That was too bad. Even if she went to Wade herself and got their oldest brother to agree to give him college tuition, Daniel would turn him down. If there was one thing that had been ingrained in their family, it was the fierce sense of family duty that coursed through their blood. He’d live and die on this ranch, building an empire for the children who would come after them—children who would have the most loving family that the world could offer.

“I’m going to be at the Palmers for the next week. Might be more based on a few things I’ve heard Caleb mention. So if you need anything, you’ll know where I am.”

She smirked. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

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