The Cowgirl’s Secret Love: The Colemans of Heart Falls, Book 2

by Vivian Arend

  She seemed slightly distracted, and she hadn’t wanted to talk about anything too serious that morning. He knew how that was. Once he’d made up his mind to try something new, he needed some time to do it before analyzing all over again.

  Waking up next to her hadn’t sucked. It made it impossible for him to sneak out and grab her flowers, but she didn’t seem to mind that they weren’t there.

  When they chatted over coffee, the one thing she did want to talk about was the kitten.

  “We’re definitely picking up Dandelion today, but I promised to give Zach a hand this morning. Do you want to come to Silver Stone with me later? We’re not getting a lot of horses from them since you don’t need racing stock, but there’re a couple of retirees that might work well.”

  Finn placed his coffee mug aside as he leaned back against the counter. “You know I trust your decisions. But if you want some company, I’d love to join you.” He tapped the cast on his thigh. “I’ll be assessing them from a distance, though.”

  She slid into his arms, smiling. “No riding. Not this time. But having you with me would make me happy.”

  “Good girl,” he whispered as he kissed the tip of her nose.

  She swatted him lightly on the butt, winking at him as he turned to walk away.

  It was a bit of a scramble, but he found time to pick her a flower so it was there when she showed up for lunch.

  He was working at the table, giving his leg a rest, when she came in. She glanced at the kitchen counter and the small white offering he’d scrounged up.

  Wildflowers near the cottage were in short supply.

  “Thank you for my bit of wilderness,” she said. “It’s really sweet you’ve picked that up again. Bringing me flowers.”

  She settled into his lap, hands on his collar.

  “I still remember you telling me how not being able to ride meant not getting to see some of your favourite parts of the ranch as they went into bloom.” He pulled her closer and nuzzled against her neck.

  “The first morning, when I found that crocus on my second-storey windowsill, I thought the pixies had come to visit.” She breathed in slowly, eyes closed as she brushed their lips together. “I’m not prone to flights of fancy.”

  “Damn near needed to fly to get up there,” Finn told her. “That apple tree still outside the window at Whiskey Creek?”

  “Don’t think you’d be paying me any visits the way you are right now, Hopalong.”

  He stared at her lips, hunger for more than lunch rising. “You’d be surprised what a motivated man can accomplish.”

  She laughed before giving him the sweetest kiss for his labours. Sweet that turned into a full-out, enthusiastic Karen kiss which involved full body contact between her breasts and his chest, distracting him hard.

  Dear God. That wasn’t the only thing that was hard.

  “I’m game to retest this kitchen table for stability,” he offered.

  She skipped out of reach, digging into the refrigerator and placing items on the counter for lunch. “Hold that thought. I’m starving.”

  “Me too,” he growled with as much innuendo as possible.

  That triggered a laugh. They fell into the rest of the meal with an easy companionship. Karen seemed a lot more lighthearted than she had been lately, and he was glad.

  They headed to Silver Stone, and she caught him up on what he’d missed that morning in the yard and gave an update on one discovery. “You know the supplies we were short on when the last shipment arrived? The stuff the construction crew has been complaining about?”

  “Did they show up?”

  She shook her head. “Not the missing stuff. The replacement order came in. Zach and I got to chatting with the delivery guy. He was trying to figure out what on earth we were doing that required so many support joists and toilet seals. He swears he dropped them all off. Said someone would’ve signed for them.”

  Finn nodded. “We already checked that. That’s one problem with having so much going on at the same time. Somebody did sign, but we can’t read the signature. What the heck would they have done with all that stuff, anyway?”

  A gentle shrug lifted her shoulders. “I don’t know. Sell it on the black market?”

  “I never knew there was such a call for toilet seals,” Finn said dryly. “I suppose it’s possible we got somebody with sticky fingers with the rapid hiring we did. We’ll get Cody to keep a closer eye on things.”

  She turned down the driveway at Silver Stone, parking expertly in a space right outside the barn. “In the meantime, Zach estimates we’re closing in on a third of the way done. Most of the outbuildings are to lock up, which means the entire place looks like some bad Western B movie, without the false fronts on the plain-board buildings.”

  “Somebody else gets to decide how to make them pretty,” he reminded her as he pushed open his door and gingerly lowered himself to the ground.

  “Zach said he got some good ideas when he talked to Julia a while ago.” She motioned him toward the arena. “I’ll go grab Ashton and tell them we’re ready. Oh, and I’ll find Dandelion.”

  She took off with a skip in her step.

  He tried not to dwell on the fact he was tottering along at a snail’s pace. By now the whole crutch thing should be getting easier, and it was, in terms of balance and his muscles not aching like crazy.

  Having to use them in the first place was getting old, and he still had three weeks left before the doctor said he might be set free.

  Finn looked around the yard for a while, activity in all the nooks and corners like any well-run operation. Voices echoed along with the sounds of animals, and over it all lay a thick sense of peace. The familiar noises soothed something inside him.

  He missed having a working ranch.

  “You look ready for a drink.” Josiah Ryder stepped from the barn, a small white bundle of fluff cradled in his arms. He leaned on the railing beside Finn as he looked him over. “Maybe a double.”

  “Feeling better than I have in a while.” Finn motioned for Josiah to pass over the kitten. “What are you doing here?”

  Josiah gestured toward the three horses being led from the barn. “A bunch of tasks for Ashton. Then Lisa and I are staying for dinner. Her dad’s in town tonight.”

  A detail Finn had not heard earlier. He glanced at Karen, who was leading one of the horses into the arena.

  He wondered if she knew.

  He ignored the question and instead enjoyed the time chatting with Josiah. He and Zach had only recently moved out. While the three of them had been roommates for only a few months, it had been enough for Finn to realize how much he enjoyed Josiah’s company.

  And since Josiah and Lisa were most definitely an item, and Finn planned on being with Karen long-term, the relationship between him and the veterinarian would be around for a long time. He wanted it to be a positive one.

  The women laughed as they worked, putting the horses through their paces as he and Josiah, and eventually Ashton, watched.

  The older man was head foreman at the Silver Stone ranch, and probably as much a fixture as the worn boards on the side of the building.

  He offered Finn a firm nod before all his attention turned to the animals. “I hear you might want some of our old-timers.”

  “If Karen says so.”

  That got a grin out of Josiah. “She trained you fast.”

  It was tempting to grin back, but Finn knew nothing was officially settled, so nothing was guaranteed yet. “She built a good foundation. Easy to get the ones who are well-trained back into behaving when you start them off right.”

  A bright laugh sounded from inside the arena. Lisa wore a smirk that stretched from ear to ear as she led a grey mare up to the railing. “Always good to hear you know the true way the world operates.”

  “You say jump, and I say your bones?” Josiah offered.

  The older man beside them snorted, attempting to turn it into a cough. Ashton straightened, eyes twinkling a
s he shook his head. “I think this conversation is a little over my head.”

  Finn gave Josiah a wink, turning to Ashton as Lisa moved out of earshot. “I’m sure Karen will have a list of exactly what kind of animals we’ll need from you. Been wondering something—you heard how Sonora is doing with the animal rescue? She got a decent turnover rate happening yet, or she struggling?”

  “That woman’s a damn miracle worker. I swear she puts a spell on anyone who comes in her door, because ninety percent of them leave with an animal.” Ashton lifted a hand and got into lecture mode. “She needs to not be so stubborn, though. Plenty of people around here would give her a hand with the hardest parts of the business, yet she’s all determined to do it on her own. Makes no damn sense.”

  “She’s independent, all right.” Josiah was grinning now, elbows leaning on the railing.

  “Best kind of woman there is,” Finn agreed. He and Josiah exchanged another glance, because over the past while, it had become all too clear that Ashton had a major crush on sweet Sonora Fallen.

  It was equally clear the man would swear up one side of the barn and down the other that no such thing was true.

  Teasing on the sly to make the sixty-year-old admit the sheer amount of time he spent with her—or thinking about her—had become an amusing pastime.

  Ashton headed off to give Kelli a hand. She offered Finn a wave from across the yard before leading the animals back into the barn.

  Karen came to join him. Contentment on her face, she stepped in close and wrapped an arm around Finn’s waist. With a happy sigh, she cradled the top of Dandelion’s head and pressed a kiss to his furry little nose.

  “Public display of affection. I like this,” Finn told her, tipping her hat back to turn it into a true PDA.

  “Icky.” This from Lisa, laughter in her voice as she climbed over the railing and all but threw herself at Josiah. “Cover my virgin eyes, they’re kissing.”

  Josiah swung her in a circle, a laugh booming out over the landscape. “I don’t think that word means what you think it means.”

  “Hey. You’re supposed to be on my side.” Lisa wrapped her legs around him and kissed him thoroughly. “There. Now I have boy cooties as well.”

  Karen laughed softly as she stood beside Finn, arm still around his waist, head leaning against his shoulder, and Dandelion cradled against her chest. “We should get going.”

  “Talk to you tomorrow. We’ll pass on a hello to dad from you,” Lisa said cheerfully before she grabbed Josiah’s hand and tugged him toward the house. Josiah waved over her shoulder.

  Which left a very confused and yet content Finn standing at the railing with Karen.

  She reached for his crutches, extending them to him. “I’ve been plotting about what would make me happy tonight, and it involves you taking me out to dinner. Think that’s possible?”

  He followed her to the truck. “I think that’s very possible. Anything in particular you’re hungry for?”

  She didn’t answer until they were on the road heading north. Dandelion was curled up in Finn’s lap, a small warm puddle of fur. “Steak would be good. We can drive to Calgary if you want some good Italian or something other than East Indian.” She glanced at him, a wry smile twisting her lips. “I’m sure you caught that bit. About Dad being in town.”

  “Josiah told me.”

  She stared at the road for a minute and then blew long and hard. “I actually practiced that one this morning while I was working because I figured it would happen sooner than later. I thought of what it would feel like the next time I got an invite to dinner. That knot in my stomach got tight again, and instead of feeling happy about getting to spend time with my family, I was dreading it. So, for right now, my answer was no. But then I figured out what I wanted to do instead.”

  She reached across the space between them and caught his fingers in hers. Smiling shyly. “Imagining a nice dinner with you made the knot go away.”

  He squeezed her hand. “Good for you.”

  “Imagining coming home with you afterwards made fireflies dance in my belly, so there’s that as well.”

  The image made him laugh. “Is that a good thing? Fireflies in your belly?”

  She hummed. “A very good thing. You interested?”

  He lifted her fingers and pressed them to his lips. “Let me wine and dine you, and we’ll see about finding some fireflies later.”

  Karen stared at the clothes hanging in her closet and hesitated. It wasn’t as if the wedding was a highfalutin affair. For their mid-July vows, Hanna Lane and Brad Ford had decided to get married up at his family ranch, outdoors, with a potluck dinner. The number of people invited was probably under fifty, and they were either Hanna’s friends or the people Brad worked with, which meant the guest list was made up of farmers, ranchers, firefighters, and other blue-collar workers.

  People would dress up nice, but it wouldn’t be fancy.

  She still didn’t see anything in her closet that made her happy. Definitely nothing that sparked joy, not for this event.

  If she was brutally honest, part of the reason why she wanted a special outfit was to keep in line with that looking for things she loved attitude.

  It hadn’t been easy, but over the last week, Karen had practiced pausing before making a choice and before responding to a comment or question. She was pretty sure sometimes it looked as if she’d been frozen.

  But it was getting easier to make a quick decision about yes or no on the path to what she truly wanted.

  That morning, she had finally taken the step to deal with the biggest source of stress in her world. She still alternated between being absolutely sick to her stomach that she’d done it and being ecstatic she’d been brave enough to take charge in a decisive way.

  Surely after all that she could find an outfit for tonight.

  “Is there something hiding in your closet?” Finn stepped through the doorway and swung his way to her side.

  “Looking for an outfit that’s dressy without dressing up.” She patted him on the arm. “Even those of us who are content to spend our lives in jeans have these moments.”

  “Sounds as if you have the same problem as me,” Finn told her.

  “Closet full of clothes and nothing to wear?”

  He tapped his leg. Lips twisting at the corners. “Pretty much. Don’t think I should show up in sweatpants.”

  She snickered. “You could set a new fashion trend. I’m pretty sure as long as they’re made out of flannel, it’ll go over big time.”

  He glanced at his watch. “What about we go into town and see what we can come up with?”

  “Really?”

  His nod was slow and teasing. “I know it’s a small town, but they do have a few things. Let’s check out that new consignment shop.”

  “You’re taking me on a shopping date? Cool.”

  Finn made a face. “Let’s just say I’m taking you on a date, and we’ll see what happens.”

  Which is how they ended up on Main Street not even half an hour later, strolling, such as Finn’s crutches would allow, side by side down the old-fashioned boardwalk. They peeked in windows, discussed the merits of the fishing and tackle shop’s location, and made a pit stop at the candy store.

  That meant they had to stop and sit for a moment at one of the tiny tables against the building wall.

  “Crutches and ice cream are a dangerous mix.” He licked his ice cream cone and made a noise that ought to be illegal. “This stop alone was worth the trip.”

  “Yeah. For me too.”

  Was it terrible that she couldn’t take her eyes off his tongue? Probably not, considering she knew exactly how talented it was.

  Envious of an ice cream cone. Awesome.

  He must have caught her drooling, because his gaze grew heated and that dangerous smolder was back. Totally distracted, the next thing she knew, her ice cream was running down the side of the cone and over her fingers.

  “Let me help.” Finn gr
abbed her wrist and tugged her hand close to run his tongue over her skin.

  News alert. Spontaneous combustion outside ice cream shop in small-town Alberta. Yep. That would be the feature headline in tomorrow’s news stories.

  Eventually, she and Finn ended up at the consignment store where, to Karen’s absolute delight, something special was waiting at the far end of the store.

  She stopped dead in her tracks, lifted a hand, and pointed. “Finn?”

  “Coming. Narrow aisles are a little bit hell on—oh, hello. Do they fit?”

  She took the pair of red cowboy boots off the shelf, snooping around until she found a place to sit. And when her foot slipped in, there weren’t only joyful lights going off around her but an entire stage with spotlights.

  She stood and gave a little twirl, her feet cradled in sheer comfort.

  Finn cleared his throat then tilted his head behind her to the far wall. “Is that your size?”

  The dress displayed on the wall had enough frills to make it swing as she moved, and it fit her perfectly.

  The man in front of her was quieter. But his eyes… Oh, his eyes said a whole hell of a lot.

  Two days later, outside the main house at Lone Pine ranch, Finn sat beside her, their fingers linked as they waited for the wedding to start. He’d found a pair of black pants that fit over his cast, a dark shirt, and a red vest.

  How he’d found a vest that exactly matched her boots in so short a time, she didn’t know.

  But they looked like a couple, and they felt like a couple. The sensation in her belly was a lot more like fireflies than anything else.

  The usual chitchat and discussion drifted around them as they waited for the event to begin. Eventually Brad made it to the front of the area where the chairs were arranged as an outdoor sanctuary. He stood under the apple tree with Malachi Fields at his side. The older man looked slightly amused about something.

  Hanna’s little girl, Crissy, came down the aisle, a silver bucket in her hands full of all sorts of flowers from the masses blooming around the house.

  “Hanna has the same good taste in flowers as you,” Finn whispered in Karen’s ear.