by Ella Cooper
COWBOY’S RETREAT
by Ella Cooper
Copyright 2020 by Ella Cooper. All Rights Reserved.
In no way, it is legal to produce, duplicate or transmit any part of this book in electronic, digital or printed format without the proper and express consent of the author or copyright owner. The recording of this publication is strictly prohibited. Storage and republication of this book are also prohibited without the express consent of the author or publisher.
DISCLAIMER: Some scenes are sexually explicit and are not suited for readers under 18 years of age. All characters and situations are all fiction. Any similarity to actual situations or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
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Copyright
About the book
Other books by Ella Cooper
Bonus Gift
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Thanks for reading
About the Author
More by Ella Cooper
Claudia Curtis wanted her own romance with a cowboy, so she signed up for a matchmaking service. Before meeting her match, the young model fell in love with a cowboy and had a one-night-stand she could never forget, but wanted to forget.
Jacob Stevens would do everything for his twin daughters. They needed a paradise. He bought them a ranch. They needed a mother. He decided to get them one through a matchmaking service. But, what happens when his match was the woman he least expected?
Will these lovers brought together by comedy of fate win over everything? Or a tragedy will have them retreating back to being each other’s nothing?
Other Books by Ella Cooper
Work and Pleasure
A sweet, steamy and funny billionaire romance.
Cowboy’s Haven
Book 1 in the ‘Fated to Cowboy’ Trilogy
A suspenseful and spicy western romance.
Cowboy’s Refuge
Book 2 in the ‘Fated to Cowboy’ Trilogy
A mysterious, dirty and hot western romance.
Chapter One
"Hi, Jacob," Becky Hanson greeted, carrying a freshly-baked apple pie.
Jacob Stevens flashed a forced smile, but it was no match for the flirtatious one that played around Becky’s lips. She could really be extremely attractive when she wanted to be, both petite and in her thirties, he wondered how she managed to make him feel awkward sometimes. He snapped out of his silent thoughts as two trucks made their way into the new ranch. Becky looked anxious.
"Oh, I'm just on time. Are the kids ready?" Becky asked. "I'm excited to meet your friends."
Jacob felt Becky’s excitement was both over the top and uncalled for. She was a spinster; they barely knew each other, why was she so excited about meeting his friends? He had half a mind to dismiss her. Should he? No, that would be rude, but this was weird.
She lived on the ranch right next to Jacob’s, neighbors were simply what they were, but she always walked the three hundred meters to visit him every day! Now, of course he was touched by this gesture, but he couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that it brought with it. Was he being mean by thinking like this? She had been nothing but kind to his family. Sometime ago, she hired a nurse to watch over his brother, she also enrolled the kids in daycare, truly a blessing, Jacob appreciated it, but since then, Becky had become extremely intruding. She basically turned herself into his girlfriend and made too much effort to be a mother to his kids.
"Elaine, Alicia," Becky’s voice rang through his thoughts again. "Your Daddy's friends are here." She said their names in a sing-song voice. She was acting so familiar.
Elaine and Alicia, Jacob's twin daughters, walked out to the porch, their dresses were a tad smaller in size, their hair was a mess and their shoes were tied loosely and of different pairs. Jacob was about to say something when Becky spoke first.
"Wait. Is that Mandy Hawkins?" Becky asked. "She's one of your friends?"
"Yeah. One of my good friends," Jacob answered, smiling, this time for real.
"Since when? We've been together for four months and you never mentioned this," Becky declared. "Don't you know the reputation of that family? You should not have invited them." her hands were akimbo, so daring, Jacob thought.
His lips twitched, his eyebrow flew upwards, both confused and appalled. This was the last straw; he was going to say something, enough of this jamboree. He placed the apple pie on the table, and faced her as the twins watched on.
“They are the reason I'm having this get together. If you have a problem with them, you could just leave." His voice was stern but polite.
Becky's face turned pale in shock, immediately, a part of Jacob regretted his outbursts, maybe that was too harsh, he thought. He watched her cautiously as she glared at him and looked at his friends, as they stepped out of the trucks outside.
Becky raised her head with pride, "Well, I don't want to be with them. I hope you start staying away from them, too." She told Jacob, visibly concerned, but upset. With that, she simply walked away.
He shrugged his shoulders and turned to his kids. The twins looked shocked at the exchange, but lit up as their father walked towards them.
"You look beautiful," Jacob said with a genuine smile.
The kids' blushed with excitement at his simple statement. His smile grew wider.
"Aunt Mandy!" the girls called out as an elegant lady walked in beaming with smiles, she hugged Jacob briefly and kissed his cheeks.
"Are these the girls?" she asked excitedly after their pleasantries. Jacob nodded proudly as he stepped aside.
Olivia Dylan walked to the girls as well, wide armed and hugged them both at the same time, "you can call me Aunt Oli’’ she said after their hug. ‘’That's Uncle Austin’’ she continued, motioning at the particularly modest looking man by her left ‘’… and this little boy is Louis. We are also your daddy's friends."
The little girls flashed their wide smiles and laughed happily. Jacob stood there, listening to the girls chatter excitedly and show their new friends around. Emily should have been here, he thought sadly. His wife would have loved to be with his friends' wives and talk about their children or whatever it is women talked about when they were alone. He smiled in spite of himself. If she were here, their daughters would have worn prettier clothes and would have nicely-combed hair; Emily always paid attention to details. God, he missed her.
"Apple pie!" Frank yelled out. "I want some."
Jacob looked at his 22-year-old younger brother, and scoffed jokingly. ‘’No, you get none’’ his nurse declared sternly. Frank was in a wheelchair, he had been in one for a while now. Jacob tried not to think about it too much. Frank looked back at Jacob with quivering lips. How could he say no to that face? He nodded to the nurse to let him have some apple pie and shook his head playfully when Frank began munching happily. The younger Stevens looked like a nine-year-old. So happy and at peace. Jacob clenched his jaw and walked out to meet his friends instead.
"It's been a long time, huh, Champ?" Austin Colton greeted as soon as Jacob walked out.
Jacob's eyes widened, he had missed his friends. He, Austin, and Bentley were childhood best friends, despite their different backgrounds. Jacob was from Iowa, Austin was from Montana and Bentley was from Wyoming. They always met at football summer camps and made a pact to always spend summers with each other when they eventually got too old for summe
r camps. Unfortunately, the pact was broken when Bentley was imprisoned and Jacob became a professional rodeo.
A few months ago, Jacob bought a ranch in Wyoming and moved there permanently. Bentley Hawkins’s family used to own it until his brother sold it to pay debts. When Bentley found out that they will be neighbors, he insisted on reviving their summer tradition for the sake of their children.
Bentley’s family was the reason Jacob moved in Greybull, Jacob knew that his friends would love his children like theirs. He wanted the twins to grow up in an environment where they will be loved, Bentley and his wife were good people. They would not hesitate to help his children.
It was surreal that the three friends were together again after so long, they talked about the past. Jacob suddenly stopped when he saw his daughters. Mandy and Olivia had straightened out their hairs and had their clothes changed. He looked longingly at them and felt his heart ache when he realized that his daughters looked exactly like their mother, they were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, their eyes shimmered like the blue sky during summer and their blonde hair dazzled like the sand at the Californian beach. Guilt overwhelmed him at the sight of his daughters’ excitement at dressing up and looking pretty, something he could not give them and had denied them for too long, a mother’s love and care.
"A mother can do wonders, huh?" Olivia commented with a teasing smile, realizing how enthralled Jacob was, then quickly realizing how insensitive the comment was.
Austin signaled his wife to change the topic. Jacob patted Austin's shoulder and said, "It's alright, Olivia is correct. Mothers can do wonders."
"You should start looking for one then," Mandy commented. Bentley glared angrily at his wife, but she ignored him anyway and went on to say. "Anyone would do fine except for Becky."
"Why?", Olivia asked with a puzzled look on her face, “Do you have a grudge against this Becky?"
"No. But, look at their statures. Jacob could break her in bed," Mandy answered, she was always the nasty one and it added to her charm.
"Mandy!" Bentley yelled, slightly embarrassed for Jacob, but amused as well.
The others laughed at Mandy's comment. No one could deny the truth in Mandy's statement. Jacob could break a petite girl with his size. They were all muscular and huge in stature, but Jacob was the biggest of them all. He stood at six feet and six inches. His arms were like legs for a regular man. The flannel shirt he was wearing right now was the only reason he appeared so ordinary, but even then, a trained eye could see how built Jacob was.
Jacob knew how to use his size well. He never had problems handling any woman as long as there were no strings attached. Finding a wife or any woman to love was not on his list. I don't deserve any love from anyone.
"I don't need a wife. We'll be fine on our own," Jacob told his friends. He tried to sound very certain and avoided looking them straight in the eyes, fearing that they would see right through him.
Austin smiled knowingly, patted Jacob's shoulder and whispered, "You can't be sure about that you know, we all thought we were doing fine until those bosses came and turned our world upside-down."
Jacob chuckled. Austin gave Olivia a playful hug when she glared at him, Jacob immediately looked away to hide the jealousy he felt. Those loving moments… I had those, too. Now, they were part of his past. Part of my punishment.
#
"Please give us another Mommy, too," Alicia prayed. “You gave William a new daddy. Why can’t we have a new mommy?”
Jacob suddenly stopped in his tracks when he heard one of his daughters' prayers. He walked closer to the girls' bedroom and saw them praying together before his wife's portrait. He looked longingly at Emily's portrait, she looked so alive in the picture, like she could walk out at any moment, and his daughter’s had the exact same bright smile earlier today.
Jacob closed his eyes in an attempt to remember the moments when Emily smiled at him, sadly, the memories of her smiles remained blurry. However, the memory of her looking at him with pleading eyes and begging tears was vivid in his mind. He bit his lips and fought the tears from falling. It's all my fault, he said to himself.
He was glad that his daughters had a great time at the party, they enjoyed Mandy and Olivia's attention. The two mothers only had sons, they were excited to take care of his daughters. It was the first time his daughters felt the affection of a mother. He was about to go downstairs when Frank began to scream.
"Daddy, Uncle Frank has a nightmare again!" Elaine called while Alicia rushed to Frank's room.
Jacob ran to this brother's room, but he suddenly stopped at the door, his daughters were comforting their uncle, Alicia wiped Frank's tears and Elaine hushed his cries with a song. The tear Jacob had earlier suppressed came springing down his cheeks. He wanted to comfort his brother, but he could not help blaming himself for everything.
It had been six years, but the accident that killed his wife still haunted Frank. Little Frank was not to blame, but he was still being punished. It should have been only me, Jacob declared. If only I was there six years ago.
The regrets kept rushing back to him every time he was with his family. It was the reason he hated staying at the ranch and preferred to be in a rodeo arena. The cheers from the crowd, the adrenaline of riding a wild bull, and the celebration after winning a competition drowned all those regrets and placed him in a state of denial – where everything was okay.
"Your mommy. I saw her," Frank said while crying. "She had blood on her head."
The twins howled as Frank repeated his words. Jacob wanted to make him stop, but before he could do anything, the nurse rushed in and injected Frank to calm him. A severe pain gathered at the back of Jacob's head and made him feel dizzy. His breathing became fast and shallow, his heart became heavy. He rushed out of the house and ran to the open field.
"Stop this!" he yelled angrily at the sky. He dropped on his knees and yelled loudly, "You should have just taken them instead of letting them suffer with me."
Jacob looked around the ranch, it was more beautiful at night than in the morning. The glittering stars filled the summer sky and the smell of fir and summer pine trees filled the air. He bought this ranch and turned it into a paradise for his daughters and Frank. It had everything they needed for a peaceful life, but the ranch had not given him peace since they moved in. The past still haunted them.
Emily, tell me! What should I do? Jacob asked as he gazed at his large house.
All his friends had happy lives because they had a loving wife, their sons were full of happiness because they had mothers. Is that what I should do? Jacob swore on Emily's tomb that he would never marry another woman, but his daughters needed a mother, they deserved to have someone to take care of them, someone who will deserve their love.
#
Jacob looked at Pauline Lee, the marriage consultant and matchmaker of Fated Matchmaking Service. The matchmaker had explained to him the matchmaking process. Pauline would use the Chinese way of matching Jacob to his future wife. Once the match is created, the couple would have to participate in a trial marriage for two weeks. If things work out, they would decide to either continue dating or get married. Jacob found the whole process unnecessary, he simply wanted a woman to look after his kids and brother. If he wanted the whole romance thing and compatibility, he would not be here!
"Can't you just find me a wife and send her to my house?" Jacob asked Pauline with budding frustration. "I really don't care about appearance, race or whatever, as long as she is willing to sign a prenup and undertakes to take care of my daughters and brother."
Pauline looked at Jacob with disbelief, she shook her head and replied, "I'm sorry, Mr. Stevens. We are not a made-to-order bride service provider. We are a matchmaker!"
"Fine! Just find me a match, I'll marry her before I leave," Jacob insisted.
"We can't do that," Pauline objected. She looked at Jacob and said, "Of all our clients, you are the one who needs to undergo this process the most."
<
br /> Jacob looked at Pauline with curiosity.
The matchmaker explained that his future wife should be someone who would accept his situation and he had to ensure that the women he picks will neither harm his children nor brother. She emphatically stated that the matchmaking company could not just send a bride his way, he had to assess her and determine her suitability himself.
"I can't do this, Ms. Lee," Jacob insisted. "I have a competition in Barcelona next month and I have to stay there for three weeks. I need someone to take care of my daughters and brother."
"We are not a nanny or a nursing service provider, Mr. Stevens," Pauline said. She hid her dismay in a forced smile. "I can give you the number of those that could help you."
