Cheering the Cowboy_A Royal Brothers Novel

by Liz Isaacson

  A circular dining room table took up the back corner, with only two chairs. Just past the TV, a short hallway led to the two small bedrooms, with a bathroom between them. It was standard lodging for a ranch, and Austin appreciated the blue and yellow flowered curtains above the windows that lent a feminine touch. She also had a blue and green striped rug on the floor in front of the couches, with three watercolor paintings on the walls—all florals.

  He stepped over to one so he wouldn’t wrap her in his arms and profess his interest in her. Baby steps, he coached himself. She’d thought about riding into church with him. While she ultimately hadn’t, did it really matter? He stood in her cabin now, and that was a huge leap forward.

  “Did you paint these?” he asked when he caught the SH initials in the bottom right corner of the painting.

  “Yes,” she said in a curt tone.

  “When?”

  “In a past life.” She moved into the kitchen and lifted the lid on a bubbling pot.

  “Homemade?” he asked, keeping his distance. There was no way he could fit his huge frame in that tiny space with her and not touch her. He swallowed, trying to decide what to do.

  “My mother’s recipe.” Shay glanced at him, those glasses slipping down her nose a little bit, a hint of color in her cheeks now. “She was a great cook.”

  Shay had never shared anything about her life, and certainly not her deceased mother. Austin nodded, somehow a silent acknowledgement that meant more than that he’d heard what she’d said. But that he understood that she was sharing with him.

  “Some days just call for spaghetti and meatballs,” she said, pushing her glasses back into place before bending to pull a pan out of the oven. The scent of meat mixed with the tomato and oregano, and Austin’s stomach growled.

  “Smells amazing,” he said, taking tentative steps over to the bar. He pulled out his phone and saw that his dad had texted. He sighed, the sound obviously frustrated.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, turning from the stove and facing him, the counter between them.

  “It’s my dad.” He turned the phone so she could see it, but whipped it back to him immediately. “He has a special way of making my day worse.” He could only see the first few words of the text—About Thanksgiving, I was thinking—and he didn’t want to read the rest. No matter what plans had been made, no matter what had been discussed, his father always tried to manipulate the situation to his advantage.

  Surprise crossed Shay’s face. “I thought you got along with your dad.”

  Austin used to. He hadn’t been able to understand why Shane had cut him off for so long, or why Dylan read the messages but didn’t respond.

  He did now.

  He rotated the shoulder that had been injured a few years back when one of the bulls had escaped. “It’s…complicated. He always tries to twist things. It took me a while to realize it.” He didn’t want to talk about his father, not right now, not with Shay.

  “I get complicated,” she said in a quite, sincere voice. She focused on the countertop and the moment between them felt tender, almost like Austin could reach across the island and touch her hand in a silent gesture of understanding.

  She brightened as she looked up, gathered her hair and tossed it over her shoulder. She was magnificent when she smiled, and Austin sucked in a breath and held it.

  “So, should we make the brownies while the pasta boils?” She bent to pull out another big pot, which she set in the sink and began to fill with water.

  “Sure.” Austin stood, too big and clumsy in this kitchen, with Shay.

  “Okay, so we need eggs. Grab those from the fridge.” She continued working to get the pasta ready to boil, all while instructing him to gather the ingredients they needed. “Do you want chocolate chips in the brownies? Or is that too much chocolate?”

  “Is there such a thing as too much chocolate?” He moved to her side and looked down at her. She gazed up at him, and time froze. Everything inside Austin froze too. There was just Shay, just the vulnerability in her eyes behind the glasses, the playful lift of her lips.

  He lifted his arm and brushed his fingers along her neck as he pushed her hair over her shoulder, the feel of her skin like silk and her hair as equally as smooth. Dozens of words crowded in his mouth, but he couldn’t say any of them.

  A flush filled her whole face, but she didn’t move away from him, didn’t move at all. Austin had the distinct feeling that something amazing was about to start, but he didn’t want to jinx it. So he cleared his throat and said, “Let’s add chocolate chips, yes.”

  Chapter Four

  Shay woke on Monday with the scent of cologne and chocolate in her nose. It was heavenly, and she stayed under the covers for another few minutes, reliving the splendid afternoon she’d spent with Austin Royal the day before.

  They’d talked about normal things. Nothing to do with the equipment or the ranch, and it felt so dang good to have a real friendship with someone.

  She reminded herself that she had friends in town. That she didn’t need to be friends with these men who’d bought her ranch out from under her. But Grape Seed Falls was far away, and it sure would be nice to have some allies out here.

  So Austin happened to make her heart dance in anticipation and be the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on. She couldn’t help that.

  The brownies had come out beautifully gooey and chocolatey, and he’d seemed really proud of himself for making them. She’d turned on the TV to a sporting event to provide some background noise while they talked.

  All in all, it was one of the best afternoons she’d had since returning to the ranch almost two years ago.

  She’d see Austin later, and she wondered if he’d touch her again. She thought about the gentle brush of his fingers along her collarbone as she showered and dressed. She couldn’t seem to stop thinking about the touch, which half annoyed her and half made her smile.

  She had his number, but she didn’t text him. He didn’t message her either. They met up in the equipment shed after lunch, the way they usually did, except now her pulse pittered around in her chest. It always had in Austin’s presence, but she’d been able to calm it after only a few seconds.

  Now, though, she couldn’t even breathe properly and her pulse remained erratic even though he worked way down on the other end from her. The hours passed, and still she felt like she needed to see a cardiologist, and quick.

  When she finally decided to leave the shed and work somewhere else, he came over to her, wiping his hands on one of the blue rags they used. “Hey, so I was wondering if you’d want to go to dinner sometime.”

  It wasn’t the first time he’d asked her out. The apprehension and hope on his face was so adorable, Shay wanted to jump into his arms and accept. Why didn’t she?

  She reminded herself not to play her whole hand up front. She’d had a few boyfriends during her time in the military, and it was better to go slow. Be friends. Get to know each other.

  “I’m coming to dinner on Thursday,” she said. “Does that count?”

  “Sure, I mean, well….” Austin’s eyebrows drew down into a V, and she felt bad for him. Why couldn’t she admit she liked him? Why couldn’t she go out with him?

  Because she’d seen the way her mother’s death had wrecked her father, ruined everything, and she didn’t want any part of a relationship that could cause such devastation. Her mother had passed away twelve years ago, and her father had never recovered.

  He’d run the ranch into bankruptcy, bought things he didn’t need to fill the hole her mom had left in his life, and now lived in a small apartment in town, a far cry from the life he’d built at Triple Towers. More than that, the ranch had been in the family for four generations before him, and because he’d loved his wife so much, had been so devastated with the loss of her, he’d lost it all.

  Shay would not give herself over to something that could destroy her and her life in a single moment. Oh, no. She would not. The decisi
on had already been made—long ago—and though Austin really was a welcome addition to her life, she had more to lose than she had to gain.

  His fingers touched hers, startling her out of her own mind. They were warm against hers, aligning and settling fully between hers. A sigh passed through her body, and when he said, “I want to go out with you. Just the two of us,” in a sure, Texas drawl, she almost melted into a human puddle right there in the equipment shed.

  “I don’t know,” she whispered.

  He squeezed her hand. “What aren’t you sure about?”

  She didn’t want to talk about it. “It’s a long story.”

  Austin released her hand and fell back a step, taking the warmth of his body and the delicious smell of his cologne with him. “I’ve got nothing but time, Shay.”

  And she knew he wasn’t going to go away. She didn’t want him to. “I’m not telling it today.”

  “That’s fine.” He turned around and headed back to the combine he’d been working on. “Whenever you want. You tell me when you want to go out, and I’ll clear my schedule.”

  He might as well have told her he loved her, right then and there. She didn’t confirm. Couldn’t. She just left the shed, hoping the big, Texas sky would help her figure out what she really wanted when it came to Austin.

  Smoke rose from the backyard of the homestead, and Shay eyed it suspiciously, the hope of a delicious Thanksgiving dinner draining from her body. When she saw the extra four trucks in the driveway, one of which was her father’s, she almost turned around and went back to her cabin.

  Somehow, as if God Himself were directing her feet, she went up the steps and knocked on the front door. No one answered, but there was definite action happening behind the door, so Shay twisted the knob and entered the house where she’d grown up.

  The brothers had painted all the walls the week before they’d moved in. The light blue did wonders for the age of the house, as did the new flooring they’d installed themselves. They certainly were a handy triplet, and Shay could admit she liked the light, ashy gray wood they’d put down.

  A simple couch sat in the front room, with nothing else. Not even an end table. Shay supposed they didn’t spend much time entertaining guests in this area of the house where her mother had always kept a vase of fresh flowers which she grew in the backyard.

  Her father had lovingly cultivated the rose bushes her mother had planted along the fence the first week of their marriage. Even Shay had spent time clipping them, admiring them, and mulching them.

  But not anymore, and she wondered if the brothers had done anything to winterize the bushes. Not your problem, she told herself as she took in the situation in front of her.

  Austin’s mother—obvious by the color of her eyes and the shape of her nose—stood at the kitchen counter, adding butter to a bowl on the stand mixer that was whipping something fierce. She glanced up when she saw Shay, but she didn’t turn off the machine.

  She did smile as she came around the counter and extended her hand. “Hello, dear. You must be Austin’s Shay.”

  Austin’s Shay?

  Her eyebrows flew toward her hairline, but she managed to shake the older woman’s hand. She smelled like cream and sugar, and Shay’s heart squeezed into a too-small box inside her chest.

  “Yes, ma’am,” she said. “You must be his mother.”

  “Alex,” she said. “I’m just finishing up the mashed potatoes. Robin’s got the rolls in the oven, so they’ll be ready in about five minutes. And we’ve got stuffing right there.” She indicated a foil-covered casserole pan sitting on the stovetop.

  “Looks good.” Shay glanced through the huge windows that looked out into the backyard. “And what’s goin’ on back there?” All three Royal brothers hovered around the source of the smoke, with four more ranch hands loitering nearby. Her father was obviously talking gesturing wildly with his hands.

  “Oh, Shane thought he’d fry a turkey.” Alex shook her head. “He’s never done it before and it’s not going exactly as planned.”

  Shay watched another plume of smoke waft from the smoker, wondering if they’d have protein at this meal or not. Robin came in from outside, her face flushed. She gave Shay a quick smile and then said, “It’s okay. We’ll be fine with what we’ve got.”

  Alex clucked her tongue like she was reprimanding a wayward child. “I told him we should just roast it.”

  “It looks great.” Robin checked the rolls. “Nice and brown. The oil just keeps overflowing a little. They’re trying to siphon some off. That’s what causing the smoke.”

  Shay looked around, noticing the empty dining room table. “Can I help? Can I set the table? Get out salt and pepper? Butter? Something?”

  “Yes.” Robin turned from the oven, a true grin on her face now. “I’ll get everything down and you can set it up.” She opened a cupboard. “Let’s see…how many of us are there?” She started ticking off people—Shane, Robin, Dylan, Hazel, Austin, Shay, Alex, Shay’s father, Oaker, Carlos, Dean, Chadwell, Dwayne, Felicity, Kurt, and May. “Oh, and their eighteen-month-old, Greta. And the new baby.”

  Sixteen people.

  Shay almost fled. By sheer will and a steady stream of prayer, she took the plates Robin handed to her with half a smile. Robin came over and helped her get the double leaf out of the dining room table that was clearly an heirloom.

  “Where did you guys get this table?” she asked.

  “It belonged to my grandmother,” Robin said. “It was the only thing I brought to the ranch that I couldn’t fit in the tiny house.” She glanced at Alex and then Shay. “I’m glad you came, Shay. Austin’s been talkin’ about you non-stop for about a week.”

  Since he showed up at the anger management meeting. She still wasn’t sure why he’d come. She’d never sensed any fury in him before, though he’d revealed a few things about his father that surely caused him some frustration and annoyance.

  “Oh yeah?” Shay finished with the leaf while Robin returned to the rolls as the timer shrilled through the kitchen.

  Alex got out the silverware and glasses, and Shay matched them as best as she could, making each place setting unique. She added two plates of butter, two sets of salt and pepper shakers, as well as a little bowl of gravy and two jars of peach jam.

  Alex and Robin lined up the food on the countertop, buffet style, and as one, all three women looked out the window. The smoke had cleared at least.

  “Looks like a maybe,” Alex said.

  “I’ll go check on them,” Robin said. “You want to come with me, Shay?”

  Before she could answer or follow Robin, Shane lifted the turkey from the fryer, the bird beautifully golden brown. The doorbell rang, and Shay turned that way too.

  “I’ll get it,” she said when Robin continued outside and Alex kept basting the rolls with butter.

  Four people—two couples—and two kids waited on the front porch. Shay recognized Dwayne Carver, and got introduced to his foreman, Kurt, his wife, May, and their two kids, Greta and Phillip.

  Dwayne’s wife introduced herself as Felicity as everyone herded into the house, the little girl calling for Dylan like they were old pals.

  “Dinner’s on,” Shane called in a loud voice, silencing a lot of the chatter as everyone piled into the kitchen and dining room. Shay joined everyone, staying on the fringes, skirting her gaze away from Austin though he refused to look anywhere but at her.

  “We’re so glad you could all join us here at the ranch,” Shane said, swallowing as his pale blue eyes turned glassy and bright. The silence that followed was emotionally charged as all of the brothers looked around at their guests.

  “It’s our first holiday here,” Dylan said. “And we’re glad we have each other and all of you with us.” He looked at Austin, elbowing him when the youngest brother still stared at Shay.

  “Yeah,” Austin said. “Hopefully, this is the first of a lot of Thanksgiving dinners at Triple Towers.”

  “With less smoke,�
�� Robin said, laughing. Everyone laughed, and Shay allowed herself to relax a little. The atmosphere in the homestead was familial, comfortable, wonderful. Shay wanted this feeling all the time. The happiness and joy she’d had when her mother made mashed potatoes and her father carved the turkey.

  She was sure that would never exist again in this place, but here she stood, basking in it. These three men had brought it with them. Their family. Their friends and ranch hands. And Shay wanted to be part of it. That craving had never gone away, though she’d gone away from Triple Towers.

  “Let’s say grace,” Alex said, and Shane asked Kurt to say the prayer. It was a beautiful prayer that further soothed Shay’s soul, and when he finished, she moved over to say hello to her father. She’d been so, so angry at him when she’d returned from her time in the Army.

  He’d let the ranch fall into ruin. He’d spent every penny he had, and a whole lot he didn’t have. He’d piled the huge, five-thousand square-foot homestead with things he’d bought. Most of them were unopened, with tags and shipping receipts still in the boxes. His hoarding had caused the bathroom behind the kitchen to be unuseable, and Shay had spent the better part of a month working on the plumbing and installing a new toilet, tub-shower combo, and tile before they could list the ranch for sale.

  Not that they’d ever listed it. Her dad had gone to Dwayne, something Shay had suggested. She knew Dwayne, thought maybe he’d buy the place and let her run it. She hadn’t counted on him offering the ranch to the Royal brothers.

  She swallowed back the bitterness, the gratitude of this day overwhelming those negative emotions. “Hey, Daddy,” she said.

  His face brightened, and he gave her a side hug. “How goes it, Shayleigh?”