Cowboy Creed (Cooper's Hawke Landing Book 1)

by Rhonda Lee Carver

“No trouble for our favorite cowgirl.”

  She kissed his cheek and bid him farewell.

  Starting for the car, she saw movement in the field and spotted a shirtless man near the fence. He was pounding a post into the ground. Each movement made the muscles of his broad back flex. The waist of his worn jeans settled low on his slender hips and his thick, long legs went on for miles. She couldn’t deny that she’d missed cowboys, especially ones that looked this good.

  There was something familiar about him…

  The man dropped the hammer into the grass, swiped off his white Stetson and hooked it on the nearby post. He bent and reached for a water bottle from the ground and she saw his profile. Every bit of air trailed out of her lungs. Her knees wobbled. Sweat beaded between her breasts. Her heart played like a banjo.

  She knew him!

  The cowboy was none other than Creed Hawke.

  What was he doing here?

  Leaning against the driver’s door, she watched him from the cover of the car, barely able to draw oxygen into her lungs. Her limbs tingled and the threat of passing out was real.

  He dropped the bottle, grabbed the hammer and went back to pounding, unaware that he was the object of her heated stare.

  Swallowing against the thickness in her throat, she laid her forehead against the cool metal of the car. Get into control. Get into control. He’s just a man.

  Lifting her head, she felt a swirl of heat through her.

  God, he looked good.

  Better than good.

  His shoulders were broader, his back wider and his bottom firmer. He was all around bigger and stronger. Masculine. She felt a pool of desire in the pit of her stomach that awakened her nerve endings.

  He turned and she squealed, jumping into the driver’s seat and ducking down. She kept her gaze locked on him above the steering wheel. Age had been kind to him—unfairly kind. His bright blue eyes were radiant against his tanned skin. His handsome face had chiseled lines that made him look warrior-like. His sharp cheekbones and jaw were covered in dark whiskers, making him look dangerous, not scruffy. The thick waves of his hair touched his nape.

  Thankfully, he didn’t see her stalking him.

  Once he returned his attention to the fence, she sat up in the seat, turning the AC on blast, and facing the vents her direction until she felt the tip of her nose grow cold. Unfortunately, the blast of air did nothing to ease the warmth between her thighs.

  Her body and mind were at a war of sorts.

  Tears welled in her eyes and she blinked them away, refusing to fall victim to her emotions.

  The risk of seeing him had been there all along. Although she’d known the reunion wouldn’t be easy, she needed to be strong. The days of being the girl who followed him around like a puppy were long gone. Sure, he looked good—very good—but her tastes had changed. Hadn’t they?

  A cocktail of hurt, anger and guilt took her body prisoner.

  Lying to herself only made this harder.

  She still cared for him. Still found him attractive and desirable. Not just physically, but those invisible parts of her that missed the times they’d shared. The joy he’d given her. The scab was torn away, allowing all the emotion to bleed through her.

  He’d married and moved on. He could still be married and probably was.

  In the end, he’d chosen a life with Melody Rumor.

  Mindy had come back to Cooper’s Hawk nineteen years ago to tell him about the child she carried. Scared and confused, she’d needed him. She wanted his assurance that everything would be okay. Instead, she’d learned that he and Melody were engaged to be married. She’d gone back and forth over the course of two days whether she’d tell him or not.

  Then she’d decided to write him a letter and allow him to decide what he wanted. She left it in his truck that was parked at the factory where he’d worked at the time.

  Mindy had confessed everything, from her pregnancy to loving him. She’d asked him to meet her at the ice rink if he wanted her and the baby—if he wanted a family.

  Sometime while she was waiting for him, she’d fallen asleep in her car, only to wake later to a knock on the window. She’d jumped up in the seat, expecting to see Creed on the other side of the glass, but instead she found a scowling Melody who looked like she wanted to rip Mindy from limb to limb.

  Creed’s fiancée had come to tell Mindy that he wasn’t coming.

  Mindy had doubted Melody. After all, the two women had never gotten along, but she had pulled up text messages Creed had written to her. “Mindy means nothing to me” “I’m glad she’s gone” “I never want to see her again”. Her heart had taken a terrible blow. The proof was in his words. He wanted nothing more to do with her. He especially couldn’t want an unplanned baby.

  Crushed, she left Cooper’s Hawk three hours later and never looked back.

  The secret could destroy lives.

  Pressing on the gas, she drove up to the house, blinking away the tears that blurred her vision. The stabbing sensation of betrayal flooded her body and she wanted to run away, but she reminded herself that she was no longer afraid.

  Mindy had known the time would come when she would have to face the truth. Maybe divulging the truth would help her move on.

  Taking her phone from her purse, she pulled up a picture of Jane. She looked so much like Creed. From her wavy, disobedient hair. Eyes that were so pale they could be compared to a clear blue sky. And a smile that warmed hearts.

  More tears fell to her cheeks and she brushed them away, focusing on the anger instead of the pain.

  She really wanted to hate Creed. Mindy didn’t want to feel the burden of guilt any longer. She wanted to break herself from the secret that bound her to him.

  Leaning her forehead against the steering wheel, she felt the hairs at her nape lift. She would tell Creed about Jane and then allow him to decide what he wanted.

  Look at the mess she’d become.

  Married seventeen years to a man she never really knew. Her daughter never knew her biological father. And Mindy’s heart was still full of love…for a man she could never have.

  Over the years Creed had become the man she’d compared Branch to. When her husband had touched her, she’d feel a sense of void. Branch could never add up. He’d been in competition with her past and he never knew it. However, he did know that she’d never gotten over the pain and loss. She’d tried to be a good wife but bombed.

  Lifting her head, she peered into the rearview mirror as if she could still see Creed. His bare torso only triggered a need inside her she should never have. His callused hands had left an invisible tattoo of his touch on her skin. There was still a lure, or magnetism, between them—at least for her.

  Climbing from the car, she grabbed the grocery bags from the trunk and ran inside the house, bursting through the door of her childhood home. Dropping her purse and keys on the table, placing the groceries in the kitchen, she then went in search of some answers. “Daddy? Where are you? We need to talk. What in the world is that man doing on Sage Ranch? And why didn’t you tell me he was back when I got here?”

  She picked up speed in the hallway, determined. The heels of her cowgirl boots clicked loudly on the pockmarked wood floors as she made her way toward the office. She came to a dead stop in the open doorway and settled her heated glare on her daddy who sat behind the cluttered desk. He brought his narrowed chin up and cool, grey eyes targeted her. “What’s all the fuss about?”

  “Daddy? Didn’t you hear me?” She crossed her arms and tilted her chin. Her father had aged, looking almost frail sitting at his desk. Growing up he’d been a powerful presence with his thick hair, pensive eyes, tall, broad shouldered stature. He’d always been kind, friendly, and then he’d lost a part of himself when Mindy’s mama died. He’d turned to the bottle to get him through the days and she remembered how sad he had become. Thankfully, he’d stopped drinking—as much—after his heart attack.

  He pushed a stack of papers into
a folder, closed it then gave her his undivided attention. He finally smiled, but the expression didn’t quite reach his eyes. “What was that?” Rusty Sage’s eyes appeared paler against the backdrop of his weathered skin.

  “What is he doing on this ranch?”

  He swiveled in the chair. “I don’t know. Who is he and what was he doing?”

  “Creed. Looked like he was fixing a fence to me.”

  “Now, now. Don’t get yourself all in a mess, girl. He’s working.” Rusty waved his gnarled hand.

  “Why is he helping out?”

  Her father showed his growing impatience by rubbing his wrinkled forehead. His eyes almost looked haunted. What was he not telling her? “Mindy, did you come all the way to Cooper’s Hawk to grill me?”

  Was that the way he saw it? “I’m only asking why Creed’s working here? Daddy, you know—”

  “Yes, I know,” he said in a whispered tone. “I wanted to tell him but it’s not my place.”

  She swallowed hard. “I’m sorry that I asked you not to.”

  He lifted his gaze, holding hers. “I told you how I felt. Won’t do any good now,” he muttered.

  Lowering her gaze to gain her equilibrium, she asked, “Daddy, I don’t think I should be judged—”

  He lifted his hand, stopping her. “It’s not my place to judge you, especially when I don’t know all the details, but take it from an old man, clear the air.”

  “Is that why you hired him? Do you feel guilty?”

  Rusty stood, wobbled, and gained his balance by holding the corner of the desk.

  “Daddy, are you okay?” She went to his side to help him.

  “I’m doing okay. No worrying. You’re at Sage Ranch. You’re home.” He patted her shoulder and winked.

  Although the conversation was far from over, she’d save it for later. “Come help me put away the groceries. I grabbed you a jar of those pickled sausages you love, and I have some news I want to share.”

  “I haven’t had one of those good sausages in a long time.” His eyes twinkled.

  In the kitchen, Mindy opened the jar for him and he took one of the sausages out. This was the happiest she’d seen him since she’d come home. While he munched on the snack, she opened a tray of chicken, took down the cast iron pan from the cabinet and set it on the stove.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “I’m making dinner.”

  “I always eat dinner over at the club on Cow Tuesday,” he mumbled.

  “Tonight you don’t have to go anywhere. I’m cooking and we’re eating healthy.”

  “I like eating unhealthy,” he grumbled. The bear had returned.

  “You only like eating that way because it’s easy. The market in Cooper’s Hawk now has a great selection of lean meats, nuts, and other clean items. Here, try this.” She handed him a plastic container.

  “What’s this?” He held it at arm’s length to read the label.

  “It’s hummus. Don’t knock it until you try it. And I’ll also make us roasted cauliflower.”

  His nose wrinkled and he pushed the container far away from him. “I don’t want to try something that I can barely pronounce, and I don’t like cauliflower. I’m not a rabbit.”

  “Rabbits like carrots not cauliflower. Be open minded.”

  He looked concerned. “It’s steak and potato night at the club. The cook always prepares mine perfectly with a baked potato full of butter and bacon.” He rubbed his stomach.

  “You can miss steak and potato night for one evening. Anyway, we are celebrating that I got a job.” She sprinkled the chicken liberally with seasoning, poured on soup from a can and placed it into the prewarmed pan to sear it.

  “A job? What about helping here? Learning the ropes.”

  “I will. I wasn’t looking for a job, but I was at the ice rink and ran into Isabella. She asked if I would help out coaching the kids.” Mindy felt proud of herself, until she saw her father’s disapproval.

  His shoulder’s slumped. “If that’s what you want. You know I don’t like chicken though.”

  “I’m making the meal that mama used to make with a few healthy tweaks.” She washed her hands and dried them of on a towel. “You know, the casserole with mushrooms and onions? I’m adding asparagus—”

  “Humph. Onions give me heartburn and asparagus turns my pee green.”

  “Don’t be a booger.”

  “I’m going to starve to death.”

  “Daddy, are you intentionally giving me a hard time?”

  He huffed a sigh, shrugged a shoulder, then left the room.

  Breathing in a calming breath, she busied herself cutting up vegetables and thinking about Creed.

  How dare he work here at Sage Ranch.

  This was her home and he shouldn’t be here.

  Why didn’t Daddy tell me?

  Setting the knife aside, she dropped the veggies in with the chicken and placed the pan in the oven.

  She didn’t come to Cooper’s Hawk to feel bad.

  Last night she’d tossed and turned. She guessed she knew why.

  Going up the stairs into her childhood bedroom, she was met with the decorations of a teenager. The posters on the wall and the pink blanket screamed youth.

  Ripping the pictures off the wall, she shoved them into a cardboard box.

  Opening her closet, she dragged out her wooden chest and opened the lid. Inside she found memories that she no longer needed—or wanted. Movie tickets. Letters. Pictures…all connecting her to Creed. Had she ever had her own existence?

  Why did she need to keep this stuff?

  She didn’t.

  Grabbing armfuls of the items, she dumped them into the box. She came to a picture of her mother and stopped. “Oh, mama. I wish you were here.”

  Swallowing back emotion, she took the photo and stuck in on the mirror of her dresser. She looked so much like her mama.

  “I hope you’re still watching over me,” Mindy whispered.

  Swiping away tears, she grabbed up the box and took it outside.

  It was time she got rid of the past. This would prove to herself that she was over Creed.

  In the firepit, she started a fire and once the blaze was hot, she dropped the posters in and watched them incinerate. A part of her childhood was up in smoke.

  That didn’t feel so bad.

  She picked up a shirt, shook it out and suffered an internal kick to her ribs. The jersey had belonged to Creed. He’d given it to her the night they’d made love because she was cold.

  “I hope you’re not thinking of putting that in the burn pile.”

  Her body stilled. Her heart jumped inside her chest. She’d know the thick, husky tone from anywhere. Dragging in a labored breath, she turned and felt the dirt cave from under her bare feet.

  Creed had his hat lowered on his forehead, but it didn’t hide the faded denim color of his gaze that caught the rays of the sun. His worn, dirty jeans sat low on his hips and the large silver belt buckle glistened, drawing her attention to his crotch. She gulped and jerked her gaze upward, onto a safer region, but his wide chest wasn’t much safer. He was now wearing a shirt and the tight-fitting black cotton stretched across his broad shoulders. She remembered earlier how good his sweat-slicked torso had looked as he pounded the fence post. His cocky smirk took her down memory lane of those long summer nights on a mountain trail, loud country music playing from the truck radio, and barefoot races in tall grass after a downpour. The moonlight streaming down as he undressed her, awakening her body to his touch, taking her with such gentle, kindness that ruined her for other men.

  Warmth spread through her.

  She suddenly felt self-conscious. She’d changed, but he hadn’t—no, he had, but he’d gotten better over time. In uneasiness, she wrung the jersey between shaking hands imagining that it was his neck.

  Chapter Four

  “MAYBE YOU SHOULD give her the phone back.”

  “She’s getting to you, Ma. You’re caving
. She has a way of blinking those innocent eyes and hypnotizing us to her ways.” Creed poured himself a thermos of coffee, tightened the lid, and stuck it under his arm. “Rules are in place for a reason. She broke them.”

  “If I remember correctly, you and your brothers always said to me, “rules are made to be broken”, or at least that seemed the run of things with you boys growing up.”

  “I thought you said girls are easier to raise than boys,” he reminded her.

  She held up her hands in defense. “I didn’t say that. I wouldn’t have anything to compare it to. Anyway, Livvy needs a mother.”

  “She has you.”

  “I can’t stay here forever, Creed. I love Livvy, and you, but I’d like to do some traveling before I get too old.”

  He narrowed his gaze. “I never heard you talk like this before. Is there something you’d like to confess?” He’d suspected for some time that she had someone she was trying to impress. She came home one day with a new hairstyle, new color, and a manicure. Not that she wasn’t allowed to pamper herself, but for as long as he could remember, he’d never seen his mom with polished nails.

  She dropped the towel she’d been drying dishes with and shrugged. “When there’s something you need to know I’ll tell you.”

  “Oh, I see. You can give your opinion about my love life but yours is top secret? Why don’t you give this much heat to Hank and Boone about their relationship status? They’re both single.”

  “Because they don’t have kids, a daughter, who needs a female role model.”

  “Ma, let’s not have this discussion now. Please.” The last thing he needed was the added pressure of asking someone out right now. In his twenties he had no qualms about asking a woman out, but dates never seemed to get beyond the first. They were either too chatty. Too needy. Too something or other. Hell, who was he kidding? He was just too damn particular. In his thirties, as he matured, he got too busy with Livvy and work, and didn’t have the time for dating. Now as forty approached, he realized most of his friends were married and dating wasn’t nearly as easy. “I need to get going. I’m stopping off at Sage Ranch then heading to parent teacher conferences with Livvy’s teacher. Maybe you can coax Liv into coming down to eat dinner.” He kissed his mom on the forehead. “Sorry that my brothers and I were tyrants. I’m having trouble with one teen and you had three boys. Lord, you deserve sainthood.”