Her Convenient Cowboy

by Lacy Williams

  “I love you,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to. It just happened.”

  His heart burst with joy, so much that he wanted to get up and shout to the sky.

  Except he was cognizant of the little bundle sleeping between them. He dared not wake up the baby when Rose needed rest so badly.

  He squeezed Rose’s fingers intertwined with his. He carefully bent forward over the top of Helen’s head to kiss Rose’s lips. She kissed him back eagerly. Emotion flowed between them.

  He had never shared this feeling, this closeness with anyone else before. God had given him the family he’d longed for—in a most unconventional way.

  And Davy wouldn’t have it any other way.

  Epilogue

  Rose urged her horse forward to round two straggling steers back toward the herd.

  Spring was so new here on the mountain that snow remained in shadowed pockets and melting ice dripped from skeletal tree limbs.

  Davy waved his hat at her from where he rode near the front of the herd, at least for the moment. He had Helen bundled in a blanket and nestled against his chest, something he’d told her his pa had done often when Breanna had been an infant.

  Helen seemed content enough. She’d been asleep the last time Rose had peeked at her. And Rose knew Davy would take care of his daughter.

  Rose was glad of the milder weather, glad for the chance to be outdoors. Davy had been right when he’d spoken of being snowed in at the line shack. They’d passed weeks in isolation, just the three of them in the cabin, but she hadn’t been lonely.

  “Doing all right?” Ricky’s voice rang out over the herd.

  She nodded, concentrating on her horse’s footing, like Davy had taught her. His patient instruction and encouragement as he’d allowed her to help with caring for the horses made her more comfortable on the back of one now.

  Ricky and Daisy had come down from the Richardses’ ranch to assist with getting Davy’s winter herd to the railroad station in town. In a few days, Davy and Rose would accompany them back to the ranch to help with the spring shearing.

  The strain that Ricky’s leaving had created between the brothers had abated in the wake of several letters exchanged over the months apart and Rose was glad of it.

  She loved the life she’d found here in the mountains of Wyoming, and she loved her cowboy.

  But...she couldn’t help but be a little envious of Daisy.

  The other woman rode opposite Davy at the front of the herd. Ricky’s wife was confident in her riding, moving easily among the animals. If Rose hadn’t known about her impairment, she never would’ve guessed the other woman was challenged physically.

  She knew the other woman had been raised on a ranch, whereas Rose had grown up in the city. And it wasn’t a competition. She knew Davy loved her, even if she did burn the bread every once in a while.

  Still...she was determined to pull her own weight on this job, just as she had been committed to sharing the burden of life on a ranch.

  She was a part of this family now.

  * * *

  Davy whistled to his sister-in-law, as they were too far apart to communicate by shouting. He pointed to a natural valley that would provide an easier path for the cattle.

  Daisy pushed the herd forward exactly as he’d intended, moving with a natural grace in the saddle.

  He glanced back to check on Rose’s progress, proud to see she was holding her own. He trusted Ricky to watch over her at the back of the herd.

  It was only a few miles and they should be in Bear Creek by lunchtime.

  He moved the blanket covering Helen’s cheek to check on her. Her lips were puckered in sleep and twitched as he looked down on her. He couldn’t help smiling as he tucked the blanket up around her chin. He didn’t think there was much chance of her getting a chill since she was wrapped up against his chest and bundled in her blanket, but he didn’t want to take any chances.

  His baby girl was the cutest thing. She’d started sleeping for longer stretches, though she still didn’t sleep through the night. Rose had finally given up on holding so tightly to her independent nature and asked him for help when she’d been too tired to function. Now the three of them had settled into a more reliable schedule and Rose wasn’t so tired all the time.

  He’d expected her to chafe at the inactivity, being closed up in the cabin for long weeks at a time, but since the night they’d declared their love for each other, she’d been as peaceful as a new mother could be.

  And today he was going to sell the cattle he’d invested in. Judging by what his pa had heard of cattle prices, Davy stood to make a tidy profit.

  And having Ricky here made it even sweeter. They’d argued and argued about it, but it seemed Ricky wasn’t going to accept half of the profits. Ricky had accepted the consequences of squandering his earnings and he was making a life for himself working for Daisy’s father. Davy had never seen his brother so at peace, not even when they’d been children. And Ricky had shared the news that he and Daisy were going to add another cousin to the White menagerie in another seven months or so.

  Happiness settled over Davy like the sun warming his shoulders.

  A whistle from behind had him reining in his mount and turning to look.

  Rose had fallen back since he’d last looked to check on her. Now the herd had outpaced her.

  Ricky was rounding behind the pack of animals, heading Davy’s way. “Her horse might’ve thrown a shoe. I’ll take over here while you check on her.”

  Davy spurred his mount and in moments had drawn up beside his wife. “Something the matter?”

  “I don’t know. Her gait felt off...”

  “Hop down for a sec and I’ll check her out.”

  Rose came out of the saddle with ease now that she’d had some practice and he met her on the ground, unwinding Helen’s binding from his shoulder and chest.

  “Take this little one for a second...”

  He couldn’t resist brushing a kiss to Rose’s temple as she took the baby from his arms.

  Ricky had guessed right; the mare had thrown a shoe. Davy checked her foot and didn’t see any injuries.

  “She’ll be all right to walk to town and we can get her reshoed, but looks like you and I will have to ride double.”

  He helped Rose wind the baby’s binding around her and boosted her into the saddle, then followed her up.

  “All good?”

  She nodded, and being behind her he couldn’t get a view of her face, but with his hand at her waist he felt her tension.

  He urged his horse to catch up with the herd. Ricky and Daisy had things well in hand, keeping the cattle moving and not allowing stragglers to separate.

  He held the mare’s reins loosely and it followed easily now that it was without a human passenger.

  “Rose? Something wrong?” he prompted when she’d been too quiet for too long.

  “Would Daisy have known that the mare lost her shoe?”

  Ah. So that was the rub. He knew Rose still fought feelings of worthlessness, thanks to that no-account first husband of hers, but her confidence had been growing by leaps and bounds as she settled into the family.

  “She might’ve,” he admitted. “She’s a good horsewoman. But it takes a blacksmith to shoe a horse and she would’ve been in the same predicament you were.”

  “Oh.”

  Her shoulders straightened slightly and he was glad she faced forward so he didn’t have to hide the smile that curved his lips.

  “Now, would she have known whether Helen’s cry meant she was hungry or wanted a change?” He shrugged, knowing she would feel the motion from such a close proximity. He leaned a little closer.

  “You’ve no reason to feel inferior,” he said, his breath blowing the fine hairs at her templ
e. “Daisy is a perfect match for Ricky, and you’re a perfect match for me. Besides, I like teaching you things about the ranch. Makes me feel intelligent.”

  She twisted in the saddle, far enough that he got a good look at her face and the genuine smile that lit her eyes. “Davy White, you are an incredibly intelligent man. And I’m glad to be your wife.”

  He couldn’t help leaning forward to kiss her lips, but broke away when a shrill whistle sounded.

  “We’re supposed to be working here,” Ricky called out. He’d rounded the side of the herd as Davy’s horse had caught up, moving back to his original position.

  “Mind your own business,” Davy returned, earning a cheeky grin from his brother.

  He could see that Rose’s cheek and ear had gone pink and he squeezed her waist.

  Everything had turned out right. The cattle had survived the winter. Ricky was back in the family fold.

  And God had given Davy his dearest dream: a family of his own, a woman and little girl to love forever.

  His heart overflowed.

  * * * * *

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you enjoyed Davy and Rose’s journey to love. Thinking of wintering in a small cabin, stuck without family and friends, gives me the shivers—I’m a summer kind of girl! But it was fun exploring what it might’ve been like for this couple and especially Rose, who didn’t know much about Wyoming or ranch living. Have you ever been dumped into a new set of circumstances where you had to relearn what to do? If so, I’d love to hear about it.

  You can reach me at lacyjwilliams@gmail.com or by sending a note to Lacy Williams, 340 S Lemon Ave #1639, Walnut, CA 91789. If you’d like to find out about all my latest releases in an occasional email blast, sign up at bit.ly/15lA19O.

  Thanks for reading!

  Lacy Williams

  Keep reading for an excerpt from

  THE TEXAN’S TWIN BLESSINGS

  by Rhonda Gibson.

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Historical title.

  You find illumination in days gone by. Love Inspired Historical stories lift the spirit as heroines tackle the challenges of life in another era with hope, faith and a focus on family.

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  Chapter One

  Granite, Texas

  Late Spring 1887

  Hot, aggravated and about at the end of his rope, William Barns stood on his grandmother’s porch juggling his year-and-a-half-old nieces, Rose and Ruby. The little girls squalled louder.

  “Eat!” Rose twisted sideways, her little voice pleading.

  They were hungry, so was he, and as soon as his grandmother opened the door from the other side, she’d help feed them. Of that he had no doubt. He shifted the twins higher on his chest. Today they’d had milk and bread in their diets and little else.

  The heat was getting to them and making the girls cranky; him, too, if he was honest about it. Colorado springtime and Texas springtime were very different in the way of weather, and the effects on him and the girls were going from poor to bad fast.

  Why was his grandmother taking so long? If he remembered correctly, the house was not that big. He’d been a kid the last time he’d stood on this porch, and even then it had seemed small. William clinched his jaw in an effort not to get impatient with the girls and his grandmother. Surely she’d heard him knocking.

  The trip from Denver, Colorado, had been exhausting. Rose and Ruby demanded his undivided attention. He’d had no idea how much was required of his late sister, until she’d been killed and he’d taken over the twins’ care. What a load she had carried and carried well.

  His heart ached at the loss of his sister, Mary. If only he’d gone to the bank that day, instead of her. The throbbing in his ankle reminded him why he’d stayed with the napping twins while his sister had gone to town and faced down two bank robbers. If only he hadn’t slipped on the frozen snow and broken his ankle after the last ice storm they’d had, he would have been the one at the bank.

  Rose, apparently tired of the juggling, chose that moment to throw up sour milk all over his shirtsleeve. Ruby, spying her sister’s distress, let out a wail that pierced his eardrums.

  As the curdled milk scent reached his nostrils, he briefly wondered how his delicate, prim sister had managed to take care of his darling nieces with the ease that she had. They burped putrid liquids, and the diapers, well, he’d almost taken to wearing a clothespin on his nose while changing them.

  Exhausted, Rose laid her head upon his shoulder and shuddered her unhappiness. Mirroring her sister’s actions, Ruby did the same. Regardless of their disgusting smells and loud crying, William loved his nieces with all his heart.

  “I’m sorry, baby girls. I know you’re hot and tired, and sick of me pouring liquid into you.” He kept his voice soothing and calm. “Just hang on a few more seconds. Grandma’s on the way, and she’ll have something good for us to eat.”

  His chest ached with the sorrow weighing down upon him. He felt as if the responsibilities of the girls might be more than he could take. Why did everything have to change?

  Memories flooded his tired mind. On the fateful morning he’d lost his sister, his brother-in-law and town sheriff, Josiah, had been out of town but was to return later in the day. William later learned that Josiah had been lured away by fake information that the robbers were in the town next to theirs. He’d hurried off to help the sheriff there, and while he’d been gone the criminals had robbed their bank.

  Three rough-looking men had arrived in town shortly after the bank opened. They’d entered the bank, threatening those inside if the teller didn’t turn over the money. When they’d escaped in a blaze of gunfire, they left Mary lifeless and the bank teller wounded.

  Witnesses had whispered that it had all happened so suddenly. The bank robbers had taken Mary’s money and left her for dead. She had stumbled out of the bank, clutching the morning’s mail to her wounded chest. It was when she fell in a heap of petticoats that everyone realized she’d been hit by the gunfire. His sister had died on the dirty street, leaving behind an angry, grieving husband and two beautiful, motherless little girls. And him.

  A piercing cry sounded within his left ear, pulling William from the painful memory. “Ruby, please don’t scream.” He looked to the dark window on his left. Where was his grandmother? Why hadn’t she answered? He turned and pounded on the door with his elbow.

  Aggravation at the delay crept up his spine and into his already pounding head. The longer he stood there, the worse he felt. William refused to give in to the irritation at having to wait for his grandmother; one angry man in the family was enough.

  The memories he’d been shoving away flooded in once more. Josiah had allowed his rage and grief over the murder of his wife to run so deep he’d practically forgotten his daughters. William had been left with no choice but to take over the care of the girls. Once his sister had been put to rest, Josiah had gone after the murderers with the promise to come back for the girls, but William wasn’t holding his breath.

  Even though Josiah was a good lawman, William worried about his brother-in-law’s state of mind. Josiah blamed himself for his wife’s death. He’d even made the statement he wasn’t sure he was a fit father and that if he couldn’t protect Mary, what made him think he could protect his girls? William had tried to talk to him, offer comfort, but in the end, Josiah had left a bitter and a
ngry man.

  After three months of waiting, William couldn’t stand living in the same town that his sister had died in. He’d left word with Josiah’s neighbor that he was moving to Granite, Texas, and that Rose and Ruby would be waiting there for Josiah when he’d finished his business with the bank robbers. He worried Josiah might never come for his daughters—the man had been so resentful—and Josiah had probably taken risks that could end his life, leaving the girls orphans.

  Rose trembled, and one look at her white face reminded William that he needed to focus on her and her sister instead of rehashing what had happened or worrying about what might have happened to their father. Until he heard from Josiah, he was responsible for the little girls, and right now they needed real food and a place to rest. He reached for the door handle and found it locked. William sighed. She wasn’t home.

  “Excuse me.”

  He turned to the soft voice that had managed to be heard over the little girls’ cries. A young woman stood behind him in the yard. Her red hair blazed under the sun, and light freckles crossed her nose as if she’d too often forgotten to wear her bonnet. Green eyes filled with sadness looked up at him. The freckles across her nose and cheeks gave her the appearance of being very young, but the depth of emotion in her eyes made him think she might be older than she looked. Realizing he was staring, William responded. “Yes?”

  “My name is Emily Jane Rodgers. I’m Mrs. Barns’s neighbor.” She pointed to the house across the street, then turned to face him once more. “Mrs. Barns no longer lives here.” Her sweet voice seemed to drip with warmth and deep sorrow.

  William shifted the girls, who had quieted down at the sound of the female voice. “Nice to meet you, Miss Rodgers. I’m William Barns. Where has my grandmother moved?”

  Renewed sorrow seemed to fill her pretty green eyes. “I have a key to the house. Let’s go inside, so that I can explain.” She brushed past him, and scents of cinnamon and sugar filled his nostrils.