Second Sunrise Cowboy (Second Chance Book 8)

by Carver, Rhonda Lee

Cash lowered his gaze over her tight T-shirt, shorts that exposed way too much leg, and to the very tips of the brown boots. His jaw tightened on its own accord. “New addition?”

  “A new baby calf.” Her cheeks were flushed. He had a strong urge to hug her.

  “Didn’t you get my text?” Brody asked.

  “No.” Cash scrubbed his jaw, forcing the muscles in his body to relax. “So she had the calf early? Any problems?”

  Brody shook his head. “Nope, none that I see.”

  “Good. I’ll call in the vet to be on the safe side. Have you started on the west fencing yet?” Cash asked.

  “I’ll get to that, now that you’re here to see to the calf.” Brody dipped his hat and left them alone.

  Cash kept his gaze on Dakota. She watched him with a narrowed eye and tilted head. “What?”

  “The scowl is back. This should be a happy event. I bet Becca would love to see the calf.”

  He nodded mutely, his jaw clenching again. “Do you plan on being here all day?”

  She exhaled. “Do you plan on being rude all day? Am I not welcome in the barn?” she snapped.

  He glared at her, not sure where all the anger came from. What else could he do but stare? He turned and started out of the barn, needing to get away. But he heard her behind him, her quick steps as she attempted to keep up with him.

  Chapter Eleven

  Dakota followed Cash out of the barn as he stomped across the grass, then the gravel toward his truck. His long strides made it difficult for her to stay with him, but she didn’t mind the view of his backside. The worn Wrangler’s did wonders for his well-shaped ass. The striped shirt stretched across his muscular back, flexing as he walked. “Well, what is it?” She rushed up beside him, grabbing his elbow.

  He kept going until he reached the driver’s side. He pushed the button on the keypad and turned, scowling from underneath his black hat. He didn’t say a word as he pulled open the door, slipped inside. He slammed the door, making her jump, but he didn’t drive off as she expected. Instead, he rolled his window down. “Wanna get in?”

  She rushed around the front of the truck, slid into the passenger side, and situated herself in the seat. One thing about this cowboy, he certainly had good taste. The interior of the truck was fully loaded. He watched her closely as she melted her body into the cool leather.

  “All ready?”

  She nodded. Not sure what she was ready for, but she wanted to be here, next to him, no matter where that led.

  He grinned and her inner thighs quivered. Revving the engine, he slipped it into gear and they drove off down the narrow, gravel lane heading toward the main road. “Where are we going?”

  “And now you care?”

  “I care that you not only treated me rudely, but also Brody.” She stared at Cash’s stiff profile.

  He sniffed. “Brody won’t get his feelings hurt, if that’s what you’re concerned about.”

  “It must suck to be in so much misery that you want others to feel miserable too.”

  He glanced at her, his eyes narrowed. “If that ain’t the furthest thing from the truth.” He shook his head and turned his attention back to the road.

  “Then what is it?” She twisted in the seat, getting a better look at him. “Help me understand.”

  “Brody has work to do, not entertain.” There was a roughness to his voice and she wondered where it came from.

  “You know I’m talking about more than what just happened back at the barn, but just to clarify, Brody was showing me the calf, that’s all.”

  “When a man walks in and finds his wife in another man’s arms, he has a right to get pissed.”

  She swallowed. Hearing him call her his wife did funny things in her chest. The sentiment did more than just state a fact. “It was a hug. Nothing more.” She looked out the window. They passed rows of houses, kids playing in yards and a group playing basketball.

  “I know. I overreacted.”

  “Try as I do, I don’t get you.” She slid her palms down her thighs.

  “Oh, but you seem to. Remember, I want to make everyone miserable?” he chuckled.

  “If the shoe fits…”

  He grunted. “Shoe doesn’t fit. Not even close. Do I make you miserable?”

  She could lie, but it wasn’t in her. “No, you don’t. Even with all of the hiccups, I’m not unhappy.”

  They reached the edge of town and she spotted an elderly couple sitting on the bench on the street corner. The man lifted his hand, waving, and Dakota waved back. The people here were friendly and they all made her feel welcome.

  He pulled the truck into the parking lot of the veterinarian, parking bedside a motorcycle and killing the engine. She felt his eyes on her. “Coming or staying?”

  “Staying.” It’d give her a chance to calm her nerves.

  She watched him walk across the lot. She’d never get enough of his backside view—or his front side view for that matter. But she certainly couldn’t get used to his hot and cold attitude.

  When he came back, he slid into the driver’s side and she got a whiff of soap and leather. Parts of her tingled in awareness, but she did her best to ignore the sparks.

  “Vet will be out soon to check on the ‘new addition’ as you like to call him. Now how about I take you to breakfast?”

  “You don’t need to get to work?”

  “Yes, but anything back at the ranch can wait.” He started the engine and backed out of the lot.

  “Is this the only place the town has to offer for breakfast?” she asked as they pulled into the diner.

  “This, the doughnut shop, or bitter coffee and a packaged muffin from the gas station. The variety is endless.” He winked.

  He came around the passenger side as she opened the door. He extended his hand and she jumped from the truck, fully aware when his calloused hand touched her bare elbow. Goosebumps splashed over her and it had nothing to do with being cold. She bent her head back looking into his warm gaze and it connected all of the dots in her body. There were moments when he let his guard down and she could see straight into him…into his soul.

  She attempted a smile, but it fizzled.

  “Come on.” He placed his palm on the small of her back. His touch heated her skin as he led her to the entrance of the restaurant. The bell dinged and the few patrons inside turned and greeted them. They slid into a booth, not the one he’d occupied with Kennedy.

  The waitress, Sandy, stepped up. “There’s the two newlyweds. Congratulations on getting hitched. I guess you took my advice, huh?”

  “Advice?” Cash lifted a brow.

  Dakota swallowed. “Oh, just a little inside joke.”

  Sandy pulled a pencil from behind her ear. “What can I do you for?”

  “I’ll have a coffee.” He looked at Dakota, one brow lifted. She nodded. “Make that two. And how about two orders of the special pancakes.”

  “Coming right up.” Sandy winked at Dakota and made her way back to the counter.

  “What if I didn’t want pancakes?” Dakota asked.

  “It’s not a matter of wanting them, but once you try them, you’ll always want them. Trust me.”

  She wanted to laugh at his statement. He wanted others to trust him and yet he didn’t trust anyone else. “Okay. Lucky I love pancakes.”

  Coffee delivered Dakota added a generous amount of sugar and cream. She then decided to take the subject back up that was left unfinished. “So what happened back at the barn?”

  “Hell, I didn’t mean to interrupt things.” His sarcasm was unmistakable.

  “You didn’t interrupt anything and you know that.” He stared at her, his eyes burning her with the intensity of a raging fire. How could he do that? Well, she wouldn’t blunder again. She couldn’t be treated like a yo-yo. “Don’t treat me like this, Cash.”

  He snorted. “What the hell are you talking about?” he asked over the rim of his steaming cup.

  “I’m referring to your tendenc
y to pull me close, only to push me away.” And she would no longer accept his behavior.

  He slid off his hat, laid it beside him on the seat and ran his hand over the waves of black hair. “We made a deal right?”

  “Stop right there. I understand we made a deal that neither of us seem to want. Last night I know you wanted to give in.”

  Sandy interrupted, setting their plates on the table—stacks of pancakes smothered in cherries with a large dollop of whipped topping. They smelled heavenly.

  “These are sinful enough to go straight to my thighs.” Dakota’s mouth salivated.

  “Worth every bite.” He dug into his own.

  She followed suit and chewed the rich, fluffy goodness. The cherries were a combination of sweet and sour, awakening her taste buds. “Oh my.”

  He smiled. “Told ya.” His pale eyes sparkled mischievously.

  She scooped up another large bite, filling her mouth and swallowed with a drink of coffee. She didn’t say another word until half the pancakes were gone. “Is it greedy of me, ya know, accepting the money Delores left me?”

  The area between his brows creased. “Greedy? Dakota, she left it to you for a reason.”

  She pushed her plate aside. “I know, but I want to do right by her. I’ve always wanted her to be proud of me.”

  He shrugged. “You will. You’re married. That’s all she asked of you.”

  “Is that really all she asked of me?” She watched him closely. He remained poker faced. “She left me the storefront so I would fix it up and make it what it should be.”

  “Will you do it?”

  “I want to.”

  He met her gaze. “That’s a huge step, but I know you can do this.”

  She nodded, smiling. “You really think I can?”

  “I’ll help in any way.” There was a slight catch to his voice. He cleared his throat. “I think it’s great that you’re putting down roots.”

  “Where do we go from here?”

  “Delores would certainly be happy with that decision.” He lifted his cup and drank his coffee down.

  “That’s not what I was asking. It wouldn’t hurt for you to take a few risks, right?” She leaned closer, her elbows on the worn tabletop.

  “Risks?”

  “Step out of this wall you’ve built.”

  He met her gaze. “A man can’t undo overnight what took years to build.” He leaned back in the seat.

  “What are you afraid of?” She laid her chin on her propped hand.

  His jaw tightened. “That I’ll lose everything I care about.”

  “It’s okay to move on. It’s okay to give your heart to another.”

  He moved forward, his eyes full of emotion. “Are you ready?” He didn’t wait for her answer. He stood, dropped a few bills on the table.

  Dakota slid from the seat and followed him. By the time she made it to the truck he was already inside. She joined him. “Pretend I didn’t mention anything,” she snapped, angry that no matter how she tried with Cash, she seemed to fail.

  ****

  Cash heard footsteps and he looked up from his desk to find Dakota standing in the doorway. He slipped his gaze over her top, down over skinny jeans to the tips of her open toed shoes. “Are you leaving?”

  “In a few minutes.”

  “Hot date?” He meant it as humor, but when she didn’t answer, the humor faded.

  “Hot date with an empty building.” She fiddled with the hem of her shirt.

  “Need company?”

  Surprise flashed across her delicate features. “You want to go with me?”

  “Of course. I have to protect you from any critters who have called it home for the last few years.” She laughed and it lightened his mood. He found himself smiling too.

  “It could be pretty bad in there. From my understanding there’s a lot of damage.”

  He scrubbed his jaw, stood up and rounded his desk. “Then you definitely need me along. That’ll give me a chance to figure out who we need to call to get remodeling started.”

  “I can do this, Cash. I know you’re busy.” She lowered her hands to her hips.

  “I’m here for my family.”

  She blinked. “Thank you.”

  He stepped closer and her chin lifted, eyes widened, her bottom lip puckered ever so slightly. Need rendered his chains worthless. “Dakota…”

  “Yes?”

  Heavy bootsteps sounded outside of the door a second before Tucker stepped into the doorway. “Well hell, sorry. I thought you were alone,” Tucker said.

  Cash stepped back willing his body to chill the hell out. He’d almost lost himself with Dakota. He wanted to kiss her, make love to her, and never let her go.

  “It’s okay, Tucker. I’ll leave you two alone.” Dakota cast a quick glance over her shoulder. Cash’s gut tightened. “Meet you out front?”

  “Give me a few minutes,” he said, watching her leave.

  “Sorry, bro. I didn’t know she was in here.” Tucker pushed his hat off his head.

  Cash went back to sit behind his desk as his brother took the chair. “What’s up?”

  “Just checking how Brody is working out.” Tucker eased his body into the flowered chair across from the desk.

  “He’s working out pretty damn good. Glad we hired him, but I don’t think he’ll stay long-term. He has visions of land of his own.”

  “Brody ain’t the only reason why I’m here.” Tucker admitted. “I’m worried about you.”

  Cash squinted. “Worried? Why?”

  “Here lately you’ve been a prick, more than usual. Even some of the hands have said as much.” Tucker hooked his hat on his knee.

  “Did Brody say this?” Cash rubbed his jaw.

  “No, he didn’t say a word. Brody has balls of steel, but some of our younger crew have sensitive needs.”

  He shrugged. “I’ve been a little uptight.” No need in denying it.

  “Wanna talk about it? Or can I assume I already know what’s going on?” Tucker scratched his cheek.

  “Depends on what you’re assuming.” Cash leaned back into the comfortable chair and stretched his legs.

  “You’re not sleeping with Dakota. Hell, that’d make any man on edge.”

  Cash blew out a breath. “How the hell did you know?” He held up a hand. “Wait…Hope told you?”

  “We don’t keep secrets. And she’s worried about you too.”

  “No reason to worry.”

  “You’re balls are blue, I’m sure.” Tucker laughed.

  “Not quite.” Cash closed a folder and pushed it aside. “But it ain’t easy. There’s something I haven’t told you that’s got me in a bind too.” He should have said something a long time ago.

  “What’s that?”

  “A week ago I got a visitor. Rebecca’s sister, Kennedy.”

  “Her sister? Hell, I didn’t even know she had one.” Tucker’s gaze narrowed.

  Cash shrugged. “I knew, but they weren’t close.” He’d leave out the gory details. Rebecca wasn’t here to defend herself and everyone had a side to tell. “She wants to be a part of Becca’s life.”

  Tucker leaned forward. “That’s a good thing.” Cash scowled. Tucker shrugged. “Or maybe not.”

  “I have no clue what’s right or wrong. Dakota thinks Becca could benefit from having Kennedy in her life.”

  “We’re not talking about a woman off the street. She’s Becca’s aunt—she’s blood. She is a part of Becca,” Tucker said.

  Cash nodded. “I’m making more out of this than need be, aren’t I?” He trusted his brother’s opinion to a certain point.

  Tucker chuckled. “Oh about as much as a pig facing slaughter.”

  “That bad, huh?” Cash blew out a long breath.

  “I don’t say much to you, bro, but I think you need to hear what I have to say.”

  “If it’s about my relationship—”

  Tucker shook his head. “No. It’s about this monument you’ve built in
tribute to Rebecca. Every time I walk in, I’m reminded what you had here once upon a time. I can only imagine what Dakota must feel.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “Every two inches there’s a picture of Rebecca.”

  “That’s bad how?”

  “It is when you’re hiding behind your loss, afraid you’re going to get hurt again. Rebecca wouldn’t like this at all. She’d have wanted you to take down the past and start the future. You know I’ve said this before…I almost lost Hope for good until I came to my senses. Unfortunately, there isn’t an opportunity for you to get Rebecca back. And you’ve moved on, at least started on a new path. You have Dakota, but this isn’t fair to her living in this shrine.”

  Cash stared at Rebecca’s picture hanging on the wall behind Tucker. He was right, he’d built a memorial. “It’s not easy letting go.”

  “Of course, but what is easy?”

  “When you lose someone and you have no control over it, it’s easy to believe it can happen again.” Cash laid his palms on the desk. “Are you ever afraid you’re going to lose Hope again?”

  “Shit, man, I’ve learned to never hold back on my feelings. I love Hope. More than I could ever put into words. We lost a child and the pain tore us apart, but the love brought us back together. It’s stronger than ever and we have a family—a baby and a son. Life is good.”

  “I’m happy for you, Tuck. You deserve happiness.” Cash smiled.

  “And so do you, bro. You have a good thing here. Don’t let it slip through your fingers.”

  “I’m trying to, Tuck.”

  “I’ve been thinking. Old man Rutherford’s widow is selling the farm. We could buy it and expand our head of cattle. Build a few more barns on the property, and there’s already a few good buildings over there. The house is included in the deal and it’s a nice place. A great start for a new family.”

  Cash narrowed his eyes. “What would we do with this house?”

  Tucker hesitated. “This place needs a good remodeling. It’s falling down around your ears.”

  “But it’s my home,” Cash said through tight lips.

  “Once it’s up to par, we can rent it out.” Tucker leaned forward. “Are you listening to me?”

  “No, not really.”