The Courage of a Cowboy

by Kristin Vayden

  “You’re welcome, sweetheart. I know that girls gotta eat.” He patted her shoulder as her head lowered to take another bite. His thoughts drifted back to Kessed as he heard the sound of tires crunching on the gravel outside. With one more pat to Margaret’s shoulder, he strode to the barn’s exit. After sliding the door shut, he walked out to the drive. Sure enough, the familiar blue sedan was parked beside his truck.

  A smiling Kessed met his gaze as she slid from the driver’s seat.

  “Hey there.” He grinned in welcome.

  “Hey yourself.” She shrugged, her own smile widening.

  Jasper’s shoulders relaxed; his lungs took in a full, deep breath as she met him halfway and wrapped her arms around him then pulled him into a big hug.

  “Miss me?” he asked, keeping his tone light when the question felt heavy.

  “A little,” Kessed flirted, reaching up and kissing him on the cheek.

  He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t disappointed that the kiss wasn’t of the more intimate variety, but he’d take what he could get.

  And having her in his arms went a long way to soothe his concerned heart.

  “I tried to call, but it went to voicemail.” Kessed stepped back out of the hug.

  “Yeah, my phone died, and I left my charger at the house.” Jasper shrugged. “Where’s everyone else?”

  Kessed started back to her car. “They will be here in about thirty minutes. I left early. The doctor didn’t want to release Sterling till he’d gone through some therapy. They took some time to teach Cyler and Laken the exercises as well, so they can help him out. I headed back, so I could check on things and clear out the guest room for Sterling. Basically, nothing that he can trip over on the way to the bathroom.”

  Jasper nodded, following her. “Need help?”

  Kessed shrugged. “Honestly, I think I’m good, but if you know how to throw together some spaghetti or something else quick, that would be great. My cooking skills suck.”

  “Really? Is that the reason you have a soft spot in your heart for fast food? It just might be a deal-breaker for me,” Jasper teased.

  “I make up for it in different ways.” She winked, his body responding to her implication with enthusiasm.

  “Did I say deal-breaker? I meant deal-sealer,” Jasper added, grinning.

  “Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” Kessed lifted her suitcase from the back of the car, and Jasper took it from her hands.

  “I’m capable of making spaghetti as long as the right stuff is in the pantry. You go ahead and remove all the hazards from the poor guy’s room.” Jasper waited for her to unlock the house.

  “Deal.”

  He glanced to the suitcase then frowned. “Wait, why are you bringing this?” Wasn’t she going back to her apartment?

  “Laken asked me to stay a few days longer, just till they get everything organized. She’s a nurse, for pity’s sake, but she’s kinda wound tight since the patient is her brother. Cyler has to head back to his construction company tomorrow, so he’s not going to be much help during the day. I don’t work till Thursday, so I offered.”

  Jasper set the small suitcase down in the living room, forcing himself not to frown. “That was really kind of you.”

  “Thanks. Sterling can be a pain in the ass, and I don’t see this sweetening up his disposition.”

  “Probably not.” Jasper grinned, relaxing slightly. “I’ll leave this here and start everything in the kitchen. If you need help, give me a shout.”

  “We’ve got this.” Kessed activated her biceps, winking.

  “You should really flex when you’re trying to show off,” Jasper called over his shoulder as he walked to the kitchen.

  “Ass.”

  Jasper chuckled the rest of the way to the kitchen then focused on the task at hand. There wasn’t much in the pantry but a few cans of tomato sauce and two boxes of angel-hair pasta. It wasn’t going to be gourmet, but it would have to do. In short work, he had the noodles boiling and another pot holding the tomato sauce as he tossed in some Italian seasoning and salt.

  “Smells good.” Kessed’s voice came from the doorway.

  Jasper gave her quick grin. “Not just a pretty face, you know.”

  “Who said you had a pretty face?” Kessed teased back.

  “Ouch.”

  Kessed’s giggle called to him, made his body burn. He wanted nothing more than to back her against the kitchen wall and press into her, kissing away every shred of doubt in her heart, branding her with his body.

  He met her gaze, her deep brown eyes sobering as he stepped toward her, needing her to be closer, then the squeal of the front door opening interrupted his progress.

  “We’re here!” Cyler called out.

  Jasper closed his eyes, his body demanding he ignore his old friend. But a moment later, he heard Laken’s voice and the sound of wheels tracking over hardwood floors.

  “Kessed?” Laken called.

  Kessed’s eyes were apologetic as she took a deep breath and broke their gaze. “In here!”

  “Jasper?” Cyler called out a moment before walking into the kitchen. “Hey! You’ve been such a lifesaver.” Cyler pulled Jasper into a one-arm hug as he thumped him on the back, making a hollow sound as Jasper returned the gesture.

  “Nothing to it,” Jasper replied, releasing his friend as a genuine smile lifted his lips.

  Cyler’s blue eyes were sincere; the hard edge that had always made his gaze harsh was completely gone, and Jasper was thankful to see his friend at peace. It had been a long, hard road with his father, Jack. But that was water under the bridge, thankfully.

  “I doubt it was nothing,” Laken replied, wheeling Sterling into the kitchen.

  Jasper’s attention focused on the man, the possible rival for Kessed’s heart. First, he noticed the way Sterling’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. It was forced, but who could blame him? Rather than feeling jealousy and tension, Jasper immediately empathized with the guy. He’d seen Harper put on a brave face far too many times to not recognize it in someone else, even if that person was putting a lot of effort into making it believable.

  Sterling’s gaze met his, something almost imperceptible passing between them before he extended his hand.

  Jasper reached down to grasp it. “Nice to see you again.” He gave Sterling’s hand a firm shake. The man might be in a wheelchair, but his powerful handshake said he was anything but weak.

  “I smell food,” Laken commented, breaking through Jasper’s observation of Sterling.

  “Yeah, Kessed put me to work. I’m not promising much, but at least it will be better than nothing.”

  “She’s good at being bossy,” Laken commented, casting an amused grin to Kessed, who simply tilted her head and arched a brow.

  “You’re one to talk,” Sterling added.

  “Nothing wrong with his mouth,” Laken teased.

  Jasper smiled in response to the way Laken and her brother acted so similar to the way he interacted with his own sister. Sibling interaction was universal, as far as he knew. He walked to the stove and lifted the pasta spoon and checked the noodles. They were a little overdone, but there wasn’t anything he could do to change that, so he turned off the heat and glanced to the adjacent sink. “Comin’ through.” He spoke before hauling the big pot over to the sink and sliding the lid just off-center enough to drain the water. The steam threatened to scald his forearm, so he adjusted his grip to remove the last of the water.

  “Kess, can you grab the plates?” he called over his shoulder as he set the pot back on the stove.

  “Yup.”

  “That’s my line.”

  He caught her grin from the corner of his eye as he turned off the heat to the sauce. “Come and get it while it’s hot.”

  Kessed set the plates beside the stove and backed up.


  Jasper touched the edge of her elbow, lowering his head to speak in her ear. “Did you actually just move away from food?”

  She tilted her head slightly, giving him a wry grin. “Don’t expect it to happen often. I just figure that since it’s their house…”

  “Ah, manners. That’s why I didn’t recognize it.”

  “Hey!” Kessed punched him in the arm, and he ducked just a little, feigning pain.

  “Knock it off, you two,” Laken interrupted Jasper’s flirting, and he watched as her gaze bounced from him to Kessed and then back, her grin widening.

  “It’s her fault.” Jasper shrugged, crossing his arms.

  “What?” Kessed smacked his shoulder again.

  “Abuse.” He shook his head slowly, as if feeling sorry for her.

  Kessed sputtered, earning a muffled giggle from Laken.

  “I knew I liked you,” Laken replied, filling her plate with pasta and pouring on the sauce. “You cook, and you don’t take her smartass sass. Well done.”

  Jasper bowed slightly, earning another glare from Kessed.

  “She’s right. You do need someone to put you in your place,” Cyler commented as he filled his plate next.

  “Who asked you?” Kessed asked.

  “No one. My house. My rules.”

  Laken gave him a curious glance.

  “Uh, I mean, our house, our rules.”

  “There ya go,” Laken replied, grinning.

  “Is there anyone on my side?” Kessed threw a hand in the air dramatically.

  “Yeah, usually I go for the underdog, but in this case…” Sterling replied from the doorway, his face stretched into apologetic grin. “Sorry, sport. You’re on your own.”

  “You know—”

  “Shh, just walk away.” Jasper tapped her nose and handed her a plate.

  Kessed snapped her teeth at his finger.

  “Easy, killer.” He grinned as he backed away. “Sterling, you hungry, man?”

  “I’ve got him covered.” Laken gave Jasper a quick smile as she handed her brother a plate and pushed his chair into the room.

  “I can wheel myself, thank you. I’m only in this thing for a few more days,” he grumbled, sighing as if itching to get up and run.

  “I know you can, but let me do something. It makes me feel better. Shocking, I know… but deal with it,” Laken said.

  Jasper didn’t miss how Sterling’s gaze bounced between Kessed and himself.

  Soon they were all gathered around the table, passing napkins as the noise level continued to rise.

  Jasper leaned back, watching the interaction between Laken and Cyler, grinning to himself when Cyler’s hand would reached below the table and Laken’s face would flush bright scarlet. He’d averted his eyes and watched Kessed do the same, meeting his gaze with a knowing one of her own. Sterling’s expression was the only one that wasn’t open, but guarded, from pain or from trauma, Jasper couldn’t begin to know.

  “So you said you only had the wheelchair for a few more days?” Jasper engaged Sterling in conversation between bites of pasta.

  “Yeah.” Sterling shrugged, his beefy shoulders a firm reminder that the man was anything but frail. “The doc says it’s easier for me to keep in line, not overdo it. Damn bone was exposed, so I’m on a freaking horse-dose of antibiotics, and they don’t want me to reinjure myself.” He shook his head and took another bite.

  “It’s good you’re listening to the doctor.”

  “He doesn’t have a choice,” Laken chimed in.

  Sterling gave her a patient grin. “You’re going to be all sunshine and rainbows, aren’t you?”

  “As always.”

  Cyler choked on a bite.

  “Not funny.”

  Cyler held up his hands in surrender. “Not intentional. I swear.”

  Kessed giggled behind her hand.

  “Not helping,” Jasper whispered under his breath, teasing her.

  “Not usually the helpful one in this group.”

  “That’s the truth,” Sterling added, casting a wink to Kessed.

  And Jasper felt his heart sink when Kessed blushed and averted her gaze.

  Damn it.

  Sterling hadn’t glanced away from Kessed but was watching her with what appeared to be more than passing interest.

  “Jasper, can you show me what you guys did while we were gone? I want to make sure I’m up to speed on the repairs and anything else that needs work.” Cyler’s voice cut into his attention on Sterling.

  He cleared his throat. It would be a good idea to get some fresh air, distance himself from wanting to be an ass and jumping to conclusions. “I’m about done. You ready?”

  Cyler nodded. He stood and walked to the sink. He quickly rinsed his plate and set it in the dishwasher. He waited while Jasper did the same and then followed him to the door.

  “Men who do dishes… nothing sexier!” Laken called out as they walked into the hall.

  “That’s not what you said last night!” Cyler yelled back, and Jasper could only imagine the way Laken’s face blushed.

  They walked into the evening air, and the tension in Jasper’s shoulders released like a weight had been lifted. “How are you doing?” he asked Cyler, keeping the focus off himself.

  “Better now. It was freaking awesome… till we got the news about Sterling. But he’s here and on the mend, so I’m sure Laken will finally relax.”

  “I imagine she was wound pretty tight.”

  “Yeah, to say the least,” Cyler answered. “So, what did you all do?”

  Jasper gave him the rundown, pointing out the several directions they had gone with the fence repairs. The steers lowed in the distance, kicking up dust as they migrated to the creek for a drink.

  “Sounds like you guys were busy. I knew there was a laundry list of things that needed to be done, but you went above and beyond. Thanks, man. I appreciate it.” Cyler held out his hand, and Jasper shook it.

  “On another topic… I didn’t miss the little spark between you and Kessed. Is something going on?” Cyler asked, grinning as they strode to the barn.

  Jasper rubbed the back of his neck. This was going to be difficult to navigate. After all, Sterling was Cyler’s brother-in-law.

  “Nothing’s official.” Damn it all. “But yeah, I think I’m wearing her down,” he added noncommittedly.

  “Hmm, I think you’re being a little conservative on that assessment,” Cyler replied. “Is she still hung up on Sterling?”

  Don’t hold back any punches, Jasper thought. “I don’t know.” He paused, not sure if he could continue.

  “But…” Cyler encouraged as he slid the barn door open.

  “But I sure as hell hope she isn’t,” Jasper answered honestly. “The woman’s got me all tied up in knots.” He shook his head, following his friend into the barn.

  “Hey, girl. Miss me?” Cyler called to Margaret.

  The mare stomped the ground impatiently till Cyler pulled out a sugar cube from his pocket and fed her.

  “I missed you too.” He turned to Jasper. “It will all get sorted out. Don’t worry about it. I know that’s easier said than done, but give her some time.”

  “That seems to be the common advice.” Jasper kicked his boot into the dirt.

  Cyler raised an eyebrow.

  “I think Harper said that I needed to not be an ass and make assumptions. I’m translating that to patience.”

  “Ah, yeah. She always was a bright girl.”

  “Yeah, don’t tell her that. It will go straight to her head,” Jasper teased.

  “Noted. How is she?” Cyler sobered, facing his friend.

  “Healing.” Jasper went into the tale about Lady, and now Rake, earning a chuckle when he explained the name of the colt. “Kessed appreciated the name,
too.”

  Cyler headed out of the barn then turned to slide the door shut. “It’s been a big week for all of us, it seems. Let the dust settle, and it will work out, Jasper.” He laid a heavy hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Head home. I’ll hold down the fort here. Sound good?”

  Jasper nodded, casting a glance to the house then back.

  “I’ll tell her you said goodbye, give her a chance to miss you a bit more.” Cyler winked, and Jasper shook his head.

  “Fine. This backfires… I’m kicking your ass.”

  “Deal.” Cyler nodded once, walking to the house as Jasper walked to his truck.

  After sliding into his pickup, he turned over the engine. His gaze wandered to the ranch house, watching the lights come on in several windows, and a deep longing settled over him.

  Why did it feel like he was walking away from the very thing he wanted to walk toward?

  But maybe Cyler was right. So, with a swift motion, he threw the truck into gear and drove away before he changed his mind.

  But damn it all, a sense of foreboding followed him all the way home.

  Time could only tell.

  And time was the very thing he feared most.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Kessed blinked awake, hearing the soft sound of the television from the family room. Fumbling, she checked her phone, blinking at the bright screen and squinting till she read the time.

  Two o’clock.

  Who in their freaking mind is up at two in the morning?

  With a slight groan, she rose from her warm bed and padded out into the hall, the blue glow from the TV illuminating her path. As she rounded the corner, she saw Sterling leaning back in his wheelchair. His upper body was bare, showing off the several tattoos across his arms and chest, drawing her eye to the solid curve of his muscled abs, his tight chest, and arms that had a few bandages still attached. Even in her foggy state of mind, he was beautiful to behold, and a deep longing surged through her, reminding her of the reasons she’d wanted him for so long.