How to Wrangle a Cowboy

by Joanne Kennedy

  “Hey, Lindsey. Look. He begs.”

  Unaware of the effort she was putting into her performance, Cody waggled a stick above the puppy’s head. Stormy popped up on his hind legs for half a second before falling over backwards, and Lindsey couldn’t help laughing. She knelt and the pup raced over, throwing its tiny body at her and struggling to lick her face.

  She could feel Lockhart’s eyes on her, even though he stood behind her, looking down from the rustic railing that bordered the porch. Maybe the road to his heart ran through his son.

  “It’s good you’re starting to train him already,” she told Cody. “Do you have a collar and leash?”

  “Not yet.” Cody glanced up at his dad. “And it’s never too soon to start teaching him stuff, right, Dad?”

  “I told you, we’ll get the collar and leash.” Shane sounded slightly annoyed. “I’m not running all the way to town just for that.”

  So much for that strategy. She’d evidently stepped into the middle of an argument.

  “You can still teach him stuff,” she said. “The first things he should learn are sit and down. Here, I’ll show you.”

  She took the stick and held it above Storm Tempest Rainbow’s head, moving it backward. As his hindquarters hit the ground, she said, “Sit,” and gave him the stick.

  “Good boy! Help me praise him, Cody!” She clapped her hands. “When he does something right, make sure he knows it.”

  Cody joined her in a thirty-second celebration of the puppy’s two-second performance. When she glanced at Shane, he was simply watching them, expressionless.

  Jerk.

  She turned back to Cody. “Now you try it.”

  Once Cody and Stormy had mastered sit, Lindsey taught them lie down and roll over. She was explaining meet the cat without losing an eye when Mr. Grumpy finally spoke.

  “You could sell some land.”

  “What?”

  “For money. You could sell some land.”

  It took her a minute to realize he was being helpful. She wished his idea would work, but she knew better. Adriana had told her the ranch couldn’t be subdivided. She could sell all the land or none.

  “It’s protected,” she said. “I can’t break it up.”

  “Bud picked up that acreage that fronts the road from a neighbor a few years ago, so it’s not a part of the actual Lazy Q. You wouldn’t even have to subdivide.”

  “Really?” Still squatting on the ground, Lindsey resisted the urge to lie down and roll over just for him. She’d barely flattered him at all, and he was already helping her. Maybe she could have a decent relationship with Shane Lockhart after all.

  Well, not a relationship relationship. Just a sort of getting along. She couldn’t hope for much more than that.

  Standing, she lifted her ponytail off her neck and absently scrunched it on top of her head as she gazed out at the acres of ranchland that stretched from the border of Shane’s little lawn.

  “This would be a whole lot easier if we had a rich neighbor who wanted to buy some extra acreage.”

  “We do. Ed Brockman’s the one who mentioned it to me.” He thumbed toward Cody and the puppy. “We got the dog from him.”

  “Ed Brockman?” She wrinkled her nose. “He has that kind of money?”

  Shane shrugged. “I don’t know anything about his bank account. He said he was interested, that’s all.”

  She paused. She needed to consider all offers, but the idea of Ed Brockman owning even a small piece of the Lazy Q would surely make her grandfather spin in his grave.

  “Far as I know, Bud never liked Ed.” She set her hands on her hips. “Did he change his mind?”

  “Nope.”

  “What do you think of him?”

  “Ed?” Shane shrugged. “Don’t really know him.”

  Well, that was informative. She lowered her voice and stepped up to the railing. “Did you see his kennels?”

  “What?”

  “When you got Stormy. Did you see the kennels?”

  “Nope. He went out and got the pups.”

  “I think he’s running a puppy mill.” She spoke softly, so Cody wouldn’t hear. “He’s got five different breeds listed on that ‘Puppies 4 Sale’ sign. No responsible breeder would do that.”

  “Is there a law against it?”

  “No. But the conditions in those places can be terrible.”

  Shane put his hands up as if she’d pointed a gun. “Look, if you don’t like the guy, don’t sell to him.” He was making no effort to speak softly at all, and she saw Cody turn to listen. “He asked me to mention it when we bought the pup, that’s all.”

  Lindsey turned to check on Cody, who’d let the pup run off to smell the bushes. With his lower lip pooched out, he poked at the ground with Stormy’s stick, his big eyes so sorrowful she knelt again.

  “We’ll play some more,” she promised him. “I just need to talk to your dad about some grown-up stuff.”

  Cody shrugged and continued to poke at the ground.

  “What’s the matter?”

  He shrugged. “You shouldn’t talk to him about that guy.”

  “The guy you got Stormy from?”

  “Yeah.” The boy stabbed the stick hard into the ground, snapping off the end. “I don’t like him.”

  “I didn’t either when I was your age,” she said. “He scared me. That’s why it’s good you got Stormy. Now he has a good home.”

  She turned back to Shane, who hadn’t seemed to notice his son’s transformation from happy dog trainer to stick-in-the-mud.

  “Listen, I’ve been going through the attic, looking for stuff to sell. I was thinking the tack room at the back of the barn is full of old stuff too. I read somewhere that old saddles and cowboy gear can be worth a lot of money.”

  “Right. Money again.”

  She held up one hand in a “halt” gesture. “I know what you’re thinking, and there’s nothing I can do about it. I told you I need money, and it’s true. But I can’t tell you the whole story. Please don’t judge me on what little you know.”

  He thought a moment, then nodded. She caught something in his gaze that told her he was seeing her with new eyes. Maybe she’d found the key to starting their relationship fresh.

  “I guess that’s fair,” he said. “I’ve been judged often enough on rumors and hearsay, and I’m sorry if I made assumptions.”

  She blushed. She’d done some of that judging herself, until Grace had straightened her out.

  “Thank you. It’s just that I need your help.” Helpless and pretty, she told herself. Helpless and pretty. “I’m sure you know more about that kind of thing than I do.”

  “It’ll be a real project to go through that tack room. Dusty, dirty…”

  Cody’s face brightened. “I could help,” he said. “And my friend Josh. He’s coming over tomorrow, and he loves dirt.”

  Lindsey laughed. “Okay. You’re on. You and your friend who loves dirt.” She turned to Shane. “Also, I printed up some fliers about at-home veterinary care and grooming. I don’t have the equipment to do much more than trim nails and offer general advice, but I wondered if you’d mind pinning them up next time you go to town.”

  “Sure.”

  Shane looked surprised, and she did a little mental fist pump of victory. He’d probably thought she planned to sponge off Grace and sell her treasures for as long as she stayed, but he was wrong. He was wrong about a lot of things.

  “That’s good,” he said. “That you’re trying to get work, I mean. I thought… Well…I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay.”

  She tried to sound casual, but she couldn’t believe she’d found a man who apologized. She knew there were lots of endangered species in Wyoming, but she’d never expected to come across a creature who was rare the world over.

  The thought made her smile, and he smiled back. They stood there like a couple of grinning idiots, and she could feel attraction zinging between them like little lightning bolts. S
omehow, she’d mended those fences, but she’d also opened a gate between them that was wide enough to walk through.

  If anyone had asked her what two plus two was at that moment, she couldn’t have told them. She was struck stupid by the way Shane’s hard, cold gaze had turned warm and sweet, like hot fudge poured over chocolate ice cream. Her traitorous heart told her to move closer, much closer, but her brain knew better.

  Unfortunately, her brain was no match for her heart. Her heart had been forever changed by his kiss, and as he smiled at her, it pumped up her desire with every beat. She remembered the softness of his lips, the scent of him, the gentle touch of his hands, and longed for the comforting wall of his chest and the steady beat of his outlaw heart.

  Cody looked from her to his father and back again.

  “You guys should go to a movie sometime,” the boy said. “A scary one.”

  Lindsey laughed, relieved that the kid had interrupted with such a bizarre idea.

  “Why should we do that?”

  “So you could be scared. And then Dad could put his arm around you, and then he could put his hand where it doesn’t belong.”

  “What?” Lindsey staggered away from the railing, tripping over her own feet.

  “You’d be scared.” Cody spoke patiently and slowly, as if Lindsey was a little dim-witted. “And then Dad would, like, sneak his arm around your shoulder. And then—”

  “Where did you hear this stuff?” Shane bellowed like an angry bull. “Who’s filling your head with this crap?”

  Cody’s eyes widened, glossing over with tears. “Mom,” he said. “I asked her where babies come from, and she wouldn’t tell me. But she said that’s the first step.”

  “Aw, shoot.” Shane ran down the steps as a single tear ran down Cody’s cheek. “It’s okay, Cody, it’s okay.” He knelt down in the dirt beside his son. “I’m not mad. I’m not. It’s just that Lindsey is my boss, okay? So I’m not going to, um, you know. With her. Definitely not.” He shot Lindsey a dirty look, as if she’d had anything to do with inspiring Cody’s little scenario. “That’s all. I didn’t mean to shout at you.”

  Cody looked down at the ground. “Okay,” he said in a very small voice.

  “You just surprised me with that, that’s all,” Shane said. He reached out and enveloped the boy in a bear hug. “That’s all. Just surprised me.”

  Lindsey watched the two of them, thinking Cody seemed far too sensitive for his age. And Shane was almost desperate to keep him from crying. Of course, he’d survived a childhood full of abuse and neglect. Maybe that was why it affected him so much to see his son unhappy.

  It was sweet, really. Sweet…

  “You okay, pardner?” Shane released his son and looked him up and down, as if the pain of being yelled at might have left actual scars.

  “Uh-huh.” Cody picked up the puppy, who was scrabbling at his leg and begging for attention. A lick from the puppy brought a slight smile to his face, and a hopeful light returned to his eyes. “But if you change your mind, I could stay with Grace.”

  “Why would you need to stay with Grace? Oh.” Shane figured it out just after it was too late to take back the question. “Never mind. I—”

  Again, Cody spoke slowly. “So you could go to the movie,” he said. “And then you and Lindsey could get married. And she could be my mom.”

  Chapter 24

  Shane smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. Hard.

  He’d asked for this. He knew Cody was obsessed with his love life—or lack of one—and was desperate to find a new mom. He seemed to think picking out a wife was like picking out a puppy—you simply chose from whatever options were available.

  The trouble was, Cody’s little plot had echoed his own thoughts as he’d watched Lindsey play with his son. He didn’t know where the bossy, entitled heiress had gone—the one who thought he made too many decisions. The one who made anger burn so hot behind his forehead he’d had to take off his hat and ride bareheaded to cool down after he’d left her.

  This Lindsey was so kind and funny and warm that just watching her play with his son punched him in the chest with a whump! of attraction. And it wasn’t just about Cody. He wanted Lindsey for himself.

  He pictured Cody’s little plan—the movie theater, the darkness, the flickering images. Lindsey beside him, her breath quickening as the music rose to a crescendo…

  “Shane?” She looked confused. How long had he been daydreaming?

  “Sorry. I was just thinking.”

  “About what?”

  She looked concerned, and he wondered what expression had crossed his face. Cody’s plan had inspired a fantasy so real he’d almost felt Lindsey’s hand in his, her grip tightening as the movie heroine faced whatever danger movie heroines faced these days. Shane himself wouldn’t know, because he wouldn’t have been watching the movie. He would have been watching Lindsey. But he couldn’t tell her that.

  “I was thinking about Cody.”

  There. That wasn’t really a lie.

  “I’ll talk to him.”

  She trotted down the steps and knelt beside his boy. His stomach clenched when his son’s face brightened at her approach.

  If only Tara had turned out to be a better person. What if she’d stayed and he’d married her? Little scenes of domestic bliss like this one had haunted his dreams for years. Now he felt as if he was seeing his dreams played out in real life as Lindsey stroked Cody’s hair and tilted his face up so she could look in his eyes. Her hair hung in a dark curtain, hiding her face from Shane. She could easily have been Tara—a new and improved version.

  “Honey, I’d love to be your mom,” she said.

  Shane’s foolish heart leaped, then crash-landed, shot down by fear. Part of him wanted life and love to be this easy, but another part of him—a big part—wasn’t ready. If Lindsey wanted to be a mom to Cody, that meant she wanted to be…his. And he wasn’t sure what to do with that.

  “I’d be very, very proud if you were my son,” she continued. “But your dad has to find just the right person to marry, and that person has to want to marry him.”

  Cody furrowed his brow. “Don’t you want to marry my dad?”

  Lindsey flipped her hair back over her shoulder and let her gaze slide quickly over Shane, from the crown of his hat to the toes of his boots.

  He wondered what she was seeing. A difficult man she was forced to work with? One she’d kissed in a weak moment, a moment she now regretted? Or did she see the man he believed himself to be—decent, hardworking, and loyal? Maybe he was a little more flawed than most, but he tried. He meant well. Could she see that?

  Finally she turned back to Cody, and he held his breath to hear her answer.

  “No, honey, I don’t want to marry your dad. He’s a very nice man, but no.”

  * * *

  Shane watched Cody poke out that rebellious lower lip and kick at the ground, sulking over Lindsey’s rejection. He felt like sulking too. What was wrong with him? Why was she so sure she didn’t want him?

  “Now why don’t you go practice Stormy’s new tricks?” Lindsey pushed Cody toward his little dog. “Your father and I need to talk.”

  She moved over to a rustic bench beneath the cottonwoods and sat down. Shane, still feeling sulky, strode over and sat beside her. Since she’d arrived, he seemed to have lost control of his life. He had a kitten now, and a little yapper dog that was stealing his son’s affections. Grace seemed more addled than ever, and worst of all, the future of the Lazy Q, the historic ranch that had endured for over a century, was as uncertain as the ever-changing Wyoming weather.

  Sometimes he wished Lindsey would just go away. Other times, he wished she would stay. With him. For a long time.

  Maybe even forever.

  Now that was a scary thought. He cleared his throat, and Lindsey stared down at the ground. They glanced at each other, then quickly looked away to stare at the distant horizon.

  There they sat side by side, their ar
ms folded over their chests, eyes fixed straight ahead. He thought of that old painting of the Midwestern farm couple standing in front of an old house. American Gothic. The man held a pitchfork, and the woman wore a homespun apron. They looked like they’d always faced trouble just the way they faced the viewer, side by side, in silence, but together.

  Would he have a partner like that someday? He hoped so. He’d always thought he was too damaged and prickly to find a wife, but if Ridge could talk a woman into marrying him somehow, surely Shane could. Ridge was about as prickly and damaged as a man could be, and he rarely talked at all. Yet he’d hit the relationship jackpot with Sierra.

  The thought of Ridge reminded Shane he’d just about promised to go back to Decker Ranch. He really ought to tell Lindsey, since she’d need to hire a new foreman. But she spoke before he could put his thoughts into words.

  “So you think I should sell that land so I can hold off on selling cattle until fall?”

  He nodded. “You want those calves to fatten up over the summer, get up to market weight.”

  She was silent for a while. Now was the time to tell her he was giving notice.

  Now.

  He cleared his throat and turned to face her, only to catch a tear rolling down her cheek.

  “What’s the matter?”

  He tried not to sound exasperated. He really did. But women were like beautiful, elaborate fountains that spewed emotions instead of water. They were pretty to look at, but you never knew when you might get splashed. And their shut-off valves were in some mysterious location unknown to him.

  “Nothing.” She sniffed and shook her head, as if she was shaking off her emotions. “It’s stupid.”

  At least she knew that. Self-awareness was a good thing.

  Lindsey glanced at him, then looked away, as if she was trying to decide if she should confide in him. He tried to look encouraging, though he wasn’t sure what that would look like. Should he smile? Or should he look somber, like he was taking her seriously?

  He settled on a sort of dead-eyed, mouth-breather look. Apparently she’d confide in just about anyone, because she launched into her story anyway.