Sweet-Loving Cowboy--A Kinky Spurs Novel

by Stacey Kennedy

  Harper smiled. “Sure do.” Actually, no, she didn’t, but she wasn’t going to argue with the man.

  Clayton glanced around his restaurant with obvious pride shining on his expression. “This place has been home to me for nearly thirty years now. I want to leave it in good hands.”

  “You’re not opposed to a name change and renovations, though?”

  Harper glanced over her shoulder, finding Megan kneeling in the booth, her arms resting on the top. She gave Harper a quick smile. Of course, the business-minded one of them would think to ask such things.

  “Nah, I’m good with that.” Clayton leaned against the side of the counter, crossing his arms. “I know this place needs to get with the times.” He paused and chuckled deeply. “I’m sure the missus would think I do too.” When his smile faded, he gestured at the booth. “Go take a seat, girls. I know it’s morning, but you can’t come in here and not have one of our famous milkshakes. Is vanilla good?”

  “I can’t think of a better breakfast than a milkshake.” Harper grinned at him before following Emma to the booth.

  Emma dropped in next to Megan, and as Harper slid across from them on the shiny red cushion, Emma asked, “So what do you think?”

  “It’s got potential.” She took in the tiles on the walls, then studied what she could see of the kitchen where the chef stood wearing a hairnet. “But this place would need a lot, and I mean a lot, of work.”

  Megan nodded. “It’s in pretty rough shape.”

  “Exactly,” Harper said. “Not only would the main area here need to be gutted and then redesigned, but I suspect the entire kitchen would need to be updated.”

  Emma studied the area then asked, “So, it would depend on how much Clayton was selling the place for?”

  “Yup.” Harper nodded, placing the key to Megan’s house in her purse.

  “That’s what happened with the Spurs too,” said Megan. “Gerald gave me a good price because of all the work that needed to be done. Maybe Clayton would do that too because you’re the someone he’s been hoping to buy the place.”

  Harper agreed with a nod. “That’s a possibility.”

  “All right,” Emma said, all but bouncing in her seat. “So, this place isn’t a no?”

  Harper smiled. “It’s a maybe.”

  “It’s a maybe,” said Emma, grinning at Megan, her eyes twinkling.

  Megan laughed.

  Clayton returned to the table then and set down three vanilla milkshakes in vintage glasses with red-and-white straws. “Enjoy, ladies. On the house.”

  “Thank you.” Harper pulled one of the milkshakes closer to her.

  Emma stirred her straw in the milkshake. “What could you see doing to the place?”

  Harper waved her off. “Talk later. Breakfast first.” She grabbed her straw, her cheeks sucking in to taste the thick milkshake. Though when the cold sweetness hit her tongue, her gaze fell around the room, her imagination running wild. Wooden beams on the ceiling. Dark stone on the walls. Sleek metal tables . . .

  * * *

  Back at his house, Chase had let Houdini out of his cage for a quick bathroom break, then allowed him to roam the house while he showered and trimmed his beard in record time. He cleaned the hair off the sink then glanced up, staring at his alert gaze. Being thirty years old, he thought he had himself figured out. He knew his path in life and the man he needed to be to sleep well at night. He turned away from the mirror with a sigh and left the bathroom. Everything he thought he knew had suddenly crumbled apart before his eyes. Because of that, he had foolishly almost made the biggest mistake of his life.

  Urgency drove him as he stood at his front door, dressed in clean jeans and a plaid button-down, while he slid into his cowboy boots. His hair was still damp from his shower, and his hands trembled with the adrenaline pulsing through his veins.

  As he rose, he whistled, waiting for sounds of the little paws running against his hardwood floor. When those did not come, he called, “Houdini.” Intent on hitting the road, he took three steps to go in search of a puppy likely eating his socks, when there was a knock at his front door. A quick look over his shoulder revealed Darryl waiting on the other side.

  Chase sighed, reining in the adrenaline threatening to snap. The universe seemed to be fighting against him. He made it to the door quickly, whisking it open. “Is everything all right?”

  “Yup, it’s all good.” Darryl offered his hand and gave a gentle smile. “Sorry for dropping by this like unannounced.”

  Chase returned the strong handshake. He left the front door open, stepping outside onto the porch. “It’s no problem.” His gaze fell to the bloodhound in the back of the car with POLICE written in big block letters and RIVER ROCK in smaller type underneath. The dogs wrinkly head leaned out the open window, tongue wagging. “He looks to be enjoying the day.” Chase gestured at the cruiser.

  Darryl followed his gaze and laughed. “Yeah, that’s Tyson. We had some training earlier.” He moved to the post on the porch and leaned against it, crossing one foot over the other. “I was on my way home, but I thought it right I come by personally to give you the news that we caught the guy responsible for the puppy.”

  “Really?” Chase’s adrenaline spiked for a whole other reason now. He folded his arms, resting his back against the doorframe. “Who is it?”

  “Terry Borden. He lives about a mile out of town, and he and his wife breed Labradors at their house. It took us a while to track him down after going through the footage at the bar. But once we arrived at his house and saw the kennels with the other puppies, he fessed up pretty quick.”

  Chase snorted. “Real tough guy.”

  Darryl agreed with a nod.

  Chase rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the quivering of his muscles. He would like a few minutes alone with Borden, showing him what happened to men who were cruel to helpless animals. “Did he give you a reason?”

  Darryl’s gaze fell to Tyson before returning to Chase. “Apparently, he thought the puppy was dead, or so he said.”

  “Bastard,” Chase spat.

  The race of his heartbeat was not only due to his anger. He had somewhere very important to be. “I take it that Borden’s been charged?”

  “Yeah.” Darryl’s radio began crackling. He turned the volume down. “We got him on one count of aggravated animal cruelty.”

  “Will he get any time for that?”

  “Without a doubt,” Darryl explained, pinching his lips together before adding, “The main reason he stood out and we began zeroing in on him was because he’d been charged with animal cruelty before. Since this is his second offence it’s a Class 5 felony. He’ll get a fine and then face up to three years of incarceration.”

  Chase frowned. “That doesn’t seem long enough.”

  “I can’t disagree with you there.” Darryl leaned on one leg, resting his hand on the top of his weapon. “On the flip side, they’ve been shut down for good. The other puppies were all taken to a local foster in the area.”

  Relief washed over Chase. “Let’s hope that’s the last time a puppy is found in a dumpster.”

  Darryl gave a firm nod.

  Though now focusing on that miracle puppy, Chase’s mind circled back to what he’d been doing before Darryl got here. “Speaking of that puppy, he’s probably chewing on my furniture right now.”

  “That is what they do best.” Darryl chuckled.

  Chase stepped back into the house and whistled.

  Silence.

  The air chilled around him. “Houdini,” he called, hearing the slight hitch to his voice.

  There was no scratching of little claws against his hardwood floor. A sudden unease crept over Chase. “It’s unlike him not to come when I call. Give me a sec. All right?”

  Whatever crossed Chase’s expression caused Darryl to frown, the hard cop appearing in a second flat. “Want me to help search?”

  “Sure. You take the kitchen and living room.” Chase strode down the hall
way. When he entered the bedroom, he whistled again, then froze. He cocked his head, listening hard, wondering if maybe Houdini had gotten stuck under something.

  When silence still surrounded him, Chase searched the bedroom and his closet. Coming up empty, he moved on to his bathroom then opened the double doors in the hallway which housed the washing machine and dryer. “Where are you?” Chase asked beneath his breath.

  “Chase.”

  The tightness in Darryl’s voice turned Chase around and had him jogging back into the living room. Next to the kitchen, he discovered Darryl squatting by the back door. “Whatcha got?”

  Darryl glanced over his shoulder, his brow wrinkled. He pointed at the floor-to-ceiling screen door, and in the very bottom corner, the screen had been chewed with a big enough hole for Houdini to escape.

  “Rule number one,” said Darryl. “No screen doors with dogs around.”

  Chapter 16

  On the other side of town, Harper shoved the final box into her trunk then bounced on her feet, shutting the lid against the full trunk. The last twenty hours had been a whirlwind, and she sensed the exhaustion in her muscles, the unknown swirling in her mind. There was so much to think about. To get straight, even. Chase was not far from her mind, the urgency to go to him and tell him she was staying becoming more and more overwhelming. Yet she wanted—no, she needed—to get settled first. At least get all of her belongings into Megan’s before she went over to his house later. Besides, since she hadn’t heard anything more from Emma about Joel, she figured the guys were still cleaning up that mess.

  When the trunk clicked shut, Brody asked from behind her, “All set?”

  The heaviness in his voice tightened her chest. She turned and gave him the smile she knew he needed to see to ease his worries. “Yup.” She nodded. “That’s everything.”

  “Good. Yeah, okay, good.” Brody stuffed his hands into his pockets, shifting on his feet. “You don’t have to go, you know.”

  Harper studied her brother. She had never taken into consideration that this would be hard on him. She should have. “You and Faith are newlyweds. I don’t want to be around that.” The memory of Chase, the chocolate, and the kitchen table brushed across her mind.

  Brody stared at her. Hard.

  Now understanding his tension came from a place in his heart, she reached for his arm, wrapping both of hers around one of his. “You’ve been really good to me, Brody, but this is your time. You don’t have to worry about me anymore.”

  Any amusement fled his expression. “I’ll always worry about you.”

  She squeezed his arm and winked. “And I’ll always have a love-hate thing going on with that.” She noted the tension in his jaw, his typical telling sign that he was far from happy. To put this to bed and settle him completely, she said, “You’ve given up enough for me. I’m twenty-seven years old. It’s time to cut the cord.” She laughed, hoping he would too.

  He frowned.

  She heaved a long sigh, trying another route. That was usually the trick with Brody. Keep going until he gave in. “I. Am. Fine.” She paused. Then to put the cherry on the top, she added, “I’m happy, Brody. Truly. I’m happier than I’ve ever been.”

  His dejected sigh was the first crack, then his slumping shoulders came, obviously accepting what she told him. “How long do you think you’ll be at Megan’s?”

  “I’m not really sure.” She wasn’t sure of anything. Her future job, where she was going to live, even her relationship with Chase were all up in the air. Which, oddly, was satisfying.

  For her entire life, she always had plans. She knew she would go to culinary school. She knew she would move to Vegas. Looking back now, she assumed maybe that was a defense mechanism after her parents died. She tried to control the world around her, and yet never really felt happy or settled in that world.

  This new, free world excited her.

  She considered her next steps. “All I know is that I don’t want to rush all this. I’m tired of planning and thinking everything through. I’m going to let my heart lead the way and see where I fall.”

  Brody smiled then, though it was a little forced. “Whatever you decide, you’ve got your inheritance. Surely, that’s enough to get you into a good home and to start up a restaurant. But if you need anything more—”

  “Oh my God, Brody. Stop.” She cupped his face. “Seriously, all this energy that you put into me, put that into Faith. Go have some babies or something.” She paused, reassessing. “Actually, have a girl, so then you can go all crazy protective father on her. I’m sure she’s going to love that.”

  Brody cracked a smile, an honest one.

  Harper threw her arms around him. She stared at her childhood home, spotting Faith walking past the living room window. Things were going to change. Faith would likely redesign the house now, and maybe it was about time that happened.

  Happy tears welled in Harper’s eyes as she managed to choke out, “All that I am, and all that I have is because of what you gave up when Mom and Dad left us. I love you, Brody.”

  His arms tightened around her. “Love ya too.”

  Harper stayed there in his arms maybe longer than was necessary. She imagined if there really were ghosts, her parents would be wrapping their arms around them now, proud of how they made their way out of tragedy.

  When she began to back away, Brody stiffened. “Isn’t that—”

  A loud bark cut him off as Harper spun around, fully recognizing that bark. She squinted, discovering chocolate ears flopping in the wind. “Oh my God.” Her heart leapt into her throat, and she charged forward.

  On the sidewalk, she dropped to her knees, and Houdini lurched into her arms, his chest heaving. “Brody. Water. Quick.”

  She heard Brody take off toward the house and stared at the puppy, his tongue wagging. “Why are you here?” She glanced down the sidewalk, expecting to see Chase walking toward her.

  The sidewalk was empty.

  “Here,” said Brody, dropping down next to her, placing a bowl of water onto the concrete.

  “Thank you. Oh my God.” She placed Houdini down in front of the bowl. He went straight for the water, slurping it up quickly. “I don’t understand why he’s here.”

  Brody rose. “Maybe it has something to do with that.”

  She followed Brody’s gaze. Up ahead, in the middle of the road, Chase and Darryl were atop horses, one a dappled gray, and the other, Chase’s horse, Mac, with a bloodhound leading the way. A long leash ran from his collar to Darryl’s hand. The dog had his nose to the ground, walking briskly. While confusion swirled in Harper’s mind, her heart skipped a beat, her belly filling with butterflies at Chase’s focused stare.

  The bloodhound pulled harder against the leash, then stopped and barked.

  Darryl hopped off his horse, grabbed the dog, and yelled something in a foreign language. The dog silenced and lay down, only to jump up a second later and walk alongside Darryl as if he was out for a stroll.

  After his drink, Houdini climbed back onto Harper’s lap. She gathered him in her arms then rose, unable to look away from Chase. It was not too often she saw Chase atop his horse. Damn, this man was a sweet-loving, fine-looking cowboy.

  “Interesting day you’re having,” Brody said when Chase reached their driveway.

  “You could say that.” Chase smirked.

  Harper glanced from one to the other, a few times over. There wasn’t one iota of tension between them. Brody hadn’t told her he had smoothed things over with Chase when he delivered the news about Joel, but clearly, they had come to some kind of understanding.

  Good. Her instincts were spot-on about Brody bringing the news about Joel. She figured once they realized what true betrayal looked like, they would get over themselves. She smiled, glad she was right. At the same time, her smile couldn’t possibly last long. “I’m so confused,” she piped up. “What happened?”

  Chase rested his hands on the horn of his western saddle. “Darryl dropped by to
let us know they caught the dumpster guy.”

  She felt her eyes widen. “You did?” she asked Darryl.

  “We did.” He nodded. “And it’s a good thing I came by too, since apparently Houdini is an escape artist.”

  Harper laughed, kissing the pup’s head while he still panted. “Well, his name is Houdini, after all.” To Chase, she asked, “He got out of the house?”

  “Totally my fault.” Chase frowned. “I left the back door open when I was showering, and he chewed through the screen.”

  Inappropriate images of Chase naked and wet flashed through her mind.

  They must have shown on her face since his eyes did that intense thing they did when he became aroused. “When Tyson”—he gestured at the bloodhound—“started to track him down through the field, we hurried to the ranch to grab some horses.”

  “Seriously, he ran all this way to me?” Harper lifted Houdini, staring into those adorable eyes. “How did he know how to get here?”

  “Probably from whenever I drove you home.”

  Harper blinked. “But that’s crazy.”

  Darryl said, “You’d be surprised what dogs can do with scent alone. I’m amazed by Tyson daily.”

  Over the years, she had heard of dogs making insane trips to get to their owners, but she had never seen anything like that herself. She kissed Houdini’s cute wet nose. “I can’t believe you were missing me that much.”

  “He wasn’t the only one.”

  Harper slowly glanced up, and her breath caught at the strong tenderness Chase exuded.

  He held her stare for a powerful moment before he turned to Darryl. “I cannot thank you enough for helping me find him. Next time I see you at the Spurs, drinks are on me.”

  “Sounds like a deal.” He smiled at Chase, then asked Brody, “Would you mind giving me and Tyson a lift back to Chase’s to grab my cruiser?”