Her Healing Cowboy (Harland County Series Book 5)

by Donna Michaels

  Cutting spending, curbing wasteful uses of materials like napkins. No need to let them out on the tables. Handing each customer a napkin with their purchase hadn’t saved a ton, but it did cut down, not only on supplies, but garbage removal, too.

  The only place she didn’t cut was uncoordinated employees. With the money spent cleaning up after Donny, or replacing equipment the poor guy accidentally broke, Holly could’ve hired two part time people.

  But she didn’t. And wouldn’t. Replacing him was not an option, and he was getting better. He could actually make a milkshake without getting any ice cream on his shirt.

  Now that was progress.

  Her uncle leaned forward and tapped his desk. “Whatever you’ve been doing is great. Keep it up. I’m glad you’re able to still stick around and help me out. I’ve only been back a few days, and even though I hate to admit it, I’m tired. I hadn’t expected it to take so much out of me.”

  “Are you okay? Want me to take you home?” She straightened in her chair, searching his face for signs up distress. He had good color and his mouth wasn’t as pinched as it had been when he’d first had the operation.

  “I’m fine. Just a little tired, and not too stubborn to admit coming back to work full time is definitely more than these old bones can handle.” He grinned, looking completely at ease for someone who had trouble giving up control when she’d first arrived back in March. “I’m thinking about semi-retiring and would really love for you to take over.”

  Holly sat in stunned silence. Her uncle just spouted two things she’d never thought she’d hear. Retirement and handing her the reins.

  He chuckled. “I’ve rendered you speechless.”

  “Pretty much.” She blinked, waiting for the punch line. None came. “You’re seriously going to retire?”

  “Semi-retire,” he corrected, then nodded. “And, yes. I think it’s more than time. Especially if someone like you takes over. I know you’ll uphold my traditions, and you’ll treat my lifelong customers to a quality product and service.”

  Donny’s face flashed through her mind. She shook it off. The college student was eager to learn, and that was a Crowley standard.

  “I realize your heart is in Colorado, but I’m hoping you’ll give Texas a chance,” he said.

  Now, a dark-haired, blue-eyed doctor’s face flashed through her mind. She wasn’t sure if it was caused by the word Texas or heart. Or both. She had the feeling she would always think of the handsome, caring man whenever she heard either. Because he was the epitome of both.

  “I actually do like it here,” she admitted, shifting in her seat, a little uncomfortable with the truth in that statement, and the fact it had a lot to do with her friends in Harland County.

  Including Jace.

  Since the day she’d gotten fired, they hadn’t had sex, but they’d hung out at gatherings or restaurants with a bunch of their friends. They even worked together as volunteers at the new animal shelter recently opened at Shadow Rock. He was patient and gentle, and she marveled at his ability to heal. She’d witnessed it multiple times, in both humans and animals.

  It was a good thing they weren’t still having sex, because she could definitely see herself falling for the man.

  How stupid would that be?

  “Holly?”

  She blinked, suddenly aware her uncle had asked her a question. “I’m sorry, what did you say?

  “I asked if you were going to come back to Texas after taking your mother home over the Thanksgiving holiday.”

  “Good question.” She laughed, but it sounded forced even to her own ears. Lifting a hand, she scratched her temple and sighed. “Depends. I’m going to visit each resort and hand them my resume in person.”

  He nodded. “Smart. Always best to apply in person, even if there are no job listings in the paper.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Well, just remember, if that doesn’t work out, I could use you here.”

  “Thanks,” she said, wishing she could give him a definite answer. But, keeping a roof over her brother’s head, and helping her mom keep her home in Denver meant Holly needed to find a higher-paying job.

  Their well-being was her number one priority.

  “Your mom tells me you’ve been doing some photography for the locals,” he said, sitting back in his chair.

  She nodded. So far, she’d finished three side jobs she’d gotten from people who had seen Shayla and Kevin’s wedding album. “Yeah, last weekend I shot photos for a brochure for the new shelter.”

  “I heard Kade finally got it going. He’s a good man.”

  She nodded again. “Yes, he is.” The handsome cowboy had insisted on paying her for her time and expertise. She’d refused. Of course. She wanted to do it for the animals. But he wouldn’t take no for an answer. So, as soon as the honorable man had handed her a check, she wrote out a donation to the shelter for the same amount. The animals needed it more than her at the moment. She’d figure a way to keep a roof over her head, and felt good knowing she helped keep a roof over theirs.

  There was a reason she’d graduated top of her class in college. The ability to adapt had always been her strong suit. That and tenacity. Growing up with a hardworking mother who was stretched too thin, and a father who lived clear across the country and couldn’t even remember a birthday, she’d needed an abundance of both.

  She was still contemplating these later that night as she wiped down the soft ice cream machine, scrubbing the sticky layers of vanilla and chocolate from the surface to reveal the worn, yet strong, stainless steel underneath. She could relate. Her life was coming to a crossroads. And her uncle’s semi-retirement and offer to have her run his business held infinite appeal. She could remove the layers of duty and responsibility, and stay and be happy…or find a job in her field back in Colorado and continue to support her family.

  As much as she’d love to choose the first, she knew she’d always choose the latter.

  “Hey, Holly,” Kevin greeted, ducking as he walked into the shop with a giggling Amelia on his shoulders.

  She wiped her hands on a nearby towel and smiled at the little girl and her daddy. “Well, hello there. What kind of goodies can I get for you tonight?”

  Amelia thrust a tiny finger down at the case. “Choclit.”

  “You got it, darlin’,” the sweet child’s daddy replied, then set the little girl down. “I’ve got a bunch of hungry friends and relatives outside. What do you say you hand me two vats of ice cream, while you grab, spoons and bowls, and join us?”

  Before she could reply, he came around the other side of the counter and grabbed the ice cream from the case. “One vanilla and one chocolate ought to do it.”

  “Yay,” his daughter cheered, then pointed to the paper dishes. “Bowls.”

  Figuring it was close enough to closing, and she could join the Dalton’s for a treat, Holly handed the mini Shayla a small stack of cups before she grabbed another stack and a handful of spoons, unsure of how many were needed, before following the two out the door.

  “Surprise!”

  She stopped dead.

  Half of Harland County occupied the five outdoor tables. Daltons and McCalls, Tanner and Jesse, Caitlin and even Donny. Plus Lacey…and Jace.

  “You didn’t think we were going to let you leave Texas without wishing you well, did you?” Shayla asked, walking over to give her a hug after Kerri took the cups and spoons from her hands and began to scoop out ice cream.

  With a hot throat and burning eyes, she spent the next five minutes hugging everyone. Her true friends. And there were a lot of them. Leaving Texas was going to be damn hard.

  For some reason, the quick hug she received from the quiet doctor spoke the loudest. Hurt the most, but she swallowed past the lump and tight chest, and kept her lips curved in a smile.

  “Thanks for coming.”

  He drew back, gaze guarded but friendly. “Of course. I hope you find what you want.”

  Why did she fee
l as if she already had?

  That was a crazy thought. And she couldn’t afford to think them. Not one bit. Denver was home. Her family needed her. It was time to look for a job back in Colorado. It was time to forget about the warm, hard strength of the doctor still waiting for her to respond.

  She widened her smile. “Ditto.”

  For some reason, her hot throat wouldn’t allow her to say more, but it didn’t matter since her mind couldn’t form a longer response, or send a message to her hands to release the quiet man.

  Apparently, he suffered the same brain fog, because his fingers were still wrapped around her upper arms.

  Which explained the tingling.

  “Well, Holly, I bet you’ll be glad to see the last of me,” Donny said, ambling closer, breaking the spell.

  Jace released her, nodded to the young man, then joined his sister at one of the tables. Her heart squeezed so tight at the sight of his retreating form, but it didn’t matter. The two of them had no future, so there was no sense in entertaining a present.

  The moment Jace’s boots hit the floor boards on his mother’s porch, he was hit with the unmistakable, delicious aroma of her turkey. This would be his last Thanksgiving at home for a few years, so, he intended to make the most of it. Stepping inside the house out of the cool November wind, he shook off the chill and inhaled a stronger lungful. The smells of turkey, pumpkin pie, and spices filled him with an unexpected nostalgia.

  He opened his eyes and could clearly picture his father sitting in the recliner, cheering for the underdog playing football on television, while his mother and sister put the finishing touches on a dinner they’d talk about for days.

  Good times.

  “There you are.” His mother stopped whatever she’d been doing at the counter to walk over and kiss his cheek. “I figured the smells would tempt you up here sooner or later.”

  “You know it. What can I do to help?”

  “Nothing. You do too much the way it is. You deserve to relax and be pampered for a change.”

  His mother’s words triggered memories of a dark-haired, green-eyed woman who’d told him nearly the same thing over a month ago. Even though they’d said their good-byes, he had to admit, he missed Holly.

  Not just sexually, either. Sure, there was that, but he hadn’t realized she’d come to mean more to him than the warm body she spoke of the morning they’d ended their…fun. He’d missed her wit and intelligence, warm smile, the kind that lit her eyes a brilliant shade of green, her caring nature and the way she laughed at herself whenever she made a mistake.

  “Hey, Jace,” Lacey said, breezing in from the other room. “You hear from Holly?”

  He reeled back, more than a little surprised by the question. “No. We’re not a couple. We’re just friends,” he clarified as he took a seat at the table. “Besides, I’m pretty sure she’s busy looking for a job in Colorado.” Something inside his chest tightened at the thought.

  “That’s right.” Lacey nodded, taking the bowl of mashed potatoes from their mom and setting it on the table. “She did say she was going to apply to some of the resorts up there, now that Mr. Crowley’s doing better.”

  His mother smiled over her shoulder. “Oh, good for Arthur. I’m glad he’s doing better. Life is tough when you’re restricted.”

  “Tell me about it.” His sister snorted as she set a bowl of sweet potatoes next to the green bean casserole.

  His stomach growled in anticipation of sampling a heaping portion of everything.

  “Do you think Holly will stay in Colorado?” his mother asked.

  He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  But he did know he didn’t like the thought of not seeing the woman again. Something inside his chest shifted, and he had a hard time breathing.

  “She told me it would depend on if she found a job up there,” Lacey informed. “Would it make me a terrible person if I said I hope she doesn’t?”

  I’d be terrible right next to you, he thought, trying to keep from losing his appetite.

  “I like her, Jace,” she told him simply.

  “Me, too,” his mother said. “But is there a reason for this conversation?”

  He shook his head at the same time Lacey nodded.

  “Yeah. Jace needs a swift kick in the…”

  “Lacey Jane!” His mother frowned down at his sister who had the good sense to look remorseful.

  “Sometimes, those are the only words that get through to your stubborn son, Mama.”

  “I’m right here,” he said, waving his hand, tired of being talked about in the third person. “You can talk directly to me.”

  Lacey turned her unswerving gaze on him. “Okay, Jace. I was just going to say fix whatever happened between you and Holly.”

  “Nothing happened because there was nothing between us.” Even as the words left his mouth, he knew they were full of shit. At least, on his part. He did feel something for Holly. It hadn’t been his intention, but it had happened anyway.

  He cared about her.

  He missed her.

  He hoped like hell he got a chance to see her again.

  “Bullsh…” Lacey cleared her throat. “Phewy. The two of you could barely take your eyes off each other.”

  “True.” His mother nodded. “I saw how you two stared at each other at the Dalton wedding. Life is too short to ignore an attraction like that, Jace. Some people aren’t even lucky enough to have the opportunity. You shouldn’t blow yours.”

  His sister smiled. “Exactly. So, at least think about it if she comes back here, ya goof. She’s good for you. You’re a lot nicer when she’s around.”

  “So, that’s what this is about. You.” A smile tugged his lips.

  “Of course,” she responded to his teasing with a grin. “Life is so much easier to deal with when you’re not grumpy around here.”

  “Me?” He chuckled. “Same goes for you, sis. Life is smoother when you’re not grumpy.”

  “You’re both right,” his mother cut in. “Life is always better when my kids are happy. And have full bellies. So, what do you say? Don’t you think it’s time for Jace to carve this turkey?”

  With a desire to make this Thanksgiving a fun, memorable one, he filed away thoughts of Holly and focused on the other two important women in his life. And as the three of them talked about what they were most thankful for, Jace vowed that, if Holly did return to Harland County, he would try to fix things between them.

  Chapter Fourteen

  It was a little strange to be in Denver with her mother and brother, sitting at her mother’s kitchen table, enjoying a slice of apple pie after an amazing Thanksgiving dinner. The laughter, sights, sounds, and smells surrounded her in an invisible, warm hug.

  And she was cold.

  She shivered, blaming it on the six inches of new snow that had fallen that day. She was home. Close to ski slopes, and lodges, and a snow pack her inner ski demon normally salivated over.

  Not this time.

  “It’s so great to have my children with me for probably our last Thanksgiving together for a while,” her mother said, reaching out to squeeze her and her brother’s hands. “Next year, I’ll be in Texas, Zach will probably be in a country that doesn’t even celebrate the holiday, and you’ll be here alone, Holly. Unless you move down to Texas, too.”

  She blinked. “Wait…what?”

  Since when was her mother moving to Texas?

  Her brother chuckled. “Mom, you probably should’ve started by telling Holly you were moving in with Uncle Arthur when your lease runs out next month. And I’ll be moving in with my friend Joe before I leave for Japan in December. He has an apartment near the university.”

  Holly blinked at her brother. “Wait…what?”

  “Need me to run through it again, sis?”

  “I need a moment for this to sink in,” she said, transferring her gaze to her smiling mother. “You’re moving in with Uncle Arthur?”

  “Yep. We’ve discussed
it a lot the past few months. Neither of us is getting younger, and it was really nice to reconnect.”

  Holly could understand that. Just the two days she’d been back in Denver, she’d enjoyed being around her brother, surprised at how much she’d missed his upbeat attitude and ready grin.

  “Mom,” she reached out to touch her arm as a thought occurred. “You’re not doing this because of me, are you? I mean, moving is big enough, but uprooting to another state, leaving your friends behind. Are you sure?”

  “I’m positive. And I’m doing it for both of us. I don’t want you to worry about me anymore. It’s time your brother and I made our own way. You need to live your own life.

  “We each need to do that,” Zach said.

  “So, no more helping me pay my lease,” her mother told her. “Your uncle owns his house free and clear, so I won’t even have to pay anything to stay there. He’s insisting I just move in and enjoy myself for a change.”

  “And no more having to pay an exorbitant amount of rent so I can be close to college, Hol. We don’t need that place. Besides, I’ll be graduating in May.”

  “But where will you live afterward? Will Joe let you stay?”

  He smiled broadly, kind of staring at her like she was a little daft. “Yeah, but hopefully, I’ll be living somewhere in Japan.”

  Oh. Yeah. Right.

  She blew out a breath, finding her chest strangely not so tight. In fact, her shoulders felt quite a bit lighter, too.

  “So, maybe you should think about moving, too. At least, out of that apartment. I know you can find somewhere cheaper in Denver. Or Aspen. Or Harland County. Wherever you choose to live.”

  Harland County…

  Once she’d given it a chance, she’d been very happy in Harland County. She had friends there. Good friends. Ones that would never betray her. And…

  Jace was in Harland County. At least, for a few more months.

  Excitement quickened her pulse. If her mother didn’t need help, and her brother didn’t need to stay in the apartment, then she didn’t need a better paying job after all. Didn’t need to be in Colorado. She could continue to help her uncle, stay in the cute little cottage she’d grown to love, and be near her friends. Be there when Kerri had her baby. And Shayla had her baby. And Jace left for DWB.