A Cowboy To Keep: A Contemporary Western Romance Collection

by Hebby Roman

  Her mother glowered at her. “Harper, sometimes….”

  “Sometimes, what?”

  “Sometimes you have a self-centered streak.”

  “I don’t know how you can say that.”

  Her dad shut the paper with a loud snap and leaned forward, a look on his face telling them he was not going to have his Sunday peace disturbed. “How’s the apartment suiting you?”

  “It’s fine.”

  “You’re not getting lonely out there by yourself are you?” he asked.

  “Oh, no. I like it there.”

  “Your grandparents say they never see you. You should make a point of visiting them,” said Mom.

  “I will. I’ve been busy. But speaking of them, I’m bringing a guest to Grandpa’s party next week.”

  Her mother’s ears pricked up and she sat forward. “Like the male sort of guest?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Dad put both hands flat on the table and sat back. “Is it anyone we know?”

  “As a matter of fact—”

  Dad’s ringtone went off and the three of them looked to his phone. “Uh oh. It’s Matt Montero at the station. I have to take this.” He stood up and went into the house to answer.

  Getting interrupted on his day off rarely meant good news. Harper’s stomach flipped. She’d lost Mom’s attention too, as her face, tinged with anxiety, followed Dad pacing, phone to ear, on the other side of the sliding glass doors. When her father tightened his jaw and ran his hand through his hair, she knew something bad had happened. She gripped the arms of her chair and pressed her feet together. Frank.

  Dad came back, looking grim. “I have to go in. Right away.”

  “What happened?” asked Mom. Harper held her breath.

  “Flynn had a family emergency. He was filling in for A.J. Now I have to fill in for him.”

  “What kind of emergency?” asked Harper, her head starting to spin, but at least it wasn’t news he was in danger.

  “His sister OD’ed. He was on call when it happened.”

  “You mean he found her?” asked Harper, her vision swimming.

  “Yeah, a fireman’s worst nightmare. To get called in on one of your own. Matt said Flynn’s pretty upset but trying not to show it. They left him at the hospital.”

  “God, that’s terrible,” said Mom.

  “Matt said it looks bad. They don’t know if she’s going to pull through.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Harper excused herself as soon as she could, which wasn’t hard with her father trying to get out the door and mother fussing over him. In the parking lot, she checked her phone. No missed calls or messages from Frank. She tried to call him before she started the car but no answer. She left a message. “I heard. Call me.”

  She was almost home when he called her back. Harper pulled off the road. “Frank, how is she?”

  She heard him take a deep breath. “I don’t know yet. Not good. She’s still in ER and they’re working on her. How’d you hear?”

  “I was at my parents’ when Matt called my dad.”

  “I’m sorry. I wanted to call you right away, but I was...here. And then I’ve had to call the rest of the family.”

  “Are you there alone?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Where are you? I’m on my way.”

  “No, honey, you don’t need to do that. It’s going to be a long day. We both don’t need to be here.”

  She gripped the steering wheel. “I want to be with you.”

  “I’d really rather not put you through this. I’m fine by myself.”

  “You shouldn’t be alone, and I need to talk to you. Tell me where you are?”

  There was a long silence. “All right.”

  * * *

  She found him in the waiting room. Frank sat with his shoulders hunched, head down and hands clenched together at his knees. When he glanced up Harper gasped. He looked so haggard and worn. Before he could stand, she slid in a seat, and put her arm around him.

  “You don’t need to be here,” he said.

  “I feel differently, so stop it. How is she?”

  “Still touch and go.” He looked at her then full in the face. He smiled a weak, sad smile and kissed her. “Thanks for being here. Sorry if I don’t sound grateful.”

  “Don’t worry how you sound. I’m just here for you.” He took both her hands in his and squeezed them gently. She met his gaze. “Frank, I have something to tell you. About your sister. This is my fault.”

  “Harper, how can this be your fault? She shot herself full of drugs.”

  “But, I... I gave her the money.”

  He turned to face her. “What are you talking about?”

  “This morning after you left. She showed up asking for money.”

  Anger flashed in his eyes. “And you gave it to her? I told you she has a substance abuse problem.”

  “She said she needed food. She was looking for you. I saw you give her money last week. I thought—”

  “I never give her money! This is why! I write out checks to the utility company or her landlord. Never cash. For God’s sake, Harper!”

  “I didn’t know! And you said she has a history of substance abuse problems. I didn’t know this was an ongoing problem. We tried to call you. Well, she called you, and when you didn’t answer your phone she said she was going to the station.”

  He shut his eyes and shook his head, giving himself a moment to calm down. “Here’s the thing about addicts. They lie. This is what they become. Thieves, liars, and manipulators. She didn’t call me. She pretended to. But why didn’t you call me?”

  Her stomach lurched. “My phone was upstairs...and then I forgot. I meant to—”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “You didn’t know what you were up against. I’ve had years of experience dealing with addicts and alcoholics.” He studied her. “This is my life. Nice, isn’t it? Look, I appreciate you wanting to be here for me, but I think you should go. My brother, Pat, is on his way. We have a lot to discuss however this goes.”

  “If that’s what you want.” She tried to keep the hurt out of her voice.

  He squeezed her hand. “It is what I want. Don’t take it personally. I know you feel bad, but what’s done is done.”

  “Can I do anything for you? Where’s Dog?”

  “Dog’s fine. He’s at the station. I’ll collect him later.”

  “Can I at least go to your place? I’ll be there if you need me. When you come home. I’d like to be there when you do.”

  He hung his head and his shoulders heaved with a heavy sigh. “You don’t have to do that. I may be here all night.”

  “I understand. But I’d like to do that all the same.”

  “All right. I’ll try and keep you posted. Pat will be here soon. I want to try and talk to the doctor before he gets here.”

  She pressed her lips to his but didn’t feel him kissing her back.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  She slept in fits and starts, curled up under a throw on Frank’s couch, aware of every sound in a house that felt so quiet and empty without him. At last, she heard the sound of his truck and saw headlights sweep the dark yard. Harper jumped up to meet him at the door. The hollow sound of the car door slamming in the night and his boots crunching in the dirt got her heart racing in anticipation.

  “You are here,” he said when he stepped inside.

  She went to him and put her arms around him. “How’s Val?”

  “She’s going to be all right.”

  Harper let out a deep breath. “Thank God. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. You kind of go on autopilot when you’ve been in enough of these situations.”

  “You got called to a scene and found your sister od’ing. I don’t believe you went on autopilot.”

  He took her arm in a firm grip and led her toward the kitchen. There he flicked on the light and pulled her toward the refrigerator. “My nieces and nephews. These two boys are Val’s from a
man she wasn’t married to. She lost them to social services because she couldn’t care for them. Now they live with their father’s mother. I haven’t seen them in two years. This cute little girl and boy are Pat’s kids. His wife divorced him and moved to California with the kids. And this handsome young lad, Gus, is the oldest. My brother, Kevin, is his father. He got his high school girlfriend pregnant. They were together for a while, but he took off. He travels the country from here to Alaska picking up ranch work where he can. He writes poetry. Pretty good poet, in fact. Just a sorry dad. Gus’ mom moved away too. The sins of the father.... That’s my family.”

  “You are not defined by your family history.”

  “What I’m trying to say is that I love these kids with all my heart and they went away. I love my sister and brothers but they screw up and break my heart on a regular basis. Love disappoints.”

  “It doesn’t have to.”

  “In your experience, maybe. In mine, I’ve learned to insulate myself. Go on autopilot when I have to get by.”

  She took his arm and searched her mind for the right thing to say to wipe the weariness off his face. “You’ve had a rough day. Don’t let it get to you. You’re not responsible for other people’s actions. Only your own, and you’re a fine man. Let’s go to bed, okay?”

  “You go on ahead. I need a few moments alone. I’ll be along soon.”

  * * *

  The sun shining through the window, hot on her face, woke her up. Harper blinked her eyes open. They hadn’t pulled the shades last night. She flipped over to find the other side of the bed empty. No sign it had been occupied last night.

  Trying to suppress her panic, she threw on her clothes and went downstairs. What had he been doing all night? Was he even home, or had he gone out?

  She found Frank asleep on the sofa in his den, his chest rising and falling. She let out a sigh of relief and tiptoed over to him. There was a photo album open next to him. His long lashes and the delicate skin on his eyelids melted her heart. She ran her hand through his soft, black curls. In a beat, his hand shot up and grabbed her wrist. She took in a sharp breath, frightened by his reaction. Alarm changed to relief when his eyes focused on her. “Oh, hey. I didn’t mean to fall asleep down here. You startled me.”

  She settled into his lap. “What do you have here?” she asked, putting her hand on the album.

  He pushed it out of her reach. “Nothing. I just wanted to replace the image I had of Val as I found her yesterday with ones of her in better times.”

  She touched his face, bristly with whiskers. He took her hand and held it in her lap like he didn’t want her touching him. “What are you going to do now?” she asked.

  “I need to get going. Val’s being admitted to a rehab center where they can help her—again. Pat and I have to help with that process.” He stood up, taking her with him and deposited her on the floor. “I’m going to take a couple of days off. Pat and I need to take care of a few things. I’d like to find a good place for her to be when she gets out. God knows how she’s been living lately.”

  “Is there anything I can do?”

  “I’ll let you know.” He gave her a quick kiss by way of dismissal.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “Call ended,” her screen read. He cut her off and ended the call. She stood feeling numb, while around her came the hum of multiple conversations, the titter of laughter, and water splashing. The air around the pool smelled of chlorine and suntan lotion. But all sensations reached her as if through a filter.

  She fought to regain focus. You do not get to shut me out, Frank Flynn.

  Harper hit redial. Two days with hardly a meaningful conversation between them. She wasn’t going to let him go so easily. Trying to persuade a man to be with her was becoming an uncomfortably familiar feeling.

  “Harper? What did you forget?” he asked when he answered the phone on the first ring. How could she tell him one minute, with him sounding like a distant relative, had left her unsettled, and she needed to have a normal exchange with him?

  The door behind her opened, letting out the clatter of dishes and the smell of the dishwasher. A waiter bearing a tray of food forced her to step back against the rough stone wall. She felt her chef’s jacket catch on the grainy surface.

  “It occurred to me I could take Dog until you get settled back into things,” she said.

  “No, it’s fine. I hear he’s getting a lot of attention at the station.”

  “I’m glad someone is.”

  “Excuse me?”

  She let out the breath she’d been holding. “I miss you. That’s all.”

  “And I miss you too, but I have other things to attend to right now.”

  “Are you mad at me?”

  “No, Harper, I am not mad at you. Why would I be?”

  “He says in an angry tone.” She pushed away from the wall and began pacing around the edge of the patio.

  “Look, I’ll be home soon and we can talk then.”

  “When are you coming home?”

  “Soon. I’m staying over at Pat’s tonight. Tomorrow we’re going to look at a couple of SRO’s for Val to live when she gets out. We don’t want her back in Phoenix with Woody. Then we have to clear out her stuff from the shithole she was living in and move her.”

  “So you think moving to Flagstaff will change her life?”

  “No, but we have to keep trying. Pat and his friends on the force can keep a closer eye on her there.”

  “You’re still coming with me on Saturday, aren’t you?”

  “What’s that?”

  She let her shoulders sag. “My grandfather’s birthday party. I was going to introduce you to my family.”

  A long pause. “Oh, that’s right. I forgot about that. I’ll try.”

  “You’ll try?”

  “I’ll try. I have to go now. Bye.”

  The tears she held back burned her throat. Still holding her phone out, she looked out over the terrace of the restaurant. The two pools beyond glistened turquoise in the sun where guests in white robes milled about chatting with each other.

  “Harper? We need you inside. I think the butcher has the order all screwed up. You have to look at it,” said Raul, holding open the kitchen door for her.

  She blinked back the tears and headed back to work. Break over. How can this be happening when...she loved him?

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  One more time and then that’s that. Harper bit her bottom lip and hit the call button. Straight to voicemail again. She couldn’t believe Frank was doing this to her. Ghosting her? So be it. She had a party to go to.

  With a heavy heart, she left her apartment above the stables and crossed the yard toward the ranch house in the distance. The lot was filled with cars and pickups, and she smelled the spicy, smoky scent of barbecue and roasting green chilies in the air.

  As she neared, she scanned the crowd spilling out onto the porch and the yard in front of her grandparents’ house. A small group stood around the keg, and she recognized her brother, Rory, among the bodies. She picked up her pace anxious to see him when her mother materialized out of the crowd, heading toward her. She surprised Harper by catching her in a big hug. Did her mother’s instinct alert her to a broken heart? But when she broke away, she saw Mom had a big smile on her face.

  “Honey, I couldn’t be happier,” she said, beaming.

  “Glad to hear it. Thanks for the update on your mood. What’s going on?”

  “Don’t be sly. Ever since you said you had a surprise guest, I’ve been racking my brains.”

  Oh, shit. I forgot I told her that. “As it turns out—” Harper stammered.

  “And, here he is!” Mom spun sideways, arm extended.

  Harper’s heart raced. Frank? Relief washed through her. She thought she’d lost him. She looked up and saw Rory smiling at her and next to him...Justin. Her stomach hit the ground. She had to blink a few times to make sure she was seeing right. Yep. Justin with that same flop of d
ark brown hair on his forehead she used to find so adorable, but which now looked too boyish on a man his age. He looked completely out of place in a polo shirt and khakis, and he was doing that nervous habit he had of clenching and unclenching his hands. At least he had the good grace to look sheepish.

  Everyone looked at her, faces full of expectation. She stood rooted to the spot trying to process this scene. Mom nudged her and then Justin stepped forward and put his arms around her. Harper let her arms dangle at her sides. But the second she stood close to him and took in his familiar scent and felt his torso against her, to her alarm her body started to respond with muscle memory. Her hands went to his waist and she fit her face into his neck, just where she knew it would fit. Then she came to her senses.

  She pushed him away. “Why are you here?” she whispered.

  “I had to see you.”

  “And you thought surprising me would be a good idea? In front of my whole family?”

  He attempted a cute grin. “I thought it might be the safest course of action. I remembered there was going to be this big shindig. We were going to go together.”

  “I repeat. Why are you here?” Now everyone looked at her with puzzled expressions. Her lack of enthusiasm disappointed all.

  He put his hand on her cheek. “Can we go somewhere private? There’s a lot I have to say to you.”

  “Well, I had a lot to say to you once too. Like why did you leave me? But you ignored my calls.”

  “Look, I made a stupid move. Talking to you was too painful at the time. Please, let’s go somewhere private.” He spoke in that rapid fire way she associated with him. Very New York. Full of nervous energy.

  The phone in her pocket vibrated. She saw the name on display and swore under her breath. “I have to take this. Go…go over there and have a beer or something.”

  She walked away from the small crowd to a quiet corner of the yard and turned her back on everyone. “Frank? Where are you?”