Second Chance Cowboy--A Clean Romance

by Claire McEwen

  Once Rex was relaxed and flopped on his bed, Wes pulled up Fancy’s veterinary file. Emily had managed to resolve the colic within about five hours, according to the notes she’d written down. Still, guilt kicked Wes in the stomach, making it impossible to drink the coffee he’d purchased for himself. He should have stayed and helped.

  “You’re here.” Emily stood in the doorway to the reception area, holding the coffee cup and pastry bag. “You’re here and you brought food.”

  She was beautiful in her usual jeans and sweatshirt, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. So simple, so natural, so perfect. “It’s just a token,” Wes said. “An apology. I should have stayed to help with Fancy. I was wrong to go to London when you needed me.”

  She regarded him with a wary expression in her big eyes. “Your brother needed you, too.”

  “My brother is a grown man and can take care of himself, as he informed me several times. He doesn’t want me trying to rescue him anymore.”

  “I see.” Rex came to greet her, big tail wagging, and Emily knelt to cuddle him.

  Wes tried to explain. “I’ve always worried that the time we spent with my parents, who were pretty unsteady, or the years Jamie spent with my aunt and uncle, would have a lasting impact on him. So when he quit his new job with no warning like that, I panicked. I thought maybe it was a symptom of a breakdown or something.”

  Emily nodded, still holding on to Rex.

  “Turns out I was the one having the breakdown, jumping on a plane for a wild-goose chase in another country. My brother is fine. He simply hated his new job, and for good reason. He’s already got a new one that I think he’s going to be much happier with.”

  Emily stood, giving Rex one last pat on the head. “I’m glad that all worked out for you.” There was a careful distance in her voice that made him nervous.

  “Jamie reminded me that he’s a grown man and his choices are really none of my business. I have to let him go. But worrying about him, caring for him, it’s all I’ve ever done.” Wes reached for his own coffee, relishing the warm cup in his cold hands. “It’s a strange feeling. I don’t really know who I am without him to look after.”

  Emily flipped idly through the file he’d left on the counter. “There are plenty of animals here in Shelter Creek that need looking after.”

  His heart did a small backflip of hope. “Are you saying you’d hire me again? Because I’m pretty sure I failed my trial period at the end there.”

  “Maybe I had you on trial for the wrong reasons.” She met his gaze then. “I’ve been holding on to so much old hurt about when you left before. It clouded my judgment when you needed to leave this time. It felt so emotional and so huge, when of course you had to go to your brother if he needed you. Family is important, and he’s all you’ve got.”

  Wes swallowed hard. He hadn’t known what he’d find, coming back here today. He hadn’t expected her compassion.

  “I’ve been seeing everything in terms of how it affects me. Or how it affected me when I was seventeen.” Emily’s mouth tilted into a rueful smile. “I’m not that girl anymore. I can stand on my own a whole lot better now.”

  “But what if you didn’t have to? Or at least, not all the time?” Wes held out his hands, palms up, inviting her to come to him. “I want to stay, Emily. I want us to pick up where we left off. I want to work with you. I want to be with you. Is it possible? Or did I do too much damage?”

  She pressed her lips together, looked down and away. Wes dropped his empty hands. He wasn’t going to like her answer.

  “I’m really glad you came back. I missed you. A lot. So much. But I think I need some time, Wes. One of the things I realized while you were gone is that I have to learn to trust you. I have to believe that I matter to you more than anything. If I don’t believe that, and if I can’t trust in what we have, it will never work.”

  It wasn’t exactly what he wanted. She wasn’t rushing into his arms. But she was being honest about what she needed. This love between them hadn’t broken overnight. It had eroded slowly, year after year, all those years he’d stayed away. Maybe he’d have to build it back up slowly, too. Word by word. Action by action. “I’m glad we can still work together. And maybe still walk Rex sometimes? And work with Fancy?”

  She nodded. “I’ve missed that.”

  “Me, too.”

  She looked at him then, and their gazes held. Warmth sparked. There was a promise there. He’d hang on tight to that for now.

  Wes took another sip of his coffee. “What’s on the schedule today? I’m ready to get to work.”

  * * *

  EMILY TUGGED AT the bandanna Wes had tied over her eyes. “This is silly. I’m going to get carsick.” The window next to her rolled down and the warm spring air blasted her face. It was one of those May days where California decided it was done with spring and ready for summer. “Where are we going?”

  “We’ll be there in one minute, I promise.”

  Rex’s cold nose found her ear. “Ugh, Rex, no fair.”

  “Sit,” Wes told his dog, and the nose was gone.

  This was supposed to be a normal Saturday. Wes had come over for breakfast on her porch. She liked to make him pancakes. Then they were going to work with Fancy. If there were no emergencies, and their schedule stayed clear, they’d hike with Rex. Maybe after, they’d head over to her parents’ for dinner, or meet up with friends.

  Wes had been so respectful of her wishes in the month since he’d been home. He was always there, always her friend and colleague, but never asked for more.

  Lately she’d been wishing he wasn’t quite so respectful. The guarded feelings she’d had when he came back to Shelter Creek were long gone. She wanted more and she thought he still did, too. Sometimes she’d catch him watching her with an intense look in his eyes and wonder if his love and trust had grown as hers had. Or if he wanted to kiss her again as much as she wanted to kiss him.

  But how could she move forward? She’d insisted on this distance between them. Did she just sit him down and announce that she trusted him now? That she wanted to date again? That was so unromantic. And what if he didn’t want her kisses anymore?

  Emily gripped the door handle, grateful to feel the car turning off the road onto gravel. “It’s not my birthday and it’s not a holiday. I can’t figure out why we’re taking this mysterious journey.”

  “You’ll find out in a moment. Hang on.”

  Wes stopped the car. They were in shade, Emily could feel the cool shelter of something, a tree maybe? Wes got out and came around to her side to open her door. He gently helped her out of the car. Turning her around, he untied the bandanna from her eyes. “Here it is.”

  Emily blinked, trying to adjust to suddenly having vision again. In front of her was a pretty farmhouse that she’d driven by many times, just on the way out of town on the road to Bobby’s ranch. She’d pointed it out to Wes once, telling him how much she’d loved the huge porch and the grove of ancient oaks that shaded the house from the summer sun. The property had been empty for a few years now, the owners caught up in some kind of financial problem with the banks.

  “What are we doing here?”

  “I just thought we’d take a look around.”

  Look around? It was private property. “Do you know the person who lives here?”

  Wes nodded. “Yeah, he said it would be fine.”

  Rex was already exploring, running in and out of the oak trees, his nose to the ground.

  Maybe Wes was thinking about buying it? Emily followed him to the front door. There was a big red bow attached to it, like a wreath. Most likely a leftover Christmas decoration. The thought saddened her for a moment. Someone had loved this beautiful house, spent their holidays here, and now it was empty.

  Wes pushed open the door. “It’s unlocked,” he said.

  The inside was gorgeous.
Craftsman columns framed the entrance to the living room and dining room. Built-in cabinets awaited someone’s china collection. There was a rustic stone fireplace in the living room. The kitchen was simple, with white cabinets and walls.

  “What a great house.” But it felt strange to be here, on someone else’s property. Emily walked through the mudroom behind the kitchen and out the back door. Beyond the garden she could see a barn and corrals. “There are stables here?”

  “Want to check them out?”

  “I guess so.” Emily turned to Wes suspiciously. “Are you thinking of buying this house?”

  Wes grinned, looking a lot like the eager boy she’d known before. “I bought it already. It’s mine. What do you think?”

  Emily stared at him, struggling for words. “You bought this house?”

  “It was a surprise. Are you surprised?”

  She clapped her hands to her mouth. “Of course I am. Oh, my gosh, Wes, you know I’ve always loved this house. But this is a big investment. Are you sure?”

  He took her hand. “More sure than I’ve ever been. Come on. Come see the stables.”

  Still holding hands, they made their way along a gravel path until they came to the barn. It was modern, with cement floors and sliding stall doors. “This is gorgeous,” Emily exclaimed. “You have room for a dozen horses here.”

  “I’ll need a place for my clients to stay while I work with them.”

  He’d mentioned the other day that he might want to train horses in his free time, but she hadn’t realized he was this serious. Wes stopped at a door at the far end of the barn. “This is the tack room. Check it out.”

  Still stunned that this beautiful property belonged to Wes, Emily peeked through the door at the tidy racks for saddles and bridles. There were cabinets for medicines and blankets. “This has everything.” Then she paused as something caught her eye. By itself, in the corner, almost hidden by the door, was a saddle on a wooden saddletree. Goosebumps prickled her skin. “Wait a minute, Wes, how did this get here?”

  It was her saddle—the one from the tack shop that she’d been admiring for months. The exact saddle, with its beautiful tooled flowers and the silver thread. “My saddle.” She turned to Wes for an explanation. “Did you buy this?”

  His smile carved creases around eyes that were lit with warmth and emotion. “Lloyd told me your heart was going to get broken if someone else bought it. I figure thanks to me, your heart has been broken enough. I wasn’t going to let it happen again. Plus, Fancy is going to be ready for a saddle soon. You might as well be ready, too.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  Wes dropped to one knee in front of her. “Say you’ll marry me. Say that you and Fancy and Rosalind and Beatrice will come live here with me and Rex and we’ll make a home together. A life together.”

  Tears, hot silent tears slid down her cheeks. Emily’s hands covered her chest as if she could somehow calm the pounding of her heart.

  “I love you, Emily. I’ve loved you for so long. I’ve never loved you more than I do today, but I’m going to love you more tomorrow. I know you’re learning to trust me. Can you trust me enough to be my wife?”

  Emily went to her knees, as well, put her fingertips to the stubble on his cheek and kissed him with all the love she’d kept tucked away behind caution and fear. His mouth was warm, his kiss firm, and he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back the way she remembered. The way she’d been dreaming of. A kiss that left no questions, no doubts, as to how much he loved her.

  Some moments later his lips softened on hers and he pulled back gently. “Was there a yes in that kiss?”

  “Yes.” It was hard to get words out when there were so many tears. “There was definitely a yes in that kiss. I love you, Wes. I think I always have. But I love the man you’ve become more than I could have possibly imagined.”

  He stood, lifting her gently to her feet with him. “Then accept this?” He took something out of his pocket. It was a platinum ring covered in tiny diamonds that sparkled in the sunlight flooding in through the tack room window. Two loops of the diamond band crossed through each other. “They’re supposed to be horseshoes. For Fancy. For luck.”

  The cool metal slid onto her finger. Emily held her hand out, gazing at the sparkling band. “It’s absolutely beautiful, Wes. But it’s a lot. A house, my saddle...this ring? You didn’t have to do all this.”

  He pulled her in close and wrapped his arms around her. “I’ve dreamed of a life with you since our first kiss. I need you to know that I’m not leaving you, ever again. This town is home. This house can be home. But most of all, you’re my home, Emily. And you have my whole heart. You always have.”

  Emily held him tight and let the happy tears slide down her cheeks. He was strong and sturdy and he was Wes. Her love. And he was home, to stay.

  * * *

  Be sure to look for the next book in Claire McEwen’s Heroes of Shelter Creek series, available in August 2021!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from The Doctor and the Matchmaker by Cheryl Harper.

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  The Doctor and the Matchmaker

  by Cheryl Harper

  CHAPTER ONE

  BRISA MONTERO LOVED the spotlight. Other people were at home in boardrooms or operating rooms or airplane cockpits, but Brisa understood what was expected of her when she was center stage.

  Stages themselves weren’t even necessary; only the audience mattered. The most exclusive hotel on Miami’s South Beach had built a small stage for her father’s rooftop cocktail party. Brisa had been a nervous wreck to step up on it this time, but she’d done it.

  She and her sister, Reyna, had managed to win a significant battle of wills on the stage that efficient hotel staff were now dismantling.

  Brisa was going to have a chance to run Concord Court, the townhome complex her father had built to house veterans leaving military service while they pursued new careers or educational opportunities. Luis Montero had intended to lure Reyna home with Concord Court, a safe way to continue serving and add some luster to the family name at the same time. Instead, Reyna made her own way as she always had, and Brisa had stepped up. No one expected Brisa to do as well as Reyna, but the job was hers.

  More important than the job was the shot at proving herself to her family. Another shot.

  After years of failures.

  This could be her last shot.

  Making firm fists kept her hands from trembling. Brisa knew how to convince others that she was fine. A sparkling smile. The graceful touch of a shoulder as she worked the crowd. Always nodding at the right spot in the conversation.

  That was her version of automatic pilot to guarantee the smooth operation of one of her father’s philanthropic events.

  But the size of the job she’d fought to get and the high stakes were sinking in.

  “You ready to go, babe?” Reggie Beaumont asked, one hand on the door that led from the hotel’s rooftop to the small cocktail bar and the elevators beyond. In the other hand? His trusty cell phone. Apparently, he’d finished making the phone calls that had kept him busy all night long. He’d missed her big victory completely. “The car’s downstairs waiting. I’ll drop you off wherever you need to go.” He was tall and handsome in a perfectly tailored suit that fit her father’s tastes to a T, even if a professional athlete would never have been Luis Montero’s idea of a suitable partner for one of his daughters.

  That fact was Reggie’s best feature.

  Brisa straightened her shoulders. Earlier in the evening, she’d wanted a confidence boost from him, but he’d been occupied talking
to his agent. His contract negotiations were making headlines.

  Most of the time, Reggie’s lack of attention didn’t bother Brisa at all. Reggie’s number one job was to keep her father’s matchmaking attempts at bay. For that, he was perfect. They had the best understanding; nothing was serious between them. No emotional ties were expected.

  Tonight was the first time she wished for the support of someone who cared for her as more than an acquaintance who opened the right doors and posed beautifully in press photos.

  But the night was over. She didn’t need him anymore.

  “I’ve got to stay behind, make sure everything is taken care of. You go ahead.” Brisa ran a hand down his lapel. “Thanks for watching my back again, handsome.”

  Mindful of the small audience that might still be watching them, Reggie held her for a minute before kissing her cheek. “Anytime, beautiful, especially if the club is catering. Can’t get enough of their shrimp.” Then he held up a hand and stepped inside without hesitating. Why would he? All the people that mattered had left. Even the hotel staff was dwindling. The musicians had been the first to go. The caterers were wrapping up.

  “Your sister has gone already,” her father said as he stopped in front of her. “Not that we enjoyed much of her and Wakefield’s attention after your announcement. They managed to find an invisible corner for...conversation.” Luis Montero cleared his throat. Brisa would bet every dollar her father had that Reyna and Sean Wakefield had been doing more kissing than talking; her father was no dummy, either. Brisa had missed their courtship, but it was impossible to miss the way they stared at each other now. “I should not have been ambushed by you and your sister like this, Brisa. Do not suppose I have let it go. It was an underhanded maneuver, switching jobs like that. It might occasionally be appropriate in business, but where is the place for that in this family?” He tugged his suit coat to eliminate any wrinkle that had the audacity to appear.