A Cowboy's Courage

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  Her throat hurt. It hurt bad. “I’m so sorry.” Her voice was only a whisper.

  “I know you are. I can see it in your eyes. I don’t want to make you cry, Olivia. That’s the last thing I want to do.” He cleared his throat again. “But I’m gonna have to ask you to get out and go in the house, now.”

  She nodded. Fumbling with the door, she got herself out, closed the door and hurried up the steps. He pulled away after she made it inside. He was such a gentleman. Even when he was suffering he was considerate.

  She wandered through the house with one hand pressed to her tight chest and the other to her churning stomach. When she closed her eyes, she saw his expression before she’d turned away. Hopeless.

  She cried out and the sound echoed in the quiet house. How could she hurt him like that? He was such a good man! What an idiot she’d been to think that he could handle being friends and lovers but nothing more. Or that she could handle it.

  Where was the fun, the lighthearted, sexy romping in the sheets? How had it turned into agonizing pain? What a mess. What a stupid, horrible mess.

  But there was the cave. Thanks to Trevor and now Zane, she was on her way to making the project a reality. That was bigger than love triangles and broken hearts, right?

  Future generations would benefit from the natural wonders of Edward Shaw Caverns. Edward would be remembered, as he should be, for discovering them.

  She sank down to the couch. “I love you, Edward. I love you so much.” She squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated on envisioning Edward’s face. It wouldn’t come up for her.

  But Trevor’s did.

  On Wednesday, Olivia and Zane spent most of the two-hour drive to Helena talking about the cave. But when they reached the outskirts of the city, she gathered her courage and asked how Trevor was doing.

  “He’s a little rough around the edges, but he’ll pull through. It’s not like this has never happened to him.”

  Pain sliced through her. “Other women have hurt him?”

  “He’s twenty-six. By that time most guys have had their hearts broken at least once and often more than that.”

  “That’s terrible.”

  “That’s life. Most women go through the same thing several times.”

  “I didn’t.”

  “No, you just had one big tragic heartbreak. I can’t imagine how tough that must have been when he was your one and only.”

  “Is.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “He still is my one and only.”

  “Oh. Sorry. Anyway, Trev will be fine. He’ll recover.”

  “I hope so. He was so excited about his plans—working construction, volunteering at the station, the house he hopes to build someday.”

  “And he’ll be excited about those things again.”

  “He’s not, now?”

  “No, but that’s natural. Like I said, he’ll be fine, given time.”

  “How much time?”

  He gave her a puzzled glance before returning his attention to the road. “That’s hard to say.”

  The finality in his tone kept her from asking anything else.

  Three hours later, he stopped for some fast food and pointed the truck toward Eagles Nest. “You’ll have to give me your impression, but I thought everything went great.”

  “It did go great.” She juggled her burger and drink while she made sure he had access to the fries. “Suzanne is exactly the kind of person I was hoping to find. Once she gets some assurances from her colleagues, I’ll provide her with more details.”

  “She seemed fine with that.”

  “I think she understands the stakes and why I’m being careful. She acted like she didn’t want too much info at this stage, in case she slipped up and gave something away.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Thank you, Zane. I couldn’t have done this without you. She obviously trusts you and that gave me credibility.”

  “We’ve been working together on the raptors for a while. She’s quite the fan of those birds. She’s promised to find me a low-cost source for ghillie suits.”

  “I heard her mention that! What the heck are they?”

  “They’re hooded camouflage suits that keep you from looking like a human when you feed a baby raptor. You don’t want them thinking humans provide food.”

  “So you look like a big bird?”

  He laughed. “More like a Dementor from the Harry Potter movies, but it seems to work.”

  “I can’t wait to see one, now. What great work you’re doing.”

  “Thanks.” He sighed. “But we lost a bald eagle on Monday. She flew into a windshield and then was hit by another car. We couldn’t save her.”

  “Oh, no! Do you know if she had babies?”

  “Not sure, but they’d be out of the nest by now, so that helps.”

  “What about her mate?”

  “He’ll mourn for a while, maybe a couple of years. Then he’ll find a new mate.”

  “I thought bald eagles mated for life.”

  “They do, assuming they’re both alive. But their lifespan is around thirty years in the wild. If a mate dies, mourning for years would be a waste of breeding time. Nature doesn’t work that way.”

  “Huh. Are there any animals that mourn for the rest of their lives?”

  “I’m no expert on this, but I think there’s only one. Us.”

  “I thought there were others. Another myth exploded.” She finished her burger and wadded up the wrapping before stuffing it in the bag. “More fries?”

  “No, thanks.” He handed her his balled-up wrapper. “You can drop this in the bag and ditch the rest of the fries if you don’t want them.”

  “Okay.” She rolled up the bag and shoved it beside her seat. She was busy digesting the info about eagles choosing a new mate a couple of years after their mate dies when Zane broke the silence.

  “I’m poking my nose in, but I have to ask you something.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Why are you so concerned about Trevor?”

  Her pulse jacked up. “Because I like him. We’re friends.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Well, yeah. I don’t like to think of him being sad. He deserves to be happy. He’s a great guy. I mean, he was the one who climbed to my roof a million times during the fire to put out any hotspots. And the reroofing job, where he’d only let me pay for the materials, that was amazing.”

  “Then there’s going down in the cave when he was terrified.”

  “I know.” She swallowed a lump of misery. “I hate thinking of what he went through on Sunday, poor guy. When he got to the bottom he was so shaky. I just…I was hurting for him. But he had to do it. Stubborn, crazy, wonderful man that he is.”

  “Hm.”

  “What?”

  “I wish I’d taped that.”

  “So he could hear it? That wouldn’t help.”

  “No, so you could hear it.”

  “Why?”

  “You sound like a woman in love.”

  “I do not.” She folded her arms over her chest.

  “I’ve talked to him, Olivia. He doesn’t expect you to stop loving Edward. He only wishes you’d start loving him. He thinks you don’t. I think he’s wrong.”

  She groaned and flopped back against the seat. “That’s not love. It’s just—”

  “Here’s the deal. If you’ll open your mind to the possibility of loving Edward for what you had then and loving Trevor for what you have now, I’d be eternally grateful.” He glanced at her. “And we’d be even in the favor department.”

  “You drive a hard bargain, Zane McGavin.”

  “I’m a Scotsman. I know how.”

  Although Zane hadn’t taped her words so she could play them back, he might as well have because she couldn’t forget any of them. Or any of Zane’s words. She couldn’t forget the bald eagles, either. No doubt Zane had told her that story on purpose.

  Most of all she couldn’t forget Trevo
r, a man she missed more desperately with every passing day. On Saturday afternoon, she climbed into the cave, sat on her favorite rock and told Edward what was in her heart. Then she climbed out again. Now she needed to tell Trevor.

  She texted him, and when he didn’t reply in thirty minutes, she checked with the fire station. He wasn’t on duty. Next she called Kendra.

  “He’s at the GG. Do you want me to—”

  “That’s okay. I’ll track him down. Thanks.” Dear God, was he drowning his sorrows? Zane had said he was rough around the edges. Did that mean he was spending his free time getting drunk?

  She drove there berating herself for causing him such anguish that he had to numb it with booze. It was a little past five when she walked in and the band had just started. Customers filled most of the tables.

  She couldn’t find him at any of them. What if he’d left? She hurried over to the bar where Bryce was mixing drinks. “Where’s Trevor?”

  “Hey, Olivia. He’s in the back getting more napkins.”

  “Why is he doing that?”

  “Mike needed time off. He’s taking an online course in business management and needs to study for a final next week. Luckily Trevor was available to help me tend bar.”

  “So he’s working? He’s not getting…” She gulped as he came out of the kitchen. He didn’t look drunk. He looked gorgeous. He’d worn that same shirt the first night they’d made love.

  He stopped when he saw her. At first his eyes lit with eagerness. Then his expression closed down. He went behind the bar and opened the package of napkins. “Hey, Olivia.” He didn’t look at her. “Just stopping by?”

  “No, I came to see you.”

  “Bad timing. I’m not exactly available right now.” He stacked napkins in the holders all along the bar.

  “I see that.” She was to blame for the way he was behaving. She squashed down her impatience and did her best to sound reasonable. “When will you be available?”

  “No telling. Probably best if you text me.”

  “I tried. You didn’t answer.”

  “Probably didn’t hear it. Gets loud at the GG.”

  She pulled out her phone. “I’m texting you right now.”

  “I’ll look when I get a chance. I have to check on a dinner order.” He pushed through the swinging doors into the kitchen.

  Bryce finished making two salt-rimmed margaritas and placed them on a tray that the server whisked away. He gave her a sympathetic glance. “Sorry, Olivia. He’s hurting pretty bad.”

  “I know.” She typed her message in all caps and hit Send. Then she waited. She was counting on his curiosity to get the best of him.

  Evidently it had, because he charged out of the kitchen and left the doors swinging wildly behind him. He came toward her, his chest heaving. “You do?”

  She nodded.

  “But what about…”

  She closed the short distance but didn’t touch him yet. “I will always love him. Just like I will always love you.”

  He let out a whoop of joy and pulled her into his arms. “Hey, Bryce, she loves me! She loves both of us!”

  “She loves me, too? Hey, I know we’re twins, but—”

  “Not you. Her late husband. Never mind.” Trevor gazed into her eyes. “I love you so much. I—”

  “Trev, hate to bother you,” Bryce said, “but orders are piling up.”

  She smiled up at Trevor. “And you love your brother, who needs you right now.”

  “Yeah, he does, but—”

  “Go tend bar. I’ll sit on a stool the whole night and keep you company. It’s the least I can do after what I’ve put you through.”

  “It could be a long night.”

  “I’ll wait for you.”

  “Sit down at the end by the kitchen. Then I can come around and kiss you whenever it gets slow.”

  “I can do that.”

  “But here’s one to get you started.” He laid his hat on the bar and dipped his head. “I love you, Olivia.”

  “I love you right back, Trevor.”

  His kiss was sweet and gentle at first but soon became hot enough to bring catcalls and applause. At last he lifted his head. “There’s more where that came from.”

  “That’s why I’m here. I want all the love I can get.”

  “I hope you’re prepared, ‘cause you’re gonna be up to your eyeballs in love.” He tucked the phone with her message in his shirt pocket, right over his heart.

  She gave him a smile so big it made her cheeks hurt. “Can’t wait.”

  But Wait, There’s More!

  FREE McGavin Brothers Prequel!!

  If you haven’t claimed your FREE copy of A COWBOY’S PROMISE, now’s your chance. This story is available exclusively to my readers. Get your copy here!

  Reviews mean a lot to an author. They increase book visibility and encourage readers to check out a new series or author they may not have tried before. If you enjoyed A COWBOY’S COURAGE, consider leaving an honest review on your favorite retailer site. If you already left a review, thank you!

  Coming in November! A COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS, book six in the McGavin Brothers series. It’s Christmas with the McGavins for Badger Calhoun, but an unexpected encounter with Hayley Bennett lands him in the role of pretend boyfriend to help her avoid her mother’s traditional holiday matchmaking scheme!

  And don’t miss Zane, Cody, Ryker and Bryce’s stories, available now!

  Want more cowboys? Check out my Sons of Chance and Thunder Mountain Brotherhood series!

  MIDNIGHT THUNDER – (TMB #1) Cade Gallagher must save his foster parents’ ranch and win the heart of the woman he left behind.

  WANTED! – (SOC #1) Can sexy cowboy Nick Chance convince a beautiful photographer to see the man behind the muscles?

  Praise for Vicki’s cowboy series

  “Vicki Lewis Thompson has a reputation for putting enough sizzle between the pages to actually create steam.”

  Fresh Fiction

  “This modern cowboy tale expertly balances sex and emotion with a touch of humor. It’s one of the hottest western romances of the year!”

  RT Book Reviews

  “Once again Ms. Thompson’s writing is crisp and straightforward, with an uncanny ability to weave the beautiful western landscape of the Grand Tetons into the storyline. Overall a hot, sexy read.”

  Harlequin Junkie

  Also by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  The McGavin Brothers

  A Cowboy’s Strength

  A Cowboy’s Honor

  A Cowboy’s Return

  A Cowboy’s Heart

  A Cowboy’s Courage

  Thunder Mountain Brotherhood

  Midnight Thunder

  Thunderstruck

  Rolling Like Thunder

  A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe

  Cowboy All Night

  Cowboy After Dark

  Cowboy Untamed

  Cowboy Unwrapped

  In the Cowboy’s Arms

  Say Yes to the Cowboy

  Do You Take This Cowboy?

  Sons of Chance

  Wanted!

  Ambushed!

  Claimed!

  Should've Been a Cowboy

  Cowboy Up

  Cowboys Like Us

  Long Road Home

  Lead Me Home

  Feels Like Home

  I Cross My Heart

  Wild at Heart

  The Heart Won't Lie

  Cowboys and Angels

  Riding High

  Riding Hard

  Riding Home

  A Last Chance Christmas

  About the Author

  New York Times bestselling author Vicki Lewis Thompson’s love affair with cowboys started with the Lone Ranger, continued through Maverick, and took a turn south of the border with Zorro. She views cowboys as the Western version of knights in shining armor, rugged men who value honor, honesty and hard work. Fortunately for her, she lives in the Arizona desert, where broad-shouldered, lean
-hipped cowboys abound. Blessed with such an abundance of inspiration, she only hopes that she can do them justice.

  Connect with Vicki online!

  VickiLewisThompson.com

  VLTAuthor@aol.com