A Cowboy’s Challenge_The McGavin Brothers
Page 17
The neighborhood looked a lot different from the last time he’d been there—no Christmas lights, no snow on the ground. Grass and leafed-out trees, instead. A couple of bikes were propped against a garage door at one house, and a woman at the place next door was watering her shrubs with a hose. She gave him a curious glance.
Emma’s house, a tidy one-story rental with white clapboard siding and a small covered porch, was on his left. He continued past it and checked for her vehicle. His pulse rate picked up. There was her gray SUV, sitting in the driveway.
His throat felt like a weathered fence post. Should’ve brought a jug of water. Hands were a bit shaky, too. Not how he wanted to present himself.
Her street turned into a dead end, so he swung his truck around and sat for a minute, gathering his courage. Damn, his heart was going fast, too fast.
Back in Eagles Nest, this moment had seemed like a slam dunk. All he’d have to do was park his truck, jog up the steps to her porch, ring the doorbell, tip his hat and flash her a big smile.
Okay. It was still a good plan. He just had to execute. Dragging in air, he put the truck in gear. Show time.
He parked in front of her house instead of in her driveway, in case she had to leave for work soon. Would she hear his truck and look out the window? She used to say she recognized the sound of it coming down the street.
Heart pounding, he shut off the engine, picked up his hat from the passenger seat and climbed out. He shoved his keys in his pocket, took another deep breath and started up her walk.
He repositioned his hat at a better angle before mounting the steps and crossing the porch. He jabbed the bell way harder than necessary because his hands were still shaking, damn it.
The light, quick footsteps inside the house were hers. Funny how he was so sure of it after all this time, but she had a certain pace to her walk.
She opened the door. Her green eyes widened and her pretty mouth went slack. Without makeup, she looked sixteen instead of twenty-six.
He didn’t give her a jaunty smile or throw out a casual greeting like he’d planned. All he could do was stare. She was the same but different.
Her taffy-colored hair, so silky when he’d combed his fingers through it, was shorter. It barely touched her shoulders. She wore jeans and a tank top instead of jeans and a sweater. Her feet were bare, her toenails unpolished.
Her beauty made his chest ache. What an idiot he’d been.
She swallowed. “Gage.”
“Hi, Emma.”
“What…what are you doing here?”
“Came to see you.” His vocal cords weren’t working quite right.
“Why?”
“Been thinking about you. I’ve thought about you a lot ever since—”
“Did you try to contact me? Because I never got anything.”
“I didn’t. I should’ve, but I didn’t.”
“Are you back in Great Falls?”
“No, I’m living about three hours south of here, a little town called Eagles Nest.”
“So why did you come up here?”
“Like I said, to see you. You’ve been on my mind.”
“You drove up here just to see me?”
“Yes, and I—could I come in?”
“Uh…” Panic flashed in her eyes.
“No big deal. I just want to talk for a bit.”
Her jaw tightened. “Now’s not a good time.”
“Are you working tonight? If that’s the problem, I could—”
“I’m…I don’t…my circumstances have changed.” She was breathing fast. “I don’t want to talk right now.”
“When?”
“The thing is, I don’t want to talk at all. I need you to…go. Please leave.”
“Hey, if you’re with somebody, you can just tell me.”
“Goodbye, Gage. I’m sorry you came up here for nothing.”
“But—”
“Goodbye.” She closed the door and the lock clicked into place.
What the hell? In all his dealings with women, he’d been yelled at a few times, slapped once, which he’d absolutely deserved, but no woman had ever closed the door in his face. And locked it.
Geez Louise. He wasn’t a vagrant off the street. They’d been lovers. They’d had some great times together.
She hadn’t been angry, though. Evidently she didn’t have another guy. Sure, he hadn’t come to see her for nineteen months, but that didn’t seem to be the problem.
She just wanted him out of her sight. Out of her life. Whatever they’d had before clearly meant nothing to her anymore.
That was rejection with a capital R, rejection on steroids, rejection in neon lights. It stung worse than the time he’d stumbled into a hornet’s nest.
To think he’d pictured Emma as part of the future he was building. Clearly he needed to recalibrate that fantasy. Tugging the brim of his hat down, he stomped back to his truck.
Although gunning the engine and peeling out would have suited him fine, this was a peaceful neighborhood. He drove away at a sedate speed, but once he was back on the highway he punched it. He couldn’t get away from her fast enough.
But Wait, There’s More!
Coming in September!
A COWBOY’S BABY, book eleven in the McGavin Brothers series. Smooth-talking cowboy Gage Sawyer’s speechless when Emma Green arrives in Eagles Nest…with his baby!
Saddle up for all the stories in the McGavin Brothers series!
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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?
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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
A Cowboy’s Christmas
A Cowboy’s Kiss
A Cowboy’s Luck
A Cowboy’s Charm
Wild About You
Werewolf in Manhattan
Werewolf in the North Woods
Werewolf in Seattle
Werewolf in Denver
Werewolf in Alaska
Werewolf in Las Vegas
The Nerd Series
Nerd in Shining Armor
The Nerd Who Loved Me
Nerd Gone Wild
Gone with the Nerd
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Talk Nerdy to Me
Nerds Like It Hot
My Nerdy Valentine
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