The Cowboy's Second-Chance Family

by Jules Bennett

  Wouldn’t Evan have wanted her to find happiness?

  One day she would. Lucy vowed to slowly approach this relationship with Noah. Because she simply couldn’t afford for her heart to be broken again.

  Chapter Eight

  “My horse’s name was Daisy.”

  Emma brushed the horse with circular strokes as she chatted with Lucy in the corral. Noah watched them from the fence. He knew she missed Daisy. Hell, they both missed the meager amount of livestock, but the ones that hadn’t died in the storm, he’d had to sell to help with the move.

  “She was a chestnut mare,” Emma went on. “She loved apples.”

  Noah knew Emma missed that horse something fierce. Daisy had been so gentle and so perfect for Emma. Their daily routine of feeding her apples in the evening was no more. Soon, though, they would start new traditions in this new town. They were slowly rebuilding their lives.

  “Animals are like family,” Lucy added as she leaned her arm on the fence post. “These were my husband’s horses and I’d thought about selling them when he passed away, but I wanted to hold on to them as a way to stay connected to him. I’m glad I decided to keep them.”

  Noah knew that need to hold on to any aspect of a late spouse, but everything he’d had with his wife had been taken. Except for Emma. And at the end of the day, that’s all he needed.

  “Daddy says Mommy will always live in my heart.”

  Noah glanced to Emma, who was looking back at him. He shot her a wink and she smiled. Yeah, they had each other and that’s all that mattered. Memories would live on as long as he had any say about it.

  “That’s true,” Lucy agreed. “Once you love someone, they will stay with you forever. My husband will always be in my heart as well. Being sad is okay, but we also deserve to be happy.”

  “I think that’s solid advice,” Noah stated as he turned his focus to Lucy. When she quirked a brow, he merely grinned.

  “Daddy says we’ll get another horse soon, but first we have to find a house that has enough land.” Emma set the brush back in the bucket. “I think I’ll name my new horse Daisy. I really like that name.”

  “Nothing wrong with that,” Lucy stated with a firm nod. “But you can come over here anytime to ride or to just see these guys. They love company and I can always use help.” Because of her sore hip, today was not a good day to ride.

  The sun stretched an orange glow across the horizon and Noah pushed off the fence. “Maybe we should let Lucy get back to what she was doing before we came.”

  “I was baking, which I promised Emma could help me with.” Lucy opened the gate and unhooked Gunner’s reins from the post. “Let me get him put up and we’ll go back inside.”

  “We don’t need to take up your entire day,” Noah argued. “I didn’t expect you to have her help.”

  “Well, I made a promise,” Lucy told him as she threw a look over her shoulder. “I never go back on a promise, especially since I’ve been thinking of cookies ever since Emma mentioned them.”

  Emma drew lines in the dirt with the toe of her boot. She didn’t seem to be paying much attention and had gone to wherever her four-year-old mind journeyed from time to time.

  “Are you sure?” Noah asked Lucy as she came back and closed the gate.

  Resting her arm over the rung, she nodded. “Positive. If you have something else to do, go on ahead. Emma and I will get along just fine. We’ll have a little girl time and you can go do...whatever it is you want.”

  “Is this you trying to push me away again?”

  Lucy pursed her lips and tipped her head. “I’m just trying to figure all of this out. Besides, kids are honest, so I’ll quiz her and we’ll see just how interested in me you really are.”

  Noah laughed. “Fair enough. But I really don’t have anything else to do.”

  “I’m sure you’ll think of something.” Lucy turned her attention to Emma. “You up for some girl time if we kick Daddy out for a few hours?”

  Emma glanced up, her eyes darting to her father. “Is that okay? Lucy’s fun and I really want to make cookies, Daddy.”

  Lucy stared at Noah as if daring him to argue with two females. He wasn’t that stupid. Besides, giving Emma a little female bonding time was probably a great idea. Perhaps it would do them both good and Noah could use the time to figure out what the hell kind of emotional roller coaster he was on.

  Noah threw his hands up. “Fine, but I want some of those cookies you guys keep talking about.”

  “Promise,” Emma said as she drew an invisible X over her heart.

  Noah had no idea what he’d do. Seriously. For the past six months he’d been with Emma or at work. He didn’t have hobbies and there was no ranch to occupy his time, so...what the hell should he do?

  “You’re still here,” Lucy stated. “It’s difficult to have girl time when you won’t go.”

  Emma giggled and Noah leaned down and smacked a kiss on her forehead. “I’m going. You have my cell, so if you need anything—”

  “We won’t,” Lucy assured him. “Give us two hours.”

  There weren’t many people he’d trust his little girl with, but he definitely trusted Lucy. Hell, he’d trusted her so much he was ready to sleep with her.

  As he headed to his truck, he wondered where he should go. There weren’t too many options in this small town. Maybe he’d just go to the local bar. It wasn’t but a couple miles away on the main drag and he’d been meaning to swing by there. He’d heard they had really good burgers and he could use some time to himself to think.

  Emma was growing pretty fond of Lucy...and Noah couldn’t deny he was, too.

  One day at a time. Looking too much into this or placing too much hope in one situation was just asking for heartache—something he couldn’t afford.

  * * *

  “Need a beer?”

  Yeah, he did. About six of them. “I’ll just stick with soda.”

  The bartender turned to grab a glass and fill it with ice. “You’re the new officer.”

  Small towns, Noah thought. Gotta love them.

  “Noah Spencer,” he said, offering his hand for a shake. More than likely the bartender knew this, but it was still polite to start with introductions. “This is the first chance I’ve had to stop in here, but I’ve heard all about the burgers.”

  “Best in town.” With his free hand he slid the glass of soda across the bar. “Gray Gallagher.”

  Noah gripped the glass. “The owner?”

  Gray propped his hands on the bar. “Third generation.”

  “No kidding.”

  Gray nodded, resting his hands on the gleaming bar top. “My grandfather opened this bar when he returned from the war, then my father went into the Marines and he took over when he got out. I took over when I came home from the Army.”

  Impressed, Noah nodded. “You’ve got quite a family tradition.”

  “Minus the difference in military fields.” Gray smiled. “We’ve had a few disagreements over which is the best.”

  Gray started to say something else, but glanced over Noah’s shoulder. The man’s lips thinned and a flash of something—jealousy maybe—came and went across his face.

  Noah glanced over his shoulder to see a beautiful blonde fast-dancing with a group of guys. Harmless, flirty fun from the looks of things, but Gray didn’t seem too keen on this.

  “Problem?”

  Gray pulled in a deep breath. “Just since high school.”

  Definitely jealousy. Noah didn’t know what that emotion felt like, but from the looks of Gray, Noah didn’t want to know.

  “Hang on a second.”

  Gray disappeared, and Noah thought for sure he’d be heading across that wooden dance floor to interfere, but he didn’t. Gray ended up at the othe
r end of the bar, leaning over to talk to a guy who sat by himself nursing a bottle. From the looks of things, the customer was drowning his sorrows. If only life were that easy. Unfortunately, getting lost in the bottle didn’t fix anything and reality was always waiting for you on the other side.

  Noah glanced over the menu and quickly chose the loaded garbage burger. Anything that combined a burger with bacon, onion rings and barbecue sauce was for him. Sign him up. The messier the better.

  “Sorry about that,” Gray said as he came back. He nodded toward the menu. “Decide what you want?”

  Noah placed his order and pulled his phone from his jacket pocket. He’d apparently had it on vibrate and had missed some texts from Lucy. Worried something was wrong, he opened the messages. Clearly there was no need to worry because his daughter was having a blast.

  One picture had Emma wearing a huge apron tied in knots around her waist and neck. She was holding her hands up, palms out to show all the dough she’d been mixing. He scrolled down to see another, this time a selfie with Emma and Lucy, wide smiles across their faces.

  His heart flipped in that second. There were two wounded souls bonding and living in the moment. They were virtual strangers, yet they appeared to be having the time of their lives. And Noah couldn’t deny that attraction he’d initially had for Lucy grew even more. Something was happening here—nothing he was ready to put a label on quite yet, but definitely something more than just friendship.

  How could that be? He wasn’t ready for more...was he?

  Noah scrolled on to some action shots of Emma kneading the dough and forming it in the bread pans, then the last photo of her holding up a bag of chocolate chips. Obviously cookies were next. There were many things Noah could do with Emma, but baking was definitely not his area of expertise.

  The music in the bar switched from fast-paced to something slow and sultry. Noah took a drink of his soda and glanced around. The woman Gray had been eyeing earlier now danced with one guy, her arms draped lazily around his neck. Noah figured in this small town, he’d hear the gossip soon enough about that pretty blonde. Funny how her short skirt and plaid shirt tied at the waist did nothing for him, but the headstrong dispatcher who dressed on the conservative side did more than he should allow.

  A waitress came with his burger and fries and set the plate next to his drink. “Can I get you anything else?”

  “This will be fine. Thanks.”

  He sent off a text to Lucy informing her he’d be back within the hour. Maybe he’d get to sample the baked goods.

  The commotion behind him caught Noah’s attention. He hadn’t even tasted his burger yet before he was off his stool. Gray was standing between the blonde and the guy she’d been dancing with. The blonde didn’t look happy, neither did Gray, and the other guy was yelling something about Gray minding his own business.

  Noah quickly crossed the scarred floor. “Problem?”

  Gray kept his grip on the guy’s shirt. “Just taking out the garbage.”

  “I can handle myself,” the lady argued.

  The guy in the strangle hold gripped Gray’s wrists. “She shouldn’t dress like that.”

  Gray’s face literally turned red as he reared back with a closed fist. Noah jumped in just in time, but managed to take the brunt of that fist on his jaw. He shoved the other guy out of the way, someone screamed, and Noah held both of his arms out. Keeping these two guys from fighting was key, not the fact his jaw was throbbing.

  “Damn, man. You all right?” Gray asked.

  Noah shot him a glance. “Maybe you need to go in the back and cool off. I’ll take care of things here.”

  Gray glared at the other guy.

  “Now, Gallagher,” Noah demanded.

  Gray turned to the woman and she merely shook her head and went back to her table of friends. Now that Noah was close, he recognized her as one of Lucy’s friends from the meeting that first night.

  Whatever the story was, he was sure he’d hear it because he was going to go have a detailed get-to-know-you meeting with Gray Gallagher very shortly.

  Once Gray left them, Noah turned to the other guy. “What happened?”

  “He tried to punch me.”

  Noah wasn’t in the mood. He had a burger waiting on him and he highly doubted Gray would’ve just sabotaged his business and threatened a patron for no reason. Yes, a woman was a valid motivation for a man to get fired up over, but Noah figured he would’ve heard about issues with Gallagher’s if a bar fight was a normal occurrence.

  “What did you do to her?” Noah asked, thumbing over his shoulder toward Lucy’s friend.

  Of course the guy said nothing, but kept his eyes level with Noah in an arrogant expression.

  “Now would be a good time for you to go.”

  The guy snorted. “And who the hell are you?”

  “Officer Spencer, Stonerock PD.” He waited a beat. “Any more questions?”

  The guy glanced to where Lucy’s friend sat, then back to Noah. “She’s not worth it.”

  “She’s worth more, so get the hell out of here.”

  Muttering a string of curses, the guy headed out of the bar.

  Once he’d left, Noah crossed to the table of ladies. “Everything all right here?”

  Lucy’s friend stared up at him with wide brown eyes. She flashed him a smile that no doubt had many men bowing to her commands. He felt nothing.

  “I’m fine.” She extended her hand. “We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Kate McCoy.”

  Noah shook her hand. “Noah Spencer.”

  “I’ve heard about you from Lucy.”

  Fantastic. Just what he wanted to be part of. Girl gossip.

  “I’m Tara Bailey.” Noah shifted his attention to the raven-haired beauty across the booth. He recognized her from the meeting, too. “I figured Lucy was with you since we invited her out tonight and she turned us down. She never turns us down.”

  They figured she was with him? Just what did that mean? No way was he about to tell them she was with his daughter. That would only add more fodder to the rumor mill. With him being new to town, he was trying like hell to stay off the radar. Plus, being an officer of the law, he prided himself on privacy. Clearly he was failing on both counts.

  “I’m just here for the burgers,” he replied, ready to be done here. “Have a good evening, ladies.”

  As he headed back to his vacated stool, he wondered if he should get his food to go so he could get back to Lucy and Emma. Then he noticed Gray standing on the other side of the counter.

  “Sorry about that.” The bartender gestured toward Noah’s jaw. “You going to arrest me for clocking you?”

  Noah shook his head. “If I thought you meant it for me, you’d already be at the station.”

  Gray gave a clipped nod. “The burger is on the house.”

  Noah laughed. “I’d rather pay for my food.” He rubbed his jaw. “You have a mean hook.”

  Gray eyed the side of Noah’s face and Noah was confident there was a bruise because he knew it was swollen. “How about some ice?”

  “I’ll take care of it when I get home.” Noah took a seat on the stool and rested his elbows on the bar. “Care to tell me what set you off, other than that guy was a jerk?”

  The muscle in Gray’s jaw ticked. “I saw his hands moving toward the hem of her skirt and she shoved him. Then he grabbed her and hauled her against him and I lost it.”

  “Before you lost it, was she aware how you feel about her?”

  Gray laughed and shook his head. “We have a history.”

  “Were you married?”

  “Hell no,” Gray declared. “We’ve been best friends since high school. Lucy, Tara, Kate and me. We grew apart when I went off to the Army, but since I’ve been back, we’ve recon
nected. They come in here pretty often, but Tara and Lucy don’t push my buttons the way Kate does. It’s like she knows exactly how to irritate me.”

  Noah figured he may as well eat while his food was somewhat still warm. “She’s taunting you,” he stated as he picked up his burger. “None of my business. Just offering my unsolicited opinion.”

  He took a bite and nearly groaned. This was the best burger he’d ever had. No wonder the place was so popular.

  “Oh, she’s taunting me, all right.” A waitress came to the bar with an order and Gray grabbed two frosted mugs and filled them with beer before passing them over. “She knows how I feel and it’s like she thrives on it.”

  “Have you dated other women?” Noah asked. “I mean, maybe you should and see if that helps you get over her or makes her realize that she likes you.”

  Gray raked a hand through his hair. “I’m the bar owner. I give advice and opinions to my customers. Not the other way around.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m sure you’ll get your chance with me,” Noah replied as he picked up a chip. “I’m the new guy in town and I’m sure you’ve heard all about my life.”

  “Heard you had a tough time in Texas. Sorry about your loss, man.”

  Noah nodded. “Thanks. It’s hell trying to move on, but there’s little choice when you have a child looking to you for guidance and stability.”

  “We all carry our own hell,” Gray muttered as he glanced to the guy at the end of the bar.

  “What’s his story?” Noah asked.

  Keeping his eyes on the guy toying with his beer bottle, Gray replied, “That’s Sam Bailey.”

  Bailey... Bailey. “Isn’t that the same last name as the lady over there with Kate?”

  “Tara is Sam’s ex-wife. They’ve been divorced for a year. That’s a mess. Hell, he’s a mess.”

  Obviously. “So why is he here if she’s here?”

  Gray grabbed a rag from beneath the counter and started wiping off the pass-through where the waitresses came for drinks. “He comes here all the time for dinner and tends to stick around to talk to me. I think he hates being home, if I’m being honest. He kept the house in the divorce. They have a five-year-old little girl. Sam just told me she’s at his mom’s tonight for a sleepover.”