Second Song Cowboy (Second Chance)

by Rhonda Lee Carver

  She stared at his gloved hand before she placed her palm into his. “There goes a new pair of heels,” she huffed.

  “They’ll wash up, I’m sure,” he said.

  Flicking him an impatient eye, she dropped her hand now that she was standing in the gravel driveway. “Do you have a minute to talk?”

  “No. I have ten things I need to do at once.” She glanced at the bales then her brow shot up in accusation. “Okay, I have a minute, but I’m not sure there’s anything for us to discuss. Usually when people win they don’t come back to taunt the loser.” He dragged off his gloves and tossed them on a nearby bale.

  Her nose wrinkled slightly. “I know you must think I set out to hurt my daughter and you, but that wasn’t my intention.”

  He removed his hat and brushed his fingers through his sweat-soaked hair. “By the way, I know it was you who alerted the media of the engagement. You were the only one around here who didn’t know we were already hitched.” She opened her mouth, but he shook his head. “Don’t bother with explaining. I realize you did it because you thought it’d keep us from getting married. I’d say your intention is clear.” A part of him wanted to be angry with Anneta, but his heart still ached. Over the last week he’d come to the conclusion that April needed time to get her concerns squared away.

  “I really am sorry.” She played with the huge diamond on her right hand. “April will never talk to me again if she finds out.”

  He sighed. “I don’t plan on telling her. I’d rather not see her hurt any more than she probably already is.”

  She blinked. “You really do love my daughter, don’t you?”

  “More than you could possibly understand.”

  “April and you should talk—”

  “If you’ve come as a liaison for April then you need to tell her I’m not interested in a middleman.” He started to walk away.

  “April doesn’t know I’m here.”

  He turned on booted heel. “Then why are you?” He didn’t trust her. Not like she’d given him a reason to.

  “I’m here because, contrary to popular belief, I love my daughter and so it seems that she loves you. Therefore, because I opened my mouth at the party I caused damage that needs fixing.”

  “Is that right? Well, you didn’t force April to invite you to the baby’s ultrasound. And you didn’t have anything to do with her decision, which she made alone, to perform again so soon after the wedding.” Dante just wanted to leave well enough alone. Eventually he and April would have to discuss the baby, but in the meantime, he wanted to get over the pain that had embedded itself deep in his chest. “What’s done is done.” He shrugged.

  “The ultrasound isn’t how you think. April and I were in town, she stopped at her doctor’s office to grab a prescription for her prenatal vitamins. I slipped the technician a hundred to do an ultrasound. I was being selfish because I wanted to see my grandchild.” She sniffed and brought her chin up at a harsh angle. “April didn’t want to do it, but being the pushy mother that I am, I talked her into it. What mother really wants to turn down a glimpse of her unborn child?”

  “I wouldn’t have wanted her to turn down the chance of seeing the baby.” He could be a jerk, but he wasn’t a cold-hearted bastard.

  “April and her manager decided to finish out the scheduled events before she took a hiatus. So yes, maybe her communication isn’t the best, but her intentions are. I don’t think she’s thinking clearly, but if she’s happy then that’s what matters.” She sighed.

  His body went numb. “I want her happiness. I will back her in whatever she decides, but she can’t leave me out of the loop. We’re a family. I guess I’ve been an ass on certain things.”

  “I won’t argue with that statement.” The creases around her eyes softened. “But so have I. It’s not too late for an apology, is it?”

  “No, it’s not. Where’s my wife, Anneta?”

  “At the farm.” She reached into her sweater pocket and pulled out an envelope. “This is for you.”

  He opened the flap and pulled out the paper from inside. The black and white blob meant nothing to him. “What’s this?”

  “Your baby.” She tapped a long fingernail against the paper. “It’s an ultrasound picture.”

  His heart dropped to his boots.

  ****

  April dipped her spoon into the container of rocky road ice cream, scooped up a glob and brought it to her mouth. With the other hand, she scrubbed the tissue across her eyes.

  “You’re a mess.” Kiefer shook his head and pushed his geekshiek glasses further up his nose.

  “Thanks. Just what I wanted to hear.” She filled her mouth and instantly got a brain freeze. “Ow!”

  “I’m going to have to intervene because I care.” He reached for the container and she pulled it out of his reach. “Now, now, April, drop the ice cream.”

  “Ugh!” She handed it over. “It’s only ice cream.”

  “Have you looked at yourself lately?” His brows shot up over cynical gaze. “You look like you’ve crawled out of the dumpster.”

  “What is the big deal? She blew her nose in the tissue and threw it onto the table.

  “This isn’t like you.” He picked up the soiled cloth by the corner and tossed it into the trashcan. “I don’t like babysitting you.”

  “Who asked you to? You’re free to leave any time,” she growled.

  “You don’t mean that.” He rolled his eyes. When she only stared, his bottom lip puckered. “Who else will save you from an ice cream coma?”

  Her mother had already gone and she only wondered when Kiefer would leave too. Without Dante, she was alone no matter who was near. Each day that passed, it became more apparent that he’d left for good. At nineteen, his leaving had split her heart. Now, the entire organ was broken into a million pieces.

  A knock came at the door.

  April lay back onto the cushions. “Tell them to go away.”

  “You don’t even know who it is.”

  “It’s those people coming back trying to sell encyclopedias. Do they realize what year this is?” She buried her face into the pillow, wishing she could block out everything and everyone.

  “I’ll take my phone. If I can get service I’ll show them my book of reference called Google.”

  A few minutes later, April heard voices. She guessed Kiefer was giving the salesperson a lesson in Internet 101.

  “April?”

  The familiar husky voice made her spine tingle. Lifting herself on elbow, she brought her gaze around and met Dante’s. He was a welcome sight.

  “You’re not going to talk to me?” Dante’s gaze narrowed.

  “I-I don’t know what I should say. Why did you come?” She sat up, dragging the pillow with her. Could she be dreaming?

  “I got a visitor today that made me see what an ass I’ve been.” He took a step closer. Dark circles rimmed his eyes and he had a week’s worth of beard growth. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one neglecting personal hygiene.

  “A visitor?” Her voice shook.

  “Believe it or not, your mother stopped by on her way out of town. She explained some things.”

  Dropping her feet to the floor, the pillow followed. “Like what?”

  “I was so caught up in what I wanted that I failed to see how things really are. You’re my wife, the love of my life, my better half. No matter what life throws at us I’m prepared to endure the storm, to reap the rewards of happiness, to be the best father our child could ask for. I can only do this with you by my side. And if we weren’t already hitched, I’d ask you again. I’d ask you every day until you agreed. Because, sweetheart, we belong together.”

  Tears rolled down her cheeks and she swiped them away. Jumping up from the couch, she started to throw herself into his arms when a thought came to mind. “I’ll be back.” She backed toward the stairs.

  “Where are you going?” He followed close behind.

  “Don’t get too close. I stink.
I’ll run and take a quick shower…”

  He crossed the short distance in two quick strides and wrapped his arms around her. “You’re still the loveliest woman I’ve ever laid eyes upon.”

  Cradling her head on his shoulder, she peered up at him as her heart burst with love. “If you are here then you must never leave again. We must promise that we jump the hurdles together. I can’t go another fifteen years—another minute—without you, my best friend, lover and mate.”

  “Always, my love. But you can’t shut me out.”

  “Never again.”

  “Our love is forever. You’ll write songs of the greatness,” he said.

  “My first song is, I love you.”

  “And I love you. Whatever you decide about your music career I’m okay with. I want you to be happy.”

  Her eyes blurred with tears. “And whatever I decide we’ll make the decision together, as a family, for our family. This is my promise.”

  The End.

  From the author:

  Thank you for reading Second Song Cowboy. If you’ve enjoyed it and want to share the news, please leave a review.

  Hugs,

  Rhonda Lee Carver “Writing Men Who Love to Get Their Hands Dirty…”

  At an early age, Rhonda fell in love with romance novels, knowing one day she’d write her own love story. Life took a short detour, but when the story ideas would no longer be contained, she decided to dive in and write. Her first rough draft was on a dirty napkin she found buried in her car. Eventually, she ran out of napkins. With baby on one hip and laptop on the other, she made a dream into reality—one word at a time.

  Her specialty is men who love to get their hands dirty and women who are smart, strong and flawed. She loves writing about the everyday hero.

  When Rhonda isn't crafting sizzling manuscripts, you will find her busy editing novels, blogging, juggling kids and animals (too many to name), dreaming of a beach house and keeping romance alive. Oh, and drinking lots of coffee.

  I hope you’ve enjoyed Second Song Cowboy (Book 5 of the Second Chance Series)

  For other titles by Rhonda Lee Carver, please visit:

  www.rhondaleecarver.com

  Find me on Facebook, too!

  www.facebook.com/rhondalee.carver

  Other books by Rhonda Lee Carver

  Diamond in a Rose

  Double Dare

  Delaney’s Sunrise

  Second Chance Cowboy (Book 1, Second Chance Series)

  Second Ride Cowboy (Book 2, Second Chance Series)

  Second Round Cowboy (Book 3, Second Chance Series)

  Second Dance Cowboy (Book 4, Second Chance Series)

  Castle’s Fortress

  Dreaming Ivy

  Friends With Benefits

  Sin With Cuffs

  With Honor

  Wicked Pleasures (Book 1, Wicked Wolves Series)

  Wicked Lust (Book 2, Wicked Wolves Series)

  Fighting Flames

  Coming Summer 2014

  Book 6, Second Chance Series

  Have you read Fighting Flames (Available at Amazon)? If not, here’s an excerpt I hope you’ll enjoy.

  One year ago…

  The elevator doors slid open and Karsyn Page exited the cubicle into the quiet parking garage. She’d spent another late night in the office and everyone else had already gone home.

  Digging to the bottom of her purse, she finally found her keys after wading through tubes of lipstick, a bottle of lotion, receipts and coins. She clicked the unlock button on her keypad, the car beeped twice and she quickly headed toward the Lexus. Her fingers were on the handle when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned and scanned the dim garage. Nothing.

  She never liked parking in the garage, but the alternative meant walking a mile in heels in the snow.

  A sense of relief spread through her when she pulled the door open.

  “Karsyn Page.”

  She jerked and spun, her keys fell from her hand as she looked up into the pale features of the man who’d startled her. Alarm sped through her, making her limbs tingle and the hair stand on her neck. “Robert? You scared me. What are you doing here? We didn’t have an appointment, did we?” Even as the questions left her tongue, she knew the answers. No client ever approached her outside of the office.

  Robert and Lilith Wall had started counseling six months ago when he was caught cheating with his secretary. After Lilith had threatened divorce, he’d pleaded for her to attend counseling with him. That’s when Karsyn came into the picture. At first, Robert seemed like a typical mid-life crisis victim, until he stopped taking his meds for psychosis. He then discontinued the weekly sessions when Karsyn suggested that he should seek individual counseling to handle some underlying issues from his past.

  Her mind quickly filtered through his case file. It’d been a while since she’d seen him. His wife had complained of his temper, but he’d never been violent, at least as far as Karsyn knew.

  “Lilith left me.” He drove a shaking hand through his disheveled hair. His piercing green eyes were cold and distant.

  “Robert, I’m sorry, but since you’re no longer accompanying Lilith to counseling sessions, I can’t discuss the issues. If you two decide to start again, I’d be glad to schedule you.” The corner of his mouth lowered. His glare made her instincts strike full alert. In the five years that she’d been a therapist, she’d never encountered a disgruntled client, but she knew what signs to look for.

  His pupils were dilated. Sweat covered his forehead and dampened the armpits of his shirt. His breathing was shallow. He had all of the signs of danger. She impulsively took a side- step to gain some safe distance.

  “She left me and it’s your fault. You told her to leave, and now the bitch is seeing someone else!” His breathing grew heavier.

  Karsyn’s adrenaline spiked as she talked her nerves down. She’d been trained on manic patients, but now, faced with the encounter, some of her confidence was lost. “Why don’t we go to my office and discuss things? I’m sure we’d both be more comfortable there. I can get you a glass of water.” Where was the security guard? She subtly looked over Robert’s shoulder and scanned the empty garage. Any other time, the guard would be tripping over himself gawking at her.

  “We tried that, remember? It didn’t work. You two cunts schemed against me. I should have made her stop coming to see you. I should have taken care of this long ago.” He paced on the balls of his feet, rocking back and forth, as one brow twitched. Beads of sweat ran down his cheeks.

  “Robert, I understand you’re angry and upset. You and Lilith have problems that are difficult to work through. When faced with—”

  “Shut up, you bitch! No more of your two-cent theories on how to make my marriage work. I wonder how many other relationships you’ve destroyed in your career of making people miserable.” He clenched his hands into fists and the air left Karsyn’s lungs.

  Realizing she couldn’t talk him down, she focused on getting away. Her keys were on the floor, useless as a weapon. Her three-inch heel would be a second choice, but by the time she got it off her foot, he’d be on her. She took another step to her left, but this time he stepped with her, blocking her. “Whatever you plan to do, Robert, you need to think over the consequences. If you do something to harm me, you’ll go to prison and there won’t be an opportunity to work things out with Lilith.” Her mind sifted through logical reasoning.

  He shoved a hand deep into his back pocket, and when he brought it out, he opened his palm, showing her the small knife. The sharp blade glistened in warning. “My relationship is over.”

  Karsyn threw her purse at his face, which gave her a second head start, but she didn’t get far in her high heels on the slippery cement floor. His heavy footsteps quickened as her breathing grew louder in her ears. She reached the elevator door, slammed the button, and just as the doors came open she felt a sharp blow to her back, sending her to her knees. Liquid heat streamed down her waist and into a puddle
around her. Blood.

  She fell face-first into the elevator compartment.

  “Put the knife down or I’ll shoot!” Through a fuzzy tunnel, Karsyn heard the booming voice. Too late for help. I’m dying.

  Her body became weightless.

  A shot splintered the air as everything turned black.