Cowboy Strong (Cowboy Up Book 5)

by Allison Merritt

  “I’m sorry. I just…I’m sorry.” No excuses. Only apology.

  She could get on board with that, actually.

  “I had a lot to say back, but I…well.” He leaned against the doorjamb, half in the room, half in the doorway, shoved his fingers in his pockets. “I have a confession.”

  “Another one?”

  “I faked sleep that night after sex.” Wait, what? “I didn’t want to talk, and I figured—hoped, I guess—that you’d take off if you thought I was asleep. Also, I faked, er…the final event.”

  How could that even be a thing? “Why?” His final event had been pretty much the whole point of the other events leading up to it. “How? Why?” she asked again.

  “I couldn’t. I mean…knowing I’d hurt you made me feel sick. But you insisted I go on. So I pretended.”

  She let that sink in. He’d pretended—of course with a condom she’d have no way of knowing if he’d actually, er…finished.

  “And then I knew you’d got nothing good out of the whole thing. Figured you were pretty damn disappointed. After you left I felt like an ass, but I couldn’t call. Tried a hundred times. A day went by, then another, and I couldn’t face you.”

  “Wow. I guess it really was bad sex that night.” She shook her head. “Sorry. I ruined it for both of us, huh?”

  “It’s in the past.” He pulled the folded paper out of his pocket, held it up then hid it away again. “To sort of sum this up… I’m so happy you’re okay.” He pushed away from the doorjamb, and sat sideways on the bed, facing her. Taking her hands in his as she turned to face him, he said, “Really happy.”

  “Me too.” She supposed if she’d died she couldn’t be sad, but being dead would mean not being with Dallas.

  “Because I want you to be my girlfriend. But only because you want to be. Not because I’m basically the only dude left in the world. I mean, if you want to live here and not be together, that’s okay.” He grinned. “I’ll cry tears of anguish every day, and probably quit eating forever and write terrible sad poems, but it’s okay.”

  “I do. Want to be your girlfriend.” Maybe permanently.

  “You’re sure? Because if you only felt that way when you thought you were dying…”

  “Dallas.” She squeezed his hands. “If you don’t kiss me, I’m going to kiss you.”

  “Well, I have one last confession first.”

  “Good grief. Now what?”

  “I saw your boobs.” What the hell? “Ogled them, basically. For probably a couple minutes, when I went out to the trailer to check on you that morning. A couple of really good minutes.” Her mouth was hanging open again, so she snapped it shut. “I had on the gas mask and probably sounded like horny Darth Vader just staring at this sleeping chick with no shirt. When I came back with the doctor book, I covered you before I woke you up so you wouldn’t know.”

  “Wow. Some kind of creeper you are.” She tried to be mad at him, but he was so earnest and honest about it…so cute. She wanted to laugh. “You’ve gotta pay. You owe me.”

  “Owe you?” His voice went so high!

  She leveled her stare on those dark, dark eyes. “When we sleep together again, you’re getting naked first. Head to toe, before I drop a stitch of clothing.”

  He half-nodded. “Guess that’s fair.”

  “And it has to be light in the room. No hiding under cover of darkness.”

  Was he blushing, thinking of being naked in front of her?

  “And, Dallas?”

  “Hmm?” Still with the high voice.

  “I warned you.” She leaned into him, pressed her lips to his, slipped her tongue between his half-open lips. “Mmm. Tasty,” she murmured.

  “Hey. That’s my line.” Warm and strong, his hands cupped the sides of her face.

  She moved closer so she straddled him, pressed her chest to his. “You wanta see my boobs?”

  “Nah. I hate those things. Yuck.” His hands slid through her hair, down her back, squeezed her butt.

  She moaned, sucked in a breath. “I want you.”

  “Have me.”

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Born and raised in itty-bitty Rifle, Colorado, Autumn Piper studiously avoided trouble…but is now inclined toward it, particularly in her novels. She thinks the best things in life are funny, and the runners-up, romantic.

  An admitted carb addict, Autumn writes, edits, manages two teenagers, one husband and many supersize houseplants, and does the cooking and cleaning when forced to.

  Autumn’s website:

  www.autumnpiper.com

  Reader Email:

  Piper.autumn@gmail.com

  Amazon Author page:

  http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003G79D8Y

  Goodreads page:

  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2980295.Autumn_Piper

  Facebook page:

  https://www.facebook.com/AutumnPiperWrites

  Welcome Home, Cowboy

  Sara Walter Ellwood

  Other Books by Sara Walter Ellwood

  Colton Gamblers Series

  Gambling On A Secret

  Gambling On A Heart

  Gambling On A Dream

  **

  Singing to the Heart Series

  Heartstrings

  Heartsong

  Heartland

  **

  Paranormal Romance: The Hunter’s Dagger Series

  A Hunter’s Demon

  A Hunter’s Angel

  A Hunter’s Blade (by Cera duBois)

  Welcome Home, Cowboy

  Copyright 2017 by Sara F. (Walter) Ellwood

  All rights reserved.

  Who says you can’t ever go home?

  When Lorelei Kent’s husband of five years tells her he’s in love with another man, she fears she’ll never find love again.

  The last place in the world playboy bull rider Tucker O’Connell wants to be is back on the ranch.

  Can Tucker make Lorelei welcome him home? Or will his secret promise destroy any chance they might have had?

  DEDICATION

  I’d like to thank my co-authors, for making these experiences amazing.

  CHAPTER 1

  After fifteen years, she should have known the man she’d married. Turned out she hadn’t known him at all.

  Lorelei Kent Turner didn’t bother reading the pages of legal nonsense explaining her five-year marriage was over. The agreement had been set months ago when Danny filed for divorce. There wasn’t much to it except she’d get everything she’d brought into the marriage, and they’d share custody of their four year old daughter. She shook off the disillusionment rising in her every time she thought Danny’s betrayal and glanced at her sister and lawyer, Jessica Kent.

  “Life can be a real bitch.”

  Jess let out an unbecoming snort and leaned forward in her chair. “Yes, it is. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t have a job.”

  With an overwhelming sense of relief conflicting with her numbing dread, she picked up the fancy pen Jess laid on the glossy dark tabletop in front of her and signed her name with a shaky hand.

  She pushed the divorce decree across the table to her sister, who picked up the papers and laid them to the side. “What do you plan to do?”

  “What’s left to do but get on with my life?” As Lorelei laid the heavy pen on the table with a soft, hollow clunk, she shrugged and swallowed hard. “Reinvent myself?” She glanced at her hands and tucked her fingers under her palms to hide her bitten fingernails. “You know what’s really crazy, I can’t be angry at Danny any more. In fact, I’m kind of happy for him. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I am. I knew for years something wasn’t right. Sex became non-existent after Jenna was born. We never had much passion between us.” It was her turn to choke out a short, bitter laugh. “Guess we know why now.”

  Jess reached over and rested her smooth manicured hand over Lorelei’s rougher one. Her hands showed the damage done from repeated washings with harsh hospital-grade soaps and alcohol-base
d sanitizers. “Don’t you dare beat yourself up over this.”

  Lorelei stared at their hands and eased hers out from under Jess’s long, graceful fingers. “I’m not. I’m glad it’s over. I don’t even blame Danny, but I feel--I don’t know--inadequate,” she said in a hoarse whisper. “Like I’m a failure as a woman.” She shook herself. “I know it sounds crazy, but God, I loved him, though he could never truly love me.”

  Jess took back her hand and squeezed it, forcing Lorelei to look at her. “You are not inadequate. You are not a failure, and it’s not your fault Danny was never into you.” She tightened her grip on Lorelei’s hand. “Y’all shouldn’t have married in the first damn place. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s the fault of society, grandpa’s constant suggestions you should, and his bigoted parents who made him feel like he had to get married to a woman or he wasn’t normal. His leaving you has nothing to do with you. His not being truly in love with you has nothing to do with you. You are a beautiful, passionate woman.”

  With a shrug, her sister sat back and crossed her arms over her designer blouse. “No woman could have turned his head. For God’s sake, I suspected Danny Turner was gay in high school when I tried to steal him away from you.”

  With a gasp of surprise, Lorelei widened her eyes and stared at Jessica. “You what?”

  “It was during one of the times we were fighting.” She waved a hand in dismissal. “Anyway, I wanted to get back at you for telling grandpa about my skipping school to go into Waco with Adam Graves.”

  “I told you he tricked me into telling him.”

  “I know that now. I didn’t at the time.” Her grin turned sardonic. “Though it wasn’t the only reason. I was furious Tucker O’Connell was more interested in you than me.”

  Lorelei narrowed her eyes at Jess. Her sister made a perfect lawyer in many ways. Her sneaky, sometimes-back-stabbing ways the least of them. She ignored her comment about Tucker and went straight to the point. “Tell me about you and Danny.”

  “Nothing much to tell. I went to the bunkhouse and waited for him.” Danny had worked as a hand on their grandparents’ ranch. “He found me in his bed naked, and I told him I wanted to screw him.”

  When Lorelei gasped, Jess laughed and shook her head of stylish, short blond hair. “He sputtered, refused to look at me, and turned so red I thought he’d blow a gasket. Of course he told me he’d never cheat on you, but I thought something was off. I mean we have always looked like twins.”

  Yeah, then, not now. Now, her sister outshined her like a Thoroughbred did a donkey.

  Jess glanced away, her lashes covering her blue eyes, as a flush darkened her cheeks and turned her ears red. At least, she had the ability to look ashamed. “You remember how I was. I was reckless when it came to men.”

  “I remember.” Lorelei crossed her arms over her chest. “You know most people called you a whore. I defended you and you tried to seduce my boyfriend.”

  She looked at Lorelei and shrugged one shoulder as her face turned a deeper shade of ruby. “I’m sorry. I was a terrible person, but I’m not telling you this for spitefulness--or even for forgiveness. I’m telling you this to make you understand it isn’t you. When I said something was off, what I meant was he didn’t act like every other hormone-happy, hot-blooded eighteen-year-old male. He didn’t want to look at me and the first startled look was of fear, not interest or even surprise. Hell, the room was dim. There was no reason he wouldn’t have thought I was you at first glance. Besides, I’ve surprised at least five or maybe six boys back then, pulling the same stunt, and I’d never seen that expression before, even from Tucker O’Connell, who did reject my offer, by the way.”

  Hot-blooded playboy Tucker O’Connell had turned down her sister? Which did surprise her and made her happy for some reason.

  Regarding Jess’s seduction attempt of Danny, Lorelei couldn’t be angry at her. “Okay. But if you guessed he was gay, why the hell didn’t you tell me?”

  “Would you have believed me?”

  Lorelei shook her head and looked down at her hands as she let out a long breath. “No, probably not. I loved him. I guess I thought the way he acted toward me was just the way real people in love acted. Let’s face it, Grandpa and Nana never even kissed in front of us--at least not more than a friendly peck now and again and they never spoke of love.”

  If her grandparents loved each other, they never showed it, but she and Jessica believed they did. Grandpa never cheated on Nana, or she on him--at least she nor her sister had ever found out about it. Not for the first time, she wondered about their parent’s relationship. Had their marriage been full of love and passion? If it wasn’t for the photos her grandparents had scattered around the house, she wouldn’t remember what they looked like. They’d died in a boating accident when she was four and Jess was three-years-old. She could only hope Jenna wouldn’t recall her passionless marriage and be as willing as she’d been in accepting an unsatisfying physical relationship because her parents never had one?

  Jess broke into her thoughts. “What do you think about Danny’s suggestion we hire Tucker O’Connell as manager of the ranch?”

  “I still can’t believe he’d make the suggestion, but I’m glad.” Lorelei had to give Danny credit, he hadn’t abandoned his duties as their manager, at least not until they both decided he should give up the job. “Tucker is good with horses and cattle, and he knows the ranch from the years his dad managed the place and from his years of working on it before he decided to ride rodeo.” She shrugged. “What are your feelings on it? It would make him more available for…”

  When she didn’t complete her thought, Jess glared at her. “If you’re asking, do I want him in my bed? Then the answer is no.” Jessica had not made it a secret she’d wanted him when they were younger. She’d even made a pass at him at her and Danny’s wedding. She’d been the maid of honor; Tucker had been the best man. “I’m not the Kent sister he’s interested in.”

  Lorelei narrowed her eyes at Jess’s tone of voice, more than her words. “Are you suggesting he wanted me?”

  Her sister only gave her one of her infuriating sly smiles and shrugged.

  She changed the subject. “What about my name change?”

  “I submitted the forms to the appropriate offices. You should be notified in a few weeks when you can legally begin using Kent again.”

  “Thanks, Jess. At least I don’t have to change my medical license, which would be a pain in the behind.” With a glance at her watch, she took a deep breath and rose to her feet. “I better go. I have to work this evening. I’ll drop Jenna off at your house at three o’clock.”

  With a nod, Jess also stood. “I’ll be there.” Although she owned half the ranch, she lived in her own house in a Waco suburb. “You’ll pick her up at one AM?”

  “If I have to stay late, I’ll call.”

  “In that case, let her stay. I can bring her over to the ranch in the morning.”

  “I hate to have you drive all the way out to Kentland, then back to Waco.” The city was fifty miles north of the ranch. Lorelei was glad her sister was willing to watch Jenna when she had to work. Normally, she’d left her with Danny and his--what was the proper term? Lover, fiancé, boyfriend? But they weren’t going to be home.

  Jessica smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I don’t mind.”

  “Thank you.” Jessica was nothing like she had been when it came to men, but Lorelei’s reliance on her sister as her backup babysitter had to be cramping her sister’s style. “I really do appreciate you taking care of her. I’m trying to get on the morning shift, but it’s hard to move around, especially with MaryAnn leaving,” she said referring to one of her fellow doctors in the emergency department at the Waco hospital where she worked.

  “Stop worrying. I love my niece and don’t mind taking care of her.” She stepped around the table and took Lorelei into her arms. Jessica’s high heels made her taller than Lorelei by a good five inches. As she hugged her, Jess
said, “I love you, Sissy.”

  Lorelei smiled at the childhood nickname and squeezed her best friend back. “I love you, too, Jissy.”

  * * * *

  Tucker O’Connell paused to turn his Silverado off the main street into a complex of Spanish style townhouse, which were new since his last visit in town. He glanced at the sign over the entrance--Kentland Homes. So, the Kents were now into real estate.

  When he came to the second unit on the right, he pulled against the curb and looked up at the townhome his best friend shared with his lover. He hadn’t been surprised when Danny Turner called him to announce he was getting divorced and the reason why. For twenty years, he’d suspected Danny’s secret--ever since they were in junior high. They’d been friends forever; they were also cousins--their mothers were sisters. When they’d gone to Texas A and M, they’d been roommates, until Tucker decided college wasn’t worth the price and joined the rodeo circuit.

  He’d won his way to the NFR three times, then his luck soured. Every bull rider got hurt, but occasionally the accents were serious enough to render the rider damaged for life. Six months ago at the last NFR, the bull Tucker had drawn had tossed him into the dirt, catching his back with a horn. He’d been rolled over twice before the bullfighters got the big, mean son-of-a-bitch away from him. The docs said he was lucky he could walk, but his rodeo career was toast.

  With a grunt of discomfort as pain shot down his legs from his spine, he got out of the pickup and set his black Stetson on his head. The sound of a water sprinkler and the birds in the shrubs under the windows greeted him as he headed up the walk to the front door.

  A tall man with dark hair and a warm smile opened the door after he rang the bell. He held out his hand and Tucker shook it.