Cowboy Strong (Cowboy Up Book 5)

by Allison Merritt

  “We had a bad storm last night and several trees were blown down taking out the fencing. You know how it goes.” He nodded, and she made a gesture toward the inside. “Would you like to come in?”

  He picked up Jenna’s suitcase from where he’d set it down. The sunlight glinted off the wide silver band on his left ring finger. The band she’d given to him had been gold. She expected to feel hurt at the reminder he no longer, maybe never truly loved her. But it didn’t come. She actually felt nothing. With a smile, she stepped aside and let him come in. She closed the door behind him.

  “So, you and Paul had a nice ceremony?” she asked as she moved into the living room. She motioned for him to have a seat.

  He set the case down and settled on the couch opposite from her. “Yeah, it was nice. Small.” He smiled and looked down at his folded hands. “Nothing like our wedding. Only a couple of Paul’s friends and his parents were there. And Jenna, of course.”

  She laughed, and he glanced at her. “Our wedding was a circus.” His mother had invited everyone she’d ever met. The guest list numbered five-hundred people. “I didn’t know more than a quarter of the people there.”

  He tilted his head. “You’re okay?”

  She took a deep breath and let it out. “If you’re asking me if I’ve forgiven you, I’m getting there, and I’m okay.”

  “So, Tucker’s living here?”

  “Yes.” Before she could say much else, Jenna ran into the room and climbed onto Lorelei’s lap.

  They listened while she told them in breathless sentences about her time at the amusement park and in Northern California, where the wedding took place at Paul’s parents’ winery. Apparently, she’d accepted his parents as another set of grandparents.

  After awhile of laughing at his daughter’s story, Danny stood. He carried Jenna’s case upstairs. When he returned a moment later, he kissed Jenna on the forehead and bid goodbye to Lorelei.

  She walked him out to the door. “Are you taking Jenna next week?”

  He turned and shoved his hands into his pockets. “No, Paul and I are leaving for France next Monday. We’ll be home in two weeks. He has a gallery showing in Paris, and we thought we’d…ah…turn it into a honeymoon of sorts.”

  “Oh. Okay, We can talk about how we’d like to share custody when you come home.”

  He nodded and glanced away. “Thank you again for letting Paul and me have her there for our special day. It really meant a lot to me.”

  “I wouldn’t keep her away from you, Danny. She’s as much your daughter as she is mine. I know you love her, and Paul adores her.” Without thinking about her actions, she rested a hand on his forearm. “I wish your parents would accept you.”

  He snorted and shook his head. “I’m lost to them, Lorelei. Until they accept Paul and who I am, I don’t need them.” He rested his hand over hers and squeezed. “Thank you for limiting Jenna’s exposure to their bigotry.”

  “I don’t want her around it either. They’re mad at me, but I don’t give a damn. Jenna won’t be exposed to their hatred. It’s not right.” She smiled and slipped her hand out of his. “Congratulations, Danny. Tell Paul I said hello.”

  He gave her a questioning head tilt again, then smiled. “I will. Tell Tucker I’ll see him later.”

  She watched him drive away, and for the first time ever, she felt completely okay with their situation. Maybe she’d completely forgiven him. He was happy with the love of his life, and as she thought of Tucker, she smiled. She’d found the love of her life.

  Now, if he could only love her back.

  * * * *

  That evening Tucker entered the kitchen tired to the bone and wasn’t ready for the impact of the little girl crashing into his legs. He stumbled, and before he could catch himself, he landed hard on his backside.

  “Uncle Tucker!” she screeched as she clambered onto his lap and hugged him.

  He laughed and wrapped his arms around Jenna. “Squirt. You’ve grown.”

  He hadn’t seen her since before Thanksgiving almost nine months ago, and she must have sprouted five inches.

  “I’m a big girl.” She crowed and kissed him on the cheek, then wrinkled her nose. “You stink, Uncle Tucker.”

  He put her away and stood up. “Yes, I do.”

  “Do I want to know how you got on the floor?” A light laugh behind him had him turning around. Lorelei leaned against the doorframe of the entryway hall looking as fresh as a dewy morning in white cutoff shorts and a pink tank top.

  “I was bowled over by a three-foot holy terror.”

  She laughed again and headed toward him. “So, did you get the fences fixed?”

  “Took all day, but yes.” He stepped toward her and was going to give her a quick kiss, but held back, not because he wore the result of a hard day working in the brutal July sun, rather because of the pair of blue eyes staring curiously up at them.

  As if she recognized his hesitation, she smiled and touched his arm. When he looked at her, she leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. “Go get a shower. Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes.”

  He reentered the kitchen fresh from his shower as Lorelei placed a pan of lasagna in the center of the table. He wanted to take her into his arms and kiss her thoroughly, but he wouldn’t until they discussed their relationship with Jenna. “Mmm… This smells delicious.”

  Jenna climbed onto a chair and grinned. “Noodles and sauce. My favorite.”

  He ruffled the girl’s dark hair and sat in the chair beside her. “Mine too. My mama used to make this for me when I was little.”

  Lorelei tossed a pair of hot pads onto the counter behind her and took the seat on the other side of Jenna. “This is your mom’s recipe.”

  He paused in pouring iced tea into her glass. “My mom’s?”

  She dished a portion out onto Jenna’s plate. “Yeah. Your mother gave it to me years ago.” Tucker’s mother worked for the Kents as cook and housekeeper until she retired and moved to Arizona. Afterward, her sister-in-law Frances took over the job. “Your mom was an amazing cook.”

  He finished pouring tea into their glasses, while she dished out the lasagna. Tucker asked Jenna about her trip and for the entire meal she chattered on about Disney princesses and scary rides, then about her trip to Paul’s parents’ home and the wedding. Lorelei had to remind her more than once to eat her dinner. She gave him an exasperated look he easily read as couldn’t you have kept quiet until after dinner? He grinned as he devoured his meal, enjoying Jenna’s exuberance.

  As they put the dishes into the dishwasher, Lorelei’s phone rang. She answered it and frowned as she listened. She mouthed the word hospital to him, and irritation spiked her words when she spoke. “Sam, I can’t come in tonight. Jenna came home today.”

  Dr. Sam Vaughn--her boss. It was Sunday and Lorelei didn’t normally work today. Had something horrible happen?

  She sighed after a brief moment of listening. “Okay, I’ll be there. It will take me a good two hours to get there. I’ll have to find someone to take care of Jenna.”

  After a brief farewell, she hit the disconnect button, and looked up at him. “Mason Anderson had to leave. His wife just went into labor. And since they haven’t replaced MaryAnn yet, the ER is really short doctors.”

  “You’ll have to go, but don’t worry about Jenna. I’ll take care of her.”

  She beamed a smile at him and took his face between her hands. “Thank you.”

  He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him as she kissed him thoroughly.

  When they finally parted, he said, “Have a good night. I’ll have a nice date with a pint-sized princess.”

  She kissed him again. “The Disney movies are on the bottom shelf of the entertainment center. Have fun, Prince Charming.”

  “I thought I was a cowboy, not a prince.”

  She laid a hand on his cheek, and the look in her eyes made heat flow through him. “You’re my cowboy, but you can be Jenna�
�s prince.”

  * * * *

  Lorelei entered the kitchen and set her stuff on the counter. The soft glow of the TV drew her into the living room. The movie was long over and the static filled screen provided enough light see Tucker asleep on the couch with Jenna draped over his chest. The sight stopped Lorelei’s heart, and she put her hand to her mouth. Jenna was dressed in the blue dress of Princess Elsa, while Tucker’s hair had been braided and clipped to his head with an assortment of Jenna’s plastic barrettes. A paper crown and a cardboard sword lay on the floor in front of the couch.

  Love so fierce washed over her, she was momentarily dizzy from it and tears prickled at the corners of her eyes. She struggled to get her emotions under control, before picking up the controller from the coffee table and turning off the TV. When she shifted Jenna out of Tucker’s arms, he awakened.

  She smiled and held her sleeping daughter to her shoulder. “I thought the prince was supposed wake Sleeping Beauty up, not fall under the same spell.”

  With a groan, he moved to sit on the edge of the couch. “Maybe not, but this prince spent the day doing hard labor.” He pointed to Jenna. “I think her adventures finally caught up with her, too. She fell asleep about twenty minutes into the movie. I must have followed her not long after.”

  Why hadn’t he taken her to bed? Lorelei’s heart squeezed a little. Had he wanted to hold Jenna while she slept?

  “What time is it?”

  “A little after three.” She hoisted Jenna a little higher on her shoulder. The little girl was getting too long and heavy for Lorelei to handle, especially the dead weight of her sleeping form. “C’mon, let me get you both to bed.”

  He stood and stretched his back with a groan. When he reached up to touch the multiple clips in his hair, he winced. “I think I’m being scalped.”

  “Looks like she had fun.”

  “Here, let me take her.” He lifted the heavy solid weight of Jenna from her and into his own arms, then together they headed to the stairs. “She did. We played hide and seek for a while in the yard. Afterwards, she did this to my hair in preparation for watching Frozen. She said I had to look the part of the handsome prince. We even made a crown and a sword.”

  Her throat tightened, but at the same time she wanted to laugh. “I saw them on the floor.”

  They reached the top, and he headed into Jenna’s room. He waited until Lorelei pulled the coverlet down before laying her down. Jenna moaned and woke up a bit as Lorelei wrestled her out of her play dress and into her nightgown. She kissed her daughter’s forehead and brushed the soft flyaway hair from her face, then whispered close to her ear, “I love you, sweetheart.”

  Tucker paused for her in the doorway and moved to the side to let her come out. As she stepped into the hallway, he reached for the door. She was about to tell him not to close it the whole way, but she needn’t say a word. He left the door ajar and took her hand.

  He led her into her bedroom. She switched on the light and turned down the dimmer. He tugged on one of the barrettes holding together his elaborate hairdo and yelped, “Ouch. I feel like I’ve been thrown head-first into a roll of barbwire.”

  With a laugh, she took his hand again and led him to her vanity. “Sit down and let me take this out.”

  He took a seat facing the mirror. “Thanks. I’d sleep with this in, but I think I’ve permanently damaged myself from the few hours I was asleep on the couch.”

  Despite some of the little plastic barrettes being tangled into his naturally curly hair, she made quick work at taking them out. “You know it was nice of you to let her do this to you.”

  He shrugged and met her gaze through her reflection. “Don’t think anything about it. I loved playing with her. She’s a really special little girl.”

  She took the last barrette out and picked up her hairbrush. As she worked the braids and tangles out of his hair, she said, “What you did tonight was pretty special, too. You’ll make an amazing father someday, Tucker.”

  He twisted around and took the brush from her hand. “Maybe, but I’m okay with being only an uncle until the time is right.”

  CHAPTER 8

  Today, Tucker was going to tell Lorelei how he felt. He laid his razor down and smoothed a hand over his cheek as he stared in the mirror. He’d been a coward for long enough. She might tell him she didn’t feel the same, but he believed she did. Last night, the way she looked at him bolstered his resolve. He’d seen something in her eyes he hadn’t seen before.

  Lorelei had left after breakfast to take Jenna to the pediatrician for her annual checkup. She’d promised when she returned they’d sit down with Jenna and explain their relationship. He wasn’t sure he could describe what was between them. Did Lorelei think of him as her boyfriend? If she did, she had to feel something more for him than just lust and friendship?

  After he put his stuff away, he headed downstairs to the office. About an hour into going over the accounts, Frances knocked on his door. “Tucker, Danny’s here to see you.”

  He pushed the laptop to the side and stood. “Send him in. Thanks, Aunt Frances.”

  Danny entered the room and held out his hand to Tucker. “You look good behind there.”

  Tucker shook his friend’s hand. “I’ll never be as good at this bookkeeping stuff as my dad. Or you.” He motioned for Danny to take a seat and sat in his leather chair. “I’d take any day working the range over this.”

  Danny snorted and leaned back in his seat. “Can’t argue with you there. Lorelei said you had some tree damage done to a few fences.”

  “Yeah, the stretch of ponderosas and oaks between the hayfield and the east pasture. Took all damn day to fix the broken sections because we had to cut down the trees. Fortunately, none of the cattle got out into the hay. That would have been a mess.” He tapped his fingers on the top of the desk. “Would you like something to drink?”

  Danny shook his head. “No, thanks. I just stopped by to find out how things are going. I would have asked Lorelei, but I figured she’d only tell me to ask you.”

  Tucker leaned forward and rested his arms on the desktop. “Lorelei knows wants going on. I’ve been showing her how to take care of this place. She shouldn’t ever have to rely on someone else.”

  Danny didn’t hide his surprise. “Good. I wanted to include her in more of the running of the ranch, but she never seemed too interested.”

  With a shrug, Tucker said, “Maybe she realized the danger in her lack of knowledge.”

  It wasn’t a barb toward Danny, but the way he tightened his lips, Tucker suspected he took it as such.

  “So, what’s going on between you and Lorelei? Have you take me up on my suggestion? She said you moved in.”

  “I moved in because the bunkhouse is gone and living at my sister’s wasn’t an option.” He purposely ignored the other man’s questions.

  Danny stared at him. “Please don’t tell me you haven’t slept with her yet. Tucker, what are you waiting for?”

  “What the hell are you talking about, Danny?”

  Both men looked up to find Lorelei standing in the doorway. From her expression of incredulity, she’d heard a great deal.

  Tucker stood up the same time Danny did. He came around the desk and held out his hand to her. “Lorelei, it’s not what you think.”

  She glared at him and jerked away. “Not what I think. Sounds to me like my ex-husband told you to sleep with me. Is it true?”

  Before Tucker could respond, Danny said, “Yes.”

  She let out a bitter laugh. “Do you think I’m so pitiful I can’t possibly find my own man?” With fists balled at her sides, she turned on Tucker. “So, was I just another one of you flings after all?”

  “No.” He took a step toward her but stopped when she gritted her teeth and scowled at him. “No,” he repeated a little more forcefully. “Lorelei, I wanted you for so long.”

  When he paused to calm his frantic thoughts, Danny jumped in. “Lorelei, Tucker’s been in love
with you since we were teenagers. I only gave him a gentle budge to go after you.”

  “What?” Some of the fierceness melted out of her face.

  This was his chance, and he took it. “It’s true. I have loved you since eighth grade.”

  She stared at him. “But you never said anything.”

  “Would it have changed anything?”

  She blinked and a single tear rolled down her cheek. “I don’t know.”

  Danny rested a hand on their shoulders. “I should have never kept you apart. I did it for the most selfish of reasons.” She turned toward him, and he looked as if someone punched him in the gut. “I hope someday you can forgive me. I know you loved me, but if I’d have come out then, your heart would have been broken, yes, but you also would have had Tucker to help you heal. I was a coward. I could never have dated another woman. I did and do love you, Lorelei, but it’s never been the kind of love you deserve or need. I should have played the part I wanted--to be nothing more than your friend, the brother you never had. Instead I kept you away from truly living. Tucker is, and has always had been, the man for you. I’m sorry I stood in the way.”

  He faced Tucker and gripped his shoulder. “Cousin, you are the best friend I have ever had until I met Paul. I hope you can also someday forgive me for my lies and the pain I inadvertently caused you. When you confronted me before mine and Lorelei’s wedding, I almost walked away. I almost admitted the truth, but fear of what my parents would think held me back. I lied to you both that day. If I’d been honest with you and with myself, I would have saved us all a lot of unfulfilling years.”

  Before either he or Lorelei could respond, Danny walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

  An awkward silence fell over the room as they stared at each other. He broke the deafening quiet first. “I need you to know Danny’s crazy suggestion had nothing to do with my sleeping with you. In fact, I was afraid to because I knew once did, I’d completely lose my soul to you.”