A Cowboy's Redemption

by Marin Thomas

“We get to see Mr. Cruz again?”

  “Yes, we do, young lady.”

  “Yay!”

  Win or lose, they were all in this together.

  * * *

  “LEAN LEFT, CARLOS!” Cruz shouted. The teen was being tossed around like a rag doll inside the corral. Fitzgerald had bought a new bucking horse for the ranch and the boys were waiting in line for a turn to ride.

  All it took was three bucks and Carlos soared through the air. He got a mouthful of dirt when he landed. “I almost had him,” the kid grumbled as he crawled to his feet.

  “Almost is a long way from making it to eight,” Cruz said.

  The teen smiled as he limped over to Cruz. “He cheated.”

  Cruz chuckled. “All broncs cheat.” He felt a special kinship with Carlos. The kid reminded him of his friend Alonso Marquez. Quiet, a little shy, but always willing to lend a hand. And he never had a bad word to say about anybody.

  “Check out that girl.” Carlos pointed over Cruz’s shoulder. “Isn’t she too young to be here?”

  Cruz’s breath caught in his chest. Even from fifty yards away he recognized Dani, her pigtails flying around her head as she took in all the action. His eyes shifted to Sara, who stood next to her SUV talking with Maria. José was engaged in a conversation with Fitzgerald.

  “Do you know the little girl?” Carlos asked.

  Cruz nodded. What were they doing here and why was there a trailer attached to the back of Sara’s car?

  He made a move to walk over to the group, but dang if his boot heels hadn’t grown roots in the soil. His heart pumped hard in his chest and drawing air into his lungs took more effort than it should have.

  “Is the lady your girlfriend?”

  Girlfriend? He wanted to laugh. Girlfriend didn’t come close to describing what he felt—still felt—for Sara.

  “She’s looking at you. Aren’t you gonna talk to her?” Carlos nudged Cruz’s arm.

  “Yeah.” Cruz forced his feet to move. Dani shouted his name, then raced toward him. Her bright smile eased some of the tension in him and he couldn’t help himself from scooping her into his arms and twirling her in the air. There was no sweeter sound than her innocent laughter. Dani was everything good and right in the world. He set her on the ground, keeping a hand against her back as she teetered with dizziness. Then she wrapped her arms around his thigh and squeezed hard.

  “Mama said we’re gonna come live with you.”

  What? His gaze flew to Sara’s. Her smile was guarded as she approached him.

  “Dani, why don’t you help José take our things to the guest cabin?”

  “Then can I see the horses?”

  “If Mr. Fitzgerald says it’s okay.” Sara tugged her daughter’s braid. “Don’t wander off alone anywhere.”

  “I won’t.” Dani raced back to her grandfather’s side.

  Cruz couldn’t look away from Sara’s face. He’d only left her a few weeks ago, but it seemed a lot longer than that as he stared into her blue eyes. Man, he’d forgotten how beautiful she was. His fingers twitched with the need to touch her. To caress her soft skin. Pull her close for a hug so he could bury his nose in her sweet-smelling hair.

  “I imagine you’re wondering what’s going on,” she said.

  He nodded, not trusting his voice to break with emotion if he spoke.

  “Maria and her husband asked me to run the health clinic at the ranch.”

  “What health clinic?” He forced the words past the lump in his throat.

  “The one they’re going to be building.”

  This was the first he’d heard about a new health clinic.

  “And José will be working in the kitchen cooking for the boys. Maria says it’s about time they hired someone who can make decent Mexican food.”

  Cruz struggled to wrap his head around what all this meant.

  “Maria is going to help me homeschool Dani until she gets a little older. Then Dani can attend the ranch school with the other kids.”

  He was still speechless.

  “I know you weren’t expecting this. I don’t even know if you want us here. But...”

  Tears welled in her eyes and Cruz felt a crack spread through his chest. He yearned to hold her close, but he didn’t know if that was what she wanted from him.

  “I love you, Cruz. I didn’t mean for it to happen.” She shrugged. “I had enough on my plate trying to handle José and do what was best for him, my job and Dani. Then you came along and I tried not to let my guard down, but you slipped past my defenses. It wasn’t until you left that I realized I’d fallen in love with you. And when you came back and found us stranded along the road, I knew that was my second chance and I had to give you a reason to stay with me...us.” She wiped her eyes. “The night we went to dinner at the Chinese restaurant I was going to ask you to stay, but then there was that crazy guy wielding a gun, and then you told me you’d hung out with the Los Locos and I knew it was over for us. I couldn’t be with you, because I believed it would upset José if he ever found out.”

  She didn’t have to explain. Cruz had figured it all out on his own.

  “Then José took off without telling me, and when he returned he said I’d be a fool not to go after you.”

  Cruz blinked hard, afraid he’d embarrass himself.

  “So I’m here, Cruz. Telling you that I love you. Asking you to take a chance on loving me and Dani back.”

  “I don’t have to take a chance, Sara. I already love you, but—”

  She pressed her finger to his lips. “There are no buts, Cruz. Neither you or I can change the past. I can’t bring my husband back to life. You can’t decide not to wrestle the gun away from your friend or defend yourself in prison.” She moved her finger to his cheek and stroked his skin. “All we can do is go on with our lives, but we can do it together, letting our love for each other heal us.”

  “Dani...” He swallowed hard. “It’s not right that I should be a part of her life when...”

  “Tony would approve.” She spread her arms wide. “You’re doing what he did, Cruz. Helping kids. You’re trying to keep them on the right path. Tony would be thrilled to know I’m with someone who carries his dream of helping those in need. These boys won’t get a second chance once they leave here. But with your help, my care and José’s great cooking, we can do our best to make sure they don’t waste the chance they’ve been given.”

  “Dani will miss her friends.”

  “She’s already planning her birthday party out here with horse rides and a barbecue.”

  This couldn’t be happening. What had he done to deserve the love of a woman like Sara and the trust of José and sweet Dani?

  “Maria said once we get married they’ll help us build our home on the property. She said there’s a small grove near the school that blooms like crazy in the spring and it would be a pretty place for a house.”

  He caught Maria and Fitzgerald watching him and Sara...waiting for a signal that he was okay with the plans.

  “If you don’t want this, Cruz, tell me now, before I unpack the trailer.”

  “It’s not that I don’t want this.” Or don’t want you. “I want it more than you’ll ever know, but I’m afraid.”

  “Of what?”

  “Of disappointing you. Of not being what you thought I’d be. Of letting you, José and Dani down.”

  “You won’t let us down.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because you have all these people here who believe in you. Who’ve stood behind you through good and bad. They can’t be wrong about you, Cruz. And if that’s not good enough, then Dani telling me she wished you could be her father is enough proof that you’ll never let us down.”

  “I don’t deserve you or Dani,” he whisper
ed, opening his arms.

  Sara snuggled close, the tears she’d held at bay escaping. “You deserve us and I’m going to show you every day just how much.”

  He leaned back and gazed into her eyes. “I love you, Sara. And I love Dani, too. I’ll try hard to be a good father but I need you to tell me if I do something wrong.” Hell, he didn’t know the first thing about being a father.

  “I don’t need to tell you.” She smiled. “Dani will let you know.”

  “You’re sure José is okay with this?”

  “You came into his life for a reason, too. I truly believe you’re helping him move on, and he’s finally gotten closure after Tony’s death. He’s got a new purpose now, cooking for the boys. He, too, feels like he’s honoring Tony’s memory. Tony would approve of the four of us becoming a family.”

  “Are you sure this is what you want?” It would be the hardest thing he’d ever done—including prison—to take a leap of faith and trust Sara when she said she wanted to be with him. But nothing in his life had followed a normal path or been easy, so why should this be any different?

  “You are everything I need to be happy, and you came into my life for a reason. Maybe Tony had something to do with us meeting.”

  Cruz took comfort in her words and for the first time since they’d met, he allowed the door to his heart to open all the way and Sara slipped inside.

  “So what do you say, Cruz Rivera?” Sara winked. “How about another go-round with me?”

  He chuckled and pulled her close. “This is one ride I never want to end.”

  “Did he say yes?” Fitzgerald shouted.

  Cruz gave a thumbs-up, then kissed Sara.

  The future had looked pretty bleak when he’d gotten out of prison, but less than six months later he had more than most men found in their lifetime—true love and a family to call his own.

  * * * * *

  Be sure to look for the next book

  in Marin Thomas’s

  COWBOYS OF THE RIO GRANDE series

  in December 2015!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from THE SURGEON AND THE COWGIRL by Heidi Hormel

  http://www.harlequin.com/harlequinexperience

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin American Romance story.

  You love small towns and cowboys! Harlequin American Romance stories are heartwarming contemporary tales of everyday women finding love, becoming part of a family or community—or maybe starting a family of their own.

  Enjoy four new stories from Harlequin American Romance every month!

  Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!

  Other ways to keep in touch:

  Harlequin.com/newsletters

  Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks

  Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks

  HarlequinBlog.com

  Chapter One

  Jessie saw the little boy slip into the corral before anyone else did. For cripes’ sake, Jessie said silently, adding a litany of choice words as she raced after him, her knee throbbing with every pounding step. The corral was home to two geldings and a mare pacing nervously.

  “Alex!” the little boy’s mother screamed when the gelding trotted by him. Jessie couldn’t waste her time or her breath to tell the silly woman to keep quiet. Instead, she focused on Alex as he stumbled through the uneven dirt, agitating the horses into snorting, then lashing the air with their hooves way too close to Alex’s head.

  He could have been her son; others had said so when he first came to the program. Her heart clenched every time she heard it. Alex’s warm caramel curls were streaked blond from the sun, and his eyes tilted just a little at the corners, like hers.

  The horses’ hooves pounded faster as she made her way across the dusty corral. She had to get him out. Now.

  “Alex, sweetie,” Jessie said softly but firmly once she was beside him. She knew her height could be overwhelming for a little guy, so she squatted next to him. Her knee popped and cracked. Years of rodeo trick riding had left her two legacies: enough money to open Hope’s Ride and battered joints. “Come on, Alex. Let’s go see Mommy.”

  “No,” the little boy said with a shake of his head.

  “I know you want to ride the horses, sweetie, but it’s time for you to go home. The horses need a nap,” Jessie said.

  The scuffling of hooves and the wet snorts increased in pace. Even with her experience, Jessie wouldn’t be able to stop them if they got themselves into a full-out panic. She considered just grabbing Alex and running. Problem—she and running had parted ways years ago, exactly when her knee had been torn up to heck and back.

  But, then, Alex suddenly took a few unsteady steps and fell. Small for his age from years of surgeries and his disease, he was at Hope’s Ride to strengthen his muscles and build his confidence. Jessie scooted forward while he righted himself to sit in the dirt, tears streaking his dusty face. She wanted to pick him up, but she knew that his manly pride-in-the-making had been bruised from his fall. Coddling from her or anyone else would lead to a full-out kicking, screaming fit. The horses paced faster, tossing their heads with agitation.

  “You can give Molly her treat if you come with me now,” Jessie said, keeping her voice gentle, despite every instinct that told her to get moving. “Molly likes you best, you know. I bet she’s hoping right now that you’re the one bringing her the apple today.” Molly, Jessie’s childhood pony, had two speeds—slow and slower—making her a perfect introduction to riding for children who were reluctant to approach the large horses.

  “Okay. I like Molly,” Alex said. “She gives me kisses.” He got up but didn’t move. This meant that he was willing to have help. Jessie stood, too, ignoring her protesting knee.

  “Great. How about I carry you back to the fence? That would be fun, wouldn’t it?” Jessie asked as she leaned down. He reached up.

  She heard an increase in the snorts and pounding of hooves as the threesome rushed by. She knew that they’d stampede in seconds. The corral fence was fifteen or twenty feet away. Even if she could run, moving like that would just add to the horses’ agitation. With the big animals taking their cues from the humans around them, Jessie saw the disastrous day taking a ninety-degree turn for the worse when Alex’s mom crawled between the rails of the fence.

  The woman started running, yelling and waving her arms. The idiot, Jessie thought, just as she heard the thunder of hooves coming closer and caught the glimpse of a tall man moving smoothly and surely through the fence.

  The horses went into a galloping panic. Jessie stood still to create a patch of calm.

  “Mommy,” Alex yelled. He wiggled against her side where he clung, drumming his dangling feet hard enough against her thigh that she loosened her grip for a moment. He broke away. She saw the gelding, Dickie, bearing down on them, his hooves huge and his eyes rimmed in white. Jessie reached out—thank God she was close enough to nab Alex. In the same motion, she folded him under her as the gelding raced over them. The large horse instinctively lifted himself to jump over the obstacle in his path. Jessie braced herself for the smack of a hoof, but Dickie had cleared them. She didn’t move. She had to protect the boy.

  “Jessie, get the hell out of here,” said a familiar deep voice from behind her, followed by a strong grip on her forearm lifting her up. She scrambled to curl over and protect the little boy. Payson, her ex-husband, kept his grip on her, while Alex’s mother, who’d been pulled to the other side of the fence, was being held in place by program volunteers.

  “Alex,” she said, working to break free, as panicked as the horses. She had to keep him safe. It was her job. Her responsibility.

  “I’ve got him,” Payson said, easily lifting the child with his other hand. He tucked Alex under his arm. Dickie passed by again, but this time
he gave them plenty of space, and the other horses were now being calmed by ranch hands.

  Taller than her by a hand span, Payson moved quickly as he carried Alex and dragged her behind him, toward Alex’s mother, who openly cried. He had them out of the corral before Jessie could catch her breath. He ignored her as he turned to Alex, running his strong, lean surgeon’s hands expertly over him. It’d always amazed Jessie that Payson never intimidated children with his height. Could be his controlled calmness made them feel safe. When he was younger, his buttoned-up veneer had screamed prep school, but she’d always loved the dark intensity of his gaze, even when it reminded her of a big bad wolf eying a juicy jackrabbit.

  Back in their day, when she’d see that look, she had to fight the urge to rip off her clothes and get him belly to belly in bed. And whenever she’d given in, once those starched and pressed clothes were off, she’d explored every inch of his tautly muscled body, one that always surprised her by being more cowboy than egghead. But that was back when she was young and didn’t know the difference between lust and love. A few years of living with Payson had finally taught her the yawning gap between the two.

  Alex would be fine with him. Payson’s talent for healing children was the only reason he was here. Jessie would suck it up and court him to gain his hospital’s stamp of approval for her program. Once she had that, then she’d get a steady stream of patients who would make Hope’s Ride a paying operation. Right now, her dream of helping youngsters drained her savings account more and more each month.

  Jessie turned away from the man and the memories. She needed to check on the horses and the other children. She also needed a few minutes to give her heart a chance to stop racing and to find a private place to have a cry.

  * * *

  USUALLY PAYSON STAYED focused when he was working with patients but not today. Not with Jessie limping away from him. She wore her usual jeans and a Western shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Her cowboy boots were battered and broken in. Before the divorce—not now, of course—her casual outfit would get him hot under his suddenly tight collar. Physical closeness and sexual intensity had never been the problems in their marriage. It had been just about everything else, especially her devotion to the rodeo and her horses. He’d been amazed to hear that she’d retired from trick riding and wondered what had happened. It didn’t matter, he reminded himself. She wasn’t his wife. She wasn’t his problem. She’d made that clear when she’d walked out and never looked back.