A Cowboy To Keep: A Contemporary Western Romance Collection

by Hebby Roman

  But he was suddenly seized with a deep ache, a yearning to know if his father had been proud that he’d stayed and carried on the Delaney name. His sisters had departed to experience the wide world beyond, but Braden had remained, heeding the call of the land that pulsed in his veins, ignoring any inclination to follow a different path of wanderlust.

  When was the last time he’d spoken with his dad, really spoken, when the man had been fully cognizant? Braden couldn’t recall and that pissed him off. The cancer that had attacked Cameron Delaney’s body hadn’t just slowly killed him; it had also stolen his dad’s sharp mind. The slide into dementia had steadily stripped chunks from Braden’s heart, leaving anguish in its wake. In the past two months, Braden had done a fine job of ignoring that gaping wound, pushing it to a place in his mind where it couldn’t harass him into immobility.

  But no more.

  Grief, sharp and fierce, pierced him, and he stumbled on the path.

  “Are you okay?” Audrey called.

  He sucked in a breath. “Yep.” He kept moving forward, reeling from the rawness of his sorrow. He damn well wasn’t going to let Audrey have a front row seat to him weeping like a baby.

  They had skirted around the hilltop unofficially known as Whisper Rock. The only time Braden had heard that name was from his dad and grandfather years ago; it wasn’t on any map or registered with the state.

  His heart pounded and he swallowed hard against the tightness of his throat. What the hell was wrong with him?

  In the waning light, a flash of movement several yards away caught his attention.

  It was dark-shaped. Probably a deer.

  He slowed his pace and halted his horse, not wanting to plow into a group of animals and startle them.

  The culprit dashed across the path and behind a cluster of bushes.

  Braden froze.

  It couldn’t be….

  Audrey stepped beside him, Bowie crowding alongside Stevie. “What’s wrong?”

  A dog bounded toward them.

  “Oh, look.” Audrey’s voice took on a tone of delight. “Where’d he come from?”

  “Blue,” Braden said, the words barely audible.

  Audrey swung her gaze to him. “Do you know him?”

  He laughed, tears welling in his eyes. “It’s my dad’s dog. He’s been missing for two months. We thought he was dead.”

  He dropped to his knees as the excited critter leapt into his arms and slobbered kisses all over Braden’s face.

  * * *

  Audrey’s heart swelled two-fold as Braden embraced the gray-silver mutt, tears streaming down his cheeks. The dog had long hair matted with dust and dirt but otherwise appeared healthy and utterly overjoyed to see Braden. The rambunctious animal spun and danced and jumped, all the while licking Braden’s face with fierce glee. Braden hugged and crooned to the animal with such anguish in his voice that Audrey nearly started bawling herself.

  The dog suddenly shifted his attention to her, and she was gifted with the same frenzied affection and sloppy kisses. She crouched beside Braden, their legs touching.

  His hat had been knocked to the ground, and he wiped at his face.

  “What on earth is he doing out here?” she asked, once the dog’s energy ebbed ever so slightly.

  “I don’t know.” Braden’s voice cracked. “The day my dad died, he ran off from the ranch house and we couldn’t find him. We searched for weeks.” He shook his head, clearly stunned. “I can’t believe it’s him.” He buried his face against the dog’s fur.

  Audrey’s heart twisted in her chest from the emotion pouring out of Braden. “You said his name is Blue?”

  “Blue Sage of the Prairie, but we just call him Blue.”

  “He looks pretty good. How did he survive?”

  Braden scratched behind Blue’s ears, who grinned with his tongue hanging out, his mesmerizing light blue eyes staring at Braden. “He always was a tough dog. Where have you been, boy? We’ve been sick thinking that we’d lost you, too.”

  “He’s a bit filthy but doesn’t look underweight.”

  Braden made a quick inspection of Blue’s limbs and back. “It’s strange. Before we lost him, he was having bouts of stiffness. There were some days he could hardly move. He’s nearly twelve years old. But he doesn’t appear to be having any problem with it now.”

  Blue wagged his tail and licked Braden’s cheek.

  “Could someone have taken him in?”

  “Maybe. But there’re no homesteads for at least fifty miles. What did he eat? How did he stay out of trouble? Avoid predators?”

  Audrey craned her neck back and scanned the woodsy area they currently occupied. To their left was a steep, rocky face—the backside of the raven alcove. “It’s Whisper Rock.”

  Braden watched her as Blue leaned against him, the dog’s happy panting filling the stillness. “You think this place protected him?”

  She could no longer justify her silence. She owed Braden the truth.

  “I have something to tell you,” she said.

  Bowie snorted and nudged her with his nose, knocking her forward.

  She smiled over her shoulder at the horse. “Maybe we should get the animals settled first,” she added.

  * * *

  Braden sat across from Audrey, a fire flaming between them, holding the darkness at bay. They’d found a flat patch of land not far from the spot where they’d discovered Blue and had set up a small tent and supplies. Braden planned to sleep outside, and if Blue’s affectionate attentions were any indication, he’d have plenty of warmth from the mutt. Not that snuggling against Audrey didn’t have its merits, but he wondered if it was too soon to make a move.

  She’d seen him cry like a baby after all. So much for giving an impression of strength and confidence. Damned if he hadn’t spilled his emotions out like a broken water pump. But in some ways losing his dad had broken him.

  The horses and Stevie were picketed nearby munching on oats and grass, and Audrey had prepared peanut butter sandwiches for dinner. After the days’ events, Braden had eaten four.

  “What did you want to tell me?” he prompted, running a hand along Blue’s back as the dog lay curled up against him.

  Audrey crossed her legs and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. Bundled in her brightly-colored fleece, the garment seemed to heighten the flush of her cheeks to a rosy glow. Although her hair was still pulled back from her face, strands had escaped and framed the soft contours of her cheeks, her eyes a deep blue-green in the flickering firelight.

  Her only makeup was a sunburned nose and faint smudges of dirt, and he watched her like a lovesick puppy.

  When had it happened? When had he fallen for her?

  He hoped she wasn’t about to tell him she had a boyfriend.

  “This isn’t the first time I’ve been here,” she said. “When I was nine, my dad took my sister and me for a weekend in the wilderness. I’m fairly certain this is where we were. When you mentioned seeing a family here years ago—I think it was us.”

  That caught his attention. He laughed as he scratched behind Blue’s ear, the dog in canine bliss. “I remember you. It was early in the morning, and I was scouting around alone when I saw a dark-haired girl talking to herself.” He grinned. “Then she did a dance.”

  Audrey twisted her mouth, appearing self-conscious. She took a deep breath. “Yeah, that was me. First, let me apologize for the fact that we were on Delaney land. I’m sure my dad didn’t realize we’d crossed the boundary between public and private lands.”

  “You’re forgiven.”

  She chewed on her lower lip. “So, you should know that as a young child I was very sick.”

  Braden sobered. “What was wrong with you?” Blue stretched and rolled away, settling on his side, and then softly began snoring.

  “I had a brain tumor. It was found when I was five. I went through rounds of chemotherapy, which also made me very sick. And I was quite bald,” she added, with a teasing to
ne.

  With rapt attention, Braden waited for her to continue.

  “I didn’t get better, however, although I did have periods of remission. But the tumor was malignant, and the doctors were certain that it would eventually take my life.” Her mouth stretched into a smile that held little humor. “I’m sure you can imagine my parents’ devastation. But my dad was always so great, and he never babied me. He knew I loved the outdoors—I would search for artifacts even then—and he would often take me and my sister on weekend excursions. No moms allowed. I’m guessing it gave my mom a chance to rest since most of the time she never left my side.”

  Audrey reached for her water bottle and took a drink, then popped the cap back on. She stared into the fire, her brows pinched together. “When we came here, I began to have very strange dreams. This trip was longer than usual, and we were here for five days.”

  “What did you dream about?”

  She played with end of her ponytail. “I would wake up in the dead of night and leave the tent, and there would be a man sitting by our fire. He wasn’t exactly scary, but I was still reluctant to talk with him. He would invite me over. He was young, maybe in his twenties, and I could tell that he was afflicted with a mental illness like autism or Asperger’s. We would talk about the birds and the trees and the stars. I wasn’t really awake, of course, but it felt that way. I had the same dream for four nights, but on the last day of our trip my conversation with him changed.

  “He spoke of the sickness in my head. He said it was thick and slimy, and that he’d been trying to figure it out each night when we talked.”

  Braden frowned. “Figure it out?”

  Audrey shrugged. “I think he meant how to get rid of it. In the final dream that I had, he told me he had found the source of its power and that he could block it. He told me the sickness would die. The next morning, I awoke early and felt better than I’d ever remembered feeling. I slipped out of the tent and went on a joyous trek through these hills. I suppose that’s when you saw me. I was happy and feeling so strangely upbeat that I danced. Why didn’t you say anything?”

  During the encounter, he’d been entranced, and for a long moment he’d watched her, not wanting to interfere in what had seemed a private occasion. And then she had slipped away.

  “One minute I saw you, the next you were gone. I heard voices in the distance, which must’ve been your dad and your sister, so I went to find my dad and tell him you were all in the area, but later we couldn’t find any sign you’d been there.”

  “My dad was always adamant that we never leave a trace of ourselves behind when we camped.”

  Braden scanned her face. “Were you healed?”

  She gave a nod. “Yes. The initial tests showed the tumor to be gone. Completely and utterly gone. But it was a few years before my mom and dad really accepted that it wouldn’t recur.”

  “What did you think?”

  “Whatever happened here saved me.”

  “Is that why you’ve come back?”

  “Yes. I’m not looking for Indian ruins. I’m sorry I misled you. I didn’t think you’d believe me.”

  Concern filled him with cold dread. “Are you sick again? Is that why you’ve come?”

  “No. The tumor has never returned, and each year I’ve been given a clean bill of health.”

  His shoulders relaxed and he released a pent-up breath.

  “A few weeks ago, I dreamed of the man again,” she said. “I wasn’t anywhere near here, so it was odd. I hadn’t dreamed of him since I was here as a girl. He told me to come back. And he told me his name—Thaddeus Marsh. Would you know who that is?”

  It sounded familiar. “Maybe. My mom would know. She’s always been interested in the history of the area, along with the history of the Delaneys. I need to take Blue home. She’ll need to see him. You should come with me.”

  “When?”

  “Tomorrow. As soon as possible.”

  “I was hoping to spend more time here.”

  “For what? What are you looking for?”

  Audrey shrugged. “I’m not sure, but Thaddeus Marsh gave my life back to me. I figured I at least owed it to him to come.”

  Was Audrey telling the truth? Could there be another, more plausible explanation for what had occurred with her illness?

  He was on the verge of selling Whisper Rock, but now it would seem there was something special happening here. A chain of events had brought Audrey into his life, a woman who likely wouldn’t even be alive today if not for a miracle that may or may not have been attributable to this place.

  And he’d found Blue.

  “I wonder if I had brought my dad out here when he was sick….” Braden couldn’t finish the thought.

  “I’m sorry, Braden. I have no idea what Thaddeus Marsh did to cure me. Or even why. If I knew, I’d bottle it up and give it to all the sick people in the world.”

  Blue stood, shook his head in a ripple that extended down his body, and walked over to Audrey. He put his nose against hers and gently licked her face. She accepted the attention with a giggle, holding his face in her hands.

  It was crazy, but Braden believed her. As outrageous as it all sounded, he couldn’t help but think that outside forces were at play. He had no idea what those forces could be—and he wasn’t even sure he wanted to speculate—but there was no denying that his world had taken a major turn. And the reason was sitting across from him.

  “I’m glad you lived, Audrey.” His voice was thick with emotion.

  “There’s no guarantee I won’t get sick again.”

  What was she saying?

  Blue settled beside her and started cleaning a front paw.

  She worried her lower lip. “When I tell people about my illness, they mostly fall into two groups. Either they feel sorry for me, or they avoid me as if having a terminal disease is somehow contagious. I’m not condemning them,” she added in a rush, “because I understand how emotionally draining it is to have someone like me in their life.”

  Braden narrowed his eyes. “What’s your point exactly?”

  She hunched forward like a balloon losing air and stared down at her hands. “This thing between us…I think it’s better that you know everything.” She cast a glance at him. “No more false flirting.”

  Relief flooded Braden and a grin tugged at his mouth. She was interested. “You think some imaginary brain tumor is gonna stop me?”

  Audrey raised her face to his, her features frozen in surprise.

  Braden grabbed several pieces of wood and started feeding them into the fire. “Then you don’t know me very well. If you were called to Whisper Rock, as you said, then what do you say about falling off that hillside and landing right at my feet? Don’t you think that was some kind of divine intervention?”

  Her mouth hung open, catching flies.

  “None of us knows how much time we have,” he continued. “I don’t know what kind of people you’re trying to befriend, but it sounds to me like they’re the wrong people.” Having finished his ministrations with the campfire, he met her gaze. “I’ve never met anyone like you, Audrey, and I think that’s how I know you’re so special. And I’d like to kiss you, if you’d let me.”

  She nodded, her eyes wide. He scooted over to her, his back to the fire. As soon as he got close, Blue stood and wedged himself between them, wiggling in excitement. Braden tried to get around the hound, but Blue’s reflexes were in tip-top shape. He licked and nibbled and squirmed this way and that as Braden tried to gain access to Audrey.

  He grimaced and she laughed.

  “It looks like I have competition,” he said.

  She came to her knees, placed both hands on his face, and pulled him to her. “No, you don’t.”

  Chapter Seven

  Audrey wasn’t going to let a dog ruin the most romantic moment of her life.

  Braden’s lips were warm and electric, and everything she’d imagined them to be. Despite the boisterous canine between them, his arms c
ame around her, but still Blue refused to leave.

  Audrey moved her hands to Braden’s shoulders, holding on as the critter squirmed between them. Braden’s mouth took hold of hers and gave her a kiss that knocked her socks off.

  When she came up for air, Braden nudged Blue away and quickly brought his body against hers, both of them now on their knees. Blue flung himself anew, resting his front paws on Braden’s shoulders. They struggled to remain upright and Blue licked Audrey’s forearms as she held onto Braden’s solid frame.

  Braden laughed, trying to push the dog off him. “Blue, you’re ruining my moves.”

  Audrey didn’t care. She kissed her way along Braden’s cheek, dropping to his jawline, and then buried her nose into his neck. God, he smelled good. He pressed her close and her body lit up like a stick of dynamite, a flashfire of intense need burning through her.

  Her recent bout of celibacy had obviously left her desperately hungry for a man.

  Her fingers slid into his hair and she reveled in touching him. His powerful body tensed against hers, taut muscles flexing beneath her fingers. She ran her hands across his upper back then down his corded arms, her breath heavy, her body craving more.

  Braden’s hands pressed into her lower back, bringing her hips even closer, and he kissed her as if they’d already been lovers, as if he knew every secret place to touch her.

  She closed her eyes and surrendered, her need for him pushing coherent thought from her head.

  Blue capitulated at last and left them alone.

  Braden pushed her to the ground, bracing himself above, and continued his heated exploration of her body. Sliding his hand beneath her shirt and fleece, he explored the skin of her ribs and belly. She wriggled against him and tugged at the edge of his t-shirt, pulling it up to expose his chest. A smattering of chest hair grazed her fingertips, and he lay partially atop her, his leg between hers.

  “Audrey,” he whispered. “I really want you, but if this is too fast, you need to say so.”

  Damn. Reason started to intrude.