A Cowboy To Keep: A Contemporary Western Romance Collection

by Hebby Roman

  “Embarrassed. Yeah, I got that.”

  “Not of you! He’s my uncle for God’s sake. I didn’t want to advertise the fact we’d just rolled out of bed.”

  “We’ve been seeing each other for a few weeks now. I think it’s time we moved out into the open.”

  “You’re the one who wanted to keep it under wraps.”

  “At first! I have to work with your family every day. Until we were on steady terms, I didn’t think it wise to tell the man I have to run into burning buildings with I’m sleeping with his daughter.”

  “And, I got that. Though I didn’t get the notification you’d changed the rules.”

  “Okay, fair enough. I’m notifying you now though that I’m not sneaking around anymore.”

  “Now it’s sort of awkward to announce we’ve been seeing each other. Besides I want to straighten them out about Justin first.”

  “I don’t know what that has to do with anything…. I’m about to be joined by others—your cousin Wade for one. We’ll talk about this later, okay?” The exasperation in his voice killed any buzz she’d been coasting on since this morning. “And, by the way, I’d call what we did this morning making love, not having sex.” He hung up on her.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Harper wiped the condensation off her glass of iced tea with the tip of her finger, creating a pattern of stripes. The droplets racing down the side wetted the paper napkin below the glass. Lizzie was running late as usual, and that businessman at the bar was paying too much attention to her. If Lizzie didn’t show up soon, she’d have to….

  “Hey, sorry I’m late,” said Lizzie hooking her purse on the back of the chair opposite before sitting down dramatically. “I was stuck at the salon.” She flicked out her blown-out hair.

  “You look nice.”

  Lizzie had on her polite face, ready to acknowledge the compliment, she but took one look at Harper and narrowed her eyes. “You look different. Whatever foundation you’re using, keep using it. You’re radiant.”

  “I don’t have on any foundation.”

  “What are you doing different? And is it legal and sold over the counter?”

  Harper bit her bottom lip to stop her grin from getting any wider. “I may have something going on.” Frank had been after her to tell her parents about them. She couldn’t really explain her hesitation but decided to try saying it out loud to another person first. “I’ve been seeing someone.”

  Lizzie leaned forward. “I knew it! Who is it? Is it anyone I know?”

  “I already told you. I’m seeing Frank Flynn.”

  “Okay, hang on a minute. Waiter? Can I have a white wine? Now you were saying.... What!” Her jaw dropped open, really stunned this time, not her playful face of before. “How did this happen? Last time I saw you, you had a one-night-stand and he dumped you.”

  “Turns out he didn’t. He came by just after you left, in fact.”

  “Not a booty call? Do not tell me you’ve let yourself become a port of call for that cowboy.”

  “It’s not like that. He came by after you left and took me out to talk. We’ve been seeing each other ever since. Seeing a lot of each other, in fact.”

  “Outside of the bedroom?”

  Harper felt her temper rise. “If you told me you were seeing someone and that was the first question I asked you, how would you feel? Why do you assume my relationship with Frank is only a sexual one?”

  “I’m sorry. I’m just trying to understand. I didn’t think he was your type. You’re a well-educated woman who’s always gone for a more sophisticated man, and he’s—”

  “And he’s the smartest man I know. He’s well-read and interested in a lot of topics.” Across from her, Lizzie was opening and closing her mouth like a fish. “Look, Frank is a hard-working, good, thoughtful man, and I like spending time with him. Why is that so hard to understand?”

  Lizzie put on a false smile. “Well, all right then! I’m happy for you. How often are you seeing him? What do you do?”

  Harper looked up at the ceiling. Why am I feeling defensive about this? “We’ve been seeing each other whenever we can—almost every day except when he’s on his shift. What do we do? Just normal couple stuff. We go for long walks in the evenings with the dog. He takes me for rides on his motorcycle. Photography is his hobby, and we like to go on treks together. We put meals together and talk. We go to the bar and play pool sometimes. We went dancing once. Last week we spent the day with a friend of his on his boat. Any other questions?”

  Mentioning the day on the boat made her cringe inwardly, but she maintained her smile. When Frank’s buddy showed up with not one but two young girls in tow, things went south fast. One of the women drank too much too fast and spent the ride back to the marina throwing up. Frank had apologized all the way home, but their first outing with friends hadn’t gone well.

  “No, it’s sounds just peachy. If having a fling with Frank Flynn helps you get over Justin, go for it. Then when you’re ready to find the right guy—”

  “This is not a rebound situation! I’m not having a fling with him. We’re in a relationship.”

  Harper winced when she remembered the other thing that happened on the boat. Her phone rang and Justin’s name came up on the screen. As it was on the table between them, Frank saw the name the second she did. Her insides turned to ice seeing that name on the phone. She pressed ignore and put the phone in her pocket, while Frank studied her with a calm demeanor betrayed by the flash in his eyes. Later she assured him that was the first time Justin had called, and she had no intention of speaking to him. Justin had tried to call her a few more times since but she didn’t answer. The last time he left a message begging her to call him back. She didn’t tell Frank.

  Lizzie bit her lip and then gave her a hard look. “It seems pretty intense for a budding relationship. You better watch yourself. And that’s my final word.” She relaxed, and she plastered that fake smile on her face again. “I guess we should have y’all over for dinner some time.”

  * * *

  Harper rummaged through her purse for her car keys with trembling fingers. “Dang know-it-all Lizzie,” she muttered. Why did she let her rattle her so? Judging her relationship with Frank! She had planned to stop by and see her mother before work to tell her about Frank, but maybe now wasn’t the best time.

  Then she saw she had a message on her phone. She blew out a breath and played back the message. “Harper. It’s Mom. Call me,” came the clipped voice. Crap. She knew that tone of voice.

  Instead of calling her back, Harper headed toward the guest ranch, reviewing everything she could have possibly done to tick off her mother.

  At least Rosa had a warm greeting for her before pointing her in the direction of one of the guest cabins to find her mother.

  Harper crossed the parking lot to Cabin 3 and walked in the open door. Angel was bending over, making a bed, snapping and slapping the sheets with more force than Harper thought necessary.

  “Mom, why are you doing housekeeping?”

  Her mother looked up and scowled at her. “Jane called in sick. Give me a hand here.” She nodded toward the second queen-sized bed in the room.

  Harper pulled a set of sheets off the utility cart. “Is that why you wanted to see me?”

  “Don’t be silly. I can manage this on my own. I wanted to talk to you because I have a bone to pick with you.”

  “Me? What have I done? I haven’t even seen you in weeks.”

  “That’s another thing. What have you been up to?”

  “Just busy, Ma. Besides work at the spa, Uncle Pete is giving me more to do. He’s got me setting up the riding parties that come in—not that I’m complaining. I’m happy.”

  “Never mind. I’m glad to hear how busy Pete is, but I want to talk to you about a phone call I got this morning.”

  Harper drew a blank. Would her boss call her mother to complain about her? She couldn’t think of any problems at work. “What are you talking about?�
��

  Her mother stood up and put her hands on her hips. “Justin called me.”

  “Justin! Why...how….”

  “He had to call me because he says you won’t return his phone calls, and he wants to talk to you.”

  “How dare he! I haven’t returned his calls because I have nothing to say to him. Why would he involve you?”

  Her mother gave her a hard glare. “Listen, that boy was practically part of the family for almost four years. If he wants to talk to me, he has every right. Just because you decided you’re done with him.... I have to say, girl, I’m ashamed of your behavior.”

  “Oh, now hang on a minute—”

  “You hang on a minute. I did not raise you to be careless with other people’s feelings. You just about left that man at the altar. I think you owe it to him to hear him out. Acting like you’ve washed your hands of him when I don’t remember him being anything but respectful to you the whole time you were together. I don’t mess in your adult business, and Daddy and I have held our tongues. I don’t know what prompted you to walk out like that, but if it’s not too late to salvage the situation, you should take a good hard look at what you’re throwing away. I understand it was a blow to have your business fail. I worry you’re just having some kind of reaction to that and not thinking clearly. Maybe we made it too easy for you to run home.”

  “Is that what you think? You make it sound like you think I ran out on my responsibilities. Let me set you straight on a few things—”

  “Excuse me, Mrs. Donovan.” Harper spun around to see Pilar standing in the door. “The guests in Cabin 2 want to check out and there’s some discrepancies in their bill.”

  “Tell them I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  “You go on, Mom. We’ll pick this up later. I’m going to be late for work,” Harper said, stomping off.

  “You call him! You hear?” Mom shouted after her.

  “Oh, I’ll call him all right!”

  Chapter Fifteen

  The coffee had the rich aroma of a freshly ground, good quality blend. She did appreciate a man who was picky about his coffee beans. Harper filled two mugs. She paused in the doorway to the back porch to admire Frank stretched out with his feet on the hassock in front of the large paddle arm chair. His face in profile, set in a tranquil expression, struck her as especially handsome. He had his sight trained on the view outside the window.

  They’d gotten up early this morning and, with the air still cool, taken Dog for a long walk in the desert, fragrant with the scent of sage. Frank had a quiet, calm energy she’d come to appreciate. When she met up with him last night she let herself flow into the sense of peace he carried with him, much welcome after the way she was left after encounters with Lizzie and her mother.

  There were things they didn’t talk about. Frank was a puzzle within a puzzle. She was slowly putting together the pieces. He still got prickly about some subjects, but he’d started telling her more about his life, letting his guard down. She found his tongue loosened up when they went for long walks. When he told her stories about his family life, she learned it was best to let him talk and not react too much, but some of the things he told her broke her heart. In his parents’ absence or during their indifference, the kids took over. His sister and her friends wallpapered the living room with the Sunday comics. A neglected cigarette burned a large hole in the sofa and they just threw a sheet over it. When they were out of groceries, they’d experiment with what they found: chips and dip made from mayonnaise and mustard. When major appliances broke down, they stayed that way for months. Nobody cleaned the bathrooms or the kitchen and the house smelled. The TV was never off. At first kids not part of the family thought it was cool, and sometimes he convinced himself it was. Later all the shame....

  She stood in the doorway thinking about his pain. Frank glanced over and when he saw her, he shifted to make room for her, a sweet smile on his face just for her. She put the mugs on the table next to the chair and settled down with him, half in, half out of his lap. He put one arm around her and rested the opposite arm behind his head.

  “I love this time of day. It’s so peaceful,” he said, stroking her shoulder with his thumb.

  “Yes, it is.” She traced the tattoo around his bicep with the tip of her finger. “What happened here? Did you run out of money or did they run out of ink?” She asked fingering the gap in the band on the underside of his arm, which she’d never noticed before.

  He dropped his arm. “Oh, that’s meant to be there until….”

  “Until when?”

  “Until I get married. If I get married.”

  “Oh, I see,” she said, uncomfortable now.

  She knew he’d lived with a woman once, but he didn’t have much to say about his past relationships—or what he hoped for in the future. Now they sat in a heavy silence.

  He broke the silence at last. “I’ve been wondering about your name. Harper is the last name of your mother’s first husband, right? How’d your parents come to name you after him?”

  She laughed with relief. “Okay, here’s the story. My older brother Rory is Rory Harper, not Donovan. It wasn’t an issue at first. When Mom and Dad had Mary, Rory doted on her. But when Trent came along, Rory felt a little threatened. He was in that awkward teenage phase and feeling left out. He even went to live with Wayne for a while but that only lasted a few weeks. Anyway, when I came along Mom and Dad thought if they named me Harper, after Rory, he’d feel more connected to the family.”

  “See, that’s just like your family. I always admired how you looked out for each other.”

  She sat up. “You noticed my family?”

  He slid his eyes sideways, embarrassed. “Sure. I’d see all you sometimes in town or at events. Church once in a while.”

  “Christmas and Easter like clockwork. Anyway, it wasn’t all sunshine and group hugs. Mary and I always fought like cats and dogs for starters.”

  “Anyway, it takes a big man like Boone to name his daughter after his wife’s ex-husband.”

  “I suppose so. He’s really mellowed out—Wayne, I mean. Whenever he came by, he was treated like any other guest. At least in my time.”

  “Well, I’m not sure I’d have it in me to behave with such civility under the same circumstances. I can see your Dad being that way, though. I had a hero-worship thing for him when I was young. He was everything my father wasn’t. It’s because of him I became a fireman.”

  Harper sat up to take a sip of coffee while she digested this statement, and why it made her uncomfortable. “But you like me for me, right?”

  “Let’s put it this way. Many is the morning I wake up and have coffee with your dad, but not once have I wanted to snuggle with him.”

  She put her coffee mug down and put her head on his chest. “Still, I didn’t know my family was on your radar for so long. It feels kind of weighty.”

  He hooked his fingers under her chin and lifted her face upwards so she was staring into his serious eyes. “I can separate the two, Harper.”

  “I hope so. I’m going to have to take off as soon as I finish my coffee. Uncle Pete wants me working guest sign-up this morning before I go to work at the spa. He’s thinking about letting me lead trail rides if we get any busier, did I tell you that?”

  “You did not. Let me know if that happens, I’ll keep an eye out for you.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I know, but I want to. You can get into trouble out there.”

  “I’ve been riding horses almost since I could walk, and taking out riders was something all us Donovan kids cut our teeth on when we were old enough.”

  He put his hands up. “All right. Anyway, I’ll be leaving shortly after you this morning on the way to the ranch. We have cattle to shift. Can I take you out for dinner this evening?”

  “Yes, you may. Do you know what I’d like to do later?”

  He pressed his lips to her forehead. “I surely do.”

  “Besid
es that! Every time I’m here I walk past that flat screen TV still in its box. Wouldn’t it be fun to curl up in front of the TV one night?”

  “I don’t think so,” he said, and she felt his body stiffen.

  “Oh, come on! Just once in a while. It would make a change.”

  He put his arms under her knees and lifted her as he stood up. “I don’t need a change.” He deposited her on the floor.

  “But, there’s a show everyone is talking about at work. I’m curious about it.”

  “So, go home to your own place and watch it.”

  “Really?” she said, indignant. “You can’t be a little flexible?”

  “Don’t try and change me, Harper.” There was a hint of anger in his voice now.

  “I’m not trying to change you. We’re only talking about a TV here!” she said, stomping off to the kitchen.

  He was right behind her. “This is still my house, and I don’t want an unsightly TV squawking away. I have things just how I like them.”

  She spun around and jabbed her finger at his chest. “You know what you’re doing, don’t know?”

  “I can’t wait for you to enlighten me.”

  “You think if you can sanitize your home, you can sanitize your life. Put the house in order and erase your past.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “Now, you’re talking a bunch of crap. If I needed a therapist, I’d find one with a degree in psychology—not a sous chef with a certificate in culinary arts.”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake. It’s a TV. You can turn it on and off. You have control over it. Literally. You hold the remote control in your hand.”

  “Like I said. You have one of those at your own place.”

  “Fine. You know where I’ll be tonight.” She stalked out of the kitchen and then stopped and spun on her heels, hitting Dog’s dish by accident and sending it skittering across the floor. “Sometimes a little disorder is good for you. You can’t shut everything out that threatens your order.”