The Cowgirl's Forever Love

by Vivian Arend

  Lisa glanced at Caleb in wonder. What twisted magic had he worked on her father?

  But then again, it didn’t need to be talked about now. Like her dad said, maybe it was time to put the past behind and focus on the future.

  George got to his feet, awkwardly rubbing his hands on his thighs. “I need to go for a walk.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Caleb said.

  Her dad hesitated, then glanced around the room. “Any of my girls want to join me?”

  Karen took a deep breath. “Julia? Want to come?”

  She dipped her chin. “Okay.”

  It felt as if the room was suddenly filled to overflowing, emotion ready to spill everywhere.

  “I’ll skip this time,” Tamara said.

  “You guys go ahead, but Julia, we’ll be getting together soon.” Lisa felt her father’s gaze on her. “Dad?”

  He waited.

  “Thanks. That must have been hard, but…” She smiled and, for the first time in a long time, truly felt there was a connection between them. “Thanks.”

  The three of them left. Lisa leaned against the wall, her eyes closed, letting go as the weight of the day rolled away.

  Tamara’s voice carried clearly in the quiet. “Caleb Stone, you’re one hell of a man. I love you.”

  Caleb hummed thoughtfully. “I love you too. And I’m sorry for being a jerk earlier. Seems it takes spotting someone else being an ass for me to recognize I’m doing the same thing. So I’m sorry. Not for being worried about you, but for not admitting I was being overprotective because I was worried.”

  Lisa shifted position in the hopes she could leave them in private, but when she turned, it was to discover Caleb looking straight at her. A serious expression on his face and something on his mind.

  “Yes?”

  He glanced between the two sisters. “Since I was an ass in front of you, I figured you should hear my confession as well. I should’ve known better, just like your father should’ve. This is nothing to do with Julia, but everything to do with the way he’s treated you guys over the years. I’ll let him tell you more when he’s ready. I think he’s pretty overwhelmed at the moment, but I believe him. That he’s going to try and do better.”

  “That’s all we ask. That’s all anyone can ever ask,” Tamara said. She leaned her forehead against Caleb’s, the baby cradled between them. Tyler squirmed in protest, waking up and beginning to make noises, but not enough to drown out her “I love you.”

  Lisa turned away and left them, her heart and head full.

  Itching to call Josiah.

  17

  Josiah stared at the words for a second before rolling his eyes in amusement. It had been three days since he’d gotten a chance to see Lisa in person. It seemed when the animal kingdom decided to go wild, they all went at once.

  Other than messages on his phone, and the very sweet handwritten note he’d found tucked under his windshield wiper, he’d been home too late and too exhausted to talk in the evening. It wasn’t nearly enough.

  It appeared someone else was determined to ensure they connected.

  Lisa: Ollie is here again

  * * *

  Lisa: I can drop her off at your place

  * * *

  Lisa: How on earth is she finding her way over to Silver Stone?

  Josiah wasn’t sure, either. When he had more time, he would love to follow the creature just to figure it out, but he was still behind because of the emergencies piling up on his plate.

  The opportunity to get together with Lisa was too strong to miss.

  Josiah: If I swing by the house, can you come with me to Sonora’s for a while?

  * * *

  Lisa: YES. Tamara is ready to kick me out of the house. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.

  He laughed and messaged back quickly: Han shot first

  Lisa: Of course he did

  She and Ollie were waiting for him on the porch as he drove up. A Chinook wind had arrived and the warmer air had turned the deep snow into messy clumps of slush everywhere.

  Ollie reached him first, tail wagging so violently her back legs slid out from under her before she recovered, tongue at the ready for a sneak-attack lick when he bent to ruffle her fur.

  “I don’t know why I’m petting you, brat,” he grumbled before lowering his voice and quietly telling her “thanks.”

  He rose to his feet in time to catch Lisa and spin her feet off the ground, holding her against his body as he gave her a welcome kiss that got his blood boiling.

  Lisa stepped away and jammed her hat back into position, whistling happily as she crawled into the truck cab. “Well, now. That was pretty awesome. Ready to go? Sounds as if you don’t have much time.”

  She sat next to him, thigh tight against his as Ollie reluctantly sat on the floor, staring at them pleadingly.

  “I’ve been busy,” he admitted, “but it pays the bills.”

  Although that wasn’t really a worry. His trust fund was more than enough, but he was trying hard not to touch the principal. Heck, he was stubborn enough to try to save the interest as well.

  Lisa tugged off his glove and slid their palms together, linking their fingers as she stared up at him, all big brown eyes and contented smile.

  “So, to catch you up. Tamara has decided being postpartum is the greatest thing since sliced bread. She barely needs any help—you’d think she’d take advantage of me being around, but she’s up doing laundry before I can get out of bed. Said she’s got nine months’ worth of cooking she wants to catch up on as well.”

  “If she needs a challenge, she’s welcome to come over to my place to cook,” Josiah offered. “If it would help, of course.”

  Lisa grinned. “You’re all heart.”

  He stroked his thumb over her knuckles. “I’ve missed you. Texts are all good and well, but not the same.”

  She wet her lips. “Me too. Missed you, that is.” She twisted until she could rest her head against his shoulder. “On the other hand, I have gotten a whole bunch done on the fundraiser, since Tamara is busy doing my work and hers. I’ve seen Sonora a couple of times and we’ve talked about a May twenty-fourth event. If you like the ideas we’ve collected, we can get things rolling.”

  A deep shot of guilt hit. “I’m sorry. I was supposed to help you with that.”

  She shrugged. “There’s plenty to help with. We only started. It’s not as if you can guess when you’re going to be busy.”

  No, but him being busy right when she had tons of time on her hands wasn’t a great way to make it clear there were good reasons for her to stick around. He kicked himself for screwing up again.

  Especially when she continued cheerfully, “Ended up having lots of time to research, so my travel notebook is getting full. It’s kind of fun to write down a whole bunch of ideas that lead from one to the other. I know most of them are impossible, but it’s a great exercise.”

  He was turning in the driveway to Sonora’s, so he squeezed her fingers before putting both hands back on the wheel. “Who’s to say anything is impossible? Dream big. You’re an amazing woman—I bet there’s nothing you couldn’t do if you put your mind to it.”

  “You have to take a look at my ideas. Some of them are pretty over the top.”

  He pulled the truck to a stop outside the barn at Sonora’s. Before he could move, she leaned up and tipped his hat off so she could press a kiss to his cheek.

  “By the way. You’re pretty amazing too,” she whispered.

  Screw it. Josiah reached over and undid her seatbelt, hauling her into his lap. He tossed aside her hat to thread his fingers into the hair at the back of her head and hold her close. Then he took her mouth hard.

  She caught him by the collar, diving right in, their tongues sliding together and sending jolts of pleasure all over his body.

  He had no idea how long they sat there, kissing and touching. She unbuttoned the top of his shirt so she could rub her palms over his skin. His fin
gers dug into her hips and he wished he’d had the presence of mind to drape her over him instead of having her sidesaddle.

  Dragging her over his cock at this angle wasn’t nearly enough. Not for either of them.

  A sharp knock struck the window next to them and they broke apart rapidly. Through the steamy glass, Sonora Fallen stared at them in exasperation.

  “Oops,” Lisa muttered, waving quickly as she cautiously crawled off him.

  Josiah couldn’t keep the grin off his face as he opened the door. “Afternoon, Sonora.”

  “Would’ve been evening before you knew it if I hadn’t interrupted you,” the woman said grumpily, but she tipped her head, directing them toward the barns that had been partially renovated. “Come on. I’ve got the office area set up since you were last here.”

  First, though, Sonora marched them all around the barn. Josiah noted with approval the new pens and holding areas that had been constructed. “How deep are you digging into your own pocket to pay for this?” he asked.

  “I’m not poking holes in the bottom yet,” she assured him. “Besides, it’s just temporary. That’s what this fundraiser is all about.”

  Lisa took a deep breath, then launched into an explanation of the event she and Sonora had envisioned. “Think of it as a community barn party. We’ll have entertainment and auction tables with donations from businesses like Buns and Roses. We’ll make it a family-orientated gathering, so add in a petting zoo, and a pet photography station, and maybe fort-building in the hayloft, or horse rides. But the kicker is we combine the day with an adoption celebration. People who want any of these rescue animals can get all the paperwork done ahead of time, but that’s the day they’ll get to pick up their new family member.”

  Sonora listened with an approving smile while Lisa spoke, then added her two bits. “If there are dogs that go out in the next while, before the week of the auction, well, we’ll have them back as special guests. We figure it’ll just be a few adoptions that week to work out the timing, and we’ll already have the money and vaccination shots done. But won’t it be a motivator to see someone picking up their puppy? Seeing the ones that already found good homes?”

  It was brilliant. Big enough to make some money and build a ton of community spirit, yet small enough to be managed by a modest crew.

  Josiah checked the paperwork that Sonora had already begun to fill in for permits to host the event. “One suggestion. Anyone who falls in love with an animal still needs to complete the usual wait-and-approval period. We don’t want anybody moved on the spur of the moment to take a dog home and then realize they can’t keep it.”

  Sonora and Lisa nodded in agreement.

  “We figured they could put down a deposit, so they get to feel like a part of the party and celebration,” Lisa said.

  Of course they’d already thought of that issue. Josiah caught himself staring at Lisa in admiration as he shook his head. “Doesn’t look as if you needed my help at all.”

  Lisa’s expression had suddenly gone all mischievous. “We have a very specific task in mind for you.”

  Sonora patted him on the arm. “I know you’re not interested in acting with the community players and I don’t blame you. You’ve got enough on your plate. But you’re comfortable in front of a crowd, so will you agree to work with Lisa as emcees for the event?”

  He glanced at Lisa. At the brightness in her eyes and the happiness on her face about everything she’d been able to accomplish in such a short time.

  No way was he saying anything to take that expression away. “It would be my honour.”

  They worked a little longer on the details. At one point during their discussion, when Lisa and Sonora slipped outside to check something, Ollie following like a shadow, Josiah took Lisa’s earlier offer to snoop at face value. He flipped through a few pages of her idea notebook, taking mental notes on some of her shiny “someday in the future” ideas.

  She was right. Some of them were pretty dramatic and out there. But some…

  Ideas were brewing in his brain. He moved quickly, grinning at the bit of mischief he accomplished before the women returned.

  Sonora was beaming hard by the time they were done. When they got back into the truck to drive away, Lisa leaning against his arm, Josiah was happy to be able to pronounce it a successful meeting.

  Now to turn it into a very successful night—

  He turned to face her. “What’re the chances of you and me stealing away for the rest of the evening?”

  Lisa’s eyes lit up. “I’m betting one hundred percent.”

  He headed toward the grocery store while Lisa busied herself sending a text to Tamara.

  There was only one issue. Josiah eyed Ollie.

  To hell with it. She’d just have to come along for the ride.

  Lisa had been sent into the liquor store with orders to buy a bottle of red or white, whichever she wanted—with one caveat. Screw top only.

  To be contrary, she bought both. If he was able to constantly surprise her, she figured it was fair to reciprocate.

  As soon as she was back in the truck, Josiah disappeared into the store, coming back ten minutes later with two full grocery bags he placed in the back seat. “Ready for an adventure?”

  She eyed him carefully. “I don’t see any cue cards.”

  “You’re not looking close enough,” he teased. “Open your notebook.”

  What? She pulled it out of her bag to find a thin strip of burlap being used as a bookmark. “Creative.”

  “Desperation,” he countered. “Sonora is way too tidy. In any other office, I would have been able to find a scrap of paper.”

  Lisa laughed as she opened to the designated page and saw her notes on France. Or that’s what it had turned into. On the left side of the page she’d drawn a rough sketch of the Eiffel Tower with a list of bullet points opposite to it. Below she had written visit the Eiffel Tower or some other huge landmark and enjoy a delicious meal.

  Josiah turned off the highway and train tracks rattled under the truck wheels. “You know a shortcut to France? Because that’s gotta be one heck of a tunnel,” she said.

  He grinned. “I don’t have the time to fly you to France, but I can certainly take you to an important landmark for a delicious meal.” He pulled to a stop outside the old Heart Falls grain elevators.

  She shuffled out the door after him, staring up at the paint-worn buildings. “They’re in slightly better shape than the ones outside of Rocky.”

  Which wasn’t saying much.

  Ollie took off ahead of them to explore. Josiah grabbed the groceries in one hand and her fingers in the other, bringing her with him to the door at the base of one of the towering structures. “She’s sound inside. And I happen to have a key and permission to go in anytime I want.”

  She wasn’t quite sure why anybody would want this privilege, but his enthusiasm was huge and that alone was attractive. She took the bags from him so he could open the door. When he flicked the switch, a set of LED lights came on in the passageway and they waited for Ollie to join them before shutting the door.

  Lisa glanced around, but he hadn’t been exaggerating. She thumped her knuckles against the sturdy posts rising upward in the three-story building. “Wow.”

  “There’s not much to offer wear and tear in this neck of the woods. They’re built to withstand the snow and wind. The outside looks terrible because of the sun and weathering, but in here, there’s the potential for so much more.” He glanced at the dog. “Wait here. We need one more thing.”

  He was outside and back in no time flat, another grocery bag stuffed to the brim with what looked to be a blanket tossed over his shoulder.

  “This way.”

  Josiah grabbed a flashlight off the shelf and handed it to her. He took a second one for himself and then, leading the way, headed up a set of worn wooden stairs.

  He stepped briskly, causing an occasional groan from the wood, but with him marching so confidently, Lisa had
no reason to hesitate. They rounded a corner for the sixth time, the space to her left once again opening up into a wide room with wooden flooring.

  She paused, suddenly uncertain. “I’ll just stay here until I can see where I’m going. Or at least more than two feet ahead of me.”

  Josiah put his bags down and returned to her side, grabbing her hands and examining her face closely in the dim light reflecting through the window. “Is this okay?”

  She nodded. “Just a teeny bit wary of heights when I’m not certain of the floor stability.”

  He linked their fingers together. “I’ve got you,” he promised, his voice quiet yet intense, telling a whole story in one sentence as he brushed their lips together briefly. “You can protect me from the spiders.”

  Something inside her tumbled hard. “I can do that.”

  He took the flashlight from her gingerly, placing it on the floor by the window sill and aiming it toward the ceiling. He took his a few steps farther and did the same thing before going to his secret bag, shaking out a blanket, and laying it on the ground.

  Ollie immediately took possession. She settled herself right smack-dab in the middle, grinning happily as only a dog could.

  Lisa laughed. “That backfired.”

  “It worked perfectly,” he corrected. “Stay where you are. I have one more thing to do.”

  There was another chunk of fabric in the bag and he shook it out, metallic sounds ringing as oversized hooks hit the floor. A third time he reached into the bag, pulling out ropes, but before she could make some kind of smart remark, he was peering up and tossing the ends over the open beams directly overhead.