Cowboys Don't Marry Their Enemy (Sweet Water Ranch Western Cowboy Romance Book 9)

by Jessie Gussman

  But almost like he could feel her gaze, his head lifted and his eyes landed on her. His laughter faded, leaving a small smile hovering around lips that tightened just a little as insecurity lightly brushed over his face.

  Her breath caught, and it hit her how ridiculously stupid and selfish she’d been. Not wanting to depend on a man, thinking it necessary for her personal growth, but never thinking that the man wanted, maybe needed, her to depend on him. As he depended on her.

  That what they could have together was so much more beautiful than what they could have apart.

  She couldn’t stop her mouth from smiling, and his widened grin answered hers.

  Her boys saw her and came running, Summer and Kohlton trailing behind, and even Luna pulled on Abner’s hand, trying to pull him toward her mother.

  Abner stood back, still holding Claire, as Cora bent and hugged her kids.

  As happy as she was to see them—she wasn’t used to being separated from them for days—she didn’t take as much time as she normally might have, because she was happy to see someone else, too.

  She straightened, the kids’ chattering precluding anything she might have said, but able at least to look into his eyes.

  He tilted his head and lifted a brow, as though asking how it had gone.

  Maybe she was being bold, but she walked quickly forward, giving him an answering smile before stepping into his arms and hugging both him and Claire. He was solid and warm and breathed in the scent she loved.

  It took about two seconds before his arm came around her and he pulled her closer. It felt like coming home, beautiful and complete. She had so much she wanted to say and more that she really needed to, but this wasn’t the place.

  “I missed you,” she whispered instead as she lifted her head and looked up, keeping her arms tight around him.

  Claire patted her cheek, but seemed perfectly happy to stay in his arm, and her children chattered around them, but it felt like they were the only two in the world as he looked down, his eyes glowing.

  “I missed you more.”

  She laughed on a puff of breath. “We can fight about that.”

  His mouth curved up, slow. “Later.”

  Claire finally reached out her hands, and Cora took the baby, stepping back, her fingers brushing Abner’s, and the crazy pings that zinged up her arms and down her ribcage had multiplied since she’d been gone. Or maybe since she’d realized she wanted to stay and nothing else mattered.

  Claire’s arms tightened around her neck, and Cora hugged her precious baby close. She wouldn’t have left her six children with any other man she’d ever been with, and certainly none of those men would have met her at the airport calmly, with her six kids and a smile.

  She breathed in the scent of North Dakota-covered baby mixed with the deeper, rugged scent of Abner.

  Abner leaned closer and spoke in her ear. “You have anything you want to do in town?”

  She leaned her head up, her cheek brushing his. “No. I just want to go home.”

  His eyes flashed, surprise then maybe triumph. “We have a surprise for you.”

  “Don’t tell her!” Derrick said, in a voice that was not allowed inside.

  “I tell Mommy,” Kohlton said.

  “I tell,” Luna repeated.

  “Let’s not tell her. Let’s show her. Okay, guys?” Abner’s eyes beamed like they had when he’d shown her the room he was building, spreading warmth and contentment through her veins. She had to smile back. He made it seem like life wasn’t so hard. Like it was fun and meant to be enjoyed. With six kids, that was a pretty big accomplishment, but she had to admit it was easier with two adults. When it was just her, it was all she could do to get the basics done.

  The kids babbled and talked as they walked out of the airport and into the chill afternoon air. Abner had Luna in his arms and held Kohlton’s hand. Cora carried Claire and held Summer’s. The boys walked between them.

  They garnered more than a few glances from people walking by. It wasn’t a normal sight to see that many children. But Abner didn’t seem to care. In fact, he seemed happy. Like spending a few days with a bunch of little kids wasn’t the work she knew it to be.

  “And Abner is going to buy cows,” Derrick was saying.

  “Black ones. Because even though they taste the same as red ones, people pay more money for black cows.” A month ago, Andrew didn’t know anything about cows.

  Cora’s lips couldn’t help but curve up at his tone. Like he really knew what he was talking about. Her eyes shifted to Abner, who was watching her with a guilty grin.

  “And chickens,” Summer said. “Mr. Abner said we’d get baby chicks. And I get to name them all.”

  “He said maybe we’d get a goat, but they’re awful hard to keep in,” Derrick said.

  “Oh?” Cora raised her brows.

  “Yeah. And maybe this fall, we’ll get a couple of pigs and fatten them ourselves, then we can butcher them so we have meat to eat all winter.” Andrew looked earnestly at her.

  “That sounds like a lot of work.” She pursed her lips and gave Abner a look.

  “Hey, we needed to talk about something at the supper table, and you weren’t here to modulate the discussion. It gets worse.”

  “Really?”

  “We’re getting a puppy!” Summer shouted.

  “And two kitties.” Kohlton skipped and wagged their joined hands.

  “This is worse,” Cora said. “They’re not staying in the house.” It might not be her house, but she felt she needed to be firm from the beginning.

  “Um...” Abner started. “The boys get to sleep with the cats in their room, and the girls get to have the puppy in theirs.”

  “Obviously, I cannot leave you alone with my children,” Cora said in her haughtiest tone but ruined it by smiling.

  “I agree. You definitely need to be here to supervise things.” Abner winked at her.

  They got the kids in the car and started the long ride back to the ranch. Cora looked around at the landscape with new eyes, because, for the first time, she thought this might be where her roots finally sank deep. She needed to talk to Abner, but she knew how he felt. She just needed to make sure that he knew her heart.

  The kids settled down after they’d been driving for a while. Abner looked over at her. “I thought, from the look on your face, that things went well.”

  “They did,” she said honestly. “Much better than I thought they would.”

  He nodded, looked back at the road.

  “I’m hot,” a little voice called from the back.

  Cora reached up and adjusted the heat for the rear. She was pulling her hand back when Abner’s fingers touched her wrist. Light and soft. Her eyes sprang to his. He grinned, his fingers slipping around and entwining with hers.

  “I’m sorry about the animals. But the kids were sad and missing you. It was the first thing I thought of to talk about to distract them from their mom being gone. I really was just thinking aloud about the cows, and it kind of snowballed.”

  She shook her head.

  His fingers flexed. “I know you might not be staying, and I just didn’t want you to think I was trying to make the kids think there were sides or that I was going behind your back about anything.”

  “I didn’t think that and wouldn’t. I don’t deserve how kind you’ve been to me, and I certainly never expected or deserved how you’ve stepped in with the kids. Thank you for keeping them.”

  “I’ve always wanted a big family. Always. From the time I was little and even more so when my Amish mother kicked me out.” His shoulder lifted. “It’s work, of course. But it’s fun, and I love it. Thanks for trusting me with them. Even if they do think we’re going to have a zoo now.”

  “I’m not sure I want to butcher a pig.” She wasn’t much into blood and death, and it kind of turned her stomach to think of it.

  “We did it on the farm growing up twice a year. Our neighbor to the east, Jeb, he’s got a dairy fa
rm, and I’ve been paying him to help with the trim work. He said he’d do one with us. It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun when the neighbors get together and make it a party.”

  “Many hands make light work?” Cora couldn’t help but ask.

  “Yeah.” Abner slanted a look, his face seeming a little unsure, like he was trying to dissect her reaction.

  “Are we there yet?” a voice called from the back seat.

  “Nope,” Abner said, his lips curved.

  “How much longer?” Derrick called.

  Cora grunted a laugh. “A very long time.”

  “How long?”

  “If we’re not there by the time you’re old enough to get your driver’s license, we’ll talk.”

  Chapter 19

  Jeb, their neighbor the dairy farmer, was carrying his toolbox out when they pulled in.

  Abner reluctantly let go of Cora’s hand. “He’s gotta get home and milk the cows. He does a fantastic job, but he probably won’t talk to you. I’ve never met a man who said less.”

  Cora nodded.

  Abner had really just been making conversation. He loved talking to her. Seeing the animation on her face, seeing her smile, getting that lifted-brow look that jokingly said he was in trouble.

  Sure enough, Abner, carrying Luna and holding Summer’s hand, passed Jeb on the walk.

  “Thanks, man,” he said.

  Jeb nodded, the hard angles of his face softening a little at the baby in Abner’s arms. Jeb jerked his chin at Cora then walked to his old, beat-up pickup. He was gone shortly after in a rumble of sound and a cloud of smoke.

  Andrew stood at the door, his body blocking it. “You can’t go in, Mom. Not until we’re all in so we can see you.”

  “It’s that big?” She lifted her brows at Abner. “If you got the kids a pet snake, I’m not sure we can still be friends.”

  “I’m not sure I could blame you about that one,” Abner said easily.

  “No snake?”

  “I don’t know if I would consider that a good surprise.” Abner kept the confident grin on his face, but his stomach was squeezing his backbone. He knew she wouldn’t be upset, but he didn’t know if she’d love it like he hoped she would.

  Of course, he had another surprise that not even the kids knew about. Abner knew she’d love it, but he also knew it would help make up her mind to stay with him, and he kind of wanted her to stay because of him and not because of anything else. Maybe that was dumb on his part.

  “Fine, then. Open the door and take the kids in.” Cora turned to Abner. “Do you want to go in first, too?”

  “Nah. Give me Claire, and I’ll follow you in.”

  She handed the baby to him. “I can’t imagine what in the world you guys have done in the three days I was gone.”

  He didn’t answer but leaned down and took Claire in his free hand, breathing deep. “I missed you,” he said softly, unable to keep from telling her.

  He smiled when she shivered. He hoped she missed him too.

  But, no.

  “I want to talk to you.” Her voice was as low as his, like she didn’t want the kids to hear.

  “Hey, Mom! We’re ready!”

  Pulling in a deep breath and throwing a smile on her face, she turned from him and stepped to the door, walking through.

  He watched her go, his heart beating with hollow thuds in his chest. Somehow, he didn’t figure what she had to say was good. But he’d come to some conclusions while she was gone, and he knew they were right. Just depended now on what she decided.

  Following her in, he closed the door and waited. The kids were all bunched on the far side of the kitchen. The door to the old bedroom was open, and the door to the new addition was hung and open as well.

  Cora’s head moved around the kitchen. It looked pretty much the same as it had when she left. Andrew and Derrick had done the dishes before they’d left to pick her up at the airport, but they’d not put the pans away.

  Cora seemed to realize that her surprise wasn’t in the kitchen.

  She walked slowly to the new addition. “It’s finished.”

  Not quite. Jeb probably hadn’t gotten all the trim work done, but they’d been cutting the boards out behind the house to keep the mess out so they could set up the beds.

  “Three beds,” Cora said. “This must be the girls’ room.”

  “Yep,” Andrew said. “Except for one girl.”

  She twisted and looked at him. “Oh?”

  He just grinned.

  “Look at the other room, Mommy.”

  She walked to the old bedroom slowly and stood in the doorway. “It’s all for you,” Summer blurted out, like she couldn’t keep the secret anymore.

  “Me? This is my room?”

  “Yep. Mr. Abner said that you didn’t even have a bed at Aunt Sandy’s house, so we went and got you one.” Derrick hopped a little on his toes.

  “That was fun. We got to lie on the beds and try them out.” Andrew might be mature for his age, but he’d had just as much fun as the other kids trying out the mattresses.

  Cora put her fingers to her chin and tapped it. Abner’s chest started to constrict. She didn’t look happy.

  “Where are Derrick and Andrew going to sleep?” she asked over her shoulder.

  “We get the loft!” Andrew almost shouted.

  “Mr. Jeb helped take our beds apart and carry them up the stairs, and Mr. Abner wired up some lights for us. He said it would only be a year until we had a new house, but I want to stay there forever. It’s almost like a tree house.”

  Cora’s breath huffed. “You probably won’t get any tree houses here. If there’s a tree on the ranch, I have yet to see it.”

  The kids all started talking then, telling her how it happened and how they helped and who was there. Luna wanted down, and Abner set her on the floor.

  The boys showed her the loft, and it was a good ten minutes before they got tired of talking and ran off wrestling and playing.

  That’s when Cora turned to him. “What about you? The kids acted like this was just my room.”

  “It is.” He thought it was something nice that he could do for her, but he’d gotten the impression in the last ten minutes that she was just putting on a happy face for her kids.

  “Thanks,” she said, looking like she wanted to say more, but a crash and crying kept her from following through.

  THE NEXT MORNING AT breakfast, Cora cooked bacon, made toast, and made sure the kids were getting ready for school while Abner made eggs and took care of the little ones. They managed to eat breakfast and get the kids on the bus, leaving them with only Luna and Claire.

  Cora had gotten a text just before they sat down to breakfast, and she wasn’t sure how to approach Abner about it. Her eggs balled in her stomach, and even her bacon didn’t taste that great as she fidgeted with the end of her ponytail and wondered how he was going to take this.

  It also bothered her that, in the hubbub of putting the kids to bed the night before, he’d slipped out and she realized he truly meant for the room to be all hers.

  She had to assume he slept in the barn.

  He’d said she and the children could live with him, and he’d said he wanted more, but she’d declined. Maybe his offer wasn’t open anymore, or maybe his feelings had changed. She didn’t know why else he’d be making a bedroom just for her.

  They really needed to talk. But first...

  “Remember I told you about Bob Price?” She was standing at the sink with her hands in the dishwater. He was across the kitchen on his knees, doing something in the wall that had to do with the ductwork and sealing things up after running heat to the new room.

  Something clanged, and then it was quiet, except for Claire pounding a wooden spoon on the floor.

  “Yeah?” he said.

  She couldn’t read a thing in his tone.

  “He texted me this morning, and he’s stopping in on the way to Montana.” She said it fast, like he wouldn’t be able to
ask questions if she spit it out quickly.

  And he didn’t ask anything.

  She supposed she should feel relief, but it only hardened the knot of wire in her stomach.

  A few more bangs and clanks and there was movement behind her.

  “I’m going outside for a bit.”

  “Abner? Wait.”

  He stopped with his hand on the doorknob, facing the door, his tool belt slung over his shoulder.

  “I told you that I emailed him.”

  “I know.”

  “When I was in Cincinnati, he called me back. He said he was going out to Montana to visit relatives and that he’d stop in, but I really didn’t think he would.”

  When he’d texted, she texted him back saying that today wasn’t a great day, but there hadn’t been a response.

  He turned his head slowly and looked over his shoulder. “Did you tell him you were married?”

  She hadn’t. “I wasn’t sure how things were going to go down with us. When we did it, we said it was just so that you have vows and rings.” She laughed, a nervous sound. “We never did get the rings.”

  “I did.”

  She must have looked as confused as she felt.

  “When we went to get the bed and mattress, I got rings, too. Didn’t want to get them without you, but...”

  The sound of a pickup interrupted him. He leaned over and glanced out the window. “Jeb’s here.”

  “I’ll make sure you guys have lunch.”

  “Maybe we ought to plan on talking after the kids go to bed. We need to get us straightened out.” He looked back toward the door. “I’m not thrilled about Bob being here.”

  “I didn’t think you would be.” She actually thought he might be angry about it, but he didn’t seem to be. Why did she always have such a hard time telling people no? She should have just told Bob to forget about stopping. She wished she had. Just because it was more important to her to show Abner she cared about him than to appease Bob.

  Abner went out, closing the door behind him.

  Lunch was over and she had the dishes done and the children in bed when another phone call came. She recognized the Cincinnati area code and answered with trembling fingers.