A Cowboy's Redemption

“If you want, I can leave.”

She didn’t want him to leave. The thought of never seeing him again had kept her up all night. Her mind scrambled for a way to keep him with her a little while longer. “I’m driving into Las Cruces later to meet with a Realtor.” She shrugged. “I didn’t want to do it yesterday because it would have only upset José. You’re welcome to come with me and while we’re in town we could check into selling that wood at the lumberyard.”

“Sure. I’ll load the boards in my truck.”

“How long do you need?”

“An hour.”

“Okay.” She left the barn and rushed back to the house, where she fussed with her hair and makeup, then spent the next few minutes staring at the clothes in her closet. She needed to look respectable and business-like for her appointment with the Realtor, but today’s temperature would be in the nineties. She settled on a pair of khaki linen pants and a colorful tank top. Maybe after the appointment she could convince Cruz to stop for lunch before they returned to Papago Springs.

“Where are you going dressed like that?” José asked when he almost plowed Sara over in the hallway.

“I have a few errands to run in Las Cruces.”

“We were just there. How come you didn’t pick up what you needed then?”

“I forgot.” She hoped her father-in-law couldn’t tell she was lying. “Cruz is going with me and we’re taking the old wood in the barn along to see if we can sell it at the lumberyard.”

“What if I need the wood to fix something?”

He hadn’t fixed anything on the property in eons.

“Can you think of any groceries that you need?”

“Milk for Dani.”

“I’ll take the cooler, then.” She retrieved the ice chest from the porch and set it outside by Cruz’s truck. “If Dani gives you any trouble today, she can do her work sheets.”

“You make her study too much. Let her enjoy her childhood.” José was stuck in a time warp in Papago Springs. He had no clue what went on in the world and how important it was for children to be prepared before they entered kindergarten.

“The work sheets are fun and keep her busy. There’s nothing wrong with exercising the brain.”

José made a growling sound in his throat and walked into the kitchen.

“I’ll call if we won’t be home for supper.” She hurried outside before José protested. She understood that he was suspicious of Cruz because they knew so little about him. But from the moment Sara had looked into his brown eyes, instinct had kicked in and she knew he was trustworthy and meant them no harm. Years of being a nurse and questioning parents when they brought their sick or injured children to the clinic had taught her to read between the lines and decipher facial expressions and body language. She could spot a liar before they opened their mouth to speak.

Too bad Antonio hadn’t listened to her when she’d insisted he quit working at the clinic in the barrio because it wasn’t safe. The night he’d been killed he’d called her before leaving the hospital to head to the clinic and she’d asked him not to go. She’d had a bad feeling that something would happen. And it had—Antonio had ended up dead.

She always trusted her gut—it had never let her down. By the end of the day she’d know a lot more about Cruz and could put José’s worries to rest.

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