Her Homecoming Cowboy

It hit her then that he’d been hurrying to leave when he’d barreled from the building. “I’m sorry,” she said, meaning it. “We’re keeping you from something.”

“No,” Luke and Jess barked at the same time.

“Don’t go,” Leo said, tugging at Colt’s pants, causing Colt to halt midstep.

“I need to get out of here. I’m sorry.” He looked down at Leo, and Annie’s heart tugged ruthlessly, stealing her breath with the sharpness of it.

“You can hang on a few more minutes, Colt. Can’t you?” Luke asked, clamping a hand on Colt’s shoulder and squeezing.

Her gaze latched on to that hand—was Luke squeezing extra hard on Colt’s shoulder?

“Yeah. Sure.” Colt hit his brother with sharp eyes.

Call her late to the dance—there was definitely something churning beneath the surface here.

“I need to get back to my place.” His words were quiet. And in that quietness she heard a very firm edge that was as clear as a heavy steel door slamming shut. Luke’s jaw hardened as he held his peace. He didn’t say anything more about Colt sticking around.

Uncertainty crashed into Annie with equal force. How would he react to the news that she’d come here to share with him? It would take more than this off-the-cuff meeting before she made her decision.

That was for certain.

“What brought you to Mule Hollow?” Luke asked, directing his questions at her, as if that would keep Colt from leaving. “I know it’s not just to see my bullheaded brother.”

Oh, if he only knew. “Actually, we were looking for a change. And I realized since my job at the landscaping business had burned up in the fire right along with our home, there was nothing holding us there any longer—”

“She decided it was time to make a fresh start,” Leo said, grinning, as if reciting her very words. Words he’d heard her say more than just a few times.

Annie tousled his hair. “Right, I needed to find a new job and I knew if I started one there, I might never get up the nerve to relocate us.”

Or the courage to tell you the truth.

Her plans for how to break the news to Colt rattled through her brain—all unusable. She’d forced herself to do this because it was probably the right thing to do, understanding that only time would tell if that were true. And also because Leo might need his daddy someday. A flashback of being trapped inside a burning building reminded her all too vividly of when she’d had that epiphany.

Pulling her thoughts away from those less pleasant ones, she saw Leo grinning up at Colt. He was rocking back and forth on his little cowboy boots as his eyes, so full of adoration, drank in his hero.

“Annie Aunt said we was coming on an adventure. I like adventures a lot. My momma used to tell me lots of stories about having adventures on bull riding and bronc bustin’ and rodeo’n.” He grinned wider at Colt. “You were always in the stories!”

Colt looked shocked, or as shocked as a man who was showing little emotion could look.

“You’ll have to come out here and ride horses. Isn’t that right, Colt?” Luke nudged Colt with his elbow when the man said nothing.

For a minute Colt looked like he was going to say something, but instead he reached for his door, wrenched it open and climbed inside the cab of his truck.

How rude—right in the middle of a conversation, the man was just going to drive off! And, he’d barely acknowledged Leo. For them to have come so far and for Leo to be so excited about seeing Colt, she knew this was going to hurt.

Just when she thought it was over and done, Colt looked down at Leo from his open window. “Hey, kid. I...I have to go. But take this.” He pulled the stiff blue rope from his truck. It had a loop on one end, and Annie recognized it was the kind used for roping steers.

“Do you like to rope?” he asked, causing Leo’s eyes to grow wide.

“I ain’t never done it before. Can I try?”

Colt handed Leo the rope. “Sure you can. Practice with this—it’s yours.”

“Thanks,” Leo gushed, his voice soft with awe, drawing the word out for a mile as he studied his gift.

Colt was backing out of the driveway before Leo got the entire word out. Annie was speechless.

“Colt, wait,” Luke called after him. But it was too late.

The cowboy was gone.

“Did you see what Colt gave me, Annie Aunt? Did you see what Colt gave me?”

“Isn’t that something?” Annie managed, totally and completely perplexed by the cowboy driving off into the midday horizon. What in the world had just happened?

Thank goodness Leo’s infatuation with Colt and the gift he’d been given distracted him.

Luke bent down and held out his hand to his nephew. Annie held her breath as Leo stopped trying to make the loop go around and shook Luke’s hand.

“You want me to show you how to hold that rope?”

“Sure. Are you a bull rider, too?” Leo asked, letting Luke position his small hands on the rope. “Or a roper?”

Jess laughed, stepping into the conversation. “Are you kidding? Luke couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn with a rope.”

Instead of getting mad, Luke’s mouth twisted into a wide grin. “Don’t listen to him. He and Colt are the better ones with the rope in the family, but ask them who taught them.”

Annie smiled, relaxing a little. Liking the kindness she sensed in these two men. They were teasing each other to smooth over the actions of their brother. Little did they know they were talking to their nephew. Hope kindled anew in her heart that she was doing the right thing.

Leo looked at Jess. “Who taught you?” he asked as Luke had suggested.

A teasing grin spread across Jess’s face. “My big brother, Luke. See, at one time when I was a little kid like you, I thought Luke was the best roper around. Then he taught me and Colt how to do it, and we found out just how bad he is at landing a loop. But he’s a real good teacher.”

Leo turned back to a smiling Luke. “Did you teach Colt to ride bulls, too? He’s the best there is, and I want him to teach me how to ride a bull.”

Nervous at all Leo had said, Annie realized she’d come without a well-thought-out plan of action and now she had to fess up. Before she could say anything, Jess spoke to Leo.

“I’m sorry about the fire, little buddy. But a bull busted Colt’s collarbone a couple of weeks ago, so he won’t be throwing a loop anytime soon. I bet when he’s all healed up, you could talk him into it, though.”

“Puppies!” Leo exclaimed, suddenly distracted when he spied two small puppies that came around the back of the office building, tumbling around as they wrestled together. Leo raced over to play, leaving Annie alone with the two brothers. They watched Leo fall to his knees and welcome the puppies into his lap. Both brothers had quizzical expressions as they studied Leo. When they turned almost as one to face her, Annie felt the weight of their gazes. An odd sense of guilt overcame her.

“That was good timing,” Luke said. “Is there something we can do for you? Anything we need to know?”

Annie’s heart hiccuped. That he’s your nephew.

“Yeah,” Jess added, an odd light in his eyes. “You came out here to see Colt. Was there a reason for that? Other than him being Leo’s...hero? Maybe something we can help with?”

The weirdest feeling overcame Annie—they knew. She shook it off as guilt making her paranoid as she contemplated her dilemma. She had no one to confide her problems to or to ask advice from other than her best friend back home who had urged her to leave Leo’s life as it was when Annie had confided that she was thinking of locating the boy’s dad.

Looking at Leo’s uncles, she told herself they didn’t know anything. Her imagination was playing tricks on her. Paranoia was setting in. Finally, realizing they were waiting on a response, she asked, “Can you tell me how to get to the veterinary clinic? I’m their new office manager.”

Jess snapped his fingers. “Oh, yeah—that’s why your name sounded familiar,” he said, his lip hitching into a lopsided smile. “My fiancée, Gabi Newberry, is the vet tech there. I knew they were expecting someone. We’ve had so much going on, it slipped by me that it was this week you were supposed to arrive.”

She was going to be working with Colt’s soon-to-be sister-in-law.... “Oh, really,” she said, hiding her surprise. “I talked to Gabi last week. I’m excited about working with her.”

After a few minutes spent talking about the clinic, Annie called Leo over and they headed to the clinic using the directions Jess had given her. The clinic was right down the road from the Holden Ranch.

Annie glanced in her side-view mirror at Leo’s uncles as she drove away. She wasn’t sure whether she was going to break her news or not—only time would tell. She was here, though, and she had to admit that she liked the brothers very much. But the jury was still out on Colt Holden.

Annie, and Annie alone, would decide if Colt was worthy of being Leo’s daddy—or if he would forever remain Leo’s rodeo hero.

Chapter Three

“We are going to make this last rodeo the best one yet,” a spunky-looking redhead declared as Annie and Leo entered the Mule Hollow Veterinary Clinic.

With her flaming-red hair contrasting against the tangerine capri pants and sunshine-yellow top, to say that she was bright would have been an understatement.

All four women in the room turned to look at them as Annie pulled the door shut behind her. Two other women who looked to be in their sixties, like the sunny redhead, stood in the waiting area.

One was a stout woman in a blue plaid shirt and a pair of denim overalls. Her short gray hair was the color of steel wool and just as coarse. She had a smile as wide as a half-moon, and the twinkle in her eyes was as bright as the Milky Way. Beside her stood a small-framed woman with noticeably blue eyes that contrasted with her snow-white hair, cut short and fringed around her face, and those amazing sapphire eyes. Looking at her, Annie felt immediately warm and welcome, even though she hadn’t said a word yet, just smiled.

Behind the reception desk was a woman in her late twenties. She wore her dark hair in a thick ponytail that had fallen across her left shoulder and hung over her heart. Annie assumed this was Gabi, Jess’s fiancée.

Before Gabi could say anything, everyone began greeting her and Leo at the same time. Mule Hollow, Texas, was known for its matchmakers, because of an ongoing syndicated newspaper column about the little town that had gone from a dusty, dying town to a thriving place. All because of a Wives Wanted ad. Annie knew instantly that she was looking at the matchmakers, better known as the matchmaking posse. The very idea sent a startled thrill of pleasure racing through her. Not that she was looking to be matched up. More like it was neat to actually see the ladies in person.

“Hello,” the redhead cooed, rushing forward and bending over to hold out her hand to Leo. There was no mistaking that this was Esther Mae Wilcox. “Aren’t you a handsome little fella!”

“Howdy,” the stout woman in overalls boomed, instantly bringing her larger-than-life personality off the page of the newspaper column. This had to be ranch woman Norma Sue Jenkins. “Now, Esther Mae, don’t go scaring the child before we find out what his name is.”

“I’m Leo. And I’m not scared,” Leo declared—the kid never met a stranger. He beamed up at the ladies while they chuckled at his bright-eyed declaration.

“You must be Annie, our new office manager,” the younger woman said, coming from behind the counter and holding her hand out to Annie. “I’m Gabi Newberry, the vet-tech-slash-receptionist up until now. I am so glad to see you.”

She hadn’t known how much trepidation she was feeling until this moment. The weeks of worrying over the choices she’d made and the weeks of praying, coupled with the fear that God wasn’t listening to her, disappeared as she felt the warm welcome of these four ladies. Relief washed over her. She had fears about what would happen with Colt, but this was going to be all right. Leo was going to thrive in this environment if all the folks of Mule Hollow were this caring.

“I’m so glad to be here,” she said, smiling.

The small lady’s dainty hands clasped Annie’s. “We are so glad you’ve come. I’m Adela Ledbetter Green, Gabi’s grandmother,” she said, confirming Annie’s thoughts on who the delicate, kind-looking woman was.

“And I’m Esther Mae Wilcox,” the redhead gushed. Then Norma Sue introduced herself.

“We are always glad to see new folks move to town,” Norma Sue added. “You’ve rented Lilly Wells’s old home, right? We call it the Tipps place because that was her maiden name and her family owned it for years.”

“Yes. We’re on our way out there now. We just stopped in to let the clinic know we made it to town. And that I’d be at work in the morning.”

“And I’m going to go see my new day care,” Leo declared before Annie could mention that they’d met Jess. “I’m six. I get to start first grade this year.” Leo beamed.

“That sounds like some fine apples. You two will have to come to the rodeo we’re having in town next week,” Norma Sue said. “I know Leo would really enjoy it.”

“I sure would. Is Colt Holden gonna ride bulls?”

The minute the question was out, everyone’s ears perked up—or was it Annie’s imagination?

“You know Colt?” They all asked, sounding like echoes of each other. It was definitely not her imagination.

“Sure I do. He’s the best bull rider in all of the whole world. And that’s big, you know.”

“Leo’s—” Annie stopped herself just before blurting out that Leo’s mother was a big fan. “Leo loves rodeo. And he is particularly a fan of Colt’s. I, um, took him out there to their ranch earlier, taking a chance that he might be in town.”

“How wonderful,” Esther Mae exclaimed, her gaze flicking from Gabi to Norma Sue, a grin spread across her face.

“I’m engaged to Colt’s brother, Jess,” Gabi offered. “Were they out there?”

“Yes, they were there and Jess told me you worked here. He gave me directions.”

Norma Sue planted her hands on her hips. “Was Colt there?”

“Yes, he was.”

“Colt gave me a rope,” Leo said proudly. “Can I go get it?”

“Sure, but stay right beside the office,” she said, glad for him to have something to occupy his time.

“That was nice of Colt to give Leo a rope,” Adela said, her blue eyes warm. “I’m glad he was there. I’m sure he enjoyed meeting a fan, especially one so cute.”

Thinking about his odd behavior, Annie wasn’t so sure about that.

“I know Leo enjoyed meeting him,” she said truthfully.

“Didn’t you tell Susan that you’re renting the Tipps place?” Gabi asked, referring to Annie’s new boss.

“Yes, we’re on our way out there now. I’m just so thrilled to have found it to rent.”

The ladies discussed the fact that the house was furnished, and it was out in the boondocks, down a dirt road with only one other home on the road, which belonged to Annie’s new landlords, Lilly and Cort Wells.

Soon the matchmaking posse left, and to Annie’s relief there had been no questions about whether she was looking for love. Annie was a little surprised by that, since the ladies were known to be fairly heavy-handed. Goodness, they were so good at what they did that it was one reason the town was flourishing. Annie figured if one day she did get a wild hair to look for a husband, then she’d come to exactly the right place. Not that that was in her foreseeable future. She had more pressing things to consider and no time to even contemplate romance.

She had Leo to think about. And that was all she had time to focus on right now.

Driving toward their new home, Annie was excited about her job. Susan had been out vaccinating a herd of cattle, and Gabi had said Annie would meet her tomorrow. Gabi said with Annie taking care of the office, it would be so much easier for her to go and assist Susan on vet calls. It was obvious that Gabi preferred being out in the field to sitting behind the desk.

Annie was excited about the people she’d met, and, despite her worries about Colt Holden and what she was going to do about Leo’s situation, she had a very good feeling about Mule Hollow. The posse had been so helpful and so encouraging. And they’d really been thrilled that she was renting Lilly Wells’s place.

It sounded a little secluded but nice, with plenty of wide-open space for Leo to run and play. She couldn’t wait to see it.

She was certain she and Leo were going to love it.

* * *

Annie stood on the back porch of her new home the following morning and could honestly not believe her good fortune. It was a typical country farmhouse—old but comfortable with a warm, cozy feel that pleased her. She’d been lucky to get it for a price she could afford. She knew she owed it all to her real estate lady, Hailey Belle Sutton.

When they hadn’t come up with anything that would work, Hailey had called her friend and the next thing Annie knew, this lovely place was offered to her. Hailey had told Lilly about Annie and Leo’s situation—that they’d lost everything in a fire and they needed a furnished place, if at all possible. Though Lilly normally didn’t rent her home out, she’d decided to do so for Annie and Leo.

She hadn’t met her landlady yet but couldn’t wait until Lilly came home from a trip out of town so she could thank her. Annie would never be able to tell Lilly how much her act of compassion meant to her.

The fact that the old homestead was surrounded by pastureland at the end of a dirt road for them to explore—as they were doing that morning—was even better. It reminded her of the ranch for abandoned and neglected girls she and Jennifer had lived in for a short time. Of all the foster homes they’d lived in, the ranch had been the best.

“Look, Annie Aunt, a baby calf!” Leo exclaimed after they’d walked about half a mile into the back part of the property. They’d seen lots of cattle in the adjoining pasture, but this calf was right in front of them and on their side of the barbed wire. Before Annie could stop Leo, he bolted toward the small, fairly new calf.

“Leo, stop,” she called, hurrying after him, her gaze locked on the momma cow that stood the distance of a football field away from the calf. Leo skidded to a halt when she hollered. He was only twenty feet from the calf. Startled, it began to wail as it bolted away from Leo.

At the baby’s bawl, the momma’s head whipped up and her big eyes flashed fire— Oh no! This was not good. Annie charged the same time the cow did.

“Run, Leo, run!” she screamed.

Leo’s eyes grew wide and he couldn’t move as he seemed transfixed to the spot, watching the huge cow barreling toward him. Annie reached him and scooped him up into her arms, her feet never slowing as she kept running. He screamed for her to hurry, as if finally finding his voice. The only thing remotely resembling a shelter was a scraggly tree not much bigger around than a flagpole. But at least it was better than a stalk of goat weed!

The mad bawling of the momma and the thunder of her hooves getting closer had Annie’s feet moving as fast as they’d ever moved in her life. Breathing hard, she screamed for Leo to hold on when he started to slip from her grasp. He was so much heavier than she’d realized. Annie prayed for a miracle. Where she expected help to come from, she had no idea since they were alone in the middle of nowhere.

Breathing hard, she made it to the tree. Letting Leo slip to the ground behind the tree, she turned to face the oncoming freight train.

Poor Leo was screaming and she realized she was, too. Holding her hand on Leo’s shoulder, she prepared to play ring-around-the-rosies with the cow all day if that was what it took to keep him safe.

Momma cow charged the tree, and they scurried to the other side as it slammed its head into the thin trunk. It shook with the impact and Annie screamed again.

Dear Lord, what had she gotten them into?

* * *

Colt winced while struggling to rip open the bag of deer corn. Here in the deep woods the early morning quiet filled every space, and the sound of the bag ripping sent shock waves crackling through the stillness. The rustling of leaves told him he’d scared half the wild kingdom in the process of getting the bag open with one hand.

Watching the deer come into the clearing behind his cabin every morning and evening gave him some small semblance of... He couldn’t call it peace—it was more a calming of the dark emotions lurking inside him these days.

Watching the deer come in droves to the corn was a positive sign. And with the drought that Texas had suffered through the last few months, the poor animals were hungry. Their ribs were showing worse than any time he’d ever known. They were so grateful for the corn.

Picking up the coffee can he used as a scoop, he dug it into the hard yellow corn, then began sprinkling the food along the ground, softened by the many hoofprints from the previous night’s feeding.

As he’d done too many times to count, his thoughts drifted to the woman and the little boy. He’d hated the way he couldn’t deal with Leo hanging on him and looking up at him with those adoring eyes.

Colt didn’t deserve those emotions shining up at him from Leo’s heart.

The aunt had been angry with him. He had seen fire flash a couple of times when she thought he wasn’t doing right by Leo. He’d not been able to shake the feeling that he’d missed something. But then, he wasn’t firing on all cylinders lately.

Digging the coffee can into the corn again, he sprinkled it out in a wide pattern and repeated the action several times. He needed the solitude that was here in his woods, needed to be away from people—being around Leo and Annie had solidified that belief. And yet, he was restless. And he figured he always would be. All the people who’d offered him advice had said that time would heal. He knew it wouldn’t. He couldn’t imagine time taking the slightest edge off the guilt he felt. Because no matter what his brothers tried to tell him, he knew in his heart that he could have stopped that wreck if he hadn’t been so tired. He’d known his mind was fuzzy and his head had bobbed several times. Try as he might, he couldn’t remember the impact of the wreck. He couldn’t remember that moment when he had seen what was happening. He couldn’t remember whether his head had been down and he’d been asleep when that drunk had hit him.

Had he been asleep at the wheel when that car had come across the yellow line and hit him, sending him plowing into the oncoming traffic? It was a question he would forever ask himself. And yet, what did it matter? He knew how much like soggy bread his thoughts had been and how elastic that had made his response time.

He knew.

And there was no amount of time that would distance him from that knowledge.

Nope, he was responsible for killing that family and he would have to live with that for the rest of his life.

There was no prison sentence harsh enough for what he’d done, so a life sentence of guilt was a most just penalty.

Having a child look at him with hero worship in his eyes had almost killed him.

He hadn’t been able to take it—and so he’d run.

Here in the solitude of his woods, for now, was where he belonged. At least until he figured out how to deal with this.

His fist tightening around the cup, he jammed it deep into the corn, then slung the hard yellow kernels in a violent arch. Almost in the same instant, shouts echoed in the distance.

Screams.

Colt froze, thinking at first he’d flashed back to the night of the wreck. When the screams came again, shrieks of unmistakable fear, he knew better.

Colt bolted into action. Tossing the coffee can to the ground, he ignored the pain shooting through his collarbone as he charged through the woods in the direction of the screams.

It was coming from the old Tipps place. But Lilly kept that property empty. Or had up till now.

The yells were getting closer. He raced, pushing through scraggly limbs, dodging rocks and fallen logs. Two people by the sound, one of them a woman and one a child. It was about two hundred yards between his cabin and the fence line that separated the two properties. Heart pounding with adrenaline and worry about what he would find when he got there, Colt did not let up as he ran. Briars tore at his arms and face, as he could use only one hand to brush them out of the way. His broken collarbone screamed at him in pain with each stride. He ignored it and focused on the two ahead of him.