Her Homecoming Cowboy

He reached the fence quickly despite it seeming as though he’d been moving in slow motion. He could see them before he reached the fence. Annie Ridgeway and Leo standing behind a pitiful excuse of a tree as a blistering-hot momma cow charged them. Colt planted his good hand on the top of the wooden post, and catapulted himself over the fence. Grimacing, the pain very nearly brought him to his knees when he landed.

No time to waste, he began yelling to draw the cow’s attention his way. “Yah!” he yelled, loud and gruff. “Get on outta here.”

Annie and Leo whooped excitedly when they saw him charging across the pasture. The momma cow halted in its tracks, looked at him and then started to charge them again.

“Yah, yah!” Colt yelled louder. Coming up on the left side of the ol’ gal, he saw her calf in the distance. So that was the problem. They’d gotten between her and her baby and she wasn’t happy.

He waved his good arm, charged at the cow for a few steps, making her think he was coming after her, and she decided to take the baby and run. Tail tucked, she trotted away, glaring back at him once as if to dare him to come after her baby.

“Colt, Colt!” Leo exclaimed, racing from behind the sapling.

Seeing two Leos running toward him, Colt fought off dizziness and willed the pain that shuddered through his shoulder to go away.

“Boy, it sure is good to see you,” Leo said, sliding to a halt in front of him. “I thought we was done for! Yessir, I sure did.”

Annie was breathing hard when she reached him. Fear shone in her eyes like red flags, intertwined with relief. “I don’t know where you came from, but—” Her voice broke and she visibly fought down the need to cry. “I’m so glad you came.”

“That was one mad momma.” Leo’s voice squeaked from having screamed so much.

“Yeah, it was.” Colt patted the kid on the head, pulling his gaze from Annie. “You’ve got to always go cautiously when you’re around mommas and their babies.”

“We were just walking, checking out the place, when Leo spotted the calf and raced off toward it. He didn’t see the momma,” Annie explained, her breathing finally getting back to normal. “I almost didn’t get Leo away from her. If you hadn’t shown up...” Her lip trembled and her unspoken words hung between them.

“You would have figured something out,” he encouraged her. Something told him she would have, too. His own fear subsided a little bit as they stared at each other.

“So where did you come from?” she asked, pressing a hand hard against her stomach as if holding back her fear.

He yanked a thumb back over his shoulder to indicate the direction he’d run from. “My place backs up to this one. My cabin is just over that fence and through the woods a little.”

Annie’s jaw dropped. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“He don’t have to be kidding, Annie Aunt! I like it,” Leo exclaimed.

Colt chuckled. “I’m just as surprised to find you here as you are to find me here. Lilly doesn’t usually rent this house out.”

“That’s what I was told. It’s perfect for us, though.”

“We didn’t even know you lived in the woods.” Leo laughed, the joy in his eyes dug into Colt like pins and needles. “Ain’t that just a big ol’ kick in the pants?”

“Leo,” Annie warned.

“Sorry,” he said, looking up at Colt as if he were about to get thirty lashes. “I’m not supposed to say ‘kick in the pants.’”

“You are also not supposed to say ‘ain’t,’” Annie added, tugging gently on his ear.

He sighed. “Or ‘can’t,’ either.”

She chuckled at that, sending a warm shot of sunshine through Colt. It spread over him like rays melting ice, while she studied him with her pale gray eyes that again looked almost lavender in the morning light. Looking at her, it hit him how pretty she was. It wasn’t something he’d noticed earlier, and it startled him to be noticing now. She had a simple, quiet look about her, a peacefulness. It drew him to her and he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Colt was startled by the attraction. It felt nice, and so did smiling and chuckling as he’d been doing since he’d hopped the fence. But it also felt wrong.

Feeling the sunshine she’d sparked inside of him fading into the darkness, he fought to hang on to it. All the while knowing he didn’t deserve to feel that warmth and goodwill.

His gaze lingered on her. She was thin, but today her jeans and blouse fit her better and she didn’t look as rail thin as he’d thought. Yesterday he’d believed she looked as though she was wearing someone else’s ill-fitting clothes. Today, knowing about the loss of her home, he realized she very well could be wearing clothes she’d received from others after losing her things in the fire.

“Can I come over to see your house sometime?” Leo asked, tugging on his shirtsleeve.

“Come over. To my house?” Colt repeated the question, totally caught off guard.

“Yeah, your house. Can I come?”

He didn’t want Leo coming to his house. But looking down at the kid’s big smile, despite not wanting to feel anything, Colt felt stinging prickles of warmth. Like water on frostbite, feeling crept through him. “No—” The harsh sound of his own voice stopped Colt midsentence. He’d already run from the kid yesterday and he wasn’t proud of it. Seeing the light dim in Leo’s eyes cut straight into Colt’s icy-cold heart.

Suddenly Colt knew he couldn’t kill that light, no matter how unworthy he felt of such adoration, could he?

Chapter Four

“Leo, it’s not nice to invite yourself to someone’s home,” Annie said, trying to distract Leo’s attention. The child was persistent—which was nothing new to her. She’d known him for six years and he’d been persistent from the beginning, when he’d come into the world a month early after several weeks of trying over and over again to arrive early.

Though she shouldn’t be surprised at the harshness of Colt’s words, she was.

Call her crazy, when she saw the man come vaulting over the barbed-wire fence to their rescue, Annie had almost heard trumpets announcing that the cavalry had arrived!

Looking at Colt now, she couldn’t think straight. Mere seconds ago she was so happy to see him that she very well might have run to him and flung her arms around his neck. Even kissed him, she was so out of her mind with relief. Now, he was lucky she didn’t haul off and kick him in the knees.

“No.” Colt placed his hand on her arm. “He can come. I’m sorry. It’s, well, it’s complicated.”

“You mean it! I can come to your house?” Leo exclaimed, giving Annie a moment to gather her wits about her.

On the one hand, the fact that Colt was apologizing was a good thing. On the other hand, the man had his hand on her arm and electrical jolts were pulsing through her arm straight to the pit of her stomach. His gaze was locked on hers, too, with an intensity that could have knocked her over if she had been any shakier.

“Sure you can,” he told Leo.

“Complicated” Colt had said—the cowboy had no idea how complicated it was, and it was getting more so with every passing moment.

For Leo, and for the fact that the man had just saved them, Annie relaxed and gave him a free pass.

“That would be a thrill for him,” she said, pulling her arm away.

Hastily he drew his hand back as if he hadn’t realized he’d been touching her. She couldn’t get over the fact that he lived practically in their backyard. How in the world had that happened? Still, of all the places for her to rent... This was not divine intervention, was it?

She was standing in a pasture with Leo and his father, and that was either an odd coincidence or a God thing, only time would tell.

Colt stared at Leo, a curious expression on his face. The two of them were locked in conversation about where exactly Colt’s cabin was. Leo had his hand hiked to his hip and his left leg slightly bent. He’d stood like that when he was in conversation ever since he was old enough to do so. He cocked his head to the side slightly and dipped his chin.

Colt was standing exactly the same way.

Annie’s heart started hammering. Colt’s eyes shifted to her, holding her gaze before he moved his attention back to Leo with the same contemplation. Annie’s hand went to where the collar of her blouse would be, but she forgot she was wearing a collarless shirt! Instead she ran a finger along the edge of her neckline in a nervous movement that in no way matched the clanging alarm in her head. Colt was taking it in—seeing the uncanny mannerism of Leo. The one that she had seen all his life, never knowing till now he’d acquired it from the genes of his father. Genes that ran deep despite the boy having never been around Colt in person.

Suddenly Annie saw other things she’d never seen before. Things that a photo hadn’t picked up on. Such as the way Colt’s eyes flashed sharply with intelligence. It was the same way Leo’s flashed when he was learning new things.

“Well, thanks for coming to our rescue,” she blurted out, anxious for Colt to leave. She didn’t want him figuring things out before she’d decided what she really wanted to do.

“Have we ever met before?” Colt asked, not taking her hint.

His eyes flashed with curiosity. Annie could practically see him rifling through his memory trying to place why she and Leo looked familiar. She knew she and Jennifer looked enough alike that people could tell they were sisters. However, there had never been a huge, jump-right-out-at-you resemblance. There was a similar thing that had gone on between them that was going on between Colt and Leo. Annie and Jennifer had the same expressions in different faces. They had the same voice and when she laughed there was a similarity. Not that Annie had had anything to laugh about since they’d come here, but she suddenly wondered how close Colt and Jennifer had been. Would he recognize Jennifer’s laugh if Annie forgot herself and really got tickled about something?

“No. I don’t think we’ve met.” She forced the words.

He grimaced, favoring his collarbone for a moment.

“You are hurting.” Annie changed the subject. “I know all that running and vaulting over the fence could not have been good for your injury.”

“I’ll live.” He gritted the words out as he pressed his bent elbow closer into his side, adjusting the strap of his sling.

“And so will we, thanks to you.” Gratefulness filled her up to overflowing.

“You both just seem so familiar to me,” he said, stuck on figuring out who they were—maybe distracting himself from the pain that she imagined was stabbing through his broken bones.

“I ain’t never met you in person,” Leo said, bless his little heart. “I been want’n’ to meet you, though.”

Colt almost smiled. “Right. Maybe you both just remind me of someone. Anyway, I’m glad y’all are safe and that I heard y’all’s yells for help.”

Annie wanted to groan with relief as Colt changed the subject.

Leo edged closer to Colt. “I won’t ever forget you jumping over that fence. You looked like you could fly.” He held his arms out and pretended to fly. Colt laughed, shocking Annie.

He seemed as shocked by his laughter as she was. One minute it was rumbling out of him and the next he clamped his lips together and cleared his throat. It was as if he was rusty at laughing. As if he didn’t want to laugh.

“Look, I better walk y’all back to your house and then I’ll call Cort and tell him what happened. We’ll make sure that momma and calf are put into another pasture farther away from the house. You should be able to take a walk without worrying about getting trampled. If y’all are going to live here, Leo needs to be safe.”

“Aw, I can learn to scare them cows just like you did.” Leo grinned up at his hero. Though they didn’t look alike, there were indisputable similarities in Leo’s expression and that of Colt.

Her nerves shook like brittle autumn leaves clinging to a branch. Colt shifted his gaze from Leo to her, then back to Leo once more.

He’s seeing more resemblances with each passing moment. Right along with me.

Annie braced herself for his questions to resume.

“You’re sure we haven’t met? There’s something about Leo that seems so familiar. Of course, I’ve met a bunch of kids at the rodeos.”

The clock was ticking. She wasn’t sure how long it would be before Colt realized that the child reminded him of himself. For that matter, she wondered who else would spot the resemblance. There was nothing for her to do about it right now except pray that God left blinders on everyone long enough for her to figure out what her next move was going to be. All she could do right now was act as though she had nothing to hide.

What better way to find out what kind of man Colt really was to live nearby?

So far her arrival in Mule Hollow had been nothing like she’d expected. Then again, when Colt found out why she was really here and what secrets she was keeping, how would he react?

How would the kind folks of Mule Hollow act?

* * *

Annie understood why the clinic needed help. Staring at the books the next morning, she was floored by how busy the small clinic was. Being the only clinic within at least sixty miles, Susan Turner had plenty of clients. Especially taking into consideration that Mule Hollow was surrounded by ranches, many of them fairly large operations. There was no end to the varying array of procedures she was hired to do. That, plus small animal checkups, left her and Gabi very little time to keep up with the paperwork.

Paperwork was Annie’s specialty.

“So what do you think?” Susan asked after they’d gone over the books and the scheduling. “Do you think you can help us out?”

“I can,” Annie said confidently. Susan was a willowy blonde who looked more like a model than a vet. She had long blond hair pulled back into a thick, lush ponytail that looked more glamorous than practical. It was obvious, though she didn’t look the part, she was an excellent vet.

Gabi, on the other hand, was fresh faced, dark haired and had an athleticism to her movements that fit in with her career choice. Her energetic zest was evident, and there was no doubt in Annie’s mind that she was the best at what she did.

“It’s obvious the two of you have a great system. I’m not bragging, but I can promise you that I can handle this and even help streamline some procedures in the bookkeeping and paperwork department.”

Susan smiled broadly. “I’ll forever be in your debt if you can do that!”

Annie liked both women on the spot. Listening and observing how the two women spoke and treated each other, Annie noted that there was mutual respect and friendship here. She hoped that maybe she’d be able to be included in that over time. Even now, on her first morning, she felt the warmth of true welcome and, given the chance, she knew she could be a benefit to this business.

She said a quick thank-you to God for supplying this job to her. In the midst of the stressful situation she was here to address, having a job she was at peace with and enjoyed was going to be a real blessing. She ignored the pang of guilt that thudded like an undercurrent beneath every breath she took.

“So, now that we have that all settled...” Susan leaned against the counter. Holding a bottle of water between her hands, she toyed with the cap. “Gabi tells me you and Leo are big fans of Colt’s.”

“Leo is.” The undercurrent turned into a riptide, the easy feeling of seconds ago swept out to sea. “I mean, you know, Leo loves bull riding.”

Gabi poured herself a cup of coffee from the sideboard. “If you aren’t a fan, then who taught him to be?”

Annie knew she couldn’t keep Jennifer hidden for long. Everyone knew Leo was her nephew, so obviously there had been a sibling. “My sister, Leo’s mom. She was the rodeo fan. She passed away last year.” Gabi and Susan both gave their condolences. “Thank you. Jennifer never found a rodeo she didn’t like.” She didn’t add that she also had never seemed to find a cowboy she didn’t like. To this day Annie couldn’t understand her sister’s behavior.

“So you’ve raised Leo since last year?” Susan asked.

“Actually, I’ve been helping raise him since the day he was born. My sister moved in with me so I could help with him. He’s like my own son, really.”

“I’m so sorry he lost his mother. Thank goodness he’s had you.”

“I know this sounds nosy,” Gabi said. “What about his daddy? Is he in the picture?”

Annie felt as if sharp gears were grinding to a halt inside her chest. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t expected that question. She’d answered it many times before. But being here, so close to Colt, made things different. “He’s never been in the picture.”

Susan’s and Gabi’s gazes met as the tension in the room spiked. Annie looked away quickly, trying to tell herself once again that she was being paranoid. Gabi had only met Leo briefly the day before. Imagining that she’d put the pieces of the puzzle together when she didn’t even know there was one was just plain crazy.

She was going to have to have to get a handle on her mind. And she was going to have to do it soon.

* * *

Colt had racked his brain, ever since finding Annie and Leo next door to him, trying to figure out who Annie reminded him of. Both of them, actually, because there was something more familiar about Leo than Annie. But try as he might, it wasn’t coming to him. Not that his memory was what it used to be. Since the wreck, there were holes in his memories.

Restless and wishing he had the use of his arm, he found himself toying with the idea of going to see if his new neighbors were home. The thought hit him like a kick in the chest from a bucking bronc. Truth was he’d taken about all the sitting around he could take. But he wasn’t going to see Annie. He’d acknowledged that he was attracted to her, and was startled by the fact, since his heart felt as cold and hard as steel. The last thing he wanted was to tempt himself to seek out any kind of pleasure. It wasn’t right.

But she kept easing into his thoughts without his realizing it.

Needing something to occupy his mind with other than thoughts of the wreck and his new neighbors, he headed toward the ranch office. He was about to get into his truck when he heard someone call his name.

Leo.

The little kid, dressed in blue jeans, T-shirt and boots, came tromping from the trees, the rope Colt had given him clutched tightly in his hand. When he saw Colt, his eyes lit up and he started running.

“Colt!”

Annie was nowhere in sight as Leo skidded to a halt in front of him. “Hi, Colt. I came to see you,” he declared, as if he hadn’t just walked across a pasture and through a small stand of woods.

“Yeah, I see that. You look like you came to learn to rope.”

“I did. I brung my rope and ever’thing.”

Colt glanced back at the woods. No Annie. “Is your aunt coming?”

Leo kicked a rock with the toe of his small boot, and his shoulders drooped slightly. “She was busy.”

“Busy?” And she’d let the kid walk all the way across the pasture by himself, and then wander through the trees looking for Colt’s cabin? He hadn’t known Annie long but he knew this didn’t sound right. Colt stooped to eye level with Leo. “Little buddy, does your aunt know you’re here?”

Leo shrugged, not quite looking him in the eye. “She knows I went outside to play.”

The poor woman was going to be frantic when she realized Leo was gone. It took a while to walk the distance between houses, so he was pretty certain she was already searching for him.

“Come on, we better get you back home.”

“Aw, do we have to? I wanted to come see you.”

“And I’m glad you did. But from now on, you’re going to need to let your aunt know what you’re doing, because she’ll worry about you. Matter of fact, it’s probably not a good idea for you to come all this way by yourself.”

“You think Annie Aunt’s gonna be mad?”

Colt grinned at the kid before he could stop himself and he tousled Leo’s blond hair. “Maybe. But, come on... I’ll face her with you. When a man messes up, he has to face the music.”

Leo looked at him strangely. “I don’t think she’s gonna sing to me.”

Colt laughed. “Probably not. But we’ve still got to go face her.”

* * *

“Leo!” Annie scanned the pasture while she jogged, hoping to see him. But he was nowhere. She’d been unpacking some of their things in the bedrooms while Leo played with his rope in the backyard. When she’d checked on him twenty minutes later, he was gone.

“Leo!” she called again. Stopping to catch her breath, she scanned the pasture. He hadn’t been in the barn or the front yard. He hadn’t answered when she’d called his name over and over again. And then she’d thought about Colt. Leo had asked her on the way home from day care if he could go to Colt’s, and she’d told him that today wasn’t a good day.

Please let him be okay. Please.

She started moving again, just topping the slight hill when she spotted them. Colt and Leo walking side by side, crossing the pasture. They walk alike. The thought registered in the back of her mind, but she was too overwhelmed with relief for the implications to completely register. Gasping, Annie rushed forward.

“Leo! Honey, you scared me,” she scolded, though she was so relieved it was a wonder she could speak. Scooping him into her arms, she hugged him tightly, fear washing over her. “Please don’t go running off like that. Please.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, squirming as she set him back on the ground. “I just wanted to see Colt.”

“I brought him back the minute I realized you weren’t with him.”

Colt’s quiet words steadied her and she drew back from some of the terror that had clutched her. She tried to force the overreaction away. “Thank you. I feel awful. I was unpacking and he was right outside roping. I didn’t check on him for twenty minutes, so I didn’t know how long he’d been gone. And then I had to check the barn and the area around the house.” She was rambling and couldn’t seem to stop it.

“He’s fine. I don’t think he’ll be doing that again. Will you, buddy?”

Leo shook his head. “Colt told me I made you worry.”

“I know you didn’t mean to.” She fought to let the episode go as she brushed his bangs off his forehead. “I’m just glad a cow didn’t get you.”

Colt’s brows lifted a bit and he gave a slight nod of agreement.

“I was real careful. I crouched down real low, like this.” Leo leaned over, hunkering down and demonstrating how he’d scurried across the pasture. When he came to a stray clump of bitterweeds, he crouched down, looked about, then grinned at them. “See, I was real careful and watched out for mean ole heifers like y’all told me to.”

Colt and Annie laughed.

Then Leo headed home, continuing to sneak back across the pastures, obviously enjoying his game. Watching him, Annie and Colt began walking.

“Are you okay? You seemed...really upset.”

Self-conscious, she sure wished she hadn’t let her fear show. “I’m fine. I just got worried. Leo was gone.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment, just walked beside her, as they kept Leo in sight. “So, y’all are settled?” he asked, tucking his hands into his pockets.

Annie nodded, glad for a change of subject. “Pretty much. We really didn’t have a lot to unpack.”

“So, y’all lost everything?”

“Except each other.” Annie met his questioning gaze. “The fire was bad. I’m grateful Leo wasn’t harmed. If I’d lost him...or he’d lost me...” A lump lodged in her throat. “That would have been the tragedy.” Her heart raced again at the thought.

Every time that horrible day came to mind, especially the moments when she’d believed she was going to die not knowing what had happened to Leo, she had to fight not to tear up. Forcing herself to the bright side, she smiled. “Thankfully, we have each other, and we’re here in this neat little town, moved into this fantastic, quaint farmhouse that I’ve totally fallen in love with. I feel like I’m living on a smaller set of The Waltons when I’m in the kitchen.”