Page 74 of Risking it for the Cowboy

As much as he wanted her to trust him, he hadn’t talked to her about his reading difficulties yet, only talked to her daughter when he thought she wasn’t listening.

She pulled out her cell and hit his number this time, waving a thank you and walking out as the blond reached for a trucker cap and tipped it to her, placing it on his head.

“Damn … the boy’s watching her kid, and he screwed up his phone number?” trickled out behind her from the younger brother’s mouth.

“He’s so gone for this one…” the soft-spoken one said. “About time someone sees past his mistakes and gives him a chance…”

Mistakes?

Chuckling rumbled, as their words faded onto the farm noise.

The cell rang. And rang. It went to voicemail.

She hung up.

Called back.

Called back again as she hastened back to her Rover, passing an empty mechanic’s shop with an aluminum sign hung over the door. Rex Auto Works.

Voicemail again. “Rex Auto Works. Can’t talk now. Don’t text. Leave a message.” Beep.

“Thad where are you? I’m looking all over and…” An incoming call reverberated through her message.

She whipped the phone away from her ear to see Trouble flash on the screen.

She answered. “Oh my God, where are you?”

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

“Where are you?” she demanded, her voice wavering. “I called, and your cousins—”

“Baby—”

“You’re not here, and I texted but you didn’t answer and no one’s here—”

“Flower Girl—”

“And I can’t find Daisy and—”

“Charlie!”

The tears finally pricked as her voice shimmied, and she stifled them hard.

“Baby, what the hell is wrong?” he growled through the cell, huffing as if he paced away from wherever, and lowering his voice to a dark rumble promising pain. “You’re crying. Is it Jason?”

She slowed at his protective growl. He thought she was in trouble? “I just.” Her voice cracked. “I can’t find Daisy.”

He rested, quiet for a beat. “You all right? I don’t need to come find that asshole and—”

“I’m fine.” She bit her lip when he exhaled as if coming to a realization. Guilt niggled. “I was worried. I’m here at the farm. I thought you’d be here.”

“She’s at my place helpin’ me. She’s fine, baby. Relax.” He tried to sound normal. “Girlie, say hi to your momma!” he called away from the speaker and a cheerful voice chirped in the distance. “Hi, Momma! We got banana splits! And I got my reading all done with the trick T. Rex showed me!”

How he’d helped her yesterday before falling asleep on her couch, filling her house with his presence.

“And I got to pet Beau!” Daisy squealed. Charlie could picture Daisy jumping to punctuate each word. “Will you let T. Rex teach me to ride? He said he’d teach me if you said it was okay…”

“See? She’s having the time of her life,” T.R’s voice returned as Daisy chattered away, an edge of eagerness to his words. “Deep breath.”