A Cowgirl's Secret by Laura Marie Altom Page B

court.”
    â€œSweetie,” she said through gritted teeth, “just this once, please do as I say, and not as I do.”
    â€œOkay,” he agreed, “but since you really didn’t even do anything, then—”
    The driver of a forest-green Jeep waiting to make a left out of the feed store’s lot honked at her, casually waving his hand out his window.
    â€œMom, isn’t that Luke?”
    Unfortunately, yes.
    She’d gone to his cabin with the intention of telling him everything—about why she’d left, about Henry. How terrified she’d been of the man following through with the threats to hurt her family. Instead, she’d been so flustered by petty bickering and plain old sexual tension she hadn’t been able to think, let alone bare her soul.
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    â€œA VOIDING ME ?” Thirty minutes later, when Daisy opened the front door of Buckhorn Ranch’s main house,Luke removed his hat and rummaged his hands through his hair.
    â€œO-of course not,” she said, stepping out onto the covered front porch and shutting the door. “Why would you think that?”
    â€œBack in town I waved. I saw you had Kolt with you and thought we might grab a malt or something, but you sped off like a spring twister was dogging your heels.”
    â€œWas that you?” She flashed him her brightest smile. “Truthfully, I was so fed up with traffic, I hardly even noticed.” Laughing, she added, “I grabbed a few things from the store for Mom, picked up Kolt from the day camp I enrolled him in and then hightailed it back here for peace and quiet.”
    â€œWhy’d you do that? Stick him in a stupid camp when I’d like nothing better than to spend time with him?”
    â€œGood question. One I wish I had an answer for.”
    Luke had always appreciated honesty, but in this case he might’ve preferred that Daisy lie. “What’s that mean?”
    â€œI don’t even know.” Taking him by his arm, she dragged him toward the swing. Honeysuckle growing up the side of the house damn near choked him with cloying sweetness. With not a breath of wind, it had to be pushing a hundred if not more. The house’s central air-conditioning unit kicked on with a low hum. “He’s doing great here at home, but I want him to meet boys his own age. He hasn’t mentioned you, and I’m not sure what that means.”
    â€œOuch.” His denim-covered thigh brushed hers. Shewore shorts. His memory told him the inside of her creamy thighs felt like satin to his work-roughened palms. Needing to stay focused on the topic at hand, he asked, “How ’bout taking a stab at deciphering his behavior? I mean, I’m all for giving him time to adjust, but you have to know—he has to know—I fully intend on being a big part of his life.”
    â€œI understand.” It didn’t escape him that though she could’ve scooted a good six inches to the swing’s opposite end, she didn’t. “I’ll talk with him tonight.”
    â€œGood. Because it’s not just me wanting to meet him, but my family. Trust me, my mom’s not going to be held off much longer.”
    â€œI know.” She stared off to the south pasture where two calves bucked and played in the blazing sun. “We’ll plan something soon. I just feel buried. I need to start a practice. Get a place of our own. These things take time. And I suppose if Kolt never really adjusts, there’s always the possibility of us returning to San Francisco.”
    â€œYou didn’t burn bridges?” Like you did with me?
    He was attracted to her like moth to flame, but wary.
    His heart knew better than to get too close. Every once in a while in his horse-whispering profession, he came across a mount that refused to be tamed. Daisy had always been a lot like that. Just when he’d thought he had her all figured out, she’d run off. Worse yet,