stopped, and everyone stared at them while they made their way to her family’s camp. Gabby realized everyone was staring and tried to pull her hand away, but Cooper, also realizing that they were causing something of a stir, stubbornly maintained his hold on her hand. He leaned down to whisper, “Oh, no, sweetheart, we’re in this together.”
They continued until they broke through some trees into a campground. Gabby walked even more quickly as they passed more gawkers. They rounded one set of tents and heard a clanging.
The source of the clanging came into view, and they spotted two sets of bare-chested men sword-fighting in a patch of grass between two tents. Both sets of men attacked each other, thrusting and parrying, all trying to gain an upper hand. The youngest of the four held his own against the eldest, even though he was obviously only a teenager, while the eldest was maybe in his sixties.
Eventually, a woman stepped out of an RV and rang a bell. “Time’s up!”
Immediately, all four blades stilled and the men let them drop, laughing and clapping each other on the back.
Just then, the older man looked up and spotted Gabby and Cooper. “Well, what have we here? Who’s this, daughter?”
“Da, this is Cooper Harris. He owns the ranch where I’ve been working.”
Cooper stuck his hand out to shake William’s hand. William looked down at Cooper’s other hand, which was holding Gabby’s, and raised one eyebrow. “Nice to meet you. Name’s William McGrath.”
Gabby headed into a tent to change, but stopped at the door to say, “Guys, be nice.”
William lowered his chin. “Just hurry, and never mind what we’re about out here.”
* * *
Gabby turned and ducked into the tent, leaving Cooper standing looking at the men holding swords. He smiled slightly. “So… do I need one of those?”
The woman from the RV said, “Liam, Seamus, Declan, Leo, leave him be.” She turned to Cooper. “You must be Gabby’s cowboy that has the camp buzzing. I’m Moira McGrath.”
Cooper eyed the petite woman with black curls so similar to Gabby’s. “Very pleased to meet you, ma’am. I’m Cooper.”
Gabby came out of the tent then, dressed in a tunic, tights, boots, and slapping on a floppy hat. She stopped short when she saw her mother. She looked from her mother to Cooper, then back to her father, and stepped between Cooper and her family.
One of the group, a tall red-haired man introduced as Gabby’s uncle Declan, said, “So are we going to work t’day, or are we lazyin’ about?”
Gabby turned to grab Cooper’s hand. Moira said, “Actually, Gabby, you run along and do your show. I’ll entertain Cooper for you.”
Gabby just stared at her mother. Cooper leaned down, gave her a kiss, and shoved her toward her uncle with pat on the bottom. Gabby turned as red as possible as she headed toward the others.
* * *
Declan put his arm around her. “So tell me about the cowboy, darlin’.”
Gabby gave a goofy grin. “I kind of like him, Uncle Declan.”
“In just a week?”
“It doesn’t even feel like it’s only been a week. I just… He’s…”
Declan squeezed her to him. “He looks like he might be a bit to handle, but he looks like he might feel the same. You know your Da will feel him out and make sure he’s got his head on straight.”
Gabby rolled her eyes. “I’m more worried about Mother right now.”
Declan laughed. “You’ve got a point. Have heart, honey, he looks like he can handle himself, and if he can’t, he’s not for you.”
Gabby sighed. “But I want him, Declan.”
“I know you do, darlin’, but let your parents do their jobs, aye? It’ll make them feel better.”
* * *
Cooper eyed the woman in front of him as the mob headed off to work. “No offense, ma’am, but I almost think I’d have fared better with the swords.”
Moira laughed and threaded her arm through his. “Come along, cowboy, let me show you around our
They continued until they broke through some trees into a campground. Gabby walked even more quickly as they passed more gawkers. They rounded one set of tents and heard a clanging.
The source of the clanging came into view, and they spotted two sets of bare-chested men sword-fighting in a patch of grass between two tents. Both sets of men attacked each other, thrusting and parrying, all trying to gain an upper hand. The youngest of the four held his own against the eldest, even though he was obviously only a teenager, while the eldest was maybe in his sixties.
Eventually, a woman stepped out of an RV and rang a bell. “Time’s up!”
Immediately, all four blades stilled and the men let them drop, laughing and clapping each other on the back.
Just then, the older man looked up and spotted Gabby and Cooper. “Well, what have we here? Who’s this, daughter?”
“Da, this is Cooper Harris. He owns the ranch where I’ve been working.”
Cooper stuck his hand out to shake William’s hand. William looked down at Cooper’s other hand, which was holding Gabby’s, and raised one eyebrow. “Nice to meet you. Name’s William McGrath.”
Gabby headed into a tent to change, but stopped at the door to say, “Guys, be nice.”
William lowered his chin. “Just hurry, and never mind what we’re about out here.”
* * *
Gabby turned and ducked into the tent, leaving Cooper standing looking at the men holding swords. He smiled slightly. “So… do I need one of those?”
The woman from the RV said, “Liam, Seamus, Declan, Leo, leave him be.” She turned to Cooper. “You must be Gabby’s cowboy that has the camp buzzing. I’m Moira McGrath.”
Cooper eyed the petite woman with black curls so similar to Gabby’s. “Very pleased to meet you, ma’am. I’m Cooper.”
Gabby came out of the tent then, dressed in a tunic, tights, boots, and slapping on a floppy hat. She stopped short when she saw her mother. She looked from her mother to Cooper, then back to her father, and stepped between Cooper and her family.
One of the group, a tall red-haired man introduced as Gabby’s uncle Declan, said, “So are we going to work t’day, or are we lazyin’ about?”
Gabby turned to grab Cooper’s hand. Moira said, “Actually, Gabby, you run along and do your show. I’ll entertain Cooper for you.”
Gabby just stared at her mother. Cooper leaned down, gave her a kiss, and shoved her toward her uncle with pat on the bottom. Gabby turned as red as possible as she headed toward the others.
* * *
Declan put his arm around her. “So tell me about the cowboy, darlin’.”
Gabby gave a goofy grin. “I kind of like him, Uncle Declan.”
“In just a week?”
“It doesn’t even feel like it’s only been a week. I just… He’s…”
Declan squeezed her to him. “He looks like he might be a bit to handle, but he looks like he might feel the same. You know your Da will feel him out and make sure he’s got his head on straight.”
Gabby rolled her eyes. “I’m more worried about Mother right now.”
Declan laughed. “You’ve got a point. Have heart, honey, he looks like he can handle himself, and if he can’t, he’s not for you.”
Gabby sighed. “But I want him, Declan.”
“I know you do, darlin’, but let your parents do their jobs, aye? It’ll make them feel better.”
* * *
Cooper eyed the woman in front of him as the mob headed off to work. “No offense, ma’am, but I almost think I’d have fared better with the swords.”
Moira laughed and threaded her arm through his. “Come along, cowboy, let me show you around our
Similar Books
