LITMIR.BIZ

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own family. What amazed her was he just let her talk and cry it out. And the sexy cowboy hadn’t taken advantage of the situation. He was so not the man she once thought he was. Why did he try so hard to hide this side of himself?

      Leah marched across the room and stood in front of him. “Looks like you’re playing hero again.”

      “It’s not my intention,” he said uncomfortably. “But it’s not going to hurt Corey to come along.”

      “Well, whatever, you’ve made a little boy pretty happy. And thank you for helping me out last night, too.” She rose up on her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down to meet hers.

      The minute their lips met Leah knew she was in trouble. She quickly discovered she wasn’t in control of anything, least of all her heart.

      The woman made him crazy.

      Holt looked across the herd of Herefords to see Leah riding along with Zach. The old man was right. She knew how to handle a horse. And Corey had wanted her to come with them, too.

      Ordinarily he wouldn’t mind having her ride with them, until she’d planted that kiss on him this morning. A kiss so explosive he nearly lost all coherent thoughts. Then she ended it and walked out the door as easy as you please.

      Well, he wasn’t going to get involved. She had nice girl written all over her. A woman who didn’t play games. She was the worse kind, a woman who wanted a permanent relationship. But he hadn’t been willing to do a lot of things until Leah Keenan came barreling into his life.

      Zach walked his horse up beside him. “How you holdin’ up?”

      “I’m fine. Why?”

      “You keep looking in my direction.” A lazy grin spread across his weathered face. “Of course maybe it wasn’t me you’ve been lookin’ at. Could it be Leah?”

      Did the old man have radar? “It’s my land, I can look anywhere I please.”

      “If it helps ease your pain, she’s been stealing glances at you, too. The boy and her make a nice pair.”

      Holt sighed. “You’re the only pain I have. Now, why don’t you help me get this herd into the pen?”

      Zach rode off, his laughter ringing in Holt’s ears. Damn. The last thing he needed was to think about Leah all the time. He had enough on his plate with the ranch, and Corey. He didn’t want to fall for a woman who was going to be headed off to God knew what country.

      He’d always been the one to walk away first. That way it didn’t hurt so much. Who was he kidding? He’d had a lot of hurt in his life. It hurt that his own mother couldn’t see past the hatred she had for his father and love her son. He hated that his own father couldn’t love him enough to come and see him.

      He looked up as Leah kicked Daisy’s flanks, sending the horse into a gallop as she went after a stray. Her hair was flying in the wind, her body moved in unison with the animal. They moved as one, and he thought he’d never seen anything more graceful. Corey cheered her on as she chased down the calf and directed it back into the herd. Suddenly Leah’s attention turned to Holt and she smiled.

      Or anyone more beautiful.

      “This was the best day ever,” Corey said as they returned to the barn.

      Zach walked by carrying his saddle. “You may not say that later when your backside is aching.”

      “My backside doesn’t hurt.”

      “Just give it time,” Leah said, starting to feel the effects of four hours in the saddle. “But you’re right, Corey, it was fun. It’s been a long time since I’ve ridden like that.”

      “It was so cool when you went off to get the calf.”

      “Well, when you’re older, you can do the same thing. I’ve had a lot of practice. Maybe …” She paused not knowing how long he’d be here. “Maybe Zach can teach you.”

      “Or Holt can,” the foreman said. “He can handle a cow pony pretty good. I’d say he was a fast learner.”

      The boy’s eyes rounded. “Really?”

      “Well, I already knew how to ride before I came to Colorado,” Holt said. “I just had to adjust to a Western saddle.”

      Zach closed the stall gate. “Yeah, Holt used to wear those fancy breeches and hat, and use a funny looking saddle.”

      “That’s because it was an English saddle.” He frowned at the foreman. “We don’t chase a lot of cows back in New York.”

      Zach’s eyes twinkled. “Just a funny wooden ball.”

      “Polo. You played polo?” Leah asked. She couldn’t hide her surprise as her gaze roamed over the ultimate looking cowboy.

      Holt glared at Zach. “I did for a few years. My grandfather belonged to a polo club. It was a tradition. Do you have a problem with that?”

      Leah shook her head. This man never ceased to amaze her. Even knowing it was dangerous to her heart, she found she wanted to know more about him.

      “Holt, will you teach me to play polo?” Corey asked.

      “I think we’re a little busy now,” Holt told him.

      “Maybe you have some pictures?”

      “Not that I brought with me.” He turned away. “Maybe we should think about finishing the morning’s chores.”

      “Maybe we should have lunch first,” Leah suggested. “It’s after twelve.”

      “Okay, I’m getting pretty hungry,” Zach said. “What do ya say, Corey, that we head up to the house and put together some sandwiches?”

      “I’m hungry, too,” the boy said.

      “I’ll heat up the soup my mother sent out yesterday,” Leah called after the two as they headed toward the barn door. “Give me a few minutes.”

      Leah finished with Daisy and walked out of the stall. She was about to take the saddle and bridle back to the tack room when Holt stopped her.

      “I’ll get it,” he told her. “You go on to the house.”

      “Are you coming?”

      “I have things to do,” he said. “I’ll be by later.”

      She’d seen him withdraw when he’d started discussing his life back east. “You know,” she began, “there are a lot of things in our past we’d all like to forget. Things we can’t change. My big concern right now is making a life for a little boy. And he needs you to help him.”

      “I’ve given him a roof over his head.”

      “And that’s wonderful. But you of all people should know that’s not the only thing that’s important. He needs you.”

      His eyes met hers. She saw stubbornness in the green depths, but also a vulnerability that reminded her of Corey.

      “If you want some sort of family man, you better look somewhere else. That’s something I can’t give him.”

      She wanted to pound some sense into this man, but at the same time she wanted to pull him in her arms and let him know someone cared about him.

      “You might be surprised, and in the meantime you might just find what you’ve been looking for, too.” She turned and walked away so she wouldn’t do something stupid again.

      Like kiss some sense into him.

      That night, Holt rolled over in bed and glanced at the clock. It was nearly midnight. He cursed as he threw back the sheet and sat up. It had been nearly a week since he’d been able to sleep. Hell, he hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep since Leah Keenan stormed into his life.

      He couldn’t stop thinking

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