LITMIR.BIZ

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morning.”

      Thankfully, Rafe had parked his truck not far from the back door of the kitchen, and Bowie crossed the distance without too much effort.

      Once the two men were buckled inside the warm cab and headed in a westerly direction through the ranch yard, Rafe said, “You know, Tessa is pretty fond of you. I hope you’ll watch what you say to her. She’s got a pretty soft heart.”

      Bowie shot a look of disbelief at his brother. “Excuse me, but aren’t you the same guy who went for years never worrying about breaking a girl’s heart?”

      Rafe frowned. “I’ve mended my ways since then.”

      “Well, Tessa is like a little sister to me. What is she now? Twenty, maybe?”

      “She just turned twenty-one.”

      And she was wasting her young life here on this ranch, Bowie thought. She needed to be in the city with other young people, doing fun and exciting things. But he kept his opinion to himself. Rafe wouldn’t understand. He believed there was no place on earth like the Silver Horn. He didn’t understand Bowie’s need to experience a broader life.

      He looked out the passenger window and released a long breath. “Don’t worry. I’ll be kind to Tessa.”

      The truck rolled by the big main horse barn and Bowie instantly thought of Finn. Their brother lived in Northern California now with his wife, Mariah, and son, Harry. In a few months, their second child was due to arrive.

      “I miss Finn,” Bowie said. “When I look at the horse barn, I still expect him to be there, taking care of the horses. The ranch isn’t the same without him around.”

      “No. But Dad and Colley are doing a good job keeping everything going smoothly with the horses. And let’s face it, Finn is finally doing what he’s always wanted to do, working with mustangs. I’m happy for him.” He glanced over at Bowie. “Now that I think of it, while you’re off work recuperating, you ought to go up and spend some time with him and Mariah. They’d be happy to have you.”

      The idea was appealing. At least then he wouldn’t have to listen to his dad or grandfather telling him he needed to strap on his chaps and spurs and get back to being a cowboy. Not that he’d ever been one, Bowie thought dourly. His being a ranch hand was their delusion, not his.

      “Can’t leave now. I have to have these blasted bandages changed every day for the next few weeks. Maybe longer.”

      “Oh. Forgot about that. Lilly said the nurse Dad hired is a friend of hers. Have you met her yet?”

      Met her? That was hardly the way he would describe the exchange he’d had with the beautiful Ava Archer, Bowie thought.

      “She’s already been here this morning and left,” Bowie said as he stared out the passenger window.

      “And?”

      Rafe’s persistence put a frown on Bowie’s face. “She treated my burns and applied clean bandages. That’s all there was to it.”

      Rafe was silent for a moment, and then he burst out laughing.

      Bowie cut a sharp glance at him. “You find something funny about that? Maybe you’d like to change places with me?”

      His voice still full of humor, Rafe said, “I don’t think Lilly would like that too much. In fact, I think she’d put on her nurse’s cap and take care of me herself.”

      When the family learned Bowie was being released from the hospital and would need home care, Lilly had immediately volunteered for the job. Bowie had thanked her for the offer, but he’d not wanted to put his sister-in-law in the awkward situation of seeing him half-naked every day. So Ava had been hired instead. Lovely Ava, who’d lost her husband so long ago.

      Bowie remained silent with his thoughts, and Rafe chuckled again.

      “So a beautiful woman walks into your bedroom this morning and you have nothing to say about it? You are more than wounded, little brother, you’re sick with a fever or something.”

      Bowie let out a heavy breath. He couldn’t hide from Rafe. The two brothers were too much alike.

      “Okay, I’ll fess up. I got off to a really bad start with Ava,” Bowie muttered. “When she walked in I was on the phone telling Dad how I didn’t want a nurse. And a few other derogatory things that I wouldn’t have wanted any woman to hear. I had to do some fast apologizing to get her to stay.”

      “Well, Ava’s too old for you, anyway. And from what Lilly says, she isn’t interested in having a man in her life. Which is unfortunate, if you ask me. The few times I’ve been around her, she seems like a woman who needs a family.”

      Why had Rafe had to go and say that kind of thing and ruin the fantasies he’d been having of the sexy nurse? To Bowie, she’d seemed like a woman who needed a man to make love to her.

      “Don’t look at me. I’m hardly in the market for a wife and kids. Besides, I like younger women. The kind that wants to have fun. Not babies.”

      “So you’re still on that kick. I was thinking now that you’ve gotten out of the Marines you might be feeling different about women—and other things.”

      “I might be out of the Marines, but I’m hardly ready for slippers and a recliner every night.”

      “You’re hardly ready for a barroom brawl, either,” Rafe said drily. “Have your doctors given you an idea as to when you might go back to work?”

      “Barring no complications, in six to eight weeks.”

      “That quick?”

      Bowie groaned. “You call sitting around on this ranch for the next six weeks quick?”

      Rafe whipped the truck around a patch of sagebrush growing in the middle of the rough pasture road. “Be patient, Bowie, and you might get to liking it.”

      So this was why his brother had taken him on this jaunt this morning, Bowie thought. Not for a breath of fresh air or a change in scenery. But to give him a pep talk about giving up the hotshot crew and becoming a full-time rancher.

      “Look, Rafe, it’s nice that you and the rest of the family want me around. I appreciate that. But this kind of life isn’t for me. I’d go out of my mind with boredom. It’s one of the reasons I went into the Marines in the first place.”

      Rafe snorted. “Bull. You didn’t go into the Marines because you were bored. You did it because you were a rebel. Hell, Mom was the only one who thought the military would be good for you. And I guess in some ways she was right,” he added thoughtfully.

      “Mom,” Bowie repeated softly. “I sure wish she was still with us. You know, while I was in the Corps, I often caught myself imagining she was still here on the ranch. But now that I’m home, everything I look at reminds me she’s gone.”

      Rafe glanced his way. “You know, the first time I met Ava, she sort of reminded me of Mom. She’s tall and dark and elegant like Mom was. Maybe that’s why I connect Ava with having a family. It’s just too bad that she can’t get past losing her husband.”

      She didn’t want to get past losing him, Bowie thought. But that was her choice and had nothing to do with him. For the next few weeks he was going to enjoy her visits, but beyond that, she was off-limits.

      They rounded a rolling hill covered in scraggly juniper, and a small herd of cattle came into view. Bowie was relieved to see them. He didn’t want to talk about Ava or hear his brother talking about the woman needing a husband anymore.

      “There’s a herd off to the right,” Bowie said. “Are they the heifers you wanted to look at?”

      “Sure are.”

      Slowing the truck, Rafe steered off the narrow road and toward the black cattle. As soon as the animals spotted the vehicle, they came running with hopes of getting fed.

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