Catching the Cowboy: A Small-Town Clean Romance (Summer Creek Book 1) Page 14

  Hud swallowed back a laugh and took a quick photo of her with his phone. “Come on, little diva, it’s time to head to town.”

  “Yay!” Cricket bypassed him and raced outside.

  Jossy snatched a coconut ball from the cookie jar and sauntered ahead of him. “You’d better watch out, or that girl is going to be seven, going on seventeen.”

  “Tell me something I don’t already know,” Hud groused. He wished Cricket would stay tiny forever. In a blink, she’d gone from holding onto his fingers and learning to take her first steps, to begging to paint her fingernails with shimmering nail polish.

  He wouldn’t wish her back to babyhood, but he sure wouldn’t mind if time slowed down a little. Long before he was ready, he would watch his daughter grow up and venture out on her own in the world. Then the lonely feelings he often fought might win the battle.

  But he’d worry about that another day.

  Today was all about having fun with his spunky, sometimes mischievous daughter.

  By the time he slid behind the wheel of his pickup, Cricket was already buckled into her booster seat and humming the Peter Cottontail song.

  Jossy gave him a knowing look and tipped her head toward the backseat before she slipped on her sunglasses and brushed the crumbs from the cookie she’d just eaten from her hands.

  “How long are Emery’s folks staying?” Jossy asked as Hud drove into Summer Creek.

  Hud tossed a quick glance her way. “No one said, but I assume they’ll leave Monday. Grammy invited them to join us for dinner tonight and to spend the day with us tomorrow. You’re still planning to come, aren’t you?”

  Jossy nodded. “Of course. Even if it weren’t Easter, I want a front row seat to see Emery’s mom glower at you. Grammy said the woman tends to be slightly snappish.”

  “Right there is the understatement of the year. That’s like saying a cactus is only a little bit prickly.”

  A giggle burst out of Jossy. “Maybe she’ll be on better behavior today.”

  “Maybe.”

  Cricket was ready to jump out of the pickup the moment it rolled to a stop at the park, but Jossy caught her hand before she escaped.

  “Cricket, you know the rules. You stay with us and don’t run off.” Hud leveled his daughter with a parental glare over the seat.

  “Okay, Daddy, but I want to see my friends, and Emery said Uncle Henry and Uncle James will be here!” Cricket squirmed as she waited for him to open the door and help her down. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she grabbed his hand and started tugging him toward the crowd already gathered on the grassy expanse of lawn.

  Hud took in the areas that had been sectioned off by age group in an effort to keep the older kids from trampling the toddlers.

  “Daddy, can I please go see my friends?” Cricket pointed to where three little girls stood in a circle, holding decorated baskets.

  “Sure, but stay where I can see you.” Hud leaned toward Jossy. “I forgot to bring a basket for her. Do you think the feed store will have something we can use?”

  “Looks like Emery took care of it.” Jossy pointed to Cricket. They watched as Emery handed her an elaborately decorated basket, complete with satiny pink ribbons and flowers attached to the handle.

  “I know you think Emery is ridiculous much of the time, but even you have to admit she’s come a long way since she first arrived at the ranch.” Jossy nudged him with her elbow. “And she’s beautiful.”

  Hud grunted, unwilling to comment.

  Dressed in a pair of slim jeans tucked into a pair of knee-high leather boots, the peach-colored blouse Emery wore complimented her rosy complexion and golden hair. A stylish twill jacket with military buttons gave her an edgy, trendy look. Since the clothes looked expensive, he had to assume her mother must have brought them.

  He'd noticed Emery fussing with her clothes many times when she first arrived at the ranch, as though they were uncomfortable or itchy. When he commented on it to his grandmother, she mentioned that James had Jenny buy Emery all low-quality clothes at a box store just so she’d know what it was like to wear something that didn’t come from a designer’s showroom.

  Emery could have worn an old gunnysack and still made it look amazing, but Hud held those thoughts to himself. Covertly, he kept an eye on Emery, mesmerized by the sun glistening through her golden locks of hair, along with the loving way she interacted with his daughter.

  Seeing her with Cricket caused recollections of another beautiful blonde woman to invade his thoughts. Bitter memories stirred in his chest, making it ache. Annoyed, he pushed them aside.

  “Come on, grumpy britches. If we hurry, we can get a good spot to watch Cricket.” Jossy grabbed his arm and pulled him over to where Emery stood with their grandmother.

  A few minutes before the hunt began, Emery’s family arrived. Henry, James, and Jenny sported smiles, appearing excited to witness the fun while Emery’s mother looked like she suffered from a severe case of indigestion. Despite her carefully applied makeup, dark circles under her eyes made her look tired and disgruntled. Or maybe that was just the vinegary frown she turned on Hud every time she looked his way.

  Cricket stood in line with her friends, her basket clasped tightly in one hand, waiting for the signal to begin racing around the park in the area designated for her age group.

  Mayor Kane, decked out in an Easter bunny suit, hopped into the center of the park and welcomed everyone, then went over the rules. He started a countdown, and when he reached “one,” a coach from the high school blew a shrill blast on a whistle, signaling the beginning of the hunt.

  Parents cheered; children squealed; and onlookers clapped as the youngsters searched for eggs hidden in the grass, under shrubs, in flower beds, and around trees.

  Hud pointed at Cricket as she climbed up on a bench and stretched to grab an egg tucked inside a hole in the trunk of a tree. She waved it victoriously over her head before she wobbled and fell off the bench. He started toward her, but Jossy put a hand on his arm, laughing as Cricket hopped up, still holding the egg in one hand before dropping it in her basket.

  “She’s definitely a Cole,” Henry teased as they watched Cricket’s antics.

  “One hundred percent,” Hud said, feeling a burst of fatherly pride as his little girl raced to get another egg.

  The hunt ended with Cricket finding one of the glittery eggs that earned her a special basket full of treats. She accepted the basket from the mayor, thanked him, then turned around and gave it to a little boy who had a single mom without much money.

  “Oh, Hud, look at her,” Emery said, moving beside him. “That’s so sweet.”

  When Cricket raced back over to them, Hud lifted her up and gave her a big hug. He was so proud of his little girl, he felt like the snaps on his shirt might spontaneously pop open. “That was nice of you to give your basket to Timmy.”

  Cricket patted his cheeks while her eyes sparked with excitement. “He was worried the Easter bunny might not come to his house. I didn’t want him to miss out. Can I get my picture with the Easter bunny, Daddy?”

  “Sure, baby girl. I’ll come with you.” Hud set her down and reached for her hand, but she grabbed Emery’s.

  “Can Emery take me, Daddy? Please?”

  Hurt that his daughter wanted someone else to go with her, Hud merely nodded. “Go on, Cricket. Have fun.”

  Emery gave him a look he didn’t want to interpret and accompanied Cricket over to where children stood in line for a turn to sit on the mayor’s lap and get their photo taken.

  “Your little girl is quite spectacular, Mr. Cole.”

  Hud glanced down at Emery’s mother, so shocked by her words, he could hardly gather enough wits to reply. “Thank you, Mrs. Brighton. We think she’s pretty special.”

  “Most parents do.” The woman cracked the barest hint of a smile. “I certainly think the world of my daughter.”

  “She’s a good person, Mrs. Brighton. Emery really does try hard to do her
best.”

  Lisa gave him such a long, intense look that he wanted to squirm, but he remained still and held her gaze. Slowly, she nodded in agreement. “She does try hard. Although, I must say I barely recognize her, and it isn’t the deplorable wardrobe she’s been wearing or the need for a visit to a salon, but the changes inside her that have occurred. I assume you’ve had a hand in that.”

  “Not really, ma’am. Emery has been finding her own way. She’s just had the time and space she needed to do it here in Summer Creek.”

  “Hmm.” The woman gave him another glare before looking away and moving to stand between her husband and Emery’s aunt.

  Hud wondered if the woman was starting to like him or still considered him a backwoods oaf.

  “So, you do care what she thinks about you,” Jossy whispered from beside him.

  “I’m not admitting anything,” he said with a carefree grin, then stepped forward as Cricket climbed on the mayor’s lap and smiled for the camera. He and Jossy both snapped several photos with their phones, then took more when Cricket insisted Emery sit on the Easter bunny’s lap with her.

  Embarrassment turned Emery’s cheeks a bright hue of pink, but she gamely sat on the mayor’s knee and laughed as Cricket made a silly face.

  Jossy grinned. “That girl of yours is … ”

  “Too much like her aunt,” Hud said before Jossy could finish her statement.

  Feigning indignation, she huffed. “She’s going to be even more of a handful than I ever was, Hud. I wish you luck keeping up with her.”

  “Thanks, Joss. Thanks a lot.” Hud playfully nudged his sister, then caught Cricket when she ran to him and launched herself into his arms. He tossed her in the air and kissed her cheek, then held her on one arm as he turned to his grandmother. “Do we need to help clean up?”

  “No. The public works team will take care of it all on Monday.” Nell smiled at Cricket. “You sure found a lot of eggs, sweetheart. Did you have fun?”

  “Yep! I had the best time. Can we have lunch now?”

  “Of course.”

  Nell retrieved the picnic lunch she’d packed and spread it out on an old quilt on the grass. Ethel the goat wandered over, and Cricket let her nibble the boiled eggs she’d found during the hunt.

  Once they finished eating, Henry and James wanted to walk around town, exploring, so they all went along. Later that afternoon, they returned to the ranch. James and Henry went with Jossy to the Lazy J to help her with chores. The rest of the women stayed at the house while Hud went out to ride a horse he was training.

  As he worked with the gelding, he kept thinking about Emery and how well she fit into his family, into his world. Much to his surprise, he’d learned a few weeks into her arrival that she actually did know how to ride a horse. She’d even gone with him a few times when he rode through the cows.

  But he didn’t want her there.

  He didn’t want any woman coming in and disrupting the life he’d worked so hard to build after all the grief and loss he’d survived.

  Regardless of how much Cricket adored her and his grandmother praised her, Hud refused to consider the possibilities of pursuing a relationship with Emery. The minute she finished her final hour of community service, she’d return to the city so fast, she’d leave his head spinning.

  Not that it wasn’t already.

  When she bent over in the designer jeans she had on at the park to answer a question Cricket asked, Hud felt his mouth go completely dry. The woman was far too beautiful for his date-starved brain to handle.

  Maybe that was the problem. Perhaps if he started dating again, went out with a female here and there, he wouldn’t be watching Emery’s every move. Besides, he didn’t have time for the tribulations of dating anyway. He had a ranch to run and they were gearing up to head into their busiest season.

  Lost in his thoughts about Emery and the ranch, Hud failed to pay as much attention to the horse as he should have. At least that was the explanation he offered himself when he tried to make sense of what happened. With no warning, the horse started bucking. Hud flew through the air, crashing into the fence. The horse stopped bucking as suddenly as he started and looked at him. If Hud didn’t know better, he’d say the ornery animal boasted a big smile.

  “Hud!” Emery rushed toward him, her legs looking miles long as she stretched them out to race to his assistance.

  Absently, he wondered if the women had been watching him out the window.

  “Daddy!” Cricket called, hurrying his way with his grandmother holding tightly to her hand.

  “Are you okay?” Emery asked as she slid to a stop outside the corral fence. She started to reach out, but then seemed hesitant to touch him.

  Normally, Hud would have already been on his feet and letting the horse know who was boss. But pain sliced through his left shoulder, and he had the air knocked out of him. He forced himself to get up onto his knees and drew in a shallow breath.

  “I’m fine,” he wheezed, looking around for his hat. It had flown off when he’d collided with the fence.

  Emery climbed over the fence and picked up his hat, giving it a shake to dislodge the dust before handing it to him. The hand she placed on his back threatened to sear his skin and unsettled him as much as the concern in her eyes. “Are you hurt?”

  Hud rolled his shoulder a few times, doing his best not to wince. It wasn’t dislocated and he was fairly certain nothing was broken, even if it did hurt like the dickens. “I’m fine.”

  He took the hat she still held, settled it on his head, brushed the dust off his clothes, and gave his daughter a reassuring smile. “Guthry caught me by surprise. No need for anyone to worry.”

  “Get back on him, Daddy.” Cricket climbed up on the fence, as though she intended to stick around and watch.

  Hud glanced from her to Emery, then to the other women who seemed to be waiting to see if he was dumb enough to give the horse a chance to toss him off a second time.

  Apparently, he was because he walked over to Guthry, caught the reins, and swung on his back. Guthry had been abused as a stock horse on a remote ranch in Nevada and hadn’t yet learned he could trust anyone. Hud wasn’t giving up on him. The horse would make a good mount if he could just get Guthry to understand not all humans were going to hurt him.

  Although it was challenging to stay focused with Emery sitting on the fence next to Cricket, Hud refused to be distracted as he rode around the corral with no trouble.

  “I need to get back to the kitchen.” His grandmother’s voice carried out to him on the far side of the corral. He looked over and saw all the women head back to the house, taking Cricket with them.

  Mindful of his promise to grill steaks for dinner, he rode for another five minutes before he turned Guthry into a small pen where he was easy to catch and then stored the tack in the barn. He took care of the evening chores on his way to the house, then hurried up the back steps into the mudroom where he washed up.

  He looked into the kitchen to find his grandmother, Emery, and Jenny chatting as they worked together. Cricket and Lisa were nowhere in sight, so he headed down the hall to find the two of them in the living room, reading one of Cricket’s favorite storybooks.

  Unwilling to disturb them, he backed away from the doorway and returned to the kitchen.

  “Ready to season the steaks?” Nell asked as he took the meat from the refrigerator and set it on an empty space on the counter.

  “Yep. I’ll do that, then get the grill to heating.” Hud had a special blend of spices he liked to use on the steaks that came from beef grown right there on Summer Creek Ranch. He and Jossy had an ongoing competition to see who could produce the most tender, flavorful meat. So far, he was ahead, but the last time she’d had them over for steaks, she was gaining on him.

  Jossy returned with Henry and James just before the meat was ready to come off the grill. She heckled him about his steaks, while the two men encouraged her.

  When Nell announced it was time
to be seated for dinner, Lisa glanced at the thick cuts of beef and shook her head. “I think we should head back to the motel.”

  James glared at her like she’d lost her mind. “I’m not eating a plate full of grease again, especially not when the Cole family has prepared a steak dinner for us. The beef is from their cows.”

  “That’s nice, dear, but I still think it best if we go. I’m not feeling all that well.” Lisa edged toward the doorway.

  “I’m not leaving before we have dinner. Besides, it’s your own fault if you aren’t feeling up to par. You’re the one who insisted we drive all the way to Burns to spend the night yesterday. The only place that had any rooms available was a questionable motel with lumpy beds, and we ate dinner and breakfast at a run-down dive. Everything on the menu came with a pool of grease.” James ignored the sour expression on his wife’s face as he tattled to the group. “If your offer is still open to stay here, Nell, we would be quite grateful to take you up on it.”

  “Of course you all are welcome. Please, Lisa, stay. I’ve got just the thing to settle your stomach.” Nell led Lisa back to the kitchen.

  After dinner, Hud helped carry luggage to the guest rooms upstairs, then Emery wanted to show her family the bunkhouse.

  Hud hadn’t been in it since Emery cleaned it. When she pushed open the door, he studied the gleaming floors and sparkling windows. It hadn’t looked that good in years.

  “Don’t you think it would be the perfect place for glamping?” he heard Emery ask her mother and aunt.

  “Oh, it would,” Jenny said, stepping into one of the bedrooms. “If you put in one larger bed and decorated the room with Pendleton blankets, it would just ooze rustic charm.”

  Hud thought it would ooze something. He had no intention of inviting strangers to his ranch to hang out in the bunkhouse for a weekend getaway. Had Emery lost her mind? Then again, he’d allowed her to stay when every ounce of sense shouted at him to send her back to Portland.

  As he watched her laugh at something her uncle said, he realized he was glad she remained at the ranch. The reasons why, though, he intended to ignore rather than explore.