The Cowgirl’s Secret Love Excerpt

Chapter 1

April, five years ago. Rocky Mountain House, Alberta

 

After a full day attempting a job that was still well beyond her, every part of Karen Coleman’s body ached. She glared at the wooden exterior of Traders Pub and debated going home.

Only there was nothing back at the ranch that would improve her mood. She brushed her hands against her jeans, cringing as the palm of her left hand connected too vigorously with the solid thigh-to-ankle cast encasing her leg.

It wasn’t the reminder she needed at that moment.

Neither was the piercing whistle that rang across the parking lot. Her cousin’s taunt echoed in the quiet outside the pub.

“Damn, that’s pathetic. You look like something the cat dragged in.”

Jesse, one of the more annoying male cousins in the horde Karen faced almost daily, wore far too happy an expression as he jogged forward.

She was ready to cut him down to size when someone tall and muscular stepped from the shadows and intercepted Jesse.

“Watch your mouth.” The dark-haired stranger folded his arms over his chest, biceps pressing against the cotton of his shirt. He eyed Jesse with disdain.

Jesse stopped in his tracks, completely thrown by the call down.

“Don’t bother,” the stranger said when Jesse recovered from his shock enough to open his mouth, probably to offer another wisecrack. “Keep walking.”

Karen had many reasons to be cranky, not the least because her deep-seated annoyance at being below full physical strength was not going away any time soon.

But when for once in his life Jesse actually took the smart route and left with nothing more than an exaggerated eye roll, she had to admit to being slightly charmed by her well-meaning protector.

Charmed turned to something heated when her nameless defender rotated toward her.

She’d caught a glimpse of his firm jawline in profile, but the strength of his face combined very nicely with dark brown eyes that held the possibility of a dangerous smolder. He checked her over quickly, his gaze lingering on her cast and the crutches she’d finally caved and agreed to use.

It seemed only right that while he was occupied, she should return the favour.

Yes, his face was very pleasant, without any sort of fanfare. He looked the type to be silent except when he had something important to say.

She examined his mouth, amused by the solemn set of his lips. He’d obviously thought Jesse was a lot more of a threat than the turkey truly was.

A moment’s glance over the rest of her champion allowed her to admire the entire cowboy. He wasn’t wearing a hat, but his boots were real, freshly polished and worn in the right pattern to be more than window dressing.

“You okay?” His voice was a soft rumble that teased her senses.

Karen’s gaze shot up to meet his. Those eyes were serious, and yet a hint of a twinkle appeared momentarily. It might be fun to try and trigger other kinds of reactions in the man.

He’d come to her rescue, unneeded as it was.

“I’m good. Name’s Karen.” She thrust a hand forward, teetering as she fought to keep her balance and control the crutch trying to escape.

Her hero moved instantly, his firm grip sliding around her waist and bringing her back to vertical before she could tumble to the ground in an inglorious heap. “Careful. Looks as if you’re still a little shaky on those colt legs of yours.”

A laugh burst free. “Oh, honey, a colt is the last thing I should be compared to right now.” She gave her thigh a careful pat, not hard enough to hurt. “I’ve seen newborns get to their feet with far more grace than I’m capable of with this contraption.”

He was so close his scent wrapped around her and made interesting responses flash through her body. Ones she hadn’t expected tonight, let alone while doing her best elephant limbed imitation.

Dammit, the warmth of his body teased in a million tempting ways, and Karen considered leaning in a little harder rather than moving away.

Somehow she did the right thing, finding her equilibrium then meeting his gaze again. “Thanks for standing up for me, but Jesse didn’t mean any harm.”

The stranger examined her face before tilting his chin slowly. “I’m sure you could’ve taken care of him, but I didn’t mind stepping in. It’s only right.”

“He’s family. I guess they get to be a little more asshole-ish than your everyday stranger.”

“Chérie.” He spoke softly. “Family should support instead of push.”

That was a mouthful. In light of all the other annoying things in her world, broken leg notwithstanding, Karen didn’t want to spend a lot of time thinking about family and their lack of support.

What she did want was to enjoy flirting with this intriguing man.

She offered him a smile and a bit of a raised brow. “I didn’t catch your name.”

His lips curled at the corners. Just enough to turn his rugged expression dangerously sexy. “Finn. Can I buy you a drink?”

Considering she’d debated going home, the idea of staying was more attractive than expected. “If you don’t mind that I left my dancing shoes at home.”

“We’ll see about that. Drink first.”

The nearest door led onto the dance floor, which was a bad idea, all things considered. The closest parking space Karen had been able to find meant she planned to walk through the noisy side of the bar and head into the quieter section to meet up with her sisters. While the Coleman clan tended to gather on Fridays at Traders Pub, there were enough of them that even though it was Tuesday, more than Lisa and Tamara were bound to be around somewhere.

Only, Finn had an agenda on this side of the pub. He guided her to the side of the room where tall chairs were placed around high-top tables. “Let’s see if I can get you comfortable.”

The innuendo in his tone sent shivers along her skin. To hell with it. The only deadline she had in the morning was a meeting she wasn’t looking forward to. No chores beyond the basics, so having a little fun with a stranger who would be gone by tomorrow sounded like the perfect distraction.

Finn had tucked his arm around her, their bodies close enough for them to hear each other over the music and the din of voices. Karen turned toward him, cheek brushing his. “Comfortable is not a word I’m familiar with at the moment.”

He rocked slightly, heat rising. He twisted behind her, lips ghosting her earlobe as he answered, “Let’s see if I can do something about that.”

There was something delicious about doing this here. On her home turf, where she knew everyone except the man settling onto the chair behind her. He opened his legs wide then leaned her against his strong thigh.

“Ease back against me, chérie. That’s it. That’s got to be more comfortable than a minute ago.”

He stroked her hair back over her neck. She wondered what weird magic he possessed that made her feel free to do this. Not to mention that no one from her family had come rushing forward to give her hell or ruin the moment.

Because it was a moment. She was enveloped in heat. At her back, along her side. His arm supported her, his thigh as well, and the faintest smile on his lips said he knew all too well exactly how relaxed she was.

Except for deciding how far she wanted to let this go, everything was absolutely perfect.

“What can I get you to drink?” Finn asked. A deep rumble that tickled in her ears.

“Pepsi,” Karen said dryly. “With ice.”

He hesitated for a moment before understanding spread across his face. “You’re on painkillers.”

“Bingo.” She adjusted her arm to get more comfortable, which happened to mean sliding it around his torso. “This okay?”

“Just fine.” Finn waved over one of the waitresses, ordering Karen’s soda and a beer for himself.

Tiffany eyed Karen, then Finn, then Karen again.

One of the downfalls of small-town living. Everyone knew everyone.

When the girl walked off without making a comment, Karen wondered if she’d actually fallen into some sort of alternate reality. First Jesse, now Tiffany, leaving without teasing or digging for dirt?

If this was an alternate universe, how long did she get to stay?

“How bad is your leg?” Finn asked.

His hand around her waist was warm and strong and very distracting. His thumb slid back and forth along the line where her waistband ended.

Karen made a face and for once told the truth. “Pretty bad. I had a bit of a run-in with a horse trailer, which makes being hurt damn annoying as well as physical bullshit. I don’t have problems with horses,” she informed him briskly. Then she made a face. “Except this time. I don’t blame him, it was an equipment failure, but it messed me up pretty good. I want to get back to work, but the pain’s bad enough I have to take the meds.”

“And then the meds mess you up more?”

“Damn annoying,” she repeated.

“I get that. It’s tough to not be able to do the things you’re used to doing.” Her T-shirt had come untucked on one side, and his thumb was now sliding against bare skin, an evilly distracting touch that made her think about other things she wasn’t able to do right now.

Then again…

Their drinks appeared on the table.

Finn lifted his beer bottle in a salute, that hint of mischief dancing in the corner of his eyes. “Here’s to learning new ways to have fun.”

Was the man reading her mind?

Screw it. It was time to flirt and have as much fun as she decided she wanted. Or as much as her leg would allow before she had to call things off because of pain or awkwardness.

Karen offered him a wink as her glass and his bottle clinked. He smiled before tipping his head back, throat moving rhythmically as he drank. That hand of his stayed firmly in place on her waist. If anything, he tucked her tighter against him.

Oh, yeah, the pain in her leg was the last thing on her mind. The tingle rising between her legs had feature billing at the moment.

The music blaring around them changed to a soft ballad, and Finn put his glass down. “Give me that.”

Her barely sipped Pepsi vanished to the high-top, and the next thing she knew, he’d tugged her a foot to the left into an open space on the dance floor.

“Oh, no, this won’t work,” Karen protested.

“Trust me,” Finn said as he tucked her body against his.

Okay. Not at all what she’d expected tonight, but dear sweet foals in the field, this was what she’d been craving.

He held her firmly, barely swaying. Just enough motion that their bodies made contact as she balanced on her good leg. They were close in height, and her cheek rested against his, the slight scruff of his five o’clock shadow doing dangerous things to her libido.

“You’re not getting much of a dance partner,” Karen told him a little breathlessly.

He adjusted position, and her breasts pressed more firmly against his rock-solid chest. “Hear me complaining?”

Nope. They were so close the other changes in his body were apparent as well. It wasn’t just his torso that was firm, and all things considered, the fact Finn had reacted and wasn’t afraid to let her know…

It might’ve been the most juvenile thing ever, but knowing that in spite of the unwieldy cast someone found her attractive? It was a powerful thing.

“You in town for long, Finn?”

“Don’t like to talk when I dance,” he said quietly a second before his lips brushed her neck. Right where there was some sort of magical control button, because goose bumps arrived, a heat wave hit between her legs, and her nipples reacted—all at the same time.

Okay. Silence worked for her.

She wrapped her arms tighter around him, swaying to make it clear every bit of his attention was very much appreciated.

The music went on for long enough that Karen’s cheeks were hot, her body was hot, and most of her annoyance had washed away in their truly delectable, somehow secretive, corner of the dance floor.

The tune changed to something far too upbeat, and she eased away reluctantly, offering what had to be a slightly stunned smile. “You’re a good dancer, Finn. Even if you don’t like to talk.”

“I can think of better uses for my mouth.” The comment fanned the flames even higher as he brought her back to the table. “You good here?”

A loud crash sounded across the room, followed by raised voices and laughter. An entire group rushed in from the opposite side of the bar, including the familiar faces of the Coleman clan. Karen’s short-lived magical flirtation was about to be discovered.

But when she turned back to prepare him for the onslaught of her family, Finn was gone.

A second later her younger sisters, Lisa and Tamara, were at her table, looking her over as if she were some sort of hospital specimen.

“What’re you doing over here by yourself?” Tamara demanded. “We’ve been waiting for you. You totally ignored our texts.”

Karen had been enjoying some sort of lovely delirium and had been too busy to answer texts, which wasn’t anything she was about to share.

Instead, she shrugged. “Came in the west door and didn’t want to mess with manoeuvering all the way to the other side. I figured you’d show up eventually.”

“I’m glad you came out for the night,” Tamara said. “You need to get your mind off the fact you’re out of commission for a while.”

Their youngest sister, Lisa, smacked Tamara on the arm. “Brilliant way to keep her from thinking about that. You know, mentioning it and all.”

“I’m only pointing out the obvious. She needs to be off the work list and let her leg heal.” Tamara put on her medical professional face, shaking her finger at Karen. “You’ve got a serious break, sis. If you push it too hard, you could end up hurting yourself permanently.”

“Save me the lectures,” Karen told her sharply. “I’m the oldest, and not only is what you’re saying old news, you don’t get to boss me around.”

“Nice try on that one,” Lisa said with a snicker. “Birth order has nothing to do with sisters giving unwanted advice. We all do it, me less than you two because I’m smart like that.”

That comment got her pokes in the side from both Karen and Tamara, setting off giggles that had the entire area of the dance floor glancing in their direction.

No matter which way she looked, Karen spotted no signs of her mysterious knight in shining armour. Which was probably a good thing, because she hadn’t planned on going much further.

The distraction had been enjoyable, though.

An hour later Tamara glanced at her watch. “I need to go. Want me to drive you home?” she asked Karen. “I have time to take you out to the ranch. Lisa can bring your car home later.”

Karen hated to accept the help, but she nodded. “Don’t stay up too late, or you’ll regret it in the morning,” she warned Lisa, who had briefly returned to their corner of the dance room after kicking up a storm with one of her buddies.

“Energy to burn,” Lisa said. “Don’t worry. I won’t miss chores. Plus, I’ll be there as support after whatever Dad throws at you.”

And she would. The same way Karen knew that Tamara would do what she could. They were solid—three sisters who had stuck together through thick and thin, which was the only reason Karen had made it this far dealing with their father.

“It’ll be okay,” Tamara assured her twenty minutes later as they headed down the final long, quiet gravel road that led to Whiskey Creek. “You do need to take care of yourself for a bit, though. And I know that’s hard. To think about taking some time off.”

Karen chuckled, staring at the springtime fields. The first flush of growth popping up through the rich ground was barely visible in the pale moonlight. “I take off as much time as you do, Miss Work-Your-Ass-off.”

“I know how to relax,” Tamara insisted.

“So do I.” A rush of warmth stole over her as she thought of Finn and the sensation of his strong arm around her. And a whole lot of other parts of him she wished to get to know a little better.

That kind of relaxation she could totally go for. If it were possible. If he hadn’t vanished.

If she didn’t have a thick cast from thigh to ankle impeding all the deliciously dirty thoughts whirling through her brain, taunting her with what she couldn’t have.

Still, she didn’t regret the momentary flirtation.

She said goodbye to Tamara and took off into the house where she’d grown up. The same room where she’d slept for twenty-seven years.

Throughout the house, an eerie quietness lingered, one that had been there for untold evenings since their mother had died.

Karen pushed aside the sad memories and frustrations. She ignored the thin line of light shining from under her father’s door and instead concentrated on the warm fuzzies still humming in her system as she remembered the sweet interlude at the bar.

Her dreams that night were rather spectacular.

Maybe it was the painkillers as well as her fevered imagination, but the next morning it was difficult to pull herself together and head to the kitchen.

The coffee pot was cold. Karen panicked for a moment when she glanced at the old cuckoo clock on the wall. The pendulum swung slower than usual, and thankfully the time on the ancient face was nothing near the one on her watch.

Unfortunately, even her watch said she normally would have been outside thirty minutes ago.

She hurriedly pulled on a coat and a single boot. The bottom of her cast got wrapped in a protective layer of padding followed by a garbage bag to keep out the dirt.

Swinging across the yard on her crutches at breakneck speed to where her dad always held their morning chore briefings, she took the final corner a little too fast and barely caught her balance. “Dammit.”

George Coleman turned toward her, his disapproval clear. “Watch your language.”

Karen held her tongue. Wasn’t as if her male cousins didn’t swear around the ranch all the time. But she was a lady. She wasn’t supposed to know such words.

She stuck to apologizing for her real sin. “Sorry I’m late.”

Her father grumbled something before shaking his head. “You’re fine. Couple minutes early, in fact.”

Which was good because after that wild dash, she needed to find a comfortable position and take the weight off her leg. Only she had to make it inconspicuous so her father had no idea exactly how much pain she was in. If he knew, no way on earth would she convince him of the line she was about to feed him.

She eased against the wall. Unbidden, the memory rose of being in a similar position the night before, leaning against a firm, masculine body.

Damn it, Finn, why’d you disappear?

Distractions shoved aside, Karen cleared her throat. “I’ve been thinking. I know we need some extra help around here. You mentioned getting the cousins to lend a hand. I think that’s a great idea, but in the meantime, I could go to the Six Pack and Moonshine spreads and give them a hand with their horses.”

George Coleman was having none of it. “Bad enough you got hurt dropping off that horse for Mike. You don’t need to be messing around with new animals when you’re in this condition.”

Karen shrugged nonchalantly. “The accident at Uncle Mike’s was a one-off. That kind of situation happens once in a blue moon, and it was less the horse’s fault and more the trailer’s.”

Shit. Probably not a good thing to mention because she was in charge of horses, but her father was in charge of the equipment.

Sure enough, his expression folded into an even deeper frown before he shook his head vigorously. “No, I’ve given this a lot of thought. We need help, but none of the rest of the Coleman clan has hands to spare. So I contacted a buddy of mine.”

All the air rushed from her lungs. Number one because her father had asked for assistance. But the fact he’d actually gone outside the family? “You asked someone to come and help us?”

“Yep. Richard Marlette. Met him years ago, and we’ve kept in touch. His spread is out in Manitoba.”

Okay. The shock was beginning to ease, but Karen was still confused. Bringing in one extra man her father’s age to replace her seemed a bit of an insult. The bigger trouble was Whiskey Creek ranch had been shorthanded for a long time, ever since Tamara left to go into nursing. Extra shorthanded, since her father was reluctant to let his daughters work all the tasks required for a full operation.

In the distance, a cloud of dust rose along the approach road to where they stood. A good indication someone was about to arrive at the ranch. “That him?”

Her dad turned as not one, but two, oversized crew-cab Fords pulled into the yard. “One step better. Richard said he’s in transition. Doing some shift over which means letting sections of land lie fallow, so his sons are at loose ends for the summer.” George Coleman glanced over his shoulder, pride in his expression as he dipped his chin firmly. “The Marlette boys will help take care of things for us.”

Karen already didn’t like them, these Manitoba intruders on her land. Some wet-behind-the-ears kids who, just because they were male, were already considered bigger assets than she and her sisters.

She somehow kept from growling. “I can’t believe you didn’t talk to me about this, Dad.”

“Nothing to talk about.”

Anger crashed in her gut as truck doors swung open, and well-worn boots and jeans and cowboy hats appeared. A moment later, three men—not boys—were walking toward them with a lazy cowboy saunter.

Karen only saw one face—

Finn.

Her flirtatious fantasy man from the previous night was front and center. He stopped before her father and held out his hand.

“Finn Marlette. Good to meet you, sir.”

“George Coleman. Glad it worked for you boys to come on out.”

Even as he greeted George, Finn’s gaze drifted to Karen. “We’ll do what we can to make this a memorable summer.”

Dear God, she wasn’t going to survive.

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