Her Homecoming Cowboy

He blinked and the agony was replaced with that semiblank facial expression she’d seen before.

“I don’t know what’s bothering you,” she blurted out. “But I’m thinking maybe some company would help. Please stay.”

Chapter Five

Colt couldn’t turn Annie’s invitation down. Oh, he’d tried. She was persistent, though, and despite the loss and guilt raging through him, when she’d touched him, when he’d looked at her, he couldn’t turn and run. Couldn’t tear himself away even though he tried.

“Great!” A warm smile spread across her face and crinkled the edges of her eyes. Immediately she headed toward the house, probably afraid that he would change his mind. “Not that I’m promising anything fancy. But with Leo around, I can always promise wonderful, entertaining company.”

She shot him a grin. “That kid’ll brighten any day.”

Colt took a deep breath. She had no idea that it was the little fella’s exuberance and liveliness that had him twisted into knots right now. He pushed the idea away. He had to come to grips with this somehow. It would be just like God to move Annie and Leo right in beside him to help him to dig up out of the hole he was in. It didn’t sit well with Colt, but that beef was between him and God; Annie and Leo had nothing to do with it.

* * *

Through the kitchen window, Annie watched Colt show Leo how to hold the rope and then toss it. Over and over it missed, and over and over Colt patiently showed him how to do it. Annie was supposed to be setting the table and putting the hamburger skillet dinner out, but she was drawn to the window to watch them. There was just no denying that Colt intrigued her.

The little voice in her head kept telling her he looked great, too—but she was ignoring the bothersome voice. Colt was crouched on Leo’s level and was explaining how to hold his hand as he held the rope, and she was seeing yet again how similar Leo’s movements were as he copied the way his daddy held his hand. So engrossed was Annie that it took a minute to realize she smelled something burning and that the room had somehow filled with smoke. “Oh, my goodness!” she exclaimed rushing over to the stove, where the skillet of hamburger and noodles smoldered!