Her Homecoming Cowboy

He grimaced, favoring his collarbone for a moment.

“You are hurting.” Annie changed the subject. “I know all that running and vaulting over the fence could not have been good for your injury.”

“I’ll live.” He gritted the words out as he pressed his bent elbow closer into his side, adjusting the strap of his sling.

“And so will we, thanks to you.” Gratefulness filled her up to overflowing.

“You both just seem so familiar to me,” he said, stuck on figuring out who they were—maybe distracting himself from the pain that she imagined was stabbing through his broken bones.

“I ain’t never met you in person,” Leo said, bless his little heart. “I been want’n’ to meet you, though.”

Colt almost smiled. “Right. Maybe you both just remind me of someone. Anyway, I’m glad y’all are safe and that I heard y’all’s yells for help.”

Annie wanted to groan with relief as Colt changed the subject.

Leo edged closer to Colt. “I won’t ever forget you jumping over that fence. You looked like you could fly.” He held his arms out and pretended to fly. Colt laughed, shocking Annie.

He seemed as shocked by his laughter as she was. One minute it was rumbling out of him and the next he clamped his lips together and cleared his throat. It was as if he was rusty at laughing. As if he didn’t want to laugh.

“Look, I better walk y’all back to your house and then I’ll call Cort and tell him what happened. We’ll make sure that momma and calf are put into another pasture farther away from the house. You should be able to take a walk without worrying about getting trampled. If y’all are going to live here, Leo needs to be safe.”

“Aw, I can learn to scare them cows just like you did.” Leo grinned up at his hero. Though they didn’t look alike, there were indisputable similarities in Leo’s expression and that of Colt.

Her nerves shook like brittle autumn leaves clinging to a branch. Colt shifted his gaze from Leo to her, then back to Leo once more.

He’s seeing more resemblances with each passing moment. Right along with me.

Annie braced herself for his questions to resume.

“You’re sure we haven’t met? There’s something about Leo that seems so familiar. Of course, I’ve met a bunch of kids at the rodeos.”

The clock was ticking. She wasn’t sure how long it would be before Colt realized that the child reminded him of himself. For that matter, she wondered who else would spot the resemblance. There was nothing for her to do about it right now except pray that God left blinders on everyone long enough for her to figure out what her next move was going to be. All she could do right now was act as though she had nothing to hide.

What better way to find out what kind of man Colt really was to live nearby?

So far her arrival in Mule Hollow had been nothing like she’d expected. Then again, when Colt found out why she was really here and what secrets she was keeping, how would he react?

How would the kind folks of Mule Hollow act?

* * *

Annie understood why the clinic needed help. Staring at the books the next morning, she was floored by how busy the small clinic was. Being the only clinic within at least sixty miles, Susan Turner had plenty of clients. Especially taking into consideration that Mule Hollow was surrounded by ranches, many of them fairly large operations. There was no end to the varying array of procedures she was hired to do. That, plus small animal checkups, left her and Gabi very little time to keep up with the paperwork.

Paperwork was Annie’s specialty.

“So what do you think?” Susan asked after they’d gone over the books and the scheduling. “Do you think you can help us out?”

“I can,” Annie said confidently. Susan was a willowy blonde who looked more like a model than a vet. She had long blond hair pulled back into a thick, lush ponytail that looked more glamorous than practical. It was obvious, though she didn’t look the part, she was an excellent vet.

Gabi, on the other hand, was fresh faced, dark haired and had an athleticism to her movements that fit in with her career choice. Her energetic zest was evident, and there was no doubt in Annie’s mind that she was the best at what she did.

“It’s obvious the two of you have a great system. I’m not bragging, but I can promise you that I can handle this and even help streamline some procedures in the bookkeeping and paperwork department.”

Susan smiled broadly. “I’ll forever be in your debt if you can do that!”

Annie liked both women on the spot. Listening and observing how the two women spoke and treated each other, Annie noted that there was mutual respect and friendship here. She hoped that maybe she’d be able to be included in that over time. Even now, on her first morning, she felt the warmth of true welcome and, given the chance, she knew she could be a benefit to this business.

She said a quick thank-you to God for supplying this job to her. In the midst of the stressful situation she was here to address, having a job she was at peace with and enjoyed was going to be a real blessing. She ignored the pang of guilt that thudded like an undercurrent beneath every breath she took.

“So, now that we have that all settled...” Susan leaned against the counter. Holding a bottle of water between her hands, she toyed with the cap. “Gabi tells me you and Leo are big fans of Colt’s.”

“Leo is.” The undercurrent turned into a riptide, the easy feeling of seconds ago swept out to sea. “I mean, you know, Leo loves bull riding.”

Gabi poured herself a cup of coffee from the sideboard. “If you aren’t a fan, then who taught him to be?”

Annie knew she couldn’t keep Jennifer hidden for long. Everyone knew Leo was her nephew, so obviously there had been a sibling. “My sister, Leo’s mom. She was the rodeo fan. She passed away last year.” Gabi and Susan both gave their condolences. “Thank you. Jennifer never found a rodeo she didn’t like.” She didn’t add that she also had never seemed to find a cowboy she didn’t like. To this day Annie couldn’t understand her sister’s behavior.

“So you’ve raised Leo since last year?” Susan asked.

“Actually, I’ve been helping raise him since the day he was born. My sister moved in with me so I could help with him. He’s like my own son, really.”

“I’m so sorry he lost his mother. Thank goodness he’s had you.”

“I know this sounds nosy,” Gabi said. “What about his daddy? Is he in the picture?”

Annie felt as if sharp gears were grinding to a halt inside her chest. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t expected that question. She’d answered it many times before. But being here, so close to Colt, made things different. “He’s never been in the picture.”

Susan’s and Gabi’s gazes met as the tension in the room spiked. Annie looked away quickly, trying to tell herself once again that she was being paranoid. Gabi had only met Leo briefly the day before. Imagining that she’d put the pieces of the puzzle together when she didn’t even know there was one was just plain crazy.

She was going to have to have to get a handle on her mind. And she was going to have to do it soon.

* * *

Colt had racked his brain, ever since finding Annie and Leo next door to him, trying to figure out who Annie reminded him of. Both of them, actually, because there was something more familiar about Leo than Annie. But try as he might, it wasn’t coming to him. Not that his memory was what it used to be. Since the wreck, there were holes in his memories.

Restless and wishing he had the use of his arm, he found himself toying with the idea of going to see if his new neighbors were home. The thought hit him like a kick in the chest from a bucking bronc. Truth was he’d taken about all the sitting around he could take. But he wasn’t going to see Annie. He’d acknowledged that he was attracted to her, and was startled by the fact, since his heart felt as cold and hard as steel. The last thing he wanted was to tempt himself to seek out any kind of pleasure. It wasn’t right.

But she kept easing into his thoughts without his realizing it.

Needing something to occupy his mind with other than thoughts of the wreck and his new neighbors, he headed toward the ranch office. He was about to get into his truck when he heard someone call his name.

Leo.

The little kid, dressed in blue jeans, T-shirt and boots, came tromping from the trees, the rope Colt had given him clutched tightly in his hand. When he saw Colt, his eyes lit up and he started running.

“Colt!”

Annie was nowhere in sight as Leo skidded to a halt in front of him. “Hi, Colt. I came to see you,” he declared, as if he hadn’t just walked across a pasture and through a small stand of woods.