Her Homecoming Cowboy

“Yeah, I see that. You look like you came to learn to rope.”

“I did. I brung my rope and ever’thing.”

Colt glanced back at the woods. No Annie. “Is your aunt coming?”

Leo kicked a rock with the toe of his small boot, and his shoulders drooped slightly. “She was busy.”

“Busy?” And she’d let the kid walk all the way across the pasture by himself, and then wander through the trees looking for Colt’s cabin? He hadn’t known Annie long but he knew this didn’t sound right. Colt stooped to eye level with Leo. “Little buddy, does your aunt know you’re here?”

Leo shrugged, not quite looking him in the eye. “She knows I went outside to play.”

The poor woman was going to be frantic when she realized Leo was gone. It took a while to walk the distance between houses, so he was pretty certain she was already searching for him.

“Come on, we better get you back home.”

“Aw, do we have to? I wanted to come see you.”

“And I’m glad you did. But from now on, you’re going to need to let your aunt know what you’re doing, because she’ll worry about you. Matter of fact, it’s probably not a good idea for you to come all this way by yourself.”

“You think Annie Aunt’s gonna be mad?”

Colt grinned at the kid before he could stop himself and he tousled Leo’s blond hair. “Maybe. But, come on... I’ll face her with you. When a man messes up, he has to face the music.”

Leo looked at him strangely. “I don’t think she’s gonna sing to me.”

Colt laughed. “Probably not. But we’ve still got to go face her.”

* * *

“Leo!” Annie scanned the pasture while she jogged, hoping to see him. But he was nowhere. She’d been unpacking some of their things in the bedrooms while Leo played with his rope in the backyard. When she’d checked on him twenty minutes later, he was gone.

“Leo!” she called again. Stopping to catch her breath, she scanned the pasture. He hadn’t been in the barn or the front yard. He hadn’t answered when she’d called his name over and over again. And then she’d thought about Colt. Leo had asked her on the way home from day care if he could go to Colt’s, and she’d told him that today wasn’t a good day.

Please let him be okay. Please.

She started moving again, just topping the slight hill when she spotted them. Colt and Leo walking side by side, crossing the pasture. They walk alike. The thought registered in the back of her mind, but she was too overwhelmed with relief for the implications to completely register. Gasping, Annie rushed forward.

“Leo! Honey, you scared me,” she scolded, though she was so relieved it was a wonder she could speak. Scooping him into her arms, she hugged him tightly, fear washing over her. “Please don’t go running off like that. Please.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, squirming as she set him back on the ground. “I just wanted to see Colt.”

“I brought him back the minute I realized you weren’t with him.”

Colt’s quiet words steadied her and she drew back from some of the terror that had clutched her. She tried to force the overreaction away. “Thank you. I feel awful. I was unpacking and he was right outside roping. I didn’t check on him for twenty minutes, so I didn’t know how long he’d been gone. And then I had to check the barn and the area around the house.” She was rambling and couldn’t seem to stop it.

“He’s fine. I don’t think he’ll be doing that again. Will you, buddy?”

Leo shook his head. “Colt told me I made you worry.”

“I know you didn’t mean to.” She fought to let the episode go as she brushed his bangs off his forehead. “I’m just glad a cow didn’t get you.”

Colt’s brows lifted a bit and he gave a slight nod of agreement.

“I was real careful. I crouched down real low, like this.” Leo leaned over, hunkering down and demonstrating how he’d scurried across the pasture. When he came to a stray clump of bitterweeds, he crouched down, looked about, then grinned at them. “See, I was real careful and watched out for mean ole heifers like y’all told me to.”

Colt and Annie laughed.

Then Leo headed home, continuing to sneak back across the pastures, obviously enjoying his game. Watching him, Annie and Colt began walking.

“Are you okay? You seemed...really upset.”

Self-conscious, she sure wished she hadn’t let her fear show. “I’m fine. I just got worried. Leo was gone.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment, just walked beside her, as they kept Leo in sight. “So, y’all are settled?” he asked, tucking his hands into his pockets.

Annie nodded, glad for a change of subject. “Pretty much. We really didn’t have a lot to unpack.”

“So, y’all lost everything?”

“Except each other.” Annie met his questioning gaze. “The fire was bad. I’m grateful Leo wasn’t harmed. If I’d lost him...or he’d lost me...” A lump lodged in her throat. “That would have been the tragedy.” Her heart raced again at the thought.

Every time that horrible day came to mind, especially the moments when she’d believed she was going to die not knowing what had happened to Leo, she had to fight not to tear up. Forcing herself to the bright side, she smiled. “Thankfully, we have each other, and we’re here in this neat little town, moved into this fantastic, quaint farmhouse that I’ve totally fallen in love with. I feel like I’m living on a smaller set of The Waltons when I’m in the kitchen.”

Colt stopped walking. “So you were home when the fire happened?”

“I was. Leo was staying in town at a friend’s house, because we knew our area was in a danger zone. When the fires struck it happened so quickly...” She paused, remembering. She rubbed her arms as Colt watched her with intense eyes. “It’s unbelievable how your life can change in a flash,” she added. Though she’d rather change the conversation, something in his expression, in his eyes, seemed to draw the words from her.

“Yes, it is.” He took a deep breath and studied Leo, who’d reached the yard and had begun trying unsuccessfully to rope a bucket he’d set out.

Annie felt sad. Among all the other things she thought she’d seen in him at their first meeting, she’d glimpsed what she believed to be sadness. She’d chalked it up to the fact that his injury must have taken him out of contention for the national championship. Now she wasn’t so sure.

“Have you eaten?” she asked impulsively. After all, she was here to find out who Colt Holden was. What better way to do that than to share a meal with him? “Leo would be ecstatically happy if you were to eat supper with him. I’ve got plenty.”

“I haven’t eaten, but—”

“Please join us. It’s the least I can do after you’ve saved the day, two days in a row. I promise you it won’t become a habit.” As if she could promise that when Leo was around! What was she thinking? You’re thinking about making this man laugh again and you know it.

He had a nice, rusty laugh and seemed to surprise himself every time one escaped the tightly guarded wall that surrounded him.

His eyebrows knitted slightly over deliberating eyes that darted back to Leo. Sensing their gazes, Leo looked up and waved. “Come help me, Colt.” His little voice was full of excitement.

Annie held her breath.

“I need—” Colt started, and Annie was certain he was going to say, “I need to go.” But he clenched his jaw and swallowed hard. If she’d hadn’t already picked up that something was wrong in Colt’s life, it was very clear now.

“Please,” she urged, touching his arm. His tortured eyes were fathomless when he turned them to her.

What had happened to this man?