Cowboy Brigade

Zachary giggled and pulled his hand back, wiping it against the side of his jeans.

Lindsay tossed a blanket on the horse and settled the saddle in place over it.

“Who’s the hunk with the beard?” Stacy asked.

Without looking at her friend, Lindsay reached beneath the horse for the leather strap. “Does it matter?”

“Not that I’m in the market or anything, but he’s definitely drool-worthy. Spill, girl, who is he?”

“Wade Coltrane.” Lindsay shoved the leather strap through the girth ring and pulled up on it a little harder than necessary.

Whiskers puffed out his belly and danced a few steps away from her.

“Sorry, boy.” Lindsay smoothed a hand down the horse’s nose.

Stacy tipped her head to the side. “Wade Coltrane…” Her eyes widened and a grin spread across her face. “The Wade Coltrane you used to talk about? Weren’t you two a thing back in high school?”

“That was ages ago. People change. Some grow up and move on.” Lindsay didn’t like the way this conversation was going. “I’m glad you’ve been bringing Zachary here. He seems to like the horses.”

“He loves it. If nothing else, he’s getting fresh air and sunshine.” Stacy planted her hands on her hips. “You’re changing the subject.”

“Yeah, the other subject is off-limits.”

“Off-limits?” Stacy pouted. “You’re no fun. Just when we were getting somewhere with Wade.”

“I’m not getting anywhere with him. Apparently my grandfather hired him. I can just as easily fire him.” She straightened and glanced down at Zachary. “Ready to ride?”

Zachary danced in place, staring up at the horse, his eyes rounded.

“Let me get him up there. I never know how he’ll react.” Stacy pulled her son into her arms, talking to him in soothing tones. “Hey, sweetie, Whiskers wants to take you for a ride.”

Lindsay steadied the horse, stroking the big animal’s back as Stacy settled Zachary in the saddle.

As though a switch had been turned, Zachary calmed and sat still, a smile spreading across his little face.

Lindsay loved this part of her job. When a disabled child made a connection with the animal, all her efforts seemed worth it. It didn’t pay much, but every little bit helped and the rewards were far deeper than monetary.

She adjusted the stirrups to fit the length of the boy’s legs, and handed him the reins, laying them in his hands the way a western rider should hold them. With her fingers hooked through the bridle close to the horse’s mouth, Lindsay looked up at the boy. “Ready, Zachary?”

The child grunted and rocked in his saddle. He was ready.

As Lindsay walked the horse around the ring, her thoughts strayed to the man she’d left in the barn.

Her stomach did a complete flip-flop. Wade Coltrane had returned to Freedom. Oh God, why now? She’d spent the last five years trying her hardest to forget the man. He’d blown through on leave five years ago, just when she thought she’d gotten over him the first time, upended her life and left.

Lindsay had agreed to marry Cal Murphy, the most eligible bachelor in town. All her financial woes would have been solved and she would have been married to a rock-solid, honest-to-goodness nice guy.

Then Wade showed up, wearing his Class A greens, his hair cut high and tight, clean-shaven and so handsome that he took her breath away. He’d rocked her world all over again.

She’d thrown everything out the window when he’d taken her in his arms and made mad, passionate love to her. She’d forgotten her promise to Cal, forgotten the years she’d pined for Wade, forgotten everything…including birth control.

When she’d woken up in his truck the next morning, she’d been so horrified that she’d betrayed Cal, she’d told Wade to leave.

And he had. He left and shortly after returning to his duty station, Wade was deployed to Iraq.

Two weeks later, Lindsay discovered she was pregnant.

When she’d broken the news to Cal, he’d demanded a DNA test. Cal wasn’t the father.

Lindsay knew it had to be Wade. When the girls were born with thick black hair and blue eyes, all doubt disappeared.

The sound of girls giggling reached her ears, bringing her out of the past and back to the present.

“Oh God, the girls!” She nearly dropped the reins and ran from the pen.

One look at Zachary reminded her that she couldn’t end the lesson now. The little boy needed the structure of set times and routines to make him comfortable. Lindsay couldn’t do anything but what she got paid to do.

She looked up toward the house and nearly had a heart attack.

Wade walked toward her, Lyric and Lacey skipping along beside him, each holding one of his big hands. He looked so natural, like he belonged with the girls. And they looked just like their father.

Five years of guilt rose in her throat like bile.

She hadn’t known how to tell him then. He’d been deployed, she’d sent him away. It was easier to go on with life on her own, carrying the big secret with her. No one knew except Lindsay who the twins’ father was.

Seeing them together, how could anyone miss the resemblance?

“Tall, dark, handsome and with the added bonus of being good with children.” Stacy grinned at Lindsay. “If you’re not calling dibs, can I?”

“No!” Lindsay said the one word with such force that Whiskers jerked against the bit, jarring Zachary.

The boy dropped the reins and gripped the saddle horn, his face crinkling in a frown.

“Sorry about that, Zachary.” Lindsay stroked the boy’s leg, gathered the reins and handed them to him again. She and Zachary both needed calming after her outburst. One more reason she couldn’t have Wade Coltrane working at the Long K Ranch. She wouldn’t get any work done knowing he was around. Not that she cared for him. She was long over her girlish infatuation.

The twins had readjusted her focus on what was more important. Providing them a good home was the number one goal in Lindsay’s mind.

Lyric and Lacey smiled and laughed all the way to the fence where Stacy stood.

“Look what I found. More students for riding lessons.” He grinned at Lindsay, his gaze challenging her.

What could she say in front of the girls? Afraid she’d blurt out the truth, Lindsay kept her lips tightly shut.

Wade swung Lacey up in his arms and perched her on the rail in front of him.

“Me! Do me!” Lyric raised her hands.

Wade swung her up to sit beside her sister, a hand on each girl to keep them from falling into the pen. “How many children do you teach?” Wade asked.