The Cowboy's Second-Chance Family

Noah didn’t think twice and he didn’t stop to say anything. He raced past the frantic mother and the other people who were trying to figure out how to get the boy out.

As he ran into the cold water, Noah called out to the boy, “Hang on. I’m coming for you.” The poor little guy was crying and the hood of his jacket had gotten caught on a dead limb sticking out from a bush along the creek side. His jacket was dark, but the bright yellow shirt made it a little easier for Noah to focus in on him.

The water was nearly to Noah’s waist and colder than he’d initially thought. He didn’t know how long the boy had been out here, but with the sun down, things had cooled off quite a bit.

The frantic mother continued to encourage her son to hang on as Noah trudged through the water. Blocking out all the chaos behind him, Noah focused solely on this boy.

“I’ve got you,” Noah told him when he finally reached the child. “Wrap your legs around my waist and put your arms around my neck. I’m going to untangle your jacket.”

The boy continued to cry and didn’t move.

“My name is Officer Spencer, but you can call me Noah. What’s your name?”

“C-Conner.”

The boy’s teeth were chattering. “Okay, Conner. I need you to be a big boy. I need a partner since my partner is in your house helping. Can you be my partner out here?”

Conner nodded. “I just wanted to see the storm and then I saw a c-cat run to the water. I wanted to s-save it.”

“You’re a brave boy, but right now I need you to wrap yourself around me so I can get you out of here. I don’t know about you, but I think this water is cold.”

Finally, little arms and legs went around Noah. Realizing the boy was about Emma’s age, he felt a tug on his heart. Calls with kids always hit closer to home.

If he didn’t get this jacket untangled in the next few seconds, Noah was going to cut it off. This boy had been waist deep in the water long enough. He shivered, not just from the cold, but from fear.

Finally, the material came free with a rip. Noah wasted no time. He waded back through the chilly water as the boy clung to him. On the bank, the crowd had grown and the mother stood sobbing, reaching her arms out, anxious to take her son.

The paramedics were right beside her, also ready to take the boy. Noah reached Conner out to his mom and climbed up the embankment. McCoy grabbed Noah’s elbow to help him out.

The paramedics and the boy’s mother were racing through the backyard, toward the driveway around front to the ambulance. The boy would be fine, but protocol required he get checked out. Noah would bet Conner wouldn’t venture out to explore by himself anytime soon, and probably not near that creek for a long, long time.

“Good job, Spencer.” McCoy slapped him on the back. “Already playing hero on your first serious call. You’ll fit in just fine.”

Noah smiled as they walked through the yard. He didn’t want praise for doing his job, but he was glad he could help.

“At least the dip in the creek got the coffee off me,” he joked.

McCoy laughed. “I thought you didn’t get any coffee on you.”

Noah shook his head. “I just told Lucy that so I wouldn’t hurt her feelings. She’d already burned her hand and felt bad enough.”

They reached the car and just as Noah pulled the handle, Conner’s mother came up and wrapped her arms around him.

“Thank you,” she cried, pulling back. “I promise I don’t let him get near the creek. He’s never done that before.”

Noah placed a hand on her arm. “And I’m sure he won’t do it again. You both had a scare, but you’ve got a brave boy. He wanted to see the storm and then tried to save a cat. You’re doing a good job, mama. Kids are curious creatures by default.”

She swiped the tears from her eyes and offered a smile before turning to go back to the waiting ambulance. Conner sat up on the cot inside the open doors and waved at Noah. Waving back, Noah offered his own grin.

Within minutes he and McCoy were headed back to the station where Noah could change and get dry. And see Lucy. On the short trip back, McCoy and Lucy exchanged some information about the boy being transported to the hospital.

Once again, her tone stirred something inside Noah. Something he didn’t want to address because he shouldn’t be having these feelings. Should he?

He was human, he was a man, and he had natural desires. There was something about Lucy that made him not want to brush aside these unwanted emotions. No one had been able to reawaken the dead inside him for months. But whether it was her sweet voice, the compassion he already saw in her, or the underlying vulnerability she tried to hide, something about her drew him and made him want to get to know her more.

At this point, he figured they’d be seeing each other on a near daily basis. He might as well just roll with it and see what happened. But at the same time, he had to guard his heart. He was still healing, he was still in new territory...but he was also still fascinated by the gentle blonde with wide, expressive green eyes.

As they pulled into the station, Noah couldn’t help but wonder what the next few days, weeks, and months would bring.

He hadn’t known what to expect from this new town, but a reawakening in his desire certainly hadn’t been on his list.

Chapter Three (#u1de9e2a6-9ee8-5b6d-94ad-5af47e973bbe)

Her nerves were near shot. Noah had been on the force for nearly a week and she’d worked five days out of the seven. Her usual part-time schedule had shifted into full-time since Carla had to be out with her mother for the next couple of weeks.

Which meant more face-to-face time with Officer Brooding and Sexy. Why, why, why did this man have to be the one she found so attractive? Why couldn’t she get stirrings for a schoolteacher or a garbage man? A man who put his life on the line every day was an absolute no-no.

Her husband had done the same thing. Day after day he’d put himself out there...until one day he was gone.

Noah had only been on the force a short time and already he’d proven he was a man of loyalty, integrity, and compassion. He’d taken the little boy from the creek incident a stuffed animal before his shift. And the only reason anyone knew of that was because the mother called to tell Captain Cameron St. John what an amazing officer he had.

The back door opened and closed. Before she could turn to see which officer was coming on duty, a call came in. She pressed the key on the computer to answer and adjusted her headset.

“Stonerock Police Department.”

“I have someone walking through my backyard carrying a baseball bat.”

“Do you know who this person is?” Lucy replied.

“No, but they’ve been out there for a few minutes just staring at the house.”

Lucy dispatched an officer and kept the caller on the line as she made sure the lady’s doors were locked and she was away from doors and windows. The woman didn’t sound frantic, but concerned.

Stonerock wasn’t known for having many crimes, but there were crazy people everywhere. She couldn’t take any call for granted.

Once the officer arrived and the caller confirmed it, Lucy disconnected the call. When she turned in her seat, she was alone in the room, but she knew who’d come in earlier. That aftershave still permeating the room had become so familiar, making her insides stir and get all schoolgirl giddy.

She was a grown woman getting giddy. How sad was that?

Keeping her feelings in check was the smart thing to do. She needed to keep her emotional distance from Noah, but each day she saw him, she realized she wanted to see more of him, to learn more about him. That need was a recipe for disaster and heartache. Neither of them was at a place in their lives to act on attraction. Of course, she was still assuming it was one-sided, which was all the more reason for her to rein in her school-girl crush.

Only this didn’t feel like anything she’d had as a teenager. Her attraction for Noah Spencer was all grown up...as were the dreams she’d been having since that first meeting in the rain.

Lucy came to her feet and stretched her neck from side to side. She was pulling a double shift today, which was fine. She could use the extra money to put back into the support group fund. Tonight was a meeting, but Kate and Tara were fine without her. It’s not like Lucy was ever missed.

“Thought you were off today.”

She jerked around to see Noah standing in the doorway drinking a cup of coffee. His dark eyes held hers and she had to force herself to not fidget.