The Heart of a Cowboy. Trish Milburn

      

       ‘You’re not watching the meteors,’ Garrett said.

      ‘Huh?’ she asked as she glanced over at him.

      He pointed toward the sky, and that was when she realized she must have been staring out into the darkness of the surrounding range land. ‘Guess I’m more tired than I thought.’

      ‘You sure that’s it?’

      She fixed her gaze on her cast, cursing it and how it prevented her from making a hasty exit from her current situation.

      ‘Yeah.’ She knew her answer sounded weak and not entirely truthful, but it was the best she could muster. Sitting so close to Garrett made it hard for her to think.

      Garrett slid off the tailgate. ‘I’ll take you back in.’

      She reached out and grabbed his arm. ‘No, it’s okay. We can wait until it’s over.’

      He captured and held her gaze. ‘You said you’re tired.’

      She fought the burning need to lower her gaze to that amazing chest of his. ‘I’ll sleep later. This meteor shower doesn’t come around very often.’

      He stared at her in a way that made her feel as if he was picking through the layers of her brain. And then she watched as his eyes lowered for a moment to her lips. How she wished she could lean forward, invite him to do more than just look.

      The Heart of

      a Cowboy

      Trish Milburn

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      TRISH MILBURN writes contemporary romance for the Mills & Boon^® Cherish™ line and paranormal romance for the Mills & Boon^® Nocturne™ series. She’s a two-time Golden Heart Award winner, a fan of walks in the woods and road trips, and a big geek girl, including being a dedicated Whovian and Browncoat. And from her earliest memories, she’s been a fan of Westerns, be they historical or contemporary. There’s nothing quite like a cowboy hero.

      To everyone who has ever found the courage to face adversity head-on or to accept a happy ending when it came your way. Sometimes accepting the latter is every bit as hard as accepting the former.

      Contents

       Cover

       Introduction

       Title Page

       About the Author

       Dedication

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

       Chapter Five

       Chapter Six

       Chapter Seven

       Chapter Eight

       Chapter Nine

       Chapter Ten

       Chapter Eleven

       Chapter Twelve

       Chapter Thirteen

       Chapter Fourteen

       Chapter Fifteen

       Extract

       Copyright

       Chapter One

      The new colt marshaled his strength and pushed up onto his long, spindly legs for the first time, drawing a smile from Natalie Todd. She watched as the little guy steadied himself on legs spread wide then as his dam groomed him. A couple of wobbly steps brought the newborn close enough to his mother to nurse. No matter how many horses Natalie helped into the world, the wonder never faded.

      “Hard to believe they were in distress only an hour ago,” Jacob Hartwell said as he came to stand beside her.

      “Maybe Mama here just wanted some female company.”

      Jacob laughed a little. “Maybe. She certainly doesn’t have a lot around here.”

      Steven Hartwell, patriarch of the Hartwell ranching family, was a widower, and his two sons, Steven Jr. and Jacob, were still single. Even though Jacob flirted with her a little every time she came out to the ranch, she knew it was harmless and not at all serious.

      “Well, it looks like you have a handsome little fella to add to your testosterone ranch.”

      “You could always marry me and bring some female beauty to the place.”

      Natalie rolled her eyes and stepped back from the stall. “See ya around, Jacob.”

      “Thanks again, Doc.”

      She threw him a wave as she turned and headed out of the barn into the deep cover of night. As she strode toward her truck, she considered just curling up in the seat and catching a quick nap. She’d had a long day at the clinic and then because she was the vet on call tonight, her phone had rung about fifteen minutes after she’d fallen asleep.

      When she dragged herself into the driver’s seat, however, her thoughts drifted to her comfortable bed. What was another half hour’s drive back to her apartment? Hopefully there wouldn’t be any more equine or bovine emergencies tonight. At least the Hartwells’ ranch was closer to her place south of Wichita than a lot of other ranches the clinic serviced.

      She started the engine and headed toward the highway. Once she got away from the ranch, the landscape darkened around her. With no moon and some cloud cover, the southern Kansas landscape was pitch-black. It took ten minutes of driving before she began to see the glow of Wichita’s lights to the north. Only a few minutes and a quick shower more and she’d be curling back into her bed.

      Her phone rang on the seat beside her, eliciting a groan and, yes, maybe even a whimper. She slowed, thankful there wasn’t any traffic, and glanced at the phone. Her heart gave a painful thud when she saw it was her mom calling. Knowing it wasn’t going to be a happy conversation, she pulled off the road. Her hand shook as she picked up the phone and answered.

      “Hi, Mom.”

      “Did I wake you?” Her mother’s voice sounded tired, but then Natalie couldn’t really remember a time when her mom wasn’t tired.

      “No. Actually, I’m driving back from delivering a foal.” When her mom didn’t say anything in response, Natalie knew for certain why her mother had called. “It’s time, isn’t it?”

      “Yes.” Now her mom’s voice sounded as if it was laced with tears.

      “I’ll get there as fast as I can.”

      “Be safe, okay? I don’t want you to have a wreck.”

      “I’ll be careful.”

      But even though Natalie knew that her father’s time was ticking away, she didn’t