The Cowboy's Little Surprise. Barbara White Daille

keeps me busy and close to home. I don’t go into town much.”

      “You won’t have to.” His smile didn’t look the least bit forced. “You’ll see me here. I’m back to working for Jed.”

Chapter Two

      “Men are more trouble than they’re worth.”

      Tina’s best friend couldn’t possibly know how much Tina agreed with the familiar refrain right at that moment.

      She looked down the length of Canyon Road, Cowboy Creek’s business section, then back at Ally. They had just met in the parking lot of the hardware store, where Ally worked as a clerk. As often as Tina could manage, they would get together at the end of Ally’s workday to walk, pacing the length of the business section of Canyon Road and back again, for as long as their time allowed.

      Right now, just a few hours after her meeting with Cole, she needed a good, long walk to work off her sky-high stress. And listening to Ally’s complaints about the latest man in her life would be a good distraction. “What now, Al?”

      “Oh, that new wrangler in town, the one I told you about—you know, the cute one.”

      “They’re all cute to you. Can you be more specific?”

      “Details. Always, you want details.” Ally rolled her eyes. “The tall blond one who just showed up in town a week ago. He’s been coming into the store a lot. But I can’t get him to look my way. And you know I can be pretty hard to miss.”

      That was an understatement. Ally was nothing if not flamboyant. Today after work she had changed into a magenta exercise leotard paired with electric-blue biker shorts and her favorite purple running shoes.

      Tina wore her navy sweatpants and her faded New Mexico State University T-shirt.

      Ally looked her up and down and shook her head. “When are you going to listen to me, chica?” she demanded.

      “Don’t start.”

      “Too late for that. I started on you years ago. I don’t know why I love you when you’re so darned stubborn.”

      “For my abuela’s Sopapilla cheesecake.”

      Ally laughed. “You’ve got a point.”

      “And as usual, my point right now would be that—as sorry as I am about your cute wrangler—you can’t throw yourself at every good-looking cowhand who walks in. Please tell me you didn’t do that with this one.”

      “I can’t help my impetuous nature.” Ally grinned. “You could learn something from me, chica. How to have your heart broken on a weekly basis. It would sure make your life more exciting.”

      “Once was enough for that, thanks,” she said grimly.

      Ally frowned. “You’re not looking too happy yourself. What’s wrong?”

      She hesitated. But Ally was the only friend who could understand what Cole’s return meant to her. “Your blond isn’t the only man who’s shown up in town. Cole’s back.”

      “You’re kidding me!”

      Her best friend was also the only woman Tina knew who could manage to screech in a whisper.

      “Do I look like I’m kidding?”

      Ally shook her head, sending her dark curls tumbling around her shoulders. “No. You look like you’re in shock. C’mon, let’s get going.”

      Tina moved through the parking lot and out onto the sidewalk on autopilot, in the same manner she had gotten herself to the store. Somehow, she had made it all the way here without thinking again of Cole. Blurting out the news of his return to Ally had brought him back to her again.

      A ridiculous choice of words, since he’d never been hers to begin with.

      All through the years, despite his reputation, she saw glimpses of a Cole no one else knew. Or so she’d thought. Those glimpses gave her just enough hope for him. For her. Just enough reason to keep her crush alive.

      But years of love from afar didn’t equal a real relationship.

      “How long is he going to be in town?” Ally demanded.

      “I don’t know.”

      “Well, we need to find out. And then you need to stay away from him. Hang out at the ranch, that’s all, like you usually do. And keep Robbie with you.”

      “I can’t hide from the man, Ally.”

      “Who’s saying hide? But Cole doesn’t deserve to know the truth. Not when he hasn’t even bothered to send you a postcard in all this time.”

       All this time.

      Five long years.

      Ally shook her head. “After what he did, I can’t believe you’ll tell him anything.”

      What Cole had done to her that lunchtime had been bad, but what she had done to herself leading up to that day was much, much worse.

      In high school, they shared a few classes, and in their senior year, her dream of getting closer to him had come true. She was ecstatic when they became lab partners in biology and then study buddies in English.

      Once Jed hired him to work at the ranch, she was thrilled for the chance to see more of him—whether he knew she was watching or not.

      Evidently, he did know. One Friday night after he had collected his paycheck from Jed, he asked her to go for a ride in his truck. She said yes, proud to have the world—or, at least, the folks in their world—finally see them as a couple, too.

      Only no one had seen them together at all.

      They had gone for a long ride before parking near the school baseball field, where they sat and talked for hours. She was puzzled when he took her straight back to the ranch afterward. But on Saturday, she was pleased again when he finished up work and asked her out for another ride. This time, they trusted each other with glimpses into their pasts. She shared stories with him she had never told anyone else.

      Yet, again, he took her directly home. Alone in her bedroom, she struggled to push away the rising doubts that kept her from falling asleep.

      On Sunday night when they had driven away from the ranch in his pickup truck again, she ignored the replays of childhood memories, pushed away the nagging thoughts of the boy he had been because she saw the boy he was now. The boy who seemed proud to have her with him, too, who treated her as if she were the only girl in his world.

      The boy who was giving her this magical weekend.

      On Sunday, they had done very little talking...

      “You can’t forget what he did,” Ally said.

      “No, I’ll never forget. And luckily, you’re the only one who ever knew.” Cole’s attentions hadn’t lasted long enough for anyone else to realize they had so briefly become partners of another kind outside English class and the biology lab.

      “Why is he here, anyhow?” Ally asked.

      “He didn’t say.”

      “I’m guessing he’s come back to help Layne,” Ally said thoughtfully. “I heard things haven’t been going too well for her. So, everything’s okay—Cole will be busy with her and Scott, and you’ll stay on the ranch. You’ll never have to see him again.”

      “No, everything’s not okay.” She repeated what Cole had told her, which brought Ally to a halt. “Keep moving,” Tina said over her shoulder. “You know I’m tracking our time.” From behind her, she heard a huge sigh. Despite her tension, she couldn’t hold back a smile.

      Once Ally caught up to her again, she said, “He’ll be working