Certified Cowboy. Rita Herron

“This is pig slop,” the boy muttered.

       Suddenly, Johnny appeared beside him. “Treat the lady with respect,” Johnny said in a tone that brooked no argument. “And if you don’t like the food, you can do without.”

       Ricardo looked up at Johnny, his face turning to stone, but he nodded and mumbled an apology. Still, something about the sinister gleam in his eyes suggested he was faking it in front of Johnny. That if Johnny wasn’t around, he’d let his true side shine, just like Rex.

       A shiver rippled up Rachel’s spine, but Kenny loped up, wearing a black Stetson like Johnny’s and imitating Johnny’s stance, and thoughts of the other boy fled.

       “Look at my hat, Mom!” Kenny tipped the Stetson to show off the silver trim around the brim. “It’s just like Mr. J.’s!”

       Rachel’s heart clenched at the hero worship in her young son’s eyes. “It’s awesome,” Rachel said tightly, but she frowned at Johnny as she handed him a plate.

       His gaze met hers, and his brow furrowed in question, but then one of the middle school boys called his name and he turned to talk to them.

       “Tell us about the time you won that big trophy for penning,” one of the boys said.

       Johnny joined the boys at the table, then began to entertain them with his rodeo stories.

       “I wanna learn to ride like that,” a ten-year-old named Pedro said.

       “Me, too,” another boy yelled. “And I wanna learn to pen just like you, Mr. J.!”

       Kenny piped up. “Can I be in the rodeo?”

       Johnny patted Kenny’s shoulder. “Sure. We’ll start working on some riding skills tomorrow.” He fisted his hand and placed it in the middle of the table. “Who’s in?”

       The boys clamored with excitement, balling their hands into fists and stacking them on top of Johnny’s until he gave the signal and they all shouted a cheer.

       “He’s so good with the children,” Ms. Ellen commented. “Your little one seems to have taken a shine to him.”

       “Yes, I see,” Rachel said, although her stomach was twisted in knots.

       “Where is his papa?” Ms. Ellen asked.

       Rachel added more buns and barbecue on the trays for the ranch hands filing in. “It’s just me and Kenny.”

       “Then Mr. J. is a good role model, right?”

       Rachel chewed her bottom lip. “Yes, it looks that way.” But she hurried to finish restocking the remainder of the food trays, determined to avoid the subject. One thing she’d learned on the run was to avoid intimacy with anyone.

       Even well-meaning people like Ms. Ellen, because Rex might hurt the woman to get to her.

       The next two hours flew by as she and Ms. Ellen served the ranch hands, grooms, camp counselors and other staff. So far, she’d yet to meet Brody, but Ms. Ellen assured her he was a fine man with a good heart.

       Kenny hung with the other boys until she and Ms. Ellen had cleaned up and she was ready to leave. As she and Kenny stepped outside, she breathed in the fresh air, savoring the scent of fresh grass and the hint of wildflowers in the air.

       But gravel crunched and she jerked around, immediately on edge.

       Johnny hesitated, narrowing his eyes. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I just thought I’d walk you two back to your cabin.”

       Hating to be caught off guard, Rachel stiffened. “We’re fine on our own.”

       Johnny shrugged but fell in beside her anyway, his sexy swagger irritating her to no end. Heaven help her. She didn’t want to like him, but from what she’d seen, he was great with the kids. And he was so tough and masculine at the same time that he was downright irresistible.

       But she had to resist. Besides, he might be wearing a mask to fool her just like Rex had.

       Kenny broke into a run as they neared the cabin.

       “I’m gonna see Cleo and the pups!”

       The barn door banged shut as Kenny rushed inside, and Johnny turned to her, concern etched on his chiseled face. “Kenny seemed nervous when you first got here, but he’s starting to open up.”

       Rachel tensed. She didn’t intend to answer questions about her past.

       Even more unsettling was Johnny’s masculine presence. And the scent of his body was so intoxicating that she could hardly breathe. What was it? Some woodsy smell and sweat? It shouldn’t be so potent or inviting, but for some reason, it stirred desires she’d thought crushed to death by Rex’s brute force.

       “What’s wrong, Rachel?” Johnny asked. “Why was Kenny so scared when you first arrived?”

       “He’s just shy around new people.” Her defenses rose and she whirled toward him. “Why did you give Kenny that hat like yours?”

       He narrowed his eyes in confusion. “He liked mine so much I thought he’d enjoy having one of his own. Is something wrong?”

       No, it really was very nice. Touching even. But neither of them could get accustomed to it. “I appreciate you being kind to him, but you can’t give him gifts without asking me first.”

       “I’m sorry,” Johnny said. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

       Rachel recognized the sincerity in his voice and felt like a heel. “It’s just that he can’t get used to receiving gifts from you or anyone else. Especially things that I can’t give him.”

       He gave her a devilish smile, a leftover of his rodeo days. “It’s just a hat, Rachel, nothing more.”

       Rachel’s mouth thinned. “I don’t want him hanging false hopes about staying here or…”

       “Or what?” Johnny asked.

       Rachel didn’t know how to explain her reaction without revealing the truth. And the truth could be dangerous for them all.

       “I just don’t want him to become too attached,” she finally admitted.

       “Because you don’t plan to stay?”

       God help her, she wanted to stay. She was tired of running, but what choice did she have?

       “I…don’t know,” she said quietly. “I just don’t want Kenny to get hurt.”

       Johnny folded his arms. “I would never hurt your son or any of these boys.”

       Rachel believed he wouldn’t intentionally harm him. But allowing Kenny to idolize him then to be torn away from him one day could crush her son.

       She started to turn away, but Johnny caught her arm. “Rachel, tell me what’s wrong. Let me be your friend.”

       The moment his fingers closed around her wrist, a shudder coursed through her as unbidden memories of Rex nearly snapping her wrist in two as she’d tried to walk away from him crashed back.

       “I don’t need a friend. I can take care of myself and my son.” She jerked her arm away, then rubbed at her wrist and stepped toward the barn to get Kenny.

       “Everyone needs a friend,” Johnny said in a gruff voice.

       Rachel shook her head, unable to voice the fears gnawing at her. She couldn’t share the truth, couldn’t let him or anyone into their lives. If Rex saw her with Johnny, even if nothing personal was going on between them, he’d go out of his mind with jealousy. He’d done it before.

       He might even attack Johnny before he killed her.

       And just like before, the police wouldn’t believe her. Not with Rex’s connections.

       So she turned and ran inside the