Cowboy for Keeps Read Online Free PDF Page A

consider,”
her mother added.
    A bout with appendicitis in college had left Dallas with pelvic
inflammatory disease. Because of scarring on her fallopian tubes, she was told
she’d likely require the assistance of a fertility doctor in order to conceive.
Finding out she was pregnant couldn’t have come as a bigger shock, to her, her
family and Richard.
    Terminating her pregnancy or giving her child up for adoption
weren’t options. Dallas was having the family she wanted, simply a little ahead
of schedule. And without a husband. Or a house. Or having become a successful
documentary photographer.
    A knot formed in her middle.
    “You should give him another chance,” Hank said.
    Her mother nodded thoughtfully. “Try living together instead of
rushing into marriage.”
    “We were engaged over a year without ever setting a date. Our
instincts were telling us we didn’t have what it takes for a successful
marriage. A baby doesn’t change that.”
    Dallas was feeling ganged up on. Her mother was fond of Richard
and Hank thought there wasn’t a better guy out there.
    “But Richard is thrilled about becoming a father,” Marina
gushed. “It would be nice for his sake if you could work things out.”
    Dallas sighed. It was past time to level with her mother and
stepfather.
    “I hate to break it to you, but Richard isn’t thrilled.”
    “What?” Her mother gasped. “But he... You said—”
    “I didn’t want to upset you.” Dallas buttered a piece of bread,
but she’d lost her appetite. “He wants to marry me because he believes it’s the
right thing to do.”
    “He loves you.”
    “He did. Once.” Not for a while.
    “I’ll talk to him,” Hank interjected.
    “You will not! I mean it, Hank.”
    “Someone needs to set him straight.”
    “That’s not your job.”
    He looked hurt, and Dallas instantly regretted the harsh tone
she’d used.
    “Are you sure he just doesn’t need more time to adjust?” Marina
asked, always the mediator.
    “I’m asking for you and Hank to respect my wishes and let me
handle Richard my own way. Now, please, can we change the subject?”
    Awkward silence followed, until Marina chimed in with “How’s
the book coming?”
    “Great. I got some nice pictures of a mustang family at the
sanctuary yesterday. Conner took me.”
    “Conner Durham?” Her mother visibly perked up. She and Hank had
met Conner before, during various cookouts and holiday gatherings. “Richard’s
friend who was laid off?”
    “Yeah. He’s working for the Powells and the Duvalls, splitting
his time between the two places, from what he told me.”
    “They need a systems analyst?” Hank’s brows furrowed.
    “Hardly.” Dallas laughed. “He’s teaching riding classes,
supervising trail rides, overseeing the rodeo livestock and managing the mustang
sanctuary.”
    “Such a shame he lost his job,” her mother commiserated.
    “Richard felt terrible. It ended their friendship.”
    “Not Richard’s fault the economy tanked,” Hank muttered.
“Sometimes management has to make tough decisions.”
    “It’s not Conner’s fault, either. But he’s the one out of a job
and living in an apartment on Powell Ranch.”
    “Apartment?” Marina looked perplexed. “What happened to his
house?”
    “He still owns it. From what Sage Powell told me, he’s renting
it out to cover the mortgage payment, except the monthly rent isn’t enough, and
he has to make up the difference.”
    “That’s terrible. It’s such a beautiful house.”
    Dallas remembered visiting it. Five bedrooms, three bathrooms,
game room, three-car garage, a pool and a beautifully landscaped backyard.
Living in the apartment must be a huge adjustment for Conner.
    “He’ll move back into the house as soon as he finds a new
job.”
    “Positions like the one he had are few and far between,” Hank
said. “And the competition is ruthless these days.”
    Inspiration sprang suddenly to Dallas’s mind. “Maybe one of
your clients has