Cowboy Trouble (The McCord Brothers 1.5) Read Online Free PDF

ranch.”
    Judging from the way Rico looked at her, she might as well have suggested that he wear a thong made of sandpaper. Natalie considered arguing, but she decided to save her breath for the real argument that was about to come with her father. Of course, she stood little chance of winning that one, either.
    “Bernie’s office is that way,” Wilhelmina said, pointing up the hall.
    Natalie dragged in a long breath, wishing she had time for a strong margarita, and she headed there. Rico was right behind her and even passed her up along the way. That meant another body bump from him as he slid around her, and despite the circumstances, it gave her a cheap thrill. It was also a reminder that in the future, she probably needed a more appropriate way to get her cheap thrills.
    The door was already open, so when she walked into the room, she spotted her father right away. He was an imposing man, looking a little like Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather . Sometimes, he acted that way, too, making those offers that people just couldn’t seem to refuse. Her father had a way of, well, getting his way.
    She wasn’t sure what kind of reaction she’d get from him, but Natalie was rendered speechless when he went to her and kissed her cheek. Then he took her by the shoulders and gave her a loving, supportive look.
    “I’m sorry,” he said. “We’ll get this all sorted out.” Then he turned to Rico. “That I’m sorry extends to you, too. This must be upsetting.”
    Natalie waited for the other shoe to drop. But apparently this wasn’t going to be a shoe-dropping kind of moment. The loving look stayed on her father’s face.
    Unlike Rico’s.
    No loving look for him. He was as suspicious as she was. That probably had something to do with the last time he’d seen her father. There’d been heated words hurled around. Like no way in hell will you stay married to my daughter . Other things had been said like white trash , gold digger , cowboy loser and hot . Of course, Natalie had been the only one who’d used the hot . Because it was true.
    Hot had been enough argument for her to stand up to her father. Not her mother, though.
    “How’d you find out the divorce hadn’t gone through?” Rico asked her father.
    “I overheard Natalie’s phone conversation with Bernie. It was by accident, I promise,” he quickly added to her.
    Maybe. But even if it wasn’t, it didn’t matter. He knew, and that rid her of one less clown in this particular circus. She would have had to tell him eventually, and he was taking it far better than she’d ever expected.
    “I checked to make sure you hadn’t remarried,” her father continued, speaking to Rico again. “Good thing you hadn’t or what a mess that would have been. It’s the same for Natalie. She was within a breath of saying ‘I do’ to Marcus. When she called it off, I thought she’d lost her mind, but I can see now that it was for the best.”
    And now the other shoe would drop.
    It didn’t take long.
    “Marcus and Natalie are perfect together.” Her father volleyed his gaze to both of them when he said that. Then he shrugged. “Of course, you both know you were wrong for each other, so I’m preaching to the choir.”
    If her father had seen that kiss earlier, he might believe the choir needed a longer sermon. But yes, she did know that she and Rico were wrong for each other. Just not the way her father meant.
    The images of her mother came, giving Natalie a sucker punch of emotion that she didn’t need. She was already battling enough and tried to push those memories aside.
    “Are you okay?” Rico asked.
    It took her a moment to realize the question was for her. Those damn memories had leaked through again, and he could no doubt see them on her face. She quickly tried to right her expression.
    “I’m fine,” she lied. Rico probably saw through the lie. Apparently intense physical attraction had an ESP side effect.
    Her father continued looking at them,