One Brave Cowboy Read Online Free PDF Page A

“Whatever passes for wisdom.”
    â€œIt helps if it’s true.”
    â€œI’m having a hard time with that lately. I thought it would all come clear to me as soon as I got back to the States, back home. It hasn’t happened yet. Truth, justice and the American Way.” Cougar’s turn to chuckle. “What the hell is that?”
    â€œSuperman,” Logan said with a smile. “I heard he died. Never learned to bend, they said.”
    â€œSuperheroes ain’t what they used to be.”
    â€œNo, but that cottonwood tree keeps right on spittin’ seed into the wind.” Logan nodded toward the glass door that opened onto a deck dappled by the scant shade of a young tree. “I don’t know about you Shoshone, but the Lakota hold the cottonwood in high esteem. Adaptable as hell, that tree.”
    â€œWhere I come from, we don’t have many trees.” Cougar finished off his eggs and stacked his utensils. “I could listen to you throw the bull all day long, Logan, but that won’t get me into the wild horse training competition. Are we heading over to meet this Mustang Sally I’ve heard so much about, or not?”
    Logan slid his chair back from the table. “My friend, let’s go get you a horse.”
    Â 
    Through the big barn doors Celia recognized the white panel truck when it was still the size of a Matchbox toy. It carried her heart’s greatest delight and her mind’s worst trouble. Part of her wanted it to slow down and take the Double D approach, and part of her wanted it to sail on past.
    It turned.
    It was too soon. She’d just seen her former husband last night when he’d come to get Mark for the weekend. He’d been civil enough, but that didn’t make it any easier for her to be around him. Round two was bound to be uncivil. Either he’d invented some new bone of contention or devised another way to throw her off balance.
    Or maybe something had come up and he was about to forego the rest of his time with Mark. No problem. No need to explain. Just give my son back to me and say no more.
    Oh, if he would only say no more.
    She finished dumping the contents of the wheel-barrow onto the manure pile, grabbed the handles and pointed the front wheel toward the barn. She didn’t want to deal with Greg out in the open. Whenever there was a chance of an audience, he was on . His normal tone of voice was several notches higherthan anyone else in the scene. And Greg loved a scene.
    She wished she had time for a shower. Sure it was silly, but scent confidence always felt like a huge advantage. Stinker that he was, Greg rarely got his hands dirty.
    Mark ran to his mother the moment he entered the barn. Celia got the message from his quick, strong hug— I’d rather be with you —and then he bolted for the cats’ nest.
    â€œWe’re on our way to Reptile Gardens,” Greg announced. “We figured you’d be here, so we thought we’d stop in.”
    â€œThis stop isn’t on the way to Reptile Gardens.” She pulled her rawhide work gloves off as she watched Mark claim a gray tiger in each hand and tuck them against his neck. She wanted to thank the mewling kittens and their patient mama for the bright laughter in her boy’s eyes. “But Mark obviously needed to check on the kittens.”
    â€œThe bakery changed my route. I’ve got the Jack and Jill in Sinte now, and I made a special delivery there this morning. Ran into your new friend.” Greg greeted her glance with a cold smile. “Calls himself Cougar?”
    Celia tucked her work gloves into the back pockets of her jeans. She’d learned to ignore the inevitable preamble and go on about her business until Greggot to his point. He took fewer time-consuming detours that way.
    â€œHe said he almost ran into Mark yesterday. Could have killed him.”
    Not a direct quote, Celia decided. She hardly knew Cougar,