Redheaded Stranger: A Cowboy Love Story (Bluebonnet, Texas) Read Online Free PDF

what happened?"
    "No." I shook my head for emphasis, but before I could say more, a chair scraped in the kitchen and there were more footsteps.
    "What about Zan?" a voice boomed from the kitchen. A chair scraped the floor, and then a blond giant appeared at Mrs. Boudreauxes side.
    I found myself staring into the angry green eyes of a man who could have almost been my husband's twin. I glanced from him to his mother, and wet my lips with the tip of my tongue, not sure who I should be more afraid of. Jerrod’s hand on my shoulder was the only comfort I had.
    "Did he send you here thinking somehow this—" Again she motioned toward Darrach, "—could make up for what happened?" Arms crossed over her chest, she waited.
    Darrach began to fuss in my arms and I shushed him, realizing that my breasts had begun to ache. It was almost time to feed him.
    "How do we know she’s even telling the truth?" the blond asked.
    "I met her, that’s how," Jerrod replied from behind me.
    "But she’s..." He waved a hand in my direction.
    Dark, black, cocoa-skinned, mixed, a mutt, café au lait . I raised my chin a notch, suppressing the urge to make a face at him. "Not what you expected?"
    "Ty!" Maggie glared up at him.
    "Alex and I were married three years ago in Oahu." I didn’t add to the day.
    "And then what? He didn’t tell us cause he thinks we’re a bunch of redneck, racist assholes?" Ty crossed the room until only mere inches separated us.
    Behind me Jerrod growled a warning. "He didn’t tell us to punish me."
    His cheeks now a deep red, Ty’s gaze briefly fell to the floor as understanding dawned. "Tell your husband I burned the flowers." Before I could ask him what flowers , he shoved past us and out the door. "My son," Mrs. Boudreaux began, "has a lot to atone for, and sending you as a peacemaker just doesn’t cut it."
    I nodded. "I’m not here as a peacemaker. I left him."
    "I see," Maggie said.
    I didn't know about Betti's miscarriage until your husband came to see me. And I didn’t have the heart to tell him about Darrach then."
    "We haven't told the family about you," she said. "As I’m sure you can imagine, there's been enough excitement around here the last few weeks."
    "I understand and I apologize for just showing up unannounced, but like I told your husband, I think it's time some things got settled."
    Darrach’s flailing arms distracted me as he grabbed his cap and tugged. His efforts were unsuccessful though since it was tied under his chin. I focused on taking it off for him and smoothing his curls to buy time to calm my nerves and figure out what to say next.
    "Maybe we should all have a seat," Jerrod murmured with a wave of his hand. He motioned toward a large, comfy-looking couch on my left.
    Against a far wall stood a china cabinet and matching pine table that could have seated at least ten. Matching flower-patterned area rugs covered the living and dining area floors. I maneuvered around the green- and white-checked couch and sat, leaving the two other chairs for Mr. and Mrs. B. I’d clearly underestimated my father-in-law though as he decided to sit beside me. And Darrach, deciding he was fascinated with a new human toy, squirmed and crawled over to investigate. I barely got his coat off before he took command of his grandfather’s lap.
    "You take your coat off, too. You must be burning up in that thing." He held out his arms for Darrach to balance on.
    I shrugged out of my heavy suede coat, and ran a nervous hand through my curls before laying my jacket beside me and placing Darrach’s on top. Hands folded in my lap, I waited. Darrach decided to use his grandfather’s legs as a trampoline and bounced up and down, laughing and gurgling. I couldn’t hold back my own grin, or my comment. "He does the same thing to Alex."
    "Forgive me if I have trouble picturing him as a father." My mother-in-law pursed her lips and crossed her arms, settling deeper in the dark green recliner she’d commandeered.
    "I’m