The Cowboys Heart 1 Read Online Free PDF

between me and the cow. I
felt foolish for standing here, holding a roped cow. “Would you like some help
putting her away?”
    I sighed with visible relief. “That would be great.”
    Hudson took the rope from me. “Where would you like her?”
    I looked around. I knew which barn the cows were kept in,
but I wasn’t sure if they were in there or out in the pasture. “Um, in that
faded red barn over there, the one with the broken door.” Talk about a mess. A
hole in my fence, a broken barn door, this place was falling apart.
    He tugged on the rope, and the cow began to walk with him. I
fell in step beside him, my hands tucked in my back pockets. There was an air
of quiet arrogance to him, and I found that so attractive. My ex, Phillip, had
been much too needy, always asking for reassurance. It’s no wonder he found a
young thing to make him feel good about himself. But in the very brief time I’d
known Hudson, I had a feeling he wasn’t like that, he didn’t need a woman or
anyone to validate his self-worth. That was a refreshing quality.
    “So, you said you saw the cow near your property line. You
live nearby?” I asked.
    “Yes. I live just over there.” He pointed off toward the
left, same place he had before. “My ranch is just beyond that tree line over
there.”
    “We’re neighbors. Lucky me.” I laughed nervously.
    He glanced over and smiled, which sent my heart racing
again. “Or lucky me.” He winked then stopped at the barn door, opening it with
little effort. “Lead the way,” he said, motioning for me to go in ahead of him.
    I took a deep breath and walked inside. While I knew the
cows were housed in this barn, I had no idea where this one went specifically.
As we walked down the center of the bar, I stopped at the first empty spot.
“Here is fine.”
    Hudson expertly guided the cow into its spot and secured
her. Then he grabbed the rake leaning against the wall and gathered some hay
from the neighbor stall. He put it in front of her then rubbed her head. I
watched in amazement. He truly cared about her even though she wasn’t his.
    “There.” He replaced the rake. “You really should get that
fence fixed as soon as possible. You’re lucky I found her. Some of the other
ranchers around here aren’t as honest. You could lose quite a bit of livestock
that way.”
    Memories of the men who’d visited earlier flashed through my
mind, and I suppressed a shudder. I wanted to do something nice to thank him
for his kindness, but I didn’t have any money to give him. Living in the city,
the primary way to show gratitude was to give a tip, but I was positive that
didn’t work around here.
    “Would you like to go back to the house and come in for a
drink? It’s the least I can do for you bringing back my cow.” I smiled,
silently wishing against all odds that he’d say yes.
    He shrugged, showing the first signs of indecision and
embarrassment. “Sure.”
    “Great.” We headed back to the house, and I led him in
through the kitchen. “Make yourself comfortable.” I nodded at the kitchen table
and made my way to the refrigerator. “I have lemonade, sweet tea, water. I have
some diet pop. Or I have coffee.”
    “Some sweet tea would be great,” he said, his voice taking
on a deep, southern drawl. The sound sent a shiver down my spine.
    I pulled the pitcher from the fridge and filled two glasses
then carried them to the table. I handed him one and sat in the chair across
from him. He took a long drink, and I watched with fascination at the way his
throat worked up and down, and the way he licked the excess liquid from his
bottom lip.
    “This is some mighty fine tea. Did you make it?” he asked.
    I nodded. “It was my grandmother’s recipe.”
    “You’re Noreen’s granddaughter.” He tilted his head to the
side, studying me. “Yeah, I can see the resemblance. Noreen was a wonderful
woman. Sad to hear she passed.”
    “Thank you.” It warmed my heart to know so many people