Read A Broken Cowboy (BWWM Interracial Romance) for Free Online

I can fix the roof. But it’s not free.” Then he kept walking, like always without a backwards glance.
    When Sarah finally came for Mimi at the end of the week, the newbie rancher had more questions for her about the caretaker than she did about working her own farm. But those questions would have to wait, as pressing needs like shelter and water took over.
    Sarah gave her the names of some people they could call once they made it to town, but ruined Mimi’s good day with the news that digging a well was easily a few thousand dollars, as was putting on a roof, regardless of how well you knew the guy doing the job.
    “Speaking of how well I know him,” Mimi began, hinting that she had some questions about Gabriel, “how well do you know him?”
    “Hmm, not very well. I only used to see him from time to time, but that was before the former owner died. A few people in town think Gabriel may have had something to do with the old man’s death, if you know what I mean,” Sarah said knowingly.
    “What? What do you think?” Mimi asked, suddenly afraid as she remembered all the times that Gabriel had appeared as though silently stalking his prey, only to stand far too close to her before running off.
    “Well, promise you won’t tell a soul…” Sarah began, her voice dropping somewhat as she looked around to make sure Gabriel wasn’t already standing near them.
    “I swear…”
    “You promise?” she asked, her eyes getting very wide as she dropped her voice to a near whisper.
    “I promise,” Mimi answered, leaning close. Concern had already spread over her face.
    “I’m just teasing,” Sarah said with a laugh at Mimi’s expense. “The old man had cancer, they just found it too late because he didn’t go to the doctor regularly. I was joking!” She laughed in a good-natured way, then realized she’d upset Mimi. “Oh, I’m sorry, I was only playing! Gabriel is harmless, really. He’s just…quirky. And a little weird. More than a little but he’s okay.”
    “What exactly do you mean by quirky? My mama was quirky, and she’d shoot you for touching her remote control.” Mimi was still sour from falling victim to Sarah’s joke, and she leaned back against the truck seat and crossed her arms.
    “You know, little things. Gabriel things.”
    “What is that supposed to mean? I have a few ideas about that guy, but I’ve never heard the term ‘Gabriel things’ before.”
    “Well, you know…like how he won’t come inside. Ever.”
    Mimi raised her eyebrows, having never noticed that about him but remembering the way Mr. Munroe had talked about it. She had dismissed it at the time.
    “Really. Try it,” Sarah continued. “Next time you see him, invite him in. Or better yet, ask him to reach something down for you. He won’t do it, I swear.”
    “Wow, I never paid attention, but now that you mention it, I’ve never even seen him come up on the porch. But what about his own cabin? He lives somewhere else on the property, right?”
    “Oh yeah, he lives out there but he doesn’t live inside. Your cabin, your barn, and anything right there on your plot are the only buildings on the site. He might go into one of the caves, I guess, if it gets really cold, but I know that he stays outside even in the rain. We’ve seen him over on our place from time to time, soaking wet and walking along like it’s just any other sunny day.”
    Mimi wrinkled her forehead, worried about what she was hearing about the strange guy who was state-appointed to live on her property. But how dangerous could he be? He took a minute to teach her to shoot, why would he do that if he had plans to hurt her? And he did offer to patch her roof. If he wanted her gone, he’d just let it cave in over her head.
    “And you know,” Sarah said, smiling slyly, “he’s not so bad to look at either. I don’t know how he keeps that six pack as toned as it is, but it must involve ripping tree trunks out of the ground and doing reps with