Read The Cowboys Heart: 3 for Free Online Page A

argument. Sighing, I nodded. “All right. I’ll go talk to Richard,
see if there are enough free horses for us to use today.” I prayed there
wasn’t. It would give me an easy out.
    “Cool. Dad and I will pack a lunch,” Jamie said.
    Despite my annoyance, I smiled. All I’ve ever wanted was for
my son to be happy, and now he was. So what if I wasn’t? Isn’t that what being
a parent meant? Putting your own happiness and desires aside so you could give
to your child? I wiped down the counters then headed outside to talk to
Richard. I was pleasantly surprised to find Hudson in the barn with him. He
smiled when he saw me.
    “Hey you,” he said.
    “Hey.” I smiled and stepped into his arms, welcoming his
kiss. I missed him, missed his smile and his touch. And now that I was here
with him, I really didn’t want to go on that ride and picnic with Phillip.
    “What brings you out here?” he asked, not releasing me.
    I hugged him a little tighter. “Jamie wants to take his dad
on a ride around the ranch, and I got roped into going because I know the
property. And I’m the only one of the three of us who knows how to ride
properly.”
    Hudson frowned and his body stiffened. God, I hated this,
hated doing this to him, making him feel like I didn’t care. “I can help
Richard get three horses ready for you.”
    “You don’t have to do that,” I said, reluctantly releasing
him.
    “No, it’s okay. I need to keep busy.” He turned his back on
me and began talking with Richard about which horses would be best for us to
take.
    My heart broke. I reached out and touched Hudson’s back,
rubbing it for a moment, hoping he’d turn back to me, but he didn’t. I let my
hand fall to my side with a thud. “Just let me know when they’re ready,” I said
softly.
    I just made it to the barn door when I felt Hudson’s hand on
my arm. He spun me around to face him. “Shit, Heather. I’m sorry.” He hugged me
and kissed the top of my head. “I just hate knowing you’re spending so much
time with him, but I’m trying to be reasonable. I know you’re only doing this
for Jamie.”
    I closed my eyes and pressed my cheek to his chest, my arms
wrapped tightly around his waist. That’s what I kept telling myself, too – that
I was doing this for Jamie. And I was. But is that the only reason I was doing
it? The conflicting feelings I had toward Phillip were unsettling me, making it
hard to sleep and concentrate. Hudson was so wonderful, but Phillip was once,
too, and he seemed to be that way again.
    “Can I have you to myself tomorrow?” he asked suddenly,
holding me out so he could look at me.
    “Yes,” I said instantly. The thought of having an entire day
with Hudson made it easier for me to get through today. “What do you have in
mind?”
    He grinned in that way that made my knees weak. “Let me
worry about that, baby,” he whispered right before he kissed me. But we were
interrupted by the sound of Phillip and Jamie coming our way. I groaned in
frustration.
    “So, are we doing this?” Jamie asked, his tone and look cold
toward Hudson.
    I sighed and nodded. “Yes, Richard is getting the horses ready
right now.”
    “I’ll go see if he needs help,” Hudson said. “Don’t forget.
Tomorrow, you’re all mine.” He said this last part low enough so only I could
hear him.
    “Only tomorrow?” I teased.
    The corner of his mouth quirked up in a teasing smiled. “Not
if I have my way.” Then he was walking away. I blew out a breath, sad that I’d
seen more of him walking away these past few days than anything.
    Ten minutes later, me, Jamie and Phillip were on our horses
and I was showing them around the property. Phillip seemed genuinely
interested, which was a shock. Even Jamie piped up and shared stories of when
we first moved here and how he’d explored, hoping he’d find something that
wasn’t super lame. We had a good laugh over that. As the day progressed, the
tension seeped out of me, and I actually