Cowgirl, Say Yes. Brenda Mott

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      Yawning, Tess pulled into the parking lot of Audrey’s Café. The cowbell on the door clanged as she entered, but accustomed to the sound, no one looked up.

      No one, that is, except Wade Darland.

      To Tess’s surprise, he sat at a table with Macy and Jason. She hadn’t noticed his truck in the parking lot, but at any rate, she never would have figured him for the sort of father who would take his kids out to breakfast on a school day. He looked at her in a way that suddenly made Tess aware that her barely combed hair was stuffed under a ratty ball cap.

      In a way that also made her notice he was even better-looking than she’d remembered.

      Oh, brother.

      She really needed to go home, go back to bed and start this day all over.

      CHAPTER THREE

      WADE NEARLY CHOKED on a piece of bacon when he glanced up and saw Tess walk into the café. He couldn’t believe that he’d run into her again so soon after their little talk last night. Had she seen him driving through town and followed him?

      The expression on her face quickly dispelled that notion. She hesitated at the door, as though unsure whether to wave or simply take a seat. Her gaze scanned the crowded room, and she frowned when she saw that nearly all the tables were full. Before he could decide if he wanted to wave at her, Macy took matters out of his hands.

      “Tess!” she called, motioning. “Over here.”

      “Macy, I don’t think—”

      “What’s wrong, Dad?” Jason grinned around a mouthful of blueberry pancakes. “Don’t you want her to sit with us?” The teasing spark in his son’s eyes said he was enjoying the opportunity to give his old dad a hard time.

      “I don’t care one way or the other,” Wade said, ignoring Jason’s smirk as Tess approached the table.

      “Hi, Macy,” she said. “Jason.” Then she turned to him. “I’m surprised to see you out and about today.”

      “Why’s that?” Wade cut a slice of pancake with the side of his fork.

      “I wouldn’t have thought you’d be here on a school day.”

      “Why not?” He slid the pancake into his mouth and chewed deliberately, letting her squirm, though he’d pretty well figured what she meant. She didn’t consider him the sort of dad who would go to the trouble of waking up extra early to take his kids out to breakfast on a morning when getting ready for school was hectic enough in itself.

      But before Tess could reply, Jason spoke up. “It’s $1.99 pancake day. Dad says it’s smart to take advantage of such a good deal.”

      Wade squirmed. That made him sound cheap, but dang it, a single father had to cut corners wherever he could.

      “It’s $3.50 if you get a side of bacon,” Macy added. Then she grinned. “But I guess you don’t have to worry about that, huh, Tess?”

      “No, I guess not.” Tess folded her hands over the back of the empty chair next to Wade. “Mind if I sit down?”

      “Go right ahead.” He gestured with his fork, feeling a little guilty for not having offered before she could ask. But only a little. He really didn’t relish the idea of sharing with Tess Vega his weekly morning out with the kids.

      The waitress spotted Tess and hurried over. “What can I get for you, hon? Today’s our $1.99 pancake special. All you can eat.” She nodded toward the buffet table centered in the room. “Bacon or sausage is extra.”

      “Just the pancakes will be fine. And a glass of orange juice, please.” Tess smiled, and Wade noticed she had dimples.

      Well, it wasn’t as if he hadn’t noticed them before. It was just that he’d never paid attention to how cute they made her look. He grimaced inwardly. Cute. Tess was that, all right, in an immature sort of way. Today her braids were gone, but it didn’t much matter. She’d crammed a ball cap over her hair, which looked as though it hadn’t seen much time with a comb of late, and she wore her usual bib overalls with a blue tank top underneath.

      He’d just begun to study the freckles sprinkled across her nose when she turned and caught him staring. Quickly, he averted his gaze and focused once more on his breakfast. He said the first thing that came to mind. “So, what are you doing out and about so early?”

      “I got a call from Joy Isley this morning. She had some stray horses wander onto her place.” Tess described the geldings. “Any idea who they might belong to?”

      Wade shrugged. “Beats me. A lot of folks have bays and sorrels. Why don’t you ask your dad?”

      “I intend to, and Doc Baker, as well. I just thought you might know.” She took a drink from the glass of water the waitress had set in front of her. “But, of course, I forgot that horses are simply working animals to you. I doubt you’d ever see the individuality in one.”

      Wade sipped his milk, giving himself a minute to do the mental ten-count thing. It was too early in the morning to be arguing with a redheaded woman who was suddenly doing funny things to his stomach and his head. “Now, there’s where you’d be wrong,” he said, setting his glass back on the table.

      “Oh?”

      “That’s right, Miss Smarty-Pants horse rescuer. I’ve owned plenty of horses with what I’d say was individual personality in my time.”

      “Really?” Fighting a smile, Tess braced her elbows on the table and leaned her chin on laced fingers. “Tell me about them.”

      “Let’s see.” He poured more maple syrup over his pancakes, which seemed to suck the stuff up like sponges. “There was Winchester…”

      “No, Dad, tell her about Ace.” Jason smiled broadly at Tess. “He saved Dad’s life.”

      “No kidding?” Tess drew back, looking impressed.

      Wade felt his face warm. He didn’t like to think about that day he’d fallen through the ice. He’d been a dumb kid, not listening to his dad.

      He eyed the empty place in front of Tess. “Don’t you want to get some pancakes?”

      “In a minute. First I want to hear about your hero horse.” She waved her hand in a hurry-up gesture. “Go ahead.”

      Wade told her about Ace, the six-year-old black gelding that had been his father’s best working ranch horse. One winter, when Wade was ten, he’d decided to try his hand at ice fishing. There was a huge pond, almost lake size, in one of the pastures not far from the house. Fed by the river, it was a great place to catch trout, and Wade had decided his dad’s warnings of the dangers of thin ice were not warranted.

      A freak warming trend in January had left the ground thawing, the ice beginning to melt. But he’d been certain it was thick enough to hold him, and had sneaked away while his dad was busy splitting firewood. As he used a saw to cut a hole in the ice, it cracked around him, and he fell through into the frigid water.

      Ace was one СКАЧАТЬ