The Cowboy's Homecoming. Donna Alward

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      Right. Just what he needed. To horn in on her relationship with Quinn. Maybe the manager hadn’t formally moved in yet, but it was clear as the nose on Rylan’s face that the three of them had a cozy little vibe going on. Besides, the wedding was in less than a month. The last thing he wanted was to be smack in the middle of their newlywed love nest.

      “I like it,” he contradicted mildly. “I’ve got my own space. My own privacy. And I won’t be invading your privacy either.”

      “There’s a much better mattress on the bed upstairs.” Lacey frowned. “You surely didn’t come all this way to sleep in that contraption.”

      “I prefer it.”

      “What if you have to go to the bathroom in the night?”

      Rylan couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing and smiles bloomed on faces around the table. “Really? What am I, five?”

      Amber lifted her chin. “You can’t be five, Uncle Ry. I’m gonna be five in two weeks.” She rolled her eyes.

      “See?” He reached over and ruffled Amber’s hair. “Five, huh? Guess that means you start school in September.”

      “Real school,” she replied importantly.

      Amber’s insertion into the conversation had mollified Lacey a little bit. “You’re sure?” she asked. “There’s lots of room.”

      “I’m sure. I also know how to do my own laundry. Make food.”

      Quinn stepped in. “You’re going to want to take advantage of the food thing. Your sister’s a heck of a cook.” Rylan watched as Quinn turned a tender gaze on his fiancée. “Even when you don’t want it, she’s going to press food on you. You might as well accept it and enjoy.”

      Lacey turned pleading eyes on him. “Yes, Rylan, please eat your meals here.”

      “I can probably do that,” he conceded. The small concession would get her off his back, and he’d eat a lot better than if he cooked for himself.

      Duke joined the conversation. “You’re always welcome at the bunkhouse, too, Ry. Carrie and I have room. At least until the baby comes.”

      Which would be in a few months. Carrie was already glowing with motherhood, her hand resting on her rounded belly. And Rylan smiled through it all, feeling incredibly claustrophobic and smothered.

      “I’ll stick to the camper for now, but thanks for the invites.” His jaw felt tight and he forced himself to relax it. “Heck, I’m going to be rodeoing a fair bit of the time anyway. Easier to just hook up and go, you know?”

      This would be his home base. No commitments, no ties. He was still going to run this life the way he had for the past several years. On his terms, coming and going as he pleased.

      He knew at times it must have seemed as if he didn’t care for his family, but nothing could have been further from the truth. That he was here was proof of that. He wanted this for them, if it was what would make them happy, and he was strangely happy that he could finally do something right rather than merely being an afterthought.

      He just hoped they could accept that he needed to run his life his own way, too, and understand when the time came for him to leave again.

Chapter Two

      Kailey stared in the boutique’s mirror and had to admit that Lacey had fantastic taste.

      The bridesmaid dress was turquoise blue, a slightly brighter shade than a robin’s egg. The light material draped and flowed in an utterly feminine way, fluttering to a hem just above her knees. It was strapless, leaving Kailey’s shoulders bare, and she realized she was going to have to rectify the farmer tan she had from working outside in T-shirts by employing some self-tanner. But she loved it. She completely and utterly loved it.

      Lacey came back to the dressing room with a box in her hands. “Oh my gosh! That’s so beautiful on you!” She put the box on a padded seat and put her hands to her mouth. “Oh, Kailey. You’re stunning.”

      Kailey felt a blush climb her cheeks. Not that she didn’t like dressing up for a night out, because she did. Occasionally it was nice to feel like a girl. But this was different. It felt so formal. So...foreign. The only wedding she’d been in before had been Duke and Carrie’s, and that had been so low-key that she’d just worn a pretty red dress from her closet and a flower in her hair.

      “It’s not too much?” Kailey looked down, hitched up the bodice just a touch. She had to admit, she liked the way the fabric crisscrossed her breasts and waist.

      “It’s perfect.” Lacey beamed at her. “And don’t worry about wearing heels you’ll break your neck in. Here. I got you these. My present to you.”

      Lacey picked up the box again and handed it to Kailey.

      Kailey opened the lid and found a gorgeous pair of cowboy boots nestled inside, with matching blue accents inlaid on the boot shaft.

      “Wow. Just...wow.”

      “I figured you might not wear the dress again, but you might find some use for these.”

      Kailey took the first one out of the box and slid it on. It was a perfect fit. “There is nothing more comfortable than a good pair of boots,” she decreed, looking up at Lacey and smiling.

      “I’m going to be wearing a pair, too,” Lacey replied. “Under my dress.”

      Kailey had seen Lacey’s dress. It was sweet, in a similar style to Kailey’s only long and white and with frothy light material on the overskirt. Simple and very, very sweet—just like the bride. “The boots can be your something blue,” Kailey suggested, and Lacey grinned.

      “I might have thought of that.” She looked at Kailey. “So what do you think? Alterations? Or is it fine as is?”

      It fit perfectly. “I think we can take this home today, don’t you?”

      Lacey nodded. “I can’t believe it’s only a few weeks away. Sometimes it feels like it’s all happened so fast, and other times it seems to be taking so long!”

      Kailey smiled in return, though it felt forced. She kind of understood what Lacey meant but in the totally opposite way. Valentine’s Day seemed like ages ago, yet the time from then to now had gone so fast. Quinn and Lacey had been busy falling in love and she’d...

      She’d been busy, all right. Thinking she’d seen something in Rylan Duggan that didn’t exist. Thinking he was...different.

      “I should change,” she suggested, annoyed that she’d allowed Rylan to sneak into her thoughts. “We still have errands to run, right?”

      With two and a half weeks until the big day, Kailey was spending more time than usual away from the ranch, fulfilling her maid of honor duties. Not that she minded, but it was a busy time of year. They’d be making the first cut of hay soon, not to mention rodeo season picking up. She didn’t often travel with the stock, but she had the final say on which animals traveled and she was in charge СКАЧАТЬ