Back in the Saddle by Ruth Logan Herne

Author:Ruth Logan Herne
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Crown Publishing Group
Published: 2016-03-15T04:00:00+00:00

Heads turned as they walked into the gray and cream stone church. Colt looked straight ahead, holding Noah firmly in his arms, but Sam nodded at people left and right as if he were a regular. When only a few folks dipped their heads in welcome, Colt figured almost eighty percent of the congregation pretty much hated Sam Stafford. That wasn’t a big surprise, but it meant his father had his work cut out for him.

Sam slipped into a pew on the right. Colt assessed his choice. Near enough to the front to be seen and close enough to the middle to appear humbled.

As if.

Colt stepped back to allow Angelina and her mother to enter the pew, then followed with the boy.

“This is church?” Noah looked around, surprised. “Where are the kids?”

“Sitting with their families,” Angelina whispered. “Being quiet.”

Noah glanced around. “When do we play?”

Colt coughed on purpose. Angelina’s quick look warned him to keep his opinion to himself, then whispered an answer. “Afterward. Right now it’s quiet prayer time.”

“For everybody?” He burrowed closer into Colt’s side. The big cowboy couldn’t deny how nice it was to have a little cowpoke seek shelter in his arms. He bent to explain what was going to happen even though it had been a long time since he’d darkened the door of a church for a regular service. The guitar player in the front left began picking out notes. As the congregation stood and began singing the beloved, familiar tune, Colt leaned close to Noah’s ear. “Do you want to stand on your own or would you like me to hold you?”

The boy snuggled closer.

Colt’s heart melted further. He toughened it quickly. He was starting to get comfortable with this old/new routine. Early to bed, early to rise, great food, a beautiful woman who wore faith like New York women wore black blazers, and the feel of a child tucked close beneath his chin.

Yeah. He could get used to this if he let himself, so he wouldn’t allow that to happen.

An hour later, after the reverend brought the service to a close, Noah jumped off Colt’s lap when two school-aged boys raced across the aisle toward them. He stared up at the bigger boys, almost dancing with excitement.

“Miz Angie, I did just what you said, and I closed my eyes before Mom turned out the light,” the smaller boy said, “and I wasn’t one bit scared!”

“And I made sure the cat had food and water every day,” asserted the bigger boy proudly. Behind them a petite little girl dimpled as she peeked around the bigger boy’s arm.

“And I only wet the bed once this week,” she whispered. The look on her face, like dry sheets were the world’s most amazing accomplishment, reminded Colt of Trey when he first came to the Double S. Trey’s mother had been Sam’s younger sister. She was a party girl who married a drug user, and by the time Trey was a toddler, his clueless parents shared a deep addiction.

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