MULE HOLLOW MATCHMAKERS 21: NEW HORIZON RANCH 01: Her Mule Hollow Cowboy by Debra Clopton

Author:Debra Clopton
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Sweet Contemporary Western
Publisher: DCP Publishing
Published: 2014-03-25T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

"I have a date with Maddie," Cliff told Rafe a few hours after the incident at the diner.

They had met at one of the neighboring ranch arenas to watch the group of young cowboys ride bulls like he'd promised.

Cliff was still reeling over what had happened in the diner. He wasn't real sure the posse wasn't a few cards short of a full deck. He hadn't appreciated them making Maddie feel bad about herself. Although he didn't think that was what they'd meant to do he'd seen it in her eyes. Some of the advice they'd offered could do her some good. But still...wow, they'd poured it on strong.

The truth was, he'd walked right into their little setup with his eyes wide open.

Sure he was teasing Maddie, and going along with them before it had gotten out of hand. But only because he could sense that they really cared about Maddie. They wanted good things for her. Still, they'd gotten a little carried away.

And Adela had completely blindsided him when she'd been the one who suggested the date.

He'd gotten serious when he realized Maddie thought he was having a good time toying with her.

"Really?" Rafe said.

"You don't have a problem with that do you?"

Rafe had his arms crossed and hanging over the edge of the arena. He cocked his head at Cliff. "None. Just treat her with respect."

"And you actually thought you had to tell me that." Cliff was no saint, but he wasn't some womanizing love'em and leave'em jerk.

"No that's not it. You need to know Maddie is special."

"I know that."

"I don't know if you do. She doesn't date and we've all noticed that. She's become like a little sister to us but we don't pry. She's private and the fact that she's accepted a date with you is a good thing. I'm thinking you need to know the full score though. I think she could be hurt real easy. She's not as tough as she wants us all to think."

"I had figured some of that out, but thanks for filling me in," Cliff said.

Rafe turned toward him. "Look, I know we had a crummy background and I know you've been running around the country trying to outrun it all these years."

He stared at Rafe in disbelief. "How do you know that? I didn't even realize it until I found out dad was dead." He laughed harsh, bitter. "It doesn't even make sense to me. I love riding bulls. But no matter how hard I tried to settle down I couldn't do it. The minute I heard the news, it was like some fist inside me unclenched."

"I know."

"How do you know that?"

"You're not the only one who was angry. I was just forced to deal with it before you. When my knee blew out, I couldn't run from the past any more. C.C. helped me understand it. That man had a way of looking at a people and knowing what they needed."

Cliff stared at his brother. "What did you need?"

"A place to be at peace.

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