The Cowboy's Promise by Teresa Southwick

Author:Teresa Southwick
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-07-13T15:12:04+00:00

Chapter Nine

A few days after the Harvest Festival, Morgan was mucking out stalls in the barn. As the oldest brother he probably could have delegated to one of the others, but the crappy job suited his crappy mood. He hadn’t talked to Erica since dropping her off that night and didn’t much like the way they’d left things. It didn’t make him happy, but he missed her. And he was ticked off. Mad at himself for pushing. Mad at her for stonewalling him. He chucked a pitchfork full of hay and muck into the wheelbarrow beside him with more force than was necessary.

He was also mad that the evening had been ruined. He’d been having a really good time, the best since moving to Bronco. Kissing Erica was a particularly memorable highlight. Her lips were soft and eager. Her sexy, throaty sounds said she liked it, too. Then it all went sideways with that lady’s comments.

Truth was, Erica was carrying another man’s child. Yet all she would say was that the father wasn’t an issue and Morgan didn’t need to know more.

That kiss said he did and was the reason he couldn’t let go of the questions. Did the father know about the baby? Did he not care? What if he had a change of heart and came after her? What if she had a change of heart and wanted to make it work with him?

Another pile of muck went in the wheelbarrow. That was followed by a string of language that made him glad he wasn’t a kid anymore with his mother standing there holding a bar of soap to wash out his mouth.

He really liked Erica. It was why he’d offered to help her. But things were changing; feelings were shifting. Getting complicated. He was confused and didn’t know what he wanted. But he was crystal clear that he didn’t want to keep stumbling around in the dark and get blindsided by another man. He intended to see Erica through the birth of that baby, but before the next class they needed to have a chat.

Morgan heard voices and one of them was a woman’s. He looked up and saw Erica coming into the barn with his father. That man being around her tweaked his already bad attitude. He rested the pitchfork against the stall’s fence and stepped into the opening, watching the two of them walk down the center aisle toward him. She was smiling at something Neal Dalton said and Morgan felt the knot in his gut pull tighter.

His father noticed him there. “Hey, son.”

He wanted to say he didn’t need the reminder about their shared DNA. But he didn’t, not in front of Erica.

“Look who’s here,” Neal said.

Erica smiled a little tentatively, not her usual, bright wattage cheerful expression. “Hi, Morgan.”

“Hey.”

“Watch your step,” his father said, putting a protective hand under her elbow. “Don’t want you falling, or stepping in something.”

She laughed. “I’m a ranch kid. Grew up in the barn. I used to ride all the time, but that’s on hold for now.

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