The Last Stubborn Cowboy by Judy Christenberry

Author:Judy Christenberry
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2011-05-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Mac wasn’t entirely comfortable wearing his robe and having breakfast with Samantha. She was respectably clothed in a white blouse and a navy skirt.

“You planning on going to church this morning?” he asked, interrupting the mundane conversation between the other three.

They all looked at him in surprise. Then both Doc and his aunt assured him they intended to attend services.

“No, I meant Samantha.”

She studied him, as if puzzling over his question. Then she nodded. “I thought I would.”

He nodded and stared at his scrambled eggs. What difference did it make to him? Except it would be one more area in his life that she would invade. Sometime between last night and this morning, he’d realized it was time to be in full retreat. This woman was going to cut up his peace if he didn’t do something quickly.

“Are you going to stay home?” Florence asked.

“Yeah. I don’t think I could sit through a sermon this morning.”

“Probably not,” Doc confirmed. “You’re going to need a couple of days to recover.”

“I’ll go to the office tomorrow. I’ve got work that can’t wait.” He wasn’t about to cave in to a bruise. That was ridiculous.

“Macho man, huh?” Doc teased. “You always were a stubborn cuss. If you take your pain pills, you should be all right for a few hours, but don’t push it.”

“If it gets too bad, I’ll call you,” Mac said.

“Not after one o’clock. Samantha and I are starting new hours. I only work Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings until one.”

“You’re only working three days a week?” Mac asked in surprise.

“Nope. I’m working afternoons on Tuesday and Thursday. And I’ll handle emergency calls every other weekend.”

Mac turned to stare at Samantha. “You’re only working part-time?”

“I told you I came here to slow down, to have more time for Cassie.” She sounded defensive, which made him curious.

“I think that’s a wise decision,” Florence said. “A baby can be quite consuming, and those early years pass quickly.” She smiled in the direction of Cassie’s crib, just behind Mac. “I’ve already seen changes in Cassie. She smiled at me last night.”

“Hey, I thought it was me she was smiling at,” Doc challenged, but his grin told them he was teasing Florence.

“Well, maybe both of us. She’s such a darling, Samantha.”

“Thank you.” Her smile lit up her face and showed how important her daughter was to her.

Mac had wanted children, when he’d first married. His wife had refused to risk losing her figure or her freedom. Later, he was glad she’d refused, since their marriage was a disaster. No child should have to grow up in such circumstances. But he’d admit to himself that he missed the idea of having a child.

But only to himself.

He’d told himself and everyone around him that being a father was an impossibility for so long that he’d come to believe he really had no interest in having a family. Cassie was slipping under his guard, unlocking some powerful emotions that made him nervous.

A gurgle behind him had him looking over his shoulder at the source of his concern.

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