The Rancher's Lullaby (Glades County Cowboys)

Author:Leigh Duncan [Duncan, Leigh]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2015-08-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Garrett hefted the guitar from behind the backseat of his truck. Tipping his hat to the folks stuck in Okeechobee’s version of late afternoon gridlock, he wove his way between the half-dozen vehicles stopped at a light. A wry smile tugged at his lips when a lone, impatient driver honked a horn. He wondered how the guy would handle rush hour in Atlanta, where cars crowded the streets no matter what the time. Tension gripped him at the memory of daily hour-long commutes. He shook it off with a roll of his shoulders.

He ran his thumb along the crisp edge of the deposit slip in his back pocket. Thanks to his brother, he’d never have to deal with another big-city traffic jam. Hank had outdone himself, finding a buyer for the house in Georgia and propelling the sale through closing in record time. Garrett swallowed against the ghost of old dreams that rose when he imagined another family moving into the place that had been his and Arlene’s.

He stopped to resettle his Stetson. No regrets, he ordered. He couldn’t change the past, could only control the future. A future that included a permanent home in Glades County for him and little LJ.

The tension returned. This time, his jaw clenched. He hated the idea of uprooting his son again, of finding a new job, a new place to live. If it were up to him, he’d stay right where he was, continue doing the work he loved on the Circle P. But after their dad’s funeral the family had promised the manager’s slot to his twin brothers. He’d had no choice but to honor that decision. At least now, with the proceeds from the Atlanta sale, he could afford a place of his own close by.

Striding past the bakery, he considered the other changes that loomed on the horizon. Much as he had loved Arlene, he couldn’t see spending the rest of his life alone. Sooner or later, he’d have to dip his toe into the dating pool. Things would be different this time around, he guessed. More than a wife and a helpmate, any woman he chose would have to be a good mom for his little boy.

As he pushed open the door to Pickin’ Strings, Garrett wondered if a tall, leggy blonde would make the cut. Knowing the answer, he didn’t bother to shake his head. Lisa had no ties to Okeechobee. Nothing but a music store she’d likely turn over for a good profit within the year, maybe two. Plus, the woman wanted to have a baby in the worst way. And while he respected her dream, it was one he couldn’t help her fulfill.

But when the cheerful jingle of the bell above the door drew the woman in question out of the break room, his determination to keep his distance wavered a bit. He stood his guitar case on end, more than a little surprised that he had to anchor his fingers on top of it to keep from reaching for her.

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