The Trouble with Cowgirls by Amanda Renee

Author:Amanda Renee
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2016-06-02T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Lucy parked next to Lane’s truck in front of her cottage. It was almost three in the afternoon and she was starving. She hadn’t known what to expect when she walked into the house, but she hadn’t imagined what she found.

Carina and Lane had fallen asleep on the couch, her daughter against his elbow, and a half-eaten plate of brown apples and peanut butter on his lap. It appeared as though neither one of them had gotten much sleep last night. She didn’t have the heart to interrupt their nap.

She set the plate in the kitchen and then ducked into the bathroom to strip out of her filthy clothes. She’d ridden horses most of her life, and yet she couldn’t remember having been this dirty. After a shower, she felt human again. As hungry as she was, she didn’t have the energy to eat. She eased her aching body onto the opposite end of the sofa, relishing its softness compared to the stiff, creaky saddle she’d suffered this afternoon. She’d been officially chafed in places she hadn’t known she could be chafed.

She closed her eyes, enjoying Lane’s rhythmic soft snores. Antonio had snored obnoxiously. She’d cursed that sound every day of their marriage. There was a mandatory two-year waiting period in Italy before a divorce. During their separation, they’d still resided together so they could coparent their daughter. She could even hear him snoring on the opposite side of the villa. When he had moved out after their divorce had been finalized, she’d found it impossible to fall asleep. She hadn’t known if she’d grown accustomed to the noise or if the reality of being alone frightened her.

In a way, today had been perfect. Between breakfast with his mom and coming home to Lane and Carina, Lucy was at peace. Nothing else mattered except this moment in time. Her daughter and her first and only true love...

* * *

LANE AWOKE TO a darkened room. His neck ached and when he attempted to move, he felt extra weight on his right side. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to shake off his sleep-induced fog. When he adjusted to the dark, he remembered where he was. He gently shifted Carina off him and noticed Lucy curled up on the opposite end of the couch.

So this is what it’s like. A neat little family unit, with everyone home together on the couch on a Saturday night. It had been a foreign concept to him before now. He hadn’t experienced anything remotely close to this with his own family. He’d never questioned his parents’ love for him or even each other, but actually feeling it had been nonexistent.

Lane debated waking Lucy, not wanting to break the spell. Lane glanced at Antonio’s photo. “I promise to always do right by them,” Lane said to the ceiling. “Lucy.” He gently shook her awake. “I guess we were all tired.”

She sat up straight on the couch, rubbing her shoulder muscles. “I think Rusty is trying to kill me.

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