Free Daisies in the Canyon by Carolyn Brown

and covered them with it and pulled her close to his side.
    When she could finally talk, she gasped. “This was one hell of a big mistake, Cooper.”
    “Probably so,” he agreed.
    “It’s going to make things awkward and it can’t happen again.”
    “Probably not,” he yawned.
    “Holy shit! It’s past noon. They’ll be coming home any minute.”
    “Guess we’d best go make the tea, hadn’t we? Unless you want to take this to the bedroom and have another go at it just to be sure that it was a mistake,” he said.
    Her hand went to her mouth to see if it was actually as warm as it felt. She was surprised to find her lips were cool to the touch.
    “We’ve got to get dressed,” she said. “Church will be over soon.”
    She pushed away from him, gathered up all her clothing, and headed for the bathroom. He followed right behind her and turned on the shower. “We’d best take one together since we’re pressed for time.”
    She gasped. “We can’t do that.”
    “I’d say we’d have to. They’ll be here any minute and one whiff of either of us and they’ll know what we’ve been doing. Oh, and I need a lemon,” he said.
    “What the hell for?” She turned on the water.
    He adjusted it. “To suck on so I can wipe this smile off my face. It might have been a mistake, but honey, that was amazing.”
    “Shit!” she said. “It is going to be awkward.”
    “Probably. Want me to wash your back for you?”
    “Hell, no! That would start something we don’t have time to finish.”

Chapter Five
    C ooper had just turned thirty-one and he’d dated since the eighth-grade Valentine’s Day dance seventeen years ago. He’d had a couple of relationships but nothing serious since his granddad died. That was the year he’d won the election for sheriff, and he’d been busy with taking care of that business, plus the ranch, so he hadn’t had a lot of time for dating. He’d had the occasional fling that usually started in the Sugar Shack on a Saturday night and most of the time ended by Sunday morning when he went home to do chores.
    What in the devil had he just done? He’d only known the woman a couple of days. It was too soon even to be kissing her, and yet they’d just had amazing sex. They’d wanted it. They’d had it. Now they had to suffer the consequences.
    He kept letting his eyes shift around the kitchen to catch glimpses of her. Sure, she was cute as a newborn baby kitten, but she’d been through a lot the past twenty-four hours. That was probably the only thing that made her vulnerable. It’s a wonder she hadn’t whipped out some martial arts skills and knocked him colder than an ice cube when he’d kissed her.
    “You do realize that there’s lots of single guys living in the canyon and in Claude and Silverton,” he said.
    She brought two casserole dishes from the refrigerator and popped one into the microwave to heat it up. “And that is supposed to mean?”
    “Think, Abby. This isn’t a big ranch, but it would be a real nice living for a cowhand who’d like to move up in the world. Someone who hasn’t got, nor will ever have, the money to buy his own place. I’m sure that Shiloh and Bonnie have already been sized up at church and bets are being made as to which cowboy will make headway with them. Wait until they see you when they come callin’ with their hats in their hands.” He smiled.
    “I’m so sure they’ll be fallin’ all over themselves to flirt with a woman who lives in her old army camo. And if they did, I’ve got too much on my plate to deal with a relationship right now. With anyone, Cooper.” She looked right into his eyes.
    “I get your drift, Abby, but it doesn’t have to be strange between us. We can be friends and neighbors even if we don’t have sex again,” he said.
    She inhaled and let it out slowly before she spoke. “I’m like those cowboys you are talkin’ about. I’ve always wanted my own piece of dirt—granted, I never pictured it being as