Free The Cowboy's Forever Family by Deb Kastner Page B

her emotions a runaway train with no brakes to stop her from falling over the edge of the ravine.
    â€œNever mind me—don’t you care about Brody at all?”

Chapter Five
    L aney’s words were a direct hit to Slade’s gut. When he had invited her to meet him at the stable, he supposed he had had some backward, mixed up notion that she’d appreciate what he was trying to do. Serendipity’s annual rodeo was coming up and he was planning to ride—to honor Brody by competing in the sport that had meant so much to him.
    And if he was being completely honest, he might have been trying to show off to her. Just a little bit.
    Truthfully, it hadn’t even occurred to him how the situation might appear to her. Of course she was furious with him. She probably didn’t understand what bull riding was all about. She wouldn’t know it had been nothing more dangerous than a practice run and that he’d been riding far below his skill level.
    All she’d seen was a man on a bull.
    No wonder she was freaking out.
    â€œLaney,” he groaned from deep in his throat. He shifted his hands to her shoulders, brushing his palms down her arms to her elbows and then back up again. “Princess, I’m an idiot. I didn’t even think how this would look to you.”
    She sniffed and made quick work of brushing her cheek with the back of her hand, but he’d seen the tears, and he could feel the tension rippling across her shoulders. He’d really messed up this time. Brody would have been appalled with him not only for inadvertently hurting Laney but for the ever-present possibility of putting the child at risk.
    He’d let down his best friend.
Again.
    He was
so
not good at processing emotional stuff, and here he was with the self-charged duty of protecting a pregnant woman with all kinds of wacky hormones raging through her. How much more electric and supercharged could this situation be?
    Over Laney’s shoulder, Slade saw motion and realized the group of silly teenage girls who’d been watching him were still around, gawking at the two of them and gossiping amongst themselves.
    Not cool. One sharp look and a jerk of his head sent the young ladies scurrying for another place to prattle. Probably wouldn’t stop the gossip, but he didn’t give a fig about that. Folks could say what they wanted. No never mind to him, and hopefully not to Laney, either. She’d been through too much to succumb to wagging tongues.
    With the girls gone, he returned his attention to Laney. She couldn’t even look him in the eye. She sniffled again, and before he knew what was happening, she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. She gripped him as if she were afraid if she let go he would disappear, and soon her whole body was quivering. He realized she was sobbing, quietly muffled by the fabric of his shirt.
    Whoa. He totally hadn’t expected that reaction.
    He stood frozen for probably longer than he should have before he wrapped his arms around her and brushed his palm lightly over her back. How was he supposed to deal with a crying female? He felt gangly and awkward, especially with the baby bump between them.
    What had happened to the smooth-talking man who knew just how to handle the ladies, what to say to keep them happy? Slade wanted to cheer Laney up, but that part of his character had decided to desert him at the worst possible moment.
    â€œIt’s going to be all right, princess,” he murmured close to her ear.
    â€œIt’s never going to be all right.” She leaned back enough to meet his gaze, though she didn’t immediately remove herself from his arms. Her eyes were glassy, but he was relieved to see the spark was back. “And don’t call me princess.”
    Slade took that to mean their moment—or whatever it was—was over. “No offense intended.”
    She stared up at him for a beat, taking his