Free Count on a Cowboy by Patricia Thayer Page A

shut off the engine, but he didn’t get out. He turned to her, and with the aid of the porch light, she could see the intensity in his eyes.
    “That’s what Rory told me when I came home for Dad’s funeral.”
    “Then believe him, Trent. I also think your father would be happy to know you came home to stay.”
    With a nod, Trent climbed out of the truck then came around and helped her down. He took her hand and walked her to the porch. “Thanks for tonight, Brooke. You saved a lonely old soldier from a solitary meal.”
    “Oh, yeah, you’re really old. What, thirty?”
    “Thirty-three,” he corrected.
    “Well, get out the cane then.”
    He smiled at her and her heart began to race once again, then he grew serious as he leaned closer toward her. “I guess I should let you get some sleep. I need some shut-eye, too. I have to ride out to check the herd early in the morning.”
    “Are you going far?”
    “A few miles to the north pasture. We need to bring them closer to the pens so we can do the branding.”
    Why did she want to go? She could barely sit on a horse. “Sounds like fun.”
    He cocked an eyebrow. “You didn’t get enough today?”
    “I really enjoy the ride.”
    “Well then, if you can be up and ready by five, you’re welcome to go along.”
    She blinked at the invitation. “You’re kidding, right? You’re inviting me along?”
    He grinned. “Who am I to cheat you out of all that fun?”

Chapter Seven
    At 5:00 a.m. the next morning, the sun wasn’t even up. Good thing Brooke had always been an early riser. At twelve, she’d had a paper route, using the extra money from her payments to make sure that there was food.
    Even if Coralee had made good tips at whatever bar she’d worked, she didn’t always come home with the money. Sometimes she went out and partied, or met some guy and spent it on alcohol or drugs.
    Brooke shook away the bad memories and pulled a long-sleeved shirt over her head. Aware of the low temperature, she slipped on her hooded sweatshirt for another layer when she heard a soft knock on the door. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat knowing Trent was on the other side, and she would be spending the day with him.
    “Stop fantasizing about a man you can’t have. Besides, you wouldn’t know what to do with him if you had the chance,” she murmured, then opened the door and felt the cool air hit her. She needed it seeing the handsome man taking up space in the doorway.
    “Mornin’,” he said, then smiled at her and stole her breath.
    “Good morning,” she managed as she stepped aside and allowed him inside.
    “I wasn’t sure if you were serious about going today.”
    “I’m used to getting up early.” She noticed his hands were full. “With going to school and my job, I had to be.”
    He nodded and held out a pair of boots. “Here, I scrounged up a pair of Laurel’s. They aren’t the cleanest, but at least your feet will have some protection.”
    She eyed the worn brown leather, but the tooling on the sides made them look expensive. “I don’t want to wear them without her permission.”
    “Laurel isn’t going to care. They’re just an old pair of barn boots. Do you know what that means?” He grinned. “She mucks out stalls and bathes horses in them. And today, they’re going to protect your feet around the cattle and horses.”
    Brooke finally took the prize he offered. “Thank you.” She went to the sofa, removed her sneakers then slipped on the first boot over her sock, then its mate. She stood and walked around.
    “It’ll take a little while to get used to walking in them,” Trent said. “Do they rub anywhere?”
    She shook her head. “My socks are pretty thick.”
    She looked at him. He was wearing a camel-colored jacket with sheepskin lining that made him seem even larger than he was. He had on his black Stetson and she noticed the dark shadow of his beard along his jaw.
    His gaze caught hers. “I also found you a coat. It’s cold out, so