Free The Cowboy's Homecoming by Brenda Minton

covered the area where Jeremy had found Mark Hanson.
    â€œHe’s going to be fine.” Beth held on to Keira, who was a few years older than herself. Life hadn’t been easy for the Hansons. Keira had suffered three miscarriages in the last few years. Mark had lost his job.
    Beth swallowed, pushed aside doubt. And then there was a shout. They had Mark. They were talking to him. And then they were easing him out of the mangled pile of wood and metal that used to be their barn. As he lay on the ground, he turned, looking for his wife.
    Keira tore loose from Beth’s arms and ran to her husband. They hugged and Keira kissed his face, kissed his head. The paramedics stabilized his leg while Keira held his hand. And Beth wanted to laugh and cry, allat once. Salty tears trickled down her cheeks and she wiped them away with the back of her hand.
    Faith. A couple that held on to each other.
    Beth searched the crowd for Jeremy.
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    Jeremy pulled off his gloves and walked toward Beth. He smiled at the tear-stained face and wavering smile that greeted him.
    â€œLooks like he has a broken leg, but he’ll be fine.”
    Beth sniffled. “Yeah, but how can they take one more blow? They’ve lost babies, lost his job. What if they lose this farm, too?”
    â€œIt looks to me like they’ll be happy to have each other.”
    â€œI get that, but seriously, how many times can a couple get knocked down?”
    Boy, she was going for the jugular. “I don’t know, Beth.”
    â€œNo, you don’t. I’m sorry.”
    â€œLook, I know you’re upset about the church. But I can give Mark Hanson a job when I get the shop built. Once he’s recovered, I can put him to work.”
    She looked up at him, her brown eyes huge and tears spilling out again, running down her cheeks. “You’re cut and you’re limping.”
    â€œI got tangled in some sheet metal when I was digging through that mess. And the limp is old news and nothing a few aspirin won’t fix.”
    Beth reached for his hand and led him back to his truck. He thought about pulling away from her, but he didn’t listen to his good sense very often. This time he completely kicked it to the curb.
    If good sense meant cutting loose from Beth Bradshaw, he didn’t need it right now. There’d be time for regret later.
    She opened the door of his truck and pulled out a first aid kit. While he stood there like an idiot, she wiped his cuts. Her fingers were gentle, touching his arm and then his cheek. She pulled out a butterfly bandage for his arm, the deeper of the two cuts.
    â€œIt’s just a scratch on your face, but the cut on your arm might need stitches.”
    â€œI’m sure it’s fine.” He swallowed as she settled the adhesive strip in place.
    â€œThere, all done.”
    â€œThank you.”
    Her hand was still on his arm, her touch sweeter than honey. She sniffled and stared up at him. “You’d really give him a job?”
    â€œBeth, I know this might be news to you, but I’m not the enemy.” He let out a heavy sigh. “I’m not the enemy.”
    He brushed his fingers across her cheek and wiped away the tears that had spilled out again.
    â€œI know you’re not. But the church…”
    He rubbed his hand across his face and waited. He could walk away. He could tell her he didn’t want to discuss this with her. But those big brown eyes were looking up, intent, searching. She was all kinds of trouble he hadn’t expected.
    â€œI know it doesn’t make sense, Beth. But I’m a long way from being that poor kid that went to Back Street. Then again, I’m not. I’m still the kid who stole vegetables from neighbors’ gardens, and worked until bedtime to buy what we needed.”
    The words kind of surprised him because he’d neversaid them aloud to anyone. She had stripped away his control with soft questions and