Free The Cowboy's Homecoming by Brenda Minton Page B

going to basic next week.”
    Respect. Jeremy slapped Reese on the back. “That’s amazing.”
    â€œYeah, well, a friend of mine from Tulsa went over a few years ago. He didn’t make it back.”
    â€œYou’ll make it back, Reese.” Beth stepped into the conversation. She hugged Reese tight. “We’ll have a big party when you come home.”
    â€œI’m counting on that, Beth.” Reese stepped back from the two of them. He tipped his hat in farewell and walked back to the Coopers.
    â€œGirls.” Jeremy twirled his fingers in the end of Beth’s brown hair, letting the silken strands slip through his hand. He wanted to bury his fingers in the dark strands and taste the gloss she’d pulled from her pocket and swiped across her lips just moments earlier.
    She wrinkled her nose at him, the way she’d doneway back when. It should have undone thoughts of kissing her, it didn’t.
    â€œGirls?” She smiled and her left brow arched a little higher than the right. “What does that mean?”
    â€œYeah, girls. You’re sappy and sweet, and you smell good.” He leaned in a little, proving to himself that his words were right on the mark.
    She was wearing his shirt and she smelled like some flowery shampoo, making this feel a lot more complicated than he’d expected.
    â€œThat isn’t what you used to say.” She whispered the words so softly it snagged his heart.
    â€œYeah, I was a dumb kid who thought girls were gross.”
    â€œI remember.”
    She walked away, glancing back over her shoulder. He laughed a little and followed her to the truck. She already had her door open and was climbing in when he got there.
    â€œBeth, someday I hope you’ll forgive me.”
    She cocked her head to one side as she buckled the seat belt. “Jeremy, I hope you’ll forgive yourself and a lot of other people.”
    He closed the door and as he walked around to his side, he glanced across the lawn to the group of Coopers who were busy cleaning up the debris-strewn lawn. Yeah, he had people to forgive.
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    The driveway up to the Bradshaw ranch was lined with trees, all of which were still standing. Jeremy turned and headed up the long blacktop lane toward the big brick house where Beth had grown up. Halfwayto the church Beth had asked to stop and check on her family.
    â€œYou can relax,” she said, dimples in her cheeks punctuating a smile that hit him in the midsection. Sweeter than a speckled pup; he’d once heard an old-timer use that expression about his wife when he’d met her.
    â€œRelax?” He rolled his shoulders and tried to pretend he didn’t have a clue what she meant by that.
    â€œYou’re all tense. Do you think my dad is going to jerk you out of the truck and tell you to stay away from his little girl?”
    He glanced her way and winked. “The thought did cross my mind.”
    He was a dozen years beyond that scraggly kid with the holey jeans and the second-hand boots.
    â€œHe’ll be too distracted to think about it.” She smiled and rolled down the truck window. “He’s dating someone, I think.”
    â€œI guess that’s good.” He slowed to a stop in front of the house. “Here we are.”
    He was acting like a kid on his first date. They both knew where they were, and this was anything but a date. The knots in his gut weren’t about Beth Bradshaw. That twisted-up feeling was about the turn of events that had put his plans on hold.
    Back Street Church had been spared. No way was he going to think that it had anything to do with Beth, the prayers of Dawson’s well-meaning citizens, or anything God wanted from him.
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    Beth didn’t move real fast to get out of the truck. Her dad was standing in front of the barn with Jason andAlyson. Buck Bradshaw glanced in their direction, his mouth settling in a firm line. Jason said something and their