Free Her Cowboy Knight by Johnna Maquire Page A

Too much. She almost saw the words coming out of her mouth rather than heard them. “Fuck off, Leo.”
    They weren’t loud words. They weren’t yelled or screamed, but their impact could not be understated. She heard a gasp and realized for the first time that her younger brother Eamon had stepped into the stable with her father sometime in the last few minutes.
    Her father’s face arranged itself into an instant scowl. “Is this how you’ve learned to talk the last week at this ranch, daughter?”
    She didn’t inform him that it was more like she had heard this language around Renaissance Festivals and even her father’s Marine Corps buddies her whole life. Instead Cooper spoke up. “I assure you, sir, she did not. In fact, she showed up with quite a blue streak of language all of her own the first day in my town… the sheriff even commented on it.”
    Declan grabbed Eamon by the shoulders and spun him toward the door. “Why don’t you go tell them we’re going to be a little late starting. There’s a good lad.”
    William kept his eyes on Gabby. “What on God’s green earth has gotten into you?”
    Gabby felt tears pricking her eyes. “You’re replacing me with a twelve-year-old, my boyfriend doesn’t trust me to do my job, and now even Leo doesn’t think I can ride. What could possibly be wrong with me?”
    She took a deep breath and met his eyes. “Look, Father, I’ve tried my best, and if I could have grown a penis, I would have, but that’s the one thing I just couldn’t do. I’m sorry.”
    Leo held up his hands. “Look, maybe I should go…”
    William said, “No, Leo, stay. You’re part of this.”
    Gabby gave a shuddering laugh. “By all means, Leo, stay. You’re more a part of the family than I am, apparently. I’m guessing you knew about this all day yesterday, and just didn’t tell me?”
    She could tell by his guilty expression that she was right. “Well, I can tell you now that he’ll drop you like a yesterday’s porridge just like he did me as soon as Seamus is old enough to joust.”
    She swung her gaze to her father. “But I’ve got news for you, Father. That time will be a long time coming… or has he not told you about the Marine Corps recruitment site he frequents on the Internet. He’s going to enlist, Father… and make you proud.”
    A gasp from the doorway alerted them all to the fact that Moira had joined the party.
    Declan muttered, “Oh, that’s done it.”
    Seamus stood up straighter. “And what if I do.”
    Moira gave him a hard look, then advanced to Cooper. “I apologize, Cooper, you’re not really seeing us at our best.”
    Gabby shook her head and clenched her jaw. “Oh, by all means, we must appear at our best. Did he perhaps mention, in all your cozy chatting yesterday, the naked roll in the cow field we had?”
    “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.” Declan’s oath pretty much summed up the gobsmacked look on all of her family’s faces.
    Gabby, however, knew she had finally crossed the line with Cooper. His body shifted just slightly, but his blue eyes turned that slight shade colder. “Yes, ma’am, that’s the truth. And I’m not ashamed to admit it, although I don’t think I’d have announced it to your family quite this way. But let’s not stop there. Sounds to me like we are in sharing mood right now, Gabriella. Let’s share it all. Yes, we were naked, but we didn’t have sex, but not for lack of trying. I intend to do it many times in the future. But let’s go farther. I also spanked your little bottom several times, something I also intend to do many, many, many times in the future… the very near future.”
    Cooper never took his eyes off Gabby as he said, “So we’ll be taking our leave of you folks now. I’m guessing that you can carry on without us.”
    Gabby said, “Cooper, I still have a show to do today.”
    Cooper shook his head. “No, ma’am, you’re still not getting on that horse with sharp objects.”
    William knocked