Free A Cowboy to Marry by CATHY GILLEN THACKER Page B

desire, and murmured teasingly, “You sure you want to see me again so soon?” What they were feeling was already pretty intense.
    â€œWe entered into this so we can practice being part of a couple again. The point is…” Libby paused and drew a bolstering breath. “Dating after such a long drought is not going to be easy, Holden. We both knew that going into this. There are going to be glitches and missteps. Plushorrible feelings of guilt, probably. And kissing is bound to be awkward, too. So…who better to share it with than each other?”
    Was she really thinking they could limit this to kisses? He was still aroused.
    Quirking his lips, he retorted, “Gosh, Libby, when you put it that way…”
    Completely recovered, she leaned toward him, the only clue that she’d been at all affected by their embrace being the faint imprint of her nipples against her sweater. “I’m serious, Holden. I really do want to try this again. We had a lot of fun up to now.”
    She had a point, he realized.
    He smiled, thinking how good it had felt to share a picnic with her in the park and sit side by side in the movie theater, sharing a bucket of popcorn and some Junior Mints candy. “We did at that.”
    Libby perked up. “So we’ll see each other again tomorrow night?”
    Her enthusiasm was contagious. “I’ll pick you up at seven-thirty.”
    She tilted her head, curious. “Where are we going to go?”
    Nowhere, Holden thought sagely, anywhere near a bed.
    Â 
    H OLDEN ENTERED the Bar M stable just as Kurt finished examining the gestating Lady. Holden nodded at the beautiful silver mare with white feet and a dark gray mane, then turned to his cousin. “How is she doing?”
    Kurt stepped out of the foaling box, vet bag in hand. “Great. Although we got the results of the blood tests back, and the results are just as you suspected they’d be. The antibodies are up significantly.”
    Which meant they were facing hemolytic disease in the foal, Holden thought.
    Kurt continued casually, “You know what to do, so there shouldn’t be any problem, but if you run into difficulty, just call me.”
    He nodded. “Sure thing.”
    His cousin joined him in the aisle. “You still want me to look at the foal that was born this morning?”
    Holden nodded and he led the way. “Mind if I ask you a question?”
    â€œGo ahead.” Kurt carried his veterinary bag into the stall. Exhausted from the rigors of giving birth, the big bay mare was lying on her side in the straw. Her colt was cuddled up next to her tummy.
    â€œYou’re happily married,” Holden remarked, as he stepped in to gently help the wobbly-legged colt to his feet.
    â€œI certainly am, and I don’t mind saying, it’s great.” Kurt checked the foal’s limbs and evaluated the flexor and extensor tendons. “Had I known just how great, I would have—”
    He stopped abruptly, the way blissfully married folks always did when they realized they’d put their foot in it.
    â€œIt’s okay,” Holden remarked, looking forward to the day he wasn’t known as a divorced rancher who’d had his heart broken. “I know I failed big-time at the marriage business, first time around.” Because if he hadn’t, he and Heidi would have stayed together after the loss of their baby.
    â€œStill—” Kurt paused to listen to the colt’s heart and lungs “—I didn’t have to rub it in.”
    â€œIt’s fact. I’m dealing with it. Moving on.”
    Kurt looked up in surprise, as Holden plunged on.“Which brings me back to my question. How would you feel if something happened to you…?”
    Kurt peered at the foal’s gums. “Meaning I go to the big tent in the sky?”
    He nodded. “And another guy came along and put a move on Paige?”
    His cousin removed a