Free Cowboy to the Rescue by Stella Bagwell

odd look with Christina, then straighten upright in her chair.
    â€œI see you finally made it back to the house,” Geraldine said to him. “Did you find the bull?”
    Lex greeted both women, then carried his plate over to a nearby table. As he pulled up a redwood chair, he answered his mother’s question. “We found the bull. He was down in the river bottoms, minding his own business. Didn’t appear to be a thing wrong with him. I guess he just needed to be away from the womenfolks for a while.”
    â€œMaybe they needed to be away from him,” Christina suggested dryly.
    He rested his eyes on her and felt his heart thump with pleasure at seeing her again. “Believe me, they’ll want his company sooner or later.”
    He picked up a chicken leg and chomped into it, while a few feet away from him, Geraldine cleared her throat, then abruptly rose to her feet.
    â€œIf you two will excuse me,” she said, “I have things in the house to do.”
    Lex stared after his mother as she quickly walked away, then turned his attention back to Christina. “It’s nice to have you back on the ranch. Did you make any headway on the other case you’re working?”
    She nodded. “Thanks for asking. I found the man I was looking for, and thankfully, he’ll be able to testify for a person my friend is defending.”
    His brows peaked with interest. “You have a friend that’s a criminal lawyer?”
    â€œYes. Olivia Mills. You’d like her.”
    Lex grinned. “Is she pretty?”
    â€œShe’s beautiful and intelligent.”
    â€œLike you, then.”
    She glanced away from him, and Lex could see that his simple comment troubled her. But why? He thought women were supposed to like compliments, but he was learning more and more that Christina wasn’t the norm.
    When she failed to make any sort of reply, Lex turned his attention to eating, but after a few bites, he couldn’t remain silent. “What’s the matter with Mom? She practically ran back into the house.”
    â€œShe has a lot on her mind.”
    Grimacing, he reached for the beer he’d carried out with him. “You two were discussing something when I walked up. What was it? Me?”
    She groaned. “You must think everything revolves around you.”
    Odd that she should say that. If anything, Lex had always thought exactly the opposite. He was the middle child and the only male, at that. Lex had always felt that his mother focused more on his two sisters. In spite of all her good qualities, Geraldine could be a hard woman. Sometimes she could make Lex feel as if he was little more than a glorified ranch hand, rather than her son.
    â€œNot hardly. I got the impression that she was talking about something she wasn’t keen on me hearing. What was it? Dad’s case?”
    She let out a heavy breath. “Yes. But she was too upset to go into it with you tonight.”
    He took several bites of food as he waited for her to elaborate. When she didn’t, he finally prompted, “So? What about Dad’s case? You’ve uncovered something that upset her?”
    Rising from the rattan chair, he watched her move aimlessly across the brick patio. Tonight she was a slim picture in white slacks and a black-and-white tropical-print blouse. Her bright copper hair was fixed in a curly mass on the crown of her head. She not only looked beautiful, he realized, but she also moved with a lithe grace, which only intensified the sexual aura surrounding her. He took a minute to just admire her, enjoying the chance to watch her again after the too-long days she’d spent away from him.
    She said, “I told Geraldine that the more I study the police reports and couple them with what you’ve told me about Paul’s friends, the more suspicious I get about his death.”
    Mixed feelings swirled through Lex as he considered Christina’s suggestion.