Free Connor: A Cowboy Stepbrother Romance Novel by R.S. Wallace

highway.
    The image of the perfect man that I had made Connor out to be was starting to feel blurred. My imagination ran wild with thoughts of him breaking the law, stealing money, and outsmarting authorities. I pictured every kind of criminal I had ever seen on television or in movies. The criminal was always the bad guy, the one who stained society's shiny image. But that couldn’t be the Connor I knew, could it? Could my stepbrother be one of those guys?
    “There’s no way,” I affirmed. “No way.”
    Then I turned up the radio and rolled the windows down, letting the cool, morning air fill my car. The sun was beginning to peek over the horizon and I had a long ways to go before I’d get to the farm to surprise Connor. So I put the car in cruise control and relaxed into the seat, settling in for the long drive.
    ***
    T he time flew by and it wasn’t long before I crossed the state line into Iowa. The giant “Welcome to Iowa” sign that stood proudly by the side of the highway meant that I was getting close to the farm. The thought of seeing Connor again filled me with mixed emotions. Mostly I was excited, but there was still an underlying tone of suspicion that had me nervous.
    After a few more miles on the highway, I turned off onto the long, dirt road that led to Connor’s farm. The sweet smell of grass and the warmth of the sun flooded the inside of the car. It felt so nice to be in the country again and I wondered if that was where I belonged. Strangely, it felt more like “home” to me than the city ever had. Something about the fresh air, the sunshine and the simple way of life just resonated with me.
    After thirty minutes of driving on the dirt, I pulled up to the fork in the road. I glanced over to Richard’s farmhouse, which sat in the distance. Connor’s truck was parked next to the barn and as soon as I saw it, and a tingling sensation filled my body. Seeing the truck brought back a wave of memories, including the intimate encounter that Connor and I had shared in the back of it.
    I drew in a long, deep breath in an attempt to calm my excitement. Then I took a right at the fork and drove up to the house. I parked next to Connor’s truck and stepped out, glancing around the barn. The two horses, Willy and Nelson, were there, but Connor was nowhere to be seen.
    As my gaze moved outward across the green cornfields, contrasted against the blue sky, I began to remember why I loved the place so much.
    “God, it’s nice here,” I whispered.
    It had only been two days since I had left, but I had missed it more than I realized. It made me so happy to be back. There were obviously some very important things that I needed to talk to Connor about, but I hoped to be able to have some fun while I was there, too.
    “Now, where is that cowboy?” I wondered quietly as I walked up to the porch of the farmhouse.
    After knocking on the screen door a few times, I stepped over to the window nearby to take a peek inside.
    Hmm, that’s weird.
    There didn’t appear to be anybody inside. So I opened up the door and poked my head in. “Hello?” I called out.
    There was no answer. It was completely silent. I turned around and walked outside and then made my way to the wildflower field in the back of the house. To my relief, I found him there relaxing on a bench that was located at the edge of the field. He was facing away from me, with both of his arms over the back of the bench. He was wearing his brown cowboy hat and a sleeveless t-shirt. His head was leaned back slightly as the sun covered his body. A smile crossed my face as soon as I saw him.
    With a spring in my step, I walked down the dirt trail that led to the bench. When I got there, I placed my hands on his shoulders and quipped, “Excuse me, sir.”
    Connor jumped up immediately and turned around with a bewildered look on his face. “Holy shit!” he cried.
    I giggled softly at Connor’s reaction. I had no idea he could be so jumpy. As soon as realized