Free His Callahan Bride's Baby (Callahan Cowboys) by Tina Leonard Page B

think straight anymore.
    His family stared at him, their faces shocked.
    “What did you say?” Galen asked.
    “What?” Falcon said. “What do you mean, what did I say?”
    “That horrible thing you said,” Jace said. “Something like I quit. I give up. ” He shuddered.
    Falcon was done talking about the whole matter. “Are we having a family meeting or not? Is anybody going to give an update on Xav? Or are we just going to sit around in a hen session?”
    They continued to look at him in confusion. Falcon shook his head, and departed with his seriously unhappy heart.
    * * *
    “T HAT DIDN ’ T GO WELL , ” Galen said. “Think you laid it on a bit thick, Howdy?”
    “What?” Dante asked, his expression too innocent to be genuine.
    “Thick? Every word was true.” Tighe clearly intended to back his twin up to the max.
    “Did you really think telling Falcon where Taylor’s date was would be helpful?” Galen demanded of Ash.
    “How did I know he’d muff up the mission?” She frowned at Galen. “Falcon should have gone himself.”
    “Why?” Galen shook his head. “Look, I can’t bear him moping around looking like someone ripped his favorite blankie. He’s not going to be any good here if his heart is broken, and I don’t know about any of you, but I could hear it splitting clear across the room.”
    Dante and Tighe looked slightly ashamed of themselves. Ash, as usual, did not. Galen sighed. Sometimes it was like herding cats to get his siblings to think logistically and without the liberal dose of turkey juice that seemed to clog all their thought processes.
    They were, in a word, impetuous. Hotheaded.
    And he hated to admit it, but...wild. Like coyotes in the wilderness.
    He didn’t know how he was going to keep this ragtag bunch of misfits focused on the mission.
    “By the way, Dante and I are turning in our notice,” Tighe said. “We’re hitting the rodeo circuit. This is our official notice.”
    Galen’s ears rang and he felt his forehead pinch together in a frown. The whole room was silent, so still he could hear noises outside from the storm kicking up. Sure September weather for this part of New Mexico.
    But he didn’t have to say a word.
    Ash jumped up off the sofa and stalked out of the room, showing her distaste for her brothers’ announcement.
    Seemed like a good decision. Jace followed Ash, and with a last annoyed glance toward his brothers, Galen departed the meeting, too.
    They had nothing more to talk about.
    * * *
    A SH CAUGHT UP TO F ALCON as he saddled his horse. “Wait, Falcon.”
    He turned, not in the mood for conversation. “A storm’s coming in. I’ve got things to do.”
    She gazed up at him. “I am so sorry. About everything.”
    “Don’t be. It’s not your fault.”
    His sister put a hand on his arm. “Falcon, I hate seeing you miserable.”
    He smiled, but even he felt the unintended sardonic angle to it. “I’m not miserable.” He was something else he couldn’t define, and the only description that was coming to mind was in love .
    If this was love, it truly did stink.
    “You just need to talk to Taylor,” Ash said.
    “Funny, but I think I’ve had all of your advice I need, sis.” He mounted his horse, the one thing on this planet he trusted at the moment, and settled his hat on his head. “I’m going to ride Xav’s shift in the canyons. Keep him in the old bunkhouse closest to the house until he’s healed. Under no circumstances is he to go back to his post until he’s completely well, and even then, not until the shooter is found. If he argues, tell him that we don’t have enough insurance to cover him getting killed.”
    Ash’s face paled in the light from the barn’s overhead lamps. “You can’t go out there, Falcon.”
    “Who can? You?” Falcon shook his head. “You shouldn’t have been out there in the first place. You let your emotions get the best of you. I don’t intend to make that mistake.”
    He urged his horse out of the