Free Her Cowboy Hero (The Colorado Cades) by Tanya Michaels Page B

for his tardiness. “My sister called with big news as I was leaving the bunkhouse. She’s pregnant. Again.” He shook his head. “Their first one’s not even six months old.”
    Across the table, Annette’s expression crumpled. “Excuse me.” Her chair let out a discordant squawk as it scraped across the linoleum.
    Todd’s gaze was troubled as he watched his wife hurry from the room. Hannah sighed heavily. Evan kept shoving bites of pancake into his mouth, oblivious.
    Colin caught Hannah’s eye, keeping his voice to a whisper. “I put my foot in my mouth, didn’t I?”
    She leaned so close that the rich, feminine scent of her shampoo blocked out the food smells. He briefly imagined closing his eyes and breathing her in, tangling his fingers through the silky jet strands of her hair.
    She brought him back to the present with her murmured, “Pregnancy’s a sore subject right now.”
    “Sorry.” He glanced to Todd, including him in the apology. The man nodded stiffly in acknowledgment.
    When Annette returned to the table, she was composed, once again her smiling self, but Colin was careful not to mention babies or pregnancy again for the rest of the meal. After breakfast, all four adults helped clear the table, but Hannah insisted she had to load the dishwasher by herself.
    “I’m obsessive-compulsive about where everything goes,” she admitted with a self-deprecating grin.
    “How about Annette and I go to the bunkhouse and start pulling up the carpeting?” Todd volunteered. The way he excluded Colin made it sound as if he needed a moment alone with his wife.
    Colin nodded. “Sounds good. My stuff is packed up to bring over here, and I put the minifridge out on the carport. Only thing left to move is the bed.”
    Once the Reeds exited the house, Hannah instructed her son to put some toys and books in his backpack to keep himself entertained on the carport while the adults were painting. With four of them helping, it shouldn’t take too long.
    Colin stepped closer so that he could be heard over the running water as Hannah rinsed dishes without Evan overhearing. “I’m sorry I upset Annette. Did she...lose a baby?”
    Hannah shook her head. “They’re trying to get pregnant. No luck yet. Annette was trying some medication that might help, but the drugs make her pretty emotional. She and Todd have an appointment with a specialist coming up to discuss options.”
    Turning off the faucet, she stared sightlessly out the window, her expression faraway and pensive. “When I first found out I was carrying Evan, I was thrown by the timing. I mean, I was happy, but because of when it happened, I knew Michael wouldn’t be with me when the baby was born. I really regretted that. But I see now what a gift it was. If I hadn’t conceived before he left...”
    “It’s amazing how you do that.” That first afternoon he’d been here, she’d commented on her diminutive height, speculating that it made others see her as weak. Hannah Shaw was one of the strongest people he’d ever met.
    She turned toward him, her forehead puckered in confusion. “Do what?”
    “Instead of sounding bitter about losing your husband, who died too young on the other side of the world, you count your blessings.”
    “Being bitter won’t bring him back.”
    “Do you still miss him?” He regretted the question immediately. It was too personal, too intrusive. Inappropriate, somehow, when he was standing this close to her. “I— Forget I asked. I’ll go see if Evan needs any help gathering toys and make sure he isn’t trying to dismantle his whole train set and stuff it into his backpack.”
    Not until he rounded the corner did he realize it was the first time in two years that he’d deliberately sought out a kid’s company. But, for the moment, hanging out with Evan seemed a lot less complicated than remaining in the sun-dappled kitchen alone with Hannah.
    * * *
    A LTHOUGH C OLIN GENERALLY preferred walking to and from the