Free A Cowboy for Mom by Honor James

A COWBOY FOR MOM
     
    Cowboy
for the Holidays, 2
     
    Honor James
     
    Copyright
© 2014
     
     
     
    Prologue
     
    Throwing his truck into Park, he
sat for a long time staring over the manicured lawns. Neatly trimmed hedges
lined the roadway, flowers followed the paths, and giant trees created
interesting patterns of light over everything.
    Slowly, he turned
off the engine and pocketed his keys. Grabbing the bundle from the passenger
seat and his Stetson from the dash, he slid out into the cool morning air.
Pushing the hat onto his head, he took a breath as he locked up the truck.
    He walked slowly
along the path and paused when he reached his destination. Clearing his throat,
he swallowed a couple of times before he felt comfortable enough to begin.
    “Hi Mom,” he said
quietly. “I know it’s been awhile, and for that, I’m sorry. The ranch has been pretty busy already this year, but I’m sure you
remember how that goes. Too much to do in too few hours of
every day.”
    Rubbing at the
bridge of his nose as birds chirped in a nearby tree, he shifted on his feet.
“Had to hire a couple more hands and from the way things look, I’ll be getting
a couple more come June. Bev called the other day,” he said, mentioning his
younger sister, a major pain in his ass. “She said to tell you hello and to let
you know that she and Mark were thinking of you.” His sister’s husband   never particularly liked his mother-in-law, but he did respect her for raising a
strong, independent daughter.
    “Both her rugrats
are getting big, so she says, though I won’t be able to see for myself until
the end of summer, when they come down from New York to visit. Talked to them both
briefly, though, and it sounds like Moira has a boyfriend. Yeah, I know she’s
only seven and we all know how well those last at that age, but she’s pretty
excited. Mark definitely is not happy about it, even if Bev tells him it’s just
a puppy crush. He still thinks he needs to have words with the boy.”
    Grinning, he shook
his head and then spoke about his nephew, Collin. “Collin’s getting all A’s again this
year and doing well on the wrestling team. Bev says he’s a scrapper and, while
he’s still gangly at ten, he’s got some solid technique happening. They’re
planning a trip down to Florida once school is out to visit with Dad. I told them that if I can manage it, I’ll
slip away for a couple of days to meet them there for some fun in the sun. But
we all know how hard that can be.” Especially with his old
man having found a new woman to share his life with. Not exactly how he
wanted to spend his time, watching his old man make the moves on a younger
woman. Or spend too much time with his sister, who would bug him nearly nonstop
about his life and the fact that he didn’t call and relay all to her as he was
apparently supposed to do. But seeing the kids was really why he wanted to go,
since he missed his niece and nephew.
    “Anyway, I just
wanted to come by and say hey. I know I’m a little early, but Mother’s Day
falls on a cattle buy day this year. I know, they should know better. But I’ll come back on your
birthday too and bring you something a little more special, as well. I promise
you’ll like it and no, it won’t be expensive. I know how you always hated us
blowing our hard-earned money on you.” She’d always insisted that both he and
his sister make her a gift each year.--something from their hearts to her,something
they thought she’d like, and she always did, no matter how butt-ugly it had
been.
    Crouching, he lay the bouquet down gently. “Happy Mother’s Day,
Momma,” he whispered. Pressing his hand to the cold stone that marked her final
resting place, Carson bowed his head and let out a shuddering breath. Sixteen years and it never got
easier but still he came each and every Mother’s Day and birthday. “I love you,
Momma,” he managed to get out around the lump in his throat.
     

Chapter One
     
    Ugh,