Free Cowboy with a Cause by Carla Cassidy

her, in her life. He told himself his desire to kiss her had been nothing more than some strange phenomenon brought on by the moonlight and the way her blue blouse made her eyes appear so soulful and her lips look soft and yielding.
    It had just been a wild moment, probably never to be repeated, he thought. In any case she had dismissed him quickly, as if she’d sensed what he was thinking and wanted no part of it.
    “Adam?”
    Courtney’s voice penetrated his thoughts and he looked at her.
    “I asked you if you wanted one piece of toast or two.”
    “One is fine,” he replied.
    Within minutes Nick and a fully dressed Garrett entered the room and breakfast was served. The food was great and the conversation was pleasant, with Garrett offering comic relief with his childish antics.
    “I was planning on driving to Oklahoma City this morning to see a man who has a champion bull for sale. Want to take the ride with me?” Nick asked Adam.
    It was a two-hour drive into the city, but Adam certainly had no other plans for the day. “Sure. It’s a nice day for a drive.”
    “And I’d like the company,” Nick replied.
    An hour later, Adam and Nick were in Nick’s truck and headed down the highway. Nick and Adam had never been particularly close. Adam had spent most of his time growing up in Sam’s company, while Nick and Cherry had bonded together as the youngest siblings.
    Cherry’s death in the car accident had sent them all reeling, but Sam’s arrest had nearly destroyed both of the brothers who remained behind to pick up the pieces. Nick had dealt with it by leaving town and going to Texas to work on a friend’s ranch. And Adam, well, there had been those bottles of booze to ease his pain.
    “So are you finding what you are looking for living in town?” Nick asked as he rolled down his window to let in the cool autumn air.
    “I’m not sure exactly what I’m looking for,” Adam replied honestly.
    “You know there’s always a place for you at the ranch.”
    “I know that, and I appreciate it, but it’s just not where I want to be right now. I’m thinking about talking to Cameron about training or whatever I’d need to do to maybe become a deputy.”
    Nick shot him a look of surprise, which quickly faded and turned into a grin. “You always did like watching all those cop shows on TV and trying to solve the crime before the TV cops did. I imagine Cameron could use more help.” He hesitated a moment and then continued, “Does this have something to do with Sam?”
    It was Adam’s turn to look at his brother in surprise. “What do you mean?”
    “Oh, you know, you feel guilty about what he did and so you’re going into law enforcement to ease some of that guilt and prove to the town that at least you’re a good guy.”
    Adam considered his brother’s words and then shook his head negatively. “Nah, you’re looking way too deep. It’s just something that’s always been in the back of my mind, even before Sam was arrested. The ranch had started to feel like a ball and chain. I never loved it like you and Sam did. I just felt the weight of responsibility of doing a job I didn’t really love.”
    “It’s important to find your passion. Ranching has always been what I wanted to do, and reconnecting with Courtney was a gift. Between those two and Garrett, I’ve found a real passion for living each day.”
    “And I envy you that,” Adam admitted.
    Nick flashed him a quick grin. “You become a deputy and you’ll have to fight off half the women in town. You know women love men in uniform.”
    Adam laughed and that seemed to set the tone for the remainder of the afternoon. Adam had forgotten how much he enjoyed his little brother’s company, how humorous Nick could be, how easy he was to be around.
    The drive to Oklahoma City seemed to fly by as the two talked about everything from their childhood to Cherry’s death and to Sam’s arrest.
    “Have you talked to him lately?” Adam