Free The Convenient Cowboy by Heidi Hormel

into a conversation about people he didn’t know. He once again heard that affection in Olympia’s voice. She’d be fine here with Rickie, and he’d made the right decision. Despite what she might say, Olympia cared deeply. If she ever met Calvin, she’d treat him with a warmth that Missy had never been able to achieve.
    “You’re sleeping in the spare room because of the morning sickness?” he heard Rickie ask. Dang it. The girl wouldn’t leave it alone.
    “Of course,” Olympia said smoothly. “If Spence rolls over in bed, it makes me nauseous, doesn’t it, honey?” she asked sweetly.
    “For now,” he said and meant it. He wanted to share her bed again. He was pretty sure she felt the same way after last night. “I’d say we’d go out to celebrate, but...” he trailed off.
    “I’m good with only soup, animal crackers and salsa. No use going out if that’s all I can eat.”
    “That’s fine with me. You can help me put the finishing touches on dinner. Help me to get to know my brother-in-law,” Rickie said. Spence decided to take her comments at face value.
    Olympia hugged her younger sister. “Thanks, Rickie. You always were my favorite.”
    Rickie’s slow smile took her face from pretty to stunning, and right then, he saw the resemblance between these James girls.
    “I’m your favorite because I made you cinnamon toast and chocolate milk. Should I try for Grammy’s famous eggs with the soup?”
    “No,” Olympia said in horror, but with a laugh. “Even Spence’s stomach couldn’t take that.”
    “What?” he asked, intrigued by the genuine affection and teasing.
    “You don’t want to know,” they said in unison and laughed.
    “Come on, cowboy,” Rickie said. “Cooking is not just women’s work.”
    He turned to say something to Olympia and was pierced by the look of love that she gave her sister’s slowly retreating form. “What?” she asked sharply.
    “Nothing. Just happy that someone will be here with you.”
    “Me, too. I’ve got to pee.” She rushed down the hall, but she definitely wasn’t sick. He was nearly certain that he’d seen tears in her eyes. She wasn’t the hardened cowgirl she kept telling him she was. With her sister, she was much more like the woman he’d met at the wedding—open, hopeful and funny. Really, Calvin would love her, but his son wouldn’t be here anytime soon. Spence’s focus had to be on Texas and earning the money for the attorney who would fight for a better custody arrangement. Even if he thought she’d be a good mom figure for Calvin, he didn’t want his son getting hurt by thinking that he had a new mom, only to have her abandon him like Missy had.
    “Yo, you helping or what?” Rickie asked as she turned to him with a pan of something that smelled great.
    “That for me? What are you going to eat?”
    “I can take care of myself and my sister,” Rickie said, her pretty face firmed into very serious lines. He nodded his head in acknowledgment. These James women were something else.
    * * *
    O LYMPIA MISSED S PENCE now that he was in Texas, and she blamed her silliness on her pregnancy hormones. They didn’t share a room and barely shared a life. Still, she missed his morning whistling as he got his coffee and his tuneless humming as he ate his generic cereal that was more sugar than nutrition. She shook her head and made the solitary cup of coffee she was allowed to have. She’d sip it and then go out to the barn and forget about Spence, about the baby and about the agreement that made this all temporary.
    “I’m going to—”
    “Damn it, Rickie. Don’t sneak up on me.”
    “I didn’t sneak. You were mooning over that bag of cereal. If you’re not going to eat it, give it here.” Her sister held out her hand.
    What had she been doing with the bag? Imagining Spence eating his breakfast. Pathetic. “Enjoy. I’m going to have yogurt and a banana.”
    “You couldn’t even say that without wrinkling your