The Lionhearted Cowboy Returns Read online

  He touched the aged counter, tracing the familiar initials scratched in the wood. Their names, Trevor Guthrie, Jeff Gentry, and then, later, another person had been invited into their sanctum, Lacey Haynes.

  When they’d gone to high school, a new declaration had been carved out: Trevor loves Lacey. Jeff’s finger outlined the heart around their names. The threesome turned into a twosome. Trevor and Lacey never intentionally left him out, but he’d become the third wheel. And he’d found it harder and harder to be around the happy couple. Even dating his own steady girl hadn’t changed his feelings for Lacey. But she’d loved Trevor.

  Jeff had tried to accept it. After a time, he knew he couldn’t stay around. He’d joined the military and was to leave in a few months. It had been a rough summer for all of them, and particularly rocky for the perfect couple. Trevor had asked him to help. Jeff had reluctantly agreed and he’d met Lacey at the cabin. But they hadn’t done much talking.

  Jeff drew a shaky breath; the pain and joy of being with Lacey still tore at him.

  He’d done the unforgivable that day. He’d betrayed his best friend. So the only thing he could do had been to leave and try to forget. He’d heard weeks later of the couple’s wedding.

  So many years had gone by. So many things had happened over those years. He rubbed his thigh absently.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Jeff spun around, nearly losing his balance. He gripped the counter as he looked at the young boy standing in the doorway. The kid’s hat was cocked low, but there was no hiding his anger. There was no doubt at all that he was Trevor’s son.

  “Hi, I’m Jeff Gentry. I used to come here when I was a kid.”

  “This cabin belongs to me and my dad. So you’ve got to leave.”

  “I knew your dad, Trevor.” He nodded. “You must be Colin.”

  The boy ignored him. “He’s dead.”

  “I know and I’m sorry. I’ve been away for a lot of years.”

  Colin’s eyes narrowed. “Dad told me you were in the army, Special Forces. That you’re a hero.”

  Jeff tried not to flinch at the title. “I was just doing my job.”

  Those questioning blue eyes studied him. “Big deal. If you were my dad’s friend, how come you never came to see him?”

  “I was out of the country, serving overseas. As much as I wanted to be here, I had a job to do for the government.”

  The kid remained silent.

  Jeff continued in the awkward stillness. “We wrote back and forth.” That sounded lame, even to him. “I had no idea he was so sick until afterwards. I’m here now, so if I can help you—”

  The kid reared back. “I don’t need your help. ’Cause it’s too late.” Fighting tears, he ran out of the cabin.

  “Wait, Colin.” Jeff started after him, but stopped as he spotted a battered Jeep pull up next to his truck. Lacey Guthrie got out and walked up to her son. She didn’t look happy with him.

  Finally the boy stalked off toward the horse grazing on the grass. The eight-year-old mounted the animal with the ease of a pro, grabbed the reins and reeled him around. Feeling Colin’s kick against his ribs, the horse shot off.

  Lacey closed her eyes and prayed for strength, then she turned around to deal with the intruder at the cabin door.

  Why wasn’t she surprised to find Jeff here? So he wanted to reminisce about the past. Too bad he hadn’t gotten the urge sooner. The one thing Trevor had wanted during those last days was to see his friend. As far as she was concerned she’d never wanted to see him again. She blinked away the sudden rush of tears. Why did he have to come back now?

  She drew a shuddering breath and worked up the courage to speak. “So, Gentry, you finally made it home.”

  He stepped off the porch and made his way across the field. His movement was slow and uneven as he finally reached her. “I got here as soon as I could.”

  She nodded, not wanting to hear another condolence for her loss. “Your parents explained you were out of the country.”

  He cocked his head and held her gaze. His strong jaw showed a trace of his stubbornness, but his brown eyes gave away his softer side.

  And his sexy side. Jeff Gentry had always been the quiet, sexy type. He still was.

  “You have to know, Lacey, I’d have given anything to be here for Trevor.”

  She wasn’t going to cry. “I know, but I’m not happy about your trick this morning.”

  “Trick?”

  “You could at least have let me know you were back.”

  “Yeah, I should have. I’ve been staying pretty close to home.”

  The Jeff she remembered never gave much away. Now wasn’t much different. “I don’t need your help now, Jeff. I don’t need you to come and rescue me.”

  “Who said I was rescuing you?”

  She folded her arms across her chest. “You’re in the military, Master Sergeant. What do you need with quarter horses?”

  “My time’s up. I’m a civilian now.”

  She couldn’t hide her shock. “I can’t believe it.”

  He glanced away, but she caught a flash of sadness. “Believe it. I’ve given my time to my country. I’m ready for a change.”

  She could see the strain around his eyes. She had a feeling war had taken its toll on him. “Trevor would have loved having you back home.”

  He looked hesitant. “He wasn’t the only one, Lace.”

  She hated that he called her by her nickname. “Logically, I know that…”

  He nodded. “Trevor understood I had a job to do.”

  She turned and marched to her vehicle. The hurt she felt seemed as intense as losing Trevor all over again. Her biggest problems were that she had to deal with her husband being gone—and Jeff Gentry returning.

  CHAPTER TWO

  A few hours later, Jeff drove to the Guthrie Ranch. He wasn’t going to leave things unsettled. Lacey might not want him around, but too bad, he didn’t like the situation any more than she did.

  Whether she liked it or not, he was back.

  He pulled up in front of the house that had once been Trevor’s parents’ home.

  He’d been here numerous times as a kid. Just as Trevor had been a frequent visitor at the Rocking R.

  He went straight to the back porch and knocked on the door. It opened, and behind the screen a little girl about five years old appeared, wearing jeans and a pink-flowered blouse. He was caught off guard for a moment. She favored her mother with that same streaked blond hair and big eyes. The fight inside him suddenly died.

  “Who are you?” the child asked.

  “Jeff Gentry.” He smiled. “I’m a friend of your mom and dad. Who are you?”

  “Emily Susan Guthrie.” She shook her head. “You can’t see my daddy, he died.”

  Jeff leaned down, bracing his hands on his thighs. “I know, and I’m sorry, Emily.”

  She seemed to brighten a little. “My daddy used to call me Emmy Sue,” she announced proudly.

  “That’s cute. Is your mother here?”

  “She’s down at the barn, feeding the horses. I have to stay here and watch TV. She only lets Colin help her ’cause he’s older.”

  “I bet when you’re older, she’ll let you help, too.”

  “I used to help my daddy. He said I was his best girl.”

  Jeff could still remember years ago how Wyatt used to call his younger sister Kelly ‘Princess.’ “I bet you were. And I bet your daddy would be happy that you’re minding your mom, too.”

  She nodded eagerly. “And I’m not s’posed to let anybody in the house when she’s not here.”

  At least one of this family’s members was talking to him. “That’s a good thing. I’ll just go down to the barn and see your mother there.”

  The child looked disappointed. “’Kay. Bye.” She shut the door.

  Jeff made his way down the steps, wishing he could spend the afternoon watching television, too. Instead he had to try and think of what to say to Lacey to
convince her to accept some help.

  He owed Trevor that much.

  “Mom, I’m finished feeding the horses,” Colin called as he came out of Fancy’s stall. “Am I done now?”

  Lacey looked around the nearly empty horse barn. Thanks to the successful auction that morning, there were only five horses left, and two more would soon be gone.

  She pointed to the leather bridles tossed over the railing. “Just take those back to the tack room and you can go to the house, but I don’t want you to bother your sister.”

  Her son grabbed the tack off the railing and started down the center aisle. “You always blame me for all the trouble.”

  “That’s because you can’t leave Emily alone. I mean it, Colin, don’t go near her. You’re already in trouble for riding off today without asking.”

  “Fine, I’ll just go to my room.” He went into the tack room, then came out seconds later. She knew he hadn’t had time to put away the bridles properly, but it wasn’t worth the argument; she’d just do it herself later.

  It had been a long day and she was tired. The auction had taken a lot out of her. At least the money made today would finally pay off Trevor’s medical bills, and the ranch would be solvent for the next year. After that, she wasn’t sure what she’d do. She knew she couldn’t continue the breeding business without a stud. She’d kept her chestnut broodmare, Bonnie. She just needed a stallion.

  She looked toward the barn door where her son had stopped to talk with someone. Jeff Gentry. Great. She didn’t need any more of him today, but by the looks of it, she wasn’t going to get her wish.

  She watched as he started down the aisle. Large and powerfully built from years of military life, he roamed efficiently. Her gaze moved over him and noticed a slow gait and a slight limp. Had he been hurt? She hadn’t heard anything about any injuries.

  He made a stop at Reb’s stall and began to get acquainted with the stallion. Much like Trevor, Jeff had a knack with animals, maybe more so than with people.

  It had surprised her and everyone else when he’d announced that he’d joined the military. Even though college hadn’t worked out for him, she’d always thought he’d partner with his dad and uncle in the rough-stock business. His decision to go into the army had affected a lot of people, including her. She had a feeling his return would affect just as many.

  No, she couldn’t let it affect her. Not after all this time and after everything she’d gone through.

  Jeff gave Reb’s muzzle one more pat, then started toward her. A strange sensation surged through her and all she could do was watch him. He was a good-looking man, but so was Trevor, although the two friends couldn’t have been more different. Trevor was blond with hazel eyes, while Jeff had dark-brown hair and brooding coffee-colored eyes.

  She thought back, recalling their conversation earlier. How could she have talked to him that way? Even with the hurt and months of loneliness since Trevor’s death, she had no right to blame Jeff. He hadn’t caused the virus that had damaged her husband’s heart. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to apologize for her actions. They had too much history for that. Jeff hadn’t only walked away from Trevor all those years ago, he’d walked away from her, too. With not even a care, or as much as a backward glance. Jeff Gentry never realized the pain and hurt he’d caused her. It had been Trevor who’d picked up the pieces.

  Lacey drew a breath and released it. Now, ten years later, she knew it was finally time to let it go.

  “I take it you’re here for your horses.”

  Jeff paused to regroup for his talk with Lacey. He wasn’t going to let her brush him off. He could do attitude with the best of ’em. “First, I want to settle something.”

  “Settle what?”

  “Can we cut this out? I get you’re angry at me for just showing up.”

  She threw him a surprised look. “Why don’t we just chalk it up to a bad day?” Her gaze locked with his. “You ever felt your world was suddenly crashing down around you?”

  Jeff gripped the stall railing, shifting his weight onto his good leg. “Hell, yes, once or twice,” he answered, flashing back to the painful days during his long recovery.

  He’d only heard of Trevor’s illness right after surgery when he was flat on his back, fighting his own hell. His friend was dying and he couldn’t help him. He’d sent word to Lacey, but by the looks of it, that hadn’t been enough.

  “Trevor wouldn’t want you wasting time being so angry,” he said.

  Those pretty green eyes narrowed. “Cut me a little slack, Gentry. I had to give up a lot today.”

  “I’m not cutting you anything. You can’t fall apart now. You have kids who need you.”

  She shot him a look. “Who are you to tell me what I need to do? You weren’t here. It might not be reasonable to blame that on you, but he was your best friend.”

  He tried not to flinch. “The military doesn’t care about friendships, Lace. And neither did the terrorists I was fighting. There were times I couldn’t even contact my parents.”

  He closed his eyes for a moment as he took a breath. The last he’d heard from Trevor, he’d said everything was fine. That had been about a month before he’d been deployed on his last mission. Then everything had changed.

  He shook away his wayward thoughts.

  “Lacey, you’ve got to know, if it were humanly possible, I would have found a way to be here for him.”

  He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She’d always been pretty, and that had only been enhanced with age. “For you, too.”

  “I didn’t need your help, then or now,” she said stubbornly.

  “That’s just too bad,” he retorted.

  She froze at his words, then snapped out of the daze. “Look around, Gentry, there isn’t much left.”

  Jeff moved closer, feeling fatigue in every step. He ignored it. “That’s why you need me.”

  She said something very unladylike, grabbed a feed pail and started down the aisle. Jeff reached for her arm and turned her around. “Tell me, Lacey. How bad are things?”

  “That’s none of your business.” She started off again.

  Jeff went after her, pushing hard to keep up. She went into the tack room.

  “Is Rebel Run your only stud?”

  Lacey busied herself hanging up the bridles. “As of this morning he’s your stud.”

  So she didn’t have any business left. Great. “Okay, here’s the deal. I need a place to board my horses. I’d like to leave Rebel and Fancy here. I’ll pay you a fair price.”

  She looked shocked. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Since when have you known me to kid around?” He paused and waited for her answer, but got none. “Okay, here’s the clincher. I need a place to stay.” He released a breath. “And I want to rent the cabin.”

  Lacey ran her sleeve over her brow, pushing her worn hat off her forehead. She threw up a silent prayer this day would end, along with all the craziness. She didn’t want this man messing in her life.

  Lacey looked back at Jeff. “The Randells own more property around here than anyone. You can take Rebel over to your uncle’s place, put him out to stud there.”

  He gave a shrug. “I have my reasons. So, you want to take me up on my offer? The money couldn’t hurt.”

  “All right, the horses can stay.”

  He nodded. “You should think about boarding other horses, too. Bring in another half dozen and you’d make a good income.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t work at the market and handle more animals without help.”

  “Then hire someone,” he said. “Until then, I’ll come by and help out.”

  She jammed her hands on her hips. “If this is your trick way of rescuing me, I don’t want it.”

  His dark gaze settled on her face. “It’s the other way around, Lace. You’re the one rescuing me.”

  The next morning about 6:00 a.m., Jeff walked in the back door of his parents’ house and found his mother standing at the
stove cooking breakfast. The aroma of coffee and bacon hit him.

  Maura Gentry looked up and smiled. With her auburn hair and green eyes, she had always been pretty, and that hadn’t changed over the ten years he’d been away. Even though she’d come to the Rocking R a city girl, she’d fitted into ranch life as if born to it.

  “Morning, honey.” She eyed him closely, unable to hide her concern.

  “Hi, Mom. Something smells good.” He walked to the table and pulled out a chair. The kitchen had always been the heart of this home. It had also been remodeled a few times. The cabinets were maple with dark granite countertops and the latest stainless-steel appliances. The floor was the original honey hardwood. He’d loved growing up in this house.

  She set a plate on the table. “I made sweet rolls.”

  He picked one up and took a bite. “You keep this up and I’m going to gain ten pounds.”

  “You could use some extra weight.”

  He frowned and took another bite. After he swallowed, he asked, “Where’s Dad?”

  “He’s with Dylan. The new bull arrived earlier. He should be here soon.” She brought over a plate piled high with bacon. Just then the back door opened and his dad walked in. He hung his hat on the hook on the wall, then nodded to his son before he went to his wife and kissed her.

  He came to the table and pulled out a chair. “Mornin’, son.”

  “Morning, Dad.”

  “You’ve got to see this bull, Jeff. Dylan’s named him Rough Ride.” His father beamed. “We both think he’s going to make quite a reputation on the circuit.”

  Maura Gentry brought a dish of scrambled eggs and joined them. “Just so long as the two of you stay away from him, I’m happy.”

  Wyatt frowned. “Are you saying I’m too old to climb on a bull?”

  “No, I’m saying you’re too smart. So don’t make me out a liar. Save the ride for those twenty-something kids who need to impress the girls.” She picked up a fork. “You can impress me in other ways.”

  Jeff should have been used to his parents’ flirting. Since the moment they’d met it had been like that between them.