Courted by the Cowboy (The Boones of Texas 3)

“I know you will,” Fisher agreed.

“Hey, there you are.” Renata poked her head out. “Dinner’s ready. Hope you have some room in your refrigerators. You’ll be taking some leftovers home with you. Dad went a little crazy in the kitchen. If you don’t take some home, we’ll be eating beans, brisket and coleslaw for a month.”

Shawn and Eli hurried back inside while Kylee lingered at the railing. “It’s just so pretty,” she said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Take your time, Kylee, there’s no rush.” He left her staring out at the hills, content that she was there—a part of his world.

Chapter Seven

Fisher didn’t say much on the ride from the Lodge to the horse barn. Eli was doing a fine job of keeping the conversation going. Shawn’s occasional grunt or one-or two-word answers was all Eli needed to keep talking. Archer sat beside him in the front, lost in his own thoughts.

“We have between fifteen and twenty horses here,” Eli was saying.

“More, if you count the rehabilitation center,” Archer added.

Fisher smiled at the pride in his brother’s voice. Archer might be a “strong personality,” but his heart was in the right place—especially when it came to horses. He loved horses more than anything in the world. That included most people.

“Why do horses need rehab?” Shawn asked. “I thought that was drinking and drugs and stuff.”

“Luckily, most animals don’t need that sort of rehab,” Fisher said. “Archer takes in animals that have been neglected, abandoned or abused. He helps them heal, body and spirit. And, when they’re ready, he helps them find a home.” He finished, aware that Archer was watching him. “What?”

“Nothing,” Archer murmured, a smile on his face.

Fisher parked, barely out of the truck before Eli and Shawn ran into the barn.

“Think they’re excited?” Fisher asked, reaching to the dashboard to grab the bag of apples he’d brought.

“They’re boys.” Archer said, as if that explained everything. “Think I’ll take the ATV and head out. I have some charts to review.”

Fisher suspected his brother was done being sociable and knew no one here would stop him from leaving. “I’ll be along later,” Fisher said.

Archer paused. “You like this girl, don’t you?”

Fisher regarded his brother over the hood of his truck. “Yep.”

Archer nodded. Fisher waited for more of a response, but Archer said, “This weekend we should work on the foreman’s house.” Clearly, he wasn’t spending too much time worrying over his little brother’s love life. But it made Fisher smile nonetheless.

“Maybe. But Renata wanted to meet and talk about Labor Day prep work,” Fisher reminded him.

Archer raised an eyebrow. “That’s more than a month away. There’s plenty of time to fix the water main and do what Renata needs, too.” He paused. “If we all work together, it could happen.” He headed to the shed where the all-terrain vehicles were kept.

Fisher shook his head. He was more than ready for Archer to be back in his own place, but he had a hard time believing Ryder, Hunter and Renata would see things Archer’s way. Most of them were working the Labor Day events in some form or fashion because it was a big event that the Boones had always been heavily involved with. Renata had had this on the calendar for months. As ready as he was to get Archer out of his place, he suspected they would remain roommates for a while.

He headed into the barn, the faint nicker of horses and the soothing scent of hay greeting him. He’d spent countless hours here, creating some of his best memories—his first saddle, his first kiss and the first time he’d won a fight.

Eli and Shawn were already in front of Red’s stall. The horse was snorting and blowing into Eli’s open hand but Shawn stood back, his arms crossed, hands tucked into his armpits. Shawn might have liked the look of horses, but he wasn’t ready to get up close and personal. Red was gentle, though, great with kids, or Hunter woul

d never have allowed his son near him. But Shawn didn’t know that.

“What do you think?” Eli asked.

“He’s big,” Shawn answered.

“Not as big as Uncle Fisher’s horse.” Eli stroked the side of Red’s neck.

Fisher shrugged. “Have to have a big horse. I’m a big guy.” He studied the boy’s posture, hoping Shawn wouldn’t be too intimidated. “I remember when I was little, the hardest part of riding was getting on the horse. It looked like a long way up. And once I was up, it looked like an even longer way down.”

“Ever fall off?” Shawn asked.