Page 61 of Lost and Found Cowboy
“He can’t just expect you togivehim a commercial property.”
“Oh, yes, he can. That’s why he brought me down here, to transfer ownership of the building to him.”
“Did you do it?”
“Yes, I think so. Judy Fitzgerald helped us, and she said the actual deed was in Denver and it would take close to a week to get here, but we did sign something that said he gets the shop in two business days.”
“That gives us the weekend to figure out how to fight him and to keep your kids.”
She shook her head as she pulled away. “No. I’m not going to fight him. He can have the building. Especially if it means he’ll go away. He wants to take the money from the sale and start over in Florida. I can always find another job.”
“But that coffee shop was your dream.”
“And I got to enjoy that dream for a little while. But nothing outranks my kids. And it will be worth the loss if he leaves.”
“Guys like that have a way of showing back up again. Especially if they think they can get something out of you again.”
“This is what I can do now.” She swiped the remaining tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. “Can you give me a ride back to my house now? I’d really like to hug my kids.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Mommy!” Max cried and ran across the room to fling himself into Lorna’s arms when she and Mack walked into the house five minutes later. “Mack found you. Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” she said, planting kisses all over his face. “And I heard you were very brave and did a great job taking care of your sister.”
He pushed her hair away from her ear to whisper into it. “I was pretty scared, Mommy.”
She hugged him tighter. “I know you were, honey. I was, too. But we’re okay now, and we’re gonna be just fine.”
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here earlier,” Gertie said, drying her hands on a dish towel as she walked in from the kitchen.
“It’s okay,” Lorna told her. “It wasn’t your fault.”
Gertie shrugged and jerked her thumb back to the kitchen. “I’m making your favorite—homemade chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes—to make up for it. It’ll be ready when you get home from work, and there will be enough to share.” She gave a not-so-subtle nod in Mack’s direction.
“That’s kind of you, Gertie, but not necessary. You do plenty of things to help me already.”
“I’d like to offer to help, too,” Mack said. “Why don’t you let me go into the shop so you can stay home and just be with the kids. You said Emily is coming in today. Between the two of us, we can take care of things.”
“That’s a good idea,” Gertie agreed. “And I’ll stick around to make lunch so you can take a nap, too.”
Lorna glanced from one to the other as Max took off to play with the dog. “I feel like you two are somehow in cahoots with this ‘let’s be nice to Lorna’ business.” She rolled her shoulders against the stiffness and pain in her back and ribs. “But I learned as a single mom, to never say no to someone’s offer of help. So, I will take you both up on it.”
Gertie gave her a hug, then jerked back as Lorna winced at the pain in her ribs. “Why don’t you head upstairs and run a hot bath, and I’ll bring you a cup of tea and an ice pack for that cheek.”
Mack’s expression hardened as Gertie headed into the kitchen. “I’d like to go find that little turd and beat the hell out of him for you.”
She laughed then winced again. “I’d like that too, but it won’t help anything.”
“All I want to do is help you,” he said, gently putting his arms around her. “What I really want to do is go all caveman and pack you and the kids and that scruffy little dog into my truck and take you back to the ranch where I know you’ll be safe. But I know you well enough by now to know that you probably wouldn’t go, and what you’d really appreciate the most is for me to march down to Mountain Brew and make macchiatos and serve up some warm cinnamon scones.”
She grinned up at him. “Which is almost as manly as that caveman idea.” She sighed and pressed her good cheek to his chest. “I’m tempted by the idea though. But I don’t think you need to worry about the ‘little turd’. He got what he wanted, so Idon’t think I’ll see him again until we hear back from Judy that the paperwork went through, and he shows up for the keys to the building.”
Mack’s hands curled into fists. “Can’t I hurt him just a little bit?”
She hugged him tighter. “No, but thanks for wanting to.”
“You want me to call one of my brothers or Duke to come over, just to be a presence at the house?”
