Page 28 of The Cowboy’s Secret Lover

“You can ask me anything you want,” said Kurt from his spot in the doorway. “I’ll answer any question I can.”

Both Milly and Faith turned.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” said Milly, teasing. “Don’t just stand there, get yourself a cup of coffee, but give me some sugar first.”

Kurt dutifully stepped forward and placed a kiss on Milly’s cheek. “Morning Miss Milly. How are you today?”

“I’m worried about you and your beautiful daughter.”

Faith held out a cup of steaming coffee. “There’s milk and sugar on the table,” she said, as he took the offered mug.

Kurt sipped the coffee and watched Faith over the rim. He wanted to catch her eye and at least try to gauge her reaction to everything that happened. She moved through the kitchen, starting another pot of coffee, setting the bacon on a plate, scrambling eggs, and never once looked his way.

Did she regret the fact that they’d had sex?

True, she’d told him that nobody could ever know that they were lovers. It was true that he’d agreed to her terms, even assuring her that he’d accept any relationship—so long as it was with Faith. But it was also true that Kurt had hoped for more.

Love ‘em and leave ‘em had never been Kurt’s style. Yet, life as a cowboy kept him on the road. It gave him enough experience with one-night stands, and buckle bunnies, that he knew when to walk away.

Still, her disregard was like a fist to the gut.

“Sit,” said Faith. “The eggs are ready.”

“Yes,” said Milly. “Sit next to me. What happened last night? I heard there was an accident...”

The table was set for three people, complete with glasses of orange juice, plates of bacon and toast, a carafe of coffee, and a platter filled with scrambled eggs. Kurt dropped into a chair and his stomach contracted painfully. “There’s not much to tell,” he said, regarding Milly’s question. “Other than I should call the hospital and see if there have been any changes overnight.”

Faith took a seat next to her aunt. “I checked already. Erin is still stable, but there are some decisions you’ll have to make this morning.” She grabbed the platter of eggs from the middle of the table and passed them to Kurt. “Eat up, you want to be at the hospital when the doctor makes his rounds.”

He took the offered platter. Their fingers touched again—a current of electricity flowed up and down his arm. Still, she didn’t meet his gaze. Kurt scooped eggs, bacon, and toast onto his plate. His appetite was gone, but he ate. Who knew when he’d get another meal?

Milly talked about what she’d missed since her foot surgery and wondered if she’d be well enough to attend the church picnic next month. The chatter served as the perfect distraction to all of Kurt’s woes. His daughter. His love-life. Forget about the rodeo—although he most certainly had to ride tonight—and win.

Once he’d scraped his plate clean, he stood. “Thank you for the meal, but I really need to get to the hospital.”

Faith stood as well. “Give me a minute to get ready and I’ll go with you.”

Kurt was torn. He wanted—no, needed—to get to the hospital right away. Moreover, he wanted distance from Faith—emotional and physical, both. It had been foolish of him to dream that after all these years, things would work out between them. Yet, he had hoped.

Despite it all, his heartbeat thundered at the idea of being alone with Faith—even if it was only for a few minutes—and he agreed to wait.

True to her word, Faith was back in the kitchen moments later—before Kurt even finished his second cup of coffee. She wore pink slacks and a form-fitting sweater with a floral print. She kissed her aunt on the cheek, promising to be back for lunch, and reminding her that she had to cover the rodeo for the afternoon and evening.

Kurt and Faith left Milly’s house walked to his truck. He took a step and his knee refused to bend. “A big storm’s coming,” said Kurt. “Mark my words.”

Looking to the sky, Faith said, “The sky’s blue. There’s not a cloud in sight. What makes you think it’s going to rain?”

“My knee won’t bend and it’s a better predictor of the weather than any meteorologist.”

“You were thrown from a bull yesterday and sprained your knee. What makes you think that hasn’t caused your discomfort.”

Kurt shrugged. “My knee doesn’t lie.” He fished the keys to his truck from his pocket and used the remote to start the engine and unlock the doors.

“There’s something I want to talk to you about,” Faith said as she slipped into the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt.

Pulling onto the quiet street, Kurt told himself that he didn’t care what Faith had to say. Especially since he was certain that she was about to tell him their romance had been a bad idea. Still, he asked, “Oh yeah? What’s that?”

“It’s about Erin.”