Page 20 of Cowboy's Healing Heart

I blink, caught off guard by the offer. Part of me wants to say yes, to lose myself in easy conversation and cold beer. But I can’t. Ashanti’s waiting for me, and we need to have a serious talk about what happened at school.

“Can’t,” I say, shaking my head. “Got stuff to take care of at home.”

Shane nods, understanding in his eyes. “Another time, maybe.”

I hesitate, then nod. “Yeah, maybe. Goodnight, Shane.”

I walk away, feeling his eyes on me until I’m out of sight. The night air is cool against my skin, a welcome relief after the heat of the day.

As I make my way to my cabin, my thoughts drift back to Shane. His easy smile, his quiet competence, and his persistence. That man is getting to me.

I shake my head, pushing those thoughts away as I climb the steps to our cabin.

I pause at the door, taking a deep breath. I can hear Ashanti moving around inside, probably working on homework or drawing in her sketchbook.

For a moment, I let myself imagine a different life. One where I don’t have to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders alone. Where I can trust someone else to have my back. Where I can kick off my boots and take a long bath after a long day on horseback.

But that’s not my reality.

This is what I’ve got, and my daughter took down a fellow student with a fucking ninja move.

I promise I can’t make this shit up.

I stomp through the front door of our cabin, my boots leaving muddy tracks on the floor. Ashanti sits on the couch, her head down, shoulders hunched. She knows she’s in trouble.

“Ashanti Duncan, what were you thinking?” I demand, hands on my hips. “Fighting at school? Using some kind of ninja move?”

She looks up at me, defiance flashing in her eyes. “It wasn’t my fault, Mom. Devon started it. He was making fun of me again.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to stay calm. “That’s no excuse for violence. You know better than that. You put another kid in the nurse’s office.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt him that bad! I just wanted Devon to leave me alone.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to stay calm. “We’ve talked about this, baby. You can’t go around attacking people, no matter how much they’re bothering you.”

“But Mr. Shane said?—”

My head snaps up. “Shane? As in Shane Kennedy?”

She nods, and something twists in my gut. I didn’t even know they knew each other, let alone that he was teaching her combat moves behind my back.

“You’re grounded for two weeks,” I say, my voice hard. “No TV, no phone, nothing. Now go take a shower and get ready for dinner.”

Ashanti opens her mouth to protest, but one look from me, and she thinks better of it. She trudges off to the bathroom, shoulders slumped.

As soon as she’s out of sight, I grab my jacket and head for the door, anger simmering in my veins. How dare Shane overstep like that? Teaching my daughter to fight without even asking me? She could’ve seriously hurt someone—or gotten herself hurt.

The late afternoon sun beats down as I march across the ranch, kicking up little clouds of dust with each furious step. I pass Kelvin and Bethany sitting on their porch, but I don’t stop to chat like I normally would.

"Everything okay, Krystal?" Bethany calls out, brow furrowed with concern.

“It’s fine,” I snap, not breaking stride. “I’ll call you later.”

Tom gives me a puzzled look as I storm by the main barn, but I just shake my head. “Not now, Tom.”

My focus is laser-sharp, zeroed in on one person: Shane Kennedy.

I can feel my blood pressure rising with every step closer to the bunkhouse. By the time I reach his door, I’m practically vibrating with anger.

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