Page 9 of The Cowboy Complication

Tiptoeing through the kitchen, she made her way to Grady and Evelyn’s laundry room since she wasn’t the only one with barn clothes that needed to be cleaned. After changing the load of baby items she’d started that morning to the dryer, Isla filled the washer with the basket of darks Evelyn sorted. She was unendingly grateful that task didn’t fall on her shoulders. Digging through Grady’s underwear would likely make them both a little uncomfortable. As it was, all she had to do was dump and go, never forced to discover if her boss was a boxer man or a brief sort of guy.

She did wonder about Cooper though. Because she was a curious person in addition to being a horny one.

Sex with Eric had never been great, but it was consistently better than the nothing she’d been getting for the past six months. Only slightly, but still. At least she’d gotten some sort of physical contact. Even if she’d been responsible for her own finish ninety-nine percent of the time.

“There you are.”

Isla’s spine straightened at the unexpected voice behind her. Spinning away from the controls of the washing machine, she guiltily met Griselda’s cool gaze, hoping the woman couldn’t tell she’d just been mentally lamenting the loss of a mostly mediocre sex life. “Griselda.” She forced on a smile. “Evelyn said you were coming into town today.”

“I thought it would be nice to get in another visit before the weather started to cool down.” Griselda’s expression remained placid. “I see I waited too long.”

“It does seem to get colder earlier here.” She’d been a little surprised herself when the temperature started dropping the second October hit, dipping down to freezing levels at night. “I’m not sure what to expect for the winter.”

Griselda’s thin lips pressed into a frown. “Expect to be miserable unless you learn to drive. It’s not as easy to get around on foot when it’s below zero.” The older woman poked her right in the sore spot she’d been nursing for years.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to learn to drive. There just hadn’t been a reason for it. Eric had gotten his license when they were sophomores and he always took her wherever she wanted to go while they were in high school. Then he went to college and she followed, working while he took classes. There wasn’t enough money for them to afford two cars anyway, so?—

“I’ll teach you.” Griselda said it like it was a done deal. “There’s no reason for Evelyn and Grady to be driving you around all the time.”

Isla skipped right over the rudeness of the second part of her comment—Grady and Evelyn didn’t mind driving her, and it was none of Griselda’s business even if they did—and went right for the shocking first bit. “You know how to drive?”

Griselda’s spine straightened, her chin tipping high. “Of course I know how to drive.” She looked down her nose at Isla. “And so should you.” She straightened the collar of her blouse before smoothing back her sleek gray hair. “I’ll be at your apartment tomorrow morning at eight sharp.” She turned to walk out, pausing to give Isla a stern look. “Make sure you have everything you need. If we’re not in line for my mocha by eight fifteen, I won’t be happy.”

Her mouth was still hanging open as Griselda disappeared around the corner. She’d been working up the balls to start the process of getting her license. Had even studied for the test she had to take to get her temps. But pulling the trigger on it was more difficult than she expected. Part of her was terrified she’d fail the test and make a total fool of herself yet again.

The other part of her wasalsoterrified she’d fail the test and make a fool of herself yet again.

And now she was going to have to do it in front of the world’s least empathetic woman. At least she’d get a free coffee out of it.

Because Griselda was absolutely paying.

4

Cooper

THERE WAS A little extra pep in his step as he climbed behind the wheel of his cruiser. The sun wasn’t even up yet, and the air still carried a chill from the night before, but the day was supposed to be decently warm and his shift ended early enough he might even have a little time to enjoy it.

Maybe he’d go to Grady’s and check on the goats. Make sure they were all doing okay after getting their boosters the day before. Goats were robust animals, but shit happened. He didn’t want Isla having to deal with losing one of her beloved little friends. After seeing how she handled hoof trimming, he could only imagine how difficult it would be for her if one of them got sick.

So that wasn’t going to happen. Even if he had to drop by every day and check each one individually.

After starting up his mobile data terminal—the computer system integrated into his dash and console, also referred to as simply MDT—he pulled out of the gated lot behind the station and onto the road, ready to patrol the small town he called home. Early shifts were his favorite. They were generally quiet and he got to watch Moss Creek come alive as the sun rose.

He also got to be first in line when Dianna opened The Baking Rack.

Once upon a time he’d tried to convince the pretty bakery owner they’d be a good match. His attempt failed, but it was hard to be mad about it. Not when Dianna was happily married to someone who seemed to appreciate her, and now had the cutest little girl he’d ever seen.

Plus she gave him free coffee and breakfast as a consolation prize.

He parked on the street, leaving his cruiser running as he went inside the sweet-smelling shop for a cup of grog and a ham and cheese Danish. Taking both back to his car, he took a few minutes to enjoy the flaky pastry then pulled out onto the road. The lights were on at The Wooden Spoon as they geared up for the morning breakfast rush, but the rest of the shops were quiet. Traffic was minimal as he moved through the neighborhoods surrounding the downtown area, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.

As the sun came up, he stopped to help an older couple change a flat tire then took a call from the small motel at the edge of his jurisdiction about an unruly customer.

Unsurprisingly, it was one of the ranch hands in town to help with the fall herd rotations causing problems. The idiot was still drunk from the night before and couldn’t remember what room he was in. Or whose name was on the room. Or which ranch he was working at.

Hiring on extra hands was an occasional necessity for just about every ranch in Moss Creek, and not everyone had the space to house them. That left the small motel packed, sometimes with six or eight temporary residents in a single room.

“You want to take him in or you want me to?” Leland, one of his fellow officers, had taken the same call. They decided the best plan of action was to take the guy in and let him sleep it off.

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