Page 33 of The Cowboy Comes Home

“Uncle T?”

He snapped out of it and looked over his shoulder to the doorway where Jeremy stood hesitantly. As he always did when he saw the boy, he smiled. Jeremy smiled back and ran over to him, throwing himself up into his lap. Tucker didn’t know all that much about kids, but he guessed it wouldn’t be too long before Jeremy would consider himself too old for such displays, and told himself to enjoy it while he had it.

“You okay?” The boy sounded actually worried, so Tucker hastened to assure him he was fine.

“Nic says she’s really nice.”

“She is.”

“An’ if she’s married to Chief Shane she must be, right?”

“I’m guessing that’s true,” he agreed.

Jackson appeared in the doorway, Nic beside him. Nic looked at Tucker assessingly, then shifted her gaze to Jeremy. “Why don’t you and I head home,” she suggested. “I suspect there just might be some ice cream left in the freezer for a bedtime snack.”

Jeremy lit up, but hesitated, looking at Tucker. And that simple act made Tucker feel that tight, throat-closing feeling again.

“You go ahead. I’m fine, buddy. Thanks.”

The boy scrambled down and darted over to Nic. Jackson leaned down to kiss her but stayed where he was when they left. And for a moment he just stood there, leaning his shoulder against the doorjamb, looking at Tucker. And Tucker looked back, at this man who had, for a few years, ruled the Hollywood world, but who had given it all up for the sake of the boy who had just made Tucker remember why.

“She rattled you,” Jackson finally said.

Tucker shook his head. “I rattled me. I…talked. More than I ever have to a reporter.”

“I know the feeling,” Jackson said with a wry smile. “She got me going a bit, too, and you know I’m even more suspicious of them than you.”

“But her story was good. She didn’t go for the crap, she made people understand why you left, and why you startedThorpe’s Therapy Horses.”

“She did. And it’s no coincidence that we took off within a month of her article coming out.” He smiled. “I don’t think she’ll sell you out, bro. No matter what you told her that you’re having second thoughts about now.”

Tucker sighed audibly. And admitted to the only other person who knew the real story what he’d done.

“I told her. About…my dad.”

Jackson went still. And with the air of someone choosing his words very carefully, he said, “Your dad was someone to be proud of. Even when it hurts.”

“Yeah.” He grimaced. “But then she asked about my mother. And…I told her.”

He heard Jackson’s sigh, which sounded a lot like his had. Because he knew. “That’s what she said to let her know if you wanted to cut?”

He nodded.

“She’ll do it, if that’s what you want. Unlike so many in her profession, she doesn’t lie to trip you up.”

“It just sounded so damn pitiful when I said it. Like I was looking for sympathy or something.” He grimaced. “I had enough of that after the crash.”

“Well, look at it this way. Now that it’ll all be out there, it won’t be hovering anymore. Any flurry will die down, and it’ll be over for good.”

Tucker knew he was right. It would pass. He just wasn’t sure what was going to be left of his life when it did. But one thing it would likely solve, and he told himself he was glad about it.

Once Emily Stratton read that article, he wouldn’t have to worry about keeping distance between them.

Because she would.

Chapter Sixteen

So far rodeoweek had been fairly calm. True, the crowds were gathering, every inn and hotel in town was full, and traffic was stop and go on every street, but people were excited and happy, and Emily could deal with that. She recognized a lot of locals out and about, but even on a Monday and two days before the 4th, things were humming with visitors.

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