Page 53 of The Cowboy Comes Home

“But how could he take that as me pitying him?”

“Maybe he’s had a little too much experience with just that,” Nic said. “Jackson told me that at first they didn’t want to hire him for the show because of it. And one of the producers—Felix Swiff, a jerk if ever there was one—said they couldn’t hire such a pitiful wreck.” She grimaced. “He didn’t realize Tucker was right there and heard it. Or more likely, from what Jackson’s said about the guy, he knew and didn’t care.”

“But that’s not how I feel, or what I said!”

Nic gave her an understanding smile. “I know. You never would. But he doesn’t know that. Yet.”

“Yet?”

“Correct me if I’m wrong,” Nic said, sounding as if she was being unusually careful, “but I got the definite feeling there was a lot more between you two than empathy and sympathy on your part.”

“I feel both those things,” she admitted, “but I…he…?there’s…?some­thing…”

Nic smiled widely, but in the manner of a loving friend. “And there we have it, the most articulate person I know, other than maybe Lily Highwater, at a total loss for words because of a pair of big blue eyes.”

“It’s not his—” she threw up her fingers to do air quotes “—big blue eyes.” Nic laughed, and Emily felt herself blush. Again. “I’m not saying they’re not big and Lord are they blue, but…”

“Well, there are plenty of other things to admire. That jawline, those shoulders, not to mention that cute, tight backside of his.” Emily’s cheeks got hotter as she reacted to the images Nic was putting in her mind. “Emmie,” Nic said now, using the long-ago nickname, “you don’t know how glad I am to see this. Andrew was a long time ago and it’s past time you kicked him into history where he belongs, the jerk. And I can’t think of a better man to do it with than Tucker Culhane.”

“But I don’t know if he’d even…be interested.”

Nic laughed again, and this time Emily frowned at her. “Honey, even Jeremy can see it.”

Emily blinked. “What?”

“He asked Jackson last night if you were his uncle T’s girlfriend now.” Emily’s eyes widened, but Nic went on before she could respond. “Oh, and he also said you already know how good a guy Tucker is because of how Lobo liked him right away. I think he’s got a point.”

Lobo had liked him. Enough to decide he needed to intervene with that horse without any command or order.

But then, so had she. She’d gone over that fence without a second thought, even knowing her experience with horses was limited to some riding lessons as a kid—from Nic’s mother—and admiring them from the other side of the fence. But when she’d seen him go down after that hit from the big horse, the memories of that day in the rodeo arena when an even heavier bull had crushed him against the wall had exploded in her mind. And even when he’d assured her he was fine, she hadn’t quite believed it.

And you hung onto him like a limpet.

But he hadn’t complained. Nor had he tried to pull away. He’d simply let her hold onto him as if he realized she needed to. That she needed to know he was all right.

She couldn’t assume it was because he’d liked it, having her hold onto him like that. But the way he’d looked at her, before he’d somehow interpreted her gratitude that he hadn’t been hurt into pity, had certainly made her feel that way. That he liked her…touching him.

But the way he’d turned his back on her and walked away after she’d told him how she did feel toward him certainly negated that idea.

…what I feel is admiration, and…and other things.

She groaned inwardly.

“You know,” Nic said in that casual tone that warned Emily her words were going to be anything but, “they were about to promote Tucker to stunt coordinator. He was really good at figuring them out, how to pull them off, and how to make them look as dramatic as possible. And it would have given him a break, physically. When Jackson walked away, that opportunity vanished. But Tucker never held it against him. Because he knew Jackson was doing what he had to, to save Jeremy.”

Emily stared at her. She hadn’t known that. And now that she did, it only made her ache inside a little more. Because it was more proof that the man was who she thought he was. A good, kind, caring and loyal man. Words Andrew had only had a passing acquaintance with.

“I don’t doubt what kind of man he is, Nic. But I also know now, thanks to Lily, what happened to his father.”

“So you think he wouldn’t want to get involved with a cop?”

“Exactly.”

Nic tapped a finger for a moment, clearly pondering that thought. Finally, with a slight tone of regret, she said, “I can’t say it’s not true. I mean, I worry about your work, so I know how it feels.”

Emily blinked. “You worry about me being a cop?”

“Of course I do,” Nic said, giving her that “wake up and smell the coffee” look she knew too well. “We all do. Fortunately, you’re a Last Stand cop, and that makes all the difference.”

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