Page 19 of Cowboy

Five of the biggest dogs Autumn had ever seen ran toward them. Taught by her grandmother to stand still, she watched as they leaped onto Cowboy’s chest, licking his face.

“Well, I guess they’re friendly,” she laughed.

“They are definitely friendly,” he grinned.

“Welcome home, Cowboy,” said Sniff, pulling him in for a hug.

“Autumn, this man is one of my many heroes. Alex ‘Sniff’ Mullins. He’s our K-9 expert, and his wife, Lucy, is a veterinarian. One of the things our team does is rescue animals, train K-9s, that sort of thing. Violet, Striker, Dex, and Marie work with them, as well as Dani and Parker.”

“I think I’m in heaven,” smiled Autumn. “First that amazing helicopter, then I saw some of the jets, and now animals everywhere! Grandma would have loved it here.”

She had tears in her eyes, and she tried to hold them back. Shaking her head, she looked up and noticed a tiny white-haired woman coming toward her and a large black man, gray and wrinkled.

“Who made this girl cry?” yelled George.

“Hi, George,” smirked Cowboy. “She’s just feeling sad. Her grandmother was recently killed. Autumn, this is George. The one and only. And this is definitely the one and only Mama Irene.”

“Child, we are so happy to have you here,” said Mama Irene, giving her a big hug. “I have a cottage all ready for you. If you need anything at all, I can get it for you.”

She released her into George’s arms, and something made Autumn cling to him. She’d never warmed up to father figures very quickly. It just never ended well for her. But for some reason, this man was making her emotions surface.

“There, there, honey. It’s all gonna be okay. We can take care of whatever you need,” he whispered to her.

“You’re all so wonderful,” she sniffed, pulling back. “What I really need is clothing. I lost everything when they set the ranch on fire.”

“Did I hear someone say they needed to shop?” smiled Suze. “Hi, Autumn. My name is Suze LeBlanc, and this handsome devil is my son.” She kissed his cheek, hugging him.

“Mom,” he said, rolling his eyes.

“I’m glad you’re home,” she smiled.

“Me too,” said Blade, hugging his son. “Hi, Autumn. I’m Benjamin as well, although they call me Blade. I’m his father.”

“You look so much alike,” she smiled. “God, you’re all so wonderful.” Her tears began again, and Suze held the young woman, soothing her.

“Why don’t we have some dinner. Then the girls and I will show you how to shop like a champion,” she smiled. Autumn nodded as Suze led her to a table. George put a plate full of food in front of her that even Tailor wouldn’t be able to eat, but she just smiled and dug in.

“She’s beautiful,” said Blade, smiling at his son.

“Yep. And she’s in danger. What the fuck do I do now?” The others laughed, shaking their heads.

“First, you protect her,” said Cam, slapping his back. Luke gripped his shoulder.

“Then you marry her.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“Cowboy, the cottage is beautiful,” said Autumn walking around, running her hand over the back of the dark navy leather sofa. There were two navy, cream, and tan floral side chairs. An old railway rolling luggage cart had been converted into a coffee table. The paintings on the wall were magnificent renditions of country living. There was one of a man plowing the fields, another of a woman cooking in a huge iron pot over an open fire.

“I’m glad you like it,” he smiled. “All the cottages are similar, but everyone is able to put their own spin on things. You can change anything you like.”

“Oh. I don’t know. I mean, I don’t know if I’m staying,” she said nervously.

“You don’t have to decide that now. But there’s nothing for you back in California,” he said softly. “I wish there was, but nothing could be saved. Trigger has the horses taken care of, but if you wanted them, we could get a couple of trailers and bring them here.”

“Cowboy? Are you asking me to stay here? With you?” she said, tilting her head sideways.

“I know it seems strange, Autumn, but I’ve never felt like this with a woman before. I damn sure never brought a woman back here and introduced her to my family.”

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