Trish Milburn - Her Cowboy Groom

“Good thing he’s nowhere near me right now.” Owen might not be everyone’s first pick as the most reliable, steady guy around, but you didn’t mess with his family. And Linnea had become a part of the family the first time she spent a spring break at the ranch with Chloe. He’d defend her the same as he would his sister.

Even after he went to bed, he couldn’t calm down enough to sleep. He hated that Linnea had shed one tear over Michael, that he’d given her cause for tears. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t figure out why someone would do what Michael had done. That was seriously messed up.

He fell asleep at some point after he heard Linnea come back inside, but when he woke up the next morning, the same pissed-off feeling was still clinging to him. He hated seeing injustices go unpunished, had ever since he was a little kid mourning the loss of his mother.

No, he didn’t want to think about that, especially not in the mood he was in. Instead, he shoved the quilt off his legs and got out of bed, dressed and headed out to the barn before the sun was fully up for the day. He wanted to use the time to work with the horse he’d bought to train.

After he’d worked with the big gray for about half an hour, the pent-up anger eased. He’d still likely punch Michael if he ever saw him, but working with the horse had soothed the savage beast a bit.

“Time to get to work,” his dad said as he and Garrett walked past the corral toward the barn.

Owen stopped and stared at their retreating backs, wondering what the hell his dad thought he was doing. Killing time? It was no use trying to explain that he was working, though. And a part of him understood why his dad and brother didn’t think his interest in training horses would last. After all, he hadn’t stuck with anything else over the years.

But this was different. All the rest he’d done because he was bored, wanting to try something different, unable to settle. But from the moment he’d realized he was more interested in what it took to make a good rodeo horse than actually riding in rodeo events, it was as if a fire had started within him. As if horse training might actually be his thing, his way to make his own mark on the family legacy. Garrett, as the oldest, was his father’s protégé on the ranch and seemed to be cut from the same cloth as their dad. Chloe’s domain had ventured into medicine even though she still pitched in plenty around the ranch when she could. Owen was ready to be known for something other than the family party boy. He just had to prove to his family that he was serious about it.

Until he could do that, he saddled up for another day tending to the cattle herd and checking fencing. As he rode out of the barn, he noticed Linnea sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee. She waved when she saw him, and he smiled as he tapped the brim of his hat with his index finger. He hadn’t heard her cry herself to sleep the night before, and that made him happy. An odd sense of pride filled him that maybe he’d had a small part to do with that. He just hoped that another day of hanging around the house alone didn’t give her too much time to fall back into that pit of sadness she’d been in. She needed to stay busy, and the perfect idea for how to help her stay out of her funk popped into his head. His smile grew as he followed his dad and brother out through the pasture for another day of work.

* * *

AS LINNEA HUNG UP on the last phone call she needed to make to completely cancel her wedding, she didn’t know whether to feel relieved or empty. She did know that she should go back to Dallas, return to her life and her business. She’d been hiding out at the Brodys’ ranch for the better part of a week, and she suspected they’d like to have their man cave back.

But the idea of getting in her car and leaving the nice little cocoon the ranch provided made her stomach tie in knots. What if despite Katrina’s threat, Michael showed up at the shop the moment Linnea got back? She wanted to be strong enough to believe that it wouldn’t bother her, but she doubted she would be. She’d bought into their romance a hundred percent, and she still sometimes thought she might wake up to find the awful truth wasn’t in fact the truth.

She needed to stop thinking that way and face it head-on, no matter how horrible it was going to be. She knew that, told herself that over and over, and yet here she sat in Chloe’s old room, not taking that first step.

A knock on the door drew her attention. “Yeah?”

Owen poked his head in. “Get dressed. We’re going to the rodeo.”

“I don’t think I’m up for that, but you all have a good time.”

“Nope, not letting you wiggle your way out of this one. After all, you’re my only hope.”

She cocked her head a little to the side. “Do I even want to ask?”

“See, there’s this girl named Tiffany in town who has been after me, and I need protection.”

Linnea actually snorted at that. “Protection from a woman? You are Owen Brody, right?”

“Exactly. I’m so irresistible that I need a protection detail.”

“Lord, I need to borrow some waders because it is getting deep in here.”

Owen shot her one of those crooked grins of his that she was sure had the women of Blue Falls tripping over themselves to be with him. For a moment, she understood why. If he weren’t Chloe’s brother and she didn’t think men sucked at the moment, she might even be tempted.

Which was another good reason not to go to the rodeo, and another reason she needed to get back to Dallas.

“Owen—”

“You’re going to leave me out to dry after I saved you from a rainstorm and got your tires fixed?”

“Pulling out all the stops, huh?”

“Did it work?”

“Why are you pushing this? Do you really need me to pretend I’m with you to stave off the hordes of women?”

He leaned back against the doorframe and hung his thumbs in his jean pockets. “Because you need to get out of this house and have a good time.”

“You do remember I just had the worst week of my life, right?”

“Which is why you need to go have some fun, because I’d lay good money down that Michael isn’t having fun right now.”

The evil gleam in Owen’s eyes nearly made her laugh. It was amazing how many times he’d given her a light moment throughout the week, something she would have thought impossible when she’d driven out of Dallas with her world shattered.

“Fine, I’ll go. But I’m not promising you won’t regret it later.”

“Fair enough, but you’ll be with me. You’re guaranteed to have a good time.”

“Oh, get out,” she said as she stood. “And take your enormous ego with you.”

His grin widened as he slipped out the door. She closed it behind him and shook her head. But she found herself smiling at the idea of spending the night out while Michael was miserable. At least she hoped he was.

She turned and headed for her bag to look for something appropriate to wear. She might not really be Owen Brody’s date, but damn if she wasn’t going to take advantage of his infectious thirst for a good time. And if she happened to appreciate how he looked in his jeans, well, nobody had to know but her. After all, she’d be back home soon, back to her real life that didn’t include rodeos or cowboys in tight jeans. She glanced toward the door where Owen had stood a few moments before and wondered if she would have been better off falling for someone like him than for the man she’d thought was perfect for her.

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