Designs on the Cowboy Read online

  “It can’t be,” she whispered. “Erin, is that—” But Erin had left her seat.

  Looking back toward the field, Glory’s heart beat a little faster. The player she’d only seconds ago thought might be Dylan was now smiling at one of his teammates. Dylan didn’t smile. But as she continued to watch, there was no doubt the player who was hustling to the dugout was Dylan.

  And he was smiling.

  Around her, the other women chatted about the players and other things, but Glory barely heard them. When did Dylan decide to join the team? Why hadn’t he told her? But more important, why had he done it?

  As she watched the team take the field to start the game, she felt certain he hadn’t been forced into playing. His smile was genuine and he appeared to be enjoying himself completely. What had happened to change things?

  Erin returned, but Glory barely noticed, too wrapped up in what was going on out on the field. She couldn’t stop smiling each time Dylan went to bat or made a play in the infield. Before long, she didn’t care why he was there, only that she couldn’t remember being so happy.

  Although they were trailing behind one run in the last inning, being the home team gave the “old guys” one last chance at bat. With Dusty on second base, thanks to a steal after a walk, Morgan stepped up to the plate, and the stands grew quiet. But the look of determination on his face grew grim after he’d watched two strikes go by him. The outcome of the game didn’t look good for the home team.

  At the next pitch, the crack of the bat hitting the ball sounded like a firecracker, and the crowd was on its feet. Erin grabbed Glory on one side, while Kate grabbed her from the other, and Trish yelled. “Run, Morgan, run!”

  But Morgan hadn’t reached first base before it was clear there was no need to run. The ball soared over the center-field fence, leaving the outfielders staring. First Dusty rounded third base and scored, and then Morgan followed, coming to a stop on home plate, where the team joined him to pound him on the back and head, then doused him with a large cooler of water.

  It wasn’t Morgan whom Glory stood watching. Her heart filled with joy at the smile on Dylan’s face as the players continued to congratulate each other. She couldn’t drag her attention away and wondered how long it had been since he’d allowed himself to be happy.

  He must have felt her watching him, because his gaze caught hers and held it. For a moment she stopped breathing. She watched as he tipped his head in the direction of the gate and then pointed to it. Taking a deep breath, she nodded.

  The wives around her were leaving the bleachers to join the players, and she followed. But instead of walking onto the field with them, she slipped away. Moving along the back side of the bleachers and headed for the gate, she lost sight of Dylan. Hoping she hadn’t mistaken his signal, she gasped when someone grabbed her around her waist. Before she knew it, she’d been pulled up against a hard, muscled chest, and was looking up into a pair of familiar green eyes.

  “We won,” he said.

  “Yes,” she breathed. “And you’re smiling.”

  He nodded. “I have a lot to smile about.”

  “I’m glad.”

  “Me, too.”

  For a moment they simply looked at one another, until Dylan leaned closer. Every bone in her body turned to liquid when their lips met, and her head spun with a dizziness she’d never experienced. This was what it felt like to be kissed by someone she loved, and she hoped it would never end.

  “Looks like I wasn’t the only one to get a home run.”

  Startled by the voice coming from behind her, Glory moved to step out of Dylan’s arms, but he held her close. She both heard and felt his soft laughter, and he kissed her again.

  A new voice called out. “Why don’t you two meet us at Lou’s, whenever you can tear yourselves away from each other.”

  “Hush, Dusty.”

  “Kate, honey, I don’t want them to miss the celebration.”

  “I think they need to enjoy their own celebration. Now, come on.”

  Wrapped up in Dylan’s kiss, Glory barely heard the others pass on by. When the two of them finally came up for air, she giggled like a schoolgirl. “I don’t believe I’ve ever been kissed under the bleachers until now.”

  He watched her, his eyes dark with passion. And with love. “I’m glad I could be the first.”

  “I am, too.”

  His chest rose and fell as he took a deep breath. “I’m ready to take the plunge.”

  She didn’t understand. “Excuse me?”

  “The plunge,” he said, smiling. “I love you, Glory. I think I have since we were kids. I was just...afraid. Afraid that if I loved you, I might lose you. Afraid that you wouldn’t want me—”

  “Hush.” She reached up and stroked the scar above his eye with a finger.

  Taking her hand in his, he kissed her finger. “But there’s one more thing.”

  For a moment, she felt afraid, but she pushed the fear away. “All right.”

  “Marry me, Glory.”

  Speechless, she pressed her hand to the hard angles of his face until she found her voice. “I love you, Dylan, with all my heart. And I’d love to be your wife.”

  Smiling, he placed a kiss in her palm. “That’s all I need.”

  In the distance, she heard a horn honk. “I think the natives are restless.”

  “They’re never going to give us any peace. You know that, right?”

  “It’s okay,” she said, “as long as I have you.”

  Epilogue

  The evening air had a definite chill to it, but Dylan blamed it on the arrival of September, only days before. An unexpected cool front had the weather feeling more like fall than the summer they’d just left behind. And what a summer it had been. He almost hated to see it end. In his memory it would always be the summer when Glory taught him how to love.

  Looking across the O’Briens’ patio, he caught her eye, smiled and shrugged. Their friends were throwing them an engagement party, but he couldn’t figure out why he and Glory had barely had a chance to spend ten seconds with each other since they’d arrived.

  He’d spent more time with friends over the past two months than he had in the previous fifteen years. He enjoyed being with them, but he’d rather spend time alone with the woman he loved.

  “You didn’t know you had so many friends, did you?” Luke asked, stopping to stand beside him.

  Tearing his gaze from the woman he would spend the rest of his life with, Dylan looked at his brother, ready to point out that most of the people there had been friends for as long as he could remember. But it was clear that Luke was ribbing him. After all, until Glory walked into his life, he hadn’t done much socializing.

  “Good friends,” he answered. And he was grateful for each and every one of them.

  Beside him, someone chuckled, and he turned to see Tucker. “I know exactly what you’re feeling,” Tucker said. “You finally find a woman you want to spend your life with, and everybody finds a way to keep you apart. Happens to all of us.”

  “You, too, huh?” Dylan asked and laughed. “At least I’m in good company.”

  “Great company,” Tucker said.

  “The best.” Dylan had only begun to realize everything he’d missed by keeping to himself. That wouldn’t happen again. Even if he tried, Glory would pull him back into the here and now with a kiss.

  The ring of metal tapping crystal caught their attention and they turned to see his sister, her smile as big as Texas. When everyone was quiet, she laughed. “Good golly, I do have a way of getting attention, don’t I?”

  “It sure isn’t your pint size,” Dusty said from somewhere behind Dylan.

  While everyone laughed, Erin gave him a look that earned her his famous grin. “I’d like to make a toast,” she said, i
gnoring him, “so y’all need to fill up the kids’ cups with juice and your glasses with champagne, and find your special honey to share this with.”

  The grown-ups scrambled to make sure the eight children, ranging in age from two years old to ten, had their own cups for toasting. Dylan found Glory and slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her close.

  “It’s a beautiful night,” she said.

  “Not nearly as beautiful as you,” he answered, still amazed at his good fortune.

  When everyone was ready, Erin continued. “There have been several special moments in my life, and most of them involve my little brothers. I couldn’t be prouder of both of them. Together we made it through the worst times to come out even better than before. And that’s what we’re celebrating today.”

  The sounds of the evening could be heard as everyone seemed to take a moment to look back at the past and catch up with the present. Dylan felt a familiar sadness, but the pain of losing his parents had become easier every day. He was moving on and making a new life for himself and Glory to share.

  When Erin spoke again, her voice was husky with emotion. “I’m especially proud of my brother Dylan for finding a woman who suits him so well, and I’m tickled to say she’ll soon be my sister. Would you all join me in showing our love and friendship to two very special people?” She turned and raised her glass to the couple. “To Dylan, who shouldered more responsibility than a boy his age should have, but came out a man with a heart full of love. And to Glory, who tells me she’s more than ready to exchange her Prom Queen crown for a wedding veil. I couldn’t be happier for both of them.”

  Luke, standing with Hayley, raised his glass. “To Dylan and Glory, two very special people who, though they were resistant at first, have had the good fortune to fall in love with each other. May your lives be filled with love and laughter.”

  A chorus of congratulations went up from the friends, and Dylan was touched by the warmth of their friendship and good wishes. “We sure have some good friends,” he whispered to Glory, adding a quick kiss behind her ear.

  “None better,” she agreed, her eyes glowing with love.

  Friends began to surround them, but Erin beat them all. “So when is the wedding?”

  Glory looked from her to Dylan, who shrugged. “We really haven’t set a date.”

  Erin glanced over her shoulder at Luke. “What about you two? Have you and Hayley picked a day?”

  Hayley shook her head. “Not really, but we will soon, now that the date has been set for the ground breaking of the new hospital.”

  Nodding, Erin smiled. “Just as I thought. So what would you all think of a double wedding?”

  Dylan noticed that Glory’s eyes were wide with surprise, and Luke and Hayley seemed to be considering the idea.

  “That’s not a bad idea,” Hayley said.

  “I think I’d like to share my wedding and anniversaries with my new brother and sister,” Glory agreed.

  As everyone began to offer suggestions, Dylan stepped back and watched. He never thought he’d experience the kind of happiness he felt at that moment, and he wondered if it could ever be matched. Somehow, he thought it just might be, as he shared the rest of his life with Glory.

  She joined him, slipping her arm through his. “Do you think we could escape for a few minutes? I need some alone time with you.”

  Dylan couldn’t stop his smile. “I was thinking the very same thing. I have a feeling life just took a turn toward crazy.”

  “Do you mind?”

  Pulling her into his arms, he looked at her. “No, I don’t mind, but it’s going to be more than a few minutes.” He didn’t care who was around—he kissed her with all the love he’d denied himself for too many years. He had no doubt his parents were looking down on them, smiling, and that maybe they’d even had a hand in getting them together.

  “They’ll always be with us,” Glory whispered when the kiss ended.

  He nodded. “I guess it’s just part of life’s design. And I’m glad you’re a part of it. Forever.”

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Cowboy for Keeps by Cathy McDavid

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin American Romance story.

  You love small towns and cowboys! Harlequin American Romance stories are heartwarming contemporary tales of everyday women finding love, becoming part of a family or community—or maybe starting a family of her own.

  Enjoy four new stories from Harlequin American Romance every month!

  Visit Harlequin.com to find your next great read.

  We like you—why not like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks

  Follow us on Twitter: Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks

  Read our blog for all the latest news on our authors and books: HarlequinBlog.com

  Subscribe to our newsletter for special offers, new releases, and more!

  Harlequin.com/newsletters

  Chapter One

  The tie choked worse than a pair of hands around his neck.

  Conner Durham yanked at the knot, loosening the tie, and then ripped it off altogether. He flung the offensive garment onto the passenger seat beside him, where his rumpled suit jacket already lay. The interview, his third with this particular company, had been a complete and utter waste of time.

  He wasn’t getting the job; the hiring manager had said as much before dismissing him with the dreaded “Thanks, we’ll be in touch.”

  Turning his truck onto the long drive leading to Powell Ranch, Conner slowed his speed to the posted ten miles an hour. He’d have to find a different way to vent his frustration other than pressing his pedal to the metal.

  Maybe he’d take Dos Rojo out, work the young gelding in the arena. He and the mustang, named for his distinctive red coloring, were still ironing out the kinks in their relationship, deciding who was in charge. So far, they were even, with Dos Rojo coming out ahead some days, Conner on others.

  Driving past the main horse barn, he headed for his quarters, a four-hundred-square-foot efficiency apartment. Hard to believe a mere six months ago he’d owned a five-bedroom house and spent money as if it did indeed grow on trees.

  No more, and not again in the foreseeable future, unless his luck drastically changed.

  Luck, the lack of it, had to be the reason he couldn’t find a decent job. It certainly wasn’t his qualifications. According to the one-in-twenty prospective employers who’d bothered to contact him after receiving his résumé, he had qualifications coming out his ears. Usually more than the job required.

  Little did they know Conner was already downplaying his education and experience in order to make himself more hirable.

  Inside the apartment, he swapped the rest of his dress clothes for a well-worn work shirt and jeans. Threading his belt through the loops, he fastened the gold buckle. It was one of his most cherished possessions and proclaimed him Arizona State Champion in steer wrestling. He’d won the buckle in college, before abandoning his cowboy ways in order to earn double MBAs and make his mark in corporate America.

  Which he did, for six years, only to fall victim to a massive layoff and departmental downsizing. In the five minutes it took Human Resources to inform Conner that his good pal and fellow manager would take over his position and absorb the few remaining members left on Conner’s team, his entire life had changed.

  A knock sounding on the door provided a welcome distraction. Another minute and Conner might have started feeling sorry for himself.

  Yeah, right. Who was he kidding?

  “Door’s open,” he called, pulling on his boots and standing.

  “You decent?” Gavin Powell, Conner’s li
felong friend and current boss, barged inside. His glance went straight to the sleeping area, where Conner stood in front of the haphazardly made bed. “Good, you’re ready.”

  “You need something done?”

  Instead of answering, Gavin sniffed around the kitchen counter.

  “Hungry?”

  “I missed lunch. How’d the interview g—”

  “Don’t ask.” Conner strolled into the kitchen, adjusting his Stetson till it fit snugly on his head. “You live in a house full of people. Didn’t one of them fix you some food?”

  “Sage and the baby are taking a nap, since someone kept us up last night, crying. Dad’s down with the flu. Between laundry and helping the girls with their homework, the afternoon got away from me. Do you have any idea how many papers parents are expected to read and sign? Three, just for Isa to go on a field trip.”

  Last spring, Gavin and Sage had married, joining them and their two daughters, each from a previous relationship, into one big happy family. Now they had a two-month-old son, making their family even bigger and happier.

  “Never mind,” he complained. “I’ll grab some crackers in the office. Which, by the way, is where I need you to be in an hour.”

  “What’s up?”

  “I finally hired a photographer. She’s meeting with us at four-thirty.”

  “Us?” Conner quirked a brow.

  “You heard right. I need someone to act as a guide. Who knows the story of Prince and is familiar enough with these mountains to lead a day ride. You’re the only one I can spare fitting that description.”

  Conner didn’t argue. He owed Gavin for the roof over his head and the food on his table. Literally. If Gavin hadn’t rescued him a few months ago, when his severance pay ran out, he might now be living in his truck.