Joshua and the Cowgirl by Sherryl Woods

groaned. If the foreman had any doubts at all about what had been going on inside the cabin, her skittish demeanor would confirm his suspicions. Garrett’s attempts to struggle for an air of nonchalance were downright pitiful. In a perverse way Joshua was almost pleased. It meant she’d had few, if any, previous occasions calling for subterfuge.
    “I see the cavalry has arrived,” she said too heartily. “Thanks, guys. How’d you know to come looking for us?”
    “I got worried, Mom. Mrs. Mac said you were okay. She said you’d probably decided to stay in Cheyenne, but I called the hotel where you always stay anyway. They said you never checked in. I told Red and we came looking. We found the truck. Red says you’re lucky you didn’t break your `danged necks,’” she added, obviously quoting the man precisely.
    Red had too many
danged
opinions, as near as Joshua could tell. He scowled at the man, who was eyeing Garrett as if she were a plate of chow after a long day on the range.
    With her hands poked into the back pockets of her jeans, Garrett was suddenly all business. The transformation was uncanny and a little irritating. Joshua wasn’t quite sure what he’d expected when they first confronted the outside world again, but it wasn’t this quick shedding of the vulnerability that had touched him.
    “Red, are the men out checking on the cattle?” she asked when Joshua wanted her to go on being just a little flustered, just a little pink-cheeked with embarrassment.
    “Went out at first light.”
    “Any problems?”
    “None I’d heard about by the time we left our trucks back a piece. The hands have been in touch on the CB. No need to worry yourself. I’ve been through more of these blizzards than I care to recall. I know what to do.”
    “Of course, you do. It’s just that…”
    She turned toward Joshua. Before she’d even completed the sentence, he shrugged in resignation. “Go on back. I know you have work to do. I’ll get back to the truck and bring it home.”
    “We can stop and tow it before we go back,” Red offered grudgingly. “I’ll leave it down by the creek.”
    “That’ll be fine,” Joshua told him, avoiding Garrett’s gaze. “I’ll clean things up inside before I go.”
    “I’ll help,” Casey offered. “I don’t need to get back right away, do I, Mom? I can make sure Joshua finds the truck okay.”
    Garrett appeared reluctant, but she said only, “Are your chores done?”
    Casey nodded. “There was no school, so I did ’em this morning. I even baked cookies with Elena until I got really worried about whether you were stranded someplace. I guess it’s good that I worried, huh?”
    Garrett’s eyes met Joshua’s for no more than a second before she nodded and said, “Yes, real good, sweetheart.”
    “Can I stay?”
    “If Joshua doesn’t mind.”
    “No, I’ll be glad of the company, in fact.” Even if it was the wrong company. Maybe he could use the opportunity to pry some information from Casey that would help him in his campaign to woo her mother.
    He refused to be caught staring wistfully after Garrett as she left with Red, so he turned and headed back inside.
    “Joshua.”
    Garrett’s voice halted him. He looked back at her. “Bring the laundry on back to the house, okay?”
    He nodded and closed the door. Casey was standing in the middle of the floor, studying the room curiously. “There’s only one bed,” she announced.
    “Yep, that’s right.”
    “Does the sofa open up?”
    “No, it doesn’t. Why the fascination with the sleeping arrangements?”
    “Well, you and Mom were here alone all night. I mean, what did you do?”
    “We played cards.”
    “I meant about sleeping.”
    He could feel a brick-red blush creeping up his neck. “I slept on the sofa,” he claimed, thankful that the sheets had been dumped on top of it to lend a certain credence to the statement.
    Casey regarded him disbelievingly. “You’re too tall.” Her gaze narrowed.