The Cowboy's Forever Family by Deb Kastner Page A

of a woman in his head, especially Laney. He still wasn’t completely convinced she hadn’t messed with Brody’s heart and mind, confused him and wanted him to change his entire life for her.
    No, thank you. That was
not
for him. He’d stay in the shallow end of the relationship pool, even if it felt a little less than satisfying.
    And what she didn’t know about the rodeo wouldn’t hurt her, right?
    Because despite all the tussles they had with each other, especially recently, Laney did have one redeeming quality Slade couldn’t quite overlook.
    She had loved Brody. Despite everything, she’d loved Brody.
    And she carried a great deal of strength in her heart. He hadn’t known that back then, when he may not have been the best influence on Brody, but he knew it now. Not many women would pack up and move their whole life to a strange town to live with in-laws she barely knew. Wouldn’t it have been easier for her to remain with her sister, where Slade had been given to understand she’d been living before she arrived at the Becketts’?
    She wasn’t taking the easy way out. She wasn’t thinking only of herself. She was thinking of her baby—of Brody’s baby. Slade had to respect her for that, at least. Nothing she’d gone through in recent months could have been comfortable for her.
    He gave her credit, but he still didn’t trust her. Once upon a time she’d gotten into Brody’s head and turned him all around, trying to change him, to make him into something he was not. Who was to say she wouldn’t try the same thing with him? It was a fine line to walk, needing her to trust him and allow him to be part of Baby Beckett’s life without giving too much of himself away in the process.
    â€œIs there someplace we can go that’s a little more conducive to conversation than standing outside a stable?” She picked at her hand, which was swollen and red from the tiny pieces of wood she must have picked up on the corral fence.
    Slade inwardly cringed at the reminder that he’d been the one to bring her here. He’d been the one to thoughtlessly tear open wounds which had barely begun to heal.
    â€œWe could grab a coffee at Cup O’ Jo’s Café,” he suggested. “My treat.”
    It seemed like the least he could do, given the events of the day.
    Her gaze met his and she shook her head. “I don’t think—”
    â€œI’ll even spring for dessert.” He couldn’t let her finish her statement. Not if it meant she was going to say no to him. He shouldn’t be surprised that she wouldn’t want to be seen with him in public. She’d probably picked up on those silly teenagers and their giggling. Not good. He didn’t know why it was suddenly so important that she accept his offer. Maybe it was just a jab to his ego. He wasn’t used to being turned down for a date.
    Not a date.
    Whatever was the opposite of a date. That’s what this was. Frankly, he’d be surprised if the two of them could keep from bickering for the length of time it took them to consume a cup of coffee. They seemed to have developed a process, their way of working things out between each other, and it wasn’t anything he’d want to air in public, picking at each other like a couple of bantam hens. He reminded himself to be on his best behavior. He didn’t want Laney’s dignity, not to mention his own, to take a hit.
    Slow. Slightly unsteady. Often uncomfortable. Sometimes painful. That’s how it seemed to be between them.
    Laney appeared to be reconsidering, or at least she hadn’t barked out an immediate rejection. “Well, if you’re throwing in chocolate.”
    He grinned, feeling as if he’d just won, if not the purse, then at least a ride.
    â€œBut only because Baby Beckett has a craving.”
    She was distancing herself from him again, but he’d take what