Cowboy Take Me Away

 

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Table of Contents

About the Author

Copyright Page

 

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For Yvonne Lindsay. I don't even remember when we started doing this together, but our daily writing sprints mean the world to me. Thank you!

 

Acknowledgments

You only have to read a few of my books to realize that I thank the same people every time, but I have a core group of people in my life that deserve ongoing thanks! Firstly, I would like to acknowledge my editor on the Texas Kings series, Holly Ingraham. Working with you has been a very positive experience, and I hope you love this series as much as I enjoyed writing it. I also owe my gratitude to the St. Martin's Paperbacks cover designers—all I can say is Wow! The covers look even better than I imagined they could.

I would also like to thank my literary agent, Laura Bradford, for always answering my e-mails so promptly, being available for general hand-holding when required, and being all-around fabulous. I'm so pleased I went to the New Zealand Romance Writers Conference back in 2010—I met Laura there, ended up seated beside her at dinner, and the rest is history!

Thank you also to my mother, Maureen. I'm feeling very fortunate to be an only child right now, because it means I can have her all to myself! That translates to having super-gran look after my kids all the time …

I also have to thank my husband, Hamish, who is endlessly supportive of my work. Of course he's hoping one of my books hits #1 on the
New York Times
list, earns us millions, and gets made into a top-grossing movie!

Natalie Anderson and Nicola Marsh, you are both an incredible source of encouragement and support, and I admire you both. I love that I have you both to chat to whenever I need you. Thanks also to Yvonne Lindsay, for being there every day of the week. I can't believe how motivating it is to know that you're writing with me, making me accountable for how many words I write in our 30-minute sprints!

One of the hardest parts of being an author is other people thinking you have an easy job just because you work from home. Writing is tough, and creating an entire book is an exhausting and hard-going process at times. The three authors I mentioned above are all busy mothers, and we all often work very long hours. We love what we do, but damn, it's not easy even at the best of times! It's nice knowing that we're all there for each other when we need support.

 

Chapter 1

“Are you guys sure this isn't one of you trying to prove your dick's bigger than the other's?” Nate asked, arms folded across his chest as he surveyed Ryder's new house.

Chase laughed and slapped his younger brother on the back. “Hey, I win that contest hands down.” Ryder shrugged off his hand and scowled at him. “Besides, I think you'll find he's had no say in the size of this place. That's all Chloe's doing.”

“Ha-ha, very fucking funny,” Ryder said. “At least I have a wife.”

Chase held up his hands. “You got me. No ball and chain attached here.”

Nate shook his head and walked around the house. “For all the shit we give you about Chloe, you know we love her, right?”

Ryder glared at them both. “Oh, I know. Haven't you noticed that's why I never let her see you guys without me around?”

“Damn,” Chase teased, raising his eyebrows. “Guess I'll have to stop having coffee with her every morning. Your bedroom's so sunny late morning…”

Ryder shrugged, but Chase could tell he'd pissed him off. The only thing Ryder was sensitive about now that he'd given up rodeo was Chloe, and they loved to tease him. After being on his back for years about giving up his career as a bull rider, they didn't get many excuses to boss him around anymore.

“Enough,” Nate scolded. “I need a shower then I'm off to Houston for a few days.”

“You taking the jet?” Chase asked.

“Yeah.” Nate stretched his arms above his head, flexing his muscles. None of them were wearing shirts after their early morning run, the air a refreshing blast of cool now they'd caught their breath. “I'll be back to kick your ass again on Saturday.”

“If we can move our legs by then,” Chase said with a chuckle.

“I ain't running with you guys again. I prefer my mornings nice and lazy with Chloe, if you get my drift,” Ryder told them.

Chase and Nate both laughed. When they ran together, neither he nor his big brother wanted to come last, which meant their early morning jogs always turned into a competition, one that Nate had won today. Chase grinned. Next time he'd beat him—he'd train every morning he was gone to make sure of it. Ryder hadn't even come close to keeping up with them.

“So you guys do like the place, right?” Ryder asked, leaning against the timber framing, eyes trained on Chase.

“I think it's awesome,” Chase told him, all jokes aside. “The difference between you and me is that you're building a home and I'm building a house. You'll be hearing the pitter-patter of little Ryders before you know it.”

Ryder raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything. Chase loved Chloe and he was looking forward to being an uncle one day, but there was no way he was settling down any time soon. His brother getting hitched was one thing, but it wasn't for him.

“You manage to get an appointment with the new artificial insemination specialist?” Nate asked, taking a swig from his water bottle as they all made the short walk back toward the main house, the homestead they'd been raised in on the sprawling King estate.

“Yeah, she's heading here this morning. A new vet based in Dallas, someone they've just recruited to join the team.” Chase tucked his T-shirt into the waistband of his running shorts. “We're gonna have the best damn organic beef cattle in Texas, just you wait and see.”

“I thought we already did.” Nate grunted. “Anyway, I'm counting on it. You'd think we were breeding cows made from gold at that price.”

“I'll catch you guys later. Have fun in Houston,” Ryder called over his shoulder, walking back toward the small guesthouse he was sharing with Chloe until his new place was completed. “Chase, I'll come down and meet the new vet later on.”

Chase nodded and followed Nate. He grimaced as he stretched out his legs. “I might have to postpone that ride I was planning on today.”

Nate laughed. “You going soft in your old age?”

“Me, old?” Chase shoved Nate and sprinted up the stairs ahead of him, howling in pain when he reached the top ahead of his brother.

“Calves burning?”

“Like a motherfucker,” Chase groaned, collapsing against the wall.

“I'm gonna hit the shower. See you Saturday.”

Chase headed for his room and stripped down to take a quick shower in the adjoining bathroom. He reemerged with a towel slung around his waist, his entire body aching as he found underwear, jeans, and a shirt. Training with Nate six days in a row was pure punishment—they'd always run, then do burpees and crunches until they were almost crippled. He got dressed, rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, and made his way back downstairs again, stopping in the kitchen to grab a coffee and something to eat.

“Morning.”

He glanced up, smiling when he saw Mrs. T, the housekeeper they'd had since he was a little boy. Nate still had her coming over every few days to keep the house tidy and food in the pantry, and they loved her like she was family.

“Morning.” He grinned when she pointed to the kitchen counter. “Have I mentioned how much I love you lately?”

She laughed and flapped a hand at him. “Don't try to flatter me, Chase. I've known you since you were in diapers and you can't fool me with that nonsense.”

Chase pressed a kiss to her cheek as he passed and grabbed a bagel, slicing it open and slathering cream cheese all over it. He grinned when she turned on the coffee machine, knowing she was about to make him the perfect espresso.

Nate appeared as he took his first sip, dressed in an open-necked shirt and suit pants, and shrugging into a jacket.

“And you wonder why you can't keep up with me,” Nate muttered, raising an eyebrow and trying to smack Chase's bagel out of his hand.

“I don't care. I'd rather eat cream cheese than beat you.” It was a lie—he hated Nate kicking his butt, but he did love his food. Hell, if he wasn't living here he'd be frying up eggs and bacon every morning like he usually did before heading out for the day. Nate, on the other hand, wouldn't dream of scoffing down half the stuff his brothers did. They were only living together temporarily—up until recently he'd been living in a little place near the front of the property, which he'd pulled down to make way for something new.

“You need to kick the coffee habit, too,” Nate told him. “Start drinking green juice.”

Chase almost choked on his mouthful, swallowing down a piece of bagel and staring at Nate. “You've got to be shitting me? Ain't no way anyone is ever gonna convince me to drink kale. Or eat sushi for that matter.” He laughed. “We could put in a crop and cash in on the whole green juice revolution but that's where I draw the line.”

Nate grabbed a bagel and stared at it for a few seconds. “Aw, what the hell. It does look good. Mrs. T, can you do my coffee in a to-go cup?” He laughed quietly. “And for the record, sushi is freaking amazing. Pity you're such an old school douchebag.”

Chase finished his bagel and started another as Nate wolfed half of his bagel down, before he grabbed his coffee and took the other half to go. His brother could call him all the names in the world—it was like water off a duck's back.

“I'll see you later,” Nate said. “And yeah, none of that green shit for me, either. The juice I'll pass on, but one of these days I'm taking you out for sashimi at that new place in the city.”

Chase laughed. “Not a chance. But you do realize I might never move out of here, right? I never realized how good you had it.”

Nate held up his bagel in the air in a wave. “Later.”

Chase surveyed the kitchen now that he was alone, and smiled when he thought about how many mornings they'd all sat around together when they were kids. There were a lot of things that had been crappy about their childhood, but they'd been damn lucky, too. He never tired of hanging out with his brothers, even if they did give one another a hard time. Maybe losing their mom so young, then their dad walking out and leaving them with their grandparents had brought them closer together, but he had a feeling they'd have always been close regardless.