Her Summer Cowboy (13 page)

“Yeah,” he said. “I wanted to impress my girl.”

“Where is she?” Lane asked.

Hudson looked around for Emma and she was gone. He knew he’d reacted badly to her saying she loved him. But he was floored. It was more than he’d hoped for, probably if he were being honest more than he deserved. It wasn’t that he didn’t think he was worthy of love; it was just that he had no idea how to deal with it.

“You okay?” Lane asked. “It’s great to have you back home.”

“Yeah?” he asked his younger brother. “It’s pretty damned good for me too. I really have missed this.”

“Me too. When I was recovering I kept thinking about the summers when we were growing up and we’d all be together.”

“I’ve thought a lot about that too,” Hudson said. “I’m not sure the ranch needs us full time and I’m thinking of opening a mixed martial arts studio. Want to help me run it? And train guys. I think we’d make a good team.”

A good team. The words echoed in his mind as Lane thought over his idea. And Hudson realized the best team he could be a part of was one with Emma. He’d been afraid of holding her down and holding her back but he realized he was stronger with her by his side. She made him see connections to people that he’d never realized were there before.

“Let me think about it, but I like the idea,” Lane said.

He nodded. He needed to find Emma and tell her what he’d realized. How he needed her, and that he cared for her more than he’d thought it possible for him to care for anyone.

He left Lane working at the booth and made his way through the fairgrounds back to the stage. As he moved through the crowds he bumped into friends he hadn’t seen in years and realized that when he’d left he hadn’t realized all he’d given up. He had no regrets and the open road had always called to him and he had a lot experiences he couldn’t have gotten if he’d stayed here in Marietta.

But thanks to Emma he was ready to come back home. He was thinking of the future and he wanted her by his side. But could he ask her to stay here?

He approached the fenced-off area and saw his cousin RJ waiting there. He’d hired the twenty-year-old to work on his security force and didn’t regret it. “Any problems?”

“Nope.”

The kid liked to talk so Hudson had asked him to remember that there were times when one word would get the job done instead of a big, long sentence.

“Did Emma come back here?”

“Yup,” RJ said with a grin.

“Kid, I like you but you do know you can be replaced,” Hudson said.

“I do. Wasn’t sure how much information you wanted,” RJ said. “She came back about twenty minutes ago and went to her bus. Word amongst the crew is that Alan is going to play a song that Emma wrote tonight. Everyone is a little bit apprehensive, apparently her last song wasn’t too great.”

“Thanks,” Hudson said, clapping the kid on the shoulder. “That was all that I needed.”

“No problem. A couple of my friends want to come down for the show tonight, is that okay?”

“As long as they buy a ticket,” Hudson said.

“Fair enough,” RJ said.

“You okay for now? I’ve got to go and find Emma but then I’ll be back to give you a break,” Hudson said.

“It’s cool.”

Hudson walked over toward the vans, buses and trailers. It was hard to believe that the summer was nearly over and the tour close to ending. Alan had accepted his invitation to stay in town for the next couple of weeks. And he was glad.

Emma walked out of the trailer just as he was about to open the door, knocking them both off balance. He reached out to steady her and realized that he was an idiot for not telling her how he felt earlier.

“I love you.”

She looked up at him, wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “I love you too.”

“I’m sorry I was so…just sorry I didn’t tell you on the Ferris wheel. I was trying to figure out how to ask you to stay here with me. To make Marietta our home, and I couldn’t.”

She nodded. “I didn’t know how to figure any of that out either, I just know that I love you. And love is a gift that I don’t want to waste.”

He kissed her then with all the emotion that he knew he’d always struggle to convey with words. He heard a wolf-whistle and glanced around to see Alan standing there.

“Guess we know how he feels,” Alan said.

“You okay with this?” Hudson asked. “I love her, Alan.”

“I’m more than okay with it. Why do you think I made myself scarce on the bus?” Alan said with a wink.

“We’ve got to go and rehearse. Did she tell you we are going to debut her song tonight?” Gramps asked.

“Not yet, Gramps. We were sort of busy sorting out our love life,” she said.

“Got it sorted?”

She looked up at Hudson and he nodded. “I think so. Tell me about your song.”

“It’s called
Her Summer Cowboy
.”

“Is it about us?” he asked.

“It is. Well sort of. More inspired by us and a little by Gramps. It’s the story of running and finally figuring out that you can find home anywhere.”

He held her close, wrapped in his arms and knew that he’d found the home and the love that had been missing in his life for too long. This sweet Emma Jean had given him back his heart when he hadn’t realized he’d lost it.

The End

If you enjoyed
Her Summer Cowboy
, you’ll love the other Big Marietta Fair series novellas!

Beauty and the Cowboy
by Nancy Robards Thompson

Buy now!

Cowgirl Come Home
by Debra Salonen

Buy now!

For the Love of a Cowboy
by Yvonne Lindsay

Buy now!

Cowboy Crush
by Bronwyn Jameson

Coming August 2014

A Fair to Remember
by Barbara Ankrum

Coming August 2014

USA Today bestselling author
Katherine Garbera
is a two-time Maggie winner who has written more than 60 books. A Florida native who grew up to travel the globe, Katherine now makes her home in the Midlands of the UK with her husband, two children and a very spoiled miniature dachshund. Visit her on the web at
http://www.katherinegarbera.com
, connect with her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter
@katheringarbera
.

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