Beau: Cowboy Protector

“Z-Zorro s-saw—”

“Slow down.” Duke laid a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“Zorro saw Molly and ran away.” Duke had a calming effect on his stepson and Luke stopped stuttering.

“Good thing Uncle Beau was here.” Duke glanced at Sierra and switched the subject. “Did you have car trouble yesterday?”

Face flushing Sierra mumbled, “Ahh…”

“Clive Benson thought he saw your car parked on the shoulder of the road outside town around eleven.”

“No,” Sierra answered, casting a quick glance at Beau.

He wasn’t spilling the beans about last night.

“Clive must have been seeing things, or had one too many beers at the Open Range Saloon,” Duke said.

The dog tugged on his leash. “Zorro wants to walk, Dad.”

Beau had yet to wrap his mind around his twin becoming a father and got a kick out of watching the father-son duo.

“See you later.” Duke walked off holding Luke’s hand and the dog leash.

“About last night—”

“Forget last night.” Suddenly Beau didn’t want to know the truth. “Will you have dinner with me tonight?”

“I have to close the diner.”

“We can eat a late meal. I’ll take you to Maria’s Mexican Café.”

Sierra wrinkled her nose. “Maria’s isn’t even authentic Mexican food.” She stood and Beau scrambled to his feet. “Come to the diner around eight-thirty. The least I can do is feed you a meal for the trouble I caused.”

“It’s not much of a date if only one person eats.”

“I’ll have dinner, too.”

“Okay, then, I’ll be there at eight-thirty.”

“If you run late—”

“I won’t.”

Sierra spun and walked briskly down the block. When she reached the corner she looked both ways then stepped onto the street. Car brakes squealed and for a split second Beau’s heart jumped into his throat. The driver lowered his window and shouted at Sierra before driving off, then she hurried across the street and disappeared into the diner.

Beau’s heart slid back into his chest. Dang, that woman had better pay attention to where she was going or she’d find herself in a world of hurt.

Maybe you distract Sierra.

Wouldn’t that be something.

Chapter Four

“There’s someone at the door, dear.” Jordan’s voice carried through the apartment.

Sierra glanced at her watch. Eight o’clock—Beau was on time. “I’ll be right out.” She’d snuck up to the apartment to change clothes for her date and had been studying her reflection in the bedroom mirror for the past five minutes. The black, short-sleeved knee-length dress flattered her full figure. The tight-fitting bosom showed off her feminine curves while the pleated skirt hid the extra few pounds she needed to lose.

Guilt pricked her for wearing a cocktail dress. She hoped to impress Beau but didn’t want him believing she was interested in dating, because anything long term with the handsome cowboy was out of the question. Keeping that in mind, Sierra intended to savor every moment of the evening.

After spritzing on perfume, she left the bedroom and waltzed past her aunt, who sat on the couch reading. Molly rested dutifully at her feet. When Sierra opened the door off the kitchen…wow.

Beau stood on the fire escape, holding a bouquet of daisies. He wore slacks and casual shoes—she couldn’t remember ever seeing him in anything but jeans and boots. Her gaze inched higher, taking in his button-down shirt and brown bomber jacket. Even in dress clothes, Beau’s chiseled looks screamed cowboy.

He held out the flowers. “The color reminds me of your eyes.”

The reference to her eyes triggered a mini heartache, but she ignored the pain and accepted the bouquet. “They’re lovely.” She waved Beau into the apartment, then searched through the cupboards for a vase.

“Who’s here, dear?”

“Sorry, Aunt Jordan. It’s Beau.”

“Hello, Mrs. Peterson.”

While Sierra arranged the flowers in a vase, Beau crossed the room and patted Molly on the head. “Heard my dad gave you a tour of the ranch a few days ago.”

“Driving around with Joshua brought back fond memories. Seems like only yesterday that your father and I snuck off to the fishing hole on the McKinley property.”

“I guess you’ve heard Earl McKinley leased his land to the Missoula Cattle Company.”

“Joshua mentioned that was the same corporation leasing acreage from Thunder Ranch.”

Her aunt’s knowledge of the Adams and Hart family business pleased Sierra. She doubted that Joshua would have shared the information if he hadn’t felt he could trust Jordan. For her aunt’s sake and Sierra’s, too, she hoped Joshua’s intentions were honorable. She worried that he might be caught up in reliving the past, then once the excitement wore off and he realized his former high school sweetheart was still blind, he’d end the relationship, leaving Jordan with a broken heart and a desire to return to Florida.

“I was wondering, Mrs. Peterson—”

“Call me Jordan, Beau.”

“Jordan. How far back do you and my dad go?”

“Your father pulled my pigtails in fifth grade, and from then on I was smitten.”

“So you two have known each other most of your lives,” Beau said.

“We went steady all through high school.”

“Why’d you break up?” Beau asked.

“I went off to college.”