Cowboy Trouble (The McCord Brothers 1.5) by Delores Fossen Read Free Book Online Page A

all about?”
    Natalie lifted her shoulder, followed him into the living room, but she didn’t sit next to him. She took the chair across from him. “Marcus doesn’t come right out and say it, but he’s always hinting that he wants me to lose some weight.”
    “What?” And in his head, he didn’t just say that word. Rico yelled it. Not that he’d needed any evidence that Marcus was a dunderhead, but that proved it. “Screw him. Not literally. But tell him to screw himself. You look great.”
    She frowned. “That’s your erection talking.”
    “Maybe, but my eyes agree with it.”
    His mouth did, too. But yes, his hard-on did have a say in this. Always would when it came to Natalie. Because no matter how rocky their past, the attraction just walked right over those rocks and found its way into his boxers. Just as Natalie had done.
    Now that Rico was satisfied there was no way Natalie should marry her daddy’s choice in mates, he went on to the next thing that was bothering him. “While we were in Bernie’s office, your expression changed when your father mentioned your mother.”
    Natalie didn’t exactly skitter away from him, but it was close. She got up from the chair and walked over to the windows. She stood there with her back to him.
    “Sorry,” he said. “Is that off-limits?” Rico didn’t wait for her to confirm that. “But the rumor mill says that your mom left your dad, and you, because you married me.”
    She didn’t confirm that, either. In fact, she stayed quiet for so long that he thought maybe she was ready to leave. Not dressed like that, of course. And not while still sipping that margarita, but she wasn’t thinking straight, so there was no telling what was going through her head right now.
    “I messed up a lot before you,” she finally said. “I made some very bad choices. I got arrested for underage drinking. I got suspended from school for skipping. I sneaked out of the house—many times to meet you.”
    He knew all about that, even the parts that hadn’t personally involved him. Small town, big mouths. “Hell, half of Spring Hill has been in trouble for things like that or worse.”
    “Half the town doesn’t have my parents.” She let that hang in the air for several long seconds, and even though he still couldn’t see her face, he could have sworn her shoulders slumped.
    Rico wanted some air clearing, but this didn’t feel right. Not after the against-the-counter hand job.
    “My mother didn’t just leave Spring Hill,” Natalie finally said. “She tried to kill herself. Sleeping pills. And that happened because I sent her over the edge.”
    Rico could have sworn his heart skipped a couple of beats. “She did that because we got married?”
    Natalie shrugged. “It didn’t help. She was already...delicate. And I kept getting into trouble. For her, public appearance was everything even if it was a facade. When the facade was gone, she just couldn’t handle it.”
    Things suddenly became a whole lot clearer. “So, that’s how your father has kept you in line all these years.”
    She didn’t deny it. “My mother is in a mental hospital just outside of Austin. Of course, it’s top notch, more of a country spa with lots of daily therapy. She has no intention of leaving—ever.”
    Well, hell. Rico had wanted to know. And now he did. But how the devil was he supposed to deal with this?
    “Are you okay?” It was something he wished he’d asked a whole lot sooner.
    “Yes.” She nodded, repeated it. Natalie even scrounged up a smile. “I can’t fix the situation with my mother, but at least I’ve worked out some things in the last hour or so. I’m not losing weight. I’m burning those Skinnies. And I’m buying some comfortable shoes.”
    Rico made a sound of approval. All of those were good, but that issue with her mother would always be a dark cloud. And in their case, that dark cloud was hanging right over their heads.
    “I’m also going to tell Marcus