Lone Star Cinderella by Debra Clopton Read Free Book Online Page A

lied about cattle arriving. “Hey, Dan,” he shouted over the thunder. “Sorry I’m late.” He’d pulled his oilskin duster from beneath the seat and tugged it on as he stomped through the water washing across the rock drive. Dan, his good friend and neighbor, hauled cattle for a living—he was also the local horseshoer and raised his own herd, too.
    â€œNo problem,” he said. He’d backed his large hauler up to the corral and was opening the gate. “You know I don’t actually need you out here in this. No sense both of us getting soaked.”
    â€œI know.” Seth tugged his collar up against the driving rain and stood out of the way. Dan knew what he was doing and often when he arrived from a long haul unloaded by himself. But there was always the chance that something could go wrong, and it didn’t take but one slipup and even the most experienced of cowboys could get slammed or stomped. “How’s Ashby feeling?” Seth asked. The cattle began unloading, and Dan came to stand beside him.
    â€œShe’s the happiest pregnant woman I’ve ever seen. Even when she was throwing her guts up the woman was smiling.” He chuckled. “She wanted a baby so bad even being so sick isn’t fazing her. Beats all I ever saw. She’s special. You need to find you a good woman. I’m telling you, especially on a night like tonight…” he didn’t finish but his happy expression said everything that needed to be said.
    â€œI guess I’ll just have to settle for a hot cup of coffee and the news.”
    â€œMan, you gotta get a life.”
    â€œI thought you were saying I needed a wife.”
    â€œHey, bro. It’s the same thing.”
    â€œWe aren’t all as lucky in love as you, my man.”
    Dan hiked a dark brow and let all his pearly whites shine through the rain. “Now didn’t you learn nothin’ from watching me chase that poor woman down until she had no choice but to agree to marry my sorry hide? Luck had nothing to do with it. Oh, no. It was pure, hard-nosed determination on my part, and the good Lord taking pity on me, that got that little woman to give me the time of day, much less to marry me.”
    â€œYeah, I know that’s the truth.” Seth chuckled.
    Dan headed off to pull the gate closed behind the herd. The cocky cowboy was one of the best-natured and most good-hearted cowboys Seth had ever met. And he spoke the truth about how hard he’d worked to get his wife to even give him a second glance. Seth wondered how that would feel. He dated. He even thought he was serious a time or two, but in the end things just fizzled and he’d been okay with that by that point. He hadn’t had a date in six months. Maybe that was why he’d suddenly gotten this unexpected attraction to his new tenant.
    Â 
    Melody had slept amazingly well. Storms always seemed to work like a lullaby for her. For as long as she could remember, her last thought before she went to bed at night was of Ty. And her first waking thought was of him. She said her prayer for him automatically as she climbed out of bed and headed for her morning coffee. It was a new day. If she continued saying no to the money he asked for, he very well could be evicted. She knew he’d been lying to her for several months, and the money she’d believed he was using to pay his rent and utilities had actually gone to pay for his drug habit.
    He was ruled by his addictions and didn’t care an ounce if she went into debt to pay for his drug habit so long as he still got his fix. She’d been horrified when her parents had been killed in the car accident. That had been compounded by her discovery that they’d died deeply in debt from money they’d borrowed against their home and credit cards. And all the money had gone to fund Ty’s lifestyle.
    Enough!
    She finished her coffee and headed to get ready for the day.