The Cowboy's Summer Love by Unknown Read Free Book Online Page A

his outburst. Looking down at his half-eaten breakfast he knew he was behaving like a spoiled child, not a grown man. “I don’t know what it is, exactly, and I don’t think I can even explain it right now, but I am sorry. You’ve always been a good brother and a good friend.”
    “Trav, let us get you some help. You don’t have to keep trying to get through whatever is bugging you alone,” Trent said, leaning across the table. “We want to understand and help you, but if you keep going down this road you’re traveling, the day will come when it’s too late.”
    “I know,” Travis said with a sigh. “I’m not quite ready yet. Can you please give me a little more time?”
    “But Trav…” Trent started to say, until he was interrupted by Trey.
    “Sure, bro. We can give you all the time you need, but could you please try to let us in a little. We’ve all been worried about you and when you disappear without telling anyone where you’re going or what you’re doing, we worry even more. It helps to at least know where to come collect the broken pieces if it comes to that. I hope you realize you’re going to give my wife worry lines and gray hair way before her time.”
    Travis looked up to see a faint smile teasing the corners of Trey’s mouth.
    “Thanks,” Travis said, looking at his brothers with gratitude for their understanding and patience with him. “I’ll try to keep you more informed.”
    “Good,” Trey said, standing up from the table. “Now, let’s see this bruise you got. Trent said it was a doozy.”
    Travis showed his brothers the bruise, already gaining dark mottled color, that looked to be the size of a cantaloupe. Trey whistled and Trent looked at it intently, recognizing the imprint of a hoof in the middle of the discolored skin.
    “Was it worth it?” Trent asked.
    “I don’t know,” Travis said, rubbing his chest where it felt tender. “But I did place first.”
    “Of course you did,” Trey said, giving him a playful slap on the back. “You always did like to win.”
    Finishing his breakfast, Trey and Trent sat with Travis and they discussed what needed to be done that day. It was agreed that Travis would stay inside and let his leg rest, so Trey asked him to work on their ranch records and do some of the paperwork he generally took care of in the evenings. Travis didn’t know how well he’d like sitting inside behind a desk all day, but decided to be accommodating since Trey and Trent went easy on him this morning.
    Travis caught up all the paperwork, took a nap and iced his leg until he thought he might have frostbite. Cady brought him several treats throughout the day and pampered him as much as he’d let her. He could see why Trey had fallen fast and hard for the dark-haired beauty.
    As she started dinner preparations, Travis sat at the counter cutting up vegetables for a green salad while she made manicotti.
    From what he knew, Cady was engaged to a jerk that ran off with his secretary a week before the wedding. They worked at the same law office in Seattle, so Cady packed her bags and came to Grass Valley to live with her Aunt Vivian, owner of the local café, until she decided what to do with her life. With some training as a chef, Viv thought Cady would be a great fit at the diner until she discovered the one skill Cady lacked was waitressing.
    When she accidentally dumped a glass of ice water on Trey, it was love at first sight. Trey hired Cady to be the housekeeper and cook at the Triple T. Four months later they were married and adopted Cass.
    Travis, for one, was glad his brother had sense enough to marry the sweet woman. She was big-hearted, soft-spoken and the best cook he’d ever had the pleasure of knowing. When he first returned home from the service, Cady had gone out of her way to make him treats he missed. The first night he was back, he accidentally crawled into her bed, giving her quite a scare. Instead of getting mad, she got up and made him a