The Reluctant Cowgirl by Christine Lynxwiler Read Free Book Online

sculptured lips. “He’s exaggerating, believe me. I’ve almost gained Nikki’s trust, but I’m still not quite there. If you come over to the cottage in a little bit, I’ll introduce you and you can unload your stuff.”
    Crystal nodded. Of course, her one satchel might give away the fact that this was an unplanned trip.
    “So how long are you staying, kid?” Luke drawled from across the table, a smile splitting his unshaven face.
    “Just a few—”
    Mama neatly scooted his elbows off the table as she walked by and handed Crystal a full plate. “Right now, we’re just glad she’s here for breakfast, Lucas.”
    Crystal stared at the plate. Her stomach growled a noisy greeting, and her mouth watered. She hadn’t eaten a bite since she’d thrown Brad out of the apartment last night. Actually since a couple of hours before the play. The smell of homemade biscuits and gravy mixed with bacon and eggs drove every other thought from her mind.
    “Thanks, Mama.” She took the plate and sank into the empty seat next to Elyse. “I’ve been dreaming about your breakfast.” She smiled at the others. “I’ll do the dishes, since I didn’t help cook.”
    “You heard her,” Kaleigh said with a sassy grin. “I’m off the hook.”
    “You’re off, I’ll give you that,” Chance teased.
    Everyone laughed, and Crystal relaxed her shoulders. The hardest part about coming home was always the awkward first few conversations. Usually she barely stayed longer than that.
    For the next half hour, she ate and drank quietly and listened to her family, so different yet so close. When she and Cami were eight and her parents had decided to first foster then adopt Aaron, the idea of getting a big brother had been exciting. The reality had been a little different, especially when five more kids had been added to the family over the next few years.
    But her love for them had grown every day they were together, and in these past few years they were apart, it hadn’t faded any. If anything, she felt more attached to them because she didn’t take their existence for granted.

CHAPTER 5
    Crystal clutched the large, rough, wooden, rectangular “button” on the barn door and took a deep breath. How many times had she made the trek through the field from the house to this old barn? She looked down. Never in high heels. But she’d been here more times than she could count. For her and Cami’s ninth birthday, Daddy had built them a stage in this unused barn. A simple wooden platform running the length of the far wall, with steps going up on each side, the “stage” was humble. But the twins had soon filled it with players, some willing, some not so much. She smiled at the memory.
    She dropped her hand, suddenly unsure she could go in, even though she knew she was late for the meeting. She’d accepted the fact that she couldn’t bear to go into their old bedroom, but would this be what her visits to the ranch would always be like? Standing outside familiar doors, afraid to go in?
    Sudden anger flared up inside her and she yanked on the unlatched wooden door and it swung open. Inside, she squinted. Sunlight filtered in through the eaves and dirt-covered windows, but it took a few seconds for her vision to adjust.
    “What took you so long?” Kaleigh asked from her perch on the bare stage. “The dishes were almost done when I left.”
    Crystal glanced around at her other brothers and sisters already settled in on the mishmash of old chairs and sofas arranged in front of the platform stage. She plopped down beside Matthew on the nearest couch and waved away the dust that rose in the air. “I’m guessing y’all haven’t had very many meetings here since I’ve been gone,” she coughed out. She didn’t wait for an answer because a part of her didn’t want to know if they’d gone ahead with the family tradition without her. “Mama changed her mind about going into town with Daddy.”
    A collective groan murmured through the