Read Online Her Cowboy Hero (The Colorado Cades) by Tanya Michaels - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tanya Michaels
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space as possible between himself and this room filled with all the bright adventure of childhood.
“Wait.” Evan followed him, and even though Colin’s goal had been to coax the kid out, now he wished the boy would stay away from him. “Do you need Trainket?”
The innocent, heartfelt gesture sliced through him. His throat felt as if it was on fire, but he managed to say, “Thanks, kid.” They stood there for long minutes, Colin clutching a grubby green blanket and Evan staring up at him, probably mystified by what could be so awful that it would make a mean old giant teary.
“Mr. Colin? Are you going to tell Mommy what I did?”
Keeping secrets was a bad idea. On some level, Colin knew that. It forged a bond between them that he wanted no part of, plus it might undermine Hannah as a parent. But he neither wanted to rat the kid out, nor scare Hannah with what could have happened. “How about I make you a deal? I’ll build you your own headquarters—all the great superheroes have a special place they can go.”
“Like my tent?” Evan interrupted.
“Bigger. And outside.”
“A tree house?” Evan was practically vibrating with excitement.
“Uh...no.” The risk of Evan being high above the ground was exactly the kind of thing Colin wanted to avoid. “But you’ll like it. It will be big enough to invite friends inside if you meet some other superheroes in kindergarten. But in return for me building Super-Evan headquarters and my not telling your mom, you have to promise not to try to use any superpowers until you’re at least six. No flying, and definitely no climbing on the stair rails, okay? Nothing like that. Deal?”
Evan stuck around for the two seconds it took to shake Colin’s hand and retrieve his blanket, then he went running to find Henry and tell him all about the proposed headquarters.
It had been Colin’s idea to put on a pot of coffee, but he wondered if Henry would notice if he didn’t actually drink any. He felt keyed up already, jittery with too many conflicting and unexpected emotions.
“Mommy!”
Hannah was back. He heard the murmur of her feminine voice, undercut with the gravelly rumble of Henry’s. Evan was louder than the other two, but except for that first shriek of greeting, Colin couldn’t make out the rest of his words. At first, Colin didn’t move—he’d been taking the second alone to regain his composure. But then it occurred to him that he didn’t want to run into Hannah at the back of the house, amid her son’s cherished belongings and in view of her gold-framed wedding portrait. It felt like crossing a line better kept between them.
They ended up nearly colliding just past the staircase. Hannah’s brow was furrowed, and he could practically see little question marks dancing over her head as if she were a comic strip character. How much had Evan told her? He was sure the boy had omitted any mention of his near swan dive, but what had he said about their chat afterward?
“Any success at the estate sale?” he asked, as if his roaming her house while she was gone were a completely normal circumstance.
Nodding, she bit her lip. “Possibly too much success. Now that I have some furniture and accessories in my price range, I’ve got a better idea of what the finished cabin will look like. I want to get started.”
“That’s good, right?”
“Well, there’s the matter of where you’re going to sleep once we begin renovations. If you’re sticking around?” she asked tentatively. “Evan said something about a clubhouse?”
Hell. He probably shouldn’t have said anything without getting the mom’s approval first. “Maybe I spoke out of turn. I was thinking that, if it’s okay with you, I could build him a playhouse before I go. Something in view of the garden, so he has a place to safely hang out while you’re working?”
Her liquid hazel eyes were pools of gratitude. “That would be wonderful. We were in such a cramped space in Colorado
“Wait.” Evan followed him, and even though Colin’s goal had been to coax the kid out, now he wished the boy would stay away from him. “Do you need Trainket?”
The innocent, heartfelt gesture sliced through him. His throat felt as if it was on fire, but he managed to say, “Thanks, kid.” They stood there for long minutes, Colin clutching a grubby green blanket and Evan staring up at him, probably mystified by what could be so awful that it would make a mean old giant teary.
“Mr. Colin? Are you going to tell Mommy what I did?”
Keeping secrets was a bad idea. On some level, Colin knew that. It forged a bond between them that he wanted no part of, plus it might undermine Hannah as a parent. But he neither wanted to rat the kid out, nor scare Hannah with what could have happened. “How about I make you a deal? I’ll build you your own headquarters—all the great superheroes have a special place they can go.”
“Like my tent?” Evan interrupted.
“Bigger. And outside.”
“A tree house?” Evan was practically vibrating with excitement.
“Uh...no.” The risk of Evan being high above the ground was exactly the kind of thing Colin wanted to avoid. “But you’ll like it. It will be big enough to invite friends inside if you meet some other superheroes in kindergarten. But in return for me building Super-Evan headquarters and my not telling your mom, you have to promise not to try to use any superpowers until you’re at least six. No flying, and definitely no climbing on the stair rails, okay? Nothing like that. Deal?”
Evan stuck around for the two seconds it took to shake Colin’s hand and retrieve his blanket, then he went running to find Henry and tell him all about the proposed headquarters.
It had been Colin’s idea to put on a pot of coffee, but he wondered if Henry would notice if he didn’t actually drink any. He felt keyed up already, jittery with too many conflicting and unexpected emotions.
“Mommy!”
Hannah was back. He heard the murmur of her feminine voice, undercut with the gravelly rumble of Henry’s. Evan was louder than the other two, but except for that first shriek of greeting, Colin couldn’t make out the rest of his words. At first, Colin didn’t move—he’d been taking the second alone to regain his composure. But then it occurred to him that he didn’t want to run into Hannah at the back of the house, amid her son’s cherished belongings and in view of her gold-framed wedding portrait. It felt like crossing a line better kept between them.
They ended up nearly colliding just past the staircase. Hannah’s brow was furrowed, and he could practically see little question marks dancing over her head as if she were a comic strip character. How much had Evan told her? He was sure the boy had omitted any mention of his near swan dive, but what had he said about their chat afterward?
“Any success at the estate sale?” he asked, as if his roaming her house while she was gone were a completely normal circumstance.
Nodding, she bit her lip. “Possibly too much success. Now that I have some furniture and accessories in my price range, I’ve got a better idea of what the finished cabin will look like. I want to get started.”
“That’s good, right?”
“Well, there’s the matter of where you’re going to sleep once we begin renovations. If you’re sticking around?” she asked tentatively. “Evan said something about a clubhouse?”
Hell. He probably shouldn’t have said anything without getting the mom’s approval first. “Maybe I spoke out of turn. I was thinking that, if it’s okay with you, I could build him a playhouse before I go. Something in view of the garden, so he has a place to safely hang out while you’re working?”
Her liquid hazel eyes were pools of gratitude. “That would be wonderful. We were in such a cramped space in Colorado
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