Read Online The Bull Rider's Collection by Lynn Cahoon - Free Book Online

notice her lack of appetite, but the man spoke as soon as she put her fork down.
    “Lizzie, look. I know you have lots on your mind.” Cash reached over and laid his hand on hers.
    “That obvious?” Lizzie tried to smile.
    “That having James and his brother back in town has thrown you into the river a few hundred times this weekend? A little.” Cash smiled. “Look, you’ve told him the big secret. The ball’s in his court. Will he step up and be a man or keep being one of the boys?”
    “Jesse’s won’t like the competition.” Lizzie sipped her iced tea.
    “Uncle Jesse loves competition. That’s why he’s a bull rider,” JR announced through a mouthful of French fries.
    “Honey, you haven’t even met your Uncle Jesse.” Lizzie leaned over with a napkin and wiped ketchup off JR’s lip.
    “Yeah, but I know bull riders. I’m going to be one someday.” JR burped. “’Scuse me.”
    Lizzie shook her head. Hopefully this new-found occupation would go the way of the astronaut, the doctor, and the garbage man: out of his thoughts as soon as he found a new hero.
    “You ready for your dessert? What did you decide? Sundae or shake?” Cash grinned at the miniature cowboy.
    “Shake please. Chocolate?” JR swung his legs. “Did you know my dad from school, too?”
    Cash waved over their waitress. “Two chocolate shakes and…?” he focused on Lizzie.
    “A small bowl of vanilla ice cream with huckleberry sauce.” Lizzie gave in. For the next few hours she would relax and enjoy and not think coming to some sort of an agreement with James about JR. She’d be a Scarlett tonight; she’d think about hard things tomorrow. “Cash was a year ahead of us. You know he played football though, so he thought he was all that.”
    Cash leaned back, pretending to look hurt. “I didn’t think I was all that.” He grinned at JR. “I was all that.”
    “Big talk for a small town restaurant owner,” Lizzie teased.
    “I love my little place. And for once in my life, I’m happy.” Cash leaned aside as the waitress brought their desserts. “I liked playing football, but I hated all the travel. I guess I’m just a homeboy at heart.”
    “I’ve only been to Oregon and Washington.” Lizzie took a bite of her sundae. “I wanted to travel once I left high school, but plans change.”
    “My dad travels a lot.” JR stretched to reach his shake.
    “Yes he does.” Lizzie wasn’t sure where JR was heading with the statement. Sometimes he just stopped. Other times he came up with some of the strangest correlations.
    JR eyed Cash. “You used to travel a lot.”
    Cash glanced at Lizzie, raising his eyebrows. She lifted her shoulders indicating she had no clue where JR was heading.
    “That’s right. When I played football, I traveled a lot.” Cash paused and tried to change the subject. “Do you like the shake?”
    “It’s good,” JR answered but didn’t allow Cash to change the conversation’s direction. He continued, “So maybe my dad will stop traveling and stay home with us like you stopped traveling and started working here.”
    Lizzie’s heart dropped. This was why she hadn’t been honest with him or James before. JR was planning an at-home future with a dad who’d still be running around the country nine months out of the year. She cuddled closer to her son. “JR, listen. Just because you know who your dad is doesn’t mean he’ll be here with you. I mean he’ll try to see you as much as he can, but he’s busy.”
    Cash chimed in, “And we can do stuff. The three of us. I’m taking your mom to the high school musical next weekend. It’s about pirates. Do you want to come with us?”
    JR pushed his shake away, tears forming in his eyes. “Can we go home now?”
    “Tired, buddy?” Lizzie tousled his hair. He nodded. “Looks like Cinderella needs to take the pumpkin home.”
    “I’m not a pumpkin.” JR curled into a ball on the bench, away from Lizzie.
    She ran her hand on top of JR’s