Read Online The Convenient Cowboy by Heidi Hormel - Free Book Online Page A

annoyingly sweaty palms on his trousers again as he walked into the ranch house. He had great news, spectacular news. He had been assigned the case in Texas—the big one. Olympia would think she’d gone to heaven, having him out of her hair, right? Except last night had proved once again that they could burn up the sheets.
    “Olympia,” he shouted as he came into the kitchen through the slider. The house smelled like an actual meal. She must be feeling better. Good, maybe he could convince her to reenact last night. “I’ve got great news.”
    “Hey, you must be the roommate,” a tall redheaded young woman said as she loped into the kitchen.
    “Who the hell are you? And where is my wife?”
    “Wife?”
    “Yes, wife. Again, who the hell are you?”
    “I’m her sister Rickie. What do you mean
wife
? Limpy said that she had a roommate, nothing about getting hitched.”
    Olympia had told him that she hadn’t informed her family about Elvis and the Little Chapel. She said that because they didn’t live in visiting distance there was no point in letting them know, especially since they’d be divorced in months. “We got married in Vegas. Love at first sight.” Spence allowed his mouth to move while his brain analyzed and filed the information. “I’ve got to speak with Olympia.”
    “She’s in bed. Why’d you leave her here alone? She’s got a bad case of the flu. I found her throwing up—”
    Even though he was sure her sickness was the usual, he hurried to see her. He felt for the phone in his pocket in case he needed to call for help.
    “Are you okay?” he asked as he opened the door. “Is the baby okay?”
    “Baby?” her sister echoed over his shoulder.
    “Damn it,” Olympia said with feeling.
    “You’re married and pregnant. What the hell, Limpy?” her sister asked as she pushed past him.
    Olympia stared at the two of them. Spence saw the color drain from her face. He spotted the wastebasket and moved to the side of the bed with it. She leaned over and retched.
    “It’s not the flu, is it, Limpy?” asked Rickie quietly.
    Olympia shook her head, lank strands of hair clinging to her face. Spence needed a little time to figure out how this new development affected their situation. He took the wastebasket out to the garbage because he wasn’t cleaning that out. He’d get her a new one. Maybe her sister visiting was fate finally giving him a break. He’d worried about leaving her here alone while he went to Texas. He’d tell her he was leaving day after tomorrow and convince her sister to stay and take care of Olympia. It was all good.
    He heard their voices as soon as he opened the back door. He knew sibling fighting when he heard it. He and Payson had had similar knockdown fights—literally. “Girls,” he said as he went into the bedroom. They turned toward him as one, jaws out and eyes slits of annoyance. “This isn’t good for the baby, and I can’t afford to replace all our wastebaskets.”
    “I’m fine, Spence,” Olympia said on a huff of breath. She sat up and swung her legs out of the bed. “We’ll talk in the kitchen.” She stood, closed her eyes for a second and then strode off. She had on shorts that stretched tightly across her butt.
    “Perv,” her sister accused, clearly noticing the direction of his gaze. “She’s pregnant and throwing up. She’s not thinking about—”
    “I think I know more about how she feels, since I’ve been—”
    “I’m her sister, and I don’t believe this baloney about love at first sight.”
    So Olympia had backed up his story. Good. Much less complicated than trying to explain the prenup.
    * * *
    R ICKIE STARED AT the two of them across the sunny-yellow kitchen table, looking skeptical. “You’re telling me that you met at Jessie and Payson’s wedding, started dating, ran off and got married, and now Limpy’s pregnant?”
    “Yes,” Olympia said with assurance.
    Spence decided that he’d keep his lawyer’s mouth shut. He