The Cowboy's Summer Love Read online

  by

  SHANNA HATFIELD

  The Cowboy’s Summer Love

  Copyright 2012

  by Shanna Hatfield

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  For permission requests, please contact the author, with a subject line of "permission request” at the email address below or through her website.

  Shanna Hatfield

  [email protected]

  shannahatfield.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Books by Shanna Hatfield

  FICTION

  Grass Valley Cowboys Series

  The Cowboy’s Christmas Plan

  The Cowboy’s Spring Romance

  The Cowboy’s Summer Love

  QR Code Killer

  The Women of Tenacity Series

  The Women of Tenacity - A Prelude

  Heart of Clay

  Country Boy vs. City Girl

  Not His Type

  ><><

  NON-FICTION

  Savvy Holiday Entertaining

  Savvy Spring Entertaining

  Savvy Summer Entertaining

  To our military men and women, past and present -

  Thank you for your service and sacrifice,

  for keeping us safe,

  and protecting our freedom.

  Prologue

  First love is only a little foolishness

  and a lot of curiosity.

  George Bernard Shaw

  "Do we have to take her, Mama? She's a girl!" Travis Thompson protested to his mother. "She's got cooties and everything!"

  "I'm fully aware that Tess is a girl, baby, and yes, you do have to take her along." Denni Thompson ran a hand over the mussed sandy brown hair of her youngest son's head and smiled. “I promise you won’t get cooties from her.”

  “But Mama,” Travis said, grasping Denni’s hand in his own and tugging on her fingers. “Please don’t make us take her. She’ll mess up everything.”

  “Yeah, Mom, we were going to play war at the fort. How can we do that with a girl?” Trent asked as he sat on a barstool at the kitchen counter drinking a glass of milk.

  “I’m sure you’ll figure something out. I want all three of you to be nice to Tess,” Denni said, glancing at Trey, the oldest of her three rambunctious boys. “Promise?”

  “We promise,” Trey said, turning his intense, bright blue gaze to his youngest brother. “We don’t have to like it, but we promise.”

  “That’s my good boys,” Denni said, giving each one of them a hug. She was filling a backpack with cookies and juice boxes when she heard a car door slam and pounding at the back door. Following her boys through the kitchen and mudroom, she waved a hand at Michele Morgan as she drove back down the driveway. They occasionally took turns babysitting each other’s three children, offering a welcome break from motherhood duties. This afternoon was Denni’s turn and she thought the weather was much too nice for the kids to stay inside.

  She smiled as the two Morgan boys ran up to her three offspring. They generally played well together, especially since Ben and Trent were both nine and Brice and Travis were both six. Sweet little Tess stood watching the boys rough house before she saw Denni at the door and ran over to see her.

  “Hi, Mrs. Thompson,” Tess said, handing Denni a droopy daisy in her plump little hand.

  “Hello, Tess! Thank you for this beautiful flower. How did you know I like daisies?” Denni said, hugging the 7-year-old and breathing in the scent of little girl.

  “Everyone likes daisies, don’t they?” Tess asked, looking at Denni with big brown eyes and dark brown pigtails tied with pink ribbons. She wore denim shorts with a ruffled pink shirt and canvas sneakers that were at one time white. Sandwiched between her two rowdy brothers, Tess had a hard time balancing her preferences for baby dolls and tea parties with her desire to be part of their action.

  “You know, I think they do,” Denni said with a warm smile. “Are you ready to go have fun with the boys?”

  “I guess so,” Tess said, warily eyeing the five boys scuffling around the yard. “They aren’t going to tackle me are they?”

  “Absolutely not! If they even think about it, you come tell me,” Denni said, trying to keep the smile off her face. She somehow thought Tess could hold her own if any of the boys did bother her. Stepping into the kitchen, Denni grabbed the backpack of snacks and called to Trey. Running over, he grasped the straps of the bag in his hand and whistled to the other boys.

  “Come on, let’s go!” They all took off running, leaving little Tess behind.

  “Well, sugarplum, if you are going to go play, you better hurry to catch up.” Denni turned Tess in the direction of the boys and gave her a little nudge.

  “Okay,” Tess said and took off after the boys, her stout little legs pumping hard.

  “Trey, don’t forget Tess,” Denni called to her eldest. He stopped and waited for the little girl with a look of begrudging acceptance on his young face. When Tess approached him, he smiled down at her and took her hand, then resumed running after the younger boys.

  Racing down the path behind the barn, Trey led his band of young followers toward their fort. Trey, Trent and Travis spent many an afternoon there, playing war or cowboys and Indians. Not a throw-together project of little boys, their fort was a solid play room located in a stand of trees near the creek that ran through the Triple T Ranch. Built to last, Drew Thompson constructed the fort for his boys like he did everything – with purpose and love. Properly cared for, the fort would stand as a place for youngsters to play when his grandchildren had children.

  Nearing the fort, Trey let go of Tess’s hand and stood barring the door.

  “Men of Fort Thompson, we need to make an amendment to the fort rules today,” Trey intoned, pulling himself up to his full height and trying to sound official. “We have a no-girls rule in place. Since Tess is a guest, we need to amend our rule to say no girls are allowed with the exception of Tess. All in favor?”

  Trent raised his hand while Travis scrubbed the scuffed toe of his sneaker in the dirt.

  “Travis,” Trey prompted and Travis finally stuck his little hand part way up with great reluctance. He was still convinced he was going to go home with a bad case of girl cooties.

  “Before she can join us inside, we need to have an initiation,” Trey said, opening the door and setting the backpack inside on the table.

  “What’s a ination?” Brice asked. He was all for making his sister squirm, but he didn’t want anyone to hurt her. “You won’t make her cry will you?”

  “No,” Trey said, shaking his head with 12-year-old superiority. “An initiation means she has to do something to prove she is worthy to be allowed in our fort or go through a ceremony.”

  The boys were quiet for just moment then Ben’s face lit with a smile. “I know. We could pretend she’s getting married to somebody, like a wedding ceremony, then she could be allowed into the fort, right?”

  “Sure,” Trey said, warming to the idea. “Travis, you kiss her.”

  “No way!” Travis yelled, ramming a fist into his older brother’s arm. “I ain’t gonna do it.”

  Trey grab
bed Travis and held his arms down before he could punch him again.

  “I won’t kiss him!” Tess exclaimed, not liking what the boys had planned. If they didn’t straighten up and be quick about it, she was going to march right back to the house and tell Mrs. Thompson.

  “Yes you will and you’ll like it,” Ben said, grabbing Tess’s hand and dragging her toward Travis, who was being pushed along by Trey.

  “You can’t make me!”

  “I won’t do it!”

  “Get away from me!”

  Finally, Trey said the magic words that would make Travis cooperate, which, in turn, would get Tess to go along with the scheme.

  “Travis, we dare you,” Trey said, bending down so he was eye to eye with his baby brother.

  Travis stopped yelling and glared at Trey, then Trent.

  “Double dare you,” Trent said, knowing Travis wouldn’t back down now. He and Trey learned the easiest way to get their brother to do what they wanted was to dare him. Even at the tender age of six, if he was dared, he forged ahead without a thought to the consequences.

  Travis stood staring at the little girl who glared back at him with big brown eyes and a questioning look on her face. She was kind of cute, for a girl, and she was his best friend’s sister. Sometimes, she was even fun to play with.

  “Okay,” Travis said, stepping closer to Tess, who took a huge step back into Ben.

  “I’m not kissing him,” Tess said, crossing her arms across her chest. “Not unless you do this right.”

  “How do we do it right?” Brice asked, taking his sister’s hand in his. He wasn’t sure this game was a good idea. He thought they should skip the kissing part and get down to the business of playing war. That sounded like a much better plan.

  “I need flowers and a crown first,” Tess said, looking down her pert nose at the boys.

  “You heard the lady, a crown and some flowers,” Trey said, as they started plucking wildflowers and weeds. Ben poked straggly stems into Tess’s pigtails and Travis, who was resigned to doing the kissing honors, handed her a bedraggled bouquet.

  “Now can we get on with this?” Trent asked, anxious to begin their game of war.

  “I don’t know,” Tess said, still not convinced kissing Travis Thompson was a good idea.

  Like a sacrificial lamb being led to the slaughter, her two brothers pushed and tugged until she was toe to toe with Travis. Smoothing down her shirt and standing with her feet precisely placed together, she let out a small sigh of surrender.

  “Okay, Travis, kiss her,” Trey said, with a jaunty grin. This initiation ceremony was almost as fun as playing cowboys and Indians.

  Seeing no way to avoid it, Travis leaned forward, closed his eyes, and somehow managed to land a kiss on Tess’ lips. For the briefest moment Travis somewhat enjoyed the experience, inhaling the scent of strawberries and bubblegum. Then he remembered he was no doubt being infected with an entire platoon of girl germs. Pulling back, he swiped his sleeve across his mouth.

  “It’s done,” he said, standing up straight and looking at his oldest brother. “Tessie can go in the fort now.”

  The newly initiated fort member pulled back her fist and socked Travis in the stomach hard enough to knock him down. “Don’t call me Tessie. I don’t like that name!”

  Spinning around, she ran back toward the house, leaving five boys watching her go.

  “I guess she told you,” Trey said as he helped Travis up and brushed him off, making sure his little brother wasn’t injured anywhere except his pride.

  Travis narrowed his eyes and watched the retreating form of Tess, determined to stay away from her.

  Not only had she infected him with her girl cooties, he kind of liked it.

  Chapter One

  Love is a Mystery.

  You can't find it; it has to find you.

  Author Unknown

  “I know you don’t like it, Mom, but you aren’t going to get better unless we do this,” Tess Morgan said as she helped her mother through a series of exercises meant to strengthen her wrist.

  “This whole thing is so frustrating,” Michele Morgan said, watching her daughter put her wrist through the paces of her routine. An excellent physical therapist, Tess was thorough but gentle in her work. “I should have paid more attention to where I was walking and none of this would be necessary.”

  “You couldn’t help it. Who knew a combination of wet steps, the cat rubbing around your feet and an armload of boxes would result in you falling?” Tess said with a teasing smile. Her mom had a bad habit of trying to do too much at once. That was the case the day the cat tripped her on the front steps while carrying one too many boxes to the car for the community rummage sale. “It’s not like you to ever try to carry more than you should.”

  “I’m not the only one guilty of that, Tess.”

  Releasing a long-suffering sigh, Michele realized how grateful she should be she sprained her wrist when she did. Tess, who had been working in Portland since she began her career in physical therapy a few years ago, grew weary of the noise and the city. Two weeks ago, Tess accepted a position in The Dalles, Oregon, and moved back home to Grass Valley where she commuted an hour to work. Not only was Tess home to help take care of the household chores Michele couldn’t do one handed, she provided the physical therapy her mother would have needed to drive into The Dalles to receive.

  Smiling at her mother, Tess continued taking her through the therapy exercises. She was just finishing when her dad poked his head in the door.

  “You ladies ready to go? We don’t want to be late,” Mike Morgan said with a twinkle in his warm brown eyes.

  “Your daughter just finished her torture session, so I could use a little fun about now,” Michele said, taking Mike’s hand and getting to her feet. “Let’s go see how Brice does today. Too bad Ben had to work this weekend. It would be so nice to have all three of you kids together.”

  “I think I’ll stay here. I’ve got plenty to keep me occupied,” Tess said, trying to look busy. There were a few people here in the small community of Grass Valley that she preferred not to see. Brice’s best friend Travis Thompson was at the top of the list.

  Almost seven years ago he gave her a kiss goodbye that sent her world spinning off-kilter and she hadn’t seen or spoken to him since. As a former playmate and occasional enemy, the good-looking cowboy excelled at provoking her with his wild, reckless behavior. Tess couldn’t imagine the teasing charmer growing up in the time they’d been apart. The fact that he was driving in the race today proved that point.

  “I heard you tell your brother you’d watch him today and watch him you will,” Michele said, giving Tess a motherly scowl. “You’ve managed to avoid seeing anyone since you moved back. It’s a beautiful spring day and I insist you come along.”

  “Yes, Mother,” Tess said, knowing when her mother laid down the law, she might as well surrender and go along with her plans.

  Arriving at Oregon Raceway Park, the Morgans joined the rest of the spectators as they waited for the race to start. First the participants would show off their cars and then they’d get down to the racing action. Walking toward the group of people gathered near the track, Tess recognized many of the faces. Growing up in Grass Valley, it would be hard to attend any kind of event in the area without knowing several of those attending.

  With an exchange of friendly waves, Tess soon found herself standing next to an expanding Thompson family. Michele Morgan and Denni Thompson had been good friends since before their children were born. Tess remembered many an afternoon spent at the Triple T Ranch playing with the three Thompson boys or having them join the three Morgan children at the Running M Ranch.

  Travis Thompson and Brice Morgan, only days apart in age, became best friends as soon as they were old enough to walk. Trent Thompson and Tess’s older brother Ben were the same age and also friends. Trey Thompson was the oldest of the group and often filled the role of leader of their little tribe when they were kids.<
br />
  That left Tess sandwiched between the five boys and often uncertain as to where she fit in, especially when Travis always made her feel so unsettled.

  Both Mike and Michele gave Denni Thompson a hug, visiting about her work at a quilt shop in The Dalles. She moved into town after her husband Drew passed away seven years ago.

  Tess took a moment to observe Trey and his beautiful bride Cady, along with the adorable little red-headed girl they adopted. Trent was also there, not getting more than a step or two away from his new fiancé, Lindsay Pierce, Grass Valley’s first-grade and kindergarten teacher. Although Cady and Lindsay weren’t originally from Grass Valley, they both seemed to fit into the community and the Thompson family with ease.

  Walking up to Trent, Tess held out her hand. “I hear congratulations are in order.”

  “Thanks, Tess,” Trent said, ignoring the handshake and giving her a one-armed hug, keeping his other around Lindsay. “You’ve met Lindsay, haven’t you?”

  “Yes, a few times. It’s nice to see you again, Lindsay. You are engaged to one of the nicest guys I know. I’m really happy for you both,” Tess said with genuine warmth. From what she heard, Lindsay was as pretty on the inside as she was on the outside.

  She thought the two of them made a very striking couple. Trent, who was six-foot-five, couldn’t have found a girl better suited to him than Lindsay with her six-foot frame and athletic build. Going out with Trent a few times when they were younger, just as friends, Tess knew he was a wonderful gentleman who would treat Lindsay with love, respect and care. “Have you set a date yet?”

  “We’re thinking between the end of wheat harvest and before school starts,” Lindsay said, her face glowing. It was easy to see she and Trent were deeply in love.

  “Sounds like you’ll have a busy summer,” Tess said, feeling a warm hand on her arm. Turning, she was engulfed in a hug by Trey. She’d nearly forgotten the Thompsons were all big huggers, having avoided the family as much as possible in hopes of not running into Travis.