A Cowboy's Strength (The McGavin Brothers #1) Read online

  A Cowboy’s Strength

  Vicki Lewis Thompson

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  But Wait, There’s More!

  About the Author

  A COWBOY’S STRENGTH

  Copyright © 2017 by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  ISBN: 978-1-946759-13-9

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Ocean Dance Press, PO Box 69901, Oro Valley AZ 85737

  Visit the author’s website: http://vickilewisthompson.com

  Chapter One

  Zane McGavin made the drive back from Bozeman in high spirits. Releasing a bird of prey into the wild after a successful rehabilitation was almost better than sex. Then again, he hadn’t had sex in a while so he might not be qualified to make that statement.

  He’d been so busy with ranch work and the raptors in his care that he hadn’t dated in months. Might even be close to a year, now. He’d reached that awkward stage of being too old for casual hookups and too young – at least in his opinion – to settle down.

  Maybe if the right woman came along…

  She’d have to like the idea of living in Montana, though. He was rooted in this place and he…damn, there was some idiot changing a tire right next to the road. They could get run over.

  Passing carefully, he drove onto the shoulder several yards in front of the vehicle. His truck’s tires ground through slush and gravel that might cause trouble for a little sedan like that one. Maybe the driver had been afraid of getting stuck. At least the car was bright red, which made it stand out.

  Zane tucked his gloves in the pocket of his sheepskin jacket before climbing out. When he turned to face the disabled vehicle, he discovered the driver standing in front of the car. The belted wool coat, long hair and girly city boots told him he’d come to the aid of a lady in distress. She held a tire iron in one hand and a phone in the other as she watched him approach. Most folks around here were law-abiding, but she might not know that.

  “Ma’am, I’m here to help.” He held up both hands, palms out. “If you don’t want me to come any closer, I’ll stay put. But please call a garage to come out and change that tire for you. If you don’t have a number to call, I can give you one. It’s mighty dangerous for you to be working right next to the road like that.”

  She went very still. “Zane?”

  “Yes, ma’am, that’s my name, but I don’t believe I…” Then it hit him. Her hair was cut different and her coat and boots weren’t the style she used to wear. But he knew that voice and now that he’d moved a little closer, he knew that face, too. He’d been looking at it off and on between the ages of three and seventeen, although she hadn’t been a part of his life for years. Ten, to be exact.

  Maybe she’d lost her country smarts while living in the big city. “Mandy Fielding, are you fixing to get yourself killed?”

  “I was afraid I’d get stuck if I pulled off any more.”

  “Then why not call roadside assistance?” Thinking some stranger had been risking life and limb by the side of the road had been bad enough. Discovering Mandy had put herself in that position was making him crazy.

  “Takes too long. My plane was late and Mom started her vacation this afternoon so she could be home when I arrived. This should’ve saved time.”

  “How long have you been at this?”

  She made a face. “A while. The lug nuts are on super tight.”

  “Probably some mechanic in Bozeman got over-zealous with the power equipment.” Thank God he’d happened along. Gradually the fact registered that he was standing here having a conversation with Mandy after ten years.

  Their last face-to-face hadn’t been great, near as he could remember. He must have ticked her off pretty bad since she hadn’t tried to contact him any of the times she’d come to visit her mom over the years. She hadn’t changed a whole lot since he’d last seen her, though – same hazel eyes that could look green or gold depending on her mood, same shiny, caramel colored hair. She didn’t seem much older, just more sophisticated.

  He’d missed her, but that was neither here nor there. She’d obviously come home to help sort through stuff since her mom was selling the house and property that bordered Wild Creek Ranch. Contacting him wouldn’t have been part of the plan on this visit, either. He took a deep breath. “I’ll get started on that tire.”

  “Zane, I don’t expect you to change it for me.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I – look, I was rude when you invited me and Mom to the graduation party. I never apologized.”

  He blinked in surprise. “What?”

  “I was a real jerk, especially after how long we’d been friends. Let me call roadside assistance. I’m sure you have plenty of other things to do this afternoon besides mess with my tire.”

  Amazing. She was guilt-ridden about some ten-year-old argument that was only a fuzzy memory to him. “I seriously doubt you were the jerk in that situation. More likely it was me.”

  “No, I was. I turned you down flat. Things were awful and I made them worse.”

  “If you say so. I honestly can’t remember much about that conversation.” The breeze tugged at his hat and he grabbed the brim to keep it on. “Here’s an idea. Let’s call it even and I’ll change your tire so you can get to your mom’s faster.” He gave her a smile. “How about that?”

  * * *

  Mandy had to laugh at herself. Fate had sent her a knight in shining armor and she was doing her best to send him riding off again. “Okay. Thanks, Zane.” She handed him the tire iron. “I appreciate it.”

  “You’re most welcome.” He walked around the right side of the car to the open trunk and laid the tire iron inside.

  “Won’t you need that?”

  “Eventually. First I’m gonna move your car.”

  “Do you think that’s a good idea?”

  “Better’n getting either of us killed by a distracted driver. Besides, I’ll use the truck to pull it out if I screw up.” He picked up the jack and the spare tire she’d hauled out and put those in the trunk, too. “I see you only have a donut.”

  “Yep. It’ll get me to Mom’s and I’ll have George fix the flat.”

  “George is retired.” Zane closed the trunk. “But the business is operating and they still call it George’s Garage.”

  “That’s comforting.”

  “It’s one of the things I like about Eagles Nest.” He came back around the car to where she was standing. “Folks try to keep things familiar if possible.” He said it with pride.

  “You’re right.” She’d always suspected he considered her decision to live back East as a kind of defection.

  “Okay, let’s take a gander at what I’m heading for.” Walking along the far edge of the shoulder, he kicke
d at the slush with the toe of his boot.

  Now she knew she was in Montana. Nobody in New York City said take a gander.

  “Should be okay.” He glanced at her. “You’d better stand by my truck so I know where you are.”

  “Or I could stand in front of you, give directions and holler if you’re heading for trouble.” Just like that, she’d slipped into country talk, too. She never said holler except when she came back here.

  He grinned at her. “Like you did with the ATV that time?”

  “I see you don’t have any trouble remembering that.”

  “Rolling backwards into Wild Creek tends to make a lasting impression on me.”

  “I got confused. I forgot that I was facing the opposite way from you and my right was your left. I’m older and wiser, now.”

  “Okay. I trust you.” He shoehorned himself into the rental and moved the seat back to accommodate his six-foot-three frame.

  She hadn’t thought of that adventure in years. They’d been barely thirteen and if his mom had found out they’d nearly destroyed the ranch’s ATV they would’ve been forbidden to ride it for months. Sweating bullets, they’d shoved and dragged that machine out of the creek and up the embankment. Except for a couple of new scratches, it had been fine.

  Zane started the car and put down the windows. “Ideally I’d like to end up right behind my truck. That way we have two vehicles on the side of the road so oncoming traffic can spot us easier.”

  “Makes sense.” She walked around to the front of the car. “Let ‘er rip!”

  The sedan’s wheels spun at first, but finally the tread dug into the damp surface and Zane edged the car slowly toward the right side of the shoulder while she called out directions. She was extra careful not to mix up her left and right and by the time they finished the maneuver, he’d bought another four feet of distance from the road without getting the little red car stuck.

  He rolled up the windows and climbed out. “Good job, Buttercup.”

  “Thanks.” His use of her old nickname caught her by surprise. She couldn’t remember when he’d started calling her that, but he’d hardly ever used Mandy unless he was mad at her. After their icky conversation about the graduation party she’d never expected to hear the name Buttercup again.

  “I have a couple of flares in my truck.” He tugged on the brim of his Stetson. “Might as well put those out, too.”

  “While you’re doing that I’ll call my mom. She’s probably worried.”

  “You can sit in the truck. It’d be quieter.”

  “Thanks.” She started toward the passenger side but he got there first and opened the door. She noticed the logo before he handed her in. “So what’s Raptors Rise all about?”

  “Raptor rehabilitation. I could have just called it that, but giving the project a cool name appealed to me.”

  “You’re doing that, now?”

  “On the side.” He leaned against the open door. “Mom gave me permission to use ranch property and the lumberyard donated supplies to build the aviary. Oh, and you remember Kurt? He was in our class.”

  “I do. Serious kid.”

  “Super serious. He’s a vet, now. He took a few extra courses in ornithology so he can work with the injured raptors, pro bono. I couldn’t do this without the support I’ve had.”

  Now she understood why a large pet carrier was strapped into the bed of his truck. “So that project we used to talk about – you made it happen.”

  “It’s a small operation, but yeah, that’s how I spend my time when I’m not leading trail rides or mucking out stalls. I’m on my way home from a release.”

  “Of what?”

  “A female golden.”

  “Very cool.” Although the bald eagle was the national bird, she was partial to goldens. So many called this area home.

  “It was great. The guy who found her in February helped with the release. Seeing her take flight was –” He broke off. “I could talk about this all day and we need to get moving. See you in a few.” He closed the door.

  Mandy removed her gloves so she could use her phone. Zane sure was enthusiastic about his raptor program. He’d made quite a picture leaning against the door of the truck in his sheepskin coat and brown Stetson with snow-capped mountains forming a backdrop behind him. His intense blue eyes became even more compelling when he was into something. She envied him that passionate commitment. She hadn’t been that excited about a project in a long time.

  Her mom answered on the first ring, which probably meant she’d started pacing. “What’s up, sweetie?”

  “The rental got a flat. Zane happened along and he’s going to change it for me.”

  “Well, that’s lucky.”

  “I know. I’m sort of glad it happened. Gave me a chance to connect with him and apologize for that whole graduation party debacle. I thought he might be holding a grudge but he’s not.”

  “I wouldn’t expect him to. He’s not the type.”

  “And I knew that, but…anyway, do you know he’s rehabilitating birds of prey?”

  “Sure do. I went over there to see his setup. He’s moved into that old log cabin up the hill from the ranch house and he built an aviary next to it. He’s really dedicated to the cause.”

  “I’m not surprised.” Mandy respected that about the guy. When he took on a task, he gave it all he had. “Anyway, thanks to Zane, I’ll see you soon.”

  “Sounds good. Listen, if I know that boy, he’ll follow you home to make sure you get here okay. Invite him in for coffee, if he has time.”

  “I’ll ask him.”

  “Tell him I have cookies.”

  “I will. ‘Bye, Mom. Love you.”

  “Love you, too, sweetie.”

  Mandy disconnected. Naturally her mother would have the inside scoop on Zane’s activities. Her mom and the McGavins had been rural neighbors and close friends for years. Eeyore, Mandy’s sad-eyed gray gelding who was now technically her mom’s horse, was stabled at Wild Creek Ranch. Her mom would have had plenty of chances to check out Zane’s project.

  Mandy didn’t want to leave town without seeing it, either. As kids, she and Zane had been fascinated by the birds of prey living in the mountains that surrounded Eagles Nest. Zane had vowed that someday he’d create a haven for those who’d been injured and she’d volunteered to be his partner.

  Slipping her phone into her coat pocket, she climbed down from his truck and started back toward the rental car. He’d lit the flares and was hunkered down next to the left rear tire struggling to loosen the lug nuts. He was cussing, too, which gave her some satisfaction. If even Zane was having trouble, those things must be welded on.

  When he laid the tire iron on the ground and got to his feet, she wondered if he’d given up. Instead he took off his jacket, draped it over the fender and went back to work.

  The impact was like Superman ripping open his shirt. Until this moment, Mandy hadn’t thought Zane had changed much in ten years. How wrong she’d been. Under his jacket he wore a snug white t-shirt, and oh, dear God, did he wear it well. The soft cotton lovingly revealed muscles that flexed and bulged as he forcefully attacked the lug nuts. She stood there transfixed and watched him twist them off.

  After he unscrewed the last one, he stood, wiped his forehead with his arm and glanced her way. “Got ‘em.”

  She snapped out of her daze and walked toward him. “Good job! What can I do to help?”

  “Just hang onto these for me.” He handed her the lug nuts. Then he peered at her. “Are you okay?”

  “Sure am. Why?”

  “You have that look you used to get when you were coming down with something. You’re flushed and your eyes are really bright.”

  “Not coming down with something, I promise.” She focused on his face because looking at his superhero pecs was likely to keep that flush going strong.

  “Good. You get cranky when you’re sick.”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “So it wasn’t y
ou who dumped over the Monopoly board?”

  “I only did that once.”

  “True.” He flashed her a smile. “The other times it was Sorry.”

  His smile scrambled her brain and robbed her of a comeback. She’d seen it a million times but it had never made her speechless before. By the time she’d recovered, he’d retrieved the jack and the spare.

  “I don’t trust this little donut, so I’ll follow you home to make sure you get there all right.”

  She cleared her throat. “Mom said you would. If you have time, she’d like you to come in for coffee and cookies.”

  “Sounds great. I’d love to.”

  “Good.” After he went back to work, she loosened the scarf around her neck to let in some cool air. How ironic that her old buddy Zane had turned into the hottest guy she’d met in ages. It was probably a very good thing she was flying back to New York in a week.

  Chapter Two

  Zane kept an eye on the red car’s rear wheels as he followed Mandy back to Eagles Nest. He needed to focus in case anything went wrong, but it was a challenge to keep his mind on tires. Dealing with her had stirred him up.

  She’d crossed his mind a few times over the years, but for the most part he’d managed to forget her. That would likely change now that he’d seen that she was…yeah, she was beautiful. He hadn’t allowed himself to think that in high school because it had seemed wrong to lust after a girl who had been his best friend for a lot of years.

  But their long separation had cancelled that friendship, in a way. It was almost like he was meeting her for the first time, except he’d maintained contact with her mom so he wasn’t totally out of the loop. He’d heard she had a good job working for a fashion designer in New York.

  That alone should tell him that interest in her was pointless. She’d transplanted herself there ten years ago and her mom said she loved the East Coast. Didn’t matter if his pulse rate shot up when he looked at her. Her life was in a whole other part of the country.

  Eagles Nest, the town they were currently driving through, was exactly what he wanted – small community, friendly people, incredible scenery. He wouldn’t trade living in this part of the world for anything.