A Real Cowboy Knows How to Kiss Read Free Page A

instincts to climb into the truck and accept the life his brother offered. He wanted it, he burned for it, but it wasn't right. Despite Chase's words, he knew he was a black mark on the Stockton name, and he didn't warrant a piece of that land. He wanted to just walk away and forget who he was, but he couldn't make himself do it...not yet. There was something he needed to know, closure he needed to attain before he could walk away. "Is Mira there? At the ranch? I have some questions to ask her."
    Chase grinned, his entire face lighting up at the mention of his woman. "Of course she is. She lives there now. We've been waiting for you to get out before we get married. She said you promised to come to the wedding, and she's holding you to it."
    Steen considered that statement. Marriage carried nothing but bitterness for him. "You trust her?"
    "Yeah, all the way."
    He heard the conviction in Chase's voice, which surprised him. Chase had been more anti-marriage than any of them. "Then I hope you're right. You deserve a good one."
    "I got one." There was a thud from the trailer, and the sound of hooves crashing into the metal. Chase swore, glancing back at the shuddering trailer. "White Knight doesn't like the trailer. You want to ride with him?"
    Steen stiffened. It had been a long time since he'd done the horse thing. "Not really."
    The horse crashed against the side of the trailer, making it shake. A panicked squeal split the air, and Steen instinctively called out to the animal and began heading toward the trailer. He'd never been able to walk away from a horse in need, and the old instincts came rushing back.
    "Hey!" Chase called out.
    Steen glanced back at him, still moving toward the horse. "What?"
    "You'll need this." As he spoke, Chase tossed a battered old cowboy hat out the window. Steen recognized it immediately as the one he'd worn back in high school.
    He caught it, surprised by the sensation of feeling that familiar shape in his hands again. "You still have this?"
    Chase grinned. "I never gave up hope, bro."
    Shit. It had been a long time. Steen studied the hat for a moment as images of his old life, his cowboy life, flashed through his mind. He remembered the horses, the competitions, the smell of worn leather and clean straw, all the things that had grounded him when nothing else had made sense. He felt like it had been in another lifetime, as if it had happened to someone else.
    White Knight slammed against the side of the trailer again, jerking his attention back to the present. Steen jammed the hat down on his head and loped back to the trailer. He opened the door and swung inside without even thinking about what he was doing, moving as naturally as if he'd never walked away.
    A dapple-gray horse was backed up against the rear of the trailer, his head up and his eyes wide with fright as the trailer began to lurch forward again. Steen instinctively began to talk, the words leaving his mouth without him even thinking of what to say. He just knew what the horse needed to hear, as he always had. The horse began to lower his head toward Steen, his ears flicking forward to listen, and suddenly, the day didn't feel so crappy.
    For the first time in a long, long time, Steen felt like he was in the right place.
    It wasn't much, and he knew it wouldn't last, but for right now, it was a start. He grinned at the animal. "Hey, boy. Sucks to be locked up in a cage, doesn't it?"
    White Knight lowered his head even further, and he pushed against Steen's chest. Pain shot through his side, but he ignored it. Instead, he placed his hand on White Knight's nose, surprised by how soft it was. He'd forgotten what it felt like to touch a horse. He'd forgotten what soft was.
    He'd forgotten a lot.
    He just wished he'd forget the rest.

Chapter 2
    Despite her valiant efforts to maintain a positive attitude, there was simply no way for Erin Chambers to see the bright side of the situation when the SUV she was driving lurched and slithered