Most Eligible Cowboy (Peach Valley Romance Book 1) Read Free Page B

single woman in all of Peach Valley that he could imagine marrying. Still, he was resolute.
    His father’s lips twitched upward in a scruffy smile. “That’s the spirit, son.” Then his eyes flashed open, catching hold of Jackson’s. “I can’t wait to meet her.”
    “Me too.” Jackson left his dad’s room feeling restless and headed downstairs. When he reached the bottom, one of the floor boards squeaked.
    “Jackie, can you come in here, please?” His mother’s kind voice came from the kitchen.
    Jackson cringed, not a fan of his momma’s nickname for him, not that it mattered. She’d been calling him Jackie since he could remember and she had no intention of stopping. But he’d already been heading in that direction. The warm and bubbly smell of peaches baking in sugar and butter had filled every inch of the main house. “What’s up, momma,” he asked, on entering. His mother, known as Milly to everyone in town stood five-foot-three on a good day, and was in her late sixties. Regardless of her petite size, Milly had a way of filling the room. Jackson knew it was her fierce personality, one that seemed larger than life, at least to him. He smiled when he saw her. Flour smudged one cheek and nose. A quick glance around the modern farmhouse kitchen confirmed she’d been making her famous mini peach pies. His mouth watered. “Don’t mind if I do,” he went to pick one up, but she batted his hand away.
    Then she smiled. “Go ahead. Tell me how they taste.” She placed the oven mitts she’d been wearing on the white, granite countertop and watched him expectantly.
    Jackson grinned. When it came to his momma’s pies, he didn’t need to be asked twice. He picked up the biggest one up and put the whole thing in his mouth. Immediately, the sweet sugar and the tart of the peaches followed by the buttery crust sang to his taste buds. Peach pie was his absolute favorite dessert. “Yum,” he said while he chewed, grabbing his mom into a hug.
    Milly hugged him back. “So? Disgusting?”
    He wrinkled his nose, chewing rapidly before swallowing. “So bad, momma. Maybe you should let me take all of these back to my place, just get them out of here so you don’t feel bad about making so many gross peach pies.” He couldn’t help but smile when she popped him on the butt with the dishtowel.
    “You’re so bad,” she said, laughing mildly as she placed the pies she’d just pulled from the oven on a cooling rack.
    “Yes, mam,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. He knew she intended to give some to him and his brothers anyway. His mother was tough, refused to take any nonsense, but was also the dearest, sweetest person Jackson knew. She’d even helped him and his brother decorate their homes according to their tastes.
    He and Everett had built their own places about a mile from each other and a mile from the main house. Lance was still working on his, and Blaze hadn’t started his yet, but that was because he still had another year of college before he’d be home for good. Still, Blaze was home for the summer and probably out rounding up the calves with the rest of them, like Jackson should’ve been.
    “Uh-huh,” she said, playfully tapping him on the stomach. “Wouldn’t want you to lose your girlish figure, Jackie.”
    He gasped in pretend shock that his mom would even suggest such a thing. Raising his red tee, he ran a hand over his muscled abs. “You could do your laundry on these babies.” He smacked his stomach with a solid thump.
    She laughed. “All right, hot stuff, I need you to climb down off your pedestal and take a dozen of these over to Patty Montgomery’s place.”
    “Don’t you mean palace ?” Jackson asked, pouring himself some milk.
    “Ah, Jackie. I think you missed your calling in life.” She smirked, tasting one of the pies.
    Jackson chugged down his milk, then smirked. “What, I’m serious. Trying to get in good with the Queen?”
    “Well, smarty pants. Patty is a