Page 47 of Blue Moon Cowboy
“No, baby. I’m going to be fine. I just need a few days to rest. Shall we go downstairs for dinner?”
“Yes! I’m hungry! Lainey and Uncle Galen made burders!”
A thick hamburger made with their Circle P beef did sound good. Jason flung back the covers and slid his legs around to the edge of the bed.
Caitlyn jumped off the bed and turned to look at him. “Papa?”
“What is it, honey?” he asked, waiting for the dizziness to pass before he stood.
“You need a shirt.”
“So I do,” Jason said, rubbing a hand across his bare chest. He hadn’t even been aware he wasn’t wearing one. “How about you grab me a shirt out of the drawer right there.” He pointed to a dresser drawer.
Caitlyn dashed across the room, opened the drawer, and extracted a T-shirt Jason hadn’t worn for years. She skipped over to him, waving the shirt like a flag, before handing it to him. Rather than reject it, he pulled it on, let his granddaughter take his hand, and slowly made his way downstairs.
Voices drew him to the kitchen, where his children, their spouses, and his grandchildren were gathered along with his dad, brother, and Lainey.
“Should you be up?” his father asked, giving him a worried once-over while the noise in the kitchen grew to a deafening silence.
“I’m starving. Caitlyn told me we’re having burders for dinner, so how could I miss that?”
“You couldn’t, Papa,” Dani said, hurrying over to him and giving him a careful hug. “I’m glad you’ll be okay.”
“Me, too, pumpkin.” Jason kissed her cheek and settled an arm around her shoulders, glad to be home with all the people he loved most in the world.
A week later, after sitting through the morning service at the church his family had attended in Baker City for as long as he could remember, Jason took Lainey for a drive into themountains. They ate a picnic lunch sitting on the tailgate of his pickup and enjoyed a quiet afternoon.
On their drive home, Jason held Lainey’s hand in his and cast glances over at her, admiring the curve of her cheek, the length of her graceful neck, and the shimmer of her golden hair in the summer sunshine that surrounded her head like a halo.
She smiled at him, and he felt the warmth of it all the way to his heart.
This was what he’d missed. What he’d longed for. What he never thought he’d find again after losing Judy.
Lainey wasn’t perfect. Far from it. But Jason knew she was perfect for him. It hit him like another knock to the head as they followed a winding road home that he’d never even told her he loved her.
He did, though. With all his heart. And he knew he would never love anyone quite like he loved Lainey Collins.
In the past, when he tried to bring up his feelings for her, she deflected, distracted, and did everything short of running away to keep him from saying anything.
The past week, though, she barely left his side, as though she was afraid something would happen to him if she wasn’t there to keep watch over him.
After spending a day and a half in bed, Jason had felt fine other than a dull headache and a pain that had throbbed from his ribs if he tried to lift anything or do any work.
With nothing better to do, he’d taken long walks with Lainey, gone on several drives, and savored the time spent with her as they deepened their relationship. Pops had hauled out every photo album they owned, and Jason and Lainey had spent hours on the couch looking at the photos and listening to the older man share his memories.
Lainey had been wise enough to turn on the voice recorder app on her phone so Pops’ stories would be preserved. It wassomething Jason hadn’t thought of doing, but he was grateful Lainey had. The thoughtful, kind, meaningful gestures she offered meant so much to Jason.
Sure, she was beautiful and successful. She claimed she had more money than she could spend before she died. But it was her heart and her innate goodness that appealed most to him.
Like the sunlight that backlit her, he could almost see the light that shone from her soul, illuminating those around her.
Lainey was a special, unique, wonderful woman, and he’d be an idiot to let her get away. If it took him years to convince her to marry him, he decided he’d do it. She was worth whatever effort it took.
He gave her a sideways glance and hoped it wouldn’t take nearly that long.
For the next several days, when Jason could sneak away from Lainey, he started putting his plans into play.
Friday morning, he encouraged Lainey to go with Brylee for the day to a rodeo that was only a few hours away. Brylee was in on his ruse and would have Lainey home in time for dinner, although it meant leaving the rodeo early.
