Her Small-Town Cowboy
A Family for the TeacherLily St. George dreams of marriage and a family of her own. But as a temporary kindergarten teacher, she can’t get too attached to anyone in Oaks Crossing. When a student brings in her single father for show and tell, Lily is drawn to charming cowboy Mike Kinley. Working overtime to save his struggling horse farm, Mike claims to have no room in his life for love. But when they team up to start a riding school for children at his ranch, Lily knows she’ll have to help Mike see their partnership is meant to be permanent.
Читать Her Small-Town Cowboy онлайн беплатно
A Family for the Teacher
Lily St. George dreams of marriage and a family of her own. But as a temporary kindergarten teacher, she canât get too attached to anyone in Oaks Crossing. When a student brings in her single father for show-and-tell, Lily is drawn to charming cowboy Mike Kinley. Working overtime to save his struggling horse farm, Mike claims to have no room in his life for love. But when they team up to start a riding school for children at his ranch, Lily knows sheâll have to help Mike see their partnership is meant to be permanent.
âThanks for making time for me today,â Lily said with a smile.
âNo problem,â Mike responded. âSorry it wasnât much of a riding lesson.â
The sweet smile warmed to something he didnât quite understand. And wasnât sure he wanted to.
âActually, I learned a lot. About you.â
âYeah? Like what?â he asked.
âThat you donât hesitate to put yourself in danger to help an animal when itâs in trouble. That says a lot about a person, donât you think?â
âI guess so,â he hedged, feeling awkward and proud at the same time. He wasnât used to being praised for simply being himself.
âSomeone like that is just the person I want teaching me. Do you think you can work me into your schedule again soon?â
âHow âbout Monday at four?â he heard himself ask, cringing at the eager tone in his voice.
Since he couldnât take it back, he did his best to act as if seeing her again that soon didnât matter all that much one way or the other. When deep down, he knew it did matter. A lot.
MIA ROSS loves great stories. She enjoys reading about fascinating people, long-ago times and exotic places. But only for a little while, because her reality is pretty sweet. Married to her college sweetheart, sheâs the proud mom of two amazing kids, whose schedules keep her hopping. Busy as she is, she canât imagine trading her life for anyone elseâsâand she has a pretty good imagination. You can visit her online at miaross.com.
Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
âLuke 6:37
For Ruth
To the very talented folks who help me
make my books everything they can be: Elaine Spencer, Melissa Endlich and the dedicated staff at Love Inspired.
More thanks to the gang at Seekerville
(www.seekerville.net), a great place to hang out with readersâand writers.
Iâve been blessed with a wonderful network of supportive, encouraging family and friends. You inspire me every day!
Contents
Mike Kinley hated weddings.
Maybe hate was a little strong, he amended as he guided a team of perfectly matched bays into the shade of a nearby oak tree. Setting the carriageâs brake with his boot, he glanced over at the gazebo where a photographer was taking shots of the bride and groom heâd just delivered. Poor kids, Mike thought with a grimace. They had no idea what they were in for.
Then again, neither had he. Heâd done everything in his power to make Dana happy, and where did that get him? Divorced and wishing heâd listened to his head instead of his heart. Now he was thirty years old and working seven days a week desperately trying to hold up his end of a faltering family business. If they couldnât come up with a way to bring in more cashâand soonâtheir shaky bottom line would crater to a depth they wouldnât be able to recover from. Theyâd be forced to sell the place that generations of Kinleys had worked so hard to build up from a scenic bluegrass meadow to the well-respected Gallimore Stables. He and his brothers would be hunting for jobs, and his mother would lose the home she cherished so much. While Mike couldnât deny that weddings brought in some much-needed revenue, they sure were tough on his nerves.
And seeing as it was early May in Kentucky, wedding season had only begun.
Hoping to get himself back to his usual even keel, he jumped down and took a small tackle box from the well where he rested his feet when he was driving. Taking out a soft cloth and brush, he began rubbing the horses down, talking as much to entertain himself as them.
âThereâs my girl, Penny,â he cooed in a quiet voice. âWeâll get you shined up, and then itâs your turn, Ginger. Folksâll want to pet you later on, so youâve gotta be looking your best.â
Breaking his own strict rule about not feeding the horses, he slipped a hand into the pocket of the elegant morning coat his sister forced him to wear for these gigs and brought out a few sugar cubes for each of them. After they slurped down their treats, he ran his hands down their legs in a practiced motion, lifting their hooves to make sure no gravel from the estateâs pathways had gotten wedged into their shoes.
