….my week continue……

This morning (22/7) when I’m on my fb… I saw his msg…making me sick.. guess what he delete my name in his list… actually I’m happy that he do that cos I dont have to see anything that he post. So I wrote in my fb profile..*finally, someone is happily get rid of me….. I told Ila bout it, she say he really cannot take it anymore.. nothing to do with me. At last I’m free.. I should do that, but I didnt know ‘why’ maybe I do care for him. Not anymore.
Call Alice today- we chat for so long..tell me about her trip to taiwan and hongkong too see “HINS” show.. She feel warm when he hugs her, she feel so nice and touching. She told me she wanted to cry.
She may go again in Sept (beginning). At evening chat with Leo, Bernice and Brandon..both sending me stuff……*sad*

My week….^_^

Tue (20/7) boss and Dan come to office almost the whole day..damn boring..both of them went ouf for lunch for 2 hrs. Dan using my broadband..so I was so boring.
At night going online..chat with Bernice, Brandon, Wisley and Hector. First time chatting with Brandon and Hector..but Hector is abit busy, so is only for a while. As for Brandon, we do chat till he have an emergency at at factory. We exchange phone no for the first time. Going to bed when mum get home.
Wed (21/7) Boss and Dan pergi KL..as for my boss, he have training to attend, so I was very very free.. online chatting with Leo.. we chat for quit some time, we talk bout the company that he working.. so I ask him whether he can design cloth for me?? He told me that his company having promotion-free gift…ask me for my sizes for shoe, trouser and shirt?? but I didnt know about the sizes..normally there size is big. He’ll send those to me..asking for my add and tel no. Well, i give to him.. he give me his as well… I was surprised when he call me, as we were chatting. He say that I have a lovely sweet voice. I can’t see who is calling me cos is only show *withheld* so I won’t know who.. after we put down our phone..we continue to talk. Bout 11am, Brandon call me too… I really surprised actually Brandon call me 3 times but miss 1 time. He call me again when i get home. Chat with Wesley as well… he make me crazy…lol
Online quit late in the evening..I thought I don’t have to chat with anyone..but they chat with me like Brandon follow by Hector then Micheal. Guess what when I chat with Micheal this time.. I fell he is okie..easy to chat with, he told me that when we chat for the 1st time, he scary of me.. I told him.. u r very serious when we chat and i told him i meet some1 ..so he ask me to be careful. Actually I just purposly make up the story, that what I saw in the movie *SOmeone Like You*.. He laught a lot, he say that I was funny and I make him my friend now, I chat with him and Brandon till 11pm. Brandon send me his flight schedules to me, he coming here for holiday, on the 28th July and i guess he be here on the next day…and leaving on the 5th aug…….

^^Without You^^

Without you
The rainbow has lost all color
No pinks, nor yellow nor blue!
My heart is as if a desert with no sand
without you!

Without you
The sun has lost its glow
Knowing I will never see you is
more than I can bear to know

Without you!
A lifetime full of dreams remain unfulfilled
The passion and desire you awoke
have now been stilled

Without you!
The ocean now travels backwards
towards the sea

Without you
There simply is no me!

Without you
A world that just felt right
Has become as bleak and dark as midnight!

Without you
The joy and laughter
have flown south with fall’s flock
Nothing left of destiny except her bitter mock

Without you
I am surrounded by reminders of so many things
Pain is what each memory brings!

Without you
As each moment has passed
I am haunted by a love
that was destined to last!

Without you
And the window to such an amazing soul
The hours will stretch to years
until they finally take their toll!

Without you
The universe has lost its brightest star

Without you
Wherever you are!
Nothing in my world will ever be the same

Without you
Didn’t your heart hear mine
whispering your name?

Without you
And your indelible touch

Without you
I miss you so, so much!

I Love You

These are only words
But words that have many meanings
Making someone inspired and delighted
When being told by the one being loved

I love you…
The words that can melt the heart
Even as hard as stone
If sincere and honest since the start

I love you…
The words that are commonly uttered
By lovers who have deep emotions
Emotions moving from the bottom of the heart
Reaching up above the skies
flowing like the clouds

I love you…
These are only words
But they can keep you company
When the one you love is far from you

I’ll Be right here waiting

I know how hard is to wait
Waiting for you, my love
When I know you are so near yet so far
So near because I have your heart
But so far coz you don’t know
When you can come here at my side

But even then, I am still here
Waiting for you to come along
Even I don’t know exactly when
You will be with me
To share the love that is for me

I’ll be right here waiting
For you to make a way
A way for me, to let me know
The feelings inside your heart
Which you have kept
since the time you have loved me

I’ll be right here waiting
Even if it takes me hundreds of days and nights
Waiting all alone for you
To fill the emptiness here in my heart

The emptiness that only you can fill
Because it’s only you who is being loved
By my heart since the start

And I will just be here waiting
Waiting for the day we will share
The love we have kept inside
Deep down inside our hearts

Her unexpected Cowboy-Chapter 8

Madison stood in the dim light of Callum’s apartment at his ranch and began unbuttoning his shirt, her heart rate increasing with each button released from its confines.
“Are you sure about this?” Callum asked.
“Yes.”
He slid his hands along her jaw and lifted her face to kiss her. And kiss her, he did—thoroughly.
The rest of their clothes joined the pile on the floor.
“You’re beautiful,” Callum said.
She ran her hand over his sculpted chest. “So are you.”
They fell onto the bed and into each other’s arms. All her worries, all her questions about the future faded away as Callum Cody, her most unexpected cowboy, made love to her.
…
Over the next week, Madison and Callum spent every evening together after he brought Jason home from work. Once, she cooked for the entire Cody clan. She loved seeing the attention the family showered on her brother, watching him coming out of his dark hole. Another night, Callum helped her organize documents for the book project. They went riding and talked about her parents. But no matter what they did, the evening always ended with her in his arms, most often just kissing. But they did make love on a blanket beneath the stars during a break in that ride over the Cottonwood.
“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
Madison looked up from where she was making a surprise lunch for Jason and Callum to take to Pebble Creek. Elly had come in from her morning practice session and was leaning against the kitchen counter.
“Yeah, I think I am.”
“Are you going to stay?”
“I don’t know. I mean, my whole life is back in Phoenix.”
“No, it’s not.” Elly extended a copy of the Cody Enterprise. “Maybe this will help you make up your mind.”
When Elly headed for her room, Madison looked down at the paper, at an ad circled in red. “Opening for a high–school American History teacher. Apply at Cody High School.”
…
“This one’s got the devil in him,” Harry said as he tried to get one of the bucking horses to cooperate long enough to usher the animal from his stall to the arena. About the time he said it, the horse jerked in the opposite direction and headed straight for where Jason was standing at the entrance to the barn.
“Watch out!” Callum called.
The horse snorted and kicked, barely missing the boy. Jason was smart enough to get out of the way, though, and dived for the dirt to the right of the doorway.
“You okay?” Callum asked when he made it outside.
Already, Jason was standing and dusting himself off. The kid had the makings of a good cowboy.
“Yeah.”
An anguished cry and movement beyond the barn caught their attention. Madison dropped a picnic basket and raced to her brother. “Are you hurt?” She tried to search his body for injury, but he stepped out of her reach.
“I’m fine. Stop worrying.”
Madison rounded on Callum. “This is what you have him doing? Working around dangerous animals?”
“No, he has orders to stay away from the bucking stock.”
“That’s not what it looked like. Jason, get in the car. We’re leaving.”
“No.”
Madison jerked her attention to Jason. “What do you mean, no?”
“I mean, I’m not leaving. I like working here. I’m learning to ride, how to run a ranch. I want to ride in a rodeo at some point.”
Madison looked like she was going to have a stroke.
“Jason, go on in the barn so I can talk to your sister.”
Madison looked like she might cry as her brother did Callum’s bidding and not hers.
“I know it might not look like it now, but we take really good care of him here. I would never put him in harm’s way on purpose.”
“Isn’t that what encouraging this rodeo nonsense is doing?”
“Rodeo is what finally set me straight when I was as wild as a buck,” he said. “And I think it’s also going to do that for Jason.”
When she looked up at him, there were fat tears in her eyes. “He’s all I have left. I can’t lose him, too.”
Callum couldn’t stand seeing the hurt back in her eyes, so he pulled her to him, surprised she let him. “You won’t. I promise.”
…
Madison didn’t sleep all night. The part of her that wanted to protect Jason kept up a constant wrestling match with the part that wanted to make him happy again. She slipped out of the house just as the barest hint of daylight was making its appearance, and took a long walk around the ranch, imagining herself living in Wyoming permanently. If she could get the high–school position and Jason didn’t need so much supervision anymore, maybe that would leave more time for writing books.
As she returned to the house, she found Jason sitting on the top of the front steps waiting for Callum. She sank down beside him and counted it a victory that he didn’t move away.
“I’m sorry,” he said out of the blue.
“For what?”
“Everything. Being so awful since…Mom and Dad died.”
Tears pooled in Madison’s eyes. “I know it’s been hard. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it better.”
“You did.” He reached over and took her hand.
Madison pulled her brother into her arms. “I love you, Jason. I just want to see you happy again.”
“I love you, too.” He pulled away. “And I am happy.”
She looked at him. “Here in Wyoming?”
He nodded.
“You really want to try rodeo?”
“I think so. Callum says it’ll be awhile before I’m ready to even try, but I’m willing to wait.”
“You really like him, don’t you?”
“He’s cool. And he likes you.”
“You think?”
Jason rolled his eyes. “It’s obvious. You’re both kind of sickening about it.”
Madison laughed and ruffled her brother’s hair. Her heart swelled with happiness, and it was all because of the man driving up the ranch’s entrance road.
…
Madison could barely contain her excitement as she drove toward the Pebble Creek Ranch later that day. She couldn’t wait until Callum brought Jason home to share her news. Within ten minutes of walking into the office at Cody High School, she’d had the job as the new American History teacher. She didn’t even look at it as a demotion from her college position because it was going to allow her and Jason to start a new life, one she hoped would include Callum Cody.
When she reached the ranch, she went straight to the barn and found him alone outside the stalls. She didn’t stop as she walked into his arms and kissed him with all the energy surging through her body.
“Nice to see you, too,” he said on a laugh when she finally ended the kiss.
“Do you think you can train Jason to be a rodeo cowboy?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
His eyes narrowed. “What’s going on?”
“The permanent population of Park County just increased by two.”
“You’re not going back to Phoenix?”
“No.”
He smiled. “Then I guess I don’t have to convince you to stay before I do this.” He dropped to one knee and pulled something out of his shirt pocket. When he opened the velvet box, she gasped.
“I know it sounds crazy, but I’ve fallen head over heels in love with you, Madison Gray. And you’d make me very happy if you’d be my wife.”
“I love you, too. Yes!”
Callum got to his feet and slid the ring on her finger. “It’s an antique, originally sold to finance a family’s trip along the Oregon Trail.”
“It’s perfect.” She looked up at him. “You’re perfect.”
He pulled her close. “You, me, Jason. We’ll make the perfect family.”
Of that she had no doubt.
The End

Her unexpected Cowboy-Chapter 7

Madison retreated to her room to change–and try to get her racing heart under control. She was going out, on a date, with Callum Cody. She wondered if she had enough willpower to keep her hands off him at least until after they ate dinner. She stifled a giggle and got to work looking for something date–worthy to wear. Needless to say, dinner with a gorgeous man had been the farthest thing from her mind when she’d been packing for this trip, but she finally managed to come up with some nicer jeans and a purple top with a hint of ruffle. She added some silver jewelry and some purple espadrilles to complete the outfit, and brushed her hair.
When she walked back into the living room, more Codys had appeared—Elly and her brothers. A whistle of appreciation drew her attention to Dusty.
“I think I’m in love,” he said.
“I’d hate to have to teach you some manners,” Callum said, sounding possessive, but not in a scary way. No, that hint of “my woman” in his words made her go all warm and eager all over.
Laughter filled the room, and Dex punched his twin, Dusty, playfully in the arm.
“Ignore these idiots and go have fun,” Elly said. “We’ll keep Jason busy.”
Madison scanned the room and noticed the cards on the dining–room table. “What’s going on?” With all Jason’s issues the past several months, the last thing he needed was to start gambling.
“Don’t worry, we’re playing for peanuts,” Elly said.
“Literally.” Dex held up an industrial–size can of peanuts.
Callum placed his hand on her back and urged her toward the door. He leaned close to her ear. “Stop worrying. He won’t get in any trouble.”
Madison took a deep breath and gave herself over to a night for herself.
Callum held her hand in the dark of the truck’s cab as he drove. She hoped he couldn’t feel how rapid her pulse was. It had been so long since she’d been out on a date. Since her parents’ death, she’d had no time for anything but Jason and work. It felt so good, so right to have a night where she could indulge in what she wanted.
And she wanted Callum Cody.
As they rolled into Markton, the tiny town nearest the Cottonwood Ranch, an odd sense of rightness came over her. This couldn’t be any more different than Phoenix, and yet it called to her. Maybe it was that the quiet, laid–back, peaceful atmosphere was such a balm after the past tumultuous months.
Callum pulled into the crowded parking lot next to the Sagebrush Diner. “Here we are, Markton’s finest dining. Unless you want to go into Cody for something a little nicer.”
“No, this is great.”
Callum looked across the truck at her. “You do know I’m going to kiss you again before this night is through, don’t you?”
Anticipation surged through her body, tempting her to tell him they should just skip dinner and go right to…dessert.
Feeling a bit braver than she had in a long time, she leaned toward him. “I’m going to hold you to that.” Then with a laugh she pulled back and got out of the truck.
He caught up with her before she stepped up on the wooden porch of the restaurant. He wrapped his arm around her waist before opening the door for her.
“You have to let me get doors for you or they’ll take away my cowboy chivalry badge.”
“Well, we can’t have that.” A smile seemed to take possession of her face, and she welcomed it with open arms.
After they slipped into a booth, Madison looked around at the rustic, western décor. The obvious locals hanging out at the square bar in the middle of the restaurant.
“I know it’s not fancy like what you have in Phoenix,” Callum said.
“Are you kidding? I love it. It’s got way more personality than some fancy place.”
When the waitress finished taking their order, Callum reached across the table and took her hand. She let him, loving the feel of his warm palm, the roughness of his honest work calluses against her skin. Her face heated when she thought about those hands running over other parts of her body.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked. He didn’t miss anything.
She shook her head. “Nothing.”
“I don’t believe you.”
She met his eyes and got the distinct impression he was thinking about the same thing. Suddenly, it was very hard to sit still, to not squirm. Even when she’d been on dates before no one had ever affected her the way Callum did, and not so quickly. Something about him made her believe being cautious wasn’t always a good idea.
…
Somehow he would make it through this dinner despite the fact all he wanted to do was take Madison back to his place and make love to her all night long. He’d never been one for romantic notions, for believing in love at first sight, in settling down and having a family. But Madison Gray had changed all that, had him thinking about things like happily ever after. He was falling for her, and falling hard. Not smart when she wasn’t staying.
Unless he could convince her to stay.
“How’s the work on the book coming?” he asked.
“Great. I’m really getting excited about it. There’s such a rich history there.”
“I bet there are lots of things you could write about around here.”
She met his eyes, and it was so good to see they were bright with excitement instead of filled with hurt and exhaustion.
“You’re probably right.”
Throughout dinner, they talked about his days riding bareback on the rodeo circuit, her teaching, how Jason was getting the hang of ranch life.
“I can’t thank you enough for whatever you’ve done,” she said. “I’m just stunned by how quickly I’ve seen a change in Jason. I mean, I don’t fool myself. We still have a long way to go, but at least he’s not biting my head off anymore.”
“Maybe it’s just timing. One of those steps in the grieving process.”
“Maybe.” She stared down at her empty plate. “You know, I can still remember every word of the phone call when I found out Mom and Dad had been killed by the thugs of some warlord. They were there trying to help feed people, and they were killed over a few bags of grain.”
Callum squeezed her hand but didn’t know what to say to make it better. Maybe nothing would. “I’m sorry.”
She shook off the melancholy. “At least they were doing what they believed in. That gives me some comfort.” Madison squeezed his hand back. “I’m in the mood for a walk. Want to give me the grand tour of your metropolis?”
He paid the check and escorted her into the cool night. When she rubbed her bare arms, he went to the truck and retrieved his denim jacket for her.
“Thanks.”
He took her hand because he couldn’t bear not touching her. By the time he’d shown her everything Markton had to offer, holding her hand wasn’t enough. He tugged her off the sidewalk into the darkness next to the closed Markton Feed and Grain store.
“If I don’t kiss you, I’m going to explode.”
She looked up at him and smiled. “Then kiss me, cowboy.”

Her unexpected Cowboy-Chapter 6

All thought of pulling away from Callum fled Madison’s mind the moment he kissed her. This might not be a good idea, but it sure felt good—skin–tingling wonderful, to be exact.
He lifted his hand and placed it against her cheek, so gently her heart swelled. She wondered if he would be a tender lover or wild enough to make her totally lose her mind.
The sound of the door opening caused common sense to come rushing back into her brain, and she jerked away from him, turned toward the materials on the table. But the silence that followed told her that whoever had come in wasn’t fooled. She glanced toward the door and saw Jason and Elly. Her friend was trying to hide a smile, but Jason looked confused. Before she could speak, he turned wordlessly down the hallway. At least he didn’t slam his bedroom door this time.
Elly strolled toward the refrigerator. “I was coming in to see if anyone wanted dinner, but looks like some people skipped right to dessert.”
“Elly!” Madison’s face flamed in embarrassment. “This isn’t funny.”
“I agree,” Callum said.
Madison looked at him, and what she saw in his expression wasn’t amusement. It was desire. And she wasn’t at all sure he couldn’t see it on her face, too.
But he also must have seen the concern for what Jason would think, the worry that she was doing the wrong thing, because he gave her an understanding smile and stood.
“See you all tomorrow. I’ve got a lot of neglected paperwork waiting for me at home. We’ll take that walk some other night.”
As she watched him walk out the door, Madison pictured herself glued to the chair so she wouldn’t run after him and finish what they’d started.
…
Callum noticed Jason was even quieter than normal the next day, and not just on the ride over to the ranch when he was still half-asleep. He kept it up all day, even when he was out by the practice arena watching his and Harry’s every move with the horses. But despite the silent treatment Callum figured was a result of Jason walking in on him kissing Madison, he was beginning to see something else in the boy’s eyes. Interest. If Callum wasn’t mistaken, the boy was at the earliest stages of catching the rodeo bug.
Toward the end of the day, he was on the phone in his office arranging for the sale of three of his best bucking horses to a rodeo stock contractor when he noticed Jason hanging around outside the door. He motioned for him to come in and have a seat while he finished up the call. When he hung up, he leaned back in his leather chair.
“What’s on your mind?”
Jason bit his lip for a minute before answering. “Can I learn how to ride the horses?”
“You mean Tulip Sue?” Callum asked, referring to the oldest, slowest mare on the place, the one used to teach toddlers how to ride.
“No, the bucking horses.”
“You ever been around animals much? And I don’t mean cats and dogs.”
Jason shook his head.
“Well, then, Tulip Sue it is.”
Jason looked about to argue when Callum raised his hand. “Listen, you have to start at the bottom and work your way up. I don’t think your sister would take kindly if you break your neck under my watch.”
“Do you like her?”
“Yes, I do.” Callum didn’t believe in beating around the bush with the kid.
“Are you going to ask her out?”
“I have, twice. She said no both times.”
Jason’s brows furrowed. “But…I thought maybe she liked you, too.”
“I’d say she does.” If the way she’d responded to his kiss was any indication.
“Then…” Jason shook his head. “I don’t understand girls.”
Callum laughed. “You and every other male on the planet.” He sat up and leaned his forearms on his desk. “I’m going to be straight with you and hope she doesn’t skin me for it.”
“Okay.”
“Your sister is mighty afraid of doing anything that’s going to hurt you any more than you’ve already been hurt.”
“How would her going on a date hurt me?”
“She’s got it in her head that she has to focus solely on you, to help you get past whatever has been happening with you the past few months.”
“She’s not my mom.” Jason’s voice held a thickness that conveyed clearer than words how much he missed his mother.
“No, but she’s been put in that role now, as unfair as that is to both of you. She doesn’t have the luxury of being just your big sister anymore.”
Jason stared down past his knees to the floor. “I guess I’ve been horrible lately.”
“Don’t think there’s any guessing about it, bud.”
The silence stretched for a few beats before Jason met Callum’s eyes. “It’s okay with me if you take Madison out.”
“I’m not the one you need to tell.”
…
Madison spent the entire day talking with J.W. and Anne about their family tree, all the stories they could remember being told about their ancestors. Before she knew it, it was past time for Callum to bring home Jason.
“I’m sorry I’ve taken up so much of your time,” she said as she rose from the overstuffed chair in the Codys’ living room.
“No need to apologize, dear,” Anne said. “We’re excited to have you doing this. Elly has had nothing but wonderful things to say about your work.”
“I hope I can live up to your expectations.” And she hoped they’d understand if somewhere along the way she found some scoundrel or scandal in the Cody past and was obligated to include that as well.
By the time she reached the homestead house, Callum’s truck was already parked outside, but there was no sign of him or her brother. She stepped inside to find Callum waiting for her, dressed in clean jeans, boots that weren’t scuffed and a white shirt with black embroidered scrollwork near the shoulders.
“Little dressy for dropping off the help, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, but not for taking a pretty woman out to dinner.”
Her heart jumped at the thought, but she reined it in. “Callum, I…”
“I told him it was okay.”
Madison turned toward where her brother stood at the entrance to the hallway. “You did?”
He nodded.
“You heard the man,” Callum said. “I’m afraid you’re not going to be rid of me until you say yes.”
Madison stared first at her brother, then Callum—two against one. She guessed she was going out with Callum Cody.

Her unexpected Cowboy-Chapter 5

Madison still had the image of Callum at the forefront of her thoughts when she walked back inside the house and found Elly sitting at the kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee. She must have come in the back door from the training arena. Elly was making a run at the National Finals Rodeo in barrel racing, and she spent a good portion of her days practicing.
“You like him, don’t you?” Elly asked, startling Madison so much she stopped in the middle of pouring herself a cup.
She grasped for some type of reasonable response. “He’s nice. And I appreciate what he’s doing for Jason, giving him a job to keep him occupied.”
“But it’s more than that, right?”
Madison finished pouring her coffee and joined her friend at the table. “I’m attracted, yes, but I can’t act on it.”
“Because you’re going home eventually.”
“Yes. And I’ve got to focus on Jason right now.”
“You deserve to focus on yourself, too.”
Madison looked up at Elly. “You sound like him.”
“We Codys, we’re a smart bunch.”
Madison smiled. “Modest, too.”
“Sometimes I think Callum and Dusty are competing to see who can be the biggest flirt in the family, but they’re both good guys under all that.” Elly traced the rim of her coffee cup. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but maybe you should go out with Callum. Just for fun, nothing serious. It could be exactly what you need.”
“I’ve already told him no, twice.”
“If I know my cousin, he’ll ask again.”
Madison suspected Elly was right. Would she be able to say no a third time, particularly when her friend thought it was a good idea to say yes?
“So, how are things going for you at work?” Elly asked, steering the conversation a different direction.
“Good. Busy, of course.”
“You ever find a book project?”
Madison had told Elly how much she wanted to write books about her specialty, the settling of the West.
“Not yet. There never seems to be time to work on it anyway.”
“You’ve got time now.” Elly looked around the great room for a moment. “And I just had an idea for a topic.”
“Oh?”
“You know my family was some of the first white settlers in this area. What if you worked on a Cody family history and how it figures into the settlement of Wyoming?” Elly leaned forward, excitement lighting her eyes. “This would be great for our family, and it could launch that part of your career. I know Mom and Dad have tons of old documents, photos.”
Madison itched to get a hold of those pieces of the past. “What would your parents say?”
“Are you kidding? They’d love it. Come on, we’ll go talk to them now.”
As Madison followed Elly to her truck, a spark of the hope she’d been losing flickered back to life. Jason, Callum, this chance to do what she really wanted—it felt like things were looking up. She just hoped fate wasn’t being cruel and teasing her.
…
Callum didn’t know quite what to make of the jittery feeling in his stomach as he drove onto the Cottonwood Ranch at the end of the day. It’d been a very long time since a woman had made him feel like this, like he was living in a state of constant anticipation. He refocused his thoughts on the boy sitting on the other side of the truck.
“Harry tells me you did a good job in the barn today, particularly for someone who’s never worked on a ranch.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re a man of few words, aren’t you?”
Jason glanced at him before turning his attention back to the road in front of them. “Just don’t feel like talking much.”
Callum nodded. “I understand. Sometimes a man’s just got to be alone with his thoughts.”
“Madison wouldn’t agree with you.” Jason sounded one part frustrated, one part defeated. “She thinks I’m just a kid, that I need her hovering over me all the time.”
“You given her any reason to think that?”
Callum sensed a heated denial coming, but then something seemed to shift in Jason. His shoulders slumped. “Maybe some.”
“You want to know what I think?”
Jason looked at him, silently giving his answer.
“I think your sister is hurting just as much as you, maybe more. Only she has to be the strong one and can’t show it.”
“She say that?”
“She didn’t have to. Just look at her and you’ll see it. What happened to your parents isn’t her fault.”
Jason turned to stare out his window at a portion of the Cottonwood’s cattle herd. Callum left him with his thoughts the rest of the way up to the homestead. Madison was nowhere to be seen when he parked. Maybe he should leave, give Jason a chance to talk to his sister. But when Jason slipped out of the truck, he headed straight for where Elly was walking Jasmine, one of her backup horses. Ah, poor kid. That crush didn’t have a chance in the world, especially since Elly was a decade older than Jason.
He could drive away, but he didn’t. Instead, he headed up the porch steps, paused to knock on the door before pushing it open. “Anybody home?”
“Callum.” Madison spun in her chair at the table, surprise making her eyes wide. “I didn’t realize what time it was.” She looked back at the stacks of papers and photo albums strewn across the table.
“What’s all this?” he asked as he crossed the distance between them.
“Cody family documents and photographs. Elly convinced me to work on a family history of the Cody family in Wyoming.”
“Really?” He sank into the chair beside her.
“Yeah, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
“My family’s history?”
“No, write books about the settling of the West. It’s my specialty, what I teach.”
He leaned a bit closer to her. “So, found any impossible rogues in the family tree?”
She laughed. “Just you.”
Callum shifted closer still. “So, Madison Gray, do you like rogues?”
Madison met his gaze, and he realized just how close they were to each other, close enough to feel her warm breath.
“Maybe,” she said softly, sounding dazed and unsure.
“Let’s find out.” He captured her delectable lips in a kiss.

Her unexpected Cowboy-Chapter 4

Madison forced herself to look away from Callum and his sexy grin and focus on her brother. She took a breath and ventured a question, hoping it didn’t ignite another of his volatile responses.
“Did you have a good day?”
He gave her one of his familiar shrugs, only this one wasn’t as dismissive or tinged with anger. “It was okay.” He looked over at Callum.
“Go on, ask her,” Callum said.
Jason swallowed and met her eyes only for a moment. “Callum said he’d give me a job if it’s okay with you.”
“A job?” This was the last thing she’d expected, and suspicion flared that Callum was using her brother to get to her. But when she looked at him, he didn’t seem to be in full-on flirt mode.
“I told him that I had to start working at fourteen to save up enough for a down payment on a car. Took me every bit of those two years to do it, too.”
That surprised Madison. She knew that Elly and her brothers all had jobs on the Cottonwood and Callum worked on his family’s ranch, but she would have expected the well-to-do Codys to provide vehicles for their children. That they hadn’t, at least not for Callum, spoke volumes about how they’d raised their kids. It made her feel better about having Jason around Callum. If she couldn’t get through to her brother, maybe a man could. That thought made her heart ache, but that was less important than getting her brother back on the right path.
“What would you be doing?”
“Glamorous things like mucking out horse stalls, ” Callum said with laughter in his voice.
When she glanced at Jason, he was looking at Callum with admiration in his eyes. As much as it hurt to acknowledge that a stranger might be able to do what she’d failed at for months, she nodded.
“Okay.”
“Dex and Dusty should have some old stuff you can wear to work,” Callum said. He nodded toward the collection of barns behind the homestead. “I bet you can catch one of them before they call it a day. I’ll be by to get you at seven in the morning.”
Jason just nodded and took off around the house.
“I can’t believe he didn’t moan about the time. He usually sleeps half the morning.”
“He probably will complain in the morning. I still do.”
Madison looked back at Callum, who’d come to stand next to the porch, propping his outstretched arm against one of the support posts.
“Thank you, for whatever you said or did.”
“Wait until he’s shoveled some horse poop before you thank me. He may decide I’m the devil tomorrow.”
“But for now he seems to be interested in something other than going home and hanging out with the wrong people.”
“Well then, you’re welcome.”
“Did…did he say anything to you?”
“Not much. He’s not much of a talker, at least not yet.”
“He used to be.” Madison gripped her hands in her lap. “Before our parents died, he was such a bright, happy kid, always talking about something new he’d learned or e-mailing me funny YouTube videos. But when they died and he had to come live with me, he just…” She shook her head. “He changed.”
Callum sat on the edge of the porch and propped one leg up on it. “People deal with grief in different ways. I know it’s hard now, but I have a feeling he’ll get past it.”
“I hope so. I’m out of ideas of how to help him.”
“Maybe he’s to the point where he needs to help himself.”
She met his gaze. “Or have someone new try.”
“I’m not really doing anything, Madison, just giving him something to do, someplace to go so he has something else to focus on. You know that’s what all the bad stuff probably was, him trying to find something to make all the hurt go away.”
“Deep down, I know that. I just feel like I’ve failed him.”
Madison didn’t realize how close Callum was sitting to her until he reached out and took her hand in his. She didn’t pull away. His big, warm hand felt too good. She felt so much support in that touch that she nearly gave way to the tears she seemed to always be holding back.
“I think this job might be good for you, too,” Callum said.
“How so?”
“I’m guessing you haven’t had any time to do your own grieving, or healing. Take it now, when you have the chance.”
Madison squeezed his hand in return. “There’s more to you than meets the eye, Callum Cody.”
“That’s what I keep telling everyone,” he said and winked at her.
She laughed and shook her head.
“That’s a pretty sound, you laughing.”
Madison blushed and gently pulled her hand away. It would be oh so easy to fall under Callum Cody’s spell, to believe that there could be something between them. But she didn’t think she could handle any more heartache, and that’s what she’d get if she gave in. Because maybe sooner than she’d like, she’d be headed back to Phoenix, back to preparing lesson plans and working on academic papers on westward expansion, back to staring into the eyes of the college students in her classes instead of those of the most handsome, intriguing man she’d ever met.
“One of these days, you won’t pull away,” he said.
When she looked up and got caught in his gaze, she was afraid he was right.
…
The next morning, Madison was up at the crack of dawn. She used the items she’d gone to the grocery to buy the night before to make Jason’s lunch and a batch of cinnamon apple muffins for her brother and Callum. She felt she had to do something tangible to show Callum how much she appreciated what he was doing, even if he did brush it off as no big deal. To her, it was a very big deal.
When she heard Jason coming down the hallway, she turned and was stunned to see her brother looked like a real cowboy.
“Well, you look ready to ride the range.”
“I’m just doing grunt work,” he said. He noticed the paper bag on the kitchen island. “You made me lunch?”
She smiled. “Yeah.”
He stared at the bag long and hard, and it finally dawned on her what she’d done. Every morning, her mom had made lunch for her father and had it ready for him in a paper bag when he’d headed for the office. She opened her mouth to say something, but the sound of a vehicle outside drew her attention.
“That’s Callum.” Jason grabbed the bag and headed out the door.
Madison stood in the kitchen for several seconds before she picked up the container of muffins and walked outside.
“I thought you might be avoiding me,” Callum said where only she could hear him when she walked up next to the truck.
“No.”
“Hey, what’s wrong?” He reached for her hand, but she lifted the muffins to provide a buffer between them. “What’s this?”
“A thank you.”
“That wasn’t necessary.”
“It was for me.”
Callum placed his fingers beneath her chin and lifted it, forcing her to look him in the eye. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I just did something that reminded Jason of Mom and Dad. Long story.”
“Then when I bring him back this afternoon, you and are I are going for a long walk.” When she started to object, he wouldn’t let her. “No arguments.”
Her heart beat a couple of times. “Okay.”
As she watched Callum and Jason disappear down the drive, she was already looking forward to that walk even though she dreaded the conversation.