Cowboys & Second Chances - Baker Brothers of Copper Creek Book 5 (PAPERBACK)

Finn Baker is hard-working, handsome, and has the heart of a lion. Family means everything to him, and he loves being a cowboy on his family’s wealthy ranch. He also loves Christine Pickens, his best friend since age four, but he never told her. Now he’s alone because his heart belongs only to her.

Christine Pickens is back in Copper Creek after five years, broken and embarrassed by her divorce. The only joy in her life is her four-year-old son. She used to be bubbly and energetic, but now her spirit is crushed. For the sake of her son, she’s determined to focus on making a new life for them.

When Finn spots Christine in town, all the old feelings he’d locked away in his heart come rushing back. More than anything, he wants to tell her how he feels. But she’s never given any indication that she wants to be more than friends. And she just got out of a relationship.

Then, when a mysterious stranger starts following Christine and her rich boss enters the picture, Finn realizes it might be now... or never.

“Oh? I thought he’d already married Madison.”

He grimaced. “There’s a lot you missed out on.” His eyes scanned the area, not finding Brock or Piper anywhere. “He has a kid now. A baby girl. And he’s engaged to Madison’s sister.”

Christine’s brows furrowed. “Yeah, I’d say I missed out on a lot.” She shook her head. “How long has it been?”

Finn chuckled again. “Going on five years. You left right after high school with—” The lump in his throat returned and he glanced around the store again.

“Bryson,” she supplied. “Yeah. We moved out of state so he could go to college in Washington.”

“How is he? Bryson? Is he here?”

Her eyes dropped to the ground and she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “No. He’s not. He’s still in Washington.”

There was no denying the brief feeling of hope in his chest before he dropped his gaze to her left hand and discovered she wore a simple gold band. His brows creased. “Are you visiting?”

Christine covered her left hand with her right and shook her head. Her voice lowered enough that he almost couldn’t be sure he heard her correctly. “No, I moved back.” Something flickered behind her eyes, a sadness maybe. It had been nearly five years, but he could tell there was something she didn’t want to tell him. And why would she? They hadn’t exactly kept in touch all these years.

He cleared his throat and pushed his hands into his pockets. “Where are you staying?”

Without looking at him, she said softly. “With my mom, until we find a place.”

We? Was she with someone else already? Had he missed his chance without even realizing it?

“Momma! Nana said I could get this.” A little boy came barreling around the corner of an aisle, proudly holding up a plain wooden birdhouse. He looked like a miniature version of Christine from the hair to his eyes, right down to the dimples in his cheeks. The kid didn’t even seem to notice Finn standing there as he jumped up and down. “Can we paint it?”

Christine glanced at Finn, then crouched down to take a closer look at the boy. “That looks like a lot of fun, buddy. But all our paint is at daddy’s house.”

He puckered his lower lip. “Doesn’t Nana have some?”

“I don’t know. Did you ask her?”

As if on cue, Christine’s mother appeared. Her gaze bounced from Christine and the boy up to Finn. Her face broke into a wide smile. “Finn Baker! It’s been ages. How are you doing?”

He matched her grin and stepped forward, holding out his hand. “I’m doing great. It’s nice to see you, Mrs. Pickens.” She tsked at him and pulled him into a tight hug. “No handshakes. You’re practically family.” She stood back, her hands on both of his shoulders. “Now let me get a look at you.” Her eyes wrinkled at the corners. “Just as handsome as I remember. Christine is single, now, you know.”

“Mom.” Christine groaned.

“What? Am I not allowed to pay your friend a compliment and catch up a little?” Beth Pickens smiled widely at Finn as she nudged Christine with her elbow.

Christine rolled her eyes and shook her head, mouthing the word, “Sorry.”

Beth seemed to ignore her daughter and then winked at him. “You need to come by for dinner. You busy tomorrow?”

“Mom! I think Finn has more important things to do than to visit with us.”

Finn’s eyes bounced from Christine to Beth and back. “I’d love to come. Can I bring anything?”

“I wouldn’t hear of it. We’ll see you tomorrow night.” Beth reached out for the boy’s hand. “Come on, JD. Let’s go find some bird seed to go with that little house of yours.”

Christine covered her face with her hands and peeked through her fingers. “She always had a soft spot for you.”

His shoulders relaxed somewhat. So much had changed over the last five years. Christine was single. She had a kid. But most noticeably, she wasn’t as outgoing as he remembered. She used to light up the room with her laugh. She could draw in the shyest person with the least amount of trouble. The Christine before him was hurting. She was broken somehow, and his heart ached for her.

Trying to keep the hope in his heart from bubbling up, he offered her a reassuring smile. “I like your mom, too. And she’s got the best cooking this side of the mountains.”

She reached out and touched his forearm. A soft thrill rippled through him, the sensation a ghost of what it used to be when they were teenagers. She squeezed before she let go. “You really don’t have to come. I’m sure she’d understand.”

“Are you trying to keep me from coming?” He tilted his head to the side, his brows pinching.

“What? Of course not. I just don’t want you to feel obligated to show up. I’m sure you have a lot to do. You’re still at your family’s ranch, right?”

“Right. But there are six of us, if you remember correctly, plus the ranch hands. It wouldn’t be hard at all to slip away. Besides, something tells me you could use a friend right now.”

Her eyes cut to his, that flicker of pain or something equally unpleasant filling those clear blue eyes. It probably had something to do with a certain guy in Washington. Whatever Bryson had done to make her run back home would be a good place to start.

She gave him a sad smile. “Maybe you’re right.”

When they were in high school, this was the time he’d pull her into a hug and let her know that everything would be alright. But they weren’t that close anymore. A wall had gone up between them.

She gripped the shopping cart with both hands and gave him one more fleeting look. “I’ll see you tomorrow for dinner, Finn. There’s a lot we can catch up on.”

He nodded, staring at her until she disappeared from view. He didn’t dare hope that this was his second chance to get out of the friend zone. He’d been there all through high school, picking up the pieces of her broken heart after every high school jock stomped on it. She was too willing to believe all of them. High school boys didn’t want relationships; they were after something more carnal, even in Copper Creek. But Christine didn’t play that way.

She’d always been the good little girl—the one who attended church every Sunday and served the homeless during the holidays. She was a literal saint with the looks of an angel. The closest he’d ever gotten to having a chance with her was by being her friend. Well, that was about to change.

A heavy hand landed hard on his shoulder, startling him from his thoughts. He whirled around to find Brock grinning at him like some dumb animal.

“If that was who I think it was, then you’re a goner for sure.”

Regular Print Paperback
Page Count: 274 pages
Font Size: 12
Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5
ISBN: 978-1-964875-30-9
Ebook Publication Date: April 5, 2022
Publisher Name: Kenzo Publishing LLC