Too Close For Comfort (Sweetrock Cowboy Romance Book 2) Read Online Free

his brothers. He had everything he needed right here in Sweetrock.
    Well, almost everything.

    * * *
    T essa’s spirits were high when she pulled into the parking lot at Happy Trails. As Cash had predicted, the blue sky was unmarred by clouds and the air was already growing heavy with humidity.
    She loved this time of the morning before all the customers started coming when it was still and quiet with only the songs of the birds in the air.
    Inside the barn, Thomas, a striped ginger cat, glared at her from his perch on a hay bale. She reached out to pet his soft fur, and his golden eyes squinted at her in disdain. You’d think the cat would’ve been happy. He got a free roof over his head and three meals a day, but he always seemed to be mad about something. He definitely needed to work on his social skills.
    Tessa greeted each horse by name and then got busy organizing the tack, saddles, and brooms. Things became hectic once the day was in full swing, and it was always smart to put things in order in the morning.
    She was intent on her task when tiny feet stampeding down the middle of the barn pulled her out of her thoughts.
    “Uncle Nick’s getting Nacho back!”
    Tessa turned to see seven-year-old Amy whirling by in a flurry of pink and purple.
    Her mother, Rena, was not far behind. “Amy, I thought I told you not to run off like that.” Rena rolled her eyes at Tessa, and the two women smiled at each other. They were long-time friends. In fact, Rena was Tessa’s buddy Nick’s younger sister.
    Nick and Rena had inherited The Chuckwagon, one of Sweetrock’s mainstay restaurants, when their parents had died within months of each other. Unfortunately, it had fallen on hard times, and Nick had had to sell off most of the family assets just to keep it running. That had left him with no place to keep his beloved horse, Nacho. The caring spirit in Sweetrock wasn’t limited to Tessa’s close circle of friends and Nick was able to make a deal with Happy Trails where they would feed and board the horse in return for being able to use him on the trail rides. Once Nick had the money, he could buy him back. Apparently, Nick now had the money. That warmed Tessa’s heart.
    “So things are going good at the restaurant?” Tessa wiped her hands on her jeans as she came out to greet Rena.
    She felt a flush of pride knowing that she had played a small part in bringing the restaurant back to its former glory. Well, if you considered persuading her college roommate to come to town ‘a small part’. Sam had made a lot of changes that had turned the restaurant around, but more than that she’d captured Nick’s heart.
    Tessa had known from the first minute she’d seen Sam with Nick together that they were meant for each other. It had taken a little finagling to get them to see it themselves, but now the two chefs were happy as peach pie and making the restaurant thrive.
    “It’s going great. Booked solid every night.” Rena’s smile held a trace of the same sad envy that Tessa felt.
    Tessa knew Rena was happy for her brother and Sam, but sad for herself in the same way that Tessa was sad for herself. They had similar stories. Rena’s ex-husband had been a first class jerk—an abusive monster—and when Rena had finally broken free her heart had been as damaged as Tessa’s. Rena was one of the few people who understood how hard it was for Tessa to consider letting anyone in ever again.
    Rena continued. “Everything is running like clockwork and I finally feel like I’m able to contribute to it, too, but most of it’s due to Sam’s changes and the new menu items. Oh, and awesome cooking, of course.”
    “Of course. And Sam and Nick?” Tessa raised a brow. She figured things hadn’t changed in the two days since she’d seen them but had to ask anyway.
    Rena rolled her eyes. “Nauseatingly in love.”
    “Yeah, I know what you mean. I’ve seen them together. At least they’ve toned down the public displays of