A Cowboy at Heart (Sweet Mountain Ranch #1)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

R achel Bonneville stood in the Sunday school classroom of Sweet Mountain Community Church and helped the children gather the artwork they’d created for their parents.

Her heart rose joyously inside her. It felt good to follow God’s leading and return to her Colorado hometown even if her family no longer lived there.

She glanced at the cubbies to see if any artwork remained and saw that one held a picture of a well-drawn house with eight men, a woman and a little girl. She read the printed name with backward letters.

Madeline .

What was the little girl’s last name? Smithton, Rachel thought.

Her heart stopped a moment. The McSweeneys of Sweet Mountain Ranch were the only family in the valley with eight men and one woman—Felix McSweeney, his wife Naomi and their seven sons.

The McSweeney boys—men now—were tall, blond, and powerfully built. Madeline was petite and dark and didn’t resemble anyone in that family.

Who had brought Madeline to the class? Not Levi. He ran his tech company in San Franciso. Whenever he was in town, everyone buzzed with the news.

Though she left Sweet Mountain ten years ago, her childhood friends were quick to tell her anything about Levi. Most of it she knew. Not the homey news typical of a small town. Internet sites loved sharing their fascination with the boy genius.

Rachel drew a slow breath. She hadn’t been a local in years. College had taken her out of state. After graduation, the local elementary school had no teaching positions available, so she accepted an offer to teach in Columbus, Ohio. The school district had been thrilled with her background in gymnastics and asked her to volunteer as the coach. She readily agreed.

She’d only returned to town a few days ago and had been busy moving into and decorating the apartment she’d rented above the shoe repair shop. She hadn’t had time to chat with friends. If they had news about Levi, they hadn’t said anything. Not that she was interested in gossip, but she’d like to know the latest about Levi, and everyone else in Sweet Mountain, Colorado.

Just thinking about Levi made her pulse jump. She’d been heartbroken when he left for college two years before she graduated high school. He had been brilliant in high school. He’d shone in college.

And he’d been her brother’s best friend—another reason she kept her feelings for Levi to herself.

She berated herself for thinking about her high school crush. She was at church to help in the children’s ministry—not daydream. She picked up the drawing and turned to the door filled with excited children waving their pictures and greeting their parents. Finally, she spotted the six-year-old.

“Madeline.” Rachel picked her way through the crowd. She didn’t want the little girl to leave without her picture. Her parents would be proud to see the drawing that had the artistic skill of a high school student.

Rachel had almost reached the door when she recognized the broad-shouldered form that made her heart beat fast when she saw him in the school hallways. Her heart beat fast now.

The man bending to the little girl lifted his sculpted features to Rachel. The familiar blue gaze made her cheeks catch fire.

Levi McSweeney.

How could she be twenty-eight years old and still feel giddy whenever she saw him? She slowed her pace blocking the path of two boys racing across the room. When they rammed her, she gasped and tried to gain her footing. Too late she saw the flowered carpet rushing at her face.

A sinewy grip seized her arm and pulled her close to heat she hadn’t expected.

“Are you all right?” The deep voice made her drag air into her lungs.

Not only had she made a fool of herself. She’d done it in front of Levi, just like when she was in high school. She was always trying to get his attention. What a disaster when she succeeded. Like when she cannonballed into the rushing river and got caught in a whirlpool. He dove after her. He carried her sputtering and coughing to the shore where he lectured her to look before she leaped.

Now she had his attention again. At least, she hadn’t jumped into the river.

“Fine. Thank you,” she said, her voice strained. She couldn’t look at him. Her burning face had to be as red as the firetruck down the street.

The parents of the boys grabbed them and forced them to apologize to Rachel and make sure she was all right. Looking down, the boys dug the toes of their shoes into the carpet, before casting her sheepish looks and telling her they were sorry.

“It’s fine.” She gave a choked laugh.

“Thank goodness Levi was here to catch you.” One boy’s mother sounded relieved.

“Yeah, what luck,” she murmured and forced a smile at the woman.

“As long as you’re all right.” The woman gave her a curious look making her wonder how red her face had turned .

“I’m fine. Thank you.” She hoped the lightness in her voice reassured the woman.

Apparently, it had. Taking a firm hold on her son’s hand, she spoke softly to him and guided him out of the room.

Rachel tightened her mouth. She didn’t want the boy to get into trouble. He was with his friends. Naturally, he’d be excited. If only he hadn’t nearly knocked her over and in front of Levi.

She sympathized with the children who were excited to be with their friends. The adults were excited when they saw their friends, too.

“If you’re sure you’re all right …” The huskiness in Levi’s voice brought her back to the man standing beside her.

“Yes, I’m fine.” She looked down. “Thank you … for rescuing me.”

“Seems like old times.” His chuckle was familiar and comforting and a sound she’d never forget.

“Please don’t remind me.” She rolled her eyes. Those were the moments that made her blush. The sensations roiling inside her now made her swallow hard.

“You had called Madeline’s name.” He gave her a curious look. “Did you want to tell her something?”

He spoke of the child with such affection, she had to be his daughter. Why had no one mentioned he married? In Sweet Mountain, everyone knew everything everyone did.

She started to shake her head, then it came rushing back. She lifted the picture in her hand. “This is the picture Madeline drew today.”

“Miss Rachel! Miss Rachel!” Madeline’s animated voice rose above the din filling the room.

Rachel turned to the little girl whose bright eyes brought joy to her heart. Levi smiled at her tenderly.

“You found my picture.” Madeline rushed to Rachel and grabbed her hand. Her face glowing with a bright, elfin smile, she looked at Levi. “That’s what I drew in Sunday school today.”

Her hopeful look made Rachel’s heart squeeze tight. She loved the feel of the warm, tiny hand in hers.

“You drew this?” Levi took the picture and studied the forms that revealed the details of the pants and cowboy hats the McSweeney brothers and their father wore. Naomi wore a flowered dress and a frilly apron. The girl wore a skirt, boots and a hat. He smiled at Madeline.

“You like it?” She bounced on her toes.

“I love it.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Relief flooded Madeline’s face, and Rachel’s heart, as the girl hugged Levi.

The joy Rachel felt mingled with confusion. As a teacher, she’d seen enough fondness in a father’s eyes to recognize the look Levi gave Madeline. She was his little girl.

Her heart dropped a notch. Was Levi married?

She shouldn’t care. Single or married, she didn’t have a chance with him. She was the kid who found trouble. She wanted to tell him she had changed, but being plowed over by a couple of little boys proved she hadn’t.

If Madeline were Levi’s daughter, why did the girl have a different last name?

That could be explained. In this day and age, wives didn’t always take their husbands’ names. The names on their children’s birth certificates could be the father’s or the mother’s or both.

Rachel glanced at the door. She didn’t see any woman who acted like she was his wife and seemed curious about Levi talking to Rachel.

Had Levi’s wife come to church? If Rachel were Levi’s wife and saw him talking to another woman, she’d move in. She’d want the entire world to know Levi McSweeney was hers.

In her dreams.

“I didn’t realize you were back in town.” Levi’s voice was tender and still made her heart race.

“I just returned a few days ago.” Amazing how casual she sounded. At least, she hoped she did.

“There you are.” The sweet voice of Levi’s mother, Naomi, cut through the noise. “And Rachel Bonneville. What a pleasant surprise to see you here.” Naomi hugged her. “You just never change. You’re as pretty as you were when you gave the valedictorian speech at your high school graduation.”

“Thank you.” Rachel’s face heated.

She hadn’t felt pretty that day. Her hair was a bunch of wild curls that she’d had to pin at the back of her head, which made her graduation cap slide forward. She tried to pin the cap in place, but that hadn’t helped.

Because Levi’s brother Toby was in her class, the family would’ve come to the ceremony. She’d been disappointed that Levi had been in the middle of finals and couldn’t attend.

“Don’t you think she’s pretty, Levi?” Naomi’s eyes twinkled.

“Yes.” The warmth in Levi’s voice made Rachel want to fall through the floor.

Naomi always did speak her mind.

Madeline hugged Naomi like a little girl who loved her grandmother. Taking her hand, she looked around while twisting back and forth.

“I didn’t know you were back in town,” Naomi said. “Levi, did you know?”

“This is a surprise to me.” Levi’s mouth curved with the usual humor he showed his mother.

“You’ll have to have dinner with us some Sunday,” Naomi said.

“Thank you.” Rachel didn’t dare look at Levi. She was certain he was frowning. The girl who managed to get stuck or fall or find some other disaster had to be the last person he’d want to see at the dinner table.

“In fact, you should come this afternoon.” Naomi’s eyes brightened at her own idea. “You don’t have plans, do you?”

Rachel felt Levi stiffen, and her mind began to scramble.

Excuse. She needed an excuse.

Didn’t Naomi understand that Levi didn’t want Rachel to come to dinner?

“Mom, you’re putting Rachel on the spot.” Levi gave her an apologetic look.

“Am I?” Naomi sighed and squeezed Rachel’s hand. “That wasn’t my intent. We haven’t seen you since you left for college. I still hear from your parents, though it isn’t the same since they sold their house and moved to Florida. It would be so nice to hear what they’re up to, and how your brother Jonathan is getting on. If you don’t have plans, you may as well join us. I’m cooking a pot roast. Because you have to eat anyway, you should eat with us.”

“Will you come for dinner?” Madeline bounced on her toes.

Rachel couldn’t ignore the delight in the little girl’s eyes. What should she do?

“I’d love to. Just let me know when and what I can bring.” She prayed Levi wouldn’t mind, but that didn’t mean he’d be there. He ran a tech company. He probably couldn’t take a day off.

She’d come this one time, then she’d join a club that met Sunday afternoons, or she’d volunteer to work at the church. She needed an excuse in case Naomi invited her again.

Too late she wondered if Levi’s wife would be there. Her heart pounded like a war drum. She had to accept the inevitable. Levi was quite the catch. With his angular good looks and his successful tech company, what woman wouldn’t accept his marriage proposal?

She still remembered him as the star football player who had worked hard at school and on his family’s ranch. Not that she was wife material in Levi’s eyes, but his compassion and friendly smile made everyone want to be his friend—and every girl want to be his girlfriend.

“Come whenever you’re ready.” Naomi’s bright eyes danced with delight. “We’ll sit down at five, but come early and visit. There’s nothing I look forward to more than having a nice womanly chat.”

Did that mean that Levi’s wife didn’t like to chat? Did she have a job that required her to travel?

Her jaw tight, Rachel wished those thoughts would leave her alone. How Levi and his wife handled their marriage was none of her business.

“As far as bringing something,” Naomi said. “You don’t need to bring a thing. I’ve been cooking all weekend. You know what it’s like when you have seven hungry boys to feed. ”

Rachel didn’t, but she remembered Jonathan’s stomach was a bottomless pit. Multiply that by seven and she could imagine what the McSweeney food bill must be like.

“Thank you.” Rachel smiled.

It would be nice to eat with a large family instead of alone in her tiny apartment. She looked forward to conversation, good food and being with friends.

She looked past Naomi to the Sunday school volunteers who stacked the tiny chairs that had been set out in rows before the service.

“I’d better help the others straighten the room for the next service.” She gave Naomi an apologetic look. “But I look forward to seeing you this afternoon.”

“By all means.” Naomi looked over her shoulder before turning back to Rachel. “Don’t let us keep you. We need to get Madeline home, and what will we do with this beautiful picture you made?” She looked at the drawing Levi held. “Shall we frame it?”

“Oh, yes.” Madeline’s eyes beamed with joy.

“Then that’s what we’ll do.” Her arm around the little girl, she turned away but looked back at Rachel. “We’ll see you soon, dear.” Her smile broad, she guided Madeline out the door.

“I’m sorry she put you on the spot, but you know Mom.” Levi gave Rachel an apologetic look. “With seven sons, she’s always glad to have another woman around.”

“I love your mother, and I can’t blame her.” Rachel curved the corner of her mouth. She and her mother could spend hours on video chat while her father sat patiently and listened.

“Let me help you put the rest of the chairs away.” Levi turned away.

“That’s okay.” Rachel rushed after him. “I know your mother was anxious to get Madeline home.”

“You don’t know Mom.” Levi laughed dryly. He stacked a row of chairs.

Rachel rushed to help. He wasn’t a Sunday school volunteer. She was .

“Mom will find someone to talk to.” Levi stacked more chairs. “She’ll stay and chat until we physically guide her out the door.”

Rachel laughed remembering when the family attended events, the McSweeney boys and Felix were always telling Naomi it was time to leave. She’d agree, then find someone else to talk to.

Soon the chairs were stacked and the tables wiped. One of the volunteers started a vacuum.

Levi looked around before turning to Rachel. A smile in his chiseled features pressed dimples into his cheeks. “I’ll see you later this afternoon.” His gaze lingered a moment. “And Rachel, it was good to see you again,” he said. He walked out of the room.

Rachel’s mouth dropped open. The way he looked at her made her wonder more than ever. Was Levi McSweeney married?

She was afraid to hope.