Some Cowgirls are Worth Protecting (Keagans of Copper Creek #6)

Chapter 1

1

Hudson Keagan

H udson didn’t even know what he was doing at the country club. He’d made it a point to avoid it at all costs. He couldn’t say the same for his brothers. There was something about the place that drew people in like a moth to a flame.

The events that led to him ending up here were muddled. He would have been content to stay at home and avoid these people. If he could leave right now, he would. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a ride. That was what he got for letting his little brother drag him here.

It was his own fault, really. Hudson had done so well at keeping everyone in this crazy town at arm’s length. That was how he preferred it. Liam was the opposite through and through. He could make friends with someone without even knowing their name—not just friends, best friends.

Henry and Athena wanted to celebrate their engagement, and this ridiculous place was where they wanted it to be—surrounded by people who were no better than strangers. Hudson couldn’t see a familiar face in the lot besides his own brothers.

The seconds on his watch ticked by at an excruciatingly slow pace. The party was supposed to be done by now. Liam had insisted they would only stay for an hour. It had already been nearly two. At this point, Hudson figured he could leave and no one would notice. After all, Carter had disappeared, and no one seemed to be concerned about him .

That was how it was with his family, though. His older siblings got married and didn’t bother spending time with everyone else. His parents had disappeared when they were all kids. And now Carter was gone. So much for family. Wade had promised that they would always be there for each other, but he’d lied.

Hudson crossed his arms and leaned against the wall on one side of the room. His gaze swept through the area, taking in even the smallest details. The people who lived in Copper Creek weren’t all that special. And with the influx of people from the city, it barely felt like a small town anymore.

He hated it.

Why couldn’t everyone go back to the way things used to be? He would give anything just to turn back time a few years.

His eyes landed on a familiar woman. He’d never actually gotten to know her. They’d maybe said two words to each other, and that was only because Hudson could actually tolerate her sister. Athena was okay. That was more than he could say about any of his siblings’ love interests. Just because they all wanted to stick around didn’t mean that wouldn’t change.

Rachel Walton was no different. She might be beautiful, and she might be smart. He could even admit that she seemed genuine. But she was still a stranger, and she wasn’t beholden to anyone here.

She had a family elsewhere—a family she’d grown up with. Sure, she’d decided to rent a place here in Copper Creek, but her long-lost big sister was getting married. Didn’t she know what that meant? Athena would be starting her own family with her own kids. She loved Henry, and they would inevitably push out everyone who was in their lives as they got used to their new situation.

Rachel’s blue eyes locked with his, and he stiffened. No one ever looked in his direction. He’d perfected not being noticed. He was like a lone wolf that stuck to the shadows until he was sure everything was safe. And yet Rachel wasn’t pulling any punches. Her sharp gaze pinned him to his place, making him wonder if she was looking at something behind him.

That was impossible, though. He was pressed up against the wall so that he didn’t have to worry about anyone who might get behind him.

A small smile flitted across her lips just before she turned back to the group she was with. That was one thing he’d never understood about her. He’d overheard enough to know that she was one of those city girls who ran in high society. He wasn’t sure how wealthy she was, but based on the modest living arrangements she’d lived in over the last several months, he assumed she was just above what would be considered middle class.

Currently, she worked remotely—running a few charities—or at least that’s what Athena had mentioned once. Hudson wasn’t going to go out of his way to find out more about this woman, who seemed to think she was now part of their family.

She was barely considered part of the town.

Hudson huffed and turned his focus elsewhere. As far as he was concerned, Rachel should probably just leave. She didn’t belong here, and she never would.

Liam emerged from the crowd and leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. His blue eyes shone bright, but his smile was even brighter. “Why aren’t you out there having fun? There’s a lot of new people here tonight. I don’t think I’ve seen this many.”

“That’s why I’m not out there,” Hudson muttered.

“Why? Because of the new people? That’s ridiculous.” His eyes swept through the room. “There are still a few people who you know. Maybe you should ask one of them to dance.”

Hudson snorted. “I only came because you made me. I probably should have left an hour ago. I didn’t even want to come.”

“Then why did you?”

Hudson’s gaze drifted toward Athena. As much as he’d hated her arrival, he couldn’t help but respect her. She’d dug her way out of a hole and made something of herself, much like the Keagans had done when their parents had left them high and dry. Hudson’s focus flitted over to Henry, who was surrounded by several well-wishers. He was the other reason Hudson had allowed himself to give in to Liam’s demands. “Because we’re family. It doesn’t matter if I disagree with how any of them choose to live their lives. What matters is that I’m not going to be the one who walks away.”

Liam nudged him with his elbow. “See? There it is. You care about our family. Athena is part of that now.”

“This isn’t about Athena,” Hudson ground out.

“Then maybe it’s about her sister?”

Hudson stiffened and stared hard at his brother. “This isn’t about anyone but Henry, and you know it.”

Liam chuckled, his head tilting. “Do I? From what I can tell, you’ve been keeping tabs on her a lot tonight. Maybe there’s some attraction there.”

His brother was wrong, but Hudson wasn’t about to make a scene. He knew better than to do that. While Liam didn’t mind the extra attention, Hudson would prefer to keep things behind closed doors. “I’m not going argue with you. Actually, I’m going to leave. There’s no reason for me to stay here anyway.”

“But you didn’t drive.”

“I’ll walk.”

“Suit yourself.” Liam chuckled.

Hudson shook his head, but it was better than taking a swing. He ducked through the crowds of people and headed out the door, grateful to be in the fresh air. This would be the last time he ever set foot in that country club if he had anything to say about it. People couldn’t be trusted, and that was one of the main reasons he liked being alone.

He tossed one more glance toward the doors to the building and nearly tripped over a woman in a tan cowboy hat sitting on the bottom steps. “Sorry,” he muttered, darting around her.

“Hudson, right?” Her voice was soft, smooth, like she’d had lessons in how to speak. The words lassoed him, forcing him to stop in his tracks. He’d heard traces of her voice in conversations with Athena, but he’d never been close enough to truly appreciate the cadence beneath it.

Slowly, Hudson turned as Rachel got to her feet. She wore a soft, flowy blouse. Her jeans were tattered but almost like they had been torn up in an organic way. Her boots were dusty, too. In fact, her whole getup was such that she couldn’t have fit in better with the crowd currently visiting the club if she had tried.

She placed her hands in her back pockets, her wavy blonde hair shifting with her movement and the slight breeze that had picked up. “Henry’s brother.” This time it wasn’t a question. She tilted her head, her blue eyes piercing into him much like they had when she’d caught him staring.

Hudson swallowed and fought the urge to take a few steps back as she continued to get closer. “Yeah,” he muttered. “You need somethin’?”

Rachel pursed her lips and stared out into the darkness. The sun had set and there was only a slight amount of sunlight in the sky. Within the next twenty minutes, it would be completely dark. “Not really.”

He touched the brim of his hat. “Then I’ll take my leave.”

“Didn’t you come with one of your brothers?”

Once again, her voice had him going still. She’d noticed that he’d arrived with Liam. The only way that made sense was if she’d been watching when he climbed out of the truck. Or she’d asked Athena. That would have been a strange question to ask.

Against his better judgment, he turned to face her once more. “Yeah.”

“Is he coming?”

“No, do you need to talk to him?” Hudson motioned toward the building. “He’s inside.”

She shook her head, her brows furrowing. “But I am curious where you’re going. This place is pretty off the beaten path.”

“Home.” The word was heavy and carried with it all the weight he needed to make it clear he wasn’t interested in small talk. They barely knew each other. He’d done a good job at avoiding her this far, and now she was destroying that.

“You don’t like me much, do you?”

He sighed. “I don’t have an opinion one way or the other.”

She pursed her lips again, a thoughtful expression on her face. “But whenever I come into the room, you leave.”

“Maybe I have somewhere to go.”

Rachel chuckled. It was soft and sweet, like the sound of birds chirping in the early morning hours while waiting for their mothers to feed them. “I supposed that might be possible.”

“What’s it to you? We’re not friends. I don’t owe you anything.” Hudson crossed his arms and stared at her hard. “You’re the sister of my brother’s fiancée. It’s not like we’ll mean anything to each other in the long run. Eventually, Henry and Athena will find a place of their own, and you won’t have any reason to be at our ranch.”

Two reactions flickered across her face, one right after the other. The first one was surprise, but it was soon replaced by offense. While he didn’t want to care that he’d offended her, there was a small part of him that couldn’t brush it off. Just because he preferred to be alone didn’t mean he was a jerk. He just wanted his peace and quiet.

Hudson heaved a sigh. “It’s a hard reality, but it’s true.”

She didn’t respond right away. He’d expected her to hurl an insult at him and then return to the party. When she didn’t, he tapped the brim of his hat. “It was nice talking to you. Have a good night.”

He turned away from her and marched toward the street. He didn’t owe her anything. And she didn’t care about him. Whatever this little interaction meant to her, it meant nothing to him and he had made that clear. The walk home would be longer than the drive, but perhaps it would help take his mind off that brief spark of pain he’d witnessed in her eyes.

Perhaps it was the fact that she looked like her sister. They both had a similar bone structure and noses. Their hair was pretty much the exact same. It was only their eyes that were different. While Athena had green eyes that occasionally looked blue in different lights, Rachel’s eyes were a brilliant blue that put the sunny Colorado skies to shame.

And he refused to linger on her a second longer.