Prairie Redemption: Cowboys of the Flint Hills Read online

  Prairie Redemption

  A Cowboys of the Flint Hills Novel

  Tessa Layne

  Contents

  Welcome To Prairie!

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Acknowledgments

  And while you’re waiting…

  Copyright © 2018 by Tessa Layne

  Paperback Edition ISBN-13: 978-1-948526-05-0

  EPUB Edition ISBN-13: 978-1-948526-04-3

  Cover Art by Razzle Dazzle Design

  Published by Shady Layne Media

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, stored, or transmitted in any form or in any manner without written permission except in the case of brief quotations included in critical articles and reviews. For information, please contact the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of copious amounts of wine, long walks, and the author’s overactive imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Welcome To Prairie!

  Where the cowboys are sexy as sin, the women are smart and sassy, and everyone gets their Happily Ever After!

  Prairie is a fictional small town in the heart of the Flint Hills, Kansas – the original Wild West. Here, you’ll meet the Sinclaire family, descended from French fur-trappers and residents of the area since the 1850s. You’ll also meet the Hansens and the Graces, who’ve been ranching in the Flint Hills since right before the Civil War.

  Sharing a property line with the Graces are the heroes of Resolution Ranch, the men and women who’ve put their bodies on the line serving our country at home and abroad.

  Prairie embodies the best of western small town life. It’s a community where family, kindness, and respect are treasured. Where people pull together in times of trial, and yes… where the Cowboy Code of Honor is alive and well.

  Every novel is a stand-alone book where the characters get their HEA, but you’ll get to know a cast of secondary characters along the way.

  Join my newsletter for updates and sneak peeks on my next book.

  Additional books in the series:

  PRAIRIE HEAT – Blake Sinclaire & Maddie Hansen (on sale now!)

  PRAIRIE PASSION – Brodie Sinclaire & Jamey O’Neill (on sale now!)

  PRAIRIE DESIRE – Ben Sinclaire & Hope Hansen (on sale now!)

  PRAIRIE STORM – Axel Hansen & Haley Cooper (on sale now!)

  PRAIRIE FIRE – Parker Hansen & Cassidy Grace (on sale now!)

  PRAIRIE DEVIL – Colton Kincaid & Lydia Grace (on sale now!)

  PRAIRIE FEVER – Gunnar Hansen & Suzannah Winslow (on sale now!)

  Do you like a dose of military with your cowboys?

  Meet the Heroes of Resolution Ranch

  Inspired by the real work of Heroes & Horses… Chances are, someone you know, someone you love has served in the military. And chances are, they’ve struggled with re-entry into civilian life. The folks of Prairie are no different. With the biggest Army base in the country, Fort Riley, located in the heart of the Flint Hills, the war has come home to Prairie.

  Join me as we discover Travis Kincaid’s story and learn how he copes in the aftermath of a mission gone wrong. Meet Sterling, who never expected to return to Prairie after he left for West Point. Fall in love with Cash as he learns to trust himself again. Laugh with Jason and Weston as they fall in love with the sassy ladies of Prairie. Same Flint Hills setting, same cast of friendly, funny, and heartwarming characters, same twists and surprises that will keep you up all night turning the pages.

  A HERO’S HONOR – Travis Kincaid & Elaine Ryder (On Sale Now)

  A HERO’S HEART – Sterling Walker & Emma Sinclaire (On Sale Now)

  A HERO’S HAVEN – Cash Aiken & Kaycee Starr (On Sale Now)

  A HERO’S HOME – Jason Case & Millie Prescott (On Sale Now)

  Visit www.tessalayne.com for more titles & release info

  Sign up for my Newsletter here

  Hang out with me! Join my Facebook Reader Group – Prairie Posse

  Chapter One

  “Get up. Now.”

  “What in the hell?” Cody Hansen mumbled, flinging an arm across his face to block the mid-morning light that suddenly flooded the room.

  “You heard me,” his brother Parker growled from across the room. “Time to get your sorry ass out of bed and get moving.”

  Ha. As if that was gonna happen. He moved like an old man, now - with every joint in his body protesting loudly. With great effort, he rolled to his side, trying his best not to wince and give away his pain to Parker. “Go away,” he mumbled before covering his head with the pillow.

  “Hell, no.” Parker yanked the pillow from his head. “Look at me.”

  Cody cracked open an eye, jerking back in surprise at his brother’s formidable glare, inches from his face. “What?”

  “This. Ends. Today.”

  Resignation settled over him like a wet, heavy blanket. He hadn’t even had a cup of coffee, and Parker expected him to talk about his emotions? Fuck that.

  Parker grabbed him by the shoulder, and gave him a shake, sending a spike of pain down his arm and across his back. “What the fuck was that for? You know that’s my bad shoulder.”

  “Only because you refused to do the PT right out of the hospital like the docs instructed.”

  “What does it matter? Career’s over anyway.”

  “Only ‘cause you decided you’d rather suck your thumb instead of try to recover.” Parker jerked back the covers. “Look at yourself.” He tilted his head at the long scar where sixteen pins had been placed to save Cody’s crushed femur. “It’s a scar, not a death sentence. You’re a Hansen for chrissakes, not a quitter.”

  Cody propped himself up on his good arm, and wrestled the sheet from his brother’s grip, dropping it back over his leg. He couldn’t bear to look at it. He’d been two seconds from everything he’d dreamed of and had come up short. Worse, he’d come up humiliated. Shamed in front of thousands of onlookers who shook their heads and clacked their tongues in disappointment. Remember that Cody Hansen? Thought he could ride Damnation. Who did he think he was? And now he’s through. “You don’t know what it’s been like,” he snarled.

  Parker widened his stance, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “You’re right. I don’t. But here’s what I do know, little brother. This shit stops today. Cassie and I didn’t sign on for this when we invited you to crash here and get on your feet. I’ve packed your bags.”

  “What?” He sat straight up, ignoring the dull ache in his head that still throbbed when he moved too quickly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Exactly what you think. You’ve worn out your welcome.”

  “Wait. Kicking me out?”

  Parker flashed him a sardonic grin. “It’s time for you to stand on your own two feet. Quit hiding from the world. It’s time to cowboy up, little brother.”

 
“Sounds like something Uncle Warren would have said,” he grumbled.

  “Uncle Warren never would have let you mope around the way you have for the last three months, and you know it. Now get your ass out of bed and meet me in the kitchen in five minutes.” Parker spun and left the room.

  So this was how it was going to be? Not even a backward glance? Figured. Parker had always been Mr. Responsible, and married life had only made him more so. Holding his breath in advance of the inevitable wave of pain, he swung his legs over the bed and stood, taking a long moment to steady himself while the stabbing in his left leg subsided. With painstaking effort, he dressed and limped into the kitchen.

  Cassie stood at the stove, Parker next to her, hand on her ass. A flash of envy burst in Cody’s chest. Parker had always been content to stay in Prairie and tend to the family. Not him. He’d wanted more for his life, and for a fleeting moment, he’d had it all. But now the tables were turned. Parker had everything, and all he had was regret. He cleared his throat, and they jumped apart.

  “I made eggs,” Cassie said too brightly.

  “My farewell breakfast?”

  Parker glowered. “You’ll thank my wife for her hospitality.”

  “It’s okay, Park,” Cassie contradicted. “He’s just upset.” She turned to him, a steely look in her eye.

  Cody bit back a smile. She looked just like her mother, Dottie, the town matriarch who ran the local diner. No one crossed Dottie.

  “There’s a bunkhouse on our property that’s fallen out of use. Dad mentioned he’d be willing to rent it cheap to the right person, in exchange for fixing it up and help around the ranch.”

  “I’m not a charity case,” he protested, limping to the counter where the coffee pot sat. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught her eye-roll. “I’m not.”

  “Suit yourself. Not many houses for rent in town, now that the medical center has expanded into a full-fledged facility. You can check the postings on the community board at the diner.” Cassie scraped the eggs into a bowl and placed them in the center of the table. “Park made you a PT appointment for eleven over there. I suggest you don’t blow it off.”

  “And if I do?” The physical therapists he’d seen in the hospital in Vegas, post surgeries, had basically written him off. Once he’d been able to walk without crutches, they’d wished him well and sent him on his way.

  Cassie’s eyes flashed and she opened her mouth to respond, but Parker lifted a hand. “You can lead a horse to water, Cass. It’s his life.”

  Damn straight it was.

  Parker leveled a hard stare his direction. “And it’s up to him to fix it… Or not.”

  So many words flew into Cody’s head, so many things he wanted to say. But he recognized the set of Parker’s jaw, and there was no use arguing. Instead he took a stinging gulp of hot coffee, forcing himself not to wince as it scalded on the way down. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Thank you.” The words were an effort, but they were the right thing to say.

  At ten fifty-seven, he pulled open the heavy glass door that led to the physical therapy center. On his left, a bank of glass windows offered a glimpse into a state of the art gym. At least it looked like a gym. Rows of treadmills and stationary bikes gave way to weight machines and contraptions that resembled modern-age torture devices. Surprisingly, the space was buzzing with activity. It shouldn’t surprise him, given how Prairie had virtually risen from the ashes like a phoenix after a devastating tornado almost two years previous. Thanks to his mother’s boyfriend, billionaire Zack Forte, and Mason Carter, a family friend of his cousin Maddie’s husband, Prairie had transformed from a sleepy one-light, blink-and-you-miss-it village, to a legitimate bustling small town.

  A man who looked more like a bouncer than a physical therapist looked up from behind a computer. “Can I help you?”

  Cody jammed his hands in his pockets. “Yeah. Cody Hansen. I have an appointment at eleven?”

  The guy nodded, studying the screen. “Yes. I see you’re scheduled with Carolina. She’ll meet you in room B.”

  Wait. Carolina? He only knew one Carolina, and she was Cassie’s little sister. No way was he stripping down to his skivvies in front of her. He shook his head. “No way. I’m not seein’ a girl.”

  The man, who wore a badge with the name Greg on it, eyed him critically. “Did you bring a change of clothes? You’ll probably be more comfortable in sweats.” He craned his neck over the front of the desk. “And sneakers.”

  “I said,” Cody began sharply, “I don’t want to be seen by a girl.”

  “It’s a good thing I’m not a girl, then, Cody Hansen.” A husky voice behind him answered sharply.

  He swung around and froze.

  The person before him was all woman. He dropped his gaze, taking in her athletic shoes and fancy sweatpants that clung to full hips. This was no girl. The long-sleeved blue knit shirt she wore clung to her curves and set Cody’s imagination whirling. He focused in on a full, sensual mouth, drawn tight.

  “You have a problem with me, cowboy?” The mouth moved, but his brain seemed to slow down, unable to process it was her talking.

  He raised his head to lock eyes with a very irate Carolina Grace. When had she transformed from sweet girl next door to spitfire? His belly tightened as they stared at each other, neither willing to look away. A spark of awareness zipped through him, but he stamped out as quickly as it appeared. Another time, another place, maybe. But not now, when he was broken and scarred, a shell of a man. Not ever. Carolina Grace was out of his league, and for that fact alone, he’d rather be dead than let her see his scars and the way his muscles hung off his bones.

  “What’d you say?” She said sharply, green eyes going icy.

  Shit. Had he said that out loud?

  “You’re lucky to be alive and all you can do is stand here mumbling you’d rather be dead?” Her face twisted in anguish. “Greg, you take him. I don’t work with quitters or thumb suckers.” She handed her clipboard to the bodybuilder and spun on her heel.

  Parker had used that word on him earlier this morning. Was that how everyone in town viewed him? As a thumb sucker? A pathetic, washed-up excuse of a man? Something inside him snapped. Fuck that. He’d show them all that he was made of stronger stuff. He might be down, but he sure as hell wasn’t out. He’d risen to the top of the bull-riding world not by choosing the expected route, but by acting on instinct, often surprising the heck out of the people around him. And every instinct in his body shouted at him to not let Carolina Grace hand him over to Giant Greg. “Wait.” Cody hustled after her, pushing through the shooting pains traveling up and down his leg. “Hold up a minute, Caro?” he called, slipping into the old nickname everyone had called her by when they were teenagers.

  Ahead of him, she stiffened, but stopped, not turning around. “I go by Carolina now,” she answered tersely, still facing forward.

  He came abreast of her, laying a hand lightly at her elbow. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I did. It was out of line.” He sucked in a breath, gut lurching. Asking for help wasn’t his style. While he’d always been quick to lend a hand on the circuit, he’d prided himself on being self-sufficient, independent. It ate at him that he had to rely on others, now. Every damn day. He swallowed the lump of shame stopping up his throat. “I, ah… will you help me?” The anger peeled off her in waves. “Carolina?”

  Her sudden movement caught him by surprise, and he found himself inches from her face, close enough to see gold flecks in the center of her green eyes. His pulse kicked up a notch as he held her gaze. Let her see he meant what he’d said.

  “Can you handle it?”

  “Bring it.”

  Her mouth thinned to a straight line. “Like I said, I don’t work with quitters or thumb suckers.”

  “Good thing I’m neither.” Although even as he said it, a picture of him nipping the tip of her thumb flashed through his mind. Bad Cody. Carolina was the girl next door, not a buckle bunny. H
ell, they were practically family, now that her sister had married Parker.

  “It’s gonna hurt.”

  “Can’t hurt worse than it already does.”

  She arched a brow. “You have significant scar tissue. Breaking it up will hurt.”

  His belly clutched at her words, but he lifted his good shoulder nonchalantly. “Nothin’ I can’t handle.”

  She looked skeptical.

  Fuck. Did she think he was some kind of weakling? “I mean it.”

  “The second you’re late, or I discover you haven’t done your exercises on your own, I drop you.”

  He nodded once.

  “And don’t think I’ll go easy on you because we know each other.”

  “I’d expect nothing less.” He gave her a lopsided grin. She was a Grace, after all. Everyone knew the Grace sisters didn’t take any shit. All anyone had to do was look at their mother.

  “You’ll need a pair of tennis shoes. We don’t allow boots on the floor.”

  “I can bring them tomorrow.”

  “I didn’t say I’d take you.”

  “You didn’t say you wouldn’t,” he challenged, raising an eyebrow back at her.

  Her eyes snapped back to his. There it was again. That pull between them. She felt it too, because her eyes widened for a fraction of a second before icing over again. “Wait for me in room B.” She turned and hurried down the hall.