COWBOY
An Unfit Hero Novel
Hayley Faiman
Hayley Faiman Books, LLC
Contents
Also by Hayley Faiman
Stay Connected
Prologue
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
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Epilogue
Stay Connected
About the Author
Acknowledgments
COWBOY
Copyright © 2020 by Hayley Faiman
All rights reserved.
Cover Designer & Editor: My Brother’s Editor. Ellie McLove. http://www.mybrotherseditor.net
Proofreading: My Brother’s Editor. Rosa Sharon. http://www.mybrotherseditor.net
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Visit my website: http://hayleyfaiman.com
Created with Vellum
Also by Hayley Faiman
Men of Baseball Series—
Pitching for Amalie
Catching Maggie
Forced Play for Libby
Sweet Spot for Victoria
Russian Bratva Series—
Owned by the Badman
Seducing the Badman
Dancing for the Badman
Living for the Badman
Tempting the Badman
Protected by the Badman
Forever my Badman
Betrothed to the Badman
Chosen by the Badman
Bought by the Badman
Collared by the Badman
Notorious Devils MC—
Rough & Rowdy
Rough & Raw
Rough & Rugged
Rough & Ruthless
Rough & Ready
Rough & Rich
Rough & Real
Cash Bar Series—
Laced with Fear
Chased with Strength
Flamed with Courage
Blended with Pain
Twisted with Chaos
Mixed with Trouble
SAVAGE BEAST MC —
UnScrew Me
UnBreak Me
UnChain Me
UnLeash Me
UnTouch Me
UnHide Me
Unfit Hero Series —
CONVICT
HERO
FRAUD
KILLER
COWBOY
Zanetti Famiglia Series —
Becoming the Boss
Becoming his Mistress
Becoming his Possession
Becoming the Street Boss
The Prophecy of Sisters —
Bride of the Traitor
Bride of the Sea
Esquire Black Duet Series —
DISCOVERY
APPEAL
Forbidden Love Series —
Personal Foul
Kinetic Energy
Standalone Titles —
Royally Relinquished: A Modern Day Fairy Tale
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I like people who are loyal to me, and I like to be loyal, too.
George Strait
Prologue
SEVENTEEN YEARS AGO
STEPHANIE
One week until my wedding day, the wedding. I still can’t believe that I’m going to get married. My father lets out a loud snore from his recliner, my body jumps from the sound at the same time there’s a knock on the front door.
I know by the softness, by the two raps, then a pause before there are two more raps, that it’s Ford on the other side. My stomach twists and I feel a sharp stabbing pain as I make my way toward my front door.
I’ve been feeling this way for weeks, every time the wedding is mentioned, every time I think about it, every time I do something for it.
Something isn’t right, and my trip to the doctor today led me no closer to an answer. He said I was perfectly fine, that it was probably just wedding day jitters. But it’s not, it’s bigger than that.
Tugging the door open slowly. I slip outside and tilt my head toward the porch swing. Without looking into Ford’s eyes, I make my way to the swing and slowly sit down before I bring my knees up to my chest.
Ford sits next to me, lifting one of his arms and slinging it across the back of the swing. Turning my head to the side, I rest my cheek on my knee and finally look over at him. He takes up most of the swing while I’m curled in the corner.
I close my eyes for a moment when his fingers touch my hair, playing and feeling the strands between his fingertips.
“It’s late,” I whisper, opening my eyes to look over at him.
He nods, his gaze focused straight ahead as his fingers continue to play with my hair. “It is,” he finally says.
Then I watch as he turns his gaze toward me. Those blue eyes find mine and my breath hitches at the sight. They’re so intense, they’re full of every emotion that’s rolling through him. They look nothing like I’m sure mine do. He looks at peace, happy. I feel nothing but turmoil.
He inhales through his nose, and I watch as his nostrils flare.
Ford Matthews is probably the sexiest man that I have ever seen. Not that I’ve seen many men in my short eighteen years, but there is just something about him. His tanned skin, his blue eyes, his light brown hair, the way he watches me with an intensity that makes my skin heat.
Something isn’t right for me though. I see the way other girls look at him, how they’ve always looked at him. Do I look at him the same way? I don’t know anymore. Is this really what I want for the rest of my life?
Do I really want to stay here in Gallup with the only man that I have ever kissed? I have always dreamed of being bigger than Stephanie LaRue, than Stephanie Matthews.
“What would you think about moving away?” I ask for the millionth time.
Ford lets out a long si
gh. “If I leave, who will help my daddy run the ranch?”
I shrug a shoulder. “What about one of your cousins?”
He lets out a snort. “Stevie, you know those halfwits would cause him more of a headache than they would actually help. This cattle ranch has been in my family since my granddaddy started it. His daddy bought the land and lived off of it. It’s my legacy. I love it there. Never even thought about leaving, not once.”
Pressing my lips together, I pinch my eyes closed as my stomach wrenches. Is this really what I want? I love Ford more than I could have ever imagined, could I love another person?
There’s nobody else for me and I know that he’d make me happy, but I wonder what I’ll regret if I stay? Will I eventually become bitter because I didn’t try to fulfill my dreams?
What am I missing out in the world?
ONE WEEK LATER
FORD
Wyatt chuckles as he watches me pace nervously. Lifting my hand, I ball my fingers into a fist and punch him in the arm. The action only makes him laugh harder. Wyatt is my best friend, him and Beaumont. The only two guys that I have by my side today, the only two that I want here.
I shrug a shoulder. “Hell no,” I snort.
My mama dislikes Stevie, she always has. She thinks that Stevie has her nose up in the air, that she thinks she’s better than everyone else. She also thinks we’re too young to get married. But I know that just isn’t true. I’ve loved Stevie my whole life, and she’s the sweetest girl I’ve ever known.
Everything about her is absolute perfection.
I love her.
I’ve loved her since she was five years old and I never stopped. She’s the only girl I’ve ever even noticed, the only one who has ever existed for me. My first kiss, my first everything. I’ve never wanted to even touch another woman. Just her, and soon she’s going to be my wife.
Mine.
She doesn’t know it yet, but my daddy gave me the one-bedroom ranch hand house at the back of the property. It’s been empty for about five years, but I’ve been working nights and waking up early every morning to fix it up for us.
It isn’t much, but it’s just enough for us.
I stripped the whole fucking place, put in new carpet and linoleum, replaced the sinks and hardware. I even painted the whole inside of the place light yellow, because that’s my girl’s favorite color. The outside is all Texas limestone with wooden shutters, the limestone was still in good shape, but I had to make new shutters and stain them.
One bedroom, one bathroom, a small dining room and a smaller living space with a coffee table is about all we’ll have. I also spent my weekends making some of the furniture myself.
A small wooden table, a coffee table, a headboard, and a nightstand. I found a dresser secondhand and stripped and painted it white.
The mattress, sofa, and dining chairs we’ll have to figure out, but I guess that we’ll be getting some money from the wedding, so maybe we can grab some of those things secondhand?
Stevie already told me she got tons of kitchen shit at her bridal shower. She laughed about it at the time, because she doesn’t know that we have a place to live. We’re pretty much going to be set in our new life, in the small ranch hand house, and I can’t wait. It won’t be much, but it’s more than some people have and we can only go up from here.
“You ready?” a voice asks.
Turning my head, I look back to see my dad standing at the door. We’re in my bedroom, the wedding is here at the ranch, a simple day with friends and family. A barbeque, sides, and cake. It’s perfect and simple.
“More than ready,” I say.
Beau and Wyatt both pull me back after my dad walks away. Turning to them, I frown. “What’s up?”
“This is crazy. But we just wanted to say we’re really fuckin’ happy for you,” Beau says with a grin.
Jerking my chin, I smile. “Thanks, y’all. You’ll be next, just wait and see.”
They both snort, shaking their heads. “Not anytime soon,” Wyatt mutters.
His eyes are dark and I instantly regret my words, remembering how things with him and Sammie have been, how he thought they were getting married too, and have a family. I open my mouth to apologize, but Wyatt just lifts his hand, grabbing onto my shoulder with a squeeze.
“This is your day, Ford. I’m happy for you,” he murmurs.
“Let’s get you married, that way I can check out those bridesmaids.” Beau chuckles, giving us a wink, effectively changing the topic and lightening the mood.
A few minutes later, I’m standing next to the pastor, a man I’ve known my whole life. My best friends are at my side, my gaze drifting over my entire family and Stevie’s. This is it. This is the beginning of everything.
The wedding march starts and I see her walking on the arm of her dad. She’s dressed in white, a dress that is all lace and hits her right below her knees. She looks perfect, better than she did at prom a month ago.
I smile as her eyes catch mine. She stumbles, then she stops. I move to go toward her, thinking that she’s stuck or twisted her ankle when her eyes widen. Her hand drops from her father’s and she turns around.
“Stevie?” I call out.
Before I can even take one step, she has her shoes kicked off and she’s running. I hear people around me gasping, my mama wails and my daddy reaches out, wrapping his hand around my shoulder, squeezing so that I can’t run after her.
“Let her go, son,” he rumbles.
Turning my head to look at him, my eyes well up with tears. “Dad?” I ask.
He shakes his head once. “Y’all are young,” he murmurs. “Maybe she just ain’t ready. Tomorrow things’ll look different. Clearer.”
I can’t stand here while everyone looks at me. Completely embarrassed, without a word to anyone, I leave. I run in the opposite direction, toward the little house that I have all ready for us.
Opening the door, I slam it behind me, then make my way toward our future bedroom. I sink to my ass in the room that we are supposed to be sharing together and I fucking cry. Like a pussy, I cry.
Things don’t look clearer the next day, because Stevie is gone. I stand on her front porch, right next to that fucking swing, and I beg her parents to tell me where she’s gone. Her parents refuse to tell me where she went and so do her friends. Nobody will tell me a fucking thing.
I don’t see her again, not for ten years.
I make my way out to California where I heard she was living. It doesn’t take me long to find her, when I do, it breaks my heart all over again because the girl I once knew is gone. A stranger has replaced her and she hasn’t missed me a single day since she walked away, breaking my entire fucking world.
Chapter One
STEPANIE
Gallup, Texas.
It’s not even on the map, just a little dot, no name next to it. That’s how small my hometown is. I haven’t been there in seventeen years. I turned my back and I ran out of town as fast as humanly possible.
I left behind everyone and everything that I ever knew. Including, a boy. The boy. I hurt that boy. He loved me with his entire heart, and I crushed him. That’s probably why I haven’t ever made my way back here.
Seeing him again would be inevitable and it would probably break me. Seeing him happy with someone else, now that could destroy me.
Ford Buchannan Matthews.
God, just thinking his name sends a shiver throughout my entire body. He’s old school Texan, born and raised on the same land his daddy was born and raised on. If you looked up a modern Texas cowboy, there’d probably be a picture of him as the definition.
Driving through the miniscule town, I wonder how it has pretty much stayed the exact same as when I left almost twenty years ago. How has nothing changed? I recognize every single landmark, it looks a little older, but still the exact same.
Turning down the lane where I once lived with my family, I stop across the street and lo
ok at the old house. It definitely could use some paint, there’s a shutter hanging on by a thread, but the porch swing is still there, swaying with the breeze.
Gripping the steering wheel, I should be wondering who lives there now. Does a little girl sleep in the same room that I did? Is the light-pink crown molding still outlining the entire room? Are there still stick-on glowing stars on the ceiling?
Instead, I know exactly what lies behind the walls of the old house. Emptiness and a whole lot of memories that I’ve been trying to forget about for almost two decades.
Opening the car door, I step out on to the dirt and gravel. My high heels are going to be ruined, but I don’t care, I have dozens more. That seems to be the theme of my life these days, it doesn’t matter if something is ruined, I have more, I can buy more. But none of it makes me happy.
Walking around the front of the car, I stop on the passenger side. I can’t seem to go any farther. Instead, I lean against the door of the rental car as I look out at the house.