Horses, a sympathetic ear, or a good night’s sleep. Cole Woodruff, owner of the Lazy W Dude Ranch, supplies whatever his guests need. But when Jack Harmon arrives, Cole’s own desires clamor to be met. Should he risk the ranch to satisfy what might be nothing more than an itch? And even if Jack turns out to be that special man Cole’s yearned for, is it right to move forward when a vulnerable child is involved? Not long ago, Jack was awarded custody of his son Alex after the sudden death of the boy’s mother. Out on the road for all of his son’s life, what does he know about being a dad? Sleepless nights spent worrying have worn Jack to a raw nerve. Visiting the dude ranch with Alex, Jack delights in Cole's friendship. And the way Cole’s warm, wonderful voice is so soothing, it cradles Jack to sleep whenever they’re together. Jack aches to spend every night dreaming in the big cowboy's arms. But can a lullaby last forever? Or will the dream fade when morning comes?

Cowboy Lullaby

Cole longed to reach out to the man, just to offer some friendly support. But he forced his hands to his side and settled for asking, “You want to talk about it? I’m a good listener.”


Jack looked up, studied Cole’s face, and then nodded. “I would. But I don’t like leaving Alex alone too long. He still has nightmares about finding his mother’s body.”


“Nightmares—I bet that’s hard on you as well, isn’t it?”


“Well, I’m up most nights anyway.” Jack looked toward the stairs. “I’m worried sleeping in a new place might trigger another bad dream.”


Oh, yeah. This was a bad idea. A really bad idea. But somehow the words just popped out of his mouth. “Well, how about we go talk in your suite so you can keep an ear peeled for trouble with Alex?”


The softly grateful smile on the man’s face made it worth the risk. But talk was all that was on the menu. Cole was determined to be a friend to him and nothing more.


Jack picked up the mug and led the way up the stairs.


Chapter 4