Her Last Chance Cowboy: A Sweet Western Romance (Prairie Valley Book 5) Read online

  Her Last Chance Cowboy

  Ellen Joy

  Copyright © 2021 by Ellen Joy

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  To my dear friend, Michelle St. Amand.

  Thank you for always being generous. Your heart is huge. I truly appreciate your support! Thank you for everything.

  Contents

  Books by Ellen Joy

  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

  Also by Ellen Joy

  About the Author

  Click HERE or visit ellenjoyauthor.com for more information about all of her books.

  Prairie Valley

  Her Second Chance Cowboy

  Her Next Door Cowboy

  Her Pretend Cowboy

  Her Fresh Start Cowboy

  Her Last Chance Cowboy

  Her Christmas Cowboy

  Camden Cove

  The Inn by the Cove

  The Farmhouse by the Cove

  The Restaurant by the Cove

  The Christmas Cottage by the Cove

  The Bakery by the Cove

  Prologue

  Hannah Destin sat on the edge of her bed and listened to her mom and dad fight through the wall.

  “You aren’t going anywhere!” her dad yelled, and then she heard what sounded like her mom being slammed into a wall.

  “Hannah and I are leaving!” Sounds of a scuffle and slapping hands.

  Her parents had been in plenty of fights, but there was something different in the air today. Something dangerous.

  “If you leave, you’re never coming back, do you hear me?” he shouted.

  “I never want to come back!”

  Hannah’s door slammed open and bounced against the wall. “Let’s go, Hannah.”

  She clutched her bag, wishing she could drive to get away, but she had three more years until she was sixteen.

  “You aren’t taking Hannah,” Dad snarled.

  Mom looked surprised, then scared. “The hell I’m not!”

  “She stays.”

  Hannah’s heart was beating so fast she thought it might blow up as her parents stared each other down. There was no way she was staying here, especially if her mom wasn’t around. She eyed the space between her dad and the door.

  “Let’s go, Hannah!”

  Her mom had that scary glint in her eye, and suddenly she felt as if the last bit of rug had been pulled out from under her feet, no safety anywhere. She hunched her shoulders and clutched her backpack against her chest, feeling the reassuring soft body of her teddy through the fabric.

  For a few moments longer, her parents glared at each other like angry wild animals. Then her father lashed out and hit her mother in the face, and Hannah ducked between them and ran out of the room, out of the house, and straight to the car. She jumped in and slammed down the door locks, then tossed her bag down on the floor and twisted around to kneel on the back seat.

  She kept her eyes glued on the front door, praying that a neighbor had heard the commotion and called the cops. After what seemed like forever, Mom came stumbling out of the house. Hannah kept quiet as she got behind the wheel. She didn’t have long to wonder what might have happened, because the door flew open and Dad rushed out the door, his eye bloody.

  The engine turned over and they flew down the driveway, tires screeching.

  Hannah didn’t know where they were headed. Her mom hadn’t told her anything more than to pack a bag. She just hoped that wherever they were going, it would be better than what they had just left behind.

  Chapter 1

  Hannah swiped the package over the scanner. The register beeped and the price flashed onto the screen, right next to the time. She had only been on shift for an hour, and she could hardly wait to leave. Pushing one item after another for seven more hours on her feet was the last thing she wanted to do. Not that she should complain. She was lucky to have a job, which was something her boss, Lloyd Hooley of Hooleys Groceries, didn’t hesitate to remind her of.

  “I don’t usually hire girls like you,” he had told her many times throughout the last decade.

  She usually just smiled and kept her thoughts to herself. Even though the “girl” he’d hired was an adult, a mother who paid all her own bills, and an honor student. She’d even had a scholarship to college, but she’d stayed home to marry her high school sweetheart and have the baby. Yet, the girl Mr. Hooley sneered about was the person Prairie Valley believed she was. Drunk Joel Destin’s daughter, who let some boy knock her up before she was even out of school.

  She continued to swipe Mrs. Nyberg’s items as her eyes wondered around the store. Seven more hours might be torture, but things could be so much worse. Troy hadn’t had a job in a year. Not that it would matter to Hannah if he did. He hadn’t paid child support since the day he left, when Emma was only a baby. And though her rent was reasonable, there were still all the other expenses, like utilities and food and gas. And a daughter who wanted fancy things and name-brand clothing like all the other girls had. She tried to save up, but never seemed to get anywhere. She had no idea what she was going to do when Emma needed money for college.

  “Hannah, those cucumbers are supposed to be on sale,” Mrs. Nyberg pointed out.

  It took her a moment to snap back to reality. “I’m sorry,” she said, tapping the register keys, then flipping a switch. Her station’s light began to flash, and Tim Hooley hurried over.

  She faked a smile. “The cucumbers are coming up at the regular price.”

  He pulled the keyring off his belt. “Sorry about the mistake, Betty.”

  “It’s no problem.” She waved her hand. “Hannah’s doing fine.”

  Hannah gritted her teeth and didn’t say a thing. Tim was in charge of pricing, not her. Hadn’t she just been telling Emma to think before she spoke? Did she need to say something? Would it help the situation? Did he deserve to be called out?

  Well, yes. He did deserve it. He was the owner’s only son, and never let anyone forget it. And never let her forget who she was, either.

  “You’re all set, Betty.” He flipped the flasher off and stood next to Hannah as she continued with the groceries, close enough that she could smell the mint he was flipping around in his mouth.

  “Hey, that’s Jake Malloy,” he said suddenly.

  Hannah looked up and saw a tall, dark, and handsome man striding into the grocery store.

  “Jake’s back home?” Mrs. Nyberg seemed surprised. She turned to Hannah. “He was in the Marines you know, overseas.”

  Tim left her station and headed toward the dairy section, where Jake was headed.

  “Um, Hannah? I think you made another mistake.” The woman pointed at the bread. “It’s supposed to be two for one.”

  Hannah let out a tiny sigh and flipped the switch again. Then she realized she’d h
ave to make an announcement, because Tim was no longer in sight.

  “Mr. Hooley, register five needs your assistance,” she said over the loudspeaker.

  She smiled at Mrs. Nyberg and finished ringing up the rest of the groceries, bagged them, and waited. And waited.

  “Maybe you should page him again.”

  Hannah suppressed an eye roll and spoke into the receiver, more loudly this time. “Mr. Hooley, register five needs your assistance, please.”

  The senior Mr. Hooley shuffled his way over to her station. She could tell just by his gait that he was angry.

  “If you need assistance, Hannah, just ask.”

  She squeezed the handles of the grocery bags as she placed them inside Mrs. Nyberg’s cart. “Yes, Mr. Hooley.”

  Turning the corner, Tim and the handsome stranger walked toward the register. The store owner didn’t berate his son for not staying at his post, just grumbled something about Hannah not screaming over the speakers.

  Mrs. Nyberg thanked them and left as Tim ushered Jake into her line.

  “So, where are you living, now that you’re back in town?”

  Jake placed his last item on the belt and stowed the basket underneath, and Hannah couldn’t help but notice his toned forearms. “I’m leasing the old Wilson farm.”

  “Really?” Hannah didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but the Wilson place was close by the Boudreau farm. She hadn’t noticed a For Sale sign.

  “They’ve decided to retire up to their cabin and winter in Florida.” He didn’t seem to mind her intrusion. In fact, he flashed her a smile. “Don’t I know you?”

  She shook her head. “No, I don’t think so.”

  “Hannah would’ve been a couple years behind us, if she graduated,” Tim said condescendingly, while Jake kept his smile focused on her.

  “I did graduate.”

  “Right, with a GED. I forgot.”

  She was sure Tim had not forgotten and would soon bring up her being an essentially single mother, or her daddy, or worse, Troy.

  But he didn’t have to, because there, coming through the sliding doors, was Troy himself. Her stomach dropped like a boulder falling off the river cliffs. She looked down, pretending not to notice him. She was positive he wasn’t there to buy groceries.

  “Hey, Hannah. Do you think we could talk?”

  Tim made a grand gesture of huffing out a breath, then turned sharply on Troy. “Hannah doesn’t get a break until noon. Why don’t you come back another time… when she’s not working?”

  Tim scowled at Troy, then left to help another cashier.

  She glanced over at Jake and saw his look of pity. A look she’d received so frequently, she couldn’t miss it. She could feel her face redden.

  “You can call me after work,” she said tightly. She didn’t want him hanging around until her lunch hour, didn’t want to deal with him on her only real break.

  “No. Noon.”

  “I can talk after work.” She shook her head, swiping Jake’s item across the scanner, ignoring Troy as he continued his whiny rant. “That’ll be $12.76. Cash or credit?”

  “Hannah! I need to talk to you now.”

  Jake pulled out his wallet, handing her a twenty.

  “It’s important!”

  She counted the change into Jake’s hand, ignoring Troy. “Good luck with the farm.”

  Troy growled, “You’re being such a bit–”

  “Why don’t you listen to her and head out,” Jake interrupted Troy, his voice stern, forceful. He shifted his stance to face, and tower over, Troy.

  Hannah froze in mortification.

  “Excuse me, who are you?” Troy was scrawny compared to Mr. Marine, reminding her of a chihuahua yapping at a mastiff.

  “Hannah, take care of him!” Tim scolded from across the aisle.

  She nodded tightly, then whipped off her apron and tossed it behind the register, leaving her station to lead Troy out of the store. She whirled around to face him. “You need to get out of here before I get fired,” she hissed through her teeth.

  “I need to talk to you.” Troy slowed, making her pull on his arm.

  She shook her head. “No, not this time.”

  “Hannah, please, I really need some money.”

  “You need to go.” She could see Tim holding up his wrist and pointing to his watch. “I have to get back to work.”

  “You’re not even going to talk to me?”

  “If you want money, ask your mother,” she said, turning around to head back to her station.

  Jake stood with Tim at the end of the register as she returned.

  “Next time he comes around, you’ll be the one walking out,” Tim warned, then walked away, leaving her standing alone with Jake.

  Flustered, she could feel the lump forming in her throat as this guy just stood there. “Did I mess something up with your order?”

  He looked at her for a moment before asking quietly, “Are you going to be okay?”

  Before she could control herself, tears stung the backs of her eyes. She could hear the sincerity in his voice, and all the anger inside of her shifted to humiliation. She pushed back the wisps of hair that hung in her eyes. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  He gave her a hard look. “He shouldn’t be talking to you like that.”

  She waved vaguely in the direction of the departed Troy and faked a smile. She didn’t need his advice. “He’s just an idiot.”

  His eyes smoldered as he gazed at Troy, just visible as he slouched toward his car. He returned his attention to her. “Your name is Hannah Destin, right?”

  So, he did know her after all, and just like the rest of the town, probably by reputation. “Yeah.”

  He nodded. “Hopefully I’ll see you around.”

  He gave her a small wave as another customer came up to her register and took her attention. When she was able to look back out at the parking lot, he was gone.

  Tim drifted back over to her station.

  She asked, “So, Jake is your friend?”

  She had a feeling that in high school, the hot Marine and Tim’s social circles had been very different.

  Tim puffed up. “Oh, yeah. Me and Jake go way back. All the way to elementary school!”

  “That’s nice.”

  “He was in all my classes.” Tim loved to talk about how well he’d done in school, how much smarter he was than everyone else, how he’d attended college while she finished her GED in night school. So, Jake being in his classes was saying a lot. “He got a Purple Heart,” Tim told her. “Over in Afghanistan.”

  Even though she didn’t know him, her heart suddenly went out to him. She couldn’t imagine going to war and being injured. She couldn’t imagine what his family felt. How scared he must’ve been.

  “Earth to Hannah.” Tim waved a hand in front of her face. “Mr. Hannigan is waiting for his receipt.”

  She shook herself out of her thoughts and handed the man his slip. “Have a great day, Mr. Hannigan.”

  “Oh, I will. Got my Lutefisk, so I’m good to go.” He held up his bag, then scurried off.

  “That much pickled herring cannot be good for anyone,” Tim mumbled, then climbed back up to the manager’s office above the courtesy desk, where his father stood overlooking the store below.

  Hannah wondered if Troy would be waiting for her after her shift, and if he’d be even madder by then. She looked at the time, still hours until lunch.

  She hoped the handsome Marine would come again.

  “Hey, Ma,” Jake said as he walked in the side door, handing over the groceries she’d asked him to pick up.

  “Thank you.” She kissed him on the cheek, then looked inside the bag. “Do you want anything to drink?”

  He shook his head. “Nah, I can’t stay long.”

  She gave him the look, which always made him feel guilty. She knew he was avoiding Ted.

  “He’s not here,” she said, walking into the kitchen. “They’re all at the club.”

  “Oh
.”

  The grand Victorian had been updated to a modern luxury home, with a white marble kitchen that overlooked the St. Croix River. Jake sometimes wondered why he’d returned to Prairie Valley at all. He’d said it was his family, but his family was the reason he’d left in the first place. Unlike his brothers and sister, Jake wasn’t Ted’s biological son, which made him the unspoken outsider.

  He stood looking out at the view, but his mind was really on the woman at the grocery store and her lunatic boyfriend, Troy Higgins.

  “You okay?” she asked, opening the fridge to put the groceries away.

  “Yeah, there was this guy and his girlfriend at the grocery store…” he paused, thinking about the incident, and why it had bothered him so much. “He reminded me of dad.”

  Elaine didn’t have to ask what he meant by that. She was, after all, the one who had been on the other side of his abuse. She shut the refrigerator door. “What happened?”

  He didn’t really know, and maybe he’d just been overreacting, but he’d barely been able to hold back his rage. He’d actually started to shake as he heard the little pipsqueak mouthing off at her. He still shook, just thinking about it.

  “He started yelling at his girlfriend, and… I don’t know.” He shrugged. “It bothered me.”

  She nodded but said nothing more. “How ‘bout some coffee?”

  He tapped his fingers against the granite counters, then sighed. “Sure.”

  She grabbed a mug and poured it full of fragrant black liquid.

  He barely remembered his dad. He had only been little when his mother left, but the beatings were still vivid in his memory. His father had never laid a finger on him, but he’d pummeled his mother like a ragdoll. The neighbors often called the cops, and one night when his father was taken away, Elaine packed up a suitcase and left. At first, they’d stayed in a women’s shelter. Then she’d met Ted.