Blind Love

  Blind Love

  Book 5 in the Cowboys and Angels series

  Copyright © 2018 by Kelly Elliott

  eBook ISBN – 978-1-943633-40-1

  Paperback ISBN – 978-1-943633-43-2

  All rights reserved.

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products, bands, and/or restaurants referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Visit my website at www.kellyelliottauthor.com

  Cowboys and Angels Series website www.cowboysandangelsseries.com

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This book is dedicated to Tanya.

  Thank you for giving me the idea for Harley.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Parker Family Tree

  A Note to Readers

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Preview of This Love

  Playlist

  Thank You

  Other Books by Kelly Elliott

  A Note to Readers

  Blind Love is book five in the Cowboys and Angels series. The books in this series are not stand-alone books. Stories intertwine between books and continued to grow within each book. If you have picked up this book and have not read Lost Love, Love Profound, Tempting Love and Love Again, I strongly suggest that you read them in order.

  For a list of characters in the series as well as other fun extras, please visit the series website: www.cowboysandangelsseries.com

  Spring break, Senior year in college

  I pulled in next to Harley’s father’s truck. I smiled when I saw Harley standing in the middle of the field looking out toward the west. The sun still had a few hours to set, and her eyes closed while she soaked in the sun. This was her favorite spot to come on her folks’ place, and I’d known she would be right here. Something hadn’t been right over the last two days.

  “Hey there, beautiful.”

  Glancing over her shoulder, her mesmerizing light-emerald eyes lit up. Those eyes had haunted my dreams for months after she left for college. They were a stunning green with specks of gold.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, her arms unfolding and dropping to her sides.

  “Your folks said you needed some air, so I figured you’d be here.”

  Her smile was soft, barely reaching her eyes. I knew Harley Carbajal like the back of my hand. We’d been friends forever and had dated since high school. I already had an engagement ring ready for after our college graduation. I promised both her daddy and mine I’d wait until we’d finished before I asked her. We only had a few more months; they never said I had to wait until after graduate school.

  “Yeah, I needed some fresh air.”

  I nodded and walked up next to her. “Feel like company?”

  “If it’s you? Always.”

  Pulling her into my arms, I leaned in and kissed her. It didn’t take much to get Harley to melt in my arms. If I wanted her, all I had to do was talk a little dirty, and she’d be begging for me to take her right here. She was my first, and I was hers. It didn’t take us long to figure out we both liked to have a bit of fun when it came to sex. Harley liked it romantic—and sometimes a little rough.

  “What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?”

  She smiled, but this time I knew it was a forced one. “Nothing, really.”

  I decided to let it go and tell her my good news.

  “Dave Hassell was pretty happy about me getting in UT’s law school. He’s offered me a position at the law firm this summer. I mean, I won’t be doing anything major. More like an intern, but I’m going to take it! This is a great step toward starting my own law practice.”

  This time her smile was real. “That’s amazing, Tripp! I’m so proud of you.”

  “The even better news? He’s going to offer me a partnership in his law firm when I graduate from law school. I know it’s a few years away, but just knowing I’ll be able to come back home and start practicing law right away means a lot. We can build that house we dreamed of, and you can start building up your veterinary practice, and who knows? Maybe kids will be in the picture a few years after that.”

  Her eyes filled with tears.

  “Doc Harris already has a practice in town,” she said softly.

  “Then you can work for him. Who knows, maybe he’ll offer you a partnership as well. He’s gotta retire one day, right?”

  Her eyes drifted to the ground. “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

  I pulled her into my arms. “You never know.”

  “Tripp, have you ever thought about not living in Oak Springs?”

  Laughing, I replied, “No. Never. This is our home. I can’t imagine leaving my family and moving away. Besides, our dream has always been to own one of those old houses off Main. I’d love to have my law offices out of one.”

  Harley pulled away from me. “That’s the whole thing. It’s your dream, Tripp. Not mine.”

  My heart felt like a brick as it fell to my stomach.

  “What?”

  She folded her arms over her body. “I don’t want to settle down in Oak Springs. I want to travel and see the world. I want to know what it’s like to live in a big city. Maybe a loft overlooking the hustle and bustle of everything. My Aunt Tanya told me about some of the amazing places she’s traveled, and I can’t stop thinking about how fun that would be.”

  My brows pinched together. “So, is this something you’ve just decided, Harley? We’ve always talked about settling down in Oak Springs.”

  “No, you’ve always talked about it. I’ve just listened.”

  I swallowed hard and turned away from her. My head was spinning. Racing through the catalog of endless conversations we’d had had abo
ut our future—I realized she was right. The conversations were always one-sided, and I’d been too caught up in the excitement of our future to notice that she’d not been participating in the plans I was making.

  What in the fuck happens now? I can’t lose her. I won’t lose her.

  Facing her again, I forced a smile. “Then, that’s what we’ll do.”

  Her eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

  I shrugged. “If you want to live in the city, we’ll live in the city.”

  For a quick moment, I saw excitement in her eyes. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for this woman. Even if it meant putting my own dreams on hold for a while. Harley had been my number one dream—the rest was just the icing.

  “You would do that? Leave your dreams and family behind just like that?” she asked. I could see the guilt pooling in her eyes.

  “I’d do anything for you.”

  My phone rang, causing both of us to jump. I pulled it out of my pocket and went to hit ignore.

  “It’s my dad. I better get it.”

  She motioned for me to answer.

  “Dad? Everything okay?”

  “Tripp, where are you?”

  Something was wrong, I could hear it in his voice.

  “I’m at Harley’s. What’s wrong?”

  “Son, I need you to come home.”

  My heart was racing. “Dad, what’s going on?”

  “Steed thought it would be a good idea to make a ramp over the creek and jump the four-wheeler over it. You boys are going to be the death of us, you know that.”

  I rolled my eyes. I’m sure my folks loved it when we were all back home for Christmas break. “Did he get hurt?”

  “Might have broke his arm. Your mother is freaking out. Would you mind meeting us in Uvalde at the hospital? Your mother wants me to tell you to be careful on the roads. It’s a mess out there.”

  “No, I don’t mind at all, Dad. I’m on my way. Tell Mom not to worry. I’ll be careful and will be there soon.”

  I could hear my father sigh in relief. “Thanks, son. Don’t speed.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Hitting End, I gave Harley a weak smile. “Steed might have broken his arm, and they’re on the way to the hospital. Dad said it would help Mom if I was there. Can we talk about this when I get back?”

  She nodded and looked down at her hands.

  “Want to come with me?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  The silent resignation on her face should’ve been my first warning, but I was only imagining our future…all the while choosing to ignore our present.

  My father and I stood in line to get Mom coffee. They were setting Steed’s arm in a cast, and it felt like it was taking forever. Harley had stayed back in the hospital room to keep Mom company.

  As we walked back to the elevator, I mentioned to my father about Harley wanting to travel.

  “Harley doesn’t want to settle down in Oak Springs.”

  “What?”

  I swallowed hard as we came to a stop, and he motioned for us to sit down.

  “How do you feel about that?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. I’m upset about it, but I love her, Dad. I’ll do whatever she wants and if she wants to travel…that’s what I’ll do.”

  “What about your internship this summer? The partnership you were offered.”

  “I guess I’ll do it until she’s finished with vet school and maybe take some time off?”

  “Tripp, I know you love Harley, but that is not the smart thing to do. I won’t tell you not to do it, but you’ve been talking about starting a law practice in Oak Springs since you were ten and went on that field trip to the courthouse in Austin. What about wanting to run for mayor someday?”

  I blew out a deep breath. “I don’t want to do this…but I will. For her.”

  My father rested his hand on my shoulder. “Son, you both need to sit down and talk about this. If you give up your dreams, you risk ending up resenting Harley. And the same can be said about her dreams.”

  “I’d never do that, Dad. It’d just be putting things off a few years. We’ll make it work. Harley is my life and without her in it, all the internships and partnerships in the world wouldn’t matter.” Raising the cup of coffee we were carrying and not wanting to face the uncertainty, I added, “We better get this to Mom.”

  We headed back to the elevator. Glancing over my shoulder as we stepped in, I swore I saw Harley standing right where my father and I had just been sitting. Straining to look around the closing doors, I missed getting a better look.

  The drive back to Oak Springs was silent. Harley sat in the passenger seat, her hands folded neatly in her lap. Something in her eyes had changed at the hospital. She was quiet and I couldn’t help but wonder if she might be changing her mind about this whole travel thing. I knew her aunt filled her head with loads of stories. She was married to a rich husband who could afford it. How in the hell did she think we would be able to do it? Hell, we were both going to have student loans to pay off and would need to have serious jobs to do that.

  Pulling into her driveway, I pulled off the side of the road and parked. Her house was about a half-mile down the dirt driveway. “Harley, have you thought about what we’re going to do for money? I mean, for traveling and all of that?”

  Her response was not what I was expecting.

  “This isn’t going to work, Tripp.”

  “What isn’t going to work?”

  Her head jerked up and our eyes locked. “You leaving Oak Springs. Us traveling the world. I’m making you give up a dream and that isn’t fair.”

  “Harley, we can make it work. There’s just some things we have to figure out. We’ll both be in debt. How long are you wanting to travel for? We need to plan it out. That’s all.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t want to plan it all out. That’s the adventure part of it, that’s what makes it so thrilling. But that’s not how you live your life. You’re a planner and what I want is the opposite of planning. I want to live and be in the moment.”

  My brows pulled together, the gravity of her words weighing down my thoughts. “I can do it, Harley.”

  Her eyes pooled with the threat of tears. When her chin started to tremble, I went to pull her toward me, but she jerked away.

  Her voice was barely audible as she whispered, “This won’t work. You’ll end up hating me.”

  My heart fell to my stomach.

  Harley jumped out of my truck, and I followed her.

  “What in the fuck are you trying to say?” I demanded.

  “Maybe we should take a break. Until after graduation.”

  I was nearly knocked onto my ass. Surely, I wasn’t hearing what I thought she was telling me. I had law school, graduation, an internship, a partnership in my future… Hell, I had Harley and she was the reason for my future. She was my future.

  “Take a break? Are you fucking insane? I love you and I’m not walking away from this. I’ve already told you, we can make this work. We’ll figure it out and I’ll…I’ll start a law practice after we travel some.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “I, um, I met someone, at school. He…he’s just a friend, but we have been talking and he wants the same things I want. I can’t…pretend like everything is okay with us when we want such different things.”

  It felt like someone had just sucker-punched me in the stomach. “Harley, I just fucking told you! I’ll do whatever you want. I just want you.”

  I watched tears roll down her cheeks. She slowly shook her head.

  “It won’t work, Tripp. Maybe I’m…developing feelings for him. I don’t know. I think we need to take a break, so I can work this all out in my head.”

  My entire world felt like it was falling apart. The only woman I’d ever loved was standing before me dropping the biggest bomb, and all I could do was stand here, angry and yet willing to beg her to stay with me.

  “Have you been cheating on me?”


  Her chin trembled, and she looked away from me for a quick moment. She dragged in a shaky breath before facing me again.

  “I’m not cheating. I mean…I haven’t acted on my feelings. I’m confused.”

  All I could do was stare at her. “I can’t believe you would do this to me.”

  She opened her mouth, regret filling her emerald eyes. “Tripp, wait. I…I…I can’t do this!”

  Harley turned away and ran as fast as she could down the driveway while I stood there. Stunned. Unable to move.

  “Harley!” I shouted.

  She ran faster. Never once looking back.

  My legs trembled as I forced them to take a few steps. With as much energy as I could muster, I cried out after her.

  “Harley! Harley! You can’t go. Please, please don’t go!”

  Falling to my knees, I dropped my head and let the tears fall. I felt the anguish of what had just happened when a few short hours ago we had—no, I had— been planning our future and staring at an engagement ring that Harley would one day wear.

  “Why, Harley?” I whispered.

  Present day

  “Hey, you seem a little withdrawn. You okay?”

  I forced a smile and nodded. Mallory was sitting across the table, smiling. We’d been dating since December. I liked her and her daughter Laney a lot. She was the first woman who had actually made me feel like I was possibly getting over Harley. That was, of course, until Harley came back to town.

  “A long day at work, that’s all.”

  “You still planning on making the announcement tomorrow?” she asked.

  “I am.”

  She started to chew on the left side of her bottom lip. “Do you want me there?”

  My chest squeezed. I’d always pictured Harley standing next to me when I made the announcement of running for mayor. It was a fair question from Mallory, I guess. Four months of exclusive dating… I hadn’t done that since Corina, and honestly, after the first month, it had been clear to both of us that we were better off as friends. Especially since she was in love with my brother, Mitchell.