Page 3 of Cowboy Friend Zone for Christmas

The blasted man answered on the third ring. “Hey, Nash!” Brady sounded genuinely glad to hear from Nash. “How’s it going down there in Phoenix?”

Nash’s mouth flat-lined at the reference to his injury. “I’ve had better days.”

“I bet,” Brady sounded sympathetic. “If there’s anything Adeline or I can do to help?—”

“Thanks,” Nash interrupted tersely, “but I’m good. That’s not why I’m calling.” He caught Noelle’s gaze, and his gaze softened a fraction. “I have someone in the room with me who has something she needs to say to you.”

Brady was silent for a moment. Then he started speaking again in a rush. “Please tell me we’re talking about Noelle Ward.”

“I am.”

“Is she okay?” Brady sounded so concerned that Noelle smiled. It was one of those sad smiles that stretched a person’s lips without reaching their heart. Though he’d made it clear he didn’t have romantic feelings for her, it was still nice to hear him ask about her.

“I’ll let her answer that question for herself.” Without any further ado, Nash brazenly held the phone out to Noelle as he stepped closer to the bed.

Way to put me on the spot!

Her hand felt unsteady as she accepted the phone. “I’m doing great, Brady.” That was stretching the truth a little. Like Nash, she’d seen better days. “How’s everybody at the ranch?”

“We seem to be down a horse trainer.” He huffed out a breath. “Any chance you’ll be returning to town soon?”

“About that.” She gulped. “I was actually calling to give you my two-week notice.”

He was silent for a moment. “I was worried you might say something like that.” He sounded so resigned that it twisted her heartstrings. “Is there anything I can do to change your mind?”

“No. I’m sorry.” She didn’t want to discuss pay raises, future promotions, or any other job benefits. She just wanted to be as far from him as possible. “I’ve decided to pursue another opportunity.”

“Still training horses, I hope?” He shot the question at her as quick as a bullet.

“Definitely.” It was the only thing she was qualified to do.

“Okay.” He drew a heavy breath. “Well, I wish you the best in your new position.” He hesitated before adding, “Wherever it is.”

“Dallas,” she supplied, meeting Nash’s gaze. She could practically feel his eyes probing hers, silently urging her to tell the truth — all of it. “At Canyon Creek Ranch with the Carson brothers.”

“I see.” There was no inflection in Brady’s voice this time.

Nash frowned and made an ushering movement with his hand, as if encouraging her to keep talking.

“Thank you,” she blurted, not quite sure what to say next. However, the whole point of the call was to leave things on a good note at her last place of employment. “For everything. For allowing me to train your horses. For giving me my first real start in the business. I’m truly grateful.” After a bad breakup with her father’s junior partner, she’d been forced to job hunt out of state for an opportunity at a ranch that her father’s firm wasn’t associated with. Her parents had refused to believe her ex was a pathological lying creep who wouldn’t take no for an answer. It had all but destroyed her relationship with them.

“You’re welcome,” Brady returned in a voice infused with more kindness than she’d been expecting. “We’re going to miss you around here, you know. Shelly especially.”

Though it was nice of him to say that, it served as a painful reminder that he had Adeline in his life now, a top-notch horse trainer. A far more skilled horse trainer than Noelle would ever be, especially when it came to working with difficult horses.

Like the one that broke my leg.

Adeline was more skilled at other things, too, like loving him. Noelle’s lips twisted bitterly. Sure, his sister, Shelly, would miss her. They’d become really good friends. Brady probably wouldn’t, though. Not really. To include himself in that statement felt…off. Almost like he was putting on a show for Nash’s benefit.

Despite how polite he was being about everything over the phone, resentment fizzled through her. After everything that had happened between them —or failed to happen, in their case — had he truly expected her to keep working for him? He had to have figured out that she was crushing on him. Talk about taking her services as a horse trainer for granted!

She was only dimly aware of Nash taking the phone from her and stepping toward the window with it. His words wafted back in her direction. “Your loss is our tremendous gain, bro.”

Brady was silent for another beat. “Did you plan this?” Suspicion sharpened his voice.

“Hardly.” Nash gave a bark of dry laughter. “I was still unconscious when the job offer was made by my brothers in a hospital hallway. And before you ask, she wasn’t exactly begging for a job from us. In her own words, she was simply hitching a ride out of town on my medical chopper.”

Brady snorted. “I’m sure there was more to it than that.”

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