Page 143 of Ride a Cowboy

She stopped walking and turned, waiting until he caught up.

“What are you doing out here?” she asked.

He tried to play it casual. “I was heading back to my trailer. Isn’t it a little cold for a stroll in the moonlight?”

She shrugged. “I needed to cool off.”

“Trouble with Josh?”

“He’s failing business calc.”

Daniel paused, pleased that she’d answered his question. In the past few weeks, he’d felt a friendship building between them. Unfortunately, he wasn’t going to be happy just being her pal. “Isn’t the end of the semester coming up?”

“Yeah. It is. He has less than a month to bring up a very low grade. If he doesn’t manage that, then he’ll have to stay at college this summer to make up the course.”

He could understand her frustration. Sienna had been ready to start her new life as an adult when she graduated last spring. Now she was putting her future on hold while Josh played catch-up. “Can’t he get a tutor or something?”

She nodded. “He could. If he would. I made that suggestion a month ago, when things were still salvageable, and he didn’t bother. Now he seems to think it’s too late.”

“Does Josh want to graduate from college?”

Sienna laughed. Her expression instantly morphed from pissed off to unadulterated humor. The sound had an unexpected effect on him as his cock began to thicken. He needed to get laid or else he’d do something very stupid, like make a play for the boss’s unavailable daughter. “I’m starting to think he doesn’t. Josh seems very resistant to entering the real world.”

“And that’s funny?” He couldn’t understand why she was laughing about the situation.

“Nope. It’s annoying, frustrating, maddening. But if I don’t laugh, I’ll cry, and there’s no way I’m going to shed any more tears over Josh’s stupidity.”

He knew it. Her fucking boyfriend had been making her cry. Daniel’s hand balled into a fist. His decision was made. Seth wasn’t the only man on the ranch who’d be having a little talk with Josh next week.

He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. “Seth said he’s coming home for Thanksgiving.”

“He is. And he and I are going to have a come to Jesus meeting.”

Daniel hoped she was going to direct her immature boyfriend to the nearest exit, but he didn’t think she would. “Meaning?”

“It’s time for Josh to grow up. His parents aren’t going to keep footing the bill for him if he fails course after course.”

“It’s not just his parents who are being inconvenienced. What about you?”

She glanced up at the moon, then she sighed. “I’m in this for the long haul. He probably sounds like an idiot to you, but that’s because you’ve never met him. Josh is actually very sweet. I really think he’s just going through a phase right now. We’ll have a long talk over Thanksgiving and everything will be fine.”

Daniel didn’t think so, but he wasn’t sure how to argue with her. He didn’t know Josh. Regardless, he was damn sure the guy didn’t deserve Sienna.

Her face cleared. “Thanks for talking things out with me, Daniel. I feel better now.” She rubbed her gloved hands together for heat. “I think I might head back to the house for some coffee and pie. Are you sure you don’t want some?”

He shook his head. “No. It’s getting late. I’m going to turn in early.”

“Good night,” she said.

“Night, See.” He watched her walk back to the main house, but he made no effort to return to his trailer. She’d been right about one thing. The cool air helped him think too.

As for the rest…

Well, she’d been wrong about all of it. Regardless of how sweet Josh was, he was wrong for Sienna Compton. The asshole was stifling her, holding her back from her true potential.

Daniel smiled. It was time for a new plan.

Chapter 4

---