Page 170 of Ride a Cowboy

“I told her to block his number.”

Daniel nodded. “That’s a good idea. I can’t understand why she still talks to him after that stupid I need a break bullshit at Thanksgiving.”

Another patron at the bar caught Jade’s eye. She nodded at the unspoken request and started pouring two beers from the tap. “He was pretty clever in the way he worded it. Said he needed some time apart, not that he wanted to break up. He pretended like this separation would be good for both of them and then he promised to come back and play by her rules for as long as they both shall live.” She placed air quotes around the last part of her comment.

“Calling her every fucking other day isn’t what I consider taking a break.”

Jade placed the two beers in front of the guy next to him and took the money the man offered. “I agree. I assume one of two things is going on. First of all, maybe Josh has discovered that the grass is not greener. He was pretty lucky to land Sienna in the first place. She’s bright and funny and strong. Josh is more or less the opposite of that. He’s always been quiet, a bit shy, too serious. The only time he really shines, really stands out, is when he’s with her. Maybe he’s realized that he had a good thing all along.”

Daniel could definitely buy that idea. He hadn’t spoken more than ten words to Josh over Thanksgiving. Mainly because he’d decided from the get-go that he hated the prick. But Jade was right. He hadn’t noticed much personality in the other man. “What’s the other thing? The other reason why he could be calling all the time?”

Jade frowned. “While he’s out there sowing his wild oats, he doesn’t want her doing the same.”

Daniel had come to that same conclusion two days ago, when he first discovered Josh was calling. “You mean he pretended that this break was for both of them when really it’s just for him. Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too.”

Jade wiped the counter, refilled a couple empty bowls with peanuts. “I hope that reason is wrong, because if I find out he’s trying to fuck my cousin over, I will personally beat the shit out of him.”

His hand clenched. Jade wasn’t going to have to make good on that promise because he intended to get there first. There wasn’t going to be much of Josh left by the time he finished with him. Daniel needed to cool off. He took a swallow of the beer and winced. Tasted like piss.

“Here, you can’t drink that.” Jade dumped his beer in the sink, grabbed a fresh frosty mug and poured him a new one. “On the house.”

“What for?”

She grinned. “Because I think you’re going to need it.” She nodded toward the entrance. Sienna was making her way to the bar and she seemed upset.

Jade walked away as soon as Sienna reached him. He’d managed to save a stool next to him. “Take a load off,” he said, pointing to it.

“Thanks.”

“Want a beer?”

She nodded, then tried to get Jade’s attention. “I’ll have my regular,” she called out. Jade raised her hand to indicate that she’d heard.

“Sorry about that.” Sienna sat down.

Daniel considered her apology. He’d never been the sort of man to hang back, to give a woman space. His mother used to say she pitied the woman who finally captured his heart because she’d never have a moment’s peace. When he saw something he wanted, he went after it with a single-minded determination. The only reason he never took her words as an insult was because she’d go on to blame his father for his rather forceful ways, but his mom’s eyes were always soft and happy as she looked at her beloved husband.

He’d seen that same expression when Jody gazed at Seth. He’d even caught it at Christmas when Lucy batted Silas’ hand away as he playfully pinched her ass. She’d been complaining about the extra pounds she’d picked up over the last few years. Silas had told her it just gave him more to grab on to. There’d been no doubt that while Lucy wasn’t happy with the weight, Silas would never see her as anything less than completely beautiful.

For a month Daniel had given Sienna the free and easy side of himself, played the casual lover, entertaining her fantasies. He’d done it because he thought that was what she’d needed. Now…well, the leash he was wearing was starting to chafe.

“Let me guess. That was Josh.”

She nodded. “He’s drunk.”

“He called to tell you that?”

Sienna laughed. “No. He called to tell me he loved me.”

Motherfucker.

Daniel forced himself to take a drink of his beer. It was that or lose his cool. A lot of his current situation was his own fault. He’d let Sienna think he was okay with no strings.

“Is that so?”

She toyed with the label on the bottle of beer Jade had placed in front of her. “Yeah, but the whole time we were talking, all I could think about was…” Her voice drifted away, but Daniel needed to hear the rest.

“Was what?”

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