Page 112 of Ride a Cowboy

Joel frowned. “We just want you to be our girlfriend, Sadie.”

She shook her head. “No.”

Both men waited for her to elaborate, but she remained silent. Her head was whirling over all the reasons why she wouldn’t, why she couldn’t date them, but she struggled to find one that they would believe.

“Why not?” Oakley was ready to push the envelope.

“People wouldn’t approve.” Yep. That was the lamest one she could have thrown at them. They knew her far too well.

Joel scoffed, just as she’d expected. “You don’t give a good goddamn what anyone thinks. Try again.”

His arrogant tone sent her into orbit. “Listen. We have fun between the sheets and you have a nice cock, but that doesn’t mean I want to wear your letter jacket and go steady. It just means you’re a decent fuck.”

Her words were deliberately cruel. Probably the meanest things she’d ever said, but they’d backed her against a wall. She’d never been the type to back away from a fight, so even as it ripped her heart to do so, she came out swinging.

If she had hurt him, Joel didn’t let on. His face was impassive as he studied hers. She was terrified at what he might see, so she set her features in stone and held his gaze despite her desire to curl up in a ball and sob her heart out. It gave her no pleasure to say these things, but she needed to make a clean break.

“What about me, Sadie? Do you like me?” Oakley’s softly worded question pierced her heart.

She didn’t have it in her to keep going, to remain so cold. “Please don’t make me say things that will hurt you.”

Oakley lifted one shoulder, though his face made her feel as if she’d just kicked a puppy. “All we want you to say is the truth.”

“That’s all I’ve ever said to you.”

Joel tilted his head. “Actually, now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure you’ve never said a single honest word to us. What are you so afraid of, Sadie?”

It was the worst thing he could have said to her. The Milligan family was notorious for its overweening sense of pride and determination to never be called a coward.

“Nothing,” she said as she rose from the table. Her hands shook with rage and agony. “I’m not afraid of anything.”

Joel didn’t bother to stand. The son of a bitch was pushing her buttons. “Then why are you running away from us? From this?”

Sadie leaned closer, her voice dangerously low. “There is no us, Joel. And there never will be. I’m not yours. This train just hit the last station.”

With that, she stormed from the restaurant. The steam from her red-hot anger got her back home in record time. And it was only after she closed the door behind her that her true emotions caught up to her.

She crumbled to the floor and cried like she’d never cried before.

Chapter 10

Joel walked into Cruisers with Oakley at his side. It was a bold move, and probably not the smartest one. It had been five days, six hours and—he glanced at his watch—seventeen minutes since Sadie had ripped their hearts from their chests and stomped on them.

Since then, he and Oakley had done nothing but throw themselves into their work. Rising at the crack of dawn and doing the most backbreaking work on the ranch until sunset. Sheer physical exhaustion was the only thing saving them from feeling the emotional pain too keenly. They fell into bed each night and slept the sleep of the dead, too tired to suffer the agony of Sadie’s desertion.

Today, Coach had stepped in. Told them they were taking a day off. He’d insisted despite their protests. So they’d endured an eternal day at home, both of them relieved when Tucker called and invited them out for a drink with him and Chas. Lorelie had hopped in the truck at the last minute, as the other men were bringing their significant others as well.

Joel had considered refusing the invitation at first, simply because he was certain Sadie wouldn’t like seeing them here. Oakley, in typical fashion, had convinced him Cruisers had been their watering hole for years and Sadie would have to get used to seeing them, as none of them had plans to leave small-town Maris anytime soon. Or ever.

Joel hadn’t been fooled by the bravado in his friend’s words. Oakley hadn’t given up hope yet. Hadn’t accepted that Sadie wouldn’t change her mind about this.

Oakley had believed they could console each other sexually. And it had helped…a bit. They’d crawled into bed together and kissed, touched, caressed. It had been more comfort than passion and both of them had missed Sadie. Maybe somewhere down the road that would change, but for now, neither of them could see beyond their broken hearts.

Unlike Oakley—the eternal optimist—it was the angry part of Joel that had brought him here. He wanted Sadie to see his pain, to understand what she’d done to them.

So here they were. For better or worse. Standing in Cruisers.

Sadie hadn’t looked up upon their arrival. Probably because the place was hopping. It was Ladies’ Night and there was a band playing. Joel hadn’t known it would be so busy. If he had, he probably would have stayed home.

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