Page 49 of The Cowboy Who Came Home

“Back up,” someone said. “Let her get up.”

Hands helped the woman on Link’s lap to her feet, and then he took Will’s hand and got to his feet. He dusted his hands down the front of his shirt, which wasn’t as festive as Mitch’s. Still the black, red, and white plaid did a good job of telling people how Texas-cowboy-country he was.

He looked up and into the stunning green eyes of a strawberry blonde in a short-sleeved purple sweater. The whole world fell away, and all Link could see and feel were fireworks.

More sparks than he’d ever experienced before, even at the town Independence Day celebration.

“Sorry,” he blurted out.

“Oh, it was my fault,” she said, her mouth pinching on the sides like she was fighting off a smile. “I got a little twirl-happy.” She grinned over to Mitch, who signed to her.

I love that sweater.

To Link’s shock and dismay, she signed back to him. “Thanks. My sister actually made it for me.”

“You know sign language?” Link asked with his voice at the same time Mitch did with his hands.

“A little,” she said, and her signs were clumsy. “I, uh.” She glanced over to Mitch again. “Sorry, I forgot to look at you. I learned some ASL in high school.”

Of course she had. And of course Mitch looked like he’d been bedazzled by this woman, with gemstones glittering in his eyes, from every pore of skin.

What’s your name? he asked. I haven’t seen you around Three Rivers before.

All the things Link wanted to say, Mitch did. Of course. He was full of charisma while Link only seemed to have nerves made of hissing snakes.

“I’m Misty,” she said, finger-spelling her name. “I’ve been in town for a couple of weeks.” She glanced over to Link, who smiled at her. Everyone else had gone back to dancing, and the four of them stood there. “I’m here working on the restoration of City Hall.”

To his horror, Izzy linked her hand through his elbow. He even looked at her like she’d grown another head and then all her skin had turned bright red.

Misty ducked her head when she saw that. “What’s your name?”

Mitch, Mitch said, and he extended his hand toward her. Do you want to dance?

Misty looked at him again. He said, “I’m Link. We’re cousins.”

“Sure, okay,” she said, and Misty nodded to Link and then put her hand in Mitch’s.

Of course, he thought. The one woman he’d felt anything for would be interested in Mitch.

Link wouldn’t say a word to Mitch or anyone else about his internal fireworks display either, because he loved his cousin. He wouldn’t take anything good from Mitch, even if his own jealousy roared through him like a pride of lions.

“Should we dance, Link?” Izzy asked.

He blinked and leaned closer to her. “You okay? Did you get hurt when you fell?”

She eased herself into his arms, and while there was heat, there wasn’t anything like Link had felt while he’d barely been looking at Misty. “I’m fine, Link. Dance with me.”

And since Link could see Mitch holding Misty in his arms as they swayed back and forth, he decided he didn’t really have another option. “Yeah,” he said, trying to swallow down his irritation and jealousy. “Let’s dance.”

Chapter Fifteen

Misty Granger had only come to the dance in the park tonight because her co-worker had dared her to come see if she could charm one of the country cowboys. Guilt drove through her as she danced with Mitch, because he’d clearly been charmed by her.

She glanced over to Link, who danced with a brunette who sure seemed to be enjoying it more than he was. They didn’t talk, and she had her eyes closed and that small smile that said she’d finally gotten the cowboy’s attention—and she intended to keep it.

Misty would be in Three Rivers for at least the next couple of years, but she’d promised herself she wouldn’t fall in love with anyone who dared to enjoy living in a town of less than twenty thousand people.

She came from the Dallas Fort-Worth area, and she saw more people on the way to work than the population of this town.

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