Page 89 of The Cowboy Who Looked Again

“Hey.” He laughed and pulled out another white-wrapped package. “I might. You never know. Maybe we’ll go somewhere amazing for Thanksgiving, just the two of us.”

Misty gaped at him, forgetting about Danny completely. “The day you leave Shiloh Ridge at Thanksgiving is the day I die.”

He laughed again and leaned toward her. “I sure do like your pretty accent. Di-ie. It’s one syllable, sweetheart.”

She’d made it two, and she let her eyes drift closed as he kissed her briefly.

“You two are sickly sweet,” Danny said in a dry tone.

Misty pulled back and moved around him to get silverware out of the kitchen. “Danny, I’m not staying in Dallas.”

“I figured,” he said.

She wasn’t sure how to tell him he couldn’t stay here either. That she didn’t want him living in her apartment, especially if the way he cleaned up after himself was any indication of future behavior. He’d told her that everything in prison was so strict, that he just wanted to toss his shoes and shed his socks, and he’d get to them later. That he wouldn’t live like this forever.

Misty honestly wasn’t sure she believed him. Of course, he’d told her so many things in the past that hadn’t been true, so his track record with her wasn’t great.

“There’s a spot for you at Shiloh Ridge,” Link said. “Poor Cutter’s livin’ alone these days, and that man needs someone to keep him in line.” He grinned at Danny while Misty stared.

Danny scoffed—just like Misty wanted to—and then he just stared at Link. Her boyfriend casually took a bite of his sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich as if he hadn’t a care in the world.

“You mean that?” Danny had stopped eating completely, and Misty hadn’t started yet. Tension choked her, but Link took another bite as he looked between them.

He nodded, reached for a napkin, and swallowed. “Yeah, of course,” he said. “Why wouldn’t I mean…that?”

“Misty told you I was in prison, right?” Danny asked, glaring over to Misty now.

“Of course I told him that.”

Danny focused on Link again. “And your daddy knows? All your family? They want me there?”

“Shiloh Ridge always needs good men,” Link said.

“So you haven’t spoken to them about it.” Danny scoffed again and started to laugh in an unkind way. “Right.” He rolled his eyes and his head in Misty’s direction.

“Be nice,” she hissed at him.

“This is why I don’t want to go to Three Rivers,” he said bitterly. “You say it’ll be fine, but it won’t be. Every job I get from now until forever is going to make me disclose that I’m an ex-con.”

“Well, it won’t be different here,” Misty shot back at him. “And no one here is offering you anywhere to live, work, and be anonymous.” She gestured to Link, who had stopped eating. “We’re offering you all of that. It’s a good thing, Danny. Don’t make it into a bad thing just because you’re scared.”

Danny pressed his teeth together, his lips flat-lining over them. He took his food and stormed out of the kitchen and dining area and into the living room. Misty’s adrenaline fell, and she let the breath out of her lungs too.

She looked helplessly at Link, who suddenly did wear an expression of uncertainty. Then, he grabbed his food and followed Danny into the living room. He sat down on the other end of the couch, leaving the middle cushion for Misty, should she choose to join them.

With her lungs pinched as they were, she decided to stay at the dining room table to eat. She’d just taken her first bite of quiche Lorraine when Link looked over to Danny. “You own any boots?”

“No,” Danny said.

“A hat?”

Danny looked at him, pure irritation in his eyes. “What do you think, cowboy?”

“I think you can borrow one of mine until we can get you set up with your own,” Link said without missing a beat. “The boots I can’t help you with, because I think my giant feet will be like you wearing skis.” He chuckled and went back to his sandwich.

Danny looked over to Misty, who likewise stared right back at him. She’d been nervous about Link meeting Danny, though realistically, she shouldn’t have been. Link didn’t pick up any more small talk, and the three of them ate in silence from their positions in the apartment.

Misty could only get down a few more bites, and then she got up and put the cardboard cover over her quiche. She slid it into the fridge and joined the men in the living room. “Danny, I haven’t seen Link in a week, and I’m going to take him out to see my favorite things in Dallas.” She grinned and extended both of her hands to Link.

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