Page 26 of Catching the Cowgirl

“June?” Dana hisses. Her expression is morphing into one of disgust. I didn’t know her face could move. This is the most expressive I have ever seen from her. She normally has a stoic, icy demeanor. “I don’t understand what you see in her.”

“She’s everything that you are not.” I glance at Owen. “I want her gone. Send someone to collect her things.”

“My bag.” Dana jerks open one of her drawers. Owen grabs her purse before she can, looking through it before handing it over to her. She snatches it back.

"It’s been years, I can't believe you're choosing her."

“I didn’t have to pick.” I grit my teeth, trying to control my anger. I’m not quick to rage, but Dana has been trying to get between June and me. June is the one person or thing I simply can't live without. If not for June, I would have said fuck this whole project a few weeks ago. She would tell me to finish, even if it came down to her detriment, and I believe it has.

Owen leads Dana to the elevator, escorting her out. I unlock my phone for the first time, realizing how late it is. I’d set an alarm for six so that I wouldn't be late.

“Fucking hell.” I rush upstairs as fast as I can. I click through my phone and see that June texted and called me. I want to snap Dana’s neck. It’s not until I see another alert that I fucking lose it. “No.”

I burst into the penthouse. I’m in a full panic, searching for June, knowing that she’s not here. The alert on my phone indicated that she left the building two hours earlier. She is on a plane, and I know where it’s going and that her brother was fucking taking her. How the tables have turned. A few weeks ago, it was me trying to rescue my own sister. Unlike me, though, Jackson paid close attention to the love of his life and nipped that shit in the bud before it could happen.

All of her stuff is still here. It doesn’t appear that she took anything with her. Not that she would need to. Cottonwood is home to her. I alert my pilot that we need to be wheels up as soon as possible.

An ache forms in the center of my chest. It only grows worse when I catch sight of something on her nightstand. I go around the bed to grab it, already knowing what it is.

She’s pregnant. Now she will forever be mine. I wrap my hand around it.

“I’m coming for your little ass, kitten.”

15

JUNE

“You’re pregnant!” are the first two words out of my mom’s mouth when she lays eyes on me. How does she do that?

“Mom!” I hiss.

“What? We don’t have secrets around here.” Mom waves to Paisley and Jackson, who are in the truck. “I’ve got her.”

“Tomorrow!” Paisley shouts from the truck as my brother starts to pull off. I told them I just wanted to be dropped off. It’s already super late. “I love you guys.”

“Love you,” both of us yell back.

Mom wraps her arm around my shoulder, leading me into the house where my dad is sitting in his old leather chair watching TV, pretending it's not the middle of the night and that it’s normal for him to just be hanging around, still watching television.

“Hey, Dad.” He stands and comes over to give me a hug. Dad kisses the top of my head. The urge to cry hits me hard, but I hold it in.

“You good, sweetheart?”

“Not really, but I will be.”

“Then, I’ll leave you with your momma.” He gives me one more peck on the crown of my head before wishing Mom goodnight.

“Come here.” As soon as we are alone, my mother embraces me tightly in one of those unconditional hugs that can only come from a mother.

“I’ve missed you guys.” I feel like such a baby.

“We missed you too.” Mom takes my hand, leading me into the kitchen, where there is a plate of cookies awaiting. She pours us both glasses of milk.

“Just what I needed.” I take a giant bite of the cookie. It tastes like home.

“So.” Mom leans up against the kitchen island, watching me. “How does it feel?”

“What?” She could be talking about so many things right now.

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