Page 37 of Some Cowgirls are Worth Protecting

She wasn’t an average burger. She was the air he breathed, the sturdy earth beneath his feet, the water that brought him life. Rachel was everything he needed and everything he craved, all in one package.

He wasn’t sure when the shift had actually taken place. It felt like he’d known this forever. The kiss the other night was far from being the catalyst, but it was something that pushed him over the edge. It would be a moment that would forever live in his heart.

Straightening his shoulders and lifting his chin, Hudson knocked on the door that, in a way, belonged to them both. It opened immediately and Rachel smiled at him.

“I was wondering if you were having second thoughts.”

His eyes widened slightly. “Were you watching me?”

She shrugged. “I saw you pull up, but I wasn’t sure how you wanted tonight to play out.”

Hudson looked down. These feelings were all too new. He was terrified he’d mess everything up. His gaze swept over her from her feet to her eyes, and he reached for her hand. He couldn’t show weakness. Her hand was soft and delicate in his, and he squeezed it gently as he pulled her from the house. “I have no intention of backtracking. I’m all in.”

“Good,” she murmured. “Me neither.”

He pulled her closer, his arm wrapping around her waist. Scents of lavender and citrus inundated his senses. The pale blue floral dress she wore accentuated the color of her eyes, making them pop. She’d swept her hair up into a delicate pile of curls that begged to be let down.

His breathing grew more ragged, and he pressed his forehead against hers. There was so much he wanted to say, but he couldn’t find the words to say them. His tongue was tied, and his heart refused to settle. “Should we… get going?” Hudson whispered, pulling back.

Rachel’s eyes fluttered open, and that familiar spark passed between them. She nodded.

Hudson tugged her to come with him. They walked down the steps, hand in hand, until they reached the truck. He opened the door and helped her inside. Everything inside him begged him to kiss her, to pull her from the truck and repeat their experience from the other night. But he refrained. Tonight was going to be about setting a foundation for the two of them—to ensure they were on the same page.

He gave her one more fleeting look and then shut the door firmly before hurrying around the side of the truck. The second he climbed in behind the wheel, Rachel said, “You clean up nice.”

The corners of his lips quirked upward. “Speak for yourself. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear anything but jeans or slacks.”

She groaned. “That’s because ever since I was a kid, I had to wear all the frilly nonsense that came with being part of high society.”

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She’d never told him about her past. He’d merely caught snippets from what Athena would say. All he knew was that her parents were wealthy. She’d been adopted and raised with everything she could have possibly wanted. Only recently had he found out she had her own money. “Sounds… hard.”

Rachel fidgeted with her dress. “I know it’s not as bad as what others experience—certainly not Athena… or you…” Her voice trailed off, and her face flushed scarlet. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to talk about that sort of thing.”

“Why not?”

She stiffened, giving him a surprised look. “Because… you…”

Hudson heaved a sigh and faced her. “I’m a private person. I don’t share much of my personal life with anyone. For your own reasons, you’ve done the same. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to get to know you better. What I do know…” He cocked his head and reached out to graze her jawline with his crooked finger. “…I like.”

Rachel reached up and grasped his hand in hers, then smiled. “Okay,” she whispered.

18

Rachel

Rachel sat across from Hudson in one of the fanciest restaurants she’d been to in a while. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Live music filtered through the whole restaurant. Everything from the tablecloths to the art on the wall reminded her of the more expensive places her parents would take her when she was back home.

Hudson had insisted he didn’t want to be interrupted, although that was almost guaranteed in Copper Creek. He held his menu with one hand and her hand with the other. His thumb trailed along the ridges and valleys of her knuckles, and every so often he looked up at her.

She hadn’t been able to bring herself to tell him everything, but now he knew that she’d been raised by a wealthy family and that she had enough money to purchase the land. But what she hadn’t told him was just how wealthy her family was, nor why she felt determined to keep everyone she knew at arm’s length.

The desire to tell him was there. She could safely say she felt secure with him. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that he would never do anything to hurt her—not on purpose, anyway. But there was still so much she didn’t know about him.

“Can I ask you something?”

He glanced up at her, then placed his menu on the table.

She squirmed under his scrutiny. “You’re quiet.”

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