Page 53 of Road to a Cowboy

Cal’s fast walk turned into a jog as he neared the barn. Inside, it was quiet on account of everyone having gone to lunch—aside from the nicker of horses and shuffling of hooves, that was.

Anticipation zinged through him when he found Austin exactly where he expected—in Dash’s stall. He barely got out a “Hey” before Austin yanked him inside and attacked his mouth.

Cal groaned into him, his body catching fire as it collided with Austin’s. Austin’s hands were everywhere at once—on his ass, digging his shirt out of his jeans to splay against the skin of his back, on his shoulders. Their hats tumbled to the ground and Austin’s hands went to his hair next.

“Jesus.” Chuckling softly, Cal leaned back against the side of the stall, drawing Austin into him. “Hello to you too. Welcome back.”

“Last night,” Austin murmured, his teeth scraping Cal’s neck, “I stayed in a cabin on one of Custer Gallatin’s campgrounds.”

Cal let out a hoarse sound of acknowledgment, his head falling back. “The cute one we stayed at last time I went with you?”

“Uh-huh. The one with the epic lookout. Should’ve been awesome. But the entire time I was there, I wished I was in bed with you.”

Letting out a rough noise, Cal dug his fingers into Austin’s hair and dragged his mouth back to his. Three days they’d been doing this... whatever they were doing... and already Cal couldn’t get enough of him. Wanted to fuse them together until they were sharing the same body, the same heartbeat. The same soul.

Cal wasn’t sure he believed in the concept of soulmates. The One. There were people you clicked with and people you didn’t, and some you clicked with more than most.

He and Austin clicked. Had ever since they’d shared Twizzlers in kindergarten.

Something else clicked too—an actual click followed by a series of thuds that echoed dully over the sound of his and Austin’s labored breaths. But it wasn’t until someone cleared their throat nearby that Cal figured out what the sound was.

The side door of the barn snicking closed, then boot heels thudding against the barn floor.

He drew away from Austin with a sloppy kiss, difficult to do with Austin clinging to him like a monkey. The throat clearing came again, which seemed to jar Austin out of his lust, because he swore under his breath and whirled around.

Standing outside Dash’s stall was Whitney Windsor-March.

Fuck.

Austin gave a two-fingered wave. “Hey, Whitney.”

“Austin,” Whitney said, and it was so long-suffering that Cal almost laughed.

Austin stepped in front of Cal, as though he could... protect him?

It was insanely cute.

And useless. Cal was bigger than him.

Whitney leaned sideways and peered around Austin. “Cal.”

Cal cleared his throat and stepped up next to Austin. “Hey, boss.”

She straightened and narrowed her gaze on Austin. “Why do I always find you in the middle of trouble on my ranch?”

“Me?” Austin pressed a hand to his chest. “I’m an angel.”

“Who was it I found tipping my cows?”

“That was Las’s idea.”

Whitney raised an eyebrow. “He was four at the time.”

“Always been a troublemaker, that kid.”

Cal rubbed a hand over his mouth to hide his smile and tried not to laugh.

“And who decided to hide the fireworks two days before the Fourth of July?”

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